First Grow - Hi Brix Soil - Top LED - Multi-Strain - 2015

[Doc Bud]

Just curious whats the purpose of venting the room after the light cycle and is this necessary? I am working to upgrade to a sealed room with CO2 also but didn't have any plans to vent the room other when I open the door to go in and out. Also mine will probably not be quite as sealed as your kick ass clean room setup its just a 10x10 spare bedroom im gonna seal up best I can

If you don't have Co2, the air should exchange constantly, or at least every 20 minutes.

In my set-up, Co2 turns on with the lights and the venting/airexhange stops. When lights go out, the room exchanges every 3 minutes, with hepafiltered air in, and charcoal filtered air out. It smells fresh and clean.

 

[Capn Kush]

Just curious whats the purpose of venting the room after the light cycle and is this necessary?

If you don't have Co2, the air should exchange constantly, or at least every 20 minutes.

In my set-up, Co2 turns on with the lights and the venting/airexhange stops. When lights go out, the room exchanges every 3 minutes, with hepafiltered air in, and charcoal filtered air out. It smells fresh and clean.[/QUOTE]

I'm trying to setup exactly what Doc is describing, but to Smokey's question, I never have seen the reasoning explained. However, just like with water, it's always best to keep air moving and exchanged. Are the plants going to die if you fail to do so? I assume not, however their waste products are building up in the room's atmosphere and with the humidity, the environment is ideal for spores to reproduce. So it seems exchanging the air periodically would keep the environment in a better balance.

I consider what it would be like if I were locked up in a sealed room and the only life support was water and nutrients with oxygen being pumped in. Probably wouldn't remain comfortable forever.

So Doc, which HEPA filter are you using? Do you have a UV light source in the room (besides what little may be in your LED panels) to help sterilize airborne spores?

 

[Doc Bud]

In my set-up, Co2 turns on with the lights and the venting/airexhange stops. When lights go out, the room exchanges every 3 minutes, with hepafiltered air in, and charcoal filtered air out. It smells fresh and clean.

I'm trying to setup exactly what Doc is describing, but to Smokey's question, I never have seen the reasoning explained. However, just like with water, it's always best to keep air moving and exchanged. Are the plants going to die if you fail to do so? I assume not, however their waste products are building up in the room's atmosphere and with the humidity, the environment is ideal for spores to reproduce. So it seems exchanging the air periodically would keep the environment in a better balance.

I consider what it would be like if I were locked up in a sealed room and the only life support was water and nutrients with oxygen being pumped in. Probably wouldn't remain comfortable forever.

So Doc, which HEPA filter are you using? Do you have a UV light source in the room (besides what little may be in your LED panels) to help sterilize airborne spores?[/QUOTE]

I use a HEPA that fits on an inline fan. Simple, easy.

 

[Capn Kush]

Quick update tonight. A couple of days ago, during deep room inspection, I found a problem. I have a window in the room and it's sealed up, but temperatures here have been in the single digits (Fahrenheit) and said window was not insulated well enough. Soooooo there was condensation gathering behind some fiberglass insulation and that's never good. Problem solved. Permanently. Took the opportunity to eliminate anything else in the room that could conceal issues.

Strawberry Cola got Brix foliar for the first time on 1/10 and appears to have enjoyed it. Despite the very low humidity in the room while fighting my condensation issue the past three days, it really seems that the leaves expanded and perked. I hit it with a little DeStress tonight while I had it out, just for a little pick-me-up since it's been dealing with the low humidity.

Mystery Seed 1 is making progress, however it's not nearly as dark green as its neighbor. Hit it with DeStress also. Not too worried yet. It's a bagseed baby anyway.

Humidity was all over the place. Hope they will forgive me.

The other seedlings are pretty boring right now while growing roots. Won't clutter the journal with pics. Hope everyone is having a stellar week and I'm going to go hit the insomnia med and call it a night.

 

[Capn Kush]

So I am a little concerned about my Strawberry Cola. Since the last update, it's received three waterings.

