BirdieNumNum
Well-Known Member
I think I am about 3-4 weeks in on Autoflower Easy Bud in 100 litre Deep water Culture in a grow tent. I am in the UK.
True to my approach to this first grow, I haven't bothered to read the "How to write a grow Journal"
Pics of my plant and tent etc..taken 2 mins ago.
Essentially, the wife is going to kill me when she finds out how much cash I splashed on the set up... and as it isnt going so well, I am not even going to have anything to give her to smoke/eat with THC/CBD in it to take the edge off...
Anyhow, what I think I have learnt so far...
It isn't worth using tap water. GET RO Water
I have just replaced my 100 liter tank with RO water I have made over the last 24 hours or so using a 3 stage filter I bought for $45 delivered. That is a fraction of what the rest of my set up has cost and it should have been first on the list.
My tap water is "slightly hard" registering .3 to .4 EC and lightly Fluorided. Some of the best municipal drinking water in world so I thought it would probably be ok for growing...maybe it is .. but despite measuring out nutes etc my leaves ended up as in pics above after replacing half the water once and then subsequently adding more neuts (because the symptoms of spots etc on leaves got worse and i thought it was deficiency because all the pics etc online indicated that even though people on here suggested it was nutrient burn. Also replaced the water again with no neuts and a bit of calmag (50ml in 100l tank) and let it sit for 24 hours and the spots you see on top leaf appeared.
If you are going to do Autos you might as well grow a Sea of Green
I have been focussed on trying to get a high yield from one plant when the reality is that an ok yield from multiple plants is going to yield more and use pretty much the same resources. I am not going to get busted, but if I do my Sea of Green isnt going to be such a big sea it will get me into too much trouble over one or two plants.
Don't snap your seedlings roots by moving it unnecessarily.
It is easy to do and although my seedling didn't die, i am sure I crippled it - you live and learn.
If you can afford reasonably high end gear - get it
Although I have spent a lot of cash, I have picked up some good second hand gear at great prices I can resell it at. SMSCon Hybrid fan controller, Bluelab It may be a good time to buy second hand because a lot of people seem to be transitioning lights to LED or have stopped growing as the yare bored of it after a few years. Some other good gear I have bought new - , lights, exhaust fan, grow tent, DWS pot, air pumps)
Ditch the Blurple
If you are a noob grower and/or you want a stealthier grow Natural/white light COBs and Quantum boards are worth spending some cash on. I initially bought 3 $45 Blurple fanles COB lights. They worked but generated plenty of heat and i will use them on other things, but the Citizen COB and quantum Board blow them away and are far more efficient. i can also see what is going on in my grow tent, and they don't alert the neighbours/draw attention like a bright pink light. They will also have a resale value
An always on EC/PH meter is a good buy and the $50 ones are ok
There are some cheap ph/EC meters out there always on .. .arguably better value than buying eve nthe cheap pens mailed direct from China at 1/3rd to 1/10th price some charge for same product. I have a secondhand Bluelab guardian but I am not sure it is any better functionwise than the cheaper one. The EC is different on both - probably cos the cheap ones probe is sitting on bottom of the tank, it needs calibrating etc...the Bluelab needs a new ph probe too. When you have one bit of kit and don't know if it is working properly .. get a second ... or calibrate them properly etc .. Another reason to use RO water.. I know i measured my neuts etc correctly so right now I know my tank is at an OK ph and Ec level regardless of the meter readings. With tap water i wouldn't know that and even with an accurate EC, I dont know what is in the water and how it might e reacting with the neuts etc. I am going to need calibrated meters soon - replacement probe on the way and calibration fluid in the mail....
A largely automated set up is very doable
Using automated fan controllers and products like the Inkbird ITC-308 WiFi WLAN Temperature Controller with Wireless Alarm Smartphone APP, smart plugs you can run your grow room/tent and monitor aspects of it pretty easily. it will be stealthy too.
Grow some regular veg too
I grew some hydroponic lettuce and I am growing some other stuff too. The skills are the same as for C but it is at least a bit of extra cover and puts some food on the table
Keep an eye on Water Temps
1 day of hot weather and my otherwise great water temps went through the roof. Using warm water in my tank the day before didn't help (cold water tap upstairs is stiff and trickles and I forgot i needed cool water etc etc). i have added a second had water chiller to my equipment pool now ---at full price it would have been the single most expensive bit of kit in my set up and i live in a relatively cool country...
It is difficult to tell if you have a deficiency or have over nutrificated your reservoir etc
Mind you this thing I just found might help Deficiency and Excess Chart
The feeding charts for nutes (I am using GE Flora series) are not as clear as they might be. If I am not replacing my tank water every week what nutes should i be adding ? Am I adding the stated dose each week, making last weeks dose up to the new dose stated in week 2 or using it as a guide and adding nutes until my EC levels match EC levels i am supposed to have according to EC/ppm charts ? Oh and if you buy your neuts from someone thats making them up from a larger bottle - you don't know for sure whats in em and that is another variable you dont know ....
So after ripping of fall the dead/dying leaves of my plant, changing to RO water etc ... we will see how it progresses. meanwhile the Mrs has a had a bit of hydroponic lettuce for all my outlay...
