3rd Grow - Time For The Light Show

[UncleCannabis]

I applaud you sir for heading in what I consider to be the right direction with your plan to begin composting and making your own custom mixed soils.
I think that you'll find that this is the most rewarding way to go whether you grow MJ or vegetables both in product quality as well as the overall gardening experience.

Don't go telling your wife that I said this.
What happens on 420mag stays on 420mag.

 

[Kriaze]

Hey Kriaze

Good to see you are considering going organic Once on that route, you will only need to water and add teas if you like. I made it through this grow (will be chopping the last 2 girls in the next couple days) with only water and a couple minor deficiencies. I am still learning LOL

A note on your compost, avoid including fats, meats and bones from your kitchen waste in your composter. They take along time to break down and attract all kinds of pests and generally smell foul. Besides, they are not needed in your soil/compost.

Secondly, while you are researching composting and organic soils, read a bit on C-N ratios (carbon-nitrogen)they are a very important part of composting and soils that rarely gets mentioned.

I love the idea of just applying the odd top dressing and trying to create a soil that is worthy of MJ

Don't worry UncleCannabis it was a case of the conspiracy theory 'they said' no names mentioned at all hehehe

 

[Weaselcracker]

Hey Kriaze

Good to see you are considering going organic Once on that route, you will only need to water and add teas if you like. I made it through this grow (will be chopping the last 2 girls in the next couple days) with only water and a couple minor deficiencies. I am still learning LOL

Yeah me too. LOL gardening is what I do best. A difficult practice at times but somebody has to do it. Thinking of switching to LOS

 

[B A R]

Dang Kraize, just last week I was thinking to myself; "Something like that would make mixing soil a lot less messy". I saw our Super mixing some cement in something similar with a crank on the side to patch up a few cracks in the sidewalk. Man, I hate cleaning up the bathroom after mixing soil, transplanting, and whatnot. It never all stays in the tub, one of the downfalls of growing in an apt.

 

[uhewekguilw]

I went to the grow store today and asked about mixing my own super soil, then realized how much it would cost me and I can't let it cook at my apartment complex so I just decided to buy more coco

Maybe when I have the space I'll go the Organic route. The LOS looks worthy of a shot!
Good luck Kriaze, can't wait to watch how it turns out for you!

 

[B A R]

You can cook in your apt Mr. Bomb, we do. Just have to do small amounts at a time. We use an 8gal bucket with a lid. Just load all the crap into the bucket, dump it in your tub with a ripped open large plastic garbage bag on the bottom, mix it up real good, and then pour it all back into the bucket. Dampen it, close the lid and let it cook.
If anyone is interested in how to do some of the growing rituals in small apts where doing your business outside really isn't an option just ask. If it's something I've done I'll be glad to share.

 

[uhewekguilw]

Thanks BAR. I'll send you a pm next time I'm headed to the grow store so I can jot down some notes. thanks

 

[arellanobrian]

the girls are looking nice kraize and i would love to see you do an organic grow as im interested in making an organic soil myself but i really like my coco right now. good luck and keep growing

 

[Kriaze]

I went to the grow store today and asked about mixing my own super soil, then realized how much it would cost me and I can't let it cook at my apartment complex so I just decided to buy more coco

Maybe when I have the space I'll go the Organic route. The LOS looks worthy of a shot!
Good luck Kriaze, can't wait to watch how it turns out for you!

I'm thinking it can't cost much once it's started GB. Instead of throwing some things I can just whack it in, give it a tumble and get some compost. That will be my aim eventually. Having some nice soil and planting then letting it all grow au natural

the girls are looking nice kraize and i would love to see you do an organic grow as im interested in making an organic soil myself but i really like my coco right now. good luck and keep growing

It will take months arellanobrian, but I may as well get started on it, I'm looking forward to it It'll take months to cook though I think, maybe this tumbler will be magic and make it quick

 

[JohnnieJC3]

I'm onboard, and late to the party. I have a nebula seed I may drop next round, definitely cool to see how your Nebula will turn out.

 

[Kriaze]

Hey JohnnieJC3 welcome aboard. You might want to hold on tight it easily gets rough on these grows lol. All the best

 

[JohnnieJC3]

Sounds like a roller coaster, similar to way life is for most, if not all of us. I've always enjoyed roller coasters.

 

[Kriaze]

Just a minor update today and questions, maybe many questions

First of all here's how the plants are looking today. The LSD is still looking a tad unhealthy but I don't want to go overkill on the nutrients as first of all the soil is still slightly damp, and secondly I understand that it can take awhile for rectified problems to show in soil and I don't want to over nute and cause lockout issues in the future. So I'm taking it easy but I do have a 6l watering can full of tap water at the side of the tent ready for when the plants are ready.

