X Marks the Spot - XLR8's Big Bang Auto Hydro Grow 2011

[NorCaliwood]

XLR. I see you looking at closing your air flow from your lights. Is a good thing if the temp's are crazy. Look into a speedster switch. Just a dimmer is all that you can piggy back to your fan. I'd have to scroll back and see what you are in, but I used a H/O 6" and it's turning the air in my spare room. I just have mine open sucking the top layer of air. Working for now running 24/7 full speed. I know it's warmest time of the year rite now and I won't need that much come cooler ambeint temp's. I plan on a termostate with the speedster switch come winter time.
Man I can only hope the bug bang I got going looks like yours. Man she's a bush. I need to look back afew pages and see if I need to suck up for any reason. Hey Keepem Green

 

[Aaron Quix]

Does anyone else see that OMM liked post #415 several times? How is that even possible me wonders?!? Must be a glitch!

Oh, oh oh, it's ma-agic, you know oh oh!

 

[Xlr8]

A glitch! ?????

Are you questioning the power of OMM?

Damn, it went away when I logged in. Phooey!

It's still there on mine, but I like it - does anyone else see it, or is it just a glitch that I see?

Oh, and you're right, I never should have underestimated the power of OMM!

 

[Xlr8]

XLR. I see you looking at closing your air flow from your lights. Is a good thing if the temp's are crazy. Look into a speedster switch. Just a dimmer is all that you can piggy back to your fan. I'd have to scroll back and see what you are in, but I used a H/O 6" and it's turning the air in my spare room. I just have mine open sucking the top layer of air. Working for now running 24/7 full speed. I know it's warmest time of the year rite now and I won't need that much come cooler ambeint temp's. I plan on a termostate with the speedster switch come winter time.
Man I can only hope the bug bang I got going looks like yours. Man she's a bush. I need to look back afew pages and see if I need to suck up for any reason. Hey Keepem Green

Hi Wood!

I wasn't actually looking at closing the air flow. In fact, I've done what you are suggesting. I ducted the reflector with a 400cfm fan pulling air through it (eventually I'll add the second reflector to the ducting).

Initially, I was concerned with the roar of air that was being exhausted (it was pretty loud). So, the next day I did get a speedster, just like you suggested, and I have been experimenting with how low I can adjust the speedster and still adequately keep the lights and room cool.

It seems to do just as good with the speedster at 1/2 power, and it's much quieter. Though, I've noticed the speedster does give the fan a little "whining" noise when it operates, but it's not too bad.

Thanks a bunch for the suggestion and kind words.

 

[Aaron Quix]

It's still there on mine, but I like it - does anyone else see it, or is it just a glitch that I see?

Oh, and you're right, I never should have underestimated the power of OMM!

Yeah X I see it, I'm sure its visible to everyone...

 

[OldMedMan]

Yeah X I see it, I'm sure its visible to everyone...

To everyone but me! gone.

 

[Aaron Quix]

To everyone but me! gone.

I told you it was magic!

 

[Xlr8]

Grow Update - Big Bang Auto - Day 62 from seed, Day 27 since HPS switch. (18/6 light cycle start to finish)

• Everything seems pretty dialed in with the growspace environment right now. The tent is staying between 75-77f, and the humidity is pretty steady at about 45%RH.
• Still having to top off water daily. I think I'm plenty high on nutrient levels. I'm going to back down slightly on next change. It's really minor, but I worry about her drinking too much of her water and getting overdosed on nutrients. She was at 1560ppm last nutrient change about 3 days ago, but I think that's a bit high (just like me...).
• I raised the light a little. It was about 15" from the bottom of the reflector, moved up to about 18-19" from the top of the plant
• Everything else looks good - healthy, green, and growing. Buds are swelling slowly but surely.

I'm almost out of DM Flower A/B, and I'm debating what to do as I don't want to buy more at this time, because I am planning on trying Blue Planet in my next grow. I don't have enough extra Blue Planet to finish this grow, too, and I don't want to further invest in DM product right now. I'm thinking of using some leftover (full bottle) 2 year old Advance Nutrients (Bloom A/B) product as my base nutrient to finish the grow, but is that dumb/crazy? Probably right? Thoughts?

