My First Grow - Bubbleicious in Deep Water Culture

[Roseman]

Thanks MC. Just did a nute soup change and brought it up to 1225. I'll go to 1330 in a few days.

Well, I was just reading a thread on here about being a virgin until you break a bulb. I just did a water change and when I was getting up my big fat head hit a light and it fell down and...well you know.

I wonder what CATAGORY they wanted that pic uploaded to? ( I see the MOD moved it.)
Half the pics I upload get moved by a Mod cause I can't figure out which CATAGORY to put it in. Yesterday I uploaded a PPM CHART and of course I was wrong. I did go to the WEBSITE SUGGESTIONS THREAD and suggest more Catagories for pics.
We all need to go there with suggestions.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

After I learned that they require photos in the site to be hosted on the site I just uploaded the picture I posted to member galleries. It seems that each member has a photo account. I just assumed that the proper way was to link the photos from my gallery account into my forum posts.

If you click the photo gallery link at the top, when the photo gallery opens look on the left and you will see my photos. Click on that and any photos you upload to member galleries are listed there. Click on the photo to get the link to insert into the post.

I was using photobucket to host my images to post on the site, but when you register you agree not to host any images on third party systems and link them to 420. I missed that. An admin was kind enough to fix all my images for me.

 

[Roseman]

Thank you! All of these tips help a lot!

I guess what I am most concerned about is trimming and figuring out the trichromes. I went to Radio Shack to get a microscope and could only find a 60x-100x scope. I got a 15x magnifying glass that seems easier to use than the microscope. I have no idea how to tell when the trichromes are ready. I'm assuming as they get milky I will be able to notice. I think my camera shows the trichromes better than anything else so I will probably use that.

I want to tell you that I highly disagree with the suggestion that you hang and dry first and trim later. AFTER the leaves dry, trimming is very difficult. You really need to manicure them first, trimming very closely. Then hang them to dry. Dry large colas 7 to 9 days, finger size buds for 6 to 7 days, popcorn buds for 4 or 5 days, and fluffy immature buds for 3 or 4 days. Save a large piece of moist stem, and put it in the refrigerator. If you over dry, you can add a small piece of stem to the jar for a half day and remoisten it. If you do not dry enough, you are screwed and will get molddy buds.

Dry in a dark room, low humidity. If it rains outside, add an extra day to the drying time. Do not blow a fan ON or directly toward them, but do have a fan in the room blowing way over them, or around them, to keep the air in the room moving.

When trimming how close should I trim?

The leaves are where the clorophyll taste and nute tst is stored, so cutting off the leaves will leave a sweeter taste. I trim VERY close. And read up on scissor hash, you'll love it. 2 small tokes will kick your butt.
Should I just pull the larger fan leaves by the stem out of the bud?
You will have TRIM leaves, the very small leaves that grow out of the buds, save them for hash. You will also have bud leaves, those single leaves on the 2 or 3 inch stem, growing out of the buds. They do have some slight amount of trichs on them, so save them too, for hash making.
The large FAN leaves should be saved separate, for making OIL.

Do plants typically turn at the same time?
No, seldom do. You ahve to go for an average or split the difference.
I feel like one of my plants is a few days behind the other three due to lower light levels hitting the runt plant. How do I determine that I am 1 week away from harvest and time to flush (if I flush)?

This is my first grow. Sorry about all the newb questions. I read a lot about curing and drying. I guess I just don't know how fast the trichromes are going to change or if there are any warning signs that I am getting close to harvest. I also don't know exactly what to trim or how much to trim off.

From experience of growing Indica strains many times, I know more than 8 weeks and closer to 9 weeks of Flowering will be a great time to harvest most Indicas.
But what if I did not know that?

In the old days of growing outdoors, we harvested when the weather man told us the first frost was coming. What we were really doing is harvesting when the plant and buds became MATURE. But how do you determine that? How do you know the buds are ripe? How do you actually determine the right time to harvest?

Many growers say go by the calendar and count the weeks of 12/12. That will work fine, but it is not an exact science. It will give you a clue tho, so watch for over 8 and around closer to 9 weeks.

