A starter's quest for the good good

[Crumpledtrumpet]

Hello again...

On the seedlings' 9th day, 2 have died. I don't know what caused it. There has been signs of white on the leaves. The other 2 are healthy.
I should let you know that the seeds I used might be not healthy because they are from the local weed here which is dried and not looking good when it gets here in the city. Could it be just because the seeds are not good?

Also, what soil should I buy? I am planning on changing mine.

Hi Monyo, I would take note of a few things that have been said here, I know your a new grower and good to see it, Next time you plant seeds don't use clear plastic as your roots won't like that and if they are 2ltr bottoms' They are too big imo, I use 3 inch pots until rooted out and then pot on' Hope this helps' Take care.

 

[Former Guest]

I second the 3 in pots. also, I would only half fill them when putting in the germed seed. when it sprouts, it will grow up tall and that can lead to them falling over, so to eliminate that, half fill the pots with soil, plant seed, let grow up about 2-3" and then add more dirt till you're at the cotyledons. that way you get a good root system going and they won't dampen off as easily.

 

[Monyo]

Thank you so much for the information, guys. I will avoid over-watering from now on. Will also use smaller pots. Probably transfer them tomorrow.

 

[Former Guest]

you're going to put them in smaller pots? I would just leave them , let them dry out, and only water around the base about 1/4 cup of water. you can get a moisture probe for cheap that helped me realize that even though the top surface is dry, the bottom may not. I would worry about transplant shock being so young. just next time, use smaller pots.

bog seeds are good and relatively inexpensive. $40

 

[Monyo]

Hi, I bought some grow medium. Here it is

One more thing, what is flushing? When is it usually done?

 

[Former Guest]

Add some more perlite to that. Hard to read the label but looks ok but needs EWC or compost unless that's the one square I can't read. Put some in a container and water it to see how quick it drains. The mix should be light and fluffy; like you could easily blow a handful out of your hand like blowing out birthday candles.

Flushing is when you are pouring massive amounts of water to rid your soil of excess salts from fertilizer. Almost always this is using synthetic nutes. Synthetics are entirely salt based which builds up overtime so every few weeks they need flushing to remove it from containers. Also, again about a week or more before harvest to remove any build up of nutes to make the npk basically 0-0-0. Then they will leach until harvest so the plants leaves lighten forcing the plant to live off it's leaves and fade for better taste.

Organic based grows do not flush but instead leach meaning just give regular amounts of water only the last 2-3 weeks so the plant will fade naturally called senescence. Synthetic plants are force fed and will only fade when you let them.

 

[exploziv]

Contents of that soil are:
Coco Dust
Soil
Perlite Soil Conditioner
Carbonized Rice Hulls

If you have acces to EWC (earth worm castings), you should add some. Or some nice maturated compost.

 

[Monyo]

Thanks again guys, learning so much. I will try going around town again looking for EWC this time.

@exploziv but do you think this will do?

 

[exploziv]

Yeah, with some added EWC you should be able to finish this round with no added nutrients. (because of low light conditions)
But if you plan on growing in the future too, you might want to have some nutrients close, maybe plants will show some defficiency that you will need to correct.
If you want to be sure you got some aerated soil mix, you should also get some extra perlite to mix in. It's always good to have some on hand.

 

[Monyo]

I just finished going and asking around town... No luck finding pH probe and EWC. I will try looking for it again tomorrow. Maybe at MC Home Depot and/or Ace Hardware.

 

[Former Guest]

Maybe you'll find it there but the ones in my area don't carry EWC but they will have the probes and a ph kit. I would however get litmus paper from an aquarium store that sell fish. You can do a slurry ph test using the little ph papers which are more accurate.

 

[Monyo]

Hello again,

This is my progress, currently on its 2nd week. I guess it's looking healthy? Though the leaves on the lower part of the plant look yellowish because of over watering, it is gaining a lot of new leaves lately since I changed soils.

 

[Monyo]

@ladyluckbean

Gonna buy those litmus papers, any other terms it might be called you can think of it? It's hard to ask around for those kind of items here in my town.

I assume I would be opening up a hole in the soil and pour some water and dip the paper?


Just to add on my previous post: I haven't managed to contact our carpenter and wasn't able to make a hood for the bulbs and holes for ventilation.

 

[exploziv]

"pH Test Paper Strips" check their range too, it should at least include 5 - 9 range, if not Full Range (1-14).

 

[Former Guest]

First you will need a lot more perlite in your soil. That will compact and give you root problems.

Litmus paper helps you determine whether your soil has the right pH balance for the plants you want to grow. The paper measures the amount of acid in the soil, helping you determine whether the soil is acidic, neutral or alkaline. This is a quick way to determine whether your plants aren't thriving because the soil isn't quite right.

Litmus paper is easy to find at many craft or hobby stores as well as some garden centers, but it doesn't give you an exact measurement of soil pH. Some versions give you a color chart to help you estimate your pH within certain constraints, such as helping you decipher the paper color to determine if your soil has a pH between 3.0 and 10.0 in whole numbers -- pH typically is measured between zero and 14 in 1/2 units, such as 5.5. This means you won't get the soil's exact pH level using this method, but it can help you determine if pH is one of the reasons your plants aren't thriving as they should.

Surface soil isn't best for the pH sample. Instead, use a sterilized garden trowel to dig about 6 to 8 inches below the surface, and remove a trowel-full of soil. Dump a small amount of soil, about a teaspoon, into a clean container and add distilled water. The mixture should be soggier than mud, but without so much water that all the soil settles to the bottom quickly -- usually about twice as much water as soil works well. Stir or shake the mixture to evenly distribute the soil.

