Self Growth Journal #1

Toaor

New Member
Hi Guys and Girls, I hope you are well and growing good.

OK here goes with my first journal of my first attempt at hydro/aeroponics.

Set up: Hydro to start with then Aeroponic once roots are established with Fogger and sprays.

Room Dimensions W61cms x D61cms H 122cms Mylar Diamond covered.
Room Temperature 22 - 25c
Light 120w Tri Band LED panel
Water Pump Microjet 320
Fogger - Ebay with just 1 LED not the 12 LED versions you see advertised.
3" Net Pots with Root Riot surrounded by Clay Pebbles
Tote Box - W40cms x D35cms x H35cms (approx)
White Widow - Green House Seeds NL
Nutrients - Canna Aqua Vega/Flora

Day 1 - Soaked seeds overnight in glass of tap water.

Day 2 - Planted 4 seeds in Root Riot cubes and placed in cellophane sealed Ice Cream container over night room temp 20c.

Day 3 - Three of the four seeds are up and showing so I now have to get the cupboard sorted quickly as it wasn't quite finished.

Day 4 - Finished cupboard off (Well almost, I have to madly do things when certain people are out of the house) gave seedlings a spray of plain tap water, this is hard water area and I've not checked pH levels yet still waiting for meter to arrive in post, put three seedlings under 120w LED panel for first time

Day 5 - Just checked them having spent their first night under constant light and they've grown about 1/2 - 3/4" and are just forming the first serrated leaves.
I've put the fourth seed back into sealed pot to hopefully germinate, if not will stick with three plants instead of four.

Issues:

Slight problem I have to get sorted very soon is the irrigation as the drippers don't seem to dripping correctly.

The drippers at the end of the line are dripping water but the Tee bar drippers in between are releasing nothing. Not sure if pump is pushing enough pressure but with only four drippers, 2 x Tee bar and 2 x end drippers the pump should be able to cope I would have thought as the whole length of tubing is less than 1m.

If it can't cope pushing water through drippers it certainly won't have enough pressure to create the spray/mist I want when I go Aeroponic.

It's the 6mm tubing I'm having probs with not the 13mm, which I will be using when it's Aero.

Will update this every few days or so, maybe daily, I'll also take some pictures and post if I can.

Best wishes to one and all,
Toaor
 
Update:

Have just got back fro purchasing new pump Maxi Jet 1000, which should easily spray/mist the plants now.

Also need to make grow space more accessible as there's too much stuff to move out of way before I can get to plants!

To make life a little easier I've installed a cheap webcam on a long USB extension lead so I can now at least keep an eye on them via my my computer screen.

Tonight will be sorting out the irrigation now that I have new pump as the roots are just showing at the bottom of netpots about about 3-5mm.

Have only been using standard tap water up to now but will start with Canna Aqua Vega tonight/tomorrow along with some Canna Rhizotonic for the root system promoter.

Changed light cycle today to 18hrs as opposed to the 24hrs they were under, don't know if this will harm them in seedling stage but don't really want lights and everything running 24/7.

Unless one of you guru's out there is going to tell me it's going to kill them or something almost as bad, if so do it quick my lights go off in 3 hrs !

I took some pictures and will upload as soon as I find out how to do so on this site.

Best wishes,
Toaor
 
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Your lights at 18/6 are perfect. There really is no point to run your lights 24/0. In fact, some people argue that your girls need some darkness. I've read in many journals that there is no significant difference in growth between cannabis vegged under 24/0 as opposed to 18/6. Some people, like DocBud sometime start their girls on 12/12 right away. Either way, 18/6 is good for vegging.
 
Thanks Guys, although I may lose them tonight as not been able to get in cupboard to spray/water them as someone was around that I'd prefer didn't find out, hopefully they'll survive till tomorrow when it'll all be automated.

Had a look at them with webcam and they're still upstanding and the light will go off in an 30 mins but it will be on for at least 3 hrs before I can tend them again.

I have some Nirvana Northern Lights seeds in reserve if I need to start again and one White Widow seed left.

I also have to install the extractor fan, which arrived today along with digital pH and EC meters, still waiting for the damn fogger and digital timers, fingers crossed they'll be here tomorrow.

Sleep well people,
Toaor
 
Day 7:

Transferred the little girls from ice cream container to my home made Aeroponic set up as you can see from the photos, let's hope they survive.

I've set the nutrients at 15mins every two hours.

Nutrients Canna Aqua and this is very hard water area so I've mixed 15ml of A & B in 9 litres of water, small set up as you can see.

I can just about hear the noise of the pump when it comes on but only just and it sounds like the heating anyway but might put a cloth or some foam under grow box to soften it a bit more.

I also need to get a small fan but as yet not had any luck only huge great 9" plus things.
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Day 8:

Yay go me, they survived the night in my home made aeroponic set up and seem to be absolutely fine, second serrated leaves are starting on two of the three plants.

Need to get small fan but not having much luck they all seem to be 9" plus but my grow space is so small and there's only three plants so just need tiny thing, which I can get for a computer with a USB connection or battery but want a mains one to put on timer.

These are the latest photos taken a few hours ago.

Best regards,
Toaor
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Very interested in this grow. I follow the LED journals because I'm thinking of investing in a LED light myself. May I ask what kind of light it is exactly and where you purchased it?
 
Hey highandwired,

It's Chinese 120 x 1 watt Triband 7:blushsmile:1 ration of Red, Blue and Orange, which supposedly takes them right the way thru from seed to flowering.

