My 2Nd Real Grow Attempt, W/ Pics Bubble Cloner/clone Machine, Dwc

Hello everybody,
 
http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-beginners/1325605-my-1st-real-grow-attempt-w-pics.html
 
That is a link to my first grow attempt, random bagseed in old unknown potting soil I found in a grocery store bag out back. The results were a FAIL but I learned a lot in the process.
 
Here goes my 2nd attempt, this time with preparation and due diligence.
 
My materials are;
 
1 x 3 gallon Rubbermaid storage container, dark grey container & black lid = light proof. $5
5 x 2" net pots & 5 x 2" neoprene inserts. $4
1 x 20-60 aquarium air pump, tubing & air stone. $15 
4 x 23w 6500k CFL @ 1600 lumens each. $10
1 x 23w 2500k CFL @ ???? lumens. Free, pulled from random light socket hehe
 
and of course
 
2 x Sour OG clones/cuttings from a mother plant, local reputable collective. $12 total
Depending on how this goes I will go back and pick up
1 x Gorilla Glue #4 clone/cutting. $15
1 x Romulan clone cutting. $10
 
I went with just the two for now to avoid a massacre and precious $ should I fail again. Here is my progress so far. Oh yea, and the person who helped me at the collective dipped the rooting end of the stem in some liquid rooting hormone. I was so excited throughout the whole process I didn't get a good look at what it was exactly but I can always go back and find out.
 

Bubbles, view of clone #2 stem slightly submerged in water.
 

Another shot of clone #2's stem, not submerged.
 

I got them home around 8pm, put them under all 5 CFL's until midnight to mimic what was being done with the mother. Outdoors then brought inside to supplement 18/6 light schedule. I put quite a bit of distance between them and the lights, as can be seen in pics below. I also quickly took out each insert and double checked bubble action, there was also plenty of fine mist shooting everywhere from popping bubbles.
 

Added a pre-cut windshield sun blocker thing as a make-shift reflector. Does the job for now.
 

This was taken from about knee height just to show the bulb's positioning.
 

This shot shows the distance between plants and bulbs. Sorry for lack of reference but clone #1 (right) i about 8" tall and clone #2 (left) is about 7" tall. At around 9pm they began wilting. Even though I read over and over that this is normal, I was still concerned.
 

Clone #1
 

Clone #2
 
At approximately 10pm, I trimmed a few bits of fan leaves. I've read that it helps, and also that it doesn't, but decided to try it myself because it made perfect sense that the plant would freak out about losing its energy reserves and start root production. I do my research when medicated. 
 
I went to bed after this but of course went to check on them shortly after the lights switched off at midnight.
 

Clone #1
 

Clone #2
 

Clone #1 is on the right, clone #2 on the left. I thought #2 was dying, and that maaayyybee #1 had a chance.
I got super sad thinking I killed them. I kept telling myself that it was normal for them to wilt some, and forced myself to LITFA. (I was still awake until 3 worrying though, but reading these awesome forums)
 
I woke up to my alarm for work at 6am, and bolted to check on my ladies. (Is it day #2 now?)
 

Clone #1 looking worse, fearing the worst.
 

Clone #2   She perked right up. At first I thought it was too good to be true and I was seeing things, then wondered why 1 recovered and the other didn't. Is one just bouncing back faster? Is there an unknown variable thats benefiting #2 but not #1? I chuckled to myself when I realized #2, which I thought was done for, bounced back but #1 which I thought had a better chance was actually worse since I've seen this same thing happen to other growers under different circumstances. 
 
I peeked under the hood and realized #2 was slightly submerged in the water, but #1 wasn't!
 

Fixed the "problem", clone #1 stem is now slightly submerged. 
 

Clone #1
Note the very bottom nodes have been removed to allow the stem to be lowered and be submerged into the water. I did not want to add more water to raise the reservoir level, its apparently fine for #2 so why change that to try and save #1? Rather match #1 to #2 and see if that worse. Also, its wilting even more now.
 

