Enter week 5 flower - Pump Me Up, please!

[CrimeDiz & MrBP]

Ok, Don't need to be placed in the ER just a little check-up... so after solid 42 days soil veg w/ 400 MH at 24 hrs and today marking end-of-week-4 on 12's under a 600hps...please check it... space it completely utilized...started using fox farm big bloom 7 days ago; 2 teaspoons to 2 liters, 4 liters @ dry-out amongst my 5 ladies...
see for yourself... pics 5 days old:

1A) Ms. Haze (top shot):

1B) Ms. Haze (profile shot)


MS. Straw Bub x Sour Diesel


The rizz (Elvis in back, Ms. Haze, StrawBub x Sd, SD)



Can post more pics if a better look might help the treatment to maximize my yield... Def. thinking SCRoG for the replicas... But as far as batch 1 here, what can i do?

Thanks all,
CD

 

[Guest]

To be honest your plants look nice and healthy and if I were you would just let them do their thing. Great looking plants.

peace

 

[randude]

Some folks are just worry warts lol

 

[MTF-Sandman]

You're gonna need to get some tiger bloom or a little grow big going in there pretty soon...it should stop the yellowing of the lower growth or at least slow it down alot.

 

[CrimeDiz & MrBP]

What about debranching some lower low producing branches? ya get what i mean sorry for redundant question... but would that help in my last 4-weeks

 

[MTF-Sandman]

If you do, the yellowing will just travel up to the next available branch...but it needs to be done as well.

 

[Blackmelo]

I know nobody wants to hear this but you came looking for advice so I will say what I think.

Your plants look pretty underdeveloped for week 4...

I am sry to say that but I am telling you for you hopefully to be able to improve on it next time round.

I can think of a few reasons why this could be the case:

- wrong nute mix(eg too much nitrogen and too little potassium and phosphorous for flowering)

- light is too far away

- plants are getting too little air

- plants are spaced out thus most of plant is far away from light instead of plant beeing compact and nearly all bud sites close under light.

- temps might be an issue

Ok well to check your nute mix, read this article very well and work out the ppms you are feeding your plants and see if it is good or needs adjusting:
http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/fourtwenty/articles/profiles.htm

Next, keep your light as close as possible without burning the tops of your plants. An ocillating fan blowing onto the lamp will cool it considerably and will mean you can keep it lower than usual.

An exctractor fan is needed ideally to get fresh air in and out of the grow room.

PS: Using an oscillating fan to cool the bulb and get fresh air in and out of the room is the cheap way out and will cost you yield. Why not invest in the extractor, get twice as much yield and be happy you ended up owning an extractor and more bud than the exctractor is worth anyway. My yield nearly did double when I invested in one...

Next, keeping your plants dense and bushy. You will soon notice that towards the end of flowering, any buds further than 60 cm or so away from the light will not look very good (incidently they are not the most potent either). These buds turn fluffy and skimpy looking because they didn't receive enough light but the plant is still investing energy into producing these inferior buds.
It would make more sense to cut away those lower buds that would turn out crap and let the plant invest that energy into producing bigger buds closer to the light.
This theory does work and cutting away lower buds does not diminish your yield, instead your plant absorbs the light with the top buds(light that is absorbed closer to the bulb is exponentially stronger than light absorbed further away) thus overall your buds will be bigger, better and stronger.

Ok so that all makes sense hopefully, next step is to try and grow your plants dense and bushy without cutting any lower buds away. You want to create a very short looking plant, no taller than 60 cm since we know that there is no point growing anything taller than this. Of course with a cannabis plant that tripples in height in flowering and some stretching much more than others, this is easier said than done.
Have a look at this guide on low stress training as it was this that made me achieve that perfect short, dense, bush like looking plant:

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=6090

Lastly, if you address any airflow problems you have, temps, if they are an issue, should no longer be an issue...

Good luck with all that. I hope it helps you.

 

[Guest]

Underdeveloped? These are sativa domianat strains what should they look like for 4 weeks??

