Slimm's Urban Hang Suite

[slimm]

As far as being able to leave town. I have my plants on a simple drip system (except the two in slim pots with TR nutes). I water by flipping a switch. If I were to put the system on a timer I would be comfortable in leaving it on auto pilot for a week.

 

[Green Utopia]

I've wondered why sometimes I get one type of root and sometimes other. I just thought it was sort of resistance from dirt or clay or whatever medium that made them not grow perfectly symmetrical like the fish fossil. That's really interesting to think about the air causing that.

 

[slimm]

More light!

The garden once again has that familiar purple glow. Adding the unused LEDs to assist the CMH brings my total wattage to just under 1200.

 

[IrishBoy]

ur a savage slim. nice setup

 

[direless]

Just caught up and find your op. very impressive. I still a bit of a newb but love to try new stuff no matter what i do. so, I was a little disappointed when you added the led lights because I am also using CMH lights, but in hoods without glass, hopefully to improve uvb. And I find that they are working great for veg but not sure how they will perform on flowering. So, selfish me, I was hoping I would get to see you flower with CMH. Alas, I understand the desire to add more light

 

[Setting Sun]

Bottom watering is used in an ebb and flow style system - I wonder if those systems also known for low yield?

good point

I would be curious to know the media and nutrients used in the autopot grows that produced low yields. I think some side-by-side grows of these techniques are needed to understand the truth here. I'm not really set up for that experiment right now - soon though. Great information and questions, SS, keep them coming. I'm totally open to changing the way I do things based on what we learn.

I doubt I can find the article again. It was something I came across a while back and I didn't bookmark it.

I think between those of us who are or are going to be experimenting with passive hydro, different nutes, and different watering methods, we should come up with some winning combinations.

I want simple automation

p.s. nice job hanging the LED panel

 

[slimm]

ur a savage slim. nice setup

Thanks irish, learning from the best. I'm still trying to decide if I'm savage enough for the LED glass mod.

Just caught up and find your op. very impressive. I still a bit of a newb but love to try new stuff no matter what i do. so, I was a little disappointed when you added the led lights because I am also using CMH lights, but in hoods without glass, hopefully to improve uvb. And I find that they are working great for veg but not sure how they will perform on flowering. So, selfish me, I was hoping I would get to see you flower with CMH. Alas, I understand the desire to add more light

Yeah, it is nice to have a comparison but more light was needed. I think you will be pleased with the results of the CMH. I have seen plenty of grows and they do a great job of flowering.

good point




I doubt I can find the article again. It was something I came across a while back and I didn't bookmark it.

I think between those of us who are or are going to be experimenting with passive hydro, different nutes, and different watering methods, we should come up with some winning combinations.

I want simple automation

p.s. nice job hanging the LED panel

I agree - I like automation. I have a really cool automation project going that I will talk about in the future...

 

[slimm]

BTW, this model419 is a very nice pipe. Mine arrived a couple days ago and I love it! One of the problems I have with pipes is that I don't clean them very often, then I don't like to use them because I want to taste the weed I am smoking not the pipe. This one is super easy to clean so I'm sure I will keep it squeaky clean.

 

[Setting Sun]

been thinking about it, and maybe the ebb and flow analogy as far as bottom watering isn't analogous

with passive bottom watering, the water just wicks up into the medium, but with ebb and flow, the bucket fills up, a water table is created, and then when the pump stops, the water table recedes and draws air in through the medium.

also, with passive bottom watering the medium never gets flushed, so how do you prevent salt build-up?

I like the slimm bucket option, so just playing devil's advocate

 

[slimm]

been thinking about it, and maybe the ebb and flow analogy as far as bottom watering isn't analogous

with passive bottom watering, the water just wicks up into the medium, but with ebb and flow, the bucket fills up, a water table is created, and then when the pump stops, the water table recedes and draws air in through the medium.

