Shovhd's GH Waterfarm CropKing WW Auto Grow Journal - 2017

[shovhd]

I have done a couple of grows, with varying amounts of success and failure. This is my first journal. I'm kinda following the famous PE grow by Scottyballs. Here's hoping:

What strain is it? CropKing White Widow Autoflowering from seed
Seedling day 5.
Indoor Grow Tent
Hydro - GH Waterfarm Hydroton
Size of light? 2 x 400w LED
Temp of Room/cab? 26C
RH of Room/cab? 35%
PH of media or res? 5.21
Any Pests ? Nope
How often are you watering? Waterfarm so constantly
Type and strength of ferts used? Flora Nova bloom

 

[shovhd]

Day 5 - only 1 light on 24/7
- was only on straight tap water. Was 38ppm so I added nutes to 154ppm.
- 5.24ph
- 26c
- 35% rh

 

[shovhd]

Day 7
208 ppm, 5.68 ph

 

[Scientific]

I love the look of White Widow and have thought about that very strain from Crop King. Here's hoping she goes on to frosty majesty.

 

[Ripe1]

Boy my humidity reading has been low too lately. I have some new filters for the humidifier coming and I hope that is going to help bring them back to where they were. I am subbed up shov! I wish you better luck than I had with that light burn! The sooner you can get a handle on it the better your plants are going to be.

 

[shovhd]

Day 9 and looking better I think. One light on and off to the side.
21C and 40% RH
6.07 PH 206 ppm

Should I be adding more nutes yet?

 

[Scientific]

Should I be adding more nutes yet?

FWIW, General Hydroponics calls for 350 to 400 PPM for seedlings. If you go with the oft quoted advice to use half the manufacturer's recommendation, that's 175 to 200 and you were at 150ish four days ago, so I'd guess that you can coast for a while.

I refill the reservoir with a fresh dose of nutes once a week, but some people feel strongly that that's silly and a waste and that you can just keep adding nutes to the existing mix to bring it up to strength.

When it gets bigger and starts drinking heavily, you can top off with water or with nutrient solution. There seem to be different schools of thought on that too. But that's a way off yet.

 

[Ripe1]

Nice shov! Looks like the next true leaves are showing. Any way to get you temps up a few c?

 

[shovhd]

Any way to get you temps up a few c?

I could turn on the other light, but that was bad. I have a small heater I could turn on. I'll put it in the room and see how it goes.

shovhd

 

[Scientific]

Nice shov! Looks like the next true leaves are showing. Any way to get you temps up a few c?

Isn't it already at 26? That's kinda warmish.

 

[Ripe1]

Isn't it already at 26? That's kinda warmish.

His last update said 21. 24, 25 would be ideal right?

 

[Scientific]

His last update said 21. 24, 25 would be ideal right?

Ah, missed that. I think any temp in the human comfort range will do.

I can tell you from my failed early spring outdoor grow that temps in from 10 to 15 C don't work (slow to no growth). Anything above about 25 or so seems like it may start to cause stress, especially coupled with bright light and low humidity... I understand that indica and sativa vary significantly but don't have any experience with that...

 

[Ripe1]

Ah, missed that. I think any temp in the human comfort range will do.

I can tell you from my failed early spring outdoor grow that temps in from 10 to 15 C don't work (slow to no growth). Anything above about 25 or so seems like it may start to cause stress, especially coupled with bright light and low humidity...

I hear you there. That Cheese Auto I have probably needs pulled for those 2 reasons right there. The only reason I haven't pulled it yet is for experimentation with that light. Well, and it also keeps just giving me new leaves. I started moving the plant closer after she stopped producing light burned leaves. I got the humidity up and that seemed to help a lot. Growth rate doubled until I got her too close to the light again. So I pulled her back again. As soon as I find where she stops getting light burn I'll start my other seeds. This particular Cheese seems really light sensitive so I figure where she is comfortable would be a good place to introduce the next set and see what they like from there. The humidity seemed to have a direct effect though. When it was in the low 40's and high 30's the leaves would turn yellow, half of each leaf in one day. When it is in 50's, it seems like the won't yellow all week. That why I like my notes. I can have a record of what happened, what i tried and what worked...or didn't! Cheers fellas! How about some new pics Shov?

 

[shovhd]

I'll get some pics up tomorrow. Been a bit busy buying a new ( to me ) truck.

Temps are 22C and RH is 41%.

She was drinking a little bit. Upped the ppm to 228 and PH is 5.58

 

[shovhd]

Day 12

5.30 ph, 227 ppm

 

[Ripe1]

She is looking better.

 

[shovhd]

Day 16

247 ppm 5.97 ph
22C 41 RH

The ppm just jumped up 20 by itself. IDK why. Also the ph keeps creeping up and we have to bring it back down every couple of days. Any ideas why?

It is looking good though:

 

[Scientific]

Day 16

247 ppm 5.97 ph
22C 41 RH

The ppm just jumped up 20 by itself. IDK why. Also the ph keeps creeping up and we have to bring it back down every couple of days. Any ideas why?

It is looking good though:

It is looking good, as much as it's possible to tell at that distance. Closer up would be better. (The glare from the foil causes the picture to be underexposed, by the way.)

Jumps in PPM I think would be just normal measurement variation (a lack of measurement "precision," in science lab terminology--the normal range of variation from one measurement to another). A 7% variation is nothing to worry about, methinks.

pH shifts are the big bugaboo of hydroponics.

You can find elaborate charts that "explain" exactly what's happening when the pH shifts and what to do about it. They are worth looking at and thinking about, but I don't really buy the whole package that X is caused by Y. There are just way too many variables.

Some thoughts:

• Advanced Nutrients' "pH Perfect" line of fertilizers (and there seem to be a bewildering number of them), are formulated with buffers etc to address just that problem of pH instability. I haven't used them, but people here who have all seem to think they work well.
• A bigger reservoir is naturally more stable.
• Plants use more nutrients as they get bigger (and more water), so the system gets much more dynamic as the plant grows. Much more!
• --> Best advice: Google Advanced nutrient management for hydroponics growers to find General Hydroponics' great article. A lot of what they seem to argue is not to freak out too much about some pH variation. Despite the graphs that show the dread "nutrient lockout" at pH X.y, modern fertilizers are formulated with buffers, chelation, and multiple chemical versions of each nutrient that make them able to feed the plant well over a big range of pHs. (I don't worry too much if the pH is over 5 and less than 7.)
• Consider changing your reservoir weekly.
• Consider maybe feeding a little more heavily (higher PPMs) so nute levels don't swing so much? (That's just a new theory I have. Not tested and could be wrong.)

 

[Scientific]

You can find elaborate charts that "explain" exactly what's happening when the pH shifts and what to do about it. They are worth looking at and thinking about, but I don't really buy the whole package that X is caused by Y. There are just way too many variables.

I just stumbled on the chart I mentioned Here it is. As I said, I think it's a bit pat, but it's food for thought.

 

[shovhd]

I changed out the water today. Ph is 5.56 and ppm is 380 (water itself is 42 ppm) so adjusted ppm is 338. I’m going to bring it up slowly over the week to about 450 adjusted ppm.

Question: when they speak of being at day14 of veg. When does veg start? I’m at day 17 from the time I put it in the tent. Thx.