Papaya, Hindu Kush Aerotub Journal

Hey Guys,

Thought I'd keep a journal of my Papaya and Hindu Kush grow. Gotta start with beans again as we had an issue with clones (don't ask) . Seeds came from Nirvana and I germ'd 5 of each for 2 days in wet paper towels. All 5 (of each) cracked and went in to aerotubs. 1 of the Papaya seems deformed but I'll let it go and see how it turns out. I'll probably veg long enough (5-7 weeks) that I can get some clones this time. I fully expect these to get too big for the space but am hoping to get enough clones that I don't need to use beans for the next grow. I can add another 400w and another 600w if necessary. Will be switching to HPS in 5-6 weeks.

The current set-up is as follows:

(2) home made aero tubs with (1) 350gph pump and (2) 12" airstones in each
tub.

(2) 400w MH covering about 20sqft. ((1) 600 and (1) 400 standing by)

RO water with Advanced Nutes (Sensi A, Sensi B, VooDoo Juice and Carboload)

5 Papaya beans (tub on left) and (5) Hindu Kush beans (tub on right).

We're now 12 days in and I'm posting the first pics. Pictures below are at 6 days from sprout (Papaya) and 12 days from sprout (both Papaya and Hindu Kush).

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

Looking good so far. Kepp it up man. Id love to do some cloning with my AK's I just started yesterday. Good luck boss!

GrowinFlorida said:

Looking good so far. Kepp it up man. Id love to do some cloning with my AK's I just started yesterday. Good luck boss!

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Thanks! Good luck with your AK's. I have some "Gremlin" beans (22% THC) on the way and can't wait for those to arrive! I predict bong hits and Saturday morning cartoons when those arrive as I don't think I'll be much good for anything else.

OK....we're now 17 days from the day the beans cracked and everything seems to be doing well. Even the one baby that was a little deformed seems to be coming around.

I'm running my nutes (AN Sensi A & B, VooDoo Juice and Carboload) @ 250PPM and from all signs I seem to right where I need to be. Any higher and I see small signs of nute burn. I don't know what it is about these aerotubs but they always seem to use nutes very efficiently. Previous grows have taught me that by the 5th week of veg-ing I can run between 600 and 700ppm but no higher.

I'll be veg-ing a little longer this time (maybe 6-8 weeks depending on preflowers) in hopes of getting a few healthy clones. The clone cabinet is currently being used for 2 clones I took from the last grow although due to unfortunate circumstances those clones were taken after flowering was well under way. Needless to say the time to revert back to the veg state is taking forever although I do see signs that the veg cycle has begun.

Lighting is still (2) 400w MH for the 2 tubs. Last weekend I installed a new RO system which is working extremely well. It seems much easier to maintain PH with RO water. I'm running at 5.7-5.8 with very little adjustment needed each day.

You may ask why I'm growing 5 in each tub when I have 6 pots in each. Well....previously I had read several postings regarding the poor success rate of Nirvana seeds. I'd never tried Nirvana before and assumed I might have the same poor luck as a few others who have posted here. Due to the limited space (4'x5') I thoght if I germ'd 5 of each (Papaya and Hindu Kush) and ended up with 3 of each I'd have more than enough room for 1 tub. However, this was not the case and I can only assume that the poor percentage others have had was not because the beans were defective. All 5 beans of each cracked and I needed to add a second aerotub. Rarely do I hope for males but this time I need a little more space and wouldn't be upset if a few boys had to be cut down. Hopefully I'll be able to spot preflowers soon enough and can thin out the plants giving the remaining fems more room.

Pictures below are at 17 days from beans.

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

Hello to all. Nothing much new to report at this point other than I may run out of space soon. These pics are at 22 day from beans. Again...1 tub Papaya and the other tub is Hindu Kush.......both from Nirvana with a 100% germination rate. Another week or two and I'll be searching frantically for pre-flowers so I can weed out the males and give the fems a little more room to breath.

Oh yeah! The Chrystal clones I took from the last grow (which were 5 weeks in to flower) have reverted back to veg successfully.


As always...any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers!

Day 24 here and the 10 babies in the aerotubs are already starting to overlap one another. Took 20 clones yesterday (10 of each Papaya and Hindu) and hopefully by the time they show roots the main plants will have shown their preflowers and I can thin them out as well as tossing the clones that are male. Ahhhhh...it'll be so nice getting back to growing from cuttings rather than from beans.

