Ok so I've been growing for almost 2yrs but all my grows seem to be lacking quality regardless of strain. Right now I have Kosher Kush and Bulldogs Sour Diesel. I must admit that I have had some heat issues and sometimes it can get up to 88º. Im working on getting a portable AC now but Im just trying to figure out whats wrong. I won a complete line of House and Garden nutrients so thats what I use in soil. I have 1800 watts in a 5x10 tent with active air cooled hoods. I rigged my home ac to cool the space a little but i know its not the most effective way to cool. I use reverse osmosis water. I've tried drying for a week and Ive tried 3 weeks. Ive cured for a month. Ive used other nutrient lines fox farm, botanicare, advanced nuterients but have never noticed much difference in my end result... it just seems to be lacking. If anyone can offer ANY advice I'd be Sincerely grateful. God Bless
Help, my crop keeps coming out like mid
- Thread starter mrbamboo
- Start date
SpicySativa
Well-Known Member
That heat is likely a big part of your issue. High heat will cause buds to stretch out and get fluffy.
This next part below is just my opinion based on my 6+ years of experience and experimentation with organiv cannabis growing, plus many more years tending to organic veggies and landscapes. Some will agree, others wont. Here it is:
You sound like a prime candidate for switching over to organic growing. If you are already growing in soil, you're much better off growing organically. When you pour chemical nutrients onto soil, it essentially becomes a dead pot full of material for your roots to anchor into. There is no symbiosis between the plant and the soil, its just a medium for delivering your hydroponic nutrients. On the other hand, if you build your soil with compost and organic amendments, it becomes a thriving mini ecosystem, much like what happens in nature (no one dumps chemical fertilizers in a forest to grow all those tall, healthy trees). The end result (from my experience) is plants that live up to their full genetic potential in terms of aroma, flavor, and overall frostiness. This is one of the MANY good reasons that folks like Soma, Subcool (TGA Seeds) and so many other professionals in the industry choose to grow organically. It it brings out the unique nuances of flavors and aromas that you just don't get from synthetic chemical nutrients, no matter how many times you flush the salts from your soil.
Plants have evolved to grow symbiotically with soil microorganisms for something like 510 million years. Only lately have humans decided we think we know a better way...
That's my advice anyway...
What is it about your harvests that you are not happy with? Lacking frostiness? Loose/airy? Don't smell or taste good?
This next part below is just my opinion based on my 6+ years of experience and experimentation with organiv cannabis growing, plus many more years tending to organic veggies and landscapes. Some will agree, others wont. Here it is:
You sound like a prime candidate for switching over to organic growing. If you are already growing in soil, you're much better off growing organically. When you pour chemical nutrients onto soil, it essentially becomes a dead pot full of material for your roots to anchor into. There is no symbiosis between the plant and the soil, its just a medium for delivering your hydroponic nutrients. On the other hand, if you build your soil with compost and organic amendments, it becomes a thriving mini ecosystem, much like what happens in nature (no one dumps chemical fertilizers in a forest to grow all those tall, healthy trees). The end result (from my experience) is plants that live up to their full genetic potential in terms of aroma, flavor, and overall frostiness. This is one of the MANY good reasons that folks like Soma, Subcool (TGA Seeds) and so many other professionals in the industry choose to grow organically. It it brings out the unique nuances of flavors and aromas that you just don't get from synthetic chemical nutrients, no matter how many times you flush the salts from your soil.
Plants have evolved to grow symbiotically with soil microorganisms for something like 510 million years. Only lately have humans decided we think we know a better way...
That's my advice anyway...
What is it about your harvests that you are not happy with? Lacking frostiness? Loose/airy? Don't smell or taste good?
kryptoniteglo
Well-Known Member
^^^SpicySativa might be pointing you in a really good direction. You've obviously invested some time and energy into creating a bonafide grow op. Your temperature control might be one of the last aspects you have to dial in for real success -- that and organic soil.
Personally I grow hydro because I have an illegal grow in apartment building, and I'm a girl so I don't like bugs of any kind in here!
But I've been watching the soil growers carefully because I would like to switch over to organic super soil at some point. You already know what you're getting with what you're doing. So use one grow as an experiment and go with organic soil and lower air temps. Grow the same strains as you did the last time and change nothing else. Weigh the harvest and see if the outcome is more to your liking.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Personally I grow hydro because I have an illegal grow in apartment building, and I'm a girl so I don't like bugs of any kind in here!
