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cheap, moisture meter probe...reads: WET/MOIST/DRY...the KISS principle, money, well spent...:thumbsup:Quote:
It is also helping a great deal now that I am not watering nearly as much... the soil feels pretty dry right now to me and I would have been hitting them with a couple of cups of water before I learned not to... but now my moisture indicator probe says there is still some water in there, and no signs of thirst in the babies.
Interesting, all the red ones are much more predominately red than I am used to seeing. See how it is on the bottom of the petioles too? I wonder if water is shy on Mg? What is source of water again? If municipal can you look up the data for water quality, that should show the micronutrients.
They all look female to me except the first one. The runt looks over watered. Mix the soil up at the top a little bit gently to help loose moisture, also can direct fan on them at low volume to strengthen stalks and help transpiration.
Don't go and freak out that there may be a deficiency. The fact they reach for the light is showing strength and they are okay, I am questioning if genetics or deficiency is causing the amount of redness, even the 'male' has redness that I would not expect, and I think it is genetics but I am not sure at all here. (I need to look back at the beginning to see what you are using, 'old fart syndrome' ;))
Edit: Ok what I am looking for is not there, would you fill out a troubleshooting form for me please?.....6" pots...
Hello fellow Cannabis'ers! I hope Santa was good to you yesterday. Today is a travel day for me so I am hurrying through the post this morning and I apologize for the quality of the pictures. I tried a new top down angle today and still need to work a bit on the focus distance, but you can still get a good idea what is happening from these this morning.
From the helicopter views you can see that each of the babies are starting to show good growth to the sides and good density in the center. The soil dried out pretty good yesterday so I hit them with 2 cups of water each last night before lights out. I still have not confirmed if this is the best time to water them, but it makes sense to me that they could best utilize the oxygenated water when they stop processing light and do whatever it is that they do in the dark. I think of this as how we humans best process food if we relax after a meal rather than following a meal with strenuous exercise. I have no idea if this is a valid way of relating to plants since I am so new at this, but it is my attempt to try to understand how a plant lives and what it needs.
At any rate, the plants all look happy and healthy. 1,2 and 3 have all achieved approximately the same vertical height now and seem to be trying to increase surface area of the leaf structures in order to gather in more light. When I watered I could tell that the root structure of all the plants now seems to be solid as there was no tilting or apparent movement as the water settled around them. I am also assuming that #1 has a much more developed root structure from the run off after watering. 2 cups used to produce run off in all the pots, but now #1 shows no run off at this level, and as the plant size decreases, the amount of run off increases. Again, having no experience in this, I have to assume that it is the root structure sucking up this excess water, but I have no idea if this uptake can be so rapid as to influence the effect that I think I am seeing.
Please feel free to comment on these various assumptions and thoughts as I proceed with this grow log. I am trying to be brutally honest about my lack of experience and knowledge here in the attempt to learn, as well as to allow anyone reading this grow log in the future to learn from it just as I am doing. As long as we stay on these topics and treat this grow log as a lesson for the brand new grower, I will not feel that anyone is hijacking the log with their comments.
Here are todays pictures, a bit out of focus...
#1, our fast growing boy
http://boards.cannabis.com/members/e...day-17-001.jpg
#2, doing well... getting wider every day
http://boards.cannabis.com/members/e...day-17-002.jpg
#3, she is really starting to build now, no crutch needed these days
http://boards.cannabis.com/members/e...day-17-003.jpg
#4, she may be small, but she sure is growing now, vertically and horizontally
http://boards.cannabis.com/members/e...day-17-004.jpg
Thanks everyone for your input so far! Have a great day!
Emmie
:postgood:Quote:
Originally Posted by WashougalWonder
ok... here is the form
*******************************
What is your experience level? (first timer)
Your Equipment:
.1) Type and wattage of lights. T5 high output SunBlaze 48/8 - 6 blue bulbs and 2 red.. will switch to all red at flowering
.2) Distance from tops? approximately 4 inches
.3) Reflector type? SunBlaze fixture, individual reflectors above each bulb, mylar all throughout the box.
