Noob Grow: DWC, RQS Northern Light, RQS White Widow & A Mephisto Genetics, Samsquatch Auto

[BirdieNumNum]

Background Info
This is my first attempt at a photo period grow and it has been going for a month or so.
Aiming to end up with one plant of each strain from seed to harvest - culling along the way
I plan to mainline the photo periods and try grow the auto alongside them.
Since starting a small indoor home grow "operation" last year I have managed two successful grows (thanks to advice and help on this forum) and have plenty of smoke cured in jars.
I have had to shut down a larger grow due to "security issues" and had two or three failed grows over winter.
I am very much a noob grower but feel I have come a long way in just over a year.

Environment
120 cm X 60 cm X 200 cm Indoor Grow Tent
80-100 litre Deep Water Culture Reservoirs 4 potential grow sites each and 50 cm off the floor (thus reducing available height in the tent)
4 Inch In Line Duct Extractor Fan - 250m3/hr plus Carbon filter as extractor fan - venting via air brick to outside of house
4 inch intake fan 160m3/hr
Variac type Fan Controller - 1 big dial for speed and two outlets used for intake and exhaust- replaced an SMS hybrid as this does the job and is cheaper albeit without temperature control
Additional 4 inch intake fan 160m3/hr set up with a Carbon filter as an additional fan to help cool the tent where required
20w oscillating fan to circulate air around plants.
Humidifier (a 5 ceramic disc pond humidifier and a 5 litre tank desktop humidifier - use either or both depending)
Live pH and EC measuring sensors in both DWC reservoirs
Humidity and Temperature sensors and controllers (which turn on cooling or humidifier to maintain set levels)
Hygrometer X 2
Reservoir temp thermometer
Air pumps X 2 and air stones
240W double Quantum Board
95W quantum board
Light mover on rail - moving the main Quantum Board
Using a mix of wifi smart plugs, mechanical timers to mange light schedule etc
50l polystyrene ice box on hand to use with frozen water bottles and intake fan - if temps rise later in the summer (as no aircon)
Noise management - I have a silencer on the exhaust fan and more importantly , vibration mats under the reservoirs (for the air stones) and similar for the air pumps. The exhaust fan sits on damper strips to further attempt to reduce noise.

Nutes, Water etc
I use a cheap reverse osmosis filter to produce RO water
Nutrients - using branded hydroponic nutes with added root growth enhancer, calmag, silicon, mycorrhizal dried (for roses)
pH up and down
I also use a foliar spray once a week.

Plants

RQS Northern Light - Feminised
RQS White Widow - Feminised
Mephisto Genetics - Samsquatch - AUTO

Germination and Seedling stages
Germinated by soaking in warm tap water for 48 hours, transferring to Rootit cubes sat in a bowl on top of a seedling heater mat
Relocated to a self made DWC seedling station under a 95w Quantum board with oscillating fan on a 6 on 2 off light schedule
Relocated to grow tent and main res when roots were in the water or poking out of the cubes in number

Vege Stage - I think I am about a month from seed germination on Northern Light. The Widow and Auto are a few days behind
Light schedule - 6 hours on 2 hours off
pH - 5.8 to 6
EC 1.7

Auto
The Auto is doing fine but one of two stunted (I think due to over watering and thus damping out in the sponge) That's gone into a soil pot and the other is putting on nodes and growth
Photo Period
These were topped a few days ago at the third node after they had grown 5 or 6 nodes.
Northern Light - culled 2 of the 4 after snapping off growth tips on them after first mainlining phase !
White Widow - one remaining - mainline - phase 1 complete

Notes
Far too easy to snap off growing tip after mainlining - I need more practice and for now I am going to avoid trying to create a "T" and aim for 8 growing tips in a couple of weeks time then worry about levelling the canopy

After watching this - Cannabis Grow Lighting Myths and FAQs with Dr. Bruce Bugbee I am going to try run high light levels throughout by adding in one of my two 95w Quantum Boards and then ther second on top of the 240w Quantum board - nutes may become an issue if they drink lots of extra water so I think I need to be ready to top up with just RO water or drop lights etc if get into trouble. I seem to get some leaf, nute issues etc with every grow and i am not growing same strains etc so getting experience and knowledge is slow process.

