Promix Soilless under 400w - Vortex, Jilly Bean and Lemon Skunk

Nitegazer

Well-Known Member

• Jun 12, 2012

• #1

Greetings!

I am in the process of finishing off a grow space that I have built under my stairs, allowing me to move up from a 250w cab grow to 400w.

The approach that works best for me is Promix/Perlite Soilless with hydro nutes. I am currently running Fox Farms, but am strongly considering moving to Botanicare, since it is organic. I don't personally see organic as being significantly better for the plants, but I prefer it for the reduced environmental impact.

This is my first round of growing in the space, so this is all about selecting strains and mothers. In future rounds I will be Scrogging. I am excited to play with TGA genetics, and I threw in a couple of DNA Lemon Skunk freebies for comparison sake.

Seeds were started in Sponge Pots, with a median sprout date of May 7. I transplanted to 3 gallon pots (and bags), and also topped them on 5/26 above the second node (ala Uncle Ben's Topping Technique).

Here is a pic taken on 6/9. I flipped the 16 plants to 12/12 yesterday, and expect to be down to 8 or 9 females in a week or two.



For this journal, I will be dialing in the grow for my new setup, comparing strains and making notes for future (scrog) grows. I will also be finishing up the grow space, and can go into that for those interested. Questions and comments are welcome.

 

bowsa

Well-Known Member

• Jun 12, 2012

• #2

vortex mm jilly have some soon lemon skunk love lemon weeds and skunks i belurking nice to watch taste test would bee better

 

Nitegazer

Well-Known Member

• Jun 12, 2012

• #3

Thanks for stopping by, Bowsa.

Taste is certainly a consideration as I pick my mothers. With this grow, I have particularly high hopes for Jilly Bean-- I will post a smoke report at the end of the grow. When considerting strains, I have these priorities:

1) Quality of the high (one strain for working, one for socializing, one for trippin out and one for sleep)
2) Flavor and color
3) Ease of Growth
4) yeild

After this round, future strains will include Kali Mist, Sannie's Jack, and Blueberry Sativa (Escobar); then a round with Sannies Star KushxKO Kush, PR's Sour Kush and Purple Wreck; then finally a round with Chocolate Rain, Killing Fields (Sannies) and G13 Haze (Barney's).

In the end, I hope to end up with 3-5 mothers, that I will run in a perpetual harvest setup.

 

Nitegazer

Well-Known Member

• Jun 23, 2012

• #4

Just a quick update from Day 47 of the grow (day 12 from flowering).

I am down to 10 female plants: 5 Vortex, 3 Jilly Bean and 2 Lemon Skunk (fems). As you can see they are pretty packed in under the 400w light:


Here's my favorite so far, Jilly Bean #1. Note the great branching.



I just gave them a good flush a couple of days ago. I use Fox Farm hydro nutes, and find that the plants are much happier if I water to significant runoff every couple of weeks. The ph of the runoff water was 7.0, so the buffering in the soil (dolomite lime) seems to be doing the trick.

In general, I prefer bushier plants, but this run is to find mothers, not maximize yield, so I'll just deal with more stretch than I'm used to.

 

Nitegazer

Well-Known Member

• Jun 30, 2012

• #5

When will it end! The stretch of these girls is amazing. I am not used to the power of a 400w (I used to grow a 250w). I had to move them over to the other side of the grow space, because I was running out of height. The tallest plant I have now (a Vortex, even taller than the Lemon Skunks) is 3'8", which means they have been averaging a foot each week for the last three weeks.

Fed them at the start of last week. 1.5tsp Grow Big, 1.5 tsp. Tiger Bloom, and .75 tsp Silica supplement.

Here is the 'Jungle'.


My favorite plant right now is Vortex #7. It has very good trich development for 3 weeks in. A few others are showing some trichs, but nothing as much as this:

 

Lady.J

Well-Known Member

• Jul 2, 2012

• #6

Looks amazing . Just bought a 400w HPS too, am upgrading from CFLs. Looks like it's a great choice! Will be happy if my plants end up looking like yours.

 

Nitegazer

Well-Known Member

• Jul 2, 2012

• #7

Thanks for stopping by, and for the compliments, Ms. J.

Just checked out your grow-- particularly interested in the Sour Kush. You have done some great work with that closet; I imagine you will be able to take full advantage of the 400w.

 

Lady.J

Well-Known Member

• Jul 2, 2012

• #8

Nitegazer said:

Thanks for stopping by, and for the compliments, Ms. J.

Just checked out your grow-- particularly interested in the Sour Kush. You have done some great work with that closet; I imagine you will be able to take full advantage of the 400w.

Click to expand...

Appreciate you stopping by...just actually recently moved the plants to the closet. They were growing in this before:

Only moved them because I added a huge 200w equivalent lotus CFL and there was no way it was fitting in that box!

