DaDankSkunk GLH LED Organic Grow +9 weeks +Pure AK +Airpots +12/12 From Seed

DankSkunk's Organic Grow

OK you guys. Here's the deal. It's my first marijuana grow and I've got 9 weeks to start and finish this grow, not including curing and drying. That'll make it around 12 weeks total, just guesstimating.

9 weeks is the time constraint. How do I make it in time?
Here are the primary factors to consider.
1. 12/12 straight from seed! That's why I got feminized Pure AK. Afghan strains supposedly have shorter flowering time.
2. Healthy roots and soil, satisfied by airpots to make shit grow like mad from the start
3. Nutrients, satisfied by aquaponic treated water(fish poop + fish food + snail excretions), ocean forest, EWC Teas.
4. Optimum temperature range, sustained by 400W heater + automatic thermostat.
5. Co2 saturation, which will be satisfied by champagne yeast, air locks, and balloons for the night.
6. Optimum Light, satisfied by 200 Watts of the best brand of LEDs, GLH Spectras.
7. Clean air and odor control, satisfied by ozium spray and a negative ion generator

Here's the run down of supplies:
Soil: Fox Farm's Ocean Forest
Pots: Super Roots Air Pot 2 Gal + 1Liter seed starters
Seeds: Pure AK Feminized + Delicious Seeds - Cotton Candy Feminized (Freebie seeds)
Feeding: Aquaponic treated Water + teas, among other organic things.
Lighting: GrowLEDHydro Spectra LED UFOs 2010 & 2011 Models
Heating: Thermostat + heater = hope this shit works
Space: 6.5 Sq. Feet (32" x 30")
Odor Control: Ozium and Negative Ion Generator

Date: March 4th 2012 - Saturday - Day N/A

I've finalized most aspects of the planning stages. The only things left on my mind are Co2 Tanks, their alternatives, and the cost comparisons. I'm thinking of just buying a Co2 tank, probably around 10-15 lbs. It seems expensive to get the ppm gauge + release thing.

In other news, I am currently awaiting, some recently placed others from last week, incoming orders of seeds and supplies. I purchased a Co2 liquid by API called Co2 Boost. It's supposedly organic(as of March 7th: It's not. It actually has anti-microbial properties). I also ordered a negative ion generator wall plug, and some ozium, acting as a "double tap" against odor.

I was setting up the temperature control today as well. I wired a power surge into my Ranco ETC thermostat, which will shut the device, in this case my 400W heater, on/off based on the temperature. I tested it earlier, around 11pm, and it came on every 5 minutes for about a little less time than it was off, about 3 minutes. I positioned the heater, in a fashion so it is directed at the wall next to the planting area, with a fan behind it to further disperse the heat throughout the room. The temperature is typically peaking at 85 degrees and descends no further below 81. In this temperature, Co2 reaches maximum intake. It is a factor I must capitalize on, which may be further aided by my Co2 water application.

I've been reading a lot through Ed Rosenthal's Marijuana Grower's Handbook, where I found plenty of new information, despite having read through this book last year. It seems the more I know the more I discover. Right after I typed that last sentence I just read 2 pages. It's really interesting and helpful to read, good for a first grow like mine.

I think I spent about 5 hours going through Grow Journals, is this normal? Speaking of Grow journals, I've decided to use these first two posts to update my grow, rather than creating new posts in order to streamline this journal for future readers. I've found it is quite difficult to follow a grow journal, especially ones that exceed 60 pages, when you're only looking to the answer for a single question.

Date: March 5th - Sunday - Day N/A

I figured out my Co2 ordeal. I've decided to take the brewer's path. I purchased 10 packs of Champagne yeast, I've already got molasses, and I've also got a few stoppers and airlocks as well. I plan on getting the 2 gallon purified water tanks that they sell at Wal-Mart, which I see recycled so often. Apparently, they provide quite a bit of Co2, lasting weeks. Here are the instructions I am following.

Fill the bottle with about a 20% solution of glucose (dextrose) by mass and place a few tsp. of yeast in that jaunt. Placing the yeast in some warm water for half an hour prior with some sugar is a good way to jump-start the process. Using those six-carboned sugars, you get optimum results, but other sugars can be used. In general, you'll likely find the 5-carbon variety (fructose: corn syrup, eg.) or the polysaccharide (sucrose: cane sugar). In these cases, its ok to add a little more sugar, no more than 25%. Champagne yeast can tolerate more. Brewers yeast, you may want to shoot for less. Cap that jaunt with the tubing/cap system you rigged up.

Here are some other notes about how much Co2 is produced.

