OG's first 2013 hydro grow

[oldergrower]

This is my first grow for 2013. Same setup as my previous grow in the rookie aeroflo grow along with the following modifications.

Changed internal sprayers to top feed sprayers.
New ecoplus 2245 pump run constantly.

Once I changed to top feed I was really unhappy with the spray pattern of the rio 22hf pump. possibly due to age.

Any way the pictures are about 2 weeks of veg in unit. Plants wer e rooted and veged to about 6 inches in my turbo cloner.

Strain - 10 ea 2 back rows the old standby BCN Diesel, the rest 3 different phenos of Weedbeat Seeds Resin Candy, and one Rp Og#18.
Unit shot

another unit shot

The resin candy she really spreads the legs when topped

 

[SouthernHaze]

Will be following . Curious to see the difference with top feed.

 

[MrStonerMan]

Excellent setup!

 

[hempyftw]

Woot

Woot

I'll be following for sure!

Can't wait to see what differences you can see with the new pump!

Plants are looking very healthy!

Wish ya the best man

 

[oldergrower]

Started flower 2-10

Started flower 2-10

Thanks everyone for stopping by. The ladies for this grow are really taking off.
I think the combination of new higher gph pump and the top feed sprayers are kickin it.
As you can tell by the recent photo of the unit everything is in overdrive.
Data sheets for prior weeks attached.

 

[LivingCanvas]

Like the switch to top feed! It seemed better than the sprayer bars on the bottom with less opportunity for roots to clog the nozzles.

 

[oldergrower]

Bloom week 1 & 2 update

Bloom week 1 & 2 update

LivingCanvas, thanks for joining in, yes the top feed is working out great.
I had problems with covered sprayheads and getting those roots out at the end
of a grow, they just engulfed the spray lines below.

Anyway the ladies are really loving the top feed and I bit the bullet and went to
a digital ballast (solis tek matrix) with remote, really nice but wish it had a timed socket on it
to plug my light rail into. I have noticed some electromagnetic interference with my blue lab
ph meter. It was jumping around when checking ph and did not dawn on me that it
was the frequency emitted I think by the bulb. If a get a sample from my res and am not below the
light everything reads fine.
Other than that no other problems.

Still using aerokrafters nute regieme and all is very good. Should be ending stretch in the next few days.
Buds are starting to form and after a slower start for the resin candy and og18
they have passed my diesel except for the #6 pheno of resin candy.

So heres some pics and GL to all. OG

 

[BIGBADBAZ]

hey im lovein the tek of your grow matey!
nice to see that your jottin everything down that you do and gettin familear with the strains so that you can dial them in! so how many plants you runnin and in wot space, are you growin them untopped? atb matey and as alwayz nuff respect.....

 

[oldergrower]

Thanks for stopping by BBB. After joining the rookie aeroflo grow along documentation has become the name of the game. On my startup sheets I have also noted amount of stretch for unknown strains for future runs.

About my setup, the area is approx 1.2m x 1.8m. I am using 1000k lighting on a lightrail. There are 5 tubes with 5 plants each so 25 ladies total. I do top my ladies and usually leave 2 or 3 main shoots to grow up from the topping. I have grown very fond of my setup and always look for ways to improve my setup and skills.

GL, OG

 

[BIGBADBAZ]

Cool matey I'm subbed and will see this through to the finish with you!
It's good to see ppl taking there own anitiative for constant improv all
ATB and as always nuff respect....

 

[farmhouse cat]

Hey there OG...Nice work! Are you noticing much difference in growth or root appearance running the pump 24/7 as opposed to cycling 1 on 4 off? Also, is your pump submersed? if so, does it raise the res temps much?

