Uncle Ben's Gardening Tweeks and Pointers

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
UB or anyone else have you had any plants that are extremely sensitive to heat? Ive got 5 bagseed plus 5 Nirvana WW begging, and one of the sativa bagseeds has taco leaves up and down it. Temps are 80 degrees, with a fan blowing upwards across the canopy to help dissipate heat, and Ive placed it off in the corner hoping it'll help some. Nothing seems to work though. Every other plant is fine with regards to heat. Its continuing to grow good. I just wish I could help this problem.

Oh yeah, they're 24 inches away from a 400w HPS, and still have the taco-ing.

Will the plant become more heat tolerant as it gets bigger, or is this something Ill just have to deal with.

Thanks.
Think I missed ya on this one. Some plants just do a leaf cup. ThaiTanic is one such plant. But the cupping I get is always due to some episode of high heat. No, your plant won't get more heat tolerant. If they leaves are still green and othewise healthy, don't worry about it. They are still functioning well and that's the issue.

UB
 

DaveCoulier

Well-Known Member
Think I missed ya on this one. Some plants just do a leaf cup. ThaiTanic is one such plant. But the cupping I get is always due to some episode of high heat. No, your plant won't get more heat tolerant. If they leaves are still green and othewise healthy, don't worry about it. They are still functioning well and that's the issue.

UB
Thanks for replying. The plant is still healthy and green. The leaf curling has subside a little bit, but doesnt look like its ever going away like you said.

Since were on sativas, do they take longer to show sex? Ive got a few that are 39 days old w/ alternating nodes, but no signs of pre-flowers yet.

Thanks.
 

dakin3d

Well-Known Member
I don't do flowering rooms. My setup is so cheap and easy you'd probably puke. :) Regarding light, you didn't mention the hood, probably the most important consideration other than the wattage. I'm partial to 600W, started the trend 14 years ago when no one had heard of them. That said, you should start small, get a feel for it, understand your program and then go from there. It's all in the balance, not any one factor, that's what I mean by "program". You must balance your light with your availability of salts and water. Penetration is over played here, as is stuff like pH. In fact, my ladies never complain about my penetration, and trust me, it's not very deep. :mrgreen: The lowest leaves stay on until harvest, and the lights are a good 5' or 6' above the lowest branches.


What's really happening is folks are giving their plants high priced crap which induces premature leaf drop. If you understand plant nutrition, then you will have noticed that most cannabis specific foods aren't using correct formulations regarding the NPK values only using gimmictry such as amino acids, enzymes, vitamins and such to hawk their products. Why they sell this shit to their customers is shameless, but like they say, "a sucker is born every minute." The foods are too high in K and too low in N, especially what they try to pass off as a "grow" food for vegetation.

Good luck,
UB
Thanks for the pic, UB... It'll be a while before I can replicate anything similar to that, but it's good to look at, for sure.

The reflector I plan to use is a 'Sun System Cool Sun I'. It has a very similar interior design as a bat wing would... Its just housed in the powder coated sheet metal housing. 95% Diffused Reflective Aluminum w/ 6" cooling fittings. Dimensions: 24"Wx20.5"Lx7.5"H
http://www.sunlightsupply.com/hort/products.aspx?request=COOL-SUN-REFLECTOR&title=Reflectors&type=product

The previous individual took the words outta my mouth, as I was going to ask what you use.

I also wanted to ask if you have any experience or an opinion regarding using the glass lenses that you can use w/ many reflectors. This one actually comes w/ the glass for free, so I'm debating whether it could be utilized so that I can limit the distance between the tops of the plants, but after taking into consideration what you said regarding penetration, this might be moot?

While I 'have you on the line', do you measure your TDS? Or since you primarily use organic nutrients, no? I just realized not too long ago that I didn't know how to use my TDS meter... As Remo would say, Smoooth! I was measuring EC, not PPM, so I was tremendously under feeding my plants. This entire grow, I was thinking that I was overfeeding plants... it was deficiency the whole time. Slowly learning my plant nutrition and identification of various problems.

I forgot to tell you that I saw your pics and contribution in 'The Bible' regarding your copper-hydroxide pot technique for preventing spin-out. I was like, damn, that's UB!!

Cheers bro, Dak
 

doogleef

Well-Known Member
Great info as always, Ben. Think outside the growbox and listen to your plants are mantras to live by. Feed your plants what they ask for and leave the flushing for the toilet.

Thanks for your time and patience in answering both advanced and newbie questions alike. Couple of queries for you that hopefully others will also benefit from as well:

I'm a hydro grower and am curious what your take is on using H2O2 in the reservoir to keep pathogens down and add oxidation. It obvoiusly can't be used in an organic hydro kit as it is indiscriminate in what bacteria it kills but if using a sterile fert (like GH flora) you think it is worth doing?

