1 Gal Hempy Blue Cheese Tent Grow

[Fuzzy Duck]

The plants look pretty healthy

I would suggest cleaning probes after every use when measuring PH/PPM as resindue left to dry on them may alter next reading !


PH/PPM swings will be more noticable in a smaller reserve this may lead to daily watering of PH corrected nutrient solution/feed & certianly will be required when the plants are much larger using more water & nutrients.

I would still be tempted to flush once a week with PH corrected water to remove any excessive salt build ups from the nutrients.



Measuring the run off will always be different... as this contains the leached remains of the previous nutrient soulution used altering end result once tested... if you pour enought new nutrient solution through the growing medium it will eventually test as desired but maybe percieved a waste of resources to get correct reading.

 

[Hiker]

The pics look great. Yes, they are a little droopy, but understandable if they were just flushed. If you're 75/25 perl/verm, you should be fine. If anything, I would add more verm. I always ran closer to 1/3 verm and 2/3 perl, but that's not too much of a difference.
Could it be something in/on the perlite or vermiculite?

So you're saying the reservoir went from 5.7 to 6.0 overnight? Before it was going down? That is weird. And what does your meter read in the calibration solition? I would calibrate the meter, check your res, then check calibration again. Same thing in the AM. Why are you assuming there is a problem with the meter? If it won't stay calibrated, then that's it, but it sounds like something else. It could be your hard water. Is buying an RO system an option? You can get a really good one for under $150.

 

[EzExtractions]

The pics look great. Yes, they are a little droopy, but understandable if they were just flushed. If you're 75/25 perl/verm, you should be fine. If anything, I would add more verm. I always ran closer to 1/3 verm and 2/3 perl, but that's not too much of a difference.
Could it be something in/on the perlite or vermiculite?

So you're saying the reservoir went from 5.7 to 6.0 overnight? Before it was going down? That is weird. And what does your meter read in the calibration solition? I would calibrate the meter, check your res, then check calibration again. Same thing in the AM. Why are you assuming there is a problem with the meter? If it won't stay calibrated, then that's it, but it sounds like something else. It could be your hard water. Is buying an RO system an option? You can get a really good one for under $150.

i must have said it wrong but no my problem is that my tap water has a high ph, i have to add alot of pH down to correct it to 5.8 , so ill do that at 11pm at night, wake up the next morning (about 12 hours later) and its back up at 6.2. as the day goes on it will keep climbing higher.

What can i use to clean my ppm/pH electrodes? i think i read some one used a water/vinegar solution to clean them.

I just got new batteries for my hand held meter and calibrated it. Going to make sure i got the pH under control with the hand held, then ill match it up with the 24/7 meter after i clean the electrodes.

Also i was saying my tap water has high ppm (0340) straight out of the tap (assuming my 24/7 meter is correct, i calibrated it with the 1382 ppm solution and seemed to stay pretty steady.

Im going to buy new pH calibration solution as well as PPM calibration solution. possibly invest in some fancy electrode cleaner at some point.

Also i have a bottle of hygrozme that was given to me, how should i be using this stuff? It says to use with my regular feeding schedule so do i just add it in with the nutrient water?

Thanks for all the help so far guys!

 

[KingJohnC]

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[Fuzzy Duck]

I believe that the PH climb is due to the plants being hungry & could mean that a rise in PPM is needed.

A large majority of nutrients are acidic in nature, so in theory as nutrients are consumed by the plant the remianing solution in the res becomes more alkline hence a rise in PH value.


Here's some copy & paste jobs from other source's i've found on the matter.

.1) ec goes up ph goes down = plants require less nutrients 2) ec goes down ph goes up = plants require more nutrients 3)ph goes up ec remains stable = equilibrium = good thing

420 forum link - How do I tell if my PPM/EC is too high or too low?

I hope it helps.

 

[EzExtractions]

Alright so i bought a gallon of R/O water at the store. My BPN nutrients defiantly went bad after sitting around for over a year, there was like a kind of slimey film on the inside of the jug, i poured them in the toilet last night, trying to hold back the tears of dumping expensive nutrients down the toilet, but its my own fault for not using them, or giving them to some one else that could have used them.

