# First Grow Journal - PC Grow Box



## JayDoe71 (Aug 6, 2008)

OK - so it's been suggested that I start a grow journal in order to keep track of do's an don'ts. Here go's...

I purchased the PC Grow Box from Homegrown-Hydroponics.com and I will say that I wouldn't recommend this website to anyone. After some of my own modifications I felt the box was ready. There's about 10' of vertical growth, but 17' of sideways. I plan to use LST method to utilize the horizontal grow. 

I purchased 5 feminized Snow White seeds from Nirvana...so this is the order of events:

Aug 1 - placed 3 seeds (3 plant DWC system) in between damp paper towelon top of a dinner plate, placed a bowl on top of them, and placed them on top of my cable box. I have a small hygrometer/thermometer and the temp under the bowl was approx 85 F.

My first mistake (of many) was I didn't realize how quickly the towel would dry out. In order to keep the towel moist I had to sprintz them 3 times a day with distilled water.


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## mane2008 (Aug 6, 2008)

zip loc bag wit a little hole in it works great i dont even have to check it until it germs about 24hours later.. cable box is a good heat source too.

Is stealth an issue bra?

It looks like an nice system but way too expensive.
Yea LST is the way to go when you have height issues bra. Is this your first grow?
did they give you bad service not to recommend cause i was thinkin about a bloom box from em.
Expect sum decent bud tho bra.


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 6, 2008)

Aug 2 - one of the seeds sprouted a white root
Aug 3 - a second seed sprouted, right on track!

My second mistake was that I waited too long before putting the sprouted seeds in the rockwool. I waited becuase the 3rd seed had not yet sprouted and I wanted them to be all planted at the same time. So I waited until Aug 4 to put the 2 sprouted seeds in the rockwool. The tap roots were probably 1/2 inch long and dried out.

Another issue I had was due to the super small size of my kit. I received rockwool cubes and hydro rocks but no direction on how to use them - new grower here!
The two inch net pots I got were not large enough to accomodate the rockwool and/or the hydro rocks! I cut the rockwool down to a diameter that would fit in the net pots. Also, I'm assuming (still unclear) that it's important to have hydro rocks underneath the rockwool for root growth. In order to have hydro rocks in the bottom, rockwool on top with the seed, and the more hydro rocks on top of the rockwool I had to make the rockwool only 3/4" deep. Any thoughts on this?


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 6, 2008)

Aug 4 - Time to plant. I bought a ppm meter which was imperative as I had no idea what the mixture should look like. I used a hydro veg formula and mixed to 250 ppm. I first soaked the rockwool in plain water as was suggested, I then let them dry off shortly in a paper towel and then let them soak in the mild nute mix. I squezzed them so they were not soaked and placed then in the net pots on to of 1" of hydro rocks. Comments are encouraged!!


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## mane2008 (Aug 6, 2008)

You soaked in 5.5ph water right? cause reg rockwool kinda has a high ph. you kinda dont need nutes now bra until they sprout well i dont. they cant handle it yet.


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 6, 2008)

Aug 4 continued - I placed the net pots with the hydro rocks and the rockwool in a small prop tray with about 1/2" of the mild nute mix. I placed the 2 sprouted seeds in the holes and covered the with a small, lose piece of rockwool so they would not be exposed to the light. My third seed still hasn't sprouted and I suspect that it won't.

Also, I filled a small spary bottle with the mild nute mix with the idea that I would just spray them when they appeard dry. It's been two day and they still seem very wet, even too wet! Is this because of the nute mix I left in the bottom of the tray? I made sure that it wasn't able to touch the rockwool, but the nutes were touching the hydro rocks. 

Is the net pot filled with hydro rocks and rockwool acting like a wick and keeping my seeds too wet? Should or shouldn't there be nute at the bottome of the prop tray?


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 6, 2008)

mane2008 said:


> You soaked in 5.5ph water right? cause reg rockwool kinda has a high ph. you kinda dont need nutes now bra until they sprout well i dont. they cant handle it yet.


Yes - I checked ph as well


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 6, 2008)

mane2008 said:


> zip loc bag wit a little hole in it works great i dont even have to check it until it germs about 24hours later.. cable box is a good heat source too.
> 
> Is stealth an issue bra?
> 
> ...


Hey Mane - Homegrown-Hydroponics sucks, customer service is one guy who really had no interest in talking to me. I received a broken light, spilled nutes, and missing items. When I called I was told it was my fault for not checking the package before UPS left. I would recommend Homegrown-Hydroponics to my worst enemy.

The Bloom Box, however, I believe is made by BC Northern Lights, which I here is a pretty reputable company


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## mane2008 (Aug 6, 2008)

Oh i coulnt be you i'd be too pissed at him one person? damn he doesn't desrve to be in business then. Spilled nutes did you get new stuff from him. He shouldve taped dat tops of da nutes. 
Bra i feel for you, he a fag n wont even get one dime from me.
By sprout i mean showin leaves n like 2 days after dat u should induce 1/4th strength nutes.


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 6, 2008)

Aug 6 - Life!! One of me seeds has broken through the rockwool and there's a small sprout. The net pots are not in the DWC system yet they're in a prop tray with a zip lock bag over it with a bunch of air holes. The new sprout is about 3-4" away from the light. So out of 3 seeds one didn't germ (yet, been 5 days), and one I suspect I killed by waiting too long to plant them. But I have one sprout!!


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 6, 2008)

Sorry, the light is 125W CFL 6500 Kelvin


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 6, 2008)

The middle of the sprout is looking brown, like the color of the seed. Is this normal? Is it too close to the light? Is it too wet? Are the nutes too strong, too weak?

Help!! Please comment on anything. This is my first grow ever and I'd really like to save this last palnt. I don't have a camera rigth now so I can't provide pics...sorry


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## mane2008 (Aug 6, 2008)

i dont think you killed it by waitin to long to plant if it didnt germ you shouldve kept it in the towel until small tap root came out den planted.


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## mane2008 (Aug 6, 2008)

Okay you know those jagged leaves right? are those the ones that are brown. is the seed shell still on there? 
You want the rockwool to be moist not wet if you got em in a dome or ziploc like u said. 
*U dont need to water and spray all the time I planted my carnival and white widow in rockwool already germed with small tap root coming out sunday and haven't watered them since. Nutes only when they sprout leaves. if you keep a high humidity you dont need major water non sprouted seeds dont need major water only to be moist.
*


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## Wolfman Zen (Aug 6, 2008)

First... congrats on your first official grow JayDoe =]

Now your first grow can be frustrated because you are going to make mistakes and maybe even have some plants die on you... but don't get discouraged... It will all be a learning experience, and you will only get better and better at all this.

looks like you are off to a good start.
Pictures are going to be you best tool on here... but for now, keep giving us detailed updates like you have.

I wish I could see your netpots with the rockwool and clay pellets.... the pellets are not a necessity in DWC... there main purpose is to give your plants something to hold on to and support it when it's bigger.... but you can get the same result from the rockwool alone if it's nicely secured in it's net pot.

When I first saoked my rockwool I ph'ed the water to 5.8 which is ideal for hydro, but I didn't know that the rockwool it's self had a slightly high ph. Next time I will soak them in water with a ph of 5.5......... but I didn't have any problems myself, so i'm sure you will be fine too... I only added a pinch of fish emulsion to the water when soaking... I read some were that it helps.... So a pinch of nutes should be fine.

After 24 hours of soaking I placed the rockwool in the net pots with the pellets to secure it in place... but since your rockwool was already bigger then the net pots... I'm sure you would have gotten away with just trimming the rockwool so it would fit snugly in the netpot, and just skip the pellets.

I then placed the net pots in the DWC tubs. I pored in ph'ed water until the lower part of the netpots was submerged, but what I was really aiming for... is to have the water level just below the rockwool so the rockwool will act as a wick and stay most, but not soaked, and you should do the same.

Instead of plastic bags, I used clear plastic cups. I only misted inside the cup itself when ever the cup was dry... I just wanted to keep the humidity up inside.

After all that. It was all down hill... I just checked the ph every night, and changed the rez every 3 to 4 days.... some people will till you that you don't have to change the rez that often, but with these micro grows, it helps a lot.


I take it that the DWC system comes with an airstone and pump right?

Be patient when germinating seeds... I germed 6 seeds. 4 of the seeds cracked... 1 with in hours, 2 a couple of days later, and that last one took 4 days.... So I would keep them in the moist towel for at least a week before giving up on them. 


As for the browning on your baby... don't worry too much about it now... my first sprout had whitish/yellowing going on, and it recovered nicely.

Good luck man and keep us updated.

.


_________________
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## JayDoe71 (Aug 6, 2008)

Thanks, Wolf

Thanks exactly the input I was looking for, everything I see and read is dealing with a system that is much bigger then mine. I still believe I can yeild an oz or more if I utilize the space using LST. I like the idea of the scrog, but I don't know how I could fit a screen into such a small area.

