Texas growers unite

[Erestese]

I have a plant that I'll soon post a pic of once they're not asleep it should probably be pulled but I would like to get your opinions on it.

Also, is there any downside to starting a seedling off in a large container?

Edit: just noticed that both of those rather small plants are WW which is an odd coincidence cause the strain I'm growing is supposedly NLxWW. Personally I think it is my rather poor choice of soils, lesson learned for sure.

 

[budvapor]

Erestese, let's start with the basic. the more you tell us, the more we can help. what did you plant those beans in? how hot is it in there? how do you water? what water do you use?

 

[Erestese]

I started them in paper towel method, I put them into MG Organic (horrible, I know) and I water on mostly from the bottom part of the pot with the little opening, and sometimes i give the top a little as well. Temps in the room range anywhere from 75-82f and humidity is about 40%. I water about once every 4-5 days as well. I use spring water I get from Wallyworld.

My question is, if I have plants that are possibly stunted would vegging them la bit longer after I transplant them into better soil?

 

[budvapor]

I put them into MG Organic (horrible, I know)

i've made that mistake before. the soil is too rich and overwhelms the seedlings and stunts their growth (if not kill them). i don't remember how well my plants did after that. i think they pulled through and then grew at a normal rate.

i start my seeds in pro-mix, and it's been very reliable. once they're nicely rooted i transplant into a real mix with ferts and they take off.

good luck!

 

[shiggs]

Yeah, i've heard some pretty funny conversations with a little too much detail at Planet K. It always surprises me when I hear someone talking about thier grow in a public setting. Hell, I have a tendency to get a little paranoid when my friends joke about me growing when I know for certain they know that I don't grow. Security is #1 and im not talking to some random guy at a smoke shop about my grow.

I rewired my 150 into a remote tonight and I honestly cannot believe the amount of radiant heat that is thrown off by the bulb. I think that a cool tube is going to be in order for the size of my box. It's insane! And don't get me started on the vibration of the ballast. Im going to have to either suspend the ballast in it's box or design an isolation barrier. Im thinking a couple of layers of thick silicone should get the job done.

I'm still waiting on the seeds too. Im surprised at how long it's takin for them to get here.

Hey, growordie. I know you're running/have run a 150, what is the standoff height of your lamps?

 

[Erestese]

Yeah, i've heard some pretty funny conversations with a little too much detail at Planet K. It always surprises me when I hear someone talking about thier grow in a public setting. Hell, I have a tendency to get a little paranoid when my friends joke about me growing when I know for certain they know that I don't grow. Security is #1 and im not talking to some random guy at a smoke shop about my grow.

I rewired my 150 into a remote tonight and I honestly cannot believe the amount of radiant heat that is thrown off by the bulb. I think that a cool tube is going to be in order for the size of my box. It's insane! And don't get me started on the vibration of the ballast. Im going to have to either suspend the ballast in it's box or design an isolation barrier. Im thinking a couple of layers of thick silicone should get the job done.

I'm still waiting on the seeds too. Im surprised at how long it's takin for them to get here.

Hey, growordie. I know you're running/have run a 150, what is the standoff height of your lamps?

Have you tried suspending the ballast by bungie chords?

 

[DaSt0niacKiLLeR]

update.. 1st week of flowering.. Cal-Mag, Tiger Bloom, and Big Bloom.. This lady is lookin good.

 

[growDaddy]

I honestly cannot believe the amount of radiant heat that is thrown off by the bulb.

I too am amazed at the heat of the 150w with external ballast. It causes my girls so much stress that I have unplugged it until I can go 12/12. Maybe it's just so hot here in Texas. I now have just 6 55/250w cfls left to flower them (4 5000k and 2 2700k. I hope that when I go 12/12 that will give them a chance to recover while they sleep!

It's just so hot!

 

[chuckyoufarley]

what ever happened to TEXAS KID

 

[growDaddy]

what ever happened to TEXAS KID

In earlier pages of this forum it tells where he went. I think he left this forum and went to another, but I just can't remember!

 

[budvapor]

i have a 150w and a 400w hps and the 150w is almost as hot as the 400w! i was shocked too. except the nice thing is if you have the temps under control with the 150 then that means you can probably go with a 400w! (from htgsupply for cheap!)

