New Grower First Grow in 22 years, Nature's Living Soil

[xena499]

Having limited space, and 5 new seedlings sprouting, we decided to chop bruce1 a little early (day 61 week 9) on the previous weekend.
It was an extremely poor decision! Use this an an example of exactly what NOT TO DO!
This plant was our first LST attempt, so we will improve on that each round. I accidentally snapped the main branch in week 4, and mended it with duct tape (You can see the duct tape cast in this image! It was a great repair, and the Bruce healed without skipping a beat.)
Checking trichomes on top buds showed 15% amber, and 70% cloudy. However, we knew the bottom was still developing, but decided to make the painful sacrifice for the greater good. The plant would have fattened up nicely with another 1-2 weeks... At the same time we are a little too anxious to fire up the rosin press for the first time We have limited time left in our Arizona indoor/outdoor growing window. We need to have the next round completed by June 1st with our plans to move this round outdoors in Tucson.
We are using the debris bag method of drying, and it has been a bit of a pain to keep the entire room at 70F , and RH at 50. We are a little sad with the results of the chop, but are excited about the others in the pipes that are looking better in the next 1-3 weeks.
Also, with this plant we needed to just be more patient. harvest the buds on the top, to allow the rest of the bottom buds to finish....No more early chops!

 

[xena499]

Week 9 & 10.
Star1 is fattening up great! (moved to the middle tent position)
Gum1 which had the yellowing problem from most likely Nutrient Lockout, seemed to be holding and moving forward with watering only (moved to the back left position)
Comparing her to her sisters, she seems to be producing less trichomes. Hopefully she is just a little behind, but unfortunately, I think that will be her fate. Damage was already done, and she is fattening up...we just need to have our expectations realistic. fingers crossed.

It has become difficult to maintain flowering environment (70-80F <50 RH), seedling environment (70-80F 70-90 RH), and drying environment (70F, 50 RH) all in the same room at the same time!

Week 1:
2 CBD 20:1
1 Girl Scout Cookies
1 Orange Sorbet
1 Mandarin Creme XL
The plan is to transplant these baby girls into 5 gallon pots before day 14, and then move them outside!
Seedlings planted in Light Warrior 16 oz peat pots.
5 gallon pots ready, with Nature's Living Soil and being watered (2 weeks before transplant).
We will try the Super Soil technique in 2 pots (1 lb NLS mixed with FFOF in bottom 1/3, and rest filled with FFOF, and left a 16oz cup for the transplanting)
and for the remaining 3 of these, repeat the Living Soil Technique. (mixing 1 LB of NLS with FFOF, and leave 16oz cup for the transplanting later).

Can anybody please offer advice for outdoors in Tucson from now till end of May? If its a bad idea, we'll just keep em indoors.

Just received the Blumat auto watering system, so excited about adding this to help automate some of the process....
Experts please fire away. The shooting range is open!

yummy

 

[St. Tom]

Week 9 & 10.
Star1 is fattening up great! (moved to the middle tent position)
Gum1 which had the yellowing problem from most likely Nutrient Lockout, seemed to be holding and moving forward with watering only (moved to the back left position)
Comparing her to her sisters, she seems to be producing less trichomes. Hopefully she is just a little behind, but unfortunately, I think that will be her fate. Damage was already done, and she is fattening up...we just need to have our expectations realistic. fingers crossed.

It has become difficult to maintain flowering environment (70-80F <50 RH), seedling environment (70-80F 70-90 RH), and drying environment (70F, 50 RH) all in the same room at the same time!

View attachment 1296164

View attachment 1296166

yummy
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well done juggling some many plants but i tend to have 50 rh most of the year-round and i always have young plants taking the place of my flowering harvests i just start the young seedlings same as you with hats on mine are normally just water bottle bottoms for the 1st day or so

 

[Big Sul]

If you do grow outside,PLEASE tag me on your Grow. I'll be interested in how they do with the low RH.

Great job!

