Contact! Seeds in soil for my first run

[flylowgethigh]

Are the darker "veins" compared to the outer parts of the leaf a sign of deficiency? Except for the latest two plants, the others had a good bit of oyster shell added to the basic mix, to bring up the Ph.





This one is "praying" and has the serrtion tips going brown:

 

[flylowgethigh]

The plants are in terrible shape. I am going yo get some epsom salts and add a little to the next watering. I think the root damage in the Dixie cups was just too much. I have tried feeding them with tea, and they sure show what the internet thinks is a magnesium deficiency.

 

[flylowgethigh]

I have the flower tent up and running, so I moved the Runtz rabbit, 2ea Serious AK-47 and a Serious Kush into the SWICK flower tent to get it dialed in. There are still 4 left, including the midgets. Two of these will probably go to friend, but we'll see what happens. I have run #2 soaking, and those new plants will be in 10 gallon pots, and will be room mates with what is left in a couple weeks. The cover crop makes me think I my be OK with the soil, but I need to feed it (and the worms).

 

[MileHighGuy]

flylowgethigh What is your lighting intensity at right now? One of the things to consider in Organic soil is the speed of availability of nutrients. When plants are a little stunted you can help them recover by slowing everything down for them so they can start taking up nutrients at a level of speed they can work with. It's like they are running a marathon and you can let them walk for a bit and get nourished before cranking the lights again. Many times with potent LED lighting you can be running to high of a DLI over your daily cycle and if that's the case then your temperature must be warmer and your humidity high closer to ideal VPD. If you don't match all of that then there is typically a weaker link before we address adding more nutrients. I really do hope that helps. Check out https://www.instagram.com/p/CKRz5s5g5gQ/ for the DLI conversation. I think you will do really well once you shake this off and things start cruising. I know exactly how it feels to love your plants so much you end up tinkering a little too much. After this run nothing will be able to hold you back. Dave usually does a great job and I was frustrated to see him Sad after his call with you. That being said, I totally understand where you were coming from too. We really were trying to tell you that you shouldn't have to buy any extra products to have a successful first run. Our feeding chart came because people would always ask what our favorite products where and how to use them. We preach DIY and buy local and water only but there are some tools that are great to have on hand. I did get your email telling me to check on ICmag and that's why I'm here. We really do care. If you want to call in today I'll be around.

 

[flylowgethigh]

Thanks for stopping by Jeremy. My lights are at about 600 umoles now at the leafs. I already turned them down some for the reason you stated. I am trying to keep 73-75*F, 50-55% Rh. I have re-read your page on the soil additives, and where things went wrong is I wanted a soil bundle to go with my kit, and the stoner on the phone didn't understand...

https://buildasoil.com/collections/...buildasoil-complete-system?variant=1204042928

I have more stuff now. Meals; Alfalfa, crab, fish, kelp, neem, blood. Plus your growkashi, big 6, craft blend, and the rootwise.

I am starting another run (see new diary), and will use fresh soil which still has the 6.0 Ph, in 10 gallon pots. The soil running now was raised to 6.8 with oyster. I am getting some ag lime today for my cabinet, which I think is mag based but I will check. What do I need to add to the basic soil mix for my next run, so the plant and worms are fed?

 

[MileHighGuy]

What do I need to add to the basic soil mix for my next run, so the plant and worms are fed?

What was your original soil recipe?

 

[flylowgethigh]

Edit 3/21: In hindsight...So these plants are what not having enough moisture in the soil look like. Making teas and watering with them only hurt IMO - they needed water. Lesson learnedI sent an mail with the soil recipe and what I have on hand to amend it with. If I can make most of my mistakes on this first run, hopefully something will come from the second.

3/6 update: So here we are in the big tent, the SWICK system is wet and using water. These misfits are helping me learn how to control the humidity.

AK47skinny:

AK47 fat:

Runtz rabbit:

Serious Kush:

And the others in the veg tent. Midgets in the back, doing what midgets do. Apologies to any hard working midgets reading this:

 

[flylowgethigh]

Edit 3/21 (hindsight): The Blumat digital on the AK47 read around 30. That is what my soil wanted to mke the plants happy. I killed them underwatering, believing root rot voodoo, and the Blumat instructions.

3/8 update. Plants in the flower tent are doing better - maybe cause they have plenty of water. The SWICK is working well, and they are drinking. I am still tweaking the ventalation to keep VPD in range. The smaller plants are in the other torture chamber (veg tent) being top watered.

Runtz rabbit:

AK47 fat leaf

AK47skinny leaf:

Serious Kush:

Group shot:

 

[Fitzera]

The new growth is look much better, green and healthy! Looks like you're on your way now!

 

[flylowgethigh]

That SWICK is working great. I had to add 4 gallons of water in the reservoir this morning. I am adding a little aloe and cal-mag, and Ph'ing the reservoir to under 7.0, and the plants seem to like it. I am pinching tops as I see them, and will start LST since there are stems forming. The other tent still has 2 misfits not doing so well, and the two midgets who should be doing better. I m going to get a couple of these 9" pots and repot the misfits, mostly to get a look at the roots. The question is do I use different soil, store bought potting soil, or even miracle grow, for those? The midgets had roots when I up-potted them into the 7 gallon bags, but are stalled and slow. Those plants will probably go in a friend's 2x4 tent when he has it running..

