Help_Needed's Fast and Simple - aka the Oh-My-God-I'm-out-of-weed grow
Well, the two sick clones popped back up yesterday, so that's a relief. And the ones still in the cloner that I thought I cooked are doing just fine too. Hopefully I'll have the last two moved into the tank by this weekend and then I can think about switching to 12/12 on Monday or Tuesday.
Res temps dropped to 77 during lights out, but then climbed back up to 84 when the lights came on. That's a bit too high for a DWC, but then again I've got a boatload of air flowing through the reservoir and the plants are all directly above the two air disks I have in there. So I'm not too worried yet. I added some mylar over the top of the reservoir to block out most of the light and help with the temps.
The pH is refusing to move much either, for some reason. It was down to 6.2 this morning, so I added yet another dose of pH Down. The bottle I have is a year old now, so I'm starting to wonder, does pH Down go bad?
Last, but not least, there was some discussion yesterday about how low I've got the two trouble clones in the pots and whether they were getting enough air flow. I had originally planned to add a desktop type of fan into the tent, blowing down onto the plants, but after stopping at three different stores, I couldn't find one. Found a shitload of space heaters though. Guess it's just the wrong season to be shopping for fans :D. In any event, I had a stray thought that I was able to confirm when I got home....Think about it. Those aren't regular pots, they're NET pots. Which means they're open to air on the sides. The way I've got them planted right now, the hydrotron doesn't fill the pot all the way, and they're situated right over the air stones. So there's plenty of air movement in there, it's just that the air's not coming from where we expect it to.
Today's Key Numbers:
TDS - 570ppm @ 0.7
pH - 6.2
Res Temps - 84F
Ambient Temps - 85F @ lights on, 76F @ lights off
Help_Needed's Fast and Simple - aka the Oh-My-God-I'm-out-of-weed grow
Just a quick note to pass on something I just learned. Water chillers don't work if the intake hose is kinked :p. Guess that'll take care of my res temp problem lol.
Help_Needed's Fast and Simple - aka the Oh-My-God-I'm-out-of-weed grow
Made some minor adjustments this morning. Nothing really earth shattering, but at least I did *something* lol
Res temps are continuing to drop now. They topped out at 81F with lights on this morning. The chiller will really only drop the temp by 1-2 degrees each day, so it'll be another week or so before it hits optimal. But we're getting there.
I increased the nute concentration a little bit, mainly because I realized I didn't have as much in there as I thought. My usual target for clone has been about 500 - 550 ppm, and this batch was riding around 570. But then after my question about the pH Down going bad, I remembered that I'm using tap water and Hydroguard this time around. So my actual nute strength isn't as strong as I thought.
Last, I added the final two clones into the tank. They weren't quite ready, but the hydro cloner was running out of fluid, and I didn't want to waste another batch just for a couple of extra days.
Today's Key Numbers
TDS - 650ppm @ 0.7
pH - 5.8
Res Temps - 81F
Ambient temps - 83F lights on, 77F lights off
Pics
I apologize in advance for the poor quality. I took these just before heading out the door for work and my flash was out of batteries so I used the HPS as a light source. I didn't adjust my camera settings to compensate, so the pics look like crap. Sorry :(
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1646.jpg
Overall shot showing the mylar sheeting I added. It doesn't stay very well, and for some reason the duct tape doesn't like to stick to the sides of the res. Once the plants get a bit bigger so they provide some cover, I'll be able to get rid of it.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1648.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1649.jpg
The sick clones. They've recovered kind of nicely, although they're still a bit ragged. I realized last night that all of the clones, including the ones still in the cloner, were showing a bit of N-toxicity. This actually tends to confirm my guess that I might have mixed the cloning solution too rich.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1647.jpg
The big clone. Quite frankly it looks like shit, and I'm a bit concerned with it. There *shouldn't* be anything wrong with it at this stage - there simply hasn't been time for something to go wrong. I double checked this morning and there's been some significant extra root development, with a few already starting to grow directly into the res. There's also a ton of new growth that's just starting to come in. So I'm going to worry too much about it. If the new growth starts showing the same problems, then I'll worry.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1650.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1651.jpg
Most recent babies. They just went into the tank today, and their roots aren't super well developed yet. So I took extra care in planting them to make sure the roots could reach the water.
