1st Grow, RainForest 318, 400W HID, Chronic Haze, Yumbolt47, California Dream

Vaporeyes said:
Hey Boli whats happening? Dont know how I missed this one.....Congrats on the haul!!
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Hey Vaporeyes. This grow turned out way better than I thought it would. The RF does make some vegetation happy. I expect to do as well on this next grow, using one less plant. We'll see.

How's your RF 66 doing? Get to harvest yet?
 
Bolivar said:
Dried weights turned out to be the following:

Cali Dream #1: 2.5 oz

Cali Dream #2: 1.6 oz

Chronic Haze #1: 5.2 oz

Chronic Haze #2: 1.5 oz

I rounded up for the oz. weights, plus I figure I smoked an ounce between Dec and now, so close to 12 oz for the 4 plants, which is about 4 times what I had hoped for. Big surprise is the Cali Dreams, which I thought were really light, maybe because they were cooked by the HPS the last half of the grow, turned out to be the densest. By volume, it's noticeably heavier than the Chronic Haze.

Smoke so far is all about the same, i.e. it takes one bowlful (small bubbler) to get me nice n high for a couple of hours. I've been watching bad movies while smoking the last month to sort of test how good the effects are... Preliminary results are excellent.

Life is good.
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Nice turn out, sure looks like some heady nug, good job on that. Whats your favorite smoke out of your strains. Did you end up with much scraggle? Bet you are stoked to get that first harvest out of the way. keep it coming
 
Hi Bolivar. What a great journal! And congrats on your grow. Looks like a great harvest and fabulous buds.

I just bought the RainForest 66 and I've been adding bits and pieces as I discover various things I'll need but don't have. I have a few questions I'm hoping you may be able to answer.

first, I got the RF 66 hoping that I could use it to grow plants from seeds to finish. I thought I would just put my seeds into grow plugs and put the plugs into the hydroton/baskets. Hoping that with the larger baskets, I would have no transplanting worries. Do you think this is doable? Also, I'm not sure, but would I turn the RF on from the very beginning and would the water/nutes get to the grow plugs ok? Or do I need to do something?

Second, I do not have any sort of CO2 system. Is this a mistake? I will be growing in my home and not using a tent. I have just cordoned off a little area in the bedroom (!) for the RF and set up a lighting rack and fan for air circulation.

Third, I was going to work with whatever the ambient humidity and temp would be....room temp about 70 degrees and humidity fluctuating with whatever we have in NJ...pretty humid in the summer.

Lastly, I notice that you used air rocks, which I'm guessing is the same as a bubble disk. I see them being sold inexpensively, but would I need to also buy some sort of air pump and tubing? If so, how did you rig it with your RF? And do you think the aeration is necessary in an aeroponic system which is supposed to supply high oxygen to the roots?

Thanks in advance for your comments and good luck with your next adventure!
 
dogstick said:
Nice turn out, sure looks like some heady nug, good job on that. Whats your favorite smoke out of your strains. Did you end up with much scraggle? Bet you are stoked to get that first harvest out of the way. keep it coming
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Finished with the California Dream and Chronic Haze. The CD buds just looked odd. It appears that there might have been a hermie branch somewhere because the bud looks like it has immature seeds in it. The smoke is fine, better than what I'd expect from seeded buds, but the stuff is just ugly looking. And smells "different" - it's curing nicely as far as the smell goes. Got a kind of fresh-ground coffee smell to it now. Probably not a good description.

The Chronic Haze looks good, smells good, and smokes great. I can recommend it. It also has a different smell to it, sort of piney mixed with something else. And there's a little sweet smell to it as well. I was adding Flora Nectar the last several weeks, so that may be the source of that.

I started smoking the stuff in December, long before harvest, and I've still got about 5 1.5L jars full. I must say also that I've never smoked this much good stuff daily in my life... :>)
 
I was thinking of using floranectar for the transion period but was skeptecal on it in our sytem. I have it lying around. Did it junk up anything? I think it is super refined and heard it smells great. Also was wondering if you ran your pump 24/7. or what was your increments? I run mine 24/7 cause I have enough o2 for the water but I might turn it off at night since I am past the seedling stage.
 
lassus said:
Hi Bolivar. What a great journal! And congrats on your grow. Looks like a great harvest and fabulous buds.

