The Church, Green House Seeds, DWC Grow

[Kamehameha]

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The Church by Green House Seeds Company: Many MJ breeders constantly claim that their strains can reach 20% THC and higher. While these breeders aren't completely lying, most home grown MJ barely reaches 10% THC. I have heard a many great things about this strain. But I ultimately chose the Church because of its consistent potency capable of commanding 20.28% THC. However, I expect most people (including myself) that grow the Church will achieve a potency thats hover between 13-18%.

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I also chose this strain due to its incredible yield potential. Arjan from Green House Seed Company (the breeder of this strain) personally grew this plant in a hydroponic system. From clone and with only 2 weeks of veg (after rooting) the Church generated a kilo of wet bud equivalent to 7 ounces dried. Those are very impressive numbers especially since my goal this grow is to cultivate 1 lb.

The Church Stats:

70% Indica - Crossed with NL, Super Skunk, Regular Skunk and Swiss Sativa
7-9 week flowering
Yields: 700 - 800 grams/sq meter

Set Up:

Simple DWC System: 20 gallon reservoir - $15 Air Pump w/ air stones - Clay Pellets
Lights: (1) 400 watt HPS for Vegetative Stage - (2) 400 watt HPS for Flowering
Temperature Control: 6 inch Cool-Tube
Smell Control: Standard 6 inch Carbon Filter


Picture Update: Day 3 After Germination

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This little beauty cracked in less than 24 hours and was immediately placed inside a rock-wool cube then buried 6 inches under the clay pellets. She had a sister who never germinated. Sadly, I had hoped to grow 2 plants in order to compare their potency.

After a couple of days in the DWC system, a healthy green plant has emerged. It's very important that I keep my water/reservoir temperature between 62 degrees and 70 degrees F. Anyone growing in hydroponics should never lose control of their water temperature. Otherwise, your reward will be root rot and slow, stunted growth. Keeping my water temperature within a 62-68 degree range will be 90% of the battle.

Here are a few quick tips that I take advantage of to help keep my reservoir cool:
1. Reflective material like mylar fitted to the top of my dwc system. The mylar covering the top of your dwc system will stop my HID's from heating up the nutrient solution.
2. My Hydro system is located in my basement which is well ventilated and open.
3. My house has a built-in ventilation system that constantly monitors and exchanges the air though out every room.
4. I only employ my DWC system only during the winter time. It's much easier to control my temperatures when outside feels like a popsicle.
5. And of course I add frozen water bottles to my reservoirs to make quick changes to the temperature.

I'll be updating my progress every couple of days.

 

[Kamehameha]

Hydro Update Day 6

Water Temperature: 66.7 degrees F.
PH: 6.1
PPM's: 907
Light: 400w HPS inside a Cooltube - 11inches away
Air Temps: 78 degrees F.
Light Schedule: 24 Hours

My goal is to grow this plant as fast as possible. She is sitting under 24 hours of light in a DWC system. She is doing excellent so far especially for an Indica dominant strain.

I disagree with many growers who claim MJ plants require a rest period or a period of darkness. I also disagree with many growers who claim Metal Halide is the best source of lumens for vegetative plants. I consistently see great results running a 24 hour cycle with a 400 w HPS emitting over 50,000 lumens.

 

[Kamehameha]

Hydro Update Day 8

I've noticed that the stems on this Church are extremely purple indicating this strain carries high levels of anthocyanin. I'll be attempting to shift the bud colors later on in flowering. I know that the temperature must be lowered to help make the color change from green to purple. Anyone else have any ideas on how I can purple my buds?

Other than that, she is growing fast and extremely sturdy. Notice how thick her branching has become only after a week in Hydro.

 

[Kamehameha]

Here is a pic of a root stretching down into the DWC on Day 8

Here is that same root on day 9

Hydro Update Day 9

Water Temp: 67.7 degrees F
Room Temp: 68.0 degrees F
PPM's: 380-400
PH of reservoir: 5.8-6.0

Plant wing-span: 4.5 inches
No deficiencies
No Pests
No Algae or Pythium

 

[The Germinator]

My ppm was lower at that age. Not saying yours is too high. I noticed you were at 907. Now 400. Good luck with your grow.


I don't know everything. My opinion is just that. It's up to you to research the information offered by me or anyone else. It's not wise to act on the first opinion you get.

