Current Culture: Undercurrent 4 New Grow Journal

[sneekymofo]

THE PLAN
So here goes: 15 year grower, using DWC most of those years with half-assed, over-engineered, highly-functional systems pulled together from whatever I could find and on a budget. Now I’m tired, and I’m ready to do this right. So I have set up an Undercurrent 4 system with a remote epicenter plumbed outside of the 4x4 flowering area, a 680 watt dimmable LED, and carbon scrubbing. Temps in the tent are currently 72. Heat not an issue so not planning on chilling water unless I absolutely need to. Wedding Cake is the strain of choice, although Super Lemon Haze and Jack Herer are regulars. The grow room has a 1 foot side area for mothering and vegging, so I can roll this perpetual if I would like but I really don’t like to feel like this is a job. I like to go in a hang out with my ladies . I generally veg for 3 weeks in 24 hours of light, then switch to 12 until flush. I use General Hydroponics nutes, not because they are the best but I have used them for 15 years with very good and predictable results. Currently waiting on beans.

 

[sneekymofo]

 

[sneekymofo]

Beans in and sprouted to first true leaves! Moved LED’s to approximately 28 inches, placed girls in the system (Super Lemon Haze for this run) and dimmed the lights to 40%, then raised by 20% dim-rate per day to get to 100%. Will switch to early veg nutrient schedule after I give them about a week to adjust. Only one has roots exiting rock wool, so having to manually spray girls now to keep them happy. Should be all rooted by the EOW.

 

[Modest Grower]

Looks awesome and count me in! I just built my own small set up for an RDWC. I'm curious to watch the maiden voyage!

This is my first hydro grow so I am learning as I go but I thought one benefit of the chiller was preventing ph swings. Not sure how big of an issue they can be without one so I'm curious to watch that. Your set up is like my dream set up!

 

[BpoBrad]

Subbed nice set up dude.

 

[sneekymofo]

Looks awesome and count me in! I just built my own small set up for an RDWC. I'm curious to watch the maiden voyage!

This is my first hydro grow so I am learning as I go but I thought one benefit of the chiller was preventing ph swings. Not sure how big of an issue they can be without one so I'm curious to watch that. Your set up is like my dream set up!

Unfortunately had some heat on the back of the house that has caused heat to climb to the low 80’s, which isn’t bad now but really don’t want to deal with problems once I start flowering. A 1/4 HP chiller is on the way. Like I said - I’m to the place in my life I’m tired of dealing with problems! Hopefully I’ll get the benefit of stability as well!

 

[sneekymofo]

Switch from seedling to vegetative stage and using an aggressive feed schedule this week since I got some decent growth and the roots definitely dropped into the sauce! I got a little bit of burn on the seedlings…I know, I know, I know…I shouldn’t have given them ANY nutes ‍️

 

[sneekymofo]

Subbed nice set up dude.

Thanks brother!

 

[sneekymofo]

Switch from seedling to vegetative stage and using an aggressive feed schedule this week since I got some decent growth and the roots definitely dropped into the sauce! I got a little bit of burn on the seedlings…I know, I know, I know…I shouldn’t have given them ANY nutes ‍️

 

[sneekymofo]

Chiller chillin’….

 

[BpoBrad]

Switch from seedling to vegetative stage and using an aggressive feed schedule this week since I got some decent growth and the roots definitely dropped into the sauce! I got a little bit of burn on the seedlings…I know, I know, I know…I shouldn’t have given them ANY nutes ‍️

It happens man, I’m sure they can take it

 

[Modest Grower]

Man, that chiller is niiiiiiiice

 

[BB0420]

I have a similar set up! Love the current culture system comes with a price tag but man it’s great I’ve had for 3 years now.

 

[sneekymofo]

I have a similar set up! Love the current culture system comes with a price tag but man it’s great I’ve had for 3 years now.

Love the setup! I’m never as organized as I wanna be….

 

[sneekymofo]

The beginning of week 2 of veg. Girls are still a lot shorter than I’m used to with this genetic, assuming because temps are AWESOME (77 air, 69 water), running about 850 ppm and 6.52 pH, and plenty of light. I had to back the LEDs back about 6 inches AND drop back to 80% dimmed to keep from bleaching. WOW - never had that problem before! So lights at 30 inches from tops current…. Had to cut out a lil damage from the light I didn’t catch in time, but they look happy now. Phenotype info: this is Super Lemon Haze grown from seed, and there is quite a lot of genetic variability in the phenos, the one on the top left went wonky immediately from seed so watching to see what it’s growth pattern is like now. Top right and bottom left are more indica presentations, bottom right is a sativa. I’ll only hold onto one, depending on growth, smoke, etc.