My one plant sprouted up from the rockwool this morning and I'm concerned because the sprout itself looks dry and brown, however the rockwool it's in is very moist. Also, I haven't seen any change from this morning to now, which worries me because before it was growing so fast!

Could it be the sprout is too close to the light, it's about 3-4" away? 

How important is it that the seed not be exposed to the light before it sprouts? I'll admit pushing aside the rockwool several times before it sprouted to check on progress. Before the seed sprouted above the rockwool all seeded to be going great. But now that it's sprouted it's seemed to have haulted. Any thoughts?

I sprizted the sprout with the mild solution of 250 ppm. 

My net pots are not in the DWC system yet, they're in a prop tray that started with about 1/2" of the mild nute. I read that you should see some good root growth before putting seedlings into the system.


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## Wolfman Zen (Aug 6, 2008)

Well as you can see, I put mine in the system as soon as the seeds cracked, and had no big problems at all....

I'm not to sure about whats wrong with your little sprout but it doesn't sound good, most likely it's nute burn.

I beleave it's your spraying that may have burnt it... seedlings can obsorb a lot through there leaves, including the nutes.... From now on, the only thing I would spray is just clean water.

I would also dump out what ever solution is in the prop tray leaving it empty... then place your netpot back in it and water the netpot with water ph'ed at 5.5. Let the rockwool drain in the prop tray for a day. We are trying to flush the nutes out of the rockwool. 

prepare the dwc tub for operation, and place the netpot in it's new home.


If the kit came with plenty of rockwool cubes, you could also transplant the seedling into a new cube, if it's roots having token hold.

With any luck, it may not be too late to save.... but even if it doesn't make it... you have already gained some knowledge.... Germinate a couple more seeds and start again.

How many plants is the dwc tub built for?

.


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 7, 2008)

Aug 7 - We have life!! After reading the Wolfman's advice last night I half followed it. I scrubbed the 3 plant DWC res, mixed nutes to approx 250-260 ppm, and put my two struggling seeds in for better or for worse. Also, I checked my ph, around 5.5-6. One of the seeds I believe I killed by waiting too long to put it in the rockwool, it's not showing any signs of life.

But much to my pleasant surprise my last seed is now an 1 1/2" sprout!! I think giving it the right amount of nutes and feeding it the oxygen via the airstone recovered it in a hurry.

So here's where I'm at, please offer any advice possible:

-1 or 1 1/2" sprout, granted this is my first grow ever, but it looks pretty healthy to me

-I have it 4 or 5" from a 125w CFL with a humity done over it. I've read that the light can be as close as an inch away but this seems like it would be harmful to me. The CFL does create a good amount of heat.

-Nutes are approx. 250ppm and ph is around 5.5-6. I plan on checking this every night, andjusting, and flushing once a week.

-Temps look good, between 70-75 F with 45-55 RH...the box does have great air circulation.

-the sprout is in a 2' dia net pot, very small. The pot has hydro rocks on the bottom, and then rockwool with the sprout in it. I left some room on top to cover with more hydro rocks when the plant gets a little bigger. The net pot is in the DWC and is submerged to where the water is touching the rockwool, probably about an 1.5" from the bottom of the net pot. I'm wondering it's submerged too far.

Another note, my third seed still hasn't germed after 6 days. I'm assuming it's a lost cause. 

Please anyone, everyone, help me keep my last baby girl alive!!!!


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## Wolfman Zen (Aug 8, 2008)

All right things are sounding better.... and congrats on passing the first mile stone.. you have a sprout =]

You shouldn't use nutes right now... just ph'd water in the rez...
And you are right the net pot sounds a bit too deep... just have the net pot submerged a half an inch.

and things get easy after that... just check the ph every night keeping. Set the ph at 5.5 and let it drift up to 6.0/6.1, then drop it down to 5.5... and so on. Every 3 days or so... change the rez.

Keep your temps under 90* and light close, but not too close... put your hand over the humid/dome, and bring the light closer until you can feel the heat... if you can feel it, so will your plant.... The only cfl's that you can plae with in an inch from the plant are the smaller 26w or smaller cfls....

After that, just sit back and watch her grow =]
.


_________________
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## JayDoe71 (Aug 9, 2008)

Aug 9 (morning) - A very sudden turn of events. The seed that I thought I had killed is now a green sprout and the sprout that I thought looked healthy now looks withered, brownish, and not good. I knocked the ppm down to 200 and only submerged the net pots half of inch. PH is good.

Could it be that I just overhandled them? Again, I will admit to probably overhandling them in order to check on progress, and to try to squeeze out the rockwool as it seemed soaked. Am I over watered? Over Nuted at 200ppm? I wish I had pics for everyone but I don't.

I just put two more seeds in to germ...maybe I'll just buy some weed..LOL


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## bobby2sox (Aug 9, 2008)

you gotta stop using nutes for a bit man... they are not necessary and can actually cause damage when they are that young.


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 9, 2008)

Aug 9 (late afternoon) - Overhaul! I decide to visit my local hydro store and milk the owner for some knowledge. As I suspected, I was way overwatered. Because I'm only using 2" dia net pots I greatly cut down the rockwool way too small in order to accommadate both rockwool and clay pellets. I learned recently that I really don't need both with such a small grow.

Because the rockwool is so small any water that touched it was sucked up like a wick completely soaking the small rockwool.

New plan - I transplanted the small, tender sprouts into new 2" rockwool cubes that are full size and dampened with phed water only. I placed the net pots in the DWC system with the bottom of the pot barely touching a 200ppm solution. I then filled a spray bottle with the weak solution and sprayed only the sides of the exposed rockwool through the net pots (this came as a suggestion from the hydro shop guy) making sure that I didn't spray the sprout itself with the solution. I then sprayed the sprout with clean phed water to get the humidity up and used the Wolfmans' small, plastic cup method as a humidity dome.

The sprouts are about 3-4" under 125W daylight CFL. The rockwool now looks moist but not soaked, which I believe was my biggest problem...I hope


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## Wolfman Zen (Aug 10, 2008)

Sounds like it will work... but why do you insist on using nutes in your rez?
.


_________________
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## JayDoe71 (Aug 10, 2008)

Aug 10 - I have one sprout with four tiny leaves! At the suggesstion on the hydro shop guy, the bottom of my net pot is just touching the 200 ppm solution. The rockwool it self was moistened with phed water only, and a very light spray of nutes.

When I lift the pot out of the res the bottom half of it is well dampened, but the top of the rockwool seems kinda dry to me. I've been spritzing the plant with just water once a day.

Another thing that's concerning me is that the little plant seems to have not grown in the past 24 hours or so. Also, One of the leaves is pointed strait up to the light while the rest seem to be normal.


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 10, 2008)

Wolfman Zen said:


> Sounds like it will work... but why do you insist on using nutes in your rez?
> 
> Because this is what I've read in several marijuana gro books, and it was also suggested by the hydro shop guy. The little plant is only an inch tall but it has 4 distinct leaves, two of which are jagged. Shouldn't it get at least 1/4 strength nutes at this point?
> 
> ...


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 10, 2008)

Aug 10 - A revelation! I decided to take the Wolfmans' advice and fill my res with plain water only. 

In order to get the plants close to the light I simple moved the res up toward it by placing the res on top of a large, upside-down tupperware container. This brought the top of my sprout(s) to about 3-4" away from the light, which I've read is OK with CFL's. 

What I didn't take into account was that such a small res being so close to my light was making the water very warm. I don't have a liquid thermo but I would estimate the temp at over 80F.

I lost the tupperware and placed the res on the bottom of the system as was intended, which gets the res about 10-11" from the light (it also, unfortunately, gets the tiny plants away from the light as well). My res if filled with approx 5.5 phed water only - no nutes or SuperThrive!

So someone please answer this question: 
Is it better to have the lights real close to the new seedlings and have warm water in the res?
Or, is it better to keep the light further away and keep the res water cooler?

My res only hold a quart of water filled to the top!!!


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 10, 2008)

On a seperate subject - Does anyone have any experience with Nirvana Seed Shop? I bought 5 feminized seeds from them and only got 2 to germ. I'm kinda pissed as they're expensive.

Anyone have any suggestions as to other reputable seed banks that deliver to the US?


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## Wolfman Zen (Aug 11, 2008)

JayDoe71 said:


> Because this is what I've read in several marijuana gro books, and it was also suggested by the hydro shop guy. The little plant is only an inch tall but it has 4 distinct leaves, two of which are jagged. Shouldn't it get at least 1/4 strength nutes at this point?
> 
> Thanks Wolfman for taking an interest in my first grow journal. I know it's much less fun when I have no pics to share...
> .


Well with my experience with the guys that work the hydro shops.. I notice that these guys know a great deal about one or 2 of there products, and how to apply it to.... VEGETABLES.. lol at least the guys I've talked to.

Saying to use 200ppm of nutes makes no since.... All nutes are different. 200ppm of one nute could barely feed anything, were 200ppm of another nute could kill a plant.

