MY First grow - started March 5th - Started flowering - have questions about pot size, watering and expected yield. 4x4 SJ Darkroom 120 II (2) 400W MH Aircooled hoods during VEG (2) 600W HPS Aircooled hoods during Flower 3 Big Buddha Blue Cheese FEM 3 Big Buddha Cheese FEM Started Germ March 5 - 2011 100% sprout March 9 -2011 Entire Grow using Botanicare Calmag / Liquid Karma / Grow &/now Bloom Water with NUTES PH:d to about 6.5-6.7 Feed EVERY WATERING ~ 900-1100 PPM 70% Happy Frog Soil and 30% Chunky Perlite 8 WEEKS VEG from seed (56 DAYS exactly ) April 16th 2011 - (38 days out Repotted into 3 gallon smartpots) Started Flowering 12/12 Light Cycle on May 4th -2011 Temps with (2) 600W MH between 73 and 77 degrees 45-55% humidity Since Temps are so low - I am able to keep the hoods about 14-16" away from the plants. The 3 Cheese are about ~ 21-22 inches tall and bushy as all heck - have them on books - to keep my canopy even. Extremely Healthy The 3 BLUE cheese are about 25-27 inches tall. VERY VERY BUSHY Extremely healthy Questions and Concerns: The roots emerged out of the bottom of the smartpots very quickly almost about 7-10 days after I repotted to 3 gallon smart pots. I have 8-9 weeks of flowering - I am worried about the plants becoming root bound during flowering - should this be a concern - I can see the dirt getting displaced by the roots - Will I be ok.. I have heard that during flowering root growth subsides with the plant focusing more on flower production ? I have 6 plants - space is very very tight in my 4x4 tent - I am worried the plants may smother one another. They are already invading each others space. Have a look at the pics and let me know your thoughts. The good news is the (2) 600W MH is really penetrating the canopy. Should I be able to finish without any problems ? I have 60+ days of flowering to go ! Watering - I am currently watering as follows ( Water does not leak through to the bottom tray - until the evening watering ) So I am going through aproximatly 3 Gallons of water per day for this grow.. does that seem like a lot .. ? Or maybee because I'm running (2) 600W lights ? Morning (4) Cups Each with Botanicare Nutes Noon (4) Cups Each with Botanicare Nutes Late Afternoon (4) Cups each with Botanicare Nutes Evening (2) Cups each with Botanicare Nutes Comments and suggestions around watering, nutrients, and tips during flower welcomed. Also - Based on what you see here - I would like to yield 2 oz per plant - do you think that is attainable ? Thank You in Advance ! Friz
Those look very nice Its going to get cramped it there once they start to flower but I think you should be able to get 2oz or more per plant as long as they dont overcrowd each other to much
Why are you watering so often and in such small amounts? I've never heard of that before. Not saying its a bad thing, those plants look great. You're feeding 900-1100ppm 4 times a day every day? Seems like a bit much. But again your plants look fine. 2oz per plant is tough. The best Ive done is 8oz on 5 plants. If you can keep those plants happy like they are now you shouldn't have any problems getting 2oz per plant.
FWIW, I pull +2oz (dry/cured) per square foot under 600HPS. This is how I do it: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=187887 Your grow looks very good. Best of luck. Simon
Thank You - I agree - I want to keep the watering to 2X daily once in the morning and once in the late afternoon. But they just suck that water up like it's candy - even with the NUTES - no issues. Also - interested in getting feedback on the potential for rootbound issues during flowering. I will report back on the yield. Thanks
I'm not sure whether you opened the thread I link'd. It shows, among other things, how +2.5oz (dry/cured) plants are supported in 2gal pots. IME, 2gal pots can support +4oz (dry/cured) plants without much of an issue, so a 3gal is not a problem at all. Ask me how I know. That thread also shows how to take plants like yours and tun them into a no-popcorn, all-top cola, Grade-A bud producing monsters, in turn maximizing every available inch of space in the room. Looking at your plants, you'll have quite a bit of popcorn when you harvest. Might be something to keep in mind and take a look at for next time. Good luck. Simon
Simon - thanks ... looks like LST is the way to go. I will absolutely be considering this during my next round. Thank You
Just to add, the techniques shown do not have to be applied solely to LST'd plants. One could take plants like yours - big, healthy, and bushy, but with a single dominant main stem, prune it as shown and get very similar results. I'm assuming the plants have a single, dominant main stem, as it's hard to see, but I think you get the idea. Clearly, you're brighter and have out more time into this than the average bear, and the grow reflects it. Give yourself a few more runs to get acclimated, and I'm sure you'll find what works best for your garden. Simon