Lucky's First Home Grown Bag Seed

[luckiestman13]

Great idea Ggrant. I'll just choose from Cannabis cup winners that are larger yielding. For example if 3rd place yielded a lot more than 1st I would choose 3rd place because it's still a killer strain but produces more.

These bud's I picked on Wednesday smell really nothing like pot. Is this from the faster drying in the paper bag? I'm so sad how much weight these buds loose. About 80%

 

[420Farmer]

They will smell better once they dry and are put into jars.

Im in the midst of deciding on a new strain. Well I was, I actually just decided! Do some research on white widow x big bud. It's available through most seed banks. I'm doing that strain it looks massiveeeeee check google images if you don't believe me! Also I just got done growing critical mass.. It was a very big yielder. My plant was less than 2 ft tall and gave me over 2 ounces dry, and that was under only 300 watts. Throw that baby under 600 plus?!? Your lookin at some decent numbers. Not to mention critical mass is dank as hell! Btw it derived its name because the plants get so much bud weight that the stems will actually bend and break off! It is also I big bud cross with something else but I forget.. Basically any strain with big bud in the traits is going to be a nice yield! (big bud is an old school strain I believe it won cannabis cup in 89? But anyway nowadays breeders are crossing other more potent strains with big bud, producing HUGE potent plants!)

 

[ggrant]

Hey Lucky,

I've never tried DWC (didn't even know what it was until you said you were going to try it.)

I know you're a DIY kinda guy, so I thought you might like this:

Re: dwc
Easy easy hun!

Get yourself some 5-gallon buckets at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes etc... (about $3 each)

Then get the net-pot lids for them from a hydro shop (another $3-$5)

Then get an airpump (pet store or hydro shop) tubing and airstones for the number of planters you want to do.

Drill a hole just below the lip of each bucket on one side big enough for the tubing to go into the bucket. Add an airstone to the end of the tube inside the bucket and attach the other end to the air-pump.

It helps to also use a boring-bit on the lid to make a hole big-enough for your meters (pH/ppm) and for filling/adjusting the solution. usually a 1" hole is enough... not a "must do" but very handy when the plants get big!

Fill the buckets with water, add nutes & adjust the pH..

Plug in the pump...

You are done!

Add sprouted seeds/rooted clones (seedlings in a rockwool or rapid-rooter plugs, clones the same- or bare-rooted) to the net-pots and top with enough of either clean pea-gravel or hydroton (there are other options-- these are easiest & cheapest to get) to cover the root area and plug- and hold the plant snug & erect.

A lot cheaper than a kit-- and easy to use.
most important things w/ dwc are:
Good Nutes
Good pH meter
Good ppm/ec meter

check pH/ppm's DAILY and adjust as needed!

Depending on what nutes you use-- you do not have to change the buckets out during veg-- just to switch to flower AND 1/2 way thru flower.. HOWEVER: Some nutes that are thick, dark or ORGANIC must be changed out at least every 2-3 weeks...
(take it from me-- lesson learned!!)

AND

Re: DWC growers why ?
Several reasons. The top drip system I started with had a very large reservoir. The roots might eventually reach the water, but that would be close to harvest time. It stressed the pump drawing water through the piping I had at the time. Additionally, the height became an issue because the plants needed more vertical space. So I went with a smaller reservoir, eventually choosing the 10 gallon, more so because of vertical issues. Smaller reservoir meant that the roots were going to be submerged but I still wanted the top drip because it takes about a month for the roots to develop well enough where they are feeding off the water in the reservoir more than the water from the drip. So I've noticed that the plants thrive on being fully submerged and can go long segments of time without formal watering. I also found that the plants react to pH and nutrient issues much faster than on just a drip, so I have to be more vigilant about keeping all that regulated.
Overall Im really happy with how easy and forgiving DWC can be and how versatile it is.

It seems the biggest problem with DWC is root rot, so you have to be careful about that. One grower said he left his plants unattended for 3 weeks (I think it was three weeks - I can't find the post again), so it's good if you're travelling.

