Suthrngrwr's Second (Outdoor) Closet Grow

Outdoor closet grow? Sure, why not.

All of this in a 3.5 ft. x 3.5 ft. closet, grow tent is just under 80 inches tall. 400watt (dimmable) MH/HPS combo hood and a 200watt LED COB light I built for the first grow (I outgrew my space fast). My plan is to use a 400watt HPS bulb and the LED COB fixture together to maintain higher PPFD at canopy (and below) without raising the temperature too much (which a 600 watt HPS in that space does).

So I have some height to work in and this time I wanted to take on some sativa dominate genetics. Landed on newbie friendly (cheap and feminized) Royal Queen Seeds' Chocolate Haze and Critical Kush. Popped two girls while the last harvest was finishing up (aren't first grows so much fun?) on May 14th with both pushing up threw the medium and hitting their stride by May 21st. Under the lights they went and through two transplants (from solo cups to 1 gallon jug containers to 5 gallon hempy buckets) over the next weeks until July 10th where they started receiving 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark.

( Place holder for early veg photos )

The girls at 36V (July 3rd). Should be easy to identify the sativa dominant and indica dominant varieties.


( Place holder for July 11 flower [Transition day #2] photo )

So I thought I could at least edit the OP, but alas I cannot. Here are some more photos. Going on vacation for 4 days so I will be generously watering the ladies and lowering the light output some.

This is actually 7V! I was off by a week with my veg start time.


Here is the start 2F (or 2T for those who count flower at the first sight of developing bud sites).

Returned from vacation to find two beautiful and healthy girls in full bloom! Here are some shots as of 7F:

Chocolate Haze (left) is stretching but the Critical Kush (right) is catching up!


7F, the stretch is on!


Kushy


Haze

Day 4 flower shot to follow later this evening. For posterity, I am posting the grow schedule.

Two seeds planted on 5/14/17. Both sprouted and extended cotyledons by morning of 5/16. Light scheduled flipped beginning week 7. These plants required right around 7 days to transition to full bloom.

Vegetative growth period begins 5/29:

• Week #1: 5/29 - 6/04
• Week #2: 6/05 - 6/11
  
• Week #3: 6/12 - 6/18
  
• Week #4: 6/19 - 6/25
  
• Week #5: 6/26 - 7/02
  
• Week #6: 7/03 - 7/09
• Week #7: 7/10 - 7/16

Flowering started 7/17:

• Week #01: 07/17 - 07/23
• Week #02: 07/24 - 07/30
  
• Week #03: 07/31 - 08/06
  
• Week #04: 08/07 - 08/13
  
• Week #05: 08/14 - 08/20
  
• Week #06: 08/21 - 08/27
• Week #07: 08/28 - 09/03
• Week #08: 09/04 - 09/10 [CK]
  
• Week #09: 09/11 - 09/17 [CK, CH]
  
• Week #10: 09/18 - 09/24 [CK, CH]
  
• Week #11: 09/25 - 10/02 [CH]

Harvest windows:

• Critical Kush: Week 8 - 10
• Chocolate Haze: Week 9 - 11

Dry + Cure:

• Critical Kush: Assume harvest on day 63, Dry 9/12 - 9/19. Start of sealed cure between 9/25 to 10/02.

Any guesses as to the yield from each plant? My previous harvest was 3 ounces of dried, lower mid quality bud. This current grow is improved with more space to grow (especially vertically), better airflow within the space, higher PPFD (close to double, from ~400 PPFD to over 800 PPFD) and no excessive nutrient build-up thus far and have kept the pH between 5.6 and 6.0. By week 5 I will be feeding 5.8 to 6.3 pH with bloom nutrients at full strength. Currently feeding at 1.0 - 1.2 EC until week 2 (base strength is around 1.0 EC). Then increase concentration every other feed to 1.5 EC. Week 4 increase every feed to 1.5 EC, then maintain with a booster feeding (bloom booster at 1.0 EC, replaces regular bloom feed) once at the start of week 4, week 5 and week 6. Week 6 begin decreasing bloom nutrient strength to base levels of 1.0 EC. Week 7, decrease nutrient strength to 0.5 EC and hold through to harvest for Critical Kush. Week 8, decrease nutrient strength to 0.5 EC and hold through to harvest for Chocolate Haze. Nutrient strengths may change for either as I suspect the Haze will be a light feeder versus the Kush which may appreciate slightly higher conductivities. Until a deficiency (or excess) is identified, I will stay the course.

