Flowering soon in PHOGS

DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
Yes believe it our not I am going to phase two of utilizing passive hydro with organic grow system PHOGS!

Phase II maximizes grow tent. Whereas proper training during veg of plant and utilization of entire space should allow for the growing of four young ladies with 8 main cola sites each. I am also increasing the light lumens by upgrading from a UFO 120 W LED 8 band 3w diodes to a rectangular 240 W 8 band 3 watt diodes.

Introducing the 4 lovely young ladies awaiting their moment in the sun...

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DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
This was phase I, which is going away, but you can get the concept here. For I am replacing the 5 gal buck with totes, rectangular ones that will be filled with rock and water just like the bucket. I am using 1 gallon round cloth pots on my vegging main line trained babes, currently. They will be placed into a 3 gallon square cloth pot.
This new configuration will have two rectangular totes with 2 3 gallon cloth pots in each. Yee HA! 4 girls a primping away...

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DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
Did I mention I am using my very own organic concoction in the three gallon cloth pots that one gallon vegging babes will be transplanted to for flowering in PHASE II of PHOGS!

. Should be a sustainable high octane grow!:fire:
 

DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
Okay just a quick update on system.... have gear in place... a few quick pics on build out process... soon as my high octane soil completes its cooking process young ladies will have their 1 gallon cloth pots placed inside 3 gallon high octane blend of organic nutrients.

So here are some pics of the build out, sourced from Lowes 2 9x16x24 10 gallon heavy duty (strength light blockage) totes, this is a rock water reservoir passive hyrdo ya know.
After cleansing with hot soap and water or go further with H202 if you want, add 4 1/2 inches (half full) of silica rock (Dyna Grow)
In the example I use here to block out light from the reservoir is a black trash bag, but I will finish this actually with a few sheets of weed cloth that will allow air exchange and still keep out light. I will also produce a method for checking reservoir and filling it without overfilling. It may be as simple as pulling back a section that will allow good visual inspection of water level and access to replenish.

The lady present is just a model, she actually is going to be what's left of the first generation of clones from their mama which I grew from seed and put through phase I of this project.

I am keeping her as a strain backup, for I am taking clones from clones before training for main line cola growth. Should I lose clones and or feel I've gone too far down the clone of a clone trail, I can always replace or reset perpetual grow with her.

If you noticed some of the lower leaves show signs of deficiencies. Two fold reason, she out grow her original 1 gallon clone transplant container with low nutrients. Also My water here is so low on PPM under 50 after it comes from well and filter. So you can see a little deficiencies in the leaves mostly a Potassium issue with some Magnesium. Since I got her transplanted to a three gallon with some high octane soil under her established roots. So her new growth is looking great and taking off again. Anywise great example of those nutrient deficiency in the leaves to exam. Consider that a bonus. We shouldn't see any of this as my new darlings take off soon.


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DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
okay I know your all anxious as I am to get this show on the road... (note to self ALWAYS have high octane soil at the ready).

This little foo pah (possible cause enjoying last harvest?) of mine set back my harvest date back by a week minimum more like 3 weeks, for I wanted to add two weeks of veg under new light for I moved them from CFL to LED and develop roots into the new high octane soil recently cooked for them.

I am working diligently now on building their 3 gallon pots. I am going to due a layering technique in one based of the Rev's f ormula. I am going to blend this high octane soil at different ratios with two pots, one will be 1/4 blend high octane with base soil, another will be half and half. The final one is a tribute to SubCool by filling 1/3 to half full of high octane on bottom and base on top.

Currently this is what they look like in their 1 gallon cloth bags wrapped in plastic sitting in the reservoir. I want some thing breaths air and keeps light out as cover. I am probably going to drill a ton of small holes through the totes' lids then cover with cloth pots (after ripping out stitches) in a few layers to block out light, this should keep light out and allow air exchange. This also should allow me to add PVC pipe through the top for filling the reservoir and checking it's level with some sort of dip stick or allow visual view of water level.
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Check out my new big blue high octane organic soil open air oven.... I think regular folks take this the beach filled with ice and beverages.

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DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
Ladies and Gentlemen presenting our new MAIN LINE line up. I promised 4 ladies and that they would be main lined. However I ended up not properly topping one gal and she is back row on the right.

Now from left to right back to front each BC sweetie has went from clone in solo cup to one gal cloth light nutrient, focus on mycro bacteria and beneficial fungi.
The gals sans one, have been pruned and trained based on nuggabuckets mainline technique.

I have placed each one into a 3 gallon cloth pot 2/3 full and sat each one gallon gal into a specially structured soil pack which itself is wicking water via the 3 gallon CLOTH pot is resting onto a water reservoir which is filled with water to just below the rock surface level. No root rot will occur from this unless water line in reservoir is allowed to go past the surface of the rock layer.

Okay going with back left to right front left to right each of the 3 gallon pots have the following formulated to boost growth and sustain through flowering
Note one gallon cloth pot with ladies in it is to be placed on top of soil in 3 gallon pots and watered from top to allow water to drain through to help induce wicking..

Back Left, full 8 cola branches 13" tall. Soil pack is a blend of new formula 1:1 mix with black gold organic potting soil, the one with the mater on it.
Back Right FIM'd and topped 17" tall. Soil pack is subcool design 1/2 new formula on bottom, 1/2 black gold organic w/added earth worm castings upper layer.
Front Left 7 colas, 10" tall. Yeah I clipped one off accidently. Soil pack is 1:2 mix of new formula and black gold organic potting soil.
Front Right 6 colas, 11" tall. Don't say shit! Soil pack is Rev's layering for containers. Still need to add tsp's of High N layering formula with mulch on top of soil.

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DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
I've taken shots with LED, LED with CLF and CFL only lights, interesting of the effects on the leaf color and plant appearance.
Clearly CFL only is best way to visually inspect short of being present health of plant. They don't look too shabby for living in a low nutrient soil.
Can't wait till their roots grow through bottom of 1 gal cloth container into their high octane blends. I will also track visually now how long before roots grown through their
3 gallon pot into the water reservoir. I will know when roots grow through one gallon when by growth and if I feel tension lifting up the 1 gallon pot or rotating it from within the 3 gallon container will tell me roots have reached into next layer of soil. I am hoping to be able to apply some mycro's when this occurs to help even further boost development.

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bighoot55

Active Member
Is there a particular reason why you stopped using the 5 gallon buckets. I was planning on growing bigger plants in home depot buckets for this next cycle...
 

Snafu1236

Well-Known Member
Hey,

Thanks for the PM. I dont share my recipe freely, sorry.

However, I am subbed up and will offer where I can. I like your idea of PHOGS, but to me it just seems like a watering system for soil growing...correct me if I am wrong, I may have simplified it too much.

Best,

Snafu
 

DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
Hey,

Thanks for the PM. I dont share my recipe freely, sorry.

However, I am subbed up and will offer where I can. I like your idea of PHOGS, but to me it just seems like a watering system for soil growing...correct me if I am wrong, I may have simplified it too much.

Best,

Snafu
Understood, maybe we can work something out.

Nonetheless, not just a watering system but a passive hydro whereas no air or water pumps needed.
Thus passive hydro a reservoir of h20 that can be ultimately self sustaining with a proper setup. Bighoot I will elaborate more on that to your post.

Snafu that is the idea here a self sustaining watering system that utilizes the root structure whereas the bottom two thirds is best suited for h20 uptake and where the top third is sustained in the cloth pots filled with our high octane soil.

The benefit here is to allow the roots to fully utilize their design by providing the rock\h20 layer. It allows for less maintenance in watering if done properly.

You have to initially fill reservoir to just below rock surface keep it at that level manually or use a gravity feed system that I will elaborate more with in my Bighoot reply.

Once proper level is maintained it should be kept till roots grow through bottom of cloth into reservoir then one can take extend break depending on volume of reservoir from maintaining water lever to just under surface of rocks. More root more plant this system allows for that additional lower roots to grow into a reservoir where air is trapped in rocks and vents through top surface surrounding the lower areas of the cloth pot as well.

Bottom line once set up properly a self feed with right soil blend and self water depending building a complete Passive system that keeps h20 level.

I do this manually in my setup now, if I had room a larger reservoir outside would gravity fill a control reservoir that feeds the plant reservoirs since there is no room to put a gravity reservoir in the plant reservoir boxes. Then it would be set and forget completely and watering would never rely on power at all.

So if someone using UPS for lights and fan they'd be set for there would be a 50 percent chance during 12/12 cycle that the UPS would be needed in a power outage. Watering will continue regardless and roots won't die if left in this type of water reservoir without an air pump.

Also removing cloth pots through the cycles and replacing with new plants, pull out easily. Use H2O to clean and restore 02 back to water.
Probably other benefits you may discover I haven't listed.
 

DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
This is cool but not sure of the benefits u can just run a top feed line
The benefits would be explicitly growth, in that taking advantage of natural root design. See my answer to Snafu above and to BigHoots55 below. Other benefits to self watering capillary action, superior to the drip method regarding feeding plant nutrients.
 

DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
Is there a particular reason why you stopped using the 5 gallon buckets. I was planning on growing bigger plants in home depot buckets for this next cycle...
Hi Bighoot55,
I'm looking forward to your grow with a 5 gallon PHOGS. I'd like to compare notes.

I not stopping using them all together. It is just that my current flowering configuration calls for some design changes in PHOGS to maximize the space I have for flowering.

By all means use the 5 gallon. They are heavy just to let you know, nothing would blow these over outdoors.

I am just wondering if I had the option of taking this outside if I could with proper pruning, use of a 5 gallon bucket with a 5 gallon cloth pot with high octane soil. If some comparable freaking trees can be grown such as I see these guys using a ton of soil as a container with these 25 and 50 gallon cloth containers outside. Think of being able to get just as much production using less soil and the ultimate watering system.

This could have potential but I don't have the ability yet to put this outside to see if monster bushes can be produced using this like some of these outdoor growers have.
I really don't want to have to mix and build this much soil if not necessary.

My first shot at this with a very small led light provided quick great growth and proven sustainability.

My PHOGS phase III will be a 5 gallon buck grows outside to compare to those growers using all that soil as a container for their roots.

Keep me posted on your progress. If you want build a 5 gallon control bucket with a float, adjust float and water level in that bucket and use 3/4 inch tubing to connect them all at the bottom of each bucket. If you have the same water line levels in each bucket once control bucket float and water level adjusted then it will be truly self maintaining for your control bucket float valve is attached to larger reservoir that is elevated about float value in control bucket.

Have questions let me know.
 

Fenian Brotherhood

Well-Known Member
Hey,

Thanks for the PM. I dont share my recipe freely, sorry.

However, I am subbed up and will offer where I can. I like your idea of PHOGS, but to me it just seems like a watering system for soil growing...correct me if I am wrong, I may have simplified it too much.

Best,

Snafu

This Website is for Sharing information and helping other Grow Good Medicine for themselves.

If you don't want to do that. Just Shut Up. Dont post


Subbed FTW Dankster, you defiantly Did good the last Crop. Sending good Vibes Man. Hope to see ya soon
 

DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
Latest Update:


  • Back Left, full 8 cola branches 21" tall, 8 inches new growth. Soil pack is a blend of new formula 1:1 mix with black gold organic potting soil, the one with the mater on it.
    Back Right FIM'd and topped 24" tall 7 inches growth. Soil pack is subcool design 1/2 new formula on bottom, 1/2 black gold organic w/added earth worm castings upper layer.
    Front Left 7 colas, 15" tall. 5 inches growth. Soil pack is 1:2 mix of new formula and black gold organic potting soil.
    Front Right 6 colas, 17" tall 6 inches growth. Soil pack is Rev's layering for containers. Still need to add tsp's of High N layering formula with mulch on top of soil.

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DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
Its been only three days since my last post, 4 days between pics.
From Back Left to Right Front. 26"; 27"; 18"; 20" about 3" all around, not bad.

Its starting to look like a jungle in there:bigjoint:
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DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
Its been only three days since my last post, 4 days between pics.
From Back Left to Right Front. 26"; 27"; 18"; 20" about 3" all around, not bad.

Its starting to look like a jungle in there:bigjoint:wish me well on maintaining my canopy, looks like I made use of all space now to keep em going.

Time to flip lights is near.

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DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
Okay it's been 7 days since my last post and it is ever the freaking jungle in this tent. I intended to have 4 main line train babes doing their thing but since I screwed up my pruning process on a few of them, okay all for none have eight colas each.
This particular one the oldest for I took clones days apart for this. I had fimmed it and got four branches however the two opposing lower branches will probably have to be cut off so energy can focus on two upper opposing branches that have also been topped once each producing 4 well developed branches. It the biggest but oldest of all and not much bigger then the one next to it.
Due to its greater development though it has had an impact on light reaching some of the outer cola sites are different gals around it.
The one next to it on the back left has two outside colas not developing at same rate. But overall this plant being a couple weeks younger in its development is quite impressive, it is using my 50% blend high octane soil, little leaf tip burns here and there nothing to get excited over and just means she is full throttle.
However she has six colas, but with 4 main line colas inside that took off and two outside seem lagging behind. So it seems these that the set of four are getting the energy for growth whereas the other two are lagging behind.
To recap when looking at pictures he plants I prior mentioned ladi are in the back, the fimmed topped one is right rear, the 6 cola sites one due to beginner mainline training is where 4 are dominate on the inside close to the light the other two are lagging on outside.
Therefore from these two plants I see 8 strong cola sites half of what I was aspiring for from two plants. Still 8 is better then 0 and as far as space goes if I am ever going to get 8 cola for each plant x 4 I will need to do some serious work at getting all clones growing at closer to same size going in and that each site is viable where the plant doesn't seem to want to give more energy to a branch supporting 4 cola sites verses two or less. Interesting all the same though on how energy is distributed when there isn’t the symmetrical sites to feed.

The two up front from left to right also have some distribution issues for the left one has 7 colas which seem to be somewhat all growing the same , the right has 5 colas which seem to be about the same. So still haven't come to any real conclusion except for that the towering back right plant may have block some light to certain areas that could also explain some sites lagging for the light is in center and naturally I placed the stronger branches inside instead of outside. Urgh!

Clearly I've set myself up for some challenges in keeping a uniform canopy. I am doing what I can to ensure my next run will not have these pitfalls going in.

But hey these clones though going in and them not all being a symmetrical standard is at least showing me why uniformity is important in a tight setup as I have. Now if I had some room to work with I could rotate these somewhat. Though appearing fixed, if I had room and my back was better I would turn the systems to give smaller branches more exposure to light.

However I have used some garden twine to hold back these taller branches from towering over the lesser developed ones so they have a shot of boosting up with more light energy. Which won’t make up for being younger but gives them a better shot at producing nicer flowers.
So it's day 6 of 12/12 seeing already the beginnings of flowering soon it will be clearer. No noticeable deficiencies in plant leaves to report.

However my high octane blend at 50% ratio mix with basic organic mix is showing a tad little bit more of tip burn then the 25% mix. The rev's mix and super soil style of putting my high octane at bottom 1/2 leaving standard organic on top are not showing any signs of burn or deficiencies. With the warm weather recently I am happy my PHOGS is ensuring no dehydration for these babes.
Is that better FB?
Any takers on what final dry gram weight will be collectively?


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