Need Help! First Full Hydroponic Grow

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Jake S

Jake S

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This is my first full Hydroponic grow. I have done hours and hours of online research and purchased 3 grow books/bibles and read them all, along with taking a whole notebook full of notes... all to have them contradict the one before. Ive messaged a few growers on here and I think a thread might be good to get me going if y'all are willing to help!

My name is Jake and this is my setup.

I started with the 4' Colorado Grow Box(CGB) off of eBay. Then my plant got too big for the CGB, I built a 14"x14"x6' box. Turned out the plant was a male.
Now I just finished a box that is 6' long and has 4 separate growing boxes each 17"x17"x5'.Each box has its own set of fans, lights, air stone, and water basin. I have 6 Soft White CFL Bulbs(For flowering). One 120mm fan going in, and one 120mm fan going out. With a 4" bubble stone in the 3G of water (in a 4G water basin) at the bottom. Mylar covering all sides and the top.
When I got the CGB it came with sample packs of the General Hydroponics Flora Series nutes pack. So that is what I have been using. (http://www.amazon.com/General-Hydro...438883552&sr=8-3&keywords=general+hydroponics ) but I have been doing them at half strength just to ensure I am not over feeding. I change the nutes about every 7 days and follow the guidelines for the flora series. (I have a picture of the chart I am using)
That is my set up and method of growing. The biggest upside I saw for this box was that I could have 4 separate plants that I could have on different schedules, it wasn't just one batch at a time and I could experiment with things when I had time and more knowledge about them.

Now here are my plants. I have two 00 Kush Feminized seeds from The Single Seed Centre. In the pictures, I have a picture of both of my plants side, by side. I wanted to see if topping really actually helped... and I think it does. Sadly I only topped one of my plants when it was about 18" (Plant on the left was topped). The picture of the single plant is the one that is topped.
The Plant on the left is 37" tall and 26 days into flower.
The Plant on the right is 34" tall and 22 days into flower. (The plant on the right, one that was not topped, is about 4 days behind the one of the left because when I set the light timers I forgot to switch it to the timer, instead of having it on 24/7.... #RookieMistake)
I started by soaking them in water for 24 hours, then I put them in wet paper towels, and then I planted them in a 2" rock wool cube and then put it in the black net basket and just have it sitting in plexi glass covered with white spray paint on top of the water container.
I also just put tomato cages around them to help support them.

Feel free to respond here, or shoot me a message. I am open to any criticism.
Thank you all for reading and for you help in advance! :)
 
Need help first full hydroponic grow
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FlyinJStable

FlyinJStable

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Welcome to the Farm @Jake S
1st and foremost Your ladies look Happy and Happy is Great,
As far as what is next for you I believe what ya have if working need not be Changed unless you see Problems
Topped UN-topped, Room to grow, and the Type of NUTEs your using---- all up to you to choose, and you are doin great
as For criticism's on your Grow Nothing but good vibes and Keep your temps Low in the Nutes.

Reservoirs of 5 gallons or smaller the Temps are a bit harder to maintain when in the room with the Lights on um.
Suggestions I have is Long air lines ran inside your AC ducts will cool the temps over time and will help keep the nutes from slimming up (Growing unwanted algee bacteria or Pathogens).

I am not familiar with rock wool as I only used it one run and preferred the Henpy Coco/ soft pots with Chow mix
Coco hydroton at 70/30

If you are looking for a great Salts type Feeding I say Jacks Pro all day long
If your looking for More Bio-Organic...... My Bro @Tnelz and @Power OG are the Upper level growers for personal use I would ask,
If your going for something bigger you will need to check out that based on your preferences
Feel free to ask if you cant find the anwers in the threads and Once again welcomr to The Farm Homie

Farming to Live By:
protect your Babies from bugs, Talk with them Often and show them the care and attention they will return the attention 10 fold with beautiful flowers of Dank.
Super grow Vibes
FlyJ
 
Jake S

Jake S

12
3
Thanks FlyJ for all the good info!

Can you tell me where you get the Hempy Coco/soft pots? Is it chow mix 70/Coco Hydroton 30? That part kind of confused me a little. Most of the research I did on mediums had the people putting the rock wool into hydroton, but I didn't have that big of net pots, and I don't know if I know how to take care of hydroton either.

Honestly, as long as it is good herb and smokes good I don't mind it being not organic for now. I want to grasp the concept and get some experience first then I can worry about being organic.

Now I have a leaf dying and not sure what to do. I think it is semi normal(correct me if I am wrong) because I read in a bunch of places keep leaves that are half alive. Pic of the leaf is attached.

Also I have pics of other branches. All of the plant on day 26 of flower, plant that got topped.
 
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ken dog

ken dog

1,699
263
I think you'll need an EC meter, and a pH pen.

It is impossible to be sure what is going on without those measuring tools.

Also, hydroten is so the bottom of the net pot gets wet, but the moisture doesn't wick up into the rock wool and rot the stem.

The key is not to let the rock wool get soaked.
 
tobh

tobh

Supporter
4,194
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Sure that leaf didn't touch a light bulb? Sure looks like it to me. Your plants look great! Very cool concept for being able to experiment as well. Your plants look very healthy! Makes my heart warm knowing someone did all the proper research before diving in and coming with some charlie brown lookin' plants asking where they fucked up.

As ken dog said, if you don't already have, get an EC/TDS meter and pH pen. Without them your endeavours will be constant hair pullers.

One Love,
tobh
 
Jake S

Jake S

12
3
Thanks guys!
I have sure done lots of research! I have filled about a notebook full of information, but it ultimately confused me. I mean it helped me get this far, but some of it is guessing and the other is common sense.

I do have a pH meter, and recently purchased a second one to make sure that it was correct since I thought that is what could be part of my problem. I need to be better about checking my pH everyday. I don't go more than 2 or 3 days without checking it.

Now back to the hydroton, So you put hydroton in the bottom and surround the rock wool by it so the rock wool doesn't get wet, but the hydroton does? You pour the hydroton around the rock wool so it is also on top of the rock wool? or just around the sides and bottom? I will have to experiment with this more on my next grow once these 00 Kush are done growing.

I started bubble gum and northern lights. And they're doing good except the northern light's leaves look a little sad at the moment. I am not sure if it is normal or not.

IMG_2259 Is my Bubble gum plant
IMG_2262 is the Northern Lights
IMG_2263-2265 is the 00 Kush plants.

The 00 Kush buds are starting to fill in a bit but then some of them are not wanting to fill in quite as much. I am about 4 weeks from harvest, do you guys think everything is going okay? I am on week 8/12 of the FloraSeries Nute Schedule

when and how many weeks do I start doing the flush?

Do I use the FloraKleen, or just use regular water?
 
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ken dog

ken dog

1,699
263
Regarding hydroten and rockwool... What I do is set the roots in the bottom of the net pot, then fill the net pot about halfway with hydrogen, and put rockwool on top. If the rockwool touches the water it will wick up and get completely wet... not good...The hydrogen will act as a barrier.
 
ken dog

ken dog

1,699
263
Regarding flush... Use a flushing agent, never use pure water... As you want to make sure the salts are washed away.
Plain water will only get the roots wet.

After 24 hours flushing with a flushing agent, dump everything, and refill with clean water and let it sit for a week or more, and you will end up with a plant that is basically nutrient free.
 
Jake S

Jake S

12
3
for the hydroten, you fill half with hydroten then place the rock wool cube in and fill around the rock wool cube with hydroten correct? (just making sure I got it right)


And for flushing replace the water with the flushing agent 24 hours after you first put the flushing water in the plant. Do this the last one or two weeks of the grow?
 

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