Few More Random Questions From The Fng

[somethingwit]

I have a 2.5' x 2.5" x 6' Hydro Crunch grow tent. I'll be the first to admit that I am surprised at the low quality of the tent, and doubt it will make it through a second grow without at least one or two minor/moderate repairs. I also am doing a soil grow, and decided at the last minute to do a SCRoG. I have no idea about genetics or strains as these came from a bag.

1) Anyway... Of course the inside has reflective material, however, I have a lot of brand new Mylar laying around. Would going ahead and taping up the inside walls with the Mylar instead provide at least a noticeable amount of light being reflected back towards the plants? I am pretty sure that the reflective material inside the tent already is not Mylar.

2) Tucking during the SCRoG. I am a bit confused as to the manner of "tucking". One or two things that I have read said that you weave the cola through the strings (or whatever makes up the screen); over this one, under that on, over this one, and on and on...

Then I just found another couple of articles that say that "tucking" really isn't tucking, except for the shade leaves that come off the cola branch. That you leave the cola branch under the screen. When the tip of the cola grows a few inches through that whole, you tuck it back under the screen towards the next whole. This makes me think that there is nothing in place to hold the weight of the colas as they get bigger.

Sooo... Which is it? Do I keep the cola underneath the screen (maybe tying?), or weave it over and under the screen so that it has some support and doesn't ever sag?

 

[KneeDeep34]

I dont know much about your second question. I would say it would be more of a preference thing. Cause your really only going for the cola as it is. So with that being said, i dont think tucking really mattera but loke i said, i dont have much experience... But as for your first question, i agree. Most tents are surprisingly cheap... Thats why these days i build my own... I dont use mylar tho. I find it a little more expensive and kind of a pain to reuse... What i do is build a frame out of 1 1/2in pvc pipe. Then i use panda film to build the walls of the tent and Velcro strips to seal the door. It works well when you only have one room and need a place for clones and mothers.

 

[somethingwit]

I dont know much about your second question. I would say it would be more of a preference thing. Cause your really only going for the cola as it is. So with that being said, i dont think tucking really mattera but loke i said, i dont have much experience...

Yea, since I hadn't gotten an answer on here, until I just saw yours, I experimented with a few different techniques. I have tied some shoots down to run it along the screen while tucking the bigger shade leaves under the screen. I have straight up just weaved the shoots over and under the screen. And I have just waited till the shoot was about four or five inches above the screen and then I pull it back under the screen and straighten it out along one of the lines of the screen; keeping the new growth right there at the top.

The last method, though, I just do not see how it is going to work. If I am just putting the shoots under the screen and spreading it all out, the point of the screen is to also hold the weight of the colas, correct? If thats the case, that third method might as well not even have the screen involved at all because it isn't supporting any weight. But then again, I may be wrong the different uses of the screen. Either way, everything seems to be working so far and things are growing. I am hoping to flip a week from today. Lol gotta love being the FNG and experimenting left and right lol.

But as for your first question, i agree. Most tents are surprisingly cheap... Thats why these days i build my own... I dont use mylar tho. I find it a little more expensive and kind of a pain to reuse... What i do is build a frame out of 1 1/2in pvc pipe. Then i use panda film to build the walls of the tent and Velcro strips to seal the door. It works well when you only have one room and need a place for clones and mothers.

I did not even think about making an actual tent out of raw materials. I have been designing something to set up in a closet, but the closet was the room itself. But I like the idea of coming up with my own tent. With the Panda film, how much reflection do you get out of it (mylar supposedly reflects back 93%-97%), and what other pros do you see using Panda?

How about environmental factors? How are you regulating temps, humidity, and other stuff inside the tent on of those?

 

[KneeDeep34]

Yea, since I hadn't gotten an answer on here, until I just saw yours, I experimented with a few different techniques. I have tied some shoots down to run it along the screen while tucking the bigger shade leaves under the screen. I have straight up just weaved the shoots over and under the screen. And I have just waited till the shoot was about four or five inches above the screen and then I pull it back under the screen and straighten it out along one of the lines of the screen; keeping the new growth right there at the top.

The last method, though, I just do not see how it is going to work. If I am just putting the shoots under the screen and spreading it all out, the point of the screen is to also hold the weight of the colas, correct? If thats the case, that third method might as well not even have the screen involved at all because it isn't supporting any weight. But then again, I may be wrong the different uses of the screen. Either way, everything seems to be working so far and things are growing. I am hoping to flip a week from today. Lol gotta love being the FNG and experimenting left and right lol.



I did not even think about making an actual tent out of raw materials. I have been designing something to set up in a closet, but the closet was the room itself. But I like the idea of coming up with my own tent. With the Panda film, how much reflection do you get out of it (mylar supposedly reflects back 93%-97%), and what other pros do you see using Panda?

How about environmental factors? How are you regulating temps, humidity, and other stuff inside the tent on of those?

