Photos, Soil, Mars Hydro Grow

[Grim Creeper]

I really want to get the Shed / Grow Room Done. I've invested close to $2K into getting this thing set up right. Sealed every tiny crack in it, totally insulated including the roof, new roof, electric, etc... Gets up in the 110 - 120 in the summer around here so I sure hope it works.

I'd take your 110-120 any day over ours with high humidity. Can't step out the door in August without being literally slapped in the face with "UGH!".

 

[Grim Creeper]

Yes and remember that environment is everything. It’s the single most important aspect of growing indoors.

You ain't shittin' there!

 

[Buds Buddy]

I'd take your 110-120 any day over ours with high humidity. Can't step out the door in August without being literally slapped in the face with "UGH!".

I'm from the Chicago area originally so I know what that's like too.

 

[Buds Buddy]

You ain't shittin' there!

Yeah, here you need a Humidifier & there you need a dehumidifier.

 

[Hydroholic]

Hey there @Hydroholic Just want to say Thanks for all your help on the electrical wiring. All hooked up & working well. Ended up just hooking it up to the Pedestal for the mobile home instead of through the floor, wall & sub panel. Was much easier & only used 1/2 the wire.

Glad you got it done. Electrical installation is a lot of work and not always fun. Enjoy your labor.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Got my 3rd Auto Pot with air Dome in the mail today. Picked up 3 Totes at Walmart to use as Flood prevention in case the floats stick. Also got the 2 clip on fans for the seedling part of my new tent. The tent is suppose to be here Sat.
Guy I was suppose to get the lights from (2' / 2-Bulb T-5's) sent me on a goose chase. All he had was 4' t-5's. We went over it & over it & he said he had them. So after a 40 minute drive all he has is 4' t-5's. Waste of time.
Went & bought 3 Bougainvillea's for along my back wall. Only planted 1 so far. Putting in a Mesquite Tree next week. Got a couple weeks to kill while I wait for harvest so working on the yard to keep me away from my plants.

 

[Trala]

These were taken a couple days after up-potting (not sure of the date / need to keep track better).

Hi there

Could you please explain how to do the pipe cleaner thing and the benefits?

The internet has been screaming scrog and tbh I’m not familiar with either technique.

Mine are approximately this size. I’m also considering tip/topping mine, but I’m unsure when to do it. Will you be doing the same or do you leave them?

Any advice would be fab.

 

[Buds Buddy]

When you top you let the plant get 5 sets of leaves & then you cut the top set off. You cut it off between the 4th & 5th set of leaves. (Some people cut it off between the 3rd & 4th set of leaves).
When you do this 2 new branches will grow out where there use to be just 1 branch. If you grow an Auto Flower plant you have to top before day 21 as they are auto's and on their own set schedules.
A photo period plant you can top as many times as you want as long as it's still in veg. Every time you top you get more branches which gives you more places for buds to grow. That's the theory of topping.

 

[Buds Buddy]

The thing you see with the pipe cleaners is called LST (Low Stress Training). The object here is the same as topping without cutting anything off the plant. Or you can Top & LST a plant if you choose to do both. Usually the way most people do it to maximize yield. To do LST you just tie a pipe cleaner around the bottom of the stem & tie it to something. Then take another pipe cleaner & tie it around the stem a little higher & bend it over as far as you can pulling in the opposite direction of the 1st pipe cleaner. The 1st one is just there to support the stem while you pull the opposite direction. By doing this you make a bunch of new branches grow out the side of the bent over branch. Every time a new branch pops up, tie it down a different direction until you get the plant as bushy as you want it to be. This helps keep the plants short & bushy instead of tall & lanky & you get more weed.

 

[Buds Buddy]

SCROG is pretty much doing the same thing as LST. You just use a net to bend the branches over instead of ties. When a branch pops up out of the net you just keep tucking it under the net untill you have about 75% of the net filled. At that point you switch it to flower 12/12 schedule & grow a shitload of buds. The plant will still grow more in flower so you have to leave some room for that so that's why I say only 75%.