I'm sure a little bit of nutes could be good for your little plant, but how do you know how much to actually give them... But then again... pure water is guaranteed to work.. so why take chances. (just my opinion)

And I'm glad to help out... I'm all for people growing there own personal supply =]... I wish I could get everyone who smokes to grow there own.








JayDoe71 said:


> Aug 10 - A revelation! I decided to take the Wolfmans' advice and fill my res with plain water only.
> 
> In order to get the plants close to the light I simple moved the res up toward it by placing the res on top of a large, upside-down tupperware container. This brought the top of my sprout(s) to about 3-4" away from the light, which I've read is OK with CFL's.
> 
> ...



That is a small rez lol... but then this is as micro as it gets no?

I would place the seedling at around 5"- 6". This should help with the water temp of the rez, and still give your seedling enough light, with out it stretching too much.

Also have a small fan blow fresh air over the rez will help a lot.

.


_________________
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## fitzyno1 (Aug 11, 2008)

Yes i agree, just use water (no nutes yet). Ordinary bottled water for your seedlings, they dont need nutes yet especially 1/4 strength!

Jay, you are asking people here for their help, and when people (who know how to grow marijuana) do give you good advice, you'd rather ask the dealer at your local hydro store.


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## Wolfman Zen (Aug 11, 2008)

I was assuming that your rez is covered in reflective material or white... if it isn't.. use reflective chrome tape to tape up your rez... that should reflect light back to your plant and reflect the heat too.
.


_________________
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## JayDoe71 (Aug 11, 2008)

Thanks, Wolf

Aug 11 - I still have a green sprout!! 

The res and little plant are now approx 6" away from the light. There are two incoming fans and one exhaust. The PC Grow Box does have good air circulation. 

The res is filled with phed water only. Is it nessessary to buy distilled water, or is tap water ok if adjusted with the ph up/down? My tap water tested at 7 out of the faucet.

The res is completely covered with reflective tape. Apparently that's the one thing I did right!


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## Wolfman Zen (Aug 11, 2008)

I'm using tap water myself... but I hear you should let your tap water kick back for a few hours to let any chlorine evaporate first...

I don't have any chlorine in my tap, so i'm lucky I guess.

.


_________________
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## Dela (Aug 12, 2008)

just ph your tap water and that'll do fine


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 12, 2008)

Aug 12 - When I came home from work tonight I was dissappointed to see that two out of the four leaves of my little sprout have brown spots. The other two leaves look good.

Also, I haven't seen any growth in the past 3 days, isn't that unusual?

Anyone, 3 days with seemingly no growth and brown spots on the leaves. If I don't act fast I fear I will lose my last little sprout. Please help!!


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 12, 2008)

Aug 12 (cont) Also, I lowered the plant away from the light with the thought that it may be heat stress. The top of the plant is now approx 10" away from the light.

I changed the res with 5-6 phed water, and spritzed her again.

I have a thermometer that reads 80F directly under the light, but only around 73-75F when placed away from the light. My little plant still has her clear plastic cup humidity dome.


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## Wolfman Zen (Aug 13, 2008)

Interesting... does your himidity dome have holes at the bottom.. just enough to let some fresh air.. I didn't have any on mine, but then again it didin't make any kind of seal at the bottom so there was plenty of air circulation.

I wish I could see your little girl... but keep us updated...

Oh and one last thing I was thinking... You should change the water in the rez at least every 3 days... I don't know how long you can go with the rez, but I changed mine every 3 days... or sometimes even sooner if I had to change anything.

.


_________________
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## JayDoe71 (Aug 13, 2008)

Aug 13 - I came home and immediately checked on my little plant. The browing on the leaves has gotten worse but strangely the other two leaves (the jagged ones) seem to have grown, and it looks like I'm getting a second set of leaves.

I decided to have a closer inspection so I removed the clay rocks from on top of the rockwool, and as I suspected, it was totally soaked! I squezzed delicately as not to harm the roots and removed as much water as I could. 

It seems that even when I fill the res high emough to just touch the bottom of the rockwool it acts like a wick and overwaters my roots! 

Could overwatering have turned my leaves brown?


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 13, 2008)

Wolfman Zen said:


> Interesting... does your himidity dome have holes at the bottom.. just enough to let some fresh air.. I didn't have any on mine, but then again it didin't make any kind of seal at the bottom so there was plenty of air circulation.
> 
> I wish I could see your little girl... but keep us updated...
> 
> ...


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## Wolfman Zen (Aug 13, 2008)

I can imagine 125w cfl's giving off a lot of heat... I know this is going to sound crazy, but in your mini-micro-grow.. you may want to replace it with a small 26w daylight cfl from walmart... at this stage any way... you could always go back to the 125w cfl later if need be.

The new growth is a great sign.. 

as for the over watering... try keeping the level in your rez.. below the cup.. this way the rockwool will only get moist from the popping bobbles.

Yes I'm proud of my grow.. but I will admit I'm also surprised.. Ididn't expect it to go so well... For now any way... I know anything can happen at any time.

I don't know what the seeds are... I got them from a local med-user, that likes his privacy.. the seeds were given to me through a trusted 3rd party who forgot the name of the seeds lol... I started naming off some well known medical strains, and he stopped me at both White Widow and White Rhino. So I don't know, but a good chance it's in the white widow family.... I'm trying to find out for sure.

.


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 14, 2008)

Aug 14 - My little sprout is definetely still growing. So at what point do I give it some nutes?


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## Wolfman Zen (Aug 14, 2008)

Give her at least another week... in the mean time... just keep checking your temps and ph.

.


_________________
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## JayDoe71 (Aug 14, 2008)

Aug 14 (evening) - I see a root!!! Outstanding news, there's a very tiny root sticking out of the bottom of the net basket, which means it traveled down the length of the rockwool to find water/nutes, about 2 1/2"!

Forgive my excitement, but I thought I had killed her for sure on more then one occassion. I'm going to fight my urge to give it nutes (at Wolf's suggestion) and just give it clean water for the next week. I'll keep all posted


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## Wolfman Zen (Aug 14, 2008)

Congrats man that is good news... and yes just keep an eye on her, she will tell you when she needs roots, but it's not now..

The thing to look for is some slight yellowing in the lower leaves.. not burn just an overall light green/yellowing

If she starts showing that before the week is over, then nute her lightly. If not, just nute her at 1/4 strength.
.


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 17, 2008)

Aug 17 - My little plant is 8 days old now and she seems to be doing well. She recently started her 3rd set of leaves.

There is some yellowing on the very tips of her largest, oldest leaves. Any thoughts?

What I'm most excited about is that I now see several roots poking out of the bottom of her net pot. I lowered the level of her water/nutes so it's just under the pot and this seems to be working splendidely. The roots are growing in order to find what they need.

This leads me to my final question (of the night, anyway): Is it ok to to expose the roots to light? My set up is so small that I really have no other choice but to take the entire top off the res in order to check and change water/nutes.


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## Wolfman Zen (Aug 18, 2008)

The yellowing of the tips could be them asking you for nutes.. but keep an eye on it... if it does get worse... then you can start with the nutes... nice and easy at first, and up the dose in every feeding until she doesn't like it (get a bit of nuteburn).

.


_________________
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## JayDoe71 (Aug 28, 2008)

Aug 28- It's been 10 days since I wrote in my journal and a lot has happened. First, I was ready to throw away 3 seeds, two had sat in the damp papertowel for over a week and the third was there for over two weeks. I decided instead to stick them in the moist rockwool and place them in the hydro system. Three days later I had 3 new sprouts! 

So the questions are: 1) what could I possible done wrong using the papertowel method? and 2) putting the seed directly into the rockwool seems fullproff, why would anyone use any other method?

This was a little over a week ago so I now have one young plant, named Olive, and two seedlings, 

I had to go out of town unexpectedly for 5 days (Aug 20-25) and leave the girls alone unattended for that time. The seperation anxiety was brutal! I figured my best bet was to slightly overfill the res with ph water only. Also, since the ph tends to rise I mixed it a little lower then normal.


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 28, 2008)

Aug 28 (continued) - When I returned I was happy to see that not only did the girls survive they seemed to thrived. The older plant, Olive, looked short and bushy and had good, strong roots. The two youger seedling, still working on the names, also had roots and started their second set of leaves.

I immediately scrubbed and changed the res. At this time my older plant was 16 days old and the seedlings about a week. Being more concerned about the older plant, don't ask me why, I assumed she must be hungrey for some nutes. I fed all three plants with Flora Nova Grow 7-4-10 @ 450 ppm.


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 28, 2008)

Aug 28 (continued) - The next day the older leaves had some brown on them, not only on the tips but over the whole leaf. I found as many pics as I could but am still not 100% convinced it's nute burn, though it seems to be the most logical explanation. I did nothing and waited another day.

Much worse the next day, almost all of the oldest leaves have a lot of browning and a few of the tips are curled up. I pulled the top off the system with the plants in it and placed over a clean tupperware tub, this is how I always change the res. I phed some clean water and poured it over each plant to flush out the nutes. I scrubbed the res out again and and filled it with clean water only.