And then there are those that harvest by the color of the hairs, or pistals. For the first 7 or 8 weeks, we see white pistals. Then, just overnight, we see a darkening of them, a reddening, or some say a browning of the hairs. They do change from white to red to a very dark near brownish red color. Many growers harvest by waiting until the majority of the pistals turn about 75% red, and then they harvest. That will work too, although still not very scientific.

The most scientific logical practical time to harvest is determined by the trichome color.
Trichomes (the trichs) are what we used to call the "crystals" or "diamonds" or "sparkles" that we see on the trim leaves very near the buds. In Europe, they are called the resin glands.
Trichomes are very sticky, almost like fresh model airplane glue. They stand tall, looking like a phallic symbol. Some have large heads like a tall skinny muchroom, and some do not. Some appear like a golf ball sitting on a T.


Other than the Trichome color and counting the weeks in 12/12, you should also determine harvest time by

When the Calyxes are fat and plump, looking like they contain seeds.

When about 80% of the pistils have turned reddish brown.

When the new pistil development has come to a crawl suggesting the plant is at the end of its life cycle.

You can easily tell by the chart, that you do not want to harvest while the trichs are still clear.

Trichomes begin CLEAR, then get CLOUDY or MILKY, then they get AMBER colored.

When the trichs are the color of male semen, a milky cloudy color, the buds will give a HEAD HIGH, similar to a HASH High.

When the trichs are the color of Heineken Light Beer, or what we jokingly call BUD LIGHT , the High will be a couch lock high, a sleepy high, or a numb high, the one most desired for medical reasons.

And when the trichs are half and half, the High is both half heady and half body high too.

 

[The Weed]

Hello Roseman and All... Quick Question when do you start counting flowering weeks? The day you switch to 12/12 or the day you first see white pistils? Thanks,

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Thank you so much Roseman!! As usual you have given me all the info I can possibly need. I have been planning all along to trim prior to drying.

I started 12/12 on 12/5. I figure 9 weeks is 2/6. Now do I count the 1 week of transition where I was doing a transition nute mix with 12/12, or should I count 9 weeks from when I started the bloom nutrient mix?

Also, I know you are against flushing, but is that only because of the SH nutes that you were using that are fairly mild? Or, do you think that should hold true with any nutrient system?

I plan on drying in my grow tent. I have made a system to hang sort of like chicken wire in layers from top to bottom on a pvc frame. I was going to lay the buds on the layers of the wire. I have great air circulation in there and can direct it to not hit the buds directly. The humidity is holding at 45% in there right now. I assume that will go down more once I remove the 6 gallon tank of water.

 

[FrostyBuds]

Hello Roseman and All... Quick Question when do you start counting flowering weeks? The day you switch to 12/12 or the day you first see white pistils? Thanks,

when it goes to 12/12 here. Most of the older/mature plants I have show hairs in veg.

 

[Roseman]

Hello Roseman and All... Quick Question when do you start counting flowering weeks? The day you switch to 12/12 or the day you first see white pistils? Thanks,

From the day you start the 12/12 Light Schedule is when most of us start counting the Flowering 12/12 time.

 

[Roseman]

Thank you so much Roseman!! As usual you have given me all the info I can possibly need. I have been planning all along to trim prior to drying.

I started 12/12 on 12/5. I figure 9 weeks is 2/6. Now do I count the 1 week of transition where I was doing a transition nute mix with 12/12, or should I count 9 weeks from when I started the bloom nutrient mix?

It is the CHANGE IN LIGHT SCHEDULE that starts the flowering process, unless you VEG for 6 or 7 weeks, then TIME or MATURITY will start it.

Also, I know you are against flushing, but is that only because of the SH nutes that you were using that are fairly mild? Or, do you think that should hold true with any nutrient system?

First, my opnion is much different than anyone elses, so take what I tell ya with a grain fo salt and pre-caution. BUT, I have come to think Flushing is not as needed in HYDRO as it is in SOIL grows. I think the nutrint-chemical taste and chlorphyll is stored in the leaves and NOT in the pistals, flowers, or caylxes, or bud parts and VERY CLOSE TRIMMING cuts that all off and eliminates the need for Flushing. I do not flush my grows and I do not get any taste other than a sweet taste. I feed my plants the day before I harvest.

