Indoor GrowJournal - 2021

[YankieDoodle]

Hey Everyone,

I have much experience growing indoors but this is my very first solo indoor run. It is also my very first time growing with LEDs and from the seed.

I’m beginning this GrowJournal for my own documentation and also to reach out for guidance and support from the community.

I’m a few weeks into my process so this first post will catch everything up to speed and I plan on posting weekly or daily progress.

The Germination Process

I began with a 3x10 pack of seeds,
Gelato - Zkittles - Sunset Sherbet

1000W Vivosun LED

Rapid Rooter tray system

June 18th

Seeds were tossed into separate glasses of Reverse Osmosis water and placed into a dark area to begin germination.

12 Hours Later

Tails have began to show on one Gelato and two Zkittles - Sunset Sherbet yet to show any tails.

June 19th

Tails showing on two Gelatos, four Zkittles and six Sunsets.

12 Hours Later

Tails showing on four Gelatos, six Zkittles and eight Sunsets.

Three Zkittles and seven Sunsets planted into Rapid Rooter cubes and placed into try system.

24 hour light cycle on 25% begins.

June 20th

Tails have shown on a total of seven Gelatos, nine Zkittles and nine Sunsets.

Two Zkittles planted into cubes and placed in tray.

Indoor temperatures had reached 87 degrees.

12 Hours Later

Total of seven Gelatos, ten Zkittles and nine Sunsets have shown tails.

One Zkittle and Sunset planted - Temp 86 degrees.

First sign of Sunset Sherbet sprouted.

June 21st

Total of nine Gelatos, ten Zkittles and nine Sunsets have shown tails.

Planted two Zkittles and a Gelato - Temp 80 degrees.

First sign of Zkittles sprouted (2)

12 Hours Later

Planted a Zkittle and two Gelato - Temp 70 degrees.

Seven plants sprouted - (3) Sunsets, (4) Zkittles.

One Sunset all white - No leaves.

June 22nd

Planted one Gelato - Temp 70 degrees.

Nine plants sprouted - (4) Sunsets, (5) Zkittles.

Noticed white stem had broken while fighting out of the plug - stem replaced into plug.

12 Hours Later

Two seeds yet to show tails - (1) Gelato, (1) Sunset.

Twelve plants sprouted.

June 23rd

Fourteen plants sprouted - (7) Sunset, (7) Zkittles.

Seedlings 1-3” tall - Temp 73 degrees.

Planted (5) Gelatos, (1) Sunset and (1) Zkittle.

12 Hours Later

Eighteen plants sprouted - (7) Sunsets, (8) Zkittles and (3) Gelatos.

Seedlings 1-4” tall, first two leaves formed.

June 24th

Twenty plants sprouted - (8) Sunsets, (8) Zkittles and (4) Gelatos.

Seedlings 1-5” tall, second leaves forming on Zkittles.

June 26th

Final two seeds germinated (1) Sunset, (1) Gelato.

Twenty one plants sprouted, (9) Sunset, (8) Zkittles and (4) Gelatos.

Tallest seedlings 5.5” tall - broken seedling rising.

LED switched from 25 to 50%.

July 2nd

Tray system transported to a different room that is able to maintain a cooler temperature.

Cob Web mold noticed on two smaller seedlings in tray - Water and Peroxide mix used to eliminate.

Best seedlings showing 7-9” roots in tray.

Twelve seedlings transplanted into coco - (5) Sunset, (7) Zkittles.

Transplants begin receiving feeding of Jacks at 50% once every other day.

July 3rd

One of my Zkittles that had been transplanted is looking sad.

Temperature around 83 degrees.

July 5th

Four Zkittles are now struggling, with a fifth showing signs of stress.

New growth looking very healthy.

July 6th

Three more seedlings transplanted making (15) total transplants.

July 7th

LED turned up to 75% - Room temperature 83 degrees.

Transplanted (1) Sunset and (2) Gelato making it (18) plants transplanted.

One of my struggling Zkittles has perked back up.

July 8th

Five more plants transplanted making a total of (23) plants transplanted.

Room temperature is 83 degrees.

Light is on 24 hours hanging 18” above the canopy at 75%.

July 11th

Light schedule has been switched to 18 / 6.

Three struggling Zkittles have been removed from the Vegetation table.

One of the last transplants is showing signs of struggling while one of the plants that has been in shock is showing signs of fighting.

All new growth is looking very healthy.

The Gelatos are looking just slightly lighter than the rest.

All knowledgable guidance and support greatly appreciated - feel free to tune in !

[Underthestairs]

This is going to be a huge grow! Looks great

[beardless]

23 plants, transplanted into coco. Where are we heading?
Time for grow space / set up shots.
Is final medium going to be coco? Irrigation system? Pots? Lights - lots of lights
Should be fun. Along for the ride.

[plumbdand]

Are you going to grow 23 plants with just that one light

[YankieDoodle]

I’m down to 20 plants currently in Veg as three of my Zkittles have been discarded as previously mentioned.

