Ask Us Anything: Sharing Knowledge 420 Style

[Lonestar11]

Question - I'm going back to hydro for a grow. That means I have to use some kind of media to start the seeds in. I have rockwool and I have those rootit cubes. The rootit cubes I know works well. But I kinda like the rockwool better. Are rockwool good for starting seeds in?

Either is fine, but I would use the cubes. What kind of system do you plan on using/building? Let me know if you need any ideas!

 

[GrimReefer83]

thanks! used the rootit cubes

Looks good man, I got the same rootIt set up a little while back and love it for clones .haven't tried a seed yet tho, but I've had good results with cubes . I soak mine with a touch of lime juice + microbes and the babies love it. Works well into DWC, the hydroton covers the cubes and I haven't had moss or algae. Only problem I have with cubes is helmets, seed husks not getting pulled off before they breach, which seemed to be more of a RH% problem then the cubes..

 

[Skullman420]

Used rockwool for cloning. Have noticed mold on some of them, which I of course do not like. The rootit work well for seeds. Tried them before.

Looks good man, I got the same rootIt set up a little while back and love it for clones .haven't tried a seed yet tho, but I've had good results with cubes . I soak mine with a touch of lime juice + microbes and the babies love it. Works well into DWC, the hydroton covers the cubes and I haven't had moss or algae. Only problem I have with cubes is helmets, seed husks not getting pulled off before they breach, which seemed to be more of a RH% problem then the cubes..

 

[GrimReefer83]

Used rockwool for cloning. Have noticed mold on some of them, which I of course do not like. The rootit work well for seeds. Tried them before.

Damn.. I was gonna try a clone in Rockwool next . how long did it take for the mold to show up? Mold is definitely something i avoid in the grow room..

 

[Lonestar11]

Damn.. I was gonna try a clone in Rockwool next . how long did it take for the mold to show up? Mold is definitely something i avoid in the grow room..

Keep your medium covered with some hydroton or growstones so the light can't produce algae

 

[ResinSaurusRex]

Jack Herer smells really nice. I have to agree on that one. Will plant a couple JH seeds later today

Fuck yes it smells good. A really good strain is like looking at a plant that appears dipped in sugar crystals from the stalks to the leaves.

The smell is wonderful. I open my tent and without even touching the buds I'm hit with this delish citrusy jet fuely scent that can go against almost any other dank strain.

 

[Skullman420]

Thinking about modifying an old 4 pot wilma system. Will add airstone and airpump to the reservoir, make some holes so the roots can grow directly into the reservoir.

The only thing - The reservoir's plastic is very hard. I can't drill in it. Perhaps use heat to make holes

Either is fine, but I would use the cubes. What kind of system do you plan on using/building? Let me know if you need any ideas!

 

[WeedMonkey]

The only thing - The reservoir's plastic is very hard. I can't drill in it. Perhaps use heat to make holes[/QUOTE]

If your drill set is good you can bake a drill bit for about 10 minutes in oven (after preheat) to help your drill get through the plastic. I would encourage setting in drill either with tongs or glove. I have found that this can help and have done with non Weed projects. Hope the info helps. Best of luck!

 

[hydroguy27]

haha thanks for the laugh man I needed that in these dark times, The same scene has been running though my mind where jessi and walt scrub the acid of the floor and walls. Scary shit....but i guess its all part of the game... at least I've never got shot in the balls like ricky, but i think i'll get it sorted here soon thanks for the vote of confidence. Realistically im pretty worried about the airboure contamination, because i put quite a few hours in the grow room before even realizing this stuff was knocked over, and maybe im overthinking it but since the initial cleanup of the bottles my lungs have been having random aches. But the mind is a powerful thing and It could just be the stress and overthinking.

But I think I may have figured out the answer to my problem, its one word really. Efflorescence.
This might get a little complicated so bear with me. Efflorescence has alot to do with concrete but also is my golden answer to this mess. Efflorescense is when certain chemicals, mainly hydroxides of potassium (the makeup of Ph up) make their way in a liquid form to the surface of concrete and then dry out to form a coating. When these chemicals come into contact with air, its not good because the longer they are exposed to air the more insoluble in water they become. This mostly happens in concrete when these chemicals make their way to the surface,they dry out, form a nasty film which ruins concrete, and becomes insoluble in water. This stains concrete and becomes a bitch to clean up. So what does that have to do with ph up and down and airbound chemicals? well the main ingredients in pH up are potassium hydroxide and potassium silicate, known chemicals to have efflorescent properties. So the longer the dried crystals are exposed to air the more insoluble in water they became, meaning with time they become almost completely unwilling to dissolve in water. Potassium silica is even known to form glass films when dried out that could easily cut skin. Meaning the drying of these chemicals in ph up is BAD.

