A Cabinet, a Closet, and a Table walk into a bar…

[Dis39]

I have another grow here, prior to this one, that I kinda just threw up. It was part of a cycle that got badly neglected, while a lot was being upgraded. I had just found CP and wanted to get something up. Once those plants are harvested that thread will die. This grow is being documented on PH and mirrored here, time and energy permitting.

3rd year organic veggie & canna gardener. Growing food and medicine for my wife and I. Working towards an urban homestead. Hoping to add chickens sometime in the future. 2021 was the goal, but with the year we've had… just trying to realistically manage my expectations and resources. Always learning and improving.

I run organic indoors (25ft² canna over 3 spaces, hand watered with Berkey filtered or GAC/KDF filtered and bubbled; thinking about putting them on Blumats), and organic no till outdoor (400ft² of veggie beds on Blumats and Blusoak). The indoor is grown in DIY Coot's mix (compost portion consisting of Bu's, aeration in the form of pumice) that gets fed over the grow with with a bunch of BAS additives (Coconut, Aloe, Rootwise, Craft Blend, Insect Frass, BuildABloom) as well as AACTs and SSTs (corn during veg, mung during flower, barley full cycle) If I don't have soil made, I run EB Stone Recipe 420, it has performed as well as FFOF for me in side by side trials with Bu's Potting soil, Dr. Earth's Black potting soil, and Dr. Earth's Orange potting soil. Soil gets reamended and recycled, often as a single large batch. My IPM/Foliar consists of Aloe, Rehydrated Kelp Tea, AgSil 16h, Capt Jacks, and neem. This past year I went heavy with biologicals (nematodes and assassin bugs) and was pleased with the results. I'd like to cut back a little on the neem and Capt Jacks for 2021. Im great about spraying the veggies, awful about spraying the canna, more 2021 goals.

The 3 spaces are detailed below. The Cab and Clos are set up for canna year round. The Table is also where I start my veggies, from Feb 1st to mid March. There is no enclosure for the table, which is in a service porch type area. The lights are on during all waking hours, and all light leaks and power indicator leds are covered. This area is solely for vegging seedlings, and the easiest to spray regularly, so the fact that it is not in a full enclosed structure to protect it from pests, hopefully won't present much if any of a problem. The Table has been set up since 2018, but just got a new light (previously had 3 shop lights). The closet has been in service since late 2017, but has been getting more and more dialed each year, panda film in 2019, start of 2020 I upgraded the light and installed attic ventilation and door vent with light baffle. The cabinet was built a few months ago (Q3 2020), and technically isn't done, but I plan on finishing it between this grow and the next. So the idea is wet and veg on the Table, cull any runts and possibly wait to see if any show sex, and then send the remaining onward to the Cabinet and Closet. The Cabinet and Closet are in a dark room, environmental monitors are set to 85°F, but I have no active warming or humidity control. I've used water trays and additional ventilation to keep the numbers reasonable, but they are far from constant, project for another time.

Cabinet:
DIY build, 30" x 30" x 66" interior
2x HLG135 R Spec (66%)
AC Infinity Cloudline 4
Holmes Little Blizzard

Closet:
36" x 48" x 100" interior
4x RapidLED / GrowMaus Pucks (100%)
10" Attic Exhaust Fan
Holmes Little Blizzard

Table:
3' x 5' x 5.5' table space / height restriction
1x ChilLED X1 Veg (2' x 4' usage area)
14" Hurricane Fan


It's been a rough year with the wife's health. I don't know what kind of record keeping or consistency I will be capable of, but I probably take more pics than I need to, and welcome opportunities for learning and developing my cannabis cultivation skill set. I have some things at some various stages right now, but I want to kick this off with the next wetting project. I've posted a grow on ICMAG a few years ago, and a couple on AFN last year, currently have the other one here on CP.

 

[Dis39]

Next up...


