Bubble Bucket - First Grow Ever - Super Lemon Haze

[moopog]

Hello Grasscity members,

This is my first post ever, however far from my last. I have been trolling these forums for almost a month straight now gathering and compiling information on how to 'perfectly' grow my babies.

I will admit, this was far more daunting than I expected. A lot of advice that clashes with others and quite a bit of engineering involved .

I would like to make this thread a "community grow" thread. By that, I mean, I would love to catalog every detail of my growth (updates on the bi-daily bases) so everyone can assist me in my first growth and ensure everything runs smoothly.

I will give some shout-outs later when I have a bit more time from the threads that provided the most help. For now, lets get into Day 1 of the growing.

*** Setup **********************************
* Lighting ~~ 400w Metal Halite x 1
* Intake ~~ 10" fan blowing air in x 1
* Exhaust ~~ 120mm server fan running through 3.7L of activated carbon
* Growing Room ~~ L.H.W - 3' x 5.5' x 2.5'
* System ~~ Not sure, all I know is I built a bucket following two different designs. I think you would call this a "bubble bucket"?
* Bucket ~~ 5 Gallon bucket w/ air rock & pump
* Lining ~~ case is lined in Mylar (2mil)
* Strain ~~ Super Lemon Haze - Female Sativa decent - Mandala Seed Shop
* Nutrients ~~ General Hydroponic following the Lucas *ratio* closely
* Other ~~ I have added a 24/hr timer (industrial) to handle the lighting automatically & have a high-voltage electrical outlet (dedicated fuse) for the entire box.
* Experience ~~ Two (2) years smoking 'dro' - Zero (0) minutes experience growing.
************************************************** ****************

*** Growing Method **********************************
I am currently utilizing the Lucas "ratio". here is my 'plan of action'.

• 24/0 lighting for the first week or 4" tall plant.
  • Begin chems at //40ml Micro// //80ml Bloom// entire cycle
• Begin pH at 5.2 and slowly let rise to a max of 6.2 at the end of the plant's life.
• 18/6 lighting after the plant reaches 4" tall.
• Once week 6 hits I will begin flowing by going 12/12 lighting
• Once the first white hair turns orange, 3-weeks from that date will most likely be harvesting time. Which I will cut at the step and hang in the box without lighting for 1 week.
• After one week of drying, I will then clip and harvest the buds and let dry for another week in the box
• After the 2nd week I will be prepared to smoke. I will take 50% of my harvest and seal in mason-jars and store for 1 month allowing air in weekly.

Attached are images of the current setup & my "log" file, which will accompany many of my daily journal logs.





**Credit**
* http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-...made-easy.html
* http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-...-training.html
* http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-...row-guide.html
* http://forum.grasscity.com/sick-plan...ems-guide.html
* http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-...n-420-a-5.html
* http://www.thcfarmer.com/forums/f95/...c-bucket-2551/
* http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=124487
* http://www.thcfarmer.com/forums/f29/...sh-hydro-9489/

[moopog]

**** Day 1 *****
* Date: 6/18/2009
* Time 11:02 P.M.
* ID - 1GSLH
**************

Hello fellow heads,

The following is what was done on today's schedule:

• Began germination process at 5:00 PM
  • Took 3-pieces of brown paper towel and put purified bottled water on it. Damp enough to have the entire towel wet, but BARLEY dripping. I placed a single seed in the center under sheet one (1). Placed in a air-tight Tupperware container and placed in the dark.
• Began stress testing box with heat levels at 7:00 PM
  • Temp stays at a steady 84.0 degrees F or 28.5 degrees C.
  • Added 4-100w CFL (should I use this for the entire grow along with the 400w Halite?)
  • Room seems to maintain good airflow due to the extra venting added. The room intake air is at a steady 69F while the exiting air is at a steady 76F
  • Everything except the plant and nutes are located in the box. I am leaving everything on 24 hours to see what the morning PH will show & the temp & storage.

