Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12" 1st time "amazement"

[dirtybud]

Please excuse the innuendo for well endowed plant. (photo attached above. Yeah, I know the leaf wilted [Wow! this article is really open to all sorts of bad puns] ... brought it to photograph and I didn't shoot it immediately.) But right now, I am amazed at the growth rate of Hydro vs. Soil! Really excited. Hope it won't be disappointing when I get to the buds ...


Anyway, huge leaves! 11.5" diameter. Is this normal? Is this indicative of bud size? Or just freak plants because of (who knows what's in those) nutes? Plant is only a foot tall. These plants were directly grown from seed. Not a clone. It is outperforming my clones in the same conditions ... drastically! Vigor seen in all aspects of plant anylization with regard to plant mass. Robust Stalks, thick all the way to the top.-1/4" past 2nd to 3rd internode from meristamatic tissue (plant tip). Growth rate almost over double of the clones (in same conditions) overall. Is this just typical of growing from seeds?
I have soil plants in the same room. Their performance 1:8. For every inch of soil grown plant mass, I get 8" from the seed plants in hydro in the same given amount of time period. I confess I might have stunted the soil grow a little, by transplanting to late and had some rootbinding issues.
This is my first hydro grow and finishing my second soil grow. It's hard to tell the leaf size from other folks pictures because there is no visual reference point. But the size difference from soil ... I'm like OMG! Hydro! We'll have to see when it's time to bud these babies. I'll follow up with a bud analysis in a couple months.
What I really want to know is if my buds will proportionally be big as well? I sure hope so.

Hydro grow conditions:
Northern lights/White widow cross.
Nutes: by general hydroponics (standard 3 bottles as instructed).
RDWC method hydroponics
68-72 deg. F
5.5-6.2 pH (goal is 5.7)
1.6-1.8 ec
18/6 - (8) 35W T5 Flouro. placed 2" from tops.
plant height: 12-14"

(Did I leave out some analysis info? Possibly. Let me know if I left out something out.)

 

[5chord]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

I'm freaking out too. I've had a few successful outdoor grows, but nothing had anywhere near as much rapid growth and lush foliage as I'm seeing with the RDWC....I can only hope the flowering phase will be as impressive!

 

[dirtybud]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

Right on! What kind of leaf diameter are you getting?
I have heard that buds are not as good as outdoor soil grows. But ... I probably will never smoke any and make concentrates or butters. Seems I just don't care for inhaling stuff ... at all. I like cigars and I just can't find smoking weed enjoyable or appreciable on the level of nuances as I do, stogies. I just want to get it in me. Eat or vape, might be what I'm looking for, but never tried it.
So I am expecting high THC yields but not connoisseur level bud in density, flavor and appearance. I could be wrong, though.

 

[Antics]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

That's some extreme growth, that says you're doing something right. The buds may, or may not reflect this same amount of growth, but it does look promising.

The biggest leaves I've seen were on my current grow, and the leaf just about covered my hand:

 

[BuddroGreen]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

DWC/RDWC will grow some big & healthy plants, no doubt about it. Keep your girl healthy & happy and she will reward you well at harvest.

 

[dirtybud]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

What do you guys do in flowering stage to give the roots more oxygen (less water)? I know soil grows don't like to be overwatered (which I always seem to do before I realize it). I usually give them half the water as normal and wait until the soil is bone dry before I water again and they seem to like it. I use less water. How can you give hydro less water? Can you drain the water and let the roots sit without water or at lower levels at two week intervals for 3 days? To give the roots lots of oxygen, as it seems a requirement for plants during flower. How do you emulate this with DWC? Or this may call for experimentation ...

 

[dirtybud]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

That's some extreme growth, that says you're doing something right. The buds may, or may not reflect this same amount of growth, but it does look promising.

The biggest leaves I've seen were on my current grow, and the leaf just about covered my hand:

Nice! You can see it's Indica traits ...
How are the LED's working for you? I use Flouro for Veg and 600w HPS for veg.

 

[BuddroGreen]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

Keep giving them water & nutes all the way through until flush, just make sure you have a good air stone(s) in reservoir, that's all the oxygen they need. In hydro they flower faster than soil...they will need less nitrogen (N) in flower, and in the middle to late stage of flower they like phosphorus (P) potassium (K), just don't go crazy with it.

So if you're giving them 10ml/gallon Micro, and 15ml/gallon Bloom in flower, you can give them 5ml/gallon of Grow.

 

[Antics]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

Well I'm growing in coco, so I don't have to worry about providing oxygen, so I can't help you out directly, but maybe something I'm doing will give you an idea:

I use plain 6 gallon pots from a garden center, with the attached drain tray. Watering with 5.8 PH, and draining MOST of the runoff. The roots have grown into the drain tray, and I've been allowing them to sit in water that receives no additional oxygen, while the rest of the roots are in coco, and so far I haven't had any problems from this.

