Gator's Cage

Re: Gators' Cage

Mr OBX, I giggle to give you a vertically motile :idea:

Pit, I'd wondered why I couldn't find a grow journal like this one :hmmmm:
Got a circus cage, got a clown, got weed. Got it all, now :cheesygrinsmiley:

Thanks for rep, LOJ and Trycs. Glad you're here, Mr Blonde and Pres

SS; one 250 HID, and one 20$ fan. Cages will be more complex later.

Yes Soniq, I have made noise about bare vert HID. Gator rumbles.
Geometry's cool. My cousin's a croc
If yield is on point, vert cages rock

Here's the other box
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Daily feeding is one gallon into the feeding tube
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Re: Gators' Cage

Looks like that box is going to be a winner also.

What makes it even more amazing is that these are your early runs with this system. I can't even imagine what your going to pull when you get things dialed in.

you've mentioned your circulation fan, but what are you using for exhaust?
 
Re: Gators' Cage

There are three element keys to the cage: bare vert HID, coir WTW, and location.
Location is about the leaves and buds being lit in the zone. Too close to the light: shade encroaches on neighbors, and leaf tips 'burn'. The zone is a donut-shaped area of good light intensity. The bulb determines this zone, not me. I've hung the bulb in the middle so that the zone is a horizontal torus within which I've located cannabis. The wire 'fence' pieces are at the outside edge of the useful lumen zone. I'm using cotton thread to tie back branches. When finished, the stems are too weak to support the buds untied.

Coco coir is by far the best root medium I've worked with. A saturated, drained container is 25% air, <10% inert organic matter, the rest water. The water transport speed is amazing compared to FFOF. All the root-balls I've produced have been sweet smelling and healthy. No drama. WTW lets me mix H&G Cocos into fresh city tap water then pour into the root zones. 10 to 40% excess comes through, flushing the roots and media daily. Once per day seems to be OK with my set-up.

I like the white light emitted from Phillips CMH retro-fit bulbs. They work with magnetic ballasts built for HPS bulbs. HPS brought in the buds I have drying, but I believe CMH would have done better. I own only one such 250w bulb, and am running cage#2 start to finish with it.

I've never used a thermometer nor hygrometer. My skin, and observation tells me what's up with that. If I'm comfy in my boxers, my plants are happy. The up-draft fan gives turbulent air movement for gas exchange at the stomatas. Also, transpirationally emitted water doesn't linger to encourage bud-rotting fungus or mold. I prop the cage-box doors open an inch to allow air exchange during light-on cycle. My cats and I generate CO2 to be used inside. We like the O2 given back in return. Too casual? Results speak more eloquently than me.
 
Re: Gators' Cage

Hey Propa-G,

I'm putting my first clones into coco today. I'm excited to see how it works out!
Do you 'condition' your coco before use? I just figured I'd rinse it very well, and then flush it with 1/2 strength nutes and calmag upon transplanting. Any tips or advise you have would help me out a bunch.

Thanks brother!!
 
Re: Gators' Cage

Ahh yes. Another convert! LOJ, your plan is what I do. Flush in the grow container until the color fades from the wash. Excess salt will be gone with it. The coir will settle with the flooding and be ready to transplant into. Don't be in a hurry to put in full-strength nutes. I seldom put full measure in. Plants will tell you when they're happy or hungry.
I use H&G Cocos, the most excellent base fertilizer optimized for a specific medium. No cal, mag or any other amendment needed, except Pro-Tekt silicon @2 mils per gallon, and 2 mils of Hydroplex because it doesn't hurt and was a free sample from my grow shop. I'd like to demonstate the uselessness of these amendments but as 'insurance', I put a little in there. Not Calmag.
I'm radical enough without re-inventing the nute wheel :smokin2:
 
Re: Gators' Cage

Small buds, tedious to trim. So far, I've managed two. Early prediction is 5 oz, with as much high quality trim. At least half the trichs are in that pile. Canna-canola will be good.
Several excuses come to mind or I might be sniveling, you decide.

1) Bulb sucks. Old HPS 250w freebie brand. Came with with fixture. Is now consigned to 3rd tier back-up bench for possible future service.

