Possuum’s Water-Only Organic Grow

Discussion in 'Organic Grow Journals' started by Possuum, Jul 9, 2010.

  1. #1 Possuum, Jul 9, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 11, 2010
    Welcome one and all. Please allow me my intro.

    This grow is being conducted in the spirit of being a minimalist Chlorophyll Manager. By that I’m referring to; start with solid “basics”, keep it simple, let nature run its course. That’s it in a nutshell. This is a water-only grow as all nutrients were mixed in the soil at planting time. Nothing additional will be added unless it is deemed life-saving triage. I’m thinking this is a journal better suited for those perhaps first starting out growing or having previously grown in soil but had some challenges that left them scratching their heads wondering, WTF. For others perhaps only some amusement :rolleyes:. I’m calling it “McGyver” because everything but the Sun Gro has been purchased at the local big box stores or created by me using natures sources found commonly in all geographies. Simple really.

    There are plenty of exceptional growers and I pale in comparison to many, however, some will tend to use grow-store variety products and my desire was to do something “different”, if you will allow me the liberty to say so. I figure if I can pull this off and be fruitful by using basic soil and nutrient science then anyone can – first timer or veteran. That’s a primary purpose of what this grow is all about; proof-of-concept. Another of course is to cultivate and cure out some very good smoke! :D

    By design I’m using off-the-shelf and big-box available nutrients but combining them using a formula I’ve plagiarized here in the city and adapted for my needs particular to this lab. I do this because there is something for all of us to learn by me doing so. Let me state up front that the next grow is going to be performed using only top quality nutrients and amendments, and top quality seed stock. One can argue that this grow is not a 100% “scientifically controlled lab environment” and I will concede to that. But I’m doing decent record keeping such that I think I can validate some principals to take away from my effort and this proof-of-concept effort. Both the good and the bad will be chronicled. :smoking:

    My end objective is 4 plants grown to maturity.

    May peace be upon us all. ;)
     
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  2. The grow environment parameters.

    The soil planting mixture, expressed in “parts”, was combined and left to cook for about 5 weeks prior to use. This is what it is.

    The base:

    6 part Sun Gro #2. (arguably not “off-the-shelf” but it was available locally).
    1 part MG Perlite
    1 part Stay-Green Vermiculite
    1 part poor quality EWC
    1 part poor quality humus
    ½ part builder sand
    ½ part powdered dolomite lime (NO, NO, NO! Never, ever, again!)

    Amendments:

    ½ cup MG Bone Meal
    ½ cup MG Blood Meal
    ½ cup Espoma Starter Plus w/Mycorhizae
    1 cup Bonide Compost Starter
    2 tbsp Epsom Salt

    I have separate batches of this in 4 gal containers that has been kept moist and dark for 5 weeks now. The 4 gal containers is what I will grow my selections out in.

    Environmental Parameters

    Grow space is an unused fiberglass shower stall measuring 32” square. Fortunately for me it's located in the basement so ambient temperatures are easily managed with fans and a portable AC/dehumidifier vented to the outside. More on the water condensate I'm using from this unit later.

    Lighting for seedling/vegetative growth is six each 26w CFL's arranged in array. (Two 2700K, four 5300K)

    Lighting for flower is a vented hydrofarm 250w HPS with SLI Sylvania bulb. I previously owned a 400w HPS some time ago, got rid of it, and it's too long of a story to get into why I just don't get another one. I think you will find at the end of this journal that the 250w performs admirably in a 32” sf area. Proof will be in the harvest!

    Genetics -IDK :(

    The true genetics of the three strains are unknown so for journal purposes they will be referenced as Kentucky Skunk (KYSK), Good Shit From Craig (GSC), and Indica F1 (INF1). Sorry but that's about the best I can do. Assuredly, it was all very good smoke when it was still in bud form and always obtained from excellent and trusted sources. I can't recall the time I've smoked “bad weed”. Some of the varieties I have date back 15 years. In that case it's the GSC and the one seed I got from my winter grow. Though it's what I'm calling INF1, its genesis is unknown and came from some smoke 10 or 12 years ago.

    I germinated the seeds in the soil in a 1:1 mix of SunGro #2 and perlite following a pre-soak for 24 hrs. One pint containers were used with a baggie rubberbanded on the top.

    Pictures now coming. Let's get on with it. :hello:
     
  3. Two weeks from sprout and officially a "plant" with 3 - 4 branching of leaves. The INF1 looks so good already that I have very high hopes for what I'm thinking is a female.
     

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  4. #4 Possuum, Jul 9, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 9, 2010
    Two weeks old and after transplanting. I will veg these for only 4 - 5 weeks, flip the switch to 12/12, determine sex, cull, and transplant the 4 keepers into their 4 gal permanent home.
     

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  5. #5 Possuum, Jul 9, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 9, 2010
    3.5 weeks. Nothing special but I'm starting to see something I don't like. I'll be correcting it later.

    My first attempt at AACT using inferior components. Most notably sub-par EWC and sub-par fish meal. Seems to have worked a bit though. Next time, mo betta.

