Leaderboard

1st week of flower done. The stretch is on.

Still having issues with the freakshows. Yellowing still a issue with the one in the back corner. Doing the math and thinking this might not work.

The KmintZ are looking powerful. Shouldn't be too long now before I put them into the flower tent. I am keeping the majority of the lower branches for now in preparation to take clones to line them up for the next one.

Hi folks. So the weather has been helping me out to get a very decent slow dry on the plants and keeping the temps nice and low. 6 of the 8 ladies came down on day 67 of flower. Those were the white bubblegum, white afghan skunk, purple dosidos, blunicorn, jelly breath, osg cheese. These have been drying for 7 days now.. The sunset sherbet came down on day 70 and SSH will come down tomorrow on day 75. I am already very excited for the next run which will feature a couple more OSG strains, I wil share the names a bit later. Here are some drying pics as well as a last shot of the SSH before she comes down. Hanging around Super Silver Haze 98

My man!!!! Looking at those dense and beautiful nugs makes me drool. Well done bro I am very excited to see how this grow will turn out!!

The deficiency on all the Gorilla Zkittlez seems to have resolved. The whole tent is looking pretty good at the moment. We are in week 3 of flowering. Gorilla Zkittlez Zkittlez x Purple Punch ..and now, some bud pics for @John Stonedwell these are from the previous ZxP harvest, cured now two weeks.

Update on the deficiency on the Gorilla Zkittlez. Three of them have bounced back well, two are still in the swing of bouncing back and one seems to be struggling just a bit, but yellowing has stopped progressing. I have given the three plants that are lagging another round of top feed. I think this will get the job done on the two, and I will just need to keep an eye on the one straggler.

