[mrgrowit]

People ask me that question all the time. It is very expensive. I’m not happy with the price, but I am happy with the product.

[mrgrowit]

9 times out of 10, a picture isn’t enough to determine what is wrong with a plant. A lot of background information is needed. Here’s a list of information to include so we can properly diagnose: https://mrgrowit.com/forums/topic/read-me-first/

[mrgrowit]

I haven’t used it but I can give some input which may be helpful. Natures Living Soil original concentrate is labeled as a “super soil” which means you should be able to get through the entire grow cycle without having to add any additional fertilizer. The instructions say to mix the 5-lb bag with 25-gal of media. One thing they don’t mention with this is the recommended container size. If you use this mix and load up the soil into 1, 3, or even 5gal containers then you will most likely run out of nutrients. Many would suggest 7-gal containers as the minimum size for this to work successfully. Others may say 10-gal at the minimum and there are some people out there that will say even larger. So if you do try this, make sure you’re using a big enough container.

[mrgrowit]

Lots more information is needed in order to properly diagnose. Read this post so you know what to include:

https://mrgrowit.com/forums/topic/read-me-first/

[mrgrowit]

I have been able to get away with watering in Stash Blend while the Blumats are going without issues. The catch is, I’m only giving each 10-gal container an 1/8 to 1/4 of a gallon of water w/ stash blend. I do check the Blumats the next day and adjust if needed.

[mrgrowit]

lol yup credit goes to CamZ for this one! As you can see, he’s stacked with knowledge and provides excellent insight.

[mrgrowit]

I’m glad to hear you got to harvest! Congrats!

[mrgrowit]

I’m just getting back onto the forum after MJBizCon week and being sick. Lower leaves dying off due to not receiving sufficient light is normal. Can’t say for sure that’s the case with your plants or not. Is this still an issue?

[mrgrowit]

I personally don’t use Stash Blend in a reservoir; I water it in once every 1-2 weeks @ 1/2 tbsp per gallon of water. Some growers have been using Stash Blend in their DWC setup with success at 1/4 dose. With that though, the water is moving at all times; I worry if it’s in a reservoir without a mixer then some of it may settle at the bottom? Not sure, but the Formulation Chemist who helped create Stash Blend recommended using it within 24 hours after mixing in water. I wish I had a better answer for you.

[mrgrowit]

Noooo! Sorry to hear that my friend. I’m curious, what were the genetics?

[mrgrowit]

Sorry for the delayed response as I was out of town. Your plants look fantastic! Really good job there so far. You made several posts with questions and I’m not sure which ones you’ve figured out, so I’m guessing. Below is what I think you may still be wondering:

Your question: defoliate daily? Defoliate all at once at day 10, day 14, day 18, day 21? Lillipop separately or with defoliation? Lollipop on day 18, day 21? If separately, lolly  on 18, then defoliate on day 21? Lolly on day 18 OR 21, but defoliate on day 10, 14, 16?
Answer: I typically like to lollipop and defoliate right before flipping to flower and then I’ll evaluate again on days 7, 14, and 21.

Your question: During the stretch and before flower set, do you treat that stage as you would veg with respect to VPD?
Answer: Once I’m on a flowering light cycle, I like to utilize the Bloom VPD chart

Your question: Do you have any advice about how high the colas should come up past the screen, optimally?
Answer: I aim for them to be 8-10” above the screen when done stretching.

Your question: What are your thoughts about how deep to prune off bud sites and branches that are underneath the canopy?
Answer: I remove all growth under the net, including branches that don’t make it up to the net.

Your question: How deep does HPS penetrate and actually create good buds?
Answer: This is debatable. Also, depends on what you mean by “good” buds. Some genetics have what I call good buds all the way down the plant. But generally, if the canopy isn’t too thick, you should get what many consider “good buds” 10-15” down from the top of the canopy; this answer will probably vary depending on who you ask though.

Your question: If I did decide to heavily defoliate at around day 21 to allow for a significantly deeper light penetration below the canopy, would the smaller fan leaves that are developing just grow out to a large size again and block all the lower light that I attempted to create?
Answer: No, after the plant is done stretching, it’s focusing on flower development so you shouldn’t have that issue.

Your question: How many minimum HPS lumens would you want at an actual bud site to be happy with the quality, density of those buds?
Answer: I personally don’t use lumens as a measurement so I don’t have an answer for you on this one.

 

Ah you think they are all male plants? Can you submit pics so we can confirm? Sometimes it’s best to wait several days to ensure they are actually pollen sacs since it can be a bit tricky to identify right away. You can safely let the pollen sacs grow for a solid 10 days or so without risk of them opening up. They usually open up 14-21 days into flowering.

[mrgrowit]

Your question: “What might you do with these 100 or so tops on 4 plants?”
Answer: It’s almost entirely full so I personally would add the net in now and start working the tops into it. A flip to flower would come within a week after probably. That’s just what I’d do; others may take a different route.

[mrgrowit]

Your question: “Git some silica today. Do you have any recommendation on how much to use and how often? Is it cool to mix it with calmag?”
Answer: Full dose or some prefer a half dose. Mix silica in water first, then CalMag.

Your question: “How much do you think would be a good amount to bottom water them to moisten the bottom couple of inches of soil?”
Answer: I’d do 5% and see how it goes. If it absorbs up quickly then another 5% may be good.

Your question: If I decide to do a runoff test, I guess to do that I should let the pots dry out “completely” and water until runoff? Basically break the living soil rule once to get a runoff reading? Is that best done when not adding nutrients during a watering?
Answer: Most growers using organic inputs will only do a runoff test if they are seeing problems. You don’t need to let it dry out. Just run water through and collect. Alternatively, you could do a slurry test instead.

I personally haven’t used Agsil so I don’t have any guidance for you there. I recommend reaching out to KIS Organics with that question since they sell that product.

[mrgrowit]

Hard to tell you for sure since the growth rate is impacted by many things within the grow and the genetics. Many people will add the net late in veg right before flipping to flower and then the first weeks into flower it grows into the SCROG nicely during the stretch phase. Other people will add the net in the beginning weeks of flower.

I’ve continued to bend branches into the net for the first 7-14 days of flower and unfortunately they didn’t stretch up beyond the net after that and I wasn’t happy with the result. So it can be a gamble.

[mrgrowit]

Possibly in 2024 but it’s not confirmed. I’m working on a different project right now.

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