Tahoe OG in Dual Monster Plant System (Scrog Edition)

[daveroller]

Thanks, Kev.

Note: Ph has frozen at 5.5 and they've perked up quite a bit. Not bad, AN.

That's great to hear. As I recall, I had to adjust pH every day when I used the same nutes, but maybe that was only after my plant got older. It would be really nice if you didn't have to adjust it for a few days or even a week... Maybe that's too much to ask for. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

 

[daveroller]

Right as rain, Captain.



Thanks.

BTW, another stupid little fuckup to report. While cleaning a bubble disk, I temporarily replaced with this very old, crumbly aquarium bubble wand. Well, one thing led to another and I completely forgot to clean the disk and left this crumby old wand whacking out huge, fucked up bubbles. God knows what it was releasing in the res because they have mysteriously perked up as soon as switching back to cleaned disk... I fear they were suffering because of this. Woops.

The culprit... Just look at that nasty thing. I'm such an idiot.
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk89/lordjin_photos/DSCN0002-11.jpg


edit:

Smoking weed and growing weed often do not mix well.

Now you can quote me on that one. Just make sure you begin with, "A wise ganja grower once said..."

I used a similar crumbly wand in my last grow just to add to the bubbles that were produced by my expensive aerator. It eventually crumbled apart. Any type of bubble disc that you'd recommend?

 

[lordjin]

That's great to hear. As I recall, I had to adjust pH every day when I used the same nutes, but maybe that was only after my plant got older. It would be really nice if you didn't have to adjust it for a few days or even a week... Maybe that's too much to ask for. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

thanks for that, but I'm quite used to playing musical ph. I always have my up and down syringes at the ready and am adjusting on the fly. There are automated ph dosers but those are intended for larger bodies of water like an aquarium.

I always see wilder ph movement when the plants are small and there are no roots in the water. Once the plants are huge and the roots have taken residency in the res, the ph seems more stable. But I'm talkin' about GH micro. This is my first time with AN, so we shall see.

 

[lordjin]

I used a similar crumbly wand in my last grow just to add to the bubbles that were produced by my expensive aerator. It eventually crumbled apart. Any type of bubble disc that you'd recommend?

This is the exact one I use. Pretty standard. If you click around at the amazon link, you'll see alternate but similar models. It's a much denser stone, so you don't have pieces of if flying off with the bubbles. I know there's a real fancy one that makes micro bubbles, but I forget what it's called. I'm sure the micro bubble stone is awesome, but have you ever taken a small acrylic aquarium and run a powerful airstone in it? I have. When you look into the water carefully, beyond the obvious large bubbles rushing out of the stone, you'll see tiny, tiny particle sized bubbles swirling all throughout. So I'm not sure if the fancy micro stone is worth the money. It's my theory that the force of expulsion through the stone eventually results in tiny oxygen particle enrichment anyway.

http://www.amazon.com/Bubble-Disk-Airstone-Stone-Aquarium/dp/B00511AV7A

 

[lordjin]

I think you put sexy girls on there to get thread hits...I ain't hatin'. I'm just saying I would give you more thread hits. She is a good loooking lady 4shore.

Yes, I'm a views whore to be sure. Lol. And lookit those numbers! SSSSSmmmokin!

 

[lordjin]

Nice bumpy bump!

Thanks. Your avatar reminds me of Ryu doing a fireball.

 

[lordjin]

We're chugging along. I'm gonna replace the body of the tub tomorrow with a new one. A fresh res change and new tub should make the photos nicer. If you're wondering what that ugly thing is in the background, it's a piece of acrylic I siliconed onto the tub as a suction cup probe station positioned for an earlier grow (those suction cups don't like the naked surface of the storage tote -- not slick enough to stick). Anyway, it's all corroded now and just a relic of a past grow, serving no purpose other than making your eyes hurt. So that's why I'm swapping tubs.

Plant 1 day 6

Plant 1 day 8

This exposure is brighter than the one above, it's not really yellowing more...at least I don't think.

Plant 2 day 6

Plant 2 day 8

Like I said, struggling along. This is when they show the last traces of purple on the old leaves as the pre-flower state they came in shuts down and vegging begins. This last minute purpling of some of the older leaves while the plants 'reset' into vegetation is a tell-tale sign of a real OGK. Good sign.

recap of week one. Not a whole lot, but this is to be expected with OGK when reverting back to a vegetative state. They're dying for a water change, but I want to let the silicon work on the replacement tub cure a little longer just to be safe.

Day 1:

Day 8:

The new growth is starting to green up as the roots multiply resulting in more N uptake.

The clones were pretty green when Cheezy brought 'em in as you can see in photo one. But what we have to remember is that the green in those leaves was created by the roots of the mother plant it came from, not the new roots of the cut branch. So while the new roots establish in order to begin creating its own green growth, there is a little yellowing. Note photo two. You can see how they yellowed a bit over the week, but the new growth is starting to green at the top. I call this 'the little yellow footprint' of re-rooting.