Well there is somewhat of a debate about mylar vs panda film... Some say panda film is more reflectived on its white side but others will tell you its mylar... My stance? Panda film and ill tell you why. I was a die-hard mylar fan until i used panda film. Mylar can wrinkle causing un even light spots/heat spots. It also can get spotty if using foliar feedings or splatters from feedings. If it tears it splits very easy.
Panda film is pure white and rarely shows splatter marks. Reflects light more evenly and i cant prove it but i think the black back helps draw heat out of the grow area. Its also cheaper and can be reused after being folded, rolled up and stored. I might also ad that it has more elasticity than mylar wich is good when pulling it tight around a pvc frame.

 

[somethingwit]

Panda film is pure white and rarely shows splatter marks. Reflects light more evenly and i cant prove it but i think the black back helps draw heat out of the grow area. Its also cheaper and can be reused after being folded, rolled up and stored. I might also ad that it has more elasticity than mylar wich is good when pulling it tight around a pvc frame.

Well, I think I just found something else to put on the shopping list to try in the future haha.

 

[somethingwit]

Here is another question. When doing a SCRoG (lets say 2" squares), as you are tucking and "filling" the screen, I know that you are keeping the canopy level so that each cola gets as much light exposure as possible, however, as I am tucking the colas as they grow, should I be focused on getting at least one or two colas going up through each 2" x 2" hole? Or does it not really get to happen like that because of differences in node spacing and I should just focus spreading as many colas as possible?

And then when folks say, "Fill the screen in veg till it is 70% full", does that mean 70% of the screen holes have colas going through them, or just that 70% of the screen is covered growth (leaves, colas, everything)?

Oh, and nobody trims the big shade leaves that are up at the top of the screen, right? Those are kept and just tucked under and out of the way of the cola?

 

[Enforcer]

Here’s what my last run looked like. Four White Widow plants in 3gal pots, in a 3x3 tent, and the SCRoG has 4” squares. The first two pics are day 1 of flower. The last pic is just before harvest.

I don’t recommend doing 2” squares (I did that the run before). It makes it a pain to manipulate the growth when they get bigger. I tucked this run and the SCRoG had no problem holding up the branches. I did put a stake in to hold a few colas out of the fan.

I should also note that I use a silicate supplement. So that will effect branch strength as well.

 

[Scrogger2190]

As far as help with how to scrog. What I do is I take my plant and kind of stand it straight up and take the branches through the screen in the center then you go over the screen the first time and branch them out into a circle using the screen. Dont necessarily go for a top per square just get an overall circular formation when you train it. Keep pushing the main tops out as they will grow faster than the center.

As for when to flip I like to fill my screen up to the point where if I tuck the outside of the plant one more time during stretch it will give me an even canopy. So you tuck it once during stretch, make sure you clean her underskirt before flip and 2 weeks after flip. Then after you clean the bottom up throw a trellis on above your screen to support the buds so they dont flop, and bazinga big buds haha

 

[somethingwit]

Here’s what my last run looked like. Four White Widow plants in 3gal pots, in a 3x3 tent, and the SCRoG has 4” squares. The first two pics are day 1 of flower. The last pic is just before harvest.

So, when I go to flip to flower, should my SCRoG essentially look as thick and as tall as your does in the first picture? I was looking at the grow medium in the buckets (same picture), and I know that it isn't potting soil like I use (hoping that is why mine isn't nearly as tall as yours; I feel like I have been vegging for a very long time but I do know that there was a lot of stress at certain points).

I don’t recommend doing 2” squares (I did that the run before). It makes it a pain to manipulate the growth when they get bigger.... I should also note that I use a silicate supplement. So that will effect branch strength as well.

Hell... Hahaha I totally found that out this go around. No more 2" squares for this guy. I thought about taking out every other string, but figured I would have a mess of tucking and cleaning to do, so I'll just finish this out as is lol.

As for when to flip I like to fill my screen up to the point where if I tuck the outside of the plant one more time during stretch it will give me an even canopy. So you tuck it once during stretch, make sure you clean her underskirt before flip and 2 weeks after flip. Then after you clean the bottom up throw a trellis on above your screen to support the buds so they dont flop, and bazinga big buds haha

Couple of questions here... How tall is your canopy (above the screen itself) when you are switching over to flower.

The second is an idea I came up with since I am growing in a tent, and therefore limited on vertical space. Say my tent is 6' tall. My light hangs from the top down about 18". The recommended distance from canopy for this particular light is 12". So, by my math that is only about 2' 6" of room that I can't grow in; leaving me with 3'6" of grow room down to the bottom of the floor.

Since this is my first grow and do not yet know how the colas grow during flowering, will they just continue going up until you stop them? Essentially, can I continue to to keep raising the light higher as the colas get taller? Leading me to my more important question, if I were able to right my light by bypassing the cables that came with it, to be able to raise it an inch or two below the ceiling (maximizing vertical grow room), would that be good for the colas (in terms of yield and quality), or would it be a hindrance to keep them going that high?

