GDP + KIND Soil (Indoor tent, first grow)

[SpaceInvader]

Hi everyone, this is my first grow. I’m hoping to make enough medicine for personal use. Due to my location I have to maintain a certain amount that is decriminalized. I’m also not interested in making more than I need.

Gear post: My first setup, seeking advice + budget reduction - #18 by SpaceInvader

I appreciate any and all advice. Shoutout to @SilentHippie and the KIND Soil Grow. Let's see if it's all they claim grow journal!

I hope to clip some branches and press them into rosin for usage while the rest of the flowers finish. (Not sure if this is a good idea or not). I have no expectation but learning and hopefully a usable harvest.

Environment
The GDP will be in a 3 gallon fabric pot (3lbs KIND soil on bottom, coco loco to 1" less than pot top)
In a 24 x 24 x 60 grow tent, in a closet
In a room that’s usually between 65 - 78 degrees with around 40 - 45% natural RH
The tent will have a 4" active exhaust filter setup that will vent into the top of the closet
with one 4" USB intake fan towards the tent’s mesh bottom opening, outside of the opening there will be an active carbon filter, the room has plenty of controlled air or fresh air available to it if needed
The RH can be adjusted manually as needed as well
The GDP will have an oscillating fan aimed at it’s canopy shortly after sprouting
The light (LED Samsung/Meanwell) will be positioned 18 - 24" above the canopy and adjusted as needed

Seed
Starting out I’m going to put the seed into it’s final destination and germinate there (sprinkle with water, cover if needed, ensure tent humidity is between 50 - 60%., light at 18" 12/12 to start)

Nutrients & Watering
Done as directed by KIND (no nutrients, do not water to excess, I’m going to weigh it as suggested to get a feel for watering in the beginning)
The water will be carbon filtered and left to sit for a min of 24 hours before watering, it’s PH will be adjusted shortly before watering using food grade up/down if needed (not between 6.3 - 7)

Training
I plan to low stress train by bending and tying down branches and to also top the plant when it reaches it’s 5th node. I’m also going to remove weak branches / leaves and those that are light blocking.

Light cycles
During germination the light will be on a 12/12 cycle
When the leaves start growing out and nodes start appearing the light will change to 18/6
When its time to start flowering the light will change to 12/12

Status
Items pending delivery, closet not empty and I am completely STOKED! I’ll be updating this thread early every week - stay tuned!

[BobbyDigital]

@SpaceInvader

Starting out I’m going to put the seed into it’s final destination and germinate there (sprinkle with water, cover if needed, ensure tent humidity is between 50 - 60%., light at 18" 12/12 to start)

It’s your grow but I would advise against this. They are expensive seeds and I would germinate them properly. If you want to drop them in their final resting place after germination, that’s works. Would also go 18/6 or 6/2 until you’re ready to flower. And I would get that humidity up to at least 80% which is easily attainable using a clear dome or clear solo cup over the seedling when it sprouts.

As I said, it’s your grow so you do you. Have fun and I wish you the best of luck

[SpaceInvader]

Thank you for the heads up, I’m just nervous about messing up the handling of the seed after it germinates into the soil. I’ll watch some YouTubes on it and give it a shot.

Thanks for the humidity tip! I have a few humidifier options but the cup sounds easy so I’ll do that. Just to clarify you mean that 80% only during germination? I was reading that GDP likes it dry (40 - 50%).

I’m confused with 6/2?

@BobbyDigital

As I said, it’s your grow so you do you. Have fun and I wish you the best of luck

Thank you and to you as well on your current/next grow! (Thanks for your help on the other thread as well).

[BobbyDigital]

Seedlings pull their water through their leaves when they’re young. They don’t have a root system to pull water from the soil. As they get older and established the humidity can come down. I’ve had 100% success germinating in a shot glass of water with a capful of hydrogen peroxide. Place in a dark, warm place and usually after 24hrs they have tails. If they go 48hrs with no tail I’ll place it on a moist paper towel and put it in a ziplock bag.

If you don’t want to handle the germinated seed, you can just pour it into the hole

[BobbyDigital]

@SpaceInvader

I’m confused with 6/2?

