Sobergrower - Second run of Gorilla Glue clones - MarsHydro Light - 4 PPK modules!

[Sobergrower]

Well today is the first post of this run but we are well on our way. I took clones early on in the last run and instead of starting totally from scratch, I up potted them into a 4 module PPK setup. They were pretty root bound in the red solo cups at transplant and looking a bit weak but soon took off in the PPK. I decided to flip them into flower last Friday so we are now at the end of week 1!

The last batch took around 9 weeks from the day I flipped them to be ready for harvest. I was thrilled with the tops but had a ton of lower larf that pissed me off so I stopped posting. Pretty much my style. When I am done, I am done. I threw all that lower shit out because I just didn’t feel like dealing with it. Lessons learned every time.

And by the way the smoke report from everyone that I have gifted it to says it is an awesome high, the taste and smell is great, and they want more. So here we go!

First two weeks of flower, the plants are soaking up Jacks 10-30-20 Bloom Booster at 5.7g per gallon with 1g of Epsom per gallon. I am paying attention to PH and keeping that around 5.8 in both reservoirs.

At the recommendations made by people I trust, I am stripping lower growth early and often. The results I am looking for are big too buds and very little larf. I am ok with losing some weight along the way if the quality is there throughout. Thank you to all of you that helped on my last run!!!!!!!

Here are some pictures to get things rolling.

The mixing tote for new nutrients

The main reservoir that feeds nutrients to the sub reservoir via float valve.

The four PPK modules. The one in the middle is a central reservoir that they are connected to. The float valve and pump is I. That 5th tub with no plant.

A look from under the canopy. I can see the light. Hopefully keep good penetration. I also removed any growth nodes that were not at the net.

This looks like good stacking. I plan to stay on top of the defoliation and reduce inner nodal stretch.

Peace……..SG

 

[Creeperpark]

They are off to a good start and look healthy. I riding with you friend thanks for sharing your work. .

 

[Sobergrower]

They are off to a good start and look healthy. I riding with you friend thanks for sharing your work. .

Thanks Creeper, good to have you along. I am hoping to apply the things I learned the last go around and have a better set of top buds.

 

[Sobergrower]

This week has been all about managing the PH in the sub reservoir. It keeps climbing up over 6.3. I shut off the valve from the main reservoir and then use pumps to pull the nutrient water from the sub system to adjust the PH back down just under 5.8. I then let it climb through 6.3 before doing anything. It looks like the plants are getting what they want this way.

I am also trying to be diligent in the removal of any shoots or growth that is below the net as well as pulling fan leaves where the growth node is established (longer than an inch or two).

It is a bit difficult to get to the back plants. I wish I had a room to grow in rather than a closet.

The tops seem to be liking the attention of nutrients without having to share with any of the lower growth.

Peace…….SG

 

[Sobergrower]

Well here we are at the end of week two after the flip. This week continued to be about managing PH in the main reservoir and leaf picking every day. I targeted large fan leaves that were not directly in contact with a bud site. I preferred to pluck ones that were at the base of a growth stem with at least an inch or more of new growth.

I am about to mix a new batch of the Jacks 3-2-1 formula and move away from the bloom booster. I will say that I think the bloom booster formula did help with setting the bud sites. I think this is the quickest I have seen in my relatively young growing career.

Overall, I am happy with the way the four girls are coming into their own. Good girls!

Here is an example of a fan leaf that I am targeting for removal. The growth node is long enough I think.

A picture of the whole tent

Here is the cleaned out lower section.

And a few close ups of some main colas!

Peace……SG

 

[Sobergrower]

Seems like every day I am pulling leaves from the ladies. I am really trying to stay on top of this grow. I just spent the last hour contouring my self to clean up the two in the back as well as bud fan leaves that are blocking penetration of light. To me it still looks like I could do more but I am also trying to balance out how much I take each day.

Anyway enough words right?

Peace…..SG

 

[Sobergrower]

Well it is nearing the end of week 3 of flower. I hope the stretch is about done. I don’t have much more room for the lights to raise in this tent so it something I try to manage. I may have to super crop a few of the stems but I would prefer not to.

My PH meter is acting funny this evening so I am being cautious about making too many adjustments. I know what it typically takes to lower my PH to 5.8 after mixing nutrients so I think I am close. I have recalibrated the meter twice and it reads correctly in the calibration fluids so I will see if it hold tomorrow.

