ClosetCase420's - RDWC - 600W MH/HPS - Aurora Indica - Grow Journal - 2016

[closetcase420]

This is my second grow journal here. I plan to document the full grow, follow along and feel free to provide any advice.

This grow will be based in the same closet as my first grow journal which is currently in the drying / curing state. If you are interested in following and are not familiar with my previous grow the journal is linked in my signature.

On 1/20 (32 Days Ago) I germinated two feminized Aurora Indica seeds from Nirvana and they have been vegging on the side of my grow cabinet in a mini res with a single 4 inch air stone and 4 CFL for lighting.

Yesterday I moved the girls to the grow cabinet as my wonder woman girls were hung for drying.

I performed the first feeding today.

45ml CalMag (total 260 PPM)
20ml Flora Gro
20ml Flora Micro
20ml Flora Bloom (total 400 PPM)
20ml Silica Blast

current 5.9 / 480

Some modifications for this grow.

I plan to add an additional fan for more airflow. I'm going to research more on airflow and circulation inside of cabinets. Currently I have an inlet (xxx CFM) and exit (xxx CFM) fan that are both attached to carbon scrubbers circulating air in and out of the cabinet. I'm trying to decide if I need more air in and out or just more airflow in general.

The one thing I know for sure I want to address is humidity. During the last grow the closet is very dry, RH in the low 20s. I've already added a humidifier to increase the humidity in the closet so I'll be monitoring that closely over the next few days.

I plan on moving the SCROG down at least 2-3 inches for this grow as I believe it was too high for the previous set up. I'm thinking with the SCROG lower I can knock a few days off of veg time.

I'm going to be moving the girls from the 3" net pots to 5" net pots as soon as my replacements come this week. Any suggestions on the configuration in the lid knowing I intend on bending them sideways for the SCROG?

 

[CCOiler]

I'm here Brother, hope you do even better then your last harvest.

 

[Papageno]

2 is the magic number

Didn't you want to lower that scrog?

 

[Far East Buds]

Subbed

 

[gangadoctor]

In

 

[closetcase420]

2 is the magic number

Didn't you want to lower that scrog?

I intend on lowering it a few inches, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

[closetcase420]

(38 Days Veg)

The girls are liking the new environment. I was disappointed that they were as small as they were being this far along into veg however they are picking up steam and growing steadily each day now. I'll have to take that into consideration for the next grow to make sure I get started earlier.

I've been playing with the airflow inside of the cabinet. The inlet fan on the bottom right is on an adjustable fan switch so I can change the CFM into the cabinet. I know there are complex formulas for figuring out how much air in and out I should have going on in the cabinet. Is there any easier way to know or do I need to do the math?

I've also been using the humidifier at about 70% strength. I am able to get the humidity in the cabinet up to the 50% range when the door is closed. According to the chart I should be in the 45 - 60% range.

pH / ppm has been steady, obviously not a lot of roots going on yet to drink it up.

2/23 6.3 490
2/24 6.1 490
2/25 6.0 490
2/27 5.6 510

A few pictures to share..

I'm still going to lower the SCROG, switch to 5" net pots, and change the the position of the girls. (any suggestions on the position knowing I intend on using the SCROG?)

 

[Papageno]

I kinda think if you are going to SCROG the positioning is not that important as you will fill in the canopy.

As for air flow I would try to have the outlet fan going about the same as the inlet fan and that will reduce the load on both helping them last longer.

 

[closetcase420]

The thing with the inlet/outlet is that the inlet fan is a different fan than the outlet fan and the outlet fan is attached to a carbon scrubber. I wish there was any easy way to measure air flow inside the cabinet to see if I'm refreshing the air properly.

I just lowered the SCROG 3 1/2 inches, it is now 9 inches above the top of the res lid.

I also cut the new lid for the two 5 inch net pots and transplanted the girls from the 3 inch net pots to the 5 inch net pots.

 

[Papageno]

Here is what you do...

You almost seal it and then use tape to seal everywhere but a small spot.

Bust out the bong and blow the smoke near this hole.

Adjust the fan speed until the smoke is not entering but make sure it is not being pushed back out.

Keep doing this until you are really high and then it wont matter.

 

[closetcase420]

I was reading it like ok ok I got it and then oh.. haha doh

I'm just trying to make sure I don't run into the same problem that happened before with the dryness.

 

[Papageno]

That will work for both issues. The fan load and your sobriety problem.

I am moment from chopping down my plant. Just mixing up the wash now and gonna dive in.

 

[closetcase420]

So how much longer until you will start using your crop?

 

[Papageno]

When it is ready...and I have a permanent job.

A basic cure is not less than 2 weeks. A proper cure is not less than 2 months. Depending on how slow you doing it may take even longer which usually means better but not always.

I noticed you went to the tubs with the packets. Do you know how that works?

I just cut mine down yesterday and it is hanging now. I don't plan to cure less than 2 months. At 2 months I will crack one and see if it is ready and take a little out and seal it again.

Do you know what the curing process is doing?

I started a journal now and I will document all that in there. I am kind of killing 2 birds with one stone showing my current grow along side the harvesting, drying and curing of the one I just finished.

