Well, my wife and I are off on our first ever grow, and doing a closet stealth rDWC under T8's. She recently got her card, as she's been battling Fibromyalgia for the past 8 years. She experimented with MJ before getting her card to make sure it's an avenue she wanted to explore. Needless to say, she LOVED the effects that MJ has on all of her body's 'issues', without the side-effects of the commercial, side-effect ridden, uber-expensive treatments. We actually started the setup on 10/25/10. I messed up the Ph by using muriatic acid as a Ph down. Learned the hard way to dilute it down, then use THAT as a Ph down. Ended-up using baking soda to bring the Ph back up. I know I will probably get flamed for these two acts, but on my VERY limited budget and a 30-gallon system (filled with 8.2ph tap water), commercial Ph-down was out of my fiscal reach. A gallon of muriatic acid was only $8. Anyways. I got 2x Permafrost, 2x Matenuska Thunderf%#k, and 1x Motivation starts from a great friend of mine. Once I had the Ph correct, my PPM was at ~500 (because of the baking soda and tap water; out of the tap I am at 94 PPM). The clones were at 400ppm when I brought them home, so I made my system to ~900ppm with nutes. I am using FoxFarm (also donated from the same freind). The clones started life off rough, but after 5 days....welll....they and I are VERY happy!!! One thing I cannot find is the flowering time for the Permafrost and the Motivation. Since this is my first posting, I apologize for a lack of details and info. The pics are from the initial install of the clear tanks and room build. Before I brought the clones home, my friends and I figured I better install some bigger tanks.
And now for some pics of the ladies. First two are first Permafrost, 2nd set are second Permafrost, 3rd set are first Matenuska, 4th set are second Matenuska, and the fifth set are of Motivation. First pic in each set is when they came home, second pic is 5 days later.
Now for some somewhat troubling pics. There seems to be some mold on the hydroton. Looking over the previous pics, it looks as though it has been there all along, but over the past 24 hours or so, it seem to have 'fluffed up'. It's not on all of the plants, just both the Permafrosts, and the second Matenuska. Anyone know what it might be from and if I need to worry? As for my lights, I have 8x 4-foot 6500k T8's @ 18/6. My temps also concern me a bit. The only thermometer I have is a digital alarm clock one, and it tells me its almost 94 degrees when the lights are on. My fan is a 100 CFM axial that runs the whole time my lights are on. I know the room is pretty air tight because when it's closed, the Panda damn-near vaccum-seals the room. I am going to get a glass thermometer to double-check the digital. Next thing on my to-do list is a DIY ozone generator, as these girls are already potent!!!
Well, the DIY Ozone Generator is built and it works!!! Will be installing it on Sunday. Check the pics. Used a 120v primary x 9000v secondary neon sign transformer that I got off Craigslist for $25. The 6" axial fan I had laying around. The perforated aluminum screen was donated from a friend. The high-voltage wires are actually spark plug wires from a Geo Metro. The copper main connections on the plate is the center conductor from some 14/3 Romex. I have the whole system running through a 3-amp slo-blo fuse so if the fuse blows, the ozonator AND the fan quit. All in all, I've got an ozonator that will rival those costing HUNDREDS of dollars, and it only cost me around $60...for everything (except the fan)...as of right now, I am running two of the screens (the other two are for when things REALLY get going). Each screen is about 3"x4", and the glass is 5 1/2" x 16". The duct is 6" diameter @ 20" long. Layter All
Doh! almost forgot to add some new pics of the ladies!!! Motivation, Matenuska 1, 2, Permafrost 1, 2.
Magus Genetics Motavation Flowering period: 50/60 day Freakins Permafrost Flowering period: 55/65 day Those ladies are looking very happy.
