My Disappointing, even PATHETIC Grow!

[Kampbe1l]

Ready or not, flipping the LEDs to its 12/12 on/off cycle next weekend.

Happy with where they are now, considering their rough starts full of early traumas. I have lost count how long this vegetative growth phase has been, i need to get the calendar out and look at the timeline here. I haven't been counting the days or weeks, instead remaining patient waiting for the plants to grow and fill the tent's canopy.

For what it is now, I've decided its time to flip them into their flowering growth phase, next weekend. Happy with how these plants have covered most of the tent's canopy with bud sites.

All but one plant have only one weak nutrient feed early in its vegetative growth phase - and the 'hot' soil mix gave these plants bouts of n-toxicity. One plant is hungry, and only recently has been fed weak vege nutrient solution (twice with watering in between). These plants have mostly been only watered in its soil mix.

Yup, my patience has finally worn thin. I plan to switch the lights off at its regular 8 pm, then turn the lights back on 30 hours later at 2 am, next weekend - and run 12/12 on/off light cycle.

 

[Kampbe1l]

Just did the sums, on a spreadsheet.

Okay, much of the expenditure has been capital costs of setting up, where grow tent and LEDs lights by themselves accounts for significant portion of these costs. The grow tent and the LEDs can be used for many grows. The ongoing maintenance cost of various consumables - i.e. nutrients, additives, pH buffers, growing medium, etc - are easily budgeted.

After doing the sums, I realised I didn't factor in a major running cost - electricity consumption. I'm too lazy to figure out how much kWh was consumed, as I need to extract this data from my phone app. I will do this calculation later, maybe I just don't want to know! Despite not bothering to get more precise figure, again electricity bill is easily budgeted, still it needs to be factored in to see how efficient I am.

I'm not too fussed about the AMOUNT that i spent, I could spend that amount on a random wild night in town without visiting any shady establishments.

The reason that I'm flipping to flowering growth phase next week, ready-or-not ultimatum to my first batch of plants, is that it BUGS me that I haven't yet produced any end-product, I haven't yet got a result. Besides the money, it's been a long time since I first embarked on this project - all this time, without a harvest yet. My patience has finally snapped, I can't hang on anymore in vegetative growth phase!

Expectations needs to be managed, yet I have got a number of ounces in mind, as the minimum 'break-even' target. Without giving myself away, I think this number I have in mind, is modest and achievable. Again, let's wait & see how it all goes. But this minimum number is what I would have got on the streets.

Meh, go to sleep, wake up tomorrow, new day ahead, start afresh, huh. Don't do spreadsheets late at night, another lesson learned.

 

[Jimster]

Sounds like someone was smoking too much Sativa during the late night! I know that you are out of patience, and that isn't good for growing as much as I hate it too. The bigger you get in vegging the bigger your yield, and it sort of goes exponentially. A week waited could yield an extra half or full Oz... maybe more. As long as you have the room to manage everything after the stretch and flowering are finished, I would let them go. Of course, it's easy for me to say.... but seriously, you will be well rewarded for hanging on for a few more days!

 

[Kampbe1l]

yes, someone was donning the accountant's hat, smoking bongs while doing this spreadsheet! yup, regular supply of good-quality indica/sativa hydro gear, home-delivered, reliable business transactions, one motivation to grow your own.

i hear what you said - and in my defence, i have been patient with my first indoor grow. I patiently nursed these babies back towards their full health, and patiently waited for them to fill up the tent's canopy with vegetative growth. My rewards for this patience was that I eventually figured out some issues.

I didn't rip out all the sick babies, some 3 months ago when I had many issues, instead i persisted in nursing them back to recovery. This example of patience saved me from burning precious seeds (expensive, too!). The plants have responded with patience, as i got better skills & knowledge. I'm talking myself into being a little more patient, as you suggested.

and i see, even in the last fortnight, they started to power up into their full vegetative growth by growing bigger quicker. so, i hear you when you said about the exponential rewards from further patience, allowing these plants to fill out the tent's canopy a little more.