Either way i ordered more BPN 2 part blue maxx and cal mag straight from the BPN website. But for now all i have is some SNS VEG A nutrient solution. Is a very low NPK rating but i mixed up 28ml into 1 gal of R/o water, added some pH down and got the levels to 5.8pH and the ppm was only at 0100.

I measured the pH of the run off in the containers that i had flushed last night and it was around 6.0pH so i drained all that water out of the containers and watered with the SNS nutrient water that i mixed up, i filled up the containers just enough so that the cap from the top of the bottle was just barley touching the water, so that the it would just wick the water up from the res, rather than just sitting in stagnant water.

Pics of the plants, they are still lookin droopy, i have been flushing the container alot so i hope its just because of that. I can see the roots working there way down to the bottom of the res, i have a feeling that the plants arent growing much because the roots are still building a root system, once they hit the res they should take off.

I am noticing small discoloring on the tips of some leaves and the very tips of the leaves are twisting and curling around. I have a feeling this is due to the high PPM levels in my tap water (and also my dramatically fluctuating pH levels), thats why i bought the cal/mag i read that its suppose to correct hard water issues.

So ill measure the run off of the containers tomorrow and see if the pH leves are still good. I think im going to invest in a Hanna combo digital meter, thing is like $140 and its a name brand so i wanna hope that it will be accurate and work good.

Noticing new growth were i topped this one

white rhino, needs to get transplanted into bigger container tonight.

My temps are staying pretty steady, i also am gettin a cool mist humidifier to raise the RH%, this one has a built in humidistat so that should be convenient

 

[Mono]

Low npk ratings don't necessarily mean low nute content. Should start out at recommended dosage. Or half to be safe

 

[EzExtractions]

Low npk ratings don't necessarily mean low nute content. Should start out at recommended dosage. Or half to be safe

well i followed the recommend dosage on the bottle which was 28ml (1floz) per gallon of water, so ill see how they react to it.

 

[GreatLife4All]

Low npk ratings don't necessarily mean low nute content.

Maybe I can add something to your comment by way of explanation.

Here is a chart showing various usage levels of Advanced Nutrients base (ml / Liter):

Grow AN Micro AN Bloom
0 2 4
2 2 2
3 3 3
4 4 4


And here is a chart that shows the resultant PPM from each of these dosages:

Base PPM AN Grow AN Micro AN Bloom
637 0 269 368
630 176 269 184
944 264 404 276
1259 352 539 368

I can't get the columns to line up - for that I apologize.

For reference - I believe that 4 - 4 - 4 is the recommended dosage on the bottle for healthy plants. 0 - 2 - 4 is the suggested Lucas Formula.

But if you feed the full dosage listed on the bottles (4 - 4 - 4) the PPMs would be approximately 1260. This level of nutrients will surely kill your plant. You need to start your plant somewhere between 600 and 700 (IMO). If you look at the PPMs - the ratio of 2 - 2 - 2 is right at 630. This would be considered a very light dosage of nutrients. So by cutting the recommended dosage in half, you end up with something suitable for your particular growth stage. Same nutrients - different targets for different growth stages.

So you can go from a very high PPM to a very low PPM based on the dilution rate. Which is really just how much of each ingredient that you put into the same amount of water.

And a tip. We humans have a notion that we can help things by adding just a little bit more... of just about anything. But most nutrient solutions are so concentrated at this point in time that you can REALLY elevate the ppms by following your natural instinct - which can cause the plants serious damage. If anything, add a little less than you need - the plants will be OK.

 

[EzExtractions]

Lights just came on. We are about 16 days into veg (average of all plants).

i got the white rhino seedling that has been slowly growing into a modified hempy bucket. This one has a "feeding tube" that goes straight down to the res so that the media doesn't get over saturated when watering. also installed my aquarium air stone at the bottom to provide extra oxygen to the roots.

Heres Plant #1 looks stunning and more perky than this morning which i am happy about You can see the new growth forming where i topped her (i think i actually FIM'd her)

check out this tight internode growth!

Plant #2 looks like it has perked up a bit as well tight internode growth on this one too.

Plant #3 is starting to catch up, showing some more leaves which is good.

I think the R/o water and correct pH levels should make the plants happy.

 

[Mono]

They are coming along, leaps and bounds!

