1st time growing-DP SK#1 under 450w(in total) CFLs

N

N

barletta said:

Because you put them into 12/12 relatively soon, it would probably be best to start counting from when they showed sex. With clones or mature plants (4wks or older), you can count from the day that they go to 12/12. They look good so far, maybe up the nitrogen a lil bit.

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Ok m8. Thanks for getting back to me. Gonna have to look up how to give them more Nitrogen. I got BioBizz bloom food and gave the 2 that have been in 12/12 longest (cos they were potted into their final pots a few weeks back so the compost food is depleted) a 1/2 strength dose in their water last night. I have read it is best to only feed every 3rd watering but will see what NPK ratio that food I have is. Does the nitrogen or lack of it make the branches go purple? I have noticed that some of the fan leaf branches are turning red/purple slowly, especially on the one that only had 7 days veg. I have some Epsom Salts (magnesium sulphate) which is supposed to be good for plants in bloom should they show signs of needing it but ain't too sure of what to look for?

As for the countdown, I thought it would be from when they showed their sex. Ok, it may be a bit longer to wait but I reckon I will get a good harvest if the rate of bud growth continues for another 6 to 8 weeks. They have doubled in size overnight. I wasn't expecting much from the one with a weeks veg but reckon I will get half oz dry easy by the looks of it.

I tell you what though, I am having to sit on me hands a bit right now. I have trouble getting smoke and haven't had any for a few weeks. Those developing buds look really nice and I have been tempted to nick one and have a try but don't reckon it will be so strong and don't want to screw my plant up by stresssing it out. Hmm, temptation, temptation.

Cheers again for your reply barletta

peace all

bun2

I hear ya bro, I just moved, and haven't gone 3 wks w/o smokin since I was about 19 or so. My girls are just past 3 wks flower, but I won't touch em till at least 6wks. It's not so much about stressing them, as it is losing yield. If I took a bowl's worth now, it would cost me at least 4-5 grams in the future. I probably wouldn't get a buzz, and would be pissed at myself lol. As far as giving them nitrogen, 'grow' ferts are generally high in it. Be careful, though, as it is easy to burn them with N. If you give them someting, go at like 1/2 strength. I never used bio-bizz, but I looked it up, and the bloom is very low in nitrogen. I like to use earth juice, or age-old grow for bottles, and some mexican bat guano if you can get it. If not, I have used the miracle grow organic fert. It is available most everywhere. I think that it is 7-1-2 npk. It is made from chicken shit and feather meal. 1-2 teaspoons in a gallon of water, and shake the crap out of it before you feed. Good luck, and stay strong lol

barletta said:

I hear ya bro, I just moved, and haven't gone 3 wks w/o smokin since I was about 19 or so. My girls are just past 3 wks flower, but I won't touch em till at least 6wks. It's not so much about stressing them, as it is losing yield. If I took a bowl's worth now, it would cost me at least 4-5 grams in the future. I probably wouldn't get a buzz, and would be pissed at myself lol. As far as giving them nitrogen, 'grow' ferts are generally high in it. Be careful, though, as it is easy to burn them with N. If you give them someting, go at like 1/2 strength. I never used bio-bizz, but I looked it up, and the bloom is very low in nitrogen. I like to use earth juice, or age-old grow for bottles, and some mexican bat guano if you can get it. If not, I have used the miracle grow organic fert. It is available most everywhere. I think that it is 7-1-2 npk. It is made from chicken shit and feather meal. 1-2 teaspoons in a gallon of water, and shake the crap out of it before you feed. Good luck, and stay strong lol

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Same as that m8. I am in a new manor (moved a little while ago) and a trip back to sort myself something out would be a major expedition. Less hassle to just wait for my plants to be ready. It ain't easy though but I know those little buds will be big buds in the end, so long as I don't give in to temptation. Yeah and they probably ain't much good now so...

Gonna check for some of those nutes you mentioned.
Work calls now. Ughh!

Peace

bun2

More bloom pics

More bloom pics

Yes folks, I is back again with some snaps of my flowering beauties!

