Pics of, and notes on growing my cannabis

[FreedomGrower]

hey crazy long time no talk ...

here is what I have found to get the best tasting buds
PBP PRO 10ml (hydro week 1-4)(soil week 5-9)
PBP Original 5ml
Molasses 2-5ml

Funny How you say that the silica helped the taste; I always thought it was the organic composted shit in the original; or maybe it's both

Anyways that Sharron looks great and gave me a flash back; I would kill for a Sharron og cross

anyways keep up the great work;

 

[TickleMyBalls]

CC, I'm glad you mentioned the silica thing. I've been preaching it to my friends for a year now. I started using it when I had a bad case of mites during the summer. It allowed my garden to still yield respectably while I got it under wraps. So I was sold. But the true joy is when I got rid of the mites and started yielding more than I ever had before and the herb is just more flavorful. I use silica blast in my soil gardens and in my hydro ebb and flow coco systems.

Just set a record for myself, pulled 7 oz. Of golden goat from a 4 ft tall plant in a 5 gal smart pot.

Seeing someone with your knowledge confirm results I've had in my use of silica is pretty gratifying. Always love watching you grow and reading your articles in the mags.

 

[Quitters]

Hey CC, are u using reverse osmosis water ?

 

[Crazy Composer]

No ro here.

 

[GDK]

If i was to add the silica as a powder to my soil,when would be the best time to do so..how fast does it release? Also how much should i add?

Stay Safe

 

[Lime Bubble]

If i was to add the silica as a powder to my soil,when would be the best time to do so..how fast does it release? Also how much should i add?

Stay Safe

Found this while researching..

Raw Diatomaceous Earth mined from
sedimentary layers deposited millions of years
ago in a fresh water lake. It is light in weight,
chalk-like in appearance, very porous and
comprises siliceous fossils of plant algae. It consists
primarily of amorphous silica as distinct from
crystalline silica or quartz. Amorphous silica is
much more soluble than crystalline silica
and is not a health hazard.​

• It is used as a soil conditioner to provide plant

available silica and improve cation exchange
capacity. It is advised that a calcium source
(hydrated lime, agricultural lime and or gypsum
nitrate) be added at the same time so that the
calcium and cations can occupy the sites left byaluminium which is bound by the soluble silica.​

• The plant available silica content in the range of 300-350ppm (a plant needs at least 100ppm in the soil to benefit from silica) ​

wanted to say a big thankyou to CC for the silica info,
just what i needed, explains why my strains are slowly becoming rubbery and thin stemmed since being in coco.

 

[mugenbao]

If i was to add the silica as a powder to my soil,when would be the best time to do so..how fast does it release? Also how much should i add?

Stay Safe

I use diatomaceous earth as a soil amendment right from the beginning when I mix my soil. According to dank.frank (who is pretty knowledgeable about it) all you need is 1/4 cup per 1.5 cubic feet of soil, but I've been using slightly more than that without problems.

...
About the usage in soil, the assumption it is best used mixed in because of its properties as an amendment, is certainly correct. It is quite strong when a powder...don't use it to heavily. About a 1/4c per 1.5 cu ft is all ya need. (if you are incorporating other provisions for silica as well, such as zeolite, pyrophyllite clay, azomite, or greensand) Keeping in mind the immediate availability of some of these items is rather low or next to zero, making it that much more important to proper "cook" all organically amended mediums.

There is a ton of information available on the 'net about using diatomaceous earth as a soil amendment, but I haven't found much about using it as a topdressing "after the fact".

 

[One Love 731]

Great stuff CC, so nice to see so many of the same cuts I'm running now or in the future done right. A ton of great info and beautiful pics make for a stellar thread in my opinion. Thanks for all ya do CC, ya da man. 1

 

[imnotkrazy]

I have been mixing ~1/3 cup of DE to a 5 gallon bucket of water and watering it in. It hasn't hurt anything

 

[Stinkymutt]

Just popped in for some good reading. Thanks for the info CC , I for one am going to be using silica in my next grow !

 

[GDK]

How fast does the DE release? Been looking for it and found it here...just had to search for another name since its called something else in Danish.

Stay Safe

 

[EcstaticErratic]

CC Thanks for confirming this for everyone!

I had been using PBPro, Liq K, Silica Blast a few seasons ago and it was great..
but for some reason the stoner in me wanted to try something new and untested.. I went to GH's new Organics line.. GenOrganics (teamed up with BioBizz) I think I'll go back to the other stuff when these quarts are finished.

Beautiful girls btw!

 

[BattleAxe]

Looks good and yields great. Nice work.

 

[justagrower]

Plants are looking tip top CC.
No mistaking Sharon ww , did Ls ever mention the albino trait ?
Grew 2 different sets of seeds he d made with her , Karen and Karen V2, didn t seem to pass on the albino trait, none showed in 20-25. plenty of resin bombs , but none peachy tasting unfortunately.
remember the stories you posted at OG and CW about your wifes back and BOG saying to you it was the strongest erb he d smoked. let us know how she compares now you ve grown ogs, sours and chems .
good to see your still around mate .