 

[xena499]

@St. Tom I appreciate that! I was planning on leaving the hats on a little longer due to the flowering lights, and low RH 48-50
But, will remove them now ! thanks for your tip!

 

[xena499]

@Big Sul You got it! Thanks for your support too !

 

[Proph]

Week 9 & 10.
Star1 is fattening up great! (moved to the middle tent position)
Gum1 which had the yellowing problem from most likely Nutrient Lockout, seemed to be holding and moving forward with watering only (moved to the back left position)
Comparing her to her sisters, she seems to be producing less trichomes. Hopefully she is just a little behind, but unfortunately, I think that will be her fate. Damage was already done, and she is fattening up...we just need to have our expectations realistic. fingers crossed.

It has become difficult to maintain flowering environment (70-80F <50 RH), seedling environment (70-80F 70-90 RH), and drying environment (70F, 50 RH) all in the same room at the same time!

Week 1:
2 CBD 20:1
1 Girl Scout Cookies
1 Orange Sorbet
1 Mandarin Creme XL
The plan is to transplant these baby girls into 5 gallon pots before day 14, and then move them outside!
Seedlings planted in Light Warrior 16 oz peat pots.
5 gallon pots ready, with Nature's Living Soil and being watered (2 weeks before transplant).
We will try the Super Soil technique in 2 pots (1 lb NLS mixed with FFOF in bottom 1/3, and rest filled with FFOF, and left a 16oz cup for the transplanting)
and for the remaining 3 of these, repeat the Living Soil Technique. (mixing 1 LB of NLS with FFOF, and leave 16oz cup for the transplanting later).

Can anybody please offer advice for outdoors in Tucson from now till end of May? If its a bad idea, we'll just keep em indoors.

Just received the Blumat auto watering system, so excited about adding this to help automate some of the process....
Experts please fire away. The shooting range is open!


View attachment 1296164

View attachment 1296166

yummy
View attachment 1296167

If I begged you not to mix 1 pound of NLS with OF, would it work?? Because I'm begging, lol... Please dont. That's how these NLS grows end up in the infirmary.. If you really want to use it, use it as a light top dress after week 4 ish.. You can't undo that mix..

Take a walk with me, lol.. Which way do roots grow? Down, until they can't anymore correct? So how does putting a layer of nls Or super soil or dry amendments at the bottom of the pot make sense for a seedling You're going to transplant a two week old plant into a super hot nutrient environment. The roots will grow straight down into the plain NLS or super soil layer first.. And when issues arise you have no way to fix it.. Less is more..its a simple auto plant that lives for like 3 months total.. You don't need much at all.. Also keep in mind where the layering concept came from... It came from photo period grows.. People would veg a photo plant for 2-3 months in a 3-5 gallon pot.. Then transplant into a 7-15 gal pot right before flipping to 12/12.. These mature plants can handle the hot layer way better than a seedling.. Layering isn't something growers used when growing a plant from seed.. It's almost guaranteed to go south at some point. . Just trying to save you a headache or two.. If I were you, I'd use the OF with water only for the first few weeks, then top dress with a teaspoon or two of nls and watch how the plant responds. I'm already feeling scared for the 14 day old plants that you're planning to throw into the deep end and just yell SWIM to, lol. But all jokes aside, less really is more, and please don't layer soils for autos and seedlings without expecting mishaps.

 

[xena499]

@Proph . That's a great emphasis on my earlier problem! I had both the soils already in advance. I intended to replace the FFOF with HF to reduce the heat. So, Yeah could of easily replaced the OF part. I looked into Buildasoil, and need to call them, as the price was like > 2x more than NLS + the addition premium soils, with delivery. I must be missing something...?

NLS (Autoflower variant) costs $6.3 + $9 for FFOF (1/2 a 1.4cu ft) = $15.3 per 5 gal pot delivered - (you must mix obviously).
**i live near a hydro wholesaler, so I can easily get the potting soil $17/1.4 cuft2
Buildasoil 3.0 costs:
for [5] 5 gallons pots. $166 delivered = $33/pot or a little more than double the price.? So I planned to contact them next round.


