Mudcat's first grow: A51 XGS190 & Caboose

Skipping to Day 33 (Mar 1): Everyone is doing fine, so I have to fuck with things of course -- added a bit more of the FF Grow Big to the water, I think 1 teaspoon per gallon for 4 gallons. Got a water meter, analog, with a detachable probe. Read everywhere that noobs usually over water so trying really hard not to be "that guy" but the meter said things were a little dry, so I poured it on. Also it looks like the twins are getting with the program, though runts mclittle resembles a bonsai. Clones are looking a bit moldy in the soil and burnt on the leaf tips. Grandpa apparently has been ruff and inept, uh oh!

Day 33 continued, so I don't like to give up, and having done a terrible thing with the first 3 clones, I decide to really go crazy and do some more mad scientist experimenting. oh those poor bastards, i feel so sorry for them now...








Day 34, yup I overwatered! Also notice one of the biggest sisters is curling her leafs, trying to get away from me right? bad grampa

Day 35, March 3: this is the last set of pix from my old phone, a galaxy nexus. upgrading to a galaxy note 3 for the next batch. the seed tray is made by Burpee, something I picked up for $11, hoping to do better than the mold-prone cardboard pots. i should have done more research on cloning.










Skipping to Day 39, March 7: the third photo shows how the topping affected one of the biggest plants, and the fourth pic shows that even the smallest twin is coming along nicely.

Day 41, March 9: as you can see, I had to chuck some of the clones--they died and the soil was a little moldy. I'm also seeing some downward curling on the big plants, uh oh... pointy hook tips too.







Day 42: Down some more clones, one is doing ok though. Big plants are getting bushy fast!







I wonder why some of my photos post sideways here? They look fine on my desktop, before I upload them.

How are you cloning? Sorry I may have missed that? I tried the whole rapid rooters in a humidity dome like I would do for a setup that didn't require actual "rapid" rooting like in an aero cloner. So far what's working best for me is a wick cloner under LED.

Couple questions. How high are you keeping the LED up, and what are your temps in the space? You might be able to increase your growth rates given those two variable as well.

Skipping to Day 48: everyone is bushy, down to two of the cardboard pot clones and just one remaining Burpee seed tray clones. I planted green pepper seeds in the remaining unused seed tray pods, don't want it to go to waste and fresh veggies yum








Skipping to Day 51, March 19: somewhere along here I switched to 12/12. Also kicked the lights up from 130 to 190 mode. I think this was the day, since I took pictures? Can't remember, life suddenly got busy, took some trips up to Oregon for a couple of days.

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Aw now fercrissakes! Upside down, really???? The farkin pic looks just fine on my pc.

Thanks mudcat, much respect.....for your light height to canopy, what do you have yours set at and , is yours set for a specific watt light...still fumbling around some of the finer points....mad scientist style.....

gk skunky said:

How are you cloning? Sorry I may have missed that? I tried the whole rapid rooters in a humidity dome like I would do for a setup that didn't require actual "rapid" rooting like in an aero cloner. So far what's working best for me is a wick cloner under LED.

Couple questions. How high are you keeping the LED up, and what are your temps in the space? You might be able to increase your growth rates given those two variable as well.

Click to expand...

Cloning attempts:

1) Topped the biggest three plants, put the clones in cardboard paper pots. Used the 75%FFOF/25%perlite mix. Had to cover with a wet paper towel, otherwise they would wilt within 2-3 hours of being uncovered. Two of the three have survived, one croaked. All three had mold on the soil and interior sides of the cardboard pots at some point. I could sometimes keep them uncovered if I sprayed a mist on them every hour or so, but if I forgot then they'd wilt. I figured that was too stressful, so I continued to cover with a wet paper towel. Dipped in powdered "growth hormone".

2) Next set of clones were various bits from the three biggest plants, and placed in the Burpee seed tray. The bottom of the seed tray sits on top of a cotton wick mat, and the edges of the wick mat dip into a bottom tray full of water. Only one of seven clones survived, the others molded. It worked really well for the one that survived though. Also all were dipped in growth hormone.

3) The final set of clones were taken a day or two after starting the 12/12 cycle. I put all of those in quart-size glass jars, and put the jars in a window that faces the ocean (for access to the warm setting sun on clear days). Dipped in growth hormone. No roots yet, darn it, but all of these clones have healthy turgid leafs and firm stalks. My only fuckup appears to be not cutting just below a node and not changing the water each and every day. Oh yeah, and I put a little (just a little!) brown sugar in their water, just to see if it would help things along... got slimy mold within 24 hours. Gave all the clones a good cleaning after that, and have been changing the water daily for the last 4 days.

I had the LEDs at about 14 to 16 inches for veg, and moved them up to about 20 inches for flower. The move on flower seems to have added quite a bit of stretch, but that's ok (I think, and if I'm wrong, please say something!)

I keep the temps around 70 to 75 during light, have had things go to 84 once but that's unusual. At night for the past 30 days or so, it's been 55 to 60, sometimes a little warmer but not too much.

ҜЯŬ§Ħ;10372806 said:

Thanks mudcat, much respect.....for your light height to canopy, what do you have yours set at and , is yours set for a specific watt light...still fumbling around some of the finer points....mad scientist style.....

Click to expand...

For veg it was usually 14 to 16 inches, and for flower I moved it to about 20 inches--I think when flower first started, I bumped the wattage from the 130 setting to the 190 watt setting. Which basically just turned 2/3rds of the lights being lit to 100% of the lights being lit. I also noticed that this resulted in more air blowing through the cooling fans, for whatever that's worth. I still need to run the heater to keep this room warm enough, even with all 4 of the lights on 190 watt mode. I've only had the one day where things got too warm, about 84 degrees: I opened the front and back rollup doors on the garage, and opened all 4 flapdoors on the grow tent, to get things cooled back down. I figure the temp sensor is outside of direct light, so if it says 84 degrees then the plants are probably 89 degrees. Just guesstimating but it has to be warmer in direct light than just off to the side of direct light.

Glad to hear I'm not the only mad scientist veteran noobie here I have some cool pics coming up from the last 3-4 days

Check out either rapid rooters or peat pellets and a humidity dome, or a home made bubble cloner or something. That or use a dome when cloning in soil. Then there is always the option for DIY or store bought aero cloners too.

As for light height you are kinda getting it backwards they will start out further away and get closer. I started at 36" then 30" then 24" now I stay at 18-20", trying to stay closer to 18 to keep intensity up if it doesn't burn the plants or stress them.

March 21, Day 53: Everyone gets bushier, the remaining clones are holding steady (although not really thriving--except that last Burpee fiasco clone, who's having a party over there with the peppers--what a freaky sister, I love it! party on, little clone)







I think that first pic looks a lot better right side up, so if someone knows what I'm doing wrong... I still don't get this, it shows up rightside up on my pc but not when posted here.

Day 54: heart attack time? saw what looks like a male flower... after lots of reading, suspect this is just a one-of, nip it off and keep careful watch. Over the next 3 days, I find about half a dozen of these on a couple of the other plants, but otherwise everything looks fine. nip them all off. haven't seen one for the past few days.






Day 55: baby buds everwheres, yay!

gk skunky said:

Check out either rapid rooters or peat pellets and a humidity dome, or a home made bubble cloner or something. That or use a dome when cloning in soil. Then there is always the option for DIY or store bought aero cloners too.

As for light height you are kinda getting it backwards they will start out further away and get closer. I started at 36" then 30" then 24" now I stay at 18-20", trying to stay closer to 18 to keep intensity up if it doesn't burn the plants or stress them.

Click to expand...

Will look into the domes, thanks for the tip

I did start with the lights a bit farther away, but that got me lots of stretch it seems--maybe just this strain?--so I brought the lights closer... then later on it looked like the plants started scorching a bit, so I backed them off until the plants looked happy again. And yeah, backwards... but if it makes these particular plants happy?

mudcat said:

Will look into the domes, thanks for the tip

I did start with the lights a bit farther away, but that got me lots of stretch it seems--maybe just this strain?--so I brought the lights closer... then later on it looked like the plants started scorching a bit, so I backed them off until the plants looked happy again. And yeah, backwards... but if it makes these particular plants happy?

Click to expand...

Sounds like you did fine there, and they look good and healthy. If they are stretching too much lower like you did if it's too much light at that distance back them off, again just as you did. You're good.

Hey, thanks for this! By the numbers: Temp: I started using CO^2 augmentation by mixing breadmakers' yeast with a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar, a heaping tablespoon of wheat flour, and about 2 cups of warm water, then hanging two of these in plastic bags with vent holes at the top. Kicked the temp up to 70-75 degrees in the shade. Root Zone Temp: none of the big bins are on the concrete floor--two are elevated on old tires, and two are on milk crates. Water Temp: uh oh. I go straight from our river well, through a chlorine and ozone treatment, then through a carbon filter (ozone's really bad for the health man), but the water has to be 35-40 degrees. I thought the plants would enjoy a cold bath, I'll have to start warming the water eh? Humidity: It gets to 60% at night now, but sticks around 50% during light. Everyone here tells me mold can be a real problem along the coast! Light Coverage: right on Light Measuring: I kind of get? that PARs and umols are the really important factors... and that lumens are more for photography and moviemaking purposes? Though sometimes measuring lumens can roughly indicate how things will be for plants. Maybe I'm buying into marketing hype, but at the moment, it seems to me in my current state of inexperience and ignorance that PARs are the important factor. Wife won't let me buy a good PAR meter yet, she's on me already about the money I spent for this setup. Wants to see some results, and that I won't get bored, stash it all in the attic, hehehe. Fuck that, I'm not buying medical mj any more, the last batch was supposed to be high CBD and low THC but the THC is there in droves and gives my heartrate problems. What were we talking about again? Oh yeah, PARs. I don't know, not gonna buy a lumen meter unless someone convinces me it's needed. Where's my water pipe? Light Reflection: I didn't realize alum foil was no good. Hm. Not using any, but that seems good to know. Distance: hey man where's the LED recommends Sterile Grow Media & Soil Mix: right on. I somehow contaminated the coco stuff in the Burpee seed trays, lots of mold.

sorry, and that is exactly what i have been dealing with, everyone says about the others but not LED's,....so after watching many a video and msg'ing a manufacturer, i was told that 2.5ft for veg and 16-20inches for bloom, any closer and not all the leds are hitting.....sorry for the late response , i thought i got banned for a min for posting a grass city link.....which did not post.....

and i dont recommend buying anything like a light meter,....maybe a pentype Ph if you do any kind of hydo, and or to make sure your water is correct ph......and when ph`ing, add your nutes to the water then test....then adjust.....

Day 56: another day of celebrating lots of small buds popping up everywhere. I put just a taste of the Big Bloom stuff in the water. Bought a better water meter, also has a ph meter built it. Soil readings are around 6.5 to 6.8. My water comes in right around 7.0 most weeks (I only test it weekly).










Day 58, March 26: yeast bags hung, and everyone looks happy

ҜЯŬ§Ħ;10373030 said:

and i dont recommend buying anything like a light meter,....maybe a pentype Ph if you do any kind of hydo, and or to make sure your water is correct ph......and when ph`ing, add your nutes to the water then test....then adjust.....

Click to expand...

Ok cool beans bro... i kind of gave up on the nutes for now? every time i add something to the water, one or more of the plants gives me a thumbs down and gets wilty burnt or hooks, sometimes all three. dunno, maybe all of the plants are weird anexorics

mudcat said:

Ok cool beans bro... i kind of gave up on the nutes for now? every time i add something to the water, one or more of the plants gives me a thumbs down and gets wilty burnt or hooks, sometimes all three. dunno, maybe all of the plants are weird anexorics

Click to expand...

thats more than likely the ph doing that.....look up JELLYFISH transplant for your clones, ORCA for root explosion ......and Z7 conditioner, all very affordable....i am no better brother, just starting also,.....but Ph is a bitch and will not let them absorb nutes from anysource if above/below what they have to have....its like trying to grow them in Vinegar/acid basically.....(I mean hell thats on the net, it must be true...)..lol

Day 59: buds budding, also started putting the survivors of the first two clone experiments outside and first time shot of the third round of clones

And this catches up on the project to today's date, huzzah!