You can increase the level of dissolved O2 with cooler res temperatures, adding more air stones would help as well.

 

[Antics]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

Nice! You can see it's Indica traits ...
How are the LED's working for you? I use Flouro for Veg and 600w HPS for veg.

I grew with CFLs before this, and I haven't had the pleasure of growing with HIDs, as my grows are all pretty limited on exhausting heat, but so far the LED I'm using, which is a Mars-Hydro 100x3 Old Model, and it has been kicking my CFLs ass.

I had closer node spacing, cooler temps, secondary node sites grew much earlier in Veg, where with CFLs they didn't start until late Veg/early Flower, and the price was pretty close to what I paid for all my CFL bulbs. It also uses less than half the wattage that my CFLs did. (150-170w draw, vs 361 CFL watts)

Growing with a 600w HPS, you'd definitely want an LED with more power than mine, but you can easily find a model you like with all the sponsors we have. When you're ready, check out some grow journals that used various LED lights, and you can weight the whole cost vs. specs vs. yield, several journals were done by people who previously grew with HIDs, and can give you a better comparison than I can in that area.

 

[dirtybud]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

That's good stuff Antics. Very thorough.
I might like to run LED in the summer maybe. HID is hot! Gonna install A/C this spring. See how that goes.

Buddro, what kind of stones are best for oxygen dispersion. I didn't know how important they were and started with 1" stones. Embarrassing, I know. Some are $40 bucks each and I have 8 buckets right now. And I want to double that. But ...
I also hate the fact that they want to float. So it's a cost:weight:coverage. I feel like I can pick two but not three of those areas to win.
I have 5 gal. buckets. I sure can't afford $40 each. This hobby is not budget approved by spouse in the first place. Last thing she wants to hear is "I'd like to throw more money at it."
Anyone feel free to chime in ... here. I want cheap, heavy and full coverage. Ha! This might be impossible ...

 

[Antics]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

Sending you a PM

EDIT: And sent.

 

[5chord]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

This came from a 5" White Widow (from seed) above ground one month today... I just finished pruning......

 

[dirtybud]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

5chord, I have a white widow in soil. My mother for clone to hydro. It looks nothing like that! Little tiny leaves about 2.5" That's great! Waiting on some clones to mature enough to fill a spot in my DWC.
Yours looks so nice ... could throw it on a salad. LOL.

 

[dirtybud]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

Aaarg! How do I check my messages on here? Can't find the tab.

Sending you a PM

EDIT: And sent.

 

[Antics]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

Aaarg! How do I check my messages on here? Can't find the tab.

Scroll up to the top, hover your mouse over "User CP" on the left side of the green bar, then hover over notifications. It'll show you new likes, new reputation comments, and new PMs. Then just click the one you'd like to view.

 

[dirtybud]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

yeah ...

OK, found it. But it's not the quality nor size I'm looking for. Thanks though.
I guess I need to drop the $$$ on what I need. Was thinking the spyder offers affordable O2 distribution. But it may float, so I may have to use washers as weight. Anyone out there use them?

 

[Swampass]

My soil plants do not come close to my hydro plants.

 

[BuddroGreen]

Re: Huge leaves normal for Hydro RDWC? 12". 1st time "amazement."

Buddro, what kind of stones are best for oxygen dispersion. I didn't know how important they were and started with 1" stones. Embarrassing, I know. Some are $40 bucks each and I have 8 buckets right now. And I want to double that. But ...
I also hate the fact that they want to float. So it's a cost:weight:coverage. I feel like I can pick two but not three of those areas to win.
I have 5 gal. buckets. I sure can't afford $40 each. This hobby is not budget approved by spouse in the first place. Last thing she wants to hear is "I'd like to throw more money at it."
Anyone feel free to chime in ... here. I want cheap, heavy and full coverage. Ha! This might be impossible ...

I really don't know the best kind, I use a water farm system from General Hydroponics and it has a bubblier type action, and a drip ring on top, it works great with a little Elite air pump. My buddies buy the cheap air stones and super clue galvanized washers on the bottom and then cover them in plumbers goop, or clear silicone caulk to keep washers from rusting (galvanized shouldn't rust, but to make sure).

I really don't think you have an oxygen problem in the bucket with fan leaves that size, that tells me she is getting plenty of oxygen, it was just a general FYI. I've seen the spider type with weights, but I bet you could make your own out of black air tubing, connectors, and ceramic weights of some type or galvanized washers dipped in latex rubber or silicone.

 

[dirtybud]

GASP!!! Buddro! That's brilliant. I have never seen this in any forum, but I have the idea in my head now. Done. I will post my creation, soon. Brilliant! I can still use my cheap 1" stones and ... I already have a bigger air pump for increased air flow per bucket ...

Leaves look great, Swamp. I am really excited about Hydro, now. I saw your other posts. Buds look great so far!