Mega lumen setup. Fingers crossed! [Archive] - Green Grass Forums

Loafyboy

10-09-2009, 08:19 PM

Hi all, been a while since my last grow, hope everyone is well. I have taken some time out as I've been planning and experimenting with various things.

But I have recently started my 3rd grow, which is vegging nicely under a 250w 6400k CFL. It basically consists of 2 x 20L DWC buckets (2 plants this time) in a grow area of appoximately 28" x 18". This is the same area used for my first 2 grows which given great yields (over 6 oz dry from each grow) from a single plant each time under a 250w hps.

This time I will be using a cooltube and a 400w hps. I have heard that you can't have too much light so this will give a great lumen per square foot (approx 14,300), and hopefully will give excellent results. I hope with the 2 plants and the extra light I can pull maybe 12-14 oz from this tiny space! This would last ages, and mean I don't have to grow anymore for a good few months after. So subscribe and wish me luck!

P.S. The first pic was 4 days ago and the second is today.

EvilCartman

10-09-2009, 08:57 PM

Loafyboy

10-10-2009, 12:56 AM

Been thinking about getting my feet wet with DWC. ;) You'll have to teach me a thing or two.

I just checked the log above.
Are you using the submersible air pumps on this grow?
What is the strain? Same as previous grows?

Hi,yeah, sure thing, happy to share my experience to help with you starting DWC. Although I'm still a newbie myself really.

Yes, I am currently using submersible air pumps, they have not let me down yet so I cant be arsed to use an external one (the external one I use for my bubbler clone tank is way too noisy, and my grow room is a cupboard in my bedroom). :jointsmile:

Yeah, the strain is the same as previous grows, but it's so kickass I am not getting too used to it yet (even after 6 months, although had a few other strains to smoke in between for a change now and then). I am not entirly clear on the strain/makeup of it, but I think it is a cross between psychosis and alpha diesel.

Sorry if I waffled on there but I am :stoned:. Cheers man! :thumbsup:

Loafyboy

10-10-2009, 11:20 AM

Forgot to say, the one on the left in the above pics is quite a bit smaller than the one on the right, so I have angled the light more toward the left one to try and get it to catch up a bit. Shit, they are growing so damn fast!

Loafyboy

10-12-2009, 11:30 AM

Still going well, and growing fast, but not sure how much bigger I should let them get before putting them into flower. I'm thinking later this week is going to be likely. Then it's 400w of HPS all the way.

The photo below was taken yesterday (2 days after the last pic above). I've just changed the nutes and they are looking great. EC is 1.32 (0.78 out the tap) and pH is 5.5. The fan leaves are huge, don't remember them being this big on the last grow (even though it's the same strain). All in all very happy so far, still as exciting as my first grow!! :D

Loafyboy

10-16-2009, 06:52 PM

Right, I am hoping to put them into flower this evening as they are now as big as I dare let them get in veg. So in with the 400w HPS and cooltube, just got to modify some of the ducting first, and it's up, up and away! Can't wait........:jointsmile:

Pics to follow.....

Loafyboy

10-16-2009, 08:08 PM

Okay, all done. 12/12 has started. I have a 4" fan and ducting and a 5" cooltube, so I bought a reducer and thats in place. Had a feel of the top of the cooltube and it is cool to the touch....:thumbsup:.

Only thing is I bought a digital/electronic ballast off ebay, and I have to say, the 400w light really doesn't look that bright. Hope it's not a dodgy one. Anyone had issues with underpowered electronic ballasts?

Loafyboy

10-16-2009, 08:25 PM

Whoops, forgot to add pics. :stoned:

Pic 1 is the cooltube with a foot of 5" ducting and 5" to 4" reducer.

Pic 2 is before the light was changed.

