Zen master's northern light-n-blue venom grow journal

[ZEN MASTER]

I have to say this is an incredibly extensive, and useful guide. I've been growing for a year now in coco, and have definitely picked up quite a few tips from this masterpiece. I'm really excited because I picked up 6 baby BVs today and will definitely be seeking your advice and this holy grail of information. I can't put into words how helpful this thread is.....keep it going dude you are by far better at explaining and helping than any of the growers I've met, or the several hydro shops that really are just trying to sell you something. I was hoping I could post my feedlist and see what you guys thought of what I've been doing and how I can tweak it.

Also as a soil mix would you recommend pure coco, or something like 60% coco, 30% hydroton, and 10% perlite (what I ran the last two grows) or some other combo. I'm transplanting them tomorrow, and still haven't decided what to do. Thanks again!

hey man welcome, glad you stopped by. i don't have any milk and cookies, but you are free to look around, and if you have any comments, questions, or even advice it's more than welcome.
thanks for the nice words, but if it wasn't for all these other people contributing, it would just be me talking to myself.
as far as the nutes i only use Canna A-B, Floralicious Bloom. but yea, put your list up. it's always good to exchange new ideas, whether we use it or not, you never know in the future you, or someone you know might benefit from it.

6 BV's, ooo wee man. i say take those and make 6 clones of of them, keep one as a mother, and every month and a half or two replace your mom with a clone that has been grown out. it is a real nice plant. in my opinion it is better for a screen application because it stretches like a mother, and you might find yourself tying up a lot of the branches. my next journal will be on a perpetual, three telescoping screen grow, harvesting every three weeks. and i'm using th BV along with the NL. monday i'll have some harvest pics up to give you an idea of how the BV looks when it's done. i think i might start my next journal either this weekend or by tuesday, i'm not sure, but we'll see.

as far as the mix in the coco, i don't mixe anything with the coco, nothing. just straight coco, with the Canna the coco is pretty much neutral, and that's what the Canna A-B nutes bond to. so imo anything else that isn't in there, doesn't belong in there, in my experience all it does is throw the Ph off. but that is just my personal choice. just like some people re-use their coco, me i throw mine out and use new coco.but hey like i said enjoy man, and thank you very much.


PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

 

[DST]

Zen, what! No milk and cookies! Gutted. Well I thought I'd bring along a cookie, milk you'll need to get yourself.

Space cookie - yum yum

Looking forward to see your new thread lad. 3 weeks series, it's gonna be busy in the Zen Masters garden. Sweet.

 

[Don Gin and Ton]

alreet ZM!? going perpetual with a screen??? does that make life hard come harvest time? it could be me being still a bit hazey from last night but what do you mean by telescopic screen grow?

questions questions questions today lol

3 week harvest cycle is a lot easier than 2 or 4 allows for strains running over 9wks !

someone mention space cookies???

happy growin Zen

 

[Katatawnic]

Don, I think I recall Zen saying something about building screens with telescoping legs, so it'd be easier to adjust height with differing plants.

 

[Don Gin and Ton]

pretty neat idea.

 

[ZEN MASTER]

alreet ZM!? going perpetual with a screen??? does that make life hard come harvest time? it could be me being still a bit hazey from last night but what do you mean by telescopic screen grow?

questions questions questions today lol

3 week harvest cycle is a lot easier than 2 or 4 allows for strains running over 9wks !

someone mention space cookies???

happy growin Zen

yea i did it that way because i do want to find a true sativa, well a hybrid that's real close, but a sativa never the less. and i know that it s gonna go at least 9weeks, and some indicas can go anywhere from 6 and a half to 8 weeks. so that gives me some wiggle room to grow some up and down strains under one screen.

as far as the screen i can't give any more details.....i've already said too much. forget what you've heard, forget everything you know!!!!!LOL.

Don, I think I recall Zen saying something about building screens with telescoping legs, so it'd be easier to adjust height with differing plants.