Final medium will be Coco. Flowering room is still being built.

Flowering table will be 4x8’ - Irrigation system will be run and number of plants ran will be determined. Best will be turned into Mothers.

(2) HLG 350Rs are on their way - one will be replacing my current light above my Veg table until flowering begins.

(2) More 350Rs may be purchased for this run, making (4) 350Rs covering a 4x8” table - if not will be invested into for next run, also to be determined.

I prefer to keep this thread more about documenting and following my progress rather than discussing all techniques as I have other threads for that.

I will be posting progress weekly or daily so stay tuned in, neither of you noticed that I am already down to 20 plants !

Most people here seem to be quick to judge people’s arrangements before even discussing plans. I have never grown from seed so I purchased a 3x10 to give myself room for error and experimentation !

Stay tuned in to follow along on my progress !

@beardless @plumbdand @Underthestairs

[plumbdand]

No judgment here was just wondering how much light would be needed for that many plants
Anxious to follow along and see how it all turns out. I have 7 plants going in a 10x12 greenhouse and it’s way to crowded in there. Next year I’ll probably only grow 4 in there.

[Underthestairs]

Looking forward to it

[beardless]

@YankieDoodle

before even discussing plans

Sometimes that is true. Also the reason I asked “Where are you heading?”.

[Davyg]

I’m on board. Nice looking plants you have there and you’re on point with pretty much everything. Just wish I could be as meticulous as you are with your records. Don’t make the mistake of taking curious questions as judgements though. A lot of great growers on here that will be keen to learn about your setup and it’s easier to ask questions than to go rooting in the forum for answers

[Syndrix]

I didn’t see in your post anywhere, maybe I missed it. Are these auto or photo plants? I like the detailed notes, helpful for me learning as I am a new grower.

[YankieDoodle]

I did forget to mention - my babies are photos. I do not have any experience with autos, thanks for catching that !

I’m also a business owner so the detailed notes are a little professional trick. While learning or even as you begin to take your craft to the next level - detailed notes are a great way to refer back, clock progress and measure personal growth.

I understand that we are all interested in proper setups but the reason I dont like to see people jump right to the conclusions of set ups is because I truly believe that is not all that matters. Proper knowledge will always achieve more than proper products.

I was blessed to have the opportunity to roll and learn from some of the best growers in NorCal. I fell in love with the lifestyle but I was a long way from home and my life - eventually I decided to move on.

While in NorCal, I was operating and managing multiple indoor and outdoor operations. I did not always have time for such detailed notes then, so much of my knowledge is all from experience and memory.

I’m keeping such detailed notes now for a few reasons. There were many times that I was told what to do but I did not have time to be fully explained and understand my process out west.

Given all of this, the entire community where I was in California used to be waiting on and praise me each time my pull made it’s way to the shelves at the dispensary.

Firstly - I’m focused on stepping my own game up and developing a better understanding of my entire process.

Also, I believe a very big part of success is giving back. As I step my own game and understanding up, I would enjoy being able to help others learn as much as I can.

I was running everything top of the line while I was in Cali. A dozen Gavitas, the whole nine. When I stepped away, I decided to start from scratch with the most basic used equipment.

I did my first run on my own, teaching a friend of mine. One of our rooms had an open wing aluminum hood that probably had its first run in the 70’s. I achieved almost the same exact results with a room that was not even close to half as set up as my room out west.

That was the very first time that my pull did not make it to a dispensary, but it was the very first time that I truly impressed myself with a grow. I learned that what I did was not achieved through top of the line gear - but through knowledge that I’ve earned.

I want to be able to pass along this amazing experience and knowledge to as many people as I can. I dont want anyone to become discouraged because they think they can’t afford to try.

Yes, I plan to get myself set up as nice as I can this time around. I’m doing this because I feel I have earned the right to continue testing and expanding my knowledge. If you cannot afford the best of the best, do not allow that to get in the way of doing your best !

Thank you everyone for tuning in, enjoy the ride !

[YankieDoodle]

July 14th

Last night my babies were fed - currently on an every other day feeding cycle.

The day before yesterday, I installed an 8” clip-on fan to circulate the air in the room. Having the fan on the lowest setting at canopy height was causing too much wind for my babies. I positioned the fan in one of the top corners in the room - it circulates all the air and provides just enough movement at canopy height.

Addition of fan has dropped my room temperature from around 82 to 77 degrees.

It has been three days since I’ve switched to an 18/6 light cycle - significantly noticeable new growth after just six hours of darkness.

Over the past two to three days, I have been removing lower foliage that may no longer look healthy and it seems to improve new growth.

Current Watering Practices

At this stage during vegetation I feed my plants every other day.

I’m running Jacks at 50% strength - always PH’d between 5.8 - 6.2.

I use a standard size (16oz) water bottle with five tiny holes poked into the cap.

I lightly water each small pot with (5) gentle back and forth motions on each four sides of the pot.

