Al B. FAQt

Al B. It's my first grow, 4 WW's.. planted 25 days ago, started under a T5. About 2 weeks in, I transplanted, and put them under the 400W MH 14" away, and the temps were steady rarely exceeding 80*. Soon, I realized the leaves were bending and twisting and one of the plants had brown spots on its leaves (signs of heat stress?) - this is the stunted one now. I then lowered them, 29" from the lights.. then yesterday (about a week from the the tips browning from the stunted plant incident) I raised them so it's 24" from the lights. Now, I come back today and check and see the leaves of the other plants are starting to brown at the tip, and only the tips of the lower leaves. Is this normal? My plants are only 25 days since planting, and I have Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil, pH of the water is fine. Is it time to give it a bit of nutes??

I know I have a bunch of questions, but this is my first grow, and I appreciate the help Al. Thanks in advanced.

LuckyLou said:

"Also, the cooltube should push air through the cooltube instead of pulling it. It is more efficient for the fan to draw in denser cool air than shift warmed air. A pusher arrangement allows the fan's motor to be cooled by the airflow instead of being heated by the waste heat from the lights, which could conceivably shorten its lifespan."

Thank you - this is very useful. I have mine hooked up backwards.

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Hey al is this all true?

Thanks for taking a look Al, I had already raised the nutes PH. THey are drinking a lot more water now and PPM stayed near 870 EC 1.27-1.28 for a couple days.

From this I take it to mean they found their balance at around PPM 800-850?

Hi Al, mate if you get a chance can you please post the wiring diagram to wire an extension lead to a fan speed controller (the one without a thermostat) I cant seem to find it, cheers

BigBudBalls said:

I am my own grandpappy and sister.

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Hellfire, Jackson... you otta meet my Uncle Dad.

Do you buy into the clones of clones of clones, etc degrades the results?
Do you go clones of clones, or seeds, for mums or a mix?

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It's all but impossible for the DNA of a plant propagated by asexual means to have any difference from the donor plant.

I last sprouted Sweet Tooth #4 beans in 2002 and have propagated by cuttings ever since. If the DNA is gonna degrade on me, I sure wish it'd hurry the fuck up.

bl0wdr0 said:

. Is this normal? My plants are only 25 days since planting, and I have Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil, pH of the water is fine.

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I'll warn you going in that I am not a soil guy. There's soil experts on RIU whom you should consult.

Leaves should never be anything but deep green, save for the growing tip of the plant which should be lime green when actively growing.

What you describe could possibly be a Mg deficiency or a pH error. The pH range requirements for soil are different from hydroponics and the means of shifting pH are different too. Wish I could help you.

Hydrokronics said:

Hey al is this all true?

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nah, I write all this stuff just to fool people.

LostInSpace... said:

Hi Al, mate if you get a chance can you please post the wiring diagram to wire an extension lead to a fan speed controller (the one without a thermostat) I cant seem to find it, cheers

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No diagram required. Just break the blue wire in the extension lead and connect the ends to the MSC.

Al B. Fuct said:

nah, I write all this stuff just to fool people.

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lmfao...

Completely off topic: When I drop $1000 on a new pair of spex, I expect they'll be assembled correctly and I'll pick them up without waiting or dicking around. No quibbling. That's not what has happened today. I got every excuse in the book for why the machine which is supposed to cut & polish lenses did a bad job. So, I'm trying to post on RIU wearing my driving glasses and it ain't working so well.

I've been to Jamaica several times and I speak a bit of patois. One of my very favourite Jamaican sayings is "Mi come here fi drink milk, mi no come here fi count cow." Means it's none of my business how you get your business done, I'm paying for the result.

Grr.

drynroasty said:

Thanks for taking a look Al, I had already raised the nutes PH. THey are drinking a lot more water now and PPM stayed near 870 EC 1.27-1.28 for a couple days.

From this I take it to mean they found their balance at around PPM 800-850?

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If you are topping up the tank frequently, you should see the EC drop as the plants consume the nutes. IOW, if you mix a tank of 1000ppm and run that for several days, then top up the water to replace that used by the plants or evaporated, you should see the ppm drop a bit.

yo Al,
I have a plant outside and it has stopped growing because of the cold.The sad part is it turns out to be female,anyway is it possible to cut fan leaves that have bud sites for cloning?
and does this dome work for this fogger?..or does the dome have to be like a perfect fit in order to work properly?..this was closes size they had to this thing

Hey AL check out my tables i use two tables they are like 4x4 foot ebb and flo i use general hydroponics and i have a truncheoun meter i set my EC at like 1.6 in first tray and like 2.0 in second tray

second tray has hps light and has bucket system in it and rainforest setup

they will be coming out soon as i have decided to bud out that mother like you suggested that problematic ppp from nirvana anyways first tray uses metal halide conversion bulb that runs on hps ballast i have 3 questions

1. Do you think i should give up conversion bulb and blast it with another hortilux super red with like 150,000 lumen or keep the halide because that is bay they are still growin leaves in ?

