pongster's tent; free candy inside

[pongster]

Sorry, no candy. But you can stay, see my tent and advice me, thank you!

I grow in a tent 1sqm, with 400w hps. They are skunk#1 auto and one black domina (gift with skunk) from sensi which were sprouted on May 1st. So now, they are 45 days old, from the first sight of seed sprouting.
I use soil, biobizz organic mixes. Arlite on the bottom of the 11L black pots.
For fertilizer, Biobizz products mostly:
- Biogrow: only one application upon wilting of cotyledons of 1ml/2L, watering 200-300 ml each plant.
- Biobloom: one application last weekend, 3ml/2L, watering 300-350 ml each plant. I want to do another one soon.
- Mammoth P: every "only water" irrigation i do, i use with this product that was given for free at growshop. i use half dosage recommended by the manufacturer.
- Delta9 Cannabiogen: two applications so far, one in week 3 and one last monday; 3ml/2L.
I have nothing against foliar sprays and people who use them, i think if the soil is well nourished and the soil solution is taken care, then there's no need to suplement through leaves. But i am open to spray if it is what it takes to save or improve the crop.

At lately, i have misjudged the size of the roots, and watered too much today; thinking that the roots volume was at least 40% than what it is actually. My thinking is that these autos have a more columnar/vertical root growth.

What i intend to do to remediate this, and i am very open to all kind of suggestions as long as they agree with my own points of view (hahah joke !)
stop watering for 3 or 4 days, then water again slowly around the edges of the pots. expect some water stress at day 4-5 due to water search by the roots. From day 2 without water, stop directing airflow directly to the plants but put it against the walls of the tent, so the rebound gets to the plant, and try to get lower temperatures during the day (currently 23°C).

Anyhow, some pictures; and you are welcome to say hello and give your advice. Thank you!





I sprouted more seeds thinking that somehow i could fit 11 plants inside 1 square meter, maybe that's why i think i have 6 pack abs, when i have a 6 pack in my fridge only.
The small ones are greenhouse Superbud and King Kush, they have been slow and by no means they have the same vigor as Sensi's seeds.

This is all, thank you for your comments!

 

[aridbud]

Nice!! Are you going to transplant into larger containers? If not, you may end up dealing with nutrient lock out due to roots cramped.

Keep em growing, Pongster.

Why only 15 posts since 2014? Curious....glad you found your way back to IC..

 

[pongster]

Nice!! Are you going to transplant into larger containers? If not, you may end up dealing with nutrient lock out due to roots cramped.

Keep em growing, Pongster.

Why only 15 posts since 2014? Curious....glad you found your way back to IC..

Hello aridbud, thanks for stopping by!
I can access these paint buckets (attached), they are 20 Lts. I should drill some holes in the bottom though, no problem; noise is good to keep neighbors alert. Not sure about the colors the store has available, i hardly think they have black ones. Maybe cover them with some black mask tape? Or a garbage bag? I will go tomorrow, i can't hardly get up off my seat now.

Another thing, about the transplant; i am afraid that i might fuck up and break the root-soil cake; any tips?
In my experience, with these kind of "tasks", the more i think and more delicacy i put into it, the more i tend to screw up.
Also on the transplant, any suggestions on the new soil mix?
Thhhhhhhhank youuuu


I've been on icmag since 2014, but i bought a keyboard just today. Life is strange they say

 

[aridbud]

Easy Organic Soil Recipe:

To make 1 cubic foot (7.5 gallons) of base soil:

1/2 part peat moss
1/2 part humus (compost and/or ewc (earthworm castings)- can do all compost or all ewc or some mixture of the two) Mushroom compost easy to obtain: HD/Lowes
1/2 + part aeration amendment (perlite or vermiculite)
1/4 part clean sand
1 cup lime (per cubic foot)

Nutritional amendments: you want to add about 2-3 cups total of all your nutritional amendments per cubic foot (7.5 gallons) of soil. Note that this means 2-3 cups total, a combination of all your nutritional amendments, not 2-3 cups of each amendment.
1 cup kelp meal
1.5 cups dry organic fertilizer

Be sure and drill holes in bottom for drainage.

