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Black Banana And MAC 1 SOG

Black Banana and MAC 1 along with a few other strains: Animal Cookies, Death Bubba and GMO. Sea Of Green with 19 plants in flood and drain. Hope the root aphids are gone!

So the Black Banana, MAC 1 and Animal Cookies are getting tall and look like they have recovered from root aphids. Root drenches cause almost as much damage as root aphids but plants grow out of it. While root aphids will continue sucking the life out of them if left untreated.

To find out how to get rid of aphids go here: http://420dotcom.com/how-to-get-rid-of-root-aphids.html

Some smaller clones were added as well. A few Black Banana and Death Bubba as well as a GMO were also added. I did not have room for them in my veg closet so decided I may as well fill the tray up.

There are 19 plants in 6 inch net pots filled with grow stones. Some clones were rooted in coco, some in root riots or rockwool. Underneath them is a polyester capillary mat. They are being flooded for 3 minutes every 4 hours during lights on. Currently running Jack’s 3 2 1 at 1000 ppm and pH of 6.0

Lighting is COB LEDs at 450 watts from the wall and at 3500k. I am hoping to update lighting with a HLG 550 R Spec in the near future.

Black Banana And MAC 1 SOG Day 0

Black Banana And MAC 1 SOG Day 7

Root aphids are gone  hopefully and plants are looking good. They are starting to pray and are stretching. Looks like flowers are a day or two away.

The MAC 1 looks really good to me. It is a slow vegger so I gave it extra time for it to size up and it looks like time well spent.

MAC 1 DAY 11 STRAIN INFO

Sheltering in place because of COVID 19 has got me going a bit stir crazy so I decided to fill my time shooting a video for you. Here is some MAC 1 on day 11 and she looks really good to me.

I grew her in my last grow but the clones were really small and although she made beautiful buds the yield was really low. So this time she had about a month of veg time and she looks much better.

MAC 1 DAY 11 Bud Shots

Yes they are small but it is only day 11. She was the first to show flowers in this grow starting around day 8. I like when plants start to flower quickly. To me it is a good sign.

BLACK BANANA & MAC 1 SOG DAY 21

BLACK BANANA, MAC 1, GMO PICS DAY 21

 

SEA OF GREEN MAC 1 BLACK BANANA DAY 28

Black Banana and MAC 1 along with Animal Cookies, Death Bubba and GMO. Sea Of Green with 19 plants in flood and drain. Today is day 28 and everything looks good.

I have been running the Jack’s 3 2 1 formula with good results but I just ran out. Plants seem to do very well on it although I have noticed slightly less or later trichome development with it. I think it makes a good low cost base but might benefit from the use of some additives.

SEA OF GREEN MAC 1 BLACK BANANA DAY 35

I was unhappy with the Veg + Bloom because it looked like the plants were showing magnesium deficiency. Even though it is supposed to have enough it did not seem the plants were taking it up so I switched nutrients to AN Connoisseur because it has worked well for me in the past. I will also supplement with some CaliMagic.

Overall plants are doing well and I have a big lighting update coming with the HLG 650R they are using Samsung boards with added red and calling it Diablo. They may have had an availability problem with the Osram reds they were using so these boards use Samsung 660 reds which I am sure will be just as good, maybe even better.

BLACK BANANA AND MAC 1 BUD SHOTS DAY 35

Animal Cookies Day 40

I have not expected much from this girl based on a previous run of her. This was going to be a final grow before I decided to chuck the mom. This was a big surprise and of course I am keeping the mom. I grew her as a large bush and I was disappointed in the yield, her branchy growth and overall appearance. She seems to do much better as a single leader plant. She did not show much purple before either. Glad I gave her another chance!

MAC 1 Day 44

Looking awesome. Rock hard buds from top to bottom. Seeing some purple tinges showing up too. Smell is awesome. Not the fastest vegger. Even slower than Bubba Kush which I thought was impossible. Quality is outstanding. I hope she yields enough to make the extra effort worth it.

The Fade Is On Day 55

Flushing and the fade is showing. Leaves going purple and yellow and this grow looks like it could be harvested right now. I think my Animal Cookies is a Tropicanna. Not sure how it got mislabeled. My sense of smell is off right now so I cant tell if she smells orange but she looks and grows like my Tropicanna Cookies.

Many of my plants are being grown in SOG for the first time and when grown with a single stem they can look different from a large multi topped plant like the ones I used to grow. Once this plant is harvested I will know for sure. Either way it is a beauty.

