1st time indoor soil CFL grow

[Reg Dixon]

Day 68 flower report. General

Day 68 flower report. General

Had the cab open today to water all 3 plants so snapped a few pics along the way.

So tried something to lower cab temp today. Maybe it will work. Looks to be keeping me just under that magic 90 degree mark with the lights on. When they are off the temp falls nicely the low 80's.

All I did was put up some white boarding to cover up some wallpaper that seemed to be heating up the cab.

Gave all 3 plants some molasses water. Had some leftover from last feed that I had stored in bottles in the grow room. The bottles seem to have fermented slightly in the 3 days they were there. Since I'm used to giving plants funky smelling stuff I just poured it all in. We will see if it kills the plants.

Ants are still living in the plants. In the soil. They run around in the grow cab looking for my Co2 bottle. They will get a shock soon when I throw chop and throw soil out!

Overall light coverage is now good with only 3 plants.

A few lessons learned...

Don't use Mylar in hot conditions.....

Line the cab with flat white surfaces.....

Make cab easy access and inherantly lightproof.....

Less is more when the plants are young. More is ok when they are older......

Be careful not to start flush too early...

Finally I might need to have A/C on my next grow. Depending on results I think I could increase yield and quality if I can grow in lower temps. Also i think it will make the whole process a lot less problematic.
For example I won't have to supplement Co2 anymore so no ants attracted to the bottle.
Also I can close the window. Black it off and use the interior door for ventilation without having to worry about temps.

I realise now I need to start my next grow NOW. Even though it is not scheduled to start. I need a handle on A/C and how many BTU's I need to cool my grow room. I know I can put a smallish one blowing right into my cab. It would only need to be running during lights on.

Need to find out about gas fired portable A/C units etc and as long as running/maintenance costs are not prohibitively high then I'll give it a try.

Also might need to buy an air purifier because long term it makes perfect sense.

Thinking of buying all these items. Means I'm getting in deeper into the layer cake

What's next HPS, ballast and a bigger grow? With A/C a lot more becomes possible.

I'll grow on......

 

[Reg Dixon]

Day 68 flower - Blue Widow

Day 68 flower - Blue Widow

A few thoughts and snaps about the BW.

It is still producing white pistils as the older ones turn orange. There has been limited contraction in places and none in others. Tric's are amber here and there with clear and cloudy in other areas.

It had a couple of damaged buds lower down that had been damaged by my Co2 bottle falling on them and they were dying on the branch.
So I chopped them today and will use them to test cure my Blue Widow. Hanging them now.

Am toying with the idea of selectively harvesting buds from this plant some parts seem very close (the 4 tops pictured below) but others not so much (most of the rest of the plant).

 

[Reg Dixon]

Day 68 Flower - Northern Lights auto

Day 68 Flower - Northern Lights auto

Actually looks to be perking up a little bit in the last 2 days. Didn't drink as much water as I expected. Could be closer than thought although hard to tell as there are little of no trics on the plant at this time.

I'm considering moving the plant to an area that might be a bit cooler although if it keeps perking up it can stay where it is as the light is very good in that corner of the cab.

Gave it only molasses water again today.

what do you think?

 

[Reg Dixon]

Day 68 flower repot - Tangerine Dream

Day 68 flower repot - Tangerine Dream

So the TD is somewhat bleaching at the moment. That was what prompted me to keep feeding it as well as use the solid tablet. It seems to be ok. Still developing nicely. Still has a ways to go by the looks of it.

 

[Reg Dixon]

Drying/Curing report.

Drying/Curing report.

So my first 'test bud' from the critical has been smoked just as the smell started to emerge. Funnily enough taste not as good as earlier in the cure but smell better. Still not ready.

The other main batch will be ready in time for 4-20. So I can at least have a smoke on the big day!

Chopped a couple of Blue Widow test buds today. Hung them to dry in the grow room which is normally warm, dimly lit, good airflow and 50-60% RH

Going to let em dry for at least 5 days. Then should be just about ready after cure for 4-20.

