ECP
Well-Known Member
Hey guys,
I'm about to dish out a good 750 bucks to set up a decent grow and I want to run some ideas before you guys before I go out and go on a spending spree.
Before I begin, I'd like to say that I am shooting for a 16 oz harvest. I know this is a hard number to reach, especially because it will be my first time trying out Hydroponics, HPS lighting, as well as SCROG and grow tents. But I still believe this number is achievable through effort, research, good strains, and big trees.
Let's begin.
After reading through the grow journals of some of the most creative and efficient growers among cultivation forums, I have decided to base my grow on Heath Robinson and Scottyballs.
https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/101347-critical-mass-tree-grow-x.html
https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/344359-pineapple-express-g13-labs-seed.html
Harvesting 74oz off of two trees and 11oz off of one midsized plant respectively.
The Seeds:
I am planning or ordering Feminized Green House Super Lemon Haze from the Attitude Seed Bank. It is the 2008/2009 cannabis cup winner, and second place to Tangerine Dream in the 2010 cannabis cup.
http://www.cannabis-seeds-bank.co.uk/greenhouse-seeds/greenhouse-seeds-feminized/green-house-seeds-super-lemon-haze-feminized/prod_701.html
I'm interested in the high potency and medium/high yield of this plant. I would have rather gone with Mr. Nice Critical Mass, but they only offer non-feminized, and I'm not willing to roll the dice. High yeilds are very important to me, but I'm willing to sacrifice a bit for such a famous plant. If you have any suggestions for strains that you believe will do well in my system, please let me know!
And am I safe mailing these to a US address?
Pack of 5: $70 after shipping
The Lights:
While Scotty preferred the use of a 400watt in his cabinet and receives amazing results, Heath uses 600watts in just about every single one of his massive grows because he says they are the most efficient. Because my tent grow will be of a larger size, I plan to use a single 600watt HPS horizontaly positioned above the canopy. In future grows, I may purchase more 600watt lights for a Heath style vertical grow, but for now I'm limited on cash.
http://cgi.ebay.com/600-WATT-HPS-DIGITAL-GROW-LIGHT-w-XL-HOOD-600w-BALLAST-/370498789736?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item564372e168#ht_3547wt_1144
$185 with free shipping. Comes with decent enough reflector, hangars, and a light with socket. Seems pretty hassle free and the best deal I've found so far. I hear lights get broken in shipping a lot with ebay sellers, so I'm a little worried about that. if you guys know of a better deal, I'd appreciate it. I just don't want a super super cheap on that burns out after one month of use.
Ballast also works with MH bulbs, so that would be nice if I run in to some extra cash for the veg stage.
The System:
I'm doing a 2 plant setup, these are my options:
This is the tricky part. Scotty swears by Waterfarms and sees amazing results (10-15 oz results) and since I'm just diving in to hydroponic growing, I would like something simple like the drip system the Waterfarm offers. But, like Scotty and Heath, I'm looking to grow my plants large! Scotty admits that his plants suck up a gallon of water a day from this system towards the end of this grow, and it runs off of two gallons. So by the end of flowering, I'll have to keep my eye on it all of the friggen time, which sucks. The other problem seems to be that people think the air pump used is a little on the weak side, and that it should be upgraded (another 50 bucks on top of the steep price for these babies).
Heath seems to have confronted this problem. He uses an Aquafarm, which from my understanding is a slightly larger Waterfarm that is pretty much only available in the UK. I don't know the background story so why he did so, but he modified his Aquafarm in to a recirculating reservoir system. He uses a Pond/Fountain Pump connected to a 1" feed tube that runs 15 min every hour feeding his raised plants. At the bottom he connects two 40mm drain pipes that gravity feeds back to the reservoir. The benefit to this system is that he doesn't have to check it every single day. With a large reservoir, he just needs to make sure the water is changed our weekly (with ppm and ph testing regularly I'm sure). He says that in order to do this system, you don't need an Aquafarm, you can just use any large tubs. This is where I lose him... Does this mean I can get a 17"x17"x17" tub and just fill the whole damn thing with clay pellets and run his recirculating system? The reason I ask is because I'm having trouble finding materials to construct such a system otherwise. That and if I don't just go with Waterfarm, I'm going to need to buy clay pellets, a pump, a resorvioir, air stones, tubing, connectors of all sorts, return valve, pots(pots fitting together like a waterfarm if above method isn't viable), and even more nutes because waterfarm comes with nutes.