 

[closetcase420]

When it is ready...and I have a permanent job.

I noticed you went to the tubs with the packets. Do you know how that works?

No I honestly do not. In the past I've dried the crop upside down until the branches would break easily. This generally would take a week or so. For this grow it only took about 4 days before everything was extremely dry.

At that time I spent the next three days pruning the buds and placing them into the tubs. I intend on moving the buds into air tight mason jars in a few days to store them. Last time that is exactly what I did with the Boveda packs, one in each jar and everything was real good and tasty for a good 4 months. That's about how long I expect the crop to last.

I've started reading your thread and will definitely be checking into it on a daily basis. I'll be looking for your curing post.

 

[Papageno]

So I will just tell you here.

So those packets make it idiot prof (almost ) but are not needed...but I recommend them until you have a handle on it. I like to have them just in case.

So the point of curing is to have this bacteria that grows in the absence of oxygen go through and eat up the chlorophyll and sugars that are still in the plant. This makes the true flavors come out and makes it less harsh.

So first thing to note here is you don't want to open the jars once the balance is achieved otherwise you will kill the bacteria. This is where those packets come in handy. If you have over dried or under dried going into cure those packets will fix the problem as the gel absorbs or releases water to create a specific humidity. You can buy them in various humidity and for us you want the 60ish as you showed. That is because the bacteria needs that level of humidity (55 - 65 RH) to survive but you don't want it much more otherwise you may mold.

So this anaerobic bacteria will not start until it is jared up but you don't want to jar it too early otherwise it will mold. Every time you burp the jar and let in oxygen it slows down the cure. So those packet make it nice as once you get it to close to 60 you can jar it with the packet and leave it alone.

So what you should do it just like you showed. After they "dry" you place them in the flat containers with a Hygrometer. Then you leave it slightly open and watch the hygrometer. When it drops below 65 you close it up and watch it go back up. When it stops going up you slighting open it and let it drop. Keep doing this. When it gets to a point that you can leave it closed and it sits at 65% for 24 hours it is ready to be placed in the jar cure. Done correctly you don't need the packets and it will cure well.

But what happens is we let it get too dry first and need to jar it and it needs the packet. Or we get antsy and can't be there for the process and throw it in the jar with the packets.

I try to play it by ear. If I am lucky enough to be able to nail it at the right time then good...if not that is why I have the packets around. I don't do this for a living so I can't dedicate the time to do it right so I need the packets to be safe.

savvy?

 

[closetcase420]

(42 Days Veg)

VI.. a wealth of information as usual. TY
I think at this time I'm going to move the crop to jars with the B62 packs.
Now I just need to make it last till the current crop is done

ph / ppm readings over the last week or so..

2/23 6.3 490
2/24 6.1 490
2/25 6.0 490
2/27 5.6 510
2/29 5.4 460 - after fill up of 1-2 gallons straight tap water
3/02 4.6 490 - curious why the pH is dropping?
+2 caps pH+
6.1 490

The plants are growing, still seem much smaller than the Wonder Woman at this age.

Hopefully they'll take off soon.

 

[Papageno]

Seems like just yesterday when you said that.



As far as pH it is hard to say just yet. Are you reusing medium and didn't wash it well? That can be the cause of serious infection. but I doubt it. I bet you don't have an issue yet.

It is early enough you might consider running this res sterile by dumping in a ton of H2O2 (the stuff you get at a grow store not a pharmacy) and you could even add some chlorimate and run it hard clean you first res and then switch over to awenatural.

I am a believer in doing what is right and not standing ground on some principal. You know I am all about the living res but everything has its time and place.

 

[Far East Buds]

Seems like just yesterday when you said that.



As far as pH it is hard to say just yet. Are you reusing medium and didn't wash it well? That can be the cause of serious infection. but I doubt it. I bet you don't have an issue yet.

It is early enough you might consider running this res sterile by dumping in a ton of H2O2 (the stuff you get at a grow store not a pharmacy) and you could even add some chlorimate and run it hard clean you first res and then switch over to awenatural.

I am a believer in doing what is right and not standing ground on some principal. You know I am all about the living res but everything has its time and place.

Eventually i want to switch to live but I think i will always be a believer of cleaning with H202 in between and all my gear.. That stuff loves to eat up stuff.. cleans well... Wear gloves....

Would always be good to know you start fresh with only what you want in there...



FE

Oh added this... I always wanted to recycle reuse what I could... Better to replace as much as you can afford in between.. Stones...Lines... medium... All add up but small expenses to insure a quality res and start to each grow...

 

[gangadoctor]

I've made a small but important discovery... I run a rdwc system where the water is pumped from the 8 pots into a central res. Every couple of weeks I drain the water and old nutes but I always leave about 10% and at the end of a grow I fully clean and sterile the whole system. I've discovered if I use a small amount of drain cleaner in my system and let it recirculate it does a much better and thorough job. For example on the last clean out I cleaned and changed the water 3 times. It was crystal clear. Then I added the drain cleaner and attached a sock in the res over the water pump feed and the next day the sock was half full of crap. You only need a little and it does wonders. Kills and clean everything and if you leave it for a few days it even clears that hard to clean salt build up on the sides of the buckets