Hairy's 1st AeroGarden grow!

I got my 250 W hid/hps conversion light setup today and I'm gonna try to switch out the 150 W hps tonite.

HomeGrownHairy said:

Very cold here as well. I use FF nutes so I dont pay any attention to the AG lights. As a mattewr of fact I duck taped them to block the light. it's quite bright in total darkness. I use a ppm meter and a pH tester for my solution and change the tank every week now thru harvest. I have to top off the tank twice a day now. I'm constantly messing with them doing some lst, trimming and moving branches around for the best light exposure. I hope it doesn't run dry before I chop them.

Two or 3 small plants, I think, is about right unless you want to do a grow them like I am.

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I know this is an older post, but I thought it would be worth mentioning anyway. I was just reading in the Soma grow guide that plants can't absorb green spectrum light, so I think you can feel pretty safe about the tiny green indicator on the Aerogarden. In fact, from what I've read in other threads, it seems like it'd be a good idea to replace the flowering room light with a green bulb so you can enter at night!

Hand Banana said:

I know this is an older post, but I thought it would be worth mentioning anyway. I was just reading in the Soma grow guide that plants can't absorb green spectrum light, so I think you can feel pretty safe about the tiny green indicator on the Aerogarden. In fact, from what I've read in other threads, it seems like it'd be a good idea to replace the flowering room light with a green bulb so you can enter at night!

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Great info...thanks

I changed out my 150 w hps for my new 250 w hps/hid combo light tonite. I sure hope the extra light helps. Prolly 2 weeks left til I chop them.

Hey there Hairy... Great work with those ladies... quick question for ya: how did you connect your air stone? I get the feeling the more O2 down there the faster they grow. Did you place the air stone by unplugging the pump that came with the system?

egluv4u said:

Hey there Hairy... Great work with those ladies... quick question for ya: how did you connect your air stone? I get the feeling the more O2 down there the faster they grow. Did you place the air stone by unplugging the pump that came with the system?

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Congrats on getting the 250W HPS Hairy, I think it will really make a difference!! The airstone definitely makes a huge difference; I had 6 plants originally, but only one airstone, which bubbled under only 3 of the plants. Those 3 plants grew about 30% taller, and all turned out female; the other 3 turned out to be male! You don't need to unplug the Aerogarden pump in order to add an airstone. All you need to do is run some tubing through a free pod slot, and connect that to the airstone in the reservoir.

egluv4u said:

Hey there Hairy... Great work with those ladies... quick question for ya: how did you connect your air stone? I get the feeling the more O2 down there the faster they grow. Did you place the air stone by unplugging the pump that came with the system?

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I use the AG pump throughout the grow. It provides nutrients & air to the root base. INo, I just bought another pump, the tubing & a 4" airstone at an aquarium store. I ran the tube into an unused hole on the top of the AG.

Hand Banana said:

Congrats on getting the 250W HPS Hairy, I think it will really make a difference!! The airstone definitely makes a huge difference; I had 6 plants originally, but only one airstone, which bubbled under only 3 of the plants. Those 3 plants grew about 30% taller, and all turned out female; the other 3 turned out to be male! You don't need to unplug the Aerogarden pump in order to add an airstone. All you need to do is run some tubing through a free pod slot, and connect that to the airstone in the reservoir.

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When I put it up, it's about the same size as the 150 I took down. I hope the extra 100 watts will make a difference.
Good advice on the air stone. When I start up my new, yet to be received, SH bubbleponics unit, I'm going to get extra airstones for it as well.

HomeGrownHairy said:

When I put it up, it's about the same size as the 150 I took down. I hope the extra 100 watts will make a difference.
Good advice on the air stone. When I start up my new, yet to be received, SH bubbleponics unit, I'm going to get extra airstones for it as well.

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The math doesn't lie:

70w(90Watts actual) - 6000 Lumens @ 67Lumen/Watt
100w(124Watts actual) - 9500 Lumens @ 76Lumen/Watt
150w(199Watts actual) - 15000 Lumens @ 76Lumen/Watt
250w(300Watts actual) - 29000 Lumens @ 97Lumen/Watt

You're nearly doubling your lumen output! That's definitely going to make a difference

Hand Banana said:

The math doesn't lie:

70w(90Watts actual) - 6000 Lumens @ 67Lumen/Watt
100w(124Watts actual) - 9500 Lumens @ 76Lumen/Watt
150w(199Watts actual) - 15000 Lumens @ 76Lumen/Watt
250w(300Watts actual) - 29000 Lumens @ 97Lumen/Watt

You're nearly doubling your lumen output! That's definitely going to make a difference

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Nice. This is a great help! thanks for taking the time to post this.