So at least I will have 2 different types of smoke for the day if a little small and weedy!

 

[taslicker]

lessons learned

lessons learned

in your lessons learned you missed setting up a reflective surface behind your lights to get full use of the light.
i would spend a little time making up a couple of white chipboard light holders.
you have the right idea about combining CFL's with LST. they are a natural fit but you would benefit from an organised lighting set up.

with cfl's your better off with 23watt cfl's spread over a board than one big central cfl. the smaller cfl can sit literally inches from the plant and you get max use of the light.

not that i'm an expert but have a look at my current Scrog grow where i'm using cfl's. https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=235147

 

[ORbuds]

yeah what he said....should get some good smoke out of the deal though

 

[Reg Dixon]

Day 69 flower

Day 69 flower

Not much to report. Went in to have a quick look at tric's on the Blue Widow. Looking good but not ready. Might give it plain water no molasses next time tho. See if that helps bring it on over the finish line.

The TD will be nuted next time as normal. Still a ways to go there and the NL auto is anyone's guess.

Been trying to figure out what to grow next as well. Not an easy task and am going through a lot of alternatives but right now it is Connie Chung and Moby Dick in a SCRoG.

Still hanging my Blue Widow test buds. They keep falling off the hanger to which they are attached by electrical tape. Better find a more steady form of hanging for the main batch of Blue Widow. The Critical + harvest is so measly but it is plenty potent already. The test bud is all gone smoked! The new test bud is while the main batch is curing. I broke off a little and put in smaller plastic tub and see how it compares to curing in a glass jar. That is if I don't smoke it too quickly!

Still a harsh smoke today with not a good flavor. However nice stone on the stuff even though the effects are shorter lived than I'd like. This prolly is because I'm using it quite sparingly as I want to do the big smoke ups when it is cured properly.

So now my advance planning beacons start to come on. I will need A/C next grow or it just isn't worth it. Most likely I'll have a tent with intake A/C blowing directly into it doing the job of a fan and a passive out take possible assisted by an oscillating fan for extra air circulation.

That would be starting in late Sept possibly going 12/12 from seed in order to be ready for Xmas/New Year.

 

[Hüsker Dü]

Means I'll have something nice in about 7-10 days. A nice thought. My first ever buds. In time for 4-20

HD

 

[Reg Dixon]

@ Husker


Just a short one today as there is nothing much to report. Went in the cab to check Tric's and water if necessary. The NL auto needs water today and the other 2 can wait a day or 2. The BW is going to get flushed at that time. Most likely will try flushing by just using plain water from here on in. She has already had plenty of molasses anyway.

It is still getting too hot in the cab in the afternoon. Might have to start using water cooled A/C to help. Today's attempt to get the temp down involved removing part of the roof of the cab to allow heat to vent more easily. Means I lose a bit of light but it is not too bad as the roof is at least 2 feet above the canopy anyway so prolly wasn't dong much besides keeping the heat in. If it works I'll start leaving the roof panels off during the day then of course put them on for lights off so there are no light leak problems during the dark period.

Had a minor heart attack when I checked the stem of one of the tops on my TD only to find what looked like a web on the stem by an undeveloped bud. It turned out to be some fibers from the string I've been using to LST it.
Changed the Co2 bottle. The bottle had been in the cab in front of the fan but the heat in the cab was heating up the water to the point where it killed all the yeast and stopped the reaction.
A quick tip in hotter growing conditions keep the Co2 bottle outside the cab. Preferably above it with a way for the Co2 to seep down into the plant area.
So it has been 10 weeks now. Going to switch to normal water on the NL auto after this feeding. I'm scared to stop feeding it as it looks so sickly!
It does appear to be putting weight onto the buds and throwing white pistils out like crazy but cos little or no Tric's very hard to see if it is ready yet.
Just a couple of pics of the NL auto today. Any idea as to when it will be ready?

What do you think?