Here's a snipet of Heaths modified system.
All in all, I figure both systems will end up costing the same (140 rounding up), and I'd really like the reciruclating system because it sounds so much easier to manage and easier to expand upon if I decide to grow more plants next grow. But to be honest, I'm leaning toward the waterfarm, because I can just run to the local Hydro shop and pick them up and not worry about searching around at a million stores (did some of that today to see if it was possible to make and didn't have much luck) to find all the parts and then end up fucking up calculations and ideas that don't work because It's my first hydro grow.
Input on this would be appreciated. This is my main dilemma right now, deciding between these two.
The Tent:
Based on Scotty's success with such a confined space (I believe something like 2x3x6 or something in that relative area), and Heath's massive garden of 6x8, I have decided start somewhere in between due to space, money, and prison sentence constrictions. I have also decided to purchase a tent instead of building on of wood and panda film (any other options? Seriously, lay them on me, save me 100 bucks) so that I could mobilize and reuse my materials for next season and not worry about tearing the walls. From what I've seen, I wouldn't be saving much if I built a tent this big anyway.
http://www.amazon.com/Mylar-Reflective-Hydroponics-Hydro-Cabinet/dp/B003VW4W7G/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1301969267&sr=1-4
4'x4'x6'6" at $110 with shipping.
Plenty of space for two good sized plants. I read about the light coming through the seams issue, Duct taping the seams is not an issue for me, It's better than purchasing a 250 jardin tent. If you have any similar options, please feel free to recommend.
The Plan/Design:
Germination will be followed by planting in rockwool cubes. After sprouting, they will be placed under 4x 42watt CFLs, then put under the 600 watt hps until harvest.
I'm going to let the plants veg for a decent amount of time (~4 Weeks), then weave them through a 4'x4' chicken wire setup as a SCROG (much like Scotty's scrog, but a larger scale) as I begin the flowering cycle. I'll construct my SCROG from spare chicken fencing I have at my house and a 2x4 or so to make it structurally sound, then fasten it to the tent via ties.
I don't plan on topping or the FIM method as of right now, I think I should be fine training the main cola around the wire as the other heads catch up.
Veg nutes will continue 2 weeks in to flowering before I make my switch over to bloom nutes, following Heaths methods.
Feeding will stay fairly strong throughout the mature plants life as Super Lemon Haze is a strain that is known to respond well to high PPM/EC levels.
Final week and a half will be spent flushing, final week in the dark.
-----------------------
Misc Items Needed:
PPM Meter: http://cgi.ebay.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Meter-Tester-Water-ppm-Purity-Filter-/280652858433?pt=Small_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item415836c441#ht_3175wt_1144
$18 with free shipping. Accurate to 3% isn't too bad, my measurements don't need to be perfect.
pH Meter: http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Digital-PH-Meter-Tester-0-14-Hydroponic-Aquarium-/310288911878?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item483ea90e06#ht_3167wt_1144
$20 with free shipping. Is there any diff between meters? I guess this one is fine.
Rockwool Cubes: $12 for a pack of 45.
2x 6" Fan: One to circulate the tent, another to pull hot air out the top. I don't want to go all out on temperature control so I hope that this will suffice for a 600watt in a 4x4 tent.
$45 for the two maximum, good sales at local stores. I'm predicting high, presuming I'll have temp issues and have to buy more.
Grow Nutes: If I don't go with Waterfarm, or Waterfarm supplied nutes don't cut it, I'll have to take the hit and pick up some generic Ionic Grow and Ionic Bloom.
$70
... Anything else?