I just bought the RainForest 66 and I've been adding bits and pieces as I discover various things I'll need but don't have. I have a few questions I'm hoping you may be able to answer.

first, I got the RF 66 hoping that I could use it to grow plants from seeds to finish. I thought I would just put my seeds into grow plugs and put the plugs into the hydroton/baskets. Hoping that with the larger baskets, I would have no transplanting worries. Do you think this is doable? Also, I'm not sure, but would I turn the RF on from the very beginning and would the water/nutes get to the grow plugs ok? Or do I need to do something?
Click to expand...

Thanks a bunch for the nice compliments. For both my grows in the RF, I started the seeds in paper towels, put them into RapidRooters when they cracked, put the RRs under a T5 a few days until the seedlings started, then put the RRs into the RF netpots and into the system. I just put a layer of hydroton on the bottom of the netpot, set the RR on that, then fill in the sides with hydroton and cover the top with it as well.

Second, I do not have any sort of CO2 system. Is this a mistake? I will be growing in my home and not using a tent. I have just cordoned off a little area in the bedroom (!) for the RF and set up a lighting rack and fan for air circulation.
Click to expand...

I put in a CO2 system during the last grow, and I honestly can't say how much difference it made, if any. But now that I have it and it only costs $20 to fill the bottle, I'm running it again this time.

Third, I was going to work with whatever the ambient humidity and temp would be....room temp about 70 degrees and humidity fluctuating with whatever we have in NJ...pretty humid in the summer.
Click to expand...

I think you're going to find that your lights are going to raise temperatures dramatically in the summer. I'm not going to be growing this summer, but next time I do I'll have a portable A/C in the tent. I'm pretty sure I heat-stressed my plants last grow, and that one started in October...

Lastly, I notice that you used air rocks, which I'm guessing is the same as a bubble disk. I see them being sold inexpensively, but would I need to also buy some sort of air pump and tubing? If so, how did you rig it with your RF? And do you think the aeration is necessary in an aeroponic system which is supposed to supply high oxygen to the roots?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how much the RF aerates the water, but as long as airstones and pumps are cheap (I think I paid about $20 for the airstone and pump), I'm not going to gamble. I just run the air hose down a hole in the lid (not sure what it's for to begin with).
 
dogstick said:
I was thinking of using floranectar for the transion period but was skeptecal on it in our sytem. I have it lying around. Did it junk up anything? I think it is super refined and heard it smells great. Also was wondering if you ran your pump 24/7. or what was your increments? I run mine 24/7 cause I have enough o2 for the water but I might turn it off at night since I am past the seedling stage.
Click to expand...

I meant to tell Lassus too that the only time I turn my pump off is when I'm changing the res. I don't think it'll hurt to cycle it, but I don't believe it uses much electricity. Kind of expensive to replace, of course...

I didn't have any problems with the flora nectar. It's no thicker than, say, pineapple juice (but looks like cloudy tea), so it shouldn't slow down the RF at all. I used the fruit blend flavor, and really can't tell if it changed anything at all. I might try the pineapple this time just to see what happens.
 
StinkFinger said:
I know I'm way late to your journal Bolivar.

Consider me working backwards from this post.

:popcorn:

I hope when you start again, you'll post a link here to your new journal and I'll be subscribed.

Thanks buddy!
SF
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Hey, thanks, SF. I'll be catching up with your journal the next few days. I've already seen some useful pointers for the Ebb & Gro in the first few pages of it.
 
Bolivar said:
Thanks a bunch for the nice compliments. For both my grows in the RF, I started the seeds in paper towels, put them into RapidRooters when they cracked, put the RRs under a T5 a few days until the seedlings started, then put the RRs into the RF netpots and into the system.

OK, I get most of the shorthand....What's T5?

