Elephant Man's Grow Journal, 1st attempt

[Elephant Man]

Wow you went from lil plant to a garden what day are you in since you started?

I have no idea...but that is the beauty of a grow journal...everything is logged here. I had to look back to first few posts, looks like I started 2nd week of October, that post you quoted was dated 10-20-06. First cotyldons to open on 'big bagseed' in that post...my oldest plant. So I guess it has only been about 7 weeks. That plant is 'the hermie' in the posts and pics above.

Things are finally starting to cool of a little here and I was able to move my 1kw back into the garage. I decided to go ahead and use the space I had originally allocated for my TAG setup. I managed to get the bulb 9 feet off of the ground at max height , after all...what is a 'Mad Scientist Laboratory' without monsters?

 

[Elephant Man]

More pics

 

[Treebeard]

As ever your grows looking damn good! Keep up the great work!

Btw whens your book coming out elephantman??

 

[Elephant Man]

As ever your grows looking damn good! Keep up the great work!

Btw whens your book coming out elephantman??

LOL, I guess if I ever stop I could maybe write a book...problem is right now I am too busy reading and constantly changing my mind about stuff .

I got some even more wacky stuff coming up...after buying all this stuff for the living organics project, I am actually learning now how to make it all myself . Pretty soon I will be composting alot more than just ferts and veggie scraps...I will be 'farming' my own innoculations, both bacterial and fungi based. I am going to be messin' round with making everything from fish ferts to insecticides, from complete fertilizers to trace elements. Should get pretty interesting here real soon .

Some of you may know I help out (through a freind) at my local animal shelter. I had a cat named Charlie...he is my avatar...I took care of him for almost 3 months, but he was just recently adopted by a local family . So, in line with my recent discoveries...allow me to introduce you to my new companion....his name is Cannabunny . He was also a shelter refugee. He is actually more fun than Charlie was, he gets all excited when he sees me, and acts like a dog sometimes. In case you didn't know...let me post up some info about 'bunny poo'.

From the 'Scoop on **** by the 3lb':

Rabbit Manure (2.4-1.4-0.6) - is the hottest of the animal manures. It may even be higher in nitrogen than some poultry manures. As an added bonus it also contains fairly high percentages of phosphates. Because of it's high nitrogen content, rabbit crap is best used in small quantities (as a light top dressing or lightly mixed into soil) or composted before use. An excellent fertilizer by itself, some folks combine rabbit hutches with worm farms to create what is a potentially very rich source of nutritious worm castings. As with other animal manures, healthier animals fed a nutritious diet will produce a superior manure fertilizer.

Rabbit poo is actually the only manure other than earthworm casings that does not need to be composted before use. I will use the manure both in my basemix and to feed a worm bin.

Gonna start the 'biological farming' thing here real soon...stay tuned

 

[Tonto]

Incredible.

 

[Elephant Man]

Thanks Fluid1! Been fun documenting this here for all to see.

Ok, got alot done last night, finally ready to hang couple more lights.

I decided to go for 5" transplant too, of clone in 3" container, here is the mix:

Before I started, I mixed up my foliar mix and gave them all a good shower. I use this same foliar as a wetting agent during transplants, it is made of:

3 drops each Botanicare Liquid Karma, and Green Fuse Bloom Enhancer, added to quart spray bottle.

Also, when I refer to 'seedling mix' it is made of:

2 parts FF Ocean Forest
1 part FF Light Warrior
1 part big perlite
pinch of GH Subculture
pinch of OGM Rooters

And here we go, in 5" container:

1/4 cup steer manure, spread on bottom - not mixed

then I mixed all of this:

1/8 tsp blood meal 12-0-0
1 heaping tsp cottonseed meal 6-3-1
1/2 tsp EB Stone All Purpose 5-5-5 with myco
1 tsp greensand 0-0-3
1/4 tsp Sunleaves Peruvian Seabird Guano 10-10-2
1/4 tsp fresh bunny manure

2.4-1.4-.6
1/2 tsp prilled lime
1/4 cup oyster shells
3 heaping tsp earthworm casings
1/4 cup seedling mix
1/4 tsp BioOrganics MycoMinerals
1/4 tsp Azonite
1/4 tsp MicroPhos 0-2-0
1/4 tsp Rainbow Mix Grow 5-5-2 with myco
1/4 tsp Alakan Fish Ferts 5-5-1
1/4 tsp BioBizz Fish Mix 2.1-.2-6.6

Mixed all of this in a layer over steer manure

Then I put about 3 tsps seedling mix on top, just enough to cover it, soaked with wetting agent

then I added:

1/2 cup topsoil on top (not mixed)
1/2 cup pre-composted homemade base-mix on top of that (not mixed)
sprinkle of OGM Rooters and Biozome
Another 3 tsps seedling mix on top, just enough to cover it, soaked with wetting agent

Then took clone, scratched a little loose soil off all the way round (on top too) and sprinkled Biozome all over

Then, in a thin layer 'all around root ball' and on top too, I used this mix:

1 part seedling mix
pinch of FF Bat Guano 0-4-0
pinch of MycoMinerals
1/3 part earthworm casings
pinch greensand

Thoroughly wet down with foliar mix and pray

 

[THE BROTHER'S GRUNT]

As always Eman your ladies are looking great and you journal is one great read man. :aok:

 

[newgreenthumb]

Your journal is always full of useful info and an inspiration to read. I am going to experiment with some new beastie formulas on this next grow. Got some things in mind and will share as they progress.

 

[Elephant Man]

Thanks guys, these transplants are getting much easier to do now that I am beginning to catch on to macro/micro levels, traces..and long term release stuff, starting to seem like more work to post it all than do it, but I will continue to do so .

NGT, or anyone else feel free to shoot me a pm for some excellent reading on soil mixes, compost teas etc.

Now an update:

Well...the hermie still seems confused...cut somewhere between 10 and 20 pods off about 10 days ago and still none have returned. Decided I have 2 hold to the 2 clones from 'it' at least until I sample the freak. 22 days in now and showing 'sugarleaves' now.

So I transplanted those 2 and one more big sativa clones in a new slightly modified 5" pot mix:

Changed my 'fill' mix just a little, now consists of:

About 5 gallons seedling mix (few posts back)+
1tsp of FF bat guano
1tsp Biorganics MycoMinerals
2 cups earthworm casings
1 cup greensand
1/2 tsp Azomite
4 tsp prilled lime
1 cup oyster shells
1 tsp EB Stone 5-5-5
1 tsp biozome

(This mix above is what I have been putting freshly rooted clones in too, seeds still go in seedling mix)

Back to 5"

First I put 4 tsps each steer manure and bunny poo in bottom layer

Then for next layer I mixed (for 3 5" pots):

1/2 tsp each blood and bone meal
6 tsp cottonseed meal
1 tsp EB Stone 5-5-5
3 tsp greensand
1 tsp peruvian seabird guano
6 tsp prilled lime
1 cup oyster shell
1 cup earthworm casings
1 cup seedling mix
1/2 tsp MycoMinerals
1/2 tsp Azomite
1 tsp MicroPhos
1 tsp Rainbow Mix Grow
1 tsp Alaskan Fish Ferts
1 tsp BioBizz Fish Mix
1 tsp seaweed extract

On top of that layer I put (for each pot)
1/2 cup homemade basemix compost
1/2 cup topsoil
1/2 cup homemade basemix compost

Then, as I translplanted, I removed most loose soil from sides and top and sprinkled Biozome all over rootball. Top and bottom and all around root ball filled in with 'fill mix'. Also, since I had them, I put one Micormax teabag (innoculant with no nutes) right under the rootball.

 

[Tonto]

That's good stuff. Once you get it down to a science with the soil, it will be second nature, I'm sure. I'm just glad that you are doing it and contributing to the community as such. I could use some of that green thumb here!!

 

[Elephant Man]

Thanks Fluid1! I will send some GREEN MOJO your way, I guess I have made it far enough to say I have a little . I hope for the best on your new hydro project, I actually dabbled a little in DWC but decided I didn't like it. I could go on and on about why...but I really don't want to discourage you man. I know there are those getting great results using it, off of the top of my head...WeedDog's name comes to mind. Don't know if he is still around, but maybe some of his older posts might be useful. Please, any big DWC guys watching, show Fluid and I how it is done .

I have been doing some experimenting with foliar feeding and have been getting big morning smiles from the girls after a bedtime drench. I read something that said that plants are 8 times as efficient in taking nutes through the leaves than through the roots. If any of you guys want to experiment along with me, this is what I am using:

In one quart spray bottle:

3 drops of either Alaskan Fish Ferts, or Botanicare Pure Blend Original (not pro), or Fox Farms Big Bloom (not grow or beastie or tiger), or GH BB Fish mix

and

3 drops of either Botanicare Liquid Karma, or Growmore Seaweed extract, or Green Fuse Bloom enhancer, or pinch of Down To Earth kelp meal

I use these about twice a week on everything, clones, seedlings, big girls...the Alaskan Fish Ferts usually on veggers, GH BB fish mix on bloomers (high K)...you get the idea . Threw up alot of variations up there with the mixes...perhaps some of this stuff you might have. Also, anyone making compost teas like NGT and I, they will work great as foliars also .

