Timmy Haha's First DWC C4 Auto Grow Journal - 2016

TimmyHaHa

New Member
Hi Everyone!

I'm a virgin right now in lots of ways - new to 420 Magazine, new to growing, and new to writing a journal! Let's hope it all goes well. I decided to give hydroponics a try since there's a store right down the street from me with all the equipment I'll need and they have a pretty friendly and knowledgeable staff. Plus I heard you get great yields from hydro. And now that it's legal in MA to grow up to six plants, I figure why not start now?!

Before I begin, I want to state up front that I'm open to ANY and ALL valid criticism and feedback you experienced growers are will to offer. And if you're a new grower, let's share our advice and experiences and see if we can help each other avoid the inevitable first-time grower pitfalls. Now let's get started!

I've basically bought the initial equipment I need to get going, but I know I'm going to need to expand and upgrade pretty fast. Especially when it comes to lighting. For now, though, I figure I'm good for the next month or so with the following equipment:
  • 3.5 gallon bucket
  • 6" net pot
  • Air stone and pump
  • Growstone medium
  • Plain ole' tap water (pH adjusted to ~5.9)
  • Flourwing CFL 125W day bulb

For nutrients I'll be using General Hydroponics Flora series - Flora Gro, Flora Micro, and Flora Bloom, as well as Rapid Start Root Enhancer.

My grow area is way less than ideal - I don't even have a simple closet I can use. So I have to use a space in the unused dining room on the window seat. That's a big reason I chose an auto-flowering strain. However, I plan on purchasing a grow tent within the next two weeks and that will help me control the humidity and temperature a lot better. For now, here are some pics of the setup.
56119.JPG
55912.JPG


My next post will go into detail regarding the strain and my progress to date (I'm now 14 days into germination!).

Thanks for reading so far and please join me on my journey!
 
Now that I have the setup posted, let's get to the good stuff!

As this is my first grow, I wanted to start with a strain that's considered easy to grow and won't get too big. I was also limited by the seeds I could purchase on the first day they were legal here in Massachusetts. I bought two seeds - a C4 Auto and a Super Lemon Haze Auto. The C4 was the cheaper seed at $12.99, so that's the one I've decided to "cut my teeth on," as I figure out the growing process.

Details on the C4 package:
C4 Auto
Sativa / Indica / Ruderalis
Flower Time: 8 weeks from germination
THC: 16%, CBD: 1.1%

I germinated the seed by first dropping it in a glass of water for 24 hours. Then I placed it in a damp paper towel between two dinner plates for another 36 hours until I saw the long, white tap root coming out. When that was about a 1/4" long, I carefully placed it in a Rapid Rooter starter pack and placed it in my growing tray with a humidity dome and just enough water to cover the bottom of the tray. After 6 days, here's how it looked:

56211.JPG


The grow light is on a 20 on/ 4 off light cycle. The daytime temp gets to about 81F with relative humidity around 52%. Night-time is when I have the most trouble, as the temp goes down to about 60F. The problem is the growing area is basically on a window-seat that gets very cold due to the lack of proper insulation on the outer walls (I rent my apartment from a cheap landlord). To help counteract this a little, I'm using a seedling mat warmer underneath the DWC bucket, but I don't think it helps much.

Now you're caught up - today is day 13 and I checked the seedling tray just out of curiosity to see if I could see any roots and boy was I surprised! There was a whole network of roots coming out of the rapid rooter starter pack and I decided I should get my baby into her bucket as soon as possible.

Hopefully I did the transfer with as little stress as possible. I tried to get the roots into the lower part of my growing stone medium and got the seedling nestled quite comfortably, but then the seedling wouldn't stand up properly. I didn't break, but just kept falling sideways if I didn't support it somehow. I placed stones carefully around the stem, being careful not to squash it or break it, but I'm currently using a pair of tweezers laid on their side to help prop up the stem properly. I figure once it acclimates to it's new situation, it should get strong enough to stand on its own again (it was doing fine in the seedling tray until I disturbed the rapid rooter medium taking it out of the tray).

So here are some pics in its new home:

003_2_12.JPG


0013218.JPG


002_2_16.JPG


Now for my first question - should I be concerned about the slight yellowing I'm seeing on the tip of the first fan leaf? It can't be from nitro-burn or anything related to nutrients, since I haven't given anything yet except the rapid rooter enhancer. Perhaps I've got the light too close to the seedling (it's about 12" away right now)?

I'll post again in a few days after my girl has time to adjust to her new home and starts showing some new growth again. In the meantime, feel free to post any comments you have and I look forward to reading other grow journals here.

