First Grow: Lemon Skunk in Bubbleponics

[lordjin]

Have you given any thought to spreading it out to the outer sites you have covered up? I'm not sure if you realize how big those are gonna get. I would also lose that aluminum foil. It's not really doing anything but getting in the way.

Nice job so far.

 

[ru4r34l]

Have you given any thought to spreading it out to the outer sites you have covered up? I'm not sure if you realize how big those are gonna get. I would also lose that aluminum foil. It's not really doing anything but getting in the way.

Nice job so far.

Yes, unfortunately I think I am too late as the roots have come together and trying to get them apart would be suicide!

The foil is now history, thank you

Do you think I can LST them enough to that side to make use of the room?

Here are some of the pictures I took after the reservoir change, I had a friend drop by and offer me some bud which most certainly was not sensimilla. Either way I had some good unknown smoke and got about twenty-five seeds for free, I tried to germinate ten and what do you know all ten sprouted in 2 days. I tossed out the one sickly looking seedling and the rest have been added to the grow room. I call them UBSFD Unknown Bag Seed from D$%&$8

Here is a shot of the ladies, after the reservoir change there was some real minor nutrients issue, not what is apparent in the pictures posted. The major burns are due to those leaves were taped down and some splashes occurred while doing the reservoir change, it has not seemed to do much damage. Oh well $h&^ happens.

I think I got my numbers correct after the fresh reservoir change

After the change and clean up is completed.

I was thinking of taking some clones tonight but after taking closer inspection I don't they are ready yet to be cut.

Is there size or age considerations, to me these plants look a little small to be cloned, what do you all think?

regards,

 

[lordjin]

I noticed you're running a tri-meter with your bubbleponics. That's why I took an interest in your journal. You have precise control with that little monitoring station. How much that unit set you back btw? Okay, so with that little gizmo telling you (and me) exactly what's going on, I'd say you're doing okay. Just watch that 74 on the temp. Try to cool it down closer to 70 any way you can.

Yes, train them away from each other as best you can with the available space. Use string and various paper weights on the floor around it as anchors or something... Too late to move sites with root entanglement. Don't cut clones yet. Wait till she's a bit bigger and try your best to strategically cut so that you create a fim with what you leave behind. And don't take too many cuts if you're gonna do it any time soon. Don't shock it too much.

It might be okay to give 'em a little more food too. But I'm the crazy guy who thinks burning his plants is normal. So you might want to keep that in mind when I start talking about ppms. ha ha.

Edit:
Draping mylar around a bare bones metal shelf is pretty smart... A quasi-metallic enclosure. Watch that growth. How much oxygen you pumpin? If you want to increase your plants' growth rate, overall health, and resistance to shock, get another pump, get two more.

Edit again:
Bravo on the tri-meter btw. I can't say enough about it. I don't know how much you paid for yours, but they're not cheap like the dippy pens. Growing on instruments is the only way to go, just like flying a plane. With that you'll avoid most of the problems experienced by growers without them. I strongly recommend every hydro grower to get serious enough to make that purchase.

 

[lordjin]

Is that the ballast right next to the tri-meter? You might want to put it further away from a heat source.

 

[ru4r34l]

I noticed you're running a tri-meter with your bubbleponics. That's why I took an interest in your journal. You have precise control with that little monitoring station. How much that unit set you back btw? Okay, so with that little gizmo telling you (and me) exactly what's going on, I'd say you're doing okay. Just watch that 74 on the temp. Try to cool it down closer to 70 any way you can.

Yes, train them away from each other as best you can with the available space. Use string and various paper weights on the floor around it as anchors or something... Too late to move sites with root entanglement. Don't cut clones yet. Wait till she's a bit bigger and try your best to strategically cut so that you create a fim with what you leave behind. And don't take too many cuts if you're gonna do it any time soon. Don't shock it too much.

It might be okay to give 'em a little more food too. But I'm the crazy guy who thinks burning his plants is normal. So you might want to keep that in mind when I start talking about ppms. ha ha.

Edit:
Draping mylar around a bare bones metal shelf is pretty smart... A quasi-metallic enclosure. Watch that growth. How much oxygen you pumpin? If you want to increase your plants' growth rate, overall health, and resistance to shock, get another pump, get two more.