 

[CrimeDiz & MrBP]

first off, Thank you all!
True about sativa dominant, and being the first go around for these inparticular for this kinda of environment (they usually like a little more wiggle room). I got as long as it takes, i don't like to rush anything
Blackmelo - thank you that was the kinda of response i was looking to stimulate. I do agree that there are certain steps that could have been taken here to instigate a little more favorable development (esp. the Elvis). Being sativ's i know i got a good 6 more weeks SO, i figured with maybe some help here (B/C no other eyes get to see these) might in turn help me!
i have an extra fan - no intake/outake however air circ is def. a bigger issue. Wish the hps could go closer but because of the current status quo it remains 30" from sites. temps steady at 82. i have paid close attention to nutes and use a nice consistent mix and add bloom at flower. i could probably juice even heavier.

Well, ALL thoughts are appreciated!!! headies out.

 

[CrimeDiz & MrBP]

So, today my thoughts are nute a little extra. This morning they received a 4 teaspoon/gal dose of tiger bloom. i am concentrating on rotation throughout the day and movement of fans. i plan on going out and finding at least a strip ph tester - and upon finding that, would like to continue with some additives to my H2O-ing... (dark sugar like sucanat) ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS?
Molasses? where do i get and which dolomite lime to ensure im ph stable and that goes directly into or on top of soil anyway? Shall i make a batch of c02 of yeast/sugar water at thi point? i do own a fish aqua pump although have never used it for my home made emmitter (just the waste basket sugare water, yeast, cover with plastice wrap and put some hole in the top...

anyhoo, thats enough questions, i know i'm doing okay...but i got the time to put into it now...so what else better could i be doing!!! right, that's what i thought...so bring it on whatever ya got for me...here's today's pics...

Peak into DaRizz today:

more stretch thank liked, but cool trip cluster:

top to straw bub x sour diesel (pump it!):

nice Ms. OG Haze top:


well thanks all, lot a bud sites this time, all were topped and cloned...lemme know if you got some insight, thanks to those who've already helped!

-Crime-

 

[Stalldaworld]

da headies!
what up, try to get that air flow pumpin in there...
you still have so much time left, and you know there going to explode...
i agree with concentrating the light as much as possible on the top of the pliz and using a scrog screen to maximize bud sites...
but fuck it for the first run those look ill
blitz on...

 

[Burt]

honestly?
your plants look dank!
remember-these are sativas that will go 12 weeks easily-they're from seeds right? seeds always go an additional 7-10 days compared to cuts-your bud development looks PERFECT FOR 1/3 THRU FLOWERING
you'll have planty of more grows to "dial in" each strain
keep up the good work

 

[MTF-Sandman]

Go easy on the Tiger bloom at first...4 tsp/gal will burn them at that stage. It's also very acidic, so make sure you check the PH after adding it.

 

[jiggerman78]

id also start using some club soda(sodium-free) and spray atleast twice a day...it really helped my harvest after i f***** up in the begining....id do it again if i was growing indoors but also since your area is not ventilated you should consider getting a hulluva lot of baking soda and vinegar a big bucket and mix it all together close the room and keep it shut id try this IMO but than again im still particulary new also...

 

[Stalldaworld]

check your damn private messages woman..

 

[CrimeDiz & MrBP]

jiggerman, a questions about both of your methods:
1) sodium free club soda - can u explain how this helped you and benefits i should look for? Also, straight club soda - (no rocks!)?

2)baking soda & vinegar mix - again how does this help. Why must the door remain closed...

i think it's time to add a wee bit more insight on my process so y'all can betta help!
Thank so far,

Crime

 

[CrimeDiz & MrBP]

Okay, so i started Tiger Bloom @ 2, then 3, & yester day i put 3.5-4 tspns in a gal. waterered every other last 10 days...i gues i should chill, possibly do a flush...
2 current concerns: 1) what should i look for for acid burn (theres no dilated pupils). 2) ph testing - Do i literally stick the litmus paper on the water thats chillen on top before it soaks in - is that run off?? How do i test the soil? i'll look for a good thread..