10x Anvil F7 by Mandolorian Genetics
10x JEM F9 by Mandolorian Genetics
2x Canna-Cheese F4 1:1 by Mephisto Genetics
6x Whitebread by Freak Genetics

Waiting on 2 packages before I can get started, new light is en route, as well as the Whitebread to my knowledge. The plan will be to self the Anvil & JEM, and hit the Canna-Cheese with some male pollen. Presently I plan to use 3" Cowpots, then up pot to 6" Cowpots. Might just start them in the 6", I am hoping to get them to show sex before putting them in their final 2 or 3 gallon pots. Not even sure if I can use the Cowpots in this way effectively, but I've used Fertilpots in the past, and watched them air prune… anyone have experience with up potting autos in Fertilpots or Cowpots? I have grown several autos, both topped and untopped, but haven't read anyone doing this, but transplant shock is why these products exist, so consequences be damned. Ultimately they will likely be going into a mix of 2 and 3 gallon brown Root Pouches, and 3 gallon Radicle bags, for performance comparisons. This will be my first time using 2 gallon pots, and my first time using Radicle bags. Soil will likely be bagged, as my current batch is still too hot.

 

[Dis39]

New light arrived. Ready to wet some seeds! Frim's gear has yet to arrive so I am not sure if I am going to run something in their place or not. I'll be putting some seeds in the drink later tonight or first thing tomorrow.

Before: This used to have 3x 4' LED shop lights; The past month or so it's had this HLG135 R Spec over it, waiting for the new fixture. This HLG fixture will be moved into the cabinet, for a total of 2x HLG135 R Specs, ran at 66%.


After: ChilLED Veg Spectrum X1. Uses about 40w more than the previous 3x shop lights, but will actually start seedlings across the entire table, unlike the shop lights. In theory this space would need 2 of these to grow plants, but for seedlings I think I can make this works perfectly for my space and needs. Still need to mount the driver and run the wires

 

[Dis39]

Into the drink they go. 1/4tsp BAS freeze dried coconut powder, 1/4tsp BAS horticultural aloe, 7.5mL Ful-Power into 32 ozs. Mandalorian Genetics hooked it up, 14x of the JEM and 12x of the Anvil, setting those aside, for what I know not.... Wet 10x Anvil, 10x JEM, and 2x Canna-cheese.

 

[NoWaistedSpace]

You're well on your way! Nice set up.
Only help I can offer at the moment, is maybe pull some of those "shaded" lower leaves to allow better airflow through the plant.

 

[Dis39]

You're well on your way! Nice set up.
Only help I can offer at the moment, is maybe pull some of those "shaded" lower leaves to allow better airflow through the plant.

Those plants are there temporarily, in between being sexed, pruned, up potted, and tied down before they head to the closet, not a real home for them, but I appreciate your suggestion.

 

[Dis39]

No cracked seeds after 18hrs, put them in the dirt anyway. They will be getting lightly sprayed with plain water until they pop.



The other plants in this picture are technically not documented in this thread. They are here temporarily while I confirm sex before moving them into the Cab. I wasn't planning on detailing them here as its sort of the end result of the previous run, and I wanted to start fresh with this journal; But I caught a comment regarding the plants in the background, despite the focus being the autos in the fore, so they clearly need to be addressed. Still tying them down, stopped to make coffee...

4x Obsol33t Genetics Alien Sour Apple:
ASA 1 & 4 look like they are showing male parts but Im waiting a couple more days to confirm. ASA2 smells amazing, blue dream crossed with apple Jolly Ranchers, going to keep it regardless of sex. ASA5 smells strong, tallest of the 4, my wife says it smells like Thai food.

County Line Genetics: 1x County Line Hash Plant
She had some adult aphids on a single leaf the other day, pulled it, inspected, and moved on. When I went to defol last night it was covered in what appeared to be aphid nymphs. Hit all the plants with some neem, aloe, Agsil, Sal Suds, and coconut. She's the nearest along the back wall. The ASAs had no sign of pests, the Sangria Cookies was only lightly affected.

County Line Genetics: 1x Sangria Cookies
She's much more squat than the Hash Plant. Smells good. Looks healthy. Had a handful of aphid nymphs on her. Not much to report.

Barney's Farm Peyote Critical (From Clone):
4x cuttings I took and rooted from a plant I grew outdoor this past summer. They are just sitting in the corner, not sure what I'm going to do with them.

