Greenthumb J's BCNL Producer Grow - 800w DWC - First Grow Ever! Multi-Strain

[Greenthumb J]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

haha oh man now that i think about it Jam, i'm probably going to be worried sick after a couple days! FLY ME HOME!!! haha jk. And thanks btw about the long posts. When i go back and read it after i have posted it, i realise "damn, it wasn't even that long! it just took me a little while haha"

Guess its nice to know people enjoy the content i provide for reading. I really love all the input people have to offer, as well as the all around encouragement that each one another gives. pretty sure i wouldnt be as lucky as i have been if not for this site. especially when i have my root rot problem in the seedling stage with the original hydro tub that the grow box came with. I never would have found out about aquashield as quickly as i did, and saved the remainder of my plants. Plus, i sure do enjoy the conversations on others journals.

I also just noticed as i looked back at my day 18 flower pics, that some of the Malawi gold need to be bent over again as they are almost touching the glass that encases the lights. I might also take the CFL out that i currently have in to provide some multi spectrum lighting during flower as some of the tops are stretching towards the nearest light source, which the CFL happens to be. I started my Defol a few days earlier than most do as i am hoping to stop the stretching early so i can manage this jungle a little better, and focus more time on bud development. I stripped a ton from the bottom, stuffed my t5's back in for some additional light to the underside to reduce the amount of popcorn buds in the middle. i plan to over the next couple of days to strip the huge upper fan leaves so i can expose a load of bud sites that are stretching for light rather than developing buds.

Two weeks today, and i am in Las Vegas!

If everything goes as it has been so far... i will come back to some plants putting on some serious bud weight. I am very stoked on everything!

 

[jamthe3]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

lol, yeah, well now that you mentioned it, I was actually thinking you might have kept tucking under the screen for a couple weeks after flip...but I honestly believe you probably have a solid game plan for down the road on how to maximize fewer plants (why else would you have sought out the Cap'n, eh) and a frick'in harvest is exactly just that. I'm pumped up for you when you return to see what's lying in wait and wish my first indoor grow had gone as well as yours is...still think you should snip a couple clones prior to LOSING YOUR ARSE in Vegas (just joking, I know you're not a big gambler from earlier) for practice. Gotta remember, whether you have space or not, you can trash them and the mom's will grow back what you cut before you even get back. Food for thought.

 

[KingJohnC]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

These images TheCapn requested to see.. anyone is welcome to chime in at any time as i value EVERYONES input!! These are the pictures of the affected mother leaves on 2 of the 3 strains i have in Veg:

other than those spotty parts, the plants are so damn bushy, i have to trim them down real soon!!

thats all for today!

stay green and big buds to all!

Have you checked the undersides of the leaves for insects? Your plant appears to either have a calcium deficiency or a problem with insects.

 

[TheCapn]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

>>>Dont they just look beautifully healthy?

They do look great! You've done a great job. A couple comments:

1. With the small hole in the bucket lid, it's risky to pull the root mass up and out of in, then back in again. Each time you do, you break a few root tips here and there, and this could leave a vulnerable spot for infection to get in. So next time I would use the 10" netpot bucket lids if possible.

2. The roots look just like you said. I wonder if the dark stuff we see is the powder from the beneficials. Remember me saying how it doesn't dissolve well? That's another reason mix them into a tea outside the reservoir, then pour only the clean part at the base of the stalk.

But like you said, your plants looks great

>>>Yes, this wednesday marks 21 days into flower, and i figure that i do the defol a few days early. What i've read and have been told, defol will shock the plant, slowing down growth until the plant recovers fully.

So let me make sure I understand your strategy here. You are going to rape the plant in hopes to injure it and slow down it's growth? I think you've been reading too many stoner's posts. It is a much better idea to go in and top the branches that are getting too close to the light(even if there is a bud on top). If they are within 6 inches, top them. When I say "top them", I mean, take a clean pair of shears and cut off the tips of any branches that are getting too close to the light. Yes, this will disturb auxins slightly, but it is much less harm, and more effective to top them, instead of raping them of their energy generators (fan leaves). If you want to take a few unruly fan leaves here and there, that's fine, but sitting down and doing a "defoliating session" will stunt your growth and extend your flowering by at least a week, maybe two.

In this picture, I would draw an imaginary line 6" under the light, and literally cut everything at that line. This will also even out your canopy, letting the lower buds get more light and get bigger. In case you're wondering, I do this all the time with branches that stretch too close to the light. If I don't do it, I end up regretting it. Because then I have buds sitting too close to the light, getting too hot, and shading the lower buds.

>>> I might also take the CFL out that i currently have in to provide some multi spectrum lighting during flower as some of the tops are stretching towards the nearest light source, which the CFL happens to be.