"quite the opposite kat, with the TELESCOPING LEGS tm., as the plant stretches upward, it's easier to just raise the screen just a bit to give needed support to the branches that may be leaning a bit. BUT WAIT!!! there's more, ever had the problem with some or one of plants just not keeping up with the others? well with the TELESCOPING LEGS tm.,you can just raise the screen clear over the top of your canopy, move whatever plants around, and lower the screen and effectively adjust, and/or reposition any of your colas". "hey Tom, why don't we get some of the audience members up here to try this thing". "sure thing Bob, ladies and gentlemen we'll be right back after these messages".
*(user results may vary)*

DAMMIT........
now forget everything you know!!!


PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

 

[DST]

Zen, you're as mad as a box of frogs, I love it!!!

Whatever James Bonding you be up to, I've already forgoten writing this thread, eh, I'm looking forward to seeing it. DST

 

[Don Gin and Ton]

some sort of jedi mind trick this is not the grow i was looking for ............

 

[caliwpdude]

Sorry I haven't been able to get back to posting but I've had some midterms and been stuck studying instead of taking care of my babies. I just transplanted them into the 60:30:10 coco mix and they definitely showed some shock. One leaf on each plant turned pretty yellow, but they're bouncing back nicely. (I hope to get up some pics soon so you guys can see what I see.) I've only given them straight RO but will feed them tomorrow. I just worked some more on my feed sched and have it pretty much down at least for the beginning. Some nutrients/additives may be regional: Vermi-T is a compost tea full of beneficial bacteria and microbes. The Pre-Bloom, Sea Weed, Sea Fuel, and Sea Minerals are all made by Agriculutural Organics which I didn't want to write over and over again. I cut almost everything in half as to not shock them more, but here goes my veg feed schedule:
Veg:
Week 1 : Sweateaf 4mL/G
Vermi-T 75mL/G
Hygrozyme 5mL/G
Great White Scoop/2G
Roots Exceurator 1.1mL/G
Rhizotonic 8mL/G
Pre-Bloom 5mL/G
Seaweed 2.5mL/G
Sea Minerals 0.5mL/G
Sea Fuel 2.5mL/G
Magical 5mL/G
Liquid Karma 10mL/G
SilicaBlast 2.5mL/G
Canna Coco A+B ???

Week 2 : Sweetleaf 4mL/G
Vermi-T 75mL/G
Hygrozyme 5mL/G
Great White Scoop/2G
Roots Excelurator 1.1 mL/G
Rhizotonic 8mL/G
Pre-Bloom 5mL/G
Seaweed 5mL/G
Sea Minerals 0.5mL/G
Sea Fuel 5mL/G
Magical 7.5mL/G
Liquid Karma 10mL/G
SilicaBlast 2.5mL/G
Canna Coco A+B ???

Week 3 : Sweetleaf 8mL/G
Vermi-T 75ml/G
Hygrozyme 5mL/G
Great White Scoop/2G
Roots Excelurator 1.1 mL/G
Rhizotonic 8mL/G
Pre-Bloom 5mL/G
Seaweed 5mL/G
Sea Minerals 0.5mL/G
Sea Fuel 5mL/G
Magical 7.5mL/G
Liquid Karma 10mL/G
SilicaBlast 2.5mL/G
Canna Coco A+B ???

Besides that I'll describe the rest of my set-up. I have the 4x4x6'7" DR box that has 3 passive intake vents, a 600 W MH Hortilux that is air-cooled by a CanFan. The 6 clones are in 3 gallon pots, with the 60% Coco, 30% perlite, 10% Vermiblend ratio for soil. They used to be under a 400W, so I turned the ballast down to 75% (400W) for 12 hours and run it at 100% (600W) for 6 gours. My temps have been pretty good today, averaging around 77 with 50-55% humidity. I haven't done my makeshift CO2 generator yet, which I attach through tubing to the back of a fan so it disperses in my box.

 

[caliwpdude]

I also have 3 other fans that simulate the wind to help strengthen the cell walls, in order to have strong support. The light is about 18"-20" above the tops of the BVs, which are a little under a half foot tall. I forgot to mention that I had planned on doing some LST and then using a trellis (about a foot and a half to 2 feet above the top of the pots) to guide the stalks through, but may do a double screen this time (each screen about a foot apart). I have to be careful about height as I can't let the plants get too close to the light. I know Zen Master said to run a screen application, which is what I've always done, but are you saying more of a SoG or what I already mentioned? Other than my box with my BVs, I have a 400W mother chamber (really just some open space with a 400 W hanging directly above the plant) that I'm mothering a ChemValley under. I want to eventually take clones from both the CV and the BV, but need to build a proper prop (and mother) chamber first. I have way more to talk about, but I don't want to get babbling so let me know what you guys think. Thanks again!

