thinking of flowering earlier Than expected opinions

[stickyickyick]

Hi first off this is my first grow, I'm running a diy rdwc, 28 gallon reservoir, 6 5 gallon 6 inch net pot sites, 30 gallons total topped off. In a 8' × 4' × 6.5' tent. With 2 600 watt hps air cooled and Glass covered hps apollo lights. As well three center 200 watt cfl and 6 side 100 watt cfl. I use watermill ro water mixed with a few gallons of tap (at 400 ppm). I keep my ph at 5.8 to 6.0 for the most part. Temps reservoir 65 to 73 °. Ambient air 77° lights on Max, lights out 68ish. At the floor center of tent below lights usually reads 80°.Relative humidity was staying at 69 percent but as they've exploded in growth in the past week it's gone up dramatically almost to 90 percent. Stopped using the humidifier and got back under control for the most part with the ac. I use Gh trio plus calimagic, armor si, and just introduced (in a panic due to size) liquid koolbloom and the flora bloom. Before the later two ppm stayed around 750. Now brought up to 900 roughly. Should be noted that I built a shelf and covered it with mylar that stands 6.5 tall and 20" out, cutting that much floor space out. The middle big plant is a bag seed said to be chemdawg. The other five are feminized pure power plant from nirvana. Chemdawg was seeded and put into the system a week later mid February making her about 10 weeks old. She suffered a lot of early traumas that may have stunted her growth. The other five were sprouted using the paper towel method on March 7th. I had them with only one set of leaves in my buckets out of the seeding tray (due to small dome) six days later. They found water withing a week and have been actually vegging for about a month. I've also got a grow buddy natural c02 fermenting bucket that I doubt helps much. A connected portable ac tied into the exhaust pulled by a 954 cfph fan. A small inline fan bringing fresh air. An air purifier in the shelf inbuilt that covers the reservoir from light penetration. 8 small airstones 1 per bucket 2 to the reservoir. I'm about to add another small airstone and a second air pump this weekend per bucket. Also a humidifier and a couple of fans adding to indirect air flow...

So all that out of the way I've battled a couple deficiencies, still fighting a slight calcium deficiency as I type this. I had planned to allow them all to veg for another couple weeks to at least catch up to chemdawg. But lately, as u u can see they're hiy ting walls and overlapping. I'm sure I could trim them but this is my first time and I'm reluctant to do so, I'm on my own as far experienced people around me. I also read about how they stretch and realize as soon as I change my light schedule I need to drop my big lights down to their olh. Should I just forgo the last two weeks and flower now? Would I have space to continue vegging if I wanted to let them heal up from the calcium deficiency? I need some hydro experienced advice here people please, I don't wanna make a mess of tyos. I've read a lot of information and some of which is contradictory. I didn't know to top or super crop.

Pictures will be uploaded shortly. Any tips, advice and or feedback will be greatly appreciated. I look forward and thanks in advance. .. HAPPY 420 EVERYONE!!!!

 

[Weaselcracker]

Subbed. Looking forward to the pics

 

[stickyickyick]

 

[stickyickyick]

Should be noted that they're at the tallest 36 inches from ground including bucket which is what 16 to 18 inches high? I need to measure one. But vertical room isn't my biggest fear it's floor space. These Are Turning Into Bushes LOL A Good Thing I hope. But I am very hesitant to trim anymore than I have which was only the bottom 2 nodes for a friend's clone set up. If I had the experience I wouldn't worry

 

[stickyickyick]

Also my first set of air stones have been over taken by the roots. I could disconnect them at the pump and work them out but is it a bad thing that they've picked them up?

 

[stickyickyick]

Buckets are 14 inches so that makes three of the plants 20 plus I inches and the other three in between 14 and 18. The two that are furthest away from reservoir are the smallest and i.believe this because the pump I'm using pushes to a t and then elbows into them. Their water level is always an inch higher than the last buckets and they have the most steady undercurrent. I think this makes it more difficult for nutrient uptake. If it wasn't such a pain to recover and untangle my airstones I'd move the furthest closest and vice versa. The 5 ppp haven't developed quite as nice of a root ball as chemdawgs (pictured)...

