# Northern Lights + Blackberry Kush Coco Grow



## shell (Mar 18, 2011)

Hey guys. Here is our second time around and we're trying some new techniques like LST and supercropping. With our indica-dominant strains this should create a nice bushy effect. Here's how it looks so far; the smaller clones are blackberry kush.


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## BuddyJesus (Mar 19, 2011)

shell said:


> Hey guys. Here is our second time around and we're trying some new techniques like LST and supercropping. With our indica-dominant strains this should create a nice bushy effect. Here's how it looks so far; the smaller clones are blackberry kush.


Nice man congratz on the first harvest!! You still plan on putting up pics of the finished product?


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## Illumination (Mar 19, 2011)

'scribed to witness the outstanding expression of your green thumbs once again....

Namaste'


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## HisGirl420 (Mar 19, 2011)

Ok I have to ask about the pots. I've just never seen those. Are they better or what? What with the pots? Lol


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## Illumination (Mar 19, 2011)

airpots seem to produce awesome results from what I have seen

http://www.airpotgarden.com/

Namaste'


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## HisGirl420 (Mar 19, 2011)

Nice. I have a thread in here like right under this one. I'm new to hydro and I could use some help


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## Illumination (Mar 19, 2011)

Sorry I only do it dirty But I'll have a looksee

Namaste'


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## shell (Mar 19, 2011)

Thanks guys! BuddyJesus, yes we will put up some pictures of the nugs too. We need to get our own camera, haha.

Thanks Illumination and HisGirl420! Yeah those are airpots. And they're totally worth the investment, but sometimes you can find them used. There are just so many good things about them.

We tied down our other two little Blackberry Kush clones today, everyone seems to be taking quite nicely to the training so far. :]


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## HisGirl420 (Mar 19, 2011)

Shell, what kinda bud is that in your pic? It looks so f*cking delicious!


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## Silky Shagsalot (Mar 20, 2011)

just a bit of advice. although airflow "is" extremely important, it only needs to be a gentle breeze, not a huge hurricane force blow. all you're wanting to accomplish is supplying fresh air to the plant. believe it or not, this is more than enough to allow the plants to breathe, and cause the stem to become strong and healthy.
looking good!!!


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## shell (Mar 20, 2011)

HisGirl420, that's our 707 Headband right before harvest. Thank you!

And Silky Shagsalot, thanks for the input. If you're referring to a fan you may see in the pictures we definitely don't blow our plants around too much... it's on low pointing at the light mostly just in case some heat wants emit from our T-5.


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## shell (Mar 20, 2011)

And here are some pictures of our last crop, 707 Headband. :]


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## HisGirl420 (Mar 20, 2011)

Your avatar pic is 707 headband?!


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## shell (Mar 20, 2011)

Haha yes, Oaksterdam certified genetics here in northern California!


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## HisGirl420 (Mar 20, 2011)

It's ridiculously beautiful. I want to grow something like that but then when it came time to harvest her, I wouldn't want to destroy the masterpiece, but at the same time I'd want that sh!t in my lungs!!!! I've smoked headband before but never seen it during its flowing. Touche!


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## shell (Mar 20, 2011)

Thank you very much. It's pretty crazy looking during flowering, but really beautiful and colorful.


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## Flo Grow (Mar 20, 2011)

*Good vibes to you on this grow too !*
*Again, I've had my 2gal, 3gal AND 0.5gal Air Pots for almost 2yrs and totally stopped using my Smart Pots.*
*The starter pots like my 0.5gals are hard to find but so worth it for cuttings/seedlings.*
*I would just unroll it and transplant it directly into my 2 or 3 gallon pot and fill in around it.*
*Now I'm 3 harvest and 4 grows into hydro..........lol*


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## shell (Mar 20, 2011)

Haha thanks Flo Grow. These pots really are rad. We custom-sized our five gallons for our grow space. Are you still growing Northern Lights?


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## Flo Grow (Mar 20, 2011)

shell said:


> Haha thanks Flo Grow. These pots really are rad. We custom-sized our five gallons for our grow space. Are you still growing Northern Lights?


*Custom mod job, huh !?*
*Sweet ! lol*
*Sorry, but my NL seedlings got yanked this A.M. !*
*The Cindy's too.*
*Just couldn't get their asses moving.*
*Had high hopes for the NL too.*
*Now got SR71 x Appalachia and Chernobyl going.*
*Check me out in a few weeks................lol*


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## shell (Mar 20, 2011)

Sounds neat we'll stay posted.


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## Flo Grow (Mar 20, 2011)

*Cool !*
*stay safe........*


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## 0011StealTH (Mar 23, 2011)

HisGirl420 said:


> It's ridiculously beautiful. I want to grow something like that but then when it came time to harvest her, I wouldn't want to destroy the masterpiece, but at the same time I'd want that sh!t in my lungs!!!! I've smoked headband before but never seen it during its flowing. Touche!


Dude I'm in that situattion right now not cool I swear. The more I wait the more purple she gets *)
I can't do it. I gotta grow some balls and chop my first ever super silver haze down with my green crack *(

Let's hope the smoke helps forget the pain.


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## shell (Mar 23, 2011)

Haha sad as it is that sounds like you have good times ahead.

The little blackberry kush clones are getting big. We'll take some pictures today. We're also foliar feeding the garden much more often with our compost tea. There's a thread on here somewhere about foliar feeding, even with your nutes, even if they are salt based (which ours aren't anyway), and they really seem to enjoy it.


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## BuddyJesus (Mar 23, 2011)

shell said:


> Haha sad as it is that sounds like you have good times ahead.
> 
> The little blackberry kush clones are getting big. We'll take some pictures today. We're also foliar feeding the garden much more often with our compost tea. There's a thread on here somewhere about foliar feeding, even with your nutes, even if they are salt based (which ours aren't anyway), and they really seem to enjoy it.


Yo yo Glad to hear the clones are going good for you! Thats such an awesome strain. Only got to smoke some once but was so freakin tasty! Can't wait to see the update!


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## shell (Mar 24, 2011)

The bushier clones are Northern Lights. They're about a week older than the Blackberry Kush clones in the last picture.


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## Jerry Garcia (Mar 24, 2011)

Looking great shell!


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## BuddyJesus (Mar 24, 2011)

shell said:


> The bushier clones are Northern Lights. They're about a week older than the Blackberry Kush clones in the last picture.


And you're off to a great start man! I have a northern lights in flower that was givin to me when she was a baby.. She had mites was really bad.. But i got the mites on her controlled and now she's doing awesome. Anywho plants look great man! 

Cheers
~Buddy J~


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## Merciless_One (Mar 25, 2011)

Nicely done sir! Subbed up for the remainder


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## shell (Mar 26, 2011)

BuddyJesus said:


> And you're off to a great start man! I have a northern lights in flower that was givin to me when she was a baby.. She had mites was really bad.. But i got the mites on her controlled and now she's doing awesome. Anywho plants look great man!
> 
> Cheers
> ~Buddy J~


Thanks Buddy J. What did you use for mite control?


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## shell (Mar 26, 2011)

Merciless_One said:


> Nicely done sir! Subbed up for the remainder


And thank you Merciless_One!


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## BuddyJesus (Mar 26, 2011)

shell said:


> Thanks Buddy J. What did you use for mite control?


I used this product called Azamax! And let me tell you i will use this shit from now on if every i have any problems with mites. Its 100% organic.. Its actually a vegetable oil base. You can use it 2 or 3 days before you harvest and its 100% safe! Shit was amazing. The dude at the store told me to apply it a few times, and i prolly did about 4 applications. And never ever seen anymore mites or eggs. Shit was AWESOME!!!


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## shell (Mar 26, 2011)

100% natural is the way to go! Is it neem oil related?


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## Illumination (Mar 26, 2011)

shell said:


> 100% natural is the way to go! Is it neem oil related?


its systemic


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## Illumination (Mar 26, 2011)

here you go:http://www.generalhydroponics.com/genhydro_US/pdf_ghss/am_ss.pdf

Hope it helps

Namaste'


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## BuddyJesus (Mar 26, 2011)

Yea i just used it in the foiler application. Just did it a few times and fuckers were gone =)


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## shell (Mar 28, 2011)

Hey guys we'll throw a picture update on here tomorrow probably, but for now we're curious... does anyone have some seed germination advice to give? Been trying to germinate some mystery seeds our friend gave us, but a few days later nothing so far. Should we scratch the back of them or something?