    Everyone that had 5 sets of leaves got a FIM. Not sure if I did it correctly or not. We'll see.

    And a couple of shots after FIM'ing
     

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  6. #6 Possuum, Jul 9, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 30, 2010
    4 Weeks now. The lateral branching is amazing. You'll see some droopiness and other general malaise going on particularly with KYSK. The water source was an issue as was heat build up. I've got the air circulation dialed in now and temps never get above 80 at the most but generally seem to be staying around 77 - 78.

    I never planned on testing pH of any parameter of the pH source - input or output. But I got concerned and tested my fully areated and tepid municipal water source. Wowie! It was so alkaline I couldn't believe it. So, doing some searching here in the city I came across a recommendation to use the condensate from a dehumidifier or AC unit. Fortunately, I have a portable AC unit vented outside. I've been collecting 1 gal of condensate every few hours. It consistently tests 6.4 - 6.6. I've since been using it and soon you will see the result of doing so. The CEC is strong enough to handle more acid water but it sure did not like the over-the-top alkaline water.

    I am really pleased with INF1. The healthy growth and the lateral branching are superb and prolific. It really should be cloned but I'm not set up for that currently. There will be new opportunities for cloning one day.

    You will notice LST on two of the plants. Once I transplant into the 4 gal I'm probably going to get a bit more aggresive with the LST. I use LST strictly as a canopy management technique as I like uniform growth and as many buds sights as I can get to receive adequate light. NO trimming of fan leaves unless they show signs of decay. If they are light blockers I tie them back but leave surface area available to still process the light. Edit Update 8/30 THIS is not true. I trimmed the hell out of 'em MX style! Read on....
     

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  7. #7 Possuum, Jul 9, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 9, 2010
    I flipped lighting to 12/12 on 7/7. I kid you not, INF1 is already showing her pistols! YaY! One of the KYSK is also starting to poke through so that will 2 out of 6 thus far. I will allow two more females to show through and then transplant those in their 4 gal containers. That will be my crop. I'll figure out what to do if the remaining two show female and may in fact practice cloning techniques with those. Or perhaps better yet, I will pollinate a couple of lower buds and try to get some seed stock! But the first four that are female should be the most vigorous and as such will be my focus.

    The next picture post will be in a couple of days. I just wanted to get things started on the journal as I'm pleased enough at this point to feel like it was worth the effort to share this grow.

    Cheers and happy growing to ya!
     
  8. very nice man!!

    subscribed!
     
  9. Looking good! :)
     
  10. Thanks AW and I'm glad to have you aboard man. You grow some serious looking bud man!
     
  11. Glad to have you, you BadKitty you! OMG! I'm subbed to your journal ...awesome!
     
  12. I am in. Looking good so far dude :cool: :smoking:
     
  13. Im here! looking good so far!
     
  14. #14 Possuum, Jul 11, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 11, 2010
    Hey nOVa thanks to you bruthas Shag et al, for cruising by. The plants pics will be getting better as I move along the grow continuum with this experiment. Plants are really doing well for sure.

    I pulled this recipe out of the n-p-k list of nutrients in the organic section so thought I'd throw down with the current "natural" experiment.

    I took about 6 – 8 egg shells broke them up a bit and toasted them on the bar-b at about 450 or so – about 20 mins total. Left the lid down and went on to other things until the cookie sheet was cool. Hand ground them as good as I could and then ground them through a flour sifter as well as I could.

    This made 4 Tbsp of egg shells to which I added 4 Tbsp of white vinegar. It blackened up pretty quick. I don’t know if I did this exactly right because the egg shells weren't cooked to “ash” but it did get cooked up pretty good. This is a new experiment for me so we’ll see what happens. This mixture is supposed to produce high quality and highly concentrated calcium phosphate. It is traditionally used at flower onset but I'm a couple of weeks behind the chemical break down curve since I've already flipped to 12/12 and 3 of 6 have sexxed. Oh well. No worries. They'll be getting a does soon enough.

    I spotted another female today. So now I’ve got 3 out of 6 showing their pistols. Transplanting next week so I’ll update with plant pics in a couple of days. The whole group is extremely happy and the GSC is surely taking off. INF1 is going to be a solid little tree with a whole lot of bud sites. It is really enjoying itself.

    Still, just water only so far! Just too cool and NO worries about pH or anything else. I'm happy as can be with the prelims of this experiment. Gonna be a good one in the end. :D

    It's all good dudes! Peace on ya! :hello:
     

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  15. #15 Possuum, Jul 11, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 11, 2010
    Thank you and a hat tip to AW for moving my journal where it belongs!

    I wasn't going to post pics again until transplant but after seeing the garden this morning I had to share Day 29 with you all. Day 29 from "pop", Day 5 from 12/12.

    I'm showing my calcium phosphate extraction recipe here and also Day 11 of dynamic accumulator tea. These two ingredients will be drenched when their time comes. I'm a bit behind the calendar curve with both ammendments because of the time it takes it to be right for application, but they're gonna get it sonner or later in the next few weeks.

