1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Technique

[flowergirl21]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

Hydro 12 Tub as a Power Cloner

No "Before" photo. Trust me, she looks like a jungle all by herself in there. I should be finding out about the status of my living situation soon. I want to be ready to flip. More defoliation.

Just some aggressive super cropping. How aggressive you ask? Welllllll...

They didn't break off or anything, but the outer part did split a bit. Lightly taped to support them as they heal. It's necessary; she is too tall for the height of my cabinet if I account for a doubling in height when I flip. Hopefully this is the last time I need to do it.

Clones

More Clones

The front rows are from Scarlett. The back rows are from Willow.

Reservoir Change

Week 10 (131 Days from Sprout)

22 Litre Reservoir

Cal/Mag-35mL
Grow (1-2-5)-60mL
Common (2-0-0)-60mL
Veg Boom (1-1-2)-0mL
Super B+ (0-2-1)-46mL
Plantacillin (1-0-0)-6mL
Royal Gold (0-1-0)-46 mL
Prop-O-Gator (0-3-2)-0mL
ppm-1000
pH-5.0

 

[7Dust]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

Wow. I'm still here just watching.

 

[7Dust]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

Wow. I'm still here just watching.

got question. 5.0 on ph and How often you have to re add chems.

 

[flowergirl21]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

got question. 5.0 on ph and How often you have to re add chems.

I pH to 5.0 and let it drift. Lately, I've been having to add pH down on a daily basis. I did a really thorough cleaning of the reservoir tub today, so hopefully it starts drifting to 5.8 and stays there. When I first employed this method, the pH would drift up to 5.8, and then it would stay there for almost the entire week. I also flushed the rockwool, as all of the cubes had salt buildup. I just swirled them around in plain tap water and rubbed the salt off where I could.

When I had my tomato plant in there with them, the pH stayed steady, but the ppm drifted downwards. Now my ppm drifts upwards. Hopefully flushing the rockwool today cured that!

 

[NuttyProfessor]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

nice work

 

[7Dust]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

I pH to 5.0 and let it drift. Lately, I've been having to add pH down on a daily basis. I did a really thorough cleaning of the reservoir tub today, so hopefully it starts drifting to 5.8 and stays there. When I first employed this method, the pH would drift up to 5.8, and then it would stay there for almost the entire week. I also flushed the rockwool, as all of the cubes had salt buildup. I just swirled them around in plain tap water and rubbed the salt off where I could.

When I had my tomato plant in there with them, the pH stayed steady, but the ppm drifted downwards. Now my ppm drifts upwards. Hopefully flushing the rockwool today cured that!

Gottcha

 

[flowergirl21]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

I love how I realize that I haven't been changing the weeks in my journal properly, and the very next one I go and do the same exact thing. Ha!

Reservoir Change

Week 12 (142 Days from Sprout)

22 Litre Reservoir

Cal/Mag-35mL
Flower (0-4-4)-80.5mL
Common (2-0-0)-80.5mL
Bud Boom Plus-46mL
Super B+ (0-2-1)-46mL
Plantacillin (1-0-0)-6mL
Royal Gold (0-1-0)-46 mL
Prop-O-Gator (0-3-2)-0mL
ppm-1200
pH-5.0

Why yes, you do see bloom nutrients in there! I am moving on the 1st. I changed the reservoir, and I had lights out at 9pm instead of midnight. The lights won't go back on until Wednesday at 9am. This means 36 hours of darkness. Scarlett is very much too big for her space right now...I just didn't want to flip until I was moving. So many variables and factors. But it's done. Hopefully she doesn't start smelling until a few weeks from now.

Oh, and the bulb is switched to the 400 watt HPS. What a difference. I was prepared for the color change from seeing other people's photos. It's still a bit weird though.

The carbon filter is on at the moment--mostly to block any light that might sneak through the fan area. I also threw a black moving cloth on top since I'm not 100% convinced it will be dark enough in the cabinet during the bright daylight hours. I only have blinds on the windows, and it's pretty bright during the day even with the blinds shut.

Photos on Wednesday. Thursday if I am running behind. I can't wait to be moved into the new place!! I will breathe a HUGE sigh of relief.

 

[flowergirl21]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

Remember when I thought I would be able to take pictures on Wednesday or Thursday? Haaaaahaaaahaaaaa!



Moving Day

I have been stressing and planning this move since I found out I had to do it. My apartment search was definitely based on whether or not I could easily get the box in. I looked around for roommates as well, but I concluded that I couldn't move into a place with roommates and keep my grow going. Way too many things that could go wrong.

I had help from a few friends and the boyfriend the day of the move. I left the box in my bedroom and locked the door. (It's one of those locks that you can open if you just pop it back out by poking something through the hole, but it's a deterrent to entering for sure). The boyfriend and I had moved everything that was heavy out of the bedroom that morning before anyone arrived. So far so good.

I have told exactly one other person about my grow. I trust her completely, and I knew that my bf and I might need help moving the box. With nothing in it, it's supposed to be 150lbs, but we were going down some stairs and then up more stairs for the move, and some of it was tight. She promised she would be available if needed.