 

[mcloadie]

Lookin good ez, looks like you're dialed in, the IN spacing is greeeeat! +reps!

 

[EzExtractions]

They are coming along, leaps and bounds!

Thanks man!

Lookin good ez, looks like you're dialed in, the IN spacing is greeeeat! +reps!

appreciate that, being a "new" member i could use the reps too!

Just poked my head in there today everything looks tip top shape. The inline fan at 25% has been doing a tremendous job for keepin the tent temps only 3-4*F higher than the ambient room temp.

Going to need to order a portable a/c for my room soon. Outside temps are starting to warm up around my neck of the woods as we enter into the later spring season. Once my ambient room temps start staying at a steady 80*F then it will be time for the a/c. Im looking at a 8000 BTU unit for my room. My room is not big at all so it 8000 BTU's should cool it down fairly fast.

My humidifier should be here next week, hopefully the girls will have started to take off by then.

 

[Hiker]

The youngin's look healthy.

Now I understand what you're saying. I had that same problem with my hard water. I had to add a TON of down to get my ph right. After switching to RO, I use none. The nutes alone, GH Flora, bring it to ~5.6 every time. Hard water can cause big trouble with growing. We never know what's in the water. I think mine was so high in Ca, it was locking out the Mg.

Anyway, if you have the means, I'd highly recommend an RO system. Mine was only $150 and makes 50 gpd.

Good call on the AC. An 8k BTU unit will cool ~2kW of lights. It falls within the guideline of ~4kBTU per 1kW, but you might want to consider the next size up. Ideally the AC will be able to keep the room cool easily, not barely. What if the AC gets turned off one day and it gets real hot. The smaller AC might not be able to catch up very fast, if at all. I can totally understand budget/financial concerns, but if you can swing it, a 12k BTU unit will provide some cushion. Any plans to add more lighting down the road? Perhaps another tent?

Anyway... the plants look great. I love how tight they are staying.

 

[EzExtractions]

So ive been noticing this time of the day (noonish) the plants look a bit droopy, but when i come home and they wake up from lights off they look all perky and happy, not sure if its the plants internal clock just making them droopy some times. also it could be my low RH%. I sure hope its not the roots being over saturated but i dont really see how it could be.

I tied off #1 (the some one i fimd) . Then drained all the water in the res of the hempy containers and replaced it with fresh SNS nutrient water.

I topped off #4 with some of the nutrient water as well, my BPN should be here tomorrow, will start the ladies on probably a 10-10ml/gal and see what happens from there, i may continue to use the SNS as a supplement as well.

Ok maybe you guys can help me out with this but my lower leaves are starting to yellow up, im pretty sure this is a sign that they are probably hungry for N?

They really haven't been getting proper nutrients at all so im assuming thats what its from take a look at some close ups of the leaves

Heres #1 this is the one i fim'd and tied down last night

New growth where i chopped her

Internodes

#2 is looking very light green seems to be a N deficiency, what do you think?

Internodes

#3 is growing very slow, shes tied off as well.

And last but not least the white rhino seedling is actual starting to look like a real plant, its stem is very weak though it can barley hold itself up, im not giving up on her though.

Group shot and Inside Tent Temps/RH%

Oh yeah i got a 10,000BTU portable a/c to cool down the room that the tent is in, doing a tremendous job at cooling down the room very fast, im glad hiker put that bug in my ear about a larger unit.

right now my exhaust from the tent is just blowing into the room, making the a/c work more than it has to, so im going to try to get a 4'' Y connector to vent out the same hole that my portable a/c exhaust is being vented out, that way ti wouldn't really raise suspicion of having 2 vents going out the window and it should keep the overall temp of the room down, in return the a.c shouldn't have to run as often.

Right now my room temps are staying at a very steady 73*F and the inside tent temp is 78*F with the exhaust fan running at 50%. Now that's only with the a/c running for a few hours, had it been running all night and day when i woke up im sure the tent temps would be at the same temp as the room.

that being said i should only have to run my exhaust fan at say 30-40% to create negative pressure to control odor and will keep the tent 3-5*F warmer than the room temp.

I think im starting to fine tune everything here as far as ventilation. Now i just need to get my nutes and hopefully get these girls on a proper feeding regimen and watch them take off!

