Looking good !
Nice green and healthy , keep up the good work bro !
+reps
Nice green and healthy , keep up the good work bro !
+reps
PhotoTron Grow with Ebb N Flow
- Thread starter Munki
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #62
Thanks for stopping by HazeSeeker. Nice to have a member of the month looking into my 1st attempt. Trying to keep it simple. Appreciate the +rep; one coming right back to you.
- Thread starter
- #63
Here's an update. Plants are still below 1 foot. Internodal spacing is less than an inch so I have not been pinching very many leaves lately. I want to get the chamber filled in 3 weeks. That is my hope at least. I do want to have many bud sites as well. So far, that is looking pretty good as they both are getting bushy. I'll also include a couple of fan leaves I cut today from my very sativa-ish plant. Plant is looking mature with regards to leaf points and how it is distributing the nodes on the main stem. Anyways, enjoy.
Sorry about the color in the last shot. The CCD in my camera is giving out. Found out today that there were many cameras from several makers made around 2002 - 2004 time period that have this issue where photos become heavily distorted and surrounded by either a purple or green hue. The makers will fix cameras even out of warranty only if the customer requests it. If any of you have had an older camera taking a bunch of messed up green or purple pictures, PM me and I'll point you to a site for more info. Don't throw that camera away just yet! Anyways, my camera will be mailed out for a couple of weeks, so I will be using a back up camera in the interim.
Sorry about the color in the last shot. The CCD in my camera is giving out. Found out today that there were many cameras from several makers made around 2002 - 2004 time period that have this issue where photos become heavily distorted and surrounded by either a purple or green hue. The makers will fix cameras even out of warranty only if the customer requests it. If any of you have had an older camera taking a bunch of messed up green or purple pictures, PM me and I'll point you to a site for more info. Don't throw that camera away just yet! Anyways, my camera will be mailed out for a couple of weeks, so I will be using a back up camera in the interim.
dfw-guy
New Member
They're getting big! When is it that your going to star flowering?
Very nice and pretty green!
I had a phototron back in the day...dont remember what version but it was ....neat. Your grow is looking great. Its a nice way to get your feet wet
reps to you bro!
reps to you bro!
- Thread starter
- #67
Hey thanks everyone. Well, i got a problem. Actually, it is a good thing. Looks like I have a 400 Watt HPS setup. I've been keeping my eye out and I was going to go this route sooner or later. If it ended up later, I would have bought each thing I wanted individually like a Super Sun 2 hood and a quality copper wound ballast. I didn't go this later route as the sooner one opened up today. $75 for the Hydrofarm Sunburst 400 Watt HPS. It is an all in one unit; not my preference. It does meet my price point though. I figure I can always resell it and not lose much on the transaction and maybe do a little more than just get my feet wet! 
It came with a used lamp but with only a few hours under its belt. I still want to keep that one as a backup for emergencies and get a new one so I can know the lamp true age.
Anyways, I want to complete the phototron grow in the "name of science" but I just don't know if I have the heart to put these two lovely ladies through their version of flowering. I want some big buds; I admit it. So, I may pull out the bucket from the tron and just put it on a table under the HPS.
Everyone, please let me know what you would do in my shoes. I'd start a new poll for it, but I don't think I can.
It came with a used lamp but with only a few hours under its belt. I still want to keep that one as a backup for emergencies and get a new one so I can know the lamp true age.
Anyways, I want to complete the phototron grow in the "name of science" but I just don't know if I have the heart to put these two lovely ladies through their version of flowering. I want some big buds; I admit it. So, I may pull out the bucket from the tron and just put it on a table under the HPS.
Everyone, please let me know what you would do in my shoes. I'd start a new poll for it, but I don't think I can.
