GR's Winter 2016 Vertical Grow!

[gr865]

Hello everyone, after a mainly failed attempt at vertical on the last grow, I am here to give it another shot. Hopefully I have learned from some of my mistakes and this grow will be a success.

Made a few changes in setup.

Still running in the 4x4x6.5 Gorilla Grow Tent Lite.

Changed the size of the screens, 40"x21" and the overall height of the screen and stand is 54".

The distance from the light can vary depending of the direction the screen are placed, this direction allows me to get as close as 14" to the light with a max distance of 20".

While if it is turned around the distance would be 17" and a max of 23"

Any suggestions?

They should be completed tomorrow, need to pick up some orange safety net.

Canna Coco w/A&B nutes, will be running a little lower than the custom recommendations calls for, until comfortable with the levels.

Watering system is gravity fed Blumats, the reservoirs (10 gallon primary and 14 gallon secondary) have been moved into an adjacent room, constant temp control w/circulation between reservoirs.

12" 3 speed fan blowing vertical and a secondary fan as needed.
Here is a pic of the lamp stand for the 400W HPS to fit over the fan, finished today.

Changing the height of the lamp will be done by changing the lengths of the 4 lamp braces, noted by the red arrows. I use a lot of PVC pipe in my biz and have tons of scrap from each job, so I will cut lengths at 2" progression. Should work well.

6" Can filter and 6" Vortex exhaust fan with an Ideal Air Variable speed controller. Air is drawn into the room via a 6" duct from an adjacent room will be able to heat or cool as needed. Air exits via ducting into the garage.

The biggest change is in the lighting, going to stack a 315W CMH above a 400W HPS. Was going to go with a 600/400W HPS stacked combo, but my Hydro guy had a demo 315 that he had used for just a couple of weeks, was too bright in the tent he had it in. Anyway got it very very cheap, and a new Phillips bulb. Heck as I was checking out I got a jar of RapidStart and extension cable for the lamp, he ask me what did he quote me on the lamp, I told him and he said that would cover the extra items also. Like that guy.

Last but not least are the beans, ordered 5 Barney Farms G13 Haze Fems. I expect my seeds to arrive by Friday.
Going to veg 4 weeks, not sure what light I will veg under. I have a 400W MH but have heard good things about the Philips, its 4200K so it can we used to veg and flower. Any suggestions?

It's good to be back, I have been following the grows and am seeing many successes. You guys are good.
Suggestions are always welcome, especially if it will save me a buck in the long run. I only grow for my own medicine, it's a good thing with the luck I have had of late I would starve if I were trying to sell. LOL.

GR

 

[SlantEye]

I'm in! I have yet to see a vertical grow journal. Very interested in the outcome

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using 420 Magazine Mobile App

 

[Lazarus13]

Count me in too. Cool set up with your lamp and framework. Wishing you successful germination when your seeds arrive and good luck on your grow man.

 

[freakbudz420]

I'll stick around for this one if you don't mind! Very cool setup. I'm interested how it will go!


Sent from my iPhone using 420 Magazine Mobile App

 

[1smokeaway]

Interesting grow method, 1st time I have seen. Took a quick glance thru your other journal and its intriguing to say the least. Think I'll follow this one.

Is the goal of this type of growing to produce more Wt ? or ?

 

[gr865]

Interesting grow method, 1st time I have seen. Took a quick glance thru your other journal and its intriguing to say the least. Think I'll follow this one.

Is the goal of this type of growing to produce more Wt ? or ?

Thanks, and welcome. Feel free of ask question but expect to add into the grow.
The last vertical grow sucked, LOL. Had problems starting at around the 3 or 4th week of flower, all my fault, although I am still fairly stumped as to what caused the problem unless it was letting them dry to much.

Your growing vertical, 360 degrees of bare bulb light. By binding the plants to the screen and doing lite defo you expose the inner buds to light like they don't receive in a conventional grow. So your, although I don't like using this term, your gram/watt is higher. My shitty last grow if i could all that was grown was over .75 gram/watt.