A LACK of light is what causes branches to stretch. So, giving it less light will make it stretch more. That's why plants stretch when you go to 12/12. Less light, causes the plant to stretch for more.

More light = more bud.

>>>stuffed my t5's back in for some additional light to the underside to reduce the amount of popcorn buds in the middle

Is there any way to get these bulbs above the canopy? The under-side of leaves do not photosynthesize.

 

[Greenthumb J]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

>>>Dont they just look beautifully healthy?

They do look great! You've done a great job. A couple comments:

1. With the small hole in the bucket lid, it's risky to pull the root mass up and out of in, then back in again. Each time you do, you break a few root tips here and there, and this could leave a vulnerable spot for infection to get in. So next time I would use the 10" netpot bucket lids if possible.

2. The roots look just like you said. I wonder if the dark stuff we see is the powder from the beneficials. Remember me saying how it doesn't dissolve well? That's another reason mix them into a tea outside the reservoir, then pour only the clean part at the base of the stalk.

But like you said, your plants looks great


So let me make sure I understand your strategy here. You are going to rape the plant in hopes to injure it and slow down it's growth? I think you've been reading too many stoner's posts. It is a much better idea to go in and top the branches that are getting too close to the light(even if there is a bud on top). If they are within 6 inches, top them. When I say "top them", I mean, take a clean pair of shears and cut off the tips of any branches that are getting too close to the light. Yes, this will disturb auxins slightly, but it is much less harm, and more effective to top them, instead of raping them of their energy generators (fan leaves). If you want to take a few unruly fan leaves here and there, that's fine, but sitting down and doing a "defoliating session" will stunt your growth and extend your flowering by at least a week, maybe two.

In this picture, I would draw an imaginary line 6" under the light, and literally cut everything at that line. This will also even out your canopy, letting the lower buds get more light and get bigger. In case you're wondering, I do this all the time with branches that stretch too close to the light. If I don't do it, I end up regretting it. Because then I have buds sitting too close to the light, getting too hot, and shading the lower buds.

>>> I might also take the CFL out that i currently have in to provide some multi spectrum lighting during flower as some of the tops are stretching towards the nearest light source, which the CFL happens to be.

A LACK of light is what causes branches to stretch. So, giving it less light will make it stretch more. That's why plants stretch when you go to 12/12. Less light, causes the plant to stretch for more.

More light = more bud.

>>>stuffed my t5's back in for some additional light to the underside to reduce the amount of popcorn buds in the middle

Is there any way to get these bulbs above the canopy? The under-side of leaves do not photosynthesize.

>> Yes the blackness is the mycorrhizae fungi in its powder form and like you said it doesn't mix too well. Tends to stay around the top of the water. Next res change (next week) i will put it into a tea and let it bubble up and such before i add it. Problem is i dont have an additional air pump and stone to aerate the tea before adding it and i dont want to spend any more money. I leave in 2 weeks today!! will go ape shit and buy all the stuff i need when i get back!

>> The amount of leaves i have removed the other day doesn't even seem to have phased the plants. They stretched out real good last night. Some of the tops are at the glass enclosure now, so i'm going to take your advice and top them rather low, like 6" like you said... This is going to remove almost half of all my main colas as they are all stretching like mad. The rest i have tied over and hopefully they will stay intact.

>>Not taking the CFL out as i know it provides more light, tops were stretching like mad towards it and i figured it would give me a bit more headspace in the box to let plants move around If i took it out. Currently i have to bend them over in directions that dont shade other plants and allows them to grow relatively evenly

>> unfortunately there isn't a way currently to get the T5's above the canopy. Perhaps next go around, i will put the t5's on top of the scrog, but they aren't going to be very stable. Might just use them somehow for the new cab. They are to provide light to lower bud sites that are shaded by the canopy. At least thats the claim behind their use at the level they are at.

<< "Have you checked the undersides of the leaves for insects? Your plant appears to either have a calcium deficiency or a problem with insects."

>> Thanks KJC. i have checked the underside of the leaves and nothing appears to be out of the norm. I also suspected a slight calcium deficiency, but have never had any issues thus far with amount of calcium plant was taking in. I do have to change the res on the mothers, so hopefully some fresh nutes for them will sort out the issue. I am unable to get down to the hydrostore for some Calmag as i gotta work in a couple hours and i have a few too many things to do around the apartment today. *sigh* too many things to do, not enough time in the day.

Thanks everyone for checking in and having something positive to say. you all rock!

 

[Greenthumb J]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

my apologies for the semi unorganized reply. I'm still figuring out the multi-quote thingy.. i wish i paid more attention in computer classes hahaha!

