High Pressure Aeroponics

Bummed

The T-5 is on the heavy side. I have been meaning to get a real tie down anchor, like boateres use, but in the meantime I opted to use 2 screws about 4" apart.

I was raising my light yesterday and the cord slipped off the anchor, crashing into the top of the 12" plant that until then was looking very nice.

Almost completely severed the top 3". I propped it up and am crossing my fingers. This morning it was no better, but that is to be expected. I may need to cut a few leaves to reduce the weight.
 
If I was dropping it on purpose you could call me insane, but this is not the case. Eistein wasn't a psychologist so I don't really follow his definition of insanity, a word whose meaning actually belongs in law only.

Anyway I never have harmed my plants by dropping the light or letting it slip out of my hands for a second, I've only scared the shit out of myself thinking the plant must be crushed, only to find it slightly bent at the worst. Good luck to your plant still...
 
Whats up PetFlora & Hydrogrown!

Bad stuff with the falling lights...
Have you guys seen the Pro Grip light hangers from SunSystems. They run about $18 for a pair but they're worth so much more in that they are the best light hangers around. They use a ratcheting pulley & rope to make lowering and raising a light both very ez and safe. No worries of broken plants or broken bulbs.

Light Movers / Hangers - - Rope Ratchet Light Hanger - 1 pair

Home Depot also has a product that's very similar to the Pro Grips. The hooks are really big and they dont have the latching bar so it's an open hook. They're also rated for 150lbs. They sell them in singles for under $11 each. You can find them in the rope & chain section at Home Depot.

:nicethread: :peacetwo:
 
My set-up for my CFLs could be better as well. I put wood ribbing inside on the walls of my grow closet so I can clamp onto them from the sides of the closet, then I have a steel rod as my anchor rod w/steel hooks and with a small chain pulled threw a 1-1/2" pvc tube as my secondary rod, this is what my overhead CFLs are clamp onto.
 
Re: TAKE 2: HPA + Quantum T 5 Bad Boy 8 bulb

I bought 2 Cleats from HD <$4. The tear was too broad. Although the top did not survive, the plant is responding by sending 2 new tops.

Since this AF strain is 18-24" cola, I may have accidentally found a way to increase the yield. Of course this is not a new technique, but I have not seen anyone growing AFs doing it
 
Good thing I know to check the runoff pH and ppms. My plants have now reached early flower, a stage where the runoff starts to change radically.

Until this point you can simply add the runoff back to the rez. Now it's time to dump the runoff
 
Bandit420. Thanks for the tip. I could not find the device at HD, so I settled for the cleats, but will check those out as I prefer the locking mechanism.

AutoFlowers

I never grew AFs, and they have not performed as advertised. Is that my fault? I have since done extensive research and learned that AF genetics are far from stable; some seed companies pulled them after numerous customer complaints. Like them, I was sold a bill of goods.

I bought seeds privately that were said to grow a 24-30" cola; (only branching at the very bottom) and harvest in ~ 75 days. Who wouldn't want that, especially when combined with HPA, and DM Gold Nutes, including LL/S foliar spray every 3 days? And that's probably why many of you subscribed.

I know I sure as hell was interested, cause it gets too damn hot and humid here 6-7 months each year, and I was counting on getting at least 2 grows in. Of course I could AC the room and add a thermostatically controlled chiller; money I don't have just now. And what about the electricity? Too much for a personal use tea-totaler. If I smoke about an oz a year, my close friends get the rest. Like they say smokin mj isn't addictive, but growin it sure is Plus, I like the challenge of learning about the cutting edge.

Making matters worse: I was not provided with light times. I was told to veg for 2 weeks, then mix veg/flower nutes 50/50 for 2 weeks, then full flower nutes; I did this, but again not knowing, I also flipped the light to 12/12. They stopped growing completely at about 6"s, and did not flower.

I emailed the seller several times over a 3 week period but never got a response. I emailed the person who referred me. Never heard from him either. I searched and searched for AF light requirements, which once I found them, were all over the place- 24/0, 20/4, 18/6. I even started an AF thread but no one answered, and no one has contributed. So maybe AFs aren't all that popular.

I settled on 18/6 and went back to all veg nutes. Between the very cold weather and me getting really sick at the same time, the roots took a major hit- they went from fat white fishbones with lots of root hairs to shriveled up dark brown threads- They had more than one foot in Death's door. If it wasn't for HPAs ability to gently nourish and nurse the roots 24/7, they probably would have died.

Right now I have 2 plants doing quite well in early flower, the room is starting to smell. However, even before the top broke on the big one (12"), it already had two 3-4" side-branches growing near the top. Unstable genetics...?