We've used equiv. 4-5 gallon plastic waste baskets and drilled holes....they work!

 

[pongster]

Easy Organic Soil Recipe:

To make 1 cubic foot (7.5 gallons) of base soil:

1/2 part peat moss
1/2 part humus (compost and/or ewc (earthworm castings)- can do all compost or all ewc or some mixture of the two) Mushroom compost easy to obtain: HD/Lowes
1/2 + part aeration amendment (perlite or vermiculite)
1/4 part clean sand
1 cup lime (per cubic foot)

Nutritional amendments: you want to add about 2-3 cups total of all your nutritional amendments per cubic foot (7.5 gallons) of soil. Note that this means 2-3 cups total, a combination of all your nutritional amendments, not 2-3 cups of each amendment.
1 cup kelp meal
1.5 cups dry organic fertilizer

Be sure and drill holes in bottom for drainage.

We've used equiv. 4-5 gallon plastic waste baskets and drilled holes....they work!

Awesome bro, thanks for the recipe. Although i must tell you that i won't use it at this stage, and i will buy most likely more BioBizz Allmix soil. Only because of convenience; i live in a small apartment and mixing things is difficult; getting the right ingredients and properly sterilized when needed to is also very difficult (third world issues i guess). So, i go with the proven stuff until i can make my own mixes with space and proper ingredients. I dream of buying a small piece of land on the north.

Since i have 4 plants in 11Lts, and will transplant to 20 Lts, i only theoretically need 36 lts of soil, buying a sack of 50 lts of allmix is cheap, perhaps 20 USD. Not concerned about money, but easiness.

In my "inventory" i have biobloom, top max, delta 9 and mammoth P. I could purchase more stuff, most famous brands available here are Hesi, Biobizz, plagron, atami?. I'm mostly inclined on organic products, though i thought i had a complete set of nutrients/stimulants i could always be mistaken.

I'm sorry to be somehow stubborn on the soil mix, just my situation forces it. I will surely follow your advice: transplant tomorrow and will post pics.

Any tips on post transplant? Like watering patterns? Thhhhhhhank you

 

[pongster]

Yes, a small update: after a night and some hours of day, they seem to be recovering from my mistakes. But i can tell they will welcome a transplant and watering problems will continue if i don't;
my thinking why: i guess that the parts of the soil that dry out quicker after the flood gets reached by the roots also quicker, because of their grasp for air and constant search throughout the soil. So, as long as soil dries, roots follow, they won't go to flooded places; easily filling the volume available for root growth, but not being actually active in absorption. I hope you can understand my gibberish. So after a temporary happy look, i expect for them in a few hours to go back to a sad state, until i transplant.




Again on the soil mix, i don't want to sound like a douchebag; some years ago (now they count as lots) i used to do my own mixes, as i visited several fruit farms at that time. My results were very disappointing and even though i had the right gear, i couldn't grow shit. So now i'm going with bagged soil mix that i have already proven, accumulate stash, and then experiment with spare plants and weather (i will wait for summer for this, space and light cost money indoors).
Here are some of my past experiences, for some LOL. Some pictures date back from 2007.

This was my first grow, Hashberry (Mandala) and Jamaica Lambsbread.




I used to grow in the ceiling of my house. not much air flow there, but hey, a jedi's gotta do what a jedi's gotta do.




Making my own mixes and growing green XD




Yeah, those were 2 wasted months... but experience remains


Thank you for stopping by!

 

[pongster]

Just a few hours difference:



Because of root space, new growth suffers first. This is actually terrible because if i keep this situation going for too long, yields will be extremely afflicted, if the plant can't put on new weight every day.
I thank you aridbud for your insights, i will get the buckets today.

 

[pongster]

Alright, transplant is done.

Finally, i bought these "air pots". The plastic store was closed (3rd world issues again) and the price listed online was actually more expensive than these airpots, which are also 20Lts. So, i bought everything at one place, perfect for a lazy boy like myself.

So here are some pictures of the transplant, at the beginning i thought that these airpots were small but i spent about 38Lts of soil mix in 4 plants, so it's cool. 9 liters more of potential root volume should be enough... i hope.