Well...so far so good. My DIY ozonator is working flawlessly. Going to re-design it though. As for the ladies, all but the Thunder is looking great. I think they are just hungry. Bought some Grow Big and some Tiger Bloom today, along with a PPM meter. Got the PPM's up to about 1300 (they are almost 3 weeks old). 3 days ago I dropped the light about 5 inches (about 2" from the top of the plants), and tonight I had to raise it up almost 6" because the motivation was IN the light!!! Updated pics. 'Bender
Another update. All is going great!!! I did a res change and also changed over to Tiger Bloom nutes, and MAN do the ladies LOVE that stuff!!! They are going into a 36-hour nap tomorrow morning, and starting 12/12 on Wednesday!!! Check the pics. -Bender
My girlfriend has Fibromyalgia and I have bipolar disorder so we both just recently got our cards aswell. We are setting up our first grow as i type still doing construction but the tent is up and everything is sitting inside waiting to get set up. good luck on your grow! I'll be tagging along for the ride as I really want to see how that Matenuska turns out. thinking about ordering some seeds for my future grow, i still have to find good clones for my first. i hear its a hard task out here in SOCAL.
Good for you!!! One of my close friends (who helped me push my wife to get her card), gave her some Permafrost to try for her pain. As my wife put it: "It feels like a warm band going through my body from my head to my feet....then the pain's (almost) gone!!!". It's been almost 9 years since I have seen her smile like that...and without the opiods. Well, he gave us all the starts that are in this current grow. The other thing she has found is that the baked goods (cookies and cupcakes so far) give her REALLY good pain relief without the 'couchy' feeling (not to mention she can put a cookie in her purse to use while she is out and about!!!). She hits the bong at night before bed. As for the Matenuska, another friend is also currently growing that, and he says it is living up to its claim of the amount it puts out. Needless to say, I thinned out the Motivation before putting them down for a nap.
Switched the ladies into 12/12 after a 36-hour nap. Also got my new 3000k bulbs in. I will get some pics up soon....
Everything seems to be going pretty well. Everything is looking very nice. You are only 2 months away from enjoying the finer things in life. Enjoy!
So far, so good!!! The ladies are growin' ALOT now!!! So...I do have an 'issue' that I'm not quite sure about. I have been reading alot on here about 'listening' to what the ladies want as far as nutes go. They should be dropping with the water (meaning they are eating nutes at the same time they are drinking). What I have going on is my water level keeps dropping, but my nutes are staying close to even. I don't see any signs of nute burn or anything (a few leaves here and there have the tip burn, and others here and there have brownish-yellow spotting...nothing widespread though), but I don't see the nutes dropping. Have I got a case of nute lockout? The pic is a screenshot showing the measurements since I did my res change, also right before I went to 12/12. Res change was right at week 4. According to FF, the PPMs are right about where they need to be, but I am just going to watch them and give them what they want....opinions? Advice? Red is Ph. Green is PPM. Grey is water level in the res. -Bender
Cloning station is up and running!!! 3x Motivation, 3x Permafrost, and 5x MatenuskaTF. Crossing my fingers...we'll see here in a week or two!!! -Bender
Quick update. Everything is going great. Just upped the nutes to 1600 tonight (only meant to go to 1400...my bad). I will try to fix that tomorrow night, if the girls respond badly. If they are fine, then that's where they will stay 'till the end. Motivation and Permafrost are starting to show signs of frost!!! Another month and I should be harvesting Motivation and Permafrost...Thunder, not 'till Feb. Check the pics... -Bender
4 weeks into flower and MAN!!! Are these ladies gettin' F-A-T!!! Matenuska is actually...gorgeous...to look at!!! I must have five or six tops that are at LEAST five inches tall!!!! HOLY CRAP!!! And they still have eight weeks to go!!!! Unfortunately, the camera crapped out, so no pics until (hopefully) after Christmas. Looks like the tops of all are frost-bitten!!!!
39 days into flower and from what I am measuring...all vertical growth has pretty much stopped. Motivation and Permafrost are coming out later this month and the anticipation is killing me!!!! I am also REALLY excited about my next garden. Same space, but I am gonna have 14 ladies and one mom.....59,000 lumens of T8's!!!! Also can't wait to show that off!!!
47 days in...here are some tric pics...nothing is done yet, but getting close!!! Motivation, MatenuskaTF, and PermaFrost.