The tall one that went 12/12 earliest was getting too tall and I was having hassle getting the other 2 plants up to the light so I bent the cola over LST style in order to get it to grow up between the 2 lights and subsequently allow me to drop the 200w enviro a few inches. It worked really well and I was able to drop both of the lights a good 6 inches. I ain't worried about the plant getting stressed by my using LST on it as it was only bent over a tad. I have also used LST on the other two in the 12/12 cab. As a result, the canopies are starting to level out so I shouldn't have to struggle so much trying to get the lumens count up in the lower growth areas like I have with the first one. I tried the LST thing on the mother I have on 18/6 first of all and was really surprised at how easy it was. I wished I had of trained the first one I put on 12/12 but didn't have the confidence back then.

Anyhow, things are much more manageable in the bloom cab now and the bud sites on each of the 3 specimens are getting much more light. There is still work to be done though as some of the lower bud sites are still covered by fan leaves. Worst ways, I can use some LST wire to train these. I will give them a couple of days to set in their new positions and try to move the offending fans out of the way before resorting to the wire though. Also, the tall one is gonna need some more gentle persuasion. No dramas though.

OK. The pictures. I couldn't be bothered to take them all out for individual shots . Alas, one is not looking so good on a few leaves as I made a bit of a fuck up a few days ago before I switched it to 12/12. I had a jug of water with some of the BioBizzBloom feed mixed into it. I meant to throw it down the sink after I mixed it cos I accidentally put too much feed in it. Me being me I forgot (20 + years of a lifestyle to be reckoned with has left me with a touch of short term amnesia ) all about it and poured the whole lot into the soil of the plant I had topped a few days earlier. Whooops a daisy I realised what I had done immediately but it was too late So, I tried to rinse as much out as I could by giving it a load of clean, plain tap water. It obviously didn't get rid of it all, however, and the plant got these marks on three of its fan leaves. Here's the photo of the poor little fucker! >>>>


The rest are just of them all in their glory! As you can see, some of the tips of the leaves got singed by the household CFLs. I thought one had spider mites or something cos I thought the leaves looked like they had been getting munched on I have had a good look with a loupe though and can't see any parasites! I dare say I damaged them with the household fluoros. Hopefully, the LST will negate the need for my trying to get light lower down with the household CFLs in future and thus save the plants from getting singed!

Here they are folks>>>>>>

Young buds

Young buds

Quick update with a few pics of the young flowers I got growing. I've been panicking a bit cos I thought one of my 2 on 12/12 was looking well rough. I have raised my lights a bit cos it may have been getting heat stress from my trying to get the lights to close to them all the time. I am growing in compost that came all mixed with nutes, perlite, etc. It has enough food for the plants to begin with but knowing when to start feeding them is difficult for a newb like me to work out. I have given them food but it wasn't even half strength. I have been advised to lay off the feed for the time being but don't know when to start giving it to them? Also, the 12/12 cab wasn't getting very good ventilation during lights out. I had a fan in there but it wasn't pulling any clean air in or blowing any stale ot. It was just circulating pretty stale air. So, I have mounted another fan in the rear panel of the cab to extract the air. I used to have a towel hung over the back to stop light entering through the hole I made for the cables so it wasn't well ventilated at all. I have blocked the hole up so it is lightproof. They are gonna be much happier now. Finally, I have got some water with PH 6.5 now. I didn't know what the tap water I was using was so bought some bottled mountain spring water. The label says it has other stuff in as well as it being PH 6.5. I dunno if these will be a problem? so am gonna try it on one before using it on all of them next time I give them a drink.

That's it really. I would be grateful for any comments on how these young buds are looking. As you may have already gathered, I haven't got a clue as to how they should look???



peace all

The buds look nice and furry...heheh

grow looking good keep up the great work!



Indica

!!!

