Hydroponic - Gigabud - Pineapple Express - OG Kush - Kandy Kush

[Alkhemist]

Ok it's official Lurch is here let's watch some plants grow,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,really big and sparkally and stinky.

welcome brother and thanks for stopping in!
im hoping they phatten up as much as is possible! but will just have to stick to the plan and stay tru to their needs never can count ma chickens until they are all hatched and fluffy and happy :]] but yeah- i like my ladies CHUNKY as can be- that can kick my arse when i need it and still treat me right in the morning

 

[Alkhemist]

Looking great my man! Im excited to get to see all these beauties fill out!

Couple of questions. Are you going to train your ladies? Also are you going to top them?

howdy brother!
yeah im amped to see how this grow turns out! .. fingers crossed they keep on pumping and turn out sexci as can be!

i will be training them, in fact i've just turned them over to 12/12 but im putting them thru a 36 hour transition at present(=lights off as of saturday evening- feb 16) then resume a 12/12 flowering cycle as of monday evening(7pm to 7am) as it has been so damned hot here lately! evening 'light on' cycle will be obviously a better choice. when i go over to turn them on 2moro evening i'll tie some of the laterals down and open up some of the inside.. also a light defoliation if needed- just to open up bud sites, nothing major tho..

i was going to top them at least once but have decided to just let them grow unabated this time round... didnt want to stunt the main leader as the bottom laterals had actually grown quite a bit already and were keeping pace with the main.. if the bottom lats are still small i usually top the plant which seems to inspire the bottom tiers to catch up to the main leader(s) but you know, its always great to have a nice jungle of big colas instead of just one(albeit PHAT!!)!! but we'll see how they go as they enter flowering ;] hoping to see a bit of vigour too! *fingers crossed*

one thing i have definitely learned tho!! never count my chickens 'till my eggs have hatched! and even then! lOL wish me luck ;]

 

[Alkhemist]

g'day all!
so here we have some pics of day 1 of flower_ officially 19_02_2013 ( here 'down under' we put day first, then month, then year ;] ).

ive tied all of the lower lats down and most (except 3) main leaders over too. ive lightly defoliated ONLY to open bud sites up.

ive changed the 80 litre res (50litres of nutes) brought the EC to 2 by adding:

-200mil/50L greendream bloom-1 part
-50mils/50 grostorm
-8mils/50 of silika majick
-40mils/50 earthjuice microblast(will add more with next res change)

water temp is steady 24 celcius, room temp is steady at MAX=30celcius MIN=20celcius, RH is around 30-45% depending on what time it is. main leaders of most of the plants were pushing 16-17inches before i tied them over.

pineapple X:

gigabud:

OG Kush:

shot of all of them:

keep it green all

 

[Alkhemist]

just a short vid of the above update with the sprinklers on

 

[rdooski3]

Coming along nicely!

How do you manage to avoid root problems with your res temp being at 24c? I ask because I never let mine get above 20c and the one time I tried it around 23-24c I developed problems within a week. Im thinking its because mine is dwc and doesn't circulate?

 

[Alkhemist]

Coming along nicely!

How do you manage to avoid root problems with your res temp being at 24c? I ask because I never let mine get above 20c and the one time I tried it around 23-24c I developed problems within a week. Im thinking its because mine is dwc and doesn't circulate?

howdy dude!

thanks! and yep, you hit the nail on the head at the end of your comment.. its a good question! because im using a recirculating top feed system the roots arent suspended in nute solution and are only watered every 3 hours for (now) 25 minutes. obviously with dwc there are the issues of the roots being constantly suspended in the nute solution so they are more likely to react adversely (and positively!) to divergences within the nutrient concentrations and temperatures etc. BUT with the system i am using this is not so much an issue and also due to the high aeration of the solution as it waters down thru the hydroton and back to an aerated nute main res.

the issue of nute temperature and its ability to hold good levels(ppm) of oxygen is also a factor.. the higher it gets the less able it is to hold good levels of O2... that being said- 24 is at the max end of "BEING OK" ;] i wouldnt dare to let it go higher.. and normally aim for 22C but as it has been SO HOT here lately( this summer has been HAWT!!) there have been issues with room temps and as a result res/solution temps too...

so far though, 22-24 degrees has been ok and i havent encountered any issues with the roots system *touches wood!!* but with a DWC i would probably aim for lower temps and obviously lower concentrations/EC levels of nutes.. ive found, as you undoubtedly know, that with DWC systems, especially if not recirculating/undercurrent DWC, the nute temp rises quite dramatically! with my last 4 DWC i would go in and find that the temps would have been hitting 27C!!! hence the need for a water chiller or some method of cooling the nute solution..

regards

 

[Alkhemist]

g'day peoples!

juz a quick update 3 days after turning, day 34

pineapple X's:

OG Kush:

baby Kandy Kush:

gigabuds:

thanks all

 

[rdooski3]

Beautiful They are getting big!

