The Christmas Tent

[MtRainDog]

I don't think the pH is/was the issue.

I think it was over watered at some point.

If you struggle with getting the watering correct, you should mix-in perlite and coco coir into your soil.

I find this ratio to give me a consistency that is very difficult to over water:

1/3 perlite
1/3 coco coir
1/3 everything else

This is especially important in younger plants. More mature plants with established root systems can deal with less porous soil better.

If it were me, I'd get a high-porous mix like I suggested together, let these suckers dry out as best you can, and transplant them into the more porous mix. Break loose any wet, clumpy masses of dirt when you transplant.

 

[H.A.F.]

They look hungry. and the soil looks damp. Did you just feed them? Everything @MtRainDog said about drainage. Also, until you get the watering thing down, I would transplant into cloth pots when you get to that point. If that won't be your final size pot they make some with Velcro up one side for easier transplanting.

Best thing about them is that the soil dries from all sides - have it on a raised rack, not flat on a tray. In the plastic pots You get no evaporation except from the top, less air to the roots for longer periods of time, etc. You have to base watering on how much they drink until the roots fill the pot and they can be soaked and drink it in a few days.

 

[H.A.F.]

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For my small plants, I water with this - or a spray bottle. Has a wide mouth so it cleans easy. Plants your size would get about this size bottle (500ml) for a watering while they are in a 1gal-ish pot. You can also use whatever 'force' necessary to get it into the soil instead of sitting on top and draining mostly around the outside.

 

[baldmountain]

They look hungry. and the soil looks damp. Did you just feed them? Everything @MtRainDog said about drainage. Also, until you get the watering thing down, I would transplant into cloth pots when you get to that point. If that won't be your final size pot they make some with Velcro up one side for easier transplanting.

Best thing about them is that the soil dries from all sides - have it on a raised rack, not flat on a tray. In the plastic pots You get no evaporation except from the top, less air to the roots for longer periods of time, etc. You have to base watering on how much they drink until the roots fill the pot and they can be soaked and drink it in a few days.

Yes, they were watered yesterday afternoon. Because the pH was high I think the plants were not getting any nutrients because of lockout. That's why they look hungry. The are also a bit light bleached.

I completely agree about the fabric pots. They make it much easier to judge when a plant needs to be watered. But they can stay in the plastic pots for now. I need to learn how to manage plastic pots so these guys will suffer a bit while I learn.

 

[sfrigon1]

Yes, they were watered yesterday afternoon. Because the pH was high I think the plants were not getting any nutrients because of lockout. That's why they look hungry. The are also a bit light bleached.

I completely agree about the fabric pots. They make it much easier to judge when a plant needs to be watered. But they can stay in the plastic pots for now. I need to learn how to manage plastic pots so these guys will suffer a bit while I learn.

Def. Few things could be the culprit. Been growing for years and still make all these mistakes. U could add a touch of perlite to ur mix but u still have to get the watering corrected. Just make sure they dry out completely before watering. I also add a tbs of worm castings when I repot just to ensure that the hey have something in there while growing roots . Also just gotta qb too so I am learning excatly where the light need to be as to not overwhelm the young plants . Best of luck man , if u feel overwhelmed , I always go back to the basics .

 

[sfrigon1]

Yes, they were watered yesterday afternoon. Because the pH was high I think the plants were not getting any nutrients because of lockout. That's why they look hungry. The are also a bit light bleached.

I completely agree about the fabric pots. They make it much easier to judge when a plant needs to be watered. But they can stay in the plastic pots for now. I need to learn how to manage plastic pots so these guys will suffer a bit while I learn.

I have found the only way to know when to water is picking them up . Litterally no other way I have found. It can be a bitch later in bloom but I just end up taking the front 2 plants out of the tent to check and water everything. Jmho

 

[H.A.F.]

I also add a tbs of worm castings when I repot just to ensure that the hey have something in there while growing roots.

The Fox Farms Big Bloom (or equivalent) is a good gentle (organic) additive with little NPK, but lots of other good junk in it.

 

[H.A.F.]

I have found the only way to know when to water is picking them up . Litterally no other way I have found. It can be a bitch later in bloom but I just end up taking the front 2 plants out of the tent to check and water everything. Jmho

I do that for my tomatoes now LOL

 

[sfrigon1]

The Fox Farms Big Bloom (or equivalent) is a good gentle (organic) additive with little NPK, but lots of other good junk in it.

Sorry was thinking he used amendments. Fox farm is even better especially the big bloom to start nice and gentle for sure

 

[baldmountain]

I have found the only way to know when to water is picking them up . Litterally no other way I have found. It can be a bitch later in bloom but I just end up taking the front 2 plants out of the tent to check and water everything. Jmho

I agree. Poking a finger in the soil to see if it is dry is not good enough. The surface can be crumbly dry but there roots are full of water lower down. Picking them up is the right way to go.

