FF's journey into The Third Dimension

[ProGroWannabe]

Yeah you've convinced me to try it, that for sure. Now I just have to get my ass in gear and get it done.

 

[FastForward]

Quick update on 3D3. This girl has beautiful growth structure and is way nicer than 3D2. Checked nutes in the aero and the roots are browning again :( Going to keep an eye on it, but if it gets bad I'll repot. Oh yes, and the powdery mildew is back...but I'm on top of it this time and know what to do. My major mistake was stopping the treatment...I think this season I'm going to treat everything once a week maintenance until the spring, once I get rid of this outbreak.

 

[ProGroWannabe]

Damn shame about the browning roots bro! What have your temps been like in the buckets? Still warmer than you'd like, I assume?

She sure looks fabulous above the surface though. Great branching.

 

[FastForward]

Yeah...I could live in an igloo on Hoth or the Antarctic or even Pluto and STILL my rootzone temps in hydro would be warmer than I'd like. Not going to give in yet...have turned down the length of fogging from 1min back to 30s (but every 15 mins instead of 10) to give it a bit more airtime to see if that clears it up.

 

[ProGroWannabe]

Good thinkin bro!

 

[rounders02]

those are looking good FF like the growth and how bushy is

 

[beanz240]

Wow FF looking GREAT, comming along wonderfully. Glad you caught the mildew soon. GL

 

[FastForward]

Days 15 and 17 (3D2 and 3D3) of 12/12

We have buddage on 3D3! She definitely has sexy structure - I've not topped or trimmed her at all because naturally she's got this half dome shape with bud sites poking out all over. She looks like she was born to produce. The roots are browning still but she's producing lots of healthy new white roots. Still no reason to repot her, so going to keep on at it. Have increased the interval from 15 minutes to 30, still at 1 min on. The biggest problem is that I used a 3" drill bit to cut a 3" hole....which was fine when she was younger but is no good for supporting proper weight. I've used tape to take a couple of mm off, but for next time I need to cut a smaller hole...or use bigger better netpots.

3D2 looks more like other stuff I've grown, so I've trimmed her heavily to focus on 4-6 main budsites, learning from mistakes I made on Pandora.

 

[ProGroWannabe]

They're looking righteous bro! Damn I love that aero plant!

Just thinkin outloud here but....could you adjust the pH on some water and freeze it into ice cubes? If so, ya might be able to add a single icecube every few hours or so to keep temps just a shade lower. I know it's FAR from ideal, but it may help keep temps in check for part of the day????

 

[FastForward]

It's good thinking, but I think JJ or someone said it earlier - I think it's more likely down to the black bucket radiating heat internally. I really need to try to keep the air in there cooler as the browning stuff has always happened when not hanging in nutes. I really need to rehouse her to provide better support - when she gets heavier with bud I don't think the netpot will stay up....so am thinking how I can put her in a 18l cistern box, that is way easier to put foil or panda (white out) on the outside. Also, need to put her into a 5" netpot instead of 3"....but not very easy with that rootmass...

 

[ProGroWannabe]

For adding support...what about possibly drilling some holes around the outside of the bucket lid (just the rim that hangs over the outside of the bucket) and tying her main stalk to those holes? She shouldn't be able to fall over at all that way. Just encircle the stalk with tie-off points.....does that babble make any sense?..lol

 

[Subcool]

FF another great thread you have started here.
Well done.

Sub

 

[FastForward]

Thanks guys.

PGW - the problem is that I should have drilled a slightly narrower hole as my netpots aren't like the decent 5" orchid ones with big rims, so the pot isn't being supported by a rim/lip. Also I could do with a bit more vertical height to keep as much of the rootmass out of the nutes...so a repot is most likely...just got to work out whether it's going to be a cistern or to add support like you say (maybe even one of those conical frame things I see other farmers using).

Mini update:

Here's a few photos of the cuts taken from 3D2 and 3D3, both potential mums until I can select one after smoking. What I find really interesting is that these two have been grown in coco from day 1, no aero/dwc. They both look very similar in structure. When you compare them to the flowering 3D2 and 3D3, the 3D2 has retained the same structure but 3D3 has a different structure - and the only thing that makes sense is the method of grow...i.e. aeroponic root development appears to have encouraged different growth structure above ground.

Is this a known thing? None of my 3D has been topped or trained in any way - but it seems like a really cool phenomenon if it's true...

 

[Monkfish]

Pictures of lushness FF.......cant wait to see um kick off

monk

 

[ProGroWannabe]

FF....I understand your transplant issues better now. Thanks for the clarification.

The plants are beautiful as usual. And yes, different grow methods will often times make a plant grow with a slightly different structure.

 

[FastForward]

Day 27 and 29 of 12/12 (3D2 and 3D3 respectively)

Big differences between these two phenos - 3D2 is really stretchy, and 3D3 is really bushy. Neither has been trained or topped in anyway. It might be that the aero v coco is causing the difference, but I'm guessing that this much difference is genetic/pheno. I love the structure of 3D3 (aero) - as you can see from the photos she's got budsites everywhere at great spacing, without massive vertical stretch. Sexy lass....

The downside is that the aero plant is suffering from the aero being too warm....roots are all browning badly and there's no new apparent white growth. Have added Hygrozyme into the mix to clean things up a bit, but if no joy will start hitting it with the H202. They're over halfway done in theory so I'm going to not repot and see if I can get her the whole distance in aero. Might get nasty, but I've got nicely vegging mums for both 3D2 and 3D3 if it goes badly wrong.

One last thing - 3D2 appears to be budding on the fans...weird mutation that I've not seen before, but doesn't seem to have any adverse effect on the plant. Few macros from different leaves at the end.

 

[beanz240]

Wow FF that looks strange i've never seen that i have heard of it just never seen it.

 

[ProGroWannabe]

That is wild as hell FF! Keep good notes on that one bro...she may be giving you hints as to a special trait or two.....never know? Ask Subbie if he's seen it in this line before or just what his thoughts are in general. He'd be the man to know fa sho.

 

[GreenWings]

Nice work man ! Another killer plants

 

[FastForward]

Thanks guys. Well, 3D3 (aero) has been struggling hard for a few days now and degrading fast - leaves have been yellowing from the ground up and I had to step in and save her - she wasn't going to make it the full way at that rate of decline. So, she's been repotted in a 6.5l pot in coco. Because the roots aren't bed in she's really unstable and I hope she digs in quickly - otherwise I'll stake her up or something.

I didn't take any root photos but the roots looked less brown and more grey/white....I think pythium may have set in and the end is nigh....but will give it a go. Have got cuts from 3D2 and 3D3 vegging nicely so it's not the end of the world if I lose her.

Plants are on Day 33 (3D2) and 35 (3D3).

Lessons learned re: aero - paint pot outside white, or cover with panda - root zone temps for aero are so important. Also, fogger timings still a mystery....need to work out a nute delivery and fogging systtem to make it more hands off (keep pH stable in larger volume of nute, probably separate to growing chamber).