The offshoots of MK10 running along its bent main stem is growing considerably stronger in just the last fortnight. MK9 is probably now the flagship, with many offshoots developing as i roughly train her into shape. TW is hungry even, I have only fed her very lightly after the experience of earlier n-toxicity. BBK10 is the 'black sheep' of our family in the tent, where she seems to be lagging behind the others in her level of development.

What I am saying here is that 2 out of the 4 plants - MK9 and TW - are almost ready to flip. The other 2 plants still have room for further development, to fill up their part of the tent's canopy.

OKAY, i will re-assess next weekend, as to when to flip the LEDs to its 12/12 on/off cycle. up until now, i have allowed the plants to dictate what i need to do (at least, my interpretation of what they might need), not in a hurry to depart from this basic philosophy.

i think i've talked myself into it, i'm gonna wait a litte more, before flipping the LEDS to its 12/12 on/off cycle. thanks Jimster for nudging me back into place, gonna stick to this decision...it might be another 2 to 3 weeks. Withdrawn the ultimatum of ready-or-not next weekend.

 

[Jimster]

OKAY, i will re-assess next weekend, as to when to flip the LEDs to its 12/12 on/off cycle. up until now, i have allowed the plants to dictate what i need to do (at least, my interpretation of what they might need), not in a hurry to depart from this basic philosophy.

View attachment 957595

i think i've talked myself into it, i'm gonna wait a litte more, before flipping the LEDS to its 12/12 on/off cycle. thanks Jimster for nudging me back into place, gonna stick to this decision...it might be another 2 to 3 weeks. Withdrawn the ultimatum of ready-or-not next weekend.

I was thinking of you today when I took a stroll down the garden path. I have a couple that are getting pretty big even though they have been trained to some degree. I also have one that was lagging behind but is now suddenly coming to life. I love looking in and seeing a sea of dark green with the lighter green centers... the lighter green being new growth. I was also thinking about flipping because every year, without fail, I let them vegg for just a little too long and sometimes have a few outgrow the lights. Usually Sative.
Keep up the great work, things look good!

 

[Kampbe1l]

I'm gathering the bits & pieces together, in dribbles & drabs, to start up new project(s). Bits from here, pieces from there.

I couldn't find a single store which stocks all the items on my shopping list. I wouldn't be able to walk into a hydroponic store and buy everything that's on my list - even my small list of 200mm net pots, 2L to 5L bag of clayballs, 100mm rockwool cubes and some air-stones.

I probably only need 2L of clayballs, maybe stretch it to 5L, I don't need 25L bag. Stores either didn't stock smaller volumes of clayballs or the delivery costs of these smaller volumes are such it doesn't make sense - better to buy a larger 25L bag and store most of it in the garage.

I put aside these clayballs for the time being, get the other items on the shopping list.

I'm gathering knowledge by researching more into these projects, which will determine some of this shopping list. I wanted to gather together first the 'bones' of the system, to build up a 'skeleton', before adding the 'flesh' to this system.

I recently bought from various retailers the following items:

20L Fisherman Buckets with Lids x3
19mm poly tubing x 25m
13mm poly tubing x 25 m
19mm clear poly tubing x 1m
those 9" Halo Feeding Rings
few 13mm & 19mm poly tee
few 13mm & 19mm poly elbows
heaps of 13 mm & 19mm locking clamps
19mm grommets
pair of 13mm valves
200mm (diameter) x 130 mm (dept) net pots x 2
some air-stones

And I already have water pumps and air-pump. A cordless drill but not holesaw.

What else would I need? I gather, I still need those clayballs, nutrients and TDS/EC meter. And a quieter air-pump, later.

Do you see where this might be going, what I'm thinking...?

 

[Kampbe1l]

Sourcing bits & pieces....still got a few major purchases on that shopping list. It's not a major item in terms of dollar$, major in terms of their importance in upcoming projects.

Growing medium is on that shopping list - just having issues sourcing a small bag of clay-balls. Coco is on that list, to be bought a little later. And nutrients is also on that shopping list - again, need to decide after checking out what are available.

