Nulife's - Aurora Indica - Top-Fed DWC - Grow Journal - 2016

[Nulife]

Hydro has honestly been the easiest grow yet, between soil, coco, and hydro. Once you make the tank and set it up. It's literally about 15-20mins of maintenance once a week. It took me about an hour to set up the tank once I got all the parts. I got all the parts pretty much on Amazon. During the summer I put in and change an ice pack in the tank 3 times a day. But that's it. Once a week all I have to do is change the tank, which is simple with a bucket vac, sucks out all the water in 1 min. Then you dump that out (5gals). Then you mix up your nutes water (5gals), then you put in the tank with a liquid/gas transfer pump for $10. Add some hydroguard, and that's it. You're done in about 15mins. Until another 7-8days when you have to do it again. During the week when she starts drinking a lot, like a gallon a day. I have a couple of gallons jugs of nute water, that if I see her tank it low cause she drank a gal in a day, I just add a gal jug of nute water the next day when they wake up, then go about my day. Very very easy. Not one health problem. LED lights are good cause you don't really have to move them like CFLs. You really can leave them and forget them, have the plants grow into them. If the plants start to get too close or stress thats when you can adjust them. But there are no pest or weather issues to worry about indoors. Just way less to worry about, inside is a very controlled environment, and I can grow year around without worrying about the power of the sun or weather conditions.

Anyway, hope that helps.

 

[Nulife]

12/8/16 Week 13 Flowering Day 59 - I changed the tank on Tues (12/6), I used Week9 of the nutes schedule again. Some of the hairs are starting to darken a bit, some are very much white and sticking out. So I think she'll be ready around the 9-10 week mark. She's still drinking about 4 gals a week, so she's thirsty.

 

[4Dutchess]

That helps allot!! Thanks!!! I cant wrap my mind around Hydro yet. Let me go through the stages. I just learned how to PH my water and follow a feeding schedule.
Ok a water tank? Ive got a wood subfloor in the tent room. Last thing I want is a tank? Nulife, Im really trying not to mess up the house. Watering in 5 gal buckets isent bad. Im getting a routine with amounts and learning. I see the hydros and Im amazed. Too much water is an enemy in dirt but in hydro you sit in it. Im not ready yet!!! Ive got my first aphid problem in my Laundry Grow Im addressing. Thanks Nulife and those buds look great! Nice job and great day!!!!!

 

[Nulife]

4Dutches, Don't be scared about the word "tank" all it really is, is a 10gal Sterilite Tote Container with a lid. I have most of the instructions on my first page of this journal how to assemble. The tote cost about $10 bucks, you only fill it with 5gals of nutrient water, that's it. Any floor can handle 5 gals of water weight. So again, don't be over whelmed. And yes, your roots sit in the water, but you use a oxygen pump so your roots are getting plenty of oxygen, way more than it will ever get with soil, so your plant gets what it needs directly, and she decides when she wants to eat. Again, it's all overwhelming til you breaking it down step by step. Again, the simplest grow, without any problems I have to address at all. Dealing with bugs and pest is a nightmare I just dont' want to ever have to deal with, one of the many reasons I grow indoor in a very sterile environment. I would never want to have to put any pesticides on or around my plant while it's growing. Good luck with the aphid problem.

 

[Nulife]

12/15/16 Week 14 Flowering Day 66 - I changed the tank on Tuesday, I did Week9 of the nutes schedule again. Today I added another 2gals of nutes water (yep she's that thirsty). She's still smells pungent, and her buds are getting very tight, dense and heavy. Some of the smaller branches are starting to bend over a bit cause of their weight. I've periodically place 4 daylight CFLs at the bottom of the plant so the bottom buds get some light too. She seems to be doing fine withe two 300w LED on top about 12" away. Still changing the ice pack throughout the day to keep the tank water temps below 70degrees. I've taken a look at the trichomes and she's cloudy but no amber trichs on either plant. Even though we're at 9 weeks of flowering, I'm going to wait till I see a decent amount of Ambers, for a nice body couchlock high for this indica. I will post trichome pics next week.

PLANT1

PLANT2

 

[Nulife]

1/3/17 Week 17 Flowering Day 85 - I changed her tank and only added Ph only water on 12/29/16 to start flushing out the nutes. I also turned off the lights 24 hours before harvesting her. She was about 10% Amber. I decided to only harvest Plant1 on the right of the tank, so after harvesting the entire plant, I turned the light back on over Plant2, til Plant1 finishes drying and gets jarred, making room for the Plant2 to be harvested, washed and hung for drying. I did wash Plant1 and she's now hung to dry. She is very frosty, and Plant1 definitely looks more than an ounce, though the goal is 2oz, not sure if I made that, can't wait to smoke her though.

Trichomes:

Here's some bud porn:

 

[cannilingus]

if you put a pan or pail of water nearby, preferably a yellow color, my fungus gnats would commit suicide in it. lol. get some lady bugs. they pig out on aphids. and gnats. also, add some gognats to the water. its all organic, cedar oil. bugs hate it.

 

[Nulife]

Buds were jarred on 1/5/17 to start the curing process for Plant1. This is the most I've jarred from one plant before. Which means growing in hydro produces more than the other mediums I've tried so far. I'll be harvesting Plant2 today.

 

[Nulife]

1/7/17 WK 18 Flowering Day 89 - Harvest Day for Plant2. She was chopped, trimmed, washed and hung to dry. Very sticky yum.


Trichomes:

Bud Porn:

 

[Nulife]

1/9/17 Week18 - Plant2 was dried enough to jar today.