 

[sfrigon1]

Every shortcut I've ever tried I payed for one way or another

 

[MtRainDog]

Because the pH was high I think the plants were not getting any nutrients because of lockout.

Maybe. But soil typically provides some pH buffer, and your water at 7.5 is within the acceptable range. Nutrient lockout as you're describing it is more prevalent in hydro setups. My tap water tests higher than yours, and I've never adjusted it. Adjusting won't hurt, but I think it's unlikely to be causing an issue.

Wet, oxygen deprived roots will manifest themselves in the same way, the plant is unable to uptake nutrients because it's struggling to breathe.

 

[baldmountain]

It's been while so time for an update. Looks like I managed to fix these mostly. I think the pN was too high and even though there was plenty of nutrients in the soil the pH was out of a good range ant the plants couldn't take up any nutrients or water. Lesson learned - check water pH.

I did flip them to 12/12 last weekend since I think they are about as big as they are going to get in 1 gal pots. (And I'd like to get this grow over with.) They were in veg 46 days. Once they show their sex I'll cull the males and up pot the females to 3 gal pots.



These two up front are the same cultivar but very different expressions:

 

[sfrigon1]

It's been while so time for an update. Looks like I managed to fix these mostly. I think the pN was too high and even though there was plenty of nutrients in the soil the pH was out of a good range ant the plants couldn't take up any nutrients or water. Lesson learned - check water pH.

I did flip them to 12/12 last weekend since I think they are about as big as they are going to get in 1 gal pots. (And I'd like to get this grow over with.) They were in veg 46 days. Once they show their sex I'll cull the males and up pot the females to 3 gal pots.

View attachment 58155

These two up front are the same cultivar but very different expressions:

View attachment 58156

Must be pumped to be flipped! They looking good ,love the 2 dif phenos

 

[baldmountain]

Must be pumped to be flipped! They looking good ,love the 2 dif phenos

Hmmm... not pumped. More like relieved. I feel like I made a lot of mistakes this grow. It is only with a lot of help here that I feel like I pulled the pan out of the fire. A few things I learned:

1) Try a new soil with one plant, not a whole grow.
2) Nothing less that a 3 gallon pot. 1 gal is hard to manage. Next grow I'm going with one or two plants in 5 gal pots. (Maybe )
3) Fabric pots are easier to manage than plastic pots. Use fabric pots.
4) Check water pH. Don't assume it's fine just because it was fine in the past.
5) Check pH after adding nutrients. Nutrients can change pH by > 1.0.
6) If you have a decent first grow, don't change 50 things in your second grow. Small changes while you are learning.
7) Take all advice from the internet with a grain of salt.

I undid a lot a changes I made in this grow for my entries for the UGCircus. I am SO much happier with how my competition plants are doing.

 

[baldmountain]

Okay, the boys have started to show themselves. Time to murder them. Looks like it may be 3 boys of 8 plants for sure. Will check the rest again in a few days. Really bummed since both of the Missy's Stash V2 from Dragon Flame Genetics are male. I was looking forward to them. I guess I'll have to try a few more seeds. The other male is a Chem Cookie Trip from Useful Seeds. The other Chem Cookie Trip (the ugly stretchy one) is female for sure.

 

[H.A.F.]

2) Nothing less that a 3 gallon pot. 1 gal is hard to manage. Next grow I'm going with one or two plants in 5 gal pots. (Maybe )
3) Fabric pots are easier to manage than plastic pots. Use fabric pots.

Here's my 'grain of salt" (see #7 )

Don't discount the plastic pots. For one thing, you aren't as committed to pot-size. I have repotted from a 3-gallon to a 5-gallon in mid flower with no issues. They slide right out of the pots.

I run a lot of regs, which means a lot of culling males. I keep them in a 1gallon until I flip them, then I up-pot the girls so I only have to use new soil for them - if there aren't enough culled males to rape the soil from. LOL

If I end up with several girls of the same strain I'll keep them in 3gal - because it limits overall plant size. 5 gallon if there are fewer. I think I go by how much tent space I want them to take up.

Fabric pots help keep you from overwatering, and they allow air to the roots - as the roots are killed off by the air... I don't necessarily see that as a win-win. Could be wrong. If you can lift the pots to check 'water-weight' and have the patience to let them dry between feedings, there's not much overall difference.

 

[baldmountain]

Update for this week. I lucked out and got 5 of 8 girls. I am a little bummed since they all seem sativa leaning. My wife and I usually smoke close to bed time so we sleep better. I may have to gift these to someone we know who could use them to manage health issues.

On the other hand considering how much I broke these plants at the beginning of the grow they seem to be doing okay. I stripped off a lot of the lower branches, up potted them to 3 gallon pots and put my other light in. At this point I'm just going to water them and let them do their thing and see how it all works out.

 

[baldmountain]

Pulled a couple of these off the lower part of one of the plants. The up pot to 3 gal of FFOF is overwhelming them a little I think.

 

[baldmountain]

Starting to flower a bit...