Thx

 

[oldergrower]

Hey FC, glad you stopped in. Not really noticing any growth or root differences between running 24/7 or on 1/4 min timer for pump.
I replaced my rio pump with a ecoplus 2245 (big mother) for better spray pattern out of my 30 sprayers and it definately helped.
Yes, I do think the pump is adding some heat to the res but in my unconditioned room I use a aquarium heater in the res to warm it some (70 to 71 degrees).
Will probably use the timer in summer to keep res temps lower. I do like the top feed though, will really help when pulling pots out at the end of a run,
no roots tied around internal water feed lines. Plus I can check sprayers easily.

Had a stoner moment recently, had been complaining about my drains clogging then realized all I had to do was pull my end caps off my tubes
and just pull then back up into the tubes. Just had to laugh at myself.

Update coming soon and the WeedBeat resin candy pheno 9 & 10 is reallly catching my eye. Stretched alot but the spacing look great.
The pheno #6 is about 12 inches shorter. Also the Reserva Privada og#18 that I gave one more chance because the first run the buds were
very very airy and did not stack looks to be doing fine this run, probably too young first round. My diesel always looks good but I am hunting for new genetics.

 

[farmhouse cat]

Nice OG. Im getting ready to start a run with the DM line. Hoping for good things. Especially whiter roots. Iv'e been running Botanicare and beneficials for the last 3 years and it's good stuff but my roots always look like hell from the Liquid Karma and it's hard to distinguish if there is rot going on. I think it could be a bottleneck in my progress...so going sterile with DM should teach me a few things. Also.. ive always run 1 on 5 off, and didn't know if that could also be hindering my yields from the roots sitting on the bottom in standing water?

Anyway..I dig your setup man!

 

[aerokrafter]

Looking very nice.

I'll be real interested in those WeedBeats. I really wanted a look at those but my schedule is shot till late fall.

Love the documentation. Really tells the story.


Thank you for sharing with us!

-AK

 

[oldergrower]

Day 28 Flower Update

Day 28 Flower Update

AK, thanks for stopping by. Yeah the weedbeat choc collection caught my eye also. The 2 tall pheno's #9 & 10 had caught my eye
but as I was doing some leaf trimming on day 27 to the shorter Pheno #6 the leaves were sticking to my hands.
The smell from #6 is slightly astringent with a sweet smell, to early to place the smell tho.

Pheno 6

Pheno 6 close-up

Group shot

Pheno 9

Pheno 10

Attached is the week 3 & 4 bloom data sheet and photo of the RP og18. I know the leaves in the photos have
the leaf edges turned upward I think due to low humidity levels. Everything going great. GL all OG

 

[oldergrower]

Day 50 flower update

Day 50 flower update

Sorry, have been busy with life so heres and update on my current grow. Everything humming along nicely, ph keeps wanting to drop at this stage of the game just dealing with it.

Pheno # 6 of resin candy is frosty but about 12 inches shorter than the other interesting pheno #10. Only a full run and curing with smoke test will tell if any are keepers. Of the 11 beans popped 6 were female but only these 3 showed soon enough to be run.

The 1 og#18 looks very dank but no pic it is hiding out.

pheno #6

pheno #10

pheno #9

Group

 

[oldergrower]

Chop time

Chop time

OK, so hit day 63 and the girls are coming down. Leaf rubs of the resin candy are sweet cocoa with citrus.

Resin candy pheno #6 is the shortest and very bushy. If it ends up being a keeper possibly no topping and prune side branches alot. It definately is the most resinous.

Resin candy pheno #9 was tallest and nice huge buds. It had the least resin on the leaves. Grew well topped but needs fewer side branches.

Resin candy pheno #10 was just about as tall as #9. It also would need fewer side branches. Decent resin coverage on leaves.

Rp og18 had nice height and frosty frosty frosty. I like.

Group shot the plants in back are my BCN Diesel which go 70 days. They seem to be swelling better than last run on the rookie aero grow.

My overall impression for the Weedbeat resin candy is they are extremely easy to grow and root very easily & quickly. They are very branchy and need minimal support with strong stems. Mostly 2 phenos seen so far 1 short and squat and 1 tall of the 3 I have run so far of the 6 females of my pack of beans.

Smoke report to come later. OG