Chevy's blumatized organic soil LED mini grow

[Chevy cHaze]

Got_Bud,
The blumats are by far the easiest and most fool proof irrigation system I have come across so far.
They're also the only system that "communicates" with the plants and their needs through the clay cones. The plants order what they need. Beautyfully simple yet sophisticated.

As I said, only problem I've ever had so far was my reservoir running dry, which is my own fault as I use a relatively small one to begin with...
Another observation I made using blumats with coco based organic soil is that the smartpots never seem to fully saturated with water. People always used to say how coco needs the wet/dry cycle, but I find that's not the case with blumats. They stay evenly humid, but never get really wet.PLants seem to really dig that.
Now maybe the wet/dry cycle is more geared towards nute feedings, but using only plain water and having all the nutes in the soil already is so easy and it works perfectly with the blumats.
Another reason could be that the microherd thrives in this more constant environment without the "floodings" caused by conventional irrigation?

 

[noknees]

Another observation I made using blumats with coco based organic soil is that the smartpots never seem to fully saturated with water. People always used to say how coco needs the wet/dry cycle, but I find that's not the case with blumats.

been wanting to go blumat (for micro!) a while. thanks for the push.

i do like hand-watering with organic, because good tea is gold. guess i could always just water over the top with tea, and let the drippers stop a while.

fabric pots with blumats? seems like a lot of adjusting if you move the plants around....?

 

[GOT_BUD?]

I have 25 gallon pots I'll be using blumats with. I should have them set up by tomorrow night and will post up pictures.

 

[noknees]

I have 25 gallon pots I'll be using blumats with. I should have them set up by tomorrow night and will post up pictures.

 

[Chevy cHaze]

been wanting to go blumat (for micro!) a while. thanks for the push.

i do like hand-watering with organic, because good tea is gold. guess i could always just water over the top with tea, and let the drippers stop a while.

fabric pots with blumats? seems like a lot of adjusting if you move the plants around....?

No it'S actually quite easy. If I have to take a plant out of the tent, I slip the drip line off the connection to the main feedline and seal the connection with a piece of dripline with a knot in it. This way, leaving the blumat including the drip line in the pot, I can shuffle everything around easily.

 

[Chevy cHaze]

Update day 50 of flower

Update day 50 of flower

Here's an update.
Day 50 of flower.
Here's the whole tent.
Right side are the three F13s, left side from back to front a Qleaner, lemon haze and Acapulco Gold.



Here's a side shot, as stated earlier, way too much unnecessary vertical growth, a bit bummed about that as it was fully my fault for travelling too long.
You can see the blumats at the bottom.





Here's the Qleaner lady from TGA Subcool in the far left corner



And one of the F13s from DJ Short in the far right corner.




The plants really seem to like the new TS1000 light and I'm always amazed at how little the plants tend to use when fed through blumats. The soil is never really wet and especially the F13s seem to like this a lot.
Looks like the Qleaner male I culled earlier had enough time to impregnate all the F13 ladies, at least on some buds...
I made preparations for all F13s to be able to be re-vegged so will choose the one I like best and give it a second go.
CC

 

[Chevy cHaze]

And by the way, I reduced the daytime to 11,5h now and will reduce it to 11 in a few days.
I find daytime hours less than 12/12 can bring out positive traits(resin wise) not seen otherwise. I'll end up at 10/14 at harvest.
CC


Addition: I really need to put in a screen next time to make it a proper scrog. I did this back in the day with my first LED light and had great results but for some reason haven't gone back since. Probably my laziness and most times I achieved a decently even canopy by only traning the plants accordingly, but it certainly can be done better with a proper screen and also maybe not 4 different strains at the same time.
CC

 

[GOT_BUD?]

I hate your camera. It focuses on the walls of your tent and not the buds. And it makes me sad because from what I can tell they look fantastic.

And why is there a carrot laying on the floor? Pull a male out? Nevermind. Finished reading your post. lol

 

[Chevy cHaze]

I hate my camera too lol but it'S the only one I got.
Might also be my lack of photography skills hahaha hey I 'll look into how I can improve the quality for the future.

They do look good so far I can honestly say.
The carrot is still from the culled male and I'm just too lazy these days...
CC

 

[Chevy cHaze]

Day 54 of flower

Day 54 of flower

Ok, according to my calendar we're at flower day 54 now, so here are some more pics.
I checked the trichomes today with a jewellers loupe and all is milky with a few still clear, only two plants are showing a tiny amount of amber ones: The Qleaner and the F-13#2.
Here are all of them, one bud each, hope the pics are more acceptable this time


F-13#1
She's the sturdiest of the three and I hope you can see the trichs good enough





F-13#2




F-13#3




All three seem to be at different stages of senescence, #2 is still pretty green.

