Monty's Hydro MegaMix Multi-Grow Journal 2012

[Montyss]

Hello, this is my first grow, and my first post (i have read this forum, but never had need for a user).
I'll be trying to keep the journal updated weekly.
The nutrients and feeding are inspired from member Cultivator with his "16 pot wilma system hydro thread."

Setup:

Tent: Secret Jardin DS II 150
Ballast: ETI Ballast Duo 1000W
Light: Philips HPS 1000W SON-T PIA PLUS
Cool-tube: Ventilution Cool-Tube, 150mm, sitting on easy-rolls
Outtake air: Vents VK 150mm, 495m3/h
Intake air: passive
Running air: Hurricane Box Ventilator, 30cm (12")
Filter: Max Carbon Filter, 700m3
Hydro system: YaRoots, X-Tank 10 (drip irrigation, much like the wilma system, 10x6.5L pots & 80L reservoir)
Stream 700 Water Pump (730l/h)
EHEIM 200 Air Pump (connected to 2 diffusers)
Water control: Multi Meter (Digital PH + TDS (PPM/EC) + Temperature), all in one.
Air control: Digital Indoor Thermometer + Hygrometer

Growing medium: Mixed Clay Pebbles (Hydroton + Green Label's Hydrorocks)

Strains: 3x Short Stuff's Onyx
1x Deliciuos Seed's Critical Jack Herrer
1x G13's Diesel Auto
1x G13's Blue OG
1x Barney's Farm Auto Pineapple Express
1x Barney's Farm Laughing Buddha
1x Barney's Farm Liberty Haze
1x Dutch Passion's Power Plant


For the seedlings i have:
Propagator Pro
Spongepots from GerminationKit

Nutes: Main: CANNA line (Aqua Vega + Aqua Flores)
Extras: House & Gardern's Roots Excelurator
House & Garden's Drip Clean
Growth Technology's Nitrozyme
Advanced Nutrient's VooDoo Juice
Advanced Nutrient's Bud Ignitor
SuperThrive
CANNA's CannaZym

My tap water: 7.30 PH
170 PPM


Books i have read: Jorge Cervantes's, marijuana Grow Basics: The Easy Guide for Cannabis Aficionados
Greg Green's, The Cannabis Grow Bible: Definitive Guide to Growing marijuana for Recreational and Medical Use

Some Photos:

X-Tank:

Meters:

Propagator Pro & Spongepots:

Will try to put HQ pictures, when the plants develop.

Also, i have no idea what am i doing, i know in theory but in practice i guess it's a whole new world. I have read extensively in the books and in other grow journals and googled all the questions that popped in my head. If you have any advice about anything, or you think you could have done something better, please feel free to post.
Also if you have any questions, i will answer them as soon as i can, so please feel free to ask.

 

[Montyss]

Grow Status from 28-11:

The grow room is vaccumed cleaned, complete and operational;
I have washed the clay pebbles thoroughly, and i am now keeping them soaked in PH 5,5 water, almost 24 hours now, then i will transfer them into the pots and let the system run only with ph water until i can transfer the seedlings.

I will put the seeds to germinate into the propagator later, after i see that the whole system is truly operational.
Also, will not use any nutes, only ph 5.3 - 5.8 water, until the 3rd set of leaves develop. I will be vegging them for 5 weeks, with 24/0 light.

Bath full of clay pebbles, a nightmare.

 

[Montyss]

Grow Status from 01-12:
All seeds germinated Hope they will stay happy.
Loaded the reservoir with 50L of water.

System up and running on PH (5.1) water for 3 days.
Seedlings are getting almost ready to go in the pots.

Now preparing the system for the seedlings. In 3 days ppm went up to 280 and ph up to 6.5, i am now lowering the PH to 5.8. Also PPM have risen to 310, after setting the PH.

Laughing Buddha is almost ready, more are following:

 

[Montyss]

Grow Status right now:

Air Temperature: 24 degrees celsius
Air Humidity: 40% (it is low, i am spraying water all over as often as i can, the flow of air is good, what can i do???)
PH: 5.6
PPM: 350
Water Temp: 21.0
Feeding: 15min/4 hours

So i transfered Laughing Buddha, Blue OG, Power Plant and Critical Jack Herrer. All of them are looking good except for Laughing Buddha that seems to be dying. It is bent over 90 degrees from the root. I am now trying to support it with a metal stick, hope to see some improvement. Strange enough it seemed the most healthy at the start. Does anyone have any idea what might be the problem?>> I do not want to lose it.