Edit again:
Bravo on the tri-meter btw. I can't say enough about it. I don't know how much you paid for yours, but they're not cheap like the dippy pens. Growing on instruments is the only way to go, just like flying a plane. With that you'll avoid most of the problems experienced by growers without them. I strongly recommend every hydro grower to get serious enough to make that purchase.

Again thanks for the kind words, I check the numbers twice a day and am very vigilant in keeping PH, temperature, PPM, and water level during each check up. I do my best to provide optimum growing conditions, but reading through your journal I now know I am not giving the roots what they need; this will be corrected, as I want to be a root grower too.

The tri-meter I got refurbished for $135.00 and although I am a new grower I have been in the company of a few hydro growers and they always preach growing on numbers.

In your journal (I call the "Two-headed Monster Grow") I ask you about your pump and remote reservoir, can you give any information for what I would need to get my current set up upgraded.

I have an old pond pump which is nice and strong, it's been cleaned and stored for two years (I filled in the pond due to children) do you think I can use this, and would I need air stones with this?

Is that the ballast right next to the tri-meter? You might want to put it further away from a heat source.

After I uploaded the pictures I went back and thought I should move it; I did, but thank you kindly for noticing and mentioning the little things that can affect a grow.

I still cannot believe how your grow with the two Diablo OG's is finishing off, what do you think you will harvest from those two fatties?


regards,

 

[lordjin]

Here is the response regarding the external auto-top I wrote at my thread. But you shouldn't have to keep looking at my journal for answers so here it is again:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Remote auto-top requires a float switch that should run you around 40 bucks. Just google float switch. You should even be able to get a better one than mine (mine is actually one of the more ghetto models but I like it) for a reasonable cost. You will plug a small submersible (that you will have sitting in an external res of plain water) into the float switch. The float switch will plug into a power outlet but has an outlet built into it that you will plug this pump into. Run the output line of the pump back into your main res with the floater device set in your res to activate the pump whenever the level drops. That's it!

Don't be daunted if it sounds a little complicated. It isn't. Research a few float switch models, download the pdf operation manuals and determine which model would work best for your tub. Any number should suit your needs. Again, it sounds a little nuts, but if you set this up properly, the auto-top will establish a rhythm of growth that will improve yield dramatically. And you will never grow any other way. If and when you do get this going, just manually adjust the ppm back up to your desired target number as the water topper slowly dilutes... It's really the peanut butter to the jelly of your tri-meter. With the tri-meter, it's precision growing all the way... no guessing games, no errors... And look ma! No salt buildup! Everyone thinks I have a green thumb, but my dark little secret is the auto top (not so secret since I announced it here lol). My thumb isn't all that green. Lol.

Edit:
In addition to constant refresh eliminating salt buildup (also eliminating the need to run around with a jug of water watching a silly marker line in a dark res), it is an immensely powerful automated flushing tool. I am now removing the last traces of nutrient simply by dipping a power-head pump into the main res, force-topping automatically with fresh water. It's a hydro grower's dream...

Edit:
Dude, I just googled float switch and came up with a bunch way less than 40 bucks. Shit, now I can't remember how much I paid for mine. Shit. Probably too much.

Damn, Edit again:
The only thing is, you need a little extra air space in your res to install the actual float device, but I'm thinking if you have tri-meter probes in there, you should be able to work it out. Remember that dropping your water level a little and allowing a bit more of your roots to be exposed above water will not hurt the plants, in fact they'll like it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The pond pump might be a little on the overkill side, but I don't see why that couldn't work... A small, inexpensive submersible would be better suited to your compact grow environment, though. Leave the pond pump for pumping ponds...Lol.

Wow, you got that refurb tri at a steal. Nice find.

Edit:
I looked at your photos again a little more closely. It looks like you have enough air space in your res to install a float device the way it is.

