Usul's #3: Quest for the Ultimate Closet Grow

[usul]

Hi Folks,

Grow #3 is underway so I've started this new journal to document the progress. In a nutshell I'm growing the same strain in essentially the same way as my previous grow with what I hope are some important improvements.

I'm working with very limited space so the focus of my grows is to yeild as much bud as possible from a zero-odor ultra-quiet setup that fits in a closet. My previous grow yielded just over 3 ounces and I'm hoping to do sigificantly better this time. Will experience, improved growing technique and some fine tuning of the gear get me up into the 4 or 5 ounce range? We shall see.

Here are the details:

Strain: Barney's Farm Red Cherry Berry - mostly indica mix

Medium: Soil - a premium organic mix similar to FFOF with 33% perlite

Lighting: 100W T5 HO flourescents for the first 2 or 3 weeks of veg then a 250W HPS with an Eye Hortilux enhanced spectrum bulb for the rest of the grow. There are also a pair of 25W T5 side lights that will be used throughout the grow.

Nutes: Fox Farm trio plus Hygrozyme and Cal-Mag Plus

Enclosure and environmental: Plants are grown inside a DR60 24" x 24" x 54" tent. Fresh air is drawn up from my home's crawl space and boosted by 2 small fans. Circulation inside the tent is provided by a similar pair of fans directed at the airspace between the light and the plant canopy. For exhaust a small carbon filter is mounted at the top of the tent, air is pulled through it using a 200cfm fan and exhauted back into the crawl space. A space heater is added to the closet to control ambient temps during the cooler months and I'm considering replacing it with a mini air conditioner during hot weather.

All of that goes in a closet in my entryway - about 8 feet from both the front door and living room sofa, which is why I want the setup to be as unobtrusive as possible.

Here's a picture of the tent inside the closet, along with some other stuff:

And here's a picture of the inside of the tent. Note that the 100W T5 fixture is removed before turning on the 250W HPS. Also note that the T5 has been raised for this shot - it's normall positioned about 3 or 4 inches above the plants.

New for this grow are:

o New carbon filter - the previous filter was just barely working by the end of the grow. I'm going to hack away at it and see if it can be made refillable.

o Fresh air intake fans - I'm not using these now because the T5s don't generate enough heat. They'll be needed when the HPS comes online, especially in warmer weather.

o New circulation & cooling fans - the fans previously in this position were AC powered: too powerful and too noisy. These new DC fans have a more appropriate airflow and are whisper quiet.

o Eye Hortilux enhanced spectrum bulb - should run cooler than a MH and work for both veg and flower.

o 50 watts of T5 side lighting - I had two 25W fixtures just laying around and decided to put them to use. I'll install warm color bulbs for flowering.

I'm hoping those last two items will improve yield. That, and the assumption I have a clue what I'm doing this time around

Finally, here's a shot of the plants at 5 days old:

 

[waltdv1]

I followed your previous journals with great interest. Your approach to journaling is very accessible and informative, so thanks from someone looking to embark on a 1st grow.

I have a tent, blower/filter, 400W pulsar light and 8 seedlings taking root in soil under a 150 watt grow light. Unfortunately my seeds are from some mids - bag weed but it's a start. I'm on the East Coast and my lifestyle demands a significant stealthiness to my grow. Buying grow related materials seems risky to me so buying seeds is not an option I'm will to pursue at this time. Nor do I intend to put myself at risk in the whims of the underground market.

To my question, how many amps are you drawing in your tent between the light/blower and various appliances?

 

[Stealthy1]

Awesome start usul nice short seedlings...
I of course will be along with you for the ride...
What carbon filter do you use? pictures of it?
Man that T5 is tight in there huh? perfect size it seems.
I like DC fans Much better way easier to control fan speeds than with AC even with fan controllers AC fans are loud and and some will burn out at low speeds. just need a voltage regulator for DC....

Walt welcome to 420 looks like you got a good start going...
I think its better to cut your teeth on bagseed IMO I killed a couple pricey seeds perfecting my germination technique.
Also if you want to buy seeds just have a friend you can trust buy them for you that way it cant be traced to you even if they find the seeds which they likely wont and if they do they just confiscate them and send you a letter telling you about it...

