First Year Grower/ Industry Supply Retailer

[growGen]

Only been at it out here in Colorado for about a year. I decided the state of Misery (Missouri) from whence i came was just too miserable to stay in. Packing only what fit in my S10 and a mattress strapped on top, I made the 13 hour drive westward. After a month of sleeping on an air mattress behind a friends couch I found a roommate with a basement already set up with additional 30 amp breakers, convenient sub-level water supply complete with a reservoir drip line, remnants of ducting, and a ceiling criss-crossed with 2x4 supports. The previous tenants were busy. Armed with a 1000 watt and 400 watt switchable ballast the evolution began. a year later, in addition to original equipment, the arsenal includes t5 fixture, 2000 watts more flower power, dry rack, can fan, carbon filter, cool tube reflectors, soil and soilless media and a nearly 100% clone success rate. Ive learned much over the past year. Low stress training led to topping then super cropping. Proper soil saturation and nutrient concentration, micro and macro nutes, deficiencies, humic acid, carbohydrates, silica cell reinforcement, mychorizae, beneficial bacteria and microbes, wetting agents, bloom boosters, proper PH and PPM, oxygenating root zones, and CO2 for the leaves, foliar feeding, harpen proteins, pest control: aphids, mites, thrips, gnats, even ants, houseflies, and moths couldn't beat me, temperature, humidity and white powdery mildew are no match, only a whiff of neem oil will bring me to my knees. Yield and quality have increased every eight weeks since the first batch of clones were gifted to me. divide that by two since i began to harvest perpetually. That's just from my soil experiences. The new project takes root in a set of coco coir and perlite filled 3 gallon pots. A new media to study, experimenting with different techniques: drip rings, DTW, maybe even recirculating. A semi-hydroponic environment, the poor mans hydro as I like to call it. The step between pro-mix HP and RDWC. recirculating deep water culture method is the next step forward. Complete environmental control; over water temp, right around 70 degrees, anything less and O2 begins to deplete, 70 up can lead to root rot. Over ph and ppm; too acidic or too basic can lead to lockout or burn leaving TDS as either waste or disrupting the nutrient balance, indicated by burnt and curly tips of the leaves. Working at a grow store has greatly benefitted me. Ive learned so much already and have no plans for stopping. Have any questions, feel free to ask me. See something with which you disagree, please, enlighten me. sometimes there might be several answers to one question. doesn't mean one is always more correct than the other. I like to cross reference several articles to get the feel of the information and look for concepts repeating. this means several experiments led to similar results and conclusions. these records help guide the best teacher, first hand experience, results you can see.

 

[Apollo13]

Sounds like you enjoy it as well. I love it, growing is addicting for me..Learn about ewc tea for insurance on the dwc or rdwc. Take ur benes to the next level and use it in hydro and soil. You will be blown away buy it's cheapness and it's rewards. Search heisenburg teas to get started. I promise it very important and u should know it. Soil it is amazing but hydro it is a life saver, or root saver..

 

[tobh]

Welcome to the farm. Perhaps try some decent formatting on your next post though, reading a huge block of text like that is a PITA. Looks like you're on track to success.

Wish you luck and can't wait to see you around the farm!

One Love,
tobh

 

[growGen]

a customer asked about uc roots recently, also known as crop insurance. however our store didn't carry this product. after a bit of research I directed him toward voodoo juice, a bene microbial fungal combination. I learned that bacteria and mychorizal fungi benefit hydro root zones as well. they eat up dead and decaying matter, keeping the root mass fresh and white as the driven snow and facilitating nutrient distribution and absorption. I learned something new and he left hopeful of correcting his DWC's rotting roots. good advice though. thank you

 

[growGen]

Welcome to the farm. Perhaps try some decent formatting on your next post though, reading a huge block of text like that is a PITA. Looks like you're on track to success.

Wish you luck and can't wait to see you around the farm!

One Love,
tobh

thanks for the tip. very new user. I tend to be an over-typer. i'll break it up into paragraphs next time I ramble.

 

[Apollo13]

I add voodoo to my tea with great white. U can't buy benes like u can make with the usual ingredients, local soils and a few types of compost. Just won't live in a bottle. Best senerio when added to dro is they starve. Worst is they totally save ur grow from total failure that would have occurred without. It's no secret anymore. If I said uc, it was for under current, not some product.

Basic tea

handful of ewc (earth worm castings) per gallon so like 3 big handful in a 5 gal
add 1 tbsp of molasses
then a scoop of great white
then 3 ml voodoo
I use several soils from around my yard like sandy, loamy and so on
then I use fairly fresh compost for bacteria
then over a year old compost for mostly fungus
Then read on all the different things you can add to diversify ur benes
put a bigger air pump and stone so it boils. Cover with screen or towel
Let bubble 48 hours, use in garden, grow, dro,dirt, everything that has roots loves tea
quit wasting money on crazy additves and go nature instead of unatural sterile hydros.

 

[growGen]

I add voodoo to my tea with great white. U can't buy benes like u can make with the usual ingredients, local soils and a few types of compost. Just won't live in a bottle. Best senerio when added to dro is they starve. Worst is they totally save ur grow from total failure that would have occurred without. It's no secret anymore.

great white is a great product. very user friendly.

 

[Apollo13]

I added my recipe for you. It saved me many times. The net is full of them if you know what u are looking for.

 

[Apollo13]

The tea is like great white times a billion with so many other benes great white would poop themselves with envy...lol worms do not have stomach acids, only bacteria to break their food down. Really u could collect ewc from many worms around the world since many beneficial bacteria strains are only present in certain worms in certain areas of the world. But regular ewc is very good. It works on stopping rot on clones, u basically can't over do it. Stops root rot period. Helps roots be more efficient. But do read on it, it needs to be cared for after its made or used asap.

 

[happy b]

Haha wen i was reading all the things youv done/learned over the year reminded me of ewan mcgregors "choose life"speech at the end of train spotting.you know the one were he just rhymes off all the things a normal person wants in there life.choose life,choose a big fuckin car.....choose a wide screen tv,choose new carpets,3peice suite,holiday,fancey cooker ect ect
Glad you enjoy growing so much.i remember my first year of growing.everything seemed so....new and exciting.

 

[happy b]

Try caps og biowar line.i struggle to get it in the uk but all the best growers on here swear by it and wouldnt be caught dead without it.

 

[Apollo13]

I personally am done feeding the money hungry nutrient manufacturers. I just run basic nutrients and mostly tea. A few additives but try not to buy the hype. Weed was good long before additives, and mostly I have not been impressed anyhow. Now with our safety at sake, I feel stronger than ever that they are taking advantage of our human need to always get more or do better. Like gravity and the rest of the poison. May make weight, but may hurt u or people u love. Any nutrients we buy specific for herb, should be safe to apply, eat and remain safe until its gone. All nutrients should fall under the regulations that govern our food. If it's bad for humans at all, in any way, shape or form, should not be allowed. Period. It's sad that they can poison us and we pay for it. Literally with money. Lol

 

[Seamaiden]

Welcome to the farm. :)

 

[Apollo13]

Thanks bro! I really enjoy it. Lots to learn. Thinking back on how I used to learn with high times and crap..this is like college... no end to the knowledge. Sad I didn't find it sooner. I had some dark days with the "boys", so I went covert and underground and am now just getting over the paranoia enough to join in and discuss. Hopefully times have really changed and i can let the FEAR go. It gave me a form of ptsd. Not meant to piss off true vets, but it did shell shock me and I'll never be the same.