2'x4' 600w DWC Tent - Spring 2011 Grow

iPACKEDthisBOWL4TWO said:

If i could afford it I would buy an RO filter but its just too pricey when I can pull FREE water straight out of the tap. What nutes are you using? I just switched from GH flora series to Advanced Nutrients four part...... we shall see what the oucome is. AN is def cleaner looking and I had to purchase THEIR PH down. Fucking bottle of Ph down feels like it is filled with lead lol

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I'm using Botanicare Pure Blend Pro: Bloom (hydro formula) for veg and transition with Pure Blend Pro: Bloom (soil formula) during the last half of flowering in the tent. But using GH MaxiBloom (dry) @ 7grams/gallon for the plants/clones in the little cabinet.

Do you think you are going to stick with AN? I haven't tried any of their lineup due to the cost. But I was just looking at their pH down product and it is just phosphoric acid from what I could gather online... I would think you could substitute that without problems?

I will prob use all of this AN stuff..... I paid out the ass for it so im gonna use it lol. As far as the Ph down goes..... idk the hydro guy told me I had to use their line of Ph down, could be snake oil lol. He swears to me that I will see a big difference with this line up so I will def let you know. And yes this shit is expensive........ keep in mind though im using just the basics ... no additional nutes till I have this shit dialed in. But I will let you know how this stuff works.

Im still waiting patiently for my DWC test plant to get some roots down into the res so she can blow up like a mini Minerva. Tao, I read that Fox Farms has Grow Big for Hydro and Soil. I have the soil one and I am using it in my DWC, is that going to be problem? I was thinking that the difference between the two is the pH buffers in it? What could possibly be different between FF GB Hydro and Soil bottles? I know the Nute uptake for hydro is 5.8pH and Soil is 6.5pH but if I pH my mix to 5.8pH with my Grow Big Soil mix will it be fine or buffer its way to 6.5? Any help or advice homey, please?

Peace

BKB

iPACKEDthisBOWL4TWO said:

I will prob use all of this AN stuff..... I paid out the ass for it so im gonna use it lol. As far as the Ph down goes..... idk the hydro guy told me I had to use their line of Ph down, could be snake oil lol. He swears to me that I will see a big difference with this line up so I will def let you know. And yes this shit is expensive........ keep in mind though im using just the basics ... no additional nutes till I have this shit dialed in. But I will let you know how this stuff works.

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Yeah I'm pretty sure the salesman would just rather you buy a $20 bottle of phosphoric acid instead of a $5 one... lol

Definitely let me know if you find they are worth the cost compared to GH nutrients.

What I'd really like to find is a complete dry, hydro-organic nutrient line. Something like Pure Blend Pro but in dry form.

Why the dry formula? Something you know that I dont? LOL

TaoWolf said:

Yup yup - totally agree. Although I think there's too much calcium in the tap water here maybe (it comes from a sandstone aquifer), and that might be giving me some minor issues... or it could be slightly saline. Not sure, but it doesn't impact any of my plants grown in soil at all. It's only my DWC plants that sometimes show very minor deficiencies of some kind on the odd leaf or two... but I don't think it's enough to impact harvest weight negatively at all...

You know, now that I mention it. I remember growing some plants outdoors not 50' away from a salt-water lagoon and despite the salinity they did awesome - so I doubt it's a salinity issue.

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I was gonna say Tao, being 2 miles from the beach, the air here is very salty, however I have yet to notice a severe effect on the ladies yet. I think they enjoy the beach air IMO, lol.

billcollector99 said:

I was gonna say Tao, being 2 miles from the beach, the air here is very salty, however I have yet to notice a severe effect on the ladies yet. I think they enjoy the beach air IMO, lol.

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Hopefully I will too as soon as my tax return comes...me and you neighbors...WOW!!!!

bekindbud said:

Im still waiting patiently for my DWC test plant to get some roots down into the res so she can blow up like a mini Minerva. Tao, I read that Fox Farms has Grow Big for Hydro and Soil. I have the soil one and I am using it in my DWC, is that going to be problem? I was thinking that the difference between the two is the pH buffers in it? What could possibly be different between FF GB Hydro and Soil bottles? I know the Nute uptake for hydro is 5.8pH and Soil is 6.5pH but if I pH my mix to 5.8pH with my Grow Big Soil mix will it be fine or buffer its way to 6.5? Any help or advice homey, please?

Peace

BKB

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I wish I had experience using FF (another line I need to try). But with PBP you can use both the hydro and soil formulas in hydroponic systems. I don't know if that means anything in regards to using FF soil nutrients in hydro though...