Welcome to the thunderdome, boijies. In this diary I will be recording my grow for the year 2022, blunders, wins, alas. I have recently made some very nice improvements to my overall setup since my last diary and I think equipment wise there won't be much else to upgrade, so from this point on the focus is going to be on refinement of the setup, efficiency of the process and perfecting the strains in my stable. Speaking of strains, my stable/veg tent currently consists of the following strains which I have collected over the years: Zkittlez x Purple Punch - Ripper Seeds (ZxP) KmintZ - Ripper Seeds (KM) Gorilla Zkittlez - Barneys Farm (GZ) Aurora Indica - Nirvana Seeds (AI) Grand Daddy Purple - Blimburn Seeds (GDP) Tortoni F1 - Totemic (T1) Wedding Cake - 1000 Hills Nursery (WC) A solid seven strains. At the moment if I wanted another strain, I would try my best to swap it out rather than accommodate it. The space in the veg tent is comfortable enough to hold at least one mother plant of each strain, enough plants for the next round in the flower tent, and also enough unrooted clones to replace the plants that go into the flower tent. It's called perpetual growing, china. The veg tent is a 1.2mx1.2mx2m LiteHouse LITE grow tent with a 120W QB LED (set to 80W) at about 1.2m high from the ground, light schedule is 18/6 from 6pm to 12pm. I have found this to be the sweet spot all year round for all the veg plants, mothers, clones, they all good. I can get my plants to a nice 1m height before popping them in the flower tent. In addition, I also have a 59W 4 inch extraction fan set on low which exhausts air from inside the tent to outside the room through a window. The window has a custom fitted duct port which allows the room to remain sealed even with the exhaust venting outside. Lastly I have a 425W heat panel which I fixed to a wooden frame to allow it to sit upright at the back of the tent. This heater is connected to a Sonoff switch which is connected to the WiFi and regulates the heat within the tent automatically at a minimum of 22C. The average currently is about 25C (mid Jan) but sometimes, especially with the rains lately, the temp can dip but it will never dip below 22C in this tent. Humidity sits at an average of 70%. The flower tent is a 1.2mx2.4mx2m LiteHouse LITE grow tent. I have also upgraded to AutoPots. From what used to take me 1-2 hours every 2-3 days to water my plants by hand now takes me 20mins once a week. This has been an absolute gamechanger as I can now really focus on timing my veg tent and perfecting the strains going into the flower tent. Not getting absolutely sticky with resin every time I water is a nice plus too I have harvested 6 plants (ZxP) once already about two weeks ago as a test run using the AutoPots. I have another 6 plants (ZxP) currently going which are due to be harvested by the end of this month and I have also just recently planted 6 more ZxP which are the younger looking plants to the left of the flowering plants. First impressions have been fantastic. Compared to using fabric pots, I can see all the benefits and more. I have also installed each AutoPot with an airdome and I pump fresh warm air to the root zone for 12 hours a day following the same time as the light time schedule. I can see the same kind of growth that I used to see back when I grew using DWC. When I investigated the roots after the first harvest, the airdomes were just smothered in healthy white roots. Very nice. Unfortunately, I recently discovered that my pH pen was whack and I fear the last harvest may have been deficient during the ripening stage due to incorrect pH of the feeding nutrient. This will be one area of focus going forward to improve the overall grow. I have also invested in two new 35W Sansui Box Fans which I have attached to the ceiling of the flower tent. I had a few spots of bud rot due to the fokin heavy rains in the Highveld this Summer so improvements needed to be made to make it through humid times. I obtained a 450W GMC 26 Litre Dehumidifier that I keep running within the grow room outside of the tents. From these upgrades, my flower tent humidity has gone from 70%+ to sub 49%. I can also run my 62W 6 inch extraction fan on low (same setup as veg tent i.e. exhaust outside via duct in window) just to simply move stale air from inside the flower tent to outside and slowly bring fresh air in via the gaps in the door to the room through negative pressure created from the flower and veg tent fans exhausting air outside. The lighting power is three 240W QB LEDs (set to 160W) that I pair with 6 plants each on a 12/12 light schedule from 9pm to 9am. Initially when I transplant into the flower tent I will start at about 60cm from the canopy and over a week or two move the LEDs closer to about 30cm to the canopy. I find this enough to give the plants used to the higher light intensity without having to change my wattage settings every time I do a transplant. The idea is to grow and harvest in sets of six. Each set of 6 AutoPots have their own 46L reservoir containers so I can regulate the food to each set of six independently, which allows me to do plants at different stages and also different strains. Harvests are also only 6 plants at a time and not a solid 18 at a time. I am still getting the timing right to get a harvest consistently timed between each other, so that will be fun also to figure out. Something like once a month or so would be hot. The flowers have gotten big enough in the last few harvests that they flop around like big 'ol dicks, so I will be adding a net across the tent after I have harvested these last 6 plants and have planted new plants into all the empty AutoPots. Tying up the buds has been a mission so I'm hoping the net will help in that regard. I haven't gotten a chance to fully utilise the nets yet so that will be a first. In the empty set of six AutoPots I have at the moment I will be doing a round of Gorilla Zkittlez. To replace the current 6 flowering ZxP that will be harvested soon I have 4x KmintZ which are being grown for the first time from seed and are the latest addition to the stable. I will also substitute 2x ZxP plants to total that set of 6. The KmintZ are a supposed 'upgrade' to the lineage associated with ZxP, so pairing them shouldn't be a problem. I just recently took another batch of ZxP clones to replace the Gorilla Zkittlez when those harvest. After that however, it's a roll of the dice. Maybe we decide together what comes next from the stable, maybe I throw a dart on a board, who knows. Whatever is decided, I need to take those clones in at least 3 weeks time from now in order to be ready to plant into the flower tent come harvest time. I'll have a good idea of how to really time everything perfectly as we go so that as I harvest I already have a batch ready to go to replace those plants. Right now, taking at least 6+ clones every 3 weeks has worked out quite well. When I have things dialed in, I will write up a rough formula for all to enjoy! Or perish! It's ya boi. ***Harvest Dates - Weigh-Ins*** 2022 05 January - 87g ZxP 18 January - 136g ZxP 28 February - 257g ZxP 04 March - 173g GZ 12 April - 65g ZxP 12 April - 159g KM 06 May - 188g ZxP 12 May - 215g WC 06 June - 168g ZxP 27 August - 796g ZxP 21 October - 377g ZxP - 80g WC - 135g OMG 28 November - 827g ZxP

20 X PKBR into BioLeaf. I plan to aggressively top the plants to prevent them from getting as tall as the previous grow, lost a fair amount of yield due to height even with running the blue spectrum. May need to run it longer into the initial stretch. As per the title will be testing out canna coco nutrients. They're currently under 2 x 720 watt fixtures dimmed down to 20% with a mix of blue diodes to stretch prevention. A few of the clones are a bit taller which will just be kept short until the rest catch up. I plan to use 2-3 nets for structural support this round as well.

I started with some seeds I got from a bud that was gifted to me. I don't know what they are just know it's cannabis 3 out of the 4 have germinated and I have 3 more in water that I'll put in some cotton later today. I'll update as I go and your advice is welcome!

I’m hoping to get some feedback from anyone who has tried using a Trim Bag to trim their dry buds. I can’t find a minimum bud size that is recommended. I’ve also noticed when searching, that some vendors have an unbranded version for around 2k whereas others have the branded one at between 4.5 and 5k ex courier. Can anyone tell me if the bags are identical or is the cheaper one a poor quality knock-off?