01/15: Plain RO
01/17: 1 mL Transplant + 0.5 mL Tea
01/20: 2.5 mL Growth Energy + 1 mL Transplant + 0.5 mL Tea

I think I need to upcan this one soon since I'm having to water every 2-3 days. Both of the last two waterings it was definitely showing some wilt when I watered it. There are also two issues that will be evident in the pictures. The tips are turned down a bit, plus the growth off the main stem looks to either be deprived of light or...something.

Thoughts? Maybe from too much Growth Energy from that first drench where I dosed it full strength? Or maybe I'm just over-analyzing.

It's just now pushing the seventh node, so I think I will let that develop a little, then top it back to the 4-5 node and use that top as a clone and use it to determine sex. Anyone feel free to chime in if topping it back that far will be an issue.

Mystery Seed 1 is making progress. I think I'm going to let this one grow out and do a flux on either number 2 or number 3.

 

[SmokeyMcFly]

That one is looking a little unhappy. It actually looks over watered to me but you said you let it dry good each time. Maybe its getting root bound and the majority of the roots are sitting in water at the bottom of the pots or something? 2.5ml of energy is probably a little much for a 1gallon pot also so maybe its that. Wish I could help more but I am sure someone will get you fixed up

Edit I just did some maths.

2.5ml per 1gallon of soil would equal 105 ml instead of 15 for a normal feeding of 6 plants in 7gal containers. This could be the problem.

 

[Doc Bud]

Something went horribly wrong with your environment. Those problems aren't due to slight overfeeding or overwatering. It looks like they froze?

 

[MaxYields]

I have to agree with Doc Bud,

I recently had a little girl who actually happened to be in H.B. Soil under some lights vegging and the temperature was a constant 66... which isn't even that low. She still experienced some of the same signs yours is showing, light colored and yellowing leaves // very purple stem // very droopy. She looked super sad, but once I got her in a room with 80* temps and 30% RH she perked up super fast and is looking great.

 

[Capn Kush]

It certainly never froze and the other plants in the room have been exposed to everything this one has. The only adverse conditions have been the droop in humidity down into the mid 20% range on two occasions. Otherwise I'm keeping RH at 50% and the temperature floats in the low 80s since I added a heater.

It may look over-watered here because I just gave it a good watering the day prior. I'm literally weighing the pots on a scale to double-check when I think they need to be watered. If anything, I'm waiting a little too long to water.

EDIT: Also, these are 1 gallon hydro pots that are very open on the bottom. That pot is sitting in a second, identical hydro pot and the whole thing is sitting in a shallow saucer. When I water, I water until a little runoff occurs, then I dump that water off about 10 minutes later AND tilt the pot each direction. There is certainly no way water is sitting on the bottom of the pots.

Doc are we sure it's not from a lack of light getting to those inner leaves? The fans are shading everything below and I may not have my light close enough. It's about 2.5 feet away from the plants now and was further away until just last week. I was worried it would be too much on the young ones so I hadn't gotten closer.

Temps over the past 30 days:

 

[SmokeyMcFly]

Are u using that big marsii if so your problem is most definitely not a lack of light.

 

[SmokeyMcFly]

If it was my plant I would carefully pull it out of the pot and look at the root situation. If there all spun around the bottom in a place water can get trapped I would imagine the really heavy feeding combined with the majority of the roots soaking in it could cause some big problems.

Edit nm I just read where u said this isn't what's happening.

 

[Capn Kush]

Are u using that big marsii if so your problem is most definitely not a lack of light.

I am, however I have noticed how little light penetrates past those monster fan leaves.

 

[Capn Kush]

Something went horribly wrong with your environment. Those problems aren't due to slight overfeeding or overwatering. It looks like they froze?

Doc, any other ideas? The tips are getting a little worse today. As I look at these inner leaves, they remind me of a problem I had with the first plants I tried to grow. I never figured out what happened, they just started growing small leaves that curled up like this. Those two plants also exhibited an onset of clawed tips as the issue started.

The only thing that is now common between those plants and this one is the water, the light and the room. The water is RO, though there is a good chance the membrane is no longer any good, however the water report from our area is not that bad to begin with if I understand correctly. Alkalinity 20-58, CaCO3 80-125, Chloramine 1.4 - 3.0.