Pic 3 is after the light was changed.....as if anyone needed telling :i feel stupid:

Loafyboy

10-20-2009, 11:05 PM

Okay then, the girls have been in flower for 4 full days now and growth is going well. They are still running on veg nutes at the moment, but I will switch to flower nutes in the next day or so. With the addition of the cooltube I am able to keep the 400w light about an inch or two from the top of the plant which is great. And the ambient temps are running in at about mid 70's (farenheit). I LOVE COOLTUBES! :jointsmile:

deleafer2220

10-20-2009, 11:33 PM

:jawdropper: OH MY GOOOOO....Been wanting to build a DIY cooltube for the longest...with results like that you just confirmed it...Will deff. be following this one ! GREAT JOB :thumbsup:

Loafyboy

10-21-2009, 10:16 AM

:jawdropper: OH MY GOOOOO....Been wanting to build a DIY cooltube for the longest...with results like that you just confirmed it...Will deff. be following this one ! GREAT JOB :thumbsup:

Hi Deleafer, cheers for the comment, yeah it shocked me at how effective it is, I could get away with a 600w hps if I wanted!! :D.

The cooltube isn't a DIY one, I bought it from my local hydro shop. But I have to say it is well worth the investment. The setup works great along with the DWC buckets, as it stops the nute solutions getting warm. This setup is gonna yield a monster harvest, I am certain of that! :jointsmile:

:hippy:

BTW, just noticed, the ambient temps are around 21 deg C / 70 deg F, due to the cool air being pulled in from the attic. Thats at floor level, but it will be nearer 25 deg C / 77 deg F at canopy height. Perfect!

Loafyboy

10-22-2009, 10:37 PM

Just changed to flowering nutes and they are looking dead fine.:DA
Approximately 9 weeks to go, god that's gonna feel like a lifetime. Any comments welcome....:jointsmile:

headshake

10-22-2009, 11:32 PM

looking good loafy!

i might have to invest in one of those cool tubes if i get an HPS. they won't fit around my MH bulb i don't think.

keep up the good work.

-shake

Loafyboy

10-24-2009, 03:48 PM

looking good loafy!

i might have to invest in one of those cool tubes if i get an HPS. they won't fit around my MH bulb i don't think.

keep up the good work.

-shake

Hi Shake, yeah they are great, plus you can get them in different sizes. I have a 5" diameter version, but I know you can also get a 6" version which might be big enough for you. Because my duct work is 4" due to being a fairly small grow space, I bought a small length of 5" duct and a 5" to 4" reducer so I can run it from my 4" fan....works a treat. Rock on Shake :thumbsup:

Below is a pic from last night. I raised the cool tube a bit to encourage the plants to grow upward a bit as they are getting really dense and bushy, more than the space can allow. They are also starting to show early signs of flowering (7 days of 12/12) which I like a lot! :D

This is gonna be a super phat jumbo harvest for 3.5 square feet!! :stoned:

EvilCartman

10-24-2009, 10:24 PM

Just a wee bit bushy... Haha it's a mini jungle! Lookin' great. :thumbsup:

deleafer2220

10-24-2009, 11:30 PM

Im sure the plants are loving the temps my brother keep up the good work...btw guy at my hydro shop keeps tryin to get me to buy one them 5gal. bucket set-ups, might have to check out for next grow :jointsmile:

Pedro de Pacas

10-27-2009, 03:13 PM

Hi Shake, yeah they are great, plus you can get them in different sizes. I have a 5" diameter version, but I know you can also get a 6" version which might be big enough for you. Because my duct work is 4" due to being a fairly small grow space, I bought a small length of 5" duct and a 5" to 4" reducer so I can run it from my 4" fan....works a treat. Rock on Shake :thumbsup:

Below is a pic from last night. I raised the cool tube a bit to encourage the plants to grow upward a bit as they are getting really dense and bushy, more than the space can allow. They are also starting to show early signs of flowering (7 days of 12/12) which I like a lot! :D

This is gonna be a super phat jumbo harvest for 3.5 square feet!! :stoned:

OMG...t that's amazing meng! :thumbsup:

Loafyboy

10-27-2009, 05:26 PM

Whoops! Just noticed one plant was growing much quicker than the other and thought "Mmmm, that's odd". But on closer inspection it would appear I forgot to plug in the submersible airpump on the lagging plant after I changed the nutes on 22nd (5 days ago!) :eek: . Strangely the lagging plant flowers appear to be more developed (more pistils etc.), even though they are identical clones. I wonder if the lack of air pump has anything to do with it?

I think I will change the nutes on both plants tonight (wasn't gonna change them until Thursday), just to be on the safe side.

