6 inch PVC aeroponics tube system

[OldGrower]

Yeah SA still checking in from time to time. How long since going to 12/12? Appears to be at 3 weeks
or so. They will grow and fill out more as they grow. The lower shaded buds will probably not yield much. Should get buds at every leaf junction. This is where trimming your plants comes into play so you don't grow lower junk buds (larf). Plants in photos look good. What strains are they and my be able to find approximate flower times. OG

 

[SailAway]

Well as you know I did go through a few plants, here we have "Money Maker", "Jack Herer", "Big Bug", and a "White Widow", but one of these is well stunted and I guess it will curl away under the rest.

I know where one of the Big Bud in and the rest, well they got confused, a little.

Got my first lot of clones ready to go I might let them veg a little less time as these buggers have been trailed out so the are almost growing horizontally for a bit.

Thanks for the input, how much longer do I leave them, and do I trim all the lower leaves off as well as the branches?

 

[SailAway]

there seems loads of smaller buds on the branches. is this correct, always thought it would be a single large one.

 

[shnkrmn]

Sailaway, I still use my tube system with great results. What do you need help with? Here to help.

The good citizenship award goes to OldGrower.

 

[OldGrower]

Use your own judgement about when to flower them, better a little short the first time than too tall.
All those giant colas you see in photos are really just a lot of smaller buds grown together and stacked. Personally thats why I top my plants to two or three shoots, helps spread out the buds some preventing bud rot.

 

[SailAway]

Got the next lot ready to flower I think they are about 18" tall, reckin a little longer?

Maybe another week or two?

WHilst the others have grown into trailing monsters, each plant now as horizontal as vertical, I would like to think that I may get an ounce or two from each.

Cloning, I still get failures at the moment, about 30% at the mo, I tried re doing the you tube bit, but just could not get it right all the time, I guess this is where experance comes in! I will get some in the end.

I think I have 48 on the go at the moment, and at three four different stages, I started with the tubes, but had a little issiue it holds 68 plants and I could not fully populate it, I well be taking another bunch of clones in the next few weeks, and hopefully this should yield another 60-70 plants, which can fill the tubes propperly, grew a few other bits in it and used it for starting the initial veg, but moved them to dwc once we got going.

well all is good, I reckon four weeks to go for the first lot. but see what they look like and thanks for the input.

Also Congrats on the "Good citizen Award", people like me really do need experanced people like you to assist, or we would be even more doomed to failure than expected.

Thanks

 

[OldGrower]

Sailaway, glad I could be of some help to you. Below are pics of my current grow
just starting. I vegged them some in my cloner then moved them into my unit
8 days ago and they are really taking off. Back farthest plant around 13 inches and shortest
is around 10 inches. I went back to the internal sprayers because I think i get better
spray without using the small diameter feed lines.

First photo is of my light mover and carbon scrubber

Secind photo is of a topped plant, trimmed to 3 tops. When i switch to flower this weekend
I will prune to three tips to have only 3 growing shoots each.

Last photo is of my system. 5 tubes 5 plants each 25 plants total approx 22 sq ft.

Strains mostly CSG GdoggyP great strain dense buds tasty and super potent

Upper left area trying Hortilab Sour Power. Nice strong plants with huge stems, looks promising.

Gl with your grow and if you need help just holler, OG

 

[OldGrower]

shnkrmn, thanks for stopping in. No awards needed just trying to give back. Others on the web have helped me greatly.
I see a grow log coming on here at rui. OG

 

[SailAway]

Hi there, ok guide me through this please, I have done the utube videos and bits, but some of the buds are totally white, and a few have brown hairs and others pretty much brown all over, done some pics, how long do you reckon? or are the over done already.

 

[SailAway]

 

[OldGrower]

SA, the white hairs will change colors from white to red, orange, brown, etc. wait till most are not white.
The best way is to use a 60 to 100x microscope, we get cheap ones at radio shack in the us. Cut off a
bud leaf and look at the trichomes. When a majority of the trichomes are cloudy not clear is the right time
to pick. They will change from clear to cloudy to amber. Don't want too many amber, mostly cloudy.
Each strain will be different and also each pheno will also have a different harvest time.

Check out my grow journal https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/810360-og-grows-csg-gdoggyp-hortilab.html

Hope this helps, OG

 

[SailAway]

It does Thanks again

Ok My Buyer asked if I could add some molasses you suggested purchasing some fruitilitious or something, help the time is at hand, and I need to borrow cars and visit shops again, lol

if I do use molasses how much and when?

thanks

J...

