Ace Seeds Malawi...1st pure sativa grow

[Old Toker]

Ok.....Day 23 of 12/12. About 5 of the plants have reached the ceiling and I've begun to tie the tops down. Have guests staying with us for the weekend....so really haven't gotten a chance to get in there and do any serious training/trimming. But I do have good intentions to BEGIN to tackle it on Tuesday evening when I get some privacy. I admit that I'm nervous that I'm going to hurt/damage healthy plants....but clearly something needs to be done.

Are you OK RPH? Shouldn't you be close to flowering your girls?

Three pics:
1st....closeup on a branch from the shorter Malawi
2nd ....the taller of the Malawis
3rd a couple of tops that are tied down

As usual....sorry for the crappy pics.
Hope everyone is doing well.

 

[deepwaterdude]

Well, if you're gonna have plant troubles, it might as well be too much healthy plant The first pic looks VERY good.
They're very happy and healthy, whatever you decide to do will work for them. Uh, how far below the tops is the cmh? They are probably super stretching once above the light source.
How big were they when you put them to flower?

 

[Old Toker]

Hi DWD!

The CMH is currently as high up as I can get it. When I switched to 12/12 I tried to keep the center about level with the majority of tops. I've also lowered the bulb to about halfway for a couple of hours each evening to give the middle of the plants more light and a different angle.

Switched over on 3/3. (https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=336661&page=21)
Should have done it at least a week sooner....probably two. Waited too long while setting up the drip system. They were about 22-28" from the top of the coco when I switched them over. 80" height in the tent.....so they were about half way up the screens allowing for pot size (2gal) and drainage "system". I know....I know....expect 2x to 3x stretch for sativas. Just because I KNEW better doesn't mean that I was smart or experienced enough to actually do it correctly. Just wait until next time....

Thanks for the compliment on my plants. They actually do look fine....just concerned about the humidity level with all that vegetation. I currently have four fans (not counting the exhaust fan) inside the tent for circulation. Also my dehumidifier (in the lung room) has been able to keep the RH below 70% during lights out....so in theory....I should be OK.....but I think I need to clean out some of the interior and non-flower producing foliage. Hopefully I can do this without my usual heavy handedness and not damage/stunt/kill my plants. Guess we'll know in the next week or so.....

Been following your Ace grow.....your plants (as usual) look GREAT. Appreciate your support and suggestions.....try not to kill those plants!

Well, if you're gonna have plant troubles, it might as well be too much healthy plant The first pic looks VERY good.
They're very happy and healthy, whatever you decide to do will work for them. Uh, how far below the tops is the cmh? They are probably super stretching once above the light source.
How big were they when you put them to flower?

 

[deepwaterdude]

Hey, thanks, OT, as usual started 'em in the wrong stuff. On track now to look really good.

For your puppies, I think you've got enough plant material that they won't miss 20-25%, might even be happy about it. You've got your light vertical, no? Maybe light height not as much an issue

 

[Old Toker]

..You've got your light vertical, no? Maybe light height not as much an issue

Yah.....it's hung vertically in the middle of the tent. Not sure how much an issue the light height will be......but quite a bit of the plant is getting good light penetration. I'm looking forward to this vertical experiment while you do all/most of the research on LEDs. Any closer to pulling the trigger on one of the panels?

 

[deepwaterdude]

Yah.....it's hung vertically in the middle of the tent. Not sure how much an issue the light height will be......but quite a bit of the plant is getting good light penetration. I'm looking forward to this vertical experiment while you do all/most of the research on LEDs. Any closer to pulling the trigger on one of the panels?

Hah, right, Mr Moneybags here I'm going old school 600w for the first month of flower, at least in the little tent. I need get out of debt so I crawl back in;0) The only variable could be if I get some more screw in leds and spiders for this grow. Then I could drop the HID and the jet engine exhaust. Glory be!

 

[Old Toker]

..I need get out of debt so I crawl back in..

I hear you. Even with our yesteryear technology....we are still more fortunate than most. At least we can grow our own. I'm sure sometime soon, as with most technology, the quality will improve and the price will come down to where even you and I can afford it. Of course by then.....we will no longer want it because the Super Proton Enhancer and Atomic Stimulater will be delivering incredible results with only 50w of power.