Happy toking!
 
Hey 420 Friends!

I got my grow tent today and was super psyched to set it up! Here are some pics:

Grow_tent_Day_11b.JPG


Grow_tent_Day_11a.JPG


My next upgrade will be the light - hopefully in two weeks. Is anyone familiar with the MarsHydro Mars600 Full Spectrum LED? I know it's not the best light, but the price is right at $165 (on sale from $399.99!). Though the guy at the hydroponics store told me I could still get by the veg stage with my current CFL setup and then get a red-spectrum bulb for the flowering stage. Any-whooo I still have time to think about it.

Here's a Day 11 closeup of my baby in her new home:

Day_11c1.JPG


So in addition to setting up the grow tent and getting everything settled, I'm also dealing with a pH spike in my water. It tested initially at 7.7 but then I recalibrated my pH meter and it read 7.3. I'm currently, as a write this, waiting to take my next reading after adding some drops of pH Down.

As an aside - does anyone know if it's a bad idea to add pH down directly into the bucket? I don't know of another way to get the pH down short of a water change, but I don't want to do that yet since I just did the initial water setup two days ago. If anyone has feedback or advice, feel free to chime in!
 
You definitely do not want that heating mat under your bucket. You want to keep your reservoir cool ideally around 65-68 and definitely below 70. I would have my reservoir at about 300 ppm right now or half- 3/4 strength nutrients with the flora series. In Dwc you reservoir should always have nutrients unless your flushing at the end of flower. Yes you add Ph down directly into your bubble bucket. The flora series is Ph buffered, so once you hit your desired Ph it should hold it's value for at least 8 days. Hope this helps

Sent from my Pixel XL using 420 Magazine Mobile App
 
Thanks, KaiyaGold! Your advice is definitely appreciated. As soon as I read your reply, I got up and unplugged the heating mat. The water temp was at 74.5. I'm just concerned about it getting too cold, though, because our floors in my apartment aren't insulated and we've got a cold basement underneath us. But I suppose I can always plug the mat in for just a hour or so each morning if needed.
 
You definitely do not want that heating mat under your bucket. You want to keep your reservoir cool ideally around 65-68 and definitely below 70. I would have my reservoir at about 300 ppm right now or half- 3/4 strength nutrients with the flora series. In Dwc you reservoir should always have nutrients unless your flushing at the end of flower. Yes you add Ph down directly into your bubble bucket. The flora series is Ph buffered, so once you hit your desired Ph it should hold it's value for at least 8 days. Hope this helps

Sent from my Pixel XL using 420 Magazine Mobile App


Sent from my Pixel XL using 420 Magazine Mobile App
 
I wouldnt worry about your res getting to cold. Hydro growers go to great lengths to get a cool reservoir. If you can keep you res below 70 and above 60 you'll do well. Remember to also keep your Ph between 5.7-6.2 and follow the recommend ppm guidelines set out by GH. I can tell you from experience that with the flora series you can go full strength very early and have no problems with overfeeding. You will experience rapid growth and big buds.

Sent from my Pixel XL using 420 Magazine Mobile App
 
Good luck, dude! I'm just starting my first adventure, as well. I wish you much success.

Btw. Maybe I missed it, but it doesn't look like you've named your ladies yet! Better jump on it....


Sent from my iPhone using 420 Magazine Mobile App

Thanks, JM! Good luck to you too! Are you also going to do a journal? If so, feel free to post the link. I'd love to follow your success.

And no, I haven't even thought of a name. Do people really do that? Haha. I guess if I have to pick a name though, it'll be Ruth. Haha.
 
Now I have a general question for anyone who cares to answer: how much does the RH affect plant growth? I'm having trouble getting my humidity past 30% and I've been reading that ideal RH for veg stage is in the 50 range. I live in MA where it can get pretty cold and my apartment has steam radiators for heat which make the entire house very dry. I have a humidifier I could put in, but I also don't want to create a rainforest in there. Does anyone have any tricks on raising RH?

Thanks so much for reading and following! Happy toking!
 
Thanks, JM! Good luck to you too! Are you also going to do a journal? If so, feel free to post the link. I'd love to follow your success.

And no, I haven't even thought of a name. Do people really do that? Haha. I guess if I have to pick a name though, it'll be Ruth. Haha.
I am! The link should be in the signature now, I'd love to have your eyes along for the journey! I'm excited to watch how our plants differ, not only bc of the strain, but more so bc you're going hydro.
 
Back
Top Bottom