I'll post a pic or three later, after changing the nutes....:)

Shovelhandle

10-27-2009, 08:50 PM

Good on ya, Bub! Best of luck with the blooming.

DOUGAL25

10-29-2009, 10:17 PM

Mega lumens = neat idea...subscribed
:stoned:

Loafyboy

10-30-2009, 05:58 PM

Right then, time for an update....

I think I did the right hand plant no good at all by forgetting to switch on the air pump (5 days without pump), it seems to be in poor health compared to the left hand plant. A lot of the leaves have become discoloured toward the edges and growth has stunted (except for the flowers, they are still growing). I have flushed it twice in the last 3 days and hope it will pick up again. :(

Other than that, the other plant is doing great, so not the end of the world. :hippy:

Couple of pics below.....

Loafyboy

11-02-2009, 08:28 PM

Well, looks like the right hand plant will be okay. It still hasn't started stretching wildly like the left hand plant, but it's condition hasn't got worse, so all good. :D

Flowers are still developing nicely, can't wait till the trichs start glistening..:jointsmile:

Also, I have a couple of small plants (about a foot high, not more than an eighth ounce on each I wouldn't imagine) which are in small pots in the garden that I completely forgot about. They were clones that I put in soil ages ago as mothers but then didn't need, so they got thrown into the corner of the garden. The flowers are not yet complete, but it's getting cold and wet outside, so I'm a bit concerned about bud rot (a tiny bud has already gone grey and mouldy) so may harvest them soon. They smell amazing, and will be a proper head high. :stoned:

Pics below taken yesterday. :thumbsup:

deleafer2220

11-04-2009, 11:31 PM

Looking great..going to look at cool tubes soon..you have me convinced on them now ..Thanks LB :thumbsup:

bonedaddy420

11-05-2009, 01:17 AM

Whats goin down Loafy! Looks like them buckets are treating you right, as long as the air is on:S2:

moz2009

11-05-2009, 10:10 PM

stupid question, but fairly new to growing. how easy are those buckets to flush and change the nuets as my grow space is in my attic. and what sort of money are those cool tubes.:jointsmile: cheers. :Dplants looking mega!

Loafyboy

11-06-2009, 12:29 AM

Looking great..going to look at cool tubes soon..you have me convinced on them now ..Thanks LB :thumbsup:

Cool man! They are superb, well worth the money.

Whats goin down Loafy! Looks like them buckets are treating you right, as long as the air is on:S2:

Yeah, probably wont make that mistake again, think I got away with it though! :D

stupid question, but fairly new to growing. how easy are those buckets to flush and change the nuets as my grow space is in my attic. and what sort of money are those cool tubes.:jointsmile: cheers. :Dplants looking mega!

Hey Moz, they are real easy to flush as long as you fit a means of draining them before you start using them. The usual method is to drill a hole near the bottom of the bucket (I used a 16mm drill bit) and fit a 16mm O/D (13mm I/D) rubber grommett from the inside. You can then fit a 90 degree elbow (outer section pointing up) and a piece of clear tubing. The clear tubing acts as a nutrient level indicator and you can turn the elbow through 180 degrees to drain the bucket (into another bucket of course). This saves you having to move your plants when you drain the nutes. If you go to the start of my grow log and look at the left hand bucket in the early pics you will see the clear tube (ignore the right hand bucket, that uses an experimental method I am trying, where I have a T piece instead of an elbow, which allows an extra tube with a tap to drain, but I'm not too keen on it). You need to make sure you have room to put a bucket below the bottom of your grow bucket in order to drain it..... hope this all makes sense.

As for the cool tube, my local hydro shop sells them for around £45 for a 5" diameter and £50 for a 6". If you have a local shop they can help with allsorts of stuff.

Peace :hippy:

Loafyboy

11-06-2009, 06:26 PM

Update, 21 days in flower.

Just looked in on the ladies and noticed some nice sugary trichs starting to show through, unfortunately my usual camera has gone for repair as it was playing up, so I will have to make do with an old crappy camera for a while.

Both plants are looking real niiiice! :)

moz2009

11-06-2009, 09:52 PM

thanx, think i got it! was thinkg of making my own to accommadate 4 plants. i want to make my resivior 4ft by 2ft. how deep will my res need to be and will this be bigger enough for 4 plants? tight arse i know but on a tight budget at the mo.

