Gabes First Grow

I would like to apologize to anyone that has been reading this. I recently aggravated an old military injury and may have pinched my sciatic nerve. I'm able to move around and take care of the plants, but not anything major so for the time being I wont be updating but every 2-3 days. As of now its looking like my topping attempt was a success on the one plant but I'm not 100% sure yet. Waiting to see what happens with the plant and new growth. They are looking beautiful though.

 

Gotta go get a spray bottle this morning first thing. One plant is showing signs of nite burn on the edges of the leaves and its got less than 1/8 nute mix and its got a couple brown spots in the middle of one new leaf. So I'm going to not take the chance that it's just nute burn and try a homemade bug repellent I use around my house. Citrus.

 

Ok... After dealing with the pain from my sciatic nerve and doing some research I have determined the problem to actually be nutrient deficiency. I went ahead and purchased a spray bottle and a stronger magnifying lens just to make sure its not spider mites and I haven't found the first one. I used the following video to help identify the problem and some stuff I thought was just natural (this is my first grow of anything) actually wasn't. I had brown rust colored spots appearing on my leaves, yellowing of some leaves, and purple showing on the stems. Some of this I knew wasn't right. The yellowing and rust spots I knew were not good, by I thought the purple appearing on the stalks was just from the type I was growing but it appears I've been wrong. Plus I noticed a stunt in growth from what I've actually seen in the past few weeks. So I've changed all water with fresh half strength nutes and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they recover and my problems are solved.... At least for now as I'm sure there will be more.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s0p1ABDBF1w

 

I have an order for some calmag+ and a sample assortment from general hydroponics of other more advanced nutrients and my digital ph meter. Should be here by Friday. I could just switch to bottled drinking water or spring water but that would have an edge on the amount of nutes I would need to put in the water and frankly I don't want to deal with that

 

Plants are showing signs they will recover... At least for now. The older leaves that were starting to yellow and were developing lots of brown spots are more than likely going to die but the rest of the plant on all of them are standing up strong and defiant and yesterday they were droopy.

 

Checked on the plants and they are doing good. They appear to be taking well to being topped this first time. I just topped the last one about an hour ago. The first one I topped is showing great new growth from the topping and the others im sure will be following suit. I'm hoping they will get some micro nutes like calcium and magnesium from the spring water I used to top the off and complete changed my dwc.

 

All four plants are looking great today. They all took to being topped and all have two new main stalks growing.

 

Sorry to everyone that's been following my journal, for not posting in a few days. Plants have been doing great. They are being fed full strength nutes for the last week now and doing great. Just this morning had two plants ready to be topped again. One of these I actually damaged when I topped the first time and it only grew one new main stalk so its actually only going to have two tops after this time and the rest will have four after this. Another day or two and I should be able to top the other two plants. Thursday will be week 3 of full veg and week four from seed. Still no signs of spider mites and no signs of presex yet but I really don't expect it for at least 2 - 4 more weeks so I don't know if it will show or not before I put into flower in 2 - 3 weeks. As everyone can see the plants I have in the bubblers are staying pretty much short compact and bushy, but the dwc is growing more tree like. I'm sure it has to do with the bubblers started out closer to the light than the dwc for about two weeks from seed but they are all at the same height

 

Just checked on the plants and topped the last two. Two more weeks and ill be changing over to 12\\12 and putting into flower. I've got the one plant I damaged and it appears its taking on the traits of being damaged. I damaged on the first time I topped and its been topped twice now. It's only grew one new shoot both times so I'm not sure it will take to being topped and give me more than one top lol.

 

Yea I've thought about lettuce and mint after looking at them several times lol. They are actually starting to show signs of presexing (or at least that's what I think it is). Small upside down ice cream cone growths at some nodes. I think they may end up all four being female which would be awesome. I'll give them a couple of days to show more signs of sex and get a better view so I can snap some photos and post them.

 

Not quiet 100% positive, but it appears that I have two that are looking like they have female presex showing that is the appear to have the start of "hairs" visible through a jewelers loupe not quiet visible enough for a picture yet

 

Did some trimming this morning and thinned out some of the lower leaves not getting much light. They are all looking good except for the fact that I accidentally broke a main branch off one. I have it bandaged up and none of the leaves are drooping yet. It didn't separate completely but almost. Like I said its bandaged up and I think it may be saved.

 

Well its 3 days till week 5. Next week I may go ahead and switch over to flowering lights and cycle. I'll be running 4 2700k t5HO bulbs for flowering. I've moved the light a little farther from the plants to try to stimulate them to stretch out some as some are quiet short with very close nodes. Opinions on this please? Wondering if I should keep the light close to keep the nodes closer and maybe a bigger harvest? The damaged branch is just starting to show some browning at the spot that I broke it but still no say in limb or leaves. I know the brown will occur just hoping it heals and lives. I'm starting to wonder if what I've been keeping an eye and thought was presexing may just be small new growth. Still not 100% sure.

 

So the branch I damaged yesterday still looks normal. No sagging of leaves or branches. No curling of leaves or anything detrimental to its health as of yet. I think she's going to recover. Everything is looking good and healthy.

 

It looks like I either have some signs of presex starting to form on some of my older nodes. Again this is my first grow so I'm not sure if its just new leaf growth at those spots or if it really is the plants presexing or not. I'll no more as the next few days progress. Strongly considering changing over to flower tomorrow, but thinking of waiting one more week.