Some  Day 55 Still Shots

DEATH BUBBA SOG

Time to start a new Death Bubba SOG with 24 plants under HLG quantum boards. My last sea of green grow was a test grow with several strains to see how they would do in a SOG.

I Made A Mistake!

Turns out my pots were mislabeled and what I thought was Death Bubba was actually Tropicanna Cookies. I thought it looked different but the pots said Death Bubba and I did not even think I had any Tropicanna cuts going at the time. So following are some Death Bubba bud shots that were really Tropicanna from my other closet that finished a week later. Still awesome plants even if mislabeled!

This is Tropicanna Cookies:

This is Death Bubba at 60 Days:

They all did very well but the Death Bubba was the star of the show so I am going to run her again. It is much easier to grow only one strain in a sea of green. That’s because the canopy tends to be more even and uniform. Also everything has the same maturity date

Death Bubba SOG Bud Shots – Really!

My plants are in 6 inch net pots filled with growstones. I am running a flood and drain system made from inexpensive mixing totes. My closet is 2 x 8 feet so it takes some creativity to get it done because standard flood tables wont fit. Each tote is 2 x 3 feet which works out well leaving a foot on either end for fans or heaters or other grow gear.

I will be running CO2 in this closet. It is not sealed but it is pretty tight and I get about 2 weeks from a 30# tank. I only run my exhaust fans at night and except for the summer months I can run it year round. If you want to know how to run CO2 in a grow tent or closet I explain how to run CO2 in an unsealed room here: https://420grower.org/adding-co2-in-a-vented-grow-room/

DEATH BUBBA SOG VEG

One of the great advantages of sea of green growing is the lack of veg time. Some growers start the flowering cycle as soon as clones are rooted. But I will give these a 1 week veg because I want to give them a bit more time to grow roots.

Death Bubba SOG Day 1 Of Flower

Going to flower this Death Bubba following treatment for root aphids. One side looks pretty good and is getting tall but the other side is smaller and was hit harder by the aphids and probably the root drenching too. I believe they are gone but will give one more preventative treatment with pyrethrum in case there are any survivors.

NEW DEATH BUBBA SOG DAY 7 OF FLOWER

As the world continues to battle coronavirus I have been fighting a battle with root aphids. Hopefully I have won. Because this is a SOG some plants were getting large and needed to be flowered. However some plants remain small likely because they sustained more damage from the root aphids. Root drenches are the only real way to fight these buggers and unfortunately they can be almost as hard on the plants as the bugs themselves.

DEATH BUBBA SOG DAY 14 FLOWERING NOW

Today is day 14 and the plants are flowering. Flowers started to show a few days before and it is always a nice sight to see. These plants were treated for root aphids with several root drenches which is hard on them.

Happily they are recovered and new growth is looking good. One side has bigger plants than the other but that was caused by smaller clones affected more heavily by the drenches. They are eating and drinking well so hopefully all root aphids are gone.

ALL DEATH BUBBA SOG DAY 20

These plants are looking pretty good all things considered. It looks like the root aphids are gone. They are eating and drinking well. Buds are stacking nicely and expanding.

Please ignore the video caption that says it is day 14. It is day 20.

Stretch should be over soon and I have gone through the plants and removed lower branches and some fan leaves too. Death Bubba likes to make a lot of lower branches. Many of them are small and wont get much light. So I remove them so the plant can send its energy to the top buds.

Death Bubba Day 20

DAY 23 NICE STACKING

Liking what I am seeing. Stacking is very nice and also tight. Buds are about an inch apart on the main leaders. Even the smaller plants are showing the same great cola development.

Death Bubba Stacking Day 23 Pics

Day 28 Nice Buds Running Jack’s 3-2-1

Things are moving along nicely. I have been running Jack’s 3 2 1 and plants are doing well on it. Also running CO2 but at a lower level of 800 ppms.

 ALL DEATH BUBBA SOG DAY 35

Moving right along here. We are at about the half way point on this grow. The Death Bubba is stacking really well with many buds about an inch apart. Since they will be swelling up I soon expect to see solid colas looking like bud sticks.

SOME DAY 35 PICTURES

Day 40 Stacking Nice

Day 52 Sum Ting Wong

Something is wrong with these girls. Trichome development is off. Normally Death Bubba is very sticky and full of trichomes especially at this point. I think the root drenches may have delayed development.

I will run her longer than the normal 63 days and am adding some UVB light to the spectrum. Hopefully this will give her a chance to increase and ripen her trichomes.

