Grow Journal #4- Growing "Indo-Nesia":1st hydro (passive),400W HPS, Soil vs Hydro

Cant believe Im already on my 4th GJ! Seems like only yesterday I was growing out bagseed in that damn rubbermaid indoor setup I had.

Since then I've gotten quite a few indoor and outdoor grows under my belt, and they have always ended up in success..I didnt really yielded anything worth smoking my first few times, but I still consider that a success bcuz I learned something new each time about both myself and growing.

Let me tell U a little more about my setup.

Strain- "Indo-Nesia" is a strain that I bred myself by (accidentally) crossing a bagseed hermie with a PPP female I had a while ago. Once the seeds were ready I grew 2 of them out- one was a male, the other was a hermie, so I pollinated the hermie and marked off those branches. At the end of the grow I was left with a decent amount of seeds and some killer smoke and so I wondered "If it came out this good with CFL's in soil, just imagine how much better it will be in hydro with my new 400W HPS!" ...from there the rest is history!




I called it "Indo-Nesia" bcuz it showed mostly indica traits but the high is very heady and trippy, you'll be in the middle of the conversation and forget what you were talking about. It also will do either one of 2 things, if Ur a heavier person it will numb everything, someone will be touching you and U wont feel a thing, but if Ur smaller in stature it will make everything really sensitive to the touch, every hotspot on a person, or every funny bone in their body will be extremely sensitive.




Lighting- I went out and bought a 400W HPS system from my local hydro shop for about $150..anything to keep my personal info off the internet and so I can fly below "Big Brother Bush's" radar






Hydro Setup- I got a rather small setup called "Emily's Garden" that will hold 6 fully mature plants. I plan on only using 4 just to give the roots some room to stretch and breath, I'll worry about upgrading and modifying this system later, but for my first attempt I think this will do fine.



It cost about $85 and it came packaged with a pump, hydroton, nutes, ph test kit, net pots and 1" rockwool cubes for seedlings/clones.




thats a pic from my last grow, I tried transplanting them from soil into hydro but I dont think I did it right and the plants slowly died one by one. Im thinking it was bcuz either the pump was too small or I did the peroxide remedy too late, either way they were still smokable, the oldest plant was about 7weeks into flowering, the youngest was about 3.

Nute Lineup- guy at the hydro shop recommended that I used Natures Nectar nutes bcuz U dont have to pH them, it keeps ur pH at the perfect level for hydro. He also said that as long as I keep an eye on my water color and levels I wont need a EC/TDS meter. Im gonna get one eventually but right now I dont wanna fork up the $150 for it. I got some peroxide, molasses, and as U can see I still have the MG ferts from my last grows but I am NOT gonna use them in the hydro, they are for my soil plants.


(Stuff on the left is for Hydro) (Stuff on the right is for Soil)
Soil Setup- Strictly MG Potting mix, no extra stuff (guano, perlite, vermiculite, potash, dung) as I find that unnecessary. MG will do fine as long as I dont transplant them into it too soon or over feed.


My grow room is large enough to grow everything in the same area, under the same light. I plan on vegging under 3 42W CFL's, then adding one 26W CFL each week or node, which ever comes first. My flowering room is currently occupied by the mothers I used for my last SoG, I decided not to keep em around anymore so they are currently on their second week of flowering. I'll veg for about 6 weeks, or until they wont fit into my veg box, and then toss them into flowering.

sorry for the long post but I had a lot of info, be back in a few for updates.

check out the next journal:
Grow Journal #5-12/12 from seed to finish, 400W Grow Cabinet, Hydro & Soil