GRNPS IV - 400/600w Multi Strain ScrOG

[greenops]

What up growers... Welcome to my 4th grow.

After 3 runs with a 250w HPS, I decided to upgrade to a 600w HPS dimmable.
As with all my grows, I'm going to scrog this one as well.

Some pics from my last grow:



The specs for this run:

Darkroom 100: 1m x 1m (40in x 40in)
Ballast: Lumatek 600w dimmable for flower
Reflector: Air cooled Hood
Fluorescent tubes 110w for early veg
Extractor fan: 800 m3/hr - 470 cfm
Ventilation: 3 Clip Fans, 1 20'' fan, 1 PC Fan



I got some temp problems. During my test runs without the air cooled hood - just the bare reflector, with the ballast set to 400w, the temps already reached 30C / 86F. If that doesn't improve when it gets colder outside, I can prolly forget about setting it to 600w.. but we'll see. The air cooled hood might help as well.

I'm planning to do two runs this winter. I'm starting off with some short flowering strains. Thinking that I can fit 5 plants for the scrog I'm hoping to scrog:

2 x Cinderella 99 from Female Seeds
1 x Blue Cheese
1 x Sweet Deep Grapefruit
1 x Power Kush



However, the C99 has proven to be a challenge to germinate. While all the other seeds have already popped, the first C99 seed sprouted 2 stems, like a conjoined twin! The other C99 still hasn't come thru.



So for back up I've popped another C99, and 2 Pineapple Express seeds. I will try to grow all of them for about 3 weeks then select the 5 best for the scrog.


Day 1 of 18/6 (Sept 21)



This is day one for the Sweet Deep Grapefruit, Power Kush, 2 x Blue Cheese and the conjoined C99 twins, under the 110w fluorescent. In about 2 weeks I'll switch to HPS.

Temps peaked at 25.7C / 78F.
Humidity: 60 % - 65%

2 C99's, 2 Pineapple Express and 1 Power Kush currently in the dome germinating.

 

[ProperSmoke]

Good luck with your grow. I'll be watching it closely. I love Cindy and I love scrog and they compliment each other well.

 

[greenops]

Good luck with your grow. I'll be watching it closely. I love Cindy and I love scrog and they compliment each other well.

Thanks man. The Cindy is what i'm looking forward to the most. Thats why i hope to bring 2 of them for the scrog.

 

[greenops]

Day 5 of 18/6


On day 2 I watered them all for the first time. pH'd to 6.8 til i got a bit of a runoff. I also cut off the weaker looking twin of the C99.

The C99 #2 and #3 finally came thru on day 4.

I know it's way too early to tell, but as of now I like how the two Blue Cheese seedlings look. The stems didn't stretch as much and are thicker than the others, and their leaves are bigger than the others...
And look at the C99 #1, she doesn't seem to be bothered that i cut the twin off.

just my observation lol... i know no action yet, but the grow bug got me again.

 

[Hüsker Dü]

Subscribed greenops

I grow a C99 Hybrid, from Femaleseeds in my first run, under 250 HPS.
I´ve upgraded to 600W now!!

Best luck

HD

 

[greenops]

Subscribed greenops

I grow a C99 Hybrid, from Femaleseeds in my first run, under 250 HPS.
I´ve upgraded to 600W now!!

Best luck

HD

Thanks man. I like your 250w grow... How did the C99 hybrids turn out? taste/smell/effects?

Just out of curiosity, whats your set up with your 600w? I'm frustrated that i cant get the temps down. I already bought a stronger extractor fan, but it hasn't helped much.

 

[greenops]

Day 9 of 18/6

The C99 #3 died after about 2 days of breaking the surface. I knew there was sumthin wrong with it when I noticed that the cotyledon had some cuts on the side when it popped out of the seed.
That's ok tho, the Pinaepple Express joined the party on day 5.
On day 7 I switched the fluros with a 250 HPS. I will be rockin this for the next 2 weeks or so.

Temp with the HPS peaks at 27C / 80F. But mostly stays around 25.5C / 78 F.

