I just went back and looked again at your last update. They look pretty good I thought.
Dusted’s Traditional Hydroponic Grows
- Thread starter Dusted
- Start date
Stltoed
Well-Known Member
What an interesting rig. Ive thought a lot about trying pure hydroponic organic, with a bio- filter and all that. I like the way you take care of thatThis time it will be THC Bomb, their signature strain. I put 5 seeds into my germination system last night. They are usually ready to go after 3 days so this is a bit premature. Maybe they will all die. I don't usually do summer grows but I enjoy growing so much I had to have something going. Hopefully it won't get too hot in the grow room when we finally get some warm temperatures.
I run a 5 pot traditional hydroponic system (40 yrs old). 15 litre pails suspended in 20 litre pails connected at the bottom for nutrient drainage and supply. I pump out of the reservoir, into the chiller, then through the drain line to the end of the system where the line is plugged. In the base of each drainage bucket I take 2 feeds off the main line for each upper bucket. Total working volume is about 50 litres. You don't want that much water on your floor in case of a leak, so I use a king size waterbed liner as a containment system.
I have 1000 W hps/mh and 600 W hps/mh lamps at the ceiling with reflectors, where I pretty much keep them.
I used the Remo nutrient line, according to their feed schedule, for the last grow, and was pleased. The do have a problem with fungus growing in their bloom products though. I doubt it has any harmful effects but visually it sucks. Nutrient temperature is kept at 23 C with the chiller, otherwise it would hit 27 - 28 C, which reduces the oxygen content of the nutrient solution and allows plant pathogens to grow.
I use a living hydroponic grow media. 15 litres of clay pellets is a lot of surface area for bacteria and fungus to colonize. Once the rootlets get going there are even more places to grow. There is also of course all the dead organic material from previous grows, even though I remove the big chunks. On a regular basis I add hydrated bacterial and fungal spores to the grow media. I am blending Great White and GH Subculture B since they each have a slightly different mixture of spores. I feed them with a soluble carbon source on a daily basis. Presently I'm using malt vinegar but a citric acid solution or molasses will also work.
Hopefully I won't have to abandon this journal. I will let you know in a couple of days.
- Thread starter
- #223
Dusted
Well-Known Member
Welcome to my little adventure. Your experience may be required to help correct my mistakes
Stltoed
Well-Known Member
Thank you.. If you have a question you think I can answer please add an @Stltoed to the post. This forum has issues with losing track of alerts, I would hate to miss the question.
Your rig is cool. Like I was saying, if I ever decide I need a challenge, full on organic hydroponics is on my list. Quite a challenge. Your system straddles the line between this challenge and a conventional RDWC. Id love to see this work out.
I apologize if you gave specs on your airpump I missed it. What sort of volume is your air pump putting out?
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- #225
Dusted
Well-Known Member
Day 7 post flip
I did a bit of defoliation to open thing up. I still need do some more clean up of useless shoots. The Strawberry Banana #1 is doing great. Lovely colour to the leaves now. Strawberry Banana #2 however is a problem. It is hard to see from a distance so I included some close up leaf shots. The apex and side shoots are growing well but the leaves get spots and eventually dry up. The Cream Caramel is also looking good. The nodes were very tightly packed. I had to take off lots of the big fans on this one. The apex however seems to have stalled. I have side branches out growing the apex. The White Widow is also in rough shape. Still losing the leaves but putting out new growth nicely. No sign of sex yet on any of them.
I hadn't thought about the air pump since it sits next to the circulation pump intake. I only had it bubbling a bit but just cranked it up to full power (45 GPH). My reservoir is fairly low to the ground so it can't take too much bubbling without too much splashing taking place. I'm pretty sure the nutrients are saturated with oxygen leaving the reservoir.