That was yesterday, today I don't think it got any worse, but no better either. I must note that the top growth looks quite healthy. I decided to experiment and do some pruning on my 3 week-old plant. I sterilized some scissors and clipped off all the affected leaves. I'm curious to see what will happen to the plant


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 28, 2008)

Aug 28 (continued) - So is it nute burn? I will admit it seems to be the most plausible answer, but here's a fews things that may go against the nute burn theory:

1) I read somewhere something that made a lot of sense. If your nute ppm goes up after a few days it means the concentration is too high, that the plant is just drinking the water and leaving the nutes behind, hence raising the concentration. 

And if your nute ppm goes down it means the concentration is too low, that the plant 
is trying to get more nutes then are available, hence lowering the concentration.

My nute ppm went down which according to the theory above means the plants were actually under nuted.

2) The older plant seems to be affected much worse then the younger ones. If it was an over nute issue wouldn't the younger, more tender plants be hurt worse?

3) There is newer, healthy looking growth on the tops of all the plants, but the older plants new growth looks very pale to me, yellowish. I believe it was Wolfman who told me this is a sign the plants are hungrey for nutes.


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 28, 2008)

Aug 28 (continued) - So the current situation is:

I flushed the plants and the system yesterday and filled res with plain, phed water only. Today I pruned off all of the affected leaves on my older plant which made her much thinner.

Here's another challange - these plants are going into 12/12 in the next 2 days whether they're ready or not. I'm moving out of state in the beginning of November which will give the plants 2 months of 12/12 flowering.

Also, I'm going to be away for 8 days beginning when the plants go into 12/12. 

I could use any advice about anything at this point! Thanks everyone in advance!!


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## Wolfman Zen (Aug 28, 2008)

Your doing good JayDoe... 

The browning sounds like nute burn to me....

Be careful on how you read your ppm meter... of course they absorbed the nutes... that is why they got burnt... and the larger plant got more effected cuz it absorbed the most.

Plants sometimes take time to react... for now just keep them in water for a few days... then slowly... very lightly re introduce nutes.

Switching them to 12/12 is fine and a good idea cuz of the size of your grow... good luck man.. and keep us updated.
_________________
The best DIY EZ walmart DWC CLONER for MICRO grows. Zen style
The BEST DIY EZ walmart carbon filter for MICRO grows Zen style
Micro ebb/flow (NOW DWC), all CFL ScrOG, perpetual Stealth locker


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 28, 2008)

Thanks Wolf, next week I'll have my camera so I'll be able to show some pics

Also, I follow your thread every day, can't wait to see your buds!!


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 28, 2008)

Testing pic


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## JayDoe71 (Aug 28, 2008)

testing pic


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## Wolfman Zen (Sep 3, 2008)

So Jay... when do we get a first peek at your girls? =]
_________________
The best DIY EZ walmart DWC CLONER for MICRO grows. Zen style
The BEST DIY EZ walmart carbon filter for MICRO grows Zen style
Micro ebb/flow (NOW DWC), all CFL ScrOG, perpetual Stealth locker


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 3, 2008)

Hey Wolf,

I'm away for 9 days leaving them unattended. I last left them alone for 5 days and they thrived, I hope they're ok after 9 days.

When I get back home I plan to have my camera, and if I can figure out how to post pics on here I'll share. I think I got it, though.


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## diggitydank420 (Sep 3, 2008)

JayDoe71 said:


> I last left them alone for 5 days and they thrived


What has this shown you?


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 8, 2008)

I came back tonight after 9 days of being away and things are not good. The res was bone dry and the plants are very droopy. I flushed the medium with clean water and filled the res with 300 ppm bloom formula solution. The plants started their 12/12 9 days ago the day I went away


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## fitzyno1 (Sep 8, 2008)

Sorry to hear that JD


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## data (Sep 8, 2008)

looks good.. its just so small =x


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## Wolfman Zen (Sep 8, 2008)

If she is just droopy, but not dead.. she should recover... hang in there JayD 
and keep us posted.

_________________
The best DIY EZ walmart DWC CLONER for MICRO grows. Zen style
The BEST DIY EZ walmart carbon filter for MICRO grows Zen style
Micro ebb/flow (NOW DWC), all CFL ScrOG, perpetual Stealth locker


----------



## JayDoe71 (Sep 9, 2008)

Hey Wolf,

I finally got my camera back. I only wish it was under better circumstances. I swear before I went away they were looking very promising.

This is what I came home to after leaving them alone for 9 days. The res was bone dry and the roots were also dry. They really must have been thirsty because the last time I left them alone for 5 days and the res hardly went down at all.

I flushed the rockwool out with plain, phed water and mixed them a bloom formula solution of 300 ppm, which they were doing very well with before I left.

Question: Flushing means pouring water through the rockwool, right? The rockwool now seems saturated, but I figured that was better then dry, concentrated salt build up.

They've been on 12/12 for 10 days now and must remain there for better or for worse. I'm moving across the country come the end of October.

Any suggestions from anyone out there would be appriciated. Should I prune the branchs that look dead? And if so where?

Should I fill the res with water only?


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 9, 2008)

As we can see the top growth definetely has some life in it!


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## Wolfman Zen (Sep 10, 2008)

I think you got to them in time...

"Flushing" means feeding the girls nothing but ph'ed water..... In hydro it is the same... you change the rez to just ph'ed water and let them sit in that for at least 24 hours... 

Clearing out the rockwool is a good idea though.

Mist them with ph'ed water... and keep a humidity dome on them.. they should bounce back in no time..

Great shots by the way... and I'm digging the micro grow =]

_________________
The best DIY EZ walmart DWC CLONER for MICRO grows. Zen style
The BEST DIY EZ walmart carbon filter for MICRO grows Zen style
Micro ebb/flow (NOW DWC), all CFL ScrOG, perpetual Stealth locker


----------



## JayDoe71 (Sep 10, 2008)

As per the Wolfman's recommendation:

Fresh phed water only @ 5.2

Spritzed with the same water

Humidity dome with ample air holes

If this fails I may have to fire the Wolfman as my personal consultant


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 15, 2008)

OK, so my first grow I want the prize of: "Most Pathetic Looking Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Pot Plants" ever!!

I still have 3 plants, well, sort of, one looks dead, one looks alive but not growing, and the last I'm seeing some very slow growth. 

The one in the middle is the one that doesn't seem alive, but doesn't seem dead either. She is also the eldest at 37 days old from sprout.

The one on the left I believe will not recover. I trimmed all the dead leaves which left it pretty bare. She is about 25 days old from sprout.

The only one that may pull through is the one on the right, also 25 days old from sprout. 

All of the roots are turning brown!! Please help, no idea what to do.


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## diggitydank420 (Sep 15, 2008)

That is a clear case of root rot.

The only way to fix that is to _completely eliminate_ light from entering the reservoir. Either duct tape that little tupperware thing or get a dark colored rubbermaid tote.

After that get a good helping (2tsp/gallon) of 50% H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) into your reservoir and hope for the best.


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 15, 2008)

thanks diggity, the res is lightproof, the container in the pic is just something i used to catch water.

where do i get the h2o2 and will it come with instructions on how to use it?


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## stoneymontana (Sep 15, 2008)

at any hydro store, or you can also use food grade h2O2.


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## diggitydank420 (Sep 15, 2008)

JayDoe71 said:


> thanks diggity, the res is lightproof, the container in the pic is just something i used to catch water.
> 
> where do i get the h2o2 and will it come with instructions on how to use it?


You can get the 50% at a hydro shop in most cases. Get that if you can, it's much cheaper in the long run. With 50% strength you need 10ml (~2tsp) per gallon of reservoir.

If you can only get pharmacy grade (~3-5%) you would need ~150ml per gallon.


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 15, 2008)

thanks guys, 

I'm assuming i mix the h2o2 with water only, no nutes?

how long do i leave them in the h2o2?

are all those brown roots going to fall off? should i cut them off?


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## diggitydank420 (Sep 15, 2008)

JayDoe71 said:


> thanks guys,
> 
> I'm assuming i mix the h2o2 with water only, no nutes?
> 
> ...


You assume correctly.

I'd give them a day or two in the H2O2 treated water before doing anything drastic.

And since your tub is light proof, check the water temperature. Anything over 80F is NO GOOD.


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 15, 2008)

got it, thanks diggity


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## stoneymontana (Sep 16, 2008)

it will not hurt your plants I use it all the time and you can too. Now you gotta check out my grow I just added about 60 sick ass pictures of frosty nuggz https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/106055-toney-montanas-dutch-passion-blueberry.html

pictures on pages 19 and 20


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 16, 2008)

I can't believe this freak'in plant is still alive!! I came home from work tonight with my bottle of hydrogen peroxide to find new growth on the plant and also new white, healthy roots. My other 2 palnts are not looking as well.