Notes from the past few days:
- Sweet Deep Grapefruit and Power Kush showing a noticeable stretch from cotyledon to first true leave
- Both Blue Cheese seedlings have tight spacing. Both have big leaves, Blue Cheese 1 is slightly bigger.
- C99 #1 is the smallest from the first 5 batch
- C99#2 and Pineapple Express are looking strong

From the top, clockwise: C99#1, Pineapple Express, Sweet Deep Grapefruit,
c99#2, Power Kush, Blue Cheese #2, Blue Cheese #1




Blue Cheese #1:

 

[greenops]

Day 14 of 18/6

I just watered them once on day 2 and up to now the soil is still pretty moist. So I will wait with watering until it really starts to get dry on the top inch.

The Sweet Deep Grapefruit, Power Kush and the Blue Cheese #1 appear to be the most vigorous from the batch. The C99#2 being 4 days younger has caught up to the C99#1, as the #1 (the former siamese twin) has slowed down considerably.

Temps have gone up for some reason to 28C -29.5C.

 

[FunkBomb]

You've got a nice looking tent going. I also have a DR100 tent and run either a 400 or 600 in it. I can only get away with the 600 from December to February where I live. I would open a window to cool the room down that the tent was in. Another thing that helped was partially closing off the AC/heat vent in the room to keep temperatures from getting too high.

-Funk

 

[lightforms]

I've got a 8in max fan on the carbon filter in my tentnwhich then runs through a cool tube. and then another 8in max because i have to push the air pretty darn far. Heat..

Defintly a great third scrog man! Tiiight

 

[budman678]

I have a 3x3 and can only run 600 decemebrer to late march

 

[benjuanman]

Ur scrogs look nice man so will tag along if ya don't mind

 

[ProperSmoke]

Hey Greenops! It's been a few days since your last update. Hope all is well. How are the girls looking? Did you get your temperature issues figured out?

 

[greenops]

Thanks for checking in guys. Hop on it's gonna be a long ride... But we will get there

Proper Smoke, the temps are still steady at around 26-27C.
But that's with the 250w HPS, just bare naked..
Next week I will switch to 400 HPS.. if bare is gonna be too hot, I will have to set up the air cooled hood.


Day 22

The jungle is getting dense, as the fan leaves are getting bigger by the day. The plants have around 5-7 nodes and I'm planning to top them at the beginning of the next light cycle at the 5th node.

I watered them (the first 5) just for the 2nd time at day 20, as I've really had to hold back my urge of watering them too early. In the past I tended to water more frequent during the early phase, but i believe that lead to pH problems amongst other things.
The C99#2 and Pineapple Express received their water 2 days after.

They all look healthy, leaves are spotless. The Sweet Deep Grapefruit and Power Kush are the biggest from the batch - big up to Dinafem!
The Blue Cheese 1 has just as many nodes, while the Blue Cheese 2 is a bit behind.. however both of them are very short in stature.
At this point it appears that the C99#1 will be the first to be scratched from the team.
She came out as a Siamese Twin.. now she looks just a bit pale, development a bit slow and she grows sideways.
On the contrary, the C99#2 is very vigorous.. you can clearly see the sativa characteristics in her.
The Pineapple Express is catching up as well.

So yea.. next week I'm going to switch to HPS hope I dont have to install the air cooled hood. Its a pain to change the whole ventilation system.
Right after that I can start building the screen and get my scrogging on!

Happy Growin everyone!

C99#2 on the left, 3 days younger than the BC#2 on the right.



At the back: Power Kush, C99#1 growin sideways, SDG

 

[greenops]

Day 29

It's been quite a busy week for me and my babies.

On the 25th day I transplanted the 3 strongest looking from the first batch. I selected the Blue Cheese #1, Power Kush and the Sweet Deep Grapefruit. The roots weren't really poking thru the bottom then, but when i transplanted them i noticed how the roots were already wrapping around the corners. Hope thats not leading too rootbound or something, but really it always happens.
So since then they been sitting in their final 11 l / 3 gallons pot.
The C99#1 and Blue Cheese #2 got topped on that day too but left them in the small pots.