2. do you think two 1000 hps over 2 4x4 tables is overkill ...am i losin on some light

3. Have you ever had light disturb your bloom room ...like a pinhole or light from ac unit ...turn some hermaphrodite ?

these are both aircooled yieldmaster 6 inch air cooled hoods heat is escaped via 600 cfm or so squirrelcage straight up and out the roof with vent cover

also reservoirs are just totes 15 bucks from target hehe and they hold about 30 gallons comfortably which is really pushin it with 4x4 table ....
also they both have circular airstones in each reservoir and fish tank heaters set at 70 F

I like how you simplyfy things and put everything in a real easy to understand logical perspective

and my RW clones are actually lookin pretty nice ty for advice on that

Hey Al.
I was looking at your PH chart comparisson illustration chart (hydro/soli)

And noticed that at 5.8 you get a Manganesse lock out for hydro setups. Does this have any effects on plant growth? I was researching arond and other non cannibus plants seem to have probs with having a Mn deficiency. Does cannibus not need Mn or what do we do to sub this out? (or do are hydro nutes have the Mn in the mix?)

Thanks

flamdrags420 said:

Hey Al.
And noticed that at 5.8 you get a Manganesse lock out for hydro setups. Does this have any effects on plant growth?
Thanks

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I wondered the same thing when I looked closely at the chart. Seems there is nowhere on the Ph scale where all nutes are available.

The plants have to get it somewhere don't they?

ldnsharkkid said:

Thanks for your advice Al, im gonna get some solid pots tomorrow and see if i can still transpant them, however if i have to cut any roots ill just let them be, but any advice on what i should do with the roots, ie, cover them up somehow??

Also i dunno if you looked at my journal but the flimsy cololtube reflector jumped off the other day, and broke a fan leaf at the stem, however its still half attached, should i cut it off, also the first set leaves that grew havent grown for 10 days and are a lime green and look wilted, in my opinion dead, should i cut them off?? As a noobie im a bit anxious about cutting my babies, but i trust your advice so if you could lend an opinion would be much appreciated....

Just 1 last thing, in fact 2.....when you clean your res what do you use? Can i use a household cleaner as long as its rinsed properly, or will this be detrimental to my plants if some stays in the res???

And i saw a link a while ago for H202 in the uk as its hard to get, ive searched through loads of pages looking for it and i ust cant find it, if you have the link could you post it....

Thanks again Al, i like many others would be very worried without some of your input, and if i could make any sort of donation for your advice i would, not that you need it from the sounds of it you got things tickin over very nicely, and hopefully 1 day ill have the same success you have....keep up the good work bro

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Hey Al i posted this about 10 posts ago after some advice you gave me but i think you missed it,anyway if you could help with your opinions would be much appreciated,thanks again mate

Hey Al

Lazy Stoner question one i am SURE you have experience with. What really happens when you don't change your nute solution every 2 weeks?

I seem to have everything down pretty good except my finish times are extending longer than 8 weeks and of course its screwing with my cycle. I am starting to think that i might go every 3 weeks but it sure would be easier to just change out when i move in new clones.

I have seen somewhere here where some guy was changing out every 4 weeks and i am sure there are different thoughts to this but what is real and what can be stretched provided everything is kept in order pathogens ppm,'s and PH levels.

I really want to believe that if you care for your tanks you could extend your tanks further. But then again i sleep with a supermodel every night also so I might be having hallucinations .

Thanks brother

Al B Fuct just wanted to drop in and say you do rock..youv'e changed my perspective on alot of things sort of opened my eyes...as an outdoor guy moving inside to be safe you've helped me make the most of my space and my time keep on keeping on maaannnn!

paperfetti said:

,anyway is it possible to cut fan leaves that have bud sites for cloning?

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Fan leaves don't have bud sites. Leaves cannot be cloned.

and does this dome work for this fogger?..or does the dome have to be like a perfect fit in order to work properly?..this was closes size they had to this thing

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I don't use humidomes at all. See https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/15030-batch-clones-rockwool.html

doktorgreenthumb420 said:

second tray has hps light and has bucket system in it and rainforest setup

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Please cite nute strength in ppm instead of EC. I don't know the EC-ppm conversions off the top of my head.

What's a rainforest setup?

1. Do you think i should give up conversion bulb and blast it with another hortilux super red with like 150,000 lumen or keep the halide

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What are you using the MH conversion lamp for?

because that is bay they are still growin leaves in ?

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Sorry, what does this mean? I've read this 5 times and can't make sense of it.

2. do you think two 1000 hps over 2 4x4 tables is overkill ...am i losin on some light

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A 1000 will do fine over a 4'x4' tray.

3. Have you ever had light disturb your bloom room ...like a pinhole or light from ac unit ...turn some hermaphrodite ?

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Generally takes more than a pinhole or an indicator light to cause hermaphrodism. However, I would cover the indicator lamps with some black tape just to be sure. The dark period for flowering plants should be as dark as you can make it. You should not peek in on them during the dark period.

flamdrags420 said:

And noticed that at 5.8 you get a Manganesse lock out for hydro setups.