!!!

yeah, thanks folks,

peace all

bun2

Yeah got an update. Some buds on the first plant are getting those crystals now. Well happy about that as I have been waiting to see them. Gonna have some nice pics next time I reckon folks. It's stil probably gonna be panic stations all the way though LOL. Reckon I'm gonna have to get a few grows under me belt before that is cured.

peace

bun2

Is it worth the bother???

Is it worth the bother???

Ok folks, I have got an update with some pics!

Just gonna post a few of the developing top cola of the plant that went 12/12 from seed. I have another 3 on 12/12 now and will post pics of them when they have developed further. I say that but dunno if I am gonna bother with this diary too much now as it seems that nobody is very interested in my grow. I don't get any replies so am starting to feel like a mug who's talking to himself all the while!


Here she is>>>>









She is now 7 weeks old and has had 6 weeks 12/12. Flowering started in earnest only 4 weeks ago so I reckon I have another 6 to 8 weeks left before this one matures enough for harvest. If that is so, I am gonna get a nice yield from her. Easily gonna get 1/2 oz. As I am growing with CFLs, I was told to expect no more than 1/2oz and be happy if I get a Q from 1 plant cos my lights are no good. I reckon there is easily more than a Q on her already so am unsure as to why I was told the above with regards to yield?

Anyway, thanks for any replies and to all who at least have a look at my grow. I ain't gonna be talking to myself any more so am gonna wait for a reply before updating again. I will post pics of the final harvest as I want to put the HPS CFL slammers in their place!

peace all

bun2

Worth a bother?

DAMN Those plants packed on some weight they look might fine and tasty hope you get what you wish for.
Good luck.

Don't be cranky, lol. Your plant looks great! The internet is kind of a popularity contest, and if you don't grow the 'in' strains, or come off like a master botanist, the replies are slow to come. Hell, I have like $500 in seeds and hope to pull over an elbow, and folks don't give a sh1t. Keep up the good work, and keep your diary going. It is cool to look back on it when you will be on your next grow(s). I am starting to think that flouro's produce better quality bud, as I have a couple under big cfl's and they look way frostier, and all of em (even the males) smell like a+++ compared to the HPS/CMH plants. Seriously, your grow diary will inspire SOMEBODY, just like other grows inspired me, and (hopefully) mi diaries have inspired others. Keep your head up, you have done a great job, and when you smoke bud that you grew yourself, just knowing that you made it happen makes the experience 100x's better!!

well, that is a good look for a first grow for sure...people grow good bud with CFL'S all the time.

Keep in mind that when drying, you will lose about 75% of the original weight. So it can be hard to tell sometime just by lookig.

HerbGlaze said:

Worth a bother?

DAMN Those plants packed on some weight they look might fine and tasty hope you get what you wish for.
Good luck.

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Really! I haven't been thinking so but I am looking at them all the time so I ain't gonna be noticing as many differences than if I just had a gander at them once a week or so. What you say is encouraging and they both have a fair way to go so I reckon I must be doing something right in between the moments of panic and impatience. LOL I must be off my head!

barletta said:

Don't be cranky, lol. Your plant looks great! The internet is kind of a popularity contest, and if you don't grow the 'in' strains, or come off like a master botanist, the replies are slow to come. Hell, I have like $500 in seeds and hope to pull over an elbow, and folks don't give a sh1t. Keep up the good work, and keep your diary going. It is cool to look back on it when you will be on your next grow(s). I am starting to think that flouro's produce better quality bud, as I have a couple under big cfl's and they look way frostier, and all of em (even the males) smell like a+++ compared to the HPS/CMH plants. Seriously, your grow diary will inspire SOMEBODY, just like other grows inspired me, and (hopefully) mi diaries have inspired others. Keep your head up, you have done a great job, and when you smoke bud that you grew yourself, just knowing that you made it happen makes the experience 100x's better!!