True to my approach to this first grow, I haven't bothered to read the "How to write a grow Journal"
Pics of my plant and tent etc..taken 2 mins ago.
Essentially, the wife is going to kill me when she finds out how much cash I splashed on the set up... and as it isnt going so well, I am not even going to have anything to give her to smoke/eat with THC/CBD in it to take the edge off...
Anyhow, what I think I have learnt so far...
It isn't worth using tap water. GET RO Water
I have just replaced my 100 liter tank with RO water I have made over the last 24 hours or so using a 3 stage filter I bought for $45 delivered. That is a fraction of what the rest of my set up has cost and it should have been first on the list.
My tap water is "slightly hard" registering .3 to .4 EC and lightly Fluorided. Some of the best municipal drinking water in world so I thought it would probably be ok for growing...maybe it is .. but despite measuring out nutes etc my leaves ended up as in pics above after replacing half the water once and then subsequently adding more neuts (because the symptoms of spots etc on leaves got worse and i thought it was deficiency because all the pics etc online indicated that even though people on here suggested it was nutrient burn. Also replaced the water again with no neuts and a bit of calmag (50ml in 100l tank) and let it sit for 24 hours and the spots you see on top leaf appeared.
If you are going to do Autos you might as well grow a Sea of Green
I have been focussed on trying to get a high yield from one plant when the reality is that an ok yield from multiple plants is going to yield more and use pretty much the same resources. I am not going to get busted, but if I do my Sea of Green isnt going to be such a big sea it will get me into too much trouble over one or two plants.
Don't snap your seedlings roots by moving it unnecessarily.
It is easy to do and although my seedling didn't die, i am sure I crippled it - you live and learn.
If you can afford reasonably high end gear - get it
Although I have spent a lot of cash, I have picked up some good second hand gear at great prices I can resell it at. SMSCon Hybrid fan controller, Bluelab It may be a good time to buy second hand because a lot of people seem to be transitioning lights to LED or have stopped growing as the yare bored of it after a few years. Some other good gear I have bought new - , lights, exhaust fan, grow tent, DWS pot, air pumps)
Ditch the Blurple
If you are a noob grower and/or you want a stealthier grow Natural/white light COBs and Quantum boards are worth spending some cash on. I initially bought 3 $45 Blurple fanles COB lights. They worked but generated plenty of heat and i will use them on other things, but the Citizen COB and quantum Board blow them away and are far more efficient. i can also see what is going on in my grow tent, and they don't alert the neighbours/draw attention like a bright pink light. They will also have a resale value
An always on EC/PH meter is a good buy and the $50 ones are ok
There are some cheap ph/EC meters out there always on .. .arguably better value than buying eve nthe cheap pens mailed direct from China at 1/3rd to 1/10th price some charge for same product. I have a secondhand Bluelab guardian but I am not sure it is any better functionwise than the cheaper one. The EC is different on both - probably cos the cheap ones probe is sitting on bottom of the tank, it needs calibrating etc...the Bluelab needs a new ph probe too. When you have one bit of kit and don't know if it is working properly .. get a second ... or calibrate them properly etc .. Another reason to use RO water.. I know i measured my neuts etc correctly so right now I know my tank is at an OK ph and Ec level regardless of the meter readings. With tap water i wouldn't know that and even with an accurate EC, I dont know what is in the water and how it might e reacting with the neuts etc. I am going to need calibrated meters soon - replacement probe on the way and calibration fluid in the mail....
A largely automated set up is very doable
Using automated fan controllers and products like the Inkbird ITC-308 WiFi WLAN Temperature Controller with Wireless Alarm Smartphone APP, smart plugs you can run your grow room/tent and monitor aspects of it pretty easily. it will be stealthy too.
Grow some regular veg too
I grew some hydroponic lettuce and I am growing some other stuff too. The skills are the same as for C but it is at least a bit of extra cover and puts some food on the table
Keep an eye on Water Temps
1 day of hot weather and my otherwise great water temps went through the roof. Using warm water in my tank the day before didn't help (cold water tap upstairs is stiff and trickles and I forgot i needed cool water etc etc). i have added a second had water chiller to my equipment pool now ---at full price it would have been the single most expensive bit of kit in my set up and i live in a relatively cool country...
It is difficult to tell if you have a deficiency or have over nutrificated your reservoir etc
Mind you this thing I just found might help Deficiency and Excess Chart
The feeding charts for nutes (I am using GE Flora series) are not as clear as they might be. If I am not replacing my tank water every week what nutes should i be adding ? Am I adding the stated dose each week, making last weeks dose up to the new dose stated in week 2 or using it as a guide and adding nutes until my EC levels match EC levels i am supposed to have according to EC/ppm charts ? Oh and if you buy your neuts from someone thats making them up from a larger bottle - you don't know for sure whats in em and that is another variable you dont know ....
So after ripping of fall the dead/dying leaves of my plant, changing to RO water etc ... we will see how it progresses. meanwhile the Mrs has a had a bit of hydroponic lettuce for all my outlay...
