My Reader's Digest Condensed grow!

[SirNugz]

....an AK-47 hydro grow

Allright! My first post to the board!

Intro

I got into growing originally to help a friend who was dying of cancer. He had too little time to live to get the card and his doc kept dicking him around.

I was a nerdy tech stoner dude with a brown thumb. I had a better chance to build a computer than keep a plant alive.

My first grow only a single plant turned out to be female. She grew far better than I had a right to. My friend got to try the fruits of what we did a month before he died.

At that point I thought of stopping but couldn't. It was too freakin' fun. I kept learning, met a really experienced grower who taught me a lot. I think I do ok, I still have a lot to learn.

[Note: most photos in this grow can be viewed larger size by clicking]


The room.

I don't grow year round, it's a lowly walk-in closet the rest of the time.



A few details; I started with a couple months of research as I didn't know shit. I decided on hydro early on as it appealed to my inner nerd.

The closet was completely rewired before a single piece of equipment was put in (the one part I didn't do LOL). Then it was my turn. I think I bled more making that room than surgery I've had

Many ingredients are there, a switchable ballast (1000w MH/HPS) vented HID, second 306 cfm Ellicent, ,temp, air cleaner, heat and co2 controls (Co2 only in winter when outside air cools the room down too much).

Depending on the needs of the enviro I can add humdifier, dehumidifier, airconditioner and a radiator type heat system.

The mylar sections are labeled. I use industrial velcro on the back (the other side stays on the wall). We unroll and up she goes (if more details on room desired I can put in grow room post). These yo-yos to move the lights are worth a mention. I love these things!!



Here's the seedling chamber I use. I'll also show you a Home DePot C30 veg cab (125w fluoro, 10k lumen) for clones/tweeners (very easy to build, not pictured).



Well, let's close up and come back later. ~SirNugz

[ZergRush]

Sounds good man. Hope everything works out for you with your grow.

[SirNugz]

His Dark Materials

Like others starting in hydro, I started with commercial systems like waterfarms. I quickly got into building/modifying my own stuff.

I got tired of lifting a 5 foot mature plant and digging through sopping roots to get at a submersible. So I have been using an external pump system for around 2 years. There are grilles on the inside to (try and) keep the roots out (nylon mesh - not pictured - goes over the grille).



The hose system for flushing has been a godsend for my back. Here's how it works; hooks directly into the feeder line, then suctions out. Unhook the hose, reverse water flow, and fill up buckets (and res if you want). Flush, suction, hang up hose. Do the roots like it? .



Reef pump and airstones above and below complete the picture



Ok, enuf jawin! Let's get growin!

submitted respectfully,

SirNugz

[SirNugz]

Seeds, Germ, Veg

I grow from seed. I know clones are more uniform, efficient, etc, but I like the diversity and the whole experience.



AK47 is one of the most diverse I've grown. Here's what I've read; It's a strain that's won an Indica cannibis cup (2003, 2nd) and a Sativa (1999, 2nd)! Nice read here: http://www.puresativa.com/article011.html

Ingredients: Germination - water and papertowels. Seedling - RapidRooter medium & Formulex (1/3 str right after pop). Veg - hydroton medium, Canna a/b veg, rhizotonic, superthrive. When root mass starts increasing, cannazyme.

PPM 250-500 w/ a base water PPM of <50. Canna is ph buffered so it's 5.8 pretty much no matter what you do (below 250 ppm you have to adjust).

Enviro I keep at 79-81 (except germination natch) with around a 40% humidity.

Veg was uneventful except I tried adding humic acid. This reminds me 'if it 'aint broke don't fix it'. I started at 1/4 str as I usually do when introducing something new.

Growth slowed dramatically. 2 days after flush and removal the rebound was obvious. A week later we were back on track and by the end of the month everything looked good (4 plants).




Some reading I did surprised me. Humic is leonardite which is lignite which is a soft coal. I could only find one study using it in agriculture (peppers, and appeared debatable). What I did come across was use as salvage in land based chemical/oil clean up in Iraq/Kuwait, etc.

I know people have reported success, friends of mine as well. The best I can figure is perhaps it messed with the buffered nutes of the canna? Not sure or tryin to stir up controversy, just reporting results. Comments on this please! I'm trying to keep an open mind but didn't work with the canna.

I did LST my first grow and liked it. It is a really great method. Now I just top selectively to build up budsites and keep the canopy even. I combine this with a training method you'll see in flower (next post).

It was flower where things got crazy.

yr. humble servant,

[SirNugz]

Wow. I threw down a home setup with stuff I've built and no one's interested?

Like it? Hate it? Whaddup?

[Adam75]

Originally Posted by SirNugz

Wow. I threw down a home setup with stuff I've built and no one's interested?

Like it? Hate it? Whaddup?

I like it. I found you yesterday. Your journal just falls down the list and people never go to page 2, lol. Fuck um.

Anyways, nice grow man, got a couple under your belt? I like the AK, had some this week, good stuff. By the way, what is this gonna be a post a day or something? lol.

[ZergRush]

I'm watching this grow man.

[SirNugz]

Adam (love the 'tude) and Zerg Rush (ok you play Starcraft, that's awesome in my book LOL)

Thanks dudes for at least letting me know I'm alive LOL

I've grown for around 3 years. I built most of what I use mainly because it's cheaper and more fulfilling.

