Cheese { FC 4000 EVO }

[Captain_Oveur]

Howdy community ,

here is a small grow project in a 4x2 tent (1,2m x 0,6m) with a 320W FC 4000 EVO LED lamp.

Substrate is soil, fertilized with nutrient salt, Hakaphos Soft Ultra 18-12-18, dosage 5g per 10 Liter = 0,5 ‰ / 0,72 EC (later additionally with MKP).

Each plant was topped 7 times and in about 2 weeks the plants are repotted into 11 liter pots.

 

[Captain_Oveur]

 

[Captain_Oveur]

My tap water has a carbonate hardness from 7° dHKH and 238 PPM (TDS) / 0,476 EC mS/cm.
The nutrient salt is for normal and soft irrigation water.

Total nitrogen
10.3% nitrate nitrogen
7.7% ammonium nitrogen.

NO3 : NH4 ratio 57 : 43

NPK 18-12-18
NPK ratio 1 : 0.7 : 1

Soil temperature is 20 degrees.

 

[Captain_Oveur]

 

[Captain_Oveur]

 

[Captain_Oveur]

Injuries from bending.

 

[Captain_Oveur]

I am currently fighting fungus gnats with the bacillus thuringiensis, as well as neem oil and nematodes.

 

[Captain_Oveur]

Today I released the nematodes to control the fungus gnat larvae.
These fungus gnat larvae can be seen in the soil with the naked eye.
I caught a fungus gnat larva for a photo shoot.
A double magnification macro objective was used.

 

[exploziv]

As a preventive measure, you can cover the soil surface with sand or perlite or pebbles and it will deter them from laying eggs. If you already have them this will also help lower their numbers.
Also, your water is a bit too high EC, you might encounter some random deficiencies because of it. If posible, use reverse osmosys or rainwater.

 

[Captain_Oveur]

@exploziv

Thank you for your helpful and valuable information!

Now I have the fungus gnats and their larvae under control.
The plants are doing better again. They are now starting to stretch.

By switching to pure osmosis water, I also changed the fertilizer. There is now a fertilizer salt for the vegetative phase and a nutrient salt for the generative phase. Both related to calcium nitrate.
I give them a few more days, then I switch to 12/12. That's the plan...

Vegetative phase
Haifa Poly-Feed Concerto 18-18-18+(2) + YaraTera Calcinit

Generative phase
Peters Professional Blossom Booster 10-30-20+2MgO + YaraTera Calcinit

I give a total dose of 5 to 6 grams per 10 liters.

To maintain the calcium to magnesium ratio (approximately 3 to 1),
is the ratio with a total dosage of 5 grams per 10 liters
= 4g Haifa or Peters + 1g Calcinit.

At 6 grams per 10 liters
= 4,8g Haifa or Peters + 1,2g Calcinit

 

[exploziv]

Well, they do look better! Looks like you got it under control!

 

[mr.brunch]

All looking good and tidy here

 

[Captain_Oveur]

They are currently in Day 35 of blooming (12/12).

The cheese stinkers are at halftime. Maybe 60 days of flowering time is enough. Let's see.

 

[Captain_Oveur]

Cheese
# 320W FC 4000 EVO LED
# Feedings with Haifa 18-18-18 and now with Blossom Booster 10-30-20
# Flowering, Day 43

The plants have some light burns. I didn't keep the distance of 30cm. Shame on my head.

 

[Alitolla]

Bomba

 

[#1cheesebuds]

I too grow the cheese strain. Don't mind just got started flowering.

 

[GMT]

Beautiful. Ok I need two things, red branch clips and whatever those white netting things are. Any info on either?

 

[Captain_Oveur]

@GMT

I will not use the “90 degree plant clamps” again. They are not practical to use and damage the plant stems.

“Adjustable plant clamps” are much better. 90 degree bends are sometimes too strong for plants.

The white ones are large laundry bags, fine mesh, 50 x 60 cm.

 

[GMT]

Perfect, looking on Amazon now, found the adjustable ones. I'm surprised 90 is too much. I guess a couple of 45's are needed. Ok I'll buy a big bag of them. I don't suppose the mesh on those big laundry bags are enough to keep fungus gnats at bay are they?

 

[BReal]

Amazing plants @Captain_Oveur

There are different ways to fight or prevent fungus gnats. Personally I'm going to use Diatomaceus Earth as a top layer of a pot, and a layer of tiny/decorative stones on top of that. This should make infiltration really hard for them. I saw someone using just sand as a top layer with good results.