 

[sneekymofo]

Oh shit - and topped the main sites for all of them….duh…

 

[sneekymofo]

The beginning of Week 3 of veg! Still dialing in nute strengths so TDS stays acceptable through the week until drain to waste (around 850 or so). pH stays in the 6.x range through the week, but may have to add a top-off system to keep my ongoing cry for ‘lazy’ maintenance. Right now I’m just guessing at evaporation rates and topping when the float starts getting ‘floaty’ assuming evap. Temps still steady, and light issue from last week doesn’t appear to be continuing, so an extra 6” (giggity) and a 20% dim appears to have done the trick. Phenotypes are ALL over the place….

Still short ‘n bushy - never have had this strain this short this long, so assuming there will be no ‘3-week veg’ and planning on adding at least 3 weeks for training and bud site development.

Dem roots coming in strong! Right now a huge fan of GH’s RapidStart for quicker root development….

This is a weird phenotype, still looking more Sativa than the other two, but VERY healthy structure so far….

This is the Frankenplant. I have NO idea what’s going on. It’s been jacked since the bean popped, and when I FIM’d it, the main stem took off growth. Almost zero lateral growth naturally so far. Kinda curious to see what she’s gonna look like when she grows up - maybe helping the other girls with their self-esteem lol.

Planning on taking off bottom 3 nodes on each plant (at least), but right now the nodes are so tight I may wait another week to give a little more time for space to develop between nodes.

 

[Modest Grower]

Wow looking good. I am surprised you can run PH at 6.5 in RDWC. I thought for hydro it was more in the range of 5.6 to 5.8 area. Obviously your plants look great so it works but I am surprised

 

[sneekymofo]

Wow looking good. I am surprised you can run PH at 6.5 in RDWC. I thought for hydro it was more in the range of 5.6 to 5.8 area. Obviously your plants look great so it works but I am surprised

I try not to adjust at all and just use the buffers in the solutions that are provided by GH, which USUALLY hold somewhere near the mid-6’s and then tend to drift up as the plants consume, but unless I have problems going on ‘extra’ the nutrients themselves will keep me typically under 7 until the change out at the end of the week, so I may be having a few uptake issues at the end of the week but I probably correct them will the change out each week when the buffers pull me back down. Or at least I think that’s how it works. I always buy a pH pen, use the crap out of it for like 4 straight grows, then end up giving it to someone because I stop checking…until I regret it They probably would be a little happier in the 5.x range, but once I start adjusting up and down I start chasing demons….so plants have got to be screaming so loud it wakes me up at night generally lmao. I know, I’m scared

 

[sneekymofo]

Beginning my first week ever in week 4 of veg! Never had that option before…this is kinda cool. Anyways: vitals - lights at 790 PPFD, but had to move approximately 32” away from the canopy with this light dimmed to 80%. Next grow probably going to run all of veg at 60% max. This light is a plant killer in a good way! Temps averaged at 76, water at 68 so still happy there. Starting to get some bleaching on the big girl, which is why I moved the lights to adjust,

Question to anyone who understands LED: is it better to dim or move the light when the photons are a little too much for the ladies? Or does it matter?

Anyways, General Hydroponics nutes dialed in at 1051, an exact target (that never happens either) and pH settled at 6.43 to start the week.

No major problems except the darn bleaching (see below)….

The Frankenplant continues its slow and steady straight up journey….just watching kinda interested to see where she’s going with this thing.

Clearly root mass is NOT the problem lol gotta love RapidStart!

Main girl and her sister still looking happy, just sooooo dense.

….but she’s got roots for days!

An overview of everybody

This is what looks to me to be the beginnings of photon abuse, so I backed the lights to the 32” threshold and left at 80% dimmed

This was the reading AFRER the move

Another question: I take my temps at the top of the tent. The sensor is right there hanging above the lights. I figured heat rises. Is that where I ‘should’ be taking heat readings or am I gonna get myself in trouble?!?