Loafyboy

11-07-2009, 05:59 PM

Just done a nute change and thought I would take some pics while I was at it. They are both doing well. :)

Pic 3 is a closer pic of the plant that was without an air pump for 5 days.

Loafyboy

11-11-2009, 05:49 PM

Lots of buds, lots of trichs, things are building up pace now! I had a little rummage through the undergrowth, and there are so many buds forming right in the thick of the plants! This must be a result of the 400w HPS light because although there were some buds lower down on my previous grows (with the 250w HPS), there were never this many.... awesome! :D

Still using the crap camera, although think I'm getting slightly better results from it now (been pissing about with the settings). Pic 3 shows some nice trichs forming on the smaller plant.

EvilCartman

11-11-2009, 06:15 PM

Lots of buds, lots of trichs, things are building up pace now!

Indeed! Really lookin' good! Keep those cords plugged in. :D

Pic 3 shows some nice trichs forming on the smaller plant.

Nice! Those buds are gonna look killer! :thumbsup: Looks like a good plant for making butter or hash. :)

Loafyboy

11-11-2009, 08:35 PM

Nice! Those buds are gonna look killer! :thumbsup: Looks like a good plant for making butter or hash. :)

Cheers man, I have grown this strain before and made butter from the leaves (of 1 plant). The result was :stoned::stoned: me and a few mates were absolutely fried, I mean couldn't even move. That was from 1 cookie each made from the butter, with enough butter for about 48 cookies. Now I have half a cookie and that is :stoned:perfect:stoned: as long as you don't have anything important to do! :D

Loafyboy

11-13-2009, 05:53 PM

Nute change shortly, they are now starting 5 weeks of 12/12, so time to boost P & K! Got some Vitalink Buddy (used on my previous grows as well) which is a phosphorous and potassium flower/bud booster. Will update later once done. :)

Thought I'd add some pics I've just taken with my USB microscope of some of the bud from my last grow.... let me know what you guys think! :jointsmile:

Loafyboy

11-15-2009, 09:31 PM

Nute change has been done, and bud booster has been added. Each bucket is filled to around 16 litres with water, and at this stage of flowering I am adding canna aqua flores: 20ml part A, and 20ml of part B. Then adding Vitalink buddy: 15 ml.

My water which has a mS of 0.8 then becomes around 1.8 mS.

I then use around 2 - 2.5ml phosphoric acid to bring the pH down from around 6.7 to 5.6. Then sit back and watch them grow...:hippy:

As you may know if you have read this log from the start, both these plants are clones taken from the same mother. Although the smaller of the 2 is smaller 'cos I screwed up a bit and left the air pump off for around 5 days. Strangely I have noticed that the smaller (screwed up) plant is producing masses more frosty trichs than the larger (not screwed up) plant :wtf:. Anyone have an idea why this could be? The only reason other than the damage done when the air pump was left off could be that it is quite a bit more distant from the light due to being much smaller. Really odd, any ideas are welcome!

Below is a pic of a cola on the smaller plant. By the way, the big leaves that are covered in trichs aren't piddly 1 in long jobbies, they are about 4 inches long.

Loafyboy

11-28-2009, 11:13 PM

Crikey, been a while! They are stating week 7 of 12/12. Just changed nutes. Each bucket contains 16 litres of water, 20ml Canna Aqua Flores A, 20ml Canna Aqua Flores B, and have upped Vitalink Buddy from 15ml to 20ml.

They are coming on nicely, and starting to swell. Trichs are looking great too!

Pics were taken yesterday. The main cola on the taller plant dwarfs everything else. Projected harvest date.......... 25th December, oh there will be much merriness and festivities to be had this xmas in my house! :D :stoned:

EvilCartman

11-28-2009, 11:23 PM

Projected harvest date.......... 25th December, oh there will be much merriness and festivities to be had this xmas in my house! :D :stoned:

A Merry X-mas indeed!! :)

Looking great, LB! :thumbsup:

bonedaddy420

11-28-2009, 11:23 PM

Damn Loafy, looking GREAT! Its awesome because Im about a week behind and even though Im using soil the progress is fairly comparable to your pretty ladies! Keep up the great work!