They good man. But do you not think the difference in the stretch between the indica and sativa. I've grown choc haze from royal. And stretched like a hooker legs on a busy night. I've not grown the critical kush. But I do have barneys farm critical kush and critical kush auto from them too. But that haze will go every where man. If youve nvr grown a haze before. It will grow each direction like a firework explosion in the air of you get what I mean. I gotta feeling your gonna out stretch your net with the haze. Good luck. They look great now. But your only on day 4 of flower. You got like 20 more days of stretch with that haze. Mine wasn't a big yielded. I topped for 4 mains. Had a ton of smaller $0.50 cent piece golf ball nugs. And it definitely had a choc smell I'm the bag. But mine tasted straight haze. But a bit of advice. I would cut all bloom nutes and everything out and flush atleast 10 days before harvest. Just in my experience with that strain. I did 5 day flush and it needed a few more days of flushing. Not telln how to do it. Just my experience with the strain. I didn't have any harm issues. But it is very susceptible to mold. Both parents of that strain were susceptible to mold. So what your temps and moisture. But as I said above I topped for 4 mains. Had those plus a few side shoots off of the mains with decent size nugs. And I pulled 3.8oz in 3 gallon. 320watt MH vegged for 4 weeks. Was a clone of the original seed before it was flowered. And flowered under a 400watt hps and (2) 75 watt big base long tube CFL's for side lighting. But the high was phenomenal. Pretty close to cocaine lol as far as the uppity part. But what I had, you could couch lock yourself with big bong hits. So it was kinda best of both worlds from a 95% sativa dom strain. I'm subbed up. Makes me want to order some choc haze beans. Good luck man.

Check out my journal if you get time. Whytewidow's cellar grow. I have my first Auto Blue Mammoth Auto. And I'm working on a 70 day veg for pineapple express version 2. Topped one. And mainlining one. Blue Mammoth Auto just started flowering today under 18/6 light. I stunted it twice. Didn't know you're not suppose to up pot autos. Stunted it for like 8 days lol. I'll be lucky to pull 2oz from it I would imagine. But I have the hang of autos now. I think I'll pop my critical kush auto. I have like 7 or 8 autos. As freebies.

whytewidow said:

Check out my journal if you get time. Whytewidow's cellar grow. I have my first Auto Blue Mammoth Auto. And I'm working on a 70 day veg for pineapple express version 2. Topped one. And mainlining one. Blue Mammoth Auto just started flowering today under 18/6 light. I stunted it twice. Didn't know you're not suppose to up pot autos. Stunted it for like 8 days lol. I'll be lucky to pull 2oz from it I would imagine. But I have the hang of autos now. I think I'll pop my critical kush auto. I have like 7 or 8 autos. As freebies.

Click to expand...

I have been thinking of trying autos in the next grow or so. The primary benefit for me would be time-to-harvest; something to think about at least.

I will absolutely peek in on your journal! Always more for me to learn.

Quick 5F update...

Girls are looking nutrient starved as the pH has remained between 5.8 and 6.3 through all feedings. I have kept the nutrient concentration lower as the temperature is higher in the tent (canopy hovers just under 85F). Based on the look of the leaves, senescence and petioles of the Critical Kush, I am assuming an increase in nutrient concentration will help. Right after snapping these shots, I fed both ladies a full spectrum, booster feed. Next watering will be at the beginning of 7F. If color has not improved (by day 7), will be lowering feed concentration to 0.5 EC and flushing with at least 30% runoff.

Critical Kush -- she either needs more nutrients (most likely culprit) or needs a flush.


Chocolate Haze looks healthier, but also looks like it could use a booster shot.


Hungry girls?


Chocolate Haze trunk.


Critical Kush trunk.