So if you have been following along with the misguided adventures of hydroguy you would know I became stumped in my last post. After the Ph up and down both spilled they dried to form a crystal, which was left around to solidify and get blown around in my fans in the air for over 2 weeks A dumb move I know but i found out how to keep my pH perfect so i had no need to go to that side of the grow room. This gave the crystals plenty of time to become insoluble in water due to the chemical reaction with air through efflorescence. The crystals left behind because of the spill shined in the light, and i noticed the rest of the room and equipment also shined. It appeared as if covered in a light glitter, or shiny sand or dirt of extremely small particles. The rest of the room had a shine in the same way, walls and ceiling, leading me to find the crystals blew around the room in the 3 fans I have to cool my hps.

when I cleaned up I flooded the ceiling, walls, and floor, with water to dilute the crystals, as this is the prescribed method in the msds of these chemicals. But i found that some of the chemicals stuck around in a shiny salt like form that appeared like glitter on the walls and ceiling that would not wash off. The more I washed the less of it there was, but after 2 days of washing it was still noticeable to me and became clear it wasn't coming off, and I dont want chemicals on the walls so im getting it the fuck off and out of my house no matter what.This mindset led me to do more research even though I felt like I had read every possible thing about this and the only course of action was to burn the house down. But I found out about efflorescence, which explains why the chemicals wont wash off the walls and they continue to shine.

So the solution to efflorescence is actually quite fitting and i see it as a bit ironic. It is stated that an acid wash is necessary, chemically an acid would neutralize any chemical in Ph up, and then a wash in baking soda, which chemically would neutalize any and all chemicals in ph down. But im sick of chemicals and id rather burn the house down than acid wash it, so im going to use vinegar as my acid. Safe enough. I bought spray bottles at the DG and am going to spray the room down with vinegar, which is also an accepted well cleaner for painters, I had no idea. After this and a quick mop of the walls and ceiling, I will do the same with a baking soda solution out of the spray bottles. This in turn should take care of the shining efflorescence , neutralize any chemical in Ph up, neutralize any chemical in ph down, and since both vinegar and baking soda are household cleaners, my house is going to become very clean. Its almost as if god is bullying me to make my house absolutely spotless, spraying with vinegar and baking soda, and a garden hose, and all this stress was some kind of terrible karma cleansing experience, but who fucking knows right.

This is my take after probably a week of straight research on this fucked up situation and hopefully i help out someone who may have split these chemicals, and also just maybe you guys should check out your grow rooms with flashlights and look for the shimmering crystals from some ph chemicals you might have spilled. No one seemed to think this crystal film was dangerous, not even john, the manager at GH seemed to think it would hurt. but i have to disagree, since a hydroxide and silicate efflorescent film on the walls sounds absolutely fucked. I find it irritating how nothing on efflorescence is mentioned in the msds of ph up and down, since im sure other spills have dried before. bunch of bullshit. Tomorrow I will try again to clean it, this time with vinegar and baking soda. Anyway I'll let you know how it goes.

If this doesn't work im burning the house down.

anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[Canuckbuds]

Nutrient problem or pest problem

 

[SLHLover]

Nutrient problem or pest problem

Looks like damage caused by slugs or possibly catterpillars. check under your leaves and on the sides of your pots

 

[Canuckbuds]

Looks like damage caused by slugs or possibly catterpillars. check under your leaves and on the sides of your pots

Thanks. I googled caterpillar damage, and pretty much came up with the exact problem I'm having. Do you know any home remedies to prevent them? I'm on a tight budget right now.

 

[Pterostychus]

Nutrient problem or pest problem

pest ... looks like leafminer damage

is it an outdoor plant ?

 

[Canuckbuds]

pest ... looks like leafminer damage

is it an outdoor plant ?