 

[ZEN MASTER]

I also have 3 other fans that simulate the wind to help strengthen the cell walls, in order to have strong support. The light is about 18"-20" above the tops of the BVs, which are a little under a half foot tall. I forgot to mention that I had planned on doing some LST and then using a trellis (about a foot and a half to 2 feet above the top of the pots) to guide the stalks through, but may do a double screen this time (each screen about a foot apart). I have to be careful about height as I can't let the plants get too close to the light. I know Zen Master said to run a screen application, which is what I've always done, but are you saying more of a SoG or what I already mentioned? Other than my box with my BVs, I have a 400W mother chamber (really just some open space with a 400 W hanging directly above the plant) that I'm mothering a ChemValley under. I want to eventually take clones from both the CV and the BV, but need to build a proper prop (and mother) chamber first. I have way more to talk about, but I don't want to get babbling so let me know what you guys think. Thanks again!

naw man i didn't recommend, actually i think i said that i was following in Butters, and the most honorable Madazz's footsteps and doing a screen. this is actually my first time doing one . but i will say that if a person is growing some BV i would definitely recommend a screen, cause that is one stretching mother. if you don't i promise you'll spend a whole lot of time tying up branches.


PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

 

[ZEN MASTER]

Sorry I haven't been able to get back to posting but I've had some midterms and been stuck studying instead of taking care of my babies. I just transplanted them into the 60:30:10 coco mix and they definitely showed some shock. One leaf on each plant turned pretty yellow, but they're bouncing back nicely. (I hope to get up some pics soon so you guys can see what I see.) I've only given them straight RO but will feed them tomorrow. I just worked some more on my feed sched and have it pretty much down at least for the beginning. Some nutrients/additives may be regional: Vermi-T is a compost tea full of beneficial bacteria and microbes. The Pre-Bloom, Sea Weed, Sea Fuel, and Sea Minerals are all made by Agriculutural Organics which I didn't want to write over and over again. I cut almost everything in half as to not shock them more, but here goes my veg feed schedule:
Veg:
Week 1 : Sweateaf 4mL/G
Vermi-T 75mL/G
Hygrozyme 5mL/G
Great White Scoop/2G
Roots Exceurator 1.1mL/G
Rhizotonic 8mL/G
Pre-Bloom 5mL/G
Seaweed 2.5mL/G
Sea Minerals 0.5mL/G
Sea Fuel 2.5mL/G
Magical 5mL/G
Liquid Karma 10mL/G
SilicaBlast 2.5mL/G
Canna Coco A+B ???

Week 2 : Sweetleaf 4mL/G
Vermi-T 75mL/G
Hygrozyme 5mL/G
Great White Scoop/2G
Roots Excelurator 1.1 mL/G
Rhizotonic 8mL/G
Pre-Bloom 5mL/G
Seaweed 5mL/G
Sea Minerals 0.5mL/G
Sea Fuel 5mL/G
Magical 7.5mL/G
Liquid Karma 10mL/G
SilicaBlast 2.5mL/G
Canna Coco A+B ???

Week 3 : Sweetleaf 8mL/G
Vermi-T 75ml/G
Hygrozyme 5mL/G
Great White Scoop/2G
Roots Excelurator 1.1 mL/G
Rhizotonic 8mL/G
Pre-Bloom 5mL/G
Seaweed 5mL/G
Sea Minerals 0.5mL/G
Sea Fuel 5mL/G
Magical 7.5mL/G
Liquid Karma 10mL/G
SilicaBlast 2.5mL/G
Canna Coco A+B ???