 

[Kamehameha]

Haha the 907 was a mistake. My tap water runs at 500ppm right out the faucet. I added about 400ppms to my solution so it read out 900ppms and i forgot to subtract the 500 pons back out.

But thanks for pointing that out. Let me know if you see any ther problems.

 

[The Germinator]

Wow. 500 is high. Mine is 220.


I don't know everything. My opinion is just that. It's up to you to research the information offered by me or anyone else. It's not wise to act on the first opinion you get.

 

[bignugz420]

She looks great. If you use tap water. Let it sit out with no lid for at least 24 hours and a lot of bad things in it will drop your ppm from tap water. That's what I do and I have measured right after getting water out of faucet. 350ppm 24 hours later with no lid and it's down to 250ppm around. Hope this helps great start brudda. Happy growing

my new dwc Afghan Kush run and flowering mothers

 

[Kamehameha]

I don't understand why my tap water has so many minerals and crap in it but I will start leaving it out for 24 hours from now on. Thanks for the tip Bignugz and Germinator!

 

[Kamehameha]

Hydro Update Day 11

Things have been going well, a little too well, and now I've stumbled across my first problem in this grow.

From the pic it looks like she's beginning to yellowing out. At first I thought it was a nitrogen def. but after closer inspection I can tell the yellowing is happening all over and thats not how nitrogen def. works. Nitrogen def. will always start at the bottom leaves and work its way up.

I didn't realize I was dealing with light bleaching before I added another 500 ppm's of foxfarm's grow big fertilizer.
But with no signs of nute burn I summarize I'm still in the perfect range for nutes.

Thankfully, I realized that this is mild light bleaching and to correct the problem I simply switched out my HPS for my Metal Halide and reduced the power output to 50%. So at 12 inches away inside a 6inch cooltube my girl should be in the range of 15,000-18,000 lumens.

Note to self: 55,000 lumens is too much light for a seedling! I let my enthusiastic side get the better of me.

It makes me wonder, how much light do cannabis plants really need? If she's bleaching out at 55,000 lumens 12 inches away, will she ever be able to really use that much light? Maybe we've been tricked by these companies who profess, "more light = more bud + faster growth."

I'm not saying that lumens or PARS don't account for anything but maybe we place a little too much emphases on our grow lights.

On the bright side(no pun intended hahaha): this church has grown immensely since my last update. It's truly amazing how fast a MJ plants can flourish inside a hydro system. I'm never going back to soil even if the buds do taste better when grown in an organic medium. I prefer yield over quality because even the worst weed will get you through a bad day.

Here is what she looks like under the Metal Halide running at 50% reduced power. The light bleaching has vanished but the lesson is still there. Hydro Day 11.

 

[Kamehameha]

Pic of Root Development: Hydro Day 11

The roots have really taken off on this girl and I can't help but wonder if the Voodoo Juice is responsible. BTW, here are a few snapshots of the additives I like to add to my reservoir.

Voodoo Juice

If you calculate the number of organisms being added to the root zone, you should end up with a number somewhere over a billion. Imagine an invisible army of microbes fighting the good fight to defend your plant from invaders and those who seek to reek habit on your plant.

So far I've added 60 mls of Voodoo Juice to my reservoir. That is equivalent to.....

60 x 250,000 Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens = 15,000,000 Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens
60 x 250,000 Bacillus Cereus = 15,000,000 Bacillus Cereus
60 x 250,000 Bacillus Laterospuros = 15,000,000 Bacillus Laterospuros
60 x 10,000,000 Bacillus Licheniformis = 600,000,000 Bacillus Licheniformis
60 x 25,000 Bacillus Macerans = 1,500,000 Bacillus Macerans
60 x 5,000,000 Bacillus Megaterium = 300,000,000 Bacillus Megaterium
60 x 50,000 Bacillus Mycoides = 3,000,000 Bacillus Mycoides
60 x 5,000,000 Bacillus Polymyxa = 300,000,000 Bacillus Polymyxa
60x 5,000,000 Bacillus Pumilis = 300,000,00 Bacillus Pumilis
60 x 10,000,000 Bacillus Subtilis = 600,000,000 Bacillus Subtilis
60 x 100,000 Paenibacillus Azotofixans = 6,000,000 Paenibacillus Azotofixans
60 x 500,000 Paenibacillus Polymyxa = 30,000,000 Paenibacillus

God Damn, that's a large number!