I did a bit of defoliation to open thing up. I still need do some more clean up of useless shoots. The Strawberry Banana #1 is doing great. Lovely colour to the leaves now. Strawberry Banana #2 however is a problem. It is hard to see from a distance so I included some close up leaf shots. The apex and side shoots are growing well but the leaves get spots and eventually dry up. The Cream Caramel is also looking good. The nodes were very tightly packed. I had to take off lots of the big fans on this one. The apex however seems to have stalled. I have side branches out growing the apex. The White Widow is also in rough shape. Still losing the leaves but putting out new growth nicely. No sign of sex yet on any of them.
I hadn't thought about the air pump since it sits next to the circulation pump intake. I only had it bubbling a bit but just cranked it up to full power (45 GPH). My reservoir is fairly low to the ground so it can't take too much bubbling without too much splashing taking place. I'm pretty sure the nutrients are saturated with oxygen leaving the reservoir.
Stltoed
Well-Known Member
Where did the Strawberry Banana come from (breeder)?
They're looking great Dusted, except a couple of leaves on the WW. I'd take those off so they didn't bug me every time I checked on the plants 
.
.- Thread starter
- #228
Dusted
Well-Known Member
Canuk seeds. They are the in-house breeders for True North (sponsor here)
There aren’t a lot of leaves on the poor little thing so I’m allowing it keep its ugly leaves for a while.They're looking great Dusted, except a couple of leaves on the WW. I'd take those off so they didn't bug me every time I checked on the plants
Over all looks good Dusted
Stltoed
Well-Known Member
Gotcha. I grew the original Strawberry Banana from DNA for over a year.
- Thread starter
- #231
Dusted
Well-Known Member
Day 11 post flip
Started to see some pistils yesterday, so right on schedule. SB #1 is going to be huge. Very vigorous growth. SB#2 and WW are still losing the big fan leaves. Cream Caramel doesn't want to stretch out yet but still looks healthy. It has gotten colder outside so the RH is dropping. I"m at 45% in the grow room with 23.5 C daytime and 19 C nighttime temperatures. Nutrients are running at 19 C.
I think the two plants with spotted leaves have a systemic fungal infection. I guess I will see if it results in bud rot when we get there. I'm still adding the microbial spores weekly to the rocks but have not added any soluble carbon to feed them recently. There is still enough organic material in the grow media for them to consume.
I really need to get to another defoliation but it doesn't feel right removing solar powered batteries from the plants.
Started to see some pistils yesterday, so right on schedule. SB #1 is going to be huge. Very vigorous growth. SB#2 and WW are still losing the big fan leaves. Cream Caramel doesn't want to stretch out yet but still looks healthy. It has gotten colder outside so the RH is dropping. I"m at 45% in the grow room with 23.5 C daytime and 19 C nighttime temperatures. Nutrients are running at 19 C.
I think the two plants with spotted leaves have a systemic fungal infection. I guess I will see if it results in bud rot when we get there. I'm still adding the microbial spores weekly to the rocks but have not added any soluble carbon to feed them recently. There is still enough organic material in the grow media for them to consume.
I really need to get to another defoliation but it doesn't feel right removing solar powered batteries from the plants.
Stltoed
Well-Known Member
Looks pretty good!Day 11 post flip
Started to see some pistils yesterday, so right on schedule. SB #1 is going to be huge. Very vigorous growth. SB#2 and WW are still losing the big fan leaves. Cream Caramel doesn't want to stretch out yet but still looks healthy. It has gotten colder outside so the RH is dropping. I"m at 45% in the grow room with 23.5 C daytime and 19 C nighttime temperatures. Nutrients are running at 19 C.
I think the two plants with spotted leaves have a systemic fungal infection. I guess I will see if it results in bud rot when we get there. I'm still adding the microbial spores weekly to the rocks but have not added any soluble carbon to feed them recently. There is still enough organic material in the grow media for them to consume.
I really need to get to another defoliation but it doesn't feel right removing solar powered batteries from the plants.
