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bobblehead's organic bedroom of high brix gardening

bobblehead

Active member
Veteran
Ok its about time I start another thread. If I don't, Mr. D is gonna run out of good ideas pretty soon... :moon:

In our last episode, the lake house took a shit just when things were at their best and I was bumping 10kw. Its cool though cause I planned to shut down anyway, and relocate. Things just got pushed ahead a few months.

My last grow was my final one with a high plant count. I'm a licensed patient/caregiver in Michigan, and I will be staying within my plant count from now on. I have too much to lose in life if I was to get raided. Now I'm medically compliant.

I switched from chemical nutes and coco smart pots to organic peat-based no-till soil beds. The room is completely sealed with a 36kbtu split, 200pt dehuey, 5 disc pond fogger, 6.8kw in light and CO2. Here's the pics.

This was around 2 weeks in.
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This is around 4 weeks. The bed in the front of the pic ended up getting culled by week 7. Those plants never turned around. It turns out you can't take large plants fed synthetic nutes, and switch them over to organics. They don't have the roots of an organic plant. Expensive lesson to learn. The bed behind it is Straw DD, doing well.
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All the other plants in the room including the Straw DD in the last pic were smaller, and made the transition to organics much better.
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bobblehead

Active member
Veteran
Oh yeah I didn't start the grow with 6.8kw... Each bed had 1800w. Then I returned two faulty 600w Nextgen ballasts and got back 2 1kw ballasts! :D Then I got 2 Raptors with horti eye lamps and another 1kw magnetic ballast from a police auction for $179. Gotta love living in a med state. So 2 beds now have 1 1kw lamp and 2 600w's for 2200w each. It works ok. I found out I should have dropped the 600's lower, but there's always next grow! I should have pulled out my light meter after hanging the 1kw lamps. I only used it at the beginning of the grow to test the lamps.
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Golden Goat @ 9 weeks
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bobblehead

Active member
Veteran
Straw DD @ 9 weeks-
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My new largest bud I've ever grown. This cola is directly in front of the gallon jug.
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Previous largest bed ever grown, Straw DD
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FAQ

What are the genetics? Original Strawberry Diesel x Chem bx1

Where can I get seeds? You can't. Cocktail Frank made them and donated them to the server fund. He says there aren't more.

Where can I get a clone? You have to know me or someone close to me




IDK how much longer I'll be running Straw DD in the big room honestly... You can see by the pic that she's not that frosty when you compare her to the cultivars that get more hype, like the white, golden goat, gsc-f, etc etc etc... I have lots of quality genetics that yield well, and have more potency and bag appeal. The buds are a little airy with the Straw DD. I don't think I'll cull her, but in my competitive market, its not all about quantity.
 

bobblehead

Active member
Veteran
Couple more cause I still love this plant... :)
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ps, all nice pics are credit to Silver Hawaiian and his fancy camera.
 

silver hawaiian

Active member
Veteran
:good:

Glad to see a new thread! I betcha couldn't stand to sit idly by after _D and I finally got off our lazy asses and fired one up ourselves.. :D

So share with the group please :) What have been the observations that've stuck with you in particular in the synthetic nutes -> organic approach?

What prompted the switch?

:respect:
 
Dang dude. Stay compliant man. MI isn't the state to take chances. Bill Schuette has made it well known that he has every intent of sticking it to the medical growers and patients whenever possible. The recent concentrate BS going on is absurd.
 

bobblehead

Active member
Veteran
sub'd...puff...puff

Good to see you're on board bro! It wouldn't be the same without you!

luv the photos, can't wait for more, subbed.

:thank you:

Glad to see a new thread! I betcha couldn't stand to sit idly by after _D and I finally got off our lazy asses and fired one up ourselves..

So share with the group please What have been the observations that've stuck with you in particular in the synthetic nutes -> organic approach?

What prompted the switch?

:respect:

Yeah its been bugging me... but I needed to take a break! The plants did fine without the regular photo sessions.

