Musik's Indoor DWC ClosetGrow 400w HPS

[musikgenman]

Hi Peeps. It feels good to have a computer again!

So I started a grow back in 09'. Pretty much finished it then my computer went out of whack. Fine!
Well after that grow finished i started another one of course! I ended up getting Spidermites! I tossed out a grow totally infested and then battled them suckers once again for a third try. Now I have started my fourth grow, so far i am pest free. And now I have a computer and internet once again!.
When I left off I had no job....I still have no job! But I have acquired a ton of knowledge...from friends, family, and a bit of experience now.

Anyhow, Im back I'm posting as much as I can about my current grow to catch up. Here is a bit of background about my set up, which has expanded!!

Space: Veg/clone- 3'6" x 4' closet about 100 cubic feet
Flower- 2'4" x 6'5" closet 113cubic feet

Lights: Veg/clone- 4 bulb t5 fixture with 40w daylight bulbs
Flower- 400w Hortilux HPS SuperSun Sunsystems Reflector
Temps: Veg/clone- 68-73 degrees 42-52% RH
Flower- 34-45%RH 62-51degrees(its winter time, i have thought about small space heater, next year)
ventilation: 4"x9" charcoal filter connected to 200cfm Windtunnel vented through light out of house.

Nutes: General Hydroponics 3 part Flora ,Hardwater Micro, Bloom, no Grow
Kool Bloom 0-10-10 liquid
Kool Bloom 2-45-25 powder
Superthrive for clones and seedlings

Water: Hard tap water 280ppm de-chlorinated

Medium: Rockwool starter cubes straight into 3'' net pot into 6'' net pot filled with Hydroton, veg begins in 10 gallon totes, moved to 5 gallon buckets for transition into flower, Airstones to oxygenate nutes, I use NO drippers, roots hang in water PH just under 6

Measuring Equip: Sunleaves TDS Pen, this reads in ppm, i have learned about different conversions, and i believe my pen to be at the {.5} conversion rate, so for those educated enough there it is!
I use the liquid PH test kit to check PH, I'm looking into a PH pen that gives temp readings as well.

I had to put a humidifier in my space to get my relative humidity above 24% which it seems that my house has an issue with regulating that, working on that. in the meantime some band aids are gonna have to do. Its winter time and snow on the ground the RH usually drops in these conditions, Summertime RH gets up there.

Now i just harvested my third attempt. Remember 1st attempt was decent for first try, second was destroyed by mites, third grow i just finished. Only the first was documented unfortunately, but this third one was a success to me, now its time to make tweaks here and there to maximize my environment.
I got 7 ounces off of 3 plants and It wasn't even close to a perfect grow. I battled mites, i kept them suckers down, unfortunately they kept recurring, i used plain water in spray bottles, spraying down the fan leaves under them, over them, in between them, i wiped down everybit of webbing, I tearfully ripped off any fan leaf that was infested with eggs, which after a while i could spot those suckers like a mile away lol.
My plants suffered, my yield suffered. I chopped when the trichomes were all milky some amber. At actual harvest there was only one plant that had any mites on it and not enough to justify getting rid of. After manicuring there was no mites on anything. I noticed that they seemed to not like the budz that were all covered with trichomes although i did see a mite here or there on a leaf covered in trich's. And it is crystal heaven lol!