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Garden-Tre...lack-Plastic-Self-Watering-Planter/1000062681

 

[flylowgethigh]

Edit 3/21: Jeremy was exactly right. There were not enough root capability for the lights. Tey had been damaged, and needed to build.

Had an epitome tonight... I was rotating the pots in th tubs 180*, so I could kill the plants more evenly. On the far sides, in the corners where there isn't as much light, the leafs look normal. I raised the light 6", and turned it down 50 watts. I have been pinching and started LST with coat hangars. At this point this is all bout learning and making mistakes.

Runtz rabbit. Notice the leafs on the right are better than the left side.

Same thing with the fat leaf AK47.

The skinny leaf AK47 has the same thing, but since it was on the other side of the tent, the good leafs are on the left where it was away from the light.



Serious Kush refuses to get ay taller...

 

[flylowgethigh]

My problem has been revealed! Way too little water, and the soil was drying out. Today I found a cool 14" self watering pot at WMT, that inside looks a lot like an Earthbox (I made it into a SIP pot). I had watered the misfits earlier (about 1/4 gallon each time), and one was just giving up. That one got transplanted into the SIP pot so I could see what was going on with the roots, drenched with more innoculation, and will get bottom watered as soon as the little place at the bottom where you put the water shows usage.

What a relief to find out what the problem was. The poor plants, but they were doomed from the start. The other 3 still in 7 gallon bags will get as much water as it takes to get runoff.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays...nter/923074937

There are 9" versions at Lowes, that may make a good intermediate step between the dixie cup and the 10 gallon bags.

 

[flylowgethigh]

Meanwhile, the plants in the big tent are rockin. The tent is drinking 2 gallons a day. When I get a chance I will take them out, add more inoculation and goodness to the soil, and rotate the bags to even the light.

AK fat leaf:

AK47 skinny leaf:

Runtz rabbit:

Serious Bush, er I mean Kush: That thing is too dense to pinch.

Happy group shot... rotating the bags will have to be part of the big tent deal, unless I get lights in th corners somehow.

 

[...CR500AF...]

flylowgethigh Nice to see things going in a better direction hopefully you will get the fruits of your labor...

 

[flylowgethigh]

A little update on the 4 girls in the big tent. I re-inoculated the soil and gave the cover crop a little cropping.

AK47 skinny leaf:

AK47 fat leaf:

Serious bush:

Runtz rabbit;

 

[flylowgethigh]

This morning we take another group shot of the bushy bushes. I moved these plants into the bags and onto the SWICK 23 days ago, a little over 3 weeks. Gonna keep doing this for 2 weeks and see if they grow stems and get taller than 12". Prototyping individual SCROG frames from PVC to put on the tubs..



They seem happy in the SWICK. Each plant is using 1/2 gallon a day of water. I have Phing the water back down to 6.5 before the 4 times a day the SIP tops off.

That white thing by the center fan is the remote temp/humidity sensor. It was too close to the light in the tent side pocket, and has a more relevant reading there. I have some worm casting tea soaking, and will take them out to put in on with some topdress, and rotate the bags 180* to give all sides of the plant light. Removing the bags and applying the top water tea off the bed, avoids runoff into the perlite bed.

Serious Bush at the right rear is sure a short bushy thing.

 

[flylowgethigh]

So tonight I took the bags out and gave the plants a little trim. The main stalk is getting some size, and there are roots sticking out the bottom of the bags into the SIP bed!

They look healthy to me...these were on the Runtz rabbit.

 

[flylowgethigh]

Gave them another little bit of trim today and took a group shot. They are drinking over 2 gallons a day now between the four plants. There were a few of what I call "sucker shoots" that would have made nice clones if I was ready to make clones.

 

[flylowgethigh]

Next day and they have sorta survived the ordeal.

Runtz rabbit:

AK47 skinny leaf:

AK457 fat leaf:

Serious Kush:

 

[flylowgethigh]

I had to take the pots out to add more perlite to the SIP (glad I saw that, the perlite settled), and while they were out I added some top dress to replace the receding soil, and sprinkled some BAS craft blend on top and scratch it in. The two AK47s have 4 lower branches and a top that is split in to two tops. The rabbit has the lower 4 branches, and the top is split 4 ways. The serious bush is so tight I can't even tell.

Keeping up with trimming off the fan leaves is a chore. I need to make the lower individual scrog screens soon.

Runtz rabbit:

AK47-1 (Skinny):

AK47-2 (fat):

Serious bush:

Edit: I got to looking back and realize these plants have been in the big tent on the SWICK watering system 17 days. They have improved quite a bit in that time, and I attribute it to the bottom watering keeping th soil moist. I have also been adding cal-mag to the reservoir, and now just some epsom salts, as well as keeping the reservoir Ph at 6.5. The lights are about 30" above the plants, and they are growing to them and still looking good on the closest tops. Having the LEDs up higher seems to make them happier, and these plants have been through hell.