140 gallon RDWC

[sahdgrower]

I know what you mean. I am very new to this but sometimes it seems just mysterious the way the plants act. I am going to re read your whole thread to see if I can pick up on something we all missed along the way. I find that sometimes novice eyes can see what the experienced ones miss.

 

[Bennyweed1]

I know what you mean. I am very new to this but sometimes it seems just mysterious the way the plants act. I am going to re read your whole thread to see if I can pick up on something we all missed along the way. I find that sometimes novice eyes can see what the experienced ones miss.

hell ya thank man. I have it figured out. This whole damn time I had my pH off for my plants. I lowered it down to 5.6 2 days ago and the plants are they healthiest I have grown so far since switching to hydro.

My plants in bloom are gonna be another bust this round but the third reload will be the trick.

This whole time I had my pH between 6-6.2 where they plants needed 5.6. N, K, Ca, all start to lock out at around 6.1 which is why the plants need a healthy pH drift. Different shit is more available at different pH levels. I thought it was a one size fits all kinda thing. So not the case.

Things to gain here. Hydro needs pH drift.

 

[Bennyweed1]

Here is the pre veg area. On 2/12 the healthiest and largest four alike plants will start official veg in the rdwc.

The girls in the veg tent are looking the best I have had so far. They are finally growing like I seen plants in other RDWC setups around here. Lush green tops pointing to the lights. Make me so happy knowing I got'em figured out. I was starting to stress the hell out.

Same plants 10 days ago

These girls will start bloom on 2/12

 

[Bennyweed1]

I screwed the pooch again with this set in bloom. Yield is going to suck because I had the pH to damn high this whole time.

And here is a new tent I setup to help soften the demand on my other plants while I hone my hydro thumb. Right now they are just a simple hempty bucket setup but soon I will built a ebb n flow sys for this tent using 2 gal buckets.

Im gonna make it simple so I dont need a control bucket. Just gonna raise them above the reserv, connect'em all together in a series andthe end bucket ill put a overfill/return line where I want the water level to fill too. One pump, one time, and a lil gravity...boom...simple ebb n flow

 

[coldcanna]

Ayo Benny I run almost the same setup with the vert screens and DWC. I think to really maximize this style you gotta veg them out 6-8 weeks and really let them get tall and bushy, do an aggressive defoliation pre veg and let them explode after flip. I think your PH ordeal is gonna be a big turn around for you, once you get that dialed in just be sure and veg them out until they're about 2.5-3' tall

 

[coldcanna]

Oh and the LEDs are whats up, I use a 90 watt UFO for every 2 plants in veg, no heat created and the growth is awesome!

 

[sahdgrower]

Hey Benny, I am currently running my first scrog but I am realizing it was pretty idiotic due to my back problems. So since I am attached to the idea of training to a screen I figure I should try to do vertical scrogs. I am picking apart pictures and grows that I see to try and figure out how to go about it best. I notice in your pictures the plants are flat up against the screen on the back but on the fronts you let them bush out towards the light, I was wondering if this is by design? If so why? I jsut built a room that has the dimensions 4x8x7' tall. I was going to use it as a veg room but I saw some other growers utilizing a similar shaped room with 2 bulbs on a yo-yo light mover and basically all the walls were covered with bud. In my narrow room I would have to keep the plants closely tied to the screen as the walls would be 2' from the bulbs. I was planning on using 2 600's and maybe only utilizing 4x6 of the room.

 

[Bennyweed1]

Hey Benny, I am currently running my first scrog but I am realizing it was pretty idiotic due to my back problems. So since I am attached to the idea of training to a screen I figure I should try to do vertical scrogs. I am picking apart pictures and grows that I see to try and figure out how to go about it best. I notice in your pictures the plants are flat up against the screen on the back but on the fronts you let them bush out towards the light, I was wondering if this is by design? If so why? I jsut built a room that has the dimensions 4x8x7' tall. I was going to use it as a veg room but I saw some other growers utilizing a similar shaped room with 2 bulbs on a yo-yo light mover and basically all the walls were covered with bud. In my narrow room I would have to keep the plants closely tied to the screen as the walls would be 2' from the bulbs. I was planning on using 2 600's and maybe only utilizing 4x6 of the room.

To be perfectly honest, my screens arent right. These plants going in were so little that I knew they wouldnt finish large. Right now the screens are really serving no purpose, the plants would be fine with out them there because they are not large plants needing support.

I have them made for when I do get larger plants in VEG.....and it will happen haha! Then I will for sure bloom the plants through the front of the screens.

I just love vert growing, it is easier in my mind without all the heavy hoods and running cooling ducts.

