Grow 1-person 1-plant 1-year

[Disrupt]

Thanks. Taking a break from trimming. Found another very small spot deep inside a cola , otherwise clean. So excited to finally get colas - and they suck. Grow too high, get burnt. Mold. And the inside is completely under-ripe. Still better to top for symmetry, but from now on it's back to horizontal growth.

Always freeze-dry, even cured buds, to get rid of any remaining moisture before QWET. It's easy to do, and better than toasting. You don't need a freeze-dryer. A little CaCl2 in a vacuum marinater makes a perfectly serviceable desiccator. Pop it in the deep-freezer for a couple of weeks. (Freeze-dry food, too.) Shatter from uncured bud is much more pungent, but not in a bad way, just different.

 

[LesPlenty]

from now on it's back to horizontal growth.

I look forward to seeing that too.

 

[momofthegoons]

I look forward to seeing that too.

Me too! I was just thinking last night that our 'Dabs and Slabs' thread hasn't seen much love lately. I get the same 3 or 4 rosin strains all the time now that I don't go to the dispos anymore so I feel it's sort of boring viewing.

So @Disrupt your homework assignment is to get us a pic of that shatter!

 

[psychonaut]

What a bummer! I've not ran into this issue before here but always on the lookout. I look forward to seeing that shatter as well.

 

[Disrupt]

So @Disrupt your homework assignment is to get us a pic of that shatter!

Yes, Ma'am! Have it for you in a couple of weeks.

I've not ran into this issue before here but always on the lookout.

The mold's not a big deal. 1 infected cola out of 7, so far (3 to go). Lost about half of it. And the plant wouldn't have been much riper given another week. Just hope the concentrate from these unripe buds isn't too bad.

Only noticed this mold while basically trimming on the vine. The leaves were so hard to get to, buried in masses of flowers. Had to dig into it before the mold was apparent.

Another learning experience. Colas create a damper, darker micro-environment where spores can germinate, even in very dry humidity (and circulation fans under the canopy). Not worth it for some impressive-looking colas, that are just going to get broken up anyway.

 

[arb]

Yes, Ma'am! Have it for you in a couple of weeks.



The mold's not a big deal. 1 infected cola out of 7, so far (3 to go). Lost about half of it. And the plant wouldn't have been much riper given another week. Just hope the concentrate from these unripe buds isn't too bad.

Only noticed this mold while basically trimming on the vine. The leaves were so hard to get to, buried in masses of flowers. Had to dig into it before the mold was apparent.

Another learning experience. Colas create a damper, darker micro-environment where spores can germinate, even in very dry humidity (and circulation fans under the canopy). Not worth it for some impressive-looking colas, that are just going to get broken up anyway.

The mold is a issue regards health......the entire plant has spores on and in it at this point in time.........you will not be able to remove them.
Your problems are environmental and fairly easily fixed.

 

[Disrupt]

The mold is a issue regards health......the entire plant has spores on and in it at this point in time.........you will not be able to remove them.
Your problems are environmental and fairly easily fixed.

Do you recommend discarding the entire plant? Certainly that would be safest. The general wisdom appears to be that it's sufficient to discard the affected bud and harvest the plant immediately. Also went straight to freeze-drying, so that there's no chance of the mold spreading during drying and curing. All of this material will be be extracted by QWET and no one else will use it.

To be extra careful, could filter the ethanol through 0.2 um syringe filters before final evaporation and purge. The smallest mold spores are 1.0 um. Probably a good idea with this troubled plant.

 

[arb]

Only you can determine what is best in your situation........I do not know.

 

[LesPlenty]

Your problems are environmental and fairly easily fixed.

Stronger oscillating fans?
Get the plants swaying in the wind like an offshore breeze is hitting them?
Or lower RH with a dehumidifier, or both?
I would not mind knowing a bit more about freeze drying as I am looking into making some bubble hash...soon and freeze dryers are about $2600 for a small sample type unit for a lab.

 

[arb]

The plants leaves are the surest indicator of health.
In this case I see leaves being dropped and or plucked for what appears to be three or five different reasons combined.........the petioles carry a lot of moisture beings how a plant transpires through its leaves no?
Despite seeming woody they are always the last part of a bud to dry yes?
I digress sorry......a leaf got dead and fell off or was plucked.
The remaining stub of petiole rots and creates both a pathway and perfect environment for the mold.........a petiole is the little branch a leaf grows on.
So..........keep your leaves healthy and you're gold.