I just put a layer of hydroton on the bottom of the netpot, set the RR on that, then fill in the sides with hydroton and cover the top with it as well.

I thought the plug sat embedded flush to the surface, in the basket of hydronton. This is incorrect?

I put in a CO2 system during the last grow, and I honestly can't say how much difference it made, if any. But now that I have it and it only costs $20 to fill the bottle, I'm running it again this time.

OK. Sounds like it's a fine point, not a major issue....

I think you're going to find that your lights are going to raise temperatures dramatically in the summer.

I do keep a large window fan aimed at the lamp for cooling and breezing. Crude, but seems to be effective. I will definitely keep an eye open for stressing the plant. But also keep in mind, that my home is air conditioned, so the inside temp really doesn't change with the seasons. It's just being regulated by heat or a/c.

I'm not going to be growing this summer, but next time I do I'll have a portable A/C in the tent. I'm pretty sure I heat-stressed my plants last grow, and that one started in October...



I'm not sure how much the RF aerates the water, but as long as airstones and pumps are cheap (I think I paid about $20 for the airstone and pump), I'm not going to gamble. I just run the air hose down a hole in the lid (not sure what it's for to begin with).
Click to expand...


So I need to buy some sort of pump and tubing in addition to the airstone(s). Thanks!

And sorry I haven't mastered the in and out of quotes stuff. But you get the idea.
 
lassus said:
So I need to buy some sort of pump and tubing in addition to the airstone(s). Thanks!
Click to expand...

Yes. You pump air into the airstone and it comes out bubbles in your res. Small pumps are cheap though.


OK, I get most of the shorthand....What's T5?
Click to expand...

Google T5 flourescent and you'll find all kinds of info on them. They're high output flourescent fixtures/bulbs. They also cost more than regular flourescents.

I thought the plug sat embedded flush to the surface, in the basket of hydronton. This is incorrect?
Click to expand...

The top of the RapidRooter will be at about the same height as the top of the netpot. I put hydroton on top of that because I had some problems with thin stems falling over in the RapidRooters last grow. The hydroton seems to stabilize the stem until it gets established.

I do keep a large window fan aimed at the lamp for cooling and breezing. Crude, but seems to be effective. I will definitely keep an eye open for stressing the plant. But also keep in mind, that my home is air conditioned, so the inside temp really doesn't change with the seasons. It's just being regulated by heat or a/c.
Click to expand...

You should be OK with your ambient temps low from A/C. I used a fan blowing across the reflector at first too, and it worked fine. Then the temps got up a bit outside, and I had to go ahead and route the lamp heat out of the tent with a fan and ducting.
 
Here's how the current crew looks tonight:

DSCI0309as.jpg


The Super Lemon Haze:
DSCI0311as.jpg


Blueberry:
DSCI0312as.jpg


Kandy Kush (the midget):
DSCI0314as.jpg
 
I forgot to comment on the 12/12 from seed results so far. Until now, the only difference I noticed from last grow is that it hasn't turned into a jungle by now...

The plants appear to be spending more energy gaining altitude than spreading laterally. The fan leaf stems are just not stretching out like last time. They're staying short and the leaves are closer to the main stem, like I wanted. I may be premature here, but this is what I was aiming for: a more vertical plant profile with an unusually large main cola at the end of the grow, which would be perfect for an area-challenged system like the RainForest. We'll see how it turns out.
 
I'm loving this grow. Here's a pic of the 3 ladies, Blueberry on the left, Kandy Kush in the middle, and Super Lemon Haze on the right. This is a month since putting seeds into paper towels, and this time last grow you couldn't see even a sliver of RainForest for the foliage. So far, I'm liking the 12/12 results. And all 3 have hairs now...

The Kandy Kush looks just like a little bonsai plant, despite being ahead of the SLH by nearly a full node. I've got a T5 2x2 on it until it gets a bit closer to the HPS. The Blueberry is a full node ahead of the Super Lemon Haze, which trails in development but not total size - it's almost as tall as the Blueberry.

DSCI0330as.jpg
 
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