A 4x4 tent is 16 sqft, my screens are 40x20 so, over 25 sqft of grow area. The polygon is about 28" across at the closest point and can be adjusted back to around 40" or 14 to 20" from the light to the screens. With the fan blowing from the center up to the exhaust fan/filter there is little issue with heat so the light can be closer to the plant.

There are a number of forums devoted to vertical growing, I wish 420 would start a heading for vertical growers, hard to find the info here. Google Heath Robertson, great info on Vertical.

Hope all goes well here during this grow and you able to pick up info and be able to share some also.

GR

 

[gr865]

Well I guess my seed order is lost, been 25+ working days. Will call and get it reshipped tomorrow.

So, I have planted 4 Pyramid Seeds White Widow, that were send by mistake from my last seed order. I also planted 1 Pyramid NL and 1 Super Citrus Haze. Only one WW has emerged at this point.
All seeds were soaked 24 hrs. in pH RO/tap (16/
3 ratio) with .25 rate of Rapid Roots, put in damp paper towels for about 36 hrs and then plant directly in coco in solo cups.

I am 4 weeks behind in my grow so harvest will be later that planned. I will be going into town tomorrow to my Hydro shop to pick up a cord I ordered and some deep trays to place the screens. I am hoping he found me another 315 at the same price I got the other, saved over $200 on my last 315.

GR

 

[gr865]

Interesting grow method, 1st time I have seen. Took a quick glance thru your other journal and its intriguing to say the least. Think I'll follow this one.

Is the goal of this type of growing to produce more Wt ? or ?

In vertical growing using screens, the plants are bound to the screens, I use soft pipe cleaners to bind. It takes a bit to veg, I went almost 6 weeks last grow, will try 4 weeks or when the plants fill at least half of the screen. This is 7 days before flip.

And this is the same plant 77days later at harvest.

Even with all the crap I put these poor plants through this one just shy of 3 zips dried and cured.

GR

 

[Dhlx]

Vertical growing sounds interesting ..... .. will be good to see it progress....

 

[gr865]

Ok, so here I am. Planned grow and ordered seeds, seeds did not show, so reordered seeds. Each time is 25 working days before they send replacement seeds.
I have run out of time and will have to go with what I got as I only have 3.5 months to finish. This will give me 3-4 weeks of veg and 9 to 10 weeks of flower which the SLH needs, the WW should be ready after 6 to 8 weeks.

I had some old freebies WW and one of each NL and SLH, so I started them a few weeks back. Only one WW and the the Super Citrus Haze sprouted.
So they were just transplanted yesterday from solo's to one gallon pots in coco. Question, how long do I need to after transplanting again into two to three gallon smart pots before I start flower? I will be giving them at least 3 weeks in the one gallon pots.

Ok, now for the other question. I had planned to do a 5 plant Vertical Screen grow but now with only two plants am unsure how to grow them. I don't have the time to veg them for a scrog so I am thinking just as bushes. Maybe hang both lights to either side of the plants,

0
X X
0
Or hand both lights vert and rotate plants, don't think this would work all that well. Or I could put the reflector back on grow the two under that lamp and move the 400 from one side to the other. Or, ???????

Any ideas guys, this is not a contest and would really like some suggestions.

Thanks

GR

 

[gr865]

Ok trying this see how it works.

What ya think?

SS400 LED slanted and the 315W slanted the opposite direction, about 20" from the plants.

 

[gr865]

Are the plants to small for this much light?
GR

 

[gr865]

Told that the two lights was too much, I kind of thought that at this time.
So I removed the LED, but will add it back before I go into 12/12.

Just the 315W @ 16",with two fans. Just topped yesterday, doing it this one time. Now to begin the the veg period.
Sure wish I had gotten my seed stock or had been able to find some clones. Oh well guess it will have to be my summer/fall grow.

GR

 

[1smokeaway]

I didn't think a plant could get to much lighting lol. I would have said just the one to start but that would have only been for cost purposes.