- Thread starter
- #68
If I follow the PI method in the tron, I veg until I get the plants' tops grow a couple of inches above the top of the vertical light tubes. Now, that may be possible in the smaller trons with the U-tubes, but that would be right to the top of the space. They want me to top the plants at that point and go 12/12. It runs that way only for a few weeks max; just enough time to get the plants into flowering and bud production. When only 10 % of the hairs turn color, turn the lights back to 24/0 and finish flowering in that transition from flower to veg. I think they want to capture more light that way.
The plants are maybe 40% up in the chamber. I'm supposed to be over half way there according to their book, but it says it can vary between strains (DUH)! Didn't think I would see a Sativa grow this slow.
I don't really want to get many little buds I think this method will ultimately produce. Too much bud pr0n on this site has made me want to see the full potential of my plants. The phototron has been a good vegetating machine though.
- Thread starter
- #69
Thoughts I'm running in my head now include running this same ebb n flow setup I have outside of the tron and ditch that for this grow. Put the two plants under a screen of chicken wire attached to a PVC frame. A SCROG could work well for my situation.
One restriction I have is that the plants are pretty close together in the same bucket in their own grow bags. Removal of the bags could be risky. I don't know if the roots have grown out of the bags yet. I really think it will be too traumatic to remove the bags as the Hydroton rocks will grind on the delicate roots. I'm already worried about just getting the bucket out of the phototron.
Anyways, if I leave them together in the bucket, they will need to spread out to take advantage of the single point of HPS light. The plant's old world was filled with many light sources, so the leaves have grown in all kinds of directions. Little leaves currently grow just fine at the base of the plant and low nodal branches get their share of direct light as well. They will head to a world where only one bright point of light will be. This will require training of the canopy somewhat regardless of how I proceed if I use the HPS.
I just hope I can get the lower branches to grow to the screen OK. I have an idea. Maybe I can somehow train the central, upper branches underneath to the edges of the canopy while the lower branches get trained to go straight up along the main stem to the center of the SCROG. If I can do this, then I should be able to get the screen filled in more evenly.
One restriction I have is that the plants are pretty close together in the same bucket in their own grow bags. Removal of the bags could be risky. I don't know if the roots have grown out of the bags yet. I really think it will be too traumatic to remove the bags as the Hydroton rocks will grind on the delicate roots. I'm already worried about just getting the bucket out of the phototron.
Anyways, if I leave them together in the bucket, they will need to spread out to take advantage of the single point of HPS light. The plant's old world was filled with many light sources, so the leaves have grown in all kinds of directions. Little leaves currently grow just fine at the base of the plant and low nodal branches get their share of direct light as well. They will head to a world where only one bright point of light will be. This will require training of the canopy somewhat regardless of how I proceed if I use the HPS.
I just hope I can get the lower branches to grow to the screen OK. I have an idea. Maybe I can somehow train the central, upper branches underneath to the edges of the canopy while the lower branches get trained to go straight up along the main stem to the center of the SCROG. If I can do this, then I should be able to get the screen filled in more evenly.
Propa Gator
New Member
Munki, naturally grown cannabis must send roots deep to secure mineral and water. Extra roots in a hydro setup are probably disposable although nobody(?) prunes roots. Everything roots need to find are served ready to eat.
Show me a pot head who don't like big buds. Rhetorical nonsense. Let them bask in the happy warm glow of HPS. 20 yrs back Tron was high tech, not now. Don't waste a thought worrying about choatic growth finding the light, they'll do it while singing 'thankyou Daddy'.
Show me a pot head who don't like big buds. Rhetorical nonsense. Let them bask in the happy warm glow of HPS. 20 yrs back Tron was high tech, not now. Don't waste a thought worrying about choatic growth finding the light, they'll do it while singing 'thankyou Daddy'.
- Thread starter
- #71
Thanks PG. I'm going to get them under the HPS. One concern is the material used to make the blue bucket the plants are in. The rubbermaid 11 quart bucket uses a pretty soft and flexible plastic. That usually means toxic phthalates which I do not want to gassify and possibly kill my plants. New problems to solve.
