Fall 2024 Grow: 2 sativas in soil

[navy66]

Indoor 4 x 5 tent here with a single 1000w metal halide bulb in veg/HPS in flower.

This fall, I've got four plants in 3 gallon pots in there -- two Laughing Buddha (on the left), and two Amnesia Lemon (on the right). Both have been in veg for about 8 weeks. Both are seeds from Barney's Farm.

I've topped each one two times -- the first time, just after the 5th node, and the second time, just after the 2nd node on top two branches.

About a week ago, I slipped this net over the top. Today, it's tie-down day. It probably sit around 4 inches over the top of my soil.

I'll continue to grow out this screen for another week or so (still determining that) before switching to flower. A few days ago, I thought I would wait til around 10/10. However, I'm starting now to think I have to do it sooner. I should know after today's tie-down project.

My feeding regimen is pretty simple: I am standardized on Gaia Green, and about a week ago, I began transitioning from the 4-4-4 veg mix to the 2-8-4 bloom mix. I supplement with EWC and urine diluted 1:10. I'll stop adding urine after about the second week of flower, and top dress with GG 2-8-4 and EWC mid-way through flower. I pH all water to 6.2ish.

My light footprint confuses me a bit. The single-ended HPS bulb tends to put out a slightly rectangular light pattern. I've measured it at about 20 inches long and 18 inches wide (which seems STUPID small to me). To get the proper PPFD on the canopy (about 800-900), I find I have to keep the 1000w bulb about 18 inches above the canopy, which is closer than I expected and makes for that small 20x18 light footprint. This bleached/burned my last crop a little bit, and I think it hurt potency, too. I'm trying to keep these two plants a bit further away this time, even if it means my PPFD and DLI drop closer to 700 and 40.

I'll share some pics after the tie-down, along with a firm flip date.

 

[Creeperpark]

Indoor 4 x 5 tent here with a single 1000w metal halide bulb in veg/HPS in flower.

This fall, I've got four plants in 3 gallon pots in there -- two Laughing Buddha (on the left), and two Amnesia Lemon (on the right). Both have been in veg for about 8 weeks. Both are seeds from Barney's Farm.

I've topped each one two times -- the first time, just after the 5th node, and the second time, just after the 2nd node on top two branches.

About a week ago, I slipped this net over the top. Today, it's tie-down day. It probably sit around 4 inches over the top of my soil.

I'll continue to grow out this screen for another week or so (still determining that) before switching to flower. A few days ago, I thought I would wait til around 10/10. However, I'm starting now to think I have to do it sooner. I should know after today's tie-down project.

My feeding regimen is pretty simple: I am standardized on Gaia Green, and about a week ago, I began transitioning from the 4-4-4 veg mix to the 2-8-4 bloom mix. I supplement with EWC and urine diluted 1:10. I'll stop adding urine after about the second week of flower, and top dress with GG 2-8-4 and EWC mid-way through flower. I pH all water to 6.2ish.

My light footprint confuses me a bit. The single-ended HPS bulb tends to put out a slightly rectangular light pattern. I've measured it at about 20 inches long and 18 inches wide (which seems STUPID small to me). To get the proper PPFD on the canopy (about 800-900), I find I have to keep the 1000w bulb about 18 inches above the canopy, which is closer than I expected and makes for that small 20x18 light footprint. This bleached/burned my last crop a little bit, and I think it hurt potency, too. I'm trying to keep these two plants a bit further away this time, even if it means my PPFD and DLI drop closer to 700 and 40.

I'll share some pics after the tie-down, along with a firm flip date.

Since you haven't flipped yet, I would raise the light into a cool range and allow the tops plenty of room to stretch. I see a lot of people including myself have their HID lamps too close to the plants. It can be very stressful on the plants. I've done experiments with the light distance between the light and the plants. and I was amazed at how well the plants did under raised lights. Thanks for sharing your garden, you are kicking ass on this one. Keep us posted.

 

[theBeaver]

Following along...

 

[navy66]

The single-ended HPS bulb tends to put out a slightly rectangular light pattern. I've measured it at about 20 inches long and 18 inches wide (which seems STUPID small to me). To get the proper PPFD on the canopy (about 800-900), I find I have to keep the 1000w bulb about 18 inches above the canopy, which is closer than I expected and makes for that small 20x18 light footprint.

@Creeperpark Thanks for your comment. So I have a question: for this particular run, I may NOT try to push the plants to 900-1000 PPFD like I did last time. I think I can separate the light and the canopy enough to get like 625 PPFD pretty consistently on the plant tops. Is that gonna be enough during 12/12 to make these girls shine? It's frankly weird: I always assumed that with a 1000W HID, I'd have enough light even if the plants were 5 feet away. I've since learned. . .but yes, it seems like even 900ish PPFD is too much. (My air flow and cooling atop the canopy is pretty good. Heat gets to upper 80s, at the worst, and the plant tops are always swaying a bit.) Does this sound normal to you?

 

[navy66]

@Creeperpark @theBeaver

Finished the tie-down and I'm flipping to flower today. It's been just a skosh over 60 days, which is about what I usually do for veg. I thought these guys had been more stunted because of the topping but they're ready to flip -- hopefully, a stretch will fill this in densely and snugly.

The top of the canopy is 31 inches below the bulb. I expect the colas to top out eventually at about 24 inches from the bulb -- I could drop the plants if I absolutely had to.

PPFD is about 550 right now, and DLI is around 24. I worry that these numbers are way too low. I can let it go and let them "grow up" into the light, getting higher numbers every day.

Or, I could probably boost all four plants a little higher for now, and lower them again in a few weeks.

Raising or lowering the light is not really a viable option at this point.

Projected harvest dates are:
~ Amnesia Lemon (right): 12/7 (65 days from now)
~ Laughing Buddha (left) 12/17 (75 days from now)

Last N is 10/8 with 1:10 urine/H2O
Last feeding is 10/25 for next top dress w/ GG 2-8-4, EWC, maybe CalMag.

 

[SubGirl]

@Creeperpark @theBeaver

Finished the tie-down and I'm flipping to flower today. It's been just a skosh over 60 days, which is about what I usually do for veg. I thought these guys had been more stunted because of the topping but they're ready to flip -- hopefully, a stretch will fill this in densely and snugly.

The top of the canopy is 31 inches below the bulb. I expect the colas to top out eventually at about 24 inches from the bulb -- I could drop the plants if I absolutely had to.

PPFD is about 550 right now, and DLI is around 24. I worry that these numbers are way too low. I can let it go and let them "grow up" into the light, getting higher numbers every day.

Or, I could probably boost all four plants a little higher for now, and lower them again in a few weeks.

Raising or lowering the light is not really a viable option at this point.

Projected harvest dates are:
~ Amnesia Lemon (right): 12/7 (65 days from now)
~ Laughing Buddha (left) 12/17 (75 days from now)

Last N is 10/8 with 1:10 urine/H2O
Last feeding is 10/25 for next top dress w/ GG 2-8-4, EWC, maybe CalMag.

Last N is 10/8 with 1:10 urine/H2O?

 

[navy66]

Last N is 10/8 with 1:10 urine/H2O?

The last time I expect to give nitrogen will be around Oct. 8, and it'll be 1 part urine to 10 parts water. This is to get it through the stretch. I don't expect to give it any more after that date. It's sort of a reminder to self.

 

[SubGirl]

just never heard of using urine. Do you always use urine in your grow for N?