AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal - Ebb&Flow - Bubblelicious 2013

[SWvoodoo]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

Ok I hope im not out of line here AG but I managed to get a couple of half decent shots of a couple of maph and a male

Nice little bud started right??.......

wrong! note the pistil protruding from one side and not the other, one is the female genitalia the other is male.

Note the ball shaped tip of the male, also seen in the early stages of the maph, but usually hairs are present soon after.

 

[s1ingblade]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

I already got it setup up in my mind Sling! I'm going to use a five gallon bucket with a lid, just enough room for 4 sites. All I need to get is the water pump and about a dozen misters. I already have the PVC and the T-Joint. Oh and I almost forgot, I might as well pick up some 3in net pots with some pucks to go along with it I think I'' be building this sooner than expected!

On another note, Bubb A has finally shown first signs of preflowering. In my opinion this looks to me as the formation of female calyx's. You be the judge. The first two pics are from the very top of the plant where it was topped and the last two pics were from the one node below the previous one.

You should get the two inch pots and the same size neoprene foam collars, plus it'll be easier to find the two inch hole saw than the three. You could use a 1 and 7/8 inch saw and work the two inch foam collars into the slightly smaller hole and by-pass the net pots, I've done it before with great success it just wears the collars out a lil faster, not much.

 

[s1ingblade]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

im sure you have a male there

 

[Skybound]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

For $20 I got a hole saw set from HDepot online that has (thus far) every hole size I've needed. Not so great with thicker woods, but works excellent on the plastics. Also, the smaller the holes you drill, the more sites you can fit into a small given area. Even though you are planning for low plant count, this may change and you may find yourself wanting more capacity.

 

[TheCapn]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

For $20 I got a hole saw set from HDepot online that has (thus far) every hole size I've needed. Not so great with thicker woods, but works excellent on the plastics. Also, the smaller the holes you drill, the more sites you can fit into a small given area. Even though you are planning for low plant count, this may change and you may find yourself wanting more capacity.

You can buy a lot of rockwool with $20. Plus you will also need money for sprayers, container, water pump, etc. And don't forget, you'll need a humidity dome on those clones once you make the aero-cloner.

Unless you can find some construction sites with hole saws and water pumps laying around (ha ha ha just kidding), this method might below be more economical. It doesn't have the "cool factor" of a spray cloner, but it is just as effective, cheaper, and more simple, especially when you're growing in rockwool:

CLICK HERE ---> How I clone in rockwool

I'll bet you already have everything you need. The rooting gel is not necessary at all. I've done tests with and without and I can't tell a difference. Once rooted, just stick it down in a nursery pot with the grow-cubes, and you're off and running.

 

[Cultivator]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

Ha you consider 36 a 'smaller' cloner! That's why I still continue to grow, because until I can get to a level where I have the ability to grow 30+ plants at a time of different strains, all conducting and undergoing individual experimentation, I will ALWAYS strive for that goal, but for now I would only need a 'smaller' 4 site cloner, maybe with just a 5 gallon container or even a 'Skygrower' inspired 3gal tote design, incorperating one of these 12v submersible pumps.

12v water pump-$12

I'm pretty sure they are about 1/2" fittings so I just need to find a good dozen mister nozzles. But I really am looking for a good quality set of nozzles, something that won't get clogged up for future use of tea!

As for completely switching over to a RDWC setup or similar, I don't think I will ever burden myself with the hassle of MORE plumbing than I already have here. This journal is mainly focusing on the potential of a flood and drain system with rockwool based medium, as I have never used a hydroponic system before this one,l I figured I would test the positive claims I have read so much about, but has received very little attention considering the wealth of information there is on this type of growing. My goals for this journal, if unclear before, are to test this SIMPLE form of hydroponics, test the theory of 'vegetative growth time VS. yield', and to potentially get 10oz+ out of this grow. And doing so using what I already have gained in the past years of growing and applying all these 'new' techniques that are out there! Hopefully my future journals will be flat out experiments with different training techniques and flushing methods. But for now I need to establish a the best (fastest with the least maintenance) medium for hydroponics before applying other peoples techniques in the hope to find a 'Frankenstein' grow method of sorts

Hey

u dont need loads of nozzles in ur cloner, 4 will be enough. in my 105 site clones i only have 11 nozzles.

If u are experimenting to find the fastest and best way to veg and get big yields there are two methouds and neither require any media, or very little. Aeroponics and DWC. Trust me when i say this, u can not get a simpler system than DWC. A bucket, a lid, a net pot and an air stone. U will see grow speeds like nothing uve witnessed in coco, soil or rockwool. I get plants like this in 9 weeks, that time includes 10 days veg. There are only 2 real ways to get faster growing speeds and they are more o2 in rootzone and co2 at canopy. DWC and aeroponics give abundance of o2 to roots. Adding co2 gives growth like u have to see to believe.