Sorry forgot to clarify this part. I run 6on/2off in veg. So every 6hrs they get a 2hr nap. It helps keep heat down and they never get that worn out look after blasting them for 18 straight hrs.

[SpaceInvader]

I’ll follow your tip for getting the seed started, that seems like the best way that also keeps it simple for a noob like myself.

I haven’t seen the 6/2 schedule before but I’m interested in it. I need to research this topic more in general but def. how lighting works overall - I have/had a natural idea that I’d want to mimic the sun but I assume that the scheduling is used to increase yield.

Would it out of line to see how the plant does for a week at 6/2 and then 18/6 or whatever else I’d want to experiment with?

[BobbyDigital]

You’d be perfectly fine doing that. Either way they’re getting 18hrs of light a day.

[SpaceInvader]

Hello World, meet Esther, a ILGM GDP :).

She started in a shot glass and sank before the day was over, at that point I transferred the seed a red solo cup filled with room to spar with Roots organic. I couldn’t get coco loco anywhere. I’ve been misting the top soil twice a day (just 2 - 3 sprays from a spray bottle a few inches away). I’m hoping the seed shell falls off today, she really stretched up yesterday.

Should I poke holes in the bottom of the cup?

The KIND soil hasn’t yet shipped and my email asking for an ETA has yet to be returned. I’m not actually sure when I would transplant yet but if it doesn’t get here in time I’ll switch to FFHF (avoiding PH concerns in OF) and to manual nutes (Probably the pre-made FF stuff).

Do you think I should add more soil to the solo cup? I started it a little low in the event I needed to add more to fix something, but now I fear it’s growing too tall - then again I really don’t know :).

This is the setup - I know it’s pretty modest but I’m excited by it and the process so far. Getting the filter / fan in there was a trip. I have to actually re mount the light to use the outer top poles at the top so that it adjusts easier (it rubs against the filter now).

The light is on 60% power and ~ 2 ft above the plant.

Temp has been between 68 - 78, RH 40 - 50% (really around 44/45). That fan in the far right corner oscillates and is tilted to move some air over and onto the plant (it shakes with every rotation).

Thanks for everyone’s help so far :), Esther and I appreciate it!

[Roudy420]

Funny you talking about switching to FFHF to avoid pH problems. FFHappyFrog is actually the soil I was using in my first grow that had all kinds of issues with drainage and pH problems.

I’m running FFOceanForest now and have NO problems. My pH in is 6.3 and my pH out is 6.4. When I was using Happy Frog my run out pH was 7.3

And if I remember right, the FFHF had all kinds of chunks of wood and rocks in it. I hated it. Very happy with FFOF.

[Roudy420]

I would not add more soil to your cups. This can cause damping off. I would DEF poke holes in the bottom of the cups.

You can cover the cups with a zip lock baggie to hold moisture in. If you think they are stretching, lower your lights a bit.
Between 200-400 PPFD: This is great for seedlings, clones, and mother plants.
Between 400-600 PPFD: This is great for early to late stage vegging cycles.
Between 600-900+ PPFD: This is great for the flowering, fruiting, or budding stage of plants.

[SpaceInvader]

I’m just really hoping the KIND soil ships soon I have a big bag of Roots now, it def. wasn’t the cheapest but I’d plan to use the KIND on bottom (3lbs), then fill to -1 " w/roots on top, per KINDs instructions.

I really don’t want to get into manual nutrients on the first run… if so I’d do a HF or OF bottom w/a mix or roots / perlite & coco coir on top (mimicking Kinds instructions basically). I thought I read on this forum somewhere that OF recently has had a PH issue. I’d have to try and find that.

Awesome tip about the sprout, thank you… it’s a little too late for adding soil as I did it last night (Sprout check in - #25 by SpaceInvader) , and it’s already stretched out again. I’ve made a few adjustments this am to the light, I don’t have a meter but a decently reviewed app has the top of the cup / canopy between 22k - 25k lux, which after some quick googling seems too strong. I’ve adjusted the intensity down to ~13k and misted a bag and put it over it. Temp is 78.9 w/RH at 58 (and rising):

I think I had it too high and too low initially, now it’s a lot lower but with reduced power, hopefully that helps.

