CFL Micro DWC PC Grow

Seems that hydro is quite complicated, with constant ph monitoring... but you say they grow faster than in dirt?

Nander said:

Seems that hydro is quite complicated, with constant ph monitoring... but you say they grow faster than in dirt?

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I wouldn't say overly complicated, this is my first foray into hydroponics (besides a failed hydro grow 10 years ago with a mate)
And so far I think its relatively simple. I personally think the dwc method is easiest, but thats me. I figure there's only the airpump which runs constantly, no worrying about water pumps on timers and flooding issues.
I so far just do a Res change with Ph 'd water nute mix and then just top up during the week til next Res clean n change. I don't bother checking Ph every day as so far I have only noticed a rise from 5.8 at Res change to 6.1 at next Res change. And u can see from my pics, she's healthy as can be.
As for growth rate, the clone in the case now came from a plant in soil and it seems to be growing faster than her soil mother.
From what I have read, with hydro, the root system has direct access to the nutrients and oxygen which theoretically should mean faster, stronger growths
Might just be my imagination, others may chime in with their growth rate theories and proofs.

Plain dwc's work relatively simple. I keep alot of pre-ph'ed water so that helps but like baskarz this is my first grow with hydro. My clones in hydro are like 2x bigger vs my uncle's clones (same mother) in soil same light schedule. I just checked my roots today and after adding a second smaller backup air pump and stone my roots are completely taking over my reservoir. Its thrilling to see but next reservoir change will be a little messy I think. Here's a helpful link that got me set firmly down the hydro road. http://howtogrowweedindoors.com/step-zero-introduction and this really covers dwc/bubbleponics (I modded mine to bubbleponic setup) http://growweedeasy.com/high-yield-bubbleponics-technique

I think hydroponics is a pain in the ass. Other than the construction of the systems, it's a pain in the ass. You have to pH balance your water, then you have to add every primary & secondary nute, and trace minerals on a feeding schedule. Bubbleponics makes this a pain unless you have jugs of pH balanced and nuted water ready for rez changes. pH up & down, pH test kits or meters, hydroponics nutrients, hydroton, rockwool, netpots, rez's, aeration stones, airpumps, water check valves, water temp thermometer, rez changes, etc - compared to sticking a damn seed in soil lol

glockdoc said:

ive read and heard superthrive works wonders with transplant. u dont have any rooting hormones? it wont die i dont think, they can jus go thru shock for a week or 2. throw in a red spec bulb with ur blue for veg when u transplant. it will help out.

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glock we went over this 1 drop per gallon only when transplanting and only when they are super sick

DO3SHA said:

glock we went over this 1 drop per gallon only when transplanting and only when they are super sick

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yea ive known that since is started up in 09, was tryin to help this dude lol thanks though!

Oh alright

yea man i even read a report of someone seeing the leaves rise back up to regular slowly after use. idk if its thats true and all but its good shit

Well doesn't matter with the soil girl anymore, last night I checked and she's now a he, balls everywhere! Lucky it wasn't in the PC case with my dwc girl (which is still a girl and doing great!) So he got ditched which is good actually cos now I can get a bean started in the new cab

Update with pics tonight of the happy girl, had a slight nute burn on the tips of some leaves but it was on purpose, I pushed her to the limits and found the Max nute level she'll take before burning oh and I finally got my new ec meter! Only 6 weeks later....

Alright, update time!
Its now week 8 since rooted clone.
as i mentioned in the last post i finally received my ec meter!
so first thing i did was test our tap water which ive been using since day 1, i was surprised to read 845ppm!
from what i have been reading that is quite high for tap water... oh well hasn't harmed anything yet and i'm not about to fork out for a RO system. like they say, if it ain't broke, dont fix it! It just means i have to factor that in when mixing up me nutes every res change.
Over the last few res changes i have been upping the nutrient level in order to find how much she can take before burn.
well i found it! lol u might see in the pics some of the leaf tips are a bit burnt.
and with me new ec meter i have found that level to be between 1200 - 1400ppm
A little more light lst here and there to try keep her under control, i think it should be done stretching now.... hope so anyways.

lookin good bro

"I think hydroponics is a pain in the ass. Other than the construction of the systems, it's a pain in the ass. You have to pH balance your water, then you have to add every primary & secondary nute, and trace minerals on a feeding schedule. Bubbleponics makes this a pain unless you have jugs of pH balanced and nuted water ready for rez changes. pH up & down, pH test kits or meters, hydroponics nutrients, hydroton, rockwool, netpots, rez's, aeration stones, airpumps, water check valves, water temp thermometer, rez changes, etc - compared to sticking a damn seed in soil lol "


I agree. Check out my first indoor grow and youll see a plant that only got pitcher filtered water for veg Approximately 6 weeks from the day i dropped the bean in. And all she's had in the last 6 weeks is BigBloom twice a week and tea once every week. No nutes, 1 pot change from 4 cups to 2.8GL container, and the smoke is killer. Just clipped all the lower buds cuz the high is so heady and letting the four main cola's get nice and overripe! Can't get simpler than that!

