My First Grow! DIY DWC & Grow Area, SNOW WHITE FEM FROM SEED!
- Thread starter tmsculli
- Start date
tmsculli
Well-Known Member
Alright, so here is what I have going on. My only brain fart is with lighting. I can't decide whether I want the lighting to be inside the plastic, or outside and how exactly to do it. Hopefully you guys can have a look and give me some advice
So the tote is a little 5 gallon tote. I painted the bottom black with plastic bonding paint. 4 holes, air line, pump blah blah etc. I've done that all before.
Now, the humidity dome was my problem, so I solved it, and I think I like what I have. I found a 10'x20' wrap of thin clear plastic wrap for painting for $2.89 at the depot. Brought that back, hacked off a chunk and attached it to the back wall. Then I needed something to hold it up on the other side. I took a metal wire hanger, unbent it into a large "n" or sorts and plugged the ends into a rectangular piece of styrofoam that was the packaging for one of my big 6500k bulbs. Lay the plastic over the top and it works perfectly.
Like I said, now what? Haha...where should I put the lights?
So the tote is a little 5 gallon tote. I painted the bottom black with plastic bonding paint. 4 holes, air line, pump blah blah etc. I've done that all before.
Now, the humidity dome was my problem, so I solved it, and I think I like what I have. I found a 10'x20' wrap of thin clear plastic wrap for painting for $2.89 at the depot. Brought that back, hacked off a chunk and attached it to the back wall. Then I needed something to hold it up on the other side. I took a metal wire hanger, unbent it into a large "n" or sorts and plugged the ends into a rectangular piece of styrofoam that was the packaging for one of my big 6500k bulbs. Lay the plastic over the top and it works perfectly.
Like I said, now what? Haha...where should I put the lights?
Also, I wouldn't root them in the hydroton - have the stem sticking down into the "bubble-fied" air by itself.
If rooting in hydroton then you may need a humidity dome, because the stem won't be as exposed to the moisture as it would be if it was just "hanging" (the correct word escapes me right now) in the reservoir. ("suspended" is what I wanted to use).
I'd get some cheapo styrofoam plates and cut out a little hole in the middle, and have them sitting in that - no medium, just straight water and clones.
If rooting in hydroton then you may need a humidity dome, because the stem won't be as exposed to the moisture as it would be if it was just "hanging" (the correct word escapes me right now) in the reservoir. ("suspended" is what I wanted to use).
I'd get some cheapo styrofoam plates and cut out a little hole in the middle, and have them sitting in that - no medium, just straight water and clones.
bloatedcraig
Well-Known Member
Alright man it craig from across the pond, have not been in touch but always check in on ya.
Take bob advice on the suspended way. And if you are going to use the plastic curtain you want the buld on the inside for sure.
My grow of the white widow is into it second week and i cant believe the size compared to my last coco grow, it takes the piss. Every day they seem to be a inch taller.
And to be honest it's down to you, if i hadn't stumbble'd across your grow i wouldn't have even thought about dwc.
DONT FORGET WHAT I TOLD YOU ABOUT MY FIRST GROW, ONCE THOSE BUD'S SWELL UP CHECK FOR BUD ROT. That shit nearlly broke me.
Take it easy man.
Take bob advice on the suspended way. And if you are going to use the plastic curtain you want the buld on the inside for sure.
My grow of the white widow is into it second week and i cant believe the size compared to my last coco grow, it takes the piss. Every day they seem to be a inch taller.
And to be honest it's down to you, if i hadn't stumbble'd across your grow i wouldn't have even thought about dwc.
DONT FORGET WHAT I TOLD YOU ABOUT MY FIRST GROW, ONCE THOSE BUD'S SWELL UP CHECK FOR BUD ROT. That shit nearlly broke me.
Take it easy man.
tmsculli
Well-Known Member
Well the whole cloning this is an epic failure. I honestly don't fucking care anymore, it is sooooo fucking frustrating. The system works, sure, but the lighting got too hot, it kept falling, the plastic wouldnt stay up and the end all be all reason for unplugging it all and sacrificing my 20 minute old clones is that I couldnt get the bottom dark anymore. I have no way to make it completely light sealed up there so I don't know what I'm going to do. The only other thing that I can think of is to make another box just to do cloning in. Actually, I have a 21 gallon tote with lid that I haven't used yet for anything. The smaller system that I just made will fit inside of it. Do you think I can do that, and have a light hang from the top or something?
