LED and soil tent grow - Cannalope, Kushberry, Sour Kosher

This is my first journal, so I’m sure I’ll go overboard with TMI (I’m being particularly obsessive this run about every detail). But sharing enables learning, and I’m definitely keen on improving! Admittedly, being on RIU with so many super skilled growers has rather humbled me...there’s so much knowledge I need to absorb...

I’m growing only for my own (very needed) medicine, so I’m completely focused on quality, not quantity. I’ve got about 4-5 years of closet grow experience with HPS and hydro, but this is my first tent grow with LED and soil.

Comments, critiques, commendations, and coaching are all very much appreciated!!

Seeds:
DNA Genetics - Cannalope Haze x 2 (fem), Kushberry x 2 (fem)
Crockett Family Farms - Sour Kosher x 3 (reg) [60% indica release]

Soil & nutes:
Roots Organics Micro-greens Mix
Fox Farms Ocean Forest Soil
xGarden Coarse Perlite
General Organics GO Box
The Guano Company Super Tea
Xtreme Gardening Mykos
Filtered water

Pest control:
Bonide Neem Oil
Monterey Gardens Insect Spray
General Hydroponics Exile
Tent vent filter cover

Setup:
Gorilla Grow 4x2x7’ tent
California Lightworks SolarSystem 550 LED w/ programmable controller
Kind LED 2’ Bar Lights x 2 (1 red, 1 blue)
Vortex Powerfans S-600 in-line fan
Phresh Carbon Filter 6x16”
6” ducting
Dual outlet timer
USB-powered fans x 4
Surge protectors x 2
Heated propagation mat
Ziplock sandwich bags x 7
Plastic cups x 14 (7 clear, 7 red)
1 gal plastic pots
3 gal fabric pots
7 gal fabric pots
12” pot trays
PH test kit
Digital temperature & humidity gauge
4x1.5x6’ stainless shelf rack
Disposable plastic gloves
Various cleaning supplies

8/26

7am - Seeds placed in filtered water in shot glasses covered with cups for 24 hour soak

8/27

7 am - All seeds sank in water. Both CH seeds and SK 1 & 3 already sprouting roots. KB seeds & SK 2 not opened yet. Using tweezers, seeds placed in plastic cups filled with moistened RO Micro-greens mix with a bit of perlite at bottom for drainage, and placed on heat mat with ziplock humidity comes.

8/29

6 am - CH1, SK1, & SK3 visible, just barely sprouting out of soil. Humidity domes removed for those, but kept on for the others.

8/30

6 am - All 7 seeds popped out of soil. Today will be first full day of 18/6 light, as yesterday was only LED for about 10 hrs at half-intensity. The 550 is now set on R/W/B spectrums of 50/99/99, which is Cal Lightworks recommendation for veg cycle. The sunrise/sunset dimming is set to 30 minutes. Got the light a few extra inches away then ideal distance just to make sure the wee ones can handle the intensity.

I’ll use non-blurple pics when there’s actually detail to see...

Best of luck, I’ll be watching

8/30

9:30am

The LED being so low is collecting more heat in the bottom of the tent than I expected, even with the four clip-on fans running on high. Temps at plant level are getting between 84-90 when the Vortex fan isn’t running, and only down to 80-82 when it’s on. RH is dropping below 40 too.

I’d rather have the light on lower intensity than either raise it much further from the plants, and/or run the in-line constantly. Full power at this early stage seems a bit of a waste anyways. So I put the spectrums at 25/50/50, and have the in-line running for 15 minutes every half hour. Once the plants get bigger and I can raise the light, I think the heat collection will be a bit more spread out so it’s not such an issue.

Seedlings are still looking fine, so hopefully they didn’t even notice the brief heat...

8/31

6 am - seedlings are doing fine under 50% intensity light & distance, so we’ll keep things as they are. Tent temp overnight was ideal (70-75), and RH is ok at 50% (a bit low, but not terrible).

Fan pics to show the air flow setup...

