to my grow journal on 
I wanted to share my experience as an hydro NFT grower. I've been growing for many years. Not many grow journals are made using this hydroponic NFT technique and rockwool. Even less are about both NFT and 12/12 from seed. I was looking for some grow journals, for comparaison purposes. I only grow using this particular technique which in the end gives the same results as a Sea Of Green but without the 3 month veg. Basically, I can harvest 4 times a year if I'd want to.
This technique allows to save electricity as there is almost no 18/6. Also as plants wont grow high the light penetration is optimized and plants required only a very little trim. No branch cutting and suckers if done right. No training. Less stress, more buds. Only Colas!
Also, I am trying strains bought from Feminized Barney's Farm, which is a first for me. I received the seeds quickly. Prices are nice too. I also greatly appreciated the possibility to buy any amount of seeds. Plus you can choose your free seeds
On this grow, there are (credits to Barney's farm for the following pictures):
-3 Blue Cheese
-1 Violator Kush
-2 NYCD Auto (never tried an auto before)
-1 LSD
-1 Morning Glory (the only strain I already know, but not from Barney's)
That makes 8 ! Basically, Indica dominant for this grow. I'm looking for a quick harvest and different flavors.
The implantation depends on the flowering time needed for these strains. They shan't be too far appart within each tank.
The grow space is a 120cmX120cmX200cm Silver Box. Light is provided by 600W HPS lamp in a cooled reflector (Hydrostar) powered by a 380 cubic meters an hour extractor. Intraction is passive and flows from bottom to top where hot air is extracted. The air is sucked into the filter and pushed out through the reflector, out of the grow tent. This tent size allows me to maintain acceptable temperatures for the plants as well as extracting humidity from the space as plants won't grow very high.
The NFT systems I use are GroTank 205. They can contain up to 20L of solution and are perfect for my need:
The nutes are Metrop fertilizers. Very heavy stuff. Very happy about it.
I follow this grow schedule:
The plants were put to germination directly in ph adjusted wet rockwool on sept. 12th 2016 and 100% sprouted in 2 days.
I allowed a 7 days veg period (under 600W HPS) which makes this grow not really a 12/12 from seed but almost (I waited for first branches).The reason is I had not enough seeds to plant 12 to 16 plants. I only grow 8 plants this time. Hence about a week of veg before switching to 12/12.
Hydro NFT REQUIRES to daily check PH and EC. Don't even begin to think about growing without these in NFT.
I use 2 decimal devices. I find them very reliable and precise but always calibrate them once a month, just to be sure ^^
PH is checked every single day and adjusted if mesured above 6.2. I usually set it to 5.5 and let it drift untill 6.2.
EC is also checked everyday. Metrop is a bit different as EC must stay low. I won't go above 1.5.
Lamp is set to 30cm from apexes. Then 60cm during stretch, then back to 40cm untill harvest.
TIPS for NFT users:
PH:
-At the begining you will surely see huge variations in PH. It usually goes up. I can jump from 5,5 to 6.9 in a single day. Don't worry it's normal. The roots have not colonized all the medium, influencing PH stability.
-The PH will not vary at the same rate in veg, early flowering and late flowering.
-If you start to see your PH drop, it usually is a bad sign: Nutes too high, root bound (check for light on roots), algae, fungus and all sorts of pests. To avoid fungus and algae, make sure to totally cover your rockwool with the appropriate material and close your tank.
-In flower stage, plants require a higher PH than in veg to allow particular nutrients intakes. During the flowering state I set the PH between 5,8 and 6.2 to increase PK intake and lower N intake.
EC:
-If your EC is stable, that means you're achieved perfect dosage for the plants needs.
-If it drops, don't worry it's okay (as long as you change your solution before it drops too low). The plants are showing you that they want more food. Hence the concentration diminushes. If it starts to go up again, that means you waited too long before a refill, you are flushing them.
-If it rises. it usually means you are over fertilizing. Plants compensate by over drinking, making your solution getting more and more concentrated. A vicious loop so to speak.
Now about the current situation. Plantlings were switched to 12/12 on sept. 22nd. which makes it 14 days of 12/12. One NYCD (the left one) has been showing sex for several days now, which is quite crazy as this usually doesn't happen for at least 5 more days. I hope it will stretch anyway or i'll have a dwarf!! I'll clone this one because it shows promise of real quick flowering.
Currently, the EC have been droping from 1.3 to 1.02 in 3 days so I made a refill. It is made of:
12 mL AminoXtrem
4mL MR1
4mL Calgreen
and 6,5ml of PH-
reaching EC 1.17 and ph 5.65 for 15 L.
The tanks will be purged and refilled with brand new solution in 2 or 3 days, depending on EC variations.
Each week I spray a dose of Calgreen on the plants. 3 days after the Calgreen, MR1/MR2 is sprayed with the same precautions. Avoid spraying your buds with MR2, only the leaves. The EC in foliar is set under the tank EC so that plants don't get used to get their food via foliar medium
I'll wait for sex to show on every plant before I start to use MR2 in the tank (PK 40/20) although, the early NYCD will receive a dose of 50/50 MR1/MR2 on foliar in 4 days.
Plants on Sept. 28th, 17 days from seeds, 7 days in 12/12:
Note that you can't even see the rockwool. It's very important to not let the light reach the roots.
The picture under are from an hour ago, 23 days from seed and 14 days of 12/12:
Plants looks happy to me. Little bushes of joy. The Lamp is 60cm away from apexes. Plants are 25cm "high". 24h ago they were 23cm. The stretch is ongoing and should get crazy in few days (5 to 7cm a day).
If anyone wants to share their experiene growing these strains from Barney's, please, tell me about it
4 more days at 5 cm then STOP, please 