I will be getting this weekend and pulling more fan leaves. Man do they just keep growing. I can see leaving them if growing outdoors but indoor growing they take over.

 

[Creeperpark]

I use twist ties and bend the tops over so I don't have to cut them off. You would have a lot to tie but it would be worth it. Topping flowering plants will delay flowering up to 2 weeks..

 

[Sobergrower]

I use twist ties and bend the tops over so I don't have to cut them off. You would have a lot to tie but it would be worth it. Topping flowering plants will delay flowering up to 2 weeks..

hey creeper. Good idea brother. By super cropping I am talking about pinching the stalk and bending it over not cutting the top off. I couldn’t agree with you more about the delay in flower. I like the idea of just tying them down and may try that if it becomes necessary. Thank you for continuing to check in.

 

[Sobergrower]

A few pictures of the debauchery from today’s defoliation. I tried to just make sure that I had light penetrating down into the canopy while leaving enough leaves as solar panels. I know it’s controversial, but I’m trying to do better than I did last time.

 

[DunHav`nFun]

Hey Bro........Plants are healthy and still stretchin @day 23 I assume , so I NEVER stripped a leaf at all till after complete end of vertical growth due to the fact that when I first learned the defoliation technique yrs and yrs ago , I was taught to strip EVERY leaf with a stem @ day 21 AND @ day 45 , so when I did my clone only Chem D completely shut down and didn`t recover for a SOLID 2 weeks and that cycle took a FULL 12 weeks instead of 10 like I was used to from 20 or so runs of said cultivar at multiple locations prior to this debaucle......so.....

AFTER I figured out why the first scenario I was told works but DIDN`T I self taught myself and realized that the strain the self-proclaimed know-it-all grow guru was havin PRONOUNCED results with was a indica dominant hybrid that was an 8 week finisher , and since stretch is scientifically proven to be 40% of the flower cycle , HIS shit was done stretchin completely by day 21 and wasn`t affected by rapin and pillagin his plants so.......

I scratched my head amd my ass to figure out that strippin leaves is VERY strain dependent and what works on 1 variety will stunt and shut down another and that`s why so many folks fuck up and don`t learn the how to`s and what not to do`s on a technique that works so completely in several different ways that benefit not only the plant , BUT cut trim time down to an absolute minimum since all foliage is gone except the sugar leaves juttin out from the colas and golf balls.....that said......

You can hang a fishin weight or washer from the ceiling to measure and gauge WHEN vertical growth has ceased , and THEn , dom`t be scared to take EVERYTHING with a petiole / stem and then keep takin all the 1-3 leafers that keep spittin out till they stop and I SWEAR to you SG after doin this 100`s of times over the yrs , there`s absolutely no reason to leave any leaves on the plants for solar panels since ALL leaves juttin outta colas are MORE than enough left for photosynthesis till end of cycle....and hey......

I know it`s still controversial and there`s folks that`ll tell you it hurts the plant`s potential and will NEVER measure up to plants where the leaves are left on till choptime , but to that I`m callin bullshit and answering from first hand time tested and proven methods I`ve incorporated into my cycles for well over a decade and would NEVER give advice that would cause detriment to anyone`s setup and I assure you that ALL well experienced and seasoned growers incorporate defoliation into their regimen on every cycle and strain once stretch is dialed in.....anyways......

Lollipoppin underneath was called crazy for yrs and yrs , but nowadays it`s the standard of the industry to prevent larfy shit the lights never get down to and choke the canopy as well , so don`t be skurred my buddy.....strip those leaves out......it`ll only help you at trim time and will never hurt nug production so.....

Keep strokin and......

Peace......DHF......

 

[Sobergrower]

Thank you DHF for your continued insight and support. The last run went nine weeks after the flip so I think I am in hat sweet spot. I appreciate your willingness to provide guidance as always!

 

[ZenMaster369]

Great job. Lovely looking ladies.

 

[delta9nxs]

Hey Bro........Plants are healthy and still stretchin @day 23 I assume , so I NEVER stripped a leaf at all till after complete end of vertical growth due to the fact that when I first learned the defoliation technique yrs and yrs ago , I was taught to strip EVERY leaf with a stem @ day 21 AND @ day 45 , so when I did my clone only Chem D completely shut down and didn`t recover for a SOLID 2 weeks and that cycle took a FULL 12 weeks instead of 10 like I was used to from 20 or so runs of said cultivar at multiple locations prior to this debaucle......so.....