Also, so you are telling me to clone with just the stems in hydroton? I know you guys are all saying neoprene collars, but I don't want to order anything else, I can't do it. I have a fuck load of rockwool, a fuckload of hydroton, and I know that people have done it before in any combination of those ways. How should I do this? I have honestly never been more pissed off and upset about not being able to get something to work.
It's DEFINITELY quittin' time for the day. I hate that I spent 4 hours building it all and getting it all together, and then it doesn't work. cool.
I need to smoke a bowl.
Also, so you are telling me to clone with just the stems in hydroton? I know you guys are all saying neoprene collars, but I don't want to order anything else, I can't do it. I have a fuck load of rockwool, a fuckload of hydroton, and I know that people have done it before in any combination of those ways. How should I do this? I have honestly never been more pissed off and upset about not being able to get something to work.
It's DEFINITELY quittin' time for the day. I hate that I spent 4 hours building it all and getting it all together, and then it doesn't work. cool.
I need to smoke a bowl.
Tm, you're talking to the king of putting in lotsa work and then dealing with failures - the word "leak" ring any bells?
Anyways, just relax, all's not lost - I'm sure you'll get cloning, it's really not that difficult.
Anyhow, yes, if money was no object, I'd tell you to buy some neoprene collars (they're about $.25 a piece, FWIW), but instead you could get some small styrofoam bowls and drill a hole in the middle - tape around the stem so that no light gets through, and voila, a homemade neoprene collar.
And as far as the hydroton, I'm saying "no", you don't need that - my cloner (which is 20 for 20 in its first run) simply has the stems hanging down below the lid of the rez. The hydroton would interfere with the bubbles bursting directly onto the stems, which will mean that you'll need a humidity dome and your rooting will be slower.
So, to clone and get roots, you simply need your reservoir, your cuttings, and then a method to suspend the cuttings at the level of the top of the reservoir while also keeping the rootzone dark. For the third, use either neoprene or those styrofoam bowls (or whatever else you have handy, plastic plates, etc.).
It's not that big a deal, kid - smoke a bowl, relax, and then tackle it tomorrow.
The good news for you is that your mom's so damn big that you can get as many clones as you could possibly need.
Yup Bob has this one spot on. As for the neoprene collars and styrofoam bowls, just get any polystyrene thicker than around 5mm, cut it to a tincy bit wider than your net pots, cut a split up the side of it into the middle so you can slide your clones in and out without damaging them, and then wedge the disk in the top of your net pot. I dont have access to eoprene collars so I use polystyrene and it works greatTm, you're talking to the king of putting in lotsa work and then dealing with failures - the word "leak" ring any bells?
Anyways, just relax, all's not lost - I'm sure you'll get cloning, it's really not that difficult.
Anyhow, yes, if money was no object, I'd tell you to buy some neoprene collars (they're about $.25 a piece, FWIW), but instead you could get some small styrofoam bowls and drill a hole in the middle - tape around the stem so that no light gets through, and voila, a homemade neoprene collar.
And as far as the hydroton, I'm saying "no", you don't need that - my cloner (which is 20 for 20 in its first run) simply has the stems hanging down below the lid of the rez. The hydroton would interfere with the bubbles bursting directly onto the stems, which will mean that you'll need a humidity dome and your rooting will be slower.
So, to clone and get roots, you simply need your reservoir, your cuttings, and then a method to suspend the cuttings at the level of the top of the reservoir while also keeping the rootzone dark. For the third, use either neoprene or those styrofoam bowls (or whatever else you have handy, plastic plates, etc.).
It's not that big a deal, kid - smoke a bowl, relax, and then tackle it tomorrow.
The good news for you is that your mom's so damn big that you can get as many clones as you could possibly need.
Chin up sculli! I'm starting my grow and I have 2 germinated seeds and no where to plant them! Yay for fuckups!
tmsculli
Well-Known Member
haha thanks guys. Just too much damn stress I suppose. I shouldn't let something that I choose to do for fun piss me off, it doesn't make any sense. The biggest problem is lighting with it. Bob, I think ill do that styro plate deal, not having to have a humidity dome is great. Ill take my system chuck it in one of those 21 gallon totes and see what happens I guess
tmsculli
Well-Known Member
I don't know what you are talking about Cruzer. Are you saying as the dome? I went to the depot and none of the containers I saw seemed to fit well or looked good to me so I got the plastic. Now I am just going to use one of my 21 gallon totes as a little box and have it light tight etc.
I'll get some new pictures up tomorrow for you guys, today was a bit stressful haha.