Help_Needed's Fast and Simple - aka the Oh-My-God-I'm-out-of-weed grow
Well if it makes you feel any better, I'm much worse at cloning than you. <G>
I've always been a seed grower but I discovered that I needed to keep some strains going without a seed crop, so I'm trying to take cuttings. ANd I"m trying to keep them alive. My infant mortality rate is very sad. I shoud really read up on this site more on how the successful people do it. :)
Hey, good luck. I'm sure you'll get a decent crop and improve with time.
Shov
Help_Needed's Fast and Simple - aka the Oh-My-God-I'm-out-of-weed grow
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shovelhandle
Well if it makes you feel any better, I'm much worse at cloning than you. <G>
I've always been a seed grower but I discovered that I needed to keep some strains going without a seed crop, so I'm trying to take cuttings. ANd I"m trying to keep them alive. My infant mortality rate is very sad. I shoud really read up on this site more on how the successful people do it. :)
Hey, good luck. I'm sure you'll get a decent crop and improve with time.
Shov
Hiya, Shov. Thanks for stopping in :).
Yeah, I guess clones just always look really ugly when they start out. Last time I left them in the cloner way too long and they were pretty big, but had serious nute deficiencies. They took off like a shot as soon as I planted them, though. I figure if these live out the next week, I'll be doing good. If not, well.....I still have Mom and there's always another chance. But I'm gonna run out of weed here soon lol.
Oh well, I'm about ready for a T-break anyway lol.
Help_Needed's Fast and Simple - aka the Oh-My-God-I'm-out-of-weed grow
Just a minor status update. Not much is happening yet.
I increased the TDS to about 750ppm. I'm also gradually starting to lower the light into true grow position. The reservoir chiller is finally starting to make headway, too. Res temps were down to 78F this morning.
The large clone's roots has fully hit the water now, and its starting to take off. There are two full size fan leaves that have come in at the top in just the last 24 hours, and the side shoots are about half way developed. I pulled of a couple of the most damaged leave (the ones with little or no green) this morning. Hopefully the other four clones will wake up in another couple of days. As soon as I've seen signs that all five have adapted to the new environment, I'll switch to 12/12.
Today's Key Numbers
TDS - ~750ppm
pH - 5.9 (It'll go down a bit with the additional nutes).
Ambient Temps - 83F lights on, 76F lights off
Res Temps - 78F and falling :)
Help_Needed's Fast and Simple - aka the Oh-My-God-I'm-out-of-weed grow
I've often wondered how wise my decision to forgro growing during the summer was - especially as I watch my supply dwindle. I'm now learning the hard way that it was a good choice and that my environment can't handle very much external heat.
We're having a genuine bonifide Indian Summer here (is that even the right term or has it been replaced by something PC? lol). The temps had dropped a lot in early October, leading me to try to start my grow a few weeks earlier than I'd originally planned. And now? Daytime temps are getting into the high 70's and low 80's again. Night time hasn't dropped below freezing in almost 10 days. Of course I already turned the AC off for the year, so the house is an oven. And it's bloody killing my garden :(.
Res temps are back in the low 80's. The chiller's barely holding its own. Ambient temps are around 87F with lights on, and didn't go below 80 during lights off yesterday afternoon. Where oh where has good old Jack Frost gone?
To make things a bit more interesting, the clones aren't growing at the same rate. The big clone is taking off and, quite frankly, is ready for 12/12 lighting. It's also showing some K deficiencies because I've got the nute concentration too low to support it's growth rate. Two of the smaller clones are also starting to grow and show similar deficiencies. I peeked and their roots are just starting to hit the water. And the other two clones....may not make it. They're looking the worse for wear and one of them has lost several of it's leaves because they simply dried out and crumbled. Oh well, three plants is better than none, I guess.
Today's Key Numbers
TDS - 760ppm, added nutes to increase it to a target 950ppm.
pH - 5.8
Res Temp - 83F
Ambient Temps - 87F lights on, 80F lights off :(.
Pics:
The big clone. Those big leaves you're seeing came in after it was planted. The original leaves (the ones that drooped so badly in early pictures) have all died and been removed.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1652.jpg
The "healthy" clones. Yes, I'm using the term liberally. They're both showing nute deficits, but they're starting to grow now that their roots have reached the main res.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1653.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1654.jpg
Sickies. Despite the fact that the first one has been in the tank the whole time, I'm not seeing any root growth from it. The other one isn't doing well either. Since everything else is the same for all the plants, I'm guessing these two just haven't survived the transplant shock very well.http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1655.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1656.jpg
Help_Needed's Fast and Simple - aka the Oh-My-God-I'm-out-of-weed grow
First, the weather and related temps are still kicking my ass. I'm still running in the mid-high 80's during lights on, and high 70's during lights off. Res temps are hovering around 84. I've got a boatload of air pumping into the reservoir, so that's helping to keep the plants happy in spite of the high temps, at least for now.