 

[GreatLife4All]

You MH bulb is too big for your cool tube.

If you look, you will see that you have about a 1/4" to 3/4" clearance around the outside of the bulb.

In order to get good air flow thru the tube, you need more clearance than this.

There is a skinny edition of an MH bulb... like this which will work much better in your tube.

This will help to drop the temperature under the light significantly. And probably drop the temp in the tent as well. When I corrected this in my set up, my temps dropped 4 degrees in the tent.

 

[GreatLife4All]

So ive been noticing this time of the day (noonish) the plants look a bit droopy, but when i come home and they wake up from lights off they look all perky and happy, not sure if its the plants internal clock just making them droopy some times. also it could be my low RH%. I sure hope its not the roots being over saturated but i dont really see how it could be.

If low humidity were the issue they would have paper thin leaves. The leaves look fine.

The LOJ and Super Silver Haze that I am growing also do that. I can't remember the WWs ever doing this If I check on them during the night time (when they were in veg, don't check in flower), the leaves were always droopy and looking bad. But ten minutes after lights on - everything is great.

I don't think you have anything to worry about there.

 

[EzExtractions]

You MH bulb is too big for your cool tube.

If you look, you will see that you have about a 1/4" to 3/4" clearance around the outside of the bulb.

In order to get good air flow thru the tube, you need more clearance than this.

There is a skinny edition of an MH bulb... like this which will work much better in your tube.

This will help to drop the temperature under the light significantly. And probably drop the temp in the tent as well. When I corrected this in my set up, my temps dropped 4 degrees in the tent.

If low humidity were the issue they would have paper thin leaves. The leaves look fine.

The LOJ and Super Silver Haze that I am growing also do that. I can't remember the WWs ever doing this If I check on them during the night time (when they were in veg, don't check in flower), the leaves were always droopy and looking bad. But ten minutes after lights on - everything is great.

I don't think you have anything to worry about there.

I see what your saying about the MH. However im only going to be vegging for a few more weeks, i might try to ride it out, rather than buying another $40 bulb. but i def agree the temps would probably be cooler with a skinny bulb, I have a few grow buddies maybe they have an extra 400w MH laying around.



BPN nutes should be here tomorrow , soon as they do im mixing up a batch of nute water!

EDIT: ok so i checked the babies today and they are still droppy, im starting to think the roots are getting over saturated.

My reasons for thinking this is i used jiffy pods to germ them, then just transplanted the seedling in the jiffy pod into the hempy bucket, now i think the roots are staying to moist because the jiffy pod is always wet.

Not to mention i think i went a little heavy on the vermiculite in my hempy mix and its retaining to much water

After staring at my babies for about an hour i think im going to make the decision to transplant into soil.

I honestly feel like this over saturation of the roots is going to become a major problem down the road.

The plants seem like they are growing very slow, they were doing good starting as seedlings but as soon as they went into the hempy buckets things started to slow down, i mean im already at 3 weeks of veg under a 400w mh in a small tent, i feel like they should be bigger by now.

So that being said i think im going to the hydro shop tomorrow and gettin some ffof soil, ive used it before and had great results, the only thing that sucks is you gotta watch out for pest.

 

[mcloadie]

All of your diagnosis of deficiencies or whatever will be based on knowing every factor at play, and FIRST correcting any fundamental discrepencies . Once I do that THEN I can begin to look at other causes...If all the fundamental factors are in line and my shit still isn't working.......I have overlooked something and I start picking at little things. Your Rh is low, if ya haven't been feeding like you think you should you may have low n. You already know both these things, fix em and wait a coupla days and see if that corrects your problems. You're not being picky, you're being thorough.

 

[EzExtractions]

All of your diagnosis of deficiencies or whatever will be based on knowing every factor at play, and FIRST correcting any fundamental discrepencies . Once I do that THEN I can begin to look at other causes...If all the fundamental factors are in line and my shit still isn't working.......I have overlooked something and I start picking at little things. Your Rh is low, if ya haven't been feeding like you think you should you may have low n. You already know both these things, fix em and wait a coupla days and see if that corrects your problems. You're not being picky, you're being thorough.

So you think i should see how they react to proper feeding regimen and correct RH% levels before i make the desicion to transplant into soil>