So what does this mean for you? A mole of glucose is around 180 grams. Thus, a 20% mass solution will produce slightly more than TWO MOLES (2.2 to be be exact) of of gas per liter. At standard temperature and pressure, and if you are growing, that's what you want, you will get around 50 liters of pure carbon dioxide from this method, over the time period of about 2-4 weeks. Great stuff.

Taken from an Anonymous user at the Rollitup forum. Great info.

I also looked into some supplements which may maximize yield and potency of the crop.

According the Ed Rosenthal's Marijuana Grower's Handbook, UVB has an effect on THC production, so I may consider purchasing a CFL with UVB. I do also have UV diodes in both my LED lights(along with green, amber, red, blue), so that's another plus.

My seeds have also made it through the sorting facility in NY! yay! I'm thinking they'll be here on Wednesday or Thursday.

Date: March 6th - Tuesday - Day N/A

I thought I'd be using my 300W Lamp for this grow, until I realized it uses a Low Pressure Sodium bulb. Goodbye lamp! I'll just be sticking to my 2 UFO lights, I will probably throw CFLs in to hit the Dark Spots.

I've also been planning this grow with the fact that I'm going on a 1 week vacation sometime in April. I've decided that I'm just going to set up a reservoir/EWC tea brewing tank, 27 gallons, which should be able to feed 6 2 gallon air pots with a pump-driven drip system. I might just run this thing for most of the grow, just making sure to top the water on both my reservoir and aquaponics system. I've found the perfect size already, but I won't be getting it any time soon, in order to stay within budget for the next week.

Edited by DaDankSkunk, 08 March 2012 - 10:18 AM.

Date: March 7th - Wednesday - G-Day

After doing quite a bit more research on Co2 uptake by the roots, most research has led me to conclude that this would have completely messed up the grow. It turns out a few scientists tried to test the theory, and found that when a plant is given water with dissolved co2, less nutrients are taken up. Plants watered with dissolved oxygen had the best results, which was part of the plan anyway. Co2 however, is a no no.

Also, my seeds have arrived, have been scarified(sp?), and are now sitting in RO Water, slightly diluted with aquaponic water. I have 5 feminized seeds: 1 Delicious Seeds - Candy Kush (Sativa%75 hybrid), 4 Pure AK (Indica).

Here we go.



Date: March 10th - Saturday - Day 3

Since dropping the seeds in water on Wednesday, then placing them in soil on Thursday, the seeds are beginning to sprout out of the dirt as of Saturday. 2 out of 5 are slowly creeping out the soil. Hopefully all 5 will be out by Monday. They are under a CFL at the moment, inside a seedling chamber, inside 1 liter Airpots in Fox Farm soil. They are being watered by a mixture of 80% RO 20% Aquaponic water. They seem to be doing well, but it's very difficult to be patient with the seeds. Unlike rockwool, where I could always shine a light to see the seed sprouting, I must simply wait with soil or else risk the well being of the seedling.

Edited by DaDankSkunk, 11 March 2012 - 04:16 AM.

Hi DaDankSkunk,

You ONLY spent 5 hours going through the grow journals? That is definitely not normal! I spend about 3 hours A DAY reading through these pearls of wisdom.

Good luck with your grow!

Hi DaDankSkunk,

You ONLY spent 5 hours going through the grow journals? That is definitely not normal! I spend about 3 hours A DAY reading through these pearls of wisdom.

Good luck with your grow!

I had another splurge of grow journal research today. I don't know for how long, but looking at the clock I'm realizing the day is at its end yet again. Thanks for the good luck, I'll definitely need it!

Edited by DaDankSkunk, 06 March 2012 - 08:31 AM.

lol I didn't realize there was a 7-day limit for editing post. Damn. Oh well. Here's an update.

Date: March 11th - Monday - Day 5

It's 130am, Monday morning/Sunday night. 4 seeds have sprouted, leaves spread, and 1 more is about to break to the surface. Not bad. They are currently under a 23W CFL, and I don't have any extra timers so it's just going 24/0. Technically not 12/12 from seed, but come Wednesday they'll be under 12/12 and an LED. I'll add the second LED once it is needed. With a 100% success of seed germination, and the use of femenized seeds, this grow is starting off very well.

Edited by DaDankSkunk, 12 March 2012 - 08:49 AM.

Date: March 14th - Wednesday - Week 1 (Since start of Germination)

Ok, after having all the seeds sprout out the soil on monday, I've placed the 5 plants under my 100W led in the closet. The seedlings are doing well, but now that they're not under CFLs they'll do way better. Consider this the beginning of the 12/12 schedule.