I added the Super Soil technique (in 2 pots) to give the seedlings better protection for days 15-22 or so when they get can dip their roots into the bottom 1/3 for the nut concentrate layer. Your earlier points helped me understand how overhot we were (and again, still are!)

Walking with you on the roots, I really dont qualify on the topic to know really anything. Yes, I know they grow down in search of water and nutrients.
My presumption would feel roots can move around in search of whatever they need. In the case of the Living Soil technique. You got me!
Roots have nowhere hide, in the event its too hot, your done.
In the case of the Super Soil technique, I guess the roots can dip in, and if too hot - dip out. Get what the need. Since they go straight down, then this must be painful to witness

I have learned tons from your points on this, from before, and agree with your points now. Just as you said, this is a rollercoaster you cannot control once the ride begins hence, start light, or med-hot, as you can always add, and cannot subtract. Again, this is like watching the Titanic, before leaving port (in terms of the disaster ahead only).

In regards to not using layered soils:
Wouldn't buildsoil be similar to NLS + say HF or Roots Organics mixed, in terms of basic concept?
I know the NLS is not transparent, and give bad generic advice in their instructions.

Your earlier tips were crystal clear, and today like stone. Sometimes I'm just moving so fast, no time to slow down and think.
And....a little cheap, and lazy you can throw in the hat as well

 

[Proph]

@Proph . That's a great emphasis on my earlier problem! I had both the soils already in advance. I intended to replace the FFOF with HF to reduce the heat. So, Yeah could of easily replaced the OF part. I looked into Buildasoil, and need to call them, as the price was like > 2x more than NLS + the addition premium soils, with delivery. I must be missing something...?

NLS (Autoflower variant) costs $6.3 + $9 for FFOF (1/2 a 1.4cu ft) = $15.3 per 5 gal pot delivered - (you must mix obviously).
**i live near a hydro wholesaler, so I can easily get the potting soil $17/1.4 cuft2
Buildasoil 3.0 costs:
for [5] 5 gallons pots. $166 delivered = $33/pot or a little more than double the price.? So I planned to contact them next round.


I added the Super Soil technique (in 2 pots) to give the seedlings better protection for days 15-22 or so when they get can dip their roots into the bottom 1/3 for the nut concentrate layer. Your earlier points helped me understand how overhot we were (and again, still are!)

Walking with you on the roots, I really dont qualify on the topic to know really anything. Yes, I know they grow down in search of water and nutrients.
My presumption would feel roots can move around in search of whatever they need. In the case of the Living Soil technique. You got me!
Roots have nowhere hide, in the event its too hot, your done.
In the case of the Super Soil technique, I guess the roots can dip in, and if too hot - dip out. Get what the need. Since they go straight down, then this must be painful to witness

I have learned tons from your points on this, from before, and agree with your points now. Just as you said, this is a rollercoaster you cannot control once the ride begins hence, start light, or med-hot, as you can always add, and cannot subtract. Again, this is like watching the Titanic, before leaving port (in terms of the disaster ahead only).

In regards to not using layered soils:
Wouldn't buildsoil be similar to NLS + say HF or Roots Organics mixed, in terms of basic concept?
I know the NLS is not transparent, and give bad generic advice in their instructions.

Your earlier tips were crystal clear, and today like stone. Sometimes I'm just moving so fast, no time to slow down and think.
And....a little cheap, and lazy you can throw in the hat as well

Don't get me wrong.. I don't endorse any one product or service.. To each their own for sure. I endorse the basic principles of gardening. So let's start at your 1st topic.. Build a soil costs more yes. But they are 100% transparent and all of their soils are lab tested so you know the levels of every nutrient in it. It's a soil. NLS is not a soil.. It's a soil amendment. Big difference. You will eventually learn the ins and outs of whatever medium you choose to use. Get what you can afford.. But learn everything you can about that medium.

