Sawney Bean Grow Shows 2023 Bob's first go at a SOG - Sawney's SOS grown in BioTabs

[Vapo]

Hey Friends

You guys know my posts as very honest and direct. And I always shared the good, but also the bad...Today is such a day...
After almost a week of waiting for the sprouts to emerge from the soil I started panicking...What did I do wrong?? Temperatures have been on the low side, so I ordered a 50x50cm heating mat to put underneath the tray.
Today I went to check up on the sprouts and still only four that were up... So I started digging and found one mush seed after another. Didn't notice the white specks until I started to take pictures, yuck...compost mites...AGAIN!!



Last year I had the same issue until I got rid of them. There are several way to accomplish that, but since I was and still am, growing organic and don't want to subside from that style, I ordered some nematodes (Steinernema carpocapsae). These little guys attack about any insect that causes trouble in or around your pots.
I thought that these guys were still in the soil, but it seems they can't handle cold very well. And the barrel with the soil had been standing outside the previous weeks before I took it in to acclimatize before being mixed with the old used soil.
Seems I gave these, otherwise harmless, mites the advantage by letting them roam free in the warm soil with all the dead plant material they could ever eat. Adding that freshly sprouted seed was just the cherry on top and a welcome dessert for these white mf's

Anyhow, I've just ordered myself a new batch of nematodes. More then enough to treat every plant in the house and then some, but there's a minimum order of 10million so... Guess I'll be in the opportunity to treat all my plants again...


Until I get this shizzle sorted out this grow is put on hold. I'm not canceling it, just a false start



Regards,

Bob

Unlucky Bob!...but respect for your honesty and positive attitude dude....we have to document the good and bad, like you said....I hope you are soon over the set-back gromie

Edit:...forgot to say... don't sweat tha shizzle my nizzle, be gone in a dizzle!

 

[Bob's Auto's]

Unlucky Bob!...but respect for your honesty and positive attitude dude....we have to document the good and bad, like you said....I hope you are soon over the set-back gromie

Edit:...forgot to say... don't sweat tha shizzle my nizzle, be gone in a dizzle!

Thanks my bro!! I've just checked and the nematodes are on their way...Going to be delivered today

 

[Bob's Auto's]

And the nematodes have been applied!!
I carefully opened up the package and divided the powder into two parts. One part back into the bag and sealed up with some sticky tape. This is now stored in the fridge until the next application.
The other half was dumped into 1L of dechlorinated water and shaken vigorously. Then each pot received about two to three shot glasses...The remainder went into the tub with the leftover soil...even the houseplants got their share

Not much to take pictures from...so you'll just have to use your imagination


See you guys back in about ten days

 

[Bob's Auto's]

Hey Friends

After two days being left alone in the dark the nematodes have been doing their job.
I was curious and took out my usb microscope and at the highest magnification I saw this...One Lucky Bug!




The one on the left was less lucky



Regards,

Bob

 

[Redeye Master]

Hey Friends

After two days being left alone in the dark the nematodes have been doing their job.
I was curious and took out my usb microscope and at the highest magnification I saw this...One Lucky Bug!




The one on the left was less lucky



Regards,

Bob

It’s amazing to actually see your soil effectively defend itself lol

 

[Bob's Auto's]

& a Happy New Year Friends

Today my 50x50cm / 19.6x19.6" heat mat arrived. This will go underneath the tray and help in keeping temperatures inside the tent, where they should be. I'll be adding another Blynk enabled device to this, which will measure the temperature or use the temperature measurement from my other NodeMCU to decide if the mat is on or not...As it's a resistive load this will need a solid state relay for switching, but then I'll be able to put some PID tuning algorithm against it as to keep the temperature perfect.

When removing the foil, to re-apply the nematodes, I found this little though mf'r

After the nematodes killed off all the pests it started to come up and do it's thing. Sorry little one, but you are going the way of the Dodo...

I looked around with the usb microscope, but could only find the corpses of the compost mites and the occasional nematode...






Regards,

Bob

 

[Bob's Auto's]

Hey friends,

The soil is completely done with them pesky compost mites. Just came back from the tent and couldn't find any, but then the top layer of the soil was kinda dried out, so I've watered the pots and divided 2.5L/0.6gal water over the 16 pots. This isn't enough, I know, but that was all the water I had set aside. I've just filled the canister with 5L hot water. By tomorrow it's aired out and usable.

I've also resowed the remaining Spawn of Sawney seeds, twenty-two in all, which would give me six spares for any mishap from my doing...I have some GA3 I can use to give the seeds a kick in the back if need be, but I don't want them to be in contact with the product for to long...I only want that initial kick so the radicle gets that boost, so if I'm gonna add some (2ppm) GA3 it will be at day three...By then the seeds will have cracked open and it's then that the radicle will have the most benefit from the exposure.

The proven germination method my good friend Antonio thought me...Organic unbleached cotton pads, with each 4ml demineralized water and two drops of H²O², followed by the seeds spread out and topped with new cotton pads, water and H²O²... Then covered the plate with microwave foil, which has perforations that allow for some air movement or whatchamacallit...

And now...We...wait...

 

[DetroitDarren]

Woo hoo! Let's go Bob

 

[NoFrillsNoBills]

And now...We...wait...

The jungle is comin, I can feel it.

 

[Bob's Auto's]

Hey guys,

So I checked the seeds today and no need for GA3...See for yourselves.

But before I started, I first had a last look around in the soil...No critters to be found! Not that they're not there, but rather kept under control.

I plowed the soil a bit with a pencil, loosening it up for the coming sprouts..

Ready...Set...Go!!!

All the seeds have germinated and grown a nice tail. Except for one...

But even then, a small tail has already emerged, so 22 out of 22 seeds have popped after four days. I call that a succes buddy!!!

The sixteen prettiest sprouts were selected and planted in the middle of each pot. Each sprout had already lost or loosened it's pericarp, so I made sure the cotyledons received some light, by planting them near the surface...Gently compressing the soil around the sprout.

I was curious how each sprout would grow out, so I opted to plant the remaining six in the corners of randomly chosen pots...I can cull them later on, but for now they're allowed to emerge from the soil.
All that is left on the plate are the helmets of 21 seeds. I didn't want to remove the pericarp from the little one, as this was just to soon.

When I was done planting, I gave the remaining 2.5L of the 5L canister I made yesterday, to which I added 5 teaspoons Bactrex and 20ml Orgatrex.
This is a very time consuming way of watering, but somehow this calms me down after a stressful day at work, that and a nice spliff before I began

After a false start my SOG journey can finally begin. Will you join me in my adventures???

Regards,

Bob