VictorVonDoom's 1st Grow - Converted Mini Fridge - Indoor/Soil 2013

[VictorVonDoom]

Wait are we talking about paid or free samples? I can't imagine they give em out free, may be if your buying other items, or use the shop on the regs.

Even if you get free samples, you still then have to get instruments to measure PPM and PH levels. Theres 100 - 200 bucks right there, as there's no point buying cheep as the accuracy you need just isn't there.

 

[Skybound]

Wait are we talking about paid or free samples? I can't imagine they give em out free, may be if your buying other items, or use the shop on the regs.

Even if you get free samples, you still then have to get instruments to measure PPM and PH levels. Theres 100 - 200 bucks right there, as there's no point buying cheep as the accuracy you need just isn't there.

The accuracy is there, but b/c metering pens are not held to a fixed point like a nutradip, the calibration tends to veer off from even small vibrations/movements. I unfortunately for meter pen users like myself, calibration solution is pretty much a must, but if ordering everything online, you could save a lot. I got my ppm pen for $20 online and pH meter pen from my local hydro for $40. each calibration solution was about $10-$15 as well. as a potential hydro grower, I'm finding it to be something I can ease my way into so long as I had the proper things to start I.e. ppm pen, pH drop set (to start) and the GH 3 part notes that my local hydro gave to me for free. granted, I was a frequent buyer there, I rarely spent more than $20-$30 a week/trip. but from chatting with the clerk and finding him sympathetic to our cause, he offered the free samples. because hydro shops are sometimes small and locally owned, everything on the shelf is negotiable so long as they view you as a returning customer.

 

[VictorVonDoom]

The accuracy is there, but b/c metering pens are not held to a fixed point like a nutradip, the calibration tends to veer off from even small vibrations/movements. I unfortunately for meter pen users like myself, calibration solution is pretty much a must

So is the accuracy there or not skybound?? haha

We will have to agree to disagree on the accuracy of cheep meters. If there was no difference then they would all cost the same amount.
Cheep meters have to be calibrated more often and also you will find that they have an accuracy that is within between 3-5% + or -

Frequent buyer?? 20/30 bucks a week/trip?? a year that's $1,040!! what are you buying??

All I have to pay out for now my grow now that it is set up is seeds, electric bills and lamps when they run out.



Everyone says that your grow is limited mainly by the size/wattage/lumins/output of your lights. I cannot add more lights due to space and heat.
Why would I pay out all this money for nutrients, EC meters, PH meters, PH up/Down?
It would not double my yield, or be cost effective for me, I grow in about square foot of space don't forget.

Also I don't have a clue about growing yet! So yeah I've read a shit load but its nothing like doing it your self. OK i grew a plant that worked, but it just kind of did it its self and i still made mistakes.

With out knowing what a plant looks like through every stage of growth, and when this are going to go into the next stage of growth, how can I even guess what nutrients the plant needs at what time. I don't even fully and confidently know what nutrients and minerals a plant needs at every stage of growth or even what effect they all have on the plant.

Yeah, I can follow a guide, but then your just a robot, and end up doing things you don't understand. These guides are good but only a general method of their products, but to use them properly, in my opinion you have to tailor the nutrients to different types of plants.

I think I just need to stick to the basics and see how my growing style progresses.

 

[Skybound]

it's there believe it or not. I calibrate very frequently and my readings are only ever off by a small margin. of course if I never dialed it back to true they would keep falling away from true, whereas the higher end ones either calibrate digitally, or require calibration a lot less frequently.

I did not mean to imply that I shop at the hydro shop every week, but when I was building my arsenal, I was up there a lot. I have since found I've accumulated all that I need so don't go there hardly ever anymore. I agree with sticking to the basics till your skill set develops into a more comfortable level. however, following another successful growers guide is not all that different than a soil grow as we never know what macro/micro the roots are drawing at any given moment, plus not knowing the composition of the soil further leaves the grower in the dark.

hydro definitely is a lot more pricey to get into, but I think hydro isn't as complicated as it has been made out to be. after a few grows I will also have a stronger skill set and can venture out into better understanding a nutrient regimen and how to make adjustments to better suit the plants needs, but that of course is a work in progress.

 

[VictorVonDoom]

Hey skybound,

I get that pal, I was just having a bit of banter my bad.

If i was growing in your space I would choose hydro too, but I think it is not an option for me.

Safe

 

[CronicHempHog]

Keep it simple that's the ticket
Happy Sativaday VVD

 

[B A R]

Sweepstakes standings so far...