 

[Tiger Balm]

I'm in, Usul! Beautiful documentation!

 

[ultrasonic]

Oh boy oh boy ohboyohboyohboy!

Can't wait to see this one ride itself out

Tho I have to admit, when I saw usul #3, I -was- chanting "hydro hydro hydro hydro" in my mind Glad to see you upgraded the old lamp.

Are you looking to use any additives/boom enhancers this round? How about co2?

MMmmmMMMmmmmmmm

 

[usul]

Thanks all for tuning in so quickly to the new journal. I figured I'd be here on my own for a while so the company is appreciated!

I followed your previous journals with great interest. Your approach to journaling is very accessible and informative, so thanks from someone looking to embark on a 1st grow.

I have a tent, blower/filter, 400W pulsar light and 8 seedlings taking root in soil under a 150 watt grow light. Unfortunately my seeds are from some mids - bag weed but it's a start. I'm on the East Coast and my lifestyle demands a significant stealthiness to my grow. Buying grow related materials seems risky to me so buying seeds is not an option I'm will to pursue at this time. Nor do I intend to put myself at risk in the whims of the underground market.

To my question, how many amps are you drawing in your tent between the light/blower and various appliances?

Welcome Waltdv1 thanks for visiting and for your comments. Your note about stealth makes me want to mention medical marijuana is legal in my state so things should be fine with my grow. But law enforcement can sometimes have an "arrest first then let the lawyers figure it out" sort of approach. Everything would work out in the end but it'd be an expensive and unpleasant experience. So, until all the majrijuana laws get sorted out I think stelath is wise. It's also aestehetically pleasing.

Regaring electrical, with the 250W HPS running the whole tent draws 4.53 amps. The space heater isn't included in that number, but it doesn't run when the light is on. If I add an air conditioner that'll be another story. Anyway, the closet is pretty much on its own circuit as other outlets/fixtures on the same circuit are rarely used. Even so, my goal is to keep power usage below 12 amps.

Sounds like you've got a great setup started - let me know if you start a journal so I can follow along!

Awesome start usul nice short seedlings...
I of course will be along with you for the ride...
What carbon filter do you use? pictures of it?
Man that T5 is tight in there huh? perfect size it seems.
I like DC fans Much better way easier to control fan speeds than with AC even with fan controllers AC fans are loud and and some will burn out at low speeds. just need a voltage regulator for DC....

Hey Stealthy! Thanks for checking in. I'm with you, those DC fans are the best. Easy to control and super quiet. They don't build up much air pressure though. I tried using a 120mm fan for the primary exhaust and it didn't cut it - temps got up to 90F. Switching back to the large fan brought temps down to 78F. The large fan is, however, the one component I'm not happy with because of its noise so the search is on for larger DC fans...

For carbon filter I use the "Elf" model available from a variety of outlets. I drew up nice plans to build a DIY filter but once I priced it all out it was almost as expensive as the commercial version. So, the plan is to cannibalize components from the old filter to make a refillable version.

I'm in, Usul! Beautiful documentation!

Hey Tiger! Happy to have you on board!!

Oh boy oh boy ohboyohboyohboy!

Can't wait to see this one ride itself out

Tho I have to admit, when I saw usul #3, I -was- chanting "hydro hydro hydro hydro" in my mind Glad to see you upgraded the old lamp.

Are you looking to use any additives/boom enhancers this round? How about co2?

MMmmmMMMmmmmmmm

Ha ha, Ultra! Welcome Hydro - ha - you are funny! Nope, no hydroponics for me until I get a much larger space to play in. I do hope the new lamp makes a difference. No co2 - I run a small exhaust fan when the large exhaust is off so there's a constant flow of fresh air in the tent (good for the plants) and there's always negative pressure for odor control. Any co2 I'd add would be flushed right out. I've been considering the Fox Farm additives and certainly am tempted. Looks like I have a few weeks to think about it...

 

[Setting Sun]

I'm in!

I think you're gonna like the Hortilux bulb.

If you don't want to spring for all three of the FF solubles, I think the Cha Ching is the one I'd get. I haven't used them, but I've heard that the Cha Ching has the most effect.

