Grow Making do with what I have pt 1

[Madri-Gal]

Looking good, nice work!

I'll throw my 2¢ in, if you don't mind. I agree that soilless plants grow larger and faster and give higher overall yields. I ran coco/perlite for quite awhile with pretty good results. But I definitely prefer the quality of full organic. Better flavors and aromas in my experience. It's also very smooth. A longer cure helps even everything out but my organics are good as soon as they're dry. Run a small side by side and decide what you prefer. I'm a personal gardener so quality is my top priority. I'm willing to give up a bit of time or quantity if that's what it takes.

Sorry for the intrusion. Best of luck!

@Moses Baca, you get to post with abandon and without apology. You are a member here, and you have something of value to contribute. This really is a friendly place. Anyway, I enjoy your posts.

 

[Moses Baca]

Just my opinion. I tried my own side by sides. No comparison IMHO. Way easier, too. Just add water.

Lots of ways to do it. I always prefer natural-type stuff, or as natural as I can go anyway.

Edit add--Thanks @Madri-Gal. I was late to the party, didn't want to bust in with a bunch of my opinions when no one asked.

 

[Shredder]

No reason to sacrifice quality for quantity when in fact a healthy plant taken to full maturity is naturally there already...........all by itself?

You'd never know it after walking into the local hydro store, but this plant has been growing on it's own for thousands of years.

My own little theory is to let the plant do it's thing, and I try not to interfere. They'll let you know if there's a problem.

 

[Madri-Gal]

You'd never know it after walking into the local hydro store, but this plant has been growing on it's own for thousands of years.

My own little theory is to let the plant do it's thing, and I try not to interfere. They'll let you know if there's a problem.

I'm inclined to agree @Shredder, about following the plants lead. I'm coming to realize I'm not an indoor grower. Too lazy, and scared of tents and lights. As close to dropping the seed in the ground and having it grow, is my goal. I'm far from there, but hopefully this year will be closer.

 

[psychonaut]

@Moses Baca love organic, and I do feel like the terpenes are at a higher level but you know confirmation bias, etc. My coco plants have definitely grew faster and bigger, I dont think I've ever had a 4ft autoflower in soil, but I will soon see it here in coco. My favorite aspect of organic is just water, the soiil does all the buffering, so long as you don't run out of nutrients, you're good to go. It's still not so simple as just adding water, especially if you are growing in small pots, eventually you need to top dress on time and/or compost tea feed.

My compost pile is starting to see some of the defoliation, will be using mostly organic next run but I definitely want to do a sunshine mix w/jack's professional. I hope to be able to do some clones for the comparison, but I am thinking with the ability to press the same pheno grown differently for rosin should tell me a good deal about the difference since it'll all be concentrated.

I love hearing everyone's thoughts and opinions. I'm a tinkerer and not very rigid, for me it's about learning. The reason I didn't do anything to these plants was so I can learn if I can top them, etc. The skunk #1 auto has an early bloom pheno and it was indistinguishable from the other until pre-flowers started. I dunno if I can risk topping that autoflower. The ADL's on the other hand, I could have easily topped them, reduced their height and done some LST or supercropping to open them up. I think 3x ADL plants would fill a 4x4 tent due to their massive size.

Anyway, I have a bunch of autoflower seeds that I'm curious about but this run has almost gone through the varieties I have so next round I think will be back to some old school genetics, perhaps regular seeds and just extend the project an extra month or so to select phenotype.

4x organic, 1x sunshine+jacks professional, skunk #1 x2, white widow x2, jack herer x1

Thanks for your compliment =) I do the best I can, as you can see 1 of my plants has a slight problem, the indica looks to be following suit with the calcium def? I've been feeding extra cal mag plus to see if it will prevent it from spreading to the other fans. I am also defoliating those slowly as it's allowing light to the cola cluster below.

 

[Moses Baca]

I agree that small pots are difficult to run straight organic. Use larger pots, feed the soil, the plants will take what they need.

Comparing rosin from different plants sounds like a great idea, I'm looking forward to your results! I've never had the opportunity to try rosin but I've been looking into it, doing lots of reading. Lots to learn.

Your plants look great, keep up the good work!

