Treat's Tent Tales

[Dan K. Liberty]

The new clone / vegging area is awesome. Don't they look happy?

Yes, they do Looks like you're doing a great job, the fims look really good and they've recovered well, so I'd say they are about ready to join the bigger girls back in the tent soon . . . tasty :icon_smile:

 

[tastyness]

So I'm on day 3 of flowering 12/12 and had a mishap with my lights. :doh: Their first time on the timer and one of the two came on early. So yesterday they only got 11:45 mins of darkness - after two nights of 12:15 and 12:20 of uninterrupted darkness. I know at this phase it is the 12 hours of dark that count. How precise is my plants internal clock?

How much of a problem did I create?
Going to beat those timers into submission today. They are supposed to make things MORE reliable not less.
EDIT UPDATE: Using myself the human timer. Can't find one that properly converts the voltage here without losing time.

Any secrets to getting multiple timers in the same room synchronized? They are analog not digital and the time setting is a bit basic. ie line the arrow up with the current time- but you can really only tell for sure what time it is on the hour. I know this should be easy, but my botched attempt last night tells me it just isn't so.

I'm thinking set one timer for the exact 12/12 and the second one to be 11/13. Coming on 15 mins later and going off 15 mins earlier just to be sure.

Thoughts? Advice?

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Why are you using 2 timers? I had no trouble running 2 600W lights with a 15 amp timer.

 

[tastyness]

THG-
I'm using two because one is 110V and the other 220V. So I have to keep them separate.

Still trying to figure it out. And am I right- it is the 12 HOURS of DARK that needs to be maintained as the high priority even if they don't quite get 12 HOURS of light?

Would 5 mins make a difference as long as it was consistent?

DARN- missed this answer till today- the NEW POST buttons doesn't always work as expected.

 

[tastyness]

I love how beautiful these plants are. Taking sooooooo many pictures and just discovered the great pictures thread as well and have some new techniques to try.
These are post process and there are some nice B&W close ups for sexing plants at this thread:
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61964

Both areas are going great- moved the lights in the tent yesterday and that helped a lot. Did a little "coat hanger LST" on the kush plant 1 and it went so well #2 is in bondage today. They are almost 3' and if they stretch I'm worried about keeping them under the lights.

Clones on day 4 are looking gorgeous. Green and perky.

Veggie plants are happy- the WCD still hasn't shown sex but I'm guessing that two are boys and maybe one is a girl.


The BCD#1 is tall and will go into the tent tomorrow.


Not sure how long I will let the rest of them veg. The White Rhino had a pretty strong reaction to last feeding. 3 of the very most bottom leaves have crinkled up, dried, changed color and died! Will give her 1/2 strength today when the rest get fed.

PS: Lurkers - please feel free to comment. I won't bite! Almost up to 1000 views so thanks for stopping by- everyone's positive energy is making this my best grow ever.
PPS: The sepia pic are the FAKE AUTO's.

 

[tastyness]

So things are going really well now that the two areas are set up.
I've added BCD1 to the tent yesterday (at 8 weeks) she was very tall unlike her two sisters and I don't want them popping through the roof of the tent when they get stretching. (See new pictures added to previous post)
The two Kush's got some hanger bondage. They are up to about 36 inches. It was so cool to watch the new bud sites come up on the bent branches. Only had them tied down for two days.

Upstairs cloning- all are still alive. And one of my experiments has really shown the roots as of today. Clustered in the bottom of the cup. One of the experiments died- did a little post mortem. Added a layer of perlite and water to the clone dome base to see how that goes. See details at:
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62175
Vegging area is good - have 6 plants.
How do I know - when to flip them?
They are all showing alternating nodes and 3 are girls.

The whole WCD strain is still not showing, but they actually got transplanted one week later than everyone else so maybe they are still catching up. Do some plants show preflowers but not sex?

The two BCD's are getting all full of pistils- is there any advantage to letting them continue to do this or should they be moved to flower?