 

[OldGrower]

Do not use molasses you will have big problems with clogging and growing things in the res you
do not want to use it. Instead use floralicious from general hydroponics. Start using it at 50ml per
40 gal of res at 3rd week of 12/12 at res change. Increase to two doses at week 6 of flower until end.

 

[SailAway]

Well the deed is done, a little disappointed that the yield was so low, I know it only my first finalized 12 plants, but 3/4 of a kilo, sulk, only a couple of ounces a piece, how do I get a little more out of it, The mix received good reviews, but I think I harvested a bit late, looked like the plants were dieing, the leaves were going yellow, I kept checking the hairs on the leaves, Most still looked clear, not sure where I went wrong with these? thoughts?

 

[SailAway]

Well not too sure about what happened finally, they were doing fine, I was looking with a scope, but could not see the trikes change, ok found a few brown, but I was getting yellow leaves at this stage.


So 4 days h2o and that about wrapped it, but just didnt feel it meat it;'s potential, 12 plants and producing 800g, mediocre at best.


Next 12 in the flowering room already, again these in dwc, switched to a slow crculating system, and they look a lot happier.


Another 24, Umm... a few look good but some just look at if they have been given a good kicking, BUT Good news is that I got enough clones to stay alive to fire the tubes up properly, ROCK and ROLL, only day three with 42 clones loaded, still half empty, but looking good, they seem well happy, worried as Pump is down stairs, that we will have a power cut, and not had time to put any monitoring in yet. So wondering about runnig a seperate pump in a lower level in the barrel from the other, and seeing if I could get a slow trickle running permantly down the tubes, runing them up gently, nuted about 420 ppm, now and lights 300w clf, and a mh spaced well back, burnt a few and trying to run it up slowly, thinking about getting a few dimmable ballasts, for the starting period.


It has a 200l tank, so hopefully it should be stablilised, no drift atm, 5.8 all the way through. Fair bit of noise from the return flow, but this I can live with, maybe float something on the surface?


Not got in to the trimming, or fimming yet, worried as still losing half my clones, It will get to the point soon when I don't have to worry too much, I have one of those 120 aero clone things, and if I can keep 70 alive it will fill the machine.


A little worried atm, as buyer just got busted for an offence three years ago, I think he has my phone number, but that is all, just hope text were clean, I cant remember, deleted already, bummer... He I dropped the first lot, off and now most of there little crew have been picked up, can they get prints from the inside of boxes? Did I leave any there, Umm...


Take care, and look forward to your reply as always.

 

[SailAway]

Hi there, well all is good, well for now,

got some pics of the grows.

 

[theking2202004]

I read this thread like 6 mos ago and built my own version of this. My only problems where spray tips constantly clogging up and my submersible pump (harbor freight) went out after 4 mos. so I just converted the tubes to dwc. Great results. The only way I've learned was from plants dying. Experience can't be rushed.

 

[SailAway]

I read this thread like 6 mos ago and built my own version of this. My only problems where spray tips constantly clogging up and my submersible pump (harbor freight) went out after 4 mos. so I just converted the tubes to dwc. Great results. The only way I've learned was from plants dying. Experience can't be rushed.

I have to admit I worry constantly, wanted to put one of those ip meter every thing systems in, but I think enough has been invested so far.

I run two pumps, one for the nozzels through a couple of filters, and the other does a constant drip, from lower in the barrel, that way if the misters leak, and I lose water, I only vist site every 3 days, I will still have water in the system.

No real dry outs yet, but still worrying, growes very fast though.

 

[theking2202004]

I was hand feeding 3-4 times every light cycle just as a precaution. It gets harder as garden fills. I'm running 5 ft tubes at 3/8" thinkness and sterilizing them is a hassle(weight and ability to scrub) I'm currently using a toilet brush. My girl complains that I don't do dishes, but I'll scrub a huge tube. haha. Perpetual harvest is difficult but can be done with practice and patience.

 

[CannaReview]

Best way to get the water to the roots it do what GH does in the aeroflow system and buy their laser cut spay line. Also why not used square PVC fence posts? I believe the reason most of the tube systems went to square tubes is that the way the roots grew in the round rubes caused water pooling and the square tube allow the water to flow better.