8 x Northern Light, 320W DIY SolStrip X3, Soil, Guanakalong fert, Growduino automation

[Ivanski123]

Actors: 8 x Northern Light from clones, planted 12/11/2018
Light: Diy Solstip SolX3 320W (bloom) dimmed to minimum for veg
Soil: Plagron Lightmix
Fert: Guanakalong powder, KalongGrow, Kalong Bloom, Kalong Extract - taste improver
Watering: Tap water, 24h stilled

The reason I am growing is a medical condition of my grlfrnd who suffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis. For past year and half I have been collecting various strain (mostly indicas) to make RSO or tincture.

14. day -18/6
RH: 70-80 %
temp: 20-22 Celsius
Watering: every 2 or 3rd day
Fert: 1 / week

Getting clones was a nightmare as usuall. After about 3 weeks of unsuccessful dealing with idiots I came across Northen Light. I was after an indica dominant strain and NL fits this category.
Clones were very good looking vital and branched, unfortunately after about a week I found out they had been infested with some white bugs. I made a tobacco leach-ate and successfully got rid off them after 2 spray sessions. Now they are looking very good, healthy and lush

Due to my busy schedule I am growing organically using only Guanakalong fertilizers range and tap water that sits 24h in room temperature. I sporadically measure PH which is around 6.8 here, so all good.

I have a big helper and that is automation system GROWDUINO which guards the grow box. It is a work of a user r-man here on OG so all technical questions direct to him.
Briefly it is an arduino based controller which is custom build to your needs. It controls light, fan humidity and range of custom options (mine PH, EC, water level - those I don’t actually use). It can be monitored remotely over I net and https. There is an option to add a camera so you can have look remotely if everything is going as it should. You are able to set rules and conditions and Growduino will let you know via email that these conditions are fulfilled (or not). It doesnt do all the work for you but it is a great help.

Month

Day report

Hour Report

[ReikoX]

Fabulous setup! Cant wait to see what you do with it.

@Ivanski123

planted 12/11/2018

As an American, it took me a minute to realize you ment 12, November 2018 not December 11, 2018 (in the future).

[Ivanski123]

Mate if you would only know what I do when I convert all the Us scales /temps in your tincture thread you would laugh. I would seriously consider making ONE worldwide measurement units, weights time and dates. It is a mess. And yeah I am used to writing it DD/MM/YYYY as it is standardized way in my part of globe.

[Heliosphear]

puts his old irish gardener hat to his chest : Your attention to detail is outstanding! As a fellow med grower thank you for sharing, my hats off to you.

[ReikoX]

For some reason I left those conversions out of my thread. They are in my “book” in both US and Metric.

[Ivanski123]

21.day 18/6

RH: 80 - 90 %
temp: 20-22 Celsius
Watering: every 2 or 3rd day
Fert: 1 / week, Kalong Grow (10ml/l) + Kalong Taste improver (10ml/l)

Girls growing nicely, showing some deficiency in new grown tops. Dont know really what it is. I assume it might be the beginning of inadequate Ca and Mg. As I have experienced with LEDs before. Leaving it as is for know.
As I am growing organically my plan is to add crushed egg shells and epsom salt, as I havent been able to source an organic solution to add just those two elements
I would appreciate if anyone can suggest something?

Slowly I am trying to create even canopy and I lollipopped lower branches. I am using mixed techniques of LST and knee benders. Tops I crushed between thumb and index finger and side branches I tend to bend with knees.

Growduino month report

Growduino day report

Growduino hour report

Gowduino settings 1

This is where you set your parameters to control light and exhaust system. It follows simple conditionals. The measurement of light is just a number (the author created the unit SUN, where zero = no light and 100 = Light)

Outdoor light

It is for greenhouse use, where it can turn an artificial light based upon the amount of outdoor light

Bulb temperature

It is a sensor designed primarily for HPS use. You can place this sensor near your HPS bulb and it will measure temperature there. When using LED it has not much use as the do not generate heat that can burn your tops.

Ventilation

Here you can set your preferences based upon temperature and humidity. When these conditions are met / or not it will turn on / off your exhaust fan.
Usually it is bit of a play with this one. If there is a rainy day I tend to change these settings.

Humidifier

Setting for your humidifier.

[ReikoX]

@Ivanski123

As I am growing organically my plan is to add crushed egg shells and epsom salt, as I havent been able to source an organic solution to add just those two elements

Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate), and garden gypsum (calcium sulphate) are both excellent sources. Start at about 1/4 teaspoon per gallon.

If you have a worm bin, castings are full of calcium. A top dressing should solve any issues.

Langbenite (sulphate of potash magnesia) is also a useful source. Add a teaspoon to a gallon of water with an air stone for about 24 hours.

[Ivanski123]

Hello …thanx I have sourced Dolomite Limestone and Epsom Salt …1 /4 of a teaspoon seems not a lot…I guess …better start slowly. Can I added to normal water solution with ferts? Once a week could be a good starting schedule?

[ReikoX]

Never heard of anyone doing a foliar with dolminite limestone before. I had suggested garden gypsum.

[Ivanski123]

Ou I didnt understand… The solution you have suggested is applied topically as a foliar spray?