Some thoughts by looking at the state of the roots: i had put too much water, or better said, i gave too much flow of water at the beginning. I guess that the amount was correct for each watering, but the time was fast and short. Too much water fell down the soil profile, and the root zone was basically born too deep in the ground. I saw roots at the surface of one of the plants, obviously this is a fighter and is telling that there was no more room down below. If i were to irrigate slower it would be better, though i think it should be a slow and continuous supply of water, instead of a bucket of water at once (exaggerated xD). BUT since i don't have automatic irrigator, nor i will buy one, i will commit to irrigate slower now.

Now i'm crowded in my tent... too many plants. Next post is interesting

 

[pongster]

Alright, so here's the deal: too many plants, it's winter here and cold as hell.

So now, YOU, the reader, have a unique chance of a lifetime: decide which one lives and which one dies.
I have 6 plants from greenhouse co seeds; 3 King's Kush and 3 Super Bud. Numbers are from left to right. So here it is, the death row:
KINGS KUSH




SUPER BUD


All of them are 20 days old since i first started to germinate the seeds, when i put them on wet paper towel.

So, you can decide how many live and which ones, according to the space inside the tent. They are all in 11liter pots and i have no more room for transplant, so they will spend the rest of their lives there.

I really appreciate all your comments and advice, and good smokes! thank youu

 

[pongster]

hello there,

today i've seen that i have some white flies in my tent, i sprayed neem oil with water from below the plants and some to the soil.

what i'm concerned is the down looking top of the plants, i have transplanted, not watered but still they have this look.
My temperatures now range between 16°C and 24°C, HR is always between 40 and 50%.
I have an exhaust fan with a carbon filter of 6", blowing 550m3/hr, according to the label. I have 2 intake spots from below the tent, both 6" (i tried to keep twice the intake than exhaust).
Also, there is a clap fan blowing some wind to the plants, gently. It is pushing some wind down.
The distance between the top of the plants and the bulb is 35 cm or 13.5 inch.

Please help!!!! thank you!!

 

[pongster]

by the way:
for any suggestions, i have the following equipment:
- cooltube, i took it out and replace it with this reflector only to try keep warmer inside. i was thinking to put the cooltube again and the air that gets extracted from the bulb could go into an intake? The air that cools the cooltube comes from the outside, very cold.

- these fan boosters, i have 3 of them slacking around; i thought to put one in an intake to push more air coming into the tent; though that air is very cold, around 6-7°C..

- time and will: to be honest, the only thing that i like more than spending time with my plants is spending time with my plants, so at least there is one labour worker

some pictures of the general layout, the duct in the right bottom can be extended to reach the balcony, no problem.


thank you! me and my plants appreciate your feedback!

 

[pongster]

last post for now, sorry i can't edit.
this is how they look without the yellow hps light. i'm not 100% sure but i think they are balanced in nutrients.
Thanks ... please help

 

[pongster]

since i want to reach 50 messags to start stalking people online, here's some update:
The ladies seem to be doing better after transplant and no watering, low temperatures don't help with evaporating the soil water and encouraging transpiration...
Some thoughts again...
All my worries come from low temperatures outside. Some days ago i replaced my cooltube for a regular cheap-ass reflector; my thinking at that time was to keep heat inside the tent; though after some days i didn't really see an improvement on temperature. Due that the extractor-filter is pulling everything up, obviously the heat generated from the bulb was also being pushed up by its nature and the extractor, so if there was any temperature gain, it was not being received by the ladies. So dumb.
So i installed again the cooltube, but this time the duct that takes the heat off the tent comes back again through an intake in the bottom, so i can put the heat from the bulb from the bottom of the tent.
I hope it works.
Pictures on natural light and in the tent...

Any thoughts and comments are welcome! thanks!

 

[growdady]

looking good in here Pongster, I'm subbed up for this run.

 

[pongster]

thank you growdaddy, please grab a seat

just for record-keeping's sake, today the sensi skunk auto are 50 days old, from seedling emerging from soil. Pictures from day 1 and day 50.
I don't know if this is very slow, but surely this past few days have slow down all my sensi skunk because of overwater.