 

[Greenthumb J]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

Okay... taking TheCapn's advice and i'm going a topping!!! will be back with some before and after photos of the ladies and their new haircuts!

I wont lie.. i'm feeling very nervous about to cut a lot of my main colas off the plant..

 

[TheCapn]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

Okay... taking TheCapn's advice and i'm going a topping!!! will be back with some before and after photos of the ladies and their new haircuts!

I wont lie.. i'm feeling very nervous about to cut a lot of my main colas off the plant..

I don't blame you. If you have another solution, I'm all ears. But I don't see any other option. Buds will be against the glass soon. Those buds won't grow well, and will shade everything and yield will be poor. I guess you could kink every branch over, but I hate that solution. You are early enough in flower to top instead. You will have two nice buds for every place you had ONE, before. Keep in mind, I wouldn't tell you to do something I wouldn't do, or haven't done myself. I only give advice when it is something I have done and know it works. I would never tell you to do something because I read about someone else doing it.

Since the overall health of your plant is fantastic, I would not change your recipe or attempt to correct anything, because of spots on a few leaves. I don't know what is in those nutrients, so I don't know your recipe. That said, even if you're using tap water, I still suggest 1-2ml/gal of calmag+ or calimagic. 3-4ml/gal for R.O. or distilled water.

Good luck. Looking fwd to seeing pictures.

 

[Greenthumb J]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

Okay, thanks for the confidence boost. I had to walk my lazy pug around the block a few times, so now i'm off to snipping off the tallest branches. I will take a before and after photo. I am using tap water like you mentioned. But the TDS of the water is incredibly low. 10ppm or less British columbia has some amazing glacier fed drinking supplies, love it! the plants seem to love it, and the extremely low amounts of chlorine in the water dont kill off my bacteria!

You're the man Capn!

 

[Greenthumb J]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

btw, wasn't going to change the recipe of my nutes, just need to change out the DWC buckets the mothers sit in.. i was supposed to do it yesterday. Working 6 days a week, i find it so hard to get everything i want done in 24 hours and still manage to get some sleep. I admit i end up going to bed to the sleeping gf at 3am or later each night after being glued here at haha

 

[Greenthumb J]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

ALSO.. i should note Capn, that to control my height issues i have been using pipe cleaners to bend over the tops so far, but they are just growing, then turing back around and are just as tall again, i'm having to move the pipe cleaner to a higher part of the stem to keep it low, making sure not to disturb bud sites, but i dont want a bud to overgrow a pipe cleaner then have a pipe cleaner stuck in a bud

 

[Greenthumb J]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

will upload the pics later guys, sorry i have to run off to work!!

 

[NekoDragon]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

Work pays the bills. Will wait calmly for the pics.

 

[Greenthumb J]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

Haha you damn right they do! I will do a quick mobile update and say that the rhino tops I took off smell like five alive or some other similar carbonated citrus beverage. Each snip was not easier than the one before. A I couldn't bring myself to snip one top as it looked too good. My Great White Shark seems to have stopped her stretching. Time to remove some excess fans around her in the next couple days to expose those bud sites to more light.

I also need to get a memory card for the camera so I can take more than like 5 pics haha

 

[Greenthumb J]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

Okay good evening and big tokes to all! here my picture update of my topping that i did today. Like TheCapn suggested, i made an imaginary line approximately 6" below the glass housing, and lopped off all the tops that went above this invisible line.

Let me tell you, it was not easy to take off the colas that were starting to put on some buds, and i was having some serious anxiety while doing so. A few i should have take the tops off, but i couldn't bring myself to do it as they looked so nice. (on 2 of the 3 Rhinos i have flowering i couldn't top em, just bent one over and left the other. the one i left seems to have stopped stretching.)

My Great White Shark is really starting to look nice and i can see some very microscopic frosting starting to form on the small fans at the top bud site. i took off some big fans that were blocking some bud sites lower down, but the topping i did on the sativas definitely opened up some more light penetration to to the buds. The Malawi gold i actually cut off a little more as i figure they are gona stretch longer than the usual 3 weeks, being these plants are known to be monsters!

so without further ado, here are some pictures.. Looking over them i realize that i was kind of rushed when taking them and didn't get a very good before/after picture.. but i will do my best to portray it for you all:

So heres the Before photo. As you can see, the Sativa Malawi gold's are basically at their height limit at the glass:

And heres a couple after photos. As you can see in the pictures the noticeable difference in height, as well as the Rhino top i couldn't remove and thus bent over again:

Good shot of the top I bent over and my GWS beside her just below the CFL in the pic:

and the two Rhino tops that i DID snip off. They smelled like something super tasty and citrusy:

My Malawi Gold mother is just growing like crazy! i think i need to top her soon cause shes getting to be well over 3 feet tall. My yo-yo doesn't have much more space left to retract, so it might be time for a topping! maybe try to clone the top as i will already just be getting rid of it.. This plant will be a monster when it comes time to flower her!!

okay thats all for now i think.. time to do some journal reading!!

