SCROG, 4k, Dirty Dirt, CO2, Ice Strain

**I'm currently about 2.5 weeks into flower, but am going to start this thread with the re-build of my grow room.

This is my first grow in the room, and I'm posting information from a journal I've had going on Grasscity**

Man, it has been a crazy couple of weeks, I'll try to best summarize what has been happening.

Originally posted 9/7/10

Medical marijuana grow for myself and another patient.

12 plants total

Upgraded the room after the last grow to accommodate another 4'x8' screen! Picked up another 2-1000 W lights and associated bulbs, a 800 cfm vent fan, and 2 sets of light movers.

Total room dimension went from 12x7.5' to 12'x13'

Pics 1 & 2

First and foremost I built a storage area to increase my use of space in what is now a very limited room area. Also wanted to get my ballasts up off the ground, out of the way, and organized. Ballasts are housed behind the electrical panel.

I knew going in that the additional 2K in lights would cause electrical issues as I was barely getting by on the old setup. Contacted a local electrician (who is cool), and he put together an awesome panel with 6 circuits (20 Amp) that I can use and abuse.

Pic 3

From there I basically ripped down the old wall and re-framed another wall complete with entrance, and ventillation fan support panel. Panel is made of Blue Board panels 2" thick

Pic 4

18" Air King fan, Cap 3 PPM (or CRAP 3 PPM), and atmospheric controller.

Pic 5,6,7

Sealed and ventilated light system. 2 inline 6" duct fans, each fan pulling through 2 lights from the outside air, and vents outside the grow room. Flex ducting used to accommodate the light movers. Also added an 8" 800 cfm fan to handle the general room atmosphere.

Pic 8

Light movers

Pic 9 taken 9/6/10

Props to my caregiver!! Though he dropped off the face of the earth for a few months, I was finally able to get ahold of him, and he produced these absolutely lovely Ice plants that are an absolute SCROG dream. Tons of branching, only thing is they are a bit flimsy, and I already broke a branch or two.

First thing I re-potted them from 3.5 gallons to 7 gallon smart-pots on Saturday, and they are going to sit in those for a week or two and then into their final 15 gallon containers.



I still got a pretty slick surprise that I am waiting to implement, they should be ready by the end of next week and will hopefully put this room over the top!! I'll not spoil the surprise but it relates to how the screen and sloped platform will integrate into something cool


I'm insanely excited about this room, and what I might be able to do with 2 8'x4' screens!!

Anyways, there will be more plant pics to come, but just finished up about 50 hours of labor on this room and am still a little focused on it.

Originally posted 9/7/10



That electrical panel was pretty slick, cost $400 after build and installation. Nice thing is that the panel is wired with 4 wire that will plug into a dryer or stove plug in a pinch Plus if I move, I can just rip the fooker out and take it to the next spot.

Decided to include a couple more pics of the storage area and room wall.

2x4 and 2" blue board panels have performed well for me over the years in these type of applications. They are sturdy enough to to hold up to fairly rough conditions, are easy to cut, and work well as doors.

Included some more shots of the plants. I'm hoping to give these suckers about a month to veg before flowering, I want some nice and dense screens this time.

**Originally posted 9/18/10**

Fabrication of my SCROG platforms finished up friday, and got them home from the shop late afternoon.

So the basic intent here is to be able to slide the SCROG platforms back and forth in order to access all sides of each 4'x8' platform. The platforms can be pushed to the center for maximum light exposure, or pushed either way to create 4' of much needed aisle space for comfortable access.

The platforms slide on rails and carriages that I spec'd out and ordered from Granger. I'm definitely pushing the weight limit on these bad boys, but everything appears to be coming along nicely.

Each SCROG platform is designed to have a screen area of 4'x8'

Got the rails and platforms installed late friday night, and am happy with their functioning so far

pic 1 - finished SCROG platform (minus the screen), contains 2" blue board panel on a 1:10" slope.

pic 2 - rail and carriage system that is welded to the aluminum frame

pic 3 - rail and carriage system, as well as slope providing aluminum tubing.

pic 4 - rail running along length of both SCROG platforms

pic 5 - partially finished SCROG platform with removable tops

pic 6 - more of frame slope

pic 7 - more of frame

pic 8 - 2" blueboard platform and overlap towards center of platforms that will drain into a gutter that I can pump out.

pic 9 - pic of one of my ladies going into her new home

Next task is to finish up the SCROG screens, and transplant all my ladies from 7 gallon smartpots to 15 gallon pots for the final push

**Originally posted 9-19-10**

been doing a lot of farming the last two days.

