Patience Is A Virtue?

[bluenoserjoe]

Finally am off and running. My four seeds have all popped and are well under way. They are in rockwool plugs and are supported in the net pots by some aquarium pea stone. In this case such a pretty color. A little mishap with one of the Blueberry's, a toothpick used to hold the plug together trapped the seed underneath. After a couple of days I went looking and pulled the toothpick and up she pops like a jack in the box. A day later I had to help remove the seed shell by hand. On to the next day and found I also had to unstick the cotyloden leaves, Seemed like they were glued together. A little damage to one but she seems to be coming around, although a little behind her sisters. The yellow band is the Dr. cbd and the blue band is, you guessedit, the Blueberry. The system and room have been steralized and tested for leaks, all ready to go.

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• bluenoserjoe
• Sep 28, 2019

 

[bluenoserjoe]

The next improvement to the system this year is a fan powered water cooler. The old ice method worked great guns but took up lots of time. Using the evaporative method should do the trick. Couldn't find one at the local pet store so decided to build one. Running tests now and will post the results later. A five inch fan angled to stop lighy from the res. with the access for water,air and power lines as the exit point. Gives great air flow, maybe too much, the tests will tell. If so a speed controler will solve that problem.

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• bluenoserjoe
• Sep 29, 2019

 

[Reave]

Curious how often you will have to top up the res.

 

[bluenoserjoe]

Curious how often you will have to top up the res.

Last year when in full on growth it averaged about three liters a day, more when in late flower. With the extra evaporation I would guess maybe four. Time will tell.

 

[HigherTheHigh]

I think I'm going to have to get a separate res tank like your cooling one bud with the problems I'm having, your plants are looking great bud!

 

[Reave]

One nice thing about cooler temps coming is that my res will stay at 18-21 C by itself. I’m only running the one bubbler but I would like it to be successful.

 

[bluenoserjoe]

I run into a problem when the cold temps. hit. My grow room is a repurposed cold room and is well insulated. I need to run a heater and that brings everything in the room to one temp after a day or two. A little warm for the res. so thats why the need for the cooling fan this year. Maybe replumb, next time, for a inline pump. That should help, if needed.

 

[KCCO 77]

I run into a problem when the cold temps. hit. My grow room is a repurposed cold room and is well insulated. I need to run a heater and that brings everything in the room to one temp after a day or two. A little warm for the res. so thats why the need for the cooling fan this year. Maybe replumb, next time, for a inline pump. That should help, if needed.

Hey man I hope you don’t mind if I grab a seat over here and watch you knock this one out of the park. I too veg in my cool room and will be adding insulation next weekend as soon as I drop my White Tahoe Cookies in my flower room. It’s getting cool in there now but with the flood and drain table so full I can’t do my overhaul until they have been moved. Nice job on the fan and hopefully it keeps temps in check for you. Seedlings r looking good all nestled in.

 

[bluenoserjoe]

Welcome KCCO 77. Really stoked about starting a new grow. I to am eccited to see how the fan works. Very quiet and seems to move lots of air through the res. My seedlings are looking a bit ragged , at the momement, but as soon as they get plugged int the system that will turn around quick. I am thinking that Sun. is the day as I have just seen the first feeder roots make an appearance this morning.

 

[KCCO 77]

Welcome KCCO 77. Really stoked about starting a new grow. I to am eccited to see how the fan works. Very quiet and seems to move lots of air through the res. My seedlings are looking a bit ragged , at the momement, but as soon as they get plugged int the system that will turn around quick. I am thinking that Sun. is the day as I have just seen the first feeder roots make an appearance this morning.

Nice one of my favourite parts of growing is watching the first roots pop out. Can’t wait to see them nestled in the system treating you well.

 

[bluenoserjoe]

Ok, so it has been a couple weeks since I have last posted here but a lot has happened. First off, I got called in to replace an injured trimmer on a quick facelift on a Tim Hortons. Out of town and eleven looong days. And of course problems arose in the Zen garden while I'm away. A very valuable leason learned for all those in hydro. While not having 4" rockwool cubes this round I decided to hold the rockwool plug in the net pots using aquarium Gravel (pea Gravel). To keep the seedling up at the top of the pot a layer of pea gravel about a inch thick was under the plug. While the seedlings produced dozens of feeder roots through the plug, as soon as they hit the pea gravel they stopped dead. The seedlings stalled out for a week and a half before I returned home and figured out what the problem was. By removing the gravel and settling the plug at the bottom of the net pot and then filling up around it with the gravel, the roots now have direct access to the nute flow.

Although one of the Blueberry didn't recover the other three girls have doubled in size, one Dr. CBD has tripled, and are showing signs of strong growth. Nice tight nodes unlike the Northern Lights I grew last spring. The temps are holding good with 70f. during lights out and holding at 76f. with the exhaust fan running during lights on. The new evaporative cooler has keep the res. temps. a constant 5 degrees cooler then the ambient air temp. so am really pleased with the way it is working. As the girls are just now starting to take in any amount of water it seems as though the cooler needs about two liters a day to do its thing. As a bonus the water evaporated brings up the rh in the grow room which is sitting around 60 these last few days. This may become a problem during the spring grow (flowering time) as the rh can be way high without any extra help.

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• bluenoserjoe
• Oct 20, 2019

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• bluenoserjoe
• Oct 20, 2019

Picture as of this morning, showing the signs of the stalling but also new healthy growth. Hope this won't lead to problems down the road.,but really don't expect any, at least not from this issue.