If you're looking for faster growth, you might try Coco Coir. It's closer to hydroponics than soil. The medium wicks away moisture so fast, and responds to change in nutrients much faster than soil. Soil retains the nutrients you put in it for long periods of time. When you use coco, it's almost like you're flushing the soil each time, which essentially is what hydroponics is all about. It's even recommended to use hydroponics nutrients when you're using coco. It does need to be watered more often than soil, so it's not good if you have to leave your grow unattended for more than two days at a time.

If you go to my journal, about three weeks ago, I did a bid post on how to prepare Coco Coir and showed the results of a transplant from soil to coco.

Plants grow much faster in coco than soil and you don't have the problems you can have with hydro or DWC (I know what it means now!).

 

[420Farmer]

All I grow in is coco. It's the way to go for sure

 

[ggrant]

420farmer said:

All I grow in is coco. It's the way to go for sure

Listen to the coconut! He knows whereof he speaks.

 

[Tricks]

I want to try at least one plant in coconut, its funny all the different methods there are to grow, and some swear their way is the only way LOL (**note I know thats not what is being said in this thread) some say nutes are a must, others say they are a waste of money and the plant should get all it needs from the soil...I have learned one thing for sure here on 420...There is more than one GOOD way to skin a cat LOL and from what I have seen CoCo is one of em!

 

[420Farmer]

I want to try at least one plant in coconut, its funny all the different methods there are to grow, and some swear their way is the only way LOL (**note I know thats not what is being said in this thread) some say nutes are a must, others say they are a waste of money and the plant should get all it needs from the soil...I have learned one thing for sure here on 420...There is more than one GOOD way to skin a cat LOL and from what I have seen CoCo is one of em!

You'll love it man! You definitely need nutrients for coco and a ph kit. It doesn't self supply food to the plant and it also doesn't buffer the ph levels, like soil would.

 

[luckiestman13]

A couple new pics

Had a great wkd trying this bud out. Great uppy high last 2-3 hrs but tasted like butt. I'm sure my next harvest when dried slowly and cured will be much much different.

 

[420Farmer]

Those buds look delicious! Nice job man I remember a tiny little half dead plant. You came a long way!

 

[luckiestman13]

The leaves are really starting to change colors. Kinda of dark purplish/black. How does she look?

 

[ggrant]

WOW!!!!

Now that's what I call Trichome City. She looks phenomenal.

I applaud your decision to re-veg her and take some clones. She looks like a keeper. Even though she is a bag seed, she obviously came from a good family. Do you know what the strain the bag seed was supposed to be?

When you take some clones after re-vegging, make sure to send me one!

As far as the colors of the leaves, as harvest nears completion, the leaves start turning color, like leaves in Autumn. I think it's because the nitrogen is being depleted, allowing the trace minerals in the leaves to become visible. That's why leaves turn color in the fall.

Here are some examples from my last harvest. (This harvest I cut off ALL the fan leaves before they could turn color.)

Colors Of Autumn

 

[420Farmer]

Nice colors! My criticals leaves turned completely purple it looked so sweet! Give it a few days and yours will do the same. Makes the buds look really cool when dried too. Just a hint of purple on them

 

[luckiestman13]

Picked up some new toys today for 20$ a piece. Hopefully I can get them up and running correctly.

I already plugged in the 1000w ballast the bulb lit up but was very dim and then when I check back on it a few minutes later and it was out. Is there anyway I can check to see if the ballast is working correctly? I really don't know much about them or how they work.

 

[luckiestman13]

Well I couldn't take it anymore and tonight I chopped her down at 9 weeks (64days) flowering. I left a little stump and some buds going to try and grow her again! Also still got my purple #1 (dutch passion) vegging nicely. She's about 6 in tall now. I've topped her twice now. Boy is this purple #1's stem is thick already. Much different from my bagseed.

Gggrant- Not really sure on the strain. I thought it might have been a juicy fruit but I'm really not so sure now.

Why did you cut off all the leaves this time?