 

[Disrupt]

Thanks, all, for your support over the past couple of days. Trimmed 24 hours straight, inspecting every flower cluster before freeze-drying. Mold growth appeared limited to part of the initially identified cola and one tiny, germinated spore elsewhere that probably hadn't yet released new spores.

Regarding the health question, which is obviously the most important, did some more research. This is from Marijuana Doctors and reviewed by Dr. Richard Koffler, MD, a board certified physiatrist:

If you’ve ever inhaled marijuana smoke, the odds are pretty good that you’ve also inhaled a few mold spores. While we encounter these spores in many of our surroundings, they’re usually not that dangerous for people who have healthy immune systems.

However, if your weed has a great deal of mold, or if you’re a medical marijuana user, you might be more susceptible to a wide range of health issues such as coughing, flu-like symptoms, breathing problems and more. Moldy weed could be extremely dangerous if your immune system has been compromised.

Do not believe this material to be especially risky, but would never share with others, just to be sure. This mold infestation didn't even reach the point where leaves fell off or came loose easily. (This did happen with a bud a few years ago and used the rest of the plant without incident.)

Regarding prevention - don't know how to improve air circulation in this small space. Even 6" oscillating fans are too big. Had two 4" non-oscillatting fans atop the dehumidifiers under the canopy and angled up into it. Hoped this would blow dried air into the canopy. The dark, damp micro-environment deep inside large buds is always going to be a problem. If a mold spore finds its way in there, it can germinate and take hold. Fortunately, this happens infrequently.

Regarding freeze-drying - it's easy. If you simply spread your buds on a drying rack and place them in a non-defrosting deep freezer, they should be freeze-dried in a month. Works with food, too. To speed up the process, you can make inexpensive dessicators from vacuum-sealed containers and CaCl2, which is cheap, readily available (Damp-Rid) and non-toxic. This Instructable shows how. Been doing this for years to dry flower completely before QWET. The trichomes come off very easily at this point - need to minimize handling. This could probably be the basis for a gentle method to gather kief. Have about ten of these (total ~130USD) - much cheaper than a freeze-dryer.

So, is it a year's worth? Probably - looks to be about 300g flower or 1g/W, perfectly respectable.

Lessons learned.

With LEDs and limited vertical space, the canopy needs to be flat to avoid light burn in flower. To avoid light burn in veg, only 150W convential LEDs should be used (COBs off) lowered to ~24 inches above canopy. These should be left on 24/7 to reduce internode length.

Not happy with attaching ScrOG trellis to walls as it's impossible to move the pot at all. Better to attach it to the pot, which is possible with the P ScrOG kit. Topping helps keep the canopy symmetrical, but pruning can be limited. Horizontal training should continue through the stretch that occurs after switching lights to 12/12. No big, impressive colas, but more thoroughly ripened flowers. Even so, best to plan for incremental harvesting.

The Blumat dripper tape failed for the second time. It may require slightly more pressure than is available by placing the reservoir on the closet shelf above the plant. The drippers still work fine. This is helpful in veg, especially if you need to be away for a few days. It's not as helpful in flower, when the big plant is drinking a gallon at a time. Hand watering would be just as easy. The Blumat tensiometer is fabulous - measuring the moisture in your pot very precisely, it removes any worry over under- or over- watering.

The AirCare humidifier and Ivation dehumidifiers mentioned above are nearly ideal for this application - compact, precise, and the thermo-electric dehumidifiers, while low capacity, produce minimal heat.

First time adding lenses to the COBs. This is regarded as necessary for canopy penetration. It worked to an extent. Pale, green under-buds darkened in about a week once shade leaves were removed. This will be unnecessary with a flatter canopy where horizontal coverage is favored.

That's about it! Thanks again for following the grow. Might take a year off. Expect to have a few years' worth of shatter from the last two grows. Just love growing so much - it's hard to resist. Want to grow out DNA Genetics' Rocklock and make seeds from Sensi's Hindu Kush. We'll see...

 

[arb]

Do it..............