 

[usul]

Hi SS, thanks for checking in! Yes, I'm looking forward to firing up the new bulb - in fact, I'm looking forward to this whole grow. At first I was hoping to try a different strain but I now think growing the same strain again will help improve my technique. I'll be more confident trying something new on the next grow... maybe some Violator Kush

Thanks also for the Cha Ching recommendation. The suppliments are a bit pricey so focusing on just the most effective one seems a good way to start.

 

[Setting Sun]

There is a lot to be gained from growing the same strain again, so I think you made the right choice.

VK is a great strain, I think you'd like it. It's firmly on the indica side except for I guess the occasional sativa pheno.

I may grow Red Cherry Berry in the future also. I'm impressed with Barney's genetics and how they did for you.

 

[mule]

Too funny half of my current Deep Water Culture grow went into a flood table to save it, and the other half a diff strain is kickin some butt... I'm telling ya they were this close ( ) to going into soil...

I'm in for this grow, kick ass set up! Very nice on the details! If you want to check out a small, but stable hydro grow so far check out my flood table link... I Just saved the plants with it, and I don't even know sex yet If males oh well I saved em from the algae slime monsters and learned a few things...

 

[mary_juana420]

The suppliments are a bit pricey so focusing on just the most effective one seems a good way to start.

Hey Usul,

Great start !
I have all three of the FF soluables and IMO they are good, but there are much better products out for the same price/cheaper.

About going with just Cha-Ching,
I think you would be much better off to go with an Adv Nut Big Bud or some Humbolt Gravity . It's mainly all the same stuff.

FF is great, but overrated IMO.
+Rep
MJ420

 

[usul]

This is the busy time of the year for my business and it's been hard to find time for journal updates. But I've learned how valuable it is to keep track of progress and find myself looking back at old journals frequently to compare the current grow to previous grows so here's a brief update.

There is a lot to be gained from growing the same strain again, so I think you made the right choice.

Thanks SS! I'm happy with the choice and the experience from the last grow gives me more confidence.

If you want to check out a small, but stable hydro grow so far check out my flood table link...

Thanks Mule - sorry to hear about your hydro issues and happy to know you found a solution. If I were to try hydro again I'd go with an ebb and flow system (I'd likely copy Munki's setup). But ebb and flow requires gravity and than means vertial space - I've got so little.

Hey Usul,

Great start !
I have all three of the FF soluables and IMO they are good, but there are much better products out for the same price/cheaper.

About going with just Cha-Ching,
I think you would be much better off to go with an Adv Nut Big Bud or some Humbolt Gravity . It's mainly all the same stuff.

FF is great, but overrated IMO.

Thanks for the feedback MJ. I would like to add some bloom enhancers to this grow so I started doing some research. Cripes! The nutrient/suppliment market has more products than I can shake a stick at!! I'm still researching but after my first pass I'm leaning toward either the Fox Farm (FF) trio or the Advanced Nutrient (AN) suppliments. Turns out AN offers a blooming suppliment trio as well: Big Bud, Bud Blood and Overdrive. They just don't sell it as a tri-pack. AN Big Bud is the equivalent of FF Beastie Buds and, overall, it seems the AN products are more expensive than their FF equivalents. But I've barely scratched the surface...

Quick grow update: The plants are doing fine but growth is slower than the other grows I'm using as benchmarks. At day 8 the plants got their first watering with quarter strength nutes (FFBB & CM+) and full strength Hygrozyme. The stats:

Nute mix
--------
pH 6.8
TDS 195ppm

Run off
-------
pH 6.4
TDP 1050ppm

What's up with that TDS number in the run off?? It tells me there's a lot of water soluble "stuff" in the soil. Who knows what it might be. But the plants look fine with no sign of nute burn. It will be interesting to watch run off TDS as the grow progresses.

The other thing that causes me wonderment is the slow growth of these seedlings. They are 2 or 3 days behind all other applicable benchmarks I can find, including my last grow which was the same strain but started in hydro. Could it be because the seeds spent 5 months in the fridge (properly packed)? Could it be the difference between soil and hydro? I have a few theories I'll test on the next grow. For this grow, I'm planning an extended veg time so the plants will have time to catch up before we start flowering.