Finally tracked down the full water quality report and discovered my tap water contains Sodium at ~50 ppm to 30 ppm. No calcium or magnesium reported anywhere, so I assume some of the remaining hardness is attributed to Calcium carbonate. Going to be irrigating the ladies later to leach any built up salts (one gallon runoff approximately) with bloom feed ~500 ppm + 200 ppm tap water. 1.4 EC leach should straighten things out. 1.5 gallons was run through the medium earlier, another gallon per plant and I will consider them healthy.

suthrngrwr said:

Finally tracked down the full water quality report and discovered my tap water contains Sodium at ~50 ppm to 30 ppm. No calcium or magnesium reported anywhere, so I assume some of the remaining hardness is attributed to Calcium carbonate. Going to be irrigating the ladies later to leach any built up salts (one gallon runoff approximately) with bloom feed ~500 ppm + 200 ppm tap water. 1.4 EC leach should straighten things out. 1.5 gallons was run through the medium earlier, another gallon per plant and I will consider them healthy.

Click to expand...

Hey man, I just read this:

https://www.maximumyield.com/the-role-of-sodium-and-chloride-in-plant-culture/2/3132

Thought it might be of interest to you. Good luck with the current grow!

dstroy said:

Hey man, I just read this:

https://www.maximumyield.com/the-role-of-sodium-and-chloride-in-plant-culture/2/3132

Thought it might be of interest to you. Good luck with the current grow!

Click to expand...

I appreciate you taking the time to spread some knowledge! I actually found this same article when I found the real drinking water report for my county. Tricky to find because I live in a coastal region.

I peeked in on the ladies right after they started napping this morning and young petioles on the Critical Kush are green again! Leaves all over the plant are darkening again as well! Simple fix to a simple problem that I caused myself by being overly cautious.

Next updates will be at the beginning of each new week until harvest day. See you at the next update!

7F update.

Girls showing improvement from day 5 of flower due to a nutrient deficiency. Bumped up the feed strength to ~1.5 EC. Based on consumption rates, the girls are thirsty after 72 hours. Next update at 14F.

Chocolate Haze | Critical Kush


Critical Kush


Chocolate Haze

Missed the update on Monday (14F):

Chocolate Haze bulking and frosting up.



Critical Kush is leggy.


Next update at 21F.

Worked my way through a nutrient deficiency then a nutrient excess due to my error. Now that I have stability it's cruise control time.

29F. Critical Kush is stretching steadily. 6 of the main colas are longer than 12 inches starting at the lowest, contiguous bud site.

She is filling the tent (and outside the tent on my balcony) with a wonderful funk. Gassy with sharp citrus notes and a hint of floral essence.

Chocolate Haze is interesting. The stretching slowed and the buds are swelling. Not much discernible scent and she is noticeably out skunked by the Kush plant.


Fast flowering sativa pheno? Seems like a keeper if she starts reeking before harvest.

Relocated the tent last week so now I have full climate control. Getting flower temps averaging at 82F which is far better than 88 - 90. Next grow I expect to have a 8,000 BTU A/C for the closet. After which I will be moving up to a 3'x3' tent for flower. In the meantime, here is the 5th week of flower update.


35F...

I was forced to cut a few colas down as they were damaged in transit. They made decent edibles though (Chocolate Haze).


Remaining colas are really starting to bulge (Chocolate Haze).


This is what high temperatures do to an Indica dominant hybrid. At least she is on the road to recovery (Critical Kush).

Start of week 7 flower.

Average day temps: 82F.
Average night temps: 72F.

Environment is properly controlled and stable for optimal yield. Two weeks until the harvest window on the Critical Kush. At least three weeks out on the Haze.

Chocolate Haze

Lost the Chocolate Haze plant to botrytis cinerea. Tops of the main colas had signs of fungus bloom so I inspected the interior of the buds and sure enough, bud rot! I think the issue here was the lower temperature combined with higher than usual humidity levels. Not to mention the colas were absolutely dense as hell. I couldn't believe the density of these things -- I grew the plant out in veg for too long as well! I think this will become a non-issue once I am flowering four to six plants each cycle, instead of two massive plants (for the space).

The Critical Kush plant is still ticking along. Flower clusters aren't nearly as dense (yet) though it is packing on more weight every day.