But I've been watching the soil growers carefully because I would like to switch over to organic super soil at some point. You already know what you're getting with what you're doing. So use one grow as an experiment and go with organic soil and lower air temps. Grow the same strains as you did the last time and change nothing else. Weigh the harvest and see if the outcome is more to your liking.You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
SpicySativa
Well-Known Member
Even Justus Von Liebig, the man who's research and experiments sparked the chemical fertilizer "revolution", eventually returned to organic gardening because he wasn't happy with his results.
But, it was too late... His scientific discoveries paved the way for the whole money-making (and environmentally disastrous) fertilizer industry.
But, it was too late... His scientific discoveries paved the way for the whole money-making (and environmentally disastrous) fertilizer industry.
Thanks for the quick response. im dissapointed because my kush smells very mild and has a very bland flavor. the buds ARE pretty. They are fluffy but not airy. Ive been told the high doesnt last long. And ive been told that it looks like "home grown" (very embarrassing). Ive tried AN Iguana juice and was not impressed. everytime i use organic nutes I stink up my house. I also use happy frog soil. I have soooo many nutes sometimes it gets overwhelming. All the advice is greatly appreciated
@mrbamboo, what kind of bulbs are you using, and have you always used good genetics?
I've grown organically and with technoflora's nutes and I honestly can't tell the difference. With both methods my buds have always come out nice because I've always used good genetics, sannie as my seed supplier, and I do a slow dry.
I agree with spicysativa in theory, but the problem is that plenty of dank buds have been grown with chemical fertilizers. In fact, I read an article about a test where buds were grown with chemical fertilizers versus orgainically grown fertilizers and a large sample of people couldn't tell the difference. When people were told which was which they picked the organics, but they even tricked some people telling them the chemically fertilized product was organic and then they picked the chemically fertilized product thinking it was organic. Basically when people hear the word "organic" they assume it's better.
It's probably your heat issues, perhaps poor quality bulbs that give off an inferior spectrum, or maybe you haven't always used top notch genetics. You also may be drying too quickly. As mentioned a slow dry is the way to go.
Another thing to think about is that you may be being too hard on yourself, especially for someone who has only been at it for 24 months. Also, your testers may be telling you it looks like homegrown because they know it's homegrown. They also may be telling you it's not that good, and that the high doesn't last too long because they want you to give it away to them.
I've grown organically and with technoflora's nutes and I honestly can't tell the difference. With both methods my buds have always come out nice because I've always used good genetics, sannie as my seed supplier, and I do a slow dry.
I agree with spicysativa in theory, but the problem is that plenty of dank buds have been grown with chemical fertilizers. In fact, I read an article about a test where buds were grown with chemical fertilizers versus orgainically grown fertilizers and a large sample of people couldn't tell the difference. When people were told which was which they picked the organics, but they even tricked some people telling them the chemically fertilized product was organic and then they picked the chemically fertilized product thinking it was organic. Basically when people hear the word "organic" they assume it's better.
It's probably your heat issues, perhaps poor quality bulbs that give off an inferior spectrum, or maybe you haven't always used top notch genetics. You also may be drying too quickly. As mentioned a slow dry is the way to go.
Another thing to think about is that you may be being too hard on yourself, especially for someone who has only been at it for 24 months. Also, your testers may be telling you it looks like homegrown because they know it's homegrown. They also may be telling you it's not that good, and that the high doesn't last too long because they want you to give it away to them.
SpicySativa
Well-Known Member
MrBamboo- Real organic gardening is about building the nutrition INTO your soil, not pouring (often foul smelling) bottled mystery concoctions over it. My soil doesn't have much smell at all (what smell it does have is absolutely drowned out by the smells of my plants).
Edgar- That survey you mentioned sounds interesting. I'd love to read it if you have a link.
I don't doubt that peoples experiences were affected by what they THOUGHT they were smoking; the placebo affect is very real. I'm mostly curious what organic methods were used. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that organic buds grown with store bought bottled fertilizers were comparable to chemically produced buds.