 

[Reg Dixon]

Day 70 flower and 1 top chop on BW

Day 70 flower and 1 top chop on BW

Decided to try a real test cure on the Blue Widow so I chopped off the best developed top. Nice size to it even after I'd trimmed off the lower third.

Completely by accident I found a way to reduce the SQ footage in my cab when one of my roof 'slats' fell down onto the wall 'slats' and just hung there like one side of a Swiss chalet.

With a bit of tinkering all the slats now rest at this angle and the lights are more penetrating in this more confined space.

Now some pics. Yummy...

 

[taslicker]

Nice

Nice

Nice buds Reg.
It's great to smoke your own weed
Like 'home made' anything it beats the crap out of commercial stuff.

 

[Reg Dixon]

Day 71 Flower report.

Day 71 Flower report.

Nice buds Reg.
It's great to smoke your own weed
Like 'home made' anything it beats the crap out of commercial stuff.

True. Have been smoking a little of the critical + while it has been curing and had a little fast dried Blue Widow last night. Obviously the taste was no good at this stage but It knocked me out like a light!

Today is all about checking for water and getting the temp in the cab down. Going to start using ice blocks in the A/C unit to cool the air in the grow room which should translate nicely to the cab.

Maybe I should just blow the cooled air right into the cab for most effect?

Today BW will get plain water if it needs as well as a nute for the TD and possibly some water for the NL auto if it needs it.

Keeping the Co2 bottle outside the cab is working. I just keep it above the cab where the Co2 can seep out and down inside.

Operation get the cab temp down at any cost continues its new stage today with my A/C unit turned around and loaded with ice blowing into the cab rather than sucking the air out. I've left sizeable vent areas with my cardboard arrangement.

The goal is to get temps down under 30 degrees celsius during the lights on period.

Prolly no pics today as there is nothing much new to see.

 

[Reg Dixon]

New pics in album - follow link under sig.

Today tried a 'test grind' of one of my test Critical + auto buds. WOW! What a lovely smell. Like a fresh Citrus with a dank petrol undertone. This has persuaded me to pop my other Critical + auto and 're do' it except this time without all the retarded mistakes!

The smoke taste is still not so good as the cure is not done but the effects are a very nice stone and functional high. A fun smoke for day or night time.

It is not an instant kick all the way. There is an initial gentle kick and you might think the weed is not so strong but then there is a bit of a creep and before you know it there is the feeling in the head behind the eyes. The good feeling of a gentle pressure. There is euphoria along with it. This is a very spiritual feeling bud.

The smoke was a little creamy but still a little thin with so short a cure. Hopefullt this will change in time.

 

[taslicker]

have a look LST

have a look LST

hi Reg
just thinking you might like to look at an example of an LST grow using cfl's.
take a look at JC's thread especially the last pic showing the LST plant.
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=234351&page=3
the prob with LST is your never going to produce a Bud of the Month entry.
you do get more bud weight from the plant for a cfl grow using this method but you have to keep the lights at one level and very close to the plant. and by close i mean 2 to 4 inches

hope this helps

 

[Reg Dixon]

Day 72 flower report

Day 72 flower report

So had a quick look in the cab today. Checked the plants for bad leaves and watered the Northern Lights auto. Just water. She seemed dry. There is still a solid food tablet in there giving a few nutes every time it gets wet so going to carry on like that for a while. Might carry on nuting it as well as it seems to be liking it. Getting activity all over the plant. Pistils everywhere. They are all white right now but it is nice to se eit do something and I like that it needs water often.

The Tangerine Dream is still putting on weight. The tops are going to have some gangster lean soon as they are really getting fat.
I think this could be a while yet.

The Blue Widow is tempting to chop but I really think it can go another week although I may chop another top tomorrow if there are enuff tric's the right shade. Seeing more amberish trics now. About 5% - 10%. If I get above 10% will harvest that section.

