Bayrat's 1st Salvia Grow

[Bayrat]

Strain: Blosser
Lighting: 2 x 96w CFL (1 10k, 1 03 atinic blue), 2 x 400w MH, 2 x 175w MH, 1 1000w HPS
Grow Media/Soil Mix: Basic organic w/perilite
Fertilizer: none yet, will use Miracle Grow 15-30-15
Temperature Range: room, hope to acclimatize for outdoor
Humidity: variable
Started From: Clone
Location: NE USA
Start Date: 3.26.08

Other Details/Images:

My first cutting comes tomorrow so I am setting everything up now.  I will update the progress along the way. 

My humidity tent is 3' tall made from two clear Rubbermaid's hinged on one side with zip-ties.





I will start with sunlight from the window (adjustable with the blinds), and experiment with the 192 watts of CFL.  I am thinking of putting the blue light and the 10k light vertically on the back side of the tent  (opposite ends 24/7) and sun on the front to see how the plant reacts to each. 









If and when I can get a decent size plant I'd like to move it/them under my HID lights in my "grow room" and then maybe outside.  Then the serious cloning will begin .  I will try and update often and would appreciate any feedback and help along the way!

[Sea Mac]

"Break a Leg"

[Bayrat]

Sally came in today .  Looks pretty healthy for having come 3000 miles in two days.  It seems to be flowering?  Is that the purple thing?











Very small stem that fell off, doubt it will root but we'll see.

[Arcygenical]

Wow. She is flowering. That's incredible!

She'll continue to do so, until her photoperiod is re-adjusted. But with all that light, I'm sure it won't take long 

[Sea Mac]

Yes: even young plants want to flower. But when Salvia is that small it takes her a long time to produce a raceme (flower stalk) - I'd reckon she's had that flower stalk a couple of months!

Happy Growing!

[Bayrat]

Should I clip the flower?  I'd like all the energy to go to leaf growth, and with a 24hr photo-period that flower won't continue to grow anyway, right?

Sally has been in the chamber for 24hrs now and looking good.  She doesn't like too much light right now so I'll give her some time before slowly cranking up the watts.  I've been misting every 1-2 hours or so.

[Arcygenical]

After a month or so of the 18/6 photoperiod the flower will totally cease to be a flower anymore.

But salvia does need it's rest period. Especially with such powerful lighting.

24/7 is a sentence to chlorosis and eventually death, as I found out once

[Sea Mac]

Don't keep her wet or root rot can set in. 

I wouldn't cut that off ... Sometimes the bracts turn green and branches erupt where the verticillasters would be - and then that becomes a very energetic growing top ...

Otherwise It'll wilt by itself ...

[Bayrat]

Thanks guys!  18/6 it will be, and I'll let the flower do its own thing.  I know not to over water the soil, but is there such a thing as over-misting? 

[Sea Mac]

I honestly don't know ...

I forget to mist mine ...

[Bayrat]

Well it's been 12 days.  I haven't been able to take proper care for sally because I'm redoing the hardwood floors in "her room" and have to keep moving her around, not giving her the attention she wants.   She has only been getting a few hours of window light a day, but now have set her on a 18/6 timer.

Anyway she grew 4" and is sprouting new leaves all over, time to pinch in the next few days!  The leaves have always liked to curl downwards and I'm not sure if that should worry me as she seems fine otherwise.  It no longer needs the tent, so that is where all the cuttings will go for now.  The small half inch stem/leaf that fell off during shipping rooted fine and is growing nicely, it will have friends soon!

[Bayrat]

Pinched the top two branches today.  Hopefully that will bush out the lower branches that are growing much slower than the top.

Front 2 are the clippings in water, back one is the piece that fell off during shipping.  It has rooted and has sprouted a little node with tiny leaves.

[skagardener]

eeeh you probably shouldnt have taken those cuttings, they would do alot better on the plant. and they are so small it will be hard for them to root. not saying they wont. wow a flower. after my latest cuttings get settled in and start growing again i plan on trying to get one to flower. hope i succeed. if im not mistaken when you take the top off your plant it will not grow up anymore so be carefull with that. otherwise she is looking great i love seeing her flower also. it obviously means you have a good plant, and now you know when she gets big it wont be so hard to get her to flower!!

[Bayrat]

eeeh you probably shouldnt have taken those cuttings, they would do alot better on the plant. and they are so small it will be hard for them to root. not saying they wont. wow a flower. after my latest cuttings get settled in and start growing again i plan on trying to get one to flower. hope i succeed. if im not mistaken when you take the top off your plant it will not grow up anymore so be carefull with that. otherwise she is looking great i love seeing her flower also. it obviously means you have a good plant, and now you know when she gets big it wont be so hard to get her to flower!!

Thanks ska, I didn't take the cuttings for propagation, just to bush out the lower branches which is working so far.  The little cuttings are starting to root but are also turning black around the aluminum foil (seemed like a good idea at the time for such a small cutting).

Momma plant is now outdoors and looking good.

The little stem that fell off in shipping is now a miniature plant.  The new leaves are doing great out of the tent, but the original leaf is not adapting as well, I might cut it off.

[Bayrat]

5 weeks into this project and time for an update.  I am re-thinking pinching her 3 weeks ago as it has limited vertical growth and is really crowding the lower leaves.  I have to keep plucking leaves every few days to make room for the new ones (I guess that's a good thing ).  Older leaves start to curl and fight for space but they still grow strong.  This plant is very picky where the light is directed, too much light and that part grows and distorts too fast,   too little and growth slows but looks healthier.  The cuttings are doing good and I'm moving them outside to let them do their thing and be big moma's.