400w 5-plant Scrog/Blumats (Inferno Haze x Joseph OG)... Starting Day-1 of 12/12

[Globule]

WARNING: The following grow diary contains graphical images of plants in distress that may disturb sensitive growers.

With that out of the way, hello to you and welcome to my 5-plant cabinet grow featuring "Transformer" (Inferno Haze x Joseph OG) by Gage Green Genetics.

I switched to 12/12 yesterday (after 7-weeks veg from seed) and have 5 females under 400w MH/HPS in 2-gal smartpots fed by Blumats.
Using Canna Coco along with Canna Coco nutes A+B, Rhizotonic, Cannazym, CalMag and H&G Drip Clean.

Didn't think they would survive past week-5 of veg to be honest but I'm quite proud to say that they have managed to pull back from the brink of certain doom the past couple of weeks.

It all started out well enough 7-weeks ago when I dropped 10-reg seeds into small pots of coco (pre-charged with 1/4 strength nutes) and onto a heat pad.

I pre-sexed them to weed out the males when they were about 9 inches tall (working on their 6th/7th node) by switching the lighting to 12/12 until they threw out some teeny-tiny pre-flowers about 5-7 days later. They were pretty easy to spot on the Transformers too I reckon.

From here, I topped the 5-female plants at the 2nd node, leaving two mains (later topped for 4, then again for 8 mains).

It was at this point that winter hit hard and the girls did not fare too well in my uninsulated Garage-of-Doom. I started getting all sorts of nute lockout/deficiency problems from the cold temps.

I'm a bit slow sometimes, so it took me a while to realise the impact the cold temps were having so I was increasing/decreasing/changing nutes and basically causing some nasty damage to my poor plants.

This was the scene at my/their/our lowest point @ Week-5 of Veg:

Eventually I got more heat in the cabinet (warmer lights, cabinet fan off during lights out, heating pad, etc.) and the girls perked right up.
Things are still far from perfect but cabinet conditions are much more favourable now.

Put the screen in and switched to 12/12 two days ago.
Stretch is commencing so wish me luck.

See you on the other side!
Thanks for stopping by and good growing to you.

Globs

 

[medicalmj]

What are the pvc pipes for?

 

[Globule]

What are the pvc pipes for?

Hey MMJ - those are just passive air-intakes fro my cabinet.
Cabinet is 2.5' x 3' x 5' so those little 4/5" PVC intakes just above the screen weren't cutting it.
I've added 8 x 2" PVC 90-degree bends as air-intakes to the floor behind and underneath the plants to give better airlfow (although with these chilly winter temps right now, that might do more harm than good on this run...)

Have been considering putting them the plants on a large propagation mat to keep their roots warmer during these chilly winter temps. Not sure if that would help them during stretch/flower phase or not? Anyone have any thoughts on that?

I've got five sativa-dominant plants in a relatively small space so I need to control their stretch or I will have an overgrown cabinet on my hands (again!). So I've started judiciously removing fan leaves and lateral-suckers to try to contain the stretch.

I know I'm pushing the space, but as I got 5 females out of 10 seeds; 5 females are what I am growing out, even in this tight space.

There seems to be three phenos amongst the five (2 x sativa-dom; 1 x indica-dom; 2 x OG-leaning), so definitely would rather supercrop and train them rather than pull one of the five for more space in the cabinet.

Here's a quick photo update as the girls make their move into stretch-ville:

Good growing to you.
Globs

 

[Globule]

I've been training these plants under the screen and whacking off annoying fan-leaves the past few days like they were at the "Bruce Wayne Home for Wayward Girls".

I thank the stars that with some bending/screen-bondage together with the cold winter temps invading my garage space, the stretch on these young lassie is not going too badly thus far (considering it could have been so much worse if my environment was on point. Thank Buddha I'm not that good...)

From little things, big things grow...
Globs

 

[Cabinet Ninja]

A tip for if/when you cut a main brance on a plant in the future.

Apply a little 'cap' of natural Bee's wax to the remaining stem. This will prevent any bacteria entering the plant. Will help fight off infection and should help the plant to keep on trucking.


In the last picture it looks as if your plants are flexing their biceps

 

[Globule]

Thanks Ninja good tip!
At the time of cutting I was thinking 'hmm those are big bloody holes' and considered taping over the holes but left it as is.

They have pretty much closed over on their own but it took a while so next time I will definitely try your beeswax method. Makes complete sense

Good growing to you Ninj!
Globs

 

[Globule]

And funny you mention 'flexing their biceps' as I actually snapped the left-main on the front-left plant in that photo (you can see the crustiness where it has healed) so I taped/supported it as best I could and it has become the strongest branch in my cabinet!
(Oh yes damaged branch - you shall support big, juicy buds - just you wait)

Maybe in future I should just drink too many bourbons and then 'tend' to my plants (i.e. tear them apart) and immediately repair them. I've got great results with that approach so far...

