Hop on over to EBF's Lily Pad - emeraldbullfrog's grow log 🐸

[emeraldbullfrog]

Howdy, OG! And welcome one and all to Lily Pad 6, aka “EBF Farm” (also known as the tent in my garage).

I’ve been interacting on the site for these past two months. It’s been a blast getting to know people and soaking in as much knowledge as I can to help me along the way. As you’ll likely see in the following posts, I have plenty of room to soak up more knowledge and I could certainly use some help

This will be my first grow after about ten years away, and it feels like re-learning how to ride a bicycle. To extend the metaphor a moment, I clearly took off downhill before checking my brakes or seeing if there’s air in the tires. I was so eager to jump back into things that I started going at it without thinking through what I was doing. Updates to follow shortly, but for now just know that I’m going to be sharing some lessons that I’ve learned through mistakes over just the past 1-2 weeks. There are also some successes mixed in to balance it out a little (hopefully more and more success along the way ).

So let’s get to it! This is my first ever grow log. It is also my first grow in soil. I am very excited to share this space with you all. Let’s make Lily Pad 6 a hoppin’ rockin’ place to kick back, hang out, and maybe learn a thing or two (that last part is mostly for me).

(above ^ photo from National Geographic)

[emeraldbullfrog]

Right now at EBF Farm things are just beginning to heat up. Spring is in the air, the sun is peaking out behind the rain clouds, and I am finally feeling the energy to get up and be more active.

The farm will be a work in progress for the foreseeable future. Things started out as “work with what you have” and I am expanding little by little as I realize what equipment I need. (In some cases realizing “Oh shit I thought I didn’t need that and I was wrong, 'nother lesson learned.”)

My setup at the moment is a 2 x 4 grow tent that I bought ten years ago. It’s a cheap-o and it works fine for now. I lovingly call this tent the “Tuba Fort” and at present it is my only grow area. Planning to expand so that Tuba Fort will become a veg tent before summer.

2 x 4 Tent / Tuba Fort equipment:

• Light: VIPARSPECTRA XS2500 Pro LED (250 watt, dimmable)
• Inline fan: AC Infinity CloudLine 6", with 69 Pro Controller (remote via app)
• Cirulation fan: AC Infinity CloudRay A6 (Gen1, does not oscillate)
• 6" carbon filter outside of tent

More updates with pics later today as I hop in and out.

[TrichomesToStun]

Sounds fun. I look forward to watchin’

[Hambone]

Good luck with it! As you’ve probably seen, this is a massive grouping of easily accessed folk who will help, and do hope, for your success. Onward!

[DirtySlowToes]

Onward, indeed. Excited to see what you crank out. Goodluck

[shag]

I love da frogs…LOL

Best of luck on getting started after 10 years brother, it has got to feel good to be back in the saddle.

First ever grow log huh, congratulations on that milestone!
Let’s get that Lilly pad a rockin’…LOL

[emeraldbullfrog]

Thanks for joining in @TrichomesToStun @Hambone @DirtySlowToes @shag , I’ve seen some of yas around and I stop by dirty’s thread quite often to see the pretty pictures.

Shag that’s one comfy looking chair

[emeraldbullfrog]

Tuba Fort currently tucked away in the garage. It’s on top of an old welcome mat to insulate from the concrete floor.

I stacked some unused furniture and boxes around two sides so that the tent stays mostly hidden when my garage door is open. I have a privacy screen that I need to assemble so that I can move the boxes (some of my makeshift wall is made of donations ready for Goodwill )

This is a start. The tent was set up as “MVP” minimum viable product to prove to myself that I have a starting place. Now I need to reorganize so that things are set up the way I actually want them to be.

[Gadarien]

Hey emerald I’m gonna pull up and hang out! Best of luck on your grow! I look forward to learning through your mistakes as much as my own lol.

[emeraldbullfrog]

Hey Gad and welcome to the pad! There will be lots to learn from, my friend. Some of it will be embarrassing for me to share but then again Pobody’s Nerfect right?

[emeraldbullfrog]

From my notes:

April 7, Sunday - Germination

For this first run I am germinating only feminized photoperiod seeds. This decision was partly so that I can make things easier on myself, but mostly it was so that I can make an easier selection in deciding what to run. I have a much narrower selection of fem seeds compared to reg photos.

