Sweet Autos: Mohan Ram, Blow Mind, Crystal Candy and Killer Kush

[delagdo]

@G_lab @jadenugs thank you, it seems to be working so far. One nice thing about keeping diaries is being able to go back and look over them again, and I can be sure my plants are doing better at this point than my previous couple of grows.

[delagdo]

Day 35 and Day 36

Increasing the EC has helped keep the plants looking good and growing well. On day 35 I decided it was time to switch the ratio, so I used 1ml/l Bloom, 0.75ml/l Micro and 0.5ml/l Gro. This gives a slightly lower EC reading of 1.2, compared to Bloom and Gro switched round which they were on previously. I gave the same EC 1.2 mix to the plants again today (day 36). Since it's lower than it was, and the plants seem happy with no burning or leaf curling, I may bump it up very slightly more still - I'm thinking 20% more nutrient solution, should be EC 1.4.

Temperatures the past couple of days have been slightly lower with the lights on, around 23°C most of the time up to 25°C max, same minimum of 20°C, I'm not sure why  - I think the extra transpiration is cooling it as the plants get bigger, and also perhaps because I moved the circulation fans around slightly. RH has been very steady between 50-61%.

These pictures are from today. I've moved the plants around in the tent:

Top row: Crystal Candy Auto, Blow Mind Auto, Crystal Candy Auto (younger)
Bottom row: Mohan Ram Auto, Killer Kush Auto, Mohan Ram Auto (younger)

 

They are all doing well, but that younger Mohan Ram Auto is really growing into a monster plant now!

I've evened out the canopy with piles of books under some of the plants, so they're all about 24 inches below the light. From another angle:

 

Another thing I am wondering about boosting, besides the food, is the light. I know I already have good coverage with the 315w over 8 square foot, and in the centre it must be at saturation point. But the falloff at the edges of the tent is real, and as they bush out penetration could be improved.

I have my 250w HPS which I retrieved from the darkest corner of the garage already practically set up, from the bulb failure. Running both 250w HPS and 315w CHM in that tent would really test the ventilation, but I think I might get away with it. I only have extraction on 70% currently so I have a bit of headroom, plus I am running a bit of additional heating which can be reduced. It would be right at the maximum of recommended light levels so I'd need plenty of space between the plants and the lights, but they are all brilliantly compact so far. I would be trading some efficiency, in terms of grams-per-watt, for trying to achieve the most possible in actual quantity, but there's not all that long left now really. I am very tempted to try it.

The older Crystal Candy Auto:

 

Killer Kush Auto:

I now have a concrete deadline - my mother and father-in-law should be arriving again on 30th May. This would be day 85 (therefore 79 for the younger plants). It all needs to be finished, including dried and put away by then. I don't think it will be a problem. The Blow Mind Auto is the one which might want longer but it's impossible to say from this point.

Thanks for looking  come back soon and I will tell you what happens.

[Smokebelch]

@delagdoNice diary dude, your plants look awesome, keep up the good work.

[delagdo]

Day 37 to Day 41

Day 37:

 

The picture really doesn't do it justice, the amount of energy spilling out of the tent.

 

Temperature was OK, with the fan on full it maxed out at 30°C. The plants seemed OK at first, but there was some stretching and stem elongation. A small number of leaves folded up very slightly, like tacos, indicating they are struggling with high transpiration. On day 40 it was apparent their colour was fading, when compared side by side to the previous picture three days before:

 

I am glad I have the pictures because it really showed me it was happening. In real life they still look pretty lush and green and I'm not sure I'd have realized how much they had changed. I saw it properly when editing them today.

Today is day 41 and over the past 24 hours some leaf damage has appeared on the younger Mohan Ram Auto, looking a bit like a magnesium-based problem:

 

I am not sure but I am blaming the excessive light and heat. I have taken the HPS down today and I will continue with CMH only. I'm glad to say I've tried it.

I did up the nutrients as I said I might, by 20%, which only came out as EC 1.3. I saw a few white tips, the beginning of burning, so I think I've taken it high enough. The high temperatures and light will not have helped with that. Today I've given them EC 1.2 made of equal ratios of Gro, Bloom and Micro, a bit of extra nitrogen I hope might give their deep green colour back.

[delagdo]

Day 40 and Day 41 (contd)

 

I took a portrait shot of each plant on day 40, and today (day 41) I took a closer picture of the flowers. I've put each plant together here.

 

First the older Crystal Candy Auto on day 40:

 

Crystal Candy Auto flowers on day 41:

 

The older Mohan Ram Auto remains the darkest plant in tone. It is an inch or two shorter than the Crystal Candy Auto but just as dense with foliage. Here she is on day 40:

 

Mohan Ram Auto flowers on Day 41:

 

The Killer Kush Auto is a fast flowering beauty. This plant in particular stretched a bit the past few days. Day 40:

 

My Kush supplies are running low but it looks like I will have some good new stock soon. Day 41:

[delagdo]

Day 40 and Day 41 (contd)

 

Continuing with a look at each plant, this was the Blow Mind Auto on day 40:

 

It is slower than the others, but not by much. The side branches have come on well now after a slower start. The stretch the past few days was not entirely unappreciated.