 

[Cabinet Ninja]

I've found the same as well. Not sure why but stems that I've accidentally split away from the main stem and then bandaged up is always a hulking great cola!

 

[Globule]

All Good In Da Hood

All Good In Da Hood

Hey Ninj,
How are you going sir?

I've crushed a few hurds in the name of supercropping in my time but it almost seems that when you fly into the danger-zone and actually rip green bark asunder, it's almost like the plant has the zenlike calmness to give you a second chance before it writes you off completely.

It says " I know you fucked up and treated me bad, but you had good intentions so for trying your best to repair me in my moment of need, I shall give you a fricken massive bud at the end of my healed limb."

Or maybe I'm just projecting a bit too much onto my plants...

But seriously, everyone, stop sending gift baskets. The plants are ok and receiving much love from me. My PO-Box can't take any more "hope you recover from your vicious scrog training soon xxx" cards!

The plants have sprung back perfectly well from their underscreen training.
See for yourself...

Cheer bro!
Globs

 

[facedark]

Looks great. I have a very similar setup myself, just got to build the scrog net. Gonna be real fun.

 

[IeatCubes]

Looking much better!
Glad to see an Adjust-A-Wings!
...I noticed the little fan blowing across the lamp. Are you using a Super Spreader with your Adjust-A-Wings? I'm only asking because I can't see it from the picture. If not...I suggest picking one up. It helps bounce light and reduce heat; effectively.
I have no problem with flowers nearly kissing the wing towards ends where the 'hot spot' beam is on the Adjust-A-Wings with both 600w and 1000w HPS.
Also, are you planning on using the Canna PK 13/14 with the rest of the Canna Coco line?

Keep it up, man.

 

[Globule]

Get Scrogging

Get Scrogging

Looks great. I have a very similar setup myself, just got to build the scrog net. Gonna be real fun.

Thanks FD and thanks for stopping by.

Just imagine how much more similar our grows will be once you get that Scrog screen in place and start twisting those plant limbs under that screen

For my scrog screen I used 20mm (4/5") PVC pipe with eye-hooks screwed into the top of the screen..
I have used fishing nylon to thread this screen but have decided I am going to stop using it in future as I pulled the lattice on this screen fairly tight this time and it has been cutting into my leaves sometimes when I train under the screen.

Next time I will either use either the pubic hair of angels or butchers twine instead of fishing nylon (whichever is on sale at the time).

Good scrogging to you sir.
Globs

 

[Globule]

Day-15 of 12/12

Day-15 of 12/12

Looking much better!
Glad to see an Adjust-A-Wings!
...I noticed the little fan blowing across the lamp. Are you using a Super Spreader with your Adjust-A-Wings? I'm only asking because I can't see it from the picture. If not...I suggest picking one up. It helps bounce light and reduce heat; effectively.
I have no problem with flowers nearly kissing the wing towards ends where the 'hot spot' beam is on the Adjust-A-Wings with both 600w and 1000w HPS.
Also, are you planning on using the Canna PK 13/14 with the rest of the Canna Coco line?

Keep it up, man.

Hey there Cube-Muncher and thanks for the kind words of support

Always great to meet a fellow fan of the Adjust-a-Wings parabolic reflector (Australian made of course).
This is my first grow using it. Prior to that I have been using a cooltube in my cabinet but really wanted to move to a naked bulb.

So I got myself a stronger extraction fan and opened up some bigger passive intakes in the bottom of my cabinet and now my Adjust-a-Wing adventure has become a reality.

To answer your questions, yes I have the super spreader attached (see below) but I thought that was to just a precautionary measure to prevent resin glands from exploding all over the bulb at week 6 of 12/12!
I'm glad to hear it's just to help spread the love & light around my cabinet instead

And yes I was indeed planning to spill a bit of the PK-13/14 into the res starting in another few days time. I will wait until stretch has definitely stopped before applying that though.

I also really want to rip off a lot of those fat-assed-good-for-nothing fan leaves as they are covering up my beautiful flowers from the super-spreader's delightful golden shower.
But I shall stand strong and wait for stretch to finish before doing that.

As you can tell, my plants have had a rough start in life, so I want to give them a smooth ride past stretch before I start tearing off any more leafage.

Stretch seems to have slowed to a crawl now; but as I've never grown this strain before I'm not sure what to expect.

But in any case I am going to stop doing any further under-screen training on them now as I have enough cabinet height to handle a bit more stretch if it occurs so I'm not scared.... much...

Good growing to you bro
Globs

 

[Sativa Dragon]

How are the Blumats working out for ya? I have some ordered and I am planning on using them in soil.

