GoogleGenie's First Grow - LED Hydro - Northern Light Blue & Fruity Chronic Juice

[KingJohnC]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

as long as the cotyledon leaves have opened you are in vegetative growth. You will keep training your screen until you are 21-28 days into flower and the stretch phase has ended.

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

as long as the cotyledon leaves have opened you are in vegetative growth. You will keep training your screen until you are 21-28 days into flower and the stretch phase has ended.

Thanks KJC, today is DAY 100 of Veg then! I'm going to wait on my new lights to get here before i flip to flowering. They should hopefully get here next week.

I'm going to defoliate both ladies before i flower. When do you suggest i do this? Day before flowering, or should i do it a couple of days before to allow the plant to repair?

 

[KingJohnC]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

I would defoliate your plants and then give them 7-10 days to recover before switching to flower.

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

OK thanks KCJ. That's actually ideal as there has been a slight delay in the delivery of my new Mars II lights so flowering has been pushed back a little!

I'm still a little confused about exactly what to cut off. I know to leave the top most fan leaves a node down from the main top. Other than that, i guess all of the little buds sites (are these "suckers"?) from the bottom, and any fan leaves not currently receiving any light or are blocking the budsites i want to keep?

From looking at the photo above, would you say i needed to defoliate at all? It's very bushy inside where the nodes are so close together, but not so much with fan leaves, but loads of little bud sites, do these need to go? As crazy as it sounds i'm relying on this famous stretch that is going to happen during first 3 weeks of flowering to free up some room in there. The FCJ (on the right) isn't too bad in the scrog, in fact it's pretty easy and it stays, however the NLB is packed to the point where there is more than one budsite in each hole.

I've read so much online, including the paper you sent me KingJohnC, and after all of it i've come to the conclusion that....i'm just going to have to try it out for myself! I have a few clones i'm going to play with, 4 of each strain (8 total). 4 of these i'm going to throw into flowering. The other best 4 i'm going to veg and have some fun with while the other flower.

Until then, i very much appreciate all of your' time and guidance and i apologise if i bombard my journal with questions you have all no doubt answered many time before. I promise that once i know the answers, i'll give you guys a hand

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

you might want to set your scrog screen height to 10-12 inches above your lid so you are able to get your hand in under the screen and defoliate.

I found part of the answer from one of your other comments in this thread KJC So do i cut everything off the stems that dont pop through the scrog come time to defoliate?

 

[KingJohnC]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

When you defoliate I would remove all the lower growth and fan leaves that will not receive any light below your screen and any fan leaf that is shading a bud site up top.

 

[Doozy]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

Subbed.Great journal so far! Can i just ask what you used to make your SCROG screen? I'm in the UK also.

Thanks mate.

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

Subbed.Great journal so far! Can i just ask what you used to make your SCROG screen? I'm in the UK also.

Thanks mate.

Evening mate! Welcome and thanks, i try my best to keep it up to date as i can.

I used the following to build the scrog

- 6m (3 x 2m lengths works best) x 32mm PVC waste pipe (B&Q)
- 4 x "L" bends (B&Q)
- Bag of 100 little metal hooks (Amazon) - i only used 48 of them in the end, but i screwed some in my bucket lids to use to tie the plants down!
- 1/8inch drill bit for guide holes (I already had this)
- White nylon string (Sewing shop)

I cut the 2m lengths at 90cm with a hacksaw, i did this to 2 lengths and had 2x90cm and 2x110cm, joined them with my elbows. I placed a hook every 7.5cm. I got 11holes by 13holes (143 holes total). Then i just threaded one way (the 90cm lengths), cut and tied, then threaded the other way (the 110cm lengths)

I had to improvise on the legs of this scrog, it works, but could be better.

It sits about 10inches above the bucket lid. But next time around i'm going to make legs about 2" longer and that would be ideal i reckon!

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

Evening people!

I last updated on the 15th which was DAY 99
Today is the 23rd which is DAY 107
I'm going to let the plants repair from the defoliation until Friday which will be DAY 112 (28th Feb)

Which means March 1st will be the Fruity Chronic Juice's and the Northern Light Blue's first proper day of flowering! They are currently on midnight lights out, 6am lights on. I will change this to midnight lights out and midday lights on.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the ladies

Day 100

I decided to give super cropping a go, why the hell not, these plants have had just about everything else done to them! I just wanted to see how it was done an what happens. Here are some pics of after the super cropping was done

Day 102

The plants have now perked up from the super cropping.

I now understand how super cropping works, and i can see where the new growth comes from. In hindsight, this probably wasnt the best timing for it haha! But atleast i learned something.