P.s. I know yield is not what hydro would be but the clean smoke will be so nice.....

Well things have kinda turned to shit in the last week, she was starting to form trichs all over the buds and hairs starting to brown and curl, then I noticed something at the base of the bud sites....
Frigging things gone hermie on me! Popped pollen sacs and seeds forming everywhere ... Fuck.
I had a suspicion it might do that since the plant it came from went hermie 2 weeks after the clone was taken.
Oh well, I'm gunna finish it off just for the fun of it, I have no other plants to risk pollinating.
I have stuck another seed in a glass of water last night and will have it ready for when I pull this he she out
I won't be using that strain again tho lol.
Will post pics tonight of the devastating find...

alrighty then, im gunna give it another coupla weeks for the trichs to cloud a bit more before it gets tha chop.
this is one funny little plant, as you'll see in the pics theres a seed pod at the top of one of the buds absolutely covered in trichomes! hence why i wanna give it a bit longer. it does smell quite nice too especially when i touch it.
hey if i cant smoke it, itll become hash!

at least from this grow i know i can do a complete grow with the current setup.
next run in this case i will modify the lights positioning so there will be a better, more even light spread.
i also plan to add speed controllers to the extraction fans to quieten it down a smidge.

heres tha pics!

first pic is the pods n sacs i found which made my heart drop and blurt out a few choice words...
second pic is the above view and the next couple are close ups of the buds
last pic is what made me laugh a bit should make some nice hash

baskarz said:

Well things have kinda turned to shit in the last week, she was starting to form trichs all over the buds and hairs starting to brown and curl, then I noticed something at the base of the bud sites....
Frigging things gone hermie on me! Popped pollen sacs and seeds forming everywhere ... Fuck.
I had a suspicion it might do that since the plant it came from went hermie 2 weeks after the clone was taken.
Oh well, I'm gunna finish it off just for the fun of it, I have no other plants to risk pollinating.
I have stuck another seed in a glass of water last night and will have it ready for when I pull this he she out
I won't be using that strain again tho lol.
Will post pics tonight of the devastating find...

Click to expand...

baskarz said:

alrighty then, im gunna give it another coupla weeks for the trichs to cloud a bit more before it gets tha chop.
this is one funny little plant, as you'll see in the pics theres a seed pod at the top of one of the buds absolutely covered in trichomes! hence why i wanna give it a bit longer. it does smell quite nice too especially when i touch it.
hey if i cant smoke it, itll become hash!

at least from this grow i know i can do a complete grow with the current setup.
next run in this case i will modify the lights positioning so there will be a better, more even light spread.
i also plan to add speed controllers to the extraction fans to quieten it down a smidge.

heres tha pics!

first pic is the pods n sacs i found which made my heart drop and blurt out a few choice words...
second pic is the above view and the next couple are close ups of the buds
last pic is what made me laugh a bit should make some nice hash

Click to expand...

hey bro sorry for all the bad news! suxs that it went so early on you. what do u think was the cause of the hermi just the bad gene from the mother?

Yeah bad gene I reckon. The last one I grew out fully hermed but I kept plucking pods and it turned out ok, this one I didn't catch it early enough.
nevermind, I have some different seeds I'm germing now so will see how they go

no doubt, just look at the last 2 as dialing in your set up.

Yup my thoughts exactly! Next grows will be serious! Lol
Still gunna be hit n miss cos I'll be using bagseed
Its all valuable learning experiences

bag seed is the problem lol, you can score huge and grow one with no problems but most hermi out. why dont u order some beans? that would be easier then finding a clone but if u can find a clone that wont hermi when cut, keep that as a mother and ur golden.

I had considered ordering but I can't find any definite info as to weather I can get them to aus without customs seizing them.
Plus I can't afford them at the moment anyways.
One of me mates plans on ordering some seeds so I might do a deal with him if he does.