Grow Journal #4- Growing "Indo-Nesia":1st hydro (passive),400W HPS, Soil vs Hydro

Spittn4cash

Well-Known Member
Cant believe Im already on my 4th GJ! Seems like only yesterday I was growing out bagseed in that damn rubbermaid indoor setup I had.

Since then I've gotten quite a few indoor and outdoor grows under my belt, and they have always ended up in success..I didnt really yielded anything worth smoking my first few times, but I still consider that a success bcuz I learned something new each time about both myself and growing.

Let me tell U a little more about my setup.

Strain- "Indo-Nesia" is a strain that I bred myself by (accidentally) crossing a bagseed hermie with a PPP female I had a while ago. Once the seeds were ready I grew 2 of them out- one was a male, the other was a hermie, so I pollinated the hermie and marked off those branches. At the end of the grow I was left with a decent amount of seeds and some killer smoke and so I wondered "If it came out this good with CFL's in soil, just imagine how much better it will be in hydro with my new 400W HPS!" ...from there the rest is history!




I called it "Indo-Nesia" bcuz it showed mostly indica traits but the high is very heady and trippy, you'll be in the middle of the conversation and forget what you were talking about. It also will do either one of 2 things, if Ur a heavier person it will numb everything, someone will be touching you and U wont feel a thing, but if Ur smaller in stature it will make everything really sensitive to the touch, every hotspot on a person, or every funny bone in their body will be extremely sensitive.




Lighting- I went out and bought a 400W HPS system from my local hydro shop for about $150..anything to keep my personal info off the internet and so I can fly below "Big Brother Bush's" radar






Hydro Setup
- I got a rather small setup called "Emily's Garden" that will hold 6 fully mature plants. I plan on only using 4 just to give the roots some room to stretch and breath, I'll worry about upgrading and modifying this system later, but for my first attempt I think this will do fine.



It cost about $85 and it came packaged with a pump, hydroton, nutes, ph test kit, net pots and 1" rockwool cubes for seedlings/clones.




thats a pic from my last grow, I tried transplanting them from soil into hydro but I dont think I did it right and the plants slowly died one by one. Im thinking it was bcuz either the pump was too small or I did the peroxide remedy too late, either way they were still smokable, the oldest plant was about 7weeks into flowering, the youngest was about 3.

Nute Lineup- guy at the hydro shop recommended that I used Natures Nectar nutes bcuz U dont have to pH them, it keeps ur pH at the perfect level for hydro. He also said that as long as I keep an eye on my water color and levels I wont need a EC/TDS meter. Im gonna get one eventually but right now I dont wanna fork up the $150 for it. I got some peroxide, molasses, and as U can see I still have the MG ferts from my last grows but I am NOT gonna use them in the hydro, they are for my soil plants.


(Stuff on the left is for Hydro) (Stuff on the right is for Soil)
Soil Setup- Strictly MG Potting mix, no extra stuff (guano, perlite, vermiculite, potash, dung) as I find that unnecessary. MG will do fine as long as I dont transplant them into it too soon or over feed.


My grow room is large enough to grow everything in the same area, under the same light. I plan on vegging under 3 42W CFL's, then adding one 26W CFL each week or node, which ever comes first. My flowering room is currently occupied by the mothers I used for my last SoG, I decided not to keep em around anymore so they are currently on their second week of flowering. I'll veg for about 6 weeks, or until they wont fit into my veg box, and then toss them into flowering.

sorry for the long post but I had a lot of info, be back in a few for updates.
 

SmokerE

Well-Known Member
What are you doing with that molasses for hydro. Sir slowly put the molasses down, please step away from the molasses, j/k with you. Really though if your going hydro you won't need that molasses (unless i'm reading this wrong). From what I've read it's more of a flowering ....umm...thing that people do. Trust me, hydro will grow them fast enough without that stuff.
 

Spittn4cash

Well-Known Member
Ok so to start off, I germinated 5 indonesia seeds 3 days ago and all of them cracked and are currently working on breaking surface.

I soak them on top of my Surround Sound amp in Solo cups, it stays nice and warm and gives the plenty of darkness in my entertainment center.


In about 24hrs they sink and I plant them in Rockwool Cubes. About 48 hrs later a few of them have already broken surface and dropped their shells.



(the ones with the red markers in them are Indo-Nesia, the other is bagseed from some stuff this jamaican dude sold me. he said it was grandaddy purp bcuz it had some purple in the buds, and it was decent smoke. I decided to grow it out just for the hell of it, if it turns out to really be grandaddy purp, then horrray, if not then horray too bcuz that will be another lesson that I have successfully learned!)
I currently have them under the 400W HPS bvuz my veg cabinet isnt setup yet, Ill probably get on that tomorrow,

Anyways I'll be back in a week for updates, pics and plans.

If anyone has any advice for a Hydro N00b Id be glad to hear it as I lack experience in that department. Also if anyone has any opinions on different trainings or ways to increase yield I'd love to hear that also.

thanks much for stoppin by
:peace:
 

Spittn4cash

Well-Known Member
What are you doing with that molasses for hydro. Sir slowly put the molasses down, please step away from the molasses, j/k with you. Really though if your going hydro you won't need that molasses (unless i'm reading this wrong). From what I've read it's more of a flowering ....umm...thing that people do. Trust me, hydro will grow them fast enough without that stuff.
Lol, Yeah thats for the soil plants.

Ive heard mixed things about molasses in hydro, some ppl say its fine as long as U dilute it, others say stay away from it completely in Hydro.

Its great for weeks 4-6 in flowering but thats 4 the soil plants tho.

thanks for stoppin by and for the heads up bruh
:peace:
 

nongreenthumb

Well-Known Member
Digital ph meter for 20 bucks.

Digital pH Swimming Pool Meter Tester Water Garden p3 - (eBay item 320154508757 end time Sep-06-07 05:24:07 PDT)

ec meter for 25 bucks plus postage.
EC CF PPM Dipstick Meter Hydroponics Nutra-wand - (eBay item 230165548112 end time Sep-05-07 08:24:19 PDT)

Those little fluid ph tests kits will piss you off beyond all known belief.


The thing is with meters for hydroponics is that yes you could quite possibly grow and get away without needing a ec or ph meter but if anything does go wrong your going to flip your lid. The best thing about hydroponics is the level of control you have over your plants environment, if you use the meters you know exactly whats going on because you know precisely what you fed it.
 

Spittn4cash

Well-Known Member
Im looking into the meters as we speak. I was mislead by the guy at the hydro store I guess..good thing I have U guys here or else I probably woulda been pretty screwed!

thanks again guys.

any other comments or suggestions are welcome.
:peace:
 

Spittn4cash

Well-Known Member
but anyways. now that weve taken care of the haters....

I never saw the end of this journal, the heat and ph issues took care of it for me.

but here are some pics of the last time they were alive.

















 

SheepsBlood

Well-Known Member
Before I start an argument or anything like the sort, please check out my grow. I am using pretty much the same setup and bro those seedlings look burnt. I hope your not using Miracle Grow, that crap is so high in salts and just are too much for MJ. They cause nutrient lock up and burn plants easily. I think it would be best to go with the chems that came with your kit. They are working awesome for me and all I have is a 150 watt HPS, not a nice 400 like you.
We are planning on getting one before bloom and we are gonna do a scrog very soon also, before bud
 
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