One of these is so bushy I can't even see the stem!


With the two spaces I'm not in as big of a rush - but still have a vacation planned in Nov. that I need to work into the mix. Don't want it to be harvest time while I'm gone.

The White Rhino is showing a bit of a leaf problem. I'll post details in the sick plant forum. I've had them on nutes for last 3 feedings and will be water only today.

So my plan was to maybe add the rest of the BCD's to the tent and leave the WCD and White Rhino to recuperate a little bit.

Thanks for stopping by- would love some feedback.

 

[tastyness]

BTW- thanks for all the timer help. Turns out the 220V was defective- put in the back up and it broke too! Going to the store to return them and find something that works.

 

[HemperFi]

Your plants are beautiful, Tasty. Well done and I'm sure you'll have your best harvest ever. I have no advice for you -- you know more than I do now. I will say this though -- I use a turkey baster to water seedlings. It doesn't disturb the soil and I can water until they start draining from the bottoms. You are far from being able to use that advice -- perhaps in your next grow

Peace

 

[tastyness]

HemperFi-
Thanks for stopping by and your kind words. I have the turkey baster on my list for the next time I pop some seeds. I thought it was an excellent idea when I read your journal. I'm doing well because of the support of the great people at MP. Everyone has been so generous when I've had questions.

The girls are kinda cute aren't they? People say that they stretch when under HPS from the start but I sure don't see that in mine while they've been vegging. I had a little bit when they were small till I got the light right but since then it has been 1000W + all the way.

Now we get to watch them flower. So excited.

 

[Rosebud]

If they are three feet tall, i would be flipping them to flower anytime.

Yes, they can have preflowers for a long time before showing sex. I have been looking at my probable male for a week. It takes forever.

Looking good.

 

[tastyness]

Thanks Rosebud. I'm thinking that one strain isn't going to show till it gets flipped. They are between 19" and 27" now, the shorty is that crazy BCD3-super bushy. It better stretch at flip or there will be no place for buds.
What are the advantages (if any) to giving them a little extra veg time?
Or is it kinda like the end of flowering - there is a peak period and then it starts to decline.

 

[Rosebud]

I think usually people are in a hurry so they flip quickly. I veg about two months because I like big girls and they will stretch in flower. It all depends on how much room you have to flower. If they don't run out of food there shouldn't be a decline.

 

[tastyness]

Spent part of the day planning the rest of the grow. I've got a trip planned in Nov. right after the harvest of these beauties. I should be here for the drying but will be gone during the curing time. What will I be able to do to keep things moving along and keep the bud drying properly while I'm gone?

Because of that it's time for more ladies to move into the tent. Now got 2 new girls in there. It is impossible to squeeze them all directly under the lights anymore, they are too big. So lights are almost all the way to the top of the tent and the smaller plants are raised closer to the lights.

I was planning on feeding when lights came on and like to do both rooms at the same time. BUT- When I went to check on all the veggie girls they were dying of thirst. Everyone looked limpish and sad. DARN! The only day I haven't been up there 4 or 5 times and I missed getting them a drink by about 4 hours or so. Everyone has had a good long drink now, some food and nicely pH'd @ 6.5 - and hopefully in about an hour everyone will look happy.

Still no indication of sex on the WCD it is day 59. I'm hoping they start to show when I flip them. If they happen to be boys, I'm worried that I might not catch them in time and they could mess up all my girls. But since they get checked every 12 hours- I'm thinking I should be safe. They also are the longest flowering plant I've got (at least according to the breeder guidelines - taken with a grain of salt); so I've got to flip them soon.

What if I flipped that light to 12/12 - the space isn't super light tight but I could cover each plant with black plastic while it is in "dark" period. There is the fluorescent in the same space for the clones, but it is very close to the floor and below the pots. At least that way I could see if they are female/male BEFORE they go to my tent full of confirmed girls.

Do you think that would work?