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## Illumination (Mar 28, 2011)

90 degrees F .... some need the extra heat I have found

Namaste'


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## shell (Mar 28, 2011)

Ok cool. They're on the edge of a heating pad on low, so I'll scoot it more toward the middle. Should it be in the light or dark?


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## Illumination (Mar 28, 2011)

If you would desire more heat then light...they don't need light til they break the surface...but I use the light for heat so always have it on

Exactly how I do it is

soak them in 7.0 ro water at 80 degrees F for 24 hours

put on seed each 1 gallon pot 1/3 inch below the surface under the light at 70% rh and 90 degrees F ambient


24-36 hours later sprouts

Have an awesome germination rate doing this ...

Hope it helps...oh and sativas or sativa doms need warmer temps to pop...maybe the mystery seeds are sativa doms ?

Namaste'


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## shell (Mar 28, 2011)

Thanks for all your help. We'll take these things into consideration and let you know what's up. :]


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## shell (Mar 30, 2011)

Hey guys, the blackberry kush is really catching up with the northern lights now! Pictures tomorrow. We've also got a side-project with three outdoor durban poison clones in three gallon pots in coco & perlite. We experimented with our supercropping skills today on them. They were given to us, and as we have no room in our indoor garden for such a sativa strain we're sticking them outside, pretty much with the basics to see what happens.

So who knows about grape juice? We've read some articles on grape juice (extract) being a good organic potassium-booster. Can anyone back that up? Thanks for the input.


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## HisGirl420 (Mar 31, 2011)

When you gonna come share that shit?! LOL


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## shell (Apr 1, 2011)

Transplant success! And durban poison.


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## shell (Apr 3, 2011)

Hey everyone. So we use a T5 6-bulb light for veg and switch to a 600 watt hps light to flower. But people say that UV rays are important as well for increased THC production and potency. HPS lights emit no UV. So we're wondering if anyone knows if T5s emit UV and how much?


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## Merciless_One (Apr 3, 2011)

shell said:


> Hey everyone. So we use a T5 6-bulb light for veg and switch to a 600 watt hps light to flower. But people say that UV rays are important as well for increased THC production and potency. HPS lights emit no UV. So we're wondering if anyone knows if T5s emit UV and how much?


Not sure about a t5 ... But I know a black light does. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_light


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## Illumination (Apr 3, 2011)

http://www.petco.com/product/108301/Zilla-Desert-50-UVB-Fluorescent-T5-Bulbs.aspx

Black light bulbs emit very little to no uvb which is what we seek... They are merely colored glass which allows uva out which is what fluoresces the neons of black light paints....No appreciable uvb... The above is designed with different glass formulation as well as the phosphor blend to produce the correct amount of uvb

Regular t-5's do emit some uvb but not enough to cause the reaction you are seeking


Start them at 40" from the plants and carefully and slowly move it closer...be careful though as it will burn the crap out of your plants if too close

Also look into CMH bulbs

Namaste'

Hope it helps


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## Merciless_One (Apr 3, 2011)

Illumination said:


> http://www.petco.com/product/108301/Zilla-Desert-50-UVB-Fluorescent-T5-Bulbs.aspx
> 
> Black light bulbs emit very little to no uvb which is what we seek... They are merely colored glass which allows uva out which is what fluoresces the neons of black light paints....No appreciable uvb... The above is designed with different glass formulation as well as the phosphor blend to produce the correct amount of uvb
> 
> ...


Nice, good info! Do you have an opinion about CMH bulbs? I was actually thinking about switching to using one...


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## Illumination (Apr 3, 2011)

No digis except for one truly expensive unit by GE

here's a great deal on a mag coil setup...is what I have and I love it


http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-HTG...Grow-Light.asp

Bulbs:

https://www.lightingsupply.com/CDM40...R-4K-ALTO.aspx

Bulbs and info:

http://advancedtechlighting.com/cmhfact3.htm

More cmh info than you could need...lol:

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=72215

There are vertical versions as well as horizontal: there are also some out for regular metal halide ballasts

Also you do not want to use them in sealed hoods or cool tubes as the glass will block the uvb produced which we truly want for potency accentuation


Hope it helps and I love my cmh setup

Namaste'


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## Merciless_One (Apr 3, 2011)

Illumination said:


> No digis except for one truly expensive unit by GE
> 
> here's a great deal on a mag coil setup...is what I have and I love it
> 
> ...


Thank you sir! Sorry shell...didnt' mean to derail your thread


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## shell (Apr 3, 2011)

Illumination said:


> http://www.petco.com/product/108301/Zilla-Desert-50-UVB-Fluorescent-T5-Bulbs.aspx
> 
> Black light bulbs emit very little to no uvb which is what we seek... They are merely colored glass which allows uva out which is what fluoresces the neons of black light paints....No appreciable uvb... The above is designed with different glass formulation as well as the phosphor blend to produce the correct amount of uvb
> 
> ...


Is a Hydrofarm T5 still considered regular? A 4x4ft room would need around 160 watts of UV light... so how many of those petco bulbs would be needed? Thanks for the info.


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## shell (Apr 3, 2011)

Merciless_One said:


> Thank you sir! Sorry shell...didnt' mean to derail your thread


No worries all the information is good.


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## Illumination (Apr 3, 2011)

shell said:


> Is a Hydrofarm T5 still considered regular? A 4x4ft room would need around 160 watts of UV light... so how many of those petco bulbs would be needed? Thanks for the info.


I do not believe it takes that many watts for uvb production...it is a low amount which triggers the increase in thc delta 9....I have 23 watt cfls 10.0 uvb and at 20 inches it will leach the green right out of the leaves... too high an amount will decrease yield as well....and 1 or 2 inches is a really big deal with these....it is because of the uvc...at 20 inches with the 10.0 I have it is the same level of uv as high elevation desert sun....exceeding this causes the chlorophyll to breakdown....so IMHHO 2 uvb t5's would be plenty....

How did you come up with the figure of 160 watts of uvb bulbs to be adequate for a 4x4 room...in my experience unless mounted very far away from the plant it would hurt rather help

Namaste'

ps- you have a link to the bulbs of which you are speaking? Ok found 'em

Yes they are regular t5 ho 6400 k bulbs....they are produced with regular glass and phosphorous so they emit very little if any usable uvb...regular glass blocks uvb at greater than 99%


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## shell (Apr 3, 2011)

There is an "ask Ed Rosenthal" column in an issue of West Coast cannabis, and he mentions that a 4x4ft room would need about 160 watts of uvb light. That's only one opinion though, I know that less is more. How many of those cfl's do you use?


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## Illumination (Apr 3, 2011)

I use 2 23 watt 10.0 cfl's at 36 " from plants in a 22"x44" closet grow....Ed gets caught up in a lot of hype due to influence of the almighty dollar so I take his "knowledge" with a grain of salt. I am going by my experience and have burnt the crap out of plants at 20" with these...but can also share that it definitely does increase potency

Namaste'


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## shell (Apr 3, 2011)

Thanks man that's some great information. Yeah you have to read between the lines with a lot of these magazines, all the articles try to get you to use another product.


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## Illumination (Apr 3, 2011)

Yep the old without this magic you will fail...works on the noobs that want to pour dankness out of a bottle or plug it in and boom ...awesome bud...we all know that is not so...it is the totality of proper environment that allows the genetics to show completely... no one thing but all things is the key

Namaste'


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## shell (May 3, 2011)

Alright... these pictures are a few days old but we'll keep taking more. Next to not being connected to the internet for the last two weeks, our light started giving us trouble yesterday. It would turn itself off, then on, then off, etc about every fifteen minutes. We use an electronic 600 watt ballast and an EYE Hortilux 600 watt bulb, and this was only the bulb's second grow. After trying a different ballast we figured it had to be the Hortilux even though those are supposed to be top-of-the-line. So our hydro dealer gave us a Lucalox bulb and everything is cool now... so fuck Hortilux and their expensive bulbs. They're unreliable.

Here are the pictures, along with a look at the Durban Poisons. :]


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## Jerry Garcia (May 3, 2011)

Yeah digital ballasts operate on a different frequency than magnetic, which can cause flickering, or what you experienced.

I started using CAP Digilux enhanced-blue spectrum 600w HPS bulbs and couldn't be happier with them.