 

[Old Toker]

Day 27 of 12/12. Anyone know when Sativas normally stop stretching?

Managed to clean out the bottoms but had a real cluster f*ck with the tops. A piece of nylon webbing dropped onto my hot bulb while I was attempting to clean up the inside of a plant. Didn't notice it until I smelled the burning nylon that was melting on the bulb. Tripped over and broke a good size PH branch in my rush to unplug the ballast. Somehow managed in the semi darkness of the tent to wipe off the sticky melted nylon while the bulb was still hot without smearing it....or burning myself....too badly. The whole operation was a turtle screwing a football. If the Three Stooges grew pot....this would have been one of their movies.

Waited 30 minutes for everything to cool off and plugged the ballast back in. Cleaned up the area and ate half a box of Girl Scout cookies. Well....actually shared some with the dogs.

Will re-asses tomorrow night. I am concerned that I'm making the situation worse by crushing branches with flowers on top of other branches with flowers. Can't really seem to find room on the screen for them. Hopefully I haven't destroyed the PH I was working on.

OK.....I'm done venting....for tonight. Hope everyone's grows are doing well!

 

[Old Toker]

Ok....new day....new plan....new attitude. Day 28 of 12/12. 4 weeks today.
Went in and loosely tied all the flowering branches to the walls. Hopefully enough to keep them out of the light. Which I also removed at lights on and did a thorough alcohol cleaning while it was cool. Removed some of the lowest flowering branches that had very little flower development or much hope of getting any light. Judiciously cleaned out some of the inside scruff. Going to do just a little pruning/cleaning each night and of course continue to adjust the ties to the walls.
Interestingly....the branches that are actually on the ceiling are still developing nice flowers. So far it seems as long as they are getting enough light ....they don't seem to have a problem having their heads bent down. Could be my imagination (or just stoned) but it seems that some of my plants are starting to slow their stretch and are developing more flowers.
another Old Toker

 

[Ichabod Crane]

If you want to check to see if stretch is over it is easy to do. Take a wire or pipe cleaner and tie it to your screen. Then take the tip of the wire and place it at the tip of a branch. Watch it for a day or two to see if the wire tip and the branch tip have moved in relation to each other. If not then stretch is over.

Most sativas are done around day 28. But that is only most not all.

 

[Old Toker]

If you want to check to see if stretch is over it is easy to do. Take a wire or pipe cleaner and tie it to your screen. Then take the tip of the wire and place it at the tip of a branch. Watch it for a day or two to see if the wire tip and the branch tip have moved in relation to each other. If not then stretch is over.

Most sativas are done around day 28. But that is only most not all.

Thank you! One thing I have plenty of is pipe cleaners. Four different strains of Sativas....chances are good something is done stretching. Hopefully it's the ones on the ceiling.

 

[deepwaterdude]

Day 27 of 12/12. Anyone know when Sativas normally stop stretching?

Managed to clean out the bottoms but had a real cluster f*ck with the tops. A piece of nylon webbing dropped onto my hot bulb while I was attempting to clean up the inside of a plant. Didn't notice it until I smelled the burning nylon that was melting on the bulb. Tripped over and broke a good size PH branch in my rush to unplug the ballast. Somehow managed in the semi darkness of the tent to wipe off the sticky melted nylon while the bulb was still hot without smearing it....or burning myself....too badly. The whole operation was a turtle screwing a football. If the Three Stooges grew pot....this would have been one of their movies.

Waited 30 minutes for everything to cool off and plugged the ballast back in. Cleaned up the area and ate half a box of Girl Scout cookies. Well....actually shared some with the dogs.

I love stories like this, OT, many thanks for the laugh I belong to the Jerry Louis school of growing myself; I ruined two bulbs one right after the other by melting a synthetic cloth on them when they were hot. No way to get that stuff off, right in the garbage, then a good few minutes meditating on whether I'm a danger to only myself or everyone else. I find Tikal helps with self-doubt

Because it's not my grow, I'm SURE everything will be all right; basically because when you have such big plants, they don't miss a branch or two, or mind a dude falling into them like the Kool Aid guy into a pool. But the bulb we need to take care of

 

[Old Toker]

I love stories like this, OT, many thanks for the laugh

You're very welcome. Always comforting to know that my misfortune and newbie stupidity can bring joy to others.