I've logged many hours observing marijuana plant growth, particularly OGK... Can you tell?

edit:

Cheeze warned me that these were monster stretcher plants. They're already starting to exhibit vine-like growth, just like the Platinum OG (the strain that got away from me in height as shown in my Diablo journal). I'm a little scared, but I have the cage up. I'm ready for you this time, you tall bitches... I hope.

edit 2:

I intend to employ a scrog training technique that is just as extreme as the rest of my setup. I can't believe I have all those convenient anchor points now. And I have my grid set a bit lower than most I've seen. The reason I can get away with things like this is my intense vigor. Plants can take a lot more punishment in my system than some others, I think. That's why it's kind of dangerous for me to give advice sometimes because I forget that not everyone has virtually shock-proof plants... I've cut, snapped, squashed... just about any abuse you can think of, I've done it to a plant. Once I even cut out a huge chunk of root mass to disentangle a male that got in by accident on an earlier four site tub I was running. I took a pair of scissors and removed huge fistfuls of root from the healthy females to get that bastitch out. The roots just grew back and I've never once seen a herm in all my box growing adventures. Now I would never, ever advise anyone to removes fistfuls of root from their healthy female plants to extract a male. Another reason I'm a clone only grower.

I can hardly wait to start training. Scrog, scrog, scrog. I've been waiting for this moment for quite some time.

 

[lordjin]

Another angle just a little under 10 hours into today's light period. I think explosive growth might be just around the corner (if I don't fuck anything else up).

Here's a chance for you to take a closer look at the "yellow footprint" of the re-rooting process that shows itself on the plant. See how some of the leaves started yellowing and now the very top growth is starting to green up a little again? The Platinum and Ghost Og's didn't show the yellow footprint as much as the Diablo and now the Tahoe.

New growth coming in nicely despite my minor error. I've read and engaged in a few hydro vs. soil discussions here. The soil people tend to say that hydro moves too fast and the slightest fuckup will show up right away and could potentially ruin your plant. A little over-hyped, but not completely removed from truth. But I always retort that just as mistakes show up quickly, remedies take effect just as quickly. Here is a real example of my side of the argument. See how the new growth is perky? It perked right up because I found the error and corrected it. Love, love hydro.

Let's do a little flashback look at the Diablos in early veg. Look how much they yellowed when struggling to root. Still all hot and horny to grow elite OG's, noobs? My suggestion to you? Practice with seed strains first.

Wow, my tub looked much better even one grow ago. I need to replace the lid, but cutting another gasket and all those holes....

 

[daveroller]

Are you planning to bend these babies over sideways underneath the screen, kind of like you did in your last awesome grow?

Thanks for the airstone advice, BTW. I have one of those expensive micro bubble stones (I forget what it's called) and it works really well. Tiny bubbles pour right out of it. But as you wrote, I'm not sure it was worth $20. So next time I'll combine it with at least one of those discs. No more crumbly wands!

 

[lordjin]

Are you planning to bend these babies over sideways underneath the screen, kind of like you did in your last awesome grow?

Thanks for the airstone advice, BTW. I have one of those expensive micro bubble stones (I forget what it's called) and it works really well. Tiny bubbles pour right out of it. But as you wrote, I'm not sure it was worth $20. So next time I'll combine it with at least one of those discs. No more crumbly wands!

Yes, one of the other posters referred to the technique I employed on Diablo as "screenless scrog." I was complimented on how elegant it was, but I want the true training / dividing power that only a good screen can provide. I'll be laying them down at an even more extreme angle... and this time the cage will keep the main stalk in that strict horizontal position (they always turn themselves semi-upright with just string... they're too strong for that). I hope to battle the height sufficiently that way... I hope I won't have to top. Either way, it's sure to provide loads of entertainment for all my hungry little journal readers.

Okay so maybe 20 bux a pop for that micro stone aint too bad, but that's twice the cost of my bubble disk. So I get the six I need and it'll run me 120.00 plus tax for air stones? Hmmmm... too much. I'll get 'em later when I have more money layin' around.

 

[lordjin]

Okay, so I changed the water and replaced the tub. Isn't it pretty? It's risky running all these stones and two pumps, but when the roots start appearing, the payoff is evident.

As the picture indicates, I am not doing anything special or expensive here. This setup should be pretty self explanatory to all of you who know hydro... nothing people aren't doing already. My thing is just jamming high concentrations of everything into a small area. I think this pic also clearly illustrates how I strive to capture the qualities of both Aero and Dwc in my design.

I played around with a few slightly different configurations before finally arriving at this. This is the most economical use of the various elements as determined by lots of trial and error (examples: cut down to large two plant site - easier to manage and plants grow huge anyway, cut down to four spray heads for each site - fewer sprayer heads mean greater pressure for each spray head, lowered water level - greater root to air exposure and less mess and greater oxy to water ratio, lowered sprayer plumbing - angled at optimum height for net basket bottom and less mess, installed nautical grade neoprene gasket to tub lid - keeps water in). So with all this various fine-tuning, I think I'm making pretty good use of DWC concepts and Aero concepts. Am I getting the best of both worlds? I don't know. I come off as over-confident a lot, so I'll just say let the grow speak for my design. I'm not hiding a thing from you.