 

[arb]

@Moses Baca love organic, and I do feel like the terpenes are at a higher level but you know confirmation bias, etc. My coco plants have definitely grew faster and bigger, I dont think I've ever had a 4ft autoflower in soil, but I will soon see it here in coco. My favorite aspect of organic is just water, the soiil does all the buffering, so long as you don't run out of nutrients, you're good to go. It's still not so simple as just adding water, especially if you are growing in small pots, eventually you need to top dress on time and/or compost tea feed.

My compost pile is starting to see some of the defoliation, will be using mostly organic next run but I definitely want to do a sunshine mix w/jack's professional. I hope to be able to do some clones for the comparison, but I am thinking with the ability to press the same pheno grown differently for rosin should tell me a good deal about the difference since it'll all be concentrated.

I love hearing everyone's thoughts and opinions. I'm a tinkerer and not very rigid, for me it's about learning. The reason I didn't do anything to these plants was so I can learn if I can top them, etc. The skunk #1 auto has an early bloom pheno and it was indistinguishable from the other until pre-flowers started. I dunno if I can risk topping that autoflower. The ADL's on the other hand, I could have easily topped them, reduced their height and done some LST or supercropping to open them up. I think 3x ADL plants would fill a 4x4 tent due to their massive size.

Anyway, I have a bunch of autoflower seeds that I'm curious about but this run has almost gone through the varieties I have so next round I think will be back to some old school genetics, perhaps regular seeds and just extend the project an extra month or so to select phenotype.

4x organic, 1x sunshine+jacks professional, skunk #1 x2, white widow x2, jack herer x1

Thanks for your compliment =) I do the best I can, as you can see 1 of my plants has a slight problem, the indica looks to be following suit with the calcium def? I've been feeding extra cal mag plus to see if it will prevent it from spreading to the other fans. I am also defoliating those slowly as it's allowing light to the cola cluster below.

I can predict your future and it looks blue.
Having watched a number of people do this exact scenario over the years experience tells me you have around a 95% chance of deciding on the Jack's and sunshine mix.
The ease of use,exceptional results and cost efficiency just crush the life out of the competition.

 

[LesPlenty]

I used to get a couple of ounces per plant indoors but the same plant (clone) outdoors was close to 2 pounds, most people could not tell the difference in the buds once processed. The main difference was time, indoor every 8-10 weeks(NFT system), outdoor here... 5 months.
As I live in a stoopid country that classes me as a crim, indoors is my only option.

 

[Shredder]

I used to get a couple of ounces per plant indoors but the same plant (clone) outdoors was close to 2 pounds, most people could not tell the difference in the buds once processed. The main difference was time, indoor 8-10 weeks, outdoor here... 5 months.

You don't veg your indoor plants?

I take clones from plants just before they flower, after flowering those clones are then ready to put in the flower room. Four harvests per year.

 

[LesPlenty]

I used to clone and grow in a separate room then transplant into the flower room so I could harvest every 8 weeks, now I transplant clones 12\16 days after cutting them and only veg for a week before turning to bud.

 

[psychonaut]

I can predict your future and it looks blue.
Having watched a number of people do this exact scenario over the years experience tells me you have around a 95% chance of deciding on the Jack's and sunshine mix.
The ease of use,exceptional results and cost efficiency just crush the life out of the competition.

I am hopeful, it looks very appealing for me. The fact that you're using well water too, though Montana probably has cleaner water. I'm going to have to check at ace hardware and see if they have this jack's professional, I know they carry the sunshine mix #4.

Skunk #1 auto early bloomer, getting closer, gonna start flush next week or sooner.

 

[arb]

I have used the tap\well water from Florida to Montana...........quit buying bottled water for plants.
Amazon has a 25 pound bag make sure you get "Jack's professional 20-20-20" .
That will cost under a hundred bucks and lasts me a couple years so should set you up for quite a while.
Works exceptionally well for houseplants and veggies also.

 

[ataxian]

I have used the tap\well water from Florida to Montana...........quit buying bottled water for plants.
Amazon has a 25 pound bag make sure you get "Jack's professional 20-20-20" .
That will cost under a hundred bucks and lasts me a couple years so should set you up for quite a while.
Works exceptionally well for houseplants and veggies also.