I'd like to thank whatever little spirit guide or angel was on my shoulder the day I told her and asked her for help. The regular move went as expected. Getting the box out of my old place was tight, but I had experience getting it in, and I knew what to expect. I also knew it was possible. Getting the box INTO the new apartment--utter hell.

I had measured everything. The doorways, the stairs, the distance between the railing and the wall on the stairs, and I was confident that the box would fit. And it did. Except for the part where the railing and my apartment door made an awkward angle that wasn't wide enough for the box to fit. We tried going in several different ways. As I type that sentence, I know that I am not capturing the sheer frustration we were all feeling. It was hot; we were sweaty and tired from moving all day. The box was cumbersome at best.

We had to lift the box past waist high and pivot it into the apartment. We tried once, and it didn't work. We tried other ways, and they didn't work. Finally, we decided to try lifting it once more. This time, my friend and I went to the back, and my boyfriend lifted the front. It just made it. I think we all summoned any last bits of strength we still had and channeled it into the final push. We had to, because failure was not an option. I had no plan for what to do if we couldn't get it in.

So, now we progress. I had kept her in darkness for 36 hours before the move. Maybe I should have flipped later, but I was worried about the height, and I thought that 9 hours was plenty of time to move my all of my stuff and then go back for Scarlett. I miscalculated, and she was exposed to light during the dark period. I didn't know what to do, so I kept her "dark" until the next light period should have begun. I used quotation marks because I had to remove a few things from the box to move it. The cabinet is not fully light proof without them, and I don't know how much light she was exposed to...if any. When I got the box, Lisa, my BCNL rep had assured me that the little places light could get in wouldn't be an issue. Even though I did tell her that the box would be in a room I used during the dark period. Fingers crossed!

 

[flowergirl21]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

Reservoir Change (7/10)

Week 2 Flower (152 Days from Sprout)

22 Litre Reservoir

Cal/Mag-40mL
Flower (0-4-4)-92mL
Common (2-0-0)-92mL
Bud Bloom Plus (1-1-2)-46mL
CarboBlast (0-1-0)-46mL
Bud Start (0-2-1)-46 mL
Super B+ (0-2-1)-46mL
Plantacillin (1-0-0)-6mL
Royal Gold (0-1-0)-46 mL
Prop-O-Gator (0-3-2)-0mL
ppm-1225
pH-5.0

I'm beginning to think that my first attempts at cloning would have worked. It would seem I gave up too early, considering how these poor plants look.

Some roots. Definitely not 100% success rate. I don't mind, since I just needed 12.

Better view.

I soaked some 1 inch rockwool in a light Veg and Common solution and pH'd them. I cut them down the middle on one side and slipped the clones in. Most broke completely in half, so I put a plastic band around all of them to keep them closed.

Hopefully they start looking better soon. I think I might have to just straight up grow these. Maybe top them a couple of times or try FIM'ing. Maybe if one or two look suitable, I can mainline to four mains. We shall see! I think I might plant one more of my seeds and do a flux once these go to the flowering side.

Scarlett. I tried to get some closeups of her. She has white hairs!!! She's so beautiful. I'll have to come up with a way to get some macro pics up.

 

[CronicHempHog]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

let em get rooted better you can already feed it a bit
once the roots really start coming in itll come back nice
Great Update btw

 

[Light Addict]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

Agreed great update chuffed for you on the clones as I was a member of BARS dead clone society for an age myself lol

 

[flowergirl21]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

let em get rooted better you can already feed it a bit
once the roots really start coming in itll come back nice
Great Update btw

Thanks, Cronichemphog. It feels wonderful to finally have good news to share!

Agreed great update chuffed for you on the clones as I was a member of BARS dead clone society for an age myself lol

Thanks, LA! I'm excited that I finally got some roots! Also, --BARS dead clone society. Hahahhaha! I am following Babygirl's posts with interest. I will be attempting a flux soon--I think I might have to plant another one of my seeds for it though. But with the roots, it means I'll be able to get back into flowering more plants in short order once my current grow is done.

 

[flowergirl21]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

 

[flowergirl21]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

On Monday, the 13th, I did a repeat rez change because I wasn't happy with the pH fluctuation. It kept rising rapidly, and I wasn't comfortable putting so much pH Down in. After doing some further research, I realized that the pH is fluctuating up because Scarlett is using more nutrients than water for the moment. As she uses the nutrients (which brought the pH of the RO water down), the pH drifts upwards. Kushtie--If you are still reading this journal, you were totally right.

Did a scheduled reservoir change on Monday:

Reservoir Change (7/20)

Week 2 Flower (Day 20)

22 Litre Reservoir

Cal/Mag-46mL
Flower (0-4-4)-115mL
Common (2-0-0)-115mL
Super B+ (0-2-1)-46mL
CarboBlast (0-1-0)-46mL
Plantacillin (1-0-0)-6mL
Bud Start (0-2-1)-0mL
Ton O Bud(0-10-6)-46mL
Bud Boom Plus (1-1-2)-46mL
Royal Gold (0-1-0)-46 mL
ppm-1240
pH-5.0

And now...photos! Still working on getting macro shots. I have a plan.