On to roots.. The tap root is pulled by gravity.. Downward.. Until reaches the bottom of whatever it's growing in. At that point. The roots either prune, or swirl around each other around the pot. They don't grow down, check out the scene, and if the environment is too hot, turn around and grow upwards instead. When you harvest a plant and break down the soil, the bulk of the roots at the bottom. The main root zone is usually a little lower than the middle of the pot. Rarely will an auto grow enough roots to a point that the feeder roots are based in the middle of the pot. If you're using fabric pots, the feeder roots will probably never make it the middle layer due to the constant pruning. If you transplant a solo cup into a 5 gal pot, the roots from the solo cup will now grow straight down until they hit the bottom of the pot. So straight to the NLS layer. Plant issues take a couple of weeks to show up on leaves, so if you see rust spots or fading in leaves, then the issue has been present for weeks and is now showing symptoms. A lot like the human body works. OF and HF both tell you whats in the product. The issue with the NLS amendment mix is that they don't say what's in it.. What the npk is and only say to mix 1 lb of it regardless of how hot or inherent the starting soil is. NLS is the unknown variable.. I know I can get 4+ weeks of water only with OF and be fine.. I know I can get 2-3 weeks of HF with water only. I have no idea what adding a pound of NLS does to either one. I can't know, because they dont tell me what's in it, or how much of whatever it is, lol. That's the issue with NLS right now. I think we have 3 active threads in the infirmary right now.. Same issues.. I feel bad because there is literally no fixing it once it's mixed in.. That's why I advised to use it as a top dress instead of going all out and mixing in things that your plant does not need.. If your grow in a solo cup for the first 14 days, then transplant into a 5gal pot of just HF, you have 2-3 more weeks before you should need the slightest bit of anything. That alone will get you to week 5 or 6 without ANYTHING.. More than half way through the grow. So Im not sure why 1lb of any amendment would be needed or recommended. But this is all just stuff for you to consider when planing grows or choosing mediums or grow styles. I've been where you are, lol. I spent thousands on nutrient lines.. Mega crop, AN, fox farms, gen hydro, you name it, I bought it and used it... Every name brand soil and coco.. tent gadgets, calmag and ph pens... From hps.. To blurple.. To LED.. To cobs, lol. When all I had to do/needed to do, was learn what the plant needed and when. I wand to save ANYONE from going down that same path of unnecessary spending. Once you start to focus more in the plant and than products, things will make more sense. It happens for everyone at different points of their growing journey.

To your last question.. I can't say what NLS is compared to, because I don't know what's in it, in what amounts... That's the main issue. The only issue really.. But based on results alone, I'd say no, they aren't the same as build a soil on a basic concept level.. Build a soil is perfectly blended, tested and proven.. Each ingredient listed, and applied in the proper amount. All I know is that every NLS thread in the infirmary started with mixing 1lb of NLS with a soil... Then 2 weeks into flower, boom goes the dynamite.

You'll find your lane bro! It just takes time and some trial and error. Once you get the basics of gardening and how nutrients work with each other and with the plant, you'll see how important it is to know the ingredients and amounts.

Again, dont take my words wrong.. I don't want you thinking you should try build a soil or any other product.. I just want you to think about/ research about the methods that you want to use such as layering. I'll always be around to try and help if you have questions! It's all about learning!

 

[NickDanger3rdEye]

WOW! I just got educated. Very informative. I think I bought into the NLS because of the “water only seed to harvest” hype. I was looking for an easy grow method, i.e., soil, plant seedling, just add water, harvest and smoke. Not trying to hijack your thread xena499, I’m following you and Big Sul’s grows as both of you are using NLS as well as I am. I have the same issues as you do (+ I’m in Aridzona too). People here with a lot of grow knowledge. I will be using a different soil setup on my next grows without NLS mixture (cookin’ it now). Going to try one outside in a couple weeks and another indoor grow.