X Marks the Spot - XLR8's Big Bang Auto Hydro Grow 2011

[Xlr8]

Hi everyone - thanks for checking out my newest little project.

I'll be growing a single plant this time - a Greenhouse Seeds Big Bang autoflower (fem). This will be the first time I've grown out an autoflower, so I appreciate any insight or tips along the way.

I use a Mothership from BC Northern Lights, and I have it upgraded with the "Roommate" package which makes it a hydro unit. It's kinda small (about 25"x25"x"36" high interior grow-space), but it has produced many great plants for me so far, and it's pretty stealth all things considered.

I've got it located inside of a larger storage cabinet and it's all well ventilated and creates a pretty ideal grow environment inside, while being locked away in a utility room.

Here's a picture to give you the idea:

With the door closed on the growbox (open on the cabinet it's in):

It's a top-drip hydro system with air-stones in the tub. For the auto grow, I'm using a 18/6 light cycle from start to finish (unless otherwise necessary). Inside is a 400w MH for veg, and once I see flowering initiate, I'll switch to a 400w HPS.

I'm using Dutch Master nutrients pretty much exclusively, as I've had great results with DM products in the past. Specifically:

DM Gold (2 part) A&B grow/flower
DM Add .27 grow/flower
DM Silica
DM Zone

I've got a RO water system, and will be using RO water along with the DM nutrient program.

If you didn't follow my last grow, check out the link below in my signature - I grew a Dutch Passion Blueberry that produced beautiful blue/purple nugs and produces a fantastic high, and a bagseed that was scraggly but super potent strength-wise. I've got a nug from the Blueberry entered in the May 2011 Nug of the Month contest.

for checking out my latest little grow - more pics and info to follow soon.

 

[George Parker]

Subbed!

 

[HorseBadoritz]

Cool Xlr8r, I love seeing tiny space grows

I'm subbed First time I've ever been first

Edit dime beat me to it! ok on the first page then

 

[Marley15]

Yo I'm in too! ^ Srry Horse Dime beat ya too it.

 

[Xlr8]

A little info on the strain:

GENETICS
Skunk x Northern Light x El Niño x Rudaralis

EFFECTS
Relaxing and calming effect, good for pain control and appetite stimulation.
Medicinal properties include pain control and appetite stimulation.

FLOWERING INDOOR
6 weeks, with production up to 900 gr/m2.

Can be flowered at any photoperiod between 12 and 18 hours of light per day.
Very good for SoG.

"A very easy-to-grow autoflowering plant, with a medium size (60-100 cm) and a very good production.
It is good for indoor or outdoor, completing the flowering cycle in 6 weeks. It can be flowered indoors at 18 or 12 hours of light per day, and with "sea-of-green" it can produce up to 900 grams per square meter (under 1000 Watt of light per square meter).

Outdoors it can give up to 45 grams per plant, and can be flowered anytime of the year as long as the lowest night temperature stays above 10 degrees Celsius.

It is a good plant for beginners."

 

[Thew1sest]

Well herro Xlr8, diggin the setup man!

Always looking good.

Cant wait for this round

 

[Xlr8]

Here are a couple of pictures of her progress so far:

May 3:

Today (May 6):

I was having some health issues and let the PH get out of whack on her a bit early on, but it should be corrected. She had a little deficiency because of it early on (calcium I think), and a little burn, but new growth looks good and healthy. When I'm running veg nutes this early at low doses the RO water doesn't like to cooperate with holding the PH steady, and it takes more maintenance than I was able to keep up with, so I'm pretty sure that was the issue, and I think I've got it rolling now. I hope!

 

[Xlr8]

Subbed!

Cool Xlr8r, I love seeing tiny space grows

I'm subbed First time I've ever been first

Edit dime beat me to it! ok on the first page then

Yo I'm in too! ^ Srry Horse Dime beat ya too it.

I'm stoked to have you guys here following along again. Appreciate it greatly!

 

[Xlr8]

Well herro Xlr8, diggin the setup man!

Always looking good.

Cant wait for this round

w1sest -- great having you around again, brother!