They do the same one at LED Grow Light | Led Grow Boards | UFO Led Grow Light | Grow Lights UK - LED Grow Lights UK for £190, I don't know where you are based but I do know they're cheaper in the USA and there's a company called Blackstar I think that do the same light but with 3watt LEDs.

You can also get them direct from China just by looking on alibaba.com, which is a trade directory, you can get just about anything direct from manufacturers but it takes longer on shipping unless you pay for UPS/TNT.

So far mine seems to be doing the job but I've not got much to compare with as this is my first indoor attempt..

Regards,
Toaor
 
Hey highandwired,

It's Chinese 120 x 1 watt Triband 7:blushsmile:1 ration of Red, Blue and Orange, which supposedly takes them right the way thru from seed to flowering.

They do the same one at LED Grow Light | Led Grow Boards | UFO Led Grow Light | Grow Lights UK - LED Grow Lights UK for £190, I don't know where you are based but I do know they're cheaper in the USA and there's a company called Blackstar I think that do the same light but with 3watt LEDs.

You can also get them direct from China just by looking on alibaba.com, which is a trade directory, you can get just about anything direct from manufacturers but it takes longer on shipping unless you pay for UPS/TNT.

So far mine seems to be doing the job but I've not got much to compare with as this is my first indoor attempt..

Regards,
Toaor

Thanks for your response. I will be very very interested in your results. Not to worry you or anything but I was interested in purchasing one of those Chinese LED's too but then I started doing some research... From what I read, the Chinese LED's do not perform that great. That's one of the reasons I ended up buying a HID setup even though I would have preferred a LED. I will be following your grow very closely because I want to see results from a Chinese LED. :popcorn:
 
Girls still going well but now need to get the extractor fan sorted tomorrow probably, which involves cutting a hole in the cupboard ceiling through to loft and the top of my grow box.

I have learned lots from this first grow that when I eventually build second set up I will use different things, like MDF instead of 2cm thick chipboard, which is heavy to work with in confined spaces and not as easy to cut as MDF.

Still waiting for the damn fogger, the company say they've sent me out a second one but even that ain't here yet, not that I really think they need it they seem to be doing just fine with 15 mins of nut's spaying every 2 hrs. In fact the roots are growing well nice and white and doubled in size since yesterday.

I checked temp in grow cupboard and it was 28c but that was with the front doors off so I think it'll be a few degrees higher when closed up.

I've also put a really nasty USB powered fan, which is crap but will do the job for now while they're small just a nice gentle breeze for them but when they grow bigger I will need a much bigger fan that runs off the mains.

Havea good weekend people.

Regards,
Toaor
 
I agree that 2cm thick chipboard is too thick. I would personally just frame it and put drywall up. Or, as you said, use 1/4" MDF or plywood. I think we all learn so much from all our grows. I know I am.

You're right about the little fan. Just a gentle breeze is good enough to strengthen the stems.
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Oh dear not been able to get in to plants today coz people around and the bloody USB 4 port hub has stopped working so can't even look at them on the webcam!

I know the light and the pump are working coz I can see a sliver of light and I can hear the pump kick in every couple of hours so let's hope my girls are ok and I can get to look at them tomorrrow.
 
Day 12:

Just been in cupboard and measured pH and EC levels, which are way too high.

pH 7.7
EC 1.05

Can I just add some lemon juice or vinegar to bring pH down bearing in mind I'm using Canna Aqua, which is supposedly self level.

As you may be able to see there is a slight curling on the leaves, which might also be down to temperature that again I think is too high 33-35c when door is closed.

Any advice most welcome ladies and gents.

Best regards
Toaor
 
Day 13:

Decided to change nutes solution today as it's been in a week and the PH is all over the place.

My natural tap water is 7.1pH so I used malt vinegar to lower it down to 5.5 then mixed nutes Canna Aqua 22.5ml of A+B in 9 liters of water.

The fogger arrived yesterday so have chucked that in to nutes and it seems to be giving off a nice cloud of nutes underneath the roots, which is moved around when the spray pump comes on. Have also added an airstone and pump to keep nutes aerated fresh(ish) oxygen.

More noise from air pump, which luckily is not too noticeable unless you happen to be in certain places in the house, then it is!

Just have to see now how they adapt to the new nutes solution as I've upped it to heavy feeding now that the pH is about right and hoping vinegar mixed in won't kill them !!

Leaves are still curling at the edges but I'm hoping the change in nutes will help that from here on in.

I have to wire up the extractor fan ready to install tomorrow, might get it all done and installed today but doubt it I have other things to do as well.

I'm hoping it will reduce the temperature in cupboard as it's way above 35 when the door is shut.

Ordered bigger fan yesterday, which should turn up today but you never know with postal services.

That's it for today.

Best regards,
Toaor
 
PS:

Digital timers turned up so have changed nutes spraying to 5 mins every hour for 20 hours then none during lights off but the fogger will be on so should keep moist enough and the air pump will create bubbles, which should burst and allow the nutes to rise too.

Here's hoping will know by tomorrow morning if it's going to work or I have to change things again.

Toaor
 
Day 14:

Well the girls have survived the change of nutrients but I've just measured the temperature of the nutes and it's a whopping 37.7 !!!!

I'm sure this can't be good so how on earth do I cool the nutes/cupboard?

The extractor is now wired up and hole cut in top of grow cupboard but now have to knock hole through to loft but that will have to be tomorrow now.

Best wishes to all
Toaor
 
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