 

[Scrogger2190]

My setup has 10 ft ceiling so I never have to worry about vert space but my canopy usually sits around 5ft up from the ground. I have a strain that stretches a lot too so it gets taller than most. If it gets too tall throw a trellis above your net and bend them down slightly into another square to manage your canopy

 

[somethingwit]

View attachment 825570 My setup has 10 ft ceiling so I never have to worry about vert space but my canopy usually sits around 5ft up from the ground. I have a strain that stretches a lot too so it gets taller than most. If it gets too tall throw a trellis above your net and bend them down slightly into another square to manage your canopy

How high is that second trellis (or net) above the SCRoG screen itself. Does that top netting move up as the colas get higher? (Curious, how do you tag someone in a thread on this site. Other forums (not growing related) we could use the @ symbol and their name. Is there a specific way to do this here if I wanted to drag in a few other members for their comments in case they aren't already following the thread?

I might try to take the time to take another picture of the inside of my tent this evening, to see if you can give me any ideas of what my status is (if I'm jacking up), or if there is something that I need to get done that I am missing.

 

[Scrogger2190]

The trellis sits somewhere around 1.5 to 2 feet above the original scrog. I basically just throw it on to stop the buds from flopping over so wherever your stretch ends just drop it right there

 

[somethingwit]

The trellis sits somewhere around 1.5 to 2 feet above the original scrog. I basically just throw it on to stop the buds from flopping over so wherever your stretch ends just drop it right there

Alright, so before I run into town I decided to take these couple of photos really quick to see what you think about my set up. I come from a combat arms line unit, so let fly whatever you think about my situation and what I have going on. Any questions, suggestions, complaints, concerns, bitches, and even gripes - throw them at me. If I need to get in there and get more detailed pictures later tonight, sure thing. lol

 

[Enforcer]

You don’t need to wait until I flipped. I actually flipped a little late this run. As soon as the plants are to the edge, you can flip.

Growing in coco.

 

[Enforcer]

Yes, @somethingwit. That it the way to tag someone.

 

[Scrogger2190]

Alright, so before I run into town I decided to take these couple of photos really quick to see what you think about my set up. I come from a combat arms line unit, so let fly whatever you think about my situation and what I have going on. Any questions, suggestions, complaints, concerns, bitches, and even gripes - throw them at me. If I need to get in there and get more detailed pictures later tonight, sure thing. lol

Looking good. Tuck them into the middle and fill that gap as soon as you can and pretty much when that gap fills you'll be good to flip. Looks like you should get a pretty solid yield in there as long as it can breathe good. It gets pretty crowded in a scrog

 

[somethingwit]

... Tuck them into the middle and fill that gap as soon as you can and pretty much when that gap fills you'll be good to flip.

Just to clarify, when you say the middle and "that gap", you are referring to that empty middle section running north/south, splitting the vegetation right now?

Second question to clarify something, while I am waiting for that middle part to fill, all the other colas that are growing in the areas where there is already veg and other colas, keep tucking them as well? Essentially, try to have the goal of keeping the canopy as flat and as low as possible to the SCRoG screen and then flip? Or should I keep training the colas that are closest to the gap to fill it, and just continue to let the other colas that really have no other room to fill, just grow up and not mess with them anymore?

 

[somethingwit]

@Enforcer radio check, over. Lol work?

 

[somethingwit]

Growing in coco.

Just while I have you on the horn, I have been looking at going coco for my next grow, or the one after that (wanting to get started fairly soon). What do you use, mix, or whatever, to grow in your coco? Do you have a thread on here where you have listed what all you do to make yours up and run it?

Looks like you should get a pretty solid yield in there as long as it can breathe good. It gets pretty crowded in a scrog

Man, I hate to count the chickens before the hatch, but I am curious to hear what your idea of what kind of "solid" yield I might be able to pull off here (assuming I don't get dumbass disease before now and harvest). I know all grows vary with a multitude of variables, but in your opinion and experience, what would you personally say is a "solid yield" from a grow this size on SCRoG?

If you need some extra intel: My tent is 2.5 x 2.5 so the SCRoG is essentially 2 x 2. There are four plants in three gallon pots (fabric pots), and one in a plastic pot about the same size but this plant was stressed and has much less chutes and vegetation than the others (I threw it in to revive it, and it came back with a force, just not as good looking as the other four). Again, I also use soil grow and 432w (comparable wattage) blurple light.

... as long as it can breathe good. It gets pretty crowded in a scrog

Can I get myself into trouble with with the plants breathing even if I am making proper use of the fans I have inside the tent, as well as the filter and inline fan that I have pulling air from the tent? What other forms of breathing trouble are out there, and any kind of signs that my plants aren't getting optimal breathing?

 

[Scrogger2190]

1. Keep ticking the ones that are close to the middle towards the middle and if you run out of room on the outside start tucking then in spring around the edge with zip ties to keep them low.

2. Solod yield with what I'm assuming is a 900w vipar spectra model. That's what my light pulls and it's a 900w rated. Out of a 2x2 I'm guessing somewhere around 6os is solid at least in my experience.

3. If you have leaves laying on top of each other moisture will pool there and promote mold either tuck them or cut them