4K - (2x)UC8XL - CS Nutes - CO2/Sealed Room - Blue Dream - UC Noob

[Solar Deity]

Update. Been busy getting both sides ready for flowering. Have both sides loaded with all 16 plants. One dilemma I've had is the first 8 are larger as they have had more veg time. These shots are from 20 days into veg. The plants have taken and are growing vigorously. I have the room dialed. I had to add a 6500 BTU AC wall unit to manage the temps as it gets warmer in New England. Room is at 82-84 degrees for 18 hours of lights on. Humidity is currently at 55%. CO2 at 1200 ppm. Being three weeks in veg, my Cultured Solutions Veg A & B nutes are at 68 degrees, pH of 5.3 and ppm's at 500 on a .5 scale. This is following CS schedule exactly. My top off res is not running hot, just pH'd tap water and some Superthrive. Here are some shots of the progress.


I have a deficiency of some sort that I can't identify. I have been crown feeding 2-3 times a day until roots have grown through the sides of the netpot. Usually for the first week or 10 days. I have vigorous root growth and they are nice and white and shiny. I started them following CS schedule, which is very light in the beginning. 150 ppm on a .5 scale is what they recommend as a starting point. I should state that I started my vegging in an aeroponic system I built. When transferring to the UC, I have a vegged cutting with bare roots about 18" long. They were started in 2" neoprene discs so upon transfer, I have a bare stalk with a root "tail" and no other propagation helpers, (rockwool cube, rapid rooter, etc). The chances of stem rot is reduced and the solution levels are not as critical. The first 8, I spiraled the root mass around the post that the CS net pots have. They were layed on a bed of growstones after you fill the net pot level with the post they molded in. I really needed to crown feed the first few days, but the roots have emerged from the sides and are flourishing. I can't figure out this deficiency. Coming from the aeroponic veg system, they are receiving 1200 ppm of Botanicare PureBlend Pro Grow and love it. Reducing to 150 ppm in water culture seems to be lacking some nutrient the girls are used to and like. Some shots of the problem.


SD

 

[bigdaddyg8]

did you pull one of those leaf showing deficiency and look under the leaf with jewelers magnifying glass ?

 

[UCMENOW]

Is there a specific reason you run the ppm's up so high on young plants in your aero. I'm certain this isn't recommended by Botanicare as they make both aero units and the Pro series nute.

By feeding excessively in the aero your not setting the stage for a seemless transition to the UC. With that said, pre vegging water culture would likely be a better transition from veg given your bloom rig is water culture as well.

If your running RO (which you must be give nthe low tds) you should augment with calmag at 1 mil per gallon and follow the nute recommendation for week 2 which will def give you a higher ppm than 150.

Seems like you went from too much (1200) to not enough (150).

 

[Solar Deity]

did you pull one of those leaf showing deficiency and look under the leaf with jewelers magnifying glass ?

Big daddy, I have not. I only have turned the big fans over and inspected them with a naked eye. I don't believe it's mites from my investigation. I have Azamax at the ready, but have been running ozone since the start of the cycle. It apparently elimnates odors, prevents mold and powdery mildew, and kills spider mites. Otherwise, I'm not that gifted to know what I'd be looking for under a loupe ?

SD

 

[bigdaddyg8]

i was thinking that it might be worth looking at for mites .but i see you have that under control .

 

[Solar Deity]

Is there a specific reason you run the ppm's up so high on young plants in your aero. I'm certain this isn't recommended by Botanicare as they make both aero units and the Pro series nute.

By feeding excessively in the aero your not setting the stage for a seemless transition to the UC. With that said, pre vegging water culture would likely be a better transition from veg given your bloom rig is water culture as well.

If your running RO (which you must be give nthe low tds) you should augment with calmag at 1 mil per gallon and follow the nute recommendation for week 2 which will def give you a higher ppm than 150.

Seems like you went from too much (1200) to not enough (150).

UCMENOW,

Thanks for chiming in. Been following your stuff for a long time.

