Perpetual Batch Grow - Indoor Hyrdo 4 1K Lights Ebb & Flow

[TJGrow]

Re: Perpetual Batch Grow - Indoor Hyrdo 4 1k lights Ebb&FLow

Most of my shots turned out all red from the light. Not sure why but as few of them turned out with reasonable color to them. These are my batch 2 OG Lemon Kush plants at 64 days flower.

This batch was groomed properly. You can see the main kolas tied off to the side of the light field where its a little cooler and brighter. I got most of the other branches tied up to the top of the cages and have a nice tight bud field there.

 

[TJGrow]

Going Vertical

I've got batch two and batch three getting really close to harvest. Both will come down in the next two weeks. This will clear one and then two of my lights for the next batches.
I've decided to go vertical for the next 2 batches. The HPS lights just support more inventory in the primary light field if they shine in 360 degrees instead of 45-60 degrees I get with them above. I've been looking over the vertical grows on line and have found a few good ones to use as models for mine.

I am looking for some features I don't see in other vertical grows:

• no gaps in the circle - the inventory has to move to get inside to work on it
• Adjustable plant height
• Adjustable distance to the light
• Backside of the plants right up against Mylar
• Ebb and Flow watering
• Cheap to build

I've come up with a design to use my first available light. I'll be making actual light and heat readings to finalize the size and light level but I think its going to be 6' by 6' and run at 600w.

I'm going to use milk creates which are free as the frame. It looks like my biggest cost is going to be the pluming as I already have the light and pumps. The milk creates are modular by nature. They will be on their side forming 11" by 10" shelves to hold the plants. I can set the plant height from 15" to 30" by placing something below the plant or putting in a spacer create. The create towers can each slide in and out to adjust the distance to the light and I'll slide one out to get into the center to work on the plants.
Each create will have a Mylar curtain on the face so the inside of the tower is completely covered in Mylar. I'll hang more Mylar behind the top plants. I think I'll start with room for 24" plants. I could also double them up but I'll need my own clones for that.
I'll have wire loops on the front of the creates to hold the plants back from the light as they grow. I can loosen or tighten these to adjust the plant width and use them to control the height.
I'll use one of my 3' by 18" shelves to anchor the towers. The creates will be bound to each other in each tower. In phase two I'll add another light and 2 more tiers.

I've been testing the watering and have a design to water the tower in 2 groups of four. (8 or 16) plants.

This design will flood all the containers 2 inches and over flow the rest down to the next plant. The res will be just big enough to supply one watering. If I go to an automated system, I'll fill the primary res's from a bigger res between watering. I'm no longer watering each day so I could set up timing that might last for a week or more with 10-20 gallons of water. I'll use small tubs one per plant. Plants will veg in rockwool. The plants I have for this are in 3' or 6' cubes. I'll line the tray with coco mat then fill hydro balls. I'll leave the plants in the 3' cubes.

Any feedback from folks that have gone vertical would be nice.

 

[TJGrow]

I just completed a big harvest. I had a traffic jam in my dry boxes for a few days. Lots and lots of trimming. Here's some highlights from the harvest:

This gal put out 87 grams dry.
Once they cleared I moved in new batches of Mendo Afgoo

and some Sweet Tooth

My first vertical light is doing well. The Blue Dream is going to town next to it. The Bubba Kush next to the dream continues to underwhelm me.

 

[Tmac12]

Nice plate of bud!! Your grow is going strong! Good job!

 

[TJGrow]

Bud, its what's for dinner

 

[Dee House]

nice buds

 

[ProblemChild]

adjust the white light on your camera.. to get true color when HPS is on.. if not then you should take pics when HPS is OFF to get true color...

 

[TJGrow]

I've caught a break in between harvests. The girls have been growing along. These are my oldest. They are Afghan Kush 66 days into 12/12.

Next are some Casey Jones 37 days in.

These is my vertical light here. Blue Dream in the back and Bubba Kush in front they are at 22 days of 12/12.

OG Kush and Granddaddy Purple in the middle

This is Sweet Tooth. I have a few sick plants in the mix here.

and last some Mendo Afgoo. These are looking really good.

 

[TJGrow]

I've been lazy and haven't updated lately so I figured I put up some more shots of the grow. I'm winding my inventory down for a shut down and rebuild and have 6 batches in progress.
These (in back) are Bubba Kush almost ready for harvest at 74 days at 12/12:

These are Mendo Afgoo at 51 days

And some Blue Dream on my vertical light at 58 days:

Here's Bubba Kush at 58 days also vertical.

This is Granddaddy Purple 3 days into cure:

 

[Dee House]

plant look great + rep

 

[Bruce Wheelman]

Thanks for sharing your grow with us!

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