Am going to be using the 400w in a 4'x4'x6.5' tent in addition to the tupperware cab and closet. I like to smoke a lot

So glad I ran across this thread though...can tell you know what you are doing and love the standards you listed by which you are going to choose your mothers. Maybe if I pay attention, my plants will look as healthy as yours

 

808dank

Active Member

• Jul 3, 2012

• #9

All looks good...I've heard good things about jilly bean but never come across it. hopefully the scrog will control that stretch in the future. Interested to talk about promix with ya...get back to me if you can. Mahalo

 

Nitegazer

Well-Known Member

• Jul 13, 2012

• #10

Well, things are looking pretty tasty in the grow room. The scents are just starting to fill out. Right now Jilly Bean and Lemon Skunk are dominating, giving the whole room a tangy candy smell.

I've been fortunate in that the temps have not gotten too high during the day. It helps that my lights are running from 8pm to 8am. Measuring the temps at the canopy, the max has been 79f, and I don't even have the ventilation set up proper. I think I really like having this space in the basement. Here is look into the room at the moment
.

There has been considerable variation to the phenos of the TGA strains I am growing out. A couple of the Vortex have gotten very tall and leggy. I had to supercrop them just to keep them in the same ballpark as the other plants.



Here are my picks of the crop so far: Lemon Skunk #1


Jillybean #1,


and Vortex #7.


I'm surprised the Vortex isn't producing much scent yet. It is loaded with trichs, and even has some flowers coming out of the center of some of the leaves.

 

Lady.J

Well-Known Member

• Jul 13, 2012

• #11

Looking good Nite...maybe vortex is one of those strains with low odor?

 

Nitegazer

Well-Known Member

• Jul 13, 2012

• #12

Thank you kindly Ms. Jay. Nice to have you stop by again.

I have heard other growers say that some of the Vortex phenos have no smell-- I just am not getting much scent off of any of them yet. Most report a rotten fruit, pungent smell-- a lot of folks love it, though it sounds a bit icky to me. I'll keep you posted.

You've picked up quite a following at your 'Smokin' Section.' I'm following along -- glad to hear the SK is a hit.

 

PaulN'Chuck

Well-Known Member

• Jul 13, 2012

• #13

The vortex will pick up smell here towards the later weeks.

 

Nitegazer

Well-Known Member

• Jul 13, 2012

• #14

Thanks, man. Out of 5 females, I was hoping to have some of the classic Vortex smell.

 

Lady.J

Well-Known Member

• Jul 14, 2012

• #15

Nitegazer said:

Thank you kindly Ms. Jay. Nice to have you stop by again.

I have heard other growers say that some of the Vortex phenos have no smell-- I just am not getting much scent off of any of them yet. Most report a rotten fruit, pungent smell-- a lot of folks love it, though it sounds a bit icky to me. I'll keep you posted.

You've picked up quite a following at your 'Smokin' Section.' I'm following along -- glad to hear the SK is a hit.

Click to expand...

Hehe it sounds nasty....but it probably smells like rotten fruit in a good way, if that makes sense lol. Thanks for following my thread Nite! I'm subbed to yours as well

 

PaulN'Chuck

Well-Known Member

• Aug 15, 2012

• #16

Where the updates nitegazer? Hows that Box Lady J??? -No pun intended

 

Nitegazer

Well-Known Member

• Aug 15, 2012

• #17

Thanks for stopping by Chuck--

The buds are all jarred and curing right now. This weekend will be my 'smoking' review, and I will focus down to my favorite plant or two to keep.

Yeid is not that great, but I'm not surprised, since I crammed them all in together so much. Can't wait for the first scrog...

I took the two least yeilding plants along with my trimmings to make some bubble hash. It's my first try at it, but I'm happy with the results. I will post on this as well-- with PICS!

 

PaulN'Chuck

Well-Known Member

• Aug 15, 2012

• #18

Good shit man. Which strain was the frostiest? Who smells the best? Im debating on buying a pack of jilly but i hear vortex is better. I know you havnt smoke them but by looks and smells or maybe growing experience, Who is better

 

Nitegazer

Well-Known Member

• Aug 15, 2012

• #19

I can say that I was most impressed with the frostiness and structure of the DNA Lemon Skunk. Dense nugs and smells great. One of my Vortex was also super frosty, including some of the fan leaves. That said, I have sampled a bit of the plants, and I love the high from Vortex-- it is chatty and very up. Lemons Skunk is more balanced, which some folks might prefer, but I like the sativa lean of the Vortex.

None of the Jillybean have me that jazzed yet. Fairly frosty, good structure, but the scent hasn't come through yet. I am hopeful that the scent will come out with the cure, and will know about that soon.

 

PaulN'Chuck

Well-Known Member

• Aug 15, 2012

• #20

Thanks for the quick replies. So Vortex it is. Im a fan of DNA, How long did you flower the skunk and vortex for? Does the skunk smell like lemon?