 

Blow Mind Auto flowers on day 41:

 

The younger Crystal Candy Auto is really 6 days behind the older plants, so this day 40 photo is only her equivalent day 34:

 

She's clearly ahead of the Blow Mind Auto already. Younger Crystal Candy Auto flowers on day 40:

 

The younger Mohan Ram Auto is also 6 days behind, but actually looks it compared to the older version. Day 40:

 

Here's the younger Mohan Ram Auto on day 41, its equivalent day 35:

 

Soon I will need to attach my macro lens.

[Serpent]

Looking a picture of health @delagdo with some nice buds starting to develop

[BeardedBeardiae]

You do do a good diary @delagdo fair play. Shame you couldn't get away with a few more watts.

[G_lab]

Looking lush in here! Very nice garden @delagdo 

[delagdo]

Thanks @Serpent the best bit is coming soon, fingers crossed!

 

Thank you @BeardedBeardiae. It would have been nice to know I have the capacity but on the other hand I don't really need to, I should be able to produce plenty to keep me going from the CMH. It's better for the electricity bill. It's nice testing the limit and knowing there's no point adding light, not wondering about it forever.

 

Thanks very much @G_lab It's looking better than previous attempts and I am enjoying it a lot more for it!

[delagdo]

Day 42 to Day 44

The plants immediately improved and all the problems stopped on removing the HPS. Here they were on day 42, after one day back with CMH only:

I've moved them around again, now it's:
Top: Mohan Ram Auto (younger), Blow Mind Auto, Mohan Ram Auto
Bottom: Crystal Candy Auto (younger), Killer Kush Auto, Crystal Candy Auto

I tried taking pictures with my Raynox macro attachment on day 42 but I found it very challenging. Here's one of the Crystal Candy Auto:

 

I put the nutrients back to my flowering ratio on day 42, that is 1.2ml/l Bloom, 0.8ml/l Gro and 0.4ml/l Gro, which gives EC 1.2. I have been pHing to 6.2.

I have been struggling with high humidity the past few days, with it staying above 70% for long periods. I added extra heat thinking it may help, but it didn't much. I was taking readings such as 27°C, 75% RH at the canopy, 29°C, 65% RH at the top of the tent in the middle of the light cycle, and not much variation from there throughout the day.

I decided to buy a dehumidifier today which is running close to one of the tent inlet vents now. It's only small (210w power, supposedly rated 10l/day maximum extraction rate) and the air going in isn't really all that damp to begin with, so I am not sure it is powerful enough to make much difference but I hope it will help a bit.

I took pictures of some of the buds tonight, day 44.

 

First the couple of plants in the fabric pots, which are both growing short fat main colas above big round bushes. Here's the Crystal Candy Auto:

The Mohan Ram Auto is starting to get nice and frosty, moreso than the other plants yet:

The Killer Kush Auto is looking so good to me, so I have two pictures this evening:

 

 

Thank you for looking!

[jadenugs]

All your plants are looking great mate. Good call on reducing the light/heat to make them more comfortable Downside is the higher humidity but this should drop as they concentrate more on the flowers and less on vegetation. I see you're getting to grips with your new Raynox, nice photos dude. Quality diary

[Serpent]

Starting to flower nicely @delagdo and hopefully you sort your high humidity out

[delagdo]

Thank you @jadenugs. I know you and @Smokebelch both use the same macro converter adaptor and you both make it look easier than it is! I'm finding it very fiddly, both setting up the shot in terms of focus and composition, and also finding the right camera settings to use. It's fun to try but it can be frustrating when the results don't turn out like you expect.

 

Thank you @Serpent!

[delagdo]

Day 45 to Day 48

It has been very hot the past few days, mostly due to the warm sunny weather. It's been up to 32°C at points, but it's typically been around 26°C - 29°C most  of the time with the lights on. Lights go off late afternoon when the ambient temperature is highest, so they've not much dipped below 24°C at any point.

The dehumidifier is helping. It's not removing a lot of water from the air, about a litre a day, however it is producing a lot of warm and very arid air. Running it in the room next to the tent doesn't make a lot of difference, however I have found by trapping the air from the dehumidifier exhaust between boxes with it blowing directly at the tent inlet vent, most of the air can be sucked into the tent before it has a chance to recirculate into the room. Doing it this way I get readings mostly between 55-60% RH at the top of the tent, and 65-70% at canopy level on the far side from the dehumidifier, sometimes a little bit lower than that.

 

The tent is now totally packed out. Here's a look today, day 48:

Top: Mohan Ram Auto, Blow Mind Auto, Mohan Ram Auto (younger)
Bottom: Crystal Candy Auto, Killer Kush Auto, Crystal Candy Auto (younger)

Because of the extra heat, and dryer air, I've seen a few signs that the nutrient content was a little high. There are a few slightly burnt tips here and there, and the Killer Kush Auto had a couple of buds with clawed sugar leaves. On day 46 I lowered the feed from EC 1.2 to 1.1.

I've taken some shots of each plant today. Here's the Killer Kush Auto:

Some of the sugar leaves clawing on this plant:

Blow Mind Auto:

 

The younger Crystal Candy Auto:

Day 48 is really only day 42 for the two younger plants

The younger Mohan Ram Auto:

This plant has really stretched with the warm weather and full tent. It's the tallest now, at about 20 inches above the coco. I've given a few of the stems a squeeze today as I don't want it to get much bigger really.