avidly learning to grow

avid_grow

In Bloom
I'll start this off with: I turned 30 a little under a month ago and in September of 2020 I finally took the plunge I had waited for since I was 13 and smoked my first J. One of the best feelings that I have ever felt was smoking something I grew myself. I have tried to explain the feeling to those I love around me and they honestly do not quite get it. I understand why, we all follow our own passions and sometimes have a hard time understanding fully what another feels. For that matter I am fairly certain nobody knows anyone's thoughts and reasoning other than their own(and I have some serious doubts about that ability sometimes)...Wow stoned ramble over.:stoned: Really all I want to say is I wanted to share the love of that first smoke of your own honest work with those who understand fully what that feels like. Honestly one of the best experiences I have had in my entire life!!

I've never grown anything before and I was losing my mind at my house during lockdown, had some money saved up, and decided I needed to go ahead and try the things that I have always wanted to try...and so I started slowly gathering my notes from the years past and started getting the equipment together. I knew I wanted to run organic soil for my first several runs at least - was immediately interested in no-till methods, but it being my first attempt at any growing I wanted to jump in with something a little easier. I knew I wanted to start from seed and did some research on how to get beans. Once I had all the equipment I needed (Mars Hydro 4x4 tent, Vivosun 6" 440 CFM Inline Duct Fan with ducting and a 6"x18" Carbon Filter, Mars Hydro TS3000 LED, Vivosun seed tray, Vivosun 3gal fabric pots, Aerator with air stones to oxygenate my water while pH up and down, pH up/down from General Hydro, Sonkir Soil pH meter, Oakton pH meter , Dehumidifier, Inkbird temp and rH meter, soil and all the amendments I needed/wanted) I ordered some beans...

I got some beans and popped them into a bowl for each strain with some distilled water. 12 hours later I popped them into a wet paper towel, put each strain in its own sandwich baggie, blew into the bag and sealed them. 16 hours after that they had all 6 germinated and I planted them into Ffof soil in a seedling tray...put the humidity dome on top and spritzed the dome with water to keep it moist.

On the 28th of Sept. I came home from work to all 6 having sprouted. The back left is another Trainwreck, just didn't have another tag.


Sep30_2020.jpg


In the next two weeks I had some pH problems, that I fixed with a pH tester, and then had some landlord problems. I had to move the plants on two different occasions out to another friends house. On Oct 10, 2020 I transplanted all 6 into 3gal Fabric pots.

Pre98-Bubba #1 -------------------Pre98-Bubba #2----------------------Star Pupil #1-----------------------Star Pupil #2----------------Trainwreck(Arcata Cut) #1--------Trainwreck(Arcata Cut) #2
Oct10_2020p1.jpg Oct10_2020p2.jpg Oct10_2020sp1.jpg Oct10_2020sp2.jpg Oct10_2020tw1.jpg Oct10_2020tw2.jpg


Soil composition:
2.3 Cubic feet of Ffof
.5 Cups of Mykos (mycorrhizae) - just on the roots as I had read that just putting it in the soil was pointless?
7 Cups of Worm Castings
10% Perlite
6 Cups of Bio-Live from (Down to Earth Fertilizer) - 5-4-2 - Link to Info
3.75 Cups of Kelp Meal (Down to Earth Fertilizer) - 1-0.1-2 - Link to Info
2 Cups of Granular Humic Acids (Down to Earth Fertilizer) - Link to Info

On October 17, 2020 I did a top dressing of some dry amendments:
1/8 cup each of Worm Castings
2 teaspoons each of Kelp Meal
1/4 cup each of Azomite Trace Minerals (Down to Earth Fertilizer) - 0-0-0.2 - Link to Info

I was seeing what I thought might be a Potassium deficiency before that dressing and it seemed to have fixed the problem in the next week.
 

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avid_grow

In Bloom
I topped all 6 on Oct. 28, 2020. Here is a picture several days after the topping

Nov2_2020.jpg


The Trainwreck are in the front left and middle. The Star Pupil are the front right and the back right. The Pre98-Bubba is the back middle and left.