Death Bubba Day 52 Pics

DEATH BUBBA DAY 63 KILLING ROOT APHIDS

Today is day 63 and normally I would be harvesting my Death Bubba. Because of multiple root drenches these girls will need to go longer. So although I believe they were eliminated the drenches definitely affected growth. It would have been better to give them more time before flowering.

The drenches affected trichome and resin production and the buds did not size up like they normally would. After some online research I discovered others experiencing similar problems. Some blamed the Orthene or other products.

So this is a less than stellar grow and it will need longer to finish. The UV bulbs seemed to help with trichome and resin production and also speed along maturity.

Killing Root Aphids In My Veg/Clone Tent

So in the 2nd part of this video I go over what I have done to eliminate these little bastards. A clean clone and veg tent is vital to having successful grows. It all starts there. If those plants are healthy and clean there wont be any root aphids brought into flower and assuming the flower closets are clean there wont be any at all.

So the closet was sterilized with ozone and sprayed down with acephate. My mother plants were removed along with everything else in there. The moms will be destroyed even though they have been treated and look healthy.

Everything else was treated with a drench of Botanigard and Orthene and Spectracide. That should get them all because these plants were small and easy to thoroughly drench. I have fresh clones from all the moms I got rid of. They are clean and have never been exposed to root aphids. Once the clones I have are all moved into flower I will sterilize my tent again and put them in. So I will have only clean moms from here on out.

A FEW BUD SHOTS ON DAY 63

Sea Of Green Grow Journal SOG Method Explained

This is my first Sea Of Green grow journal and I will also be explaining the SOG method and how to set up a SOG grow for yourself.

What Is A Sea Of Green?

The sea of green method uses many small plants instead of a few larger ones. Plants are given a minimal amount of veg time in a SOG system. The idea is to have a level canopy made up of single colas and minimal side branching. Because they have a short veg time or none at all, they can be planted very close together often at 4 or more per square foot.

SOG Vs SCROG

People often confuse the two. A SCROG or screen of green is just that. A screen is used to pull branches down and control height. SOG grows generally dont use a trellis because plant size is controlled by density and veg time.

SCROGS have larger plants and plants are trained into the net whereas SOG grows use minimal to no training at all. Plant count is also much higher in a sea of green grow.

If you are growing in a 2 gallon pot or doing LST or other training to control plant size you dont have a true SOG. You just have a grow with smaller plants. I see a lot of videos where people mistakenly call their grow a SOG. There is nothing wrong with a hybrid system but this about growing in a sea of green so we need to make some distinctions between systems.

Sea Of Green Hydroponics

Hydroponics will give the best results for a SOG. Because of the large amount of plants hand watering will be difficult. As the plants get bigger they will need multiple waterings every day. You will want a system you can automate. You can use aeroponics or a top feed drip system but flood and drain is the easiest to set up and maintain.

I would not recommend growing in soil. You may be able to use coco in a SOG but I think hydroton will give the best results and it is reusable too.

Sea Of Green From Seed?

Typically a SOG is grown from clones. The provide better uniformity and stay smaller than seedlings with a tap root. They are also ready to flower much faster than seeds.

Can you grow from seeds? Sure but you may not be happy with the results. If you have a strain that grows without much variation between phenotypes it might work out. But usually some plants will be taller and some shorter and some may branch more heavily than others.

The whole idea of growing in a SOG is to get an even canopy made up of single colas. This will give you premium buds that get good light and eliminate lower pop corn buds. Growing from seed really defeats the whole purpose of a SOG grow.

Best Strains For Sea Of Green?

I am not going to recommend any specific strains. What you want is a strain that makes a dominant main cola. Heavy branching strains are best avoided. Usually this plant is an indica or hybrid strain although some sativa strains will also work. Early maturity is a plus and it should not be hard to clone. I would really recommend growing a strain you are already familiar with.

SOG Grow Week 7

Plants are now at 7 days and growing well. They are stretching and growing some side branches. I think in a week the canopy will be pretty full.

I started running CO2 about day 4 and the plants really seemed to start showing increased growth almost immediately. Right now I am only flooding once a day and the plants are on a flood mat. It stays moist and I really want the roots to grow down into it. So I am holding back on flooding more often.

Nutrients have been raised from 800 to 1000 ppm and the plants look a bit hungry. I just changed the reservoir and will give the plants a few days at 1000 ppm before I decide to bump things up again. It looks like the 2nd tray with taller strains is a heavier feeder than the tray with the MAC 1 and Death Bubba.