Before and after snapping the top they are growing 2 new leaf sets, daily. Seems they like DM Gold Flower A/B, Silica, and ADD.27 (now at 1750 ppms) + LL/S twice a week.

And due to the forced pinching, the top has become two, So my supposed single cola is a bust, BUT, if I get 4 nice top colas along with the 12" of cola below where the nodes are very tight, thick, and lush, I'll be very happy, but nonetheless disappointed that it won't harvest for another 30-45 days. That said, in fairness the two setbacks probably added 4-6 weeks, so let's say 90 days, which is not 75 days, but not terrible either.

If it wasn't such a pain to post pics I would show you the revived roots and plants on the way to harvest.

hth
 
OK photos hot off the press.

Top pics are the plant the light crashed into and severed 3" top. Eleven days later the two new tops are over 4".

Note the S2G cube fell through the inside collar of the PVC. I am using neoprene pucks but the diameter of the main stalk hasn't quite filled out to stay in place. This also subtracts 3" from total plant height.
Recovering_Nicely_007.JPG
Recovering_Nicely_008_333x500_.jpg


Pics below: I wish I had taken a picture of how bad off this plant was. Literally 2 weeks ago it had 3 tiny leaf sets. And now the roots are almost where they were prior to getting sick and the weather was under 40 degrees during that 10 days.

The bottom pic is of both roots before everything went south. Had it not been for the setbacks, I would have harvested by now.
Recovering_Nicely_006_333x500_.jpg
Recovering_Nicely_005_333x500_.jpg
IMG_07428.JPG
 
I read the Joint Doctor interview in Jan Skunk mag. He says to use 20/4 with low Ryder.

Since my strain is Low Ryder #2 X Bubblicious I am going to switch from 18/6, where I have been getting excellent growth, but budding is dragging. Hopefully more light will solve that.

hth
 
Importance of Water Purity

I see a lot of posts here and elsewhere asking about water, municipal, well, spring, distilled, RO...

Your Drinking Water and the Whole House Water Filtration

However, Filtering is simply not good enough for consumption.

I use RO for mixing my nutes and for cooking and drinking, but buyer beware as not all RO systems are equal! Mostly it comes down to the quality of the RO membrane. Many are poorly made, producing less than pure water, and requiring much more frequent replacement. You check purity with your TDS/PPM/EC meter.

As to 'air quality', I have a colloidal silver generator and buy food grade H2O2, which I mix to 3%. I combine the two in a spray bottle for disinfecting/cleaning as well as to spray in the air.

hth
 
Quick Update

Large Plant now 13", two new main stalks are over 7". She is turning into quite the bush, though that is not her genetics. Hmmm. Main problem is the pompom roots (which drive bud development) have yet to show up.

Small Plant is growing like crazy. Now 9.5"s, 6"s is solid leaf/nodes. Roots have doubled in mass since last weeks photo. This one is showing more pistils than the larger plant.
 
Big Plant was droopy yesterday. The roots were dry. I soaked the roots and it recovered. This morning same issue. Same result. The smaller plant roots continues to grow, as does the plant.

I took out the 2 head mister and checked the screens- both were clogged, but the one aimed at the large plant was totally clogged. I cleaned them, and hooked my large inline filter back in.

Even though DM nutes are clear over the course of a week something begins growing in the rez. Beneficials? I don't know.

So that they didn't float around, several weeks ago I added a net pot with rocks into the rez for the beneficials to collect on. Most likely some got sucked through and had colonized on the mist head screens, slowly clogging them.

hth
 
Root growth on short plant is more than doubled since my last photo, as has the plant growth- new pics by Saturday.

It seems I need a single mist head positioned close to each plant for best nute coverage- but put it low and aim upwards. This helps get rid of spittle and get more fine mist to the roots. Trying to reach both plants from a single, but dual mist head was not working. The distant plant does not get enough nutes and beings to droop.

Time with 2 individual single mist heads is now 2 seconds on- 2.5 minutes pause- 24/7

hth
 
When it gets warm (like yesterday 80 degrees) my root pod gets steamy. I compensated by spraying some H2O2 on the interior walls, and adding frozen jugs, as I already do in my rez, but I am thinking how to automate without adding a chiller, though that is probably where I will wind up.

I am assembling a closed circuit PVC tube to wrap inside the chamber with cold water running through via a low pressure pump that sits inside a container that is large enough to fit a half gallon jug of ice. A round cooler would be ideal, as it will keep cool longer.

hth
 
The moderator was kind enough to remove all the negative comments, so the good vibe is back, and I'm pumped.

In the next photos you will notice one plant is sat dominant while the other is indica. Both are really healthy, but damn, when will the bud sites develop? Oh I know, when the pompoms develop. Tic Toc.

Peace out. :cheer:
 

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