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LOL. Sorry m8, I wasn't having a dig at anyone. I gotta say that I always look at the more exotic grows so ain't that surprised that my humble old skunk weed ain't the most entertaining of plants!! I am gonna start another diary though I reckon as I have just switched these two onto 12/12. They are coming up to 8 weeks but are gonna give up a right nice crop if I get them through flowering relatively unscathed. I had more bottle through experimenting with the first two so have done a better job getting them tied down. >>>>>>









The first couple were taken a week ago so she is much bigger now. I have managed to keep the height down and am gonna have a good crop if I don't give them too hard a time from here on in. I know that I am gonna have to be careful with the whole feeding them thing because the compost food is gonna run out at some stage according to its manufacturers. I really don't wannna be giving them anything unless they are in need of it so am busy trying to learn what all of the different nute def symptoms are and what each element, like Mg, for instance, does for the plant. It's a big old subject but worth learning about. Getting a second opinion from more a experienced horticulturalist is worth a hundred books or web pages though so I is gonna be asking some more no brainers for sure LOL.

dank.frank said:

well, that is a good look for a first grow for sure...people grow good bud with CFL'S all the time.

Keep in mind that when drying, you will lose about 75% of the original weight. So it can be hard to tell sometime just by lookig.

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Yah nice one dank.frank! I am well happy with the way those envirolites have hitherto worked for me. I was reading some pretty skeptical stuff about their effectiveness when I got started growing. I quickly realised that they can go really close to the plant without causing much damage. I have rinsed it a few times and got me leaf tips burnt! I have 400 odd watts, however, in my bloom cab that can comfortably sit a couple of inches away from the bud tips for 12 hours. I have a PC fan aimed down the bottom of the tubes that sways the stems nicely and is enough to deal with the heat. I hear what you are saying about trying to guess the yield m8 for sure. LOL, mine goes from loads to about a Q several times each day. PMSL. Seriously though, I reckon that if I always use LST like I have on those other two, I could just about keep myself going all year round! If that ain't enough, I'd have to slow down and not be so greedy! LOL.

peace all and thanks for showing an interest, lol I will try not to get so cranky from now on

bun2

Update-Frosty Buds, trichs going brown now

Update-Frosty Buds, trichs going brown now

Yes folks, sorry about the delay but I am back with some fresh pics of my flowering plants. I am starting to drool when I look in on them during lights on because they are starting to look like the stuff I have always bought. The buds are caked in trichs so it would probably get me stoned now or pretty soon so I am thinking the first one at least only has a few weeks left to go as opposed to the 5 or 6 I was thinking last week. As you all know, this is my first time so I am not too sure how long it's gonna be before I can chop the first one. Oh yeah, last week the runt I had messed about with changing the light cycle and all that went hermie on me so it has been evicted into the garden. LOLOLOL I have also been given 12 seeds for my next grow. 4 Barneys Farm Northern Lights 4 Nirvana White Widow and 4 KC Brains KC36. I have 2 of each in my germination chamber that is in its little woolen sleeping bag snugged up nicely on a warm surface. I am gonna be starting another diary for them so look out for it and let us know how you think I am getting on!

Ok, the pics! First off, I have to say that I would be very surprised if the first plant yields only 12 oz or less. For that to happen, some of those buds would literally have to shrink so much that they would disappear. I know that wet bud weight can decrease by up to 3/4 during the drying/curing process. It makes total sense to me anyway. However, (OK OK, LOL, I put my hands up to the offence, LOL I was fecking roasting for a J at the time) I snipped a couple of the lower buds that aren't getting much bigger and can tell you all that they were solid. The same goes for all of the others so they still probably have a fair way to swell. They are gonna be nice and dense though. Those CFLs aren't as bad as some would have them being. These photos are crap and don't do my plants justice at all. I'm gonna hopefully have a better camera for my new grow so hold tight!

Right, gonna stop waffling now. Here they are (sorry about the couple of big ones, just trying to show them so someone can see how long they have got left)>>>>>>














LOL, what d'ya reckon then growers? Surely those CFLs can do a nice job if they are kept up close to the flowering tips of the plant? Ok, for 400w in the bloom cab I can just squeeze 2 plants in so I am never gonna be pulling shit loads. PMSL, I know for sure that what's on there and what I have coming up just behind it is gonna be more than enough for me

Gimme the slam dunk into the sofa can't move for an hour couch lock boomtang!