Hope this helps some. I'm sure a few of these guys can explain in detail more @Emilya, @Pennywise, @MrSauga as they know all kinds of ways to do this stuff & the scientific end of things. If you're going to grow you should tag them like I just did in your grow journal & they will help you out. I've been growing a little over 3 years & I still tag them just in case as they are all very knowledgeable. Feel free to tag me also & I'll do my best to help or at least be able to tell you who can help. You can pretty much count on Emilya to know how to fix almost any problem that comes up. She's been at this over 10 years I think. She was the one who taught me my very 1st grow & there's been no looking back.

 

[Mars Hydro]

Calling @SmokeSara question for you. Do they make a remote / secondary / whatever you want to call it ... light dimmer switch for the TSW 2000's ? I know there's a switch in the ballast but that's a pain to be adjusting over the top of your plants. Need a light controller that you can hang on the wall like the fan speed controllers. If they make them let me know because I need 2. Thanks

We are indeed considering upgrading the dimming function. You can remove the power supply from the light board, so that you can easily adjust the light

 

[Mars Hydro]

You grow them very well, the buds are amazing

 

[Buds Buddy]

You grow them very well, the buds are amazing

It's the Lights ...

 

[Pennywise]

Once you’ve reached 75% coverage give them time to grow vertical before you flip the lights.

 

[Buds Buddy]

We are indeed considering upgrading the dimming function. You can remove the power supply from the light board, so that you can easily adjust the light

Yes, an upgraded dimming option would be a huge +. Makes it a little harder to adjust the PAR level of the lights when you have to adjust at the ballast that is in the other room. It would be much easier with a corded dimmer switch you could keep in the grow room while keeping the ballast out of the grow room. Someone just needs to make one that plugs in the wall like the timers with a knob to adjust the brightness. That way it could be used on any light. I've found them but they only handle 150 watts. Need one for 600 & 1000 watts.

 

[Trala]

@Buds Buddy

Thank you so much for your Response and advice.

Given I have only been a member here for five minutes, I don’t really want to bombard people with the tag system and become a pain in the arse

I did buy a scrog net, so I might try that for my first go as I can just see myself tearing my poor baby’s arms off trying to twist that pipe cleaner on!

As Shakespeare once said “To top or not to top... that is the question...“ What is your view? I have set up my first grow tent, and I think my two seedlings are exactly at the point of development where this can be done. TBH I have no idea what I’m doing, but so far I am loving every second of doing it.

 

[Buds Buddy]

All 3 methods are quite simple. After you do it once you'll get an understanding of it because you'll see what happens.

 

[Grim Creeper]

From the looks of things I may need to go higher than 4 grams of MC per gallon. You guys take a look & let me know what you think. I've only used 4 grams for 1 or 2 feedings so far. But they look kind of light colored to me & I'm noticing a slight striping discoloration in the leaves.
I'll have to check my pH as I have only checked it twice in 4 weeks. Is there a certain ppm I'm shooting for at this stage ?
I'm planning on tying some branches back this weekend. Let them Veg til next Friday & then switch to 12/12. That will be about 5 1/2 weeks of Veg so good enough. Bout time to make some Bud !!!

This is where I'm up to. I'm still calling Iron deficiency, but again,

Got home from work & the GG looks terrible. Leaves are all hanging limp. I know I haven't over watered as they all get the same amount at the same times. The other 2 are fine. Never the less I'm not feeding that one for a couple days & see what happens. Don't think it's pH as the other 2 aren't affected. It either went into shock from something or ??? I don't know. It's lights out for the next 6 hours so can't get a pic up till then.

This is where I'm up to. I still call Fe def.

 

[Oz3]

I'll keep ya posted. My journal is in my head. But I can send an updated pic. These are 5 week cuttings of white widow skunk. I've already harvested a batch of this and I loved it. I have those images of anyone wants to see em.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Pretty cool the way you made that little set up with the SCROG Net. Haven't tried the WW Skunk yet.
WW yes, Skunk yes, a cross of the 2 ... not yet. Sounds good though. Hey, feel free to post a few of those Bud / Harvest pics so we can drool .... LOL.