 

[BassPlayer]

Here, in the shadows...

 

[George Parker]

I don't remember if I've had a first post in a journal unless I started the thread .... man I wish the pages updated each time you click on them, I'm gonna burn out the F5 on my keyboard

 

[Barry Manilow]

I'm in Xlr8

 

[Xlr8]

Here, in the shadows...

I'm in Xlr8

Bass and Blue in 'da house! Thanks for the quick sub and the well wishes guys.

 

[Xlr8]

I don't remember if I've had a first post in a journal unless I started the thread .... man I wish the pages updated each time you click on them, I'm gonna burn out the F5 on my keyboard

I know Dime, it's how I feel about some of your journals - especially Blue's and OMM's. I try reply to a post and all the sudden there is a whole 'nother page of replies and posts. It would be cool if it all streamed in kinda live. Of course, then I'd never leave this site and wouldn't have time to for anything else...

 

[Mr. Krip]

Hey Bro...my PC issues this week have been keeping me from being on as often as normal, so I just got here, but I'm here and in for another!

Looks like you gotta great start on a nice strain!

 

[Xlr8]

Hey Bro...my PC issues this week have been keeping me from being on as often as normal, so I just got here, but I'm here and in for another!

Looks like you gotta great start on a nice strain!

Thanks Mr. K -- no worries I just started this new journal a couple of hours ago. You're actually fashionably early my friend! getting your PC issues resolved. Really glad you're here, brother.

 

[Stilletto]

Well I am in! If you check out my sig journal you will see that I have been running the Big Bang from Greenhouse Seeds also for a few harvests.
Starnge part is that the 4 seeds came in a cd type pkg and I planted 2, each of them was completely different. I assume different phenos but I question weather they are even the same strain. One plant was light green, lanky, sweet in smell and taste and finnished in 7 weeks. The other was a dense plant, leafy on buds, not as sweet and runs about 9 weeks.
Either way they are both great producers, check out my journal.
Next batch for me is Dutch Passion Blueberry so I will be looking over your last journal.
Keep at it, I will keep checkin' in.

Jonny

 

[Barry Manilow]

This journal's already too big for one little autoflower bro I think you need more plants

Mr. Krip I hope your problems are over!

 

[Xlr8]

Well I am in! If you check out my sig journal you will see that I have been running the Big Bang from Greenhouse Seeds also for a few harvests.
Starnge part is that the 4 seeds came in a cd type pkg and I planted 2, each of them was completely different. I assume different phenos but I question weather they are even the same strain. One plant was light green, lanky, sweet in smell and taste and finnished in 7 weeks. The other was a dense plant, leafy on buds, not as sweet and runs about 9 weeks.
Either way they are both great producers, check out my journal.
Next batch for me is Dutch Passion Blueberry so I will be looking over your last journal.
Keep at it, I will keep checkin' in.

Jonny

Hey Jonny - brother! Thanks for subbing to my journal - I recall you and I tag-team helping a newer grower (or two?) at some point not too long ago, and I have much respect for you my friend. You clearly are someone willing to help share knowledge and give back to the community. Really interesting on the different phenos - some strains seem like a crapshoot, huh? I've had others super consistent, but a few that are all over the place.

My last grow didn't go to plan at all, and I would have done a few things different in retrospect, but hopefully there's some stuff in there that helps.

So far the Blueberry is a fantastic high, and the taste is really unique (just like blueberries!).

I'll definitely check out your journal. Sounds like we get our seeds from the same place based on the packaging.

 

[Xlr8]

This journal's already too big for one little autoflower bro I think you need more plants

Mr. Krip I hope your problems are over!

So true, Blue -- I almost didn't start another journal, but I'm kinda hooked on doing it now. I was going to grow the AK Ryder with this one, (both free seeds) but I f-d up when I germed it and it didn't make it. So, just going with the one.

I wish I'd have planned ahead more and ordered a few autos specifically for this grow, but the idea of busting out a quick auto or two before late summer was a last minute "what the hell" kind of thing...

Having said all that, makes me smile that everyone's jumping aboard so quickly on my little one plant grow.