KJ's T5/CFL 1st Time Grow

[KarlJay]

Got the exhaust vent hole cut, flower room is nice and clean, now just need another 9" high velocity fan. Then I can check if the room will stay cool without the window A/C. If it does, then I can move the other light over to that power line and I'll be able to run another larger A/C off the other power line.

I really think a fast exhaust will be the answer to my cooling issues, those Walmart 9" HV fans move a lot of air.

 

[KarlJay]

Did a quick test on the new exhaust fan. It look like it made about a 4 deg difference. It was a quick test but I also turned off the window A/C and that made about an 8 deg difference with the exhaust fan running. I think using the other cool tube and running tubes straight to the fan would be better, because it looks like 1 exhaust will not be enough to turn off the window A/C.

I'm going to run 1 more central A/C tube to the flower room and see if then I can stop using the window A/C. I think with 1 more exhaust fan I should be fine.


Grow 5 is underway, selected clones from the biggest bushiest plants and so I should see some roots in about 10 days or so. Most of grow 3 is now in flower.

I noticed as I moved the plants that several were very weak, meaning they wanted to fall over, so I had to support them with bamboo. They were clearly too close together and not enough fans on them.

I'll probably hold a few back for a week or so, they weren't under enough light to really veg as well as the others did.

All of grow 4 is now in 5 or 7 gallon bags, had some trouble sourcing 5 gallon bags, now have a good source for a nice sized 7 gallon bag.

One of the grow 4 plants was over 20" tall while in the 18 oz cup !!!! WAY too big for an 18 oz cup.

 

[KarlJay]

A few pics:

The 1 exhaust fan and the 2 central A/C input feeds. The cold air comes from one side and leaves the other side, should create some better air flow.

Testing the temp change with the window A/C off on a pretty hot day. About an 8 deg difference. Next I'll see if 1 more central A/C feed will maintain the same as with the window A/C... if it's close enough, the window A/C can be removed and I'll be able run my 2X larger window A/C to keep the rest of the house cool.

Grow 4 on the right now into 5 and 7 gallon bags, I might hold some of those Grow 3 plants in veg a while longer, they weren't as large as the other one (didn't get enough light, probably need 1 more of those T8 Walmart HO setups.

Taking clones for Grow 5, got some nice branchy clones started, we'll see how well they do this time. I'm going to change the water every few days or so this time. I think it was the same water for 2 weeks last time the made it rough for them.

 

[DharmaBud]

Some operation you have going Karl! Damn! +reps

 

[KarlJay]

Some operation you have going Karl! Damn! +reps

Thanks! It's been a bit of work, but it is starting to shape up

 

[Graytail]

I've been reading your journal since the beginning, KJ. It's been nice to watch it scale up. I envy you! Nice!

+reps!

 

[KarlJay]

I've been reading your journal since the beginning, KJ. It's been nice to watch it scale up. I envy you! Nice!

+reps!

Thanks Gray! For a while, I was wondering if anyone was watching any more :O Glad to know people are following along.

I'm actually thinking of adding a different strain. So far, everything has been based on Mr NiceGuy and Rascal OG. Some have suggested a strain more in the head high and less in the body high range.

I don't know how I can push thru any more volume than I am now, heck I'm pretty much pushing limits as they are

 

[KarlJay]

Update: The clones are responding VERY well, much better than the last batch did. I'm going to use my plant watering pump to pump the water out every few days just to keep if nice and clean.

As I was moving Grow 3 into flower and taking clones, I noticed the effect of the lights had on the plants.

I was using the CFLs until the plants kept growing into them, then I removed them. The plants continued to grow tall, but the lights are those Walmart overdriven shop lights and the plants were about 4' tall.

The light clearly wasn't getting to the lower parts of the plants and you can see the difference.

Those brown dead leaves are part of a 3 to 4' tall plant that looks excellent on the top. It's just the bottom part of the plant that did this.

I think I'll have to make a cross bar with hanging CLFs that I can raise and lower in order to get down into the lower parts.

Something like my CFL bar, but where the lights hang down from their wires and some kinda clamp at the top.

 

[KarlJay]

Update: started flushing the last 10 plants of grow 2. Grow 2 was 26 plants and 16 are in jars now curing, the other 10 were held back in veg for cloning and they got into flower after the clones were taken (don't remember when exactly). Just checked the other day, and they are ready for harvest, so the flushing has begun.

Grow 3 is mostly in flower and I'm again holding about 10 back for more veg time and I might take some better clones.

I noticed one clone had a damaged top, so I tossed it for a better one. Some of the clones look less than ideal, so I'll watch them over the next week or so and see if I should replace them.

Grow 4 is fully in veg and 5 gallon bags and I finally got them arranged for some pretty good lighting.

I had to buy more bamboo because basically ALL of Grow 3 was very weak. I thought for sure some of them were going to snap at the base. I'm going to have to get the veg room better laid out. The plants aren't being wind stressed enough to have the strength they need for flowering.

I noticed the same weakness in grow 2. It didn't happen much with grow 1 because I had much less plants and they were spread out more.

I hope the yield of the 2nd half of grow2 is better than the 1st half, but they really don't look as branchy as grow 1 did.

The new fan is helping to keep temps in check, but it's still not enough to remove the window A/C. I'm going to add 1 more feed from the central A/C, and 1 more exhaust fan and see where that puts me.