I plan on drying in my grow tent. I have made a system to hang sort of like chicken wire in layers from top to bottom on a pvc frame. I was going to lay the buds on the layers of the wire. I have great air circulation in there and can direct it to not hit the buds directly. The humidity is holding at 45% in there right now. I assume that will go down more once I remove the 6 gallon tank of water.

Sounds like a good plan to me, bro.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Thanks everyone!

I was thinking about flushing. I just don't want to do it too soon. I use flora kleen now in between water changes. I was thinking of using that as a flush for like 3 days before harvesting. On the packaging it says, "for a few days".

 

[MostlyCrazy]

That's sort of what I do. I get a pretty good idea of the day it looks like I'm going to cut and the last res change before that is water and florakleen according to the directions onthe bottle!

I'm kind of in the middle as far as the debate of flush/no flush. Always do flush or at least what you might calla light flush but all I know is my buds are smokable as soon as they'll burn. They do get much better with proper curing but still smokable in a pinch.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Hi guys,

Ran into a problem this weekend and wanted to see what everyone thought. I had to go away for a day this weekend. When I left on Saturday, my pH was 5.9 and I have been slowly raising my ppm to about 1300 from 1100. I set up my auto refill system with a gallon to dump in on Sunday. I checked the pH of what was left in my refill tank today and it was running at 6.0.

When I got home this morning, I went to top off my res and checked my pH. It dropped to 4.7 since Saturday!!! I am assuming that I should decrease my nute level. I am assuming that either I have nute lock or they are just drinking and not eating the additional nutes I have been building over the last week. My TDS is at 1330, but I can tell that my water is a lot clearer than it should be for my nute solution. This leads me to think that it's not nute lock. Still drinking 1-1.5 gallons per day.

Any ideas? Am I right assuming that I should drop the ppm and the pH will stabilize? What I have done is removed three gallons and adjusted the pH to make the tank 5.2. I was going to wait about 8 hours and then raise it to 5.7 Tomorrow do a reservoir change and bring it up to 5.9 and lower the ppm back down to 1200.

 

[Roseman]

MR Mojo,

you ought to be in 7th or 8th wek of flowering by now. We're worried about you and your crop!
Wherea re you?

did you get the pH straightened out?

Is the water pump still in the tank?

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Sorry. I have had a busy week and not much time to play. My pump is not still in the system.

I am going into week 7. Still having a pH problem, but I see it is happening around day 5 of my weekly nute solution. Basically I change the water every Tuesday. It seems that my pH is starting to get out of control by Saturday. Until that point it holds very well. Even if I take out the solution and readjust the pH, the next day it drops to 5.0. So, I started changing my nute solution when I was starting to experience the pH drop.

I am assuming that it is something with my solution. PPM goes up and pH drops like a rock. I started alternating when topping off my reservoir with 1 day of nutes, next day plain pH water. Not sure if I am underfeeding and that is the problem?

My larger leaves are really drying up. I was thinking it was the pH shock from last week. I'm guessing that it is not nute burn since it starts at the middle of the leaf and goes out to the edges. My buds still look good and still drinking about 1 gallon a day. I thought it could be a light above the worst spot, but it doesn't seem to be the light since it is still happening after removing the light.

I have been watching my trichromes and I see that my big plant seems to be about 75% cloudy. I do not see any amber color yet in them. My runt seems to be about 20% cloudy. I have no way to know if that is an indication of time left since I have never grown. Am I still looking at 2 more weeks or does it sound like it may be sooner?

 

[Roseman]

Sorry. I have had a busy week and not much time to play. My pump is not still in the system.

I am going into week 7. Still having a pH problem, but I see it is happening around day 5 of my weekly nute solution. Basically I change the water every Tuesday. It seems that my pH is starting to get out of control by Saturday. Until that point it holds very well. Even if I take out the solution and readjust the pH, the next day it drops to 5.0. So, I started changing my nute solution when I was starting to experience the pH drop.