Lately we have been having the popcorn buds pressed into rosin. Its a nice treat if guests come over and smokes so smooth. The sugar trim gets made into bubble hash. I'll finish all the rosin and hash before I touch the nice fat buds. 3 weeks cure minimum before I try the buds out. The leaves become mulch or chicken food. Not really any waste except all the males getting killed.

So I have nothing to worry about? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Proper Indica

Why are my leaves so damn huge and wide? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What to do with unwanted, small plants I planted 1x Big Demon (auto) and 1x Big bang at the start of spring, outdoors, Left overs from an indoor grow. wasn't long before both where flowering at about 500cm. buds were dense an dripping with trichomes. I plucked and dried the whole plants as is, took about 2 weeks to dry, 1 week burping in a bucket system after cutting into chunks. Then on to the shredder, material was added to a 40% ethanol solution and left to macerate for 3 weeks. no heat applied at all at any point. The resulting concoction diluted with distilled rain water to 15%. What a soothing, relaxing tonic, no high, no couch lock, no drowsiness. increased mental clarity, good pain blocker. Just an idea. no such thing as rubbish/waste

Thanks for the link this was exactly was I was researching! (Extraction) https://thehighco.co.za/product/amadab-extraction-kit/

Braai time again So this little one is about 7weeks old. Sun and hot winds nailing this little tough one. Stem the thickness of a decent King Size Slim joint and strong as a nail. Still the ants doing their thing and water. Took a cutting and cooked the poor things two days later when I forgot it outside while doing something. I see two possible candidates volunteering to become clones. I'll decide after the braai.

@Furbrain Tent, you could fit 18x 20L pots inside a 1.2 x 2.4m tent. Not saying you should, but you can and many have flowered with that many plants. More plants in the same space often means smaller plants and therefore quicker veg times, at the same time you don't want to overcrowd your grow space as light penetration can become an issue. It is nice to have the larger space and fill it up as you start to grow more as opposed to having to sell your current equipment and buy more. So upto you on this, however 3 to 4 plants in a 1.2 x 2.4 is either VERY large plants and long veg times or loads of space still available. Fans, I use RAM fans (rather cheap) and AC Infinity (pricier). Both seem really good. For air movement, I like to use box fans as they seem to last longer. Dehumidifier is a nice to have, but not always necessary - start without one and if it becomes an issue get one. I like the GMC dehumidifiers, well pried and work well. Tents, well, I say avoid Mammoth. Mars Hydro tents I believe are good and price is not bad. I really like my Budbox tent, but a little more pricy. Secret Jarden is also not bad, just their Hydro Shoot range take a knock in terms of quality. As for lights, well, there are loads of options. I use Quantum Boards, but there are lots of options. So you need to decide what might work best for you. The vendors on our forum have lights at really good prices.

A simple easy to check if you water is hard or soft, is if your soap lathers easily or not. Easy = Soft water.

Thanks for your constant help and advice. I appreciate you brother. I am going to do as you have suggested as I have been thinking of that as well. I really got mad space but I’d trade it for experience [emoji16] I bought the 60x60 yesterday and has been setup. I have two vegging in there at the moment. Because it seems to be cooler during the day. However, I’ll do the setup you suggested and will update as usual on the progress. Attached a few pictures of my spare room where I have the tents. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yebo yes. The rot was mostly the main colas unfortunately. Just gonna keep beating each batch I'll take a few solo bud pics next week after a little cure

I took a cheeky sample of the last batch so I went ahead and did a weigh-in. Coming in strong at 136g ZxP. I think I can get it to 200g per batch (6 plants).

Noticed a creeping issue in the flower tent. Usually after I transplant there is a slight fade just as the roots catch up, and after about a week the plant should bounce back strong and green. This has been exactly the case with the ZxP, but the Gorilla Zkittlez is due for the bounce back but seems to be fading further. I have given another top feed even though the reservoir has been on for a few days, I think the roots may be just slightly behind. Depending on how fast the reservoir drains I might top feed once more in a week. ZxP Gorilla Zkittlez

Trimming day! Started early this morning and finished just after lunch. Caught some bud rot again but not nearly as much as the last batch. I'm sure I might have even lost this batch if I had not reduced the humidity when I did. If I never see bud rot again, that would be great. Managed to get a fat 3L jar worth this time around. Jirre I might have gotten another 1L worth if it wasn't for the bud rot. Tsek. I'll update in a few days on the dry weight.

Veg tent update. I have taken 6 clones of the Wedding Cake mother. I made sure to take some chonkier clones this time around and I left a little bit more foliage on them. I also gave the Jiffy pellets a little squeeze to reduce the amount of water in them. The KmintZ plants seem to have sprung back from their deficiency. The marks of the deficiency are still faintly visible but the new growth and the overall health of the plants are much better. I also potted them up into slightly bigger pots as they were getting really thirsty, I was beginning to water them nearly everyday. I still have four ZxP clones taking their time to root, followed by another 6 in the center propagator. Please, clone gods...just, please give me a chance.

