~*~ Juicy Dreams v2 ~*~

Hey guys!

Sixtyfive here. Thanks for checking out my new grow. This first entry is a little rushed as I must go to work (high fives for getting a job! lol). First off let me say my first grow was a disaster, it was my first indoor grow. I had bad lighting with wrong spectrum's, my plants suffered from a severe case of Nitrogen toxicity, and had low grade soil. But, I am glad to say that I am a more knowledgeable grower now thanks to these forums and all the advice the community gave. I am taking what I learned and doing another financially efficient grow but with better supplies. If at any time you would like to ask me questions I am always happy to help and I am never too good to take advice. We're here to help each other

So without further ado, lets get started.

Lighting Sources:
3x 42 True Watt CFL = 6105 Lumens total burning @ 6,500 Kelvin.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brinks-42W-Compact-Fluorescent-Light-Bulb/16783359
(upgraded from 3x 23 True Watt CFL = 4000 Lumens total burning @ 5,000 Kelvin).

Soil:
2x Pots with Miracle Grow Organic Choice (mixed with 1/3 Miracle Grow Perlite)
http://www.miraclegro.com/smg/goprod/miracle-gro-organic-choice-potting-soil/prod70318/

2x Pots with Miracle Grow Potting Mix (mixed with 1/3 Miracle Grow Perlite)
http://www.miraclegro.com/smg/goprod/miracle-gro-perlite/prod70256/
(upgraded from Dollar General brand soil mixed with Black Cow)

My first grow did produce a smokeable bud but it wasn't anything special. Certainly not what I was hoping for. The buds where very small (popcorn buds) and the hit was very harsh. Between 3 fully mature fems I was only able to harvest MAYBE .5 - .75 Oz's. This time my goal it to obtain 4 fems and produce 2 -2.5 ounces of good bud. I truly believe progress is key when developing a strain so lets see where this takes us. Come back soon for updates!

Okay, I finally have some free time. So I went ahead and upgraded my lighting recently. I just didn't feel like I could achieve any real progress with my CFL set up. I purchased the Apollo Horticulture HPS/MH 400w System from Ebay @ $107. For the price and customer service, it seemed like a risk I am obviously willing to take.

Its really amazing how much of a difference it makes. I saw immediate results just a day after installing it. However, there are major heat differences so I am learning how to space them now so that nothing damages my plants. I currently have Juicy Dreams v2 #1, #2, and #3 and then some experimental bag seeds that I will now refer to as "Galactic Kush" (LOLOLOLOL). These are going to be mini plants grown in small containers. I am merely doing this as an experiment and it wont really be a big focus of my journal but will probably give an update on them when ever I can.

I am hoping to maybe post some pics tomorrow of my setup. Until then friends, take a puff for me.

Update:
First off I apologize for the size of the following pics. I know they may be large but honest, I am just too lazy to resize them all right now. But anyways, So the Apollo HPS/MH system is still doing incredibly well. However, I have learned something new! The larger plants that I planted in organic soil are beginning to experience problems with their foliage. The leaves are turning yellow and drooping ever so slightly. I have diagnosed the problem as a calcium deficiency. And that's something else. The plants whom reside in the Miracle Grow potting mix are having no troubles and are absolutely sprouting up with the new lighting system. I should have read more into organics but I am attempting to fix my problem today. Join me.

This is what my leaves currently look like.


So I went out today looking for answers. I stumbled around a few markets and ended up at my local co op. If you have a co op around you highly recommend visiting when shopping for supplies. I never thought to check here first and I think that was a mistake. They have the best soils, pots/containers, nutrients, and even support structures. I wasn't in there 15-20 minutes before I found what I was looking for. I decided to purchase the Southern Ag Power Pak featuring 20-20-20 nutrient support with additional micro nutrients. This stuff is super strong supposedly so be sure to follow the directions precisely to avoid any damage to your crop. I also purchased 2 gallons of Mayfield drinking water to dissolve the mixture into.


My specific nutrients require that I add 2 table spoons of mix to 1 gallon of water. This was the result.


Shortly after mixing it all together I applied it to my plants and was careful not to get any on the leaves (as directed from the container of mix, READ YOUR DIRECTIONS). I know that the soil was still moist when I applied my remedy so I do expect some signs of over watering. (more on how I know about my soil moisture level next).

I hope to include some recovery pictures in a week or so but we will just have to see how this pans out. Be sure to read my next post about my new meter.