 

[Radogast]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

Good job. That had to be tough to top in flower.

3 ft doesn't sound liked much, until you add a foot for the pot, and subtract at least a foot for hanging your lights and subtract another several inches for distance from the light. I built my room where the ceiling was a little over 7 foot tall. If I did it again today, I would choose a spot with a full 8 foot ceiling!

 

[RobertSensi]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

Wow really nice grow safe! But is there room enough?

Count me in for the ride

 

[TheCapn]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

btw, wasn't going to change the recipe of my nutes, just need to change out the DWC buckets the mothers sit in.. i was supposed to do it yesterday. Working 6 days a week, i find it so hard to get everything i want done in 24 hours and still manage to get some sleep. I admit i end up going to bed to the sleeping gf at 3am or later each night after being glued here at haha

>>i end up going to bed to the sleeping gf at 3am or later each night after being glued here at 420

Glad to hear you have your priorities straight ;-)

>>>TheCapn suggested, i made an imaginary line approximately 6" below the glass housing, and lopped off all the tops that went above this invisible line.

It looks nice and more even canopy now. I'm hopeful you will be able to sit back and watch them flower out with no more stretching or height problems.

 

[Greenthumb J]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

Definitely need to have our priorities straight dont we??? ;-)

Thanks everyone.

Yes Radogast it was very hard to top these ladies in flower. I noticed that i have a Rhino that has 1 main stalk and a strong side branch that now thinks its main stalk. I topped one stalk, and just bent the other one over. I had a super hard time actually taking the top of the one branch as it looked just as amazing as the other branch. SO i compromised. I topped one and bent the other over.
Also Rado, 3ft isn't all that high, but like you said when you take into consideration how tall my light frame is (5'2" on top of the tub basin) that the 5gal bucket sits a few inches above the floor as its in the tub, as well as how low the light is hanging from the top of the canopy (about 1ft from the Widow, little bit less than 1ft from the Rhino and the Malawi gold sits to the right of the light, but shes getting pretty damn close, about 6" away from the bulb itself. Its actually flush with the reflector now) But shes easily 35" in diameter. One hell of a bush i tell ya!

Capn - Thanks for your advice. It looks as if the plants have stopped stretching at least like weeds anyways haha. The Great white shark thats in the box is definitely putting on the buds faster than the other plants, and the sativas are like a small jungle in there. I'm am pretty certain as well that i can sit back and not worry about these plants getting to much taller, and starting to put on the bud weight. my GWS is like serious bud porn every time i open the box up!

RobertSensi - Thanks man! No there isn't a whole lot of room height-wise in the box, but if you grow less plants in the box, top, LST and scrog like 2 plants rather than the original 18 that the box is supposed to grow, you can easily achieve a larger yield than the Growbox company states. I'm thinking my next grow will be 2 plants and pushing a half pound a plant. With the amount of plants in the box now, i'm estimating an ounce or two a plant. theres just so many fan leaves and shit blocking all the bud sites. Most definitely will stick to no more than 2 plants in the grow cab. I am building a new flowering chamber when i get home from my trip to Vegas i leave for in 2 weeks. Dimensions will be approximately 7ft tall, 5-6ft in length and aproximately the same depth as my grow box cause it fit nicely through my apartment door without fucking up the walls haha
The grow cab will be lit with LED's or an Air-cooled HPS until i move to my new house at the end of the year and i have saved up enough money for an LED panel cause they aren't cheap!! Maybe a site sponsor can mail one to me!! haha i'll do a rookie test! see how easy a rookie can use an LED light.. now i'm just dreaming a little!! The growing style will be Capn Style. Rockwool chunks in pots, top feed system, lots of training and hopefully yielding over a pound on one plant. If you read through my journal, i dont think i will actually be doing a Capn style grow here in my apartment as i plan to flower out my mother plants in the new grow cab i build, and do simultaneous flower in my grow safe of 2 clones or 2 great white shark seeds that i have, cause this plant is looking really nice right now!

anyways thats were i'm at today. Tomorrow is day 21 of flower (21 days from 12/12 switch) and everything is looking sweet in there!!

to everyone who stops by!

 

[Greenthumb J]

Re: Greenthumb J's BCNL "Producer" grow. 800w DWC - first grow ever! Multi-Strain

Also i top off the DWC tubs in the grow box tomorrow. Will post my Nute recipe as i mix it up