P.S. Anything left over should be put back in the fridge, that's where I keep all my liquid organics.

 

[Elephant Man]

Another little update with pics

In the first pic you will see some clones in the background, well...2 of those are over a foot tall now in 3x3 inch pots , living organics mang .

In the last 2 pics you can see 'big sativa' (aka 'Mutt" ) is loving here new beastie filled home and now 10 days in flower is really getting her stretch on. Compared to previous pics, she has gained about 10 inches in less than a week . Actually had to put the other 2 on upside down buckets to keep the canopy level. For reference, that mylar stops 5' from the concrete ...monsters in the lab muwahahaha.

Baby pics are 8 new WW .

 

[Zarnon]

Dang... I can see you're very busy with multiple projects. Very cool dude.

For me it's hard to comment as I think it's cool you are experimenting and finding the 'right mix'. So in that I wish you the best of luck.

My experience has been that adding components slowly works the best; it's certainly shaped my approach (although I'm not clear what goes into making all my stuff which is probably far more complex than I realize). Most of the time my efforts to improve things work in reverse and I have to backtrack.

 

[Elephant Man]

Thanks Zarnon, it has been a very crazy road to get to where I am now. I started out wanting to focus on hydro, and have been swept away by the 'living organics' thing. I have really only touched on the principles of it, I have pages and pages of notes and megs of files and links about it. I also have an excellent teacher from Skunk magazine that is helping me all along. I really wish I had the time to post everything I do or learn here, but I have other responsibilities too. I have been helping out a little on a much smaller new forum, but I will continue to update here at least once a week.

For some reason I've noticed, the 'living organics' or 'microbial farming' thing is very difficult for some 'long time growers' to grasp. In essence, you have to forget about growing the plant and focus on your microbes. They do everything, they convert insoluables, control ph, increase resistance to drought, increase resistance to pests, and completely control the plant's intake. I have tested a few of these theories too and it does work. I have watched a plant (very carefully) go 2 weeks without water. I have never ph'ed my soil or water. I have seen about half the pests on the list in or around my grow and have yet to see any on the plants or any damage done, no pesticides whatsoever. I have clones that have been in the same 3" pot now for almost a month, with nothing but water. In fact, these transplants I am doing, only get teas about once a week, and nothing but RO water in between. The teas and half the nutes in the pots actually feed the beasties, they are like 'worker bees' protecting, storing food, and caring for 'their queen'.

I could go on, but I have actually been typing half the night. I have a couple more transplants to post about still, gonna half to wait till another day though.

 

[Tonto]

I look forward daily to reading your musings about what you have going on.
One bright spot in my life last night, I checked on the babies that have been in the new hydro machine since Saturday... and the largest one has new root growth. I was SO happy to see that, but the good Dr. is sending me a trio of new seeds to bein with my new stuff. I don't want to hijack your thread, so I'll post my stuff in mine!

Please keep up the astounding work, it is an inspiration. Add to that you seem like a very nice genuine person, and are a very welcome addition to the people I communicate with on a daily basis.

 

[Elephant Man]

You are the man Fluid1, keep at it and your girls will do you proud, I promise.

I just had to post this picture of a 'big sativa' clone in 'living organics'. 14 days since transplant into 3x3 inch pot...13" tall. One tea feeding and the rest RO water...no ph check or adjustment. Just over 2 months growing experience...did I mention I learn fast?

 

[Tonto]

Like a giant sponge.

That plant is looking incredible for that amount of time, it's about time to flower!

 

[TURKEYNECK]

Woah This thread got away from me...Hard to keep up bro...Nice work.

 

[THE BROTHER'S GRUNT]

Eman you have so much going on in this journal you might wanna think about turning it into a book. What can i say except everything is looking great as always mang. :aok:

 

[Elephant Man]

Thanks TBG, absolutely amazing how much I have learned in a very short time (just over 2 months) just imagine what I will know in a year .

Woohoo! The Turkey is in the house! Oh yeah...Uh huh:banana:
Seriously bro, thanks for stopping by, the couch is full...but we can bring in some chairs from out back ...make yourself at home .

Tell ya what guys, in all honesty I really wish I could grow outdoors...always will be my dream. I have some really great ideas about a backfilled hole to be composted before planting season, I would love to share them with anyone interested...