Shiggity Goes Mad Scientist: Paving The Yellowbrix Road With DIY Adventures!

[ShiggityFlip]

Hey all its that time again! A new journal for Shiggity. Lots of crazy ideas in my head and I need a spot dedicated to exploring them. Still loving Docbud's living soil excellence but my new goal is to see just how far I can push my Brix girls to produce quantity while maintaining QUALITY.

Topics that will be covered include but are not limited to:
1. Awesome new strains
2. Creation of identical 4x8 growth chambers for experimentation (muah hahahahahaha)
3. Water cooled DIY propane generator set up
4. DIY led lighting
5. DIY lighting controller to play with light recipes and intensities
6. Far red light, the Emerson effect and flower initiation.
7. Sub irrigated planters
8. Basement moisture control
9. Sealed grow rooms
10. Cannabis oil protocols and usage
11. Seeds! And breeding tent
12. Suspended scrog nets
13. Awesome new strains
Everything under the sun!

It's gonna be a journey to remember folks. I plan on diving deep and discovering some new stuff. Come along with me and let's see what happens!!

 

[hydro jay]

Looking forward to this one - good luck!

 

[GnomeUDidnt]

Looking like a great read

 

[Buckshot317]

Have to pull my chair up, going to be interesting. I've been thinking of half the ideas on your list.

 

[Van Stank]

I will take a ride on the crazy train!!

 

[Jgrowlove]

Subbed for an awesome journal I'm surew

 

[Skullman420]

subbing up

 

[Heavy Cloud]

Stoked! Que organ music

 

[millertm]

Oh yeah, I'm down.

Cheers

 

[Skullman420]

"The Emerson effect is the increase in the rate of photosynthesis after chloroplasts are exposed to light of wavelength 670 nm (deep red spectrum) and 700 nm (far red spectrum). When simultaneously exposed to light of both wavelengths, the rate of photosynthesis is far higher than the sum of the red light and far red light photosynthesis rates. The effect was early evidence that two photosystems, processing different wavelengths, cooperate in photosynthesis" Source: Wikipedia

My lamps have 630nm, 660nm & 730nm(IR), and it helps inducing flowering faster. I rarely have to wait many days. So all this is very interesting indeed. How do you plan to test it?

 

[SweetSue]

I'm here. I need to do my lighting post - and then I'll be back.

 

[MagicJim]

Sittin in

 

[ShiggityFlip]

Shiggity goes mad scientist. Paving the Yellowbrix road with DIY adventures!

"The Emerson effect is the increase in the rate of photosynthesis after chloroplasts are exposed to light of wavelength 670 nm (deep red spectrum) and 700 nm (far red spectrum). When simultaneously exposed to light of both wavelengths, the rate of photosynthesis is far higher than the sum of the red light and far red light photosynthesis rates. The effect was early evidence that two photosystems, processing different wavelengths, cooperate in photosynthesis" Source: Wikipedia

My lamps have 630nm, 660nm & 730nm(IR), and it helps inducing flowering faster. I rarely have to wait many days. So all this is very interesting indeed. How do you plan to test it?

I have discrete 660nm crees on my diy light and I have some far red bulbs. I will also be adding far red, blue, and UVA crees. Since I have identical growth chambers being built I will be able to change the intensity and makeup of the light given by controlling different drivers.

I will use a computer controller that allows me to time the lights and also to change their intensity over time. We can do sunrise, sunsets, make a high noon, change to any combo of colors, even fake clouds going over or create lightning effects lmao.

So in the case of Emerson effect I would have one chamber with 660nm +730nm. In the other I would just have 660nm. With the controller we can keep the total wattage of both chambers equal. Then see if one outperforms the other.

 

[Ditchweed242]

Sounds like fun. I'll light the first one.

Cheers.

 

[TheGreenYeti]

Im along for the ride Shiggs

 

[DrZiggy]

1st page?????

 

[DrZiggy]

1st page?????

im into mad scientist stuff

 

[TheGreenYeti]

1st page?????

Missed it by a post Ziggs!

 

[Skullman420]

Cool! you know - The first pro series of my lamps came with a remote controller that allowed you to program the lamp to simulate sunrise, sunset and such. They're full-spectrum. Sadly the controller was buggy so they removed it in their next pro II series. I have one of the first pro series, and I found a hack for the remote so it's stabile. But I can't program that lamp to the level of detail you're describing here. This will be fun to follow.

Glad you're taking the scientific approach.

 

[ShiggityFlip]

The idea of sub irrigated planters has piqued my interest. I have been a fan of the wet dry method of veg growth. Drench a pot to saturation and then let the roots search out water as the pot goes dry. It produces some amazing root systems in veg.
But during flower I tend to water more often and try to keep the soil at a nice base moisture level, never quite going dry. That is what makes me interested in Sub Irrigated Planters (SIPs). They use an under soil
Reservoir to hold water and keep the soil above wet through wicking action.
The concept is very similar to hempy, but in this case we are using a living soil. SIPs have gained popularity with no till growers so I have decided to see what they can do for Doc's living soil methods.

Here is a diagram for a basic SIP

I am mostly following this design with a few minor changes. I am using the corrugated plastic ventilated drainpipe for my reservoir. I am using the 27 gallon bins from homie de POT. You know the cool yellow and black ones. I use the 54 gallon size for cooking soil. The lids make great plant trays too!

In the center you can see I have a section of pipe sideways. It will be filled with soil to act as a wick between resevoir and soil.

I wrapped the other pipes with drain pipe fabric but left the wick pipe with the top open so it can be filled with soil. Duct tape helps keep the fabric in place.

The next step was to add a drain. You could just use small fittings but I went ahead and splurged on some bulkhead fittings because they will allow me to unscrew the blue drain and put a tube in there to pump the whole tub dry if I want the soil to dry a bit. The drain is located where it will always make sure there is about 2" minimum airspace between resevoir and soil (except the wick)

The next step was to add a full pipe. I am using 1.5" potable water PVC to which I will attach a funnel to fill the resevoir when needed. It goes on an angle right into one drain pipe. It's a tight fit so soil won't get into the resevoir.

The next step was adding cooked high brix soil. I packed it into the wick tube to make sure it would draw water properly.

Finally I filled the tub with soil, never compacting it down.

Tomorrow I will make a few more SIPs and plant some plants!