There's a difference in uptake ratios in between soil and hydro as well though. If I remember right, N is more readily available in soil and P is more readily available for uptake in hydroponic systems (I'm sure it's more complicated than that but....) - so you'll likely see a difference in the NPK ratio between a soil formula and a hydro formula even when looking at the same brand/company. For example, PBP:B (for hydro) comes with a NPK ratio of 2-3-5 and a bottle of PBP:B (for soil) has an NPK ratio of 1-4-5. Which is fine if you want a higher amount of P and less nitrogen. Again though, not sure if that applies to FF (maybe there are things in their soil formula that wouldn't play nice in hydro?).

iPACKEDthisBOWL4TWO said:

Why the dry formula? Something you know that I dont? LOL

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Well it's going to be a first try using the soil formula in hydro for me, but Botanicare even puts on their official feeding schedule that you can use the soil version in hydro systems - and I want to try the higher phosphorous formula for the end of flowering. We'll see how it goes. lol

Edit - Sorry I misread your question. Actually I like dry nutrients because they are a lot cheaper with no loss of quality and less messy (plus can store them for longer). I have to let them mix up for a little longer but I let my reservoir changes mix for 24 hours or so before using anyway.

billcollector99 said:

I was gonna say Tao, being 2 miles from the beach, the air here is very salty, however I have yet to notice a severe effect on the ladies yet. I think they enjoy the beach air IMO, lol.

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I was totally blown away by this but I've seen a cannabis plant growing in the sand dunes at the beach (popular local surfing spot) and within sight of the space shuttle launch pads. I'm sure it came from discarded bagseed and it was only about 4" tall, mostly yellow, and wind-torn - but it was alive and that's amazing. lol

bekindbud said:

Hopefully I will too as soon as my tax return comes...me and you neighbors...WOW!!!!

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You guys are going to be rocking out some crazy smoke!

Maybe if we strike it big we can move you and your girl here and just go and attempt everyday and night to OD on MJ!!!! LOL

There would certainly be enough to smoke - and think of all the variety we could share out. Would be cooler than a tatooed cat.

Turned Minerva (MD) 180 degrees and got some pictures of her backside before she adjusts:


I think Minerva is right at five feet tall, minus about fifteen inches for the bucket... so she's a little under four feet of true height. I think she only had about 3 weeks from the day the seed was germinated (need to go back and look). So next time I'm going to try just 2 weeks of total germination and veg time before 12/12 - I want smaller plants. From clone, 2 or 3 weeks should work - pretty happy with where Athena and the screen is.

Damn she is huge, if possible on your next update with pics can you try to get a Stalk shot on Minerva and a shot of Athena under the screen? I really cant wait to see them bud, MD does like to stretch huh? But at least the nodes are not far apart at all, should be interesting to she how she buds. Some of her fan leaves remind me of Pat pheno.....If its anything like Pat she is going to be HUGE!!! I am hoping for the best and really hope MD is something you like. Keep up the good work. One last question about my DWC plant....I checked the roots tonight and its been 1 day since res change and she is looking fab but her roots were very dark and brown looking....Now my nute mix is brown form the Big Bloom, should I be worried? Or is she fine just the nutes staining the roots? Thanks bro...

Peace

BKB

bekindbud said:

Damn she is huge, if possible on your next update with pics can you try to get a Stalk shot on Minerva and a shot of Athena under the screen? I really cant wait to see them bud, MD does like to stretch huh? But at least the nodes are not far apart at all, should be interesting to she how she buds. Some of her fan leaves remind me of Pat pheno.....If its anything like Pat she is going to be HUGE!!! I am hoping for the best and really hope MD is something you like. Keep up the good work. One last question about my DWC plant....I checked the roots tonight and its been 1 day since res change and she is looking fab but her roots were very dark and brown looking....Now my nute mix is brown form the Big Bloom, should I be worried? Or is she fine just the nutes staining the roots? Thanks bro...

Peace

BKB

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I wouldnt worry if they are just stained, happens to mine as well, if you add the Hydroguard to it though, it will help keep them nice and white

Tao, I thought I would share a pic of my MD that is farthest along.

Yeah I actually meant to get a pic of her stalk. It looks funky - not in a bad way, but in a hulked-out way. I'll have to wait until the lights come on this evening before I can get a pic though.

Yeah you are going to see some dark staining and yellowing if your nutrients are dark. You might also start to see little brown particles accumulate on the roots near the surface of the water and other oddities (sometimes little sections of roots will break off and die or something). But as long as the roots have a pearly sheen to most of them (even if stained in places) and smell something like fresh lettuce, everything's probably good under the hood.

billcollector99 said:

Tao, I thought I would share a pic of my MD that is farthest along.

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She's looking good - you can tell those buds are going to be chunky. Nice and frosty too. How old was she when started on 12/12 and how many days post-12/12 is she?

TaoWolf said:

She's looking good - you can tell those buds are going to be chunky. Nice and frosty too. How old was she when started on 12/12 and how many days post-12/12 is she?

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She was switched to 12/12 after a week, in a party cup, she got rootbound so i transplanted, Took almost a full months just to show sex, and has probably been 6 weeks since that happened.

billcollector99 said:

She was switched to 12/12 after a week, in a party cup, she got rootbound so i transplanted, Took almost a full months just to show sex, and has probably been 6 weeks since that happened.

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Yeah MD seems to have quite the root system. lol She popped out roots all over the place without missing a beat when I cloned her and the MD in my tent has a thick root mass... She emptied a full 4 gallons of water/nutrients in 3 and a half days! I just refilled her bucket up to the brim last night with a new mix... she's quite the hog. Anyway, I'm blazed and rambling. Not sure where I was going with that. lol