I tend not to water directly onto the center or the cube of the plant - watering the outer edges forces the roots to reach for their drink.

I use just about (2) water bottles between my twenty plants.

Current Observations

The pots of my strongest plants which are naturally absorbing the most nutrients were significantly lighter than my other pots last night during feeding.

For this reason, I decided to give each of those babies an extra pass or two on each side during feeding.

My Gelatos have a noticeably lighter foliage than my other babies - I’m still trying to determine what this is caused from and how I plan to treat.

I have a Mykos water soluble mix that I will be adding to my next feeding to support root growth and nutrient uptake.

This morning after feeding last night - the babies that I had given a little extra are showing signs of being overwatered.

This is a common mistake among new growers - remember during this time that less is more.

This is one of my final transplants - it is the seedling that had developed Cob Web mold and now has deformation within new growth.

Current Questions

What is the deficiency with my Gelatos ?

Should I water more than every other day for those that seem to need it ?

Should I experiment mainlining for my first time with my deformed plant ?

Open to advice and suggestions !

[Davyg]

I would water as required until you hit your stride and become familiar with each plants particular needs. Those needs will level out as the root systems get established.
Lighter green foliage could either be a characteristic of that particular strain/cross or a slightly higher nitrogen requirement. I would monitor that and watch for any obvious decline
Can’t help with main lining as I’ve never done it but if I was going to do it I would do it on something that I was prepared to take a hit on, deformed plant fits that bill so why not.

[YankieDoodle]

Thank you man, I was figuring the same for everything but I don’t have any experience diagnosing or manifolding which is why I’m interested in other opinions.

With the deformation, the plant seems like a prime candidate to be bent and experimented with. I’m just a bit nervous as to where to begin.

Let’s tag @kaptain3d in for some twisted advice !

[dbrn32]

One last question, what light do you have these under now?

Far as the other stuff goes you are looking plenty good for now. Sometimes people with less experience get a little tunnel vision and have difficulty understanding methods that go in opposite direction from what they are using. They don’t mean any harm, just sharing what they believe to be best. But you certainly don’t need a warehouse to grow a dozen or two plants with the right plan.

[YankieDoodle]

July 15th

Last night I had switched my original Vivosun light I had been running out with my new HLG 350R.

After running the new light last night and tonight, just a couple of my babies are looking a bit sad to me.

I used the same watering practices as mentioned in my previous post to feed my babies tonight - with an added tablespoon of water soluble Mykos to help promote root growth and nutrient uptake.

Halfway into watering - I realized that I had mistakenly mixed my Jacks at full strength as that is what I am currently running outdoors and got confused.

This is another reason it’s great to take notes - so if you slip up like this you can make sure to notice your mistake !

I decided to continue on and feed the rest of the table at full strength so that everything got the same treatment.

Overall everything is looking pretty good, still a few plants looking a bit lighter in color.

I decided to leave my light hanging at 18” and on four clicks for now.

Room temperature increased 2 degrees with new light from 78 - 80 degrees.

I hope that this mixup with my nutrients doesn’t effect my babies too much - I will be feeding at 50% again the day after tomorrow.

[YankieDoodle]

July 16th

Around 10AM this morning - 12 hours after full strength Jacks plus Mykos feeding.

Current Observations

Room temperature is remaining at 80 degrees.

Tallest plants that were most recently looking the best are now drooping and looking sad.

The LEDs on the 350R are hanging directly above the outer rows - they should be getting the most light.

350R only has red lights along with white - Vivosun also had some blue lights.

Current Questions

I’m wondering if the lack of blue light is what is causing drooping.

Also wondering if I have my 350R turned up high enough.

Decisions

I decided to turn my light up two clicks - now at 6 clicks on.

I will let the light run for three to four hours at this strength, monitor my next results and make my next decisions.

All knowledgable guidance and advice greatly appreciated !

[YankieDoodle]

Four Hours Later

Observations

Room temperature has raised from 80 to 83 degrees with increase in light.

Top leaves on some plants are beginning to taco.

Some pots are very dry and light.

Noticeable new growth throughout.

Decisions

I’ve increased my clip fan from the first to second setting - increasing airflow between light and canopy but not causing plants much wind.

I’m going to feed the light pots at half strength and allow the heavier pots to continue drying.

Knowledgable opinions or advice greatly appreciated !

@dbrn32 @Hellraiser @MidwestGuy

[dbrn32]

Check temp and rh to vpd chart. If you are off there try to make adjustment and see if leaves straighten out.

[YankieDoodle]

Appreciate the advice but I dont know what either of those are.

My temperature has reached that high before without signs of stress so I’m thinking its caused by something else.

After doing some math in my head - until last week I had (2) 100W Vivosuns on in that room. One at 75% and one at 50%.

If the wattage is in any sort of accordance with the percentages, that should have been around 150W.

With my 350R on 6 clicks - I’m assuming that’s around 210W.

Reminder this is my first time running LEDs and I’m learning the lights !