Pushing Limits #2- The Hydropoinc Medical Room

[pushlimits]

Week 4 Day 1

Week 4 Day 1

First day of week 4, things are growing great. Plants are sucking down co2 and I finally had to swap out the tank for a new one. Plants are drinking even faster now, upwards to 10 gallons a day. (yikes). The dehumidifier has been having trouble keeping it below 55%, so I lowered the temp on the environmental controller to run the exhaust fan more often, and it seems to be working.

During week 4 I like to raise the nutrient ppm slightly in order to help the plants prepare for the Nutrient blast I give them in week 5. From the time I started the week4-5 nutrient slamming technique I've noticed much bigger buds at harvest, so it's nothing to snicker at!

PH: 5.8-6.0
PPM: 1300-1500
Temp: 79-82
Humidity: 50-60%
C02 PPM: 1200

 

[SicKSKills]

When your exhaust kicks on, how much co2 does it pull out of the room on average ppm wise? Kind of a combo between a sealed room and a vented room huh? Where is air coming into the room when you are pulling air out??

 

[Gooey]

nice grow...plantslook healthy...happy growing

 

[pushlimits]

Yeah, it's a mostly sealed room. On the opposite side of the room from the exhaust fan, there is a 6 inch back-draft damper. So when the fan is off; the damper remains shut and the room remains completely sealed, but when the fan turns on; it sucks the damper open from the negative pressure allowing fresh air to flow into the room. Simple, but very effective.

I set the controller to go on at 81 degrees now, with a 1 degree deadband (it turns off again at 80). during that time (about 2 mins tops) I loose about 200 PPM. So it goes from 1200 down to 1000 PPM, and the tank refills the air in about 45 seconds- 2 mins after the cycle is complete.

 

[raphenilweed]

Looking good!

I did notice the fan leaves are showing signs of over fert in both week 3 and 4. You said you are going to be uping the dose. In my way of thinking I would have lowered the dosage, although you have hydro and I use soil. I'm not saying its wrong or anything because I'm still bit of a novice, I am more curious in the "push". My question is kinda jumbled around up there but i will try to get it out... Is over fert something you want to correct and stabalize more immediately or do you just go with it, push it, and worry about flushing really good towards the end?

 

[pushlimits]

It seems over-fertilization is a very subjective term: because to me, these plants are pretty far from it. I'm curious: what "signs" you speak of?

Although, I will agree with someone who says that the fertilization levels are high, but too much: no, not yet. It's the whole point of "pushing the limits"!

.... to answer your question, no, you never want over-fertilization to happen.... ever, and if it does you correct it right away, you don't wait a single second. To push it on the high side on the other hand is great but it's something only experienced growers should do.

I can manage this because I flush for a good 2 weeks before harvest, and I cut the levels in half after the 5th week.

Now, if my fan leaves were curling, all the tips were burnt and everything had a deep purplish green color: yeah, I would have to agree with you. Fortunately for me, that's not the case.

When one has been growing as long as I have, you learn the difference between the things that are known to be true: and the things that are just rhetoric thrown around with no substance.

Thanks for the comment, and nice grow in your photo album by the way.

 

[pushlimits]

Week 5 Day 1

Week 5 Day 1

First day of week 5 and things are doing well. Plants are consuming equal amounts of nutrients and water. PH is staying very stable and temps are nice and low thanks to the winter conditions outside.

I finally got the humidity under control, I just had to set the environmental controller down to a lower RH setting. The start up delay on the dehumidifier was taking too long, So it was having difficulty keeping the levels stable. now it's nice and dry: steady at 40-45%

As mentioned before, the E.C. will be raised this week. Significant gains in weight and size have resulted from this practice in the past.

 

[pushlimits]

week 8 day 1

week 8 day 1

week 8 day 1

Feedings are now cut back to 300 ppm, just enough to stay alive. Plants are healthy, except for mild scorching that occurred to the top colas when I was out of town for the holidays. Thankfully, this only happened to the ones directly under the lights and it's very mild.

Humidity is in the 30's now (it's winter). Harvest should be sometime this week. I'm going to use Flouriclean the last few days.

I'm crossing my fingers for 3 Lbs. We'll see.

 

[Bob Smith]

Looking great man - rooting for you to hit 3lbs

 

[DHF]

Gotta totally apologize for just now seein this thread Bro........I stay in Hydro , Coco , and Vert where I know howta help folks........

Looks like you did your homework and monocropped for max benefits........For sure 1 of the cleaner setup`s I`ve seen with attention to detail in a while........

The only thing I see that could help is to run a piece of pvc hung in front of the open side of the plants and use shower curtain holders for a sliding pandafilm reflective shield during lights on for max reflection bouncin back toward the plants instead of bein lost in the rest of the larger sq ftg.....could definitely slide it open lights off for more airflow and humidity removal.......Just tryin ta help.......

The post about leaving the setup over the holidays and only comin back to a few slightly scorched colas just cements the fact that this is a bulletproof system once dialed......practically runs itself.....

Usedta go to my setups once a week and swap out rez`s with a little flarf cleanup underneath and sideways till end of stretch....bout it......

Respect Bro.......Looks like 3 lbs ta me.....Pullin fer yas over here.....Sup Bobby S......

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

 

[pushlimits]

Hey

Hey

Hey, well if it isn't the bucket guru himself.

DHF, I've been reading your posts from way back in the day. You once gave me the insight to make a Krusty bucket and put it on my deck. It got so big I had to use nylon rope to keep it upright, .....feels like so long ago.

Thanks for the complement, it means a lot coming from you. I feel more accomplished now.

DHF- You're one of my internet hero's.....now if only Heath Robinson would complement my setup, I can die a happy grower.

 

[DHF]

Talked ta Heathie bout a month ago.......He`s the one that talked me into runnin ebb and flow buckets from seein his lil Euro "multi-flow" units with bare bulbs that I was already usedta runnin , so the rest was history.....

I`m sure he`d be impressed with yas runnin lower ppm`s and the perfect canopy of healthy plants.......but he`d tell yas ta close those plants off with a reflective shield like I did....LOL.......

Other than that , just watch your controller bucket for residual salt buildup on the lil float switches inside cuz they`ll stick open , empty the rez and flood the room , and or stick shut afterwards and burn up the pump.........seen it happen many times over the yrs with the manufactured units......

How many buckets....27 or 24.......8 or 9 per light oughta getchas closta lb per huh ?.....

Again...clean setup and killer job.....Take care and good luck.....pullin fer yas over here.....

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

 

[supermanlives]

can you atleast make something a little dirty so i dont feel so bad. very nice clean setup

 

[pushlimits]

I know it's been a very long time, I've been very busy. but if anyone's interested I yielded a little under 4 Lbs with 62 ounces. !! I was stoked!!!! I was shootin for 3!

 

[ogenko]

nice pull
i missed that whole run till right now
the electrical setup was nice
we get to see another one or what??

 

[Incognegro]

Nice yield! I'd love to see harvest / final pics.... how many plants total again?

 

[pushlimits]

Thanks for the comments.

This grow was 27 plants total, with 9 plants per light.

The next grow is coming up. It has 6- 600 Watt lights, opposed to three. I yanked out everything that wasn't needed, (the rez, R/O system, controller) and all of the floor space is going to be plants except for a little aisle way down the middle. Look out for Pushing limits #3!

Sorry, I don't think I took pictures of the harvest this time. I'll look though.