 

[Chevy cHaze]

Qleaner




Aapulco Gold




Lemon Haze

 

[Chevy cHaze]

Oh man, I have said many times that growing with LEDs doesn't give me the degrading trichomes and therefore it was hard to judge when the plant was at its peak, and now the Lemon Haze gives me amber trichs over night out of the blue. Pretty much all others are milky but it's not even 60 days.
Looks ready too, so scratched my head and harvested the top buds. The lower ones have no ambers yet so will give them a few more days in the light.
Lessons learned
1.The only constant is change and some LED lights will cause amber trichomes
2.Don't think just because the word haze is on the box that it automatically take 12 weeks ;-)
3. Never ever will I not grow in a scrog under LEDs in a small set up. Wasted so much, vertical growth is useless unless you fold it flat before flower.
4. 7 plants in a small set up are just not fun to work on. I'ts two max from now on in bigger pots with shoots woven evenly into proper screens


Pics asap and I might just quick dry a bud or two

 

[Chevy cHaze]

Day 58

Day 58

Update day 58.
I have harvested the tops of the Lemon Haze yesterday as they were showing amber trichs for the first time.
Here's the tent

Closer



F-13 #1




Qleaner





AG




They're all fading out nicely, but still lots of green leaves. still have a bit to go.
Everything's mostly milky.
Looking forward to trying the lemon haze in a few days.
CC

 

[Chevy cHaze]

Day 65

Day 65

We're at day 60 and I have lost the sd card for my camera
I have tried some of the Lemon Haze, which was a high CBD strain if you remember. Nice smell and taste, but the high was somewhat confused. Like harvested too early, kind of not ready, immature if that makes any sense to you? CAn you relate? Let's see what a cure does.

Accidentally harvested one bud from the AG along with the Lemon Haze and just tried it boy it's nice smoke. A day brightener but still has some time to go I think, I wonder how the effects will change. It doesn't appear to be very strong yet... lets see if that changes, but smell and taste are already very nice when vaping it.


I keep losing this sd card and so far have always found it again, but this time I'm out of ideas where to look for it.
Will have to buy a new one, bear with me..
CC

 

[Chevy cHaze]

Update Day 63

Update Day 63

Mistake in my last post... wasn't day 65 but 60.
We're at 63 today



We're nearing the end, here's the cab

F-13#1


She's got a similar smell to #3, heavy summer flowers on the brink of wilting. A strange aroma... but nice!


#2



This one has crazy lemon/citrus aromas. She's still greener than the others and no amber trichs anywhere on her



#3


Similar to #1 in smell and look, maybe a bit chunkier ?

 

[Chevy cHaze]

Here's the Qleaner

Smells unusual...can't really put my finger on it yet and not sure if really good or not



The Acapulco Gold



Really nice smell on her, has a bit of bubblegum from back in the days...


And lastly the popcorn buds from the CBD Super Lemon Haze


I harvested the upper buds already some days ago as they showd amber trichomes now letting the popcorn ripen up.


Have tried one bud from the AG, which was fantastic, and one from the SLH which sucked big time. The AG was creative, uplifting and really nice and "warm" while the SLH was just bland and did have a nice taste but didn't do much but confuse me. Maybe it's in the cure...
More soon
CC

 

[Chevy cHaze]

Chop

Chop

Chopped the last 5 today at day 68 of flower as all were showing more or less amber trichomes.
Here's one last shot of the tent
I tried lights off and flash this time, not sure if you can
see the colors well enough though





F13#1






F13#2 prepared for drying.
I use little pieces of the green plastic coated garden wire
to dry my buds




This is how the ceiling in the lower veg compartment, it's wire grid

looks and I can just make little hooks and hang all the buds in there


I forgot to take pics of the F13#3 but it's the one hanging in the first row.
The colors turned out really nice, but over just the last few days I have noticed all three F13 to change their feel when touched from greasy, resiny to almost feeling dry...
Maybe that was the sweet spot right there 3 days ago.

 

[Cakeboy]

Hey CC

Digging the thread, just wondering whether the blumats work okay again after drying out ? Cheers.

 

[GOT_BUD?]

Hey CC

Digging the thread, just wondering whether the blumats work okay again after drying out ? Cheers.

You are supposed to clean and re-soak them after every cycle.

 

[Chevy cHaze]

Yes what Bud said...
They work great, but if the inside of the cone dries out, even if not fully, it won't work properly anymore.
Rule#1: Have a big enough reservoir