I purchased the hydro peroxide that your mom would pour over an open wound on you when you were a kid. I don't know why no one told me this, here I am looking for some illusive, expert hydro chemical...LOL

It's only 3% so I mixed 150ml (approx 1/3 bottle) into 1 gallon of phed water. Which leads me to my first question: Should the ph be tested before or after the h2o2 is added? Isn't h2o2 highly alkalide, meaning if you ad it to phed water wouldn't it throw it way off? And if you were to adjust it with "ph down", wouldn't this negate the effectiveness of the h2o2? Or am I serioulsly overthinking this thing?

So what exactly is the h2o2 suppossed to do? I mean, the one plant is growing new roots anyway, is the h2o2 going to a) make them grow faster, b) disolve the old brown roots, c) repair the old brown roots, or d) all of the above?

And what should I be watching for? How long is the solution I mixed tonight effective. How long should I let them sit in it? Are the old roots going to disolve, do I need to chage it nightly?

Sorry for all the questions but I should've killed this plant like 90 times and it's again giving me another chance! I really wish I had time to let it veg until it's a good strong plant, but as I'm moving across country come the end of October it must remain on 12/12. Who knows, I may just get a bowl out of my first grow yet!! LOL

I'll post some pics tomorrow!!


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## stoneymontana (Sep 16, 2008)

listen I use hydrogen peroxide straight from walmart and it has drastically helped my plants to grow roots and stay really green . You can use it all the time as it is good for your plants, until the last two weeks before harvest which I beleive the only thing allowable to go till then besides regular water is molasses ??


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 16, 2008)

Thanks stoney, how much do you use per gallon of water as a preventative measure?

How do you accomadate for ph?

How do you accomadate for ppm?

How long is the solution effective?


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## stoneymontana (Sep 16, 2008)

JayDoe71 said:


> Thanks stoney, how much do you use per gallon of water as a preventative measure? 2TBL per gallon
> 
> How do you accomadate for ph? will lower ph a lil test for that
> 
> ...


 About a couple of hours and it wears out but you only need to add every feeding


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 19, 2008)

OK, so I got a little creative after reading tons of stuff that others had done. It became clear that 2 out of my 3 plants were dead from root rot. I'm assuming I contracted this nasty little disease from letting my res go bone dry while I was away. I refilled the res and within a day the roots turned beige, and after a few days they were brown and slimy; they never smelled, though.

Even while the roots were browning one of my plants was still showing new life. These pics are taken after 3 days of phed water (no nutes) and 150ml (1/3 bottle) of hydro peroxide per gallon of water. I changed the res every night with fresh hydro peroxide and water.

The new res is something I was lucky to find as I'm so limited in what will fit in my setup. As you can see there's only one plant left. Beleive it or not she's 20 days into flowering. However, I'm sure she's not a good example as she was severely stunted by the dry res, root rot, and an extremely inexperienced grower. Still, tell me if I'm wrong, but it appears to have a flower forming on top of her. Honestly, I never thought I would get this far.


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## diggitydank420 (Sep 20, 2008)

Live and learn, bro. Live and learn. 

Your lone survivor is gonna make it though. Albeit you're not gonna have much of a harvest so you need to decide whether to start over or wait two months for maybe an eight of bud.

I'd start over. It may seem like you wasted your time with resuscitating that one, but you learned a lot from it.


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 20, 2008)

Starting over at this point is not an option as I'm moving accross the country in 6 weeks. I would be very happy if I got a 1/8th of dried bud from this little plant, shit, I'd consider it a success if I get a bowl!!!


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## stoneymontana (Sep 21, 2008)

JayDoe71 said:


> Starting over at this point is not an option as I'm moving accross the country in 6 weeks. I would be very happy if I got a 1/8th of dried bud from this little plant, shit, I'd consider it a success if I get a bowl!!!


 
Any finished bud is better than none !!! Take it as a great learning experience and after you move start a new one and go for alot more with the info you have gained from this grow !!


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 22, 2008)

So my little plant is 23 days into flowering and coming along. The roots are again dark brown and looking slimey. However, you can see that there's new root growth that's white and very healthy.

I'm beginning to believe that the discoloration is partly (or totally) due to the brownish nute solution that I'm using - FloraNova Bloom Formula. I've already fushed the system for 4 days using hydro peroxide and water only, I'm wondering if I should add some hydro peroxide with every res change, which is about every 6 or 7 days.

All and all, I'm happy to see a tiny flower forming on top of the plant. This is my first grow of any kind and will consider it a success if I can obtain any smokable bud!!

Any feedback regarding the roots would be greatly appriciated! Also, opinions on yeild: the plant has been 12/12 for 23 days and is about 2" high. It must be harvested in 38 days as I'm moving accross the country. Do you think I could achieve a 1/8oz?


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 25, 2008)

Hi All....some updates


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 25, 2008)

Pic #1 is from 9/9/08 after I came home from a 9 days trip. The res was bone dry and shortly after I contracted serious root rot. The plant was under 12/12 for 10 days . I lost 2 of my 3 plants through letting the res dry out and root rot.

Pic #2 is from 9/20/08, this is my last surviving plant. Though severely stunted started showing vigourous signs of life. 21 days of 12/12

Pic #3 is from 9/22/08, only a few days later and nice flower formation.

Pic #4 was taken a few minutes ago, 9/25/08. Not only is the flower top developing nicely, the plant has gained some nice girth!

So here are the stats: 26 days into flowering, the plant is about 2" tall. It is being grown in a PC Case with approx 1sf of space and 7-8" of vertical height. How many pounds of bud do you think I will get?


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## nunya binnis (Sep 25, 2008)

JayDoe71 said:


> Pic #1 is from 9/9/08 after I came home from a 9 days trip. The res was bone dry and shortly after I contracted serious root rot. The plant was under 12/12 for 10 days . I lost 2 of my 3 plants through letting the res dry out and root rot.
> 
> Pic #2 is from 9/20/08, this is my last surviving plant. Though severely stunted started showing vigourous signs of life. 21 days of 12/12
> 
> ...


at least 9000


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## diggitydank420 (Sep 25, 2008)

In all seriousness, you'll be lucky to roll a joint with that. But, take it all in as a learning experience.

It's simple, there are three kinds of people on earth; stupid, smart, and wise.

The stupid ones never learn from their mistakes.
The smart ones learn from their own mistakes.
The truly wise learn from others mistakes.

So just be smart next time around!

P.s.-I am in _no_ way calling you stupid.


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## JayDoe71 (Sep 25, 2008)

thanks for all your help, diggity...I said a long time ago that i'll consider this first grow a success if I get a bowl out of it, but now, watching the fantastic progression of my little plant, i'm hoping to get a few g's


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## diggitydank420 (Sep 25, 2008)

Hell yeah, JayDoe!

A small success is still a success!


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 8, 2008)

Great news!! I came home from my 10 day vacation to find my little plant tripled in size!! 

I'd love to hear some estimates on yield


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## diggitydank420 (Oct 8, 2008)

Jay, like I said before don't get your hopes too high. That little one isn't gonna give you much.

I just chopped a 3 footer and only came away with a little over an ounce dried. 

Granted it was shitty bagseed and my first grow. But I have some good genetics going right now (PPP x Sour Diesel) that is much more dense than the other crapola. Not to mention waaaaaaaaay frostier!!!

I'm estimating 4 grams tops from the little lady.


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 8, 2008)

I would be really happy with 4 g's


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## diggitydank420 (Oct 8, 2008)

Glad to hear that, Jay.

It's only 4g, but it's a "free" 4g.

The stuff I have curing is _not_ good weed. But it's better than that Mexi-mierda(mexi-shit) that the seed came from. And it was motherfucking free.


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 12, 2008)

16 days until harvest, if I can just keep her alive until then!!! Crank'in!!


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 15, 2008)

Little plant is looking healthy!! I'm looking for any opinions on tric developement, you can see them pretty well in a few of the pics. This plant MUST be harvested in 13 days, do you think she'll be ready?!?


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## diggitydank420 (Oct 15, 2008)

I'm afraid not, Jay. But you will have something smokeable and it will be all head high, so use it in social situations!


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 18, 2008)

Hi All,

It looks like a few of the pistles are starting to turn color, please let me know what you think!! I have to chop her in 12 days.

I think I may get an 1/8 off of her yet!!


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## diggitydank420 (Oct 19, 2008)

You're getting close to optimum time. Maybe 12 days will be enough.


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 19, 2008)

diggitydank420 said:


> You're getting close to optimum time. Maybe 12 days will be enough.


 
How can you tell?


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## diggitydank420 (Oct 19, 2008)

JayDoe71 said:


> How can you tell?


Well, I can't for certain. But it's getting close. You're gonna have to pull it when you have to pull it anyway, right?

If nothing else, this stuff will get you super high for 15-30 minutes a bowl. But you're not gonna get that long lasting stone unless you see those trichome heads start turning amber.


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 23, 2008)

7 days until harvest!! This is the coolest freak'in thing I've ever done in my life!! LOL I am now the master grower!!

