400W organic soil stealth cab - TGA Apollo-13, Mr. Nice Medicine Man, OG Kush

So got back today. Been gone since Wednesday morning though I was able to pop back in yesterday for about 1/2 hour to water the plants. Good thing or they might be dead. They were bone dry yesterday. Got home today and they were both very dry and suffering pH/lockout issues. All the plants suffering varying degrees though not too bad yet. Luckily, my pH pen and soil tester came in while I was gone. I hopped on down to the local hydro store (which is <5 minutes away with no stop lights between here and there ) and got some reference solution and some earth juice ph down and up. Also some superthrive. Wanted to get some kind of organic but no good options I saw. Distilled water showed 8 pH so... not good, I adjusted to 6.5 and watered well. Soil pH test showed 6.5 after water. Hope they cheer up. Also showing heat stress -- found source: failed/poor duct taping on ducts -- hot air venting into cab don't think it got much above 85 tho

A13-1



A13-2



MM-1




MM-2



OGK

Was wondering how they were. Did you leave them in a tray of water? Curious how much they're drinking up. My bb seedlings seem to be staying wet long time.

HC told me distilled Ph was high so I stopped using it. Got to order a meter tomorrow. Probably find Ph down too.

Might pop into Austin tomorrow for hydro store along with pet store and home depot.

Not a tray just left them to sit in the runoff which I'm sure dried up within an hour or two under that light. Guessing humidity is probably pretty low.

Might pop into Austin tomorrow for hydro store along with pet store and home depot.

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Maybe Bed, Bath and Beyond? I don't know if you'll have enough time. Love that movie (Old School w/ Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn).

I may go get some hydroton or something else to put on top of the soil to help the soil retain water. Hopefully if they perk up a bit and stop having issues now that I'm pH correcting I can get them transplanted into some roots in 6" containers in about a week or two which will probably also retain water a bit better. Wish the site had better resolution on the pics - the originals show the pH issues quite a bit better (and also how nice the unaffected parts do look so far )

Oh yes, I forgot -- also I have gnats of some kind. I don't know if they came from the soil. There is also a cat box in the same room -- but haven't had any issues like that with it until now.... also nothing in the trash cans for gnats to grow in... so not sure what is going on. They are big gnats and not sure they are coming from the soil, just flying around the light in the cab - about 3 or 4 that I saw probably more that I haven't. I'm going to stop leaving them in the runoff that probably isn't helping having standing water.

Had an aphid out break once... solved it by unleashing several dozen ladybugs in my bedroom closet That was interesting.

Putting hydroton or such on the soil should help with the nats too. Save money and get lava rocks or such from home depot or such.

Hydroton needs to be soaked in Ph adjusted water. Forgot the specifics. Got a bag I haven't opened yet. Havent set up my hydro yet.

Depends on which bed bath and beyond. I'll be to the north, might get down to south central. I'm too drugged to be know sure the connection of the store and movie or why I need to go there

NoahEbin said:

Since I am going to be xplant soon, can you briefly explain your "dust with myco" technique? And I have been doing a lot of research on RIU on soil mixes, and I think you do want to add like 10% perlite to Sunshine. If you just search Sunshine mix 4, you will see lots of posts of people asking what to do with this mix. And as for Azomite, I can probably get it, but what does it really do? I imagine the RO has some in it, but Subcool adds some to his, especially for that hot mix at the bottom of the pots.

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You can find Azomite online. I picked up a 6lb box of the Down to Earth brand from waytogrow.net.

Sensei, I think I'm experiencing the same thing with my girls right now, sans gnats anyway. My Vanilla Kush's second set of leaves are curled under but no signs of that with the others. Would RO be too hot for Kush strains? It's not straight RO but a 60/40 Light Warrior/RO mix.