 

[LifeLess]

Thnx for the silica info CC. Its like finding a treasure. Peace LL

 

[mugenbao]

Thnx for the silica info CC. Its like finding a treasure. Peace LL

Agreed, very good info here. It also sparked quite a bit of further study that will absolutely result in some changes to my own grows.

 

[Crazy Composer]

a silica strategy is evolving....

a silica strategy is evolving....

In our controlled experiment, silica was only added during the final stage of flowering, and the results were phenominal. We have been using silica, now, for all stages of growth. I have to say, the smoke from these new crops, while still burning better than before, are not as pleasurable as the crops where silica was only added a few times at the end of flower! Too much of a good thing, is what I am noticing.

So, what I will be doing for the next phase of tests is this: silica will be used with ALL veg nutrients, which includes the first two weeks of flowering, then silica will be cut off abruptly. Silica will be reintroduced during the final week or so of feeding before harvest.

The idea here is that the plants will not have access to silica as they build blossoms, so the flowers are built while NOT under the influence of silica. Then, these silica free flowers will get a last minute chance to get their silica, hopefully recreating prior, amazing results. Not to say that the most recent og kush is not killer, it is, but I can sense a little too much of a good thing now that the plants are constantly getting silica. The herb Burns hotter, a result, I think, of the more crystalline structure inside the herb. Glass, or silica, conducts and holds heat very, very well. It is this property that, I believe, improves the burnability of the herb, and also, coincidentally improves the high!

I believe the new regimen will be better than adding silica during all stages of growth. However, if I still sense a little bit too much of a good thing with the new method, I will Gladly do what I KNOW works... which is to use ZERO silica until just prior to harvest.

Experimenting away at symphony hall,
cc

 

[B. Self Reliant]

That's not what I expected to hear. Interesting though. No one is going to complain about getting the maximum benefits by using less of the product. Seems pretty ideal to me. Thanks for keeping us posted. I've been using the Pro-TeKt myself recently and am anxious to try the final product in a month or so.

 

[Bacchus]

In our controlled experiment, silica was only added during the final stage of flowering, and the results were phenominal. We have been using silica, now, for all stages of growth. I have to say, the smoke from these new crops, while still burning better than before, are not as pleasurable as the crops where silica was only added a few times at the end of flower! Too much of a good thing, is what I am noticing.

So, what I will be doing for the next phase of tests is this: silica will be used with ALL veg nutrients, which includes the first two weeks of flowering, then silica will be cut off abruptly. Silica will be reintroduced during the final week or so of feeding before harvest.

The idea here is that the plants will not have access to silica as they build blossoms, so the flowers are built while NOT under the influence of silica. Then, these silica free flowers will get a last minute chance to get their silica, hopefully recreating prior, amazing results. Not to say that the most recent og kush is not killer, it is, but I can sense a little too much of a good thing now that the plants are constantly getting silica. The herb Burns hotter, a result, I think, of the more crystalline structure inside the herb. Glass, or silica, conducts and holds heat very, very well. It is this property that, I believe, improves the burnability of the herb, and also, coincidentally improves the high!

I believe the new regimen will be better than adding silica during all stages of growth. However, if I still sense a little bit too much of a good thing with the new method, I will Gladly do what I KNOW works... which is to use ZERO silica until just prior to harvest.

Experimenting away at symphony hall,
cc

A very interesting hypothesis you have concluded from your observation. (Spock) I do NOT doubt you in the least!!! Although, I would like to see more test in support of your conclusions. One test would be to measure the actual temperature at incineration of the THC and carbon compounds. In order to make this test somewhat legitimate I would suggest using a heat source that is repeatable and consistent. You could use a cheap IR camera.

Could it be the heat source you are using? I assume you use the same lighter or flame device for all of your burning needs?

Are you suggesting that THC and/or cannabinoids can be ingested or absorbed by the receptors in the brain at a different rate based upon the ignition(burn) temperature of it? And that by introducting silicon into the plants diet this happens. Mind Blowing!!!

Or an I really high right now
I am curious. Big Love!!!!
Bacchus

 

[Crazy Composer]

Well, Bacchus, yes, I believe the temperature of the burn is changed, or prolonged with silica-grown buds. I am now several harvests into the silica era, and every sign still points to: silica = good!

Everyone who smokes it comes to the same conclusion, it's simply amazing. I get so completely and utterly wrecked on the same weed that used to only mildly interest me. I can't say this will be true for every strain, but I can't imagine why it wouldn't.

Some growers, who used silica after reading this thread, have already told me that this works for them in the same way, too. I strongly encourage everyone to begin using silica. My best results have been in plants given silica ONLY in their last couple of weeks before harvest. The advertising on silica products should be changed, because they all market silica by saying things like, "sturdier plants, prevents heat stress, more resistant to drought", etc. What they haven't mentioned -yet- is the most important reason to use silica... it adds soul to the herb. Now... you still have to grow good, ripe, clean herb to get best results, but even mediocre weed gets better with a silica-reinforced cellular structure. Knowmsayin?

Sincerely,
Very High