Third time's the charm - femmed white widow in hydro

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Help_Needed

You know, I started typing out a reply to CaliGrower, but then after I got it all finished I changed my mind.

This is MY grow log. It is a place to record the progress of my grow - it's problems and their resolutions, as well as it's successes. It is a place where other growers can come in and offer their support, and maybe some constructive advice. It is NOT the forum for debating soil vs. hydro or organic vs. chemicals. If you want to participate in that endless - and probably unresolvable - debate, take it to the general growing forum, or maybe the hydro forum.

But get it out of my grow log!!!

Cali and Hash, it is obvious that you prefer to grow organically, and that it is working for you. It is equally obvious, that neither of you is terribly well versed in the principles of hydroponics or the Lucas Formula, just as I am not terribly knowledgeable about organic soil grows. And that's ok. We're each traveling down different paths, although we have the same goal - to produce a successful crop of the highest quality marijuana that we can under our individual circumstances.

I chose to grow hydro because it will give me the largest possible plants in the smallest possible space. I chose the Lucas Formula - with it's chemical nutrients - because it is a simple nutrition formula that even an inexperienced grower like myself can understand. In the process I've learned a lot and I consider both my last grow and my current grow to be a success - NOT because I'm going to get a pound of bud off one plant or other such nonsense - but because I've reached the point where I'm truly comfortable with what I'm doing. Some day in the future, when I have more space and a better knowledge of growing techniques, I may experiment with other methods, including organics. But for now, I'm going to stick with what I know. I'd very much appreciate it if you'd respect my choice and quit trying to cram the "organic is better" agenda down my throat.

P.S. To Hashmouf - In the 15 days you've been registered on this forum you've made 233 posts. I've scanned through them, and from what I can tell you have not once managed to offer any constructive advice. Instead almost all of your posts have been of the "this is why I'm so great" type. If you're really such a great grower, start your own log and show us what you can do. Maybe we'll learn something from you. But since you don't seem to have anything worthwhile to add to my log, please take your ego somewhere else and stay out of this thread.

P.P.S To everyone else - Please don't feed the troll. Maybe if we ignore him, he'll go away.

Agreed! +rep!

[Help_Needed]

Originally Posted by Earl

What did you learn about using the lucas formula?

I'm thinking about trying it soon.

Did you manage the pH or just let it go?

I like the Lucas Formula, personally. It's very simple and does a very good job of keeping your plans happy. The main selling point for me is that you don't have to change out the reservoir during the course of the grow, which can be very helpful if you're growing in stealth with a roommate in the house. The sound of running water in the middle of the night tends to arouse some unwanted curiosity lol.

As far as pH goes, LF is known for being very stable *but* you still need to monitor it. In theory, when your plants eat the pH will naturally rise and when you add nutes it will go down. The two processes should balance each other out. But in practice it doesn't always work that way. Lucas notes in his thread that at very high nute concentrations - like you use under HID light - the pH sometimes drifts downward and have to be corrected. Also there are other factors that can cause pH drift, like algae or using hard tap water in your reservoir.

So, you see, "stable" is a relative term. You're still going to have to manage your pH. It's just not nearly so much work as it can be with other nutrient programs.

[Earl]

Thanks for the answer H_N

I am starting to think I can get just about any nutes stabil
at least for a few days.

I have been using AN and Dutch Master.

Lower nute loads are easier to stabilize.

But my big discovery is learning how to buffer the nutes.
AN and DM are both very differnet in their buffereing requirements.

Once you have found out what will buffer nutes,
then you can add the appropriate chemicals
to achieve a stabil nute solution.

Potassium Silicate is an excellent buffer.
You can get this chemical in AN's Barricade.
Of course Calcium Carbonate( baking soda) is another buffer
but should only be used in very small amounts
or else you will experience Magnesium lockout.
Baking soda with Bariicade will lock the pH for a while but you can not keep adding them.
After drift starts again then you need to use pH down or pH up and you will probly need both chemicals as the pH can drift both ways.

I use an eye dropper to adjust the pH in a 20gl rez.
five drops, measure, one drop, measure.
until I'm locked at 5.6 for a week.

I use two pH meters.


Adding baking soda you need to be very careful
and just get the tip of your finger wet,
touch the baking soda,
swirl your finger in the rez
and measure the pH.
Give it a minute.
re-peat if necessary.

All my experiences are based on using RO water.

Buffering tap water is nearly impossible,
and will result in Mg lockout.

[Mr.GoodStuff]

Didn't know that about Barricade- I use the stuff at half-strength right now. I want to test it one day but for now I'm going off of a lot of growers saying it helps things.

With the right amount of nutrient solution the pH could be stabilized without the use of pH adjusters... It would just take a lot of trial and error. With an excess of nutrient solution for the plants (10 gallons+ per plant) the solution is a lot more stable as well, but it still needs light monitoring.

@H_N-

How is the Widow doing??? Is that Reverse really doing the biz?

[Help_Needed]

I keep a bottle of pH Up and pH Down on hand at all times. I've come to consider them part of the list of Essential tools that are absolutely necessary for a hydro grow - along with a TDS meter and a pH meter. I know that there are other items that can be used to adjust the pH, like baking soda, but they're not exactly ideal. Baking soda, for example is a salt and it will gradually accumulate in your reservoir and in the plants themselves, which isn't good for the plants, long term. Real pH Up & Down (assuming you get them from a grow store and not a pool shop or pet store) are made from potassium hydroxide and phosphoric acid, so they break down into ingredients that the plants can use and don't build up like other stuff can.