Hortilux is another ripoff aimed at the uninformed


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## Illumination (May 3, 2011)

shell said:


> Alright... these pictures are a few days old but we'll keep taking more. Next to not being connected to the internet for the last two weeks, our light started giving us trouble yesterday. It would turn itself off, then on, then off, etc about every fifteen minutes. We use an electronic 600 watt ballast and an EYE Hortilux 600 watt bulb, and this was only the bulb's second grow. After trying a different ballast we figured it had to be the Hortilux even though those are supposed to be top-of-the-line. So our hydro dealer gave us a Lucalox bulb and everything is cool now... so fuck Hortilux and their expensive bulbs. They're unreliable.
> 
> Here are the pictures, along with a look at the Durban Poisons. :]


Cheap ass chinese bulbs are all you need...all that eye sunmaster stuff is bs hype IMHHO...cheapest least expensive hps 600 you can find will work just fine...also due to no bulbs were designed for the higher frequencies of digi's I wish to let that mature a bit so as to allow the bulbs to be built for it IMHHO

Plants look great as always...you girls are really growing green thumbs

Namaste'


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## Merciless_One (May 3, 2011)

Damn, sorry to hear about the bulb. ..your plants are looking nice!!

On a related note..as long as we're discussing lights and such.... I currently have a 400w "AgroMax" HPS light...however, I just picked up a Phillips 400w "Retro White" CMH bulb. I've heard nothing but great things about CMH, so I figured I'd see what the fuss is all about...plus from what I hear it doesn't put out as much heat, while also putting out more lumens, plus it's designed to work with my old ballast. . Anyone here have any thoughts about CMH ? ( Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread! )


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## shell (May 4, 2011)

Merciless_One said:


> Damn, sorry to hear about the bulb. ..your plants are looking nice!!
> 
> On a related note..as long as we're discussing lights and such.... I currently have a 400w "AgroMax" HPS light...however, I just picked up a Phillips 400w "Retro White" CMH bulb. I've heard nothing but great things about CMH, so I figured I'd see what the fuss is all about...plus from what I hear it doesn't put out as much heat, while also putting out more lumens, plus it's designed to work with my old ballast. . Anyone here have any thoughts about CMH ? ( Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread! )


No worries I'd like to know some more info about that as well.Thank you everyone. :]


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## Jerry Garcia (May 5, 2011)

This is the bulb I use with my magnetic ballast. http://www.hidhut.com/catalog/full-spectrum-600w-hps-bulb-p-60.html

It works great, but when I switched to my digital ballast I noticed it flickering. I thought I was crazy/seeing things, and then learned about the frequency thing and switched. At the moment both are running on their respective ballasts with no flicker whatsoever.

Another plus for me with the Digilux was the spectral chart. I don't know how accurate those things really are, but after considerable research I found the Digilux chart peaked in spots that other "enhanced" spectrum bulbs did not. Bottom line, the light from the Digilux is visibly whiter than that of the HID Hut bulb.

As for CMH...I've heard very good things. Would love to try a 600w, if they ever come into being...


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## shell (May 6, 2011)

What the hell is a San Pedro cactus?! Can someone discuss this?


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## Illumination (May 6, 2011)

http://sanpedrocactus.org/

A mescaline producing and containing cactii that is LEGAL TO OWN AND GROW:HUMP:

Namaste


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## shell (May 6, 2011)

So CMH won't work well with a digital ballast?

Thanks for the info Jerry, Illumination. :]


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## shell (May 6, 2011)

Illumination said:


> http://sanpedrocactus.org/
> 
> A mescaline producing and containing cactii that is LEGAL TO OWN AND GROW:HUMP:
> 
> Namaste


So all you do is grow it, cut it (and peel), dry it, grind it, and ingest it with water or tea or something? How come people try and extract the mescaline then?


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## Illumination (May 6, 2011)

Because the soap ass nastiness is hard for some to get down...never dried it...just hydrolized it...similar to boiling...http://www.erowid.org/plants/cacti/cacti.shtml ...all the info is there...I also recommend acquiring some harmala seeds and making a roux with it as it will greatly increase the effect of the mescaline as it will block the enzymes that break down the mescaline...it is all there

I have 9 of them ...and for some reason every time they become 4 foot tall...they suddenly become 3 foot tall

Namaste'


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## Illumination (May 6, 2011)

shell said:


> So CMH won't work well with a digital ballast?
> 
> Thanks for the info Jerry, Illumination. :]


No digis or electronic ballasts except for one truly expensive unit by GE

here's a great deal on a mag coil setup...is what I have and I love it


http://www.htgsupply.com/Product-HTGSupply-400-watt-High-Pressure-Sodium-Grow-Light.asp

Bulbs:

https://www.lightingsupply.com/CDM400S51-HOR-4K-ALTO.aspx

Bulbs and info:

http://advancedtechlighting.com/cmhfact3.htm

More cmh info than you could need...lol:

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=72215

There are vertical versions as well as horizontal: there are also some out for regular metal halide ballasts

Also you do not want to use them in sealed hoods or cool tubes as the glass will block the uvb produced which we truly want for potency accentuation


Hope it helps and I love my cmh setup

Namaste'


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## shell (May 7, 2011)

Illumination said:


> Because the soap ass nastiness is hard for some to get down...never dried it...just hydrolized it...similar to boiling...http://www.erowid.org/plants/cacti/cacti.shtml ...all the info is there...I also recommend acquiring some harmala seeds and making a roux with it as it will greatly increase the effect of the mescaline as it will block the enzymes that break down the mescaline...it is all there
> 
> I have 9 of them ...and for some reason every time they become 4 foot tall...they suddenly become 3 foot tall
> 
> Namaste'


Haha sounds like fun. So you're saying that a lot of people just don't like the taste of it? And is a foot a general dose?


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## Illumination (May 9, 2011)

shell said:


> Haha sounds like fun. So you're saying that a lot of people just don't like the taste of it? And is a foot a general dose?


Yes it is mostly a taste texture thing...and yep a foot will do you fine

Read errowid and you will know exactly what and how to do

Namaste' my friend


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## Plowboy (May 10, 2011)

Illumination said:


> No digis or electronic ballasts except for one truly expensive unit by GE
> 
> here's a great deal on a mag coil setup...is what I have and I love it
> 
> ...


I picked up one of those 400 watt mag lights from my local HTG for $99. Using it in my veg tent. Thinking about getting a CMH bulb when I can scrape up the cash. Would CMH be better for flowering because of the UVB output?


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## shell (May 10, 2011)

Plowboy said:


> I picked up one of those 400 watt mag lights from my local HTG for $99. Using it in my veg tent. Thinking about getting a CMH bulb when I can scrape up the cash. Would CMH be better for flowering because of the UVB output?


UVB output would be a cool factor if that were the case... would like to know more about UVB in general because we're not 100% convinced that it creates that noticeable of an increase in potency if you already have a good flow goin with your grow already.


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## Illumination (May 10, 2011)

shell said:


> UVB output would be a cool factor if that were the case... would like to know more about UVB in general because we're not 100% convinced that it creates that noticeable of an increase in potency if you already have a good flow goin with your grow already.



I have personally found quite an increase in potency and trich production from the cmh vs hps and/or cfl's...two factors may be at play but I feel it is the uvb that is nill with hps verses cmh which has it....this run I have also added two 26 watt 10.0 uvb cfl's in the mix for further uvb attenuation...another factor which may be coming into play is the much better spectrum of the cmh vs hps and even regular metal halide at that....

Namaste'


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## Illumination (May 10, 2011)

shell said:


> UVB output would be a cool factor if that were the case... would like to know more about UVB in general because we're not 100% convinced that it creates that noticeable of an increase in potency if you already have a good flow goin with your grow already.


