Sorry for the massive delay, folks. But as promised, the grow has finally begun! I have returned from visiting family and I am now germinating Vision's Northern Lights and Dinafem's Royale Haze. The Beginning (Week 1) Assembled the Gorilla 2' x 2.5' x 6' grow tent and put in the closet (had to uninstall the closet doors to get it in there, then reinstall them!) Put in the 4" GrowBright fan & Carbon Filter and hung the lights. The bubbleponics was a fun assembly and the the trickling sound just adds to the environment. As you can see in the pics, the final decision was for 2 90W LEDs supplemented by a 125W 6500k CFL bulb. Using rope ratchets to hang them and I cannot speak highly enough of these little $20 gems. I highly recommend using ratchets over those yoyos for your lights. They adjust so easily. As for the bubbleponics basin, I decided to lift it some 7" off the ground so I can use the drain spigot during water changes. In the lastpic, the NL is in the top left corner with the Haze at the bottom right. Currently using Britta filtered & PHed tap water and keeping the tent dark until I notice some sprouts coming out. I will turn on the lights after the sprout is > 1 inch. I'm holding off on the nutes until sprout has some leaves. Should I start weak nutes earlier? Temp: 74 degrees Humidity: 48% and rising (thanks to that cup of water evaporating) I'll remove the water after sprouting occurs. Tent Fan Lights I'll post an update and pics when a sprout pops out.
Thanks, Kit. I was pretty happy with it myself. I was wondering when should I turn on the lights in the tent? Should I do it as soon as a sprout pops out or should I wait until it is longer?
I would do it and let them sprout using a cfl ..... get it inches from the plants with a nice small fan to keep cool and keep plant strong. What strain? Sent from my LG-MS870 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Thanks for the advice, Florida Boi. The top left is Northern Lights and the bottom right is Royale Haze. I hooked up the 125W CFL (veg) and it is currently doing its thing (as per the pic below). I used some the bottom of an egg carton to cover the rockwool (there's a hole in the center where light can peak through. I read somewhere that this helps the sprout to seek the light. Do you think that's accurate?
Okay, I'm testing the PH of this water twice a day and it seems just uncontrollable. My PH was sitting at 6.1 at around 12am and I just tested it again and it was at 4.5!!! I used the Stealth Hydro PH Up and it took quite a bit to get it back in range. I'm worried that the PH will be flying all over the place for this entire grow. What could possible make the PH change so radically in 12 hours?
Well one of the main things that I have seen is it really depends on the quality of the water that you are using. What are you using? Well water is full of minerals and things that can throw off the PH a bit but usually not fluxuate. Tap water is generally pumped full of chemicals and can really throw off PH when the chemicals in the water degrade it can throw off the PH when this happens. Depending on your area tap water can completely throw off your grow. RO is the best water you can get for your grow (Reverse Osmosis) and you can get it by the gallon in those water machines at grocery stores. Is cheaper when you bring in your own 5 Gallon containers. Distilled is also really good to use and is generally neutral with the PH Spring water - is ok just keep an eye on the PH and PPM I personally use TAP water. In my area the chlorine and other chemicals are at a manageable level and is use Start Right (fish department) to remove nasty chemicals and metals. Then my nutes keep it pretty good on the PH. I take my PH once a week and it's always spot on without any intervention. These results aren't typical though so keep an eye on your water.
Thanks for all the help. I was using tap water and in this area, it's probably a little questionable. I did let the water sit out and aerate for like 8 hours before putting the rockwool cubes in. But in this case, I think I'd rather use distilled water now that you mention it. I though distilled was particularly acidic but I guess if I adjust the PH before switching the water out, it will remain relatively stable. One other thing. I forgot to soak the rockwool cubes in the PHed water before putting the seeds in (I just used the bubbleponics to water the rockwool). Do you think this will screw up my chances for successful germination? If so, I think I'm going to just go the paper towel route as most people seem to have a lot of success with that.
I have germed seeds in rock wool and use the tap not thinking and gotten good results. What I find with teeming in rock wool is that it can get really saturated and choke out the seedling and stop it in its tracks. If doing in rock wool I would suggest leaving it out of the system until you either see some roots popping out the bottom or you start getting in the first set of blades I really well. Just keep the rock wool damp and no wet.
Awesome. Thanks again. I actually was worried b/c the rockwool was completely soaked by the system and the pH was going all over the place (tap water) not to mention the RH was plummeting at night time. The rockwool started looking so mushy that I figured I had drowned my seeds. I went and bought a germing tray today and asked the guy at the hydro store if I could open up the rockwool to check on the seedlings. He said as long as I didn't touch the roots or leave them out in the light it would be ok. So I opened the rockwool. Low and behold, the seeds had indeed germinated and a wonderfully long root had begun to reach downward for both strains. I quickly closed the rockwool and put it back in the system WITHOUT running the water on it. As long as I didn't kill them, they should be shooting sproutlings out within the next few days. Once that happens, I'll post pictures and the lights/pumps will go on. Thanks again, Kitsune!