That's 1.9 Billions microbes!

Voodoo Juice has worked great for me in soil and I hope to see the same results here in hydro. However, one can never be too sure. So, once this church becomes old enough to take clones from her. I plan on doing a side by side comparison of 2 plants: 1 with Voodoo Juice at its root zone and another plant without the Voodoo Juice.

I also aim to do a side by side comparison of a hydro plant vs a soil plant.

Bud Candy: used to feed army of microbes.

As you can tell, I am a fan of the Advance Nutrients Line-Up!

What Additives have worked for you in the past?

any suggestions on other additives I should try?

 

[Kamehameha]

Hydro Update Day 13

I was wrong about my light bleaching out the church. Turns out she was just hungry and needed a nitrogen boost.

I have her back under the 400 watt super HPS and she's back to growing fast.

I also switched from a 20 gallon reservoir to a 5. Making it easier to check the water temperature.​

I'll be updating once more tomorrow and after that I'll be doing weekly updates instead. I don't want this thread to be a long one.

 

[Kamehameha]

Hydro Update Day 14

Water Temperature: 65 degree F.

Air Temps: 68 degrees F.

PPM's: 1400 She's is a big feeder. Don't be afraid to give this girl extra nutes.

Leaf Length: 10.5 Inches

PH: Somewhere between 5.5 and 6.5

Light: 400 watt HPS 12 inches away

Weekly updates from now on.

 

[Zora21]

Mind if i join along? I really wanted this strain, but stock ran out so i just got trainwreck and tutankhamon. Shes looking great so far!

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[Kamehameha]

You're welcomed "Zora21" to join. The ride just got interesting. After my last update, things took a turn for the worst and I have been battling the dreadful Root Rot.

It all started when I decided to feed my hydro girl Vigoro Plant Food. Big mistake!

In the morning I awoke to this...

I took immediate evasive action. I checked her roots first...

Not looking good! Many of her tiny roots have gone limp. Almost lifeless as they hang out of the net pot.
I knew, right then and there, the symptoms of Root Rot had already begun. Her droopy appearance signified her lack of oxygen at the root base.

But why? The only thing I had changed was the nutrient solution. The Vigoro comes in pellet form and had to be made into a tea to dissolve the minerals into water. Somehow adding it into my reservoir suffocated the roots of my plants.

Still not sure of what happened, I changed the reservoir and replaced the Vigoro Plant Food with General Hydroponic Liquid Fertilizer. I proceeded to check the temperature of the water and the PH...everything looks good.

Day 1 of Recovery
She still looks really sad but doesn't appear to be getting worst. Her roots have developed a more brown appearance but I can also see new white roots growing out of the old suffocated ones.
I did not use any Peroxide or Hydroguard. I also did not chop off the dead roots beginning to rot. I just corrected the problem,which was the plant food. Doubled check my water temperature: 65 degrees F. and PH: 6.0.

Day 3 of Recovery
She is back! Her roots are recovering. They look a lot worst than they are. I also see the General Hydroponic nutrient solution is turning her roots a bit purple. But she has come back from the dead and is 100% zombiefied. Hopefully this trip back from the dead will stress her into creating really sticky-icky potent bud.

Hopefully she continues to regenerate and I'll be back on Sunday with another update!

 

[Kamehameha]

Hydro Update Day 21

Water Temp: 66.4 degrees F.
Air Temp: 65 degrees F.
PPM: 1300
PH: 6.0
Plant Height: 7 inches

 

[Kamehameha]

Hydro Day 23

Definitely a strong Indica phenotype. Her leaves are like giant solar panels. She is currently 8 inches tall. Stats remain the same.

 

[Zora21]

Wow. Her new roots are looking great. How long do you plant to veg? Also, are you going to try any training?

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[Kamehameha]

Wats up Zora21.

I'm anxious to get her into flowering as soon as possible but she hasn't started showing alternating nodes yet.

I think I might just switch her to 12/12 this Sunday anyway.

I'm trying to grow a pound and I think it's doable with this strain. She produces 700-800 gram/m2.

I wasn't planning on doing any training since I don't have any height restrictions this Grow. I kinda just want to see what she looks like untouched.



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[Kamehameha]

Actually, I'm pretty sure I'll be switching her to Flower in another 5 days. I expect she'll double in size by Sunday.

I would veg longer but I'm out of bud and waiting on this crop to finish up.


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