EDIT:
Here is a shot of the bottom of the pot, which shows both the roots and how open the pot is at the bottom. Maybe too much? Also, what is the white stuff that forms? I notice this on all four pots.

 

[Doc Bud]

Doc, any other ideas? The tips are getting a little worse today. As I look at these inner leaves, they remind me of a problem I had with the first plants I tried to grow. I never figured out what happened, they just started growing small leaves that curled up like this. Those two plants also exhibited an onset of clawed tips as the issue started.

The only thing that is now common between those plants and this one is the water, the light and the room. The water is RO, though there is a good chance the membrane is no longer any good, however the water report from our area is not that bad to begin with if I understand correctly. Alkalinity 20-58, CaCO3 80-125, Chloramine 1.4 - 3.0.

EDIT:
Here is a shot of the bottom of the pot, which shows both the roots and how open the pot is at the bottom. Maybe too much? Also, what is the white stuff that forms? I notice this on all four pots.

Weird. The others are healthy.....

Cull it. In my garden that's what I'd do. Bleach out the pot too.

 

[SmokeyMcFly]

Does your filter have a pre filter that is capable of removing chloramine? When I was doing my research not all of the carbon pre-filters were rated for it and I had to get an upgraded carbon cartridge to handle it. I have no idea if this is whats giving you issues though.

 

[Capn Kush]

Weird. The others are healthy.....

Cull it. In my garden that's what I'd do. Bleach out the pot too.

That was my first instinct and I was afraid you'd say that. I hate to because it's the only one of this strain I have, but I don't want to waste another several weeks trying to get it back to health and then find out it's a male anyway.

Since I have so few plants, I'll give it another few days dry out and see if it perks up. If not, I'll toss it, the soil and bleach the pots it's using. I have some other genetics to try if I can just remember where I stashed my beans....

 

[Capn Kush]

Does your filter have a pre filter that is capable of removing chloramine? When I was doing my research not all of the carbon pre-filters were rated for it and I had to get an upgraded carbon cartridge to handle it. I have no idea if this is whats giving you issues.

I don't believe so. If I recall, it's the standard carbon filter and not the upgraded one. However, my water usually sits for several days, sometimes up to a week before I use it. No bubbler, but in an open five gallon bucket.

Now one thing I am guilty of is watering them with water that is fairly cold. Several times it's been sitting on the concrete slab and the water may be as cool as 60 degrees. There have been a couple times I couldn't wait to let it warm up first, but I didn't expect a pint or two of 60 degree water to have a big impact on roots in a gallon of ~80 degree soil.

 

[SmokeyMcFly]

Is that white stuff the perlite? That would be worrying me if it was mine and its not the perlite. I have never seen anything that looks like that on my pics or other peoples.

 

[SmokeyMcFly]

I don't believe so. If I recall, it's the standard carbon filter and not the upgraded one. However, my water usually sits for several days, sometimes up to a week before I use it. No bubbler, but in an open five gallon bucket.

Now one thing I am guilty of is watering them with water that is fairly cold. Several times it's been sitting on the concrete slab and the water may be as cool as 60 degrees. There have been a couple times I couldn't wait to let it warm up first, but I didn't expect a pint or two of 60 degree water to have a big impact on roots in a gallon of ~80 degree soil.

Chloramine will never evaporate out of the water. You have to filter it or add something that will neutralize it.

 

[Capn Kush]

Is that white stuff the perlite? That would be worrying me if it was mine and its not the perlite. I have never seen anything that looks like that on my pics or other peoples.

Yeah, it's strange. It's something building up where water runs off after a watering. It crumbles to a fine powder if you touch it and reminds me of calcium buildup. No idea where it's coming from unless my water is much harder than the water report says it is AND my RO filter is completely useless.

Chloramine will never evaporate out of the water. You have to filter it or add something that will neutralize it.

Ok, I was thinking it would evaporate. Did you see my post above about the levels in my water? Curious what is acceptable levels and what would necessitate a filter.