I have run them that high only from experience with an older set up. A long time ago, I built a home made sytem designed by a guy named Stinkbud. It was an cloner and aeroponic veg system built from Rubbermaid bins. Flower was done in an NFT fence post system. I'm pretty sure Botanicare makes an aero system simiIar to it. I ran that system for about three years. I used Botanicare for all inputs. It was something I was familiar with. At the start of my UC venture, I started vegging in rockwool, but had a slow start and poor results. I just wasn't used to it. I dug out the old system and started using it to pre veg. The starting point for the veg is 1200 PPM. From your suggestion, I need to lower my ppm's in pre veg so they aren't used to such high doses. I don't have the resources right now to buy a UC pre veg set up. Maybe I could build one. Definitely in the future. I'm going to lower the ec for now so it isn't as drastic a change when transferring to the UC. I'll keep everyone posted.

SD

 

[Solar Deity]

Day 41 of flower.

Here's the full room

This is what I've learned.
1.) The deficiency in the beginning was Cal/Mag. Needed 2 ml per gallon added to Cultured Soutions schedule. They recommend this, but I'm using 200 ppm tap water and didn't think I needed it. I was wrong.
2.) The UC out-grows and out paces any system I've seen, especially during veg.
3.) The most advanced growing system on the planet also comes with the most advanced power bill on the planet. Utility bill increased 250%! Received a letter from them.
4.) It's the most compicated way to grow. Resuts speak for themselves, but soil and two waterings a week is way, way less maintenance. Again, the results of the end product will draw you in if you're on the fence.
5.) The system produces more crystals and "sugar" than I woud have ever imagined. The Blue Dream is realy stacking right now and ooks amazing. Need a macro lens.

SD

 

[Solar Deity]

Ok, haven't been on in a while. 1st run produced 5.5 lbs hand trimmed. About 45 hours to hand manicure it all (I hate it). 68 days of flower to get 30% amber triches. I started flushing at the first sign of amber and after 7 days, they were right where they were supposed to be. The quality was the best produced from this camp ever. The Blue Dream buzz at this stage is a great heady, day buzz without much sign of any couch lock or body stone. It (my run) has become a huge hit here in New England. Has not been hard to get rid of.
The next run enters week 9 of flower tomorrow (sorry, no pics yet). Judging from the first run, I should get 7lbs without a problem. Great, 50-60 hours of trimming! (I hate it). I'd like to pass along what I've learned to my peers in run #2.

1.) Used Cultured Solutions for the first run. It was easy to follow their schedule and worked without issue. Switched to GH Flora line for the 2nd run. Cheaper and works great, maybe even better.

GH Veg, Micro & Bloom (followed CS schedule for EC), along with
KoolBloom (liquid at week 3 of flower, CS feeding schedule, careful 2x as strong as CS BB)
29% H202 (2ml/gal twice a week if H20 temps above 72),
CalMag (2ml/gal) &
Superthrive (4ml/60gal).

2.) Using the 60 gallon res as the doser, we have even more sugar than the first run. May be partly due to nutrient change but the girls are liking it. I really can't believe how much frost there is at this stage (49 days of flower). They are stacking so much week 6-7 that they will not support themselves and need to be tied up. This didn't happen run #1.

3.) Get chillers that are one level above what's recommended for your system. 1/10 HP in a UC8XL is marginal. Entering the winter months now in New England, it's easier but I wish I had 1/4 HP or even 1/2 to replicate fall temperatures. It really brings out the colors. On that note, I recommend the UC Hoodies. Helps the chiller and the buckets don't sweat. I need them with the 1/10 HP.

4.) Starting aerating the reservoirs. Really a rookie move on my part as this should have been done since day 1. The manifold provided has 4 extra ports. Ran one to the res with all the extra air line they give you. Res stays clean now. Next move is to run it fully hot with nutes for the entire run. Only used it so far to dose in Koolbloom, CalMag, Superthrive and PH adjust. I H202 it every week as well at 2ml/gal.

That's it for now. I'll try to post some pics of the ladies.

 

[Papa]

'lookin good Solar Deity. thanks for the update!