Northern Lights Reg & G13Haze Fem, TS1000 In Hempy Pots

[A toke in time]

I decided to switch away from Sensi's Hindu Kush. I ran this strain over 3 seed batches of regular seeds over a 15 year period, and just ran clones of in between. The genetics got stranger and unmanageable with a real problem in the last grow - 120 days, white pistils and bud rot, and overwhelmed cabinet.

So, i had a good look at what else was there. Really liked the idea of Northern Lights, never toked it yet, but I'm really looking forward to matching up expectations with actually what happens! Got a freebie pair of G13Haze seeds. When i was trying to get the G13Haze seed out of its packaging, clumsily I twanged the plastic seed carrier bit and I fired off the seed into oblivion. Tried to find it, but guess the hoover bagged it in the end. The other freebie G13 Haze only just survived the seedling bit, and i nearly scrapped it - hope to see what this is like as the reviews seem favourable.

So, in 15 years of growing i popped 9 regular Sensi HK seeds in 3 batches - overall 3 were males and 6 were females. With the NL regulars in this grow I took two seeds and germinated them and at least one (Black) is female as the mother plant from which the clones were cut from is displaying the first pistils. Not sure what Red NL is going to be, as it is the more developed and thriving more than the rest. If it is a male NL I might keep it for pollen and thereafter seeds.

The G13Haze is struggling in its Hempy Pot, but I'll coax it...

Not going to top them - going to leave for a foot or so vertical and then switch the light schedule. Not after a big yield as its just for me, but want to see what I can do. I'm quite looking forwards to trying something new as the HK that I'm smoking right now is not doing what it's supposed to. It's okay in the day as you can get about your regular interactions with other people and not let on that you're stoned type thing, and also decision making with a bit of chilled aspect can be done on weak HK... All clouds have a silver lining... But I want to get heavily stoned again...

 

[A toke in time]

tried to add a picture, but it wouldn't load.

 

[A toke in time]

PIC...

 

[A toke in time]

first roots have hit the Hempy reservoir and NL-Red is suddenly growing. Not sure what sex NL-Red is, actually quite happy for it to be a male as I know that NLT-Black is a female. The others i'm sure will catch up. I'm seeing some growth with this Hempy method, and I really like it! Ace being able to move the plants around.

 

[A toke in time]

Things are moving on, and I got all pots filled now. The big one has a G13Haze in and the little runt is also the same G13Haze, just a slow starting cutting that my aeropot cloner didn't do a very good job of. I've reverted back to cloning in Rockwool cubes, as I like the general passiveness that Hempy method brings. Nice to see no cables and pipes, and being able to move plants around and in and out is much better for tending. The two NL plants are hitting the reservoir and I'm seeing a uniform pale green colour that I've never seen before (New genetics, new light and new nutes, so I'm, back to rookie, but now with some latent knowledge). I changed nutes from specific two part liquid feeds that I did for the last umpteen years to tomato feed. I am thinking the pale green is not enough nitrogen, so I'm going to go down the powdered salts route and make my own nutes. Will run two otherwise identical Hempy pots side by side and see if the powder nutes compare to tomato nutes.

My initial plan is to leave these untopped and when I'm sure that the roots are good, then switch to 12/12 and let them be to see what they want to do straight off. I still don't know the sex of NL Red yet. The mother plant is not yet showing anything. Hoping it's going to be a male, as i've got 2 separate females for seed production and sustainability

I'm loving Hempy method so far! Seems an easy thing to do!

 

[A toke in time]

I think I've got 2 out of 2 females on the NL. Black and Red are both females. In the 15 or so years i've been doing this, i popped 11 seeds and got 3 males and 8 females.

Anyhow in this picture are 2 clones from the same plant (NL Red) and they are getting fed differently (powder Vs liquid feed) and I'm going to see if there is any difference. Powder feed is way cheaper and far more control, so methinks and is hopefully going to find out. Plan is to let them go untopped for a foot or so and switch the light and just feed them differently.

The hempy is a really cool method for experimenting and I'm really liking it!

 

[Moneyman223]

What exactly is the hempy method? Regardless I'm here for the results to come, good luck.

 

[A toke in time]

What exactly is the hempy method? Regardless I'm here for the results to come, good luck.

Hempy method is simple hydroponics in that you simply have a pot with a single hole of approx 5mm diameter approximately 60mm up from the base of the pot. This pot is filled with perlite and the plant grows in this throughout. The hole just up from the bottom creates a reservoir from which the can take plenty of constant feeding.

Pros are that you've got extreme control over the grow in that you got to feed and water the pot and its plant daily, so if any issues, you can rectify them real quick, and that means you can also push to find your boundaries in terms of feeding strengths etc., without causing permanent damage. You can also move your plants around very easily and take them out for pest management etc. (or just looking at them lol). The perlite is reusable too, so all that you'll be disposing of is just the stem and roots, so to keep a low profile in that respect. No pumps or airstones or anything like that, and if you get a supply of four basic salt packages, you can make up your own nutes and when you get it dialled in you no longer need to worry about EC and pH as it's all determined by your measurements of the salts in the nute mix and every day that you water the plant in its Hempy pot you are maintaining a constant balanced feeding regime.

