RageMonkey's Phototron & homeade bubbler experiment Northern Lights

[RageMonkey]

I think I'd get lost in there for hours! No helicopter rescue in that forest! I wonder maybe trimming might be acceptable in this case? I'm definitely one to say not to trim, because the leaves are important for the plants development.

I considered it, but to trim I need to remove the panels and I'll probably do alot of physical damage to the plant when i go to put the panels back. Right now the lights are burning off the leaves that touch and those dead leaves are actually holding the buds away from the lights. It also seems that the plant is developing more leave closer to the main stem and away from the edges.

One thing worth noting is that it's becoming increasingly more difficult to maintain a pH of 5.8. The pH of the resevoir is stable at 5.6, but every morning the pH of the DWC bucket is 6.0 - 6.2. So, I have to adjust the bucket down manually. It would seem fromt his that the plant is hitting the nutrients - particularly potassium - pretty hard which is causing my pH to climb faster each day. I'm thinking I may start changing out the fluid fromt he main bucket weekly instead of biweekly to ensure i don't run into any deficencies over the next month.

 

[RageMonkey]

I have been waiting for this I hear that music too! better watch out she may grab you when your least expecting it...might try and roll you up and smoke you! OR season her omelet with you :-| Great pics.

Can't wait to see this one when she's done...

 

[McBudz]

I love under the skirt pics

 

[RageMonkey]

I love under the skirt pics

Like the Japanese hidden camera stuff?

 

[Ms.Fox]

^ lol!

 

[Dr. 215]

Again, day after day, she just keeps growing and growing and growing. You are going to be happy with this yield.

 

[RageMonkey]

Again, day after day, she just keeps growing and growing and growing. You are going to be happy with this yield.

I'm not a heavy smoker. The last plant I grew was half this plants size and that weed still lasted me the better part of a year.

I'm really interested in seeing the quality of bud this hydro setup produces given that this plant has been so healthy and free of chemicals since the start.

 

[Dr. 215]

Well you will definitely have a nice long cure for these buds. They should be super tasty.

 

[RageMonkey]

Photos from today:

Main cola...

Main cola again...

Bud on the side near the front 3/4 of the way up the plant. Some burned leaves from the lights. The bud is still in very good shape.

The plant is filling out more on the inside near the main stem.

Another inside view.

Through one of the smaller side panels.

View through one of the large side panels.

Here's a shot of the stem near the base. This thing is as thick as a broom handle. Some of the lower leaves near the base are already drying and falling off. I don't see any yellowing, which I would normally expect with athe high nitrogen uptake required for flowering. It would seem the plant is just getting rid of some of the less efficient leaves in the center near the base that do not receive much light.

I can only open the bubbler bucket this much. You can see the roots. I will get a shot of the final root ball when i harvest. For now, this shot as good as I can get it. Pretty much everyday the pH creeps up to 6.2 and I have to add 2 drops of phosphoric acid to get it down to the mid 5's. I'm also tryign to keep my resevoir at about 5 to help keep the pH down when it tops off the bucket.

Just bursting forth with stickiness.

Here is the main cola pulled outside for a photo.

 

[Ms.Fox]

Just amazing. Has the growth slowed down at all? For as crammed as that plant is, it looks soooo healthy!

 

[flyfishinrock]

that is insane!! well done

 

[RageMonkey]

Just amazing. Has the growth slowed down at all? For as crammed as that plant is, it looks soooo healthy!

Yeah it stop gaining height about a week ago. The main cola is bent over at the top. I would guess that the pant is about 2 - 3" taller than the inside of the phototron.

It would seem the stretch has stopped and now it's just filling out with flowers and leaves close to the main stem.

 

[Ms.Fox]

^ Excellent! ;-)

 

[fineas]

Ragemonkey,
You da man! That is a very beautiful baby you got there. I was thinking of using lateral lighting when I planned a grow area. An experienced grower told me that it may not work, as the baby will need top light and the branches will naturally reach for the sky . I think lateral lights are working most awesomely for you. Maybe those lateral lights in all the corners and sides of that bathtub and you will get a monster larger than the Audrey II.
I have a question is the top of that reflective and does it open from the top? Are all the lights lateral or is there another top light? I am not familiar with this growing apparatus. It looks way cool and efficient! This was a great experiment you did, with awesome results. again you da man!

 

[RageMonkey]

Ragemonkey,
You da man! That is a very beautiful baby you got there. I was thinking of using lateral lighting when I planned a grow area. An experienced grower told me that it may not work, as the baby will need top light and the branches will naturally reach for the sky . I think lateral lights are working most awesomely for you. Maybe those lateral lights in all the corners and sides of that bathtub and you will get a monster larger than the Audrey II.
I have a question is the top of that reflective and does it open from the top? Are all the lights lateral or is there another top light? I am not familiar with this growing apparatus. It looks way cool and efficient! This was a great experiment you did, with awesome results. again you da man!

The top is reflective. It's hard plastic with a mylar finish and a small rectangle cut in the center for passing wires etc. For the first 21 days I had LED red & blue spot lights hanging from the top. Eventually I needed the room so they had to go.

Homestly these phototrons are not worth the money. they are small, hard to move, and have really poor ventilation. The whole thing is meant to act like a convection cell drawing cool air in form the bottom and out through the top while the lights generate heat. That works fine if you have a scrawny 18" high plant in there, but anything larger with some leave and the convection cell stops working. That's why I added a 20" box fan to the top to draw more air through the phototron. Without it, it would be 95+ deg F inside. The fan keeps it at about 80 F. BTW, pyroponics will sell you a custom side panel with 2 little pc fans for like $80, but they are complete shit compared to a $15 box fan.

For the best bang for your buck, you can get a metal storage cabinet and fit it out with a 600w hps/mh, 2 fans for exhausting lamp heat and general airflow, a carbon filter, mylar, and a multisite hydro setup for less than it would cost to buy a phototron. You could do a nice sea of green in a cabinet like that.

I definitely would not recomend a stock phototron to anyone. Some people believe they are pretty good for holding a mother only since the fluorescent bulbs inside are really heavy on the blue spectrum.

 

[Be Irie]

When I had one of the phototrons like 20 years ago, we had problems getting any solid nuggage. The nugs were very light and airy, the light penetration was not there in that little confined area. The ballast blew after about six months. We took it out and used it for target practice... I am interested to see how your final product turns out... Nice job Rage....

 

[Bee23]

Target practice,cool! I'd shoot it up with buck shots

 

[RageMonkey]

Yesterday, I accidentally broke off a small bud from about 1/2 way down near the light in the front when i was closing the front panel. Oh well. It was pretty small, about a 1/2" cube. So I figured, why waste it? The bud was basiclaly big enough for one bowl.

So I threw it into my vaporizer and i must say that given this plant has another 26 days to go plus cure time, it was pretty damn good. It was a sweet, mellow taste with very little skunkiness and it produced a significant body high. No harshness or chemical taste at all. You can definitely pick up on the indica in this one. To me, it seemed to have some decent strength to it. I was pretty impressed. It basiclaly obliterated my wife and she lasted about 30 min before heading to bed. hehe. Now I'm excited, I expect that it will get alot stronger and more fragrant over the next 26 days.

When I harvest, I'm planning to have some friends over for a little vaporizer party and I'll cure the rest.

 

[Dr. 215]

Nice man, if it tastes that good now, its only gunna get sweeter! Oh and i hope i get the invite for that vape party!!!

Hempy Holidays!

 

[RageMonkey]

I'm charging my camera. I'm planbning on getting some photos today to post an update.