As for nutes, I don't have any personal experience with Advanced Nutrients, but I've heard from a couple of other growers that the pH isn't nearly as stable as it is with the Lucas Formula. When I talk about it drifting, I'm referring to very slow, minor changes - along the lines of 0.2 over the course of 2 weeks or longer. I like to try to keep my res right at 5.6-5.7 pH, and when the drift is this slow, it's very easy.

[Help_Needed]

Originally Posted by Mr.GoodStuff

How is the Widow doing??? Is that Reverse really doing the biz?

The widow - appropriately named since it's now my sole survivor lol - is doing quite well. I'm not quite 5 weeks into 12/12 and the buds are now as big as they where when I harvested my last grow, and they've got almost as much trich coverage already. At a guess I'm going to get 2-3 oz of this girl, maybe more if it goes crazy like the plants did in late flowring on my last grow. I'll probably be posting some pics tomorrow or Sat.

And that Reverse stuff is the bomb. Not a single male flower since I sprayed the plant. The only issue at all is that next time I'll spray at the end of my light cycle, instead of the begging. All of my leaves have itty bitty specks of light burn from the focusing effect of the liquid lol. It's not hurting the plant at all, but sure looks funny. So when I apply the second treatment I'll do it about 15 min before lights out, and just manually turn them off when I'm done spraying.

Now if only Earl had spoken up a week earlier I'd still have two plants instead of just one

[Mr.GoodStuff]

LOL at least you still have the one!

Thanks Earl for the tip- if I can't stop the hermi's with a better environment, that Reverse will!

[Help_Needed]

Originally Posted by Mr.GoodStuff

LOL at least you still have the one!

Oh, hell yeah! I owe Earl big time for passing on the info.


Of course my plans for having enough weed not to have to grow this summer have kind of gotten shot down lol. Even if I get harvest #3 out as soon as I think I can, I don't think I'll be able to make it through October without another crop. So I'll be looking at cooling option sometime this spring. Maybe I'll get lucky and the roommate will decide she's sick of me before then .

But meanwhile, I'm actually thinking of trying something else for my next crop instead of the blueberryxhaze that was my back-up plan. I haven't decided yet, but am leaning that way. Any suggestions? lol

[Mr.GoodStuff]

Anything from Soma- he has really detailed descriptions of the stuff too, so you can pick it out. Lavender looks really fire, but so does the Afghan Delight... Love to try the Somango or whatever it's called.

But other than that I would have to say Dutch Passion Mazar- it's a top-notch strain.

[Help_Needed]

Originally Posted by Mr.GoodStuff

But other than that I would have to say Dutch Passion Mazar- it's a top-notch strain.

Wow, I would never have guessed you were going to suggest that .

[Mr.GoodStuff]

Hey, when it's the best weed you've ever smelled... Grows like that, and has such a special type of high, it's hard not to always suggest it.

It is some of the best weed I've smoked in my whole life, but it's not like I've been growing high-quality strains for a long time or known anybody who does before now...

It's just something special though, you gotta try it.

[Mr.GoodStuff]

Merry Christmas bro! Hope you have a great holiday!

[Help_Needed]

A belated Merry Christmas to everyone. Hope you all had a great holiday.

I haven't posted an update in a while - been busy with Christmas stuff, and quite frankly, there wasn't much to report. The girl is still growing well, and still no signs of even a single male flower . I'm about 3-4 weeks out from harvest and the bud production on this plant is putting my last grow to shame lol. In fact, I should be chopping right around my birthday. Hell of a birthday present, huh .

The girls are getting a bit stinky and smell was becoming an issue again. Even with the charcoal filter (don't recommend this brand to anyone ), and the ozone generator it was becoming noticeable. So I took what was left of the Honeywell charcoal filter refill, rolled it up, and stuffed it in the end of the exhaust line. THAT seems to have worked. It looks sort of cheesy, though...should have taken a picture lol.

Pics -

#1 - The plant - not much to say but look how friggen huge that thing is. Wish the other one was still there. I'd be swimming in bud come harvest time lol.

#2 - One of the primary colas. You can't really see the trichs in the pictures yet, but they're coming in pretty nicely.

#3 - One of the secondary colas. This thing is the same size as my primary colas were on the last grow. That HPS is amazing.

#4 - Light burned cola . Next time I switch to 12/12 a lot earlier. This plant is just too tall and it was growing into the light, and I had the light as high as I could get it. Heat wasn't too much of an issue because I've got so much air flow, but it did light burn a bit. I managed to change how I had the light tied up, which bought me another 6 inches, but I'm sure it's going to continue to be an issue.

#5 - Fortunately the rest of the cola is still growing well.

[THesCientist]

It's lookin great man. Keep it up. I'm excited to see the yields from this grow.

[Help_Needed]

Well, to day marks 6 full weeks of 12/12. In theory, my harvest window will open in as little as 2 more weeks, and I'm getting pretty excited.

The buds are really starting to plump up and get nice and frosty. I really can't believe the difference having the HPS in there has made - such big fat colas. The secondary colas are about 2 1/2 inches long now and the primary ones are just huge. I'll have to get some pics in there with a lighter or maybe a ruler so you guys can really see the size.

I'm starting to see a bit of the self-cannibalization you get in late flower. A couple of the leaves are showing nitrogen toxicity, and a couple of others are showing a touch of cal/mag deficit. None of the hairs have started turning yet, but based on some pictures, I kind of get the impression that White Widow doesn't actually turn that much. I'll have to start watching the trichs in another week or so.

The clones I tried to create are pretty much a no-go. It's been 3 weeks now, and only 3 of them have rooted and the tops look pretty bad. I think the water was just too cold. I'll try another batch later this week, this time maybe with some Clonex and a heating pad, to see if that helps.