Peace

 

[IeatCubes]

Thanks for the update...and with pics! Awesome, man.
I'll be popping back in to check out your grow.
I'm a big fan already.

 

[Globule]

How are the Blumats working out for ya? I have some ordered and I am planning on using them in soil.
Peace

Hey there Sat-Drag and thanks for stopping by.

This is only my 2nd grow using the Blumats but I really like them a lot as my time that I can devote to my grow is fairly limited (due to other more important commitments like family) so for me they have been a great find.

Before I tried the Blumats I was growing using DWC but I was always dealing with a multitude of different DWC-related issues (heat, constantly topping up res, etc). I didn't have the environment nor the experience to get past them at the time.

So a coco grow appealed to me and the Blumats seemed to be a nice time-saving extension of that for people who are time-poor (aren't we all these days?)
They do take a bit of fart-assing around to setup initially - but there is a great Blumat thread here on ICMAG to get help get you going (loooong thread but great info there).

I have only ever hit issues with them when I have let the res get empty and have had to "reset" them as a result; but that is just out of my laziness/lack of action more than any failing of the Blumat units themselves.

I've only ever used them in coco but if you were growing in amended soil they would be even better as you would only need to feed water through them - so much less chance of blockages from chunk nutes, and algae build-up, etc.

I say drop the hammer and try those Blumats!
Plenty of soil growers that love the Blueys

Take care bro.
Globs

 

[Mantra]

Hey mate!

Are you using the two-res system with your blumats to keep the water pressure dead even?

I like your style. Nice to see some personality! And isn't it amazing how this plant can bounce back like that? Grows like a weed or something, eh? I'm subscribing and pulling up a chair.

 

[Globule]

Hey mate!

Are you using the two-res system with your blumats to keep the water pressure dead even?

I like your style. Nice to see some personality! And isn't it amazing how this plant can bounce back like that? Grows like a weed or something, eh? I'm subscribing and pulling up a chair.

G'day there Mantra!
Appreciate you stopping by and thanks very much for the kind words bro

Yep it is a very resilient plant. At week 5 of veg I thought for sure they were doomed but with a bit of extra love they have bounced back thank Buddha.

As for the two res system, I had it all setup to go a couple of weeks ago but it started leaking around the large res' drain hole where I had a hoses attached for quick draining. Got myself some Teflon tape and a big wrench so will attack it again this weekend hopefully and will post a pic of my setup then.
Just don't get enough time mid-week for much other than the bare minimum (check pots, notes & pH).
Need to get it in soon though as the girls are getting thirstier all the time.

Good to have you along for the ride Mantra!

Will do my best to get a photo update together tonight.

Cheers bud.
Globs

 

[Globule]

Day-19 of 12/12

Day-19 of 12/12

Hey there compadres

I had me a little post-stretch scrog-trimming session this week and I'm feeling quite spent as a result.

Stretch was coming to a grinding halt so I knew I would have to act soon and act aggressively if I was to maximise my final harvest.

Let's dim the lights a little now if you don't mind, as these girls are the shy types...

It all started two full days ago... <queue wavy flashback dream sequence with trippy theremon music>

Two days ago I stripped down to the bare essentials, oiled myself up, cried 'Havoc!' and unleashed the "Sterilised-Fiskars-of-War" upon unsuspecting fan-leaves and little lateral-shoots under the screen. Poor sods - never knew what hit 'em...

It was the most compassionate thing to do in the long run though, as they would have eventually withered and amounted to nothing anyway so get ye to the compost heap ya good fer nothings! (Mind you, I only have the courage to show those fan-leaves who is boss now that stretch is over. Prior to that, we were best of mates...)

The scene (from below and above), post-undercarriage-trimming:

One day ago I just topped up the res and let them be (to lull them into a false sense of security...)

No days ago, suddenly and without warning, I attacked the area above the screen with brute force.
Those fan leaves above the screen aren't doing much other than covering developing budsites from receiving maximum light (so sayeth the psalms) so get ye to a nunnery evil flora and tarry here no longer!

Okay so now you know why I'm exhasuted. Such is the life of a cabinet grower (not like those lazy good-for-nothing outdoor growers who just lay a turd in a hole in the ground, plant a seed and walk away hoping for rain...)

Good growing to you all!
Globs

 

[Globule]

Crowning Off Nicely

Crowning Off Nicely

G'day chums & chumettes

Not a lot of excitement in the cabinet happening right now but the aggressive under-screen and above-screen defoliation over the past 5 days has not dampened the spirits of these sweet girls.

They have taken their aggressive scrog-trimming in their stride and even though I don't want to tempt fate by calling it too early, I forsee a bountiful harvest in my/our future if I can get these over the line...

Thanks for stopping by and good growing to you all!
Globs