Some info for you my friends:

MARIJUANA OPTICS


An elaboration on the phytochemical process that makes THC
A Continuing updating manual 

by Joe Knuc


The resin exuded by the glandular trichrome forms a sphere(1) that encases the head cells.(2)

When the resin spheres are separated from the dried plant material by electrostatic(3) attraction and placed on a microscope slide illuminated with a 100W incandescent bulb, they appear very dark when observed through a 300X microscope. Since orange, red, and infrared are the component wavelengths of incandescent light, and since the absorption of light makes an object dark or opaque to the frequency of the incoming wave, one can conclude that these wavelengths are probably not directly involved in energizing the cannabinoid pathway.(4)

However, the resin sphere is transparent to ultraviolet radiation.(5)

The author found through trial and error that only one glandular
trichome(6) exhibits the phytochemical process that will produce the amount of THC associated with pain relief, appetite stimulation and anti-nausea; euphoria and hallucinations are side-effects, however. This trichome is triggered into growth by either of the two ways that the floral bract is turned into fruit.(7)

Of all the ways that optics are involved in the phytochemical production of THC, the most interesting has to be how the head cells and cannabinoid molecules are tremendously magnified( by the resin sphere. These and other facts are curiously absent from the literature. The footnotes update the literature to include electrostatic separation of the resin sphere from the dried plant material and marijuana parthenocarpy.


(1) "For all spheres, a ray drawn perpendicular to the sphere's surface will intersect the center of the sphere, no matter what spot on the surface is picked, and the magnifying power(a) of a glass sphere is greater the smaller its size. A sphere of glass can also bring light that is heading to a focus behind it to a point within it, with freedom from two aberrations, spherial aberration and coma, but not from chromatic aberration. Chromatic aberration results when different wavelengths are focused on different planes and is the most difficult of the aberrations to correct. The human eye lens also exhibits chromatic aberration, but a yellow pigment(b) called the macula lutea in the fovea, an area at the rear of the eyeball, corrects this problem by the way it absorbs blue light."

(a)"The formula to calculate the magnifying power of a sphere is l=333/d, where l is the magnifying power and d is the diameter of the sphere expressed in mm."

(b)Interestingly, the resin exuded by drug-type flowering female marijuana plants has a yellow tint. Could this pigment work to correct chromatic aberration in the resin sphere like the macula lutea does in the fovea for the eyeball?



(2) Quoting from the Mahlberg and Kim study of hemp(a) "THC accumulated in abundance in the secretory cavity where it was associated with the following: cell walls, surface feature of secretory vesicles, fibrillar material released from disc cell wall, and cuticle. It was not associated with the content of the secretory vesicles."

The resin spheres contain the THC. It is not contained in the leaf or floral bract. After the resin spheres are dissolved in solvent or dislodged by electrostatic attraction, and a microscopic examination of the leaf or floral bract has revealed that only the glandular trichomes' stalks remain, no effect will be felt after smoking the dried plant material from which the resin spheres have been removed.



(3) The electrostatic collection of the resin spheres from dried marijuana plants with plenty of ripe seeds has been for hundreds of years the method indigenous people of North Africa and Lebanon have used to make hashish. Obtain a round metal can 8" or so in diameter x 3" or so in depth (the kind that cookies come in) with a smooth lid. Obtain 2 ounces of dried marijuana with plenty of ripe seeds in the tops. To remove the seeds and stems, sift the marijuana tops through a 10-hole-to-the-inch wire kitchen strainer into the can. Close the can with the lid and vigorously shake the closed can three or four times. This gives the resin spheres an excess negative charge. Let the can sit for a moment and then remove the lid. Opposites attract. The negative-charged resin spheres have been attracted to the metal surface of the can and lid which has a positive charge. Take a matchbook cover or credit card and draw the edge across the surface of the lid. Note the collected powder. Observed under 300X magnification, the collected powder from this "shake" is composed of resin spheres with an occasional non-glandular trichome. As the marijuana is shaken again and again, and more of the yellow resin spheres are removed from the plant material, the collected powder gradually becomes green-colored as the number of non-glandular trichomes increases in the collected powder. The greener the powder, the less the effect.



(4) "Cannabinoids represent a dimer consisting of a terpene and a phenol component. Cannabigerol (CBG) is the first component of the pathway. It undergoes chemical change to form either cannabichromene (CBC), or cannabidiol (CBD). Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is derived from CBD."



(5) "Pate (1983) indicated that in areas of high ultraviolet radiation exposure, the UVB (280-320 nm) absorption properties of THC may have conferred an evolutionary advantage to Cannabis capable of greater production of this compound from biogenetic precursor CBD. The extent to which this production is also influenced by environmental UVB has also been experimentally determined by Lydon et al. (1987)."

The author's own experience allow for a more specific conclusion: If the UVB photon is missing from the light stream(a), or the intensity as expressed in µW/cm2 falls below a certain level(b), the phytochemical process will not be completely energized with only UVA photons which are more penetrating but less energetic, and the harvested resin spheres will have mostly precursor compounds and not fully realized THC(c).

(a)Examples of an environment where the UVB photon would be missing from the light stream include all indoor cultivation illuminated by mercury or sodium lamps and in glass, polyethylene or fiberglass covered greenhouses.

(b)"The maximum UVB irradiance near the equator (solar elevation angle less than 25 deg.) under clear, sunny skies is about 250 µW/cm2. It was observed that the daily solar UVB in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (N24.4Lat.) decreased from September to December by about 40% (Hannan et al. 1984)." The further a person is from the tropics, the less UVB radiation there is: the average annual exposure of a person living in Hawaii is approximately four times that of someone living in northern Europe. "Some reptiles, mainly lizards, turtles, tortoises and crocodilians, require UVB to make vitamin D3. Green Iguanas will start to show signs of metabolic bone disease at 6 months of age if not exposed to UVB wavelengths. A rubber jaw, shaking and non-use of hind legs are all signs of metabolic bone disease. Metabolic bone disease is perhaps the most common nutritional deficiency affecting captive reptiles. UVA and UVB wavelengths help to prevent or reverse this disease which is commonly seen in young captive lizards; these wavelengths also help to increase appetite and activity in lizards and turtles who require more UVA and UVB than pythons and snakes to induce reproductive behavior. Even though snakes get their vitamin D3 from the livers of the animals they eat (mice, rats, etc.), snakes and amphibians benefit from the UVA wavelength." Below are some UVB readings taken in Hoyleton, Illinois, on a clear sunny day in June by David Krughoff as reported in Reptile Lighting 2000.

7am: 12 microwatts/cm2
8am: 74 microwatts/cm2
9am: 142 microwatts/cm2
10am: 192 microwatts/cm2
11am: 233 microwatts/cm2
12pm: 256 microwatts/cm2
1pm: 269 microwatts/cm2
2pm: 262 microwatts/cm2
3pm: 239 microwatts/cm2
4pm: 187 microwatts/cm2
5pm: 131 microwatts/cm2
6pm: 61 microwatts/cm2


(c)Cannabinoid pathway: Anywhere in this pathway UVB does a better job than UVA in energizing a phytochemical reaction that will produce more fully realized THC because "all cannabinolic compounds show an absorption maximum between 270 and 280 nm in the ultraviolet region."



(6) Capitate-stalked glandular trichome.



(7) #1: The ovum has been fertilized and there is a seed developing: In the areas of the Northern Hemisphere where indigenous people have grown heterozygous drug-type marijuana for hundreds of years, pollination is used to trigger the growth of the capitate-stalked glandular trichome on the floral bract and concomitant leaves of the flowering females before the autumnal equinox(a) so the majority of seeds will be ripe(b) by mid-October.

(7) #2: The floral bract has become parthenocarpic: Parthenocarpic fruits develop without fertilization and have no seeds. Except for transmutation and turning lead into gold, there has been more nonsense written about seedless marijuana than on any other subject. In marijuana parthenocarpy, the floral bract (the fruit) enlarges in size as though there were a seed growing inside, and the capitate-stalked glandular trichome is triggered into growth on the floral bract and concomitant leaves. "Most popular supermarket tomatoes are parthenocarpic which was induced artificially by the application of dilute hormone sprays (such as auxins) to the flowers." In a trial, marijuana parthenocarpy was not induced by the application of the spray used on tomatoes.

Only the photoperiod(c) will trigger parthenocarpy in flowering female marijuana plants. Marijuana parthenocarpy occurring before the autumnal equinox is considered by the author to be "long-day" and marijuana parthenocarpy occurring after the autumnal equinox to be "short-day". The longest photoperiod that will trigger parthenocarpy in unfertilized flowering homozygous(d) Indica female marijuana plants is 13:00 hours, give or take 15 minutes. This effect can be obtained in the month of August at N35Lat, and because the capitate-stalked glandular trichomes received plenty of UVB during this month at this latitude, the harvested resin spheres had fully realized THC. Rating: euphoria and hallucinations, major appetite boost and pain relief, deep dreamless sleep. These plants seldom grow taller than four feet but potency makes up for the reduced harvest.