RO isn't hot at all and in my experience is USUALLY 6.5 to start, but I used RO water the last couple of times I watered (without checking pH) early this week and it didn't help, so probably do need to check your pH just to be sure. It is definitely pH for mine -- tested the soil this morning and some from last night took and are 6.5 but most still between 7 and 8 pH (some varying from 7-8 depending on depth). I flushed them (watered like normal and put enough in so that the water came above the soil and sank down - gave them at least 2x what they normally get) and all the soils after were at 6.5 all the way down after... will check the soil pH tonight to see if it took as freshly watered mainly just shows the pH of what you just watered with. This pH pen is pretty cheap so far i'm having to adjust it back to 7 by reference each watering because it's not staying -- will probably need to get a better one later but I just have spent so much on supplies lately I didn't want to blow an extra near $100 on a really good pH pen -- will blow that money in another couple paychecks

Which pen did you get so I know not to get the same one?

Had to sleep off the meds this morning and forgot to rush to the bank to cash my check doh. Was going to be north west of austin to do some work but got it done over the phone, still need to get to town this weekend though. Waiting to see if I make it.

I'll let you know... but I'm guessing that all of them in the same price range are going to have similar issues... cheap and made in china comes with a price. I'm fine with adjusting every time til I get a new one But the cheapest the hydro store had was like $85 and I certainly wasn't interested in that. The last one I had cost around $40 I think it and it was a decent pen didn't have to re-adjust every time. This pen for now is serving it's purpose. The soil ph meter is verifying the pH reading I'm getting from the pen (different devices) after watering. My fuzzy grow memories are coming back to me and remember having very similar issues until getting a good ph pen and the same up/down i have now -- just on older plants not seedlings -- the RO I had then was at 6.5 out of the bottle though and it only had pH issues after adding nutes. This water I'm getting now (today) tested at pH 4 out of the bottle. OUCH. Last week's was 8. Sorry girls.

Wishing I had some good medicinal stuff right now got a tooth ache -- sure I need a root canal but waiting to see a new dentist. Going to have to call to see if they'll see me on emergency basis monday. The stuff I've got is decent for getting high but doesn't do much for pain, especially tooth pain. I actually took one of my wife's hydrocodone this morning and it's not even getting rid of the pain - just dulled it a bit. Can't wait til Medicine Man is done, then next grow will probably run some Cheese Quake and G13xHashplant - and maybe a clone of med man if either of these 2 turn out to be good medicine keepers. If they're just good highs I probably won't keep them as I got tons of seeds that'll get me high... what I need is some quality pain management/muscle relaxing medicine - preferably that doesn't cause too much munchies.

Of course I'm also looking for that mom that just turns my head inside out too, but that's gonna have to be an elite level mom, not just a pretty good one. I'm hoping one of the a13 meets that measure - I definitely had a11s that I'd keep as my daytime headstash -- but none I'd never consider replacing with something better if it came along.

Senseimilla said:

RO isn't hot at all and in my experience is USUALLY 6.5 to start, but I used RO water the last couple of times I watered (without checking pH) early this week and it didn't help, so probably do need to check your pH just to be sure. It is definitely pH for mine -- tested the soil this morning and some from last night took and are 6.5 but most still between 7 and 8 pH (some varying from 7-8 depending on depth). I flushed them (watered like normal and put enough in so that the water came above the soil and sank down - gave them at least 2x what they normally get) and all the soils after were at 6.5 all the way down after... will check the soil pH tonight to see if it took as freshly watered mainly just shows the pH of what you just watered with. This pH pen is pretty cheap so far i'm having to adjust it back to 7 by reference each watering because it's not staying -- will probably need to get a better one later but I just have spent so much on supplies lately I didn't want to blow an extra near $100 on a really good pH pen -- will blow that money in another couple paychecks

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Not too sure about the pH. The city I live in has RO off-tap but they still add all of the chlorine and/or chloramines to it, so I've just been putting mine through a carbon filter and letting it sit for insurance. If it is pH then it is only affecting the Vanilla Kush, which doesn't seem likely. I'm trying to narrow down the possibilities before I take any corrective action, if needed. I was on 24/7 lights so I just turned them off for a few hours. I'll see what happens after a day or two of 20/4.

