First Journal - 315 CMH, DWC, Autos, New Setup Test Run

Hey all!

So I'm gonna give this grow journal thing a try and hopefully do a better job documenting my grows because of it.

I just popped two freebie autos I got with my last order. I've never grown autos before but I figured I'd use these to try and get my new setup dialed in. There is one plant each of two strains, Barney's Farm Auto Tangerine Dream and Fast Bud Seeds Blue Dream'matic.

I planted the seeds directly in my presoaked Rapid Rooter plugs and both popped on the same day, March 18. They stayed in a dark humidity dome until March 19. Now they are chilling in my little tent under a 300 watt blurple LED while I prep the big tent.

Their final home will be 2 separate 5 gallon DWC totes. Totes currently have about 2.5 to 3 gallons of tap water with a super light dose of CaliMagic Ph adjusted to 5.9. Geolite clay pebbles for a substrate. This tent has a dimmable 315w CMH that will be their light source for the rest of the grow. The light has 4 settings (50%, 75%, 100%, 110%) so I'm still debating on which to use for the seedlings. I was totatot sold on a Timber Grow Light COB kit but a friend offered me this fixture for free, I only had to buy the bulb, so I decided to roll with it.

I have both the complete GH line and MegaCrop for nutrients, also debating on which to use for this grow. Maybe different nutes for each bucket? No idea. I'll probably make an impulsive decision at the last possible second haha.

If all goes well my plan is start staggering the plants so I always have 2-3 going but am harvesting on intervals. Not a true perpetual grow but inspired by the concept. I'm a huge variety snob so just growing one monster plant doesn't really appeal to me. I'd rather have less yield and more strains tbh.

I think that about covers it for now. Open thread, totally happy to hear peoples suggestions/comments etc. Equipment list and pics below!

Small Tent:
Milliard 18"x30"x36" Tent
100cfm Ventech Exhaust w/ carbon filter
Lightimetunnel 300w "blurple" LED
Generic Target Circulation fan

Big tent:
32"x32"x62" tent of unknown origins with horrifically annoying zippers
(2) 5 gallon Husky totes
Digital Greenhouse Dimmable 315cmh w/ Philips 3100k Full Spectrum Bulb
Amagabeli 220cfm vent fan w/ Carbon Filter on fan controller
6" clip-on Circulation fan
ActiveAqua 8 LPM air pump
Viagrow Round Disc Air Diffusers

The little ladies got moved into the CMH tent this morning. Nice healthy root growth already, should have snapped a photo. Got the 315 at 75% about 18" above the plants, hoping it's not too much this early.

Not much happening but it's been a week so I figured I'd post a little update. Temps are good but the tent is crazy dry right now, only 15% RH at 75 degrees F. Nutes soon, just waiting for the cotyledon to drop off. Think I'm gonna stick to GH this grow and save my MegaCrop sample for the next one. Got some Fruity Widow seeds waiting on deck.

Added nutes today. 2.5ml each GH Flora trio, 1 ml GH rapid root formula, 3 ml CaliMagic. Each reservoir is at approx. 500ppm and 5.8 pH. RH is up a little in the tent but still super low. Tent temps are hanging around 78. Little warmer midday, cooler at night. Lights on 24/0 right now.

There was a little browning on one leaf but I'm just hoping the nutes will fix it. Though if anyone has any thoughts on the cause I'm happy to hear them. First two pics show the plant with damage (Blue Dream'matic). The other one is the Tangerine Dream, which has been kicking the other plants ass from the get go.

Looks great! Taking off my Alice pack and settling in.. cant wait to see more pics Brother.

0321Marine said:

Looks great! Taking off my Alice pack and settling in.. cant wait to see more pics Brother.

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Appreciate it my man!

Another little update. Still dealing with a little browning on the leaves but they seem to be growing well so hopefully it will adjust. New growth is nice and healthy and the roots are just lovely so not too worried. Tangerine girl is almost 3 times as big as the Blue Dream now.

Don't run the 315 at less than 100% as the bulb will not reach proper operating temp and you will not reach correct spectrum. I run 2 315s in a 5x5 tent when they are seedlings both lamps are on but at a distance of 5 ft and they love it, no issues

Sailormoses said:

Don't run the 315 at less than 100% as the bulb will not reach proper operating temp and you will not reach correct spectrum. I run 2 315s in a 5x5 tent when they are seedlings both lamps are on but at a distance of 5 ft and they love it, no issues

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Thanks, I didn't know that! Makes you wonder why they would even offer a dimmable ballast. I might email the manufacturer just to see what they say haha.

In response to @Sailormoses comment above I turned the lamp up to 100% and just maxed out the height. Lamp is about 4' above the seedlings now.