[Roudy420]

Yeah, you want your seedlings at 70-75% humidity.

[SpaceInvader]

Another week and a bunch of new , Thank you @Roudy420 for getting me started down the road of light measurement. I ultimately ended up getting the HLG 135 v2 RSpec, she seemed to really like it.

I got some droopy leaves going on but some great help at Sprout check in - #79 by merlin44. I got it into my head that I could create a dome-less environment, this was OK for a little with no real growth under the old light but with the new light cranked up (to around 600 PPFD), it started drying out the soil. This was causing some problems getting humidity to stay in the tent - obviously the whole situation could have been averted by getting a real dome or adjusting a baggy but if I can’t over-engineer something it’s not going to be fun I just felt bad stressing her out a little - I’ll try to think through my choices better.

Things got real when all of her leaves looked droopy yesterday but after some moisture they’re perking up and I think the new growth is looking good (but please let me know what you think if you don’t mind).

(Taken today with the newer stuff looking perky again, do you think it looks ok?)

(except those bottom ones)

I’m going to put her under a dome and turn off all of the other stuff (except the light) until she gets to be as big as the cup (thank you @merlin44!) , hopefully by then the KIND soil arrives and she has a home to move into. (I spoke with them last week over text, he said they don’t have an office staff and apologized but that my order should ship out by tomorrow!).

It feels like every time I look at her, her previous new to me growth has gotten bigger and I’m seeing the start of something new, it’s really nice.

I’ve read that things will change as she grows but I hope we’ve reached somewhat of a stasis (when put under a dome) for the next little bit here.

Thanks for reading, I hope you’re doing well.

[Roudy420]

Looking pretty good. A little droopy. Make sure your misting them with a sprayer 2x a day (or more) so that top of your coco doesn’t get dry like it is in the pic. Don’t forget to mist the UNDER side of the leaves. Misting your plant also helps it build a strong stem. If your plant falls over after misting it, you are on the right path. Don’t freak out and it will stand back up and be stronger. You don’t really water very much at this stage, its mostly just misting them and keeping the top of the soil damp until you get that first node with 3 leaves. Then carefully start to water them. The baggie is to keep moisture in. If it’s blocking light, lower the light. Seedlings reallly need to be in 70-75% humidity.

[SpaceInvader]

There are gnats today, I don’t know what to do, I’m afraid of covering the sprout now because I have yellow stickies and vinegar in the tent that I hope they fly onto and die a quick but needed death.

[Roudy420]

I use Diatomaceous Earth to control gnats. Once I started using it I have had no gnats or pests of any kind. You just sprinkle it on top of your medium and let it sit there. It’s ok if it gets watered in, but try to apply it right after watering so it can lie on top for the longest before you water again.

https://www.amazon.com/Harris-Diatomaceous-Earth-Food-Grade/dp/B06X952WC5/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=diatomaceous+earth&qid=1601487746&sr=8-1

[SpaceInvader]

Thank you, I was able to put it on the top soil last night. I know they have a lifecycle of a bout a week but I haven’t seen any yet today.

[Roudy420]

Did you already have some or did go buy it real quick?

[SpaceInvader]

Athena (Purple Kush) and Cap6 (Purple Haze) are in SOLO cups.

Esther keeps throwing leaves but she’s very small, I think she’ll rebound. I had put a help thread up and everyone said I was over watering but when I stopped she got really dry and all the leaves drooped, I think I need to start watering more actually.

I gotta grow up my grow ASAP, I’ve got 1k to spend, what would you do?

@Roudy420 - I went out and got it, it doesn’t seem to be doing the trick… but it does seem to be getting better. We brought some house plants in from outside and found out that’s where they came in from (there was a million of them there).

I’m going to see what Jack’s is… KIND has never shipped so I’m switching to a manual grow, based in Roots with something like a coco-coir top layer (not sure yet).

[SpaceInvader]

Hi @merlin44, I hope all is well, what would you do if the above was your plant? Sprouted on 9/17