The gene pool is heterozygous if a flowering female marijuana plant is not parthenocarpic by the end of the first week in September in the Northern Hemisphere. If this is the case, pollination is used instead of parthenocarpy to trigger the growth of the capitate-stalked glandular trichome before the autumnal equinox to obtain as much fully realized THC as possible in the harvested resin spheres by the time the majority of the seeds are ripe.

The longest photoperiod that will trigger parthenocarpy in unfertilized flowering heterozygous female marijuana plants is 11:00 hours, give or take 15 minutes: This effect can be obtained in the month of November at N35Lat. Because of the low intensity of UVB radiation at this latitude at sea level during November, the harvested resin spheres evidenced only slightly more THC than precursor compounds. Rating: mild to medium euphoria, appetite boost and pain relief, good snooze.

Thai marijuana falls into this 11:00 hour category, and its parthenocarpy is characterized by an inflorescence in which many floral bracts are attached to an elongated meristem. It is these elongated meristems that are harvested to become a THAI STICK. On the other side of the world, Mexican marijuana grown around the same latitudes (Michoacan, Guerrero, Oaxaca) also falls into this short-day parthenocarpic category and the unfertilized marijuana will become "sensimilla" in the 11:00 hour photoperiod which begins in mid-December in that region. The winter sunshine in those latitudes has enough UVB intensity to produce fully realized THC--unlike the winter sunshine at N35Lat.

All unfertilized flowering female marijuana plants will become parthenocarpic in a 9:00 hour photoperiod (15:00 hour dark period): This can be obtained in the month of December at N35Lat. At this latitude in this month there is not even enough UVB in sunlight for precursor vitamin D3 to develop in human skin. The phytochemical process will not produce fully realized THC when UVB falls below a certain level of intensity expressed in µW/cm2. Rating: no effect.

(a)In the Northern Hemisphere above the Tropic of Cancer, the key to all marijuana potency is this: The more days of sunlight the capitate-stalked glandular trichomes' resin spheres accumulate before the autumnal equinox the more fully realized THC.

(b)It is recognized in the indigenous world that drug-type marijuana with a majority of ripe seeds will produce more euphoria, hallucinations, appetite stimulation, pain relief, and sleep aid than with a majority of unripe seeds.

(c)The photoperiodic response is controlled by phytochrome. "Phytochrome is a blue pigment in the leaves and seeds of plants and is found in 2 forms. One form is a blue form(Pfr), which absorbs red light, and the other is a blue-green form(Pr) that absorbs far-red light. Solar energy has 10X more red (660nm) than far-red (730nm) light causing the accumulation of Pfr." The first and last hour of a day's sunlight is mostly red light because of the scattering effect on blue light. "So at the onset of the dark period much of the phytochrome is in the Pfr form. However, Pfr is unstable and returns to phytochrome Pr in the dark." The red light in sunrise returns the Pr to the Pfr form. "Phytochrome Pfr is the active form and controls flowering and germination. It inhibits flowering of short-day plants (the long night period is required for the conversion of Pfr to Pr) and promotes flowering of long day plants."

Kelvin Temperature is an easy key to the efficiency of artificial light to fuel photosynthesis or to affect the phytochrome. The former is fueled very efficiently by 6500K light: this is a Kelvin Temperature the same color as the sky at noon on a clear summer day. Some Mercury Vapor HID bulbs are rated 6500K. Metal Halide HID bulbs are rated 4000K and can be used instead of the mercury vapor with good results. A less expensive alternative to HID lights that will produce the same results on a smaller scale is the GE Daylight ULTRA 40-watt 48" fluorescent tube which is rated 6500K. 160W will deliver the desired effect to eight sq ft (2'x4') if the ballast in the two-lamp holder is a "high power factor" standard size; the smaller, energy-saver ballast provides less luminosity. The fluorescent tubes have to be closer to the plant meristem than the HID bulb. To obtain the desired effect with the fluorescent tubes in an environment that receives no supplemental sunlight, the distance to the plant meristem should not be greater than 2" for seedlings or 6" for transplants in one gallon and larger containers.

Phytochrome, on the other hand, is very responsive to red and orange wavelengths. Because its light is saturated in these wavelengths, the ordinary household incandescent light bulb (2845K) is used as a cheap and effective way either to delay flowering in short-day plants with night-interruption lighting or to establish an artificial light "flowering photoperiod" using 2845K light of appropriate wattage for the square footage at the start and end of the photoperiod to simulate the red wavelength in sunrise and sunset. A 100W light bulb distanced 2' to 4' from the plants will deliver the desired effect to 16 sq ft (4'x4').



As an example: 8' x 8' garden plot divided into quads. The phytochrome of the plants is manipulated by 100 watts of 2845K light dangling over the center of each quad for a total of 400 watts. Photosynthesis for the entire garden plot is fueled by 1000 watts of 6500K Mercury Vapor light or 1000 watts of 4000K Metal Halide light dangling overhead at the center of the garden plot. To use the potent UVB photons in outdoor sunlight during July and August to fuel the phytochemical process that makes THC, a short-day flowering photoperiod for the indoor garden plot could be established on May 1st for potted marijuana plants that were germinated December 1st of the previous year.

FLOWERING PHOTOPERIOD

SUNRISE: One hour phytochrome (2845K light)
DAYTIME: 10:00 hours photosynthesis (6500K/4000K light)
SUNSET: One hour phytochrome (2845K light)
NIGHTTIME: 12 hours dark

PARTHENOCARPIC PHOTOPERIOD

SUNRISE: One hour phytochrome (2845K light)
DAYTIME: 9:00 hours photosynthesis (6500K/4000K light)
SUNSET: One hour phytochrome (2845K light)
NIGHTTIME: 13 hours dark

The change to a parthenocarpic photoperiod is made around the third week in June after the plants have fully flowered; then, beginning July 7 or so, the potted plants are moved outdoors into full sun from 9am until 4pm. Moving the plants from the indoor parthenocarpic photoperiod to outdoor sunlight takes advantage of the energy of the UVB photons during these months and should be continued for at least 30 days. This is the time necessary for the phytochemical process to make fully realized THC in the majority of the resin spheres. Manipulation of the photoperiod could be used to good effect in the South of England, for example, because it is only possible to get a sunburn there during July and August. This follows the author's naked caucasoid sunburn rule that states: If a naked caucasoid can go outside and get a sunburn, there are enough UVB photons of appropriate intensity to make fully realized THC at that time and place.

d)In Nepal and nearby areas of India where the capitate-stalked glandular trichome is triggered into growth by parthenocarpy rather than by fertilized ovum, great care is taken to make sure that all male marijuana plants are destroyed as soon as they reveal their sex. This is because unfertilized Indica flowering females can have both stigma and anther protruding from the floral bract. In the Indica gene pool, female-produced pollen carries an allele for long-day parthenocarpy, and seeds resulting from this female-produced pollen will produce another generation of female plants that will also exhibit long-day parthenocarpy during flowering. But if pollen from male plants is introduced into this gene pool, the resulting seeds will produce a generation of females that will exhibit short-day parthenocarpy instead. The allele for long-day parthenocarpy in the female-produced pollen is carried into the gene pool by self-pollination and cross-pollination, and perhaps homozygous is used too loosely here to describe the genetic result.



( It appears that the resin sphere acts as a magnifying lens.



A NOTE ABOUT MARIJUANA OPTICS FROM THE AUTHOR: Joe Knuc is a pseudonym. If the paragraph or sentence has quotes around it then somebody with a degree wrote it. Otherwise, the author takes credit for it.

First published December 2002 and revised 2003, the author transferred the MARIJUANA OPTICS copyright in May 2003 to D. Craig Steffens, a medical marijuana patient and activist.

Marijuana Optics is available in two formats: PDF and HTML. But you'll have to get them from jknuc's Yahoo Briefcase because this free server does not allow downloads. Send this email message and a link to both file types will be sent to you by return email. The PDF file is compressed into a ZIP file. The HTML file is not.

In California, the San Diego city council recently passed guidelines for the cultivation of medical marijuana inside the city limits. Under these guidelines, only indoor cultivation is permitted. In Humboldt county medical marijuana grown outdoors must be beneath a canopy. These restrictions could be part of a ploy to downgrade the effectiveness of medical marijuana by removing the UVB photon from the light stream. In Canada, for example, the marijuana the government is providing to some patients is grown inside a former copper mine under artificial light. Is it any surprise that the patients' who signed up for the government program are dissatisfied with the government product and want their money back?