Haven't posted pics before of the Chrystal clones I took last grow because I wasn't sure they'd survive since they were taken 5 weeks in to flower. However they have reverted to veg and seem to be doing nicely. The pic taken with the 2 drip systems are the reverted Chrystal. The clones on the rolling cart are the ones taken from the current grow. I want to end up with 1 of each fem: Papaya, Chrystal, Hindu Kush, and some Gremlin. No gremlin plants yet...just beans waiting for space.

Temps have been staying around 70 fah and humidity stays around 50%. Nute PPM'S are : 400ppm Aero tubs and 650PPM drip system. Ph is kept at 5.7.

Lighting is (2) MH 400's above aero tubs. (1) 400 MH in veg cabinet. (1) 150w cfl over cloning table. All HID lighting has switchable ballasts and I'll be going to 12/12 in about 1-2 weeks and switchning to HPS bulbs.

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ohhh this looks like a nice, organized grow, ill def follow this!
goodluck

Duece.

you will love the papaya...

Thanks BigMike....I can't wait!

Hi again. Day 28 here and they're doing fine other than getting way too big for the aero systems. No preflowers yet either. Arrgh!

I hate to keep repeating myself but I know some only read the newest thread.

I am so suprised at how the Chrystal plant clone reverted from flower back to veg. Due to unforseen circumstances I had to take the cutting 5 weeks in to flower and tried to choose a branch without a bud. Sure enough, that tiny cutting sprouted a small bud and I thought I'd wasted my time. Howerer.....not wanting to lose the strain I kept her under 18hrs of light and eventually she came back! Shes the one in the drip system and will soon be a proud Mom herself!

The 20 clones I took from this grow are doing quite well although it's only been 5 days. More pics of those to follow in the future.

Cheers!

looking good, good luck on your grow, ive jus started im about 9 days in from clones, but they clones wanst rooted, which id dint know so they got seriously burnded and crispy, yet they still growing liek mad, rooots have englufed the pots i think ill tranplants today

damn those are going to be huge man!! haha

uberpea said:

damn those are going to be huge man!! haha

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Huge ain't the word. They're TOO big. Check out the Bic lighter beside the leaf....and this is only 30days from beans. Some leaves have 11 blades already. WTF?

gohydro said:

Huge ain't the word. They're TOO big. Check out the Bic lighter beside the leaf....and this is only 30days from beans. Some leaves have 11 blades already. WTF?

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those look great !!! hydro is such a faster veg cycle. im trying to compare my papaya to yours but cant even tell. the leaves are so much more fatter its hard to. what side are the papaya on ??

BIGMIKE13 said:

those look great !!! hydro is such a faster veg cycle. im trying to compare my papaya to yours but cant even tell. the leaves are so much more fatter its hard to. what side are the papaya on ??

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Papaya on left but they do look very much alike don't they?

Actually it's aero (roots are getting sprayed as well as soaking in oxygenated nute solution). Unfortunately, and as usual...the males will be the big ones. I STILL can't see preflowers and we're on the 7th node on some of them. I just wanna get rid of those boys as fast as I can so I can get down to business.

god in flower those are going to EXPLODE

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Day 31 here. The clones I took 8 days ago have rooted well. (See pic below). 17 of them have been moved from the cutting box to another aerotub with (20) 1" netpots and placed in the same cabinet as the Chrystal clones taken some time ago. (See Pic Below) The other 3 will be moved in 2 days when the roots get a little bigger. The Crystal are definitely fems (as they were taken well in to flower and then forced to revert) but the cuttings are anybody's guess. The 2 Chrystal fems are the ones in the drip systems.

The (2) 400w fixtures over Papaya and Kush will get their bulb change (MH to HPS) and will go to 12/12 in 3 days. I can't wait any longer for preflowers as the Papaya and Kush are getting way too big. I should see preflowers within the next 2-3 days and then I can toss the males as well as the small cuttings that are son's. After 3 weeks of vegging all but 2 of the clones (1 from each strain) will be be placed out with the Papaya and Kush to flower, and the other two will be kept with the Chrystal as future Mom's. I'll add a 600w HPS to the veg area when I add the cuttings that have been vegging for 3 weeks.

You really have a 'Green Thumb', have you posted on your cloning method? Must be great to actually 'need' to thin out the grow.