 

[stickyickyick]

Top of canopy to light right now on tallest plant would be right around 40 inches at this point. If I do flower at what height do I want the hps? They have been backed way off since I first introduced them.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Wow, for a first grow you really have a lot of things going on to keep you busy there
I keep my 600s roughly 18" away for the canopy. That's partly regulated by the light spread from my (crappy) reflectors. If I put them any lower than that plants off to the sides aren't getting as much light because of the way the reflector spreads it. Anyway -18 inches seems to work.
I don't have any experience in Hydro so can't help you with some of that stuff but as far as flowering, if it was me I would start flowering now. It already looks pretty darn busy in there.
I don't think trimming is something you want to be doing now. LST is probably more what you need, a process of spreading the branches, tying them down here and there to even things out and get the light as evenly distributed as possible on the budsites.
Have you thought about doing a scrog? It would solve any issues of getting an even canopy and dealing with the bushiness of the plants. It can make things a bit claustrophobic though when trying to work around your plants. And it looks like you're going in that direction with your tent already. But other than that a scrog is a good way to go- it is easy, and also fun
Either that (and/)or- Lst to spread branches and lower the tallest ones, raising the low plants up on blocks or whatever - to end up with a nice even canopy under the light, and some trimming of the undergrowth later on to ease up on the bushiness.

 

[stickyickyick]

I'm gonna read up on Scroggins this afternoon as well as lst. I have an abundance of trellis netting not sure If I can use that productively.


Thanks for consistently responding to my posts with good feedback and advice. Since our last conversation I haven't foliar sprayed and I've seen no I'll effects. So thanks again for that tidbit. I'll give you a more in depth post this afternoon after work.. I would be started flowering Today but I woke up too late to stop my lights and reset my plethora of timers. This afternoon I'll handle it while lights are out making tomorrow the first day of 12/12. I'm gonna also lower my lights this afternoon a d remove a few of the random cfls that burn new growth if left unchecked. Until yesterday my ballasts were tuned down t o 75 percent today was the first cycle with 100 percent. When my tents ac kicked on late last night it tripped a breaker so I was up real late reconfiguring to different breakers what could be put on a long extension cords. Now I've got them running all over the upstairs from my bedroom lol.

Yes this is a lot I realize now. I'm glad I grew from seedlings they seem to be doing better than my buddies aeroponic clone set up. I'm glad I didn't cut too many corners though this has been so far an awesome experience and I feel like my attention to detail may really serve in botany. Anyway until later thanks for the advice and support. I'll be back on this afternoon with some updates and probably more questions.

Hydro growers any thoughts??

 

[Weaselcracker]

Trellis netting could work. If you're really crowded then you could probably lose the cfls for now. Careful with those extension cords. They can cause problems. If you have to use them, use heavy gauge/good quality ones.

 

[stickyickyick]

I'm gonna read up on Scrog this afternoon as well as lst. I have an abundance of trellis netting not sure If I can use that productively.


Thanks for consistently responding to my posts with good feedback and advice. Since our last conversation I haven't foliar sprayed and I've seen no I'll effects. So thanks again for that tidbit. I'll give you a more in depth post this afternoon after work.. I would be started flowering Today but I woke up too late to stop my lights and reset my plethora of timers. This afternoon I'll handle it while lights are out making tomorrow the first day of 12/12. I'm gonna also lower my lights this afternoon a d remove a few of the random cfls that burn new growth if left unchecked. Until yesterday my ballasts were tuned down t o 75 percent today was the first cycle with 100 percent. When my tents ac kicked on late last night it tripped a breaker so I was up real late reconfiguring to different breakers what could be put on a long extension cords. Now I've got them running all over the upstairs from my bedroom lol.

Yes this is a lot I realize now. I'm glad I grew from seedlings they seem to be doing better than my buddies aeroponic clone set up. I'm glad I didn't cut too many corners though this has been so far an awesome experience and I feel like my attention to detail may really serve in botany. Anyway until later thanks for the advice and support. I'll be back on this afternoon with some updates and probably more questions.

Hydro growers any thoughts??

 

[stickyickyick]

I'm gonna read up on Scrog this afternoon as well as lst. I have an abundance of trellis netting not sure If I can use that productively.


Thanks for consistently responding to my posts with good feedback and advice. Since our last conversation I haven't foliar sprayed and I've seen no I'll effects. So thanks again for that tidbit. I'll give you a more in depth post this afternoon after work.. I would be started flowering Today but I woke up too late to stop my lights and reset my plethora of timers. This afternoon I'll handle it while lights are out making tomorrow the first day of 12/12. I'm gonna also lower my lights this afternoon a d remove a few of the random cfls that burn new growth if left unchecked. Until yesterday my ballasts were tuned down t o 75 percent today was the first cycle with 100 percent. When my tents ac kicked on late last night it tripped a breaker so I was up real late reconfiguring to different breakers what could be put on a long extension cords. Now I've got them running all over the upstairs from my bedroom lol.

Yes this is a lot I realize now. I'm glad I grew from seedlings they seem to be doing better than my buddies aeroponic clone set up. I'm glad I didn't cut too many corners though this has been so far an awesome experience and I feel like my attention to detail may really serve in botany. Anyway until later thanks for the advice and support. I'll be back on this afternoon with some updates and probably more questions.