Cons are that you got to tend to your plants daily as they'll dry out quite quickly. I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons. I'm coming from a long time of doing NFT, and whilst I got to say that NFT is a fast producer, and you can just leave your grow to do its thing for like 5 days unattended, but I really like the freedom that the Hempy method offers. Besides, being housebound these days, I quite like tending to the plants!

A good resource on here for learning more about Hempy is in the thread called Hempy Headquarters. It's where I perchanced on the idea, and I was instantly sold on it!

 

[Moneyman223]

Hempy method is simple hydroponics in that you simply have a pot with a single hole of approx 5mm diameter approximately 60mm up from the base of the pot. This pot is filled with perlite and the plant grows in this throughout. The hole just up from the bottom creates a reservoir from which the can take plenty of constant feeding.

Pros are that you've got extreme control over the grow in that you got to feed and water the pot and its plant daily, so if any issues, you can rectify them real quick, and that means you can also push to find your boundaries in terms of feeding strengths etc., without causing permanent damage. You can also move your plants around very easily and take them out for pest management etc. (or just looking at them lol). The perlite is reusable too, so all that you'll be disposing of is just the stem and roots, so to keep a low profile in that respect. No pumps or airstones or anything like that, and if you get a supply of four basic salt packages, you can make up your own nutes and when you get it dialled in you no longer need to worry about EC and pH as it's all determined by your measurements of the salts in the nute mix and every day that you water the plant in its Hempy pot you are maintaining a constant balanced feeding regime.

Cons are that you got to tend to your plants daily as they'll dry out quite quickly. I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons. I'm coming from a long time of doing NFT, and whilst I got to say that NFT is a fast producer, and you can just leave your grow to do its thing for like 5 days unattended, but I really like the freedom that the Hempy method offers. Besides, being housebound these days, I quite like tending to the plants!

A good resource on here for learning more about Hempy is in the thread called Hempy Headquarters. It's where I perchanced on the idea, and I was instantly sold on it!

Thanks for the info bro sounds like something id really be interested in. Sure I'll be tagging you in a hempy journal within the next few weeks haha

 

[A toke in time]

They're all females confirmed, so I got the G13Haze and 2 phenotypes of NL to experiment with. The little runt unfortunately was so small that in my trimming session yesterday I snipped off its main stem. Replaced it with a rockwool clone i took off the moma. Seems the rockwool clones are just really reliable, but anyway I'm seeing the clones going into the main cabinet as a darker green from the nursery cabinet (3 x T8s), and then they lighten up in green colour under the LED. I'm not sure if I have a deficiency or what, as I'm growing with all parameters changed and I'm finding it all out. New genetics, new nutes and a new light and also new growing method, so it's a a bit of watching and learning here for this toker at least!

All cool stuff though!

 

[A toke in time]

Update - the NLs are really growing well in their Hempy Pots - they're thickening their stems and vegetating nicely (both phenotype females, Black and Red - i called them this due to the electicians' tape I had for marking purposes)

Seems like it's a bitch fight as the NLs are all blatantly putting out pistils and the G13 GHaze pair are being slow even to root it out in the reservoirs in comparison. NL is taking the show so far in terms of growing in these hempy pots at least.

My nutrient experiment is even stevens so far as neither seems to be deficient and both test specimens are flourishing so far.

I'm absolutely looking forward to not scrogging in NFT like before this grow - simple reason that I quite like being able to move and control each of the plants, and this is a good way to go about it.

 

[A toke in time]

Switched the lighting schedule as soon as the G13's hit the reservoir. They're much slower than the NL. These NLs are so far my most prolific growers (only ever grew HK before so, this is new). The Hempy method is seeming to be very productive, at cost of higher maintenance. Maintenance is a good thing though, as you have more control than just leaving it be for a few days - pick up on issues quicker. Not that I'm so needing to as these five are all more or less getting on well in their environment.

The Tomato nutes are still being fed to the NL Red#1 NL Red #2 and all the others are being fed on powder salts. It's obvious that the tomato nute is not very good (look at the lack of vigour and deficiencies between 2 clones off the same plant, just nutes the difference). Fairly quickly it was obvious that the tomato nutes were not making the plant thrive, and I thought it might be a waste of bud continuing the experiment, but I'll persist with feeding NL Red #1 with tomato food and the rest with powdered salts. Both nutes are at EC 1.2 and pH near on 6.

In the picture, the identical clones bottom row, the one on the left is getting powdered nutes (my own mix following recipes found here and elsewhere), and the one one the right is getting tomato feed. The rest of the plants are NL Black and a brace of G13Hazes that are sluggish starters, but seem to be getting going. Leafwise the G13 Haze started off quite Indica, and were really similar to the NLs, but the G13H has slimmed down a bit and looking more sativa now.

Coming from NFT, got to say Hempy method seems to be as fast for growth. Really liking this method.