Loafyboy

11-29-2009, 12:34 AM

A Merry X-mas indeed!! :)

Looking great, LB! :thumbsup:

Cheers man! :)

Damn Loafy, looking GREAT! Its awesome because Im about a week behind and even though Im using soil the progress is fairly comparable to your pretty ladies! Keep up the great work!

Yeah, I notice this strain takes an age for the flowers to fill out, but they are just starting to fatten up rapidly, and will get real big in the next 3-4 weeks. How long is your flower period going to be in total BD? I am gonna chop mine at around 10 weeks or so, gives the best balance of head/body effect, although the first grow I did with this strain I let it go nearly 12 weeks and it was total couchlock! lol

camoxnhx

11-29-2009, 12:29 PM

bonedaddy420

11-29-2009, 01:51 PM

Yeah, I notice this strain takes an age for the flowers to fill out, but they are just starting to fatten up rapidly, and will get real big in the next 3-4 weeks. How long is your flower period going to be in total BD? I am gonna chop mine at around 10 weeks or so, gives the best balance of head/body effect, although the first grow I did with this strain I let it go nearly 12 weeks and it was total couchlock! lol

Well I was planning for a 8-9 week period(based on strain info), which would make harvest at mid december, but I am not so sure if my little girl will be done by then with CFL's. I'm fairly sure that I'm gonna have a 2 stage harvest, chop the big tops, and let the bottom get some light, because as it stands now, pretty much everything below the canopy is tiny tiny. I however am not after supreme couchlock smoke(just something worth my time), but I certainly wouldn't complain if that's how it turned out:p

Also I'm not so sure about flushing, or rather, exactly how long/when to start. I figure once they look near done, then start the flush for another week or two. Does that sound about right?

Loafyboy

11-29-2009, 04:51 PM

Also I'm not so sure about flushing, or rather, exactly how long/when to start. I figure once they look near done, then start the flush for another week or two. Does that sound about right?

I usually flush for around one and a half weeks, of course that is with hydro. Not too sure about soil as I haven't tried it before, but I assume flush duration would be similar if not a little longer due to the soil holding some nutes a bit longer. Maybe another soil grower could give more info on that though.

Loafyboy

11-29-2009, 04:59 PM

Wow man this grow is doing very well. So just a quick question on this.
*was your frist grow of this strain done in soil before the DWC buckets and if so has the growth doubled using DWC.
*what did you use for materials to make you DWC buckets.
But As far as I can see you 2 lovely ladies and doin well and are going to produce very nicely in that cabinet. Canny wait to see the final results. Best of luck.

Hi, cheers man! I have only ever grown hydro/DWC but a friend grew some of this strain outdoors in sunny England (haha!) and it worked ok, but it started getting too cold and wet before it finished it's flower cycle, so difficult to tell. Still blows ya tits off though! :stoned:
I bought the buckets ready to go from a hydro shop, just added water/nutes, a rooted cutting and some clay pebbles. :thumbsup:

Loafyboy

12-01-2009, 11:32 PM

The are still doing great, I am really looking forward to havest time. Thought I'd add another update while I'm thinking about it..... and everyone likes pics.

There is a bit of rust appearing on some of the leaves, but I'm not too worried about that. I got worried when it happened in my last grow, but that still spat out a good wedge of dank! So no problem! :cool:

Pic 1, you can see a few rusty leaves around a big fatty boom boom!
Pic 2, the bigger picture...
Pic 3, Macro on, Flash on, Kelloggs Frosties.....They're GGGGRRREAT! Who wants hash cakes! lol.

BTW tried a bit a short while back and I'm bzzzzzzzz :stoned::stoned: :D

Respect! :hippy:

headshake

12-02-2009, 04:35 PM

very nice loafy! very nice indeed.

-shake

Loafyboy

12-02-2009, 08:57 PM

very nice loafy! very nice indeed.