My seedlings were stretching a bit for the CFLs, I didn't realize how weak CFLs were, in terms of providing enough light for the seedlings. I've only ever used my 100 watt fluorescents and LEDs. I buried a good part of the stem under a bit of soil mixed with great white mychorzzae (sp?). Will more roots grow out of this? Idk.

Date: March 16th - Friday - Day 9

So I went to the brewery shop yesterday, so I could get a glass carboy for some good ol' co2. I ended up buying malt and grain, and brewed some hefeweisen beer. I have about 5 gallons in 2 different containers sitting in the closet now putting out Co2. The plants are also doing fine. Nothing special. Just another day.

Hey DaDankSkunk,

Brew some suds, give your girlz some extra C02 at the same time...I like it!

Man, those LED lights make your soil mix look like oatmeal or something. Any chance you could take a quick pic when the lights go out so we can see what things really look like in there?

See ya...

Here, took some more pictures. They're looking good, but is it normal to have the lighter green color in the center? I'm thinking there shouldn't be any deficiencies this early on, so it must just be how it is.

I also took some phone pics of my aquaponics system. My tomatoes just started to ripen a few days ago. I may eat one as a bruschetta tonight!

Edited by DaDankSkunk, 16 March 2012 - 06:20 PM.

looks like a solid start, can't wait to see how this goes. I just got my seeds this week, can't wait to get things going myself.

Hey DaDankSkunk,

Thanks for the "daylight" pics. Yep, the color of your seedlings is normal. Are your tomato plants being fed by the aquaponics? They look nice and healthy. Good work!

See ya...

Hey papawayne, thanks yeah those tomatoes are raised solely by the aquaponic system. It went through a few deficiencies early on, but it's doing a lot better now that the aquaponic system is a little more mature.

Date: March 25th - Sunday - 18 Days from seed

I've been watering every other day with Aquaponic water, these air pots dry out within a day or two. It seems the plants are just about explode. I'm doing my best to keep a constant presence of Co2 and stable temperature. The heater and humidifier are keeping conditions at 80-85 F and 35-40% RH, with night time temperatures in the 70s. Speaking of Co2, My hefeweizen is going to be bottled Thursday, meaning I've got to get more brewing supplies.

Every other watering has also had some sort of supplement. Today, I got a bucket of aquaponic water, and added 1/2 cup EWC, scraped some bacterial crum off the side of my aquarium and added that, added 1/2 a cup of happy frog steamed bonemeal, a few spoons of kelp meal and some silica blast. I let it bubble for quite some time. In some of the other waterings, I've added blackstrap and diamond nectar as well.

On day 14 the plants went from 1liter to 1.5 gallon air pots, and then watered them with thrive alive b-1 and added some great white myco.I also applied one foliar feeding with RO water the next day, with Thrive Alive B-1 green, and a few drops of diamond nectar.

Picture 1& 4: Largest plant, had cotyledons 3 days after germination
Picture 2: 200Watts total of Spectra UFOs and 5 1.5 gallon airpots with my girls
Picture 3: Smallest plant, had cotyledons 5 days after germination
5&6: Aquaponics update

Edited by DaDankSkunk, 25 March 2012 - 09:42 PM.

Date: April 2nd - Monday - Day 26 from G-Day/Day 3 from First Flowers

Flowers have begun to appear. The first appeared on Friday, and since then have slowly begun to appear in the other plants. The plants have been growing quickly, and have been enjoying their watering schedule. Watering every other day with the Aquaponic water. It's been about a week from the last update and these plants have grown nicely. There hasn't been and leaf discoloration, no necrosis, green leaves everywhere. The plants haven't slumped at all and always look happy. I can already smell the flowers a little bit, and I plan on also grabbing some Ona Gel Pro to help cover the smell. Here are the pictures.

I don't have a nice camera anymore, because the person I borrowed it from is gone. So the pictures might not be as nice from here on out.

The photos are not true lighting, I've adjusting the colors because I don't have any light source besides the LED lights. Next update, I'll post photos under normal lighting, but for now this is what I have to show. The first photo is the original color of the lighting(with 1 light on), the following 2 being the lighting with both lights on. My lights are different colors, so I left on the one that was less purple.

Edited by DaDankSkunk, 02 April 2012 - 07:09 PM.

Date: April 9th - Monday - 35 Days from Seed/13 Days from First Flowers

Here's a little preview of my next update coming either tomorrow or the day after. Should be tomorrow though. I hope you guys are enjoying my journal so far, I know there is lots of information and thoughts flying around, but I guess i like to "type out loud" haha. much love! Please don't be afraid to criticize everything I'm doing or anything I feel so alone in here. But it's ok I know you guys are all just waiting for the flowers.