Until I have pictures posted, which may take a day or two, refer to my first thread to see the set-up. Pretty basic. I will be continuing the 5 gallon bucket bubblers. So far this has been easy to do. I have gotten a handle down on my nutes. I so far have done a ton of research on proper nute amounts and found that since i'm doing bagseed I have to apply a method to the madness to find out what nutes my plants actually are gonna need.
I want to share what I have learned and see what you think. So this is more of a question of validity.
As I monitor my reservoirs and take note of ppms and Ph, if the PH rises above range then im not feeding enough, if the PH goes down below ranges then probably feeding too much.
Now that kinda makes some sense to me. But I have to monitor PH everyday maybe twice a day, and document so i can see how the ppms and PH swing on a weekly basis. Small PH swings as I understand can be good because as the PH swings different nutes are absorbed at different acidities.
I haven't documented everyday but so far as follows.
Now I was kinda busy, getting computer going bla bla bla so i didn't get anything documented until I had already moved seedlings from tray into tote.
I started with 10 bagseed and 5 sprouted, 5 did not which amazed me.
So I moved 4 to the tote and left 1 in the tray for a week, i just moved the last one to a tote today.
1/24 had just moved 4 seedlings to tote. 632ppm reading minus 280ppm tap = 350 ppm of nutes in 6 gallons of water.
1/26 865 ppm -280ppm = 600ppm of nutes
1/31 840 ppm -280ppm = 580ppm of nutes, moved last seedling to tote, moved 4 seedlings to 400w
As in 1/31 it initially says 840ppm, that is the number i go by, that would be an EC of about 1.7 after conversion, which is about as high as im looking for right now. if i bump it up i will do it slowly so i can monitor the plant and make sure im not stressing it.
So basically I have 4 plants that have been under the t5's for a bit, they look great, short nodes about 10inches tall. So i decided that since i just harvest and gave my closet a bleach bath its time to move those down there and put them under the 400w for 18/6. Depending on growth will depend on how soon they flower. Now the 5th seedling was under the t5s at the edge of one of the tray, so it was definately pointing toward the light. That one will get a full dose for a week then move under the HPS for a week. I plan to get this going perpetually which is why i now have a Veg chamber so I started 6 seeds under germination 3 days ago with seed that I acquired from my first grow.( I have all the videos from my first grow, the last 3 videos are showcasing the 2 plants i got from that grow, the shorter, denser plant hermied and pollinated the bigger giant plant, those seeds are the seeds I am germinating now, so i have 5 plants of bagseed from really dank budz and about to have a few of my own creation! yeah!)
The seeds germinated alot slower, they did come from a really dense nuggated plant that hermied at the end of flower and pollinated a crazy sativa I had going. So I did a bunch of research and supposedly I have feminized seeds. A Hybrid cross of two plants, the seeds could be complete crap or out of this world LOL anyway its time to see what happens. Most of my other seeds have just cracked all crazy over night and rooted so fast. I love this game!
Ok if that isn't enough information just wait until i get some pics going lol. I plan on cloning later on, I want to get my HPS back on the flowering schedule, So since i have a ton of seed the plan is to get what i can to start flowering then crack seed after seed and veg and flower until i get some stuff I like, I have done some research on revegging, and I plan on trying it. I would have with one of the recent ones but i chose not to when battling the mites because I want to get rid of them and keep them out if I can. I do have to say tho, since getting the humidifier and raising the RH they have seemed to stay out of sight....for now!
Ok! enough Info on this one...How about a collaborated video log from my first grow!

YouTube - SuperSecretDaze

YouTube - science project

YouTube - Science Project part 2

YouTube - science project 3

YouTube - Science Project Alpha

YouTube - science project beta

YouTube - Marie

YouTube - Project FlowerPower

YouTube - Project FlowerPower1

YouTube - Project FlowerPower Fini
Enjoy!

Musik

 

[southernboy30]

Interesting DWC setup. As far as the spider Mites, do you use bleach to clean the room? I clean my grow area with a strong solution of water/bleach on the floor and walls.

 

[musikgenman]

Yeah bro I bleach my totes, net pots, tubing everything lol!
I thought about how come my first grow didn't have any mites but my second and third one did....and my conclusion was that in my area (lots of farms growing corn and soybeans) there are mites everywhere. Well in the summer the RH was so high my environment wasn't suitable for the mites, but as the seasons changed to fall and winter the temp dropped and the RH actually lowered, well at the time i never got a humidifier, so when the bugs went to somewhere warmer if they came to my house they went right to the plants and because it was so dry it provided the environment that suited them nicely. From now on I am going to maintain ideal environment at all times if possible. I'm sure humidifier is helping to provide the not so ideal environment.
I also get boxelder bugs badly in my area. Ladybugs are also all over the place and I get them in my closet too, but i let those be, they die off eventually because all they have to eat is the mites.
So now im on my 4th grow and things are really starting to come together now. Knowledge wise and grow wise. I'm real excited because i got some plants about a month old(from germination) and no pests.

Musik

 

[CharlieMopps]

yea, way to go musik.

 

[musikgenman]

Thanks for stopping by charlie

I promised some photos and here they are. First I'm going to show off my last crop. It doesn't sound like much for 3 plants(7 ounces) but considering the lessons learned, I earned much more than just some smoke.
Each bag is about 1.5 ounces from two different plants. The plants were each individually different(wish i had photos) but after dry and manicure the buds almost look identical.

These next 4 show photos of the bud i can't wait to fully dry/cure, the buds are soooo sticky, they were really dense but as they dried they softened up just a tad.

Im still trying to learn Macros on the camera(noobish camera operator) it took awhile just to get it to take pictures that only used up a little bit of space lol. And I didn't do any justice on the close up on buds. Although not as dense of nugs as I was hoping very potent and just covered in trichomes.