Good points SS. Whether passive watering behaves like ebb and flow or not may depend on how you bottom water. When I water I water hard enough that the water table becomes perched in the bucket (it rises higher than it will be when it drains the excess). Once the flow stops, the media will drain, lowering the water table and pulling fresh air into the root zone. This quick increase in the height of the water table and subsequent quick drop, work similarly to the ebb and flow model. However that is not all there is to the dynamic. Remember my media is 70/30 perlite/coco and the roots in the upper regions of the pot have been trained as air roots. So these roots are bathed in air and in contact with moist, good wicking media. This means that as the plant drinks it also breathes. Fresh oxygen is being provided to the roots all the time. Solution is constantly wicked up and nutrients are pulled out by the air roots.

Obviously there are more effective growing methods. Aeroponics comes to mind. Look at the root development in an aeroponic application. Lots and lots of air roots. What this tells us is that air roots like consistency. We can also posit that plants grow better when they have more air roots. The ideal root environment is a bath of oxygen and nutrient rich fog. I think the media I am using attempts to approximates this model, in a simple fashion, by having both air and nutrient loaded water available to the air roots at all times.

also, with passive bottom watering the medium never gets flushed, so how do you prevent salt build-up?

Here is my weak understanding of the subject put into a couple sentences. There are two ways to deal with salt buildup with hydroponic nutrients. One is to flush, the other is to not have any in the first place. By keeping the nutrients in a dilute enough solution they will remain ionic and can be consumed by the plant. As the concentration increases the cations will combine to form salts. The more you let your media dry out between feedings, the more salts that will be present as new solution is placed into the bucket. This more dilute solution will allow some of the salts to become ionic again making the solution too hot. To fix this, you have to flush.

I like the slimm bucket option, so just playing devil's advocate

No worries, you won't hurt my feelings if you find holes in my experiments - I appreciate your candid comments.

 

[Raisin J]

I don't understand what that one bulbs doing way up there. I'm sure your grow will kill mine and u have a master plan but I'm not sure I get where you are going with the lights. It's cool to see u in action, I'm amazed at how many smart scientific useful type minds are growing weed. But I'm just not getting that vertical bulb, isn't that light shooting out into nothing? Anyway, didn't mean no offense, like I said u got this stuff down better than I do obviously. Hey while I got ya on the line, what are your thoughts on using stg as a medium for hempys? I've never even seen it up close but from what I read, it sounded promising. Looking forward to seeing your ladies impress me.

 

[slimm]

Unless I have mis-calculated that top bulb is soon going to be lighting the top half of the plants. It is providing a fair amount of light right now for the upper parts of the canopy.

STG looks promising as a possible perlite replacement. My concerns are cost and compaction. I'm going to order a bag on sale.

 

[Setting Sun]

If you could re-use it, the cost wouldn't be a problem, but I don't think it's re-usable.

Speaking of cost, cheap lava rock works well and provides really good support. Some chunks can be too large and need to be broken up, but the root balls I used to get with it were amazing.

 

[Doc Bud]

Unless I have mis-calculated that top bulb is soon going to be lighting the top half of the plants. It is providing a fair amount of light right now for the upper parts of the canopy.

STG looks promising as a possible perlite replacement. My concerns are cost and compaction. I'm going to order a bag on sale.

I've seen STG in action. You don't want this stuff....no good at all. It would provide even less support than perlite and it has really bizarre water retention properties, not to mention a penchant for algae.

 

[Setting Sun]

Good points SS. Whether passive watering behaves like ebb and flow or not may depend on how you bottom water. When I water I water hard enough that the water table becomes perched in the bucket (it rises higher than it will be when it drains the excess). Once the flow stops, the media will drain, lowering the water table and pulling fresh air into the root zone. This quick increase in the height of the water table and subsequent quick drop, work similarly to the ebb and flow model. However that is not all there is to the dynamic. Remember my media is 70/30 perlite/coco and the roots in the upper regions of the pot have been trained as air roots. So these roots are bathed in air and in contact with moist, good wicking media. This means that as the plant drinks it also breathes. Fresh oxygen is being provided to the roots all the time. Solution is constantly wicked up and nutrients are pulled out by the air roots.