Since you asked about my philosophy... :D

Lets start from the beginning. I got into this originally while I was in business school. I smoked a little weed, I knew a lot of people who smoked weed, and smuggling my own back from Mexico was only partially successful... (I'm a little crazy for anyone who hasn't followed my threads)

I was in business school because I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew I wanted to make a lot of money doing whatever it was. Make a shit load of cash fast and retire young, that was the dream. I applied this to my growing techniques with vert SOGs... But vert SOG's are easier said than done. The bigger you get, the more pitfalls you encounter. I was mildly successful.

During this time I began to study biology and chemistry, and began a career change into the medical field. Things I never understood before became common knowledge to me. I began applying my scientific thinking to my grows, using beneficial microbes to beat bug infestations and stimulate root growth. This success got me interested in organics, but everyone I talked to running organic soil mixes said that they still used some synthetic fertilizers throughout the grow. I didn't see the point in starting organic, to finish with synthetics. Then I got to talking a bit with Veg N Out and reading his posts. I read the whole big plant thread. Read a lot of the ROLS thread. Read some research papers including many from Dr. Albrecht and Reams... and I got a much better understanding of organic farming. NPK isn't NPK. Organic fertilizers are superior in all aspects except yield... and as my pictures demonstrate, yields aren't dictated by the type of fertilizer you use. Its about knowing how to use it. Foliar sprays and teas are the answer to making it to the end of an organic grow without the addition of synthetic fertilizer. Why guess what type of nutrients the plants would like? If you put the components in the soil, and charge the battery, the plants will make available what they need when they need it. Part of this is establishing the soil food web, which takes time... So if its a one and done grow... Synthetic nutes might be a better option depending on the grower... But lets say you've set up shop to grow for several years, and because you're going to stay state compliant, you're not worried about getting shut down by law enforcement. There's no reason you can't establish a soil food web and grow some high quality organic meds.

Now my growing is about life, love, and sustainability. The tortoise always beats the hare. I don't need to make $500k this year when I can make $100k a year legit over the next 5 years. No sleepless nights. No giving up my social life and dedicating everything to the grow. This is temporary for me. I'm not going to grow on this scale forever. One day soon I'll take this hobby back in the closet, maybe even shut down entirely. This is a stepping stone for me. My feet are planted firmly so that I don't fall into the river, and my eyes are already on the next stone. I'm almost across the river!


just SpAnKyInG...those broads... lushes buds~indeed

Thanks yort! I was impressed.

Dang dude. Stay compliant man. MI isn't the state to take chances. Bill Schuette has made it well known that he has every intent of sticking it to the medical growers and patients whenever possible. The recent concentrate BS going on is absurd.

I started growing before the medical program was in place... So I always had the paranoid mindset... Things are different now. Thanks for the advice.

Look bobble, someone who understands our plight

Our plight? A few years ago I was detained by the DEA in a raid, gave them a 1/2lb of bud and 1/4lb of hash, and walked away with my freedom after telling the agent questioning me I can grow more. lol... We have more freedoms than most of the country. We smoke better bud than most of the country. :D Our plight... sheesh... :laughing:
 
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silver hawaiian

Active member
Veteran
Since you asked about my philosophy... :D

...etc.

:respect:

Our plight? A few years ago I was detained by the DEA in a raid, gave them a 1/2lb of bud and 1/4lb of hash, and walked away with my freedom after telling the agent questioning me I can grow more. lol... We have more freedoms than most of the country. We smoke better bud than most of the country. :D Our plight... sheesh... :laughing:

Did I say plight?

I meant anxiety. :)

But no shit, BreezeEazy hit it on the head with the MMJ climate here, IMO.
 

bobblehead

Active member
Veteran
Dude, I've had no problems! lol... I'm not looking to push my luck, but I've had good luck the past few years. I got pulled over for speeding a few month ago with 2 plants in my front passenger seat. The officer didn't even notice! No joke, did not even see these 12" plants! My karma is right I guess. Not everyone is as lucky as I have been.
 

FlowerFarmer

Active member
Veteran
Looking proper bobble.


After going sealed w/ a split, commercial dehumidifier, & co2 I don't think I'll ever invest my time and money into another project again without so.


Looking forward to more of your work now that you're in a legit spot w/o all the house issues.
 