Roots on plant 1 are multiplying nicely.

First root poke on plant 2 today.

Growing plants in water... Who woulda' thought?

It's still really early in the game, but I have to give it to AN over GH in ph stability. I think the AN made it root a little faster too. And let's face it. It just runs a lot cleaner.

A note on the system. This is my chiller's return line. It further circulates the massively aerated water as well as keeping it cool. I think this photo illustrates pretty well how busy my res fluid is... This is a challenging environment for a young clone or seedling, but if it can survive, it will become a tree (and they always survive).

Here are my readings right now. The little black box is the float switch activated power unit for the external pump.

Check out how perfectly the screen grid lines up with my tri-meter probes. I got lucky.

 

[lordjin]

The roots are multiplying before my eyes. A number of new roots, including a thick white sword, appeared under plant one that weren't there when I changed the water earlier. Two more pokers under plant two that I didn't see before. I'm thinking they liked the water/tub change.

Here's a couple of macros of the new growth on the main shoot of each plant. Looks good.

Plant 1

Look at those brown ph fuckup tips. Stupid crumbly old air stone.

Plant 2

 

[daveroller]

Love those macro photos! I can almost smell those young bitches (not to sound like the old perv that I am).

Just 2 questions:
1) Are you using any AN Voodoo Juice to promote root growth? and
2) Are you using sprayers on a cycle timer to wet those baskets or do they hang down partially in the res water?

 

[daveroller]

Ok, one more question: I didn't see any "hatch" in your lid that you can use to get inside the res. How will you get in there to suck out the water with your shop vac? Once the plants have grown through the screen you won't be able to raise the lid, will you?

 

[lordjin]

Love those macro photos! I can almost smell those young bitches (not to sound like the old perv that I am).

Just 2 questions:
1) Are you using any AN Voodoo Juice to promote root growth? and
2) Are you using sprayers on a cycle timer to wet those baskets or do they hang down partially in the res water?

1) No, do you think I should get some?
2) Yes, I give them a fifteen minute spray every three hours. The root tips are just hanging in air. They have a ways to go before hitting water surface, but they're reaching for it at an alarming rate even without Voodoo Juice.

Ok, one more question: I didn't see any "hatch" in your lid that you can use to get inside the res. How will you get in there to suck out the water with your shop vac? Once the plants have grown through the screen you won't be able to raise the lid, will you?

I'm not sure yet. Using the vacuum would make life so much easier for me. And yeah, using it would mean cutting an access hole, which I can easily do without interrupting anything. But I'm wondering if my plants would be strong enough to deal with the stress of having the corner of the tub pried open. I would only have to do it once a week for water changes. My plants are indestructible when they get big, so I'm still thinking about it.

 

[kevin murphy]

nice updates mate...

 

[daveroller]

1) No, do you think I should get some?
2) Yes, I give them a fifteen minute spray every three hours. The root tips are just hanging in air. They have a ways to go before hitting water surface, but they're reaching for it at an alarming rate even without Voodoo Juice.

I think you answered your own question in 1) with your reply to 2). I used Voodoo Juice in my last grow, but I think your roots are growing just as fast if not faster. I was only curious if you were using some kind of root "enhancer" or something to make them grow fast. If your roots keep taking off, I'll save my money and never buy that expensive stuff again.

You seem to be thinking that I'm telling you what you should do when I'm just asking questions, bro. Far be it from me with only one grow under my belt. I'm still learning from you. But if I do offer some advice, I'll be more direct, while remaining positive of course. You're my bud, man!

 

[Bushdocter]

Hi Jin,

really enjoying your grow journal.

could you please explain "refined blade pattern"? this has my curiosity peaked, been looking at my plants since I read it.

Mr. felterbush

 

[ru4r34l]

1)
I'm not sure yet. Using the vacuum would make life so much easier for me. And yeah, using it would mean cutting an access hole, which I can easily do without interrupting anything. But I'm wondering if my plants would be strong enough to deal with the stress of having the corner of the tub pried open. I would only have to do it once a week for water changes. My plants are indestructible when they get big, so I'm still thinking about it.

Go ahead and do it, since reading through your Diablo journal I have learned to treat my ladies with love and push them to their limits. Once they get big it is like they no longer care what happens and continue to strive.

Now with that being said your set-up is so damn neat and tidy cutting an access hole will lower the aesthetic value of the set-up (and by your pictures, you know a thing or two about aesthetics )

I vote pry the sucker open for draining and keep those flawless shots coming.

regards,

 

[lordjin]

Go ahead and do it, since reading through your Diablo journal I have learned to treat my ladies with love and push them to their limits. Once they get big it is like they no longer care what happens and continue to strive.

Now with that being said your set-up is so damn neat and tidy cutting an access hole will lower the aesthetic value of the set-up (and by your pictures, you know a thing or two about aesthetics )

I vote pry the sucker open for draining and keep those flawless shots coming.

regards,

Your confidence in my plants' strength is appreciated. Yeah, I think it would be fine. And since you mentioned that about the access hole making it look ugly... I think it's settled then.