On Nov 28, 2020 I gave the same feeding to each as I had on Oct 17 plus these:
1.5 Tablespoon each Feather Meal (Down to Earth Fertilizers) - 12-0-0 - Link to Info
1 Tablespoon each of Seabird Guano (Down to Earth Fertilizers) - 0-11-0 - Link to Info

Dec. 9, 2020 was the switch to flower for all 6 after 73 days in Veg. Here is a picture from December 23, 2020.

Dec23_2020.jpg

Trainwreck is in front left and middle. Pre98-Bubba is front right and back right. Star Pupil is middle and left back.

On Dec 23, 2020 I fed all 6:
1/4 cup of Worm Castings
1/4 cup of Seabird Guano
1/4 cup of Azomite Trace Minerals

I started noticing a fungal gnat problem early in January and was able to deal with early on in the infestation. Let everything dry out and put a little sand on the top layer between Jan 2 and 5. On Jan 6 I gave all 6 a feeding of:
1/4 cup of Rose & Flower Mix (Down to Earth Fertilizer) - 4-8-4 - Link to Info

That was the final feeding for all 6 plants. I ended up taking the Trainwreck and the Star Pupil down on Feb. 10, 2021. Here are some pictures right before and after bringing them down.

Nighttime for the ladies... Jan 11, 2021---------------------------------------------------------------------Jan 29, 2021
jan11_2021.jpg Jan29_2021.jpg


Trainwreck(Arcata Cut) Feb. 5, 2021----------------------------------------------------------------------Star Pupil Feb. 5, 2021
tw_feb5_2021.jpg sp_feb5_2021.jpg

Harvest day for Trainwreck (Arcata Cut) and Star Pupil

Trainwreck(Arcata Cut) Feb. 10, 2021---------------------------------------------------------------------------Star Pupil Feb. 10, 2021
tw_feb10_2021.jpg first_harvest2.jpg


Hanging To Dry
first_dry.jpg
 

avid_grow

In Bloom
Here are some pictures of the Trainwreck (Arcata Cut) and the Star Pupil from today March 6, 2021.

Trainwreck (Arcata Cut) - 16 day cure - March 6, 2021
tw_3_6_2021jar.jpg


Star Pupil - 15 day cure - March 6, 2021
sp_3_6_2021jar.jpg

Trainwreck (Arcata Cut) march 6, 2021----------------------------------------------------------------Star Pupil march 6, 2021
tw_3_6_2021nugs.jpg sp_3_6_2021nugs.jpg


Trainwreck (Arcata Cut) march 6, 2021------------------------------------------------------------------Star Pupil march 6, 2021
tw_3_6_2021nug.jpg sp_3_6_2021nug.jpg


The Trainwreck:
Smell: had one of the most intense Grapefruit smells for the first week of burping and during the whole drying process. At the end of that week the grapefruit smell started to fade away slowly. The past several days have brought out the most intense pine smells. It smells like I have a jar full of pine needles, and when its ground up its like someone fed you pine flavored hard candy and shoved pine scented wax in your nose.
Taste: the first taste test I had was on week 1 of cure - it mostly had a taste of pine and earth, a little hint of vanilla coming thru on the exhale. The past several days as I test small nugs I am getting really intense pine flavors with some perfume coming thru on the inhale. The exhale is some pine with that little hint of vanilla still coming thru. The taste that it leaves on your palate is of eating an andes mint with a little dirt, like it fell on the ground and you ate it.
Smoke: a very pleasant smoking experience. So far thru the entire testing process it has been a pleasure to smoke. I have tried it in all things I have, jays, bongs, pipes, bubblers, etc... it has not been overly harsh. You can get some pretty gnarly rips on a bong with this smoke. Very smooth and does not cause a whole lot of coughing.
High: the first thing you feel is an immediate rush within the first 30 seconds in your head. It almost feels like a lightening of some load you are carrying. Then comes the next 20 minutes or so of a fairly intense introspective moment. Then its on to reading or enjoying some sort of activity. It definitely brings the hunger on about 45 minutes or an hour in. Overall a very pleasant morning smoke and good for smoking throughout the day; and it doesn't really keep me up at night so it can be a bed time smoke as well.

