Looking for additional opinions - First Grow

[koalajesus]

Hello everyone!

I'm making this post because I was looking for at least a few replies to my questions on my journal, but I haven't gotten any responses.

I'll make this brief, but if you want to see my full journal, it's here: https://www.rollitup.org/t/koalajesus-grows-cannabis.1052374/

It's day 52 since the tap root cracked out of the seed. Growth has been a bit slow due to my mistakes and still trying to get the light height right.

Since acquiring the VS1000(4/15), I started super low, 25%, 24" due to light bleaching/burning the plant before. Overtime I've raised the intensity to 75% and kept height at 24". At 75% it seems to irritate some of the new growth and is still causing the highlighter issues.

I didn't want to bring the intensity back down because I know I need good light penetration to feed all these growing branches. Raised lights to 30".

1. I'm thinking about setting up my first layer of trellis netting since the plants canopy is right at 7"-8" from the base. Sounds like a good plan? And if so, I can still keep letting it fill for maybe a week and a half to two weeks before flipping? Or should I go longer?

2. I'm thinking about changing my lighting arrangement as well for the trellis and to set the stage for flower. I want to center the plant in the 4x4, currently it's towards the back to align straight with the light that is on the back support. Once centered, align the second VS1000 with the other with the center of the tent, keep them spread apart, bring up the height to maybe 32"-34". Then start at 75% on both and try to dial in from there.
Does this sound like a decent plan? Or is it too much for the plant?

3. This one is more of a reassurance question, but I snapped these photos just about an hour or so before lights out. Over the last week or two I have noticed that it drops before nighttime. I've read it's just the rhythm of the plant knowing when it's about to sleep. Or that it just means it's got all the light it needs for the day. Bunch of different stuff online and of course each plant can be different. Any additional experience with it would be nice to hear about.

I appreciate any feedback as long as it contributes/provides relative information to my grow. Thank you!

 

[HoeExotic]

I dont think the light is hurting them. How often are you watering and feeding? How much at a time? What are you feeding with? At that age you should be able to crank that light up 100% at 20 inches. My light is 200 watts and I always have it full blast and right now about 18 inches from the lowest part of my canopy. 14 at the highest. I really dont think the light at 24 inches is your problem bub.

 

[koalajesus]

I dont think the light is hurting them. How often are you watering and feeding? How much at a time? What are you feeding with? At that age you should be able to crank that light up 100% at 20 inches. My light is 200 watts and I always have it full blast and right now about 18 inches from the lowest part of my canopy. 14 at the highest. I really dont think the light at 24 inches is your problem bub.

The growth goes from the highlighter yellow and either recovers to a green color, or dies off as a crispy burn like it met a lighter.

For watering, I've been going off the weight of the pot and watering when it's lighter and overall medium is feeling dry. Typically every other day or so. When feeding now I use 20% of the recommended dose for DynaGro Foliage Pro. So 1ml to 1 gal.

Feed till run off is starting to fill up the tray.

Had issues with the overall nutrients due to the Coco Loco medium, but had flushed that some time ago.

The fact that the highlighter color appears at first then goes away makes me think it's not nutrients, but light. To my understanding nutrient burns don't heal and appear overtime.

 

[HoeExotic]

The growth goes from the highlighter yellow and either recovers to a green color, or dies off as a crispy burn like it met a lighter.

For watering, I've been going off the weight of the pot and watering when it's lighter and overall medium is feeling dry. Typically every other day or so. When feeding now I use 20% of the recommended dose for DynaGro Foliage Pro. So 1ml to 1 gal.

Feed till run off is starting to fill up the tray.

Had issues with the overall nutrients due to the Coco Loco medium, but had flushed that some time ago.

The fact that the highlighter color appears at first then goes away makes me think it's not nutrients, but light. To my understanding nutrient burns don't heal and appear overtime.

You're growing in coco only or a mixture? If so you should be watering multiple times a day I've read. Not sure on how often to feed but I'd def up my dose and see how they respond. Have you used any cal mag?

 

[go go kid]

with coco, you feed every time you water, never use plane water on coco as it washes out the nutes, i guess its a case of less more offten is more. even when flusghing coco you use a very weak nute solution

 

[koalajesus]

You're growing in coco only or a mixture? If so you should be watering multiple times a day I've read. Not sure on how often to feed but I'd def up my dose and see how they respond. Have you used any cal mag?

Started in Coco Loco by Fox Farms. Supposed to be a charged up coco coir and perlite mixture with a bunch of additives, but out the bag is 3000ppm runoff....

Dealt with heavy nitrogen issues that lead to nutrient burn early on the in the grow. Some of those photos are visible on my journal.

I then changed it out to a 50/50 of coco coir and coco loco. Was better for the time being and stalked the burn, but resulted in a ppm of around 1800. I think the amount of Coco Loco attached to the root mass during the transfer to the new mix created this higher ppm.

Eventually the burn came back and continued to eat at the lower leaves. I flushed the medium down to 300ppm and haven't seen burns from nutrients since then, leaves stopped going mega dark green and looked much healthier.

The Foliage Pro nutrient solution I'm using is 9-3-6, includes all micro nutrients, and has CalMag baked into it already. I'm worried to up the dose due to me burning it so much already. I could possibly consider a 50% dose and watch it closely.

The only thing I haven't been able to wrestle down is this highlighter color that starts in new growth and goes green or burns up like fire.

With coco coir you do water often as long as there is good drainage, but this coco loco mix makes it more of a soil and all the added stuff retains water more, even in a fabric pot. I overwatered early on due to this and have been more cautious since.

with coco, you feed every time you water, never use plane water on coco as it washes out the nutes, i guess its a case of less more offten is more. even when flusghing coco you use a very weak nute solution

I understand that you feed every watering with coco coir as it is a nutrient-less solution by default. It is why I stated that I feed with DynaGro Foliage Pro @ 20% recommend dose, 1ml to 1gal.