 

[Alkhemist]

Beautiful They are getting big!

thanks bro! and yeah.. filling out a bit now all im waiting on now is for them to show signs of being female *fingers crossed!* they're all FEM but you can never truly tell until they start flowering... im not decided on whether i'll take cuttings or not yet- i still have a few seeds to use up too, i probably will tho.. 3 or 4 of each one sometime next week.
thanks again brother!

 

[closetorganic]

Thats some serious growth for a few days from 2/13 up to day 1 flower, They sure are Loving what your doing there! Ive only LST'd once but next time I do, I will wait longer, I like it better your way of tying those lat branches after they already grew out instead of the way I tried on tying main over just to get those lats to grow.

Did you, or how do you change over to bloom feed? Very Impressive grow

 

[Alkhemist]

Thats some serious growth for a few days from 2/13 up to day 1 flower, They sure are Loving what your doing there! Ive only LST'd once but next time I do, I will wait longer, I like it better your way of tying those lat branches after they already grew out instead of the way I tried on tying main over just to get those lats to grow.

Did you, or how do you change over to bloom feed? Very Impressive grow

howdy brother!

yeah i find after the seedling and earlier veg stages(weeks 1-3) they start to really take off..

all i did was turn lights off for 1.5days(lights off 'transition stage' from veg to flowering) and changed res when i turned them on again- i changed the "greendream grow" to "greendream bloom".. but im still using "silika majik" and "grostorm". i will start to add "budstorm" also once i begin to see pistils appear.

i train them over, as you know, to open them up to light and help the lower/inside bud sites develop a bit... that helps set up a relatively even canopy.. i top them if the main leader starts to reach but where the lower lats are slow to grow.. giving them a chance to catch up... other than that, if the lower laterals are going hard i might not top them at all or lightly tie them over as i did.

and when it comes to defoliation.. i only lightly defoliate to open up sites.. taking maybe 1-2 leaves each time i visit the room... i understand the theory of heavier defoliation but also choose to leave more leaves on for metabolic purposes in producing carbohydrates/sugars etc and the fact that leaves are the MAIN site for photosynthesis i DO believe in the ole 'solar panel' idea- leaves are important for the plants ability to respire(transpiration) and as storage facilities... its simple- the more leaves a plant has, the greater its ability to trap and hold/store energy from the sun or lights.. hence an increased ability to produce pure compounds which imho = better product thats just my view though!

sorry for the lecture LOL i just wanted to share the "why's" of why am i doing this n that ::

keep it green and free all!

 

[Alkhemist]

hey all!

just an update at day 37.. 5th day of flower. i have JUST started to see the smallest pistils appear in all plants except my kandy kushes :[ sad to be seeing them go soon as i havent tried kandy kush and wanted to try that x of OGK and trainwreck! ... next time!

 

[rdooski3]

Sorry to hear about the males The rest are looking wonderful! Going to be a nice big completely full canopy here pretty soon, looks like you planned out the distance perfectly

 

[Dashiznet]

Re: hydroponic_gigabud_pineapple express_OG kush_kandy kush

howdy folks,

a few pics of gurls @19 days old. the residue around the edges of a few of the gurls leaves is nutrient.
kandy kush @ 15days old(planted 4days later than the rest):

pineapple express @19 days:

gigabud @19 days old:

and a picture of my new water feature using my old water pump from last grow! lol.. this is my little serenity spot where i sit in the evenings to chill out and imbibe some of natures wonderful medicine ... i can sit for hours listening to water and rising on mental planes of thought.. once the kids are in bed of course! lol ... i just planted an albatros water lilly in to the right so im amped to see how her blossoms turn out

keep it green all

That water feature Looks great. I think I'll have one less water pump laying around in a short while.

 

[Alkhemist]

Sorry to hear about the males The rest are looking wonderful! Going to be a nice big completely full canopy here pretty soon, looks like you planned out the distance perfectly

yeah i was looking forward to my first try of the ole kandy Kush! but thats ok.. plenty of other lovely flavors to sample im very interested to see how these strains turn out.. my first grow of OG Kush too so im excited about that im hoping that its not only going to be a nice canopy but a small tropical rainforest of goodness! loL *fingers crossed*

 

[Alkhemist]

Re: hydroponic_gigabud_pineapple express_OG kush_kandy kush

thanks for stopping by dashiznit! yeah, its was a spur of the moment thing but im happy with it put in a few japanese goldfish too- altho they prefer to hide under the rocks at this stage

 

[Alkhemist]

hey all!
an update at day 40- 8th day of flower... 3 days since my last clip and im seeing the canopy fill out quite nicely now... starting to look like a veritable sea of potential colas slowly starting to see the gaps between the pots disappear cut the kandy kushes yesterday as the flowers pods had become quite pronounced and even tho im always keen to collect pollen and breed this time i decided to simply chop them


keep it free and green all

 

[Alkhemist]

greetings brothers n sisters!
just a quickie- did a complete res change today at 9th day of flowering- added:

200mils/50L flairform greendream BLOOM- 1part
100mils/50L earthjuice microblast ( for added trace elements)
50mils/50L flairform grostorm
50mils/50L flairform budstorm (new addition now that the pistils are starting to show)
9mils/50L flairform silika majik

EC reading around 2, ph set to around 6.. and have found due to the hot days we've been having i havent needed to use my res/nute heater at all.. res temp is sitting around 20C.. have lights sitting at optimum height of 1foot from canopy tops... oscillating fans are facing upward slightly to keep the heat blowing up away from plants.

im expecting to see a bit of a growth spurt with the added budstorm and refreshed res.. but as is normal will just have to wait and see!