Treetroit City

Moderately Super
Veteran
Dude, I've had no problems! lol... I'm not looking to push my luck, but I've had good luck the past few years. I got pulled over for speeding a few month ago with 2 plants in my front passenger seat. The officer didn't even notice! No joke, did not even see these 12" plants! My karma is right I guess. Not everyone is as lucky as I have been.

Been lucky?

It's not easy being lucky. Actually it is pretty easy being lucky as long as you know how.
 

bobblehead

Active member
Veteran
Looking proper bobble.


After going sealed w/ a split, commercial dehumidifier, & co2 I don't think I'll ever invest my time and money into another project again without so.


Looking forward to more of your work now that you're in a legit spot w/o all the house issues.

Thanks FF. I'm excited to show what I can do now that I have all the big boy toys. :D. The room practically runs itself.

Couldn't agree more FF although I'm sure someone will be by to explain how air exchange at 2x's per minute will be as good....

Let's keep the vibes positive... :ying: everyone is welcome as long as everyone respects everyone else. I'll do whatever I want though... Its my thread. Lol

Been lucky?

It's not easy being lucky. Actually it is pretty easy being lucky as long as you know how.

:yeahthats
 

Ichabod Crane

Well-known member
Veteran
, did not even see these 12" plants! My karma is right I guess. Not everyone is as lucky as I have been.

I drove right past a cop with some five foot tall plant a friend gave me when he lost power for two days and they started to flower. He had no room in his flower room for about 2 more weeks. He gave me five plants and they were all crammed up against the windows. No way you could not say they were dope. Half the windshield passenger windows and the back windows all jammed with pot leaves on full display. Haha.

And what the hell starting a thread over here with out telling me. Your a real, well you figure it out.
 

InjectTruth

Active member
:chin:

Damn! Looks like everyone is switchin back and forth these days. Just when Im ready to dump the dirt in the yard and break out the coir / maxi, guys like Bobble and Lapides are pullin numbers with big effortless beds.

:chin:


So goin sealed really makes all the difference huh? Im waffling on how to set up my first full size room. Crazy exhaust, or cut a hole in an interior wall for a big window banger (or two)?


Good to see you persevering, Bobble. It's nice to see others 'Learning while Earning' and constantly making changes to optimize for a situation. I can def hear you on the SOG's. Seems easy on paper, but then something always comes up in execution. One in the hand, they say...

The last year i had 4 tents stuffed in a room. 2 4x8s with 2k, 1 4x8 with 1200, and 1 4.5 x 6 with 1200. Each light was a week on an 8 week cycle. Even with undervegged, not so healthy plants, I was pullin half a pound to a pound weekly in recycled soil, with approx 10 - 16 plants per light in 2 - 3 gallon bags. I was more concerned with the weekly rotation than overall health/yield/canopy, but after a few months of that i felt like i was cutting myself short. Many plants would finish too short, the canopy was patchy, with plenty of unused spaces. But it was a paycheck.

Then the heat came and prompted a reevaluation. It really seems beds are the way to max out with organics. My tents are running on a flip box, so vegging in the flower room isnt an option, and dragging 100gal+ beds around weekly up and down stairs solo doesnt seem plausible.

Thats when I saw Lapides' new thread. He veg's for 3 weeks in 3 gallons and then plants them into the beds, almost as if the bed was an ebb and flow table.

Now seeing you do something similar REALLY has me thinking. Are you vegging in your beds, or in a separate room in smaller containers?

I was thinking of just using large smart pots in lieu of beds, but it really seems that the soil web is better established in the largest mass possible. Having my total soil amount spread over several smaller beds seems it will just exacerbate problems, and shrink the buffering capacity of a large bed.


Anyway, Im ramblin off cheese and espresso for breakfast. Glad to see a new thread Bobble. Im always excited to see what you do next. Subbed.
 

Avinash.miles

Caregiver Extraordinaire
Moderator
ICMag Donor
Veteran
nice new thread bobbles, i like the direction you are heading!! wanna share your soil mix / feeding schedule / tea mix?

:tiphat:
lookin proper as usual, big ups!!
 

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