 

[Disrupt]

Another year, another plant.

The weird magenta spectrum is a 5yo LED. The Amare's fine, but its predecessor might be better for veg, as more light can be focused on the young plant without burning. Otherwise, circulation fans and the Aircare humidifier that worked so well last year. Absent is the Blumat irrigation system. It seems less needed and overly complicated now that a tensiometer (also from Blumat) indicates when to hand-water. An upgrade not pictured is an IQAir purifier (one that actually purifies the air) in the room outside the closet.

Pretty psychedelic, huh? Baby Rocklock from DNA Genetics. A strong start, sprouting in three days and spreading her embryonic leaves in hours. Received these seeds three years ago.

 

[Madri-Gal]

 

[psychonaut]

Nice, just checked out the lineage, strong stuff in there!

 

[Disrupt]

Off with her head!

Topped for the forst time last year. Snipping the top from a young plant was difficult, but she took it in stride. Plants are like that, after all. Hoping this one will be similar. In fact, plan to top the branches as well. Should help fill the canopy and reduce undergrowth.

Otherwise, she grows quickly without incident. Fingers crossed!

Nice, just checked out the lineage, strong stuff in there!

DNA Genetics was popular for a while. Hoping Rocklock will induce couchlock.

 

[Shredder]

Off with her head!

View attachment 14438

Topped for the forst time last year. Snipping the top from a young plant was difficult, but she took it in stride. Plants are like that, after all. Hoping this one will be similar. In fact, plan to top the branches as well. Should help fill the canopy and reduce undergrowth.

Otherwise, she grows quickly without incident. Fingers crossed!



DNA Genetics was popular for a while. Hoping Rocklock will induce couchlock.

It's amazing how much manipulating plants can take.

I top main stems and side stems, train stems by pulling and tying, and trim plant bottoms. Never once did any complain.

 

[Disrupt]

Returning from a few days travel, the side branches have caught up with the main stem. Just topped the longest branches from the first main stem internode above their own second internodes.

Some light burn while away as the plant grew closer to the LED. Switched to the white spectrum Amare with just the conventional LEDs, not the COBs, for now and further from the beginning canopy. This plant will need to grow a week or two untended next month.

After the pic was taken, installed the clear plastic trellis at its lowest height, which is just at the top of the plant. That, and letting the branches stretch horizontally after the switch to 12/12, should keep the canopy far enough from the light to avoid any more light burn.

 

[Disrupt]

Wasn't planning on lots of posts, but you're so darn proud of 'em.

Four weeks old, fully topped with branches spread under clear, plastic trellis for LST, illuminated with both COB and conventional LEDs. Long internodes - could be stretching for light, but some plants stretch more than others. The COBs quickly raised the temperature 15F and lowered the humidity to 50%.

The goal is full coverage of twice this area, a bud in every square, yielding more than one gram per watt. Last time, the prime real estate center of the canopy was largely wasted. This time, the first internode shoots should fill it.

Edit: That's another mistake for the record - using the wrong, smaller humidifier wick. It was a mess - half-dried by an overburdened fan. So much better now. The other mistake was forgetting that even the smaller LED needs to be at least 24" from the top of young plants to avoid burn. Also used a dose of Canna's Boost too early. This is trace elements and plant extracts, so it might be beneficial.

 

[Disrupt]

A highly-cultivated young Rocklock at 42 days. Getting close to switching the lights to 12/12. Maybe let her fill out for another week or two.

A pretty long veg. All of the snipping may have slowed her down. Also pinching all of the suckers. Hoping that will remove the second tier of undergrowth that necessitates incremental harvesting. At the switch, plan to let her stretch uncut under an extended screen, doubling the area.

Sound like a good plan? The high-stress plus low-stress training is a new approach, clearly suited mainly to photos. Liking it so far. Everything is neat and symmetrical with impressive (IMHO) inner and outer rings of twelve branches each - plus the four lowest main branches, which are still small but catching up.

Don't know what's going on with the light leaves with dark veins. Several deficiencies have similar symptoms. Added back the Boost. Still a little early, but it might help.

Very helpful with hand-watering. Enjoying a more direct connection with this plant.

Thinking about a supplemental bar light or two for flower. Any tips? Like the idea of a separate ballast to reduce heat in the closet.