Peace all

PA

lookin good for a 1st grow!!...Looks like you still got at least 4 weeks left on those girls, but what day are u on today??Dont chop em till theyre ready, and when you think theyre ready, let em go another week...Good luck bro, Ill be checkin in on ya...Peace

- Z

9 weeks

9 weeks

Yes folks, back with the 9 weeks update!

The buds are looking really nice now. Almost half the pistils have gone brown on one. I really don't know when they are gonna be ready? I snipped a small branch off and it is a good smoke already. it doesn't smell so much yet though so I am gonna leave it longer until I chop the whole plant. In truth, I need the space in the 12/12 cab pretty bad as I have got my proper attempt at growing a Skunk plant doing the biz in my veg cab. PMSL, all of the secondary bud sites on that one are bigger than either of the top colas were on the other two that at the same stage (2 weeks) of their 12/12 cycle . It is getting enough light in there but is fast outgrowing the space. I really hope I can get another week or two out of the one that is closest to finishing! Like I said, almost half the pistils all over the plant have gone brown. I can barely discern the trichomes with my little magnifying glass and really can't tell if they are clear or milky. I very much doubt any are amber yet.

That's it really. Here's the pics.

LOL, 4 weeks m8! I could be in trouble if it is! Shit man, I thought to just let all of the pistils go brown then chop? I am just gonna have to use a bit more LST on the other one but don't want to stress her out! I learnt the hard way with the second one in the pic of them both!

Peace all

Bun2

Enjoying following you grow, looks like you are doing ok for your first grow. I like my floros too, I use them for veg. I here you about feeling like we are talking to ourselve in here at times but I just keep going. It is more about me following my grow and seeing the differences each week. Good luck and enjoy the rewards.

Looks delicious dude! Getting close now... What % of the pistils have died off? Have they started dying faster than she is making em? It's not as good as checking the trich colors, but these are good 'harvest gauges'. These work as well for me as trying to check the trichs on my puter after taking pics lol. I cut them (strain dependant) between the period when the pistils are turning faster than the plant is making new ones; and when the plant looks like it has stopped doing anything altogether. Looks great though!!

Nice one m8

Nice one m8

barletta said:

Looks delicious dude! Getting close now... What % of the pistils have died off? Have they started dying faster than she is making em? It's not as good as checking the trich colors, but these are good 'harvest gauges'. These work as well for me as trying to check the trichs on my puter after taking pics lol. I cut them (strain dependant) between the period when the pistils are turning faster than the plant is making new ones; and when the plant looks like it has stopped doing anything altogether. Looks great though!!

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Yeah Barletta, thanks for that m8! I was getting a bit confused with the harvest time. Right now, there are more brown pistils than white. I reckon they have just past the half and half white/brown ratio. I had a look at the crystals yesterday and think they are turning 'milky' or 'cloudy' now. I say that because, en-masse, they look whiter, under my humble lens, than those on the plant next to it. I can barely discern the round 'tops' of the trichs though so cannot say for absolute sure. Alas, my phone cam is pants at showing the frostiness. I will post a pic of someone elses bud close up that is more or less identical to how mine looked a couple of days ago. To me it looks like the plant is starting to shut down big time now. All of the big fans have gone yellow and the smaller leaves are all following suit now. I reckon the buds have got a bit more swelling left in them but don't think it is gonna be long now m8! Maybe another week or so.

Cheers for looking in on the regs m8! You have stuck with my grow from start to finish and got me back on the positive track when I needed it a couple of times! Can't ask for more than that fella!

Respect.

I'm gonna go find that photo and chuck it in on an edit!

For now,

Peace

Bun2

Right, I found the 2 examples. LOL, these aren't mine, they are a different strain. The pistils and crystals on mine look the same though and close up they look similar enough. Right now, the buds on mine have a few more brown pistils than the first one but not as many as the second, if you know what I mean! The crystals are about the same on mine as these. LOL, gonna have to go and get a loupe or something!