Gotcha, thanks for elaborating, now I understand.

I've been obsessed with media and containers for a while now, and it does seem like coco aerates the best for the amount of water it retains.

Obviously there are more effective growing methods. Aeroponics comes to mind. Look at the root development in an aeroponic application. Lots and lots of air roots. What this tells us is that air roots like consistency. We can also posit that plants grow better when they have more air roots. The ideal root environment is a bath of oxygen and nutrient rich fog. I think the media I am using attempts to approximates this model, in a simple fashion, by having both air and nutrient loaded water available to the air roots at all times.

That's one of the reasons I've been excited about Hempy buckets. With the right media, you're providing very good conditions for both the air roots *and* the water roots.

Here is my weak understanding of the subject put into a couple sentences. There are two ways to deal with salt buildup with hydroponic nutrients. One is to flush, the other is to not have any in the first place. By keeping the nutrients in a dilute enough solution they will remain ionic and can be consumed by the plant. As the concentration increases the cations will combine to form salts. The more you let your media dry out between feedings, the more salts that will be present as new solution is placed into the bucket. This more dilute solution will allow some of the salts to become ionic again making the solution too hot. To fix this, you have to flush.

How much flushing do you do? Have you ever gone an entire cycle without?

No worries, you won't hurt my feelings if you find holes in my experiments - I appreciate your candid comments.

thanks slimm, I appreciate that, and of course I extend that to you as well regarding anything I'm up to

When I look at stuff, my head goes straight to "what are the problems and possible negative consequences?"

Hopefully, the number of holes I patch is greater than the number of solutions I need for problems that don't exist .

thanks again for further explaining

good stuff!

 

[slimm]

I've seen STG in action. You don't want this stuff....no good at all. It would provide even less support than perlite and it has really bizarre water retention properties, not to mention a penchant for algae.

Thanks for setting us straight doc!

Speaking of cost, cheap lava rock works well and provides really good support. Some chunks can be too large and need to be broken up, but the root balls I used to get with it were amazing.

I have heard pumice works really well and lasts forever. Are you talking about pumice or another kind of lava rock?

How much flushing do you do? Have you ever gone an entire cycle without?

No flush so far on this grow and no plans to except for the final flush during ripening.

 

[Setting Sun]

I have heard pumice works really well and lasts forever. Are you talking about pumice or another kind of lava rock?

Not pumice, the cheap red lava rock for landscaping you can get at Home Depot, X-mart, etc. Even cheaper if you get it in a larger amount from those yards that sell landscaping rock.

No flush so far on this grow and no plans to except for the final flush during ripening.

very cool

 

[Green Utopia]

Hi, bro. When you get a sec - would you mind slapping up a pic or two of the L.S.D.?

 

[slimm]

Here's one of the L.S.D. outdoors.

And an indoor specimen

 

[slimm]

Baby bud porn

Installed the A/C unit yesterday. This unit also does evaporative cooling so it should be more economical to run. The days of worrying about heat in the garden are over!

It's been four weeks since I initiated flowering. Here are some photos of progress in flowering.

Think of the song "Dancing Queen" by ABBA.

Plants are about 18 - 20 inches tall now. I think the stretch is done. I have about another 18 inches of head room. The buds are beginning to fill in and frost up.

The pistils on this one Jillybean are different from the others. They are super fuzzy and look like pipe cleaners or mascara applicators. I really like the way they look - anyone know if this is common? This is where a better camera setup would really help out - my son lost my tripod and I have a crappy macro lens. They look even more exaggerated with the naked eye.

This one was smelling like rotten fruit - I kept getting a smell of it and thinking I had something rotting in the grow room. It's starting to add some notes and now smells more like fresh cantaloupe or melon / mango.