 

[A toke in time]

It's been really obvious that the tomato nute fed plant (NL Red ) is suffering and there's no point in continuing torturing this plant. All the others on the new powdered nute are really flourishing in comparison.

So I started giving new nutes to the previously tomato nute fed plant. The effect was quite quick in that the formerly jaded upper fan leaves suddenly dried out and went crinckly. The new growth seems ok though, but from the frequent waterings I've discovered that the tomato fed plant has small roots too. The water comes out quicker with this plant, whereas the others take a bit longer for the water to get out the drain hole.

I'm a bit surprised with the growth of the other plants, so much so that I took out stunted NL Red and the little late G13H - removed them from the flowering cabinet and set to reveg. So I got a trio in there and they're all looking very happy on this new feed - vigorous growth and no burnt tips or any other sign of problems or deficiencies, so I'm very happy with the new set up.

Compared to NFT, I'm not sure - seems I'm getting more vigorous growth, but don't know whether that is down to the new nutes or the new light, or the new genetics.

NL Red and Black are the 2 phenotypes. They're very similar, but you can see a distict difference in them. They've both vegged far quicker and cloned more easily than the G13H.

Hope to update in a while, interesting to see what the stretch is going to be like. No scrogs this time, and no topping. First time like this for this particular toker, so I'll just watch and water and keep on moving up the light and keep on attending to the needful.

 

[A toke in time]

I've been wondering why the tomato fed clone from NL Red fared so badly. The tomato nutrient fed to it was Tomorite at EC 1.2 and in rainwater which according to a lot of references is not that bad for growing herb. The new powdered nutrient I'm using (as an experiment as I just did 11 years or so of Vitalink, and went off it and onto Shogun nutes , and wanted to try something different). My guess is that the lights are overwhelming the nutrient capacity of that particular plant. The light is about 12 - 18" off them and whilst the ones on the powdered nutes are thriving in this light, the tomato fed plant is becoming moribund (and I chucked in the towel..)

Nute powder recipe I'm now using is 214 base feed with calcium nitrate and epsom salts and also MKP for the later bit. Dosage is a level teaspoon each per ten litres water for the 214 /CalNitrate nand epsom salts, and a 1/4 or a fifth of a teaspoon or so of the MKP at the veg stage. I'm planning on adding a little bit more of the MKP as the grow develops, but this is all speculative since this is my first hempy grow. This recipe is one that I found on another site and I simply copied it. Seems to be giving the plants what they need.

Anyhow, these two pics are of NL Red and NL Black - two phenotypes new to me. They're really nice and non stinky. Only can smell a sort of Old Spice type perfume when you rub the stems.

Still liking hempy method so far - growth is very good!

 

[Lpena007]

Could you help me with my first NFT?

 

[A toke in time]

Could you help me with my first NFT?

Your NFT is looking fine. It looks same as the one I got (GT205).

I used mine for a long time and had great results with it until my last effort. Wasn't the fault of NFT, but bad genetics that had an alleged pure indica flower for 120 days and still not finish. There were two plants in the tray, and one was not as bad as the other, but died on me instead of revegging in the tray as I waited for the other one start to get bud rot. The correx top sheet on mine was in two parts and the plants' trunks wrecked it as they slanted over. To top it all off, I got a slug in the grow too, and I could never find it with the lights on, and couldn't take the risk of looking for it in the dark period. So I had to put up with slug trails all over. Found it when it was final chop, and it was a leopard slug that must have sneaked in during a watering.

I used tap water for a long time seemingly fine, but I got a bad phenotype in 2014 that made me doubt everything that I was doing. It's when I got an EC meter and found my water was shockingly high. Have to admit, for many years I just refilled it weekly with pH down and simply added the recommended ratio of 2 part liquid nutes that I was using then, and that was fine with a good pheno.

What light and nutes are you using? Looking like it's going well for your first grow too.

 

[Lpena007]

What water chiller do you recommend?
My temps get too high, I know I need one before I run into problems

 

[Lpena007]

Flipped to flower about a week ago.
Ppms at about 800
Ph at 5.7-6.2

 

[Lpena007]

Viparspectra and a hydromars ts600

 

[A toke in time]

Looks like your lights are similar to mine and a similar area too. Your set up looks good. Have you measured your water temps? What's the air temp there?

In my time of doing NFT, there were winters of low temps and summers of high temps to deal with (a fairly typical environment for us growers). The winter low temps were a problem and I got purple plants and stifled growth, so I got a fish tank heater and set it at 20C and it was fine thereafter.

For the summer heat, the NFT didn't seem to suffer. Obviously I turned off the heater, but I didn't have to chill the NFT. The tank didn't seem to get that hot either, as the leaves seem to take up most of the temperatures when the grow has set in nicely.

I think NFT is different to DWC method in that most of the roots in NFT are actually out of the water, and so oxygen supply is direct and reliable whatever the temps. The roots that are in the NFT tank seem to be supplemental in the grow and so therefore not a constraint compared to say DWC that has 100% of the roots submerged.

Looks like your grow is going nicely, and the aluminum surfacing should help too. What variety are you growing?