The lights are now mainly the 1600w on all the time and the Reflectors on in the morning and evening. They seem to be making some slight difference as the two side plants seem to have better growth than the other two plants, even the LSD which was sat right underneath the CFL:

The LSD, I'm kind of regretting not having fed her sooner now. I don't know why she is the only one showing these symptons as they're all planted in exactly the same mix of soil and Perlite (and now Dolomite Lime too) . Maybe this particular strain has weak genetics, or maybe they need something a little different from the rest. Maybe, I'm just not a very good father to them, but I'm working on my parenting skills! :

The Incredible Bulk 1 is doing much as I'd expect, growing along gradually:

The Incredible Bulk 2 is one of the plants that are in front of the sidelighting and does seem to have a touch more growth. I'm not sure if it shows well here but it seems that way when I'm in the tent:

The Par Nebula is doing the same as the latter two plants but does also seem to have a little more growth than LSD and IB1. Maybe the supplemental lighting even helps in veg, although I wouldn't have thought it could make much difference. Who knows? :

So in regards to my tent I'm looking for a different way of cooling. At the moment I have my extractor fan up high and exhausting straight through the wall vent at the side of the tent. The intake is coming directly from my room which is usually around a steady 25 degrees Celsius, in fact I just had a quick check and the ambient temp in the room is 24.8C according to my thermometer.

I'm wondering whether it would be viable to pull air into the tent directly from outside via the wall vent and then exhaust via the chimney vent. I have a couple of possible problems with this though. First of all the chimney vent is around 10-15ft away from the tent, there is no way for me to move the tent now as pretty much this was the only way to get them to fit in and still have a little room for everything else that's in here.
Secondly the chimney vent is at floor level (upstairs room but floor level vent). Now I know that hot air rises so I'm thinking if I tried to switch the intake and exhaust because I'd be trying to push the hot air downwards through 10-15ft of ducting would this fail? I have visions of the heats rising and rising and my fan struggling to push it through to the chimney (6" fan with 550m/3 air movement at 2580rpm). I'm not sure how that fan is for a 100cm x 100cm x 200cm tent but I bought it to replace the 4" fan that wasn't keeping temps under control either. I'm really at a loss and this is my final port of call before having to look into other solutions.

After reading up on Air Conditioning and it's related costs I have decided that that route is a no go for me. Electricity is expensive in the UK (isn't everything) and I can't justify £400 for a unit that's going to cost me around £80 - £100 per month to run. I only grow for myself and for fun but I've had cheaper hobbies in the past for sure. Seriously though AC is out of the question.

If anybody has any ideas they are most welcome, as I'm just stuck at the moment to be honest. I can't turn the central heating off completely as it would be unfair to my wife and children so I've turned off radiators that are near to my room or inside it, it's just not enough. Maybe it's time to look into alternative solutions, but maybe I can get this hot air down the tube and out into the chimney, I may have to try it soon.


On another note I'm hoping to go organic eventually and today the tumbling composter arrived. It may look simple but believe me this was a bugger to put together. I'm no good at all when it comes to DIY so this didn't help but between the sharp edges and my fat fingers there was plenty of grunting, cursing and things being kicked (mainly the composter lol). Eventually though it all came together, once I'd taken the legs apart and put them together the right way around anyway

Here it is:

Once it was built I threw a good few shovels full of multi purpose compost in then a load of grass cuttings, cardboard and my teabag (brew breaks are a must) then I went to town with the Volcanic dust, Lime, chicken manure, bonemeal and fish, blood and bone. Gave it all a good turning then left it as it is. I've been reading about the 'greens' and 'browns' of organic compost and can't say I have mastered any of it yet, but at least I know what I'm supposed to put in and not put in for now. I'm currently catching up on all the organic threads that I am subbed to so that I can try and get the gist of things.

That's it from me for now, as ever all input is both welcomed and appreciated and I shall wish you all the best of days. All the best

 

[Robert Celt]

Quick question for you Kraize. Is your intake port in the tent at floor level or close to it?

 

[glimmergrass]

I'm late but can't wait to see how it goes

 

[Kriaze]

Quick question for you Kraize. Is your intake port in the tent at floor level or close to it?

Hello TheCelt. The intake is at floor level yes, exhaust is at the top of the tent and out to the wall vent

 

[Kriaze]

I'm late but can't wait to see how it goes

Hello glimmergrass, welcome aboard

 

[Robert Celt]

Well this might be a suggestion for you mate. Make your tent a "down draft" like a paint booth for painting autos. If both vents are the same size and you have room to move the exhaust fan assembly to floor level, exhaust out the bottom of the tent to your chimney and bring your intake in the top from your wall vent.

 

[Weaselcracker]

It would be haywire to do it that way - having 15 feet of venting going downhill to join the chimney,that is- though it could be done- maybe would need more fan power I don't know. But much much much better would be to join into the chimney at a higher point, obviously. It's not necessarily difficult. Do you feel comfortable cutting holes in the upper part of your wall/ ceiling? If so then post some pics of the area your chimney passes through. We can find a way to tie a vent into it.
What's above the ceiling? An attic? (good) An apartment full of strangers? (Not good) DEA headquarters? (Bad)

I've gotta head to the bush for a few days so won't be able to 'help' you, or post 'funny' crap on your journal for a while.
I finally got so lonely over at my journal that I put the link in my signature. Would be happy for the company.

 

[Robert Celt]

Too funny Weaselcracker

I will visit your journal, didn't even know you had one LOL