New Grower Jenny tries again….

[dankstyle J]

Hi all!

Sorry to have been MIA lately. Thanks for checking in on me and the girls. Here's the latest on my white widow cheese and pineapple kush babies.

WWC is on day 39 from the going into soil with a tiny taproot showing. Here she is:
View attachment 471756

Here is PK on day 29 (they're not in sync because PK #1 didn't make it )
View attachment 471757

Until today, they've been under 20/4 6500K 125w CFL. Today, I changed the light over WWC to 2700K and reset the timer (on both) to 18/6.

I feel like my pH readings are ok. The soil in both pots (HF) tests out at between 6.6 and 6.8. I'm feeding Grow Big alternating with Big Bloom (1/2 to 3/4 strength doses) and adjusting the pH to 6.3-6.5. I've also given WWC a little CAliMAGic. My runoff has, on occasion, been a bit on the acidic side. It's been as low as 5.9 and as high as 6.4.

Here are my concerns:
PK seems runty and deformed. I don't know if you can tell from the pic, but some of the leaves are kind of misshapen and weird looking. I've started a little LST on her which is why the plant as a whole is off kilter.

I think WWC looks ok, but I feel she should be a little farther along at this point.

Finally, I've seen some (maybe 4 or 5) little gnat-like insects buzzing around in the tent and crawling on the leaves. I don't see any evidence of pest damage on the plants, but it can't be a good thing that they're in there, can it?

Anyway, thanks for following along, and looking forward to hearing what y'all have to say about the situation!

Cheers
Jenny

Looking good that one looks droopy maybe to much fertilizer don't use or probable afford those products so don't know sounds like white flys they don't last long in my closet for some reason don't know why most of my technique is experimental .

 

[dankstyle J]

Looking good that one looks droopy maybe to much fertilizer don't use or probable afford those products so don't know sounds like white flys they don't last long in my closet for some reason don't know why most of my technique is experimental .

Fox farm is were my white flys originate from but I mix it with so much other stuff they come an go maybe they basically to me look like fruit fly's my dad gets em he says they eat roots.

 

[Renaissance Redneck]

Good job sticking with it, Jenny!
How much and how often do you water? Be sure to let your soil dry out a bit... it should be dry on the surface and damp an inch or so below before the next go.
My first guess on your bugs would be fungus gnats, and they do like wet soil... can you describe them better? They're quick little buggers, and not so hard to kill as white flies
It looks like you're keeping your pH nicely! I'm curious as to the K change in your CFL's, and why you dropped to an 18/6?

 

[Jenny1400n]

Thanks for chiming in y'all

Redneck, I water roughly every five days. I wait until the pot is light and the soil doesn't stick to my fingers when touched. It's really humid here, though. My tent is in a climate controlled room, but it's still pretty damp. RH fluctuates between 50 and 75%. Could that be bringing the bugs?
As for describing the buggers, I have no words . They're tiny. They fly, but they also scurry around on the leaves. Like I mentioned, there aren't many of them. I just went and tried to spot some, but there were none to be found.

I made the K change because WWC is in the early stage of flowering. The 2700 is focused on her, while the 6500 is still covering PK. I thought that a mixture of light was ok on autos. Did I make that up in my own head? I do stuff like that all the time . Please let me know your opinion.

I really had no reason for the 18/6 switch. Just wanted to shake things up, I guess. Thoughts?

:smoking:

 

[dankstyle J]

Thanks for chiming in y'all

Redneck, I water roughly every five days. I wait until the pot is light and the soil doesn't stick to my fingers when touched. It's really humid here, though. My tent is in a climate controlled room, but it's still pretty damp. RH fluctuates between 50 and 75%. Could that be bringing the bugs?
As for describing the buggers, I have no words . They're tiny. They fly, but they also scurry around on the leaves. Like I mentioned, there aren't many of them. I just went and tried to spot some, but there were none to be found.

I made the K change because WWC is in the early stage of flowering. The 2700 is focused on her, while the 6500 is still covering PK. I thought that a mixture of light was ok on autos. Did I make that up in my own head? I do stuff like that all the time . Please let me know your opinion.

I really had no reason for the 18/6 switch. Just wanted to shake things up, I guess. Thoughts?

:smoking:

Experimenting is learning shake it up why not

 

[Renaissance Redneck]

RH fluctuates between 50 and 75%. Could that be bringing the bugs?

Your RH is pretty high, and could lead to some issues. 75% is asking for trouble. What does your intake and exhaust look like?

The 2700 is focused on her, while the 6500 is still covering PK. I thought that a mixture of light was ok on autos. Did I make that up in my own head?

That's what I run, Jenny, with a mix of CFLs and T5's (and now a HPS). I think the mix is a good thing, and a great call!

I really had no reason for the 18/6 switch. Just wanted to shake things up, I guess. Thoughts?

I agree with Dank about experimenting, I'm just not sold on random change ups during a grow Many do use 18/6, but in this case I think until you get your RH in check it could lead to problems. No lights=lower temps and higher humidity. You want to lessen the time spent in cool humid conditions.

They're tiny. They fly, but they also scurry around on the leaves. Like I mentioned, there aren't many of them.

Sounds a lot like Fungus Gnats. Neem oil, Spinosad, or any pyrethrin based product will do well for the leaves. Make sure to spray both the upper and lower well, and a wetting agent will improve results dramatically. I like DE for a soil treatment.... Fungus Gnats have a soil-to-plant cycle, and the DE really chews them up!
Bear this in mind!::::
Your grow is a thousand times better than my first or even second attempt. That is the honest truth. Be happy, be proud of where you're at, and keep the updates coming!!

 

[Jenny1400n]

Thanks so much, Redneck!!!

Couple of questions: 1. What is DE? 2. What are your thoughts on my leaving the light cycle the same and turning on the dehumidifier? The dehumidifier makes things toasty, but with it being dark longer, it should be ok. It will really bring the RH down. Should I go for it? 3. Finally, could the bugs be why things seem to be growing so slowly? Are they more of a problem than I'm realizing?

 

[Renaissance Redneck]

Thanks so much, Redneck!!!

Couple of questions: 1. What is DE? 2. What are your thoughts on my leaving the light cycle the same and turning on the dehumidifier? The dehumidifier makes things toasty, but with it being dark longer, it should be ok. It will really bring the RH down. Should I go for it? 3. Finally, could the bugs be why things seem to be growing so slowly? Are they more of a problem than I'm realizing?

DE is Diatomaceous Earth, the natural skeletal remains of diatoms. It's murder on bugs. It cuts and dries and dries and cuts, and I love it.
Get a food or poultry grade, NOT pool grade.Any good feed store will have it. It can be messy, I like to put it in a pizza style shake can and thoroughly dust the soil.
Oh, yeah, do the dehumidifier!!! But really watch your temps, okay? If it jacks up your temps too high, it'll just be trading one problem for another.
Based on your watering and lights, you may just have some slower gals, jenny.
Autos do what they do, and you most likely have a slower pheno-type. Don't even sweat that... most of us here beg our plants to finish long!
Keep 'em healthy, and they'll go at their own pace:smoking:

 

[Jenny1400n]

Hey Redneck --

Thanks, bro!

 

[Renaissance Redneck]

Just want this to be a righteous harvest for you!
BTW, is that your pup in your avatar? What a smart, sweet face!