DWC Hydroponic - Indoor - Autoflowering Narcotherapy - 2015

[growchick]

I hope you can get them to really mist. Makes a big difference.
Great job on the DIY projects. Looks like you're not me to this.

I'm not new to it conceptually, but this is the first time I've done the actual assembling. My last grow was like 12 years ago, and I used to have a husband who made my ideas come to life - now I'm learning to use the tools. It's exciting, though.

 

[Spitz]

You might want to cut the number of sprayers in half. I think 4 would work for coverage if you can push the volume. Also, remove as many 90s as you can in your pressured line. It might just be that a bigger pump is needed. If you have some tubing left over, it could be a fun experimenting a bit. Looking good over here!

 

[growchick]

You might want to cut the number of sprayers in half. I think 4 would work for coverage if you can push the volume. Also, remove as many 90s as you can in your pressured line. It might just be that a bigger pump is needed. If you have some tubing left over, it could be a fun experimenting a bit. Looking good over here!

Thanks - that's good advice. I hadn't thought about the elbows having any impact.

I've ordered a bag of what I hope will be better sprayer heads, and it's funny you mention it, I'd already decided I probably only needed 4 per bucket. I've got a stronger pump on the way, too, so I'll play around with it until I get the spray pattern I want.

My 1000 W light came today, but the glass enclosed reflector won't come until Tuesday *pout*. I think the carbon filter and fan arrive about the same time. I started working on the exhaust today, anyhow.

The plants are under this 600W now, which I will move to the other side of the closet.

So, that light in the picture above will get moved to this side over the nursery buckets and connected to this tube:

Then I'll put a tube between the two lights and one from the new light to the carbon filter and its fan - gonna mount it up under that shelf so it gets the hot air.

After that I'm going to build a table to put those nursery buckets on top of so they'll be way closer to the ceiling and also so the reservoir for the big plants' buckets can go under it.

And then all I have left to do is build a door.

Interesting, but I suppose not really surprising if you stop and think about it, sticking the tube onto that exhaust fan brought the temp down in the closet 4 degrees. Can't wait til it's connected to the lights and really pulling a lot of heat out.

 

[growchick]

So, I was planning to germinate and grow my next seeds 15 days before these ones harvest - that way about the time they outgrow the nursery buckets they can move into the newly vacated big plant buckets. I'm wondering now though, could I do them 30 days ahead of harvest and top them once to keep them smaller so they won't outgrow the nursery spot so soon? The plants are about 2 feet tall now with at least 4 weeks remaining to go. I can't really let them be any taller than 3 feet or there will be some definite heat/burning issues. I guess I can't really answer this until I see how tall these ones get. I really want a crystal ball. /sigh

 

[growchick]

I got a chance to work on the reservoir tonight and got it in place. It's not finished, but at least I no longer have to cart quarts of water at a time to each plant. I can't finish them out and put the sprayers in each bucket until this harvest, so I just drilled a hole in the top of the net pots and stuffed the tubes in each bucket for now.

 

[Spitz]

if you are running autos, why do you have a dedicated veg area? You could add a 400w (or T5 4 bulb fixture) where your res currently sits and just run your lights on the same schedule. I'm not sure how much more wattage you can place on that line. I bet you could easily run another electric line to a single outlet in your room as it appears your in a basement. In fact, at 1000W light, pumps, fans, etc... That may not be a bad idea. Looking good over here!!!

 

[growchick]

if you are running autos, why do you have a dedicated veg area? You could add a 400w (or T5 4 bulb fixture) where your res currently sits and just run your lights on the same schedule. I'm not sure how much more wattage you can place on that line. I bet you could easily run another electric line to a single outlet in your room as it appears your in a basement. In fact, at 1000W light, pumps, fans, etc... That may not be a bad idea. Looking good over here!!!

Well, I mean that's what I'm doing - or in the process of doing. Where I've got the res I'm going to move the 600W light to there (I know it could be a 400w or even LED but then I gotta buy yet another light) and I'm going to put the nursery buckets on a shelf over the res tank. I'm just waiting on stuff to arrive still to fully swap it all around (and I gotta build a shelf).

I uh yeah ... have a lot of things plugged in there.

I'm really grateful for all the advice along the way .... I feel like I'm clueless with all of it, but it's slowly coming back to me!

 

[growchick]

This is day 34 since the seeds germinated - the tallest one is just about 28" tall, and the middle two are about 26-27" tall. The shortest is just over 16" tall. (*shrug*). They look really healthy, and the leaves feel cool and full to the touch. There's a little bit of whitening on the very tips of the leaves from me trying to push them up from 700PPM to 1000PPM to get them ready for blooming fully. My whole entire house smells. The filter came last night, so I will definitely be figuring out how to work that into the system ASAP. I just wish the glass enclosed reflector thingie for the 1000W light were here too since it's such a huge part of the exhaust route heh.

Also, that thing is way bigger than I anticipated it being. It's like kinda heavy too.

I originally planned to put it under the white shelf on the top left of the closet, but it's way too wide for that shelf (and probably too heavy as well). So now I'm hoping I can mount it on the studs somehow on the wall on the right.

I think I figured out what happened to those leaves that went all plasticy and burned up a while back. I notice in the morning some leaves have some wet spots on them - I assume from transpiration, though I really don't know what causes it. I usually wipe those spots off with a cloth to dry the leaves to prevent burning from light magnified in the droplets. I guess that back plant had some wet spots I never noticed and they burned up the whole leaf.