Gotta say it sure is nice to have one grow under my belt - things are much less anxiety-making this time around. Or maybe it's those jars full of nugs

Sorry no pics tonight - I'll post some new ones in a day or two.

 

[ultrasonic]

I'd say you're growing slower because of your high PPMs! Maybe you should flush all those suckers out to reduce the ppms. They'd love it, i'm almost 100% sure.

Generally when the ppms are higher than they should be, and the ph is lowering, it's because the plants are drinking more water than they're eating nutes... there's an overfeeding range before actual leaf damage is shown, where the plants just grow slower than they should. Flushing them will prevent that problem.

Maybe you started feeding them too much right away? doesn't your type of soil not require nutrients to be used for the first 2 weeks? Not sure.... It certainly could explain the buildup... it had to come from somewhere

Lemme know what you think my friend!

 

[usul]

Good thoughts Ultra, but there's a bit of additional info I didn't reveal in the last post that may change your mind. I didn't want to get into the weeds (ha-ha) with this but since you brought it up...

I love germinating seeds in rockwool. The rockwool stays moist for up to 12 hours while retaining the air pockets that support healthy growth. I need to be away from the sprouts for many hours at a time yet I've had a 100% success rate germinating in rockwool. In all previous germinations, however, the rockwool/seedling went right in to the hydroponic system running quarter strength nutes. For this grow, the rockwool/seedling went in to soil. Can you guess what I'm thinking the problem might be?

Hypothesis: Seedlings germinated in rockwool grow fastest when provided quarter-strength nutrients within 12 hours after germination.

I'm thinking the young plants fell behind the growth curve while trying to build a root system within the nutrient-free rockwool cube. The growth rate has picked up considerably now, most likely because of being fed at the last watering and that their roots are now extending into the soil. In my next grow I'll germinate extra seeds (all in rockwool) then after germination some will get quarter-strength nutes and the rest will get 0ppm water. Should be an interesting experiment.

Anyway, the plants are doing well. I poke my head in the tent twice a day and can see significant growth every time. Here's a pic of the plants at day 12 veg:

I've been working on finding the right names for the girls and have settled on these. +reps to the first member who can say how the two names are related.

 

[MountainHigh]

Subscribed bro. Those look pretty healthy. And I just love your cabinet.

 

[ultrasonic]

Should have called this grow the Pussywagon lmao

 

[usul]

Winner! +reps when I can

 

[usul]

Way past time for an update... Thanks for hangin' in there with me folks.

After finishing my last grow I figured everything would be a piece of cake from here on out.

Think again.

These plants are growing way too slow. Compared to my past records and info I've gathered from other grows on this forum, development of these plants is about 90% of where it should be (at 2 weeks we should be seeing a good start on the third node) and size is about 70% of where is was for my last grow. So... most of my efforts have been focused on giving these girls a kick in the ass and getting them growing up to speed. Here's what I've done:

1. Pulled the 100W T5 fixture and lit up the 250 Hortilux HPS.

2. Fired up the big exhaust fan and programmed the secondary exhaust fan to run when the light is off (lots of air flow is a good thing).

3. Increased nutes to half strength. At this point in the FF feeding schedule we add the veg fertilizer "Grow Big" to the mix (lots 'o nitrogen). I fed the girls last night and they are lovin' it.

This whole grow was looking fairly pathetic a few days ago but firing up the HPS and tweaking the nutes has helped a lot. Feels like we're still behind the growth curve but we're catching up fast. Here's a pic of Uma and Beatrix at two weeks old:

Not great. Not bad. The bar codes help me keep track. Much more to come...

PS: Just saw this journal has no stars... is this really a no-star journal? C'mon folks - hit me up!

 

[MountainHigh]

If it helps I gave you 5 stars.... Don't feel bad, my journal is still unrated and like 20 pages in so....at least you got my vote.

I really like Beatrice....she kicks ass....

I have no idea why I find her so pretty, she really isn't classically beautiful but....the whole tough chick thing gets me going I guess.

brother. HAPPY 420! +rep

 

[ultrasonic]

Looking fantastic usul

How's the ppm of the runoff doing?

Hope you had a fantastic 420 with your own homegrown buds

-ultrasonic