Day 103

As i said, probably not the best time to try super cropping, it has made it very bushy under the scrog. however the new growth is growing, and growing FAST, i wouldnt be surprised if it reaches the screen in a couple of days!

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

Day 105

Here is a nap of my new Mars II 900w LED lights

They caused a slight increase in temps in my tent. Around 5f, but i minisied this by increasing air flow in the tent by opening another vent and circulating the air of the room that the tent was in. They now sit around 83f. I do need to invest in a water chiller thoguh to keep my Res cool. I was plannin on investing in this anyway (Cultivator recommended), all this means is i have to buy it sooner.

Northern light blue after defoliation

Fruity Chronic Juice after defoliation

And here are both of them back in the ScrOG Screen

Under the new Mars II 900w light

Look how much i took off the ladies, nearl an entire carrier back of predominantly shoots:

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

Day 106

The ladies appear to have reacted quite well and are perking up fast! They seem to really like the light too!

I did spot this thought, does anyone know what this is? I have only seen it on this leaf, strange!

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

Day 107 - TODAY

The ladies have perked up alot!

I have also moved 2 clones in to the flowering tent

Just to see what happens more than anything. I chose the 2 unhealthiest looking clones

And here are some pics of the light and some other bits and bobs

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

Check out my veg tent, all set up with Aero-feeding one button anyway! I do love a simple life!

I'm using my less powerful 210w (126x3w) led light for this part of Veg. When the Auto's get big enough, i'm going to whack my 1200w Mars II Led in there and let a few clones veg under it, and the 4 auto's thrive!

And here are the other little ladies. The auto seedlings taken today:

I think this one got a little too hot under the collar which caused some deformity on its leaves, however it appears to have recovered since moving to aeroponic, perhaps i let the plug dry out a tad too much (i know which morning it might have been too)

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

Check out my clones! I gave them different kinds of hair cuts to experiment. I fimmed them all except for 2. These are the ones i fimmed:

This one i havent fimmed and will leave to grow straight, it is the only one that will grow like this:

AND THIS ONE IS MY FAVOURITE....

This one already had 2 tops when it was cloned, mutated i suppose, so i've been LSTing it since day 1 to shape it. The idea is to grow this out far enough, then fim both tops, then when it recovers, fim everything again. This one should be Perfect for a ScrOG!

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

Thanks guys for the tips on defoliation and helping me through this phase! It's worrying when tasked with hacking that much off a plant. But now i know that i wont kill it i wont be so reluctant next time

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

And thank you Jimmy for the inspiration with the coloured wiring

 

[Jimmy6000]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

Not a problem GG.I use them for multiple purposes.I also find them very handy when hanging bud's to dry.I have heard they will cut a plant in half if pulled to tight but I have not had that problem.

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

Great call! I haven't even thought about that part yet!

On that note, do you dry in the dark? I've read that you should dry in the dark, for a reason that escapes me at the moment to be honest lol! The reason I ask is because this would just mean more work for me. Not too much but i like to be prepared (if need be I have a vented/filtered cabinet in mind that i could build). Otherwise I was just going to dry it in the flowering tent and make the most of the ventilation system.

 

[GoogleGenie]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

I have a question for you guys about a water chiller for my recirculating DWC. Cultivator first brought my attention to this little issue. And its a good thing he did because since i have installed my new light my water res temp is floating around 78-80f, and my room temps are sitting between 80 and 85. Which as i understand it is not optimal, so i need to drop my res. temps by about 10f.

Anyway, i was looking at buying a chiller, in particular either either the Hailea HC-150A or 250A. Has anyone had any experience with these? And how to use them?

I was also wondering if such a thing existed: A water chiller with dual compartments so i could chill water in one tent/setup with one compartment, and chill a different nute reservoir with the other compartment?

I appreciate any guidance you guys can give me

 

[Jimmy6000]

Re: First Time Grow - Hydro - LED - Day 0-5 - Research & Germination

Great call! I haven't even thought about that part yet!

On that note, do you dry in the dark? I've read that you should dry in the dark, for a reason that escapes me at the moment to be honest lol! The reason I ask is because this would just mean more work for me. Not too much but i like to be prepared (if need be I have a vented/filtered cabinet in mind that i could build). Otherwise I was just going to dry it in the flowering tent and make the most of the ventilation system.

I have read long exposure time in direct sun light will degrade thc.I have never done any kind of testing so really don't know.I would not dry in flower room for that reason tho.I just simply dry in a dark closet,with a small fan to move air.