If I can get rid of the window A/C, I can either run more HPS lights, or add CFLs down low to get those lower branches growing.

I'm sure the lower branches of the 1st grow is why I got more yield from fewer plants.

 

[KarlJay]

Update: Flushed out the water in the clone machine, hope this helps them do better than last time.

Did the final flush for the 10 plants that are ready for harvest. Did a trich check yesterday most are very much ready for harvest.

I'll be spending Wednesday trimming probably 4 or 5 of them.

Pics:

Replaced one of the clones that didn't look too good, I'll be looking at them real close to make sure I have a full batch for grow 5.

1/2 of these buds are looking pretty fat just like the ones from the prior harvest, but some are still looking a bit smaller for some reason, I'll have to check each plant to see which ones are ready for harvest.

The prior harvest is in jars and just about the time this new harvest is ready for jars, the harvest in jars should be ready for vacuum bags.

Still haven't made my scale. Need to get on that so I can make the bags the same size. Maybe 1/2lb bags or something. Last time it wasn't measured before and not all the bags were the same size. Not a big deal, the food saver bags aren't expensive.

I'll have some more pics as I start this 10 plant harvest.

 

[DharmaBud]

Nice setup and happy harvesting!!! +reps

 

[KarlJay]

Thanks Dharma!

Started the harvest with 3 plants being pulled, at least some of the other 7 need more time. Just finished trimming 1 and clearly this cola was heavier that the average of the harvests before, but the total net from these seems to be on par with others from the 2nd grow.


No roots on the clones yet, they seem to be fine, no big problems. Used the watering pump to pull the water out and get fresh water in. Hope that helps. I still have 10 from Grow 3 held back in veg, so I do have plenty of access to clones if I need to pull more.

This cola is much larger than the ones still in flower, I checked the trichs and they could use some more time, maybe an extra week or something.

 

[KarlJay]

Another 'fatty'

Strange that these are Rascal and last time the Rascals were smaller than the MrNiceGuy by quite a bit.

 

[KingJohnC]

congratulations on your harvest!

 

[KarlJay]

congratulations on your harvest!

Thanks! 3 down, 7 to go for this batch, then grow 2 will be done. Total of 26 plants.

Still need to build a dam scale so I'll have a clue what I've got.

 

[mcloadie]

Fill them jars!!!!!!!

 

[KarlJay]

Fill them jars!!!!!!!

Amen!!!

Update: I'm stoping the harvest for the next 7 plants, for some reason they haven't amber'd up as much as the others did, so I'm keeping them under the lights for probably a few more days.

That's fine, because I have the hanging rack about 1/2 full now, and 7 more wouldn't fit in there. And, I can't hang them in the clone closet, because it filled with a batch of clones waiting to root.

I'm noticing the part of the 3rd grow that's still in veg is responding VERY well to the CFL light bar. The lights are down low and they are loving the light down there.

I'm convinced that the yield difference is because I didn't continue to use lower lights. In the 1st grow, I had CFLs all over the place, directed to all those lower branches and it really paid off.

 

[KarlJay]

Well some of the clones now have roots! However, about 1/3 of them look less than ideal. I think it was a mistake to take them all from the lower part of the plants because those branches were the ones that got less light and weren't as healthy.

I might just take the best of the clones over the next few days and then re-take more to fill out the batch with better clones.

I used to think that the plant would recover from the lack of light and be just fine, but I'm starting to think that might not be true.

Grow 2 proved that at least 2 plants had some funny DNA, the main cola stopped growing and the side branches grew like crazy. I had 1 branch that was actually taller than the whole plant.

I think these clones, although they all came from the same parents ended up giving clones that reflected their own upbringing. So the ones that had grown shorter or no main cola only side colas, ended up doing the same as the parent the clones came from.

Just a guess, but I can think of any other reason why one would do that and not the others.

 

[DharmaBud]

Well some of the clones now have roots! However, about 1/3 of them look less than ideal. I think it was a mistake to take them all from the lower part of the plants because those branches were the ones that got less light and weren't as healthy.

I might just take the best of the clones over the next few days and then re-take more to fill out the batch with better clones.

I used to think that the plant would recover from the lack of light and be just fine, but I'm starting to think that might not be true.

Grow 2 proved that at least 2 plants had some funny DNA, the main cola stopped growing and the side branches grew like crazy. I had 1 branch that was actually taller than the whole plant.

I think these clones, although they all came from the same parents ended up giving clones that reflected their own upbringing. So the ones that had grown shorter or no main cola only side colas, ended up doing the same as the parent the clones came from.

Just a guess, but I can think of any other reason why one would do that and not the others.

That;s funny, because I have read where they recommend taking from the lower branches and not the upper ones. Were the stems hard already?

 

[KarlJay]

That;s funny, because I have read where they recommend taking from the lower branches and not the upper ones. Were the stems hard already?

Some were hard, but a few were less developed. I think it's because the primary light in veg is T8 and it's not good for getting to the lower branches on a 3' to 4' plant. I bet it would be different if I had the CFLs down low for the whole veg cycle. The problem with the CFLs is that the plants keep growing into them, so I have to move the plants away, then I end up being too spread out.

I might be better off to cut back the number of plants in each batch.

I think grow 2 proved that more plants doesn't mean more yield. I'll probably end up with 10 plants yielding the same as the 26 plants.