MAC 1 At 7 Days

Flowers! Sea Of Green Grow Journal Day 13

Things are going well. Flowers are here and actually some varieties were showing on day 9. I will be putting up a trellis net because plants are getting tall especially in the 2nd tote.

Plants are being fed at 1300 ppm and a pH of 6.0. So far I am not seeing any signs of too much N like I had in coco so I am loving the growstones. These plants are being fed supplemental CO2 at 1200 ppm.

SOG Day 17 Leaf Strip

Plants are growing well and there are a lot of small lower branches that need to be removed.  Time to open up the canopy to air flow and let more light down to lower buds.

Sea Of Green Day 21 Leaf Strip Results

Plants have fully recovered 4 days after leaf stripping. Light penetration and air flow were greatly improved and now the plants can focus on growing buds instead of leaves.

Day 28 Whoops!

So I had a bit of a whoops this week. I had my nutes spike along with a pH drop and I can see some burnt leaf margins from it. Most plants look OK except for the SFV which always has been nute sensitive. The MAC 1 looks totally unphased by it and everything else should be fine.

I am not sure what caused it but it was time for a nute change so things may not have been stable. For one thing I missed a day topping up the reservoir which I am sure was a factor. Also I raised my co2 from 1200 to 1300 ppms which may have made the plants drink more. So what’s done is done and hopefully everything will be OK.

The plants are in growstones so there is nothing to buffer the nutes. This is a good reminder to always check on your plants a couple of times a day especially in this type of hydro system.

Day 35 Bye Bye SFV

So day 35 is here. Its been about a week since I had a nute spike. The MAC 1 was untouched by it which surprised me because they are the smallest plants in the grow. Most of the other plants had some leaf burn but otherwise seem fine.

The SFV is toast though. It is a very sensitive plant and does not like high nute levels. Always would show signs of N toxicity even at low levels and this blast just fried her. She is brown and dry so she will not recover.

If you grow long enough sooner or later something will mess up. I dont care how good a grower you are, expect the unexpected! I dont like losing a plant but at least it was only one and I caught it early enough to correct things and avoid a total disaster.

GML DEATH BUBBA DAY 40

Here is a preview of some Death Bubba on day 40. Incredible stacking and very frosty. She was started and flipped to 12/12 from a 4 inch clone and now she’s almost 4 feet tall.

Now she is doing amazing and grows completely different in a SOG. This girl used to grow bushy and leafy with a regular veg and now she almost looks like a totally different plant.

SOG Day 42 and Black Banana Bud Shots

Everything is looking good. I wanted to give you a closer look at my Black Banana so there are some still shots of her in the video. At this point I think the Death Bubba and Black banana will be the top performers in this sea of green.

THE COLOR PURPLE DAY 47

Nice purple tinges showing up on my Death Bubba. It took a while to get her growing right but now she has made herself at home. I think my LED lighting helps bring this color out.

THE HOUSE IS A ROCKIN’ DAY 49

Things are looking great. Flushing now and seeing results much faster with growstones. Many leaves are turning after only 3 days!

The MAC 1 is bulking up and looking extremely frosty. The Death Bubba is crushing it too. Lots of trichomes everywhere!

MAC 1 BUD SHOTS DAY 49

GML Death Bubba Day 53

So it is day 53 and about 10 days to go on the Death Bubba. She is not really a purple strain but nevertheless she is showing a lot of purpling. I have grown her several times before but never really had this.

This is probably my best grow of her so far and I am pretty excited. She does better for me with no veg and in a SOG. When I grow her like that I avoid the leafy bushy structure I get with a long veg. Instead I get a single cola plant with great stacking and the same beautiful frosty buds.

LOOKIN GOOD DAY 56 THE END IS NEAR

Flushing continues. Most top leaves turned and many were removed so now the bottom needs to fade too. Originally planning on a day 63 harvest but I may take these girls to day 70 and hopefully get some extra weight out of them.

Sea Of Green Day 63

It is almost harvest time. Plants are flushing with 40 ppms tap water. I want to give them a few more days. Most look ready now but the MAC 1 and Black Banana look like they need a few more days. The GML Death Bubba is the star of this grow IMO and I have included some bud shots of her for you below the video.

GML DEATH BUBBA BUD SHOTS DAY 63

HARVEST VIDEO AND DRY BUD SHOTS DAY 66 FINAL

DRY BUD SHOTS DAY 66 FINAL