Three of the five clones have taken off and are starting to show some healthy growth. The other two are....well....I have no idea, honestly lol. They're not dead, and they're not growing. They're just sitting there. Oh well, I've already reconciled to the fact that I'm only going to have three plants this run, so I guess I can live with it.
So, as of this morning I switched over to 12/12. The sick clones can either catch up or die. I'm tired of waiting for them lol.
Today's Key Numbers
TDS - 850ppm. I added enough additional nutes to bring it up to a target of 950ppm.
pH - 5.8 and rock steady. I'm probably jinxing myself but I've never had a grow stay this solid on the pH before. Must be the tap water.
Res Temps - 84F :(
Ambient Temps - 87F lights on, 79F lights off
Pics
The big one - It's getting really big. I'm probably going to have to do some LST or SCroG type of work with this one to keep it from overshadowing the others.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1658.jpg
The other two - They're growing well. The smaller one hasn't put out as many new leaves, but it's grown vertically.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1659.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1660.jpg
The sickies - Notice there's been absolutely no change in the last 5 days. Now, it's do or die. If they haven't shown some signs of growth in a couple of days, I'll go ahead and chop them.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1661.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1662.jpg
Help_Needed's Fast and Simple - aka the Oh-My-God-I'm-out-of-weed grow
Well, as the this entry's title says, Mother Nature finally took pity on me and lowered the outside temps. It's almost fall-like again lol.
The three healthy plants are growing well. In fact I've started to do a little LST work on the biggest one, and since this strain stretches like mad during the first couple weeks of 12/12, I'll probably put a couple of bends in the smaller two before it's over just to increase my yield a bit.
The two sick clones just never recovered - no growth at all, even after switching to 12/12. So I pulled them, which was probably a good thing. One of the two was just starting to get a bit of root rot. Good thing I've already got the hydroguard in the tank heh.
Key numbers
TDS - 1000ppm @ 0.7 and climbing
pH - 5.8
Res Temps - 77F and falling
Ambient Temps - 81F @ lights on; 72F @ lights off
Pics
I moved the two smaller plants around in the reservoir to spread them out a bit.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1665.jpg
This is the biggest plant. I've started to LST it a bit to keep it even with the other two as well as to get a bit extra at harvest.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1666.jpg
The smaller plants. Now that they've grown far enough out of the net pots, I've removed the lower leaves and shoots, and filled the pots up the rest of the way with hydrotron to so they have enough stability to stay upright when they get bigger.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1667.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1668.jpg
Help_Needed's Fast and Simple - aka the Oh-My-God-I'm-out-of-weed grow
I'm starting to think this grow is going to drive me to intoxication. Oh wait, that's the whole POINT of the grow, isn't it? :D.
Still, considering this will be my third grow with this strain, and considering that last time I didn't have any problems at all, this particular grow has been somewhat disappointing. I *thought* I had this strain dialed in for my set-up, but.......*sigh*.
The three remaining plants are doing ok, but they're not taking off like I've seen them do in my last grows. The 12/12 stretch didn't really happen. In addition, they've all developed N deficiency over the last few days, mostly because I wasn't as aggressive at raising the TDS as I should have been. Then again, I've been at or over 1000ppm for a week now, which should have been sufficient for N, although other nutes might have given me problems. I'm guessing that the extra ppm's I'm getting from the tap water is messing up my numbers a bit.
The good news is that I've got some small but noticable buds starting to form - right on schedule. And I've done some minor LST work on all of the plants, basically bending them over to expose more bud sites to the light.
Key numbers
TDS - 1330ppm @ 0.7 (I'm thinking I might have to go as high as 1500)
pH - 5.7
Ambient Temps - 80F, lights on; 74F lights off
Res Temps - 80F
Pics
The garden - notice the yellowing on the back plant. They're all getting it a bit, but that one's the most noticeable. The new growth looks like it's coming in green, so I think I've got it corrected.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1670.jpg
Close-ups
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1671.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1672.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1673.jpg
Bud porn!! :D - not much there yet, but not bad considering I've been on 12/12 for 11 days now.
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1674.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...o/_MG_1675.jpg