OK - so my insight for you all. 2 bdrm apartment. 2nd bedroom unused except storage...clones... but the closet in there - utilized (whatchall see nah).. hence my vent prob. I use a sunsys 1000w - i know what your thinkin whoaaa - well, its a switchable (400mh, 600hps). So now that we are chewing through week 5, i dont see a lot of vertival movement and i do have the reflector at 22". i have the 400 turn on at 7am at 10am, i add the hps for an hour - 2hours, and then pull the mh to run on the 600hps the remainder of the day. Remeber no intake outake - So i dont have to get up at 7am door closed with mh is 84 MAX temp. door open 76-78. With them bot it can hit 90's if im not careful. and the hps 82-86 depending how much the door is open. So, my ventilation consists of 3 fansthe door to 2nd bedroom clos is usually open during dayand the 2nd bedroom entry door cealed up.

Should i not be doing this with the lights. i am playing with all the variables as best i can with my tools and NO BUDGET. OK, long message i'm happy to answer any questions or consider any advice, thank again all..

 

[jiggerman78]

Ok first off both of those methods are ways of incereasing the US of Co2. Club soda is carbonated water which consists of tons of Co2 if you were to first open a bottle and try to sprsy it wouldnt work that well from all the Co2 rushing out. When you spray the plants they take in the water but the carbon stays on the leaves...But if using this method i do suggest using clean water to wash your leaves off every week...Also make sure to use the sodium free or else your plant will also get a buildup of sodium which can cause a number of deficiencies leading to K, Ca and Mg...

The other plan greatly creates Co2 all you need is like i said baking soda and vinegar these two are very unstable together and when combined create Co2 you can tell by the insta-foam that the concotion makes when added to one another...The reason for the closed door is the vinegar and baking soda only creates so much and if the area was ventilated would draw out all the Co2 you just made...also if your running enough co2 High temps are not a problem but actuslly aid to the process...

 

[CrimeDiz & MrBP]

cool, that's how we made volcano's as kids!!! thank jigg.

 

[krys0513]

Boy if I were the guys at Fox Farm I would be pissed as hell. Here they went to all the trouble of putting out those nice little i charts only to have growers completely ignore it. They even tailored it to pot growers making the chart with a 4 week veg cycle and 8 week flowering time and very easy instructions for the strains that go longer....kind of like on the shampoo bottles that say "repeat last step if nescessary".

People... those charts are idiot proof it is confusing to me why so many are not using it.

I have used Fox farm for years and I can tell ya there is a reason you can use the big bloom on seedlings from the first week, what is it you ask? Because it is a catch all.... meaning it is a good secondary feeder but NOT meant to be a primary fert. If you look at the levels on the bottle they are low this means it is meant to used in conjuction with either Tiger Bloom, Grow Big, or the dry trio that Fox farms puts out.

I bet if you add a feeding of grow big along with 1 table spoon per gallon of big bloom into the mix the next watering (use this only once) then start using 2 tablespoons of big bloom and 1 tablespoon of Tiger bloom per gallon every other water your problems with yellow leaves will be over. Flush last couple of weeks and lay off the ferts the last week all together and you will have some rocking bud.

So for the Co2 if I were you instead of playing with all this vinegar and stuff get a small generator.....it cost you $ 200.00 but you only need a small one if your talking about growing in a bedroom. Or you can always go with a Co2 cylindars you will not need that big of one and it should last you a couple of weeks per fill up. I have both Co2 cylindars I use for warmer weather (when I actually grow in the summer) to keep the heat down and then I switch to a generator in the winter because it helps keep the rooms warm. My favorite of the 2 is by far the Co2 cylindars....I know many people say that generatoring is the same as bottled, that may be true but I could swear I notice the difference in growth and weight when I use bottled Co2 rather then the generated Co2.