Wow that is a lot of stuff you're putting in there. is that your standard? i'm not trying to be funny, but why. i guess i ask because one , that seems like a lot of work, and two , a lot of money.dude this is just a typical feeding for me: 10 liters of tap water, 30ml of A, and 30ml of B, and 15ml of Floralicious Bloom. and it's all measured with a 60ml syringe. and that keeps everything nice, neat, clean, fast and easy. but that's just me. and as far as price i imagine if you averaged $15 per bottle on nutes you are pretty much over $200. me 50 to55 bucks for the A-B and the Floralicious Bloom. but like i always say"if it works for YOU, then rock on brother. also all i use is straight coco, and i figure that between your medium mix, and all the nutes , plus the A-B nutes, i feel it's going to be like dante's inferno in your flower pot. unless that is your standard and it works. but really imo all you need is the A-B, and which ever one of those is a bloom booster, and maybe the rhizo. now i know the proof is in the pudding, so her is a shot of my two NL pheno colas. no they are not huge, mammouth
colas, but 25-30 of 'em like that will leave me thoroughly satisfied, and that is what i'm anticipating with my screen. but hey in the end it's all your choice. be easy man!


PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

 

[(Butters)]

Congrats on reaching the 20 page mark Zen. Pretty damn good for your 1st journal (assuming it's your 1st journal).

You know what...so I'm home sick today and bored outta my mind. So I decide to read through one of Al B's threads again (important to reread his threads a buncha times) and who do I see posting on like page 2.....that's right....you my friend. You're everywhere dude!

And that was like in the middle of 2008. I didn't even realize you been on here that long.

And okay okay...we'll stop asking about the screen. But....ummmm........can we see the telescoping screen. ...

You've got us all hyped man!

-Butters

 

[ZEN MASTER]

Congrats on reaching the 20 page mark Zen. Pretty damn good for your 1st journal (assuming it's your 1st journal).

You know what...so I'm home sick today and bored outta my mind. So I decide to read through one of Al B's threads again (important to reread his threads a buncha times) and who do I see posting on like page 2.....that's right....you my friend. You're everywhere dude!

And that was like in the middle of 2008. I didn't even realize you been on here that long.

And okay okay...we'll stop asking about the screen. But....ummmm........can we see the telescoping screen. ...

You've got us all hyped man!

-Butters

BUTTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hey man!
yes it is my first journal. you know what Butters i really hadn't even realized that it was that many pages, but i've said it before and i'll say it again, if it wasn't for all you guys i'd just be the crazy guy with the solo thread with five post."hey Zen." "what up Zen!" "man why don't you come check out my grow." "i already saw it man." "oh." so i owe a whole lot to all of yall. and a special thanks to you butters. cause you were......cause you were......Jesus, i said i wasn't gonna cry,....dammit! but you were my first guest!!!!!!!
and as far as Al B, man that dude was THE guru in my eyes, always eager and willing to lend a helping hand. i learned a whole lot from that guy, and i hated when he ended his thread,and closed up shop. believe me, he is really, really missed by a multitude of other people, not just me, and that is because he was just an awesome individual. i'm glad i had a chance to chat with in his threads.

about the screen i was going to pm you with a pic, because you are such a special guy,........BUT EVERYBODY HAS TO WAIT. trust me it won't be long. i think you all will like it.
i know i kinda went on but dammit Butters its great to hear from ya man. i hope you get better man. Remenber:starve a cold, feed the flu., but a bowl of buds will take care of everything!
P.S. i cut down the rest of my BV's today. lucky day, lucky day.



PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

 

[caliwpdude]

I've been running different feed schedules every grow i've done, but have had really different results (ranging from powdery mildew/spider mites to some of the dankest bubba I've ever smoked.) I just use this wide range of nutes and additives for diff reasons. Each product really does have an effect, but I'd love to cut some stuff out. I'm out of Rhizotonic and was hoping to change a couple things. The Sea Weed/Sea Minerals/Sea Fuel will eventually be cut down to Alg-A-Mic when I run out of em. You mentioned more than one nute, but the only one is Canna A+B. The pre-bloom is the boost stimulator in fact its desciption from AO's website says it "stimulates massive branching and triggers a stage of development called pre flowering improving response at flower initiation" which I'll vouch for. (In flower, I'll probably use Greenfuse in flower.) Coco needs to be supplemented with Ca, Mg, and some Si which are in Magical and SilicaBlast. I use the compost tea to give it some bacteria and microbes. The roots excel and great white blow out my roots, and I feed that with the Sweatleaf. Hygrozyme is just something I've always gotten good results from. I have all of these nutrients and I want to compile a solid feed sched. I'm getting a camera tomorrow and will post some pics soon. Hope you're guys babies are doing well.