The small ones (king's kush and superbud) are 25 days old from seedling breaking the soil.

Best regards

 

[pongster]

hello masters of the 'twin canes', i'm not trying to turbopost, but i would really like some advice =)



i still haven't water my plants since sunday, perhaps i will water tomorrow, maybe poke a hole through the soil with a stick and water in that hole... so it infiltrates quickly?


i ordered a "blumat tropf 6 kit deck and patio" which i hope helps me with watering. These skunks and black domina will never see it though. Should arrive in 2-3 weeks (its not easy to come to nowhere).

To be honest, one dumb mistake such as overwatering has delayed my plants in about 10 days, and i haven't been able to sleep properly hahaha i hope those blumats will help me on this.

maybe this thread can be moved to grow diaries please? so not to spam this forum too much...
Thanks and any advice you have please express yourself
best smokes

 

[Sweetdog760]

No free candy... And I thought you were trying to kid nap us.

 

[pongster]

hello there! yes, but candy will come in some months... smokable candy

just a small update, the babies seem to be recovering, at least now they no longer have sad looks and one early skunk started to pray together with the black domina. I hope the other two early skunks start praying soon with them.

i will water tomorrow with about 120-140ml per plant with biobloom, one of the early skunk is showing P and K deficiencies as it is the most advanced in flowering. This deficiency is mostly due to no watering/no fertilizing due to overwatering last week. consequences bro

 

[pongster]

hellow! yes, currently things have been going "normal" i guess, but as mentioned before, i have not been watering or fertilizing for about 7 days, and just started yesterday with a couple of ml per plant with biobloom.
Currently, two Skunk are showing some problems in older fan leaves. I thought at first that my neem sprays in the past weeks have left some kind of oily residue on the leaves' surface; but it tended to grow bigger throughout the days.
I removed some of those leaves, mainly to see if there is any insect or removable/blowable micelyium. After some inspection (my sight is not very good) i think i didn't find any insects, so my best guess are nutrients deficiencies, and after some reading, i guess P and Ca are the ones missing here, or there's a pH problem locking them out.

Herewith some pictures of the leaves. This status is not widely spread in the plants, most of the older, bigger fan leaves have this, and the pictures show the ones that had the biggest damage.

Either way, i think this is all connected to the overwatering issue and not being able to feed them for a week or so; when they are obviously requiring more nutrients. Although i'm completely open minded towards i didn't see what an expert's eye can see.
Any thoughts will be much appreciated and thanks for stopping by!
Today is day 56 since this crop started.
edit: oh and the black domina which came as a gift with the skunks, is by far the best plant i have; has endured the overwatering, growing and putting flowers everywhere and had no signs of insects or other stuff until this day, while the skunks have required much more attention.

 

[pongster]

day 57

day 57

hello brothers,
all is going smoothly i guess; although i would like higher temperatures.

recently i purchased a blumat irrigation system (amazon sent it in a bloody rocket, it arrived about 2 weeks before what was announced lol); i have it almost ready with reservoir and everything, and want to switch to coco for my next crop. I already have the ferts and substrate (all canna-coco brand).
Although i'm waiting for the lock piece for the blumat set (to turn on and off, had to order separatedly), i ordered also an EC and pH meter. I want them to arrive firstly before getting into the coco stuff, since i read that water quality around here is quite bad and in average it has 1300 to 1500 uS/cm EC, which is f¨ing high according to what i've read on icmag; ph ranges from 7.4 to 7.6. Still i have to try it with the proper meters.
I built a 20L reservoir made of a paint bucket with a cover, and drilled a 12mm hole in the lowest part to attach the first part of the blumat system.

Still, i would like to perhaps put some blumats and just water to my current plants in soil, i was wondering if anyone has experience installing this in older/established plants? i only saw some reports of the plant growing next to it, but not established in older plants. should i flush my pots before? or should i just wait for the next crop? jeez, i seem like a 13 year old schoolgirl.

This is how they look today, on day 57 since seed sprout.


i'm really looking forward to set up the blumat system, and hopefully later the coco-blumat system as well.
any comments and thoughts are greatly appreciated!