The "hide" is the toughest part of medical marijuana cultivation. How to get the UVB photon to the capitate-stalked glandular trichome without the police or the neighbors seeing the plants is a problem every medical marijuana grower faces if he or she is hip to the cannabinoid pathway. Shelter Systems sells a translucent woven ripstop film that transmits a percentage of the UVB radiation. On September 22 at N35Lat, the UVB reading at 11:00am of unfiltered sunlight was 300 microwatts/cm2 at a 1400' elevation. At the same time, the UVB reading inside a structure covered with the translucent woven ripstop film was 140 microwatts/cm2. 140 microwatts/cm2 may not seem like much compared to the 300 microwatts/cm2 contained in the unfiltered sunlight, but when you realize that there are zero UVB photons emitted by HID bulbs and zero UVB photons transmitted by corrugated fiberglass or other traditional greenhouse coverings, 140 microwatts/cm2 is quite a lot. 

* there was something about a ljapanese company that makes a 2ml translucent uvb film..and wanted online representatives, ..which I deleted...if the Mods cannot get paid...neither should you. 





© May 2003 D. Craig Steffens


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## shell (May 18, 2011)

Update. 2 1/2 weeks into flowering.


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## Merciless_One (May 18, 2011)

shell said:


> Update. 2 1/2 weeks into flowering.


Looking fantastic!!


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## shell (Jun 7, 2011)

Hey everyone... these pictures are actually a week or two old. We're a few days from harvesting the Northern Lights, and a few more days for the Blackberry Kush! Everything seems to be coming along very nicely. The first picture is of the Blackberry, but they have really plumped up and turned a nice purple since these pictures. They really look like blackberries.The second picture is one of the NL plants.


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## BuddyJesus (Jun 9, 2011)

Hell ya shell! Cant wait to see some harvest pics! Its a great time harvest time! =)


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## shell (Jun 19, 2011)

Hey everyone. The Northern Lights are fully dried and are curing, and we just cut down some top colas of BBK today; the rest should finish within the week. We'll post some new pictures soon. 

So to all you growers who use less expensive light bulbs because you don't like to fork over $100 for an HPS bulb, what are some cheaper brands you prefer? We are thinking of acquiring a few more lights and we'd like to know what bulbs some other growers find successful. Thanks :]


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## shell (Jun 21, 2011)

Hey guys, a question about ducting and fans...

We will be using ducting in our next cycle and we have some questions. First, how many inline fans do you need to properly vent your entire duct system? Some setups I see use one fan... we will be using four lights next time. Also, is it necessary to use hard pipe in your duct system or can you use all flex as long as you set it up with no restrictions and no bends? Intake-->light-->light-->light-->light-->exhaust through opposite wall? Thanks for reading.


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## Jerry Garcia (Jun 23, 2011)

shell said:


> Hey everyone. The Northern Lights are fully dried and are curing, and we just cut down some top colas of BBK today; the rest should finish within the week. We'll post some new pictures soon.
> 
> So to all you growers who use less expensive light bulbs because you don't like to fork over $100 for an HPS bulb, what are some cheaper brands you prefer? We are thinking of acquiring a few more lights and we'd like to know what bulbs some other growers find successful. Thanks :]


http://www.hidhut.com/catalog/full-spectrum-600w-hps-bulb-p-60.html

I love this bulb if you are using a magnetic ballast. Great bulb, very cheap, absolutely love it. Best enhanced spectrum you can buy for the price, better lumen output than the Hortilux costing 3x as much. Flickers if used with digital ballasts though. The 600w is $35 and the 1000w is $40.

http://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/digilux-600w-enhanced-blue-spectrum-hps-grow-bulb-p-2986.html

If you have a digital ballast, the Digilux (made by C.A.P., who make all-around great grow products) Enhanced Blue Spectrum HPS is the way to go. Best spectral chart, decreased lumen depreciation over the life of the bulb, warms up in 3 seconds...overall the best Digital bulb you can buy. And the price in the link below is $20 less than I paid, and I still think I got a great deal. Just the best bulb available.

I wanted the most blue spectrum I could get in a sodium bulb and that one is the winner. The light appears much more "white" than the standard HPS "yellow." HIGHLY recommend both of these products from experience!


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## shell (Jun 24, 2011)

Jerry Garcia said:


> http://www.hidhut.com/catalog/full-spectrum-600w-hps-bulb-p-60.html
> 
> I love this bulb if you are using a magnetic ballast. Great bulb, very cheap, absolutely love it. Best enhanced spectrum you can buy for the price, better lumen output than the Hortilux costing 3x as much. Flickers if used with digital ballasts though. The 600w is $35 and the 1000w is $40.
> 
> ...


Thanks Jerry! We are using digital ballasts so I will check out the second link... :]


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## shell (Jun 27, 2011)

Hey everyone. Here's the end to this grow. The first two pictures are Blackberry Kush, the second two are Northern Lights, and the last is them both. Due to a lack of a nice camera we can't get a nice macro shot this time, but the tric count is off the wall and the smell of them both is truly incredible, and organic! The Blackberry Kush smells like a pack of permanent markers, or even nail polish remover, but with a strong berry base. The Northern Lights smells like straight fresh-baked pot sugar cookies. We have several jars like this full... we yielded just under a pound this time. Next time we will be expanding likely by three times. Thanks for reading. :]


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## marcu5 (Jun 27, 2011)

nice grow, how'd you pull off bunching the plants so close together w/o causing a mold problem


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## shell (Jun 28, 2011)

marcu5 said:


> nice grow, how'd you pull off bunching the plants so close together w/o causing a mold problem


Thank you. Actually, we noticed a spot of pm early in the process. With this setup and size, we regularly took the plants out and gave them an overall check and diagnosis. We also used routine prevention treatments with neem oil and daily nutrient foliar feeding until flowering. After finding that spot it wasn't difficult to basically eliminate the problem. We brought down our humidity to below 50% because pm generally ceases to spread at lower humidity levels, and we only had six plants to work with so examination and treatment was performed pretty easily. Also, it seems as if the Blackberry Kush has a really great natural defense against a lot of things, especially because the leaf to bud ratio is small.


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## Illumination (Jun 29, 2011)

shell said:


> Thank you. Actually, we noticed a spot of pm early in the process. With this setup and size, we regularly took the plants out and gave them an overall check and diagnosis. We also used routine prevention treatments with neem oil and daily nutrient foliar feeding until flowering. After finding that spot it wasn't difficult to basically eliminate the problem. We brought down our humidity to below 50% because pm generally ceases to spread at lower humidity levels, and we only had six plants to work with so examination and treatment was performed pretty easily. Also, it seems as if the Blackberry Kush has a really great natural defense against a lot of things, especially because the leaf to bud ratio is small.


Hello my friends ...stopping in to say high and that I asm back...1 part milk to 10 parts water spray the infected pm plants and pm is gone...for real

Namaste'


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## shell (Jun 30, 2011)

Illumination said:


> Hello my friends ...stopping in to say high and that I asm back...1 part milk to 10 parts water spray the infected pm plants and pm is gone...for real
> 
> Namaste'


I have heard that before, but I think you're a more incredible source so that's good to know! I also heard that sometimes people complain about a smell? And that if you use skim milk there's no smell?


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## Illumination (Jun 30, 2011)

yes...forgot to tell you that...the smell is from the fats going rancid but fat free or skim no fats to go bad....but really it works great...and btw the harvest ...congratulations...you girls got da greenthumb for sure

Namste'


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## shell (Jun 30, 2011)

Illumination said:


> yes...forgot to tell you that...the smell is from the fats going rancid but fat free or skim no fats to go bad....but really it works great...and btw the harvest ...congratulations...you girls got da greenthumb for sure
> 
> Namste'


Thanks so much man. That's really good to know. Luckily we won't be running into any more problems with it since we're expanding our grow next time and will have more space and ducting to help with temps/humidity. Thanks for reading everyone :]


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## Illumination (Jun 30, 2011)

shell said:


> Thanks so much man. That's really good to know. Luckily we won't be running into any more problems with it since we're expanding our grow next time and will have more space and ducting to help with temps/humidity. Thanks for reading everyone :]


And please inform ous of the new grow as it is a pleasure to witness your work and the product from it

Namaste'


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## glennid10t (Jul 3, 2011)

Just activated my account, and thought I would share my first try with northern berry. Im blooming both babies in a few days. These are pics from 6/11. 
Having t[/ATTACH]rouble uploading from my phone. Bbs.