The Star Pupil:
Smell: had a really intense front of perfume with some incense and a back end of rotten cotton candy during the first week of burping. In the past several days it has an amazing grape jolly rancher smell to it. There is no way to just take one whiff, it's a must to take three of four. Its really amazing. By the third whiff you start to get some of the perfume with a little bit of funk to it. Can't wait to see how the next couple of weeks treat it.
Taste: first taste test was on week 1 of cure - very heavy on the perfume on the inhale - felt like I was sucking in a whole bottle at once, super intense. The exhale was mostly the perfume again but the taste it left in the mouth was mostly a weird sour cotton candy. The past several days have brought about some super intense grape notes. The immediate inhale is like you are taking in the essence of grape jolly ranchers...its sets the saliva glands off like crazy. The exhale is still mostly a perfume, but now it has a weird grape flavoring to it. The taste left in your mouth is now a sour grape cotton candy taste. Not unpleasant but not stupendous.
Smoke: really expansive, huge rush and very heavy smoke. That has stayed super consistent thru the entire testing process. It causes coughing fits for me every time I try a bong with it. Definitely more of a jay or small pipe for this smoke.
High: the first thing that hits you is an immediate heaviness to your eyelids. About 30 seconds to a minute after it starts to fade and an amazing euphoria takes over. For me the next 45 minutes to 2 hours is nothing but creative and super focused work. It takes me to a place where I feel restless and all I want to do is focus on minutiae and be creative. One of the best highs I have experienced.
 

avid_grow

In Bloom
Nothing quite like a closet full of weed.
Well done.
Seriously.
I probably opened it to much and screwed with the rH but I just wanted to see and be with my plants. I'm not sure I've been as happy as when I come home from work and see the closet...step close and take a whiff...open it and see all the sparkly green and purple buds in their glory...truly an experience I won't ever forget.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!! I have been so excited thru the whole process and really wanted to share it with people. Can't wait to start the next run!
 

avid_grow

In Bloom
I just snagged some gear from @Dino Party earlier this week: Booba, Khem Kardashian, Black Light Bubba, and a couple others. I'm thinking the BLB and maybe the Khem Kardashian. I also have Time Bandit from Bodhi which I was thinking about running.

It really looks amazing, trimming it up was an absolute treasure - I've got a couple more beans that I'll definitely crack again
 

avid_grow

In Bloom
Sometimes, Iately, I let my grinder decide.
I love that idea...I hadn't even considered that. That's wonderful!
I started really paying attention to what I desire several years - found the boveda 62 packs and its perfect for me
the grind it gives works for jays and is perfect for a bong
I'll definitely recognize what I like...will definitely give it a shot next time.

Yeah, you gonna be happy.
Can't go wrong with any of that.
It all looks so good - I had some other stuff planned but then I joined up here
saw the pics and descriptions and couldn't pass it up.
 

jaguarlax

Tactical Gardener
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
I'll start this off with: I turned 30 a little under a month ago and in September of 2020 I finally took the plunge I had waited for since I was 13 and smoked my first J. One of the best feelings that I have ever felt was smoking something I grew myself. I have tried to explain the feeling to those I love around me and they honestly do not quite get it. I understand why, we all follow our own passions and sometimes have a hard time understanding fully what another feels. For that matter I am fairly certain nobody knows anyone's thoughts and reasoning other than their own(and I have some serious doubts about that ability sometimes)...Wow stoned ramble over.:stoned: Really all I want to say is I wanted to share the love of that first smoke of your own honest work with those who understand fully what that feels like. Honestly one of the best experiences I have had in my entire life!!

I've never grown anything before and I was losing my mind at my house during lockdown, had some money saved up, and decided I needed to go ahead and try the things that I have always wanted to try...and so I started slowly gathering my notes from the years past and started getting the equipment together. I knew I wanted to run organic soil for my first several runs at least - was immediately interested in no-till methods, but it being my first attempt at any growing I wanted to jump in with something a little easier. I knew I wanted to start from seed and did some research on how to get beans. Once I had all the equipment I needed (Mars Hydro 4x4 tent, Vivosun 6" 440 CFM Inline Duct Fan with ducting and a 6"x18" Carbon Filter, Mars Hydro TS3000 LED, Vivosun seed tray, Vivosun 3gal fabric pots, Aerator with air stones to oxygenate my water while pH up and down, pH up/down from General Hydro, Sonkir Soil pH meter, Oakton pH meter , Dehumidifier, Inkbird temp and rH meter, soil and all the amendments I needed/wanted) I ordered some beans...