The strains I am running from seed are:

• Hot Mess by Twenty20 Mendocino (2 seeds)
• Gran Champagne by Twenty20 Mendocino (3 seeds)
• Frankenstein by @JohnnyPotseed (3 seeds)
• Strawberry Banana x Santa Cruz Blue Dream by @HeadyMcDank (3 seeds)

Seeds were shaken one strain at a time in a film canister lined with sandpaper (thank you @Great_lakes_Genetics ) for about 10-30 seconds before placing into wet paper towels in ziploc bags, separated by strain. Placed on top of fridge for about 3 or 4 days. Within 48hrs the SBxSCBD was the first to crack open and show the root, followed soon by Frankenstein.

[emeraldbullfrog]

In addition to the plants stated from seed, I have decided to also work with cuttings that were generously sent to me by @Papalag. This is my first ever experience with clones, and with propagating plants of any kind. Originally I was planning to store the cuttings in the fridge for 4-6 weeks before making space for them in the Tuba Fort but I got myself too excited to wait any longer.

This will lead to a lesson or two being learned by me, I guarantee it.

April 8, Monday - Clones

Working with three strains received as cuttings from Paps. Three cuttings per strain for a total of 9 cuttings that I am trying to root. My goal is to get at least one rooted per strain, we’ll see what happens from there.

The strains working from cuttings are:

• Lemon G (aka the Pride of Ohio!)
• Cap Junky
• Cayo Hueso (“Bone Island”)

Evening of Monday April 8 the cuttings were placed into glasses of water, one glass per strain.

At the time that I started these I did not have any rooting gel/powder on hand. Nor did I have any propagation equipment such as a humidity dome.

Cups were placed on a ledge with my houseplants where they get indirect light. Within a day all cuttings had slumped over the cup, bent completely in half over the rim.

Lesson learned: clones need humidity

Next day the cups with cuttings were placed in a large clear storage bin with the lid ajar for air exchange. Bin kept in garage on shelf near Tuba Fort for two days. All plants perked back up. It’s been touch and go since then.

[Papalag]

Oh it’s on

They bounce back really quick

If they give you issues I have more

[emeraldbullfrog]

lol that’s just the beginning… wait until I post today’s pics I’ve been worried about what you in particular will think of me when you see what’s happened to them. They’re all alive. That’s the good news.

[emeraldbullfrog]

April 11, Thursday night - Planting

Seeds were checked 2x daily, by this time at least one seed from each strain has shown the root. The tally:

• Frankenstein 3/3 showing
• Gran Champagne 3/3 showing
• Hot Mess 1/2 showing, 1/2 splitting open
• SBxSCBD 1/3 showing, 2/3 no change

The Frankie’s and the one SBxSCBD all had at least 1” of root.

Planted all seeds in a seedling tray filled with ~75% worm castings, 25% biochar/compost mix (“with mycorrhizae”). Noticed that the bio/comp mix has some sticks, twigs, etc. Picked most of them out by hand.

Also planted the 3 cuttings of Lemon G in another tray with the same mix. Obtained rooting gel and dipped the cuttings’ tips in gel prior to planting. Clones and seedlings placed in tray under humidity dome and on top of heat mat.

April 13, Sat

Sprouts have popped up for one seedling per strain. Lemon G is doing well. Picture update:

Hot Mess has juuuust barely breached the surface (top left)

Lemon G doing well overall, one plant has leaves drooping again. Possible light stress. I kept my light about 18-24” above the plants for the first couple days because that’s what the manual said to do (20% strength). Or medium too wet. Or too humid, or not humid enough. I’ve tried changing each of these variables since then and the leaves on this plant never really came back up.

[Redribbonultra]

Always wanted to try lemon g

[grotebag]

[grotebag]

[shag]

@emeraldbullfrog

one plant has leaves drooping again

Keep an eye on her but that is to be expected.
water sprays may help a bit.
They look real good, with cuts always remember to take a fresh cut off the bottom when you get em.
If you have not I would not do it now unless they wilt real bad, but they look great.
Good luck, keep it green.

[emeraldbullfrog]

@Redribbonultra

wanted to try lemon g

I’ve only had it from the dispensary and it was some of the best weed I ever bought legally.

@shag

Keep an eye on her but that is to be expected.
water sprays may help a bit

Thanks Shag and that helps give some peace of mind. More recently they’ve been yellowing and drooping more - could be a problem, or it could mean that the plant is using energy to form the roots.

The Cayo snips might need to be cut. When I first out them all in water it didn’t even occur to me that I could trim the leaves.

Actually this morning my cat trimmed some leaves on that one for me I was so mad at him but it’s in his nature and I’m the one who left the plant tray on the counter
Turn my back for a minute when the cat expects breakfast and munch munch munch