Swole’s First Grow

[Formallyhap]

hydro is easier than dirt growing imo, all my most trouble free grows have been hydroponic

 

[SwoleGrow]

hydro is easier than dirt growing imo, all my most trouble free grows have been hydroponic

I agree, but think soil will be as easy also once I start growing organic. I’m using maxibloom because I was unaware of the supersoil having to cook and was unprepared. Hydro still a breeze though no doubt about it. You got any supersoil grows?

 

[Formallyhap]

I am old school, so yes, of course. I use my own soil mix now, I use a lot of peat and perlite, and then supplement with organic dry stuff like super soil does , but much I go much less hot. Then I have a 100 gallon fishtank with filters and all that jazz but no fish that I run all my nutes through before they hit the plants. Having "living" nutrient solution that I water with has made dirt much easier.

The problem is if you plopped me somewhere else and I couldn't get the stuff I use to make my soil, I wouldn't even try to grow in dirt.

Plus my girl can read instructions and not kill my hydro grows, I can switch to a bigger res and leave for a week or longer and come home to nice plants still. She won't remember to water dirt plants.

 

[SwoleGrow]

I am old school, so yes, of course. I use my own soil mix now, I use a lot of peat and perlite, and then supplement with organic dry stuff like super soil does , but much I go much less hot. Then I have a 100 gallon fishtank with filters and all that jazz but no fish that I run all my nutes through before they hit the plants. Having "living" nutrient solution that I water with has made dirt much easier.

The problem is if you plopped me somewhere else and I couldn't get the stuff I use to make my soil, I wouldn't even try to grow in dirt.

Plus my girl can read instructions and not kill my hydro grows, I can switch to a bigger res and leave for a week or longer and come home to nice plants still. She won't remember to water dirt plants.

Care to elaborate on your fish tank setup and what nutes you’re running through it to feed your soil? Sounds interesting.

 

[Formallyhap]

I learned to grow from the perspective of an aquariust, I had fishtanks my whole life. Then I started growing pot and read about aquaponics but didn't want to keep fresh water fish, since I am a Marine fish and coral snob. So in a fish tank bacteria in the filters breaks down the constituent waste products into usable stuff for the plants. So I figured if I added stuff like worm castings or molasses or whatever else I could cut out the fresh water fish. It works out pretty well. I buy whatever is marked down at the grow shop and add tiny bits of it depending on what stage I am in, not organic nutes, not like miracle grow. I add those nutes to the tank the week before I want to use them, then I water with that. Use or dump whatever is left over to get the tank to half full and then fill with ro/di water.

the tank smells good, like sweet earth tea, it's basically a giant batch of tea that I keep going all the time so the bacteria breaks some stuff down before it hits the plants, and keeps the fauna up in the soil mix.

 

[SwoleGrow]

I learned to grow from the perspective of an aquariust, I had fishtanks my whole life. Then I started growing pot and read about aquaponics but didn't want to keep fresh water fish, since I am a Marine fish and coral snob. So in a fish tank bacteria in the filters breaks down the constituent waste products into usable stuff for the plants. So I figured if I added stuff like worm castings or molasses or whatever else I could cut out the fresh water fish. It works out pretty well. I buy whatever is marked down at the grow shop and add tiny bits of it depending on what stage I am in, not organic nutes, not like miracle grow. I add those nutes to the tank the week before I want to use them, then I water with that. Use or dump whatever is left over to get the tank to half full and then fill with ro/di water.

the tank smells good, like sweet earth tea, it's basically a giant batch of tea that I keep going all the time so the bacteria breaks some stuff down before it hits the plants, and keeps the fauna up in the soil mix.

Nice bro. I’m a fish guy also, been had the same 75gal tank since 1999. Kept 2 oscars one albino & one fan tail along with a pleco for 10yrs they all were well over a foot long & eventually ended up feeding them dog food and goldfish lol. I still have the tank, it’s inactive and full of salt from when I took the saltwater down. I’d like to try your method to feed, I don’t want to use salts but will if I have to until my soil is ready.

 

[SwoleGrow]

When I was reckless

 

[SwoleGrow]

Getting prepared to flip this weekend. Finishing the veg box (54L x 36W x 81H) for the plants in soil that’ll be powered by a 600W MH with wing reflector.

 

[Formallyhap]

So, not to be a downer, but watch some of the videos on lighting on youtube if you get a chance, migro did an interview the apogee guy and it turns out the whole thing we've done for years with the MH in veg is counter production.

That box looks really nice, way better than a tent. Magnets and weather stripping can make really slick doors.

 

[SwoleGrow]

So, not to be a downer, but watch some of the videos on lighting on youtube if you get a chance, migro did an interview the apogee guy and it turns out the whole thing we've done for years with the MH in veg is counter production.

That box looks really nice, way better than a tent. Magnets and weather stripping can make really slick doors.

I welcome all info that’ll make me a better grower. Thanks for pointing that out & I’ll be using the HPS instead of the MH. Besides the blue, the HPS is a much better light and if worried about more stretching, training can solve that.
I’m diggin the box too, it was a breeze compared to the 8x8 I built.

You have a pic or link to the magnets & weather stripping? I used adhesive Velcro stitched around the edges of orca film to seal my 8x8. Those magnets intrigue me lol

 

[SwoleGrow]

Seeds arrived today!!
Wild Thai was ordered specifically for the upcoming Guerilla Grow

Gorilla Cookies

Jack Herer

Blueberry

These will ease the grow stress of waiting on sex to show.

 

[SwoleGrow]

Been holding out on feeding these since I burned them a couple weeks ago. I’ve only flushed them out to reset the media and it’s showing.

That incident turned me to going organic with a living soil from here on out.

The last of the ingredients for the teas made it today, so let’s get these babies on the road to recovery.

 

[SwoleGrow]

Day 4 from flip before lights out. This shit is like waiting on your lady to go into labor, sheesh....
I need to see some nuts or hairs, lol.
Two of the four may be female

 

[SwoleGrow]

Because I should post more to document progress.

 

[SwoleGrow]

I’m 6ft 1/2in on my good days and the plants are shoulder/neck height. I did 3 weeks seedling stage & 4 weeks veg. Hopefully I don’t get too much of a stretch

 

[Beachwalker]

What's this?

 

[SwoleGrow]

This happened when I broke (literally) the branch from the stem and had to zip-tie it back for it to heal.

 

[SwoleGrow]

Another milestone reached, 3 of the 4 are female.

Only waiting on the runt of the group to show now, why it’s the runt I have no clue, as a seedling it was the largest of the four, but halted growth for like a week almost, so now it’s the smallest.
From canopy level it looks like I only have 3 plants

That’s because the runt hasn’t made it that high

Nonetheless. It grew and will be showing soon.

 

[SwoleGrow]

Today makes 1 week from flip.
Was up all night last night rearranging the lighting & fans because of plant height as I did no training, only topped once to get 4 main colas.

I removed the ratchet hangers completely and just used the hooks that I have mounted into the ceiling, they hang about an inch and the hook eyes that came pre-mounted on the light fixtures are what the hooks are holding. This gained me another 6-8 inches

My next grow immediately following this one will be at least 6 plants in an 8x8 (could be 8 that need to be flowered by then) I will have researched the Scrog method & run with it if it’s the best way with the number of plants.

Any recommendations from those experienced in multi plants Scrog are welcomed

**Thinking about it real time, I will gain a few inches in headroom this next grow because all plants are in fabric pots where currently I’m running rdwc in 5 gal pots which are taller than the fabric pots.

Updated pics when they wake later

 

[SwoleGrow]

And just like that it ends.

Found these on the bottom half of all 4 plants.