The dry on the BW top continues. The buds have really shrunk a lot already after only 2 days. However going to dry to dry this one for 7 days as recomended. Maybe 6 days if they seem really dry.

A quick note about the Critical + auto. What a lovely smell when it is ground up. Just a wonderful fresh almost citrus aroma. Then the dank in the back ground kicks in. To smoke it loves being ground up and put in a bong.

The cure is progressing of the Critical + and Blue Widow. The Blue Widow smells iffy still but the Critical + is beginning to 'turn' and smell better. That is the wierd thing the buds in the jar don't smell great at all but after they are ground they smell wonderful. Bout 8/10 for smell

Taste is progressing. Will get better day by day now. Starting to have some flavor but still needs a few more days/weeks. Going to keep curing it as it is only for me and like one cool Danish guy I know. His fave strain is Northern Lights so if I get anything decent off it I'm going to give him a few grams.

Right now I'm a bit worried about over drying my Blue Widow. The buds have shrunk so much already after only 2-3 days it makes me think they may be ready to go into the curing jar. However I'm going to hold off on these until the full 6-7day period.

I guess this is where having at least one grow under your belt helps. Easier to recognise certain smells from before I think.

OK I'm very stoned and a little high right now

More on the weekend. Maybe a bit more chop!

 

[Reg Dixon]

Day73 Flower

Day73 Flower

Pics today. Had a nice long post typed out but got eaten by the internet as it was being posted so just Pics.

Chopped 3 more buds off the Blue Widow that looked ready. All the others are still pushing out white hairs.

Pic 1 Northern Lights auto

Pic 2 and 3 Tangerine Dream tops

Pic 4 Blue Widow bud

Pic 5 Freshly chopped and trimmed Blue Widow buds.

Note - Blue Widow new buds in middle of hanger freshly chopped and hung today.

 

[Reg Dixon]

Curing report. Day 74 flower

Curing report. Day 74 flower

Today the Blue widow cure began to 'turn' in smell. Starting to smell better. Still a while for it to be ideal but the minimum cure time is from the next few days I'd say.

The Critical + cure continues. The smell is not great in the jar but wonderful when ground up in grinder.

As far as the smoke goes the critical is very light in taste. Almost creamy. Initial stone coupled with a high that lasts about 2 hours. The stone lasts barely an hour and initially thought 'is that it?'

Tried a little Blue Widow. More of a dense smoke. More of a stone than a high also. Taste is still not complete as cure needs longer.

 

[taslicker]

dissapointing

dissapointing

As far as the smoke goes the critical is very light in taste. Almost creamy. Initial stone coupled with a high that lasts about 2 hours. The stone lasts barely an hour and initially thought 'is that it?'

shame about the Critical.
i grew a regular of this strain and it kicked butt.
it was potent.
a real med strain that helped with my pain and sleep probs.

it must be the Auto side that killed the potency.

 

[Reg Dixon]

Problem

Problem

shame about the Critical.
i grew a regular of this strain and it kicked butt.
it was potent.
a real med strain that helped with my pain and sleep probs.

it must be the Auto side that killed the potency.

Well maybe but also maybe I did some damage when I nuked it with nutes during early flower and almost killed it. As a result the plant was horribly stunted and this might have an effect on the potency.

However all that is guesswork as I really don't know. The potency is not all that bad really. I mean it is a bit of a creeper with the high side and there is a nice quick stone but I thought the stone was a bit too quick too fade.

I've been mixing it with some low - medium quality brick weed I had lying around. It is dirt cheap where I live. so I usually get a little from time to time just in case.

That has been working the 2 weeds combine nicely to make a more long lasting relaxed stone with a functional high thrown in although it is more of a functional lazy high as there is some body stone.

Today have noticed a potential problem with my Tangerine Dream. It has noticeable new growth coming out the top of the buds in a lot of places. Not having grown TD before I don't know if this is normal as I may have a rogue sativa pheno showing mid to late in flower perhaps?

Take a look and see what you think?

Look at the top of the bud.