She is just a hair under 7" and she looks like one solid bud. I've been estimating an 1/8 dry but now I think it may be closer to a 1/4.

Some of the pics you can see the trichs really well, and the pistils are just starting to change color.

I'd love to hear some opinions on harvest readiness (in 7 days), and yeild estimates.

I'm still on full strength nutes but purchased Final Flush and plan on giving her only water starting tomorrow night. The Final Flush directions say to go full strength nutes until 1-2 days before harvest, and then plain water and the solution. Does anyone have any experience with Final Flush? I was going to use it 6 days out to ensure its effectiveness but I don't want to hurt the palnts. Can anyone give me advice on the best way to use Final Flush?


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## gwiito (Oct 24, 2008)

hey man. nice journal and pics. i like your self am about to try out the pc grow box. however i decided to build it because im a handy mand and it saved me hundreds. you are the only person i have been able to find on the internet that has actually proven that these pc grow boxes work. i know its not a shit ton of but but it still is the steathliest way to grow. so my question to you is. how badly does it smell. when i say bad i mean great but not great for people who can potentionaly rat on you. so the question is. how much does it smell up the room or area its in. also my opinion to you for your question is. i would cut out all nuts. just ph'd water. im no pro but from what ive have read and studied that is what everyone suggests. it makes for amuch smoother smoke. cant wait to see the final product after every thing is curred and all. take pix before you smoke. im about 2 weeks away to do this. hope my first time goes as well as yours. also id say wait to cut until you absolutly need to. just wait if you can i know your moving but the longer the better.

peace.


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## gwiito (Oct 24, 2008)

hey i just read what i wrote. wow im high. forgive the stupidity


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 24, 2008)

gwiito said:


> hey man. nice journal and pics. i like your self am about to try out the pc grow box. however i decided to build it because im a handy mand and it saved me hundreds. you are the only person i have been able to find on the internet that has actually proven that these pc grow boxes work. i know its not a shit ton of but but it still is the steathliest way to grow. so my question to you is. how badly does it smell. when i say bad i mean great but not great for people who can potentionaly rat on you. so the question is. how much does it smell up the room or area its in. also my opinion to you for your question is. i would cut out all nuts. just ph'd water. im no pro but from what ive have read and studied that is what everyone suggests. it makes for amuch smoother smoke. cant wait to see the final product after every thing is curred and all. take pix before you smoke. im about 2 weeks away to do this. hope my first time goes as well as yours. also id say wait to cut until you absolutly need to. just wait if you can i know your moving but the longer the better.
> 
> peace.


Thanks for the shout out - the smell isn't bad at all, but I've heard this snow white strain isn't smelly unless it's disturbed, which I can attest to. The plant only gives off its strong aroma when you fuck with it!! It's like, you piss it off!! The Ono odor puck that came with the system works just fine to eliminate the smell.

I realize it's recommended to give the plant 10 without nutes before harvest, but I've read that if using the Final Flush solution you can give her the nutes right up until 2-3 days before harvest. I'm still hoping someone with experience can give me some advie on the best way to use the Final Flush solution.


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 24, 2008)

Hi All,

We're coming down to the wire, I will be harvesting my little plant in 6 days!!

I switched today from nutes to plain water and Final Flush with my ph adjusted to 5.6

I'm a little concerned about the brown spots, nute burn?


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## diggitydank420 (Oct 24, 2008)

I wouldn't worry about those brown spots at this point, Jaydoe. She'll be fine.


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 26, 2008)

OK,

So like everyone wrote me back and the concensus is that my little plant is not done. So my only other option is to leave it right in its setup and put it in the SUV for a 3 day journey. I can put some standing water in the res so she doesn't dry out, but I'm not going to have lights, or a bubbler, and she'll be in darkness for 3 1/2 days. 

If anyone can offer suggestions in what I'm about to do it would be appriciated. And hooking up power to run things in the SUV isn't an option.


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## diggitydank420 (Oct 27, 2008)

Just make sure you keep the roots from rotting. I don't think it'll die so long as you keep your rez oxygenated.

Perhaps a DC to AC power inverter for your air pump.

Or perhaps a battery operated air pump Silent-Air Battery-Powered Air Pump - Aquarium Supplies at Aquariums Direct


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 27, 2008)

diggitydank420 said:


> Just make sure you keep the roots from rotting. I don't think it'll die so long as you keep your rez oxygenated.
> 
> Perhaps a DC to AC power inverter for your air pump.
> 
> Or perhaps a battery operated air pump Silent-Air Battery-Powered Air Pump - Aquarium Supplies at Aquariums Direct


Great idea, Diggity - what about just using some h2o2 right before the trip? Won't that help keep the roots oxygenated?


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## diggitydank420 (Oct 27, 2008)

JayDoe71 said:


> Great idea, Diggity - what about just using some h2o2 right before the trip? Won't that help keep the roots oxygenated?


Yes it will. But you will have to get the 50% strength from a hydro shop. That pharmacy grade 3% won't cut it.


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 29, 2008)

JayDoe71 said:


> Great idea, Diggity - what about just using some h2o2 right before the trip? Won't that help keep the roots oxygenated?


OK, Diggity, I'm leaning toward your battery powered air pump idea. I would kick myself in the head if my plant didn't make it. And from what I hear DWC doesn't do well without bubbles for long at all.

I don't have time to get it online. Where should I look, would I have to get it from an aquarium store, or would a walmart carry it?


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## diggitydank420 (Oct 29, 2008)

JayDoe71 said:


> OK, Diggity, I'm leaning toward your battery powered air pump idea. I would kick myself in the head if my plant didn't make it. And from what I hear DWC doesn't do well without bubbles for long at all.
> 
> I don't have time to get it online. Where should I look, would I have to get it from an aquarium store, or would a walmart carry it?


I haven't seen anything like that at Mao-Mart. Try a Petco or an aquariam store.

And DWC does NOT do well without it's bubbles. I had to give my plants to a friend while some people were inspecting my house (long story). Anyway, the airstone got clogged up and all my roots went grey. Now I don't know how long they went without air, but they were over at my buddy's for 4 days.

It only took one night to get the roots back in shape after correcting the airstone problem.


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 29, 2008)

diggitydank420 said:


> I haven't seen anything like that at Mao-Mart. Try a Petco or an aquariam store.
> 
> And DWC does NOT do well without it's bubbles. I had to give my plants to a friend while some people were inspecting my house (long story). Anyway, the airstone got clogged up and all my roots went grey. Now I don't know how long they went without air, but they were over at my buddy's for 4 days.
> 
> It only took one night to get the roots back in shape after correcting the airstone problem.


Hey man, I got the pump, $21!! West Village, NYC...what are you gonna do? Petland discounts


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## JayDoe71 (Oct 30, 2008)

Hi All,

So the original plan was to harvest today regardless of where the plant was. For those of you who need an update I'm on a dead line because on Halloween I'm driving across country for my permanant move.

This is day 62 of 12/12 but it's really not a good indicator of the strain because I placed it on 12/12, then went on a 10 day vacation, and when I got back the res was bone dry and 2 of my 3 palnts were beyond repair (at least for me). This little troopper is my sole surviver, so it'd be a shame to chop her prematurly.

She's been on water only and Final Flush for the past 5 days and I plan on giving her water only for the trip. I could really use some advice on how far off she is before harvest. Should I go back to nutes when we arrive at our final destination, or can I just leave her on plain water until harvest? You can see some of the pistils started changing color but all the trichs are still quite clear...I think I'm getting the hang of this LOL. Can you leave a hydro plant on water only 3 weeks or more before harvest?

So this is my plan - She's going in the back of the SUV with us on our 1800 mile journey. My setup is a pc grow box so space isn't a problem. The little plant will be in the dark for roughly 36 hours. I bought a battery operated air pump for the DWC res that looks like it will do the trick. I realize the dark is going to stress the plant out but it's either that or harvest now...any thoughts?

It's been suggested that I set up power through the car for light but I can't do this for several reasons I won't get into, nor can I take the plant out for light everyday, she'll have to stay in the dark. My traveling companion doesn't know about the grow.

Last and never least - yeild, anyone? A month ago I said a few g's, then it changed to an 1/8, easy. Most recent I would have guessed a 1/4, now, dare I dream, maybe over a 1/4. I'm scarred to say it - A 1/2 ONCE ?!?!? LOL I know it's not probable but the little plant got so fat in the last few days!! I'm not a good judge as this is my first grow. I'm sure it'll look a lot smaller when I manicure it.

I'll post more and better pics tomorrow right before I pack her into the SUV, then I'll keep everyone posted after I arrive home. Stay tuned....


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## boricuaboi (Oct 30, 2008)

Looking good yo im subscribed!!


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## Abnjm (Oct 30, 2008)

Jay,

Thanks for stopping by my journal. I'll be following your move closely, as there may be a move in my future this January.

Subscribed and +Rep for a well written grow journal.


