First time grow that’s been a roller coaster

So let me start off by saying that I know the way I have done some things is unconventional, but I’ve been learning a lot over the past 80 or so days. She is currently 79 days old from true leaves.

It started by me finding a seed from a bag I had bought a few months ago. I decided now was the time to try growing. I started out by planting the seed after I soaked it in water until I saw the seed sprout from the shell. It was outside the first few weeks of growing until I got my 600 watt HPS light in. That was the first mistake, it make too much heat and didn’t sit well for what I wanted in the grow. I have it planted in miracle gro potting mix but I think a lot of the nutrients have been washed out at this point from the number of flushes I’ve had to do. Then I got a 225 watt LED grow light that I used until flowering in the middle of August when I bought a more fitting 150 watt HPS light that’s perfect.

The plant went inside and outside for a while with the 600 watt light because it created so much heat. Half way through the grow I had a major problem with my soil having too many nutrients built up. I flushed the ppm from 3000 down to around 500. My tap water is 75 ppm so I use that for watering unless it’s feeding day which I do that every other watering. I was previously watering every 2 days but I’m going to swap to every 3 days to allow the soil to dry out to stop the fungus gnat problem I’ve had of late. I think I’ve mostly taken care of it for the most part. I’m using the fox farm trio and I started feeding with half strength or 1/4 strength, I can’t remember exactly. But the plant accepted it and now I’m able to give full strength hydro nutes according to their schedule on the site. I’m going to post pictures from all over the grow so check them out and let me know what you guys think. She’s been through a lot of me not knowing what I’m doing and testing stuff out.

I mainly posted this to keep record of stuff happening from here on out, as well as get everyone’s opinion of how things are going or if I can answer any questions then I will!

As for the pictures, they range from the very early days until a day ago. I also included some I took when I was having issues with the plant. The lines on some of my finger covering the top was from the HPS light and covering the top is the only way to get it to go away.

 

I put about half a gallon of water into my plant in a 3 gallon pot. I’m curious as to why I am not getting any run off. I did wait an extra day or so to water again (I had fungus gnat problems recently) so I don’t over water.

Any ideas as to why no run off is coming out of the bottom? Is it possible that the plant wanted all of it?

 

12/12 and I think it was about 60 days in veg. As for the 600 watt light, a friend is using it on a bigger grow that I’ll be managing after this has finished. The heat is just too much for what I’m doing here.

 

Got my new macro lens in today so I decided to get some pictures for you guys. I don’t think the trichomes have gone cloudy yet, as I was the highest THC possible in this plant when I harvest, but I need a second opinion since it’s so hard to get a steady hand for these pictures.

 

VERY HELPFUL!!! I was actually thinking about the volume, I may have put a bit less water since I used a gallon water jug for my first watering after I let it dry and I got run off. Then this time when I was feeding I used a half gallon jug so I think it threw my mind off if you get what I’m saying.

Next watering I’m going to be percise and make sure I watch exactly how much I put in

 

I watered with 1 gallon of normal tap water (my tap is 75 PPM and like 6 pH) and I was able to get a great amount of run off to reassure me that I am getting good flow.

My roots are becoming exposed on the top of the plant, is it okay to throw some more soil on it to cover them? I will not be using miracle gro to do so, I have some ecoscraps potting mix that I was going to use.

 

Day 87 and trichomes are starting to get cloudy on some parts. About 20-30% of the white hairs have began receding and turning an orange/brown color. I haven’t watered since Saturday but the soil is still moist about an inch into it.

 

So, this morning there was literally only 1 gnat on my sticky trap, I left for 1 hour came back to see this. You can see the one bigger gnat on the one side that was there from the beginning. I’m worried I’m going to have a bigger issue in the future. I don’t over water anymore and it’s been 4 good days of no watering. Any tips help!!!

EDIT: Found the source of them. Luckily I don’t think it was my pot itself, it was an older run off tray that I used a while back to catch any water after watering. I guess it was enough for those fuckers to breed. It seems as if I got literally every one of them, I saw a few on the tray and the rest on the sticky pad. None were flying around the plant at all.

 

My fungus gnat problem has EXPLODED over just today. I am seeing hundreds of them now, I’ve covered like 3 sticky mats of them. I don’t see them flying around my plant BUT I did find the problem. I had some organic and natural soil open in my room from my last watering and apparently they have taking a liking to it. The bag was SWARMED with them so I closed it up and literally just threw it out the front door. Cleaning up my problem now.

Moral, it can be the smallest shit. I have had that bad of soil for months and no issues until I left it opened and the moisture was perfect for gnats. Rookie mistake.

Pics are 1 of 2 mats that are his covered.