SteveHman's Grow 7.0. Advanced LED - Multiple Strains

[OG13]

If this works well, it will make doing SOG grows that much easier, now I just need to find a source of taller-skinnier smart pots (2 ltr style).

Steve, they are easy to make using landscape fabric and a sewing machine. I make big ones to custom fit inside of square milk crates for outdoor plants. Just make up a template and sew them up using nylon or poly thread. Study some commercial ones for the bottom details, there are a few ways to make them. If you lay them out nice, there is very little waste. Cost is really cheap and they are fast once you make the first one. If you don't sew, I bet you know somebody that does, make a trade....

You could probably staple them together as well, make a seam on the outside

 

[SteveHman]

Thanks for the positive vibes, I am starting to feel better. My Dr said it could linger for up to 3 months if I don't rest and take it easy.

OG13, I have a sewing machine and am proficient enough to give it a try. I'll have to pick up the material and give it a go for the next go around.

Here are some pictures of the tent girls taken yesterday:

From left to right; The Missing, SAGE

Blue Venom, White Widow

I only added the hydroton to the BV plants to see if it will make a difference, so far not really since I am using the flood-and-wick method there isn't the risk of channeling this way.

Here is a quick shot of the other grow, the BuKu SOG in the chamber:

They're doing well so far, just did a nute change on them yesterday. I am giving them a transition mix and will go full-bloom mix next change. They have 5~6 weeks to go still.

 

[SteveHman]

The screen will go in next week and their training will begin.

 

[Propa Gator]

"I have a sewing machine and am proficient enough to give it a try. I'll have to pick up the material and give it a go for the next go around."

Mr Renaissance man, is there anything that you can't do expertly?
I'm not holding breath to see a clip of you on World's Dumbest Whatever.

 

[SteveHman]

I have been absent for the past two weeks trying to get over this respiratory infection, I am about at 75% right now and hope to get back to 100% soon.

I took a few pics of the tubs at flooding and then again in 10 minutes. The nutes get soaked up quickly with the smartpot/coco combo. The flood and wick seems to be working fine.

Flood:

10 minutes later, all of the nutes are soaked up:

The Missing is really starting to take off, it won't need much in the way of a screen to even it out. The others will benefit though. The screen goes in on Friday.

Left to right: The Missing, SAGE

Blue Venom, White Widow:

Shot of the top down. Just a pair of 300s in this grow. So far they seem to be doing fine. I think they will be ready for 12/12 early next week.

 

[OldMedMan]

I wish you a speedy recovery my Friend.

 

[Billy420]

Hello Steve !!!

I wish you to recover fast man !!! Damned infection !! Be good !!

May you explain a little bit this flood and wick method ?
I searched a lot the past 3 days , doesn't seem to be able to find something SPECIFIC for this !
You watering with hand , have put an "absorb" material under smart pots, and when they get dry on the top, they can be feed by the wet material under the pot ?
M i missing something ?

And how often you feed the ladies ? Once the top gets dry , every one-two days or something?

Sorry for the newb questions, but I m !!!!!!! lol
I really like your set up , I ll for sure start with something like this !!!!

 

[Jozo-sha]

Hello Steve !!!

I wish you to recover fast man !!! Damned infection !! Be good !!

May you explain a little bit this flood and wick method ?
I searched a lot the past 3 days , doesn't seem to be able to find something SPECIFIC for this !
You watering with hand , have put an "absorb" material under smart pots, and when they get dry on the top, they can be feed by the wet material under the pot ?
M i missing something ?

And how often you feed the ladies ? Once the top gets dry , every one-two days or something?

Sorry for the newb questions, but I m !!!!!!! lol
I really like your set up , I ll for sure start with something like this !!!!

Welcome to , Billy420! I'll tackle this for SteveHMan....basically, what he's doing, is using fabric (porous) pots with coco coir. Those are placed in a waterproof tray (in this case, he's using concrete mixing trays), and wehn he waters, he just adds his nutrient mix to the trays. Through capillary and osmotic action, the nutrient solution is drawn up through the fabric, and into the coir. When the nutrients are all taken up, he waits until the coir dries out somewhat (not to the point of wilting plants), then adds more solution to the trays.

This is an old school method of hydroponics, you should look up 'wicking' systems. It's easy to implement, easy to maintain and produces fine girls.

Good luck, and let us know if you need more assistance!


- JZ

 

[Billy420]

Allright !!!!!!!