 

[Dis39]

So I started to get worried my seeds dried out... I have them on the heat mat at 85f, and its cold and dry in these parts right now. I didnt see any action after 2 days of soil & spray, and 18hrs of pre soak. That irrational fear prompted me to wet the remaining 2x Anvil (straight into soil, no pre soak) and 4x JEM (so far a 36hr pre soak, no tails). Last night they finally started peeking through, this morning 19x of 22x are alive and well. The 6x I started late are roughly 2 days behind. Sprouts are being sprayed with 1/16tsp Agsil into 20 ozs of water (heavily diluted silica solution).

It has begun. First real chucking / selfing project.

 

[Dis39]

Finally moved the County Line Hash Plant, Sangria Cookies, ASA2 (think fem), and ASA5 (think male - will cull it if confirmed) into the closet, after moving the closet plants (2x Barney's Farm Peyote Critical clones) into the dark pantry. I also stuck the ASA1 & ASA4, but they are coming out once I confirm sex, thinking they are leaning male. Its crowded in here, but I suspect there will only be 3 plants left when all is said and done. Cab isnt quite done being built, need to secure wires and finish some light baffles, but you get the idea. 2x HLG135 RSpec, 170w total.



Onward...

Not having the more mature plants allowed me to lower the light. Its at 70w and 8" right now, hopefully this is all the legginess they will show.



A couple cycles ago I ran into an issue where my plants were looking poorly, couldnt figure out why. Everyone asked me about pH, but as an organic grower I dont pH my water. I had a couple cheap yellow pH meters and a couple blue TDS meters, used those which ultimately worsened the problem. I chucked the pens and just started listening to the plants, and was able to turn it around. As this grow / hunt is my largest yet, I wanted to be able to keep more accurate logs with reliable data, as well as being able to trust my equipment and readings, so I pulled the trigger on the Apera AI316.

 

[H.A.F.]

A couple cycles ago I ran into an issue where my plants were looking poorly, couldnt figure out why. Everyone asked me about pH, but as an organic grower I dont pH my water. I had a couple cheap yellow pH meters and a couple blue TDS meters, used those which ultimately worsened the problem. I chucked the pens and just started listening to the plants, and was able to turn it around. As this grow / hunt is my largest yet, I wanted to be able to keep more accurate logs with reliable data, as well as being able to trust my equipment and readings, so I pulled the trigger on the Apera AI316.

Inside growing is about control. If there is a factor that effects the plants that you can control it's worth the effort. I use the Apera as well, but have shifted down to their cheap pen model with the replacement tip.

I think in Hydro pH / ppm meters are almost daily use tools and more accuracy is better. Mine is only accurate to .1 instead of .01 because I think that's close enough for soil. And it just has a one point calibration. Easy.

But I worked my way down to it from one like you have.

Make sure and keep the tip wet. The fill line on the cap is there for a reason! (says the dude that didn't at one point and had to buy a new one...)

 

[Dis39]

Inside growing is about control. If there is a factor that effects the plants that you can control it's worth the effort. I use the Apera as well, but have shifted down to their cheap pen model with the replacement tip.

I think in Hydro pH / ppm meters are almost daily use tools and more accuracy is better. Mine is only accurate to .1 instead of .01 because I think that's close enough for soil. And it just has a one point calibration. Easy.

But I worked my way down to it from one like you have.

Make sure and keep the tip wet. The fill line on the cap is there for a reason! (says the dude that didn't at one point and had to buy a new one...)

Your word are encouraging, thank you sir. Your program is one of the most organized Ive come across, you are a role model for some in that regard, no doubt. This one also has a replaceable tip and I believe can be used with several tips this is the 5 in 1 tip, tips are between $30 and $60 it seems. I have never messed with hydro, but having a solid piece of equipment allows me to confidently dabble if I decide to or if ever I should absolutely need to. Considering running a Sangria Cookies cutting as hydro to see what I can learn...

 

[H.A.F.]

Thanks! I'm a thinker. And I'm lazy. I like breaking down a system and see what's what. I have enough of this figured out that I can just grow plants now. I'm sure I could add stuff to get bigger or better stuff, but I like just seeing what the plants do. Always remember, plants left alone will die slowly. The quickest way to kill them is with too much human involved

 

[Dis39]

Thanks! I'm a thinker. And I'm lazy. I like breaking down a system and see what's what. I have enough of this figured out that I can just grow plants now. I'm sure I could add stuff to get bigger or better stuff, but I like just seeing what the plants do. Always remember, plants left alone will die slowly. The quickest way to kill them is with too much human involved

I summarize myself to other people as one who loves the process of refinement and distillation, with efficiency being the primary goal. Deconstructing systems to find opportunities for improvement has more or less been a life long career. Always learning. Thanks for checking in, and the encouraging words.