 

[ru4r34l]

Here is the response regarding the external auto-top I wrote at my thread. But you shouldn't have to keep looking at my journal for answers so here it is again:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Remote auto-top requires a float switch that should run you around 40 bucks. Just google float switch. You should even be able to get a better one than mine (mine is actually one of the more ghetto models but I like it) for a reasonable cost. You will plug a small submersible (that you will have sitting in an external res of plain water) into the float switch. The float switch will plug into a power outlet but has an outlet built into it that you will plug this pump into. Run the output line of the pump back into your main res with the floater device set in your res to activate the pump whenever the level drops. That's it!

Don't be daunted if it sounds a little complicated. It isn't. Research a few float switch models, download the pdf operation manuals and determine which model would work best for your tub. Any number should suit your needs. Again, it sounds a little nuts, but if you set this up properly, the auto-top will establish a rhythm of growth that will improve yield dramatically. And you will never grow any other way. If and when you do get this going, just manually adjust the ppm back up to your desired target number as the water topper slowly dilutes... It's really the peanut butter to the jelly of your tri-meter. With the tri-meter, it's precision growing all the way... no guessing games, no errors... And look ma! No salt buildup! Everyone thinks I have a green thumb, but my dark little secret is the auto top (not so secret since I announced it here lol). My thumb isn't all that green. Lol.

Edit:
In addition to constant refresh eliminating salt buildup (also eliminating the need to run around with a jug of water watching a silly marker line in a dark res), it is an immensely powerful automated flushing tool. I am now removing the last traces of nutrient simply by dipping a power-head pump into the main res, force-topping automatically with fresh water. It's a hydro grower's dream...

Edit:
Dude, I just googled float switch and came up with a bunch way less than 40 bucks. Shit, now I can't remember how much I paid for mine. Shit. Probably too much.

Damn, Edit again:
The only thing is, you need a little extra air space in your res to install the actual float device, but I'm thinking if you have tri-meter probes in there, you should be able to work it out. Remember that dropping your water level a little and allowing a bit more of your roots to be exposed above water will not hurt the plants, in fact they'll like it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The pond pump might be a little on the overkill side, but I don't see why that couldn't work... A small, inexpensive submersible would be better suited to your compact grow environment, though. Leave the pond pump for pumping ponds...Lol.

Wow, you got that refurb tri at a steal. Nice find.

Edit:
I looked at your photos again a little more closely. It looks like you have enough air space in your res to install a float device the way it is.

Ok I will leave the 1/3hp out in the shed , I will journey out this weekend to get a stronger air pump, a float switch, and a submersible pump.

 

[ru4r34l]

High all,

Not much happening lately, I have attempted to keep the ladies height down before flowering by some LST and for the most part they are staying low.

Here are the new little ones UBSFD, they are just about 1 week from seed.

Here is a shot of the ladies, they left two (directly under the light) are getting big fan leaves but lots of nodes and growth happening underneath.

The LST should help get those big ass fan leaves out of the way. I'm not sure how long to wait before taking clones, but once the clones are cut and thriving I am going to switch them to 12/12.

In about two weeks, what do you all think?

Check #2 in the evening before getting them tucked in for bed, all the numbers say have a good night.

Light's go out in about 1/2 hour, see you all later.

regards,

 

[lordjin]

Ok I will leave the 1/3hp out in the shed , I will journey out this weekend to get a stronger air pump, a float switch, and a submersible pump.

Whew! Yeah, def leave that 1/3 horse for bigger jobs! Lol. I just imagined a small horse resting in my external res waiting to pump a little water to refresh my surface. Yeah, he'd be a little under-worked. Lol!

I can hardly wait to see how my advice is gonna improve your grow. Ha!

 

[ru4r34l]

Whew! Yeah, def leave that 1/3 horse for bigger jobs! Lol. I just imagined a small horse resting in my external res waiting to pump a little water to refresh my surface. Yeah, he'd be a little under-worked. Lol!

I can hardly wait to see how my advice is gonna improve your grow. Ha!

Well it may not help this grow, I am done adding money to this grow and already am in the building stages for the next grow! I am bringing in another 400W MH/HPS lamps which will allow for approximately 800W MH and 860W (2 x 430 HPS lamps) and creating a Mylar skinned enclosing that is twice the size of my current grow.