 

[growDaddy]

i have a 150w and a 400w hps and the 150w is almost as hot as the 400w! i was shocked too. except the nice thing is if you have the temps under control with the 150 then that means you can probably go with a 400w! (from htgsupply for cheap!)

good to know!

 

[GroworDie]

Hey Shiggs: I totally identified with the paranoia from people around me joking about me growing when they too "know" that I don't grow....ah well, such is the life.

I actually use a 250 CMH. The heat is absolutely an issue that has caused me headache in the past. I keep it between 10-18 inches from the plants because there is usually varying height in the area. The only way I could make it work was to put a glass barrier up. I experimented earlier with acrylics but they would begin to melt from the heat. It sucks to know that there is extra UV potential in the CMH but that I am blocking it with the glass but it is better to block some percentage than to burn the tops of my plants. Using the glass barrier also brought the room temps down couple notches.

All said though, my room still runs on the hot side of efficient. There is little I can do at this point. I circulate the air very well, vent it, and live with temps in the mid to high 80s until winter blesses this area. Growing hot in the summer is just a way of life down here.

 

[Movintarget]

Morning Folks,
It just rained like a mother flipper..... I used to fight the heat till I installed a window unit and my temps and humidity are steady now 75/35%.
I even run the unit during the cooler months (notice I said cooler not winter).
Let's see...be careful talking to those knuckleheads at the K,

DaSt0niacKiLLeR....looking good what are you running?

GroworDie...Have you had the chance to start any cloning? Are you gonna do any LSTing? they look great

budvapor Welcome

growDaddy....How big is your area?

Ok folks, In a holding pattern till I harvest 2 weeks.....keep safe and chase a rain cloud

 

[DaSt0niacKiLLeR]

Thanks Movintarget..

Here are my toys.. I got a switchable 400 watt mh/hps sun systems gro pro ballast with an econowing reflector.. which I am currently running a Hortilux Blue MH Bulb till tommorrow which I will switch the ballast over and swap the hortilux for an hps bulb... I also have another 100 watt beater hps that i got a home depot used for street lighting.. Im using the General Hydroponics bucket with 2 gallon rez.. Using distilled water and mostly fox farm nutes.. grow big.. tiger bloom.. Big Bloom.. also Cal-Mag.. not all at the same time tho.. Got three fans so lots of air movement..

The strain I am growing is unknown.. long story short.. I picked one outta a pile or was given it from a buddys last harvest or it was a freebie in a seedpack.. This is my first grow in some time so I figured I wouldn't sprout good beans till i saw what the temps are like in the room and how this one did with the new nutes etc..

Temps seem to be staying in the low 80s with humidity of 40-50%.. Feedback, tips, and questions appreciated.. Hope everyone has an Irie Day..

 

[GroworDie]

Yes, Movin, the rain is awesome. To answer your questions, yes, I clone regularly. I have a bonsai mom that I keep a perpetual SOG going with. I do one harvest a month and move rooted clones in at that time. Its a good, but not perfect, system. That was until recently when I got these new genetics. Now I am flowering my mom and gearing up to clone the new females as they come forth. My area is 4.5ftx2.5ftx1.75ft which gives me about 60 watts per square foot. The light moves up and down depending on the plants' needs.

 

[Bush Grower]

Any of you guys have any experience using Moonshine Mix?

Moonshine mix... if you're talking about the FF soil mix, then yes I have.

It works really well, and is what I used for a few years untill switching to hydro last year for quicker growth.

The mix I used was:
1 Red bag FF Soil
1 Blue bag FF Soil
1 gallon perlite to 4 gallons soil

That's all I'd use. You could add more organic nutes if you want, but then the mix would be too strong for seedlings. I've used the masic mix for seedlings no problem.. just make sure not to germinate them in it, wait for the first 4 leaves.

In my experience nutrients are needed unlike all the other people claim on the board here that no nutrients are needed. I grew trees with this method... and after about 3-4 weeks of vegging, you need to start giving nutrients... depending on the strain of course.