Your love of the peters line is well known and it sounds like you've pretty much always done soil but i wonder if you have ever tried their Hydro product? It is 5-11-26 http://petersabc.com/PDFs/Peters%20Pro/99310ppro5-11-26.pdf . That seams like a really low N value to me. You mentioned Dyna-gro earlier in the thread and the bloom formula (3-12-6 http://www.horticulturesource.com/nutrients-fertilizers-supplements-primary-secondary-essential-minor-elements-macro-c26/dyna-gro-dyna-gro-liquid-bloom-gallon-4-case--p154/?osCsid=e6fb2a7b0ba97c201b6226fbd8ae7d08 ) of that too has little N. Were you talking about using the Dyna-gro grow formula 7-9-5 for the whole cycle?

Thanks again, Ben.


Keep your lights bright and your leaves GREEN!!
 

SL2

Well-Known Member
Whatzup Uncle Ben!
Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge and expertise. I like how you roll, no pun intended! I just wish I would have found all your threads sooner, would have save me a lot of money! lol
Your topping technique worked like a charm even though I wasn’t sure what a true node was, lol
Do you remove all the lower branches and just grow the four kolas?
Do you have a link to “NPK for dummies”? I definitely need it…lol
SL2
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
Thanks for replying. The plant is still healthy and green. The leaf curling has subside a little bit, but doesnt look like its ever going away like you said.

Since were on sativas, do they take longer to show sex? Ive got a few that are 39 days old w/ alternating nodes, but no signs of pre-flowers yet.

Thanks.
Funny you should ask. Take a look at the 4 cola thread.

I also wanted to ask if you have any experience or an opinion regarding using the glass lenses that you can use w/ many reflectors.
Never did. I use a clip on fan directly under the hoods which blows the hot air out into the room. A window fan on the floor blows cool floor air into the garden. You can give a plant too much light, see my sig link.

While I 'have you on the line', do you measure your TDS?
No, since I do soil. You're better off measuring light. Get you a light meter that registers to 10K f.c. It's a great tool and will help you read your plants. One of the concepts folks don't understand is nutrient antagonism. They think they have an overage of foods or not enough when it's the imbalance, the ratio of one to the other that is the problem.

I forgot to tell you that I saw your pics and contribution in 'The Bible' regarding your copper-hydroxide pot technique for preventing spin-out. I was like, damn, that's UB!!

Cheers bro, Dak
Yeah. Jorge sent me a free signed copy of that before it even hit the stands. Great book, but there is some incorrect info, such as the way he described the paint working. I wrote him that the tips don't "turn up". His chapter on lighting is about the best I've seen though.

Great info as always, Ben. Think outside the growbox and listen to your plants are mantras to live by. Feed your plants what they ask for and leave the flushing for the toilet.
You got that right!

Thanks for your time and patience in answering both advanced and newbie questions alike. Couple of queries for you that hopefully others will also benefit from as well:

I'm a hydro grower and am curious what your take is on using H2O2 in the reservoir to keep pathogens down and add oxidation. It obvoiusly can't be used in an organic hydro kit as it is indiscriminate in what bacteria it kills but if using a sterile fert (like GH flora) you think it is worth doing?
Let's put it this way, if you find the use of H202 is a cheap source of reducing root rot and such, and your foods provide complete nutrition, then add it to your program. My feeling is if you have to use such a sanitizing agent to clean and add the correct amount of oxygen, then there is something wrong in the first place, but then again, I don't do "dro". I'd be asking someone at Cornell about it myself.

Your love of the peters line is well known and it sounds like you've pretty much always done soil but i wonder if you have ever tried their Hydro product? It is 5-11-26 http://petersabc.com/PDFs/Peters%20Pro/99310ppro5-11-26.pdf . That seams like a really low N value to me. You mentioned Dyna-gro earlier in the thread and the bloom formula (3-12-6 http://www.horticulturesource.com/nutrients-fertilizers-supplements-primary-secondary-essential-minor-elements-macro-c26/dyna-gro-dyna-gro-liquid-bloom-gallon-4-case--p154/?osCsid=e6fb2a7b0ba97c201b6226fbd8ae7d08 ) of that too has little N. Were you talking about using the Dyna-gro grow formula 7-9-5 for the whole cycle?

Thanks again, Ben.
That low N high K value seems to be par for hydro foods. Had this discussion with someone else in another thread. What is it about hydro foods that is so different than soil? The 5-11-26 might be good for a while for bloom. Doesn't make sense to me. 7-9-5 might be a good solution.

BTW, I am not stuck on Peters, just use it as an example most times. In fact I haven't used them in years. It's a great product though.

One more thing, Ben.

You mentioned that you do not believe the Lucas Formula to be a complete feed. Can you elaborate on that a little bit?
Man, I already have. Sorry but I do way too much repeating as it is around here. Study the food and decide for yourself.