Date: April 16th - Monday - 42 Days From Seed/20 Days from First Flowers

Ok you guys. Not only did I miss last weeks update, but the photos this week are terrible. I promise I'll make it up to you guys. I'll take the plants out of their closet next week for you guys and take some REAL photos. Or maybe tomorrow. We'll see. Again, apologies for the terrible photos.

The plants are showing some signs of either nitrogen deficiency + potassium deficiency or they are just shedding off old leaves at the bottom of the canopy. The first set of leaves after the cotyledons are yellow and brown/crispy at the edges starting from the outer most point of the leaf, and on another plant the same symptoms are appearing on the second set of leaves after cotyledons(the 3 leaflet leaf).

The smell is really getting strong. I got an ONA bucket, a nice big bucket, and its covering the smell nicely. The plants have been drinking water like crazy, and I haven't given them a EWC tea in a while, so I'm going to need to do that. I've been replacing the Co2 yeast brewers weekly, with 2 buckets and 2 jugs, which have been doing a great job of providing incredulous amounts of Co2. It's probably a lot easier to just buy one of those Co2 bags. oh, and the beer came out terrible. but it did its job anyway.

In other news, I also have a hermie.

My Delicious Seeds - Cotton Candy has a strange pheno. It's leaves are rough and look unhealthy at first, but its just the pheno. There were some male flowers mixed in with the female flowers and I tried to pluck most of them off. I don't really have anywhere else to put these plants, and I'm just going to leave it in with the rest of the crowd. The rest of the seeds all have what looks to be the same exact pheno type, besides a few differences in height and leaf width. Female Seeds is really a great seed company. Delicious seeds, not so much.

Edited by DaDankSkunk, 16 April 2012 - 04:13 PM.

Just going to post some pics to show growth over the weeks.

The start



Day 9 (Week 1.2?)



Middle of Week 2

http://forum.grasscity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=845330&d=1332706266

Middle of Week 3



Sometime in Week 4



Day 1 of Week 5



Day 1 of Week 6

http://forum.grasscity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=860541&d=1334591669

Edited by DaDankSkunk, 16 April 2012 - 04:15 PM.

Update: April 24th - Day 50/28 days flowering



I'm not sure whether I'll make the 9 week deadline. :/ We'll see what happens. I plan on putting them in the dark the last 7 days, then harvest. Well here is an update. I got my 55mm lens for my film camera, and put it up to my playsport camera and the pics didn't come out too bad, but it was hard to focus definitely. Temperatures have been going up to the low 90s, never past 91 or 92, but still too high... The lowest I can keep it at is around 87, but man thats hot. My plants are still growing and soaking up a ton of Co2 definitely, because I know that Co2 absorption doesn't peak until the 90s, but that probably has to do with staying cool too.

One of my plants has been drinking water like crazy, I have to water her everyday, but the other 4 plants are still being watered ever other day. My cotton candy has fattened up nicely, and looks like it might explode any time soon. She's also a He, but I pulled out all the male flowers already. Luckily they weren't putting out much pollen, although I did see some wilting flowers on her. Been replenishing Co2 every few days, trying to vent the closet by cracking the door open. The smell isn't noticable with the ona bucket under the fan, that's good too. It's almost half way through already.

I also got this chicken shit fertilizer, that has been processed so its basically a liquid fertilizer. It's from a local company, and man my soil loves this stuff. The day after I put it in, the white fungus that always lingers on the surface of my soil exploded. It was like a whole layer of white fuzz sitting on top of the soil, usually its just there in patches. Good stuff.

Edited by DaDankSkunk, 25 April 2012 - 02:38 AM.

Don't put them in the dark for 7 days.. I don't know what you're trying to achieve by that? was that a joke?

I'm still deciding and I'm quite serious yes. I'm looking to see the results of others who have done the same, but I can't even find a comparison of any sort. Does anyone else want to chime in on this 7-days of dark idea?

I also switched my timer from 12/12 down to 10/14 just now as well.

Edited by DaDankSkunk, 26 April 2012 - 01:01 AM.

Hey DDSkunk,

I'm thinking about starting a thread somewhere here in GC to ask about the dark period from those who practice it or those who have merely tried it.

There does seem to be some scientific basis for doing so, from both the general horticultural establishment and from cannabis studies in particular. A number of breeders recommend it, especially the White breeders, although there are varying opinions from actual growers on its effectiveness. Maybe some were expecting too much. Others may have swayed by the placebo syndrome.

Either way, I think it would make an interesting thread, even if, like many discussions of controversial practices, there are no definitive answers at the end of the day.

See ya...