Ep 017: Flip to Flower Day: Top Dress and Train

0:00 — 0:45

Greenhouse intro and farm content teaser

Jeremy opens from the greenhouse, teasing upcoming farm content hosted by his wife in response to viewer demand. He transitions into day one of flower for the 10x10, announcing he will walk each quadrant and show exactly what he plans for the flip.

0:45 — 4:00

Quadrant walk-through and top dress plan

Jeremy tours each quadrant explaining why he will top dress the 10 gallon containers and Earth Boxes but skip the large no-till bed in quadrant 2. He introduces Build-A-Flower top dress, Rootwise BioPhos (switching away from Microbe Complete for bloom), and explains he will water in with BioPhos plus coconut water today, then stagger Rootwise Enzymes the next day.

1. 1. Skip top dress on the large no-till bed — enough nutrient volume already
2. 2. Top dress 10 gallon containers with Build-A-Flower — build a half-inch layer
3. 3. Peel back Earth Box cover and pre-load with Build-A-Flower
4. 4. Water everything in with Rootwise BioPhos plus coconut water today
5. 5. Follow up with Rootwise Enzymes water-in the next day

4:00 — 7:30

Problem plant recovery and clone backup strategy

The previously overwatered plant in the Lo Ali recipe is regaining color from inside the leaves outward, so Jeremy held back one more week on flipping. He shows the clone rack under Timber LEDs kept off-axis so cuttings do not yellow-force, and explains why he keeps clones of every genotype as backup moms for the pheno winner. He also shows the veggie quadrant with overgrown kale, lettuce, basil, and tomatoes.

7:30 — 12:00

Earth box check and defoliation philosophy

Jeremy shows the two Earth Boxes — one recycled no-till, one fresh — and explains he let the reservoir drain dry for the first time since Saturday to back off water after seeing irregular growth. He begins planning defoliation of lower branches to let light drive upper canopy growth ahead of the two-week stretch, and shows he has a second SCROG screen layer ready for the taller plants.

12:00 — 14:30

Pinching, low stress training, and canopy management

Jeremy demonstrates pinching the stem to bend branches over and shift auxin hormones to the side branches so they become king of the hill. He explains that the top will catch back up, then he will bend it under the second screen layer. He notes that during a pheno run he prioritizes letting each plant express itself over maximum yield.

1. 1. Pinch the stem on one side, then the other side
2. 2. Bend the branch over gently — be careful not to snap
3. 3. Expect it to stand back up in an hour, come back and pinch again
4. 4. Let side branches become dominant via auxin redistribution
5. 5. Once top catches back up, bend it under the second screen layer

14:30 — 16:00

Take-and-Bake soil test results and light plan

Jeremy reports the Take-and-Bake soil test is an A-plus — very high calcium availability, very low sodium — but he may still add a bit of Craft Blend for phosphorus insurance at flower. He then answers a viewer FAQ about blocking light between quadrants, explaining the whole 10x10 runs off one Niwa timer at 12 hours on / 12 hours off, and the veggies in quadrant 4 will just get less DLI without any issue.

16:00 — 17:30

Genetics expectations for flower length

Jeremy notes the Long Valley genetics lean outdoor and behave unpredictably indoors, and the Bransons and Halitosis could flower anywhere from 60 to 90 days. He reminds viewers that running brand new seeds means embracing the unknown, and recommends first-timers start with proven genetics from friends.

17:30 — 21:00

Top dressing containers with Build-A-Flower

Jeremy executes the top dress on the first 10 gallon — three scoops of Build-A-Flower spread into a half-inch to one-inch layer, then hand-spread flat. He explains the 'checking account' metaphor — fresh compost up top tricks the plant into stretching roots aggressively. He describes no PVC trellis in this quadrant, planning instead to use bamboo stakes to pull branches apart.