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## shell (Jul 3, 2011)

glennid10t said:


> Just activated my account, and thought I would share my first try with northern berry. Im blooming both babies in a few days. These are pics from 6/11.
> Having t[/ATTACH]rouble uploading from my phone. Bbs.


 That's really cool, we've never heard of Northern Berry! Keep us posted on this. It will be exciting to see what this looks like. :]


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## shell (Jul 3, 2011)

Illumination said:


> And please inform ous of the new grow as it is a pleasure to witness your work and the product from it
> 
> Namaste'


Thanks man. :] We'll keep you posted. We should have it set up by the end of the month!


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## glennid10t (Jul 3, 2011)

shell said:


> That's really cool, we've never heard of Northern Berry! Keep us posted on this. It will be exciting to see what this looks like. :]


Well, northern berry is easier to type than northern lights crossed with blackberry kush, but that's what is on the left side. The right side is afghooie .....afghan crossed with...geez, it slips my mind right now...lol
anyway...I have pics of my last few experiences, but finding this site cumbersome when using my phone to post them. 
Any advice to make it easier?


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## passthatsh!t23 (Jul 15, 2011)

Plants look very healthy, question about your method,
I seen in the past post on the buds alone you cut the tips off the leaves.? Is that a way to increase your flower production on the buds? I was curious because for the longest time Ive been reading here to not cut the leaves, due to the fact that your energy is derived whne you cut the fan leafs off. Just interested in your Opinion. 
Subbed- 
-PTS23


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## shell (Jul 15, 2011)

passthatsh!t23 said:


> Plants look very healthy, question about your method,
> I seen in the past post on the buds alone you cut the tips off the leaves.? Is that a way to increase your flower production on the buds? I was curious because for the longest time Ive been reading here to not cut the leaves, due to the fact that your energy is derived whne you cut the fan leafs off. Just interested in your Opinion.
> Subbed-
> Thank you :] Well we used to think that as well before a pretty seasoned grower suggested that we trim the leaves around the colas during growth to allow more light to penetrate further into the canopy. Then, we learned that you need to leave at least 50% of your foliage, or you *will *see stunted growth. Also, if you chop off whole leaves at a time you might notice slower growth, so we learned to cut off half the leaf, then wait a week and cut the leaf as close down as you want it. This way you create less shock. Some people also say that if you cut half the leaf, the nutrients will reach that cut and shoot back down the opposite direction, back toward your flowers. So, in a nutshell, we do prune our leaves a bit, but we only cut half the leaf at a time so we don't stunt any growth.


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## glennid10t (Jul 15, 2011)

passthatsh!t23 said:


> Plants look very healthy, question about your method,
> I seen in the past post on the buds alone you cut the tips off the leaves.? Is that a way to increase your flower production on the buds? I was curious because for the longest time Ive been reading here to not cut the leaves, due to the fact that your energy is derived whne you cut the fan leafs off. Just interested in your Opinion.
> Subbed-
> -PTS23


 @passthat... thanks these babes are now one week into flower stage and very healthy!
I do not cut off leaf tips on the bud unless there is a problem like burnt, damaged...etc. I have found, with my system, to increase bud production it is important to identify which branches are the most viable. I wish I could explain quickly how to make that determination, but I believe if you treat the lower branches like they are the main stalk...they act like the main stalk and produce great kolas. I tie down lower branches to promote upward growth...its a cool thing..lol I did a "final" trim yesterday and removed lower "sucker type" growth. The only trimming I will do from now on will be maintenance...removing the occasional yellow or damaged leaf. No bud leaf trim tho...besides I end up with "mucho sugar" on those leafs.  one of these pics show the type of bud I grow...and that's a normal beer bottle size. The other pic was taken less than 15 minutes ago.


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## Illumination (Jul 15, 2011)

IMHHO cutting leaves hinders not helps....foliage feeds production...my $0.02

Namaste'


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## passthatsh!t23 (Jul 16, 2011)

Illumination said:


> IMHHO cutting leaves hinders not helps....foliage feeds production...my $0.02
> 
> Namaste'


I knew it. i was told by TLD to keep all your leaves no matter what technique you think works. Fan Leaves= food
i just ran into a wall of mag. deficiency more and more of my fan leafes are yellowing and browning. i just gave my plants some epsom salt.
hopefully i can save the rest of the fan leaves. im just over the halfway into flowering.


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## glennid10t (Jul 16, 2011)

Illumination said:


> IMHHO cutting leaves hinders not helps....foliage feeds production...my $0.02
> 
> Namaste'


Im a little confused...of course foliage feeds production. Do you do ANY trimming of your plants?


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## Illumination (Jul 16, 2011)

glennid10t said:


> Im a little confused...of course foliage feeds production. Do you do ANY trimming of your plants?


I have found that the plant is much better at losing what it doesn't need than I am at choosing it....I top for 4 mains and that is it...other than pulling occasional yellowed beyond functional leaves 

Namaste'


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## glennid10t (Jul 17, 2011)

Illumination said:


> I have found that the plant is much better at losing what it doesn't need than I am at choosing it....I top for 4 mains and that is it...other than pulling occasional yellowed beyond functional leaves
> 
> Namaste'


I like your thinking! I would rather not ever trim again, but...every plant that "buds" benefits from pruning away less viable branches, in order increase production in the "chosen ones". It also allows more light and air penetration. That's the philosophy I currently use...im curious now. 
Do you grow sativa or indica dominant strains? Or do you think it matters?


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## Illumination (Jul 17, 2011)

Wouldn't know as I do not ever do anything but top...have grown both...I prefer sats for growing and use..average 2-5 oz per plant ...have found no proof that removing foliage does anything beneficial

Namaste'


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## pazuzu420 (Jul 17, 2011)

glennid10t said:


> I like your thinking! I would rather not ever trim again, but...every plant that "buds" benefits from pruning away less viable branches, in order increase production in the "chosen ones". It also allows more light and air penetration. That's the philosophy I currently use...im curious now.
> Do you grow sativa or indica dominant strains? Or do you think it matters?
> View attachment 1693804


I was looking at the cola's in your pic and was wondering if you had to bend them down out of the light as the one on the right seems to have quite a large bend in it or did it just grow that way from the sheer weight of the cola?


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## glennid10t (Jul 17, 2011)

pazuzu420 said:


> I was looking at the cola's in your pic and was wondering if you had to bend them down out of the light as the one on the right seems to have quite a large bend in it or did it just grow that way from the sheer weight of the cola?


Hi Paz-. That pic is basically 1 plant...lemon kush...1 week before harvest. Because of the way I tie down and trim, i seem to get higher yields and bigger denser buds than my friend who is using the same clones, in dirt with no trimming strategy. The weight and density of these colas can be a problem...I have to fashion a sort of "net" to support the tops, which makes the last couple bucket changes a bitch...but i have proven to myself...it is worth it. 
The "bend" is natural...i will upload a pic to show how my giant buds love the light...lol


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## damiano (Jul 18, 2011)

glennid10t said:


> Hi Paz-. That pic is basically 1 plant...lemon kush...1 week before harvest. Because of the way I tie down and trim, i seem to get higher yields and bigger denser buds than my friend who is using the same clones, in dirt with no trimming strategy. The weight and density of these colas can be a problem...I have to fashion a sort of "net" to support the tops, which makes the last couple bucket changes a bitch...but i have proven to myself...it is worth it.
> The "bend" is natural...i will upload a pic to show how my giant buds love the light...lol
> 
> View attachment 1694417


here's a picture of my northern berries:


hahahaha! fucking retard.


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## Illumination (Jul 18, 2011)

glennid10t said:


> I like your thinking! I would rather not ever trim again, but...every plant that "buds" benefits from pruning away less viable branches, in order increase production in the "chosen ones". It also allows more light and air penetration. That's the philosophy I currently use...im curious now.
> Do you grow sativa or indica dominant strains? Or do you think it matters?
> View attachment 1693804


No other plants are "pruned" as you suggest...as fay as I am aware...could you please refer me to any other than cannabis growers which do this?