Got the screens up on each platform yesterday morning.

Replanted all 12 plants from 7 gallon to 15 gallon smartpots. Lot of labor involved with that. Did transplants with both a wet and dry method. Overall, I prefer to leave the soil dry and strip the the smartpot off after turning the plant upside down.

I picked up 2 of those flexible cutting boards and cut out a section so I could slip it around the base of the plant and support the soil column while I flipped the plant over to strip off the smartpot. Once the pot was off, I used a second flexible cutting board to support the side while I flipped the plant over and set it in a 15 gal smartpot. The cutting boards worked like a champ, and helped to prevent the soil from breaking up during handling.

The plants are still a little muffed up under the screen, but will turn back up and reorient over the next day or two.

I also have to trim a bunch of bs from the lower branches to open up the under canopy.

pic 1 -SCROG platforms pushed apart to gain access to the center aisle

pic 2 - shows the SCROG platforms pushed to the center for growing

pic 3 - side shot of platforms

**Originally posted 9-21-10**

Worked on the platform drainage system yesterday morning. Used small strips of 1" blueboard material along the edges of the SCROG drainage platform to direct water to the front of each panel. I slipped a gutter underneath the front edge of each platform to collect runoff so that I can pump it out of there with minimal effort.

Installed 3/4" tubing through the blueboard to help direct drainage into the gutter, secured the tubing with Liquid nails.

Ran about 30 gallons of RO water through the plants yesterday afternoon to get them nice and settled in their new pots.

Found out I had a leak in my CO2 regulator last night, got that repaired and CO2 gas is flowin again.

Pics 1,2

Progress of Screen fill in.

Pic 3 - Gutter under front edge of SCROG platform

Pic 4 - Shows 1" blueboard trim and 3/4" tubing used form water direction and drainage

**Originally posted 10-1-10**

Day 3 of Flower

Did a ton of work in the room yesterday.

Started the day out taking clones and dropping them in my bubbler systems. Added a little seaweed extract (rooting compound as well) to the hole in the rockwool cube. Hopefully it wont cause rot or any problems. The rockwool cubes are immersed in solution about 1/2 way up the 2" rockwool cube in the bubbler, so I figured the majority of the seaweed mass would dilute out over a day or two. (BTW........Dont do this, I had about 10% cloning success by adding seaweed to the hole) Dooh!

From there I went through and started aggressively trimming the under canopy, anything that isnt up to the screen by now basically gets chopped off. I usually like to do this a little earlier, but these plants arrived in my hands a little late, and there hasn't been time the last few weeks.

I really like for the undercanopy to be clean and free of vagitation for a variety of reasons, hopefully this wont create too much stress on them. Collected about a 13 gallon garbage bag of trimmings.

Once that was done, I went to work on the screens, the plants were pretty overgrown as of yesterday morning. They are pretty damn full already, and I might have waited a little too long to flower, but oh well, I will just keep stuffing them back under the screen, and if they dont make it back up then so be it.

There is some pretty good stretching so I am going to lower the lights tonight, probably about 6-8" lower.

Also set-up 3, 5 gallon buckets for fermented plant extracts (FPE). Added some alfalfa, seaweed, worm castings, molasses, chopped up trimmings from the undercanopy, papaya juice and pulp, and RO water. Slapped a lid on them and will let them sit for about 5-7 days.

The FPE have become very interesting tome as of late. It seems to be a very economical way to high quality fert's, nute's, and minerals to the plants.

Day 24 of flowering.

Stared to notice some yellowing in the center of each screen.

After looking at the pics, it sure does seem to be correlated to chaning of lights from MH to HPS and lowering the lights about 10".

At least that is what I'm hoping the major issue is, as that is the easiest problem to solve. I can still raise the lights up more. The only reason I lowered them was based off input from folks, I've never liked having a 1000 within 24" as I have seemed to get burning before.

Anyway, as it currently sits, there is a lot of light blazing into the middle of the screens. Each screen has 2, 1000W lights apobe it. The panel is 8'x4', with the lights situated at 1/3 and 2/3 of the 8 foot distance. The more I process it, the more I liking the idea of movin the lights up.