 

[gr865]

Well I finely got my seeds order, 5 G13, 5 LSD, 5 freebie Blueberry, and 2 freebie Train Wreck. Since my window for growing now is short I will not be starting any of these until I return from my spring trip.
So I only have the two plants that were planted late December but have some size to them now. They are grown in straight coco, and were just transplanted from the 1 gallon pots into 3 gallon Smart Pots. I will not be doing a vertical grow with these plants so I am going to shut this thread down and move to the Coco section. going to give them another 10 days or so veg before going 12/12.
So I have had a strange week, on Monday morning I was awaken by a damn loud shrieking coming from my tent. The fan bearing failed. The fan had only be in use since last fall, one grow. I went into town to the Hydro store and they call the Co. which is sending a new one. In the mean time I am running a 4" that I have used for years, not enough for the 4x4 but keeping tent open from 6am to 11pm then the lights go out for 6 hrs at 12am so the heat build up is minimal.
Ok so I got the fan installed and was up and running again when yesterday I am reading in the livingroom and I heard a loud crack. Went to the tent room and my 315W died, changed the bulb, from the 4200K to the 3100K and nope it was not the bulb. Pulled all that down and installed my SS400 LED. Headed into town in a few minutes to get a replacement.
I am still hand watering and will continue this until just before I go 12/12 then install the blumats or go auto with drippers.

GR

 

[1smokeaway]

these two are becoming a challenge lol. I see you state you are beginning the veg period now. What was the period called up to this point ? and how long will you veg. ?

 

[gr865]

these two are becoming a challenge lol. I see you state you are beginning the veg period now. What was the period called up to this point ? and how long will you veg. ?

A challenge LOL, the only challenge is that that is way too much space for two plants.
Maybe I stated that wrong, I planted those around Dec 20th in SOLO cups under T5's, one lamp for about three weeks. I was really waiting till the seed stock came in but had these two as back up. I had planned for the seed to come in a lot earlier and was going to plant these two out side, but when the seed did not come I knew time was short so started getting these ready to rock.
On Jan 12th I transplant from the solos into one gallons pots, then on the 22nd I check the roots to see where we were in the process.

Plants transplanted on the 12th from solo's to one gallon

Plants roots on the 24th

Transplant on the 24th

So to answer your question, I would say when I transplanted from the solos to the one gallon was the start of veg, when I transplanted into the final smart pots 12 days from first transplant, these pics show the changes. I plan on keeping these in veg another 10 days to two weeks. As you can see by the pics of the roots they are taken off and if they continue they should have the 3 gallon pots filled with roots within that period. Giving them plenty of drying time between waterings so roots should be filling in nicely.

GR

 

[1smokeaway]

that is some great root growth for such a short time in the 1 gal pot. Great job.

 

[gr865]

What a burst of growth I have going. Transplanted on the 17th from solos to one gallon plastic pots, then on the 24th from the one gallon plastic to the three gallon Smart Pots. Did a heavy deep watering 30 to 40% runoff the day of transplant on the 24th, then yesterday, three days between waterings and got about 30%+ runoff. Three days is a bit too much time between waterings but want to get a good root system established, and if there is one thing I have learned is to not overwater as it tend to make for a weak root system.
In the above post I was in error, the transplant was on the 17th not the 12th. (typo)

The 17th after transplant into the 1 gallon plastic pots.

The 22nd

The 24th, 7 days after last transplant.

The 26th

The 28th

At the rate they are growing the plan is to give them 7 to 10 days then flip to 12/12. Had thought about using a screen but have decided to just stake the plants.

GR

 

[David Bowman]

Hope all is well in your world.

Thanks for sharing this grow with us.

I’m moving this to Completed Journals now per OP's request.

Have you started a new grow you would like to share with us?

If so, please feel free to start a new journal here: Journals in Progress

You can use the Report Post feature found at the bottom left of every post and we'll move it for you right away.

Sending you lots of love and positive energy.