 

[Indiva710]

That is crazy with the roots stalling from the pea gravel underneath the cubes..I wonder if the pea gravel itself has something to do with it..As I always put a inch of media between my plugs and net pots..I use root riots over rockwool I also use growstones gs1 although the company went out of business but there is another company that makes pretty much the samething...
I do like the gs-1 over hydroton though as you don't have balls all over the place..Plus they are much more sterile , alot lighter and the roots themselves actually grow differently I've noticed between the two..As with gs-1 the roots are smaller and more compact and much more of them too.... They still need to be thoroughly washed and phed though like hydroton which sucks but it's for the 1st time so not too bad.. but we'll worth it...
However as you know having media between netpot And cube is more or less where u have your water level at although the media does help as a buffer and helps keep roots wet if you have your pump on a timer...Like i do for my aerocloner seeds or clones...Hope that helps

 

[bluenoserjoe]

The pea gravel was steralized and ph'd before using. My theory is the gravel was cold and the roots just didn't like it. Feeder roots all around the plug but not one any further. Everything changed as soon as the roots had direct access to the warmer nute flow. Live and learn.

Not a problem with the water level as my pump runs 24/7 and uses sprayers, at the base of the net pot, to distribute water evenly. Spray under pressure as well so helps keep oxygen in the nutes. Along with the air stones and the water fall effect from the drainage, keeps the res. oxygen rich.

 

[Indiva710]

I wasn't meaning pH or sterile issue was leaning towards maybe the roots don't like the small pea gravel only possibly..And there's just not enough gaps for the roots to go any further which is what I'm wondering about them..I've never used them so not sure...Just a thought is all...I'm not sure about the water temp being the cause of it as the temps you said I can't see it being a issue and for the 11 days you was gone...But then again idk all the info so just. Guess is all UK....But anyways glad they are back on track anyways

 

[bluenoserjoe]

Funny you should say that about the spacing. Exactly what the better half said but then again she could kill a silk plant so did I listen, noooo. lol

 

[Indiva710]

Thing is I think she's right..As the aquarium pebbles are too compact and heavy that doesn't leave any gaps for the roots to go thru them..And they acted like it was the bottom of a regular pot and the roots started to grow in a circle and even possibly root bound....as for the water temp you said 5 degree below ambient roughly so 65 @ night and 71 during the day is not too cold for the plant even being that small..They are not going to run and hide from water and nutes that they need they are going to go straight for that food and water source... As you changed it and they grew just fine when you took it out.....Watch try it next grow again or even try it with a rooted clone and I bet u it will do the same thing..Act like a wall with no where to go...As u could get a plastic cup and put a screen a 1in from the bottom and put ur feed at the bottom and put ur aquarium pebbles on the screen and then set ur rooted clone on top and c what happens.....

 

[bluenoserjoe]

My original thinking was that the roots would wind right through the gravel searching out the water. If it wern't for her top watering while I was away we would have lost all four. Next trip to the city I will be picking up a large supply of four inch cubes, sticking with what I know works. But this is what 420 mag. is all about, learning to grow the best we can with lots of help along the way. If you haven't made a mistake or three, your not growing.

 

[Indiva710]

I was iffy about the aquarium pebbles as I have a bunch from my aquarium which they are really heavy and don't allow much drainage or room for roots to move around them...And plus the fact others don't use them is another...Now using glass marbles or something like that would work as they are larger and has more air gaps and easier for roots to grow thru them..
I personally like root riot cubes with growstones gs-1 best.. Although growstones went out of business and no longer make them..Now there is another company i saw a while back that made hydroponic growstones but I forgot their name.. Although I did see some gs-1 like 1 or 2lb bags only for sale and since you have a small grow and netpots it would be the perfect size for u...I like the gs-1 over hydroton quite a bit actually as they are more sterile not so prone to mold as they hold less moisture than hydroton does..Plus u don't have balls rolling all over the place..I have also noticed the roots grow different even with gs-1 they are more full and the roots seen skinnier but more of them and fills out better..Plus they are white and they keep pests out as nothing can lay eggs on them either..They are also a lot easier to clean and sterilize for ur next crop too and the roots don't swallow them as much like they do with hydroton balls..So there's quite a few things I prefer them over...I also don't like rockwool personally it holds too much water for rdwc setups and like u using 4in cube.... tbh it would be cheaper for u and more efficient if you would either use the 1in Rockwell if ur dead set on using them only...However I would suggest trying root riot cubes and growstones I bet u ..U wont be going back to r.w cubes again no pH B's no algae issues just stick the seed or clone in the cube and call it a day ...Also I usually make my own holes for clones and seeds in general when using cubes just a good tip as the seed or clone needs a snug fit and needs to feel it's getting cuddled lol...But ya check em out if u do get the growstones u will have to rinse them really well and then pH for 24hr and then ur Good to go and never need pH again just sterilize and reuse....Also I personally like the root riots better over rapid rooters the riots seem more spongy over the rooters but essentially they are the same thing....And ya bro that's with anything in life sometimes u gta fuck shit up to learn what not to do....But learning from your mistakes is what really matters at the end of the day is learning from it and fixing it so it doesn't happen again u know

 

[bluenoserjoe]

I am liking the sounds of the growstones and will be checking them out for sure. All is good now in the Zen garden but anything to make growing simpler in the future. Thanks for the great info.

 

[KCCO 77]

My original thinking was that the roots would wind right through the gravel searching out the water. If it wern't for her top watering while I was away we would have lost all four. Next trip to the city I will be picking up a large supply of four inch cubes, sticking with what I know works. But this is what 420 mag. is all about, learning to grow the best we can with lots of help along the way. If you haven't made a mistake or three, your not growing.

Lmao I’ve got over a decade of fabulous fuck ups under my belt and still going strong. Lessons cost money good ones cost lots. All part of growing.