X8 black cherry with mantis

[labmonkey]

Great info oldhippy

 

[oldhippy]

Just to let you know, I also freaked out when I first started using Mantis. Those leaf "colors" had me reaching for "Cal-Mag" but then I remembered the advise from Whitebear .... don't add anything to the mix as it will mess with the buffering abilities of Mantis. He also stated that water movement and circulation was imperative when using Mantis. He actually added an extra water pump to his reservoir to help in that regard. We're learning together guys, that's what is so cool about this forum. We need each other and that's ok. Peace and Love.

 

[oldhippy]

Totally agree I've done the same gone on the light side found the plants like it around 480 ppm
So far I've used
Bloombox
310mls of mantis 2 wks veg 2 wks flower
I'll keep record how much I use through the grow
Now in flower I top up twice a wk with 9ltrs so it looks like 80mls to 90mls a wk ✌
It's all a guide line I think the biggest factor is what type of water you use ro ,spring ,tap water ect like me iam ro and I add ph up 2.5 mls per 9ltrs after I've added mantis
Thxs to whitebear suggestion of add ph up it works a treat
it so easy I miss my Sundays now emptying tank ,cleaning tank,mixing all the nutrients ,filling tank ect
Tell the truth its boring now lol which is a good thing gives me more time too finish my old shovelhead chop
happy growing

I'd like to see a picture of that Shovelhead. Sweet brother. I've been riding for years. Been laid out on the freeway a few times. Nothing better than riding a Harley. Rock and roll man.

 

[SK Grower]

nice and healthy looking. sweet. here are mine at the start of week 7 ....

View attachment 13990

Defoliation is key in flower to ensure bud growth vs unnecessary growth of fan leaves. Direct all plant's energy to the buds. It is also a blessing come harvest time. The way these buds develop and ripen in the next 2 weeks or so will determine if I continue to use Mantis. I'm expecting and pray for some beautiful results. I'm rooting for Mantis. It's been so less stressful not dealing with multiple bottles of nutrients or reservoir changes. Now I literally can harvest each plant separately as they reach their individual full potential without flushing at all. Mind Blown!! Bottom line, if this bud puts me on my ass, I'll be using Mantis going forward.

Old hippy, good job! What strain are you growing to keep them so short and with thick buds like that? What training technique was used and how soon did you flip to flower to achieve that?

 

[oldhippy]

Old hippy, good job! What strain are you growing to keep them so short and with thick buds like that? What training technique was used and how soon did you flip to flower to achieve that?

Hey SK, good to hear from you. You're looking at multiple strains. (The freebies that came with an order from "Seedsman".) I had bought some Northern Lights #5 x Haze seeds for $175.00. They threw in a mix. I know one of them was Green Crack, another peyote and so on. My NL were duds and never developed (All these seeds were from 2017.) When that happened I just said to hell with it and tried to get any of these seeds to grow. I thought they would not survive like the NL seeds. But hell, I wasn't going to just throw them out. These are the ones that made it. Pot Luck brother. I like it though, kinda like a box of chocolates. lol

As far as training goes, defoliation is the key. In my opinion defoliation is the best technique to use in these boxes. It's all about manipulating the plants energy to go to the buds while maximizing the potential your lights possess. It's not so much about the time in veg that matters. It's about root development which is more important than plant height. I'm using Mantis for the first time. I have to tell you my roots are beautiful. This is key. Better roots equals better fruits. I defoliate a little each day keeping the plants focused on bud development until such a time, say the start of week 7 flower, that the plants no longer grow water leaves. These last two weeks I won't have to defoliate at all. Now, I watch them drink and get fat. Now my focus is on trichome development. Not looking at any calendar ... just looking at the trichomes. So, with these boxes there are four stages:

1. root development
2. bud development
3. trichome development
4. harvest/cure

There's no magic brother. Just give them love, keep them groomed and protect them from the elements. You control your grow man. Bonsai brother. Think Bonsai. Peace and Love.

 

[oldhippy]

One other thing .... Be sure your PH pen is properly calibrated, especially if you are using the PH pen that came with your BCNL box. These pens need to be calibrated a few times during your grow. If you don't keep your PH measuring device calibrated you will receive false readings. If you act on those readings your plants will pay a price and you will not have plants that reach their full potential. Verify proper calibration often and adjust accordingly. FYI Peace and Love.

 

[oldhippy]

Girls are getting fat and sassy. Week 8, trichomes are starting to cloud. Mouth is watering. lol. Peace and Love.

 

[labmonkey]

There all dressed up and ready ro dance