 

[Spitz]

Just a reminder.. Filter first, then fan, then cool tube. You want to push through your tube vs pulling air through it. Make some straps (old belt, ratchet strap, cut up old jeans, etc..) to mount/hang from your studs. Are your overhead joists exposed? With all these projects you have going on, I highly recommend one of the 11v impact screwdrivers. They are small, light, and awesome! Loving this journal!

 

[growchick]

Just a reminder.. Filter first, then fan, then cool tube. You want to push through your tube vs pulling air through it. Make some straps (old belt, ratchet strap, cut up old jeans, etc..) to mount/hang from your studs. Are your overhead joists exposed? With all these projects you have going on, I highly recommend one of the 11v impact screwdrivers. They are small, light, and awesome! Loving this journal!

Oh thank you! I've seen it both ways in google and had decided to do filter, fan, cool tube and push through so it's nice for the confirmation!

Yeah, the joists are exposed - not a lot of room in there especially with the HVAC ducts running just under the joists, but I bet I can manipulate some straps to help support this fan. It really is a beast ><

 

[growchick]

I took a picture of the main bud on my favorite plant. Just because.

 

[growchick]

So, I got the big a** fan installed on the wall studs and the carbon filter attached to it. I would have preferred to mount the filter up high to grab hot, smelly air, but it's just going to have to do where it is. I put the 1000W light up and then promptly took it back down because it turns out I got a stupid 220v one. So, I've ordered a new 110v one. It will be here Tuesday, which works out, since that's when the glass enclosed reflector should show up. I wonder if I can sell this 220v one some how.

 

[Spitz]

Where is that fan blowing to?

Plants look good! It appears the stench doesn't bother them at all!

 

[growchick]

Where is that fan blowing to?

Plants look good! It appears the stench doesn't bother them at all!

I kinda miss the smell, tbh. I liked it.



The fan is blowing off into nowhere right now - the new light and the glass case for it come tonight or tomorrow and then that fan will push air through it after I get it hung. This project is like seriously ongoing HAHA. I should have built it all and then started planting, but, you know.

Also, I'm really excited because Saturday I am starting the seeds for the next grow. If my calculations are correct, and I have every reason to assume they are totally *not*, then these narcotherapy should be ready to pick on or about 12/03, so my seeds should be about 6" tall and ready to go under the 1000w light by then, too.

It feels like jumping off a cliff - all these unknowns. I hope these plants quit growing up at all - can't believe I'm saying that - ha. The tallest is about 30" and I can't push the light much higher up than it is in that space.

 

[growchick]

The new ballast for the 1000W light arrived. I've hung it. Now, I just need the glass enclosed reflector to show up so I can chain the lights to the big fan, which I've come to fondly think of as the jet engine.

 

[growchick]

My closet is a little warm again. That 1000W light is just hot, hot, hot. I still don't have the glass hood around it, so I am really hoping that helps eliminate more heat when I get it up this weekend.

The plants are between 2 feet and 3 feet 2 inches tall. There's one short one and 3 about the same height. My calendar suggests they will be ready to pick on 12/03, but I'm not seeing any real trichome development yet. We'll see.

I got a micro photgraphy lens for my iPhone and got some close ups: (click to big)

 

[growchick]

So, I've decided the closet just isn't big enough, and I'm determined to move this garden from the closet to the bedroom on the other side of the basement. I have to build a frame to support the lights because there is no way to mount them on the ceiling - and the ceiling is like only 6.5 feet tall which kinda sucks, but that's no lower than the one in the closet.

So, I went to Home Depot and armed myself with a new table miter saw and a handful of 2x4x8's.

It took me the better part of 3 joints and several hours to figure out how to cut these 2x4s to make an A frame. Ironically, the math to figure the angles was silly simple - I can't believe I remembered the trig for side-angle-side LOL

I knew I needed 18 degree cuts to get the narrowest base and maximum height, but it took me all day to cut the sample pieces to make sure I figured out all 3 angles right (they're all 18 degree angles) on each board.

I know for someone with half a clue this is the simplest thing in the world, probably. For me, it was incredibly difficult to imagine, but turns out it is pretty simple once you understand.


The tester pieces finally lining up right


I'll be back later with pix once it's assembled and the lights are up. Bonus - now I'll have room for more plants

 

[growchick]

OK what a day this has been! One of the primary motivators in moving the garden was to be able to use the glass enclosed 1000W light case, but I still can't use it - it fits now, but uses the wrong kind of light bulb. So, it's out of the heat exhaust equation until I figure something out. Meanwhile, I got the jet engine pulling through the carbon filter and pushing air up through the light and right out the window. Next time, I think I will do 6 plants. In fact, I'm rebuilding the lid on the nursery to hold 6 cups instead of 4 right after this post and starting the seeds. I've got 2 more buckets and stuff coming to extend the main garden up to 6 when I harvest. Woo Hoo.



The funniest part of the whole day, really, was assembling that A frame. After screwing the top rail on with the legs on their sides, I was rather quickly reminded that a triangle rotated over about 45 degrees is way taller than a triangle sitting on its base. I had to cut two legs apart, stand it up, and then brace the legs back together. I really wish this ceiling were taller!

From floor to ceiling is 6.5 feet.

 

[growchick]

Putting this here to remind me to get an oscillating fan - the transpiration on the larger leaves sometimes causes a burn if I don't notice it and wipe it off the leaf. Usually, it is from them being touching for a long period without moving and then being separated, exposing a good bit of the transpiration liquid to the light which turns it into a magnifying death ray of white hot heat, apparently.

 

[Spitz]

Wow! Next step is a 30 x 40 greenhouse in the back yard. My how things have evolved from a small auto closet grow. Looking grand over here!