 

[Alkhemist]

hey again!
thought i would include a bit of guff on the flairform products im using at present:

GreenDream | Hydroponic Nutrients | Liquid Plant Fertilizer
-GreenDream-1 (grow and bloom)exploits "slurry" technology to provide a nutrient formulation that is superior to 2-part nutrients:
-Superior nutrient balance (Graphs 9.1). GreenDream's slurry technology helps ensure more aggressive growth and prolific flowering.
-Over 20% more concentrated than most 2-parts.
-Less pH maintenance required because of very high pH buffering capacity: Growers are able to use high alkalinity waters without experiencing large pH fluctuations and the associated poor growth results.
-Easier to use: There is no chance of the grower making mixing errors because all nutrients are in 1 bottle.
-Fully soluble (no blockages): The slurry dissolves instantly when added to water and stirred. This helps prevent equipment failure (e.g. pumps, jets/drippers & filters) caused by sludge build-up.
-Contains the full range of chelated trace elements
-Universal formulation for hard and soft water.
-For hydroponics, coco or soil.
-Available in Grow (3-1-5) and Bloom (2-2-6).

one part nutrient -nutrient analysis

grostorm:
Improve Hydroponics Growth & Plant Yield | 100% organic based nutrient additive
GroStorm label -instructions/analysis
"Never before have we seen such an obvious benefit from an organic additive!"-Commercial Grower

-GroStorm includes kelp, fulvic and humic acid, plus natural vitamins and hormones. Most brands 'package' these elements in over 3 or more bottles.
-Promotes plant vitality, yield & quality
-Maximizes Brix levels, oils & taste
-Increases resistance to heat stress
-Shelf-life 3 years plus

silika majik:
Potassium Silicate | Silica & Plant Growth
SilikaMajic label -instructions/analysis

"Our fruit is consistently 10-20% heavier...the foliage no longer wilts when the temperature rises to extremes"
Commercial Grower

Why growers like SilikaMajic:
-SilikaMajic is shelf stable for over 10 years. This guarantees performance. Did you know many silica brands* are useless within 6 months of manufacture?
*As determined by the internationally recognised 'molybdosilicate' analytical method.
-Produces healthier & stronger plant growth: Once silica is taken up by the roots, it is deposited in the plant's cell walls as a solid, rigid 'quartz-like' matrix. This produces a 'mechanically' stronger plant which enables superior leaf orientation and therefore greater rates of photosynthesis and growth.
-Increases weight & shelf-life of fruit: Accumulation of silica in plant cells increases cell weight and integrity.
-Increases plant tolerance to heat stress (wilting).
-Improves the healing rate and neatness of pruning wounds: This property is especially beneficial in commercial cropping of plants such as tomato and cucumber where regular pruning threatens the plant's survival due to the risk of disease ingress.
-SilikaMajic contains 26% Potassium Silicate (NPK 0-0-15).

budstorm:
Grow larger better quality flowers | Hydroponic Nutrients
BudStorm label -instructions/analysis
"BudStorm gives us explosive yields & the most profound flavour!"
East Coast Growers

-BudStorm is an All-in-One flowering additive for promoting floral blooms of optimum size and quality.
-Contains phosphorus, potassium (NPK 0-13-11) and organic flowering stimulants
-Improves the integrity of flowering sites
-Improves flavour and aroma
-BudStorm is a pH "neutral" formulation

ph test kit:
pH tester for fast & accurate pH measurements

"Unlike electronic pH meters, there is NO complex or costly maintenance required with the pH Test Kit" -Retailer

-Super concentrated - ONE drop per test - approximately 800 tests.
-pH range 4.0 to 8.0: Many pH testers do not operate below pH 6 (See pH Control).
-Produces fast pH readings: Note that pH meter electrodes usually need to be left in the sample for several minutes before an accurate/ stable reading is produced.
-Waterproof colour chart on side of bottle.
-Perfect back-up for die-hard pH meter users.
-Supplied with sturdy test tube

 

[s1ingblade]

Sorry im late, im subd up now, awesome growth once they took off, was awesome seeing the change, is the OG from Res. Privada? Im at my ranch on a 3G tablet so i can't watch the vids but a+ buddy and + reps. Yeah my OG's are all from one promo seed they sent, im curious how much difference the promo i got from HSO will be, DUH i remember now you said from humbolt so the one i havent tried yet is possibly same pheno as the one your growing, sorry tired and well medicated lol, will be neat to see how they both turn out.