8/31

10:30 am - all still looking happy, but a couple of the seedlings are rapidly gaining height, so I lowered the light to ~20” above and increased intensity to 30/60/60 to try and prevent any stretching. Temp at 81 & RH at 55.

8/31

12:30 pm - light position & intensity seems to be working for the wee ones...all 7 look the exact same height now. Temp getting up to 84 & RH down to 50, though, in this midday heat.

9/1 - Day 7

6am - still a little bit of stretching, so lowered the light down to 18” above, and increased intensity to 40/80/80. Temp overnight between 74-77, but tent RH dropped to 40. Fortunately, I’d watered the plants at 9pm, so soil isn’t dried out.

9/2 - Day 8

7 am - of course, since I slept in a bit for a change this is the morning, I wake up to problems...

SK 3 is leaning, and parts of its stem are super dark, almost black. I’m concerned it’s damping off, which would be a bit surprising, as I habitually stray towards under-watering. A check of the cup didn’t look at all like the soil is too moist. Crossing several of my fingers that it’s not blight already!

Hopefully it just stretched too much and needs some stem support, so I topped off SK 3 with more microgreens media. Figured I might as well do the same with the other 6 seedlings too.

Also turned up the 550 intensity to 50/99/99, which is max White & Blue. It’s cooler today, so tent temp is ~78 currently with light on, but still with lower RH at 42.

Pics are before & after soil topping off...

Looking good so far. Fellow soil and LED grower here, i'll be keeping watch.

TheDifferenceX said:

Looking good so far. Fellow soil and LED grower here, i'll be keeping watch.

Click to expand...

Right on. I’ve actually got your journal on watch for a few days now. It’s quite helpful, since you’re so far along in your run, and have successfully dealt with issues that I expect I’ve got good odds of having as well (hopefully none of my fems herm, which is my main concern, really). Best of luck with the week or two you’ve got left before harvest!

Looking good, remember less is more when they’re very young. Don’t push them too much.
I’ve noticed seedlings like more dryer than wet. Lean that way until they take off. Just a suggestion

SMT69 said:

Looking good, remember less is more when they’re very young. Don’t push them too much.
I’ve noticed seedlings like more dryer than wet. Lean that way until they take off. Just a suggestion

Click to expand...

Thank you for the guidance! I’ve been trying to be on the under-watering side, but I agree that it’s still been unnecessarily too much. I admit I get worried easily when they’re this small...but I have to keep reminding myself they are tougher than I expect...

9/3 - Day 9

6am - seedlings looking fine. Light distance and intensity seem to be just right now. Still dealing with slightly elevated temps at bottom of tent (up to 84 this morning with light on), but it’s really the low RH (down to 38 this morn) that’s more of a concern. Not going to take much action yet though, other than opening up the tent to vent more, until I see signs the seedlings are suffering...

9/4 - Day 10

6 am - seedlings are still cruising along at a solid pace. Temps have been consistent the last couple of 24-hour periods, min/max range of 74-86, with RH hovering around 40. Next step for them in a week or two, will be transplant into plastic 2 gallon trade pots (1.593 gallons) with FFOF soil amended with Guano Co Super Tea, some Xtreme Mykos in the transplant hole, and Perlite at bottom for drainage.

During this year’s outdoor run, I noticed the switch from RO microgreens to FFOF seems a bit abrupt for some plants...nothing major, just a small bit of nutrient burn that occurred shortly after transplant. I’m currently debating filling the trade pots with ~75% FFOF, then finishing with a top layer of RO microgreens as a transplant buffer. I know the mute burn will still likely occur a bit later, but just thinking it might be better timing rather than the seedlings dealing with that and transplant stress at the same time...

In pic, taken just after watering, the front two are Kushberry, the middle and right-middle are Cannalope Haze, and the left-middle and top two are Sour Kosher.

9/5 - Day 11

6 am - situation normal. Temp range still 74-86, and RH between 40-50. Pic is seedlings after watering, trying to wake up...

9/6 - Day 12

6 am - situation normal, environmental variables holding steady. Keep on keepin’ on, lil’ ones...