On foliar spray, I suggest this is a useful product to have on hand especially if you are new to DWC as it helps provide some buffer when you get leaf issues etc that are inevitably difficult to pinpoint the cause of. Spray this on the leaves as directed and you know your plants have some more of what they need while you try and work out what the problem is or your plants grow out of it. In previous grows i have spent a lot of time and effort changing reservoirs and nutes, asking advice etc without really getting to the precise reason I have had leaf issues etc.

I may run out of space with 3 plants but have a spare tent etc (if need be and the wife doesn't go of the deep end ! )

Thanks for stopping by.

 

[Canadadoes]

Got any pics?

 

[BirdieNumNum]

You read my mind !

All pics from today

 

[BirdieNumNum]

I relocated the Quantum Boards Meanwell driver so it sits outsdie the tent (as opposed to on top of the lights heatsink)

I think I got some damage on fan leaves from dripping nutes or tank water containing nutes on them but those leaf markings are not going unnoticed...just not worrying about them atm.

Much happier with how I have been able to mount the filter in the tent and the exhaust fan on top and outside the tent because it gives me more head room in the tent.

Positioning the various bits and pieces outside the tent still needs some work but you know how it is !

For new growers, expect to spend quite some time trying to set your tent up and then trial and error improvements as you go along.

Everyones grow space is different and planning and managing you tent/room is a big part of the learning curve.

When you factor in growing at different times of the year, wanting to add new kit (for fun or necessity), different plants, nutes, different stages your grow is at etc etc etc, managing your grow space is a huge part of the learning curve.

 

[The Phantom]

I’d say far from a noob, failure is by far the best experience you’ll get growing and you can’t get it by watching YouTube or reading this forum, although there’s some top rated advice thrown around here.

I’d like to follow along with your grow, I hear a lot about Mephisto Genetics, 4 Ass Monkey and now Samsquatch, with names like that how can I not!

 

[BirdieNumNum]

I have had a difficult time growing Mephisto Autos. Lets face it, it is almost certain it was my bad. 1 lot grown got to about 18 inches high then died off after a rez change where I suspected i had shocked them with very cold RO water. They started getting crispy leaves and dying off down one stem and didnt take off. One that flowered remained literally 6 inches tall and it only got to harvest (such as it was ! ) because I pretty much left it alone for a couple of months. I did have other seed bank autos with similar issue so ...suspect it was nutrient strength or air flow issue..but TBH not really any idea why these grows went downhill.

The taste of what I did get was however, truly excellent.

The Mephisto in this lot is growing very well in the same tank as a Northern light. It is a priority to try get this one to something like its potential and I will as you say learn much more from hands on experience.

Thank you for your encouragement !

 

[420BudzFreak]

I’ll come along for the ride if you dont mind. Should be a good show, things look good! Failure sucks. It sucks more if you don’t learn from it. Happy growing!

 

[BirdieNumNum]

In the first pic, top right (12pm) is the Mephisto Samsquatch auto with another in a 7cm soil pot to the right. Same age these two. The one in the 7cm pot is already flowering ! It was damping off and I was going to chuck it but shoved it in the pot and its recovered but it is a midget !

Left (11pm) we have the last Northern Light which has just been topped for the third time leaving 8 growing tips.

Remaining two are (I think) both White Widow and have both been topped twice so far.

As all the DWC plants have decent root balls, I haven't worried too much about removing leaves and topping sooner rather than later.

Watering down the rez to an EC of 1.2 from 1.7 has seemingly gone a long way to making the plants happier but I feel I lost a day or so of growth.

pics 2 and 3 are of the Mephisto Samsquatch Auto. Looks like a I topped that once when I did the first topping of the photoperiods.

 

[BirdieNumNum]

Topped up the Potsil in the rez (was added to the Rez at the beginning (but not mentioned in my OP above))

Potsil is a modified horticultural grade liquid Potassium Silicate This is my first time using it.

Both tanks running at circa pH of 5.8 and EC of circa 1.4

 

[BirdieNumNum]

Top left and in the soil pot- Auto. Mephisto
Middle is Northern Light the Mohawk is the second White Widow and the bottom right is the other Widow. Seedlings are all other grow in this tent temporarily.

 

[The Phantom]

Dang those ladies are thicc, like the type of ladies I grew up with up North, the ones that can keep you warm during the long cold winters.