AFTER I figured out why the first scenario I was told works but DIDN`T I self taught myself and realized that the strain the self-proclaimed know-it-all grow guru was havin PRONOUNCED results with was a indica dominant hybrid that was an 8 week finisher , and since stretch is scientifically proven to be 40% of the flower cycle , HIS shit was done stretchin completely by day 21 and wasn`t affected by rapin and pillagin his plants so.......

I scratched my head amd my ass to figure out that strippin leaves is VERY strain dependent and what works on 1 variety will stunt and shut down another and that`s why so many folks fuck up and don`t learn the how to`s and what not to do`s on a technique that works so completely in several different ways that benefit not only the plant , BUT cut trim time down to an absolute minimum since all foliage is gone except the sugar leaves juttin out from the colas and golf balls.....that said......

You can hang a fishin weight or washer from the ceiling to measure and gauge WHEN vertical growth has ceased , and THEn , dom`t be scared to take EVERYTHING with a petiole / stem and then keep takin all the 1-3 leafers that keep spittin out till they stop and I SWEAR to you SG after doin this 100`s of times over the yrs , there`s absolutely no reason to leave any leaves on the plants for solar panels since ALL leaves juttin outta colas are MORE than enough left for photosynthesis till end of cycle....and hey......

I know it`s still controversial and there`s folks that`ll tell you it hurts the plant`s potential and will NEVER measure up to plants where the leaves are left on till choptime , but to that I`m callin bullshit and answering from first hand time tested and proven methods I`ve incorporated into my cycles for well over a decade and would NEVER give advice that would cause detriment to anyone`s setup and I assure you that ALL well experienced and seasoned growers incorporate defoliation into their regimen on every cycle and strain once stretch is dialed in.....anyways......

Lollipoppin underneath was called crazy for yrs and yrs , but nowadays it`s the standard of the industry to prevent larfy shit the lights never get down to and choke the canopy as well , so don`t be skurred my buddy.....strip those leaves out......it`ll only help you at trim time and will never hurt nug production so.....

Keep strokin and......

Peace......DHF......

so true, DHF, some plants you repeatedly rape and pillage and they just keep going but some don't like it or need it.

normally, the plant mobilizes phosphorous from the leaves to the flowers during flowering.

but in hydro, especially ppk systems because of the media, we are supplying all the P the plant needs.

so taking off a few leaves at a time progressively doesn't harm the plant and increases yield.

sobergrower, when removing leaves from the plant try to be aware of what i call the "light interception ratio" and what scientists call leaf area index.

this is the ratio of light that can pass through the canopy without being intercepted.

if you take off so much at once that 50% of the light is going right past the plant and hitting the floor you are wasting energy.

and slowing growth.

i like the slow, continuous approach.

you can almost do it by numbers. first, i take the main fans on the main stem, a few at a time, starting from the bottom up, during veg, as they become blocked from the light and are not producing much anymore.

then the laterals get the first two growing closest to the main stem removed, i take their shoots too because they don't stand a chance of getting to the top of the canopy.

throughout the grow i'll take fully expanded fans that are blocking light to shoots.

with me it's just a big handful every time i go in the room.

i thought you might like to know that i have a grow going on here now in the "cannabis strains and breeding" section.

MAYBERRY (BLUE STAR S1) M-22 breeders cut

como estas ya'll! Welcome to a PPK grow of Bluestarseedco's Mayberry s1 from the Blue Star line. Blue Star = Death Star x Whitaker Blues Death Star = Sour Diesel x Sensi Star Whitaker Blues = Quimby x DJ Short 98 F4 Blueberry Josh Blue is the breeder and here is his description; "Blueberry...

www.icmag.com

break a branch, buddy!

 

[Sobergrower]

Thanks Delta for checking in. This grow I am focused on managing the light penetration without losing steam.

Today is day 25 from flipping to flower. The stretch appears to have stopped. It’s a good thing because I have the lights as high as they will go!

I have continually taken fan leafs off during the first stages of flower as described by Delta. I don’t removed a ton of lower growth nodes as well and probably could have done more.

When I am looking up from underneath the canopy I am seeing some light penetration but not so much as I think it is hurting production.

The humidity is a bit of concern because it shoots up with lights on to around 65 plus. I have the exhaust fan on full blast which helps.

The main stalks are starting to really stack up. I still think I could pull some of the lower bud sites and focus more energy up top.