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## glennid10t (Jul 19, 2011)

Illumination said:


> No other plants are "pruned" as you suggest...as fay as I am aware...could you please refer me to any other than cannabis growers which do this?


Hi illumination. I've have tried "sea of green " method...which is basically growing a bunch of small clones concentrating on the main top to become the one main cola. The benefit of this method is that you greatly reduce veg time which allows for quicker harvests. It does work, and many people I know use that method. I don't...simply because I wanted to get away from using soil. 

I've tried "topping"...which is basically removing/sacrificing a top growth to do 2 things. 1. Forcing the "top hormones" to go out to side branch. 2. Slow down upper growth, allowing side branches to catch up. The benefits of this method is that you can change the shape of the plant to receive maximum light and, especially with fast growing strains it helps to "control" height. 

I've tried the natural selection method too...well, I still did some trimming at beginning of bud phase. The benefit is that it allows the plant to do what its genetics tell it to do....and of course...less work for the grower. I don't do this anymore since im inside with only a couple plants.

FOR ME...I get my results from bending over the main stalk within the first couple weeks of veg. I find that if your main stalk is lower than your side branches, it forces those special hormones that create "tops" to be forced back into the plant to seek out the highest growth. After another week from bending...the plant has recovered and I gently "tie down" side branches, concentrating on bringing upper branches down to the height of lower branches. This creates a wider canopy and as the plant grows these branches reach upward towards the light. I will limit each branch to produce only 1 or 2 inner branches. These inner branches grow up through the middle but don't usually become a top. I stay vigilant and remove small new growth because i dont want just weed...i want big buds. About 3 weeks into bud...there is a need to support the plant due to the heavy tops over weighting the support branch. I will then create a "net" to help the tops stand upright. 

Then I just wait for the trichomes to get milky white...some amber...then harvest...then cure.

I have no intention of changing anyones mind or philosophy when it comes to growing. I dont know your goals and i dont know your level of knowledge. I signed up to find other growers with pictures and wisdom to see how I can apply it to my situation. In turn...I give my experience when applicable. 
As far as your desire to to see "other growers (NOT pot) who prune plants to increase production"...well, its simply too numerous, fruit, nuts, roses, tomatoes..etc all benefit. 
Your statement that you don't know because you haven't tried...says to me... you will need to try it to prove it for yourself. I would suggest not over thinking it...but at least think about it.
good luck!
This pic is 5 minutes before harvest!


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## Illumination (Jul 20, 2011)

glennid10t said:


> Hi illumination. I've have tried "sea of green " method...which is basically growing a bunch of small clones concentrating on the main top to become the one main cola. The benefit of this method is that you greatly reduce veg time which allows for quicker harvests. It does work, and many people I know use that method. I don't...simply because I wanted to get away from using soil.
> 
> I've tried "topping"...which is basically removing/sacrificing a top growth to do 2 things. 1. Forcing the "top hormones" to go out to side branch. 2. Slow down upper growth, allowing side branches to catch up. The benefits of this method is that you can change the shape of the plant to receive maximum light and, especially with fast growing strains it helps to "control" height.
> 
> ...


Have done topping, lst, supercropping, along with combinations of the three...I have found that supercropping doesn't produce the bud structure I desire, lst is too much trouble for what if any gain, but topping for 4 mains, a long veg and larger plants is the most productive and by far the simplest and have found it to yield better than au natural. Sog is of no interest as I prefer older plants and grow from seed as I prefer the variety and the "gems". I appreciate the info you shared but am already quite well versed on the hobby and all its variations. After I complete my all fem crossbreeding project my next methodology experiment will be monster cropping or revegging flowering clones as it looks as though it increases production as well as potency. My main goal is always potency and that tends to limit yield tyo a dgree so want to see if it is the best of both worlds.


Namaste'


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## damiano (Jul 21, 2011)

first, i cut every single leaf off of my plants. then, i tape them all back on with duct tape. finally, during the last 3 weeks of harvest, i flush with pure epsom salt water. you should try it!


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## damiano (Jul 21, 2011)

glennid10t said:


> Hi illumination. I've have tried "sea of green " method...which is basically growing a bunch of small clones concentrating on the main top to become the one main cola. The benefit of this method is that you greatly reduce veg time which allows for quicker harvests. It does work, and many people I know use that method. I don't...simply because I wanted to get away from using soil.
> 
> I've tried "topping"...which is basically removing/sacrificing a top growth to do 2 things. 1. Forcing the "top hormones" to go out to side branch. 2. Slow down upper growth, allowing side branches to catch up. The benefits of this method is that you can change the shape of the plant to receive maximum light and, especially with fast growing strains it helps to "control" height.
> 
> ...


it says that picture if from june 2. don't be playinn hahahaaa


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## damiano (Jul 21, 2011)

glennid10t said:


> Well, northern berry is easier to type than northern lights crossed with blackberry kush, but that's what is on the left side. The right side is afghooie .....afghan crossed with...geez, it slips my mind right now...lol
> anyway...I have pics of my last few experiences, but finding this site cumbersome when using my phone to post them.
> Any advice to make it easier?


you sound like a fucking babling retard. get the fuck off this thread.


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## glennid10t (Jul 22, 2011)

damiano said:


> you sound like a fucking babling retard. get the fuck off this thread.


Damiano...I was showing an example of my last crop...right before harvest. Im currently 2 weeks into bud with different plants.
if you really dispute anything I've said...name calling is sorta childish...don't cha think?

I apologize if I've offended anyone else. I didn't try to. Sorry.


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## glennid10t (Jul 22, 2011)

For everyone else!
took this pic...just now...lol 
enjoy


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## shell (Aug 10, 2011)

glennid10t said:


> For everyone else!
> took this pic...just now...lol
> enjoy
> View attachment 1701474


Dude. Start your own thread. People are messaging me asking whos fucking grow this actually is!


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## shell (Aug 10, 2011)

glennid10t said:


> Damiano...I was showing an example of my last crop...right before harvest. Im currently 2 weeks into bud with different plants.
> if you really dispute anything I've said...name calling is sorta childish...don't cha think?
> 
> I apologize if I've offended anyone else. I didn't try to. Sorry.


Shut up glennid10t. Go to someone elses thread.


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## Illumination (Aug 10, 2011)

hello shell my friend...how r u? Whats pooping next?


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## shell (Aug 11, 2011)

Ahahaha you can report posts and I did it to YOU Mr Glenn! I think I broke the rules of "you can only report posts IF...." but fuck it. Anyhow we're about to dump this thread anyway (not really, cause we don't know how to actually close a thread), but maybe start a new one following our next grow since we're changing everything around. We are using a new organic soil mix; it's taken like a month of driving around to and calling all these god damn farm supply stores, nurseries and hydro stores to find what we need... and I think we are going to try using MH bulbs to flower this time instead of HPS, because MH gets so much brighter! We'll let you know what's up when we switch the lights on... won't be too much longer!


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## Illumination (Aug 11, 2011)

shell said:


> Ahahaha you can report posts and I did it to YOU Mr Glenn! I think I broke the rules of "you can only report posts IF...." but fuck it. Anyhow we're about to dump this thread anyway (not really, cause we don't know how to actually close a thread), but maybe start a new one following our next grow since we're changing everything around. We are using a new organic soil mix; it's taken like a month of driving around to and calling all these god damn farm supply stores, nurseries and hydro stores to find what we need... and I think we are going to try using MH bulbs to flower this time instead of HPS, because MH gets so much brighter! We'll let you know what's up when we switch the lights on... won't be too much longer!


cool...thank you...mh is cool...cmh rules...one love


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## shell (Aug 14, 2011)

Illumination said:


> cool...thank you...mh is cool...cmh rules...one love


Haha cool. What have you been doin lately illumination?


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## Illumination (Aug 15, 2011)

enjoying the fruits of my claustrum SAGE grow and tripping the life fantastic...and you my friends?

Namaste'


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## shell (Aug 16, 2011)

very cool. we've been preparing for our indoor soil grow. check out the new thread

https://www.rollitup.org/organics/456258-first-organic-indoor-soil-grow.html


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## shell (Sep 8, 2011)

Alright... we will probably be getting our plants in tomorrow, we finally got everything set up and ready to go. And a new illadelph as well. :]


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## Illumination (Sep 8, 2011)

that thing would make me cough up a lung!! lol!!


Sounding good.......

Namaste'


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