Thank you very much for your quick and very well explainatory, reply !!
That was clear !!!!

Do you have any idea about how much solution it has to be used per plant ?

Wick system, yes I 've checked this and Is really simple, you r right!!!
We ll see

 

[Xlr8]

Hope you keep feeling better. Things are looking good!

 

[paw-paw]

JZ, u're dating u'reself! ha! that method dates back to the early '70's, before some of these growers were born. worked then....works now!

 

[SteveHman]

I was born in the 60's, I'm getting a bit retro in my approach on this grow (well except for the LEDs)

 

[OG13]

I was born in the 60's, I'm getting a bit retro in my approach on this grow (well except for the LEDs)

Retro can be good....you will convert me to LEDs though (still saving and waiting for a relamp)

 

[NorCaliwood]

Glad to hear ya is up and around. I know what it's like to be down for awhile. Hey as long as ya get back up it's all ok. I haven't peeked in your grow for awhile looks like the litttle girl are putting on size. I also love them smart pots. I reuse mine afew times. You can even throw them in the washing machine to clean them up. Least I do.
GL Keepem Green

 

[paw-paw]

ok, this is on subject. we used to grow in clay pots w/single hole in the bottom. the first girl i knewof to grow used these sitting on an old furnace grate, which was sitting on top of an old veg. crisper from a junk frig. she had just moved into a very old house & started rummaging around in the attic. she found several cases of lantern wicks & she ran the wicks from about 2/3 of the pots height, thru the hole & into the crisper that she was using as a reservoir. she liked to party & would forget to water. problem solved.

 

[Xlr8]

Glad to hear ya is up and around. I know what it's like to be down for awhile. Hey as long as ya get back up it's all ok. I haven't peeked in your grow for awhile looks like the litttle girl are putting on size. I also love them smart pots. I reuse mine afew times. You can even throw them in the washing machine to clean them up. Least I do.
GL Keepem Green

My plants love the Smart Pots, but it trips me out how many roots I have always trying to poke their way out of the fabric a little bit near the bottom. Do you guys get that, and do you just let 'em die off naturally when they peek through the fabric?

 

[Vapedogg223]

My plants love the Smart Pots, but it trips me out how many roots I have always trying to poke their way out of the fabric a little bit near the bottom. Do you guys get that, and do you just let 'em die off naturally when they peek through the fabric?

That's what I used to do with the fabric pots... kind of a delayed air prune. That's actually one of the reasons I switched to Superoots Air-Pots, the base is up a good 2 inches from the bottom so I didn't have roots trying to crawl around my grow tray looking for water.

 

[Xlr8]

That's what I used to do with the fabric pots... kind of a delayed air prune. That's actually one of the reasons I switched to Superoots Air-Pots, the base is up a good 2 inches from the bottom so I didn't have roots trying to crawl around my grow tray looking for water.

That is cool - I can see why you guys like those Airpots so much now. Yeah, I've just been letting 'em die off naturally and haven't had any issues so far. I love these things honestly. I'm going to have to try Airpots eventually now, too. Fun to try new things!

 

[paw-paw]

a friend of mine has done several grows w/airpots (he didn't let me in on his little secret) & says that he can save on grow media by almost half. where he normally uses 3 1/2 gal pot, he now uses 2 gal. they advertise that it's "air-pruning", but i'm wondering if it's not "light-pruning". any thoughts on this???

 

[Vapedogg223]

a friend of mine has done several grows w/airpots (he didn't let me in on his little secret) & says that he can save on grow media by almost half. where he normally uses 3 1/2 gal pot, he now uses 2 gal. they advertise that it's "air-pruning", but i'm wondering if it's not "light-pruning". any thoughts on this???

Hey Paw Paw! I would agree with your friend. I grew plants over 5 ft tall in the 3.4 gallon ones and had 2 1/2 foot tall plants in the 1 liter (.3 gallon) Air-Cells. I had to put them in larger pots for the last few weeks of flower because I couldn't keep them watered... But I'd be willing to bet if I'd had a drip system they would have finished just fine.

Good question about light... I don't think light will actually (prune) the roots as long as they stay moist... Cervantes talks about shielding roots from light or else the will "turn green". When I started looking into it a bit, I started to think under the right conditions those roots could actually branch, much like when some plants send out "runners". But that's nothing more than a guess on my part without serious research.

It would definitely be air pruning on the bottom of the Air-Pots though, since there's no light down there.