Propa Gator
New Member
Oh shit now what? I paid $1.49 at the dollar store for 10 liter blue plastic buckets. Soft enough to not shatter from a cross eyed look, but now I should be worried about phthalates? Sokay, already got alibis. Also new for me is coco coir in which my new grow hopes reside. Something goes awry, I'll blame the Chinese and some Pacific island or wherever that 'lovely' stuff comes from.
On the reality check, steady air changing should do it. MJ's pretty tough stuff.
On the reality check, steady air changing should do it. MJ's pretty tough stuff.
- Thread starter
- #73
The reason for my concern comes from the off gassing issues some grow tents had. They were lined with a very flexible PVC for its reflective properties. The phthalates impregnated into the PVC would boil off under the radiant energy of the lighting and poison the plants. From what I read, the amount of phthalates necessary to kill the plants is much lower than other toxic levels like with babies and their chew toys. This chemical is like weed's Achilles Heel. So, that is where my concern stems.
Now, I think we will be OK if the plastics do not get much direct radiation on them. That and good ventilation should be enough. I didn't draw a conclusion on whether or not the people with the most issues were ventilating their tents or recirculating with CO2.
Propa Gator
New Member
Man, you are one technical dude who can say it making sense. If I tape the lit parts and vent reliably I may avert uncertain doom. A chink in the armour, how charming. I'd really thought cannabis was near bullet proof. Kinda like my ancesters so blessed with survive ability.
F'in phthalates! That's done it for sure so now I'm gonna go thrash and roar in my mud hole.
F'in phthalates! That's done it for sure so now I'm gonna go thrash and roar in my mud hole.
- Thread starter
- #75
Well let me know how that grow of your goes. Over time, my interest has covered many different topics. Whenever, I get focused on something, it just envelops my thoughts to the point of me thinking about it when I go to sleep and 1st thing upon waking. Its just how I am. Thank goodness for the internet. It has been a boon for me to learn about a topic from many individuals' points of view. I've been previously into PC hardware, overclocking them and and dealing with how to cool such beasts. I also for a time was into the whole mycology thing, learned all about the various techniques "teks" employed, and was able to get a crop of fungus done. Fun and learned a lot, but I found I do not really like mushrooms too much. Improving attitudes concerning cannabis has finally allowed me to do what I'm doing now. I've wanted to cultivate cannabis for easily 20 years now, so I'm just pleased as punch to get the opportunity to do just that. With my other love, the internet, I get to learn about this passion of mine and share what I learned and did with others.
- Thread starter
- #76
I was kind of hoping to hear from y'all about whether or not I should put these two plants under a SCROG or just let them grow out. I already built the screen, but my wife thinks my other plant is a white widow. If the first one is sour diesel, that may pose an issue with timing the photoperiod switch to 12/12. The plants look pretty even in height now and the leaf dimensions on each plant are similar, so I think that the two plants may be similar enough to try the SCROG.
Your thoughts people?
Your thoughts people?
That's really up to you and what you want. If you already have it built, I would utilize it. ;-) "If you build it, they will grow."
Having a better method and failing to take advantage of it...
Just kidding (mostly) but....
As long as you could make them look like they belong under the screen and there was time to allow for additional vegetative growth, at least.
- Thread starter
- #79
Thanks for the input. I went ahead and converted the grow. I'll get pics taken tonight and post them then. It is nighttime for them now. The screen is too big for just two plants especially how close they are to one another but it fits into my tent well. We'll see how the training goes. I have the screen about 8 inches above the plants. I'm pushing the tops out to the sides right now. Is it best to cut the top off the plants or just LST it around?
I will terminate this journal pretty soon and start another since the phototron has now been removed from this grow.
I will terminate this journal pretty soon and start another since the phototron has now been removed from this grow.
CharlieMopps
New Member
LST them and you'll be fine. Makes sure you switch to 12/12 when the screen hits 50% full. Do you have another light you plan on using? Maybe i missed it.