Here is Miss Big Bang:

 

[Aaron Quix]

I have no real proof that it would be bad, but I would NEVER use nutes that are 2 years old. Organic material sitting around, ick! We should definitely look into it though, may save you 20 bucks, who knows!

 

[Aaron Quix]

Well, 5 minutes and I found this, I'd credit the site, it's just a house-plant site, but the guy found this somewhere else himself so who cares....

"With liquid fertilizers, there might be some crystallization over time. The solubility of fertilizer salts increases with increasing temperature, so heating a container of liquid fertilizer (by putting it in a pot of hot water) should dissolve any crystals.


Otherwise, nitrogen fertilizers can degrade through loss of ammonia (a gaseous nitrogen compound) to the atmosphere. The ammonium compounds which are used as nitrogen carriers break down very slowly unless mixed with alkaline substances, but they may lose some weight and value over prolonged storage ... especially if their container is not well sealed.

Some organic fertilizers can become moldy. Their nutrients may blow away as spores."

I'll keep looking, but looks like there's hope

 

[Xlr8]

I have no real proof that it would be bad, but I would NEVER use nutes that are 2 years old. Organic material sitting around, ick! We should definitely look into it though, may save you 20 bucks, who knows!

Well, 5 minutes and I found this, I'd credit the site, it's just a house-plant site, but the guy found this somewhere else himself so who cares....

"With liquid fertilizers, there might be some crystallization over time. The solubility of fertilizer salts increases with increasing temperature, so heating a container of liquid fertilizer (by putting it in a pot of hot water) should dissolve any crystals.


Otherwise, nitrogen fertilizers can degrade through loss of ammonia (a gaseous nitrogen compound) to the atmosphere. The ammonium compounds which are used as nitrogen carriers break down very slowly unless mixed with alkaline substances, but they may lose some weight and value over prolonged storage ... especially if their container is not well sealed.

Some organic fertilizers can become moldy. Their nutrients may blow away as spores."

I'll keep looking, but looks like there's hope

Nice Quix - for that. I appreciate you weighing in and actually looking into that a bit for me.

I probably should just dump another $25 into enough more DM product to finish the grow. I'm guessing that's all it would take. Just thinking of ways to save money and not be wasteful...

 

[Aaron Quix]

Nice Quix - for that. I appreciate you weighing in and actually looking into that a bit for me.

I probably should just dump another $25 into enough more DM product to finish the grow. I'm guessing that's all it would take. Just thinking of ways to save money and not be wasteful...

I hear you on that! I just read a butt load of misc. threads on different sites, and I've yet to see anything that says its actually bad!! Then again none of those sites were cannabis sites, and you know as well as I do that cannabis growers are a whole different breed! You should probably ask one of the veterans here, we aint' talkin about no dang ol' philodendrons here....

 

[Crower619]

Hey XL ladies are looking bigger by the day brother...I cant even wait till my next grow we purchased a house an switching over to hydro this next grow, Im really wanting to do autoflower is it the same yield or smaller with the autoflowers?

 

[Xlr8]

Hey XL ladies are looking bigger by the day brother...I cant even wait till my next grow we purchased a house an switching over to hydro this next grow, Im really wanting to do autoflower is it the same yield or smaller with the autoflowers?

Hi Crower -

This is my first auto-flower, so I'm learning on the fly as far as autos. It's a full shaped, but small statured plant overall. I'd say she's about 24" from the base to the top of the main cola. About 32" at it's widest point. Really a bush!

So, overall I expect the yield to be modest compared to the potential of a non-auto plant, but I'm still not sure what that might be, and I'm curious as to how full the buds will get compared to a non auto plant. Sure looks like it could be a good option for someone in cramped quarters...

Congrats on the new house. Will be fun to see how hydro works for you.

