Feral Agrarian’s Grow Journal

Setup:
Goal - 269 grams, 14 weeks bloom, 600w HPS
Genetics: 6 Plants
- (1) Hindu Kush x Jack Herer x Hash Plant [Breeder: Family]
- (3) Jack Berry x Mad Scientist [Breeder: Sannie's Seeds]
- (1) Herijuana [Breeder: Sannie's Seeds]
- (1) Killing Fields [Breeder: Sannie's Seeds]
4'x4' Gorilla Grow tent
Scrog
8,000 BTU Window A/C unit cooling room that tent is located
Remodeled Attic Bedroom (poorly insulated)
Air-Cooled 600w MH for veg
Air-Cooled 600w Plantmax HPS for flower
10 gallon fabric pots [By: Root Pouch]
Nutrients: Roots Organic, Soul Synthetic [By: Aurora Innovations]
Potting Mix: Roots Organic Regular [By: Aurora Innovations], Earth Worm Castings [By: Wiggle Worm], and Perlite [By: Aurora Innovations]
Other Amendments: Elemental, Oreganism [By: Aurora Innovations]
3 Weeks in Vegetative
8 - 14 weeks in Bloom

So this is my first real grow journal. My last one petered out as I had great difficulties managing the grow environment and sadly the grow didn't end up very well.

I grew professionally in Denver, CO using a method that was taught to me and none other. I wielded "the method", to which some of the details I cannot speak of due to a confidentiality agreement, effectively as a grow assistant and medical cannabis provider to help grow over 500 plants in a few month time-span.

This is my spin on what I learned and I hope to develop my own style of growing while keeping more of an open mind than my original mentor, who only stuck with what he knew and nothing more.

In a warehouse setting, growing 95% organically, we achieved about 448 grams per 1000w High Pressure Sodium bulb with a 6 week vegetative period (not including time to root) and 10 week bloom period.

My hopes are to beat this in my first journal.
This means that I have to beat 268.8 grams dry weight to meet the same standard as 'pound per 1000w light'.
If I measured it on a per week basis then only including time after rooting the math would be.

448g = 1lb

Before:
6 weeks veg + 10 weeks bloom = 16 weeks = 448 grams
448/16 = 28 grams per week (1oz per week)

Planned:
4 weeks veg + 14 weeks bloom = 18 weeks = 269 grams
268/18 = 14.9 grams per week

Nuances this time:
This time I'm not pH adjusting my nutrients because synthetic pH messes with the soil microbes.
I usually use FFOF soil mixed with Coco, Mycorrhizae, and perlite, with R.O. nutes; so using RO, EWC, and perlite is new as a grow media.
I will be letting my nutrients sit overnight before watering anything to let pH come up from 4.3-4.4 that happens when you first mix R.O.
First time scrogging.
First time using Reverse Osmosis Water.
I'm hoping that my cure process will produce the most flavorful and aromatic buds that my friends and family have ever seen, since I can keep it ideal.

Okay! Time to meet the Girls!
Pictured

Front Row, Left to Right
JBxMS 1, 2, and 3

Back Row Left to Right
Killing Fields, "Afghie", Herijuana

Despite having started the plants in a mix of FFOF, Canna Coco, Perlite, and Great White, I have decided to give R.O. soil a shot.

After a little googling, I decided to amend the soil.
Here is my mix this time around:


6 Cubic Feet Total
I hand-mixed 4 batches in 50 gallon totes and I have coco fiber slivers to prove it.

Each batch consisted of:
1.5 Cubic Feet of Roots Organic Original
4 x 18oz Solo Cups of Canna Coco
8 x 18oz Solo Cups of Wiggle Worm Earth Worm Castings
8 x 18oz Solo Cups of Aurora Innovations Perlite
3 tsp of Great White inoculate

Why I chose these amendments:
I didn't want to miss out on any CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) so I added some leftover coco that I had lying around and perlite in for a lighter mix that drains a little faster.
It might seem wasteful, but I added the Great white into the soil because I don't want to miss out on any of the benefits that just inoculating the transplanted plant's exposed root zone might miss.
Since I'm giving this soil to my plants just going into flower, I want to give them an extra kick in the beginning. I will be switching to liquid ferts once the plants use up whats in the soil.

Additional Amendments Per 10 gallon pot:
1TB Roots Organic Elemental
2tsp Oreganism XL

Why?
They were free samples and I want to buffer pH.

Additional Amendment that I'm heavily considering based on the response I get from Aurora:
Dolomite Lime

Why?
Despite the 2009 MSDS saying that the soil is balanced at 6.8 pH, some growers are reporting that runoff and slurries are coming out around 5.7 - 5.8. Now, once I start using the organic line, which from past experience mixes up to around 4.3-4.4, I am concerned that the rhizosphere may not be able to compensate for such an onslaught of acidity.

Since Elemental has some Dolomitic Lime in it, I may just do a side by side with half of my plants; 3 with just Elemental and Oreganism XL top dressed, and 3 with dolomite lime mixed in the soil as well as Elemental and Oreganism XL top dressed. I'll let you know when I make my decision.

I am waiting on an email back from Aurora.

Side Notes:
I actually liked mixing this soil batch. Despite what people have said, after vigorous searching, I only found a couple of pieces of wood. Below is from 6 cubic feet! Not bad in my opinion, I mean, I haven't done better myself...yet.



Caution:
If you decide to mix this up by hand like I did, prepare yourself for this.