Day 31 of Flowering

Sorry for all the pics, but I'm just loving watchin these screens bud up. It is starting to get stinky in there as well.

Started 2 AACT batches tonight, one an alfalfa/kelp/FPE/neem meal tea for the next generation, and another with guano based stuff and FPE's and neem meal again.

I will give them to the plants tomorrow night and keep it rolling.

The left screen has a plant that is still fairly yellow, but the plant has been a bit problematic since the start, so we'll see what happens with that plant. I'm happy as hell to get 10 out of 12 finishing up beautifully.

bought my ass one of the big compostumbler's as I'm tired of buying totes, drilling holes in them, and them rotating them. this compostumbler has 168 or 186 gallon capacity which will be really nice. It was $450, which was pretty cheap relative to when I looked at the ma few years ago. I want to say the same model was around $600 back them, and it was enough to make me build my own.

looks sweet! I wish I had the space..

nice scrog

Wow, that is gonna be an amazing grow...

Addicted2Grow said:

looks sweet! I wish I had the space..

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Thanks A2G. I really like this setup as well, lots of space to move around but it feels like there isnt any wasted space in there. My room was about 1/2 the size it is now on my last grow.

Aeroguerilla said:

nice scrog

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Thanks man, I stopped in at your grow and was freakin amazed at your setup. Whoooweee!

NHMI said:

Wow, that is gonna be an amazing grow...

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Thanks man, I'll keep the pics coming. SCROG's make for the best garden pics, though a monster outdoor specimen is always nice to eyeball

I am reading in the beginning and thinking to myself.. Boy he sure has an awful lot of space.

Not anymore 'ey?
Very pretty man, stunning.. Can't wait to see the end result.

Holy Sh#$, very nice set-up.

Grainger box, tekno tubing, clean welds.... looks like a professional built this room. Contractors make the best rooms in my humble opinion.

Love what you've done with the place!

I thought my grow was slick......... until I saw this. "I'm not worthy."

Really, very nice, I'm beside myself. Just shocked.

PL,

Thanks for stoppin in and for the good words. I see that we are both into the mechanical aspects of our rooms!

I checked out your link and was freaking impressed, you've got that room lined out!

Can't take credit for any of the welds, I went to a local fabrication shop and gave them some design concepts. Once they stopped wondering what the hell I was trying to build and looking at me funny, it all went smooth from there. Went back and hung out with them a bit during fabrication to make sure I was getting what I wanted.

Thanks again for stoppin by man

Thanks for sharing all the details bro!! Your goin to be laughing
when those screens fiil out at around the 8 week mark!!!
Damn nice lookn set-up!!
Cheers

Greenadian,

Thanks for droppin by, the screen is already making me a bit giggly!

Should be at the start of Week 5 12/12

Gave the ladies the mix of alfalfa and guano teas, pulled 1/4 out the alfalfa tea out for some little ones I have going, and for some strawberries that I'm trying to get going.

Had 21" diameter drain pans shipped in to put under the 15 gallon smartpots. This is to catch any excess runoff and let the plants reabsorb the liquid. It seems to be a nice change, the plants sucked liquid up and I ran about 20 gallons total through the 12 plants.

They are starting to fatten up a bit, and the room is starting to get quite stinky.

It is amazing to watch this screen unfold, it is a lot of fun.

reall nice man. Love the flow of that canopy

My goodness man how much is your fellow medical patient donating towards that I wish I could swim in it looking awesome!! I am tiered of paying 60 an 1/8 from the coops if I could get up in that man ...wow... your probably paying like 2.50 an 1/8 or less beautiful!!!

Starsb3l0w said:

reall nice man. Love the flow of that canopy

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thanks man, appreciate the good words, I'll be sure to pass them on to my ladies. I feel as if they have self esteem issues at times and a compliment goes a long way

GrowBox420 said:

My goodness man how much is your fellow medical patient donating towards that I wish I could swim in it looking awesome!! I am tiered of paying 60 an 1/8 from the coops if I could get up in that man ...wow... your probably paying like 2.50 an 1/8 or less beautiful!!!

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This is anything but a cheap grow, I wish it was a little more economical at times. Building a new room and investing in equipment isn't necessarily cheap. From there, it takes a lot of time, but it is my hobby so I dont mind.

That is one of the reasons I've been trying to learn how to recycle dirt, and that would be a good expense to get rid of.