DWC GDP/Blue Dream grow log.
The ladies are doing fine. My topped plants arenā??t even phased and are almost a foot tall. I turn my pots every 12 hours or so the side thatā??s getting the least shade then gets the most light. Itā??s worked out well so far.
My partner and I are changing out the reservoirs on Sunday. Just like last time, Iā??ll prepare a spare bucket with two water stones inside. Iā??ll ph it/cal bag it/nute it, and fill it to the bottom of the net pot. The lid will hold 2 pots, and I can do two plants at a time. For the last plant, Iā??ll just dump the spare reservoir into the cleaned bucket. My partner and I are also going to quickly get into the lighting system to clean out the sawdust. My carbon filter arrives either tomorrow or Monday.
The BDā??s have already formed several new branch buds where I topped them. I donā??t know if I did it correctly or not, but it seems to be doing what itā??s supposed to do. Iā??m loving the comeback of BD#2. The GDPā??s are now growing at a much faster rate now that their roots have exploded and are immersed in the nutrient bath. Iā??ll probably take some clones from BD#1 and #3 next week.
Here are my daily update pics
BD#1
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01495.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01496.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01497.jpg
BD#2
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01501.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01502.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01503.jpg
BD#3
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01498.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01499.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01500.jpg
GDP#1
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01504.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01505.jpg
GDP#2
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01506.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01507.jpg
GDP#3
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01508.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01509.jpg
ENTIRE CROP:
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01510.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01511.jpg
DWC GDP/Blue Dream grow log.
My BD#3 reached 12 inches (1 foot) this morning!!! I'll post pics tonight in my daily update, I just couldn't contain my excitement. If I follow the same growth pattern from the past 15 days, should BD#3 reach 2 feet in the NEXT 15 days (generally speaking of course)? If that's the case, that will be perfect, time wise, as my space could probably only allow those babies to reach 3 feet max (assuming they nearly double during flowering period in size). I have a 25 inch wide, 10 foot tall space. I have lot's of length as well (I haven't measured it but I'd guess it's 8 - 10 feet). It's basically a large rectangular space So I'm very excited that things appear to be right on target :rasta:
DWC GDP/Blue Dream grow log.
DWC GDP/Blue Dream grow log.
Day 16
Today was our reservoir switch out: 5 buckets at 5 gallons a bucket totaling 25 gallons. The roots have grown so long that the reservoir change-out is not aseasy as it was last time. Some of the roots have grown around the lines attached to the bubble stone so I had to gently separate them. Iā??m wondering as these babies grow, itā??s going to be harder and harder to empty the reservoir. Has anyone just topped off the reservoir with nutrient treated water without changing it? I canā??t think of a simple way to do this when the plants are larger and have colas. Any tips would be appreciated.
We used the full nutrient regiment this time, so 12 teaspoons of Foxfarms Grow Big per bucket. RO water, pHed to 5.8 ā?? 5.9 nd calMaged. My partner and I decided to forego the cleaning of the cooltube around our light. Weā??re taking Tinytoons advice and chalking any delay or reductions in output from the sawdust light to a beginnerā??s grow, and will take it all apart and clean it when this one is finished. So many things could go wrong in taking apart what is already put together and working, itā??s just not worth the hassle and potential problems this time around.
While we worked to change out the reservoirs, I was able to take some pics of the root structure so far:
GDP#1:
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01548.jpg
BD#2:
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01550.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01553.jpg
GDP #3:
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01557.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01560.jpg
Daily Update
BD #1
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01566.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01567.jpg
BD#2
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a.../DSC01570.jpgv
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01572.jpg
BD#3
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01568.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01569.jpg
GDP #1
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01574.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01575.jpg
GDP#2
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01576.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01577.jpg
GDP#3
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01578.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01579.jpg
ENTIRE CROP:
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01580.jpg
DWC GDP/Blue Dream grow log.
Yes I'm sorry to say the change out gets harder as plants get bigger. I dont think the roots growing around stone or lines is to bad but when the dam thing is about 4' tall it gets to be a real PITA. Here is my trick, off we go to Lowes or home dePOT to purchase a drill pump. They cost around $7 and work on any drill, I recomend electric drill as it has good high rpm's and doesnt die halfway through. Couple pieces of spare garden hose and your in!! Try not to let the pump run dry as it will burn up since it uses the water it pumps for cooling. Filling can become easier by purchasing a funnel for filling auto transmission. Nice and long so you dont have to bend over as much, I suffer from chronic back pain.
DWC GDP/Blue Dream grow log.
Tinytoon, as always, thanks for the recommendation. I never even knew drill pumps existed! Although I wont get to clean the reservoir out, it will allow me to drain it and fill it without nearly as much effort as it has been taking. I'll look into this more and see if I can get my hands on a cheap pump.
DWC GDP/Blue Dream grow log.
DWC GDP/Blue Dream grow log.
and the quest goes on!! going good for just breaking into growing, keep it up.
DWC GDP/Blue Dream grow log.
DWC GDP/Blue Dream grow log.
It was another hot one today, although not as hot as yesterday. My babies gulped up a lot of water, and they needed to be topped off. This gave me a chance to test out my battery operated ā??gas pumpā? style pump. WOW, it was much easier than trying to pour from a gallon container. I also tested out transferring water out of my bucket reservoirs by slightly moving the lid over and then placing the pump inside the bucket. Itā??s perfect, and should save a lot of time and energy next changeout.
My light has an annoying habit of, occasionally, turning itself off for 5 seconds and then slowly turning itself back on. Iā??m using an older magnetic ballast and Iā??m wondering if it could be a heat issue. It doesnā??t turn off constantly, just every so often it will do this and I donā??t know why. The light goes out, but then begins to glow, and slowly come back on.
Here are some shots I took while the light was off:
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01627.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01628.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01629.jpg
I also tried to get a good pic of the two main stems coming out of the rockwool/hydroton in BD#1:
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01645.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01644.jpg
Daily Update
BD#1
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01630.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01631.jpg
BD#2
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01632.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01633.jpg
BD#3
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01634.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01635.jpg
BDā??s
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01643.jpg
GDP#1
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01636.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01637.jpg
GDP#2
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01638.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01639.jpg
GDP#3
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01640.jpg
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01641.jpg
Entire Grow:
http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/a...y/DSC01642.jpg
