400w MH/HPS & AN || NYPDiesel & Black Jack + 2 Mystery beans

Hello RiU Family!

I know its been a while and I apologize for that, however, I yielded so much off of that last grow that it lasted me almost a year O.O - Time to start on next years take. So between then and now I've done loads more research and ended up changing 3 major things with my setup.

1. Upgraded from CFL / AeroGarden hood setup (which worked like a charm) to a proper 400w Lighting system digital/switchable MH/HPS w/ Cooltube!

2. Instead of growing in an open room, I've invested in a fully reflective Secret Jardin II dr 60 grow tent and ventilation for the lights and grow space.

3. I've changed nutrients from Gen hydro 3 part (previous Lucas formula) to:

Advanced Nutrients
Sensi Grow A+B - Veg
Connoisseur A+B - Flower

+ Additives/Boosters
Dr. Hornby's Big bud
A/N B-52

** Now I just would like to mention here that everywhere I look online I can't tell if its A/N employees posting about the Advanced Nutrients connoisseur or if there is just no real good information / experience postings on the product. I decided to take one for the team and will be sharing my trials and tribulations with you guys weekly including my results and pictures (or it didn't happen).

As far as what's going to be growing in there, i'll be experimenting with 3 new strains and one I tried and failed with previously.

NYPDiesel
Black Jack

+ 2 Mystery seeds which I may or may not grow in a separate hydro unit. (Should be G13/Pineapple express or PPP came in a mix pack)

I'll be germinating the seeds using the old tried and true paper towel zip lock method and then transporting the seedlings into rapid rooter plugs after they pop -> into hydroton filled netty pots afterward.

----------- Id like to start off by showing the results from my Gen hydro 3 part/CFL light grow from last time.. If I can do better than that with all this new shit ill be satisfied. The strain was Snow White from Nirvanashop-----------



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New Setup



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Seeds are currently soaking now - hopefully they'll pop within 72 hours or so Check back for frequent updates.

I'll follow your journal. I'll be starting my own when I can get my girls out of my tent(about a month) so I will be able to watch your mistakes and hopefully avoid.

Popcorn900 said:

I'll follow your journal. I'll be starting my own when I can get my girls out of my tent(about a month) so I will be able to watch your mistakes and hopefully avoid.

Click to expand...

Haha Thank You. Hopefully I'll try to minimize the mistakes.. but I will be posting the good, bad and ugly. It is kind of a scary proposition switching nutes especially Advanced Nutrients, lights, and everything else. But i've got smell, temperature, PPM and PH under control. Everything else is a matter of not being careless I hope.

Just put in the digital thermometer to measure tent temperatures, gonna be checking the seeds shortly to see if any of them have popped.

blackaricanboy said:

Just put in the digital thermometer to measure tent temperatures, gonna be checking the seeds shortly to see if any of them have popped.

Click to expand...

How are you controlling the temp? you have a fresh air intake from outside?

BlackJack has popped just a bit, but i'm gonna give it one more night that way the tap root gets a good clean start before I transplant it into the rapid rooter plug and into the tent

the other 3 haven't popped yet unfortunately.

Ok! So 2 out of 4 babies have popped a tap root - i've transplanted them all into rapid rooter plugs anyway. The fun begins

3 out of 4 babies popped
Rest in peace black jack! Hopefully one of your sisters will make it

After checking the Black Jack seed which was ,surprisingly enough, the first to pop a tap root, it seemed that it had just stopped sprouting.. upon further investigation the tap root broke off from the seed somehow? which is strange considering there was no trauma during transplant into the rapid rooter plug. This go around i'm just going to germ the seed in the RR plug and let it sprout on its own instead of doing the paper towel method. I have another hydro bucket I can transfer the netty pot to if it gets too far behind.

The race is on. NYPD is taking OFF and is going to require some . the two unknowns are growing and the black jack hasn't sprouted yet. Heres the update I'm deff going to have to train the NYPD

**going to require some training.. either that or my light is a bit too far away and its stretching.

Update! The babies are growing and the blackjack finally popped! - Temperatures and everything are fairly stable, i havent switched to the MH lighting yet, still using the CFL until they get a little bit bigger.

Today we've got progress. The black jack seed that I re-sprouted last shot out of no where and is looking in really great shape. Additionally, I made a trip to the local hardware store and picked up some pvc and a few other supplies for a diy SCROG conversion. With this many plants in such close proximity i figure it might not be a bad idea. I also think that it might help me overcome any height issues that could arise from growing multiple strains at once.. What do you guys think?

I've got some pictures for you guys as well, i'll upload them as soon as RIU allows. Getting an error message when attaching pics.

Here are pics from yesterday

So tonight, I've gone ahead and switched from CFL to 400w MH. I was concerned at first for the temps, but I've been able to get them to settle at around 78-80 degrees. Thats just what my thermometer is reading anyway. The canopy feels cool and I'm sure i might even be able to lower the lights some. I also finished my DIY scrog net! Excited about trying this method of training. It was actually fairly inexpensive. few pieces of PVC and a ball of string.. lol voila.

I ended up moving the lights down a few inches.. when i went back to check temps the plants seemed to have started stretching some. going to leave it like this until tomorrow and hopefully have some decent results.. MH distance + heat control is a pain in the ass so far. i dont have an exhaust fan blowing air out of the tent.. just one small clip fan inside and a larger oscillating fan keeping the area circulating for now. will order a 6 inch fan to exhaust air out of the tent.. but not sure if thats going to help much.

Okay.. wow its definitely been an interesting week this week guys.. a couple of things have happened.

As i mentioned in the start of this thread I've been working on getting new nutes, new lights, new grow space all dialed in at once. Generally with the 3 part Gen hydro i would start with a 25% grow solution from week one with 0 issues. But with AN I wasnt sure how strong the nutes would be so I tried something very similar. Needless to say it didn't end up working out that well and it took me a little bit to figure out what was going on at first until I noticed the yellowing on one of the plants. It was definitely a nutrient deficiency. After seeing this happen.. I went and picked up some new bottles to start foliar feeding to get them back on track, I mixed up 1 liter of Sensi grow at about 55% with 2 ML and have been foliar feeding the plants this way for the last 2 days and they are all perking up! I also added some B-52 or whatever its called to the mix.. as I read that those essential enzymes could only help.

So in addition to the foliar feed.. I added 45 ML of Part A and 45 ML of part B to the 10 gallon res directly. I'm starting to notice the plants growth again.. before it almost seemed like things were at a stand still.

I'm still using the MH lights.. 400 watts at full power. I think that they are just "OKAY" i'm not really seeing a huge advantage over just leaving the plants under the aerogarden hood for the first 2 weeks or so until their big enough to take advantage of the MH. I could technically move the MH down.. but i'm not trying to bleach them.

This is my first grow using a PPM meter as well.. so any tips there would be appreciated.

ill follow this one too, like to see others use AN base nutrients.