If you need to grow indoors use purity as your compass.
Outdoor in some places rain is your friend!
Outdoor is not 4 everyone on da PALE BLUE DOT!

 

[psychonaut]

I'll be doing 3ga pots next time as well unless I get discouraged with the amount of water the bigger girls need when they're deep into bloom this run. I have happy frog fruit and flower I can top feed with, and can always bubble up some tea since I have all my DWC equipment just sitting here collecting dust. One of the things I like so far about these 3ga pots, you can really grow quite a monster in one! All of my 5ga soil pots never seemed to even be close to root bound even with an extended veg cycle. I'll have to account for the perlite though as right now these pots are 100% coco coir pith, so plenty of room for roots.

 

[ataxian]

I'll be doing 3ga pots next time as well unless I get discouraged with the amount of water the bigger girls need when they're deep into bloom this run. I have happy frog fruit and flower I can top feed with, and can always bubble up some tea since I have all my DWC equipment just sitting here collecting dust. One of the things I like so far about these 3ga pots, you can really grow quite a monster in one! All of my 5ga soil pots never seemed to even be close to root bound even with an extended veg cycle. I'll have to account for the perlite though as right now these pots are 100% coco coir pith, so plenty of room for roots.

3 gallon I can’t?
5 gallon - 15 gallon are ideal 4 my location?

 

[arb]

I'll be doing 3ga pots next time as well unless I get discouraged with the amount of water the bigger girls need when they're deep into bloom this run. I have happy frog fruit and flower I can top feed with, and can always bubble up some tea since I have all my DWC equipment just sitting here collecting dust. One of the things I like so far about these 3ga pots, you can really grow quite a monster in one! All of my 5ga soil pots never seemed to even be close to root bound even with an extended veg cycle. I'll have to account for the perlite though as right now these pots are 100% coco coir pith, so plenty of room for roots.

I average 8 to 12 ounces dry per plant in a 5 gallon bucket easy and 6 to 8 in a 3 gallon pot depending on cut.
No autoflowers though so do not assume those numbers on them things.

 

[psychonaut]

I average 8 to 12 ounces dry per plant in a 5 gallon bucket easy and 6 to 8 in a 3 gallon pot depending on cut.
No autoflowers though so do not assume those numbers on them things.

Is that with the same life cycle or do you extend the veg in your 5ga bucket? That's a great yield!

 

[arb]

Veg times are something that is obsessed about endlessly and unless you are starting from seed your first batch nearly irrelevant.......let me explain why.
After your first batch hits maturity at roughly 6 weeks you are ready to take cuts and flip to flower.
That first round of cuts needs to root so say two weeks for a slow starter that leaves around eight weeks of veg time........in that amount of time you should be producing shrubs.
The vegetative lights for me are on 24\7 no matter what so how long any single plant sits there kind of does not matter.
What matters is no holes in the production line.......no gaps.
Being lazy about taking cuts fucks you three months later..........lolz.

 

[psychonaut]

Veg times are something that is obsessed about endlessly and unless you are starting from seed your first batch nearly irrelevant.......let me explain why.
After your first batch hits maturity at roughly 6 weeks you are ready to take cuts and flip to flower.
That first round of cuts needs to root so say two weeks for a slow starter that leaves around eight weeks of veg time........in that amount of time you should be producing shrubs.
The vegetative lights for me are on 24\7 no matter what so how long any single plant sits there kind of does not matter.
What matters is no holes in the production line.......no gaps.
Being lazy about taking cuts fucks you three months later..........lolz.

That makes sense my clones were always at least at the 3rd week in size compared to from started at seed. I have a much different operation here lol, gaps and all. So far I don't run out so for me that's priority #1.

 

[Moses Baca]

I try to run like @arb, with no gaps. A grow is a slow process, no need to add extra time. It takes some planning since I mix it up between seeds and clones. My veg tent runs 20/4 to give them a rest. Personal growing only, btw.

I'm a big fan of fabric pots, personally I like geopots since you can get them with handles. 3 gallon size worked great for me. I'm currently using three of the 20 gallon size for flower and various size smaller ones for veg.