This is what is on tomorrow's schedule:

• Purchase second bucket (10 gal) to pre-mix General Hydroponic solution and prepare the proper levels.
• Measure temperature, humidity, & pH levels.
• Check seed at 5:00 PM for any sprouts
• If sprout, place "Becky" aka SLH plant in a rockwhool cube and into the Hydrotron pellets.

~~~~~ QUESTIONS ~~~~~

• Should I keep the 4 - 100w "natural light" CFL in the box throughout the grow process?
• The case is at a steady 84 degrees F / 28.5 degrees C - Is this too hot?
• I am still faintly un-clear on how I should be mixing the chems. I assume I can mix them by measuring out the pH properly and following the Lucas ratio. I will do this once, and then after I re-add the 5-gallons clean the system out and re-mix?
• I will be placing the seed inside the Rockwool cube, do I just drop it her down in there once it sprouts 1"+ and place it in the already-soaked nutes/hydrotron pellets?
• Do I need to have the Metal Halite light on during the 'veg' cycle?
• I will be controlling the pH with classic pH up/downs. Acid & Base, should I be concerned using these with my plant?
• I am currently using bottled, purified water (no tap water) for the grow. How will this affect the 'Lucas' ratio? Is this going to cause issues since it is at a steady 7.0 pH and standard tap-water is around 6?

Is there anything that anyone recommends that I alter a little? As I mentioned this is my first grow, and I am praying that I don't mess this up.

I really appreciate all your support and assistance during this process. It really means a lot that I am not doing this alone! Thank you again Grasscity for making this all possible. I would be completely lost if I did this without you guys.

[Hypeshot]

Should I keep the 4 - 100w "natural light" CFL in the box throughout the grow process?
The case is at a steady 84 degrees F / 28.5 degrees C - Is this too hot?
I am still faintly un-clear on how I should be mixing the chems. I assume I can mix them by measuring out the pH properly and following the Lucas ratio. I will do this once, and then after we re-add the 5-gallons clean the system out and re-mix?
I will be placing the seed inside the Rockwool cube, do I just drop it her down in there once it sprouts 1"+ and place it in the already-soaked nutes/hydrotron pellets?
Do I need to have the Metal Halite light on during the 'veg' cycle?
I will be controlling the pH with classic pH up/downs. Acid & Base, should I be concerned using these with my plant?
I am currently using bottled, purified water (no tap water) for the grow. How will this affect the 'Lucas' ratio? Is this going to cause issues since it is at a steady 7.0 pH and standard tap-water is around 6?

> If you can maintain air temperatures taken from the canopy below 85 F , hell yea toss in some more light on your babies =)
>Temps Sounds Perfect
>I'm a BIG fan of lucas myself , remember. Ph Up before nutes , OR Ph down After Nutes. Depending on what you need. Also , don't correct an overshoot with more Ph up/down. Try not to mix them. Start low And slowly raise the Ppms. I grabbed FNB and FNG instead of 0g-8m-16b. The FNG really Worked well for us. Just mix it up with your distilled/RO water, and correct the PH , watch the drift and keep it topped up with fresh water.
>Drop the cubes in the rocks and under the lights soon as they make headway , keep the lights a bit high to avoid burning and the ppms should only be 50-100ppm max , thoses plants won't need anything but water untill they show growth , then ramp up.
> Distilled water from any grocery store works VERY well , don't get purified it is usually enhanced with minerals and crap for taste.

Your Grow sounds great man. Welcome to GC =) Thank you for shareing. Subscribed
Don't be stingy on the air bubbles watch the water temps like a hawk .

[CjX]

Ohhhhh shiiit *****

[moopog]

Hello Hypeshot,

Thank you for your response mate! I will continue at the current heating/cooling I am at. I currently ordered a 90w Tri-Band LED light which should easily power the plant and then some. This will allow super-cool storage of the plant and easier control of heating/cooling.

I don't think this poses any type of problem to transition the lighting during the veg state of the plant, correct?

Also, I currently do not have a PPM meter. I am purchasing a PPM tonight along with the pH up/down & an electronic pH meter. Since the plant will be ready to grow within 1 day, the products will not arrive in enough time.

My local stores do not carry pH measurement items that measure under 6.0 levels. How does the community recommend me measuring and maintaining pH in the current situation I am in? I heard that using baking soda and white vinegar is good for altering the pH levels, is this a myth or truthful?

As for the bubblies, I currently have a large air-rock down there. A second air-rock will be added during the next grow. This air rock will have a controlled consistent supply of Co2 going to it. I need to research that before I take that beast on. Need to get at least one grow managed before I think big

Thank you again everyone, I really appreciate your advice and information.

[ORcoast]

Sounds good so far, one question though. How will you be supplying Co2 from the air pump?

[moopog]

Originally Posted by ORcoast

Sounds good so far, one question though. How will you be supplying Co2 from the air pump?