2)Grower sucks, I misshandled the clones. They lived, often wilting under shop lights for six weeks in 2 and a half oz dixie cups. None of the plants ever made a full size leaf, and roots didn't fill the 2 liter bottles. Two days veg didn't give them enough growth to 'get over it' and thrive.
ImmPropaGator, the naughty gardner :cough:

3)Chosen strain sucks? Really reaching here, because I'm getting alot of medicine with the trim, along with the buds. Pineapple Express wants to be bigger to give up big buds. For this cage configuration, I want short, single cola plants. I'll run another batch, and try to incorporate lessons learned, but... I'll also be germinating my little reserve of different strains, looking for more satisfaction. Getting donor moms from seed takes time.
 
Re: Gators' Cage

Propa Gator said:
Small buds, tedious to trim. So far, I've managed two. Early prediction is 5 oz, with as much high quality trim. At least half the trichs are in that pile. Canna-canola will be good.
Several excuses come to mind or I might be sniveling, you decide.

1) Bulb sucks. Old HPS 250w freebie brand. Came with with fixture. Is now consigned to 3rd tier back-up bench for possible future service.

2)Grower sucks, I misshandled the clones. They lived, often wilting under shop lights for six weeks in 2 and a half oz dixie cups. None of the plants ever made a full size leaf, and roots didn't fill the 2 liter bottles. Two days veg didn't give them enough growth to 'get over it' and thrive.
ImmPropaGator, the naughty gardner :cough:

3)Chosen strain sucks? Really reaching here, because I'm getting alot of medicine with the trim, along with the buds. Pineapple Express wants to be bigger to give up big buds. For this cage configuration, I want short, single cola plants. I'll run another batch, and try to incorporate lessons learned, but... I'll also be germinating my little reserve of different strains, looking for more satisfaction. Getting donor moms from seed takes time.
Click to expand...

Have you thought about running with auto-flowers? Seems like a good size for the gator cage....or were you wanting a little bigger plants?
 
Re: Gators' Cage

the learning curves on some systems is a son of a bitch.
the wheel just may be king.
vert may be queen, lol.
close proximity is balancing act.
man would you love a fresca sol with all your heart.
If you enjoy the smoke it's a success in my book.
 
Re: Gators' Cage

Definitely a learning curve, Wheelo. My cage is a bit less demanding than your wheel, IMO. When overgrowth crowds the bulb, I can tie it back. Yours pop up too far and you're screwed. When I move up to the 400w CMH, I may have a heat problem, but the bottom fan blowing up mixes the air well, and 250 bulb throws little infra-red.
Here's the other cab at 23 days of 12s from 10" veg. GWS:
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The other side was pretty much the same, so after tying back, some trim and 24hrs:
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They love the CMH as much as I don't like the funky yellow light.
Trychs, I've seen very nice Rudes that I would like to grow, but I don't know how to clone them yet. One seed = one plant? Oh, my goodness.
 
Re: Gators' Cage

Full report on the PEs this weekend. Sorry for delay, complications.
The GWS grow progresses gratifyingly. Stretch seems to be near done @ 26 days, 30 - 32".
Buds busting and trichs appearing. Some funk for the nose and a good feeling.
This is the grow for show. CMH all the way, and no hiccups from me. So far.
I have 8 more GWS to load into the empty cage, and will also run CMH when I get another bulb. Then another run of PEs, maybe. Very high quality, and I think I've learned lessons. They sure do reek hardcore :cheesygrinsmiley:
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Re: Gators' Cage

Taking pics is a challenge with the bare bulb huh? ;)

I can't wait to see what the 400 watt CMH will do - I bought the bulb, my buddy's got a 400 HPS mag. ballast... teamwork!

Looking amazing Gator! :goodjob:
 
Re: Gators' Cage

Hey Gator, what did you think of the Pineapple Express as smoke? Wasn't my favorite but I pulled mine earlyish and was wondering if maybe it gets better when it gets to mature.

Peace brother.
 
Re: Gators' Cage

OBX, 400w CMH will be shining on starts this weekend :cheesygrinsmiley: More GWS
You will like, as I like what it does for cannabis. Too, it's cheaper than an Eye.
Welding goggles and a B-ball hat, and I'm still dodging it's UV-rich rays.
My cages are not good for sitting happily stoned, watching them grow.

The high MountainHigh, is sativa mind-scramble. Not my go-to, but a nice giggle. My friends rave on, liking it. I prefer indica doms, but will grow more PE. I let my trial grow go 10 weeks, and didn't see any amber trichs. These came down at 8, killa clear.
 
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