-shake

Cheers man! Might even make a christmas pudding with some off cuts! Take it round for the family...:stoned:...or er, maybe not! :D

:thumbsup:

Loafyboy

12-13-2009, 09:05 PM

They're still coming on good. While checking them earlier I had a slight intentional accident (if you can have such a thing);), and a nice nug fell off. I am currently drying it with the intention of smoking it with friends later, you know, just a little tester. It is so covered in trichs that even to touch it leaves your finger tips wet with oil! Could this be a result of the extra light? Way more than the last 2 times I grew this strain, and it was the strongest thing I had ever tried on the last 2 grows, so my fingers are crossed that this will be totally knockout...

The bigger plant is now on half nutes and the smaller is still on full nutes as I will be doing a 2 stage harvest about a week or two apart. This is to get a variety spread of effect from the grow.

Pics below......

Pics 2 and 3 are the nug which (ahem) "fell" off. It's about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide and about 3 inches long.

Shovelhandle

12-13-2009, 10:02 PM

really nice buddage, Bub!

Loafyboy

12-21-2009, 07:16 PM

Hi folks, hope all is well. I have tested the buds thoroughly over the last week or two, and although the trichs are all still clear, I am really liking the effect, gets me stoned as f**k with very small amounts of buddage. A few others have tried it and have said the same, so I think.....

"Tonight is the night to harvest!":rastasmoke:

I will take lots of sexy bud pics during the harvest process, and post them later with an update! So pop back later for the harvest festival! Peace :hippy:

bonedaddy420

12-21-2009, 08:17 PM

http://www.neophobic.ro/art_img/adeline/07102009211238/csi-miami-horatio-caine-sunglasses.jpg

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHH!!!!! Can't wait to see, Loafy!

redtails

12-21-2009, 09:19 PM

Gotta love harvest time! Can't wait!

Loafyboy

12-21-2009, 10:37 PM

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHH!!!!! Can't wait to see, Loafy!

Gotta love harvest time! Can't wait!

Cheers guys, everyone loves a harvest eh? :jointsmile:.

After a little thought it was decided to go back to plan A, and do a partial harvest due to limited drying space. I will harvest the rest once this first lot is dry (5-7 days I expect). I noticed the weight of the buds were causing the stems to bend and thought that it must be weak stems, but after chopping I noticed just how dense the buds are! The big cola in the 2nd pic weighs around 3/4 pound after trimming, so hopefully a dry weight of around 2 oz for that one alone! The 400w light has made the buds much denser than the 250w used to, even though they are physically no bigger.

Didn't take as many pics as planned because my fingers were so totally covered in resin that I couldn't really handle my camera much! But here is a few snaps......

1: Heavy colas bending stalks everywhere.
2: Main fat ass cola (3/4 pound)
3: Same cola hanging in drying cupboard.
4: Attempt to show rest of colas hanging to dry.

Still a fair amount left on the plants, so will finish harvest soon! :D

Now, if you'll all excuse me, it's :stoned::stoned::stoned: time...... :thumbsup:

Shovelhandle

12-21-2009, 10:39 PM

Noice.

MonkeyBone

12-22-2009, 03:45 AM

Nice perfume in your house now! No need for potpourri!

:thumbsup:

redtails

12-22-2009, 10:15 AM

WOW, you're making me want to run out and buy a cooltube now! Still have x-mas gifts to buy for OTHER PEOPLE though, I've spent enough on myself lol...countdown to final harvest...T minus 5-7 days!

Just noticed I joined exactly 1 year after you, weird...

Loafyboy

12-22-2009, 12:44 PM

Noice.

He he! :thumbsup:

Nice perfume in your house now! No need for potpourri!

:thumbsup:

You're not kidding! The whole house is stinking good, no visitors this xmas! I normally dry in the attic, but it's bloddy freezing here at the moment, snow everywhere, so too damn cold :wtf:. So I'm using the cupboard with the central heating/hot water boiler in as that is seeing a lot of use at the moment. Looking forward to my gas bill....not! :(

WOW, you're making me want to run out and buy a cooltube now! Still have x-mas gifts to buy for OTHER PEOPLE though, I've spent enough on myself lol...countdown to final harvest...T minus 5-7 days!

Just noticed I joined exactly 1 year after you, weird...

The cooltubes are great, but because the weather here has been a bit on the chilly side for the last few weeks, I removed the cooltube a while back and used a normal shade to get a bit of heat in the cupboard, because it vents in/out of the attic! And as you say, rest of harvest soon! :D