PICTURES!!!!:
Hi guys and gals. I hope everyone is having a great Saturday, I am. I have coursework due for four classes and I'm putting it off til tomorrow and Monday, so I thought an update was appropriate.
First off, if anyone is interested, I'm writing a new journal on Barney's Farm Tangerine Dream. The new link is in my sig. (or will be very soon if you read this right after I post it)
The Bubblelicious ladies are looking great. Babylicious gave me a brief scare, she started growing additional calyxes near the stem of the fan leaves. At first, I was thinking balls, but within 24 hours, they had pistils.
Today completes the 4th week of 12/12. These amazing plants still have 4-6 weeks to pack on growth. Let's consider the basic principle that a well done grow will easily net .5 grams per watt of light used. We are using a 600W HTG Supply HPS Plus bulb, which has like an extra initial 20,000k lumen, but rated at 600 watt. If we take 600 watts and multiply it times the expected average of .5 grams, we get 300 grams that this grow should easily net. That comes to almost 11 ounces.
Now, using Waterfarms AND SCOTTYBALLS' method, with a nice Secret Jardin, I'm going to go out on a limb here and make a prediction. Barring any unforeseen problems, I'm going to do 1 gram per watt. Thats correct. I think I can pull 21.5 ounces from this grow. I see several colas alone that have the potential in 6 more weeks to pack on that kind of weight. A proper diet is therefore essential.
I'm using Fox Farms solubles. Currently, we are on the Beastie Blooms phase. When we hit 4 weeks to go, we'll switch over to the Cha Ching add in that helps resin production and ripening of fruit. (they say fruit, we all know they really mean BUD) LOL... I really do believe strongly in these solubles. They have some excellent addition of essential metals and minerals. After you dissolve some in water, you can see little tiny metals flakes, about .05 mm in the water. It is some great stuff and I swear by it.
Other than that, I'm still sticking to the original game plan, using only General Hydroponics's Flora Nova Bloom. No other nutrient liquid solution at all. The PH has been great, and the plants have looked the best I have seen throughout an entire grow. I have not seen one burnt or starving leaf, at all, not one. A few of the tips did start to just show a bit of singe, so I have backed ppms down to 1400, until the plant tells me otherwise. I think at this stage, she'
ll settle in and start just packing on bud growth. I don't expect to see any new vegetative growth or stretching from this point on.
Water water everywhere, not a drop to drink.....
Where do I begin..... Having tap water with a ppm of 400 sucks balls. I have to purchase about 15 gallons of distilled water each week at a cost of nearly $1.00 gallon. If I was growing to sell, I'd consider it an investment; however, I look at it as an expense, a burden, if you will. The plants are drinking nearly 3 gallons between them, per day. I'm not having to add as much nutrients, as I am water. They are going through it fast, and I think it is because as more buds and leaves grow, the transpiration volume increases, and the plant is losing a lot of moisture to the atmosphere. A new portable Reef Master RO system is on it's way. I have already installed a 2.5" x 10" Carbon 5 micron prefilter in my bathroom shower, with a diverter valve from the shower head stem. The fittings are machine to pipe and I'm therefore able to use a standard garden hose for the connections. When I have everything set up, I'll take some pics and maybe make a quick guide for anyone that is interested in installing one. Buying jug water and having to haul it every week is a pain. Having neighbors watch you carry 15 gallons from the driveway to the house can be unsettling as well. It is time for an RO system.
In response I have turned the vortex fan up to move the air quicker, in an attempt to keep humidity down. The current RH in the tent is 48% and the ambient is 45%, so that is not bad at all. Overall I'm very happy with the grow. Babylicious germinated on Nov 20th of last year. Here we are, all this time later, and four to six weeks from harvest, depending on the pheno.
GOAL 21 ounces.....