I have yet to attempt this, but here is my theory-of-goodness.

If you have the Co2 connected to a small box (which the air pump is in), the inlet of the air-pump will circulate through pretty good amounts of Co2.

All this is of course done by precise measuring of ppm and calculating the averages after heavy testing.

I hope this will work, and in-theory it should. If someone can assist me with this idea and try to expand it or debunk it please join in. It will save me a bunch of time testing

That or just spray it on and measure the PPM

// Soon to come //

I am finishing up my final setup for Day 2 grow journal. I have also purchased a new LED light system to replace the aging Metal Halite.

Stay tuned...

[moopog]

**** Day 3 *****
* Date: 6/20/2009
* Time 10:09 P.M.
* ID - 1GSLH
* Music - Get Ready - Sublime
****************

Hello fellow heads,

The following is what was done on today's schedule:


********** ~ Observations ~ **********
* Checked on seedling at 5:02PM. It appears that Becky has emerged out of her shell within 24 hours of germination. Very very small crack in the shell, but never less a sprout. I expect to see at least a 2+cm stem coming out when I check today.
* Kicked the 10" fan up to 'hi'. This altered the temp in the box to 83 degrees F or 27 degrees C.
* Checked the evaporation rate of the water with all lights on. Appear to have lost less than 1cm.
********** ~ fin ~ **********

********** ~ Tasks ~ **********
* Dumped out all of the purified/bottled water and replaced with traditional tap water (from a hose). I am leaving this water sit in the box for 24 hours, then measure the pH & mix the General Hydroponic.
* Purchased 90w Tri-Band LED UFO. (http://www.prosourceworldwide.com/pr...ator%20ufo.htm). What do you guys think, was this a good choice?
* Ran hose lines from the bottom of the bucket to a well so we can drain the bucket without 'moving' it out of the box. After we drained the purified water out we gave the bucket another good scrub-down and washed the hydrotron pellets again.
* Re-attached surge-bar to the back of the box with screws. This allows the CFL lights to be placed without affecting the bar from falling.
* Have an electronic pH meter coming in from Ebay
********** ~ fin ~ **********

********** ~ Alterations/Learning ~ **********
* I will now use strictly the 4x100w CFL lights for the first 4-6" of the plants life. I learned that any other light is generally 'too strong' for vegetation and will burn the plant.
* By using LED the temp inside the box will be cooler. 85 degrees is not 'unacceptable' however, from my understand, it will susceptible the plant to more disease, fungi, and of course make her stink more.
* I learned how to adjust and 'work' in your LED lighting system to support your plants needs. There are heights, etc.. that you must learn about your plant and adjust the lighting accordingly. You can learn my looking at the reactions your plant gives off by growth, leaves, etc...
* Learned that transitioning from CFL/Metal Halite to LED poses no threat to the plant unless in vegetative state.
* Learned that water with the nutrients should be circulated as much as possible. Doing this allows the nutes not to sit in the bottom or in a 'stagnant' spot in the water and ensures the plant receives proper nutrition.
********** ~ fin ~ **********

********** ~ Tomorrow's Schedule ~ **********
* Hopefully Becky will be fully sprouted and ready to swap into the rockwool cube and placed into the hydrotron pellets.
* Setup mounts for LED UFO system
* Mix General Hydroponic nutes in a separate (same pH) level bucket in preparation to support the plant. (I will not be placing the GH in with the plant until about 3-5 days after the plant is in the bucket)
* Purchase salt-water water pump (to prevent deterioration of the pump with the nutes).
********** ~ fin ~ **********

********** ~ Other Thoughts ~ **********
* None currently
********** ~ fin ~ **********

********** ~ Questions ~ **********
* The UFO LED I am purchasing is a 'special' item and has been setup very precisely to support cannabis growing. The wavelengths have been measured and tested specifically. Do you think I got ripped off by paying an extra $150.00 USD?
* What are your thoughts on the "Flower Accelerator"? I think it has potential, but part of me think it is total 'BS'. Has anyone seen anything similar to this? I cannot find ANYTHING on the Internet regarding this style setup. (http://www.prosourceworldwide.com/pr...ccelerator.htm)
* Will adding the nutes in 3-5 days after the plan is in the pot/water affect anything? Is that a bad idea or really doesn't make a difference?
* Previously posted above, does our Co2 idea look like a solid idea? Are there any alterations that we should be making to accommodate this in the future?
* How in the hell do I level out the pH in my water if I don't really use any Acid/Base? I plan on letting it sit out openly for a day or to to evaporate. For some reason I don't feel any level of comfort that this will work and get me to the 5.2 I am looking for.
* I have still seen no response on my pH leveling issues, does anyone have any recommendation to my previous concerns? (http://forum.grasscity.com/advanced-...ml#post4918850)