I have many many pics, but this is about the AK47 so I'll confine it to them. The AK turned out really interesting with some very different phenos (4 plants with 4 weeks of maturation difference between the earliest and latest).

My last AK is on flush now (sativa dominant) and as I pull them out I plop in clones.

The reason it's abbreviated is I'm moving from another forum. You know you couldn't even cuss over there? Not that I swear a lot but too uptight for me. I like the larger boards with many experts.

[Adam75]

cool deal, anyways go check out my journal if you got a chance dude, I need some help with a problem. I'd really appreciate it. Peace (link in sig)

[415.Zooted]

Hey man i really like your whole setup. It looks really good and im sure your getting some great results. I actually just started my first grow about 10 days ago. Keep up the good work.

[SirNugz]

Flower Weeks 1-4

(click pics for larger image)


Sexed at one week and got the good news, all females! Remaining pics at day 14, 21 and 26 (2 pics).



The budsites were increased with a topping program I start in veg. In flower I train using these punji sticks I made. I think scrog is more efficient although you can see I get pretty good bud spacing throughout. This is easier for me to unhook if I need to move a plant or get behind them.

I also use the stix to tie up the buds when they're becoming too top heavy

Day 33

I'd begun to notice differences between the plants that were increasing. Two would show signs of a nute overdose and the others would be happy. The configuration of buds, maturation rate, resin production were diverging.



It was here that I learned about the legacy of AK and its Sativa and Indica wins. That's when it clicked but it took awhile!

Sick Plant Challenge

Day 33 was also where one plant developed this problem. I'll have it diagnosed (sort of, I had it narrowed to two things), treated and resolved next post. Anyone care to take a stab at it?

History: Largest of the four plants. Liked nutes more than others but no previous deficiency. Started to appear day 27 or so after a period of rapid flower production.

Presentation: Newest leaves first, large older fan leaves were never affected. Interval chlorosis present, yellowing at base of leaf and progression to browning. Ph 5.8, water temp 60f, all other enviro equal. Getting Canna Flora A/B, biocanna, cannazyme @ 500ppm. Pk 13/14 started reently but problem already present, may be making it worse. Others not showing this. No infestation present (pic below).

Any other q's you think are relevant? Bud Pic Leaf Pic

Newb's who want a hint read this article. Very nice basics: http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/t...lowleaves2.asp

Clone Time!

I'd taken cuttings before sexing just in case I had too many males. Now I had an overabundance of females but I just couldn't chuck 'em (I would have flowered them right away but no room for all 6). Starting in the propogation chamber captain!



I use a method I was taught. It has produced 100% clone rate for me. It's unconventional but works! I didn't even know it was controversial until I posted 'the method'. I was told I would kill them for sure. I posted these day 11 pics and didn't hear a lot more of that heh heh...

Rapid Rooters are the shit!



I built about as lowtech a veg room as you can get. I was a little worried b/c it would have to work for 2 months while the rest were in flower. It's the old Overgrow Home DePot Cab bay-bay! I run a 125w 10k lumen fluoro, two fans, crack the door and done. Temps stable at 79-82 degrees. I ran these in a soilless mixture and handwatered once daily to begin, later twice.






submitted respectfully,

[Necroponics]

sir, that is a great setup for efficiency and ease.

i just recently built a super low tech cab similar to yours, only about 1/2 as tall .

those ak ladies are looking absolutely gorgeous. hopefully i can get my first grow (powerplant, about a month in) at least 10% as healthy as those plants.

that root picture is crazy!

[Squonk]

SirNugz, very nice grow you have going. i'll be watching and learning.

[SirNugz]

Hey Adam, Squonk Necro Zerg... G' mornin m8s

Adam.... I checked out your journal and posted a thought or twenty.

BTW, If you're want an easy way to change water n' stuff check my second post about the hose I use. I'm not sure it's adaptable to your system. I don't lift my plants unless there's a problem.

Originally Posted by necro

i just recently built a super low tech cab similar to yours, only about 1/2 as tall .

Heh heh... yeah, for the purpose of vegging the height is overkill. If you slapped a couple of side lights you could do fluoro all the way (or convert to vented 400w HID) then it would be useful.

If you like those roots check out the root porn I entered in this month's photo contest. The Kali Mist pic is also one of mine.

Originally Posted by squonk

SirNugz, very nice grow you have going. i'll be watching and learning.

Hey squonk, the nice thing about this site is there is such a wide range of experience. I consider myself about an intermediate grower but still have so much to learn. I've already seen some examples of grows that are incredible. There are some inventors (rumpleforeskin) that have some really sweet setups. I love it that I can learn something here.

[Squonk]

you are correct Sir. i stumbled onto this site a short while back and after looking @ the gallery i went straight to Mister Postman's overgrown closet grow. (wow!! ) then Rumpleforeskin's tutorial on bubbler's and of course there's the mighty DierWolf with great advice or the right answer to any problem. the ever so knowledgeable DrBudGreengenes and the oh so laid back, awesome AugustWest. you and these guys inspire me. your setup is kickin ass!! now i just need to get growing!
thanks for showing me the way. peace.