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## gwiito (Oct 31, 2008)

im sure you will be reading this when you get home however if you do read it while your on the road. and i cant stress this enough. dont speed dont smoke in the car. dont do anything illegal. you want to give a cop no reason to search your car they cant find that plant or you and your unknowing driver will go to jail and depending on the state you are in you will go to jail for a long time. i dont mean to scare but take extra precautions. other then that the best of luck on your journey. your journal has inspired me because i just started germinating mine last night and cant wait to get going. i like yourself have the pc grow box and you are the only one i have ever found that has proof of this working so im pumped. your plant looks delicious. cant wait to see your final product and hear your babies new name, if you havent already picked one for her. best of luck dude


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## boricuaboi (Nov 3, 2008)

Those look fucking smashing as hell i hope to get my dwc back up soon +rep dude


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## JayDoe71 (Nov 5, 2008)

Hi All,

Thanks for all your posts!! I'm happy to say that I'm safely across country to my new home in CO. My little plant seems to have made the trip OK, but I'm sure she's stressed out!

Here are some pics from Sun, which was 2 nights ago, and also the night after we arrived here...


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## JayDoe71 (Nov 5, 2008)

Sorry, that last post was incorrect! *These* pics are from 2-3 nights ago

The pics in the last post were taken minutes ago.


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## giantart (Nov 5, 2008)

Where are your pics Jaydoe?


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## JayDoe71 (Nov 6, 2008)

giantart said:


> Where are your pics Jaydoe?


the last 5 pages or so


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## JayDoe71 (Nov 6, 2008)

OK,

So my girl was changed to straight water 13 days ago because I thought I had to harvest her prematurly, but thanks to Diggitys' idea I was able to drive her accross country with the use of a battery powered air pump. Thanks, Diggity!

Anyway, how long can she be on water only? Will she be ripe before she starts to suffer from nute deficentcies?

The little plant must be very stressed. She traveled through 2 time zones in the dark, and was recently placed back on 12/12. Will it take her a week or so to recover before she starts growing/maturing again? She's already been in 12/12 for 69 days!! How much longer will I have before harvest? Anyone?!?!

Using a 3X micro I can see a few (very few) of the trichs are amber, and the bud has swelled and looks different. How many days until I should harvest?

Thanks to everyone who's been following my grow journal for the "Smallest Snow White Plant in the World" I think we're coming to a happy ending here and I can't wait to give pics of the final product!!


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## diggitydank420 (Nov 6, 2008)

Jay!!! 

She looks friggin' great man!!!

I'd say give her a good week under some 12/12 before doing anything drastic. Then post some pics and show us how she's lookin'.

This could have been a good thing... who knows? I've never heard of anyone using 3 days darkness and then re-lighting them.

I'm just glad my idea worked for you. You got the battery powered pump, right?


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## boricuaboi (Nov 9, 2008)

look at that queen looking good for such a small grow


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## JayDoe71 (Nov 11, 2008)

Of course she has been through a lot in those 74 days, I should have killed her a few times with my newb errors.

I want to thank all of you who repeatedly told me that she wasn't ready to harvest in my time frame. It's because I took that advice that she's such a nice plant today. I'm so proud...LOL 

In her 74th day of 12/12 and and I'm having difficulty judging the color of her trich's. I have a 30X micro but I'm still having trouble, if some of the trichs are amber, it's very few.

She's now been in plain water for 18 days - is this gonna be OK? Will she be ripe before she suffers from nute def?

I'm hoping some of you could tell me if she's ready to be chopped!! Some of the close ups give some good detail. I think I'm looking at approx 1/4 to 1/2 oz, any takers?


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## ctvoigts (Nov 11, 2008)

I just read all 13 pages lol I was gonna buy one of these in the next few weeks..But i think i will spend the next few weeks trying to make one. My question for you guys is if i get a taller computer tower will it still work i would only do that to try to get a taller plant and more bud.


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## 420greenthumb420 (Nov 11, 2008)

I bought the LARGE PC Grow box from Homegrown Hydroponics and I am happy with the good results so far. I guess I was lucky. My lamp did NOT come broken, and nutrients were intact..


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## Bluntactics (Nov 11, 2008)

Jaydoe that is one of the craziest things i've ever seen! Looking great though!


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## JayDoe71 (Nov 11, 2008)

ctvoigts said:


> I just read all 13 pages lol I was gonna buy one of these in the next few weeks..But i think i will spend the next few weeks trying to make one. My question for you guys is if i get a taller computer tower will it still work i would only do that to try to get a taller plant and more bud.


Thanks for the support...Still looking for a harvest date estimates!!


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## diggitydank420 (Nov 12, 2008)

I'd go another week and chop her.


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## boricuaboi (Nov 12, 2008)

Did u flush yet? Let some of the leaves yellow


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## JayDoe71 (Nov 15, 2008)

76 days into flower but with much stress!! And thanks again for your advice, Diggity!

These pics are from two days ago, so she's 78 days today. I'm still looking for some experienced growers to give me some more estimates on ripeness. Some of the pics give nice close ups. I'm asking for more help because the trichs still all look clear, but the bud looks ripe to me. Is she ready for harvest or does she need a few more days, a week? 

Should I be concerned with the condition of the leaves, some are pretty brown and dead looking?

The buds that developed on the bottom are really cool, there's some great shots.

Yeild estimates??


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## diggitydank420 (Nov 16, 2008)

Jay, she's lookin' great, my man!

She's getting close, but you have to remember, CFLs take a little bit longer to ripen than HPS. I have 3 PPP X Sour Diesel that are just over 60 days at 12/12 and they still ain't ready.

It's ok, though, I had one I started 2 weeks earlier that is drying right now. Kind of a disappointing plant though, resin _all over_ but the buds are so small... 

But it IS some mighty good shit!


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## JayDoe71 (Nov 16, 2008)

Here's todays pics.

SHOULD I HARVEST? WHEN?


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## JayDoe71 (Nov 16, 2008)

diggitydank420 said:


> Jay, she's lookin' great, my man!
> 
> She's getting close, but you have to remember, CFLs take a little bit longer to ripen than HPS. I have 3 PPP X Sour Diesel that are just over 60 days at 12/12 and they still ain't ready.
> 
> ...


Thanks, Diggity. I'm having a hard time deciding weather or not she's ready for harvest.


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## diggitydank420 (Nov 16, 2008)

Here's what you do...
Germinate another seed. When it sprouts, then chop her. You'll have some really good smoke within 9 days and you'll already be ready to move in a new plant!


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## JayDoe71 (Nov 16, 2008)

diggitydank420 said:


> Here's what you do...
> Germinate another seed. When it sprouts, then chop her. You'll have some really good smoke within 9 days and you'll already be ready to move in a new plant!


Thanks, man

Only next grow will be 3 sites assuming at least 1 will be male, so 2 flowering plants

Any truth to giving her 3 days total darkness before harvest?


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## diggitydank420 (Nov 17, 2008)

I never have done that 3 days darkness thing so I can't really say.


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## JayDoe71 (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi all,

Still having trouble with the micro deciding is she's ripe. The trich's seem to look crystal clear in bright light, but look amber in shade. I really can't tell..

More expert advice needed - Is she done?


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## directional (Nov 21, 2008)

WOW ... She is a beauty! Goodjob man.

You deserve a bump so the pros can get a look at this and determine ASAP!


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## gwiito (Nov 23, 2008)

this looks amazing sorry i cant help you as far as when the best time is to harvest but i wanted to give you props for doing something that no one else can be prove can happen. i have a pc grow box that i made from scratch because its way more cost efficient however the only problem i am having now is what to pot them in. will you tell me alittle bit about your water resevoir? what is it. how big. how deep ect. i can sort of tell by ur pix, which are fucking awesome. however the last batch of pix u posted it looks like the pot is long and shallow but then it looked like there was some sort of thing propping it up. is it just to prop it up or is that part of the resevoir as well? thaks for the help man and again bravo


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## taharqa75 (Nov 28, 2008)

Hey JayDoe, what the latest? did you ever chop her? How did she smoke? So many questions enquiring minds want to know????


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## JayDoe71 (Nov 30, 2008)

Thanks Everyone!!

So I decided to harvest tonight. The plant just looked done to me, either way I consider this a great success for my first grow. 

88g's soaking wet!! So if I use the 25% rule minus a few grams for stems I should still come out with over a 1/2 oz of dryed and cured bud....I'm happy. The little set up I used could easily fit 2 plants, 3 would be pushing it. I'll probably plant 3 seeds tomorrow and hope for two fems.

I put it in the paper bag to dry because I'm in a very arid climent and I've heard newly picked bud shouldn't be dryed out too quickly. I'll turn it over every day and take a good look in a week or so.

Thanks everyone for your help!!!!!!!!