Clone #1 a few hours later. She seems to be recovering! Whether this is from my trim and lowering or it was going to bounce back on its own I'll never know. Also, I moved it from the right, to the left and behind clone #2 in case that side had better bubble action. Who knows, I'm just glad they both seem to be doing better. 
 
Any feedback/comments/suggestions is greatly appreciated!

 

Oh yea, they are not under the 5 CFLs right now. I moved them to a wall about 6 feet away from these HUGE windows on the corners of my bedroom. Not in direct sunlight but for most of the daylight hours there is A LOT of ambient light coming in and the room is very bright. My reasoning told me to mimic what the mother was getting which was lots of sunlight supplemented by additional lighting for 18/6. Since they are fresh cuttings/clones, I did not want to place them in direct sunlight or the CFLs for too long either.

 

 
Woohoo! Clone #1 perked up as well! I believe I am good to go with just watching my temps, topping off the reservoir as needed, and adding 1/8 strength nutrients AFTER the roots have sprouted, correct? 

 

Came home yesterday and they look great! I think I even have a root on #1at the bottom of the stem.

 

Morning of day 3.


#1



#2

 

Day 8 updates

Today is 1 week since the clones were cut from the mother plant. It is time for a rez change correct?
Do I start nutes now or wait until roots develop?
Also, I'm not too worried about the drooping and yellowing leaves toward the bottom, however should I be concerned about the curving leaf tips? Some are going sideways, not up or down.
And of course here are pics
#1




#2



Oh yea I have them under 18/6 CFL about a foot away now. I started at about 2 feet away and been lowering it a few inches every day. Growing in my closet, temps have been ranging from 70-85, humidity from 30-55%. I don't have a rez thermometer yet but I placed an icy pack under the rez yesterday on a hot day (Southern Cali, 95 high) and the temp in the closet didn't go above 80.

Feedback/suggestions greatly appreciated!

 

I agree, I just have it farther away for fear of burning the clones. I lowered them to 4" away this morning, as well as a rez change yesterday.

No nutez at all so far. I sanitized everything because there was some brown stuff growing on the airstone and clear slimy stuff on the air hose. I assume thats bad? Should I be using aquashield or something similar?

The temp in the closet was 82 this morning so I placed a frozen 1 gallon of water container in front of the intake fan, the air blowing through and off that was helluva noticeably chiller.

 

Thank you both for your suggestions!

Sorry for the low light pics I took them out of the growbox and had only a dim houselamp on when I took pics.

There was some rooting hormone gel applied to them at the cut site immediately after they were cut. I'm not sure what brand it was.

Today is day 11, i was away for the weekend but came home and they seem to be doing ok. Still no sign of roots, I wonder what that was a few days ago haha. I may add hydrogen peroxide tomorrow, then get some GW by day 14 if no roots appear by then.



Thats where the lights have been the last few days. Growbox is only 1/2 finished as well just a bit more reflective material and power strips to be mounted.

 

Does anyone know how to edit a first post? I want to keep adding materials I buy for this project to keep a grand total running since I am trying to keep costs as low as possible. Thought it'd be neat to have the grand total right in the first post.

 

What kind of temps are you getting?
I haven't been able to test my rez but where I have the regular meter reads 78-82, I'm wondering if thats too warm?
I added 20mL of 3% H2O2 to my 2 gallon rez today because see pics below.

 

I also put more work into my book case grow box. I installed a power strip as well as reflector made of car windshield thing. Also added back the 23w 2700k bulb so i should be at a total of 132w and ~8000 lumens.
Put duct tape on my air hose for light leak protection, and got 2 intake fans and 1 exhaust running. Still need to add a lot more reflective material.





No bulbs are touching each other or anything else but it sure looks like it

 

Thanks! Its a WIP
I currently have four 23w 6500k and one 23w 2700k in there. Going to maybe double that through veg and I'm saving up for an LED (undecided what brand or wattage, still researching) so I hope to have that before they get too tall. The box gives me ~ 4' of height to work with.

Here they are this morning.