I am assuming that it is something with my solution. PPM goes up and pH drops like a rock. I started alternating when topping off my reservoir with 1 day of nutes, next day plain pH water. Not sure if I am underfeeding and that is the problem?

My larger leaves are really drying up. I was thinking it was the pH shock from last week. I'm guessing that it is not nute burn since it starts at the middle of the leaf and goes out to the edges. My buds still look good and still drinking about 1 gallon a day. I thought it could be a light above the worst spot, but it doesn't seem to be the light since it is still happening after removing the light.

I have been watching my trichromes and I see that my big plant seems to be about 75% cloudy. I do not see any amber color yet in them. My runt seems to be about 20% cloudy. I have no way to know if that is an indication of time left since I have never grown. Am I still looking at 2 more weeks or does it sound like it may be sooner?

When I had a pH problem in the middle of Flowering, I could not solve, (kept going from 6.0 to 7.5 in one day) I drained my tank, took the lid off, sitting it and the plants on a clothes basket, I found YUKE, SLIME, SNOT, on my airstones that just accumulated on them. I replaced them, and my pH stayed level until I harvested them.

What I am trying to say is IF there is any wierd crap, debris, dead pieces of roots, or slimey stuff in that tank, you will have pH problems. Is your water pump still in the tank?

You have two choices, 1, to get the slimey stuff out and have a very clean tank and very clean water and system,
OR
2, use something like Hygrozyme, that works on eating the slimey debris and root particles, neutralizing them, and turning them into food.

I like having everything clean.

I think in a week, you'll see some amber trichs.
Also be watching for the calyxes to swell, and the pistals to change colors. As long as they are all white, they are not ready. Betwen the 8th week and 9the week, the trichs wil suddenly go to amber. NOT ALL of them, but a majority of them, on the top 1/3 of the plant.

At the 7th week of Flowering, or toward the end of flowering, you can expect a lot of larger leaves to yellow and dry up and die. (unless you want to experiment with a little Nitrogen)

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Thank you for the advice!! I took my water pump after week 2 of veg. I did check my airstones last week when I first had this problem and they looked fine, but I did not rinse them. I am starting to see more root debris in my water during water changes. I do have a slight slimy layer on the bottom of the reservoir. I might try to get it out from under and clean it. That might be a little tough being in a packed tent.

Do you think my approach with water changes every 5 days is not the best approach? It stays stable for 5 days and then all of a sudden drops. Here are a couple pics of the stage I am in. Maybe you can give me a better estimate than I can come up with. I am starting to think next week.

 

[MostlyCrazy]

More res changes are always better! Holy smoke, look at the trichs! Whatever you are doing, keep doing that!

 

[ol hippy]

Mr.Mojo, Those look great whatever your doing ... your doing it right. Thats what you get with bubbles !! Nice job...

 

[Roseman]

Thank you for the advice!! I took my water pump after week 2 of veg. I did check my airstones last week when I first had this problem and they looked fine, but I did not rinse them. I am starting to see more root debris in my water during water changes. I do have a slight slimy layer on the bottom of the reservoir. I might try to get it out from under and clean it. That might be a little tough being in a packed tent.

Do you think my approach with water changes every 5 days is not the best approach? It stays stable for 5 days and then all of a sudden drops. Here are a couple pics of the stage I am in. Maybe you can give me a better estimate than I can come up with. I am starting to think next week.

Bro, I am an old fat man, and still manage to do a res change more often than once a week. Fact is,the more often you do it, the better the grow will be and faster it will grow too.

 

[FryingPanFlyer]

Hey man, the plants are doing great! It sounds like more res changes would be a good thing. I'm at the same point in my grow, almost to the day.

 

[YardDog35]

Bro, I am an old fat man, and still manage to do a res change more often than once a week. Fact is,the more often you do it, the better the grow will be and faster it will grow too.

lol


I agree, I change my res every three days now. Partly because of a lack of a ppm meter and mostly because I like to tinker a lot.

It keeps things cleaner and ph steady. I always wash my tub every res change too, my plant loves me for it

Not knocking what your doing at all bro!

Those last pics made my mouth water a little, great looking sugary buds and leaves. Keep it up!