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## JayDoe71 (Nov 30, 2008)

gwiito said:


> this looks amazing sorry i cant help you as far as when the best time is to harvest but i wanted to give you props for doing something that no one else can be prove can happen. i have a pc grow box that i made from scratch because its way more cost efficient however the only problem i am having now is what to pot them in. will you tell me alittle bit about your water resevoir? what is it. how big. how deep ect. i can sort of tell by ur pix, which are fucking awesome. however the last batch of pix u posted it looks like the pot is long and shallow but then it looked like there was some sort of thing propping it up. is it just to prop it up or is that part of the resevoir as well? thaks for the help man and again bravo


Thanks, man

The res is a plastic shoe box I got from Nation Wholesale Liquidators for $1.49. I cut a very crude hole in the top of it and sealed it up with duct tape. I believe mine is 14" long 7" wide and 5" deep. I think part of the reason my plant is so small is root bound, but it worked out in my favor


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## diggitydank420 (Nov 30, 2008)

Impressive, JayDoe!

You'll have some mighty fine smoke.

You have passed the test of patience in growing it, now can you leave it alone to dry for a week and then cure for another 2?

We shall see...

Anyway +rep bro! Great job!


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## UberSmoker (Dec 1, 2008)

Great job. Just read through the whole thread. Currently working on my own at the moment, pretty early in the grow. Good to see a successful PC grow set-up.


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## UberSmoker (Dec 1, 2008)

If any one has any good advise for me come over to my first grow journal

https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/136028-first-grow-led-veg-cfl.html


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## JayDoe71 (Dec 5, 2008)

Hi All,

My harvest dryed from 88 grams to 20 grams in 6 days? I am in a really dry climate.

The bud is now in an airtight jar curing...could use any advicee


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## diggitydank420 (Dec 6, 2008)

Fuckin' a, jay!


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## JayDoe71 (Dec 11, 2008)

Hey All,

So I'll admit to sampling a small bowl from my newly harvested plant on two occasions, 1) after the plant dryed but before it went in the jar, and 2) tonight, after curing for 5 days. The taste and smell definetely tasted less like grass clippings tonight, though still harsh and green tasteing. The high is just as good as any of the premium bud that I've found yet.

The plant lost another 2 g's, I'll say I smoked one, so the plant lost another g as well. It weighed 18g's today

From what I've learned here and read I understand that the aroma, taste, and potency will all get better with propper aging. 

So how much longer should I open the top of the jar for? A week, a month? How will I know?

After sealing the jar for long term curring, what is the optimum length of time to leave it sealed? If 2 months of curring makes it good, will 6 months make it even better?

Should I break the bud apart for curring? I guess I could if it would help, but I do like having the big bud

How long is commercial weed cured? curiosity

Please let me know your opinions on the harvest. Does it look like it was fully ripe. It actually flowered for 13 weeks - see thread if interested.


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## Perfextionist420 (Dec 11, 2008)

JayDoe71 said:


> Hey Mane - Homegrown-Hydroponics sucks, customer service is one guy who really had no interest in talking to me. I received a broken light, spilled nutes, and missing items. When I called I was told it was my fault for not checking the package before UPS left. I would recommend Homegrown-Hydroponics to my worst enemy.
> 
> The Bloom Box, however, I believe is made by BC Northern Lights, which I here is a pretty reputable company


Htgsupply.com is an amazing site with good deals and great customer service and usually less than a week from order to delivery


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## 420swed (Dec 12, 2008)

what was your light setup?


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## blueybong (Dec 12, 2008)

Jay ~ this has been an awesome ride. Losing plants; traveling cross country and now harvesting a most beautiful bud!!!

+Rep


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## JayDoe71 (Dec 12, 2008)

Perfextionist420 said:


> Htgsupply.com is an amazing site with good deals and great customer service and usually less than a week from order to delivery


Um......OK


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## JayDoe71 (Dec 12, 2008)

blueybong said:


> Jay ~ this has been an awesome ride. Losing plants; traveling cross country and now harvesting a most beautiful bud!!!
> 
> +Rep


Thanks, man



420swed said:


> what was your light setup?


It's all in the thread my man, but as one lazy person to another, it's 125W CFL in a PC Growbox


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## 420swed (Dec 12, 2008)

yeh i pretty much just looked at the flowering part of your grow lol so i didnt get to see your light setup.

https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/123808-my-first-ever-grow-closet-5.html


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## shakenbake (Dec 15, 2008)

commercial weed cures from 1-3 weeks +. Make sure you open up that jar once a day for about a week. let some air in there. This way you should avoid any moisture trap and with that mold. Weed will only start becoming strong after it cures. I think the most proper time to cure is something like 2 months or so but thats like connoisseur shit. you can rush commercial shit after 1 week. Your own will be great after 3 weeks. I have 5 strains of weed that are still curing in air tight IKEA jars, and its been something like 8 months. Its very potent and smells wonderful!


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## JayDoe71 (Dec 15, 2008)

shakenbake said:


> commercial weed cures from 1-3 weeks +. Make sure you open up that jar once a day for about a week. let some air in there. This way you should avoid any moisture trap and with that mold. Weed will only start becoming strong after it cures. I think the most proper time to cure is something like 2 months or so but thats like connoisseur shit. you can rush commercial shit after 1 week. Your own will be great after 3 weeks. I have 5 strains of weed that are still curing in air tight IKEA jars, and its been something like 8 months. Its very potent and smells wonderful!


Thanks, man

The jar is in my crawl space which is very cold - Is the cold slowing the curring process? Should I put the jar in more mild temps?


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## shakenbake (Dec 16, 2008)

> The jar is in my crawl space which is very cold - Is the cold slowing the curring process? Should I put the jar in more mild temps?


...youknow what? I'm not sure. Hmm... I always cure in room temp. I know some people store their weed in a fridge. I just know it will cure nicely in room temp, in a dark place.


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## JayDoe71 (Dec 17, 2008)

shakenbake said:


> ...youknow what? I'm not sure. Hmm... I always cure in room temp. I know some people store their weed in a fridge. I just know it will cure nicely in room temp, in a dark place.


Right, storing already curred weed in a cold place makes sense because my understanding is that cold retards the decomposition process, which is what you want.

But is curring in a cold place advised? I'd guess the curring room is between 50-60 F. Is this temp slowing my cure down to a crawl where the weed won't taste or smell good for 6 months? Anyone - please advise a determined newb!!!


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## joey buyapizza (Jan 7, 2009)

what type of res were you lucky enough to find? I have also currently undergone the pc grow and I cannot find a res to fit my such limited space... any info you could toss my way would be much appreciated


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## JayDoe71 (Jan 8, 2009)

joey buyapizza said:


> what type of res were you lucky enough to find? I have also currently undergone the pc grow and I cannot find a res to fit my such limited space... any info you could toss my way would be much appreciated


Get creative, try Target, National Wholesale Liquidators, Walmart, etc...My res is a plastic shoebox with 2" holes drilled in the top and covered with aluminum tape for light proofing.


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## raphaelwilliams (Oct 27, 2009)

That's funny. I bought from them too, and my nutrients and bulb were NOT broken when it arrived. Maybe you just had bad luck. I thought their customer service was ok. I spoke to someone named Shannon over there for over an hour and they were very helpful with my inquires. I guess I had a totally different experience than you did.... Were you yelling at them or something when you called?! ahhahah


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## henrydec1 (Apr 2, 2010)

hey, i really admire your grow, i plan on starting a pc grow case soon. i would love it if you could walk me trough your time line a little, did you sprout them under lights? how long from sprout did you put them on the veg cycle? how long under the humidity dome, when did you start using nute's? and when did you switch from grow nutes, to bloom nutes? sorry to ask such extensive questions, this just seems like a perfect grow.


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## JayDoe71 (Apr 2, 2010)

dude, that grow was a long time ago, I'm on to much bigger things now!!! The best piece of advice I can give about a pc grow is don't do it. They're way too small for the trouble. At least buy a small storge case, light proof it, attached a small fan and wallah!!! Believe me, if you buy a pre-made one, especially from HOMEGROWN HYDROPONICS, you're going to be dissapointed.

The problem you're going to run into is room, both for roots and vertical growth. Depending on the strain, you'll need to onset at about 4" and you'll need to water every day, maybe more! Measuring nutrients and ph in such small amounts is really a pain in the ass. Are you gonna use hydro or soil, either way it's watering every day because the container must be so small.

There's lots of stuff on here on how to build a simple grow box...look around more. I hope I discouraged the pc case


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## henrydec1 (Apr 2, 2010)

just realized you lived in CO, i do as well. so i will probably just build a grow box. but i have a hella tall PC. so idk. i have problems with people in my house as well so it has to be stealth. but i do realize what you mean. and i am going to grow in dirt because after reading your blog i realize it is hard to keep the ph rite as well as res temp. i will probably start with 3 plants and im guessing one will be male. (hopefully just one) so as far as nutrients what did you use? i still will probably keep the grow small, thank you for the advise


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## JayDoe71 (Apr 3, 2010)

You're probably not going to need nutes until you start flowering, because you're going to have to flower at 3-4". Anything from General Hydroponics is good quality and cheeper then most


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## JayDoe71 (Apr 3, 2010)

It's almost impossible to keep this under wraps if you have roommates,


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