Also, Short Stuff's Onyx are looking good, will transfer them in a few hours. Auto Diesel and Pineapple Express seem healthy too.
I have a problem with Liberty Haze. It germinated, but didn't root, the little white wire is very thin and i don't realy know if it is at least a little in the ground. Also it is bent all over and the shell is still attached. Any advice???


Laughing Buddha on life support:

 

[Montyss]

Grow Status:

I moved the 3 Onyx and Auto Pineapple Express and i put 3 of them on support with a little iron stick (they seem they cannot stand on their own, maybe i transfered them too fast??). I am feeding them for 15 minutes after 4 hours break. They are in clay pebbles.

 

[Montyss]

Grow status:
PH: 5.8
PPM: 360

Diesel Auto seems ok to transfer also. Liberty Haze is still lost.
I put the spongepots straight in the clay pebbles. Should i buy some rockwool cubes and transfer there instead? Or could i go like this? Some advice, please .
Also i am keeping 1000w HPS light at 85 cm distance from the seedlings. (I don't have CFL)

 

[Montyss]

PH: 5.9
PPM: 370
Air temp: 24 degrees celsius
Air Humidity: 30% (low, i just put a jar of water in there hope to rise it a little)

I just moved Diesel Auto from the propagator to the pots, straight into the clay pebbles. Only Liberty Haze remains in the propagator, maybe she will fight to save herself.
All of them look preety good, hope they will grow up happy.
Tomorrow i will buy a MH 1000w bulb, as for now they are on HPS and i know is not that great for them.

 

[Montyss]

Hello, pump was not running for 24 hours or more. Blue OG dead, the rest look weak. Hope to recover. Also Liberty Haze from the propagator is dead.
Change res today.
Changed bulb to MH.
40L
PH: 5.7
PPM: 210

 

[Alaskan1]

Monty, Just a tip from a hydroton user............don't clean the pebbles in your bathtub!!! The real small pebbles will find their way into your drain and clog it all to hell. Trust me on this. Also, if you plan to reuse it you'll have to screen/wash out all the old roots.
The link I put up will show you how I clean the hydroton

Alaskan1 Does Indicas Tent #1

 

[Mr. Krip]

Monty...nice start. Is this journal still active?

 

[KingJohnC]

subscribed

 

[Truth Seeker]

How did this grow turn out?

We would love to be updated with some pictures and info!

How about posting a 420 Strain Review?

If you need any help with posting photos, please read the photo gallery tutorial:
Photo Gallery Guide - How to Resize, Upload & Post Photos

I am moving this to Abandoned Journals until we get updates.

Thanks and hope all is well in your world.

Love and respect from all of us here at 420 Magazine.

 

[Montyss]

Hello,
Sorry for not updating this journal but since i felt no feedback, i stopped...
The grow turned up well for a first time Pineapple Express, Diesel, 3 Onyx and Criticlal Jack Herrer survived until the end, they were tough little ones i say you!

Gonna list some of the problems i went through, so others won't make the same mistakes

ALWAYS open a big enough intake hole if you have an exhaust vent. If you grow in a tent like I do this is critical. Also tape your tent joints it is safer that way. I had a big window (so i thought) in the tent as passive intake hole and a big exhaust fan. It was ok for 1 month, until my tent imploded, cracked it's joints, lights crashing on the babies and still running. Could have fried there i tell you!I belive SecretJardins pillons are not reliable.
Water Pump timer got reseted 2 times until i got an analog one. They are more reliable.
Diesel and Pineapple Express got Potassium deficency i belive, but they did not seem to care
Alaskan1 said don't wash your clay pebbles in the bathtub. => got bathtub pipes clogged.
Also, a recirculatory system has great results and the waste is next to nothing, but it is hard to maintain, cleaning and changing the reservoir every two weeks, and also keep the ph balanced for more then two days.

Diesel Auto yielded 50g
Pineapple Express Auto yielded 30g (Great smoke, great smell!)
Each Onyx yielded 25g (Fruity)
Critical Jack Herrer - 100g (Highish)
I will try to post some photos from the trimming.

I am now trying to gro in coco using a modded wilma drain to waste. I am making a journal right now.

 

[Montyss]

Got a picture of Jack Herrer. Will post more of the others when i find the SD card.


Also, here is the link to my new grow:
Montyss Coco+Perlite Multistrain 1000W Grow Journal 2013

 

[420 Girl]

Thank you for updating us! I'll move this to Completed Journals now.

Good luck with your current grow!