I got some beans and popped them into a bowl for each strain with some distilled water. 12 hours later I popped them into a wet paper towel, put each strain in its own sandwich baggie, blew into the bag and sealed them. 16 hours after that they had all 6 germinated and I planted them into Ffof soil in a seedling tray...put the humidity dome on top and spritzed the dome with water to keep it moist.

On the 28th of Sept. I came home from work to all 6 having sprouted. The back left is another Trainwreck, just didn't have another tag.


View attachment 56454


In the next two weeks I had some pH problems, that I fixed with a pH tester, and then had some landlord problems. I had to move the plants on two different occasions out to another friends house. On Oct 10, 2020 I transplanted all 6 into 3gal Fabric pots.

Pre98-Bubba #1 -------------------Pre98-Bubba #2----------------------Star Pupil #1-----------------------Star Pupil #2----------------Trainwreck(Arcata Cut) #1--------Trainwreck(Arcata Cut) #2
View attachment 56455 View attachment 56456 View attachment 56457 View attachment 56458 View attachment 56459 View attachment 56460


Soil composition:
2.3 Cubic feet of Ffof
.5 Cups of Mykos (mycorrhizae) - just on the roots as I had read that just putting it in the soil was pointless?
7 Cups of Worm Castings
10% Perlite
6 Cups of Bio-Live from (Down to Earth Fertilizer) - 5-4-2 - Link to Info
3.75 Cups of Kelp Meal (Down to Earth Fertilizer) - 1-0.1-2 - Link to Info
2 Cups of Granular Humic Acids (Down to Earth Fertilizer) - Link to Info

On October 17, 2020 I did a top dressing of some dry amendments:
1/8 cup each of Worm Castings
2 teaspoons each of Kelp Meal
1/4 cup each of Azomite Trace Minerals (Down to Earth Fertilizer) - 0-0-0.2 - Link to Info

I was seeing what I thought might be a Potassium deficiency before that dressing and it seemed to have fixed the problem in the next week.
Welcome aboard @avid_grow I can relate to this post for sure. There is most definitely a camaraderie that we all share here that most people just don’t understand. Your first grow is looking great and I look forward to following along.
 

avid_grow

In Bloom
Great looking grow and nice first journal. Looking forward to the continuing adventures of avid_grow....
Thank you!! I appreciate it. Ill be starting my next run in the next week or so...landlord problems that will soon be alleviated.

Welcome aboard @avid_grow I can relate to this post for sure. There is most definitely a camaraderie that we all share here that most people just don’t understand. Your first grow is looking great and I look forward to following along.
I've felt nothing but love since joining this merry band!! Thank you for the warm welcome. I'll be back up and running soon.

I've got some final numbers below if anyone is interested.
tw_final_#s.JPG

sp_final_#s.JPG

p98_final_#s.JPG

final_numbers_92020-22021_2.JPG


One of the biggest mistakes that I know I made during this run was not up potting again into a 5gal or maybe even a 7gal for all the ladies. Live and learn I suppose - but I do think that it had a negative impact on my yields. So far, from the tastes, the quality is great - just without the quantity I wanted. But, first time and I know better for next time...

I'll post some pictures of the Pre-98 Bubba that I ran a little later on...
 

avid_grow

In Bloom
Hello and welcome! ? Looking great, love the excel sheet..
Thanks, I appreciate it - I really enjoy some data sheets along with the organic side of things.
I just started some beans tonight and I'm super pumped to get going again!!:superhappydance:
Ill be running:
Khem Kardashian - Thanks @Dino Party
Strawberry Cough - unfortunately not the Kyle Kushman cut, but its Dutch Passion beans and I've heard good things.
Putang - Mass Medical Strains.

All Feminized and I'll be running 2 of each.

Saw Strawberry Cough for the first time in the movie Children of Men years ago - right around when I started smoking and decided then and there that it would be one of the first plants I ever grew - could not possibly be more excited for this run. Hoping it goes well - the beans looked a little on the pale side but I'll find out tomorrow...

All of Dino's gear looks amazing and anything chem related gets me going red hot...and Star Pupil was in my first grow and I love it so it seemed logical to go with the Putang as well.
 
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