switch to hydroponic

Hey there psyclone... I've looked at the pic's and I've noticed a lot of purple stems, I think even the main stem has some purple in it.

It seems they are suffering from lack of P. I'm assuming your ph is ok... although i did also notice that the pic's were a few weeks old.

If it is not lack of P and you're sure about this, then it could also be an overdose of Iron (fe) which will also cause the plant to stop uptaking P as well as it usually might.

Well spotted. I think It may have been temp related, but I have since heard that GH nutrients need to be mixed at 50% rec strength so it maybe that, or both. I have since controlled the temperature, and am using a gradually increasing (up to rec strength) tomato fertiliser- Tomorite- for vegging. When I flower I will use the GH Flora series again, but start at 50% strength and see where it gets me. the plants in the pic where in fact quite purpleized when grown outside, so could be genes. It is now a dried, cured smoke and is sticky, smelly and strong- the three ess'es

Well I just checked the SOG plants, which are still on PH6 water and potting compost (with it's own nutrition base) and the purple streaks are there as always-maybe a gene thing? The leaf stems are not purple yet but it would be in the plants character if they were to change colour strongly at flowering-it always has had VERY purple leave bases around the cola. I have been growing it and it's seeded descendant's outside for some years- the colour IS more pronounced indoors.

End of first week using AquaValve system. this system has a clever little doofus between every two pots, which doofus allows a certain amount of water/nutrient mix to be let into the base of the pot stands. this mix is used by the plants completely. After a period of time dry, a vacuum is released and more water/nutrient is allowed to flow into the pot base, avoiding over-watering. Seems to work well, all the plants are healthy. I have been cleaning up the stems, and pinching out side-shoots this week, I will now leave them alone for a week to recover and for the tops to bush up a little more

starting to wonder if I should go onto purified water...remove variables. Any advice out there?

Well they say that mineral water is better, but personally i've never used anything else but tap water.

What's making you feel the need for a change?

*edit* Purified water, ah I see. Sorry!

Trouble with the purified water is that it will contain less calcium which means that you may have to supplement these minerals if your nutes don't carry enough. I like the tap water for the reason that it contains enough calcium so that I never need to supplement it. An overdose of calcium can be very bad for your plants as it takes ages to dissipate or get used by the plant, overdose also causes your plants to stop uptaking other essential nutrients. This is why I wouldn't like to start messing around with how I do things currently.

I know what you mean, "If it 'ain't broke....." I was just musing (a bit stoned) about the difference between an indoor grow, and an outdoor grow, and the difference that stands out to me (as a novice at indoor) is control, and perhaps if one has control, one should take responsibility - which I take to mean reducing the variables and getting the best you can from it. I am in green, drooling envy of what I can see that others have achieved by mastering the subject. I want to be there. Thanks for dropping in.
"Selah"

.....But I probably won't change too much I hope, or too quickly I will read up on the points you raise there, cheers.

After following the UV thread and reading up on points raised, I discovered that it is possible (supposedly) to flower outside in the Spring 12/12 Photoperiod . This (i think) is the period of most intense UV values. I will try this and see how it goes, If the plants go out in flower they should finish off, be clipped and then re-generate , and resin production does not seem to stop during re-vegetating. We shall see what we see.

psyclone said:

After following the UV thread and reading up on points raised, I discovered that it is possible (supposedly) to flower outside in the Spring 12/12 Photoperiod . This (i think) is the period of most intense UV values. I will try this and see how it goes, If the plants go out in flower they should finish off, be clipped and then re-generate , and resin production does not seem to stop during re-vegetating. We shall see what we see.

Click to expand...

Yes, I've read before that it is possible to get two outdoor harvests per year. Yeah I think it's during the spring/summer months that UV is at the highest.

You know there are cannabis trees in Nepal that grow for 2 years. The only reason they ONLY last for two harvests is because they get too tall and spindly, and fall over or snap. with better techniques they could, I believe, make those trees more solid and maybe even make them perennial.

In a book called I think, "The Silk Road" 1924ish, Peter Fleming, brother of Ian Fleming (James Bond) describes travelling to China through Russia, and passing Mile after Mile of Perennial Cannabis Hedge, used as fodder, fuel etc snapped and layered over - HST if ever there was.

Once the tips hit the ground they root off again I suppose

Just a quick update. the Plants In the tent are in their last day of Veg growth. I have trimmed all the lower growth to give a clear 9"stem. They have been on full strength Tomorite and 18/6 for one week now. There are developed female flowers on some nodes already, I think because the plant was a long way into flower when I cut my clones. Tomorrow I will mix up GH flowering nutrients, cannazym etc for the next 3weeks (20 litres-very economical ,the Aquavalve, sort of half soil, half Hydroponic) and give 24 hrs darkness followed by 12/12.

Well thats that. The switch to flowering has happened. An observation after one week of UV "tanning" is that the two plants in the footprint are outgrowing all the others (which are doing very well) are emerald ereen and bushy with nice soft leaves. I will do another stem and leaf trim (SOG) when I lift the lights next week. I will also make a careful check on the UV plants for damage, measure the height and compare with their opposite numbers. all plants were within 1" at start of tanning.
I have refined the drip feed for my mother plants, by using a spare AquaValve res, some airline, air taps and hydro drippers. minutely controllable.

psyclone said:

Well thats that. The switch to flowering has happened. An observation after one week of UV "tanning" is that the two plants in the footprint are outgrowing all the others (which are doing very well) are emerald ereen and bushy with nice soft leaves. I will do another stem and leaf trim (SOG) when I lift the lights next week. I will also make a careful check on the UV plants for damage, measure the height and compare with their opposite numbers. all plants were within 1" at start of tanning.
I have refined the drip feed for my mother plants, by using a spare AquaValve res, some airline, air taps and hydro drippers. minutely controllable.

Click to expand...

Have you been unbiased all the way? I shifted my two best nl closer to the UV a couple of days ago.

I agree though, there are changes that occur during veg... on a cellular level. Maybe your strain is a lover of UV, or maybe genetics... maybe it's because i'm using a different light...

It is very early days I think. It could be that particular plant is having a spurt, and they will even off. I hope I am not biased-probably am, but seeing no damage whatever, quite the opposite. It has had a total of 4 hours exposure, which on a human would start to show changes I am sure-thanks for calling in.

All quiet, pre-flowers emerging-it's a waiting game now.

tick tock tick tock

I hate waiting... time to roll one up, I think.

THATS A BLOODY GOOD IDEA. am rolling as we speak....

Oh double fucking hairy BOLLOCKS. Just discovered that 90% of fucking timer switches cannot switch Fluoro/low energy CFL - these last 3 days its been on open circuit all night, poxing up my flowering schedule. I have better bits of kit on the way Homebase UK product no 459554, TimeGuard ETU11 or ETU17. cunt, cunt, cunt.
Babies still lovely, Adding potasium chlorate as oxidiser.



Aqua botanic use of potasium chlorate as oxidiser