Anytime man, you have any hydro questions feel free to ask. I am running both Aero and Bubbleponics so getting used to a lot. Would like to try a flood and drain one of these days too sounds like a lot of fun. Glad to hear that you had good luck with the germ hope you didn't mess anything with opening them up, have heard it can be easy to mess a fresh germed plant up. Last couple times that I germed seeds I used the paper towel method and then moved them to moist rock wool until I had a nice start, and then moved to the system once there were roots or if the true leaves were out. I think the next time I germ seeds I am going to germ straight into rock wool Getting it moist like I told you and then placing in a seed tray, and putting a solo cup over each one with a seed heating mat under the tray. The seedlings don't really need light until they have popped up a couple inches. Generally I tend to add low light when they first pop so they can get used to it. Generally a 75 watt CFL equiv. In the cloining room right now I am using 2 100 watt equivs and they are all just reaching for that light./
I really appreciate that, Kitsune. Just as an update, I got lucky and we've seen a sprout (Royale Haze). Must be some damn fine genetics b/c I could've sworn I drowned this little gal. She is looking quite weak, though, so I started the 125W CFL but not the LEDs. Any suggestions on how to get this little lady to stand up straight? Thanks ahead.
Thanks, man, will do. Actually, she's already nearly standing straight up! Any suggestions on when to turn on the water pump and add in weak nutrients?
Here she is standing up nice and tall. She seems to have reached a slight bit (perhaps my lights were a little higher than they needed to be). So, I lowered the LED so it is basically next to the CFL neither of them more than 6 inches away from the sprout. I was wondering when I should start the flowing water in the bubbleponics system. I'm going to change out the water basins tomorrow night and add in 1/4 strength nutrients so I guess I'll start the flowing water tomorrow. Is there any reason you think I should wait longer before starting the flowing water? Thanks ahead.
Well you can start the flowing water now if you like it really wouldn't hurt anything but in the same hand I don't see it doing too much good until the roots break through the rock wool and head through the clay pellets a bit. As it sits the moisture in the res is already keeping the clay pellets nice and moist so the roots are going to head down that way on their own. Nutes really aren't needed yet, I usually don't add the nutes until there are at least the first couple leaf sets, looking at the pic it looks like the first set is already coming in. Give it about 3-4 more days til the plant gets a little stronger. It isn't quite ready for the nutes yet. Once you have the second set of leaves coming in I would go ahead and add the 1/4 strength nutes (what nutes are you using again?) and then turn on the pumps. At this stage of growth they should have all that they need. Turning on the water too soon could cause more water to come up through the pellets and soak the rockwool too much at this stage for the delicate root structure. However I don't know your system so this could be just my observations from my own systems. I use Organic veg nutes for the beginning. On clones and seedlings I use the organic nutes because they are much more gentle on the young plants and get the plants used to receiving nutes. I only use those nutes in the beginning and then I add the normal synthetic nutes that I use, this way you can be gentle in the beginning and then give them all that they need later. Also you shouldn't have to change the water out too often in your grow man, it will be a lot of work, and can cause a little stress on your plants. You may shudder but I only change my water out once my entire grow. Of course I add fresh water as the plants use it but I always add my nutes in the water that I add too. I only do a complete water change at the end when I am doing the complete flush. I don't even change the water out when switching between the veg and the flower nutes. That is just me however. If you go by what people recommend I would change the water out once a month, or when you switch to flower nutes and then at the end for the flush. The real thing to look for is in the roots, pull the plants up every once in awhile and check the roots to make sure there are no problems. I look to see if they are slimey or not. If they are ever getting slimey then you have a problem and you need to change the water out and take some steps to get rid of the slime. The roots to me kinda feel like pumpkin guts when you are cleaning out a pumpkin to carve it. Sorry to write you a novel here lol
I'm pulling up my chair now before this bitch gets too crowded. Nice set up bro. Kit knows his shit man. I'm a soil dude myself, hydro would just be too much for me on my 1st indoor. Keep it green homie.
I call bullshit =) My first ever grow was indoor Aeroponics. Everyone said I was an idiot for going Aeroponics on my first grow but it allowed me to hone and improve my setup. First grow ended up failing because of crap genetics not the system. This my second grow has been flawless thanks to the setup I figured out on the first grow! =) If I can do it anyone can with a little research and some good friends from GC along the way.
Lots of talented and helpful folks on GC for sure. I'm still at the beginning of your grow so I guess I haven't got there yet lol. I guess since I've only used soil I didn't want to do get in too deep on my 1st go :lol: