newbie cfl\hydro experiment

justanotherbozo · 05-17-2008, 10:14 AM

i decided to give this another try for the sake of the newbies like me. i don't know if this will help anyone other than how not to do things but sharing it will help me and i guess that's a good thing anyway.

this is my second attempt to grow the ganja and the first in hydro so i am sure i am making many mistakes and the things i do right i have learned here and other forums as well as from Jorge Cervantes and Greg Green's books.

my plan is to have 3 mommas from 3 premium strains (gonna buy the seeds with the money George is sending me to 'stimulate' my 'economy') as my foundation for a SOG with 32 stations, for a weekly harvest of 4 clones.

i'm using DWC exclusively as that seemed to be the simplest way to 'get my feet wet' so to speak, KISS, with the foundation for my SOG being 4 x 5gallon bins(prototype #3), each with 8 stations (each station houses a 9oz, cup filled with hydroton, each bin actually holds 27 quarts, 5 gallons brings the solution to about a half inch from the bottom of the cups).

i plan on rooting clones for approx 2 weeks, then to flower them immediately (hopefully my bins will be big enough).

anyway, here's some pics so you don't die of boredom.
(please don't laugh at my fumblings, i'm a newbie traveling the same road you once traveled and on a VERY tight budget)

1) my old lights ($25.00 Walmart security lights, Mercury Vapor, 170watts each) they sucked, don't buy them, i'm using CFL's now and the growth is far superior
2) prototype #1, just an underbed bin with duct tape and dowels hot glued to provide support system for the cups.
3) just another shot
4) some roots
5) a look under the stairs

justanotherbozo · 05-17-2008, 10:31 AM

some more pics as work begins on prototype #2.

and FYI, i started this experiment at the end of Feb. so these first pics are from the 2nd week of March.

also FYI, i'm using Technaflora's BC Grow, Boost and Bloom with ThriveAlive B1 red and green as my nutes (recommended by the guy at the hydro shop). i also recently started using Superthrive and Hygrozyme.

anyway, the pics

1) work begins on prototype #2
2) the wonder tool, makes short work out of turning cups into 'net' pots,
not so good for this job (i recently invested in a hole saw)
3) ragged edges
4) they fit !
5) ubiquitous duct tape
6) getting ready for moving day

scott06 · 05-17-2008, 10:47 AM

you are clearly very determined and working hard...I hope all goes well this grow...it looks very nice to me....the only thing I see that I would bring up is all those electric cords
Are they all going to a surge strip rather than directly into the wall?
Can they get wet on the ground and if they can could you raise them off the floor?
thanks for sharing your efforts

justanotherbozo · 05-17-2008, 10:55 AM

as a parent of 3 teens who think they know all the answers even though they haven't heard half the questions yet, i am often distracted from my passion (which is green, hence my desire to participate here). i struggle daily deciding whether to hug them or choke them, LOL.

anyway, as i am also not the most organizized guy on the planet, i got distracted during the move and half the plants went almost 24 hours without an air line into the bin resulting in root-rot. fortunately, i was able to nurse them back to health.

1) moving day half done
2) finally done
3) my poor roots (the yellow color is from stuff i added that is meant to treat fungal problems in fish)
4) more sick roots
5) a little healthier here
6) and here

justanotherbozo · 05-17-2008, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scott06

you are clearly very determined and working hard...I hope all goes well this grow...it looks very nice to me....the only thing I see that I would bring up is all those electric cords
Are they all going to a surge strip rather than directly into the wall?
Can they get wet on the ground and if they can could you raise them off the floor?
thanks for sharing your efforts

thanks for sharing yours as well, i've been watching, LOL.
anyway, i've since cleaned up the mess somewhat, i'm still ironing out the kinks yet so final positioning of everything is still being worked out. i will say though that i have a couple years training in electronics so i'm careful not to get electrical stuff wet, LOL
oh yeah, i forgot, the only thing plugged into the wall is a surge protector that i plug 2 more surge protectors into, one for the lights and one for everything else.

justanotherbozo · 05-17-2008, 11:14 AM

being a disabled vet on a VERY tight budget, i opted for CFL's once i found out how bad my MV lights were and i've been truely amazed at the results, i wish i had started with these the first time around (i haven't flowered yet but i'm VERY encouraged by others results)

anyway, i'm using mostly 6500Kelvin bulbs right now with about a 4 to 1 ratio, watt for watt split between 6500K and 2700K respectively. i'll be flipping the ratio around for flowering.

anyway, heres some pics of the expanding canopy, LOL

justanotherbozo · 05-17-2008, 11:17 AM

time for an attitude adjustment so, toke amongst yourselves.

justanotherbozo · 05-17-2008, 11:35 AM

justanotherbozo · 05-17-2008, 12:11 PM

if i want to make this thread interesting enough to get some feedback, LOL.
and since pictures are worth a thousand words, heres a few more.

pics 1 - 3 show my hi-tech solution for monitoring temps at root level
pics 4 & 5 show my first attempt at cloning
pic 6 shows the pots i used last year for my first grow ever (in dirt obviously, LOL)

Pappy · 05-17-2008, 12:13 PM

Looks like you're doing something right. Your girls seem happy and healthy. Good luck, with this grow.

Pappy

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newbie cfl\hydro experiment

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