On day 26 I topped the first 3 i transplanted the day before. I took the cuttings hoping they will root.. I didnt have any rooting hormones and the cuttings are really small, maybe about 5 cm, 2 nodes.

On day 27 I transplanted the C99#2, which by the way looks very impressive and the Pineapple Express. I cloned the C99#2 too and watered the first 3 only for the 2nd time.

On the 28th day I switched to the 400w HPS. I got the bulb in an air cooled hood, but the glass isn't attached yet. The whole garden appears much brighter and with that the temps increased to about 28C - 88F and i'm not sure if the 400w is really that much more effective than the 250w.. since i had to raise the lights as well. Based on the HPS distance/lumen chart, the canopy get about the same amount of lumen.
Well I might have to attach the glass before i'm going to switch to 12/12, its just a fuckin hassel to change the set up.

So I've already eliminated the C99#1 and Blue Cheese #2 from the scrog but i'm still going to keep them around in their small pots as back up, should God forbid, one of the first five turn male or something.

 

[greenops]

Day 35 of 18/6

The SCROG is in effect!

Alright, on day 33 I decided to put the glass back on to the hood to cool the bulb down. So I had to change the ventilation system. Since then I set the ballast to 600w while I'm sleeping and back to 400w before I go to my day job. I have to do it due to outside temps rising during the day. Obviously I won't have to switch back to 400w in the flowering phase, because the lights will be out by the time I'm going to work.
Also on the same day I fixed the screen at about 12 inches above soil level.

The Pineapple Express reached the screen first, followed by the C99. The Sweet Deep Grapefruit is just a bit taller than the Power Kush, however the Blue Cheese grows very short. I had to build some blocks under the pot to bring the BC closer to the screen.

I noticed some small holes in the new leaves of the SDG... Not sure if it comes from insects, I haven't actually seen any but some small flies flying around the house and in and out of the tent. I was told in the past that this could be due to pH issues?

It's interesting how much the temps vary across the screen. With 600w, the left side is gets the hottest with temps around 30C / 86F.. while just a bit further to the right I get 27C / 80F.
Last night I discovered some of the ducting not properly attached to the Reflector and the Fan, so I will fix that later hoping to bring temps down some more.

But I was wondering, if the temps stay at 27C - 30C... should I keep it at 600w, or switch back to 400w?

 

[greenops]

Day 38

Last night I gave the Blue Cheese, Power Kush and Sweet Deep Grpfruit their first taste of Canna Vega. Just a 1/4 dose for starters.

Today after training I saw tiny pre flowers on all of them

The screen is 40% filled and I think it's about time to switch to 12/12.. but i'll wait a couple days, i dont wanna hurt the yield.

 

[benjuanman]

Good work man, yeah things start getting more fun once you flick that switch to 12/12. Myself personally over veg my screen alot but usually just hack the hell out off it for clones anyways. Peace

 

[greenops]

yea i just wanna hit the right moment to switch.. its a bit difficult now cuz its my first run with this set up, but i dunno.. 1 -2 days more?

anyway i'm kinda pissed cuz i broke one of the Pineapple Express' top while training.
The PE is the highest one and closest to the net, therefore making the bending more tricky.. and this one just popped like sum crispy carrot man.. straight suppercropped it. its still attached but just by some very thin tissue.. i hope it survives...


I got a question tho!

I always adjust ph before i water or feed, trying to keep the runoff at 6.5.
But i always hear some people say there's no need for that in soil.
What's your opinion?

Plus.. my pH down solution says its for hydro and coco, but the grow shop guy said it can be used for soil too. It doesn't seem that it has caused a problem with my last grow with it, but the grow before that produced bland tasting buds!

 

[tdmaker2]

nice...

nice...

Awesome start! I too am running a scrog. I'll be paying attention to what u have going on. Do u always run from seed?