Hydro growers any thoughts??

 

[stickyickyick]

Sorry about the re posts my phone went crazy... Anyway I've got a few minutes to read right now but this is the plan I've formulated based on the little reading I've done so far. I'm gonna hang my trellis over the Entire grow area about a foot above my canopy tonight also lowering my lights tonight only 1 foot. I'm gonna use jute strong to tie my lower growth sights or branches where I assume buds are gonna form lol, to the trellis stretching them up towards the light while trimming a few leaves that get in the way. I'm gonna switch light cycle tonight and see what happens. So is th is a decent plan for starting flowering?

 

[stickyickyick]

So sadly in a weird twist events, some of my problems solved themselves. The biggest and oldest plant, had clones ripped off three weeks ago. My buddy sent pictures a little while ago, clear seed pouches. Either a hermaphrodite or straight male. After seeing conclusive evidence, I cut that dude down. Now my height differences are a little less. I figure 5 to 7 inches on the tall to the low. More pics of today's events to come

 

[Weaselcracker]

Sounds good. You may want to go lower with the net. I'm no scrog expert. But I put the screens on when I switch to flowering, and I put them right down so the plant is mostly in the screen (net). When you spread the branches out this naturally makes them lower. Anyway- you'll get a feel for it when you do it and adjust accordingly I'm sure. I don't think you can go too wrong. The main core idea is to keep spreading those branches as they grow, to get an even canopy, by moving them one square farther away in the netting every time they grow taller than the other budsites. You'll read better info on it than I can write if you search a little. Anyway, it's easy. Good luck

 

[stickyickyick]

Thanks again for all the advice it's been a hard day. That plant was huge!!! Now I'm seeing something else but I wanna read up before I diagnose. I think what I'm seeing is nitrogen toxicity, my lower leaves on all the plants look spongy almost. Gotta do some reading

 

[Weaselcracker]

Oh I missed that one post about the male/hermie so that's not what I meant by 'sounds good'.
Sounds bad. Anyway- good luck

 

[stickyickyick]

Yea it's all good and my spongy looking leaves appears to be low oxygenation at the roots. I'm gonna drop my water level, and see if it helps. I'm also gonna move the extra airstone I have now until my next pump and the 6 air stones I ordered today arrive. I'm gonna drop the trellis I only had it up high to accommodate that big plant that is now in a trash bag in dumpster far from here lol, sadly... I feel like the extra floor space if nothing else will make moving and access easier inside the tent as well as give me more room to stretch my remaining plants out. I planned on posting pics tonight but I've spent about 6 hours working on this stuff tonight after a ten hour work day. Tomorrow I'm going in late to finish up preps for flowering I'll take them and post tomorrow evening.. until then thanks again and one last question, should I be tying them and stretching from day one or should I let them begin to stretch? Thanks in advance and good night

 

[Weaselcracker]

I know how it goes. It's a lot of work. Often late at night after a lot of other work. Some stuff can't wait. You've taken on quite a lot of new stuff so expect more late nights.


Again- I'm no expert but when I first set down my screen there is a fair amount of spreading to do because the plant naturally in life wants to bunch it's branches together. I lower the screen on it and I have to spread those branches out and get each branch into an appropriate square of the screen/net. Or at least a first effort in that direction. It's low mental stress, just kind of a starting point, and then the next day you'll see the growth is sprung back upright and things start to take shape and it becomes pretty obvious what to do next as the days progress. So yes, I would put the net on there to start. Usually people aim have filled about 60-75% of the net area at the flip that they intend to have full after the stretch. I don't usually do much tying. I have a couple narrow rolls of Velcro tape stuff I got at a garden supply store that I cut into small ties when I need them. Another thing I use a lot is pipe cleaners. The ties and the pipe cleaners are both very handy because they are reusable and easily adjusted. I like the pipe cleaners better because they are brightly colored and easy to see unlike the Velcro tape which is exactly the color of the plants and that causes me problems sometimes. The pipe cleaners never need to be tied, just a simple bend holds them where I want, and they're infinitely adjustable, and I can color code plants if I want. Something which I use more in LST though. Like I said, in the scrog I don't do a lot of tying down, mostly just the squares in the screen hold the plants in place, with the the occasional emergency tie down.

 

[DaKindbuds]

Nice first grow man! I see you got several going your first grow too. Subbed, I'm about a week and a half from flip and getting ready to SCROG myself. Your girls are looking good despite the deficiencies you said you had. I've had the same issue, I'm just getting it right. Can't wait to see how yours turns out