Ok so I obviously had to start another round. Unfortunately I couldn't get a veg chamber going as soon as I was hoping. I will probably start flowering these in about 2 weeks maybe 3, im really hoping they are mature by then.

The hygrometer is 'outside' the area i've been putting it next to plants and away to get a feel for how much the light affects the space. The numbers are definately in range under the light. I do plan on flowering no later than 3 weeks from now. Sooner if the plants want.

And of course I gotta keep those t5's busy. This is my veg area, I have Polyfilm i'm gonna be putting up today or tomorrow. Alot of changes recently with moving some plants from under the t5's to under the HPS.

I really wanted to move the light closer, which I may do today. But the previous 4 plants that I just moved to the flower chamber seemed to grow very fast and heartily(i really owe that to raising the RH im afraid) So next time i post photos im sure you'll see the veg chamber finished...heck i'll post photos when im done if i can.

Feel free to ask any questions or post any concerns. I'm not a pro but each grow seems to go smoother than the last one, besides the first grow LOL that was like beginners luck...no pests, no deficiencies, and big hearty healthy plants.
If there was one major difference from my set up to others using DWC, it would be that so far I haven't been inclined to set up a water pump sending nutes to the nute base. I don't find anything wrong with roots hanging in oxygenated water, maybe i'll experiement later but so far...grrrrrrrrreat!

Enjoy and stay tuned!

Musik

 

[PhishyPhil]

lookin good so far, and good luck with the mites this go around.

you mentioned its cold over by you, that should at least some what help with the bug control!

 

[musikgenman]

PhishyPhil thanks for stopping in. Thats true they don't like cold much but like most other critters they search for shelter in cold, but it seems that RH and Humidity might play more of a factor when dealing with mites.
you know im not sure if this is entirely accurate, but from what I gather mites like a dry environment, and cannabis likes more of a humid environment. By that logic alone i would assume raise the RH and humidity and lose the mites. Not to mention they seemed to go away as soon as i got humidifiers. One thing I've found is that Aphids eat mites(Organic pest control), but Aphids thrive in a more humid environment. Well mites are actually an arachnid(spider) and spiders are everywhere, its kind of safe to assume that mites are all around me(I live almost smack dab in the middle of miteville; Farm country) so by maintaining the ideal conditions for my plants I am almost naturally keeping my grow area's free of pests that damage cannabis.
Now I understand that anything can happen and im sure there are those out there that swear they did everything right and still got mites, but so far from my experience when you think you got everything just the way you want it, something else pops up or gets in the way to prove you don't.

Anyhow one of the biggest lessons so far that I've learned is that:
Relative Humidity is NOT humidity.
Relative Humidity is much more important than humidity.
Relative Humidity is hardly understood.
Relative Humidity can be the difference between a good grow and a bad grow.
Relative Humidity is easily overlooked by noobs.(like me)

Musik

 

[PhishyPhil]

Anyhow one of the biggest lessons so far that I've learned is that:
Relative Humidity is NOT humidity.
Relative Humidity is much more important than humidity.
Relative Humidity is hardly understood.
Relative Humidity can be the difference between a good grow and a bad grow.
Relative Humidity is easily overlooked by noobs.(like me)

Musik

haha well said buddy. as long as we learn from our mistakes, they aren't mistakes, they're life lessons

 

[The Butcher]

nice set up bro. Im in for the long haul. + reps

 

[musikgenman]

I know its only a couple of days. But since I've finished my Veg area and said I'd post pics.

Right now I don't exactly have the proper ventilation for a veg area, as long as I can bring in fresh air, and allow for the warmer air to escape. I have an oscilating fan going for the time being. of course temps have risen some and humidity has built up slightly...and im ok with that! lol

seeds

more seeds

I figured that i'd monitor other areas for humidity...top and bottom.


3 days under the HID and they are just exploding, the nutes/ph in the res have jumped around a bit but nothing out of range so far, im just monitoring until i flower then going to change the reservoir.
This is the first time i've gotten plants started under flourescents, well see how the rest of the plant works out, the nodes are so close its crazy to me, and the leaves are lushious like lettuce. No pests either! Woohoo!

Musik

 

[musikgenman]

nice set up bro. Im in for the long haul. + reps

Thanks yo!

haha well said buddy. as long as we learn from our mistakes, they aren't mistakes, they're life lessons

exactly!

Musik

 

[musikgenman]

ok here is a small update. Alot happens in 4 days lol.

Here is preflowers of a male. This plant is garbage to me. Anyone want it?

Here is preflowers of female. notice the teardrop shapes

One female identified!

Two females identified!