.4) Is there a consistent fresh air supply? Constant circulation, 50cfm fan at top of box drawing in from the bottom.
.5) Do you have an exhaust fan and a circulation fan? yes both, small circulation fan sitting at pot level blowing up into the light and across the top of the plants
.6) What are the bulb wattages, kelvin ratings, and schedule? 55w each x 8. 6-6500k, 2-3000k. On a 18/6 schedule
Your medium:
.7) Specific brand and type of soil, Miracle Grow 6 month formula 4 parts, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part perlite with 1/2 inch layer of vermiculite at the bottom of the pots.
.8) Size of container. 8" diameter x 7.5" height terra-clay pots
.9) Did you use peat pucks (or similar) to root clones or germinate seedlings?
used paper towel method and planted directly to 8" pots.
Your nutrients and water:
10) Source of water? (tap, bottled or filtered) What's it's ph before adjusting?
tap water, filtered with carbon filter, set out for at least 24 hours, ph 6.3-6.4
11) Method of checking water ph. (ph pen, test strips, aquarium test kit...)
aquarium test kit
12) Method of adjusting water ph. (phosphoric acid, white vinegar, hydrated lime, PH Up...) not needed yet
13) Specific brand and N-P-K ratio for each bottle. List dosages (quantity per gallon) and current feeding schedule. Miracle grow all purpose 24-8-16... only used once at 1/8 strength and saw nutrient burn, so have not used it again.
14) How often are you watering between feedings, and how much per watering? 2 cups, approximately every 3 days
15) Any additives or tea's? (Superthrive, CalMag, molasses, Mother's Earth...) Planning to use molasses (unsulfered) after transplanting to 3gal buckets before flowering
16) Are your ph levels stable, or do they fluctuate? seem to be stable
17) What is your ingoing water's ph? ...your runoff ph? in-6.3, out 7-7.2 ( I think... not sure how to read since runoff is already a yellowish color)
18) Do you foliar feed? If so, with what, how often, and at what time do you spray? Have not fed this way yet, but have tried seltzer water one time
Your growroom:
19) Indoors or outdoors? indoors
20) What size of closet, room or hut? box, 5'x 28"x4'
21) What are the temps and humidity levels while lights are on? ...With lights off? 30-35 off, 35-40 on
22) Have you seen signs of insects in the growroom? a couple of gnats, nothing else
Your strain:
23) What strain are you growing? (Indica dominate or Sativa dom?) 60/40 mix, white widow
24) From seeds or clones? seeds from Amsterdam seed company
25) Is this an autoflower strain? no
Questions from your last post...
*what do you mean water is shy on MG?
*Will look into micro-nutes on city water... assume this would be greatly reduced with the use of this carbon filter... should I not filter it?
Thanks!
Emmie
Okay Em, thanks. I think the Miracle grow...Mg as in magnesium. The miracle grow is probably the cause. Not to worry, easy on the water, mine use about 1/4 cup per day at that size...tops.
Next pot size up should be about a 1 -1.5 gal nursery size. See if ya can find some potting mix without time release food. You must go very, very easy on watering as each time you water you release nutes in these mixes. Do not just go to huge pot, water settles to the bottom and gets stagnant.
But regardless I think these have grown beyond the age I mean when I am talking just sprouting out of the ground and the red. Note the duskiness below the cotyledons on these two young girls. Note how the red on the petioles only is mostly on the top half and just dots.
Of course this could all be just lighting differences.
Yes I have given up on filtering. But what is in your water?
Yes as the root system builds the needs of the pot of soil will increase and of course without a good root system less water will be used.