 

[420BudzFreak]

Looking good! I have that same meter lol, cheap and accurate. Love that thing. Plants look nice and happy! Keep it up

 

[BirdieNumNum]

Last year I went a bit nuts and ended up buying a used Bluelab ph and EC meter. It did the job but I could buy 6 of the above generic meters for the new price....so I sold the BlueLab. Prices of the generic meter have gone up and they vary so much for the same product in any case.

Looks like the Auto is not an auto ---as it should have flowered by now....I have either mixed it up in which case it is an untrained Widow or Northern Light or a dud.

I think I am under a week from flipping to 12/12.

As this is my first photo period grow...plenty of potential to Trump it up.

Do I need to flush (never been convinced of the scientific basis as to why any flushing is necessary at any stage) ?

Straight to 12/12 or a 24/36 etc hours of darkness to kick it off ?

 

[BirdieNumNum]

So...I am into second week since flipping lights to 12/12

Now only 2 plants left because I needed the space and it wasn't flowering. (there is one 5 inch high Mephisto in a soil pot thats well into flower and will give a few smokes - other larger one didnt flower and has been thrown away as I dont have enough space in the flowering tent and my small veg tent is full of Cookies Gelato.

Mephisto's not working out for me atm...I will have another go with them next year when I have more permanent accommodation and space - perhaps they are not suited to my indoor hydro set and would be better in soil or coco. They do produce very sticky buds and so I am not giving up on them...

On Bloom 2 part nutes with an additional pk booster and Canna Boost.

Added a 100W QB so now sitting under 340W of LED in a 2 x 4 tent.

Going to add a UVB lamp in a week or so on a series of 15 per hour cycle when other lights are on.

I have defoliated and lollipoped and you can see how the mainline worked out (having not trained the stems into horizontal position)

Bent a few main stems whilst changing the rez and fitting the scrogg net which has resulted in involuntary supercropping.

Both plants are now approximately 21 inches from the net pot with about the same available to stretch before I have to work out how to stop them getting too close to the lights.

Probably going to try an maintain EC at 1.2 to 1.6 but I will push it up a bit later on in the flowering cycle to see if they can handle it.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

[BirdieNumNum]

Nutes up to 1.6 EC including Canna Boost and Canna PK
Defoliating a lot
2 More QBs on the way to add another 240w led light to the tent.

 

[BirdieNumNum]

We are in the middle of week 4 of flower.

Have just cobbled together a 4 X Quantum Board fixture to attach to the Light mover and removed the smaller QB from the tent.

So now sitting under about 460 W of LED lighting. LUX reading is 80,000 when the light is directly above and 40,000 when the light is at the at the other end of the tent.

I have continued to remove the of leaf

Temps running around 28 degrees C

I have just bought a simple CO2 controller and cylinder of gas that have cost me $290 delivered.

I am late to the party on this one as I will be able to start using it towards the end of week 5 flowering which is not ideal but I can use it on the next grow (currently languishing in vege under low level lighting ready to go into this flowering tent once this lot are done in 4 to 6 weeks times).

 

[BirdieNumNum]

Shit....I have to move house...this will be interesting...5 to 6 hour drive...better larger facilities await.

 

[BirdieNumNum]

Well. In the end I got just over 1 oz dried from each of the Northern Light and White Widow plants which both had to be harvested several weeks early after their move 300 miles to a new house and delays in setting them back up in a tent.

Problem I had was , with a house move (and other priorities - I know !) I wasn't able to set up my tent and DWC tanks etc for several days after moving them and the roots started to rot. Had I been I think they would have been ok.

Both are a really nice smoke and distinctive. The White Widow is a more immediate body stone and the Northern Light creeps up on you with a cerebral high followed sometime later with body relaxation and couch lock.

Would definitely recommend both strains from Royal Queen Seeds and would say they were easy to grow.

On the plus side, I now have a fantastic place to grow indoors - huge triple garage attached to a detached house wit ha private garden. It has a tiled floor, plenty of power points a tap for my RO water, a sink. shelves aplenty for nutes etc and my next grow is well on the way.

Unfortunately. with Covid, I am not sure how long I am going to be here and yet again can't be sure of clear runs with plenty of time for me to fuss about with my garden !

 

[420BudzFreak]

OH nice! Are you going to try and do a grow in that space? That would be cool to see!