The "Moonshine" soil mix is a highly recommended, easy soil mix... I had great results with it!

 

[Erestese]

Moonshine mix... if you're talking about the FF soil mix, then yes I have.

It works really well, and is what I used for a few years untill switching to hydro last year for quicker growth.

The mix I used was:
1 Red bag FF Soil
1 Blue bag FF Soil
1 gallon perlite to 4 gallons soil

That's all I'd use. You could add more organic nutes if you want, but then the mix would be too strong for seedlings. I've used the masic mix for seedlings no problem.. just make sure not to germinate them in it, wait for the first 4 leaves.

In my experience nutrients are needed unlike all the other people claim on the board here that no nutrients are needed. I grew trees with this method... and after about 3-4 weeks of vegging, you need to start giving nutrients... depending on the strain of course.

The "Moonshine" soil mix is a highly recommended, easy soil mix... I had great results with it!

I was thinking of trying the basic Moonshine Mix that uses OF, LW, PM, Chunky Perlite, and Peace of Mind F&F for plants with a well established root system and using some other medium for establishing seedlings.

I have an R.O filter on my sink and a huge double tank water softener on my house that was installed by culligan I wonder what effect that will have on my water. The softener requires me to fill it up with sodium pellets every couple of months.

 

[growDaddy]

growDaddy....How big is your area?

I have a small grow area 2'x3'x7' and a small clone room 2'x3'x5'.



With the 150hps it gets so hot it fries my girls. I turn off the 150hps and just use cfl , they almost thrive. On these hot days (like all summer long) the temp creeps up to low 80s. I have worked on the ventilation problem all year and have copious amounts of air flow. I currently have 9 40mm cpu fans, one pointed at each girl from the bottom trying to blow her skirt up. I have 2 80mm cpu fans, one on each side of the 150hps light. I have 2 127mm cpu fans one blowing out my pipe to attic and one sucking in from the bedroom. This gives me a small hurricane inside the room. Lots of wind but they grow really strong thick tree trunks. I also have 1 inline fan 245cfm connected to the attic end of my 6" pipe. The water is a bit fast flowing I'm afraid, but I'm stuck with it until my next grow. The result are short thick roots.
On May 1 08 I was given 10 mighty fine clones and 1 survived. On July 1 08 I was given 7 more of the same clones and 1 survived. On July 15 08 I was given a very large clone and I planted it. It's looking good so far. I do not have the best track record on growing but I 'think' I have most of the problems worked out.
I currently have 3 good looking girls, and 7 more clones I hatched in my clone room. These 7 are between 2" and 4" tall. The oldest one is 10", the second oldest is 8" and the one large clone is now ~9".
The person I got the clones from has already harvested his from the first set I received, and mine is still flowering. Mine are growing like bonsai. The leaves are incredibly tiny, nine-11 leaves but so small. The leaves of the person I got the clones from are maybe 10 times as big. The result is my girls are short, bushy, many many leaves and bud sites.
I am hoping that when I go 12/12 here within a month or so there will be many buds, but I expect small ones.
I will take some more pictures as soon as I find my cable from camera to pc.

 

[Bush Grower]

Erestese:

"I was thinking of trying the basic Moonshine Mix that uses OF, LW, PM, Chunky Perlite, and Peace of Mind F&F for plants with a well established root system and using some other medium for establishing seedlings."

I say go for it... this is a newer version of the mix. POM is added so you use less nutes in flowering. I'm not sure what's in LW... but couldn't hurt anything. That's eventually less nutes you have to mix!

"I have an R.O filter on my sink and a huge double tank water softener on my house that was installed by culligan I wonder what effect that will have on my water. The softener requires me to fill it up with sodium pellets every couple of months."

If you get water for your plants straight out of the RO system, this would be ideal as it will filter out all the sodium the softener creates. In the sticky about water in the hydro forum, it says that water softened with salt is bad for your plants because the excess salts can cause nutrient lockouts. So just get it straight from the RO system and you won't have to worry about the sodium problem.

Some people mix the two like half RO water, half tap water. I've never had a RO filter so I'm not sure as to which is the best method or if it really matters in soil. Maybe someone else can chime in?

peace