Still working the moisture level down on Plant1, it's at 75-76%.


Plant2

 

[cannilingus]

hi nunu! i have grown aurora before. i even did well, outdoor. she got huge. and tight colas. i live in the pac nw. mine was a gifted clone. it was very aphi pheno. its been a few years, since i had her. i now have some fem seed, on its way to me. I want to try her again. the one i had was very greasy. very stoney. very compact. they dont like being pinched. at least mine did not. it finished fast as well. 59 days. good luck.

 

[Nulife]

I havent' smoked it yet, I have to wait 4-6weeks for the curing. But yes she had very tight colas. VEry Very sticky in DWC. She flowered for about 85-89 days, with about 10-15% Amber Trichomes. I'm very excited to smoke her.

hi nunu! i have grown aurora before. i even did well, outdoor. she got huge. and tight colas. i live in the pac nw. mine was a gifted clone. it was very aphi pheno. its been a few years, since i had her. i now have some fem seed, on its way to me. I want to try her again. the one i had was very greasy. very stoney. very compact. they dont like being pinched. at least mine did not. it finished fast as well. 59 days. good luck.

 

[Nulife]

2/5/17 Dried and curing since 1/5/17 (4weeks) we're finally at 62% moisture level. Well Plant1 (the first one planted and harvested) was the best crop weight I've gotten. Woo Hoo


Dry weight: @ 62% 87.9g or 3.10oz

Hydro is the way to go so far for best volume and stickiness.

 

[Nulife]

In regards to Sohum & Autopots:
I've decided not to use Sohum Soil, I had a tedious interaction with them trying to order soil. I tried my best to be patient through the process, but after 2 months my patience simply ran out. First their site wasn't working properly to order. Tried calling them to let them know. No one around, all at a conference, we'll give you a call asap. Finally get a call, worked with someone who apologies for no one being around for a few days and for the website not working, and they didn't know. No orders could be placed through their website. He apologized, gave me a little tutorial about the product and said he would give me a discount off my large order, will throw in a few bags of perlite and would call me back in regards to a combo price for their soil and the autopots. Didn't hear from anyone for a while, then after several inquiries, finally was told that the person I was talking to was no longer with the company and that they would help me. Well lets just say that was several weeks of back and forth, they never actually honored what the first guy discussed with me extensively, and the combo price this person came up with was basically charging me over $100 for delivery, when just delivering their soil would only cost me $44, and and if I order the autopot direct their delivery was free. They could not justify or explain why the delivery charge was now over $100. - Fine, I didn't do the combo, I just order 3 bags of the soil so I could have it delivered. Was going to be traveling told them when I was going to be home and when I wasn't and the window I needed it delivered, or have it delivered at my return date. I paid a month in advance for this so some one could plan for this shipping, making it clear I could not have the soil sitting in front of my home so I can't have it delivered when I'm not home. (Again a month in advance notice). Paid them for the order, traveled, and came back no email or product delivered. Waited a few days. Nothing. Emailed asking why I haven't received my product or an email with tracking number. Response was it was bad weather we're sending it today. Again, no email with tracking. No apology. I email again asking for a tracking number. Almost a week goes by. No response. Out working one day, and come home to an attempted delivery. THANK GOD< they didn't just leave it. Arrange for delivery 2 days later with carrier. Finally get soil, box sorta opened and not secure, badly packaged and not one bag of perlite as stated would be given. A day after that, I get an email from Sohum with the tracking number. I tell them they're WAY too late, and I won't be using their company again, that I dont care how good a product is, if the people running the company don't have their act together for the first order that literally took about 2 months to happen due to responding several days after the fact & to up to a week at times, then I have no desire to purchase from them again. Not to mention, there wasn't even an apology in the email for the late response after 2 emails and one phone call for a email with the shipment tracking number. Which by the way should've been sent automatically without even asking. They literally responded for the first time in 2 months the same day within a few hours with a bunch of excuses like ie "We're a small business". In which my response, was great, nice to know that you guys CAN respond in a timely manner but these problems shouldn't be happening if your'e small business, this shouldn't be your company's excuse for problems. So yea, I won't be using Sohum $130 for 3 bags of soil, from a company full of excuses, late responses, doesn't have a dedicated person answering phones and improper work flow is not what I'm interested in dealing with on a regular bases despite the good results I have heard from people regarding the soil.

I will use the Autopots at some point in the future for when I find a good soil. I decided to just use the Sohum Soil that I bought on some Palm trees I have that have some deficiencies. I can let everyone know how that works out, the first guy I spoke to at Sohum thought my Palms sounded like they had a potassium deficiency and said this soil should help solve that problem.

 

[Nulife]

2/9/17: Plant2 (the second one planted and harvested) has been dried and curing since 1/9/17 (4weeks) we're finally at 62% moisture level.

Dry weight: @ 62% 72.43g or 2.55oz

And as stated a few days ago Plant1's Dry weight: @ 62% 87.9g or 3.10oz

Bringing the total for this Aurora Indica Grow (of two plants in a DWC tank): Total Dry weight: @62% 160.33g or 5.65oz

Hydro is the way to go so far for best volume and stickiness.



I believe this will be my last grow journal, but I will be around asking questions and contributing when and if I can.
Thank you to everyone who helped my grow knowledge along the way.

 

[Teddy Edwards]

Hope all is well in your world.

Thanks for sharing this grow with us.

Please head over to the 420 Strain Reviews forum and post your smoke report there too.

I’m moving this to Completed Journals now.

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

Sending you lots of love and positive energy.