There's another item i've been been putting it off its purchase for a while, and its an essential tool, not just something handy to have/use.

Whichever path I go, at the moment at a crossroads of choosing coco grow in a RTW system or simple DWC system, I will need to have a TDS/EC meter.

Again, I decided not to go overboard, bought something modest. I don't know whether this HM-TDS-4 is a reputable brand and a reliable product, but it's a start in the right direction.

Honestly, I know jack about TSD/EC.

Now, back to trying to source a small bag of clay-balls - or just bite the bullet and buy a 45L bag, and store most of it in the garage....stuck there still.

 

[Kampbe1l]

I gather the 'outlet' tube is optional in a single-pot DWC pot system.

I was not going to drill a hole towards the bottom of the 20L bucket with its lid, to make this 19mm outlet at the bottom of the bucket - not until i expand to a 2-pot DWC system (maybe, with a 'control' reservoir).

I've got the clear vinyl tubing to make this outlet - but I thought if it's optional, and not unnecessary, then not to drill a hole at the bottom of a bucket. I can drill this hole later.

I've read some don't bother with this outlet tube, because the water in this outlet tube isn't aerated by the air-stone - stagnant water in this outlet tube, not beneficial to such system.

What are your thoughts about this outlet tube? I suppose it's handy to know what the water level within the bucket, by indicators on that vinyl outlet tube. Also, when its a modular DWC pot system, then you would need this outlet to connect each pot to each other, and to connect to a 'control' reservoir. But this outlet is not necessary for a single-pot DWC system.

i've also ordered some 200mm diameter net pots, should I go for instead 150mm diameter net pots? Obviously, the choice of size of this net pot determines the hole which needs to be cut in the lid.

is that there is all to it to DWC single-pot system - make the net pot fit into the lid, with the airline running into the bucket?

i'm researching into what nutrients are available for a DWC system.

 

[Kampbe1l]

there was two, now there's one....

these air-pumps are giving me grief. both air-pumps are NOISY. I've now resigned, starting to accept that, by nature, these air-pumps are LOUD, though i'm still searching for the holy grail of a silent-running air-pump.

this morning, i noticed that the fish tank water was cloudy - there was no bubbles coming out of the air-stone. okay, i thought that the air-lines had slipped off again.

FARK, hate you, air-pumps! the outlet tube of the air-pump had snapped off, so i can't insert an air-line to the end of it. how do i do that? my defence lawyer would argue the outlet tube of this pump is made out of plastic, rather than metal tubing.

hey, would you recommend me your Q-U-I-E-T air-pump, so I can get this replacement - before i go tropical madness over a farking pump.

I'm expecting the boot into the body on the ground, or the boot up the arse or a good kick in the balls - when i get rejected in my warranty replacement claim.

Oh, and have a GOOD FRIDAY!

 

[Kampbe1l]

I'm thinking still another couple of weeks, before i chop down this plant.

The buds are approaching 30% white pistils and 70% browned pistils.

And my phone's camera can't take these closeups well - and my eyesight is not as good as it once was.

i have ordered a magnifier, to assist me.

I figured these trichome also shows that its early in her harvest window.

Nutrients one week, watering following week. Should i start to only watering?

Another 3 weeks?

How long you reckon?

 

[Kampbe1l]

they're going okay...

still some slight burnt tips of leaves, MK9 is still clawing a little - all signs of n-toxicity.

only watering, except TW who is just starting to get fed some weak nutrient solution.

i was going to flip 'em this weekend....

now, I am not going to - allow at least another 2 weeks. if I have waited this long, I can wait a little longer.

their body odour is stronger, now stinking the spare room, my office.

 

[Madbud]

Lol, u aint smelled nothin’ yet

 

[Jimster]

They are still pretty small to flip them... the bigger they are in vegging the much bigger the yield can be! I am often the victim of waiting too long, as I grow a lot of sativas and often outgrow the light height at 7 ft. I get a big yield from side lighting, though. I try to grow them like they are outdoors, but indoors. Even pinched/topped a few times, they still get too tall!