Wide shot.

White hairs everywhere!

Round 2. (Day 20) It's a bit early to be taking photos with a flash, but I happened to be home at exactly the time the lights shut off. Couldn't resist.

Round 3. (Day 24) These are the latest photos. I got some cheap sunglasses that are made to filter the HPS light, and they are decent. Under $20, so I can't complain. I took some photos using them in front of the camera.

Oh, yes. One more thing. I finally got a 20lb CO2 tank. My system is set up for it, and the regulator came with the box. All I had to do was hook it up and set it to the right PSI. The box does the rest.

Whew!! Happy Growing everyone!

 

[7Dust]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

Agreed great update chuffed for you on the clones as I was a member of BARS dead clone society for an age myself lol

Lmao. I'm still member

 

[Kushtie]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

Kushtie--If you are still reading this journal, you were totally right.

Awesome, glad to have been some use I'm really still on my first grow with a pH pen but with 3 tanks and 3 strains I quickly found myself having to make different solutions for each tank each day because they all used different ratios of water and nutrients.

If I feel like I'm having to add an awful lot of pH down I flush with a fresh nutrient solution too. I figure if pH and EC both get really high between flushes the nutrient solution is being depleted of the things the plant needs most so it must be the things it needs less of accumulating and screwing up the pH.

Do you really mix up 10 bottles of nutes in water to make a solution? I just use one at a time - either Ionic Hydro Grow or Bloom.

 

[flowergirl21]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

Lmao. I'm still member

Only two of my rooted clones are surviving. I was having a difficult time checking on them before I left for work, and when I would get home, the lights would be out on the flowering side. There is no separate access to the veg side, so I would have to wait a day. Some dried out because I didn't think to use the dome since they had roots. The two that survived are each from different mothers, so it should be interesting to see how Willow's phenotype differs from Scarlett's.

 

[flowergirl21]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

Awesome, glad to have been some use I'm really still on my first grow with a pH pen but with 3 tanks and 3 strains I quickly found myself having to make different solutions for each tank each day because they all used different ratios of water and nutrients.

If I feel like I'm having to add an awful lot of pH down I flush with a fresh nutrient solution too. I figure if pH and EC both get really high between flushes the nutrient solution is being depleted of the things the plant needs most so it must be the things it needs less of accumulating and screwing up the pH.

Do you really mix up 10 bottles of nutes in water to make a solution? I just use one at a time - either Ionic Hydro Grow or Bloom.

I do. I just figured out that I can use my kitchen scale to weigh out the nutes instead of the syringe or a different volumetric measuring device. It goes by super quickly now--I shaved off about 30 minutes during my reservoir change. I'm a newbie, so I'm just following the "recipe" that BCNL gave me. I could, of course, just use the three bottle system--Grow, Common, and Flower. The rest are just additives that do specific things. I don't have a control to compare to, but I can tell you that the Super B+ absolutely saved Willow!

Once I use up the nutrients that came with the box, I might see about switching to a Living Organic Soil that I've see on here. It would be quieter for starters! The air pump is fine--I like white noise, but I'm an organic girl at heart for veggies and the like, so I think it will be a good move for me to switch to soil eventually.

 

[Kushtie]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

I do. I just figured out that I can use my kitchen scale to weigh out the nutes instead of the syringe or a different volumetric measuring device. It goes by super quickly now--I shaved off about 30 minutes during my reservoir change. I'm a newbie, so I'm just following the "recipe" that BCNL gave me. I could, of course, just use the three bottle system--Grow, Common, and Flower. The rest are just additives that do specific things. I don't have a control to compare to, but I can tell you that the Super B+ absolutely saved Willow!

Once I use up the nutrients that came with the box, I might see about switching to a Living Organic Soil that I've see on here. It would be quieter for starters! The air pump is fine--I like white noise, but I'm an organic girl at heart for veggies and the like, so I think it will be a good move for me to switch to soil eventually.

Aye, no doubt some on these additives can work great in the right circumstances. I have thought about experimenting as with multiple tanks I could have a control and try out other things in different tanks but I want to get my environment dialled in and get more consistent results throughout my room before I feel I can do any experiments like that. (Seems my biggest buds grow near my extractor fan which suggests to me I need to improve airflow.)

I'm hoping to get some LOS on the go soon too. Have some plants in "organic" soil already and the ones that are outside get watered by rain. I like not having to do anything and all being well I'll have some outside autos to harvest in about a month or so

 

[flowergirl21]

Re: 1st Time Grow - Flowergirl21's - White Widow - Bloombox - Hydro - Manifold Techni

So, it's Day 27 since I flipped the lights, and I am already seeing yellowing of the lower fan leaves. Really yellow. I'm about to do a rez change, so hopefully that will help? Anyone want to weigh in here? I feel like it's way too soon for this!

Also, I finally figured out how to do some LST'ing to give my smaller colas a little breathing room and light. This is bending a large main that was hogging the spotlight.