I'm about to dish out a good 750 bucks to set up a decent grow and I want to run some ideas before you guys before I go out and go on a spending spree.
Before I begin, I'd like to say that I am shooting for a 16 oz harvest. I know this is a hard number to reach, especially because it will be my first time trying out Hydroponics, HPS lighting, as well as SCROG and grow tents. But I still believe this number is achievable through effort, research, good strains, and big trees.
Let's begin.
After reading through the grow journals of some of the most creative and efficient growers among cultivation forums, I have decided to base my grow on Heath Robinson and Scottyballs.
https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/101347-critical-mass-tree-grow-x.html
https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/344359-pineapple-express-g13-labs-seed.html
Harvesting 74oz off of two trees and 11oz off of one midsized plant respectively.
The Seeds:
I am planning or ordering Feminized Green House Super Lemon Haze from the Attitude Seed Bank. It is the 2008/2009 cannabis cup winner, and second place to Tangerine Dream in the 2010 cannabis cup.
http://www.cannabis-seeds-bank.co.uk/greenhouse-seeds/greenhouse-seeds-feminized/green-house-seeds-super-lemon-haze-feminized/prod_701.html
I'm interested in the high potency and medium/high yield of this plant. I would have rather gone with Mr. Nice Critical Mass, but they only offer non-feminized, and I'm not willing to roll the dice. High yeilds are very important to me, but I'm willing to sacrifice a bit for such a famous plant. If you have any suggestions for strains that you believe will do well in my system, please let me know!
And am I safe mailing these to a US address?
Pack of 5: $70 after shipping
The Lights:
While Scotty preferred the use of a 400watt in his cabinet and receives amazing results, Heath uses 600watts in just about every single one of his massive grows because he says they are the most efficient. Because my tent grow will be of a larger size, I plan to use a single 600watt HPS horizontaly positioned above the canopy. In future grows, I may purchase more 600watt lights for a Heath style vertical grow, but for now I'm limited on cash.
http://cgi.ebay.com/600-WATT-HPS-DIGITAL-GROW-LIGHT-w-XL-HOOD-600w-BALLAST-/370498789736?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item564372e168#ht_3547wt_1144
$185 with free shipping. Comes with decent enough reflector, hangars, and a light with socket. Seems pretty hassle free and the best deal I've found so far. I hear lights get broken in shipping a lot with ebay sellers, so I'm a little worried about that. if you guys know of a better deal, I'd appreciate it. I just don't want a super super cheap on that burns out after one month of use.
Ballast also works with MH bulbs, so that would be nice if I run in to some extra cash for the veg stage.
The System:
I'm doing a 2 plant setup, these are my options:
This is the tricky part. Scotty swears by Waterfarms and sees amazing results (10-15 oz results) and since I'm just diving in to hydroponic growing, I would like something simple like the drip system the Waterfarm offers. But, like Scotty and Heath, I'm looking to grow my plants large! Scotty admits that his plants suck up a gallon of water a day from this system towards the end of this grow, and it runs off of two gallons. So by the end of flowering, I'll have to keep my eye on it all of the friggen time, which sucks. The other problem seems to be that people think the air pump used is a little on the weak side, and that it should be upgraded (another 50 bucks on top of the steep price for these babies).
Heath seems to have confronted this problem. He uses an Aquafarm, which from my understanding is a slightly larger Waterfarm that is pretty much only available in the UK. I don't know the background story so why he did so, but he modified his Aquafarm in to a recirculating reservoir system. He uses a Pond/Fountain Pump connected to a 1" feed tube that runs 15 min every hour feeding his raised plants. At the bottom he connects two 40mm drain pipes that gravity feeds back to the reservoir. The benefit to this system is that he doesn't have to check it every single day. With a large reservoir, he just needs to make sure the water is changed our weekly (with ppm and ph testing regularly I'm sure). He says that in order to do this system, you don't need an Aquafarm, you can just use any large tubs. This is where I lose him... Does this mean I can get a 17"x17"x17" tub and just fill the whole damn thing with clay pellets and run his recirculating system? The reason I ask is because I'm having trouble finding materials to construct such a system otherwise. That and if I don't just go with Waterfarm, I'm going to need to buy clay pellets, a pump, a resorvioir, air stones, tubing, connectors of all sorts, return valve, pots(pots fitting together like a waterfarm if above method isn't viable), and even more nutes because waterfarm comes with nutes.