I have added two 125F CFL bulbs to either side of the grow cage and added another pump into the side of the reservoir with no lines attached (creates a nice fountain of roaring bubbles inside) which I hope will give me some luscious roots.

regards,

 

[lordjin]

Well it may not help this grow, I am done adding money to this grow and already am in the building stages for the next grow! I am bringing in another 400W MH/HPS lamps which will allow for approximately 800W MH and 860W (2 x 430 HPS lamps) and creating a Mylar skinned enclosing that is twice the size of my current grow.

I have added two 125F CFL bulbs to either side of the grow cage and added another pump into the side of the reservoir with no lines attached (creates a nice fountain of roaring bubbles inside) which I hope will give me some luscious roots.

regards,

I hear you. But yeah, look into that topping automation. The consistent 'rhythm of feeding' it provides just means indestructible plants.

Added another pump didja? Fine, fine choice. That extra oxygen is really gonna have a story to tell.

 

[ru4r34l]

High all,

A quick update.

I had to do some light sharing as I have not yet found time to build a separate room where I can start the seedlings and clones under 18/6 as I am going to use the current room to flower with a HPS under 12/12 cycle.

Here is a group shot, ladies meet clones,

and ladies meet seedlings.

Canopy is filling out nicely.

Here are the clones. Now it seems I have to do much more reading on clones as I don't think my first batch will survive another few days.

Here are the seedlings under there own little CFL

I'll be heading out tomorrow to get a nice new air pump and other goodies.

regards,

 

[ru4r34l]

High all,

Really quick update as I got in late, I was able to pick up a new air pump. I figure I have roughly a 7 gallon tank this should be adequate, there are 2 round air stones and two 12 inch slim stones in the bucket and it seems as if I am a witching brewing a spell.

If I can get some clones to take I can start the flowering process, off to read up on cloning.

regards,

 

[Dubbz0r]

Subb'd. I'm growing lemon skunk in soil at the moment. Just flipped them to flower today. They look a little different then yours so we have different phenos for sure. My ladies are really dark green with skinny leaves. Yours seem to be much lighter with fatter leaves. Anyways, best of luck with your grow Can't wait to see more.

 

[C.Indica]

Haha funny thing is, I keep fish as a hobby as well, and people with fish tanks never buy such shitty air pumps.
I wonder if the aquatic air pump market realizes they're selling to growers mostly.
Subscribed, I should be getting a beautiful lemon skunk clone real soon today.

170 GALLONS!?!?!?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HA IF I EVER SEE A 170g TANK BEING RUN ON AIRSTONES, I WILL SLAP THE OWNER.
HAHAHAHAHA.

 

[ru4r34l]

Haha funny thing is, I keep fish as a hobby as well, and people with fish tanks never buy such shitty air pumps.
I wonder if the aquatic air pump market realizes they're selling to growers mostly.
Subscribed, I should be getting a beautiful lemon skunk clone real soon today.

170 GALLONS!?!?!?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HA IF I EVER SEE A 170g TANK BEING RUN ON AIRSTONES, I WILL SLAP THE OWNER.
HAHAHAHAHA.

Well I am lucky then i don't keep fish

and I am sure the aquatic air pump industry probably does not care who buys their product and a cares less with what it is used for.

The air pump and 4 stones work wonderfully in my little tub so I can see how they would be a little underpowered for a tank of 170G

It is early and I switched over last night, so I am off to get some Day Flower pictures.

regards,

 

[ru4r34l]

High all,

Today is the day, transitioning the ladies to 12/12 and a 430 Watt HPS lamp mixed with a 125 CFL bulb.

Here are a few pictures I snapped during the change over.

Lights Off

HPS lamp on.

When I get a chance I will post my nutrient feeding schedule throughout vegetative phase.

regards,

 

[Dubbz0r]

Those ladies look real nice. I'm glad to see we're flowering them around the same time.

 

[C.Indica]

Yo that last post said July 25, I don't think so buddy.
They look great on the switch, lets see the stretch update eh?

 

[lordjin]

Hi. Good morning. I see you started flowering.

Looking healthy. Nicely done.

Yes, if your res fluid looks like a witch's swirling cauldron of bubbles... You're doing it RIGHT.