I'm hoping your Med man is good for pain. I'm pretty sure I read it was high CBS ratio

Heading to austin now. Getting more supplies to finish up potting

Can't see any positive changes in plants yet Know it hasn't been too long though. Hope they start perking up soon.

Voidling said:

I'm hoping your Med man is good for pain. I'm pretty sure I read it was high CBS ratio

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Me too. The last time I grew it I didn't have the medicinal uses I use it for now -- so won't know til I try.

Today is bringing some answers and HOPEFULLY a turn.

So soil pH still not great too high at the bottoms but ok at the top of the soil. But the plants are improving now. None got worse and the worst seemed to have a little improvement (regreening). The ones that were not as bad look about the same no worse not sure if any better. The one MM1 that was showing lockout symptoms doesn't appear to be getting worse and is very perky the way a non-stressed plant should be. If it weren't for previous damage I'd say she's looking great. The others showing varying signs of lockout and overwatering.

Soil moisture is a lot better (not drying out after one day) -- really trying to get rid of the leaks appears to have helped. So now it looks like it's just waiting don't think they will need to be watered another day or two.

Med Man #1 - Fairly perky, seems to be improving


Med Man #2 - Not getting worse today



Apollo-13 #1 - Probably least affected of all - thanks TGA

Apollo-13 #2 - A little stunted but doesn't appear to be geting worse



OG Kush - This poor thing was on death's door if she didn't turn around -- looks to me like she is greening back up where she was yellowing yesterday so hopefully saved her in time.

If your pH is too alkaline you should try brewing up a fungal dominant tea. That would help bring it back down. Mine are about the size of yours, in the same cups, and I just started transplanting; 2 of 4 so far and both of those were pretty much root bound.

Glad to hear it's turning around for the better

I just moved them from 9oz to 16oz cups at the start of this week they were nowhere close to being rootbound then so no way they are rootbound yet now since they've been going from underwatered to overwatered this week. Their root system is underdeveloped -- good job if yours were rootbound mine might be if they weren't having these stresses. I'll probably check the roots on one or two when it's time for next watering since it's so easy with these cups anyway. The good thing is I got plenty of supply for a while so I got time to get these girls healthy and let them veg without rushing them too fast into flower.

Thanks! All of the roots in each cup had made it to the bottom and then made a circular lap around the bottom of the cup. I never would have thought it but yeah, only 12 days after breaking the soil and they were ready to move on up. I just re-read from the beginning because I was wondering what your soil is comprised of. If you already inoculated with some fungi you probably wouldn't need the high-fungi tea, but maybe the dry period stunted the development of your micro food web. Would transplanting frequently significantly disturb the fungi? My soil was so loose (60% Light Warrior) that it pretty much crumbled when I tapped the plant out. Actually, it was kind of this weird layer cake because the bottom 50% of the cups (where most of the root mass was) were 60/40 - Light Warrior/Roots, and the top 50% was only Light Warrior so it was very unstable once out of it's container. The ladies are nicely tucked in now though in a consistent blend of 8:2:2 - Roots:Light Warrior:EWC.

Did you already mix up your Super Soil?

Yeah my super soil has been sitting almost two weeks now - did it around the time I germed the seeds. Going to need to stir it up in the next few days I guess. First seedling mix was fairly heavy definitely heavier mix than the roots and far heavier than light warrior. My light warrior is the same as yours light and fluffy and comes apart easily. So there is a little of the old mix in there around the roots and the rest is light warrior. I think fungi are going to grow under the right conditions no matter what so it should just regenerate if disturbed as long as conditions are right. Mine don't appear to be as I didn't see much of any fungal action going on when I transplanted -- of course that was less than a week in. I wouldn't doubt those days they were getting super dry every day would be hard for any fungi to thrive probably hard for bacteria too.