I'll get some new pictures up tomorrow for you guys, today was a bit stressful haha.
tmsculli
Well-Known Member
Here are the girls day 32 of Flowering.
Healthy as a boot.
I also made some styrofoam plate collars just a minute ago. They look really good. I think I am going to try and get that cloner set up in one of my larger totes in a little bit. my 12:20 class got cancelled so I have A LOT of time to kill haha.
Healthy as a boot.
I also made some styrofoam plate collars just a minute ago. They look really good. I think I am going to try and get that cloner set up in one of my larger totes in a little bit. my 12:20 class got cancelled so I have A LOT of time to kill haha.
Shackleford.R
Well-Known Member
all this building and such... all you need to clone is your rockwool cube, spray bottle and a humidity dome.
line up your cubes in something like this
for extra care it has a warming mat underneath to stimulate roots
plug in your cuttings and then top feed water for the next few days, and maybe occasionally lift the lid to mist and keep a humid environment.
i think people overthink cuttings their first time out. in culinary school, before we could use a food processor, they made us chop pounds of onions with a knife.
the idea is to learn the process, and the techniques involved. once you have a grasp on what is happening and what you're looking for as a finished product, then you take the shortcuts.
what i'm saying is take your cuttings and propagate the old school way, like they would at a nursery. plug em into rockwool and leave them in a humidity dome.
when you have a high success rate with that, THEN build a cloner to do exactly what you want and how you want it be done.
(although the DWC is pretty cool)
Shack
line up your cubes in something like this
for extra care it has a warming mat underneath to stimulate roots
plug in your cuttings and then top feed water for the next few days, and maybe occasionally lift the lid to mist and keep a humid environment.
i think people overthink cuttings their first time out. in culinary school, before we could use a food processor, they made us chop pounds of onions with a knife.
the idea is to learn the process, and the techniques involved. once you have a grasp on what is happening and what you're looking for as a finished product, then you take the shortcuts.
what i'm saying is take your cuttings and propagate the old school way, like they would at a nursery. plug em into rockwool and leave them in a humidity dome.
when you have a high success rate with that, THEN build a cloner to do exactly what you want and how you want it be done.
(although the DWC is pretty cool)
Shack
Shackleford.R
Well-Known Member
also just looked through your pictures, now would be an OK time to trim anything green UNDER your screen. all you want under the screen at this point are stems. should give a boost to whats happening up top. less energy wasted on leaves/nodes/buds that aren't getting any light.
Shack
Shack
tmsculli
Well-Known Member
Hey Shack, the main reason why I have not been successful with cloning is not that I don't know how or that I can't get a proper system going which I think is what most of you guys are thinking. The issue is lighting. Remember, I was unable to light proof my veg area, so instead of normally blocking light OUT of your flower area, I had to lock light IN my veg box. In doing this it caused some issues. Mainly, I can't use the rest of the closet for anything else because I can't seal off the light well enough. The veg box seals fine, so with just those in there, I'm perfect, but with cloning, I need lights. This is the issue. That is why I just took my cloner system and put it in a 21 gallon tote. Putting the entire system in there should allow me to lock the light in and not screw anything else up. I really wanted to do a simple dome like that, but I have just not been able to get this shit to work out haha. Now I have a bubblecloner made so I am going to make it work.
Also, I'm not too sure if I have much growth underneath. What all should I be trimming? Fan leaves and such?
Also, I'm not too sure if I have much growth underneath. What all should I be trimming? Fan leaves and such?
An inch should be good for them.
A good test is to have your cloner running with the holes uncovered - if within a minute or two the outside of the holes are all fairly covered in water, you're good.
tmsculli
Well-Known Member
Alright, here is what I have going on. I have my 5 gallon cloner I made from a few posts up, but now it is inside a 21 gallon tote to trap in most of the light. This allows me to keep it in the main area of the bathroom instead of in the closet, which is exactly what I needed. I have cut styrofoam plates as my collars and they seem like they will work well. I cut a hole in the top center of the lid and put one of my 65W 6500k bulbs up through that and locked it into place by screwing it into the base. Then I ran a power strip across the top and made sure everything was centered. I think we are ready to roll gentleman.
Check it out:
I really like this, I think it will work well. Once I get a bit of feedback, hopefully instantly from shack and bob (
) I will take some cuttings and get rolling!
Check it out:
I really like this, I think it will work well. Once I get a bit of feedback, hopefully instantly from shack and bob (
) I will take some cuttings and get rolling!