Yes it is., is there any home remedies to deter them? I pulled a caterpillar off the other day, and looked for more but couldn't find any. They just started flower yesterday so I'd like to remedy this ASAP.

 

[Pterostychus]

Yes it is., is there any home remedies to deter them? I pulled a caterpillar off the other day, and looked for more but couldn't find any. They just started flower yesterday so I'd like to remedy this ASAP.

sounds like you got the culprit ... but i found this on the net:

Monitoring leafminer populations early in the season allows action to be taken early on if needed. Blue Sticky Traps attract and trap adults before they can lay eggs that will hatch and damage foliage. Physical removal of leafminer eggs should be done when eggs are spotted.

Plant trap crops like lamb's quarters, columbine and velvetleaf if you have dealt with leafminers in past growing seasons. They serve as a more inviting alternative for the leafminers and direct them away from the crops being protected.

Diglyphus isaea is a beneficial wasp that parasitizes leafminer larvae, killing them before they can perpetuate. Best results are achieved when releases of D. isaea are made early in the season before leafminer populations have grown to large numbers.

If you notice leafminer damage on foliage, thoroughly apply Spinosad (Monterey Garden Insect Spray) to all plant surfaces. Once ingested, spinosad stops larvae from feeding and they will die within 24-48 hours. Repeat applicatons 2-3 times throughout the growing season if damage persists.

but if you choose to use insecticide then read up on Pyrethrin

 

[Pterostychus]

on further reading i conclude that a layer of sand will break the reproductive cycle as the larvae cant reach the soil to pupae in

Monitor plant leaves closely. At the first sign of tunneling, squeeze the leaf at the tunnel between two fingers to crush any larvae. Done soon enough, this killing larvae can allow plants to survive minor outbreaks. Pick off and destroy badly infested leaves in small gardens.

The more healthy the plant, the less chance that leafminers will hurt it. Maintain plant health with organic fertilizers and proper watering to allow plants to outgrow and tolerate pest damage. Keep your soil alive by using compost and other soil amendments.

Use floating row covers (Harvest-Guard) to prevent fly stage from laying eggs on leaves.

The parasitic wasp Diglyphus isaea is a commercially available beneficial insect that will kill leafminer larva in the mine. The wasp is especially beneficial to indoor growers of ornamentals and vegetables.

Use yellow or blue sticky traps to catch egg laying adults. Cover soil under infested plants with plastic mulches to prevent larvae from reaching the ground and pupating.

Azatrol EC contains azadirachtin, the key insecticidal ingredient found in neem oil. This concentrated spray disrupts growth and development of pest insects and has repellent and anti-feedant properties. Best of all, it’s non-toxic to honey bees and many other beneficial insects.

Fast-acting botanical insecticides should be used as a last resort. Derived from plants which have insecticidal properties, these natural pesticides have fewer harmful side effects than synthetic chemicals and break down more quickly in the environment.

 

[Potheadchick2]

Anyone willing to give advice to my post on page 726 ???

 

[Canuckbuds]

on further reading i conclude that a layer of sand will break the reproductive cycle as the larvae cant reach the soil to pupae in

Thanks a lot , good info. I'll try just killing the larvae by squeezing leaves first, I'd rather not spray anything right now. They just started to flower, I'm a rookie and don't know what the effect would be on the harvest. I'm not opposed to trimming a few infected leaves to let more light to the bud sites anyway.

 

[Lonestar11]

Anyone willing to give advice to my post on page 726 ???

Do you mind asking it again? Can't seem to find it

 

[Potheadchick2]

Alright . I need some help here . For a week or so , ive noticed what I believe to be a nitrogen deficiency , upper leaves look a Lil darker green, and my bottom leaves fall off one by one after turning lime green and just kind of wilting off. I just gave a dose of nutes 4 days ago. And a simple just water feed 2 days after and now that she's dry again. She's beginig to lose another node, its the lowest and tinniest bud, but if the problem persist it can be a real issue. Should I up the dose of nutes as I still gave 1/4 dose like I did in the very beginning . I'm using

its what I've used since sprout. ( I've only gave nutes a total of 5 times her entire life. She's never really needed . ) I'm in a area where u can't really find the usual nutes used, so I Need some advice here. Thanks

Came home to this yesterday, upped the nutes and gave her another dose (last dose was 5 days ago or so .