 

[H.A.F.]

I'm always learning, but for now I have found a comfort zone to grow in. Less experimentation. I think you have to get the 'not killing them' part down first, before you can really concentrate on anything else. Took me about a year LOL

 

[Dis39]

I'm always learning, but for now I have found a comfort zone to grow in. Less experimentation. I think you have to get the 'not killing them' part down first, before you can really concentrate on anything else. Took me about a year LOL

Now that you have found a comfortable place you can focus on what really matters, like starting in half gallons starting pot vs gallons! Thereby saving me the time of conducting the same experiments, while I master not killing plants.

 

[J.James]

Looking Great @Dis39
They say both the Mandalorian Genetics strains are 70 day cycles, It will be interesting to see what they yield. Packaging looked nice and professional so they make a good first impression.

 

[Dis39]

Going to try to do a better job recording data.

So the starter cells had been getting about 50mL each a day of aloe, coconut, Agsil, and Fulpower on days 1, and 2, and got plain water for day 3. I haven't pHed the solution, waiting on distilled water so I can put the new pH pen to work. I'll have those numbers later.

Of the 10 that either went in late (6), and those that didnt pop with the others (4), 4x have popped. 1 of the late Anvils, 2 of the late JEMs, and 1 of the initial JEMs. One of the remaining 6 slots has a sprout showing, but looks like it stalled out. Stem looks healthy, but helmet wont come up out of the soil, so definitely one failure to be germinated successfully.

I started 7 grams of multi colored organic heirloom corn, for a half gallon of corn/barley SST, it soaked for 2 days, changing the water daily, and now its kept moist while it sprouts a half inch long tail. In the future I wont use multicolor, the wife wanted it for popping, but it pops at different temps/times and has different kernel size, told her Id swap her my heirloom Hopi blue... Well it germs at different rates too, annoying.

 

[Dis39]

Looking Great @Dis39
They say both the Mandalorian Genetics strains are 70 day cycles, It will be interesting to see what they yield. Packaging looked nice and professional so they make a good first impression.

Thank you for the kind words sir. I am worried they got a touch too dry on day Zero, so I, from the start acknowledge that my short comings as a grower will keep them from being all they can be, however I am hopeful and excited. Far and away the nicest packaging for what thats worth, 4 extra seeds with the JEM and 2 extras with the Anvil. I also acknowledge that transplanting autos by nature is risky business and often frowned upon, not something I have previously attempted myself. Full Duplex states that JEM is particularly sensitive to transplant shock, so despite my familiarity with Fertilpots (the Cowpots Im using this run allegedly operate exactly the same, and look and feel very similar to me) I am unsure what to expect. Due to the plant count of this project I am forced to restrict plant size, so everything will be going into 2 gallon pots. I dont trust my abilities as a grower to go any smaller, just yet. As an organic grower smaller soil volumes get more challenging for me. Any stunting resulting as by product of up potting may actually help me out. After these 3" Cowpots they are able to go into 6" Cowpots, or straight into 2gal Root Pouches - Id like to sex them first, which Full Duplex says they slow around week 3, not sure if the 6"s will be big enough to keep them happy that long. Hoping to keep the best 13 fems, selectively selfing the indoor and open pollinating / selfing the JEM (keeping a strong Anvil male and JEM male) outdoors in a small thrown together DIY tarp based greenhouse (mild winters). Once these hit 4 or 5 weeks, I can start vegging the next cycle, the Glue runs, on the table.

Not gonna lie, I'm feeling the pressure of needing to publically get this grow right!

 

[Dis39]

So they didnt get their usual 1500mL last night, they had enough moisture to make it to today. I am currently bubbling 1500mL with Agsil in it. Trying to decide if these corn sprouts will be ready today or not, have some with 1/4" tails and some just emerging, so either they will get Agsil, or Agsil in corn/barley SST. We had some late comers show up to the party, we have action in 22x of 28x cells, hopeful for 2 maybe 3 more.

 

[Dis39]

Leaves look happy. Loving this light.