So when I purchased my lighting system I also ordered a neat little accessory from eBay that tells pH levels (FOR ANYTHING! water, soil, etc..), Light Levels in lumens, and Soil Moisture level. Here is a pic of the device.as you can see the three different setting are at the bottom. The square box in the middle is a light sensor. tThe first measurement from the bottom is your pH level, next is your moisture level, and the top measurement is your lighting in lumens. If you truly want to monitor your HPS/MH lumens reading I recommend getting a more accomidating device. However, I trust my lumens and the Apollo system so I am much more concerned with my moisture levels and my pH. You can get this on eBay for less than $6 with FREE SHIPPING!!!! So get get one right now lol. They are really handy.

So I did my routine check on the plants today and holy ganga am I surprised with the results!!! The mix that I purchased is doing absolutely amazing!



So its looking real good now and I am back on track. I also used the mix to treat the rest of the plants and I also see immediate results with them as well. Stem strength, foliage size, and even foliage color are better. I plan to use this PowerPak mix every other watering until the flowering stage, possibly less depending. But, everything is looking good on the home front.

Also, a little side note. My last grow was with some crappy CFL's and after using the Apollo Horticulture 400w HPS/MH system I can say there is nothing like it. The HPS/MH lights are so much better. I mean light years better. If you are considering splurging for the Apollo system DO IT!!! you will not regret it. I have a good feeling about this grow and its mainly because of my lights.

Until next time, Stay frosty my friends.

So I invested in Superthrive today. Everything sounded so good about it I had to get it and try it. So tomorrow I am taking a mini vacation and I will be watering my babies before I leave with their first dose of Superthrive. I am going to post the before and after pictures to see if I can see immediate results as I did with the fertilizer. The Superthrive will be fed in conjunction with my PowerPak fertilizer. The before pic is coming tomorrow so check it out.

Okay guys, sorry I didn't post the pic before my mini vacation but I did take it. I am again super surprised with the results. I know not many of you probably pay much mind to my journal but for those of you that are sticking around, thanks! Superthrive appears to be 150% legit and I will be using it for the rest of this grow.





The image on the left is the day I left for vacation (8/26/14 @ 1 p.m) and the image on the right was taken when I returned home (8/27/14 @ 6 p.m).

WOW! There are some very satisfying results here. First I immediately notice a size difference both in the pictures and in real life. Granted during vegging plants do grow quickly but I certainly have never had these results in a 2 day period. Also, the drooping plant pictured on the bottom left changed completely. (I think it was starting to get root rot from over watering with no drainage). The same sister plant on the right SPOUTED NEARLY 1.5 INCHES!!!! VERY CLOSE TO 2!!!.

Experience Review:
Superthrive appears to be able to back up that mean smack talk and label boasting. I don't endorse or represent this company but if you have the $6 to spare I don't think you could spend it in a better way. (Unless its for a meter like I mention above). I look forward to feeding my girls this for a long time. If you are doing a larger grow I do recommend a larger bottle if you are starting from germination. Personally I bought the 1 oz just to give it a try.


Now, I am no professional photographer but lets discuss the difference in these pics. The image on the right was obviously taken at a closer distance, I was not trying to make the growth seem larger than they actually are. The image on the left was taken with a HDR setting on my phone and the right image was not. This could POSSIBLY account for color difference. However, when using my green carpet as a reference point I notice very little actual difference. These images are simply accounting for my experience. I do not guarantee you will have these results.

Hey guys, just a quick update. Tomorrow is watering day and I am going to be posting some pics. It was real hard for me to keep up with their age but I would say they are almost 50 days and 30 days for the smaller plants. I also attempted to clone the larger plant so I will post that pic as well.

Okay, so yet another problem has derived from the use of Organic Soil. Clearly, I should have done some more research but I didn't imagine the trouble that would come from organic soil.

I have some visitors to my grow closet now and their name is "Fungus Gnats". The gnats basically consumer your plants rooting system in its early Larvae stage and then continues to pester your plant into adult hood. However, I am purchased several remedies to help me crush those flying bastards. First I purchased come Copper Fungicide. This basically helps kill the larvae that nests at the top of the soil. Its powder based and used very very conservatively. I also have some Organic Choice Raid for plants. You simply mist the spray onto your plant to rid them of a collection of insects. Lastly, I purchased some fly catchers. They are very unsightly but have proven to help. I will post pics soon of the damaged plants and I will also tell you how to spot the first signs of Fungus Gnats. I am going to be pretty busy today in the room and I hope to post some informative pics soon.