Nice job Dusted. I'm like you in keeping the batteries. I'll remove the ones that point towards the center to keep that open. After that it's just tucking and keeping them out of the way of the bud sites.
- Thread starter
- #234
Dusted
Well-Known Member
Day 15 post flip
SB #1 keeps on outperforming the others. No leaf spots. SB#2 is still losing fan leaves and the new fans are still mottled. Even some of the smaller leaves are affected. There are red streaks running up the stems of the two spotted plants and the petioles are still red. The WW is starting to look better but not great. Cream Caramel is weird. The apex shoot got lost in the growth and has pretty much disappeared. The side shoots are starting to stretch but no tree like development. No leaf spots.
SB #1 keeps on outperforming the others. No leaf spots. SB#2 is still losing fan leaves and the new fans are still mottled. Even some of the smaller leaves are affected. There are red streaks running up the stems of the two spotted plants and the petioles are still red. The WW is starting to look better but not great. Cream Caramel is weird. The apex shoot got lost in the growth and has pretty much disappeared. The side shoots are starting to stretch but no tree like development. No leaf spots.
- Thread starter
- #235
Dusted
Well-Known Member
Day 19 post flip
Strawberry Banana #1 has grown like crazy. Hopefully she is almost done with stretch. I only have about 6-12 " more head room for the light and it is 2 feet above the canopy.
Strawberry Banana #2 is pitiful. Her fan leaves are dropping on the ground. Saves me defoliating her. Still getting new spots on the leaves. The secondary leaves aren't as bad as the primary fan leaves. Seems to be stretching OK and the flowers are developing, so it might make it.
The Cream Caramel is still only just showing a few pistols. Hasn't really started stretching, but is very green and growing out. I checked a strain review on these Indica genetics and it seems there are two phenotypes of Cream Caramel. Indica and Sativa. I guess I have a sativa phenotype.
The White Widow is starting to stretch and isn't showing spots as quickly as in the past. Maybe it resisting what I believe to be a fungal infection.
Strawberry Banana #1 has grown like crazy. Hopefully she is almost done with stretch. I only have about 6-12 " more head room for the light and it is 2 feet above the canopy.
Strawberry Banana #2 is pitiful. Her fan leaves are dropping on the ground. Saves me defoliating her. Still getting new spots on the leaves. The secondary leaves aren't as bad as the primary fan leaves. Seems to be stretching OK and the flowers are developing, so it might make it.
The Cream Caramel is still only just showing a few pistols. Hasn't really started stretching, but is very green and growing out. I checked a strain review on these Indica genetics and it seems there are two phenotypes of Cream Caramel. Indica and Sativa. I guess I have a sativa phenotype.
The White Widow is starting to stretch and isn't showing spots as quickly as in the past. Maybe it resisting what I believe to be a fungal infection.
DutchinAB
Well-Known Member
All things considered, they look good from here!
Are you planning a defoliation in the next few days?
Are you planning a defoliation in the next few days?
- Thread starter
- #237
Dusted
Well-Known Member
I always plan on defoliating, but when I go to do it I only end up taking a couple of leaves. The ladies usually get to hide their goodies until they peek out from under theIr dresses towards the end. I know I can increase the bud size by opening things up but it hurts me to do it
Gorgeous plants Dusted!! Interesting WW. Lots of great looking bud sites and she seems to be doing very well.
DutchinAB
Well-Known Member
Yes I can see both sides, it is tough cutting something off that the plant must need since it grew it there, but also agree on removing the lower stuff that will not grow into much, or that which is blocking useful light. Really comes down to preference and how the plant is doing....
- Thread starter
- #240
Dusted
Well-Known Member
Thanks Mr S. It’s much better than the SB2 but still diseased and stunted.
I did get more aggressive today and got a bunch of leaves and secondary branches removed. It really seemed to have helped the Cream Caramel. It finally started stretching today after the defoliation opened up the grow sites. It looks like it could go crazy and catch up.