 

[tastyness]

So all of my plants are now on 12/12. Since I'm still concerned about the 3 with no sex indicated yet- they are flowering in a separate space until they tip their hands sometime in the next 14 days. They have the longest flowering time (don't you know) and had to get started now if there is any hope they will be done and dried before the trip.

The tent is full and lush and I'm glad I've got this extra space. I thought I was going to be able to fit a few more plants with ease (the plan was to have spots for 12) - that is too ambitious, but fun to dream about.

First ready for harvest should be the autos in late September.

Doing the little happy dance now
Thanks again to everyone for your help in getting me to this magical day.
Now to navigate flowering successfully.

 

[Dan K. Liberty]

Great news and happy flowering, tasty :icon_smile: just keep an eye on the stubborn ones, you'll be able to pick them out in time if they show male

far as the curing, no way to burp the jars if you're on a trip . . . the drying part only takes 4-5 days . . . the burping/curing is about 2-3 weeks

maybe you could dry in open air 3 days or so, then put them into brown paper bags while yer gone?

 

[New2theGame]

:holysheep: Awesome stuff.

 

[tastyness]

Dan K.- do you think that would work? I was figuring a week for drying.
Hanging in the dark with fan blowing but not on them. Checking till stems are bendy and almost snapp-able. Then into the jars for curing. I was going to get those nifty hygrometers that are mentioned in the sticky on Curing by the numbers.

I've never cured before- I dried last time and left it out drying when we went away. Needless to say wasn't much to come home too. But we didn't have any alternatives. I'm a big believer in tell NO ONE. My hubby knows of course because he is the one with the card. And he's in charge of mechanical/electrical so that everything is safe.

I'm hoping that with all the clever people here we can figure out something that will work. What have you tried or heard of that might work to cover being gone early in the cure. Looks like at least 2 weeks, could be 3. A lot will depend on how they go over the next 9 weeks, there is plenty of time to figure out something.

I know some people cure even longer than 2 weeks- but I'm guessing that early stage of opening the jars several times a day is very important.

I'll have to start now looking for brown paper bags- don't have those here either. What other materials might be good for this?

Thanks for your support and being so patient with all my newbie questions.
I owe my success to all those here at MP who took time to comment here and answer my PM's.

My first day with everyone (except the clones & of course they need to be ignored) in 12/12 and I"m not sure what to do with myself. :rofl:.
I can't "check in" on them every few hours as I usually do.
Will make seeing them when lights come back on even more fun. And time for food today. Will be BLOOM- (Canadian Express 2 Part for coco/soil) for everyone. 1/2 strength for the new arrivals and full strength for those that are in Week 2.

 

[tastyness]

So here we are with a pretty full tent


and my secondary flowering area with the plants that still need to be sexed


My questions today is : they get water every other day since they are in kind of small pots. On average drinking almost 2L each. Should I be feeding each time or alternating? So I did decide to feed but after 3 days instead. Learning to trust what they are telling me
When I was in grow I was alternating and think they were massively underfed at the start. Had 3 feedings in a row then water then feeding over the past two weeks or so.
I don't see any nute burn and the new arrivals in the tent only got 1/2 strength bloom last time. I do have one plant this is quite lime green with all the new growth and has had a leaf or two turn yellow and drop. Everyone else looks normal.
When foliage is fading to yellow- mostly not enough food or too much???

 

[tastyness]

It was bound to happen sooner or later....
I went to move the cord from my light today and the whole thing came flying down from the ceiling.
Luckily I caught it before the bulb/light shattered.
Unluckily it came down right on WCD3 and decapitated the plant. (The plant in the middle of the bottom picture above)
The reflector acted like a guillotine and chopped the head and most of the branches right off the plant.

This was the one in the three that I thought was a girl. Not sure if we will be smoking any of this strain this round.
Keep fingers crossed for me that one of the two left is a GIRL......

Decided to use one big piece for some more clones and then get out the duct tape. This has become my experiment with HST!

 

[tastyness]

Week 1 and Week 2
What do you think?