VictorVonDoom - 20g
Mindcontrol - 15g
Calax hunter - 27g
Skunkpilot - 21.5g
Broke Ass Reg - 21g
Jimbobdaz - 19g
Chronichemphog - 18g
AfricanGrower - 19.5g

winner get's bare reputation

good luck, you'll need it.

(The final dry results will be recorded after hanging/laying, when the grade is ready to be cured. All leaf will be trimmed (as much as my bob snippers/talent will let me. This will include the sneaky sneaky.)

If you wanna join in just post your guess, no doubling up please

It feels good to be a participant instead of one of the host for a change. I hope you all can join us tomorrow. Details below in my signature.

Keep it simple that's the ticket
Happy Sativaday VVD

 

[CajunCelt]

Wait are we talking about paid or free samples? I can't imagine they give em out free, may be if your buying other items, or use the shop on the regs.

Even if you get free samples, you still then have to get instruments to measure PPM and PH levels. Theres 100 - 200 bucks right there, as there's no point buying cheep as the accuracy you need just isn't there.

Not many of us started out with this crap either. Sounds like you got it all figured out. Good luck.

 

[Dresney]

Heya, Victor

I want to guess 17.5g


I still don't have a pH meter and have no plans to buy one at this point. I do have some test strips meant for a swimming pool that I sometimes use to see if my water is in the general 'good' range, but beyond that I find that my soil has buffered the pH well enough. I know a meter is a necessity with hydro, but with a good soil I don't think it's an absolute requirement. As long as you're not putting in water that has a pH of 9 or 10 or something equally drastic, I think the soil can take care of itself for the most part.

When my Pascalle started having some nitrogen issues, I checked the pH of her water/nutrient mix/runoff for the first time in probably six weeks.

 

[VictorVonDoom]

Hey Dresney,

17.5g interesting, tactical vote?? haha

No neither do I. Especially for me as I'm not chucking in nutrients which could effect it (don't know if thats true, but it makes sense to my uniformed self) I haven't ph'd once, I do know that my water is balanced as I use it for my fish tank which I occasionally test PH.

Soil does have a higher tolerance for PH fluctuation, so I've heard on the streets.

Safe

 

[Skybound]

The plant generally has a good tolerance as well, especially with sweeping ph ranges to allow for better uptake of minerals. Hydro growers see it in a 24 hour period when we adjust the ph at a regular time each day v. the number it climbs or falls to before the adjustment. I believe the same thing may occur in soil, just a little higher on the ph range.

 

[LALALand]

I love the creative small setup, VictorVonDoom.
Just showed pics from this thread to a friend, and now he understands that he can fit a grow-op into his already-crowded apartment...
And I'm very impressed with your results so far.

How bout some new pics???

 

[VictorVonDoom]

Easy now LALALand,

Thank you, that is a big compliment.



New update should be today fella...

 

[VictorVonDoom]

Harvest and Cure update

So I switched off the lights on sunday to give them 24hours of darkness
I then chopped down on monday, and hung to dry.

After drying for 4 days, I have just took all the grade down and trimmed all the nugs off the stalks, and put in to jars.

I've got em in 3 different jars,
1. This has the buds that I took down early so have been curing longer
2. This has all the big buds which I will save for last
3. The rest of the buds. I have added to this a humidity pack, to see how well this works and it it effects smell taste etc.

I am going to burp all jars and check the feel of them.

Smoke report for white widow x skunk #1

Firstly this bud is at the stage of being dry/lightly cured.

The taste is very smooth, and leaves a slight minty citrus after taste.
It is a very nice high, which leaves you feeling more on the side of clear head and motivation.
And it keeps you up there.

So on to the competition...

Total weight before being jar'd 30.4g

So the winner is Mr Calax hunter with 27g

and might I add I think that there it a couple more grams of moisture to be removed, so you could be very close indeed.

Finally a massive big up to all that have helped and who have followed my progress

Untill next time...

 

[Calyx Hunter]

Happy Harvesting VictorVonDoom! + rep for you man! Amazing weight for such a small space. I don't know why but it satisfies me to see the root structures. Thanks for sharing that and your delicious looking harvest.

 

[B A R]

Congrats on your harvest Vic.

 

[AfricanGrower]

Excellent update my friend. Congratulations on the harvest as well.

Are you going straight into jars after chop and trim? Are you trying to extend the drying process by this?

 

[VictorVonDoom]

Hey African Grower,

They were hanging up for 4 day's before I chopped the buds of the stalks and jar'd them.

Did I not put that in my update? I'll go sort it



(thanks for the heads up it did read funny as half the text was above the pic and half below, just changed it to make it flow)

 

[Away]

Congratulations on such a nice harvest man

 

[b.real]

very nice man. congrats. how much light did you use again?