Hi All

thought I'd start a grow journal (three weeks late!) if only for my benefit but hopefully for others too!!

Roughly five weeks ago having been thinking of growing for a while, I decided to go for it. My bank kindly gave me an overdraft and having done a bit of research decided to go with a hydroponic system.

My set-up is based within a BudBox grow tent (1.2m x 1.2m x 2m). I'm using a Hydrogully NFT system and 600w HPS light. I decided on Dutch Passion Blueberry. Although expensive I purchased 10 feminised seeds.

I directly germinated the seeds in rockwool using an Aeroponics propagator. Within three days 6 seedling appeared above the surface of the rockwool, all good. By day six the seedlings were couple of inches tall but no sign of the others. Curiosity got the better of me and I explored them. 3 had cracked but were apparently stuck under their casings. Using a steralised scalpel I removed the casing carefully. Within in a day theses 3 had sprouted above the rockwool. As for the fourth I could find nothing in the rockwool!!!!! Lighting wise for the germinating I used the HPS once the six had surfaced, but the aeroponics systems was on the ground and the light almost 2 meters above with some shading as well, not ideal but worked fine.

Day 8 I transfered all 9 seedlings (including the 3 that had not long surfaced) into the NFT system on a 18/6 light rotation. My ph in the water sitting at 6.2ph and conductivity about 13. I also have a separate bucket of water in the tent with a ceramic mister sat in it on a timer 20 mins every hour during 'daytime' keeping humidity 60-70%.

Its day 22 (14 since in the NFT) and you can see photos in my gallery of the young blueberrys. The first six are standing about 8-10" tall with the remaining three 3-4" but looking ok. The stem on these three is obviously going to be shorter and I guess this has to do with making the first six whilst in the propagator 'work' for there light, next time I will invest in fluorescents!!!

Thats it so far. Any questions, remarks or advice much appreciated!?!?

Cheers

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Welcome to the forum. Nice looking setup and plants. One of the F boys. I think it's Filthy Fletch builds that type of setup and is an expert with the nft. You are right, trying to use a 400watt for seedlings is not energy efficient. Have you bought your cloning supplies yet?? Several great posts in this forum for cloning. Its the key to being successful. If you try two clones from each plant with 50% success, and from what you have shown so far you will do better than that, you would still have as many plants cloned and ready go. VV

hi thanks for the input. Cloning is something I havnt really even thought o yet, but obviously have too soonish. My plan in the coming week is to top in the next week, I'll probably experiment on a couple first but from fit I've heard blueberrys really need topping to get the best? I'll prob flower in two or three weeks? i'll keep the journal updated, lol

Cheers

Hi

Day 26

Due to bloody neighbours complaining about the noise of the lighting ballest coming on at 10pm every night (strange noise to them) I've switched to 24 hour lighting for the rest of the veg period, need to find way to dampen sound for flowering.

Topped the two largest plants yesterday, they are looking good and will top the rest over the coming week depending on size. Otherwise all looking good.

Cheers

Get a digital ballast... mine is almost silent. However my 400w MH is traditional... yea she is loud.

Thanks for the info, never knew there was a different sort of ballest.

If this grow goes well then I may set up a second grow tent and was thinking of using the new compact fluorescent bulbs (250w) which are also ballest-less. Actually might just experiment with one grow to see what difference it makes.

cheers

Hi

topped all remaining plants. First six plants between 10-12 inches tall remaining 3 5-7 inches tall. Plan to switch to 12/12 lightining tomorrow (30 days since germination).

Find attached photo's taken today

cheers

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Switching to 12/12 lighting today. I forgot to mention I've been clearing out the reservoir on a fortnightly basis. I did this yesterday raising the conductivity to 16 (using grow nutes), I'll switch to bloom nutes on next flush.

I use Vitalink nutes, augmented with Vitalink Bioplus and once or twice daily I spray the foliage with tap water with a weak solution of Canna Rhizotonic.

My main issue really has been the larger plants root mass pushing the pots up out of the hydrogully. I've tied the pots now down, hopefully to keep the roots growing horizontally along the gully.

cheers

Jus a quick update and some new photos. I now on the 12/12 lighting upped the nutes to 18, still on veg/growth nutes but topping the reservoir up with bloom nutes (canna). Swop to bloom nutes totally on next flush this coming thursday.

Really cant get over the growth, theres only 8 days difference between the last photos and these ones attached. Looking for signs of sexing, hopefully good they are from femenised seeds but think blueberrys can turn(!) into hermaphrodites!!

cheers

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11 Days in on flowering cycle, early signs of white pistilies on plants. Largest plant now over 60cm. All looking good. One of the late germinators looks it might be a mutation, the main stalk has split into two stalks and is very small (16cm) leave, see what happens.

Had upped nutes to 18 but saw sum slight nute burn and the large plants top went bit 'floppy', reduced nutes back to 12-14 and everything is sweet again. As read, obviously Blueburry dosnt like too much nutes.

Away for the weekend hope to verify sex of plants on Tuesday.

cheers

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