600w Blumats with 3 Plants in Turface/Perlite

[catman]

Whats up ICMAG-vert-crew?

This grow is similar to my previous one so I'll just go over the changes.

Added 9K BTU portable AC - It was my only option. It does have auto-restart and I have a cheap $40 temp controller on the way. My temps will be far more consistent than last time with lows into 70s and highs up to 77 so far when it can't keep up with 100F+. It's sitting a few foot off the floor and there is a big floor fan assisting with it's intake.

On the other side of the AC is a whole-home humidifier and instead of filling up the small white tank on the right three times a day, I just let it sit in a rubbermaid. The climate here is extremely dry and with the AC going non-stop I can't keep my RH above 25% during the day time. In my previous thread I arrogantly ignored the advice from others about the need for a humidifier so I'd like to specially thank DHFred because he's been such an asset to our community and has even been able to through my dense head. Come time to flower at night, bigger plants, and with my temp controller, I should be able to keep my RH 50-65%. So, exhaust air is mixed with the fresh cold air, floor fan to move things around, and only intakes on one side of the tent to pull in the humid air. Tossed in a pic of how I check my canopy temps which are usually around 75F.

 

[catman]

I have my scrubber and fan centered now; hoping for better air flow and I shouldn't need the vertical space I lost. Going to try a small muffin to avoid wind burn that I've had in the past.

Each 5 gal pail has 2 Blumat Maxis fed from a 5 gal res. The top and bottom few inches of the buckets are entirely Turface, while the middle is a split mix with Perlite.

Plants are transplants vegging 24/7 from seed with the bulb dimmed to 360w. I have no idea what the strains are I'm now using FoxFarm's Grow Big for Hydro and no more Big Bloom.

 

[catman]

This first plant was transplanted traditionally and I'm not sure if she's just vigorous or the other two are behind. Standing less than a foot tall and over two feet weed.



These other two were transplanted with their root mass tilted on it's side.


Fuzzy pipe cleaners to LST. I've been doing a little defoliating and would appreciate if anyone has any comments on how I'm training the plants. Hell, any comments or questions, whatever, are much appreciated...otherwise, it's on with the show!

 

[bobblehead]

I want to know more about the blumats in the turface/perlite mix. Is there a drain in the bucket? Or is it just a bucket of perlite/turface? Does the blumat operate like it would in dirt or coco? I'm intrigued. SRGB has been suggesting I get away from coco and try some turface MVP, but I'm having trouble finding it. I'm going to have to drive a bit to get some and I need to get some more info before I become more invested.

 

[Mister_D]

I also want to know if the blumat operates the same as it would in dirt or coco? How long have you been using the blumats in this mix? Very interesting setup you've got here catman, i'm subbed for the show .

 

[catman]

No drain. 5 gals have the PPK 6x1.5'' tailpiece so they need to sit on top of something. I believe it operates the same way in principle. Just went 10 days while I was away.

To set it up I open the valves up and fill the entire bottom bucket. Water will actually seep further up into the bucket's media to a point before it will leak out on to the floor. When the medium is saturated I turned the valves down until they are dripping a small amount and I'll dump the bottom bucket out. I wait a little bit for more water to drain and then I monitor the run off by seeing through the white pails and adjust valves accordingly. I make it so I error on the side of adding too much water to find the sweet spot. The way I figure, I should always see wet spots on the turface next to the drip lines.

I got the turface from a landscaping company. I also should mention that I screen out the smallest particles of it and my perlite. I'm pretty sure all there is no to know is on the forum here somewhere, but just let me know if you're wondering about anything specific.

This is my first go at it Mister_D and even if I can't pull it off, I've tried really hard to see why someone couldn't and I can not.

 

[cyat]

nice plants... training is on point too!

 

[heady blunts]

 

[Maj.Cottonmouth]

Subbed, looks like a great show.

 

[mcfly420]

and try some turface MVP, but I'm having trouble finding it.

Diamond Pro and Pros Choice might be some Turface alternatives

 

[DHF]

If turface mvp is a more benign medium that doesn`t have the capacity to hold bug larvae like coco does , then maybe we need ta re-think our medium choice if shit can get dialed and produce coco/hydro like yields.........

After all.....This is all about the best results without any hiccups ......period...and...again.....after all.........my sig says it all....

Knowledge is power....and ......Adapt or perish....

Peace....DHF...........

 

[budman678]

I'm here watching the beaut of a grow. I love blumats, yet to order my own but will be soon

 

[catman]

Thanks for the kind words fellas. I was reading something the other day about how the definition of what makes a 'man' in the masculine sense in an American context. Apparently women today are outperforming the men so who are the men are aren't the bread winners? Anyway, it went on to how men are going to the internet and in essence boys only clubs. It was then mentioned that 'men' also define themselves by their den, shop, garage, man cave, and I thought to myself, garden. Thus I thought of my homies here which reminded me of our purpose of freeing this plant. ICMancaves!

Temp controller came in and is helping out with the humidity. Nifty thing has completely controllable temperature swing and temps can be set to different values for 4 periods of a 24 hour day. VPD is perfect when I put a meter under or in a plant. I can't believe how quickly the plants respond to the training, again. I turned the ballast up to 450w last night and will get all the canopies even before flip. I've really tied down the two side ends of two of the plants trying to get the middle stalks to bulk up, but let everything go last night.

I got roots on the tops of all the plants, few roots poking outta one tailpiece, and one where the roots have grown completely down. Damn the 5 picture limit, but I put some in the gallery. I'll be adding Open Sesame into the nutrient mix soon so I'll have the feedings in the sweet spot when ready to flower. I'm thinking this is gunna be real fun =]

 

[Mister_D]

Lookin real good so far

 

[Bonzo]

 

[LouDog420]

Always down for a catman grow show

Gotta love the good convo already, listening and learning over here

 

[catman]

Day 1 of 12/12.

The first image below is from about 6 days ago, just before I removed the majority of fan leafs and the rest of the images are from this morning. Switched the ballast to 600w last night. Going to keep with the veg nutes until I see flowers. Feeding about 1.5 EC. I've noticed my pH rising over time from the silica I add, so I've been compensating.

I'm going to try and keep my paws off them as much as possible through the stretch. I'll tie em down and spread em out around the bulb after that. I was hoping to spread em sideways more in veg, but they really stalled after the massive defoliation.

 

[DHF]

Lesson well learned Bro.....Yeah....they`ll stall and go in shock like a mofo if yas start strippin leaves durin veg till end of stretch...guaranteed...but....

Yas can trim the lateral limbs and the sucker branches comin off the lateral limbs durin veg with little to no adverse reactions as I`ve witnessed over the yrs....

Usedta always trim , prune , and shape my bitches into mini X-mas trees before flip , and then once stretch was completely over where no more foliage and rootmass are being produced........then .....

Start takin off the fans with stems until the only 1`s left are the 1 leafers juttin out the colas/limbs ftw.....anyways....

You`re gettin there Bro.....Respect....

Peace....DHF.........

 

[delta9nxs]

your plants look great! very healthy! holes or no holes!

d9

 

[SEAttown206]

hey catman.... Nice looking grow

I am in a similar setup, 4x4 tent. Doing soil on this first-run, while I try and get stuff dialed-in, then I plan to build some ppk's with some 3.5 gallon rubbermaid totes....

U mentioned in first-post that you had a $40 temp controller on the way. About a week ago you wrote that you'd received it and that it is working well. Could you tell me the make/model on it? Sounds like what I'm looking for, and from your post sounds like it's working well, that still the case after using it for the past week?

Thanks, SEA