Just found this new hangout Carlo, pulling up a chair if you don't mind. I will admit to some envy with that tent and LED setup.... Lot's O' envy..... Two strains that are in list of to-do's for sure. - cheers to you Carlo
Of course I don't mind! All good people are welcome here and you surely fit that description. Not to mention you can grow some plants I'm liking the tent so far and the LED is doing its thing--nothing to complain about here. I have been supplementing it with a 125W fluorescent fixture and the plants are loving it. I'm impressed with both strains so far, but I accidentally overwatered the Blue Widow so I'm waiting for her to bounce back and shoot towards the stars. Outdoor growers get a little overbearing when they actually have a chance to see their plants everyday That's my excuse. Anyways, hope to see you around more man. Good luck with the upcoming harvest! I'm starting to get nervous....
yeah, same here man.... especially in about 2-3 weeks, that's when I REALLY stress it..... I am happy though knowing I'm guaranteed a winters supply with that bubba76... so, hopefully that thought will help suppress some of the nerves...... now, if the main plot succeeds.... woah Oh, my buddy did Blue Widow and Sage last season and liked both. He was really fond of the Blue Widow. Do you have any rough eta's on when they'll finish?
Well I'm pulling for ya, man. I would love to give that 76 a try. I've never had the opportunity to try any "true" bubba strains. Good to know about the Blue Widow. The growers I've talked to who have grown it all like it so I'm pretty pumped. I give the total grow about 16 weeks when I planned it. I'm going to veg these two for 6 weeks and then let them flower for as long as they have to. If they go 8 weeks, awesome; if they go 10, I'll at least have those 2 extra weeks for them to finish up. Finish is a long ways away!
Hey, Carlo, I'm getting things ready to brew a fungal tea for my girls, and I've been poking around other peoples' threads comparing ingredients. I know that in one of your posts, in one of your threads...lol, you talked about your tea, and one of the ingredients was oats. What kind of oats did you use, and why? I hope you don't mind me asking.
Of course I don't mind you asking! This is a community for a reason. I just used the regular quaker oats from the store. If you want to be 100% true to the organic scene, track down some organic oats. In my case the regular stuff did the job.... Anyways, I believe the oats are actually a "fungal food" that fungi will attach themselves to and reproduce. What you will start to see growing is what most people call "Santa's Beard" for obvious reasons, but its proper name is Mycellium. Here's what I used for a one gallon batch: • 1/2 cup earthworm castings • 1/2 cup mushroom compost • 2 tablespoons Powdered, 100% natural rolled oats • 2 teaspoons kelp meal • 1/4 teaspoon Micronized (soft) rock phosphate The earthworm castings, mushroom compost, powdered oatmeal, and kelp meal are first mixed together and made very wet. Place this mixture (preferably in a covered container) in a warm area for as long as needed. After fungus has grown on this blend, place it in your tea bubbler for 24 hours-with some additional liquid (or water soluble) kelp/seaweed (if possible) extract and micronized soft rock phosphate. Now, that is a recipe I acquired through a nifty little pdf authored by "The Rev," so don't credit me with the info. In my own experience, I have gotten a BUNCH of Santa's Beard to grow just by placing oats on my soil mix and covering for 24+ hours (the longer you wait, the more fungus you get). I surmise that the same could be done solely with EWC or solely with quality compost. Just keep that in mind as an alternative.
Thanks, Carlo, I have everything but the mushroom compost. I have bags of other compost that I'm sure will work though. I was thinking of making my mix and just putting in a covered tupperware container, and setting it on the back of my fridge. It stays pretty warm there. I have some Neptune's Harvest Organic Fish/Seaweed Blend Fertilizer, too. Should I add that to the bucket when I turn on the bubbles, or add it to the water I use to wet my mix? Or should I not use it at all?
Back of the fridge sounds like a solid spot! I would add the fish/seaweed when you are bubbling it. That's what I've done the couple times I have made a fungi batch. I almost always have a little bit of the Neptune's fish/seaweed in my compost teas-- I love the stuff!
Hey guys, just wanted to stop by and fill you in. I took an early vacation and was out of town for the weekend. So the picture update that should have been posted on Saturday will be done tonight or tomorrow. I have some errands to run today. Last week I transplanted both plants out of the starter mix into the finished soil mix but some signs of N deficiency are still apparent. I am brewing an ACT as we speak to help get them back on the right track.
End of week 3 As I mentioned before, the starter mix was starting to give out on me and the plants were becoming nitrogen deficient. I went ahead and transplanted them into an uncut, finished mix. Though you can still see the signs of a deficiency, the new growth is looking good and both plants are pretty perky. I will be applying a compost tea consisting of: 1 cup EWC 1 tbsp unsulphured molasses 1 tbsp fish hydrosolate/seaweed 1 tbsp high N bat guano 1 gallon of RO water I will post back sometime this week to show their progress after the transplant/compost tea application SAGE Blue Widow Both
Carlo do you put the fish/seaweed ferts in with the compost brew to brew first before application? I would, because I remember LumperDawgz said that phosphoric acid is what's used to stabilize fish hydrosylate and phosphoric acid kills mycorizzhal colonies So from what I understand its probably best to use the stuff sparingly and let it brew first for the microbes to process the P-A out of it.
I use it in the mixture from the start. From my sources I've gathered that this product (Neptune's Harvest Fish and Seaweed) only benefits my teas. I've read that both bacteria and fungi reproduce at higher rates when it is used. I've used this as a compost activator (listed as use on bottle) and soil drench for my cooking soil with nothing but good results. In fact, Teaming with Microbes states on page 155 that it is beneficial to fungal growth. However, I'm not sure if this includes mycorrhizal fungi. In any case, you shouldn't be worried about mycorrhizal fungi when brewing a compost tea as you really aren't trying to foster their populations. Teaming with Microbes actually suggests adding any myco products at the end of brewing right before application, as they are too sensitive for most aerators and won't be able to reproduce like other fungi. I only apply VAM at transplant and don't use it in any teas.
That part in bold, I read that too, but I can't remember where. So when I make my tea I should add the Neptune's at the end of the process. The last 6 or 8 hours maybe?
So I think it's time for me to admit a mistake I'm almost certain that I mistook a magnesium deficiency for a nitrogen deficiency in both plants. Both have similar symptoms in that leaves begin to yellow and green veins appear, but when it a problem with magnesium, leaf tips turn brown and start to die. So I've reacted accordingly and applied a soil drench with epsom salt. However, I'd like to alter my soil mix so I can avoid this problem in the future. I'm thinking about adding more crab shell meal but I am open to any suggestions you guys may have. Magnesium has always been trouble for me indoors! Regardless of the deficiency, which is in a very early stage (and should be taken care of), the plants are taking off! The Blue Widow is the current frontrunner of the two.