I will check with the city tomorrow and find out what is in the water. I am sure that something you just said here has given me one of those "ah ha" moments though... let me see if I understand correctly.Quote:
Originally Posted by WashougalWonder
You see, I have read over and over all the comments about "run off" and had assumed that this was the goal of watering... that you figured out how much water it took to cause run off and then just short of that was what the plant/soil needed. BUT... notice the big letters here. I think what you just told me was that this is a big big mistake with a soil such as MG and plants as small as these because such a large amount of water not only stagnates in a too large of pot such as I have here, but it also will tend to release way too many nutrients at each watering. DUH! This makes perfect sense and now I understand what my plants are trying to tell me. Not only do they show signs of over-watering, but they seem to constantly teeter on the edge of nutrient burn, a couple have actually burned twice at the very leaf tips of the first true leaves.
So if I am finally starting to see the light here, the key isn't just waiting till the soil appears to be dry but also in learning to give the babies just the right amount of water that they can handle at that particular stage in their growth! Now I think I am starting to get it! These poor little things might just survive my attacks after all! Thank you WW. I know that many of you have been warning me to stop over-watering, but sometimes it doesn't sink in until someone says just the right thing in just the right way. All this talk of run off and flushing... I have been picturing torrents of water each time the containers get totally dry.
Once again, I have been totally humbled by the simple needs of a frail little life who's fate is in my hands. Someday, I may actually get good at this. Thank you again everyone... I am learning... slowly.
Emmie
Next time, get some Black Gold (Home Depot, nursery) and Perlite, and make your own soil. Then get FF nutes!!! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by emilya
I can attest to Black Gold. I have never used anything except it. Works great and I've never mixed anthing with it and use it from seed through cull time. Although perlite seems like a good idea. I think it perlite helps it dry faster and gets more ox to the roots.
Im a little curious what your flowering plan is in terms of lights, pots, LST etc; Buuuttt, don't tell me it will be like ruining a good movie and spoiling the end. :jointsmile:
Remember Black Gold, it's great.
Plants look very symentrical. I always find they are so much more sensitive at their age.
Looking great.
Emily, I am not the world's best communicator. I am thrilled you now understand WTF. :wtf:
Again, don't freak, just let nature work here.
Greetings faithful readers... I feel we have been here before, but now we are just a bit smarter. Today finds our little ones recovering once again from too much love, i.e... too much water. They are complaining at me a bit, with a slightly yellowish trend all throughout the major leaves. Again it is not all of them doing this so dramatically, but it is there... mama notices.
So, after being repeatedly told this by so many of you fine people out there, we have learned finally that Miracle Grow is very hard to manage... and certainly more than should be attempted by a novice grower such as myself. But, this is what we have and now I am learning to deal with it. After a couple of days of drying out we are going to try to apply what has just been learned and try watering in small amounts. 1/4 cup / day instead of 2 cups every 2 1/2 to 3 days. When I return to the store I will be looking for the soil mentioned in earlier responses and the FF nutrients for when I eventually transplant to larger pots.
Despite this bit of training on my part, the plants seem to be thriving. All but the runt are now at about the same height, about 2 3/4" to 3" on the big boy. Everyone continues to increase leaf size and overall circumference.
Also today I go to the local water company and ask them what they have put into my water. This should be fun. I think I will tell them that I raise prize winning tropical fish. That will fool them... yep.
Here are today's pictures!
Number 1
http://boards.cannabis.com/members/e...8-day-18-1.jpg
Number 2
http://boards.cannabis.com/members/e...7-day-18-2.jpg
Number 3
http://boards.cannabis.com/members/e...6-day-18-3.jpg
Number 4
http://boards.cannabis.com/members/e...5-day-18-4.jpg
Be good everyone. Just 5 days left until we start 2011, the last full year in the Mayan calendar. I plan on partying the entire year... just in case.
Emmie
p.s. Pipefitter... thank you for thinking that this growlog is like a good movie. :) I will try not to disappoint. You will no doubt enjoy my newbie attempts to understand some advanced flowering techniques. I don't plan on making this too easy... what would be the fun in that?