Flower tent update. The ZxP below are about a week and a bit into flower. Looking healthy and happy. I have since switched on the reservoirs for the AutoPots and tonight I also switched on the air domes for them. I have also setup the stretch nets for the tent in preparation for maximum nugs. Below are the Gorilla Zkittlez that went in a week ago. They are already developing their preflowers, mmm I haven't switched on the air domes yet but the reservoir was switched on yesterday.

I am busy harvesting the ripe ZxP that have been ripening up for the last week where I have also cut off the water supply for the last 7 days. The buds are looking real good. I am about half way through the chop and I am on a break. Here are a few pics of the preharvest:

Veg tent update. I've come to a realisation and have acted upon it. I don't believe I will get a chance to go back to certain strains that are in my stable for a long while and it is eating at my resources a bit to keep preserving them in the small space that I currently have. I am happy though with all the cloning I had to do in order to preserve the mothers so at least my cloning game got an upgrade...or so I thought. So we remain with; Zkittlez x Purple Punch - Ripper Seeds (ZxP) KmintZ - Ripper Seeds (KM) Gorilla Zkittlez - Barneys Farm (GZ) Wedding Cake - 1000 Hills Nursery (WC) The four KmintZ seedlings are doing really well, although I have noticed a small deficiency developing and gave them a healthy dose of nutrients. In general I try not to max out the nutes right away and try work my way up slowly so maybe I started a bit too light. The leaves are looking nice and chonky, fat indica vibes, but as you can see there is some hints of yellow developing on the edges and centre points of the leaves. I saw @CreX mention having similar issues with potassium deficiency and the leaves looking something like this, so I'm keeping that in mind. The coco is not reused. The ZxP clones are coming on nicely. Although they take much longer to root than I had initially planned for. These clones rooted only after like close to a month. Bananas. You can imagine what utter delight it was to finally see roots pop out. As far as I understand I do everything correctly; 45 degree cuts near or on the nodes, double dip (gel + powder), trim the leaves, soaked Jiffys in warm water, vents closed for first three days, vents open until roots appear, spray only leaves from top once a day, if Jiffys get too dry I dip the bottoms of the Jiffys in extremely weak pH'd nutrient feed. I mean they look pretty healthy for sitting in a propagator with no supposed roots for more than 3 weeks so I'm not sure what's not triggering the root growth sooner. My initial thoughts are maybe that the Jiffys are too wet in the beginning, so the clones are waterlogged. On the next run I am going to gently squeeze out a little of the water out the Jiffys before planting the clones. I'm also thinking I need to take some bigger clones.

Check the frost on this bad girl; ZxP

I decided to give the trimmed bud a weigh-in before I start taking cheeky samples. First bud of the year comes in at 87g of ZxP. I am going to update the original post with the dates of harvest as well as the weight per harvest as we go throughout the year.

Can't wait! I've been just growing the ZxP for a long while. Kept the extractor the same, added the two new box fans on the ceiling so that air is always circulating the tops and bottom of the plants as they push air down and then lastly the dehumidifier.

Here is the flower tent, full at last after putting the Gorilla Zkittlez into their trays. The clones I have going in the veg tent that are supposed to replace the plants that are to be harvested soon are taking really long to root, and I might have missed the mark with regards to the timing... oops. So there will be an empty spot in the middle of the flower tent for a little while until the clones are ready.

I spent the rest of the day trimming a harvest I had drying for the last week. This was the first run I did in the AutoPots and consisted of 6x ZxP. I won't sugarcoat it (although there was still plenty of sugar), but there managed to be more bud rot again, but it didn't spread. I think it developed as far as it did while flowering and mostly stayed at the center of the buds most affected. I'm going to be honest and say I probably lost half the yield to bud rot. The buds mostly affected were the large, main colas () positioned at the tops of the plants. I don't think I had very good ventilation in the tent at the time. I've managed to save a good portion of buds so not all was lost, but we gotta get this shit pristine now. The unaffected buds are frosty and nice, I managed to get about 2/3rds of a 3 liter jar. I am going to log the weight of all my harvests for the year and present a grand total, try and set myself some baselines/future goals.

..and here we have some lekker bud rot, courtesy of the rains. This current batch has been struggling with bud rot in its attempts to flower this Summer. The batch before was almost perfect except for the deficiency at the end, no bud rot though I've been keeping a really close eye every evening to chop any bad buds. I've picked maybe 6 buds so far. Bit of an eish but at least the entire batch isn't lost. I don't think there was saving these buds in-time with the recent purchases to reduce humidity. The real test will be from here on out during this high humidity period