1. 1. Scoop Build-A-Flower into the container (three scoops per 10 gallon)
2. 2. Spread evenly by hand — half-inch to one-inch layer
3. 3. Break up clumps so the layer is flat
4. 4. Let the roots develop into this new compost layer
5. 5. Plan to add Craft Blend a week later once feeder roots are ready

21:00 — 25:30

Defoliation execution — remove fan leaves and lollipop

Jeremy walks through cleaning up the plant top-down by snipping blocking fan leaves, then lollipopping lower branches. He chops the removed leaves and lays them back in the mulch layer to feed worms. He contrasts this with hydro growers who strip plants nearly bare and notes there is no wrong way — experience teaches which work is actually worth doing.

1. 1. Top-down — remove fan leaves that block light paths to bud sites
2. 2. Side — remove big fan leaves blocking lower branches that still have a chance
3. 3. Bottom — lollipop low branches, cutting off side shoots that cannot reach the screen
4. 4. Remove any branch that is clearly never going to make the canopy
5. 5. Chop removed leaves and return them to the mulch layer as worm food

25:30 — 28:00

Fungus gnats and lasagna layering defense

Jeremy addresses a viewer question about gnats, explaining that lasagna layering — alternating inches of compost and chopped leaves — suffocates gnat populations and invites beneficial rove beetles, predator mites, and springtails. He ordered beneficial nematodes and predator mites but did not release them because the gnat population did not explode. He reminds viewers that a few gnats are normal — never freak out.

1. 1. Lay down an inch of compost
2. 2. Add a layer of chopped leaves on top
3. 3. Repeat the layering to build a mulch lasagna
4. 4. Water properly — do not overwater or gnats will explode
5. 5. Observe the ecosystem — look for rove beetles and predator mites as signs of balance

28:00 — 30:30

Compost tea brew — fish and mushroom swap

Jeremy swaps the molasses in the Microbe Man base recipe for Organic Gem liquid fish at one-third cup, keeping the 4 gallons of water and one-and-a-half cups of compost (using Build-A-Flower this time). He adds two teaspoons of a 10-way organic vitality mushroom blend for fungal dominance. The T-Lab Bubble Snake airs it out, brew time 24 hours.

1. 1. Fill tea reservoir with 4 gallons of clean water
2. 2. Drop in the T-Lab Bubble Snake to bubble it
3. 3. Shake Organic Gem liquid fish and measure out one-third cup
4. 4. Pour fish directly into the tea (no tea bag)
5. 5. Scoop one-and-a-half cups of Build-A-Flower into the brew
6. 6. Add two teaspoons of 10-way organic vitality mushroom blend
7. 7. Brew for 24 hours before applying

30:30 — 37:00

Top dress Earth Boxes and sprinkle Kashi

Jeremy mounds three scoops of Build-A-Flower on one side of each Earth Box (easier to access, and feeder roots spread anyway), then sprinkles Kashi blend like salt and pepper underneath the mulch to break down the fresh chopped leaves into soil faster. He also sprinkles Kashi in every container. He clarifies the day-count convention — today is the kickoff, tomorrow is day 1 of flower because the clock flips to 12/12.

1. 1. Peel back the Earth Box mulch cover
2. 2. Mound three scoops of Build-A-Flower on the accessible side
3. 3. Sprinkle BuildASoil Kashi blend into the compost like salt and pepper
4. 4. Replace the mulch cover
5. 5. Sprinkle a handful of Kashi in all other containers over the chopped leaf mulch

37:00 — 39:00

Veggie harvest — kale and lettuce

Jeremy harvests the overgrown kale by breaking leaves by hand, then shears the lettuce in a circle leaving growth tips intact so it regrows on rotation. He talks about the freshness and vital enzymes of same-day harvested greens vs grocery store plastic-wrapped lettuce.

1. 1. Harvest kale by snapping leaves off by hand into a bucket
2. 2. Take the biggest leaves first to reveal the new growth underneath
3. 3. For lettuce — cut in a circle around the edges
4. 4. Leave growth tips on the plant so it regrows
5. 5. Do not cut down to the base — keep it in rotation

39:00 — 43:00

FAQ — KNF, Jadam, and transplanting logistics

Jeremy answers two viewer questions. On KNF — he respects Master Cho and Jadam but will not run a dedicated KNF round since he is not the expert. On transplanting — there is no plant benefit, only logistics benefit. The 10x10 went cup to 1 gallon to final because starting lots of seeds in final containers wastes space and over-wets the soil.