This one hasn't sex'd...fingers crossed!

so would you put on 12/12 now? or would you clone right now?

they make their way indoors

4 days old

now this gal got shafted, she is as old as the plants that pre-flowered but i kept her in the tray and dome until the four got moved, so she's a little bit behind but i dont mind the experiment. This one plant will veg completely in flouro before heading to the flower chamber. and of course many beyond but this one will be my first.

And of course I wouldn't mind filling that now empty ten gallon tote with a few more plants lol

First time using a heat mat for starting seedlings. We'll see what happens.


Musik

 

[The Butcher]

ok here is a small update. Alot happens in 4 days lol.

Here is preflowers of a male. This plant is garbage to me. Anyone want it?

...Musik

(not in a Homosexual way) But I will gladly take a male for breeding.LOL... If its a good strong one..LOL..Either way I know this is going to be a nice grow.

 

[musikgenman]

Okay so I figured i'd share a few photos.

These were all pics i considered when choosing two to submit for feb's nug of the month contest.
Everyone should check out their contests here! 420 Contests!!!
A friend gave me a present!

seed floats!

seed sinks!
AK-48 by Nirvana the bag says ES which is their Early Special strain. I just got the bag for transport. I can't wait this is supposedly feminized and I only got 1 so I gotta make it count.

These are two plants just a veggin', notice the bigger one has perked up recently. I neglected to get a shot of the roots but the roots have started to explode.

And finally I have some more of my seed stock to play with. Let's hope for females.

And finally a decent enough atmosphere for me. Just gotta keep exchanging the air.

Musik

 

[musikgenman]

Well you know me and I like photos. 3 days go by and I think nothing of it until I take pictures. LOL then it seems like alot has happened.

doing good. Gonna veg until I feel like moving em to flower area.

last bagseed plant

my seed

and of course some more seedlings in motion. I have to go buy more net pots tho and 5 gallon buckets.

the cube on the far right is AK-48 from Nirvana

these sprouts are seed i got myself from my first grow. The little guy in the tub is also.

these are a bushy little bunch, I really wanna try cloning on these plants but if my timing is correct i'll be dried and on cure for 4/20/2010 and I think I wanna be safe rather than sorry.

plant-A

plant-B

plant-C
as i've recorded ppms for each bucket, i have labeled each of these A, B, C.

I love these buckets, I have a gang-valve for two of the buckets and it worked out better than I thought.

yes its cold where I'm at, but thats ok as long as I keep the RH up. After stretch I should be able to stop the humidity and promote the plants to produce more resin.


So I have 3 plants that have been flowering for 3 days, those are bagseed. I have 1 veggin with about 5-6 nodes, that is also bagseed. The sprouts and little guy with 2 nodes are seed from my first grow(really good Indica plant hermied late in flower and pollinated a sativa that budz didn't quite develop very good-im sure due to seed production, check videos in first post.)
Then the AK-48 is the first seed paid for from Nirvana. I am really excited about that one. I really hope that it turns out female as it was paid for as feminized. Personally I would just purchase regular seeds. As it turns out the plants choose their sex, being feminized really just means the seed will produce a plant that is more likely to choose female, beyond that it is really up to the grower to provide the adequate environment. I really think that I would have a decent chance at female plants from regular seeds.

Thanks for tuning in. Time keeps on slipping.....into the future!

Musik

 

[musikgenman]

just a look through time, im kicking myself I didn't get better pictures between the 1st and 7th. Oh well, its taken to the bucket quite nicely. This is the last of the bagseed plants. She sits under the T-5.

Musik

 

[onthe420train]

Right on looks like she coulda used the nute burst just a day or 2 earlier to avoid that mag def. I have a couple of plants going in DWC myself - two autoflowering plants and a dp blueberry mother plant that just gave me a grip of clones. It is great for all plants!

 

[Doctor Dread]

Lookin good musik... Makes me wish I was still doing DWC...

 

[TorturedSoul]

Thank you for posting a journal. Good luck with your grow!

Good luck also in finding a job. I went through a slump years ago where I had to take a job as a cook and another job as a convenience store clerk - which was practically like not having a job when payday rolled around, although between the two and driving to/from them they kept me busy for about 90 hours a week, paid my rent/utilities, and occasionally bought me a sack of groceries.

For an excellent pH meter with temperature functions (and a highly accurate one, at that!), I recommend the Milwaukee pH53. It can be had for around $65 and it shouldn't let you down.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Hey, I'm on the way out for the evening but just noticed you're growing AK-48 which is an auto-flowering strain. You going to keep it under 18 (or more) hours of light during flowering to get the best harvest possible?