[Ivanski123]

16.day of 12/12
After quite some time small update. Christmas and lots of work are the culprits.

RH: 82 %
temp: 20-22 Celsius
Watering: once a day
Fert: 1 / week, Kalong Bloom (10ml/l) + Kalong Taste improver (10ml/l).

For the first week of 12/12 I used Kalong Grow. I have also added one watering with 1/2 tablespoon of Epsom salt and 1/2 tablespoon of Dolomite lime. It has been almost 10 days …and I still feel there is something lacking. Next round I would add Dolomite Lime to the substrate as I believe it is a better solution to add Ca and Mg.

Might not be apparent from the photos but all flowers have started to pale green. They also have weird white looking spots which I dont have a clue what it could be …I hope it is not a mold. It is almost on all flowers. The one on the picture is the worst

on other plants it looks like this

It cannot be removed with fingers. Has anyone experienced something like this. I tried google without much luck.

Growduino Day report

Growduino Month report

Today I have added a dehumidifier and will try to reduce RH little bit.

I wish you all Happy New Year 2019.
Just before Xmass Czech gov didnt pass recreational growing (5 plants and possession of 1200g locked on site of growing). Using same old BS arguments of UN definitions from 1962 and pretext of protecting children and teenagers from damaging their brain. Fucking idiots

[SquirtleSquad]

Looks like thrip damage to me. I’ve only had one run in so maybe someone more experienced could shed some light. My first thought was powdery mildew…but the pictures make it look like leaf damage.

Do you have a picture of a bud with this white stuff? Thrips won’t eat the buds

[nitro]

Seems to me your running your room way too cool for these LED’s… I had nothing but problems and deficiencies at lower temps and it wasn’t till I raised temps did things turn around…if im reading your graph right your only running 72F which is at least 10 degree too cold…also your humidity is way too high…

[Ivanski123]

… Turns out the automation had some problem and reported wrong data. I am measuring temp at pot aprox in the middle of stems. Bulb temperature is measured at the top of plants.
I have fought thrips this round and got rid off them… So it could be the damage they left aftewards you think?

[SquirtleSquad]

For sure. The damage won’t go away.

Get some sticky traps blue and yellow to monitor. Cause you might not have eradicated them.

Given my one run in they seem to be easy to get rid of. I haven’t seen any since spraying a couple weeks ago

[Ivanski123]

I do have the yellow ones and they are clear now. Apparently thrips prefer blue but I have checked all plants and there are no sign of them.
One opinion I got from someone was that tobacco leach is actually not suitable for mj plants as it contains too much of poisonous elements and can damage your plants. Dont know really …but could be

[Ivanski123]

I am writing this one day before I will actually harvest, as I didnt have the time to report realtime

36.day of 12/12
RH: 60 %
temp: 26-30 Celsius
Watering: once a day (PH 6.5-7.0)
Fert: 1 / week, Kalong Bloom (10ml/l) + Kalong Taste improver (10ml/l).

Oh boy …this round is very unfortunate. Around 28.day I discovered that my organic treatments of thrips didn’t work. Furthermore, I discovered another bug, most likely mites. At day 30 I had to use chemical pesticide to get rid off them. Plants show discrepancies but don’t really know what it could be. I also installed water level sensor, as I am planning to go away for several days so I could monitor water level in my reservoir. You could see in in the carts. I have also raised temperature and put the bulb sensor near the pots to monitor temps there. It was suggested here in the thread, however I must admit that it didnt help as you will see in following post and pics.

Growduino Day report

Growduino hour report

[Ivanski123]

40.day of 12/12
RH: 40 - 60 %
temp: 26-30 Celsius
Watering: once a day (PH 6.5-7.0)
Fert: 1 / week, Kalong Bloom (10ml/l) + Kalong Taste improver (10ml/l).

Girls keep on yellowing, as I am writing this report back in time, It is my believe (as well as others on different forum) that growing under LEDs require bit more of ferts than usually suggested by manufacturers. Next round I would double the amount of fertilizers and see how it works

Growduino Day report

Growduino Hour report

[Ivanski123]

53.day of 12/12
RH: 30 - 45 %
temp: 28 - 30 Celsius
Watering: once a day (PH 6.5-7.0)
Fert: 1 / week, Kalong Bloom (10ml/l) + Kalong Taste improver (10ml/l).

Northern Light is normally around 63 days. I think the pesticide used had slowed them down. When I look at trichomes they are still very clear. Buds are stone hard under these lights.

[Ivanski123]

63.day of 12/12
RH: 30 - 45 %
temp: 30 - 50 Celsius
Watering: once a day (PH 6.5-7.0)
Fert: 1 / week, Kalong Bloom (10ml/l) + Kalong Taste improver (10ml/l).

In about 4 days I would cut ladies down. I think they would still need bit more, but unfortunately I am leaving. It is hard to judge the smell to me I can still smell the Vermitec pesticide. Otherwise, buds are also slightly smaller than in previous round. This is a second round with Solstrip X3, therefore hard to tell but they are definitely smaller than with HPS. However, they are rock hard.

Growduino Day report

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