 

[SnowWhite]

hey zen buddy.....just trying to catch up with your grow and it looks like I missed most of the action already! LOL.....what you got going on next mate? more of the same. But from what I've seen so far, lookin' very nice mate!

 

[ZEN MASTER]

hey zen buddy.....just trying to catch up with your grow and it looks like I missed most of the action already! LOL.....what you got going on next mate? more of the same. But from what I've seen so far, lookin' very nice mate!

hey man thanks for stopping by. yea you kinda got in on the last leg of this chapter. but you're ealry for the next one.
stay tuned my friend.


PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

 

[ZEN MASTER]

well everybody it seems that we are turning the last corner on this journey.all of the plants are cut and dried or drying at the moment. so here are a few harvest shots. i'll be back monday with my report on each type individually(smoke, yield, effect, etc.) i only took a few because really how many different looks can you get from one bud. agreed? agreed. hope you like, enjoy!

P.S. stay tuned for my FYI on:The importance of quality lighting in your grow op.
PIC
#1 NL indica top
#2 NL sativa top
#3 both NL pheno tops
#4 NL sativa top
#5 Blue Venom top
#6 NL indica
#7 NL sativa
#8-#9 one of my BV girls before and after her little striptease.

PEACE!!!
-ZEN-

 

[DST]

Hey Zen, Just popped over to say, enjoy the weekend, and I am greeted with your surprise pics. Nugs are looking solid ma man!!! Also reminds me, have you ever heard of something called Equatorial Sativa. they were selling it here claiming it to be the purset sativa, blah blah...

So, anyway, what was I here for, oh yes, Have a good weekend chief, oh, I said that already, hehehe! DST

 

[ZEN MASTER]

FYI:
Premium Bulbs vs. Economical Bulbs
when i first started growing i remember wanting to get everything right on the first go round.little did i know that it would take almost a year and a half to get just one system down and dailed in. needless to say, what i thought it would be like and what it ended up being like was like black and white, night and day. so i can definitely say that it has been a learning experience. with that i would like tp give a big shout out to all the people on their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grows. way to stick in there, cause expectations, and morale can severly be damaged by a bad harvest, lower than expected yield, etc. just wanted to say that.

but through everything i've learned being in the growroom, i've learned that out of all the things you can skimp on, don't be cheap with your nutes, and especially with your lights. i've been through alot of the threads in here an i see some guys that seem to be experienced growers telling people that a mh is a mh, and that a hps is a hps. they are all the same, just different brands. an eye hortilux bulb is the same as a home depot sylvania bulb. well in the beginning i bought into it. got my halide and sodium bulbs from home depot and lowe's, and i was off to the races, or so i thought. had some nice harvest, or so i thought. then one day at the hydro shop we were talking about lights, and the hydro guy went into this almost frenzied rant, somewhat scolding me about my choice of lights. well he was so passionate, and had been right on in other cases, that i decided to buy one 400wt hps. well i was pleasantly surprised when i went from 16oz water bottler sized or smaller sized colas, to 1 liter bottle, hard, compact, resin coated colas that real growers post. so i came to the conclusion that the guys that were praising those cheaper bulbs were doing so because that's all they, and I had been used to. that's why i'm here to day to hopefully not only just give word of mouth, but to actually show new and old growers alike the differences between good and cheap lights.

Now for this reoprt i'm using my favorite, and best in class of quality bulbs a 400wt hortilux super hps and the other bulb is a sylvania 400wt hps, again the best in it's class of economical bulbs.
the next three post will be of each example individually, i didn't want to group them all together for effect reasons, and before i start i really didn't take alot of pics so you might see one or two of them twice.
also while you are reading this i will be completing my report on the three examples. so if possible could you please wait to post until all three examples are up. THANKS!

PEACE!!!
-ZEN-