Here's a snipet of Heaths modified system.
All in all, I figure both systems will end up costing the same (140 rounding up), and I'd really like the reciruclating system because it sounds so much easier to manage and easier to expand upon if I decide to grow more plants next grow. But to be honest, I'm leaning toward the waterfarm, because I can just run to the local Hydro shop and pick them up and not worry about searching around at a million stores (did some of that today to see if it was possible to make and didn't have much luck) to find all the parts and then end up fucking up calculations and ideas that don't work because It's my first hydro grow.
Input on this would be appreciated. This is my main dilemma right now, deciding between these two.
The Tent:
Based on Scotty's success with such a confined space (I believe something like 2x3x6 or something in that relative area), and Heath's massive garden of 6x8, I have decided start somewhere in between due to space, money, and prison sentence constrictions. I have also decided to purchase a tent instead of building on of wood and panda film (any other options? Seriously, lay them on me, save me 100 bucks) so that I could mobilize and reuse my materials for next season and not worry about tearing the walls. From what I've seen, I wouldn't be saving much if I built a tent this big anyway.
http://www.amazon.com/Mylar-Reflective-Hydroponics-Hydro-Cabinet/dp/B003VW4W7G/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1301969267&sr=1-4
4'x4'x6'6" at $110 with shipping.
Plenty of space for two good sized plants. I read about the light coming through the seams issue, Duct taping the seams is not an issue for me, It's better than purchasing a 250 jardin tent. If you have any similar options, please feel free to recommend.
The Plan/Design:
Germination will be followed by planting in rockwool cubes. After sprouting, they will be placed under 4x 42watt CFLs, then put under the 600 watt hps until harvest.
I'm going to let the plants veg for a decent amount of time (~4 Weeks), then weave them through a 4'x4' chicken wire setup as a SCROG (much like Scotty's scrog, but a larger scale) as I begin the flowering cycle. I'll construct my SCROG from spare chicken fencing I have at my house and a 2x4 or so to make it structurally sound, then fasten it to the tent via ties.
I don't plan on topping or the FIM method as of right now, I think I should be fine training the main cola around the wire as the other heads catch up.
Veg nutes will continue 2 weeks in to flowering before I make my switch over to bloom nutes, following Heaths methods.
Feeding will stay fairly strong throughout the mature plants life as Super Lemon Haze is a strain that is known to respond well to high PPM/EC levels.
Final week and a half will be spent flushing, final week in the dark.
-----------------------
Misc Items Needed:
PPM Meter: http://cgi.ebay.com/HM-Digital-TDS-EZ-Meter-Tester-Water-ppm-Purity-Filter-/280652858433?pt=Small_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item415836c441#ht_3175wt_1144
$18 with free shipping. Accurate to 3% isn't too bad, my measurements don't need to be perfect.
pH Meter: http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Digital-PH-Meter-Tester-0-14-Hydroponic-Aquarium-/310288911878?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item483ea90e06#ht_3167wt_1144
$20 with free shipping. Is there any diff between meters? I guess this one is fine.
Rockwool Cubes: $12 for a pack of 45.
2x 6" Fan: One to circulate the tent, another to pull hot air out the top. I don't want to go all out on temperature control so I hope that this will suffice for a 600watt in a 4x4 tent.
$45 for the two maximum, good sales at local stores. I'm predicting high, presuming I'll have temp issues and have to buy more.
Grow Nutes: If I don't go with Waterfarm, or Waterfarm supplied nutes don't cut it, I'll have to take the hit and pick up some generic Ionic Grow and Ionic Bloom.
$70
... Anything else?