 

[noahcola]

best of luck brotha. Looks like you have had quite the experience trying to get something out of these plants

 

[Kampbe1l]

I loaned out my cordless drill with its drill bits. Then they loaned it out to their mate. While my mate organises its return, I'm stuck without. I don't know how much patience I got left. Another lesson, hey, don't loan something which you might need, later. Got that off my chest.

Stuck without a drill, I just had to figure out how to make a hole in a plastic lid, to house the rather large net pot. I have a couple of university degrees, but sometimes it doesn't help me at all. I was stumped half the day, trying to figure out how I was going to cut a hole in the plastic lid.

Stuck in social distancing, not been able to pop into the pub and borrow a tradie mate, what are my university degrees worth?

I got a compass, drew a circle with 190 mm circumference - the inner dimension of the net pot - on a piece of paper, cut the circle paper out. Pinned the centre of this paper circle to the middle of the plastic lid, and used pencil to shade the outline onto the lid. Then I manually drilled holes around this circumference, using a Stanley knife to cut between these holes. Though its a rough cut which I could (but i won't) sand it down to make it smoother, the net pot fits into the lid well!

Would have been easier to do this with a drill, but i got the job done.

I wasn't going to 'compromise' the integrity of the bucket, by drilling a hole towards the bottom of it, to stick a grommet through which to connect a 19mm (or 13mm) poly tee, for the outlet tubing. Not yet. Since this experiment is starting as a single-pot DWC system, I figured there isn't an immediate need to drill a hole (without a power drill) on the bottom of a bucket.

And for the same reason, i plan to make a hole in the the top lid to push through the air-line, instead of a hole in the top-side of the bucket.

Okay, my plastic bucket is white. I'm gonna wrap the bucket with some dark material to keep the light out of the reservoir.

Just ordered a large bag of clay balls - economies of scale, I won't use much of it, save most for a rainy day.

While I'm waiting for the air-pump on its warranty replacement to return, I'm onto the topic of nutrients for my first DIY DWC attempt. And revisit the topic of cuttings.

 

[Kampbe1l]

tried to address the white bucket, by wrapping it up with black plastic, see how see goes.

waiting for the supplies to be delivered - bag of clay-balls, vegetative nutrients and my air-pump warranty replacement. and my single cutting to take root.

 

[One drop]

At least you got it done with what you hand mate good on you .

 

[Solipapbu]

At least you got it done with what you hand mate good on you .

not too shabby. hydroponics can be a lot of fun

 

[Kampbe1l]

looked thru these forums...where's the guide about DWC nutrients, reservoir top-ups & exchanges, TDS/EC, nutrient charts?

At least you got it done with what you hand mate good on you .

while i am waiting for the first batch to fill the tent's canopy, i'm getting side-tracked with other projects, including this DWC exploration.

not too shabby. hydroponics can be a lot of fun

you are right, even though i haven't even planted, hydro is fun!

Do you think i should drill a hole towards the bottom of the bucket to house an water-level indicator/outlet tubing?

found some seeds, and all i know is that they must be really old, about to find a saucer, and paper towels, to see if any germinates. these can be the test specimen for my new DWC setup, while i sort out some genetics. this DWC experiment is part of the plans for a second batch.

 

[Kampbe1l]

bit bummed. first batch has turned to shit.

come back here later, when i'm more settled, to tend to this first batch.

got the shits, so I swapped the second batch from the T5 flourescents to under the LEDs in the grow tent, while the first batch out of this grow tent under the LEDs, to back underneath the T5 flourescents. ofcourse, the first batch is too big (it's 3-gal fabric pots) for my temporary T5 veg grow area. see if i can nurse these sick patients back to health again. lucky, i had a backup.

anyway, one plant in the second batch is doing well, while the other 3 plants now in the grow tent are far underdeveloped. i changed the soil mix in the second batch to Canna Terra Professional mixed with perlite, see how see goes compared to first batch in a different soil mix.

thinking now, of nursing the first batch back towards their full health - another setback, now got different plan for these sick patients.

anyway, come back here later with more detailed update, when I pick myself up again.