 

[ggrant]

Why did you cut off all the leaves this time?

I wanted to get light down to all the buds, even the ones on the bottom. I've had too many grows with ripe buds on top and puny undeveloped buds below.

This time all the buds ripened, even the very bottom-most ones. I did fry the ones on top though, unfortunately.

 

[luckiestman13]

re-potted my chopped plant in happy frog and perlite. I also cut off a lot of its root mass and put her in an 8in pot.

fem Purple #1

harvest drying

 

[420Farmer]

Interesting way to dry em lucky. I need to hang mine up high because my damn cat likes weed more than me!

 

[ggrant]

I already plugged in the 1000w ballast the bulb lit up but was very dim and then when I check back on it a few minutes later and it was out. Is there anyway I can check to see if the ballast is working correctly? I really don't know much about them or how they work.

A ballast consists of three things: A transformer (to increase the voltage), a capacitor (a current limiting device and impedance matcher for the transformer) and an igniter (high voltage spark to start the electric arc for the bulb).

Usually the thing to go on these ballasts is the transformer. My mentor was having trouble with his ballast and he had an electrical multi-meter (used to measure AC voltages, current and impedance - AC version of electrical resistance). I went to a technical high school and learned more than I ever want to know about AC circuits.

Anyway, turns out his transformer was starting to go. There was some current leaking from the primary to the secondary coils (the primary is where the 120V current goes - the secondary is the output on the HPS ballast side).

As transformers get older, they start to lose efficiency and eventually become useless. The reason this happens is the following:

In order to get as many coils of wire as possible wrapped around the armature (the metal base the coils are wound on), the coils are coated in lacquer (not plastic or rubber, like household wiring). Over time the lacquer degrades for the following three reasons:

1) Aging - the lacquer becomes brittle with age;
2) Heat - the coils generate lots of heat which accellerates aging;
3) Magnetic stress - the magnetic force between the coils is enormous and the alternating current is like flexing your fist 60 times a second. Eventually, the pressure will erode the lacquer.

In summary, DON'T buy a used ballast! You can probably find a replacement transformer at an electrical shop. This is what my mentor did and afterwards, his ballast was up to par. An older mechanical ballast will slowly degrade and lose efficiency over time (don't know if this applies to electronic ballasts). This means you are not getting the full use of your MH or HPS bulb.

So, if you can find a cheap replacement transformer and want to give it a try, be my guest. I can't guarantee that's the problem though!

 

[luckiestman13]

I only took the ballast because he said if it worked I could keep it and just give him $20 for it. So I think Ill just give it back. I would just feel better at night buying a new one and being much more confident that nothing would happen.

I've got some big plans in the works for my new room. Going to frame up some walls with a door so I can have another lock. So I'll have a lock on the door entering the utility room and then essentially another room inside it with a locking door. It'll measure total 10ft long by 5ft wide. The exact inside dimensions are yet to be determined. Id like to run two 600 watt lights in the flowering chamber. I'm thinking 6ft by 5 ft for the flowering chamber.

I can make a bench and stack the clones to save space and veg them under cfls so the plants can get close without burning them.

I've bookmarked different grows and diy's for ideas to use. I should have everything done in a month. At first I'll just be running the one 600 watt I have now for flowering. I feel much better about adding the extra security. And having more of a closed system.

 

[ggrant]

Definitely take the ballast back, Lucky! If you're building a state of the art system, why mess around with some old piece of junk? Even if you got it working, I doubt its efficiency would rival a new one. And it could short out sometime in the future, or possibly become a fire hazard. I wouldn't feel safe having it around in my place.

You really are a do-it-yourselfer, Lucky! I admire your inventiveness. When you finish your space, I'm inviting you over to do my storage room. Don't forget your tools!

Going to frame up some walls with a door so I can have another lock. So I'll have a lock on the door entering the utility room and then essentially another room inside it with a locking door.

I feel much better about adding the extra security. And having more of a closed system.

With the double doors and extra security, maybe you should call this place

Fort Locks​