treckin
Well-Known Member
Hey all,
Im writing from NorCal (Bay Area), and I am about 2 days into flowering my 5 large
Blue Dream clones in my closet.
The setup:
I buried the clones about 1.5" under the top of the soil, after filling the hole I dug with a small amount of water. After the rockwool was fully covered I made a berm approximately 2" in height around the cloneling, and watered this area to the brim with fresh water for the first 2 waterings or so.
I began treating with Foxfarm Grow Big Vegetative Growth Formula after 10-14 days on fresh water and soil nutrients, 1tsp/gal of water. The water was manually PH'd with an indicator solution after nuted and then adjusted accordingly.
When I felt the plants projected height and dried mass were within the goals I set based on the space and wattage of my setup, I switched them to flower. This involved changing their nutes and giving them their first taste of the dark on one of their normal watering nights. I didnt close the grow room door zipper the first night, instead exposing them to the friendly glow of my nearby 52" LCD/Computer Screen. The second night I closed them in completely.
Airflow should be self explanatory given the pics, but if you cant tell, the fan pulls air in the duct just below the light and blows it through a duct to my bathroom where it vents into the room. For me smell, noise, light, etc are not major concerns.
During the light cycle I have a larger fan blowing air in through the fully opened doorway.
To water I now have to pull the plants out until I can see the back plants (which I then rotate out). I treat those first, and replace and water them one at a time. This is an inefficient system, and I have envisaged a system of tubes and funnels that would make it easier, I just haven't come up with anything that would be up to my standards.
Anyway, this thread will be a work in progress, let me know what you guys think
Im writing from NorCal (Bay Area), and I am about 2 days into flowering my 5 large
Blue Dream clones in my closet.
The setup:
- Generic donated 400watt HPS hood, ballast, and bulb.
- Donated 265CFM 4" blower fan
- 18" Aluminum Foil sheeting (dull side
)
- 3" Aluminized Duct-Tape
- 2 pieces of quad corrugated cardboard for floor insulation
- ACE hardware bathroom vent kit - 4" bathroom vent cover and 8' of 4" aluminized accordion ducting
- Assorted hooks and chains from local hardware store
- 3'x10' of double sided, black-white, plastic sheeting
- 1 stick on zipper
- 5 12"x12" square plastic planing pots
- 5 14" circular water catching trays
- Foxfarm Ocean Forest potting soil
- Storebrand Hydroton Pellets
- Foxfarm Grow Big Vegetative Nutes
- Botanicare ProBlend Soil 1-5-4
- Profit???
- Blood
- Sweat
- Tears
I buried the clones about 1.5" under the top of the soil, after filling the hole I dug with a small amount of water. After the rockwool was fully covered I made a berm approximately 2" in height around the cloneling, and watered this area to the brim with fresh water for the first 2 waterings or so.
I began treating with Foxfarm Grow Big Vegetative Growth Formula after 10-14 days on fresh water and soil nutrients, 1tsp/gal of water. The water was manually PH'd with an indicator solution after nuted and then adjusted accordingly.
I made the mistake of trying to feed my plants more of the nute solution then was called for faster; I fed them each watering without feeding fresh, untreated water in between nutrient feedings. I noticed a day or two after the 3rd consecutive watering that the plants were drooping slightly, and after some careful diagnosis, I decided to treat the plants with two consecutive waterings of fresh, untreated, ph'd water.
The slow-down in vegetative growth (which had been about 1" per day to that point, but then slowed to zero inches after the over-nuting) stopped after maybe 4 total days. After that period, I found and removed maybe 4 total leaves among the 5 plants that showed signs of nutrient abuse. It was never determined whether those leaves were burned as a result of over nutrient treatment or of water spillage on the lower foliage during hand feeding. After 4 days of stopped growth, the plants resumed normal 1"/day vegetative growth.
I maintained 1tsp/gal of the Grow Big nutes through the plants 36 day vegetative period, and except for the above discrepency, the plants maintainted this rate, as today they stand about 30" tall on the 2nd day of flowering after about 39 days. I engaged in what could be called ZERO trimming or hedging or topping of any kind. I only removed foliage which was already over 50% dead of its own accord. And maybe the odd leaf or 2 that made me scared of mold or fungus.The slow-down in vegetative growth (which had been about 1" per day to that point, but then slowed to zero inches after the over-nuting) stopped after maybe 4 total days. After that period, I found and removed maybe 4 total leaves among the 5 plants that showed signs of nutrient abuse. It was never determined whether those leaves were burned as a result of over nutrient treatment or of water spillage on the lower foliage during hand feeding. After 4 days of stopped growth, the plants resumed normal 1"/day vegetative growth.
When I felt the plants projected height and dried mass were within the goals I set based on the space and wattage of my setup, I switched them to flower. This involved changing their nutes and giving them their first taste of the dark on one of their normal watering nights. I didnt close the grow room door zipper the first night, instead exposing them to the friendly glow of my nearby 52" LCD/Computer Screen. The second night I closed them in completely.
Airflow should be self explanatory given the pics, but if you cant tell, the fan pulls air in the duct just below the light and blows it through a duct to my bathroom where it vents into the room. For me smell, noise, light, etc are not major concerns.
During the light cycle I have a larger fan blowing air in through the fully opened doorway.
To water I now have to pull the plants out until I can see the back plants (which I then rotate out). I treat those first, and replace and water them one at a time. This is an inefficient system, and I have envisaged a system of tubes and funnels that would make it easier, I just haven't come up with anything that would be up to my standards.
Anyway, this thread will be a work in progress, let me know what you guys think