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That's a very good question- that I have no answer for. If St0ney's pH chart is accurate, Mn is indeed locked out at 5.8 and I don't know how nute makers get around that. I can't recall ever having to solve a Mn deficiency, though.

ldnsharkkid said:

Hey Al i posted this about 10 posts ago after some advice you gave me but i think you missed it

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Yep, I did miss it, sorry about that. Happens every once in a while that someone posts something while I am assembling a response and it winds up on a previous page, escaping my notice.

Originally Posted by ldnsharkkid
Thanks for your advice Al, im gonna get some solid pots tomorrow and see if i can still transpant them, however if i have to cut any roots ill just let them be, but any advice on what i should do with the roots, ie, cover them up somehow??

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Roots should be protected from light, but I suspect just the shading from the foliage above may be sufficient. You can use a sheet of panda film with holes poked in it for stems for this if you like.

Also i dunno if you looked at my journal but the flimsy cololtube reflector jumped off the other day, and broke a fan leaf at the stem, however its still half attached, should i cut it off,

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yep, remove the damaged leaf.

also the first set leaves that grew havent grown for 10 days and are a lime green and look wilted, in my opinion dead, should i cut them off??

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first set? You mean the oldest, lowermost leaves? Yes, those can go.

Just 1 last thing, in fact 2.....when you clean your res what do you use?

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I spray down tank walls with a mix of 50% grade H2O2 and water, 10ml/L.

And i saw a link a while ago for H202 in the uk as its hard to get, ive searched through loads of pages looking for it and i ust cant find it, if you have the link could you post it....

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I can't find the link either. Someone on here will remember and chime in, hopefully.

Helps also if you search for H2O2 (letter O for oxygen, not zero) instead of H202.

sparkafire said:

Hey Al

Lazy Stoner question one i am SURE you have experience with. What really happens when you don't change your nute solution every 2 weeks?

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Depends upon how long you let it slip. Plants store about 1-2 weeks worth of nutes, but if vigorously growing, could deplete those stores sooner.The result is usually lowered yield due to nute deficiencies.

NotMine said:

Al B Fuct just wanted to drop in and say you do rock..

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yeah man!

Al B. Fuct said:

I can't find the link either. Someone on here will remember and chime in, hopefully.

Helps also if you search for H2O2 (letter O for oxygen, not zero) instead of H202.

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I cant yet find a company who sell 50% grade H2O2 in the UK. Accepta is the only company i can find in the UK who sell 35% grade H2O2 in large quantity.
UK growers can send an email ( [email protected] ) to this supplier (Philip).
They supply 30kg drums (25L) 35% grade H2O2, £54, they are very fast at shipping. Payment by bank transfer or cheque.

P.S VAT and shipping costs to be added to the £54. It still works out a lot cheaper in the long run.
This is not spam, I do not have anything to do with this company, i just want to help out in any way i can.

brilliant, fitzy, thanks again for your help.

35% is fine, just use it at 1.7ml/L instead of the 1ml/L rate for 50%.

ldnsharkkid said:

Thanks for your advice Al, im gonna get some solid pots tomorrow and see if i can still transpant them, however if i have to cut any roots ill just let them be, but any advice on what i should do with the roots, ie, cover them up somehow??

Also i dunno if you looked at my journal but the flimsy cololtube reflector jumped off the other day, and broke a fan leaf at the stem, however its still half attached, should i cut it off, also the first set leaves that grew havent grown for 10 days and are a lime green and look wilted, in my opinion dead, should i cut them off?? As a noobie im a bit anxious about cutting my babies, but i trust your advice so if you could lend an opinion would be much appreciated....

Just 1 last thing, in fact 2.....when you clean your res what do you use? Can i use a household cleaner as long as its rinsed properly, or will this be detrimental to my plants if some stays in the res???

And i saw a link a while ago for H202 in the uk as its hard to get, ive searched through loads of pages looking for it and i ust cant find it, if you have the link could you post it....

Thanks again Al, i like many others would be very worried without some of your input, and if i could make any sort of donation for your advice i would, not that you need it from the sounds of it you got things tickin over very nicely, and hopefully 1 day ill have the same success you have....keep up the good work bro

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Regarding the H2O2 the first link is just a bit of info the 2nd one (page 152) is the money shot...I mean erm well you know? just look for my seizure giving avatar LOL.

https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/110660-u-k-growers-where-can.html

https://www.rollitup.org/hydroponics-aeroponics/94811-al-b-faqt-152.html#post1446330

Hope that helps dude.

fitzyno1 said:

I cant yet find a company who sell 50% grade H2O2 in the UK. Accepta is the only company i can find in the UK who sell 35% grade H2O2 in large quantity.
UK growers can send an email ( [email protected] ) to this supplier (Philip).
They supply 30kg drums (25L) 35% grade H2O2, £54, they are very fast at shipping. Payment by bank transfer or cheque.

P.S VAT and shipping costs to be added to the £54. It still works out a lot cheaper in the long run.
This is not spam, I do not have anything to do with this company, i just want to help out in any way i can.

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Nevermind you beat me to it he he he