.. a good few minutes meditating on whether I'm a danger to only myself or everyone else. I find Tikal helps with self-doubt

Don't have any Tikal yet....although it is on my list of Ace genetics that I want to try. I do have Malawi.....perhaps I should have waited until AFTER I attempted this operation before imbibing?

Because it's not my grow, I'm SURE everything will be all right;

Coming from the renowned plant killer that international seed companies use to test their genetics....this is QUITE reassuring. BTW - it does seem that you are correct...the PH doesn't appear to have missed a beat.

.. the bulb we need to take care of

Yah....I'm thinking I should buy a backup just in case. Not sure if I should get another 860w CDM or a 1000w HPS. If I ever go with a double light.....an HPS would be nice....but I was thinking in the 600w range...of course then I would also need a 600w ballast.

Appreciate the support and humor.......good luck with the grow. Your latest pictures look great.

 

[Ichabod Crane]

Just a week or two ago I knocked my upper bulb down and it fell and hit the bulb below. Broke the bulb below and didnt break?

 

[deepwaterdude]

You're very welcome. Always comforting to know that my misfortune and newbie stupidity can bring joy to others.

If you had lost the lamp, I would've been all empathy, trust me (and I would stick with the cdm over 1000w HPS, much better spectrum? Could probably do 6 smaller plants with great success)

Coming from the renowned plant killer that international seed companies use to test their genetics....this is QUITE reassuring. BTW - it does seem that you are correct...the PH doesn't appear to have missed a beat.

Why thank you, infamy has its rewards! Glad the PH is phine (couldn't help myself)-those things are used to tropical cyclones and the like, anyhoo, great survival skills. Speaking of which, I may even have failed to get rid of these girls with my secret second method (even the mystery seed in the window is a girl, sigh), which is to stress them until I see too many sacks to deal with. (See link below)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wl_uQOABxg

 

[Old Toker]

Just a week or two ago I knocked my upper bulb down and it fell and hit the bulb below. Broke the bulb below and didnt break?

There is NO explaining how bulbs break. Perhaps if you have a couple of engineering degrees in relevant fields.....someone MIGHT understand it....but they could never explain it to the rest of us.

What stack are you using IC? HPS & MH? How many watts for what size space? I'm sure I read it someplace in one of your vert grows...but old age and too much smoking has only left me a few brain cells which I use to remember the girls I slept with during my misspent youth.

 

[Ichabod Crane]

Two 1k hps stacked in a 5x7 room. The doughnut is about 5 foot in diameter.

 

[Old Toker]

... Could probably do 6 smaller plants with great success...

Are you suggesting that I might have more success with a reasonable number of plants for my space? Did you want to also mention that if I hadn't let my plants get completely out of control AND had my head up one of their skirts trying to fix my mistakes that I might have actually SEEN the nylon drop onto the bulb instead of waiting to smell it?

Why thank you, infamy has its rewards! Glad the PH is phine (couldn't help myself)

You're really on a roll....

I may even have failed to get rid of these girls with my secret second method (even the mystery seed in the window is a girl, sigh), which is to stress them until I see too many sacks to deal with.

Are you sh*tting me? They are ALL girls and you haven't managed to hermie a couple yet? You should PM this kind of stuff.....you don't want Dubi to know that you've lost that "magic" touch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wl_uQOABxg

Brother I don't even want to think about how you found this vid.

 

[Old Toker]

Two 1k hps stacked in a 5x7 room. The doughnut is about 5 foot in diameter.

That should provide some serious light! Probably too much light/heat for my 5x5. I was thinking (next grow) of a 600w HPS on top of the 860w CDM. Think 1460w is too much for a 5x5? I have an oversized fan/filter.

Actually I might build my next grow room and use 1 gal coco pots DTW in gutters around the double bulb setup. Just thinking out loud...

 

[Old Toker]

Day 30 of 12/12. Took six pictures and then tripped over a cord on the way out of the tent and dropped my phone jelly side down on the cement floor. The phone is trash....
No pics today.
OP for this thread also seems to be MIA.
Not a good day.