All u need is few pebbles in net pot and u use them over and over again, meaning never having to dump waste media. very clean and effective way to grow. if u can grow in rockwool, which can be tricky for some people, u will def be able to do this. No plumbing unless u decide to link buckets but 4 buckets are easy to manage without linking up.

Just food for thought bro.

Looking good by the way.

Just an after thought clonex isnt needed at all to clone but if u leave cuts in clonex for 10 mins before transplanting to cubes or cloner u definately get a more vibrant root explosion. it does make a difference but its not necessary to use.

 

[danklover79]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

Hey

u dont need loads of nozzles in ur cloner, 4 will be enough. in my 105 site clones i only have 11 nozzles.

If u are experimenting to find the fastest and best way to veg and get big yields there are two methouds and neither require any media, or very little. Aeroponics and DWC. Trust me when i say this, u can not get a simpler system than DWC. A bucket, a lid, a net pot and an air stone. U will see grow speeds like nothing uve witnessed in coco, soil or rockwool. I get plants like this in 9 weeks, that time includes 10 days veg. There are only 2 real ways to get faster growing speeds and they are more o2 in rootzone and co2 at canopy. DWC and aeroponics give abundance of o2 to roots. Adding co2 gives growth like u have to see to believe.

All u need is few pebbles in net pot and u use them over and over again, meaning never having to dump waste media. very clean and effective way to grow. if u can grow in rockwool, which can be tricky for some people, u will def be able to do this. No plumbing unless u decide to link buckets but 4 buckets are easy to manage without linking up.

Just food for thought bro.

Looking good by the way.

Just an after thought clonex isnt needed at all to clone but if u leave cuts in clonex for 10 mins before transplanting to cubes or cloner u definately get a more vibrant root explosion. it does make a difference but its not necessary to use.

Holy crap sir now those are some roots! I concur with the dwc statement, I can't believe the rate of growth using it. Res temps are the biggest issue, and it's not that difficult to maintain.

 

[Cultivator]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

yeah res temps can be a pain but u can use a chiller or if u can keep ur room steady at 75f and ur water is 65f wen u put it in, then it takes a while to creep up. u can run it at 73-74f water temps if u double dose cannazym and use guardian angel but u will get slower growth (still fast) than at 65-68f.

 

[TheCapn]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

>>> Trust me when i say this, u can not get a simpler system than DWC.

except for this part:

>>>u can use a chiller

and this part:

>>>if u double dose cannazym and use guardian angel

>>>if u can keep ur room steady at 75f and ur water is 65f wen u put it in, then it takes a while to creep up

Within a few hours of changing the water in the bucket, it will be "room temperature". The air pump is constantly pushing room air into the bucket. So are you saying you should change your water every few hours? ;-)

And don't forget the part where PH fluctuates rapidly in the bucket, and the part where you need air pumps running 24/7, and if the power goes out, water can back syphon up the airline and flood your house. And after a few hours with no air, the water is depleted of oxygen and anaerobic bacteria starts growing. Now you have pythium which is a death sentence to your prize plant.

Hey Cultivator, your DWC plant is amazing. Very very nice. Above, I am giving you a hard time, I know and I'm not trying to argue that DWC isn't the way to go. I am simply pointing out that DWC is NOT the most simple or risk free way to grow. If you're not using a chiller (RDWC) and a back up power supply for your air pumps, DWC is a gamble. Hence the reason there is a 289 page thread about DWC and root rot, on R. I. U., started over 3 years ago and still going strong. With grower after grower, posting pictures of their rotted or slimed roots.

I did RDWC for a long time and was amazingly successful with it. I had found a strain that produced monster colas when grown in DWC. I was in heaven, until one day an airline popped off an air stone, and within a few days, one of my plants started to yellow from the bottom up. By that time, it spread, and every plant on the RDWC eventually died. I was 6 weeks into flower when it happened, and I was able to harvest some bud, but not much. 3-4 months invested and BOOM! Gone. Yes, I should have had TWO air stones in each bucket, powered each by a separate air pump, for redundancy.

DWC definitely has the "cool factor", very rapid growth, and high yields, I will not argue on that. If I had the energy and patience, I would go back to DWC (I have a chiller). However, I've been doing this awhile, and now I am interested in the simplest (and least laborious) way to grow, while still achieving high yields. I've found I can consistently average 16oz per plant, in a 4x4 space and 600W light, by top-feeding or ebb and flow rockwool. I have very little risk of root disease, no need for the chiller and multiple high volume air pumps, and immune to power outages. How do I get the same yield as DWC? I veg a week or two longer. Simple as that!