PPM’s and Ph in the lower reservoir is stable at 1100 and 6.0 this week. My put back in the main reservoir is still based on a he 3.7-2.45-1.0 grams per gallon Jacks formula. PPM in my his reservoir is right around 750 and I set the initial PH are 5.8.

Anyway, here are some pictures

 

[DunHav`nFun]

Hey guys ......D9 , I appreciate the input I forgot about as in not strippin everything out all at once but rather gradually over several days to MAKE SURE said hybrid won`t shut down even after end of stretch .....and yeah......it`s definitely true that the more Indica wide leaf hybrid varieties handle the raping and pillaging even if done all at once as they bounce back and keep spittin out foliage almost immediately after bein completely stripped out .......now.....

I`m with you as well about light lost that gets past the plants being a total waste if not bounced back up at the canopy from beneath as well as sideways from the walls of the grow area as in back in the day when I used bare bulbs hangin vertically with my vert setups , BUT......If you light the room as in optimum watts per sq ft as well as with all those umols . ppfd`s , DLI`s and all that other scientific shit I got no clue about , the grow pretty much takes care of itself and.......I`ve never seen a loss of production with bottomline end results in yieldage or quality.....and next......

I also agree with the plants getting all the phosphorous they need being fed multiple times daily in coco as well as the PPK passive hydro setup so again , no worries about strippin .....and the last thing is the fact that with all the fan leaves gone during late bloomage there`s not any stored nitrogen left in the larger fans and it helps the plants reach that fall color fade without actually flushing which I`ve ALWAYS disagreed with but rather dwindled my PPM`A down gradually over the last couple weeks or so till end of cycle tso as not to starve the plants of nutrients so they can swell as much as they possibly can by choptime.........and lastly.......

SG....if your RH is stayin in the 65 percentile during the lights on phase , there`s no tellin how much it`s spikin durin lights out when the plants shit out all the excess water vapor and CO2 they didn`t assimilate durin lights on so be more mindful of your environmental control durin lights out to prevent condensation especially if you can keep lights on and off temps within a 10 degree variable , and ......

With most all the fans gone you`ll have optimum airflow throughout the canopy to insure no anaerobic airborn nasties proliferate inside your grow area , and almost forgot to say go ahead and get rid of everything underneath that`ll never make anything worth usin while also stealin vital plant energy away from the uppers that need all they can get.....anyways......

Good luck . take care and.....

Peace......DHF.......

 

[Sobergrower]

Today marks the beginning of week 5 or 29 days since the flip.

I have gotten my humidity back in a better place at around 55 and the lights on temps around 73. The grow is in a closet in the basement and there is very little swing from day to night with regard to conditions.

My lower reservoir PPM is starting to climb and I will most likely do a complete reservoir change this week (I recall Delta recommending this in my last journal). It is a reset for the remainder of the grow and brings the levels back to around 800. I don’t see any tip burn at this point.

The smell when I open the tent is really getting noticeable. I am seeing a ton of sugar on the leaves which is also a good sign. Every time I go pulling leaves I try not to touch anything but my arm comes out sticky and the smell lingers as I walk through the house.

Here are some close up pictures of the sugar!

And some pictures of the tent.

Peace…..SG

 

[Sobergrower]

Today is the beginning of week 6.

This last week I did do a complete refresh of the lower reservoir nutrients. The PPM had climbed to around 1600 and I was beginning to see som tip curl on several leaves. I have dropped the Jacks down to the 3-2-1 grams per gallon with a total PPM around 800 (100 base water).

The humidity issues seem to be resolved and the tent is currently holding in the mid 50’s with lights on temps in the low 70’s.

These next three weeks are going to hopefully be filled with bud swelling as we move to the harvest window. I am pleased with how the buds are forming so far. While I could have removed more undergrowth, I think there is enough light penetrating through the canopy. The lower bud sites may be a bit smaller but it doesn’t appear that they will be total larf. It may be time to do some more leaf stripping……

Anyway, enough of the words. Here are some picture updates.

 

[Sobergrower]

Today is the beginning of week seven. The last run of this strain went 9 weeks before chop and from what I have been told is just about the perfect high.

I have noticed a bit of tip curl and have made adjustments to the nutrients to reduce nitrogen and also increased the PH.

I think I will be spending some time in the tent to remove fan leaves over the weekend so the last push will focus on the bud development and also reduce humidity in the tent.

Anyway for anyone that stops by, here are some pictures.

 

[Mars Hydro Led]

Looks pretty well.