There's a lot more to organic growing than picking the bottle with the OMRI label plastered on it. I've grown buds with bottled organics, and I wasn't all that impressed with them. My best tasting and most potent buds are coming from the soil I've been building, recycling, re-amending, and reusing for over a year now. Among many other things, this soil contains worm castings made from the remains of all the cannabis plants I've grown over the last year (leaves, stems, roots, trim mush left over from hashing, etc) and the food scraps from my kitchen. High quality compost is the backbone of any organic system, and you can't buy that in a bag... And no, it doesn't smell bad.
I also don't mean to imply that good buds can't be grown with chemicals. Obviously they can, with proper care.
Edgar- That survey you mentioned sounds interesting. I'd love to read it if you have a link.
I don't doubt that peoples experiences were affected by what they THOUGHT they were smoking; the placebo affect is very real. I'm mostly curious what organic methods were used. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that organic buds grown with store bought bottled fertilizers were comparable to chemically produced buds.
There's a lot more to organic growing than picking the bottle with the OMRI label plastered on it. I've grown buds with bottled organics, and I wasn't all that impressed with them. My best tasting and most potent buds are coming from the soil I've been building, recycling, re-amending, and reusing for over a year now. Among many other things, this soil contains worm castings made from the remains of all the cannabis plants I've grown over the last year (leaves, stems, roots, trim mush left over from hashing, etc) and the food scraps from my kitchen. High quality compost is the backbone of any organic system, and you can't buy that in a bag... And no, it doesn't smell bad.
I also don't mean to imply that good buds can't be grown with chemicals. Obviously they can, with proper care.
Very true. I read the article about a year ago, so I don't have the link, but if I remember correctly the "taste test" occurred at a cannabis cup in Oregon.
I agree in that I highly doubt the experiment used such dye in the wool organics like you have been creating. Not many people would go through the effort to get such pure organics. It's a lot easier to open up a bottle and as you mentioned it takes you a year to create your hard core organic fertilizer.
These kinds of tests are done all the time with food too. It's called the organic "halo effect".
Like you mentioned what is organic to some is not to others. Whole foods just came under fire for having "organics" imported from china, where the chinese standards for organics is not the same as here. What a joke! All these yuppies pulling up in their BMW's to buy chiniese "knock off" organics at top dollar.
mr sunshine
Well-Known Member
What kind of light do you have ?
im also vegging under a 90w ufo led. Im using Reserva Privada Kosher Kush and Bulldog Sour Diesel. Ive tried several different strains in the past ( super lemon haze, pineapple express, LSD, Kushage, Jack Herer)
and havent been impressed with any because the end result is not as good as the normal stuff floating around my town
and havent been impressed with any because the end result is not as good as the normal stuff floating around my town
Sand4x105
Well-Known Member
The issue is too much heat.... You see 88f + and you know in some of the corners, and at the top of your plants it is too hot, or it got too hot....
Heat stress can/will cause a plant to push out air bud...The heat causes the roots to over heat and stop the up take of water, which cause further damage to plant, medium stays wetter than usual, and plant starts to degrade.... Good Luck man, **FIRST** get your temp under control.... then good solid bud will follow....
Heat stress can/will cause a plant to push out air bud...The heat causes the roots to over heat and stop the up take of water, which cause further damage to plant, medium stays wetter than usual, and plant starts to degrade.... Good Luck man, **FIRST** get your temp under control.... then good solid bud will follow....
SpicySativa
Well-Known Member
No hatred here, dude, just strong opinions. Several of my friends grow with chemicals, and I give them shit, too. But it's all in good fun. Check out this article if you're interested in a good read. It's focussed on wine grape production, but a plant is a plant. Helps explain why I haven't seen a single insect pest in my garden in over 5 years (other than the occasional fungus gnat that is easily dealt with organically). Also touches on one reason why the flavors and aromas are more intense.
http://www.organicwinejournal.com/index.php/2008/11/wine-quality-organic-viticulture-and-vine-systemic-acquired-resistance-to-pests/
JMD
Well-Known Member
And it always gets thrown in your face as "organic is the best, everything else is crap and unnatural".
For many organic growers it becomes a religion to them, that they have to preach to everyone - I hate religion, it makes people blind and ignorant. I'm not saying that this is the case for all organic growers, but for many of the "I'm 100% organic".
Let people use what works best for them