* Previously mentioned in Day 1 journal, is there anything specific I need to touch up on my 'nutrient mixing' plan? I feel uneasy on the method I am using. I am also unsure if swapping out the water only once during our grow will be effective.
* Does anyone recommend a specific water pump? I am going to use a salt-water pump since it is meant to protect against the salt.
********** ~ fin ~ **********

Is there anything that anyone recommends that I alter a little? As I mentioned this is my first grow, and I am praying that I don't mess this up. All advice is well appreciated and welcomed.

[Unclenugs]

********** ~ Questions ~ **********
* The UFO LED I am purchasing is a 'special' item and has been setup very precisely to support cannabis growing. The wavelengths have been measured and tested specifically. Do you think I got ripped off by paying an extra $150.00 USD?
* What are your thoughts on the "Flower Accelerator"? I think it has potential, but part of me think it is total 'BS'. Has anyone seen anything similar to this? I cannot find ANYTHING on the Internet regarding this style setup. (ProSource Worldwide - LED Grow Lights w/ Tri-Band Spectrum design. Newest technology available.)

Definitely a good buy for you're setup. It's going to add the red spectrum that you're MH light is lacking. Those UFOs have the ability to grow buds by themselves, but with the MH, you have all the lumens and spectrum requirements for a really decent grow. That Mylar is going to be a huge help at capturing all those lumens, too.I think you will be happy with this purchace. You may want to try a tried and true HPS somewhere down the line, along with that UFO, and really push out some buds.

* Will adding the nutes in 3-5 days after the plan is in the pot/water affect anything? Is that a bad idea or really doesn't make a difference?

Don't think you need any nutrients yet. Wait until you're plants get a couple sets of leaves. If you're concerned about pH, you need to go to the grocery store and buy a couple gallons of distilled water, or RO water from the machine out front.These will be at a decent pH to suit you're needs until you can buy a pH meter. You can also buy pH strips if you're low on cash. They work great, but you won't get a definitive number out of them.

* Previously posted above, does our Co2 idea look like a solid idea? Are there any alterations that we should be making to accommodate this in the future?

I dont really understand you're Co2 Idea...

* How in the hell do I level out the pH in my water if I don't really use any Acid/Base? I plan on letting it sit out openly for a day or to to evaporate. For some reason I don't feel any level of comfort that this will work and get me to the 5.2 I am looking for.
* I have still seen no response on my pH leveling issues, does anyone have any recommendation to my previous concerns? (http://forum.grasscity.com/advanced-...ml#post4918850)

again, as stated above, Buy distilled or RO, and don't worry about pH yet.

* Previously mentioned in Day 1 journal, is there anything specific I need to touch up on my 'nutrient mixing' plan? I feel uneasy on the method I am using. I am also unsure if swapping out the water only once during our grow will be effective.

For lucas formula, nothing could be more simple. once you have 2 or three leaf sets, or you see the first signs of yellowing, it's time for grow formula. You can switch back to tap water, but you need to have a way of measuring pH levels by the time you get to this point.

5 ml per gallon of micro
10 ml per gallon of bloom

wait 5 minutes, mix well.

adjust pH to 5.8

adjusting pH is an art. you need a meter or strips, you also need to order some pH up and down. you can use other things, but these products are meant for hydroponics. Don't try to measure or adjust the pH of clean water, with no nutrients. It has no buffers, the pH is not stable, and you cannot get an accurate reading. The amount of pH adjusting solution will vary depending on you're water, and the amount of buffers. Experiencing through trial and error is the only way to learn this skill. Try not to use more than 3 ml per gallon of up or down.

* Does anyone recommend a specific water pump? I am going to use a salt-water pump since it is meant to protect against the salt.
********** ~ fin ~ **********

dont know on this one.

[moopog]

Fantastic Unclenugs,

Thank you for all that information.

You mentioned to adjust the pH to 5.8, that is the final pH level at which the plant will be placed in, correct? If so, what are your thoughts on starting at a low 5.2 and moving up to a 6.1-.2 towards the end of the flowering?

For the light portion, I wanted to completely eliminate the MH light, as it produces a lot of heat. I figured if I lost the MH light and got the temp down to a nice 75 day/ 65 night, then I would be able to reduce the smell of the plant. So even though the LED setup I have has the Tri-Band coloring, you would still recommend having the MH setup ontop of the LEDs? As far as I know, the tri-LED is a 90w LED lamp that is meant to cover roughly 20 square feet (my box is 6). It also has Orange, Red, and Blue LEDs that cover a specific 'spectrum'.

When I spoke with the person selling the LEDs he mentioned his LED system, he guts everything out and builds them from scratch again using 'proper' spectrums that statiscally places 95% of the energy into the plant.

What are your thoughts on this? I have seen some of your grows and you appear to have a wealth of knowledge.

Thank you again for your reply

[Unclenugs]

Originally Posted by moopog

Fantastic Unclenugs,

Thank you for all that information.

You mentioned to adjust the pH to 5.8, that is the final pH level at which the plant will be placed in, correct? If so, what are your thoughts on starting at a low 5.2 and moving up to a 6.1-.2 towards the end of the flowering?

For the light portion, I wanted to completely eliminate the MH light, as it produces a lot of heat. I figured if I lost the MH light and got the temp down to a nice 75 day/ 65 night, then I would be able to reduce the smell of the plant. So even though the LED setup I have has the Tri-Band coloring, you would still recommend having the MH setup ontop of the LEDs? As far as I know, the tri-LED is a 90w LED lamp that is meant to cover roughly 20 square feet (my box is 6). It also has Orange, Red, and Blue LEDs that cover a specific 'spectrum'.

When I spoke with the person selling the LEDs he mentioned his LED system, he guts everything out and builds them from scratch again using 'proper' spectrums that statiscally places 95% of the energy into the plant.

What are your thoughts on this? I have seen some of your grows and you appear to have a wealth of knowledge.

Thank you again for your reply

as for pH, 5.8 for the entire grow.

I do recommend keeping the MH light as part of you're grow. If temps get too much, just run it for as long as you can, during the coolest part of the day. Of course, I do recommend buying a fan and a air cool-able hood, if it's ever an option. they are the industry standard for a reason. Buying a fan will also let you run a carbon filter.

I have limited knowledge of leds, but I did read an interesting article in high times specifically from the maker of the UFO. he said that the LEDs used in the UFOs are not the best spectrums for growing plants, but they are the next best for the price. The Proper Nm wavelength LEDs are cost around $30 each to the manufacturer, which would make for an expensive light. The maker of the UFO compromised spectrum for price, making the best LED light out there for the price. The guy you talked to might get 95%, but his LEDs are crazy expensive. Leds are still a work in progress, and may be the way of the future, but as of right now, they are basically just really good supplemental lighting, until they can become more affordable.

[moopog]

Awesome again Unclenugs,

Yeah, that probably explains why he is selling his for almost twice as much as the originals :/ haha.

I actually already have a pretty decent carbon filter (made for a small closet). I think what I need to do is vent out that box. Because the box was originally meant for a 1,000w street-pole light. I gutted it and placed a 400w MH bulb, ballast, & socket in there so it actually stays substentially cool compared to the 400w case.

So I guess I need to add onto my agenda to cut a hole in the light-box and run an A/C duct into the case.

Damn, and I thought I could start relaxing. Good thing I have some trainwreck to help ease the pain.

[Unclenugs]

Originally Posted by moopog

Awesome again Unclenugs,

Yeah, that probably explains why he is selling his for almost twice as much as the originals :/ haha.

I actually already have a pretty decent carbon filter (made for a small closet). I think what I need to do is vent out that box. Because the box was originally meant for a 1,000w street-pole light. I gutted it and placed a 400w MH bulb, ballast, & socket in there so it actually stays substentially cool compared to the 400w case.

So I guess I need to add onto my agenda to cut a hole in the light-box and run an A/C duct into the case.
Damn, and I thought I could start relaxing. Good thing I have some trainwreck to help ease the pain.

yep, you got it.

Diddn't see the carbon filter in there. It should work fine for odor.

Don't worry, it will all pay off.

[Unclenugs]

You're going to ScrOG this, right?

I'm just realizing just how sick this little grow is going to be. Nice work man, it really looks like you've put some thought into this grow.

[moopog]

I would like to pop a screen in the box, however it is not added onto my agenda yet. I am not entirely sure that will suit this grow. I am growing a strain of Super Lemon Haze, and from what I hear, it is a very tall lankey plant.

This is for pure personal consumption (tired of paying street prices & want top of the line cheebah). So I am not too concerned about yielding a lot. From the reviews I can expect 200-500g from a single plant, but I just don't see how a 'tall & lanky" plant can produce that large of a yield.

Note: I plan on growing one (1) continuous plant at all times.

But to answer your question, no currently it is not a ScrOG, but I can easily see it turning into one. Another option is I have read some threads on 'shaping' your plant with zip ties and whatnot. This may be another option I can take. What is your personal recommendation?

I appreciate your comment. The box took forever to prepare and I have spent almost 6 months researching before I even picked up a tool. A lot of passion and work has been put into this baby and it feels good to talk to someone about it. Because I don't even discuss this with my best friend .