 

[Xlr8]

I hear you on that! I just read a butt load of misc. threads on different sites, and I've yet to see anything that says its actually bad!! Then again none of those sites were cannabis sites, and you know as well as I do that cannabis growers are a whole different breed! You should probably ask one of the veterans here, we aint' talkin about no dang ol' philodendrons here....

Good idea - might do that. I have a friend or two that has some experience with AN products, maybe they'll have a suggestion for me... I've had people tell me that it would probably be fine, but maybe not as effective as it could be. In other words, probably wouldn't hurt the plants but I'd have to be alert for deficiencies. Basically if there is a lot of gunk on the bottom or fall-out I'm thinking it's a definite no-go. Beyond that, though, I've got very little experience with AN products and I'm not sure I like experimenting late in flower... I have a week or two to figure it out.

 

[DL-Toker]

<snip>
I probably should just dump another $25 into enough more DM product to finish the grow. I'm guessing that's all it would take. Just thinking of ways to save money and not be wasteful...

I know money can get tight, and I hear you on wanting to avoid waste. That said, I have to ask if the harvest you expect to get from this lady mightn't sustain better than $25 worth of damage/disruption of growth with not only a change of nutes during bloom, but a change to old nutes. Out where I am, $25 will legally buy you an eighth if you know the right shop. Next to what you may be taking off your lady I have to wonder.

Only you can decide what's right for you. I wouldn't presume to tell you what to do, only to bring up points for your consideration. I fear you might waste your lady's growth in trying to avoid wasting $$/nutes. You might just as well change nutes to give her a late-bloom kick and harvest much more...I don't know, that's for you. I wish you the best either way you go!

 

[Xlr8]

I know money can get tight, and I hear you on wanting to avoid waste. That said, I have to ask if the harvest you expect to get from this lady mightn't sustain better than $25 worth of damage/disruption of growth with not only a change of nutes during bloom, but a change to old nutes. Out where I am, $25 will legally buy you an eighth if you know the right shop. Next to what you may be taking off your lady I have to wonder.

Only you can decide what's right for you. I wouldn't presume to tell you what to do, only to bring up points for your consideration. I fear you might waste your lady's growth in trying to avoid wasting $$/nutes. You might just as well change nutes to give her a late-bloom kick and harvest much more...I don't know, that's for you. I wish you the best either way you go!

I've wised up to the same thinking DL, thanks. I went out today while I had a little time and bought some more of the DM Gold.

It's not the money so much as not wanting to be wasteful. But, the risks are too obvious and costly as to play around at this point. I need the meds. Like you are saying, why mess it up over 25$?

Anyway, thanks for your wise remarks and putting into the right perspective.

 

[naphtali5725]

Hey XL - i think it was a good decision to go ahead and buy new nutes, but don't waste the other...grow you a tomato or pepper plant or something that you like to eat and use it on that that way you'll be able to tell if it is ok to use nutes that are that old hehehe, and add some more experience to your grow skills!

good luck man, i can't wait for your auto to finish...i have several auto seeds i'm a waitin to start - and it will be based on how you do with yours whether or not i try them so do it right

shalom shalom - peace man

 

[Xlr8]

Hey XL - i think it was a good decision to go ahead and buy new nutes, but don't waste the other...grow you a tomato or pepper plant or something that you like to eat and use it on that that way you'll be able to tell if it is ok to use nutes that are that old hehehe, and add some more experience to your grow skills!

good luck man, i can't wait for your auto to finish...i have several auto seeds i'm a waitin to start - and it will be based on how you do with yours whether or not i try them so do it right

shalom shalom - peace man

Great ideas, Nap. I might just do that -- use it on some plants outside or something. Nice suggestion!

Haha - no pressure on the auto, huh? Well, she's sure pretty so far, and she's really swelling the last couple of days - brings a smile to my face when I can notice the difference from one day to the next. I hope it keeps swelling and progressing as nicely as it has been lately.

Finally starting to get some good frost going, too. Fun time in the grow.

 

[OldMedMan]

Hi xlr8.

Sure glad you bought some nutes! Thought we were going to have a riot!

Everyone wants you to be successful !