Also thinking my browning issues are pH related. For some reason it keeps creeping up into the 6.5-6.8 range every couple days.

So the fan leaves were continuing to rust and dessicate so after some discussion in the marijuana growing problems section of this forum I decided to do a complete res change. When I did, I found that even though the roots looked plenty healthy there was a slimy buildup on my air hose and air stones. So I washed everything and added some nice fresh water at 5.8 pH and only 300ppm this time. Figured it's easier to add nutrients than subtract. Flora trio and CaliMagic, no root additive this time. Trimmed all the damaged leaves so it would be easier to tell if it spreads. Also covered a small hole in each lid from a past design that I had overlooked earlier. If they look like they are doing better they will get topped soon.

Also, because apparently trying to troubleshoot my DWC buckets wasn't enough to keep me busy, I bought a bunch of stuff to build a hempy bucket for my little tent. I'm going to try mainlining and a new grow medium with a new strain all at once, because I'm an idiot. Gonna drop another seed tonight, just need to choose a strain. Once the autos are done the hempy bucket will move into the big tent.

The two autos are still struggling. The roots still look healthy but if I didn't know better I would think I had root rot. I started dropping frozen bottles in the res to try and keep the temps down, but if the struggles continue I might move the girls into some Coco and see if things improve. I know they say not to transplant autos, but I'm clearly not getting optimal results right now anyways and quite frankly I'm running out of ideas on what else to adjust.

In the meantime, I made my hempy bucket and filled it up to the drain with clay pebbles then topped it with coco coir. Made the drain out of some irrigation pieces with a built in screen and vent so it flows real nice and hopefully won't clog or anything. Also allows me to pipe the runoff into a tray for measuring pH and ppm. Cracked a Purple Diesel Daze from Europa Seeds that's gonna go in the hempy once its fully up. That one will chill in the blurple tent to veg for a while.

Also a pic of a fully cured nug from my last harvest that's about to get spun up! Great White Shark. Please excuse the half ass trim job.

Just a couple of days and things seem to have improved. Dropping the res temps may have done the trick. I guess I need to keep a closer eye on that with the new light.

Still struggling with the rust spots on the leaves but the growth on the ladies has been pretty good anyways. Getting a res change tomorrow, gonna up the nutrients and try following the Lucas formula for a change of pace. Started a little LST on the Tangerine Dream. Decided not to top this go around. I just don't want to add any extra stress or slow them down at this point. I'd like the tent freed up to go 12/22 full time by early summer.

Had to drop a new Purple Diesel Daze seed as the last one never fully sprouted, so the hempy bucket is still waiting. In a bit of a rough patch with the whole grow right now apparently haha. No stress though, the stash is still strong.

Day 34 for the Auto Dreams. They are doing a lot better though still growing a little slower than I expected. The Fast Buds Blue Dream'matic definitely leans sativa though. Expecting her to take a lot longer than the other.

Wound up with a couple surprise additions. Two Pakistan Ryder's from World of Seeds, courtesy of a fellow grower who had decided not to do autos. They were started in soil so I potted them up with some Coast of Maine potting mix and added them to the tent. Gonna get crowded in there. Probably gonna need to add an intake fan and another circulation fan.

The Purple Diesel Daze came up this time and is in it's new hempy home under the blurple light in my little tent. Apparently forgot to take a picture though. There's a lot going on now, and the title of my journal is no longer a particularly good description of what's going on here.

Day 39 on the dreams. Day 7 on the purple diesel, which seems to be growing soooooo slowly. The Pakistan Ryder's are growing extremely quickly however. No idea when they were planted. DWC buckets got changed today. 900ppm on Lucas formula with CaliMagic. 5.8 pH.

Dreams got a little trim today. Ryders got topped. Other than that, no changes.

Gentleman how you doing brother. Looking fiiiinnnneee! Imo the CMH is one of the best lights to buy, it does compete with the COBs at a very good level too. I'll be over here stalking your girls. LoL

Pat999 said:

Gentleman how you doing brother. Looking fiiiinnnneee! Imo the CMH is one of the best lights to buy, it does compete with the COBs at a very good level too. I'll be over here stalking your girls. LoL

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Thanks bud! I'm digging it so far, and the plants seem to agree!

Day 46 for the dreams. They have stretched a good bit now and are covered in little buds. Starting to develop a really nice peppery scent in the tent.

The Pakistan Ryders are turning into nice little bushes. I topped the front one and fim'med the other (in the most literal sense, meant to top both) and you can definitely tell the difference in the way they recovered.

And finally the PDD is rocking along in it's little hempy bucket. At about three nodes now, gonna top her at 5-6 nodes and start the manifolding process. May start a separate journal for that, depending on my motivation level.