Creeper is creeping again.

[Creeperpark]

Plants are back on track and bulking up it seems.

The Liebig's law of the minimum is so true, very well illustrated by Aptus.
I had very good results with Aptus, currently only using their Regulator but need to get the set again. The bottles last for years, very efficient and worth the price imo.

I noticed that the insulated ducting on the floor is a little bit compressed. Is there enough air going through?

Edit: Finally found a good Avatar Thanks CP

Thank you for pointing that out friend.

 

[Creeperpark]

The only way I can see the plant in detail is to take a photo and blow it up on the big-screen computer. Here's what I looked at today.

 

[aCBD]

Looks alright.
Some hairs are turning color and slowly fading, no signs of pests, flowers bulking up. Fingers crossed

 

[Creeperpark]

This is the first time I have used a single larger-watt LED light. All the other times, I used combo lighting with 2 or 3 lights in a single grow. I had my light too low, and it is causing problems. Every plant I'm growing outside this garden is doing fine. But this larger garden is problematic, and now I know why. I measured the distance, and the lights were 10 inches or less. I raised the light 12 inches today.

 

[Creeperpark]

Here's my little 180-watt closest grow with only two plants. These two plants make the room smell very nice. Check out this Indica leaf off the plant on the left. It looks like I have another three weeks to go in this garden.

 

[exploziv]

Hello @Creeperpark ,
Could your PH be a little too low? I see small defs of P and Mg, maybe Ca as well, so it could be that. Unless you are feeding on the low side then they might need more of everything.

 

[Creeperpark]

Hello @Creeperpark ,
Could your PH be a little too low? I see small defs of P and Mg, maybe Ca as well, so it could be that. Unless you are feeding on the low side then they might need more of everything.

Thank you, friend, you are right exploziv. I messed up this one. My pH is all over the place, starting high in the 7.7 range when I realized it. I used a faulty pH meter with calcium carbonate, which raised the pH and locked out my micronutrients. So trying to dial back into 6.2 pH I had to move the pH 15 points which was very stressful on the plants. So I went off-track and broke the nutrient sequence between the pH ranges. I'm going to run it for about 20 more days then give them water only and work on a new grow.

 

[Creeperpark]

Since exploziv thinks my pH could be possibility low I think that's a good enough reason to test the leachate and see. On watering day after watering and allowing the plant to set for a couple of hours, I test only one plant. I have 3 mason jars lids in the drain tray. I remove one mason lid so the plant is tilted at an angle.

Making sure the pot drainage hole is in the lowest spot in the tray. I take between 500 to 1000 ml of RO water and pour where the water stays to the side above the drainage hole of the pot. Pour the RO water only on one side that's tilted down. It comes out quicker this way and doesn't saturate the pot.

The results of the test is the pH is 6.6 and the EC is 890 ppm which tells me I still have a lot of alkalinity in the substrate. Because the intake water is 6.2 going in and rising.

 

[Creeperpark]

Putting out some pretty good smells with good vibes. These plants are trying to do good. Very stickie to the touch.

 

[exploziv]

They seem to be putting weight on them fine so it's probably not so big of a deficiency. Might correct little by little as you water in 6.2 ph.
You are doing a great job, clearly the passion is shown here. And I know it isn't easy for you to do it so I applaud you, sir!

 

[Creeperpark]

This garden is a good example of the nutrient sequence being broken. The nutrient sequence is the most important factor, not the fertilizer amount. When the sequence is impaired by excess nutrients, not being mixed correctly, or pH imbalance in the water, the sequence can be broken. If that is the case, the plant's growth and vigor may stall, or stop growing.

As long as the element is available, the plant will follow an absorption scale in a sequence, starting with boron and going up the chain until the last needed nutrient is absorbed. The plants will change macronutrient needs during vegetation and flowering but the nutrient sequence doesn't change.

If the sequence is broken the plant's ability to use the nutrients will be impaired and have look-alike deficiencies that are not deficiencies at all. For example, if the calcium link is broken it will inhibit nitrogen or magnesium from being used correctly and look like the plant needs more nitrogen or magnesium when it has plenty.

 

[Creeperpark]

It only gets better if I learn something from my mistakes. I burnt the f__k out of my plants, with this new big light. It's turned down to 70% and raised 12 inches now. Also, as you know, being lazy, I allowed the pH to creep into the high sevens locking out micronutrients for a while. Alkalinity broke the nutrient sequence and caused a loss of time. The hydroxyl content increased and locked out some micronutrients for a week. The plants are moving water now and taking nutrients.

 

[Creeperpark]

On a lighter note, I tried the ole Creepers Sure-Fire germination method with some older seeds. Planted them on Thanksgiving day. The seeds are White Widow crosses from the old days. About 15 years old, I'm thinking but I can't be sure. Every one of the 12 cups sprouted with a seed sprout and no failures. That is a good sign friends. I'm excited to see what these will do in the upcoming months. Everything is running on a 12/12 photoperiod.

 

[Creeperpark]

I planted the seed directly in Fox Farms Ocean Forest this time. I have to watch out with Ocean Forest because it holds water longer than most potting mixes. I wet the soil with pure water for the first 48 hrs and stop after 48 hrs, then allow them to dry. Also, after 48 hrs I put them under the fluorescent light on a 12/12 photoperiod. The light warms the cups to about 78f to 84f and they always sprout by four days every time.

It's so easy to "overwater the plants" in this mix, so I weigh only one cup before watering the rest. When the water weight drops to 20 grams from the dry weight it's time to water. I use a turkey baster to water all my cups lightly. It only takes about 15 ml of water every four days.

 

[aCBD]

Congrats for the old seeds popping!
Wondering why you put them on a 12/12 cycle.

 

[Creeperpark]

I don't grow all year friends, I only grow one time a year to fill my jars, and sometimes I go 2 years without growing. It's easy to become complacent, overconfident, and out of practice. Since the garden above faltered I'm going to continue the indoor growing Season another cycle.

 

[Creeperpark]

Congrats for the old seeds popping!
Wondering why you put them on a 12/12 cycle.

Good question friend, because the sprout's metabolism is very fragile and has a tiny transpiration rate. Their metabolism is in its weakest state of their life and can't manage a lot of water or nutrients with photosynthesis. When one puts seed spouts under a 16 or18 hour photoperiod they become very stressed. In Mother Nature plants spout early Spring when the photoperiod is short. As the plants grow new leaves one should increase the photoperiod mimicking Mother Nature.

 

[aCBD]

Thanks for the reply.
It's an interesting approach but makes sense how you describe it. It works for you and that's important.
Happy growing

 

[Rocket Soul]

I'm going to continue the indoor growing Season another cycle.

And another and another

 

[oldmaninbc]

On a lighter note, I tried the ole Creepers Sure-Fire germination method with some older seeds. Planted them on Thanksgiving day. The seeds are White Widow crosses from the old days. About 15 years old, I'm thinking but I can't be sure. Every one of the 12 cups sprouted with a seed sprout and no failures. That is a good sign friends. I'm excited to see what these will do in the upcoming months. Everything is running on a 12/12 photoperiod.

View attachment 19110574

I just tried to start some older seeds, so far no luck. Did I miss how you start old seeds. I would be interested in your method as I still have several strains of older seeds.
I was trying to start some Turkish Cookies that are around 10 years old, so far nothing, tomorrow will be 2 weeks in peat pucks.
I get what your saying about 12/12... but either I didn't understand how you get old seeds to sprout or you just mentioned it. Would you mind letting me know. Please and thanks!