    I've got a couple of others pics I might post as well. 5 of the 6 plants are 18" tall, 3 of the 6 are fems. No males yet and I'm betting on more fems showing. I think if there are any environmental factors that can contribute to fem vs. male sex'ing they are; intense blue light as close to the top of the seedling as you can get without burning it all the way through vegetative growth, plenty of available nitrogen (organic only for me), moderate temps not exceeding 80 nor fluctuating more than 15 degrees between light cycles, nd plenty of fresh air. This probably all equals out to "no stress" but I think there is some merit to these theories.

    I'm still seeing the very tips of the leaves pointing down. Somehow I think it's realted to pH but if anyone has a clue I'd appreciate it. There is no other sign of stress of any kind. Water source is condensate, 6.4 - 6.6. Otherwise the plants look very healthy and I'm not stressing over it. Just wondering WTH now with those leaf tips!
     

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  16. Thanks for all your hard work Possuum38North. It's because off you and a few others that have turn me on to the world of organics, and I can't Thank-you enough. I'm working on getting a journal together but till then looking forward see yours come together.
     
  17. A stellar thread bro. Thanx for info'ing me on it. Sub'd !!!

    2 words...............Awesome, Possuum.

    Freak
    :smoke:
     
  18. I'm in too.

    What was the problem with the dolomite at the beginning of the thread?
     
  19. Thanks VW. Organics is a great way to go for low maintenance cultivation. All the "hard work" goes into getting the soil mix configured properly. Get it right and one is using municipal water for a "water only" grow, little to no maintenance and no problems. I am 100% convinced of this.

    There are a lot of outstanding "Phd's" of organics and soil science here in the city, most of whom have forgotten more about the topic of soil science than I profess to know :eek: LOL. I'm learning quality education here with what they share with us. One thread will lead to another but they all come back to CEC and microbe activity in the soil. It's the "magic bullet" we are all looking for in organic soil gardening. Get into it early on with your growing efforts and I'm convinced you will never look back out of necessity.

    Stay tuned.
     
  20. Thanks for swinging by.

    Here's the short answer and I am specifically referencing dolomitic lime. Too much lime can make the soil too alkaline and then we're dealing with the opposite side of the pH conundrum - alkalinity. I think that's exactly what I did in my situation. Since this grow is proof-of-concept it rightly deserves documenting what NOT to do. I think adding as much lime to the soil as I did falls into the “not” category.

    Now for the longer answer.

    Again, I'm starting from the base of using non-grow store, off-the-shelf products and pursuing a water-only grow, proof-of-concept (what is the result and why, and can a good crop be had with big-box store available products?). And another point I haven't discussed is my grow cycle – from seed pop to harvest 90 -120 days. When growing organically in soil on this short of a cycle there is arguably not enough time for certain chemical processes to occur naturally. The use of lime is a controversial subject with a lot of MJ and agricultural growers. And now, for me as well. Lime is definitely not a fertilizer and should never be thought of as such. It is strictly used as a method of chemically manipulating soil pH as a means of allowing nutrient availability and nutrient absorption by the plant. Soil pH effects nutrient availability and uptake more than any other thing in the grow environment. Combine that property of lime in the discussion of CEC and the science of what happens when one adds it gets pretty squirrely really, really quick I think. If you happened to have read one of books of one of the more popularly published "experts" on MJ cultivation discussing soil grows and his recommendation that adding lime to your soil mix will NOT allow the pH to rise above 7.0, I'm here to tell you that he is as wrong as wrong can get stating that! That's just not a true statement so be careful with lime! We growers usually struggle with acidity not alkalinity. Lime addresses bringing the alkalinity up. i.e "less acid".

    When discussing CEC the concept of base saturation (BS) is important, because the relative proportion of acids and bases on the exchange sites determines a soil's pH. As the number of Ca and Mg ions decreases and the number of H and Al ions increases, the pH drops. Adding limestone replaces acidic hydrogen and aluminum cations with basic (alkaline) calcium and magnesium cations, which increases the BS and raises the pH. My municipal water source is extremely alkaline and I didn't factor that in prior to me dumping such a large quantity of lime in my soil mix. I think the chemical properties of all things combined in my soil mix already had the pH pegged near neutral. I have a weak BS due to inferior off-the-shelf humus and EWC products, no humic acid, not enough organic matter, and as a result I think my measure of lime made my soil too alkaline.

    Next grow I will add a higher grade of organic matter (humus), and humic acid to increase the base saturation of the soil, i.e. improve the CEC BS. I will also ensure I have a lively microherd living in the soil and feed it properly. If lime is added (big if) it will be on a measure of about 1 Tbsp per 3 gals of soil mix but no more. Kind of like a “pinch of salt” in a cake mix. And that's only a wag. Arguably, lime shouldn't be used at all with a custom blended soil mix. The focus should properly be on CEC, organic matter, microbial activity. That really is it in a nutshell.

    Thanks and stay tuned. I'm committed to seeing this grow through to the end within the framework it was started, warts and all.

    Cheers!
     

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