Dipping the end of the litmus paper into your soil and water mixture starts the acidic reaction in the paper. Hold it in the mixture for 1 or 2 seconds before pulling it out, and then wait a few seconds until the color stabilizes. If you have a litmus paper kit designed for pH testing, compare the color to the condensed chart included with the paper. With standard litmus paper, look for one of two color options. If the paper turns red, you have acidic soil. When blue appears, the pH is more alkaline.

When you don't need exact pH numbers, try a test using basic household supplies. Scoop some soil into a container and add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the top. If the soil is alkaline, the vinegar will begin to bubble or fizz. If you don't see a reaction, scoop a clean soil sample into a different container and mix with distilled water until the mixture is runny. Pour in 1/2 cup baking soda and watch for bubbles; this indicates acidic soil. To properly amend your soil for your plants' needs, however, exact soil measurements are best. Use a soil pH test kit from a garden supply store to determine the exact pH of your soil.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/soil-testing-litmus-paper-82864.html#

So I guess accuracy depends on what type of litmus paper you have. I'm not sure of what else it's called other than just ph paper strips. I got a kit at an aquarium store that came with ph up/down and green dye. Here's some more info I found.

I grow blueberries here in Madison, Wisconsin. Our native soil has pH around 7.6, and our water supply(City of Madison) also has pH around 7.6. Since blueberries do best at soil pH around 4.5, I am obliged to do my own pH testing. The least expensive, and most reliable method that I have found is to use bromocresol green indicator solution, which can be found at HMS Beagle online. This is a standard test solution, so other chemical supply companies should have it available. Using distilled or DI water, a small soil sample is made into a slurry, and next a funnel with filter paper is used to get a clean sample. Add a drop of indicator(bromocresol green), and the sample will turn yellow(pH = 3.8), green(pH = 4.6), or blue(pH = 5.4). The test result is not ambiguous. There are other indicator solutions available to cover other portions of the pH spectrum. I have also used a Hanna Instruments portable pH probe, which worked well. The test results from using the pH meter, and bromocresol green indicator solution, were in agreement. You can get better resolution with a pH meter, plus or minus 0.1 unit. With indicator dye, the result is plus or minus 0.2 unit. But that is close enough for growing blueberries. A small bottle, about one fluid ounce, of dye indicator sells for two dollars, and will allow about 100 tests. My pH meter was 45 dollars, and lasted three years. However, pH meters are fragile, they have a glass bulb that can be broken. The glass bulb can get clogged up and become inoperative, either from contamination like dirt, or from dissolved limestone. I was able to get my pH meter back up and working by cleaning the electrode with Lime-Away. Also, pH meters have a battery that must be replaced periodically. To get an reliable reading, the pH meter has to be calibrated before use, with a solution of known pH. You can buy calibration standards, but I was using regular 5% white vinegar(3.5) and Madison City tap water(7.6) to calibrate my meter, and that seemed to work OK. I don't use metal probe type pH testers because I have been told that they can't be calibrated using a solution of known pH. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/1665048/ph-soil-tester

At this link they said rapid test ph testers for soil were the most accurate of cheap testers available at a garden store or Home Depot. Some people tested them using probe meters and compared to the rapid test brand meter which seemed to be fairly accurate. Using synthetics you want to be accurate within a few tenths of a point. Litmus paper would work better for plain water testing but nutrient solutions are dyed and that will effect your reading. After having pointed out to me privately, I realized afterwards that this wouldn't work as well if using the fertilizer you are using. You will need a pen style meter. Ph is really important when using salt based fertilizers. I use bone meal, fish fertilizers and stuff so I have never test my soil. I just add ph water mainly along with some other stuff. Easy in that sense. I wish there was an easier answer.

 

[Monyo]

Failed to find litmus papers but I was able to buy 2kg Vermicast. Something like or if I'm correct, better than EWC.

So guys, do you think the plant is okay?

 

[vostok]

I see the beginnings of a great grow, but first :

Questions:
When I am at the stage of cutting down male branches, can I smoke those leaves? lol
(Yes you can, but you are about a month away better dial in your grow, if you want to make more seeds keep the male separate)
When do I officially start budding stage?
( A minimum of 4 weeks from now, you need to go thru the vegging stage, the stage to make growth to hang buds on, 4 weeks time is good)
Do I have to make holes for my ventilation? Putting 120mm computer fans for intake and exhaust. 24hrs a day?
(Yes study up stomata plants need to breathe you need to replace that c02)
What would you advice me to buy to add up nutrients for my plants?
(That soil needs perlite or sand/stone mix, to dilute the hot soil effects)

You can grow a good plant under cfl's, adding a new 23w warm white/cool white every 2-3 weeks, ensure you have the kelvin balanced for correct internodel growth, and a small fan to circulate the air.

But right now I'd be spray painting the diy pots flat black, to prevent light getting to the roots, or get better proper black 1 liter pots, and spraying painting the closet flat white, to reflect light, but above all, keep them leaf tips within 25mm/1x inch of the cfl bulb

good luck

 

[Monyo]

3 weeks

3 weeks

Hello again guys!

I was able to build my own Lighting Hood and also ventilation.

Here is it almost 3 weeks old.

You can see my exhaust fan at the top of the closet:

So what do you think guys?

 

[exploziv]

nice job on the build. but, by the looks of the plants you need more light in there!

 

[Monyo]

Oh, it might have been because of me putting it in late because we finished the hood late in the afternoon already.