Whatzup Uncle Ben!
Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge and expertise. I like how you roll, no pun intended! I just wish I would have found all your threads sooner, would have save me a lot of money! lol


Thanks! Glad the topping drill worked. Do not remove leaves. See the fiery Lollipopping thread for the latest excitement. :D

NPK thread is also in Advanced. Ya gotta lurk, which includes looking at my other posts. http://www.totalgro.com/concepts.htm

cya ~
 

biggun

Active Member
Thanks again even though I never told you the first time... I am a newbie but not a rebel I have followed the rules of the experienced guys like you, paying attention to the important things., and so far so good. I have never thought I was smarter or decided that Idea is stupid. I just did what the old dogs do and so far pretty damn good... Thanks for sharing brother, I bet you would be a good dude to enjoy a joint with. PEACE
 

southern homegrower

Well-Known Member
Uncle Ben. maybe you can give me some advice. My last grow i thought was pretty good until i smoked it. It tasted terrible. The buds looks great and smells very good and has a great high. I dried it on screens it took about 6 days to dry so i dont think i dried it to fast. Do you know what my problem could be? My ro machine brings the ph of my water down to 4.3 and after i add the nutes they bring the ph down to 3.4 so it takes 6 - 7 tsp of ph up to bring 18 gals of nutes & water to 5.9. After that i dont have to adjust it again until the next res change. could using so much ph up be affecting the taste
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
Thanks again even though I never told you the first time... I am a newbie but not a rebel I have followed the rules of the experienced guys like you, paying attention to the important things., and so far so good. I have never thought I was smarter or decided that Idea is stupid. I just did what the old dogs do and so far pretty damn good... Thanks for sharing brother, I bet you would be a good dude to enjoy a joint with. PEACE
Appreciate the feedback. Oh yeah, the doob's on me. ;)

Uncle Ben. maybe you can give me some advice. My last grow i thought was pretty good until i smoked it. It tasted terrible. The buds looks great and smells very good and has a great high. I dried it on screens it took about 6 days to dry so i dont think i dried it to fast. Do you know what my problem could be? My ro machine brings the ph of my water down to 4.3 and after i add the nutes they bring the ph down to 3.4 so it takes 6 - 7 tsp of ph up to bring 18 gals of nutes & water to 5.9. After that i dont have to adjust it again until the next res change. could using so much ph up be affecting the taste
Are you sure you're using an accurate, recently calibrated pH meter? The RO is removing salts, ions, and should be landing your pH around neutral unless somehow it's retaining sulfates or sulfites. Your pH and perhaps salts imbalance might be contributing to taste problems. I think "pH up" is a potassium bicarbonate product, is it not?

Just curious, did you "flush" your plants? :D
 

southern homegrower

Well-Known Member
NO SIR i did not flush. i have a hanna ph meter and i calibrate it once a month and its only off by .1 As for my ro machine my well pumps psi on the low side was 20 psi way to low for a ro system. So i got a new pressure switch this morning and now my pressure is 40 psi on the low side and 60 on the high side. Thats why i was going through 20 or 30 dollars worth of di resin a month. To low water pressure. Maybe that low psi was the culprit that was bringing my ro water ph down so low.
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
NO SIR i did not flush. i have a hanna ph meter and i calibrate it once a month and its only off by .1 As for my ro machine my well pumps psi on the low side was 20 psi way to low for a ro system. So i got a new pressure switch this morning and now my pressure is 40 psi on the low side and 60 on the high side. Thats why i was going through 20 or 30 dollars worth of di resin a month. To low water pressure. Maybe that low psi was the culprit that was bringing my ro water ph down so low.
Could be, don't know. As an aside, next time you're in the market for a great well pump, get a Grundfos constant water pressure submersible pump. No tanks, no extra crap, just a console where you can punch a button to have a PSI between 30 and 100 and always get constant pressure no matter the drawdown.

UB
 

southern homegrower

Well-Known Member
Could be, don't know. As an aside, next time you're in the market for a great well pump, get a Grundfos constant water pressure submersible pump. No tanks, no extra crap, just a console where you can punch a button to have a PSI between 30 and 100 and always get constant pressure no matter the drawdown.

UB
damn thanks U.B. I want a new well pump just didnt know witch one was a good one. Seems like a lot of things these days just are not mad worth a damn
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
damn thanks U.B. I want a new well pump just didnt know witch one was a good one. Seems like a lot of things these days just are not mad worth a damn
I have two, one for the field and one for the house. They cost a little more if you get the smart console but it is "well" worth it. I did T off to 1 gallon Sears tank to reduce any water hammer. Since it's a variable speed "soft start" pump, takes up to 2 seconds to reach running RPM, I don't know if it was necessary. I bought it off the internet and then had a local guy install it. Saved meg bucks rather than buying it thru a local. Check it out:
http://www.grundfos.com/web/HomeUs.nsf/Webopslag/121FF15738B2BE2586256AC7004B75F3
 

southern homegrower

Well-Known Member
that is just what i need thanks for the info U.B. By the way do you know if a ro system removes sulfur from water? My well water has a faint sulfur smell to it. I am thinking of going back to soil grows. I did not have any taste problems with buds then or any real problems
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
that is just what i need thanks for the info U.B. By the way do you know if a ro system removes sulfur from water? My well water has a faint sulfur smell to it. I am thinking of going back to soil grows. I did not have any taste problems with buds then or any real problems
It's my understanding a good RO system removes 99.9% of all salts, and that includes hydrogen sulfide, I would think. Perhaps it needs an activated charcoal filter. Your state university extension system has a water quality specialist, ask him.
 
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