Again, please note I am not trying to discourage anyone from growing DWC. It is a really fun and impressive way to grow. My only point is it is definitely not the most SIMPLE way to grow. One other thing to note here... Cultivator has MANY YEARS of experience, and things that come easy and natural for him, may not be so clear to others. You may get "lucky" time after time, but at some point things go wrong and a grow may be lost. HGHB's recent RDWC is a perfect example. He was so stoked about that grow but we never saw one single bud from it. He said he didn't have time to "document" the grow, but he also said he made a lot of "edibles". Lol. Yeah right. It just goes to show, with even the best of growers, a DWC grow can go downhill quickly if conditions are not optimum. (another reason high volume medical growers rarely do DWC)

AG, sorry to hijack your thread!

 

[Cultivator]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

Within a few hours of changing the water in the bucket, it will be "room temperature". The air pump is constantly pushing room air into the bucket. So are you saying you should change your water every few hours? ;-)

And don't forget the part where PH fluctuates rapidly in the bucket, and the part where you need air pumps running 24/7, and if the power goes out, water can back syphon up the airline and flood your house. And after a few hours with no air, the water is depleted of oxygen and anaerobic bacteria starts growing. Now you have pythium which is a death sentence to your prize plant.

i agree and disagree.

water wont syphon if u use none return valves. and if power fails the plant will be good for good 48 hours easy if its established in the root area.

Ofcourse things can go wrong, but i see grower fucking up coco, soil, rockwool everyday. so its no diff to anything else.

What i meant by simple is that for hydro this is the simplest set up in my eyes.

 

[AfricanGrower]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

>>> AG, sorry to hijack your thread!

No worries here Capn. I could not have said it better myself

I agree with both of you in why each method in each growers eyes varies in simplicity with every person you meet! I completely understand why the undeniable speed of DWC trumps all other hydro methods but with all benefits in life, it comes at a cost which is more maintenance. I will definitely experiment with other forms of hydro like bubble buckets, just to gain the first hand experience for myself.

But Capn hit the nail on the head when he said, "I am interested in the simplest (and least laborious) way to grow, while still achieving high yields." By documenting his own experience it left me without having to go through the hassles of a first time hydro grower (regardless of luck), or at least I think I have done fair job so far in reading my plants changes. (I noticed that changes within a plants biology is much more rapid in hydro than soil, which I was overwhelmed with at first, but am now taking full advantage of)

Ending on that note, I am glad that I have the experience of both you Cultivator, and you Capn here with me

 

[danklover79]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

The flood and drain seems to be the easiest to maintain, and I've done research on the rockwool method that suggests you can get a very nice yield with it. They said to feed, then flush at least 3 times during flower, then let the cubes dry out completely before resuming the feed schedule. Seems interesting, I just don't have that kind of space right now, maybe one day.

 

[shaft09]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

AG,

Hope you don't mind me posting more pics, just wanted to show how much roots have grown in 1 week. Also I need a little help from my brothers here on what mix you would use with the nutes in the pic. Right now I have more tea brewing. In the res currently is just RO ph water in the amount of 6 gallons. This was done at 1:00 pm pacific standard time. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[B A R]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

Post them larger.

 

[shaft09]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

I suck at this kind of stuff, lol. I'm on the other side of 50, so bigger is better. I can't see shit up close, but I still got that eagle eye at distance!

My haul from walking the dogs in the desert yesterday.

 

[B A R]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

Shaft, you should start a Grow Journal. You don't have to wait until later. I knew a guy named Dharmabud Who had nearly 5 pages before he planted a seed & had a crowd of followers.

 

[shaft09]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

I'm too dumb for that I think, but I'll give it some thought.

 

[TheCapn]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

>>>Also I need a little help from my brothers here on what mix you would use with the nutes in the pic. Right now I have more tea brewing. In the res currently is just RO ph water in the amount of 6 gallons.

Hey shaft, nice choice of nutrients. I just posted my recipe in my BLOG: Blogs

 

[shaft09]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

Great for veg, but I'm already in flower.

 

[shaft09]

Re: AfricanGrower's 1st Hydro Journal-Ebb&Flow/Bubblelicious 2013

This is what I used on last res change last week total in 5 gal water + 1 gal tea.

Flora Micro - 25ml
Flora Bloom - 30ml
Flora Nectar - 15ml
Flora Blend - 15ml
Flora Blend - 15ml
GH Cal Mag - 30ml