I read on the FAQ's that for final flowering, I should lowered the ppm's to 400-500 and boost the pH just a bit closer to 6.0
IS THIS RIGHT/ Anybody know what this does?

I have about 2 weeeks to go before harvest and i sure dont want to screw it up now.

HELP ME PLEASE

thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was using bottled water (1.39'gal) until a month ago when I discovered a water vending machine (Culligan) at a local grocer (43c/gal). Chloramine is still a big problem for me and all of us who grow indoors. It is now used by over 20% of water districts and that will be increasing sharply. It will replace chlorine. It doesnt dissapate by setting out.
From what I've read even RO wont remove it. I get RO'd water locally as I said so I know that water in the machine still has chloramine. It goes into their RO machine and it wont remove it. This stuff kills fish & is not good for aquatic plants or people. It kills lobsters in restaurants that have lobster tanks. Since it doesn't evaporate, we have to deal with it. But WHAT TO DO?

The very tips of my plants are brown and my lower leaves are curling. If it's not the chloramine, WHAT IS CAUSING IT?..I'm about 2 weeks from harvest and my ppm is only 500 & pH 5.8-6 I've always watches them and checked their vitals. I have learned a lot my first water grow, but this Chloramine thing has me up nites.

Just GOOGLE Chloramine and let me know what you folks think. Do I need to go back to $1.39/gal bottled water? I don't wanna, I'll tell you that!

A local water guy said i could use the fish store stuff but earlier in another thread a few said not to...so, what I/we do.

HELP PLEASE POST YOUR THOUGHTS!

there supposed to turn brown and die when you finishing the flower cycle..

[quote="SICC";2005092]there supposed to turn brown and die when you finishing the flower cycle..[/quote]

They havent yet. I shoud have said the new small leaves around the buds mostly have the very tippy-tips brown (dead). I'll upload a pix of it Sunday for you to check out. Any idea what causes it. it's not heat burn cause it's all over, not just in the center, under the lights.

I'm also wondering if it's possibly a salt buildup, like my houseplants get. I drained it last weekend but didn't flush it out good. I'm going to flush this weekend for sure, regardless..

[quote="SICC";2005092]there supposed to turn brown and die when you finishing the flower cycle..[/quote]

You ever use tap water? Do you know if your water district uses chlorine or chloramine in it?

damn in not too sure then,


i jus use bottled water, hope you find out the problem

I think you should play it safe and just switch to bottled distilled water, and find a cheaper supply--$1.39 is outrageous! I'm getting mine for about 89 cents a gallon at the supermarket. Check Wal-Mart too, their prices should be pretty cheap too. You don't want to trip up this close to the finish line!

Hand Banana said:

I think you should play it safe and just switch to bottled distilled water, and find a cheaper supply--$1.39 is outrageous! I'm getting mine for about 89 cents a gallon at the supermarket. Check Wal-Mart too, their prices should be pretty cheap too. You don't want to trip up this close to the finish line!

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Yeah, you're absolutely right. I get ro'd water for .42/gal. out of a water vending machine, but it still has chloramine in it. The bottles that dont have it cost me $1.39. I have picked up about 6 bottles this week. I'ts taking 3/4 gal/day to keep it full now. I know little about water so I need to do lots of research to find out what I can use in my nest grow in the SH bubbleponis unit I just bought. It's very frustrating.

Here's new pix. This is the end of the 13th week from seed. I'm hoping next weekend. (14 weeks)

My new 250 w hps that I hung a couple days ago to replace the 150 w hps

Lots of buds but the plants are only 15-16" tall


That light behind them is the hood light off the Aerogarden unit.




Wispy buds. I hope they tighten up and fill in




I was hoping these would be done tomorrow Feb 1st.
That would have been 90 days (4 crops/yr), but it's not going to happen. It will take another week, so at the end of 14 weeks (next week), I should be able to harvest them?

The buds have been filling in but they are still not done. The buds are not tight even tho I had a 150 hps on them from day 1 of flowering, plus the AG hood lamp and 5 cfl's.
I just put up the 250 hps thats in the first pix. I sure hope it will help. I have the light about 18" from the tips. I tried closed and got some leaf burn.

I wanted these babies done in 90 days but now I'm wondering when and what I can do next time to finish them in 90 days? That possible with white widow and big bud. Maybe I should try a Lowrder or ??. I only vegged for 25 days when they were 6-7". Should I have waited to flower. I hear it takes longer to flower in the AG? Anybody know why? Even using a 150 w hps light????

Jus wait it out man haha, it will pay off, jus gotta be patient, they will finish, lookin great