 

[Bennyweed1]

Ayo Benny I run almost the same setup with the vert screens and DWC. I think to really maximize this style you gotta veg them out 6-8 weeks and really let them get tall and bushy, do an aggressive defoliation pre veg and let them explode after flip. I think your PH ordeal is gonna be a big turn around for you, once you get that dialed in just be sure and veg them out until they're about 2.5-3' tall

Thats makes me happy to hear because I am all set up for a 8 wk veg and my next round will get the first 8 wks. Can wait to see how big they get!

Thanks man!

 

[Bennyweed1]

Everything in the veg area is rocking right along. The girls under the LEDs are going into flower on 2/14

I hung a t5 as side lighting. I wanna create a lil power veg chamber with another t5 on the other side. I would then have 460w for veg with a full spectrum of lighthing, these plants should get huge.

Here are the the same plants on 1/31. Growth is back on point now.

And here is the preveg area. Four plants on the left will start their 4 weeks of veg on 2/14.

 

[OvergrowDaWorld]

Look at you rockin them LED's.
What strain are those 4 plants again? I dont want to look through 16 pages. lol

 

[Bennyweed1]

Look at you rockin them LED's.
What strain are those 4 plants again? I dont want to look through 16 pages. lol

I hear you on that man. No worries brah, them hoes be called critical sensi star. I only flowered her once to her potential and she was a classy broad with lots of purple high lights in her hair.

I got her in flower now but I screwed everything up this round with the pH issue I had and not knowing I needed to stay below 6.0.

This is her done up decent in soil with a lil baby dick 6" pot

 

[Bennyweed1]

Here is the lil veg chamber I wanna setup. I wanna veg 6 plants at a time using 3- 140w LED panels and 2- 4ft 2 bulb t5s hung as side lighting.

I did a lil MS paint pad to show you what I mean. This will put me over 600w for veg, using a full spectrum of lighting. The red rectangles are the lights. Every two plants will get a LED panel hung over it. All I have to do is add two more buckets to my current veg RDWC sys. I already own the lights.

Since I grow veritcally I plan to trim all the back branches between each pair of plants. That way all the forward facing branches will grow towards the T5s hanging horizontally and all the tops will grow up towards the LEDs.

 

[Bennyweed1]

I have the veg area all setup how I want it. The next round of 6 going in on the 14th will get to veg for 8 weeks in here.

600w of total lighting



The little fogger is killing it for the clones

And I finally hung up some panda film around the bloom area. Im pretty excited about the next round of plants coming in on the 14th. I think I will get it this time! haha

 

[Stonefree69]

I have the veg area all setup how I want it. The next round of 6 going in on the 14th will get to veg for 8 weeks in here.

Nice! 8-9 weeks veg from seed is the max I could go or else my 6 plants will crowd out my 12 sq ft veg chamber.

 

[gmanwho]

Hey benny that fogger cloner seems to me pretty serious. Some questions if you dont mind???

Can you snap a photo of the fogger itself?

Do you have to keep adjusting water levels in the container? Whats the water level & temps in there?

I think you just started using it, but Any issues so far with build up on the ultrasonic head/disc?

does it run 24/7 or is it on a timer? if on a timer whats the intervals?

sorry for so many questions. got a new little " floating style " fogger sittign in the box thinking of trying to use.

Looking good, b-safe

 

[Bennyweed1]

Hey benny that fogger cloner seems to me pretty serious. Some questions if you dont mind???

Can you snap a photo of the fogger itself?

Do you have to keep adjusting water levels in the container? Whats the water level & temps in there?

I think you just started using it, but Any issues so far with build up on the ultrasonic head/disc?

does it run 24/7 or is it on a timer? if on a timer whats the intervals?

sorry for so many questions. got a new little " floating style " fogger sittign in the box thinking of trying to use.

Looking good, b-safe

To be honest I havent done all to much with it. I have to inspected it since I started using it for build up because I dont put any nutrients in the reserv. I add about 1.5 gallon every 10 days and the total volume is 4 gallons. I keep it filled between 1-2.5 gallons. The water is warm though, sitting around 75 degrees but the roots dont touch the water and when they start to, I transplant'em.

No pictures, its a basic fogger off ebay with ceramic disks and it came with 5 replacements. That should last me over a year. Its also a single head fogger, nothing fancy. Cost about $40 shipped.

It does run 24/7 with no timer. The one thing I noticed right away is the fuzzy roots. With my areo head I wouldnt get the fuzz like I see now. You know that fuzz....looks like peach fuzz..but super fine and real white.

 

[Bennyweed1]

I done screwed myself again. My girls in veg were looking so so damn good but two days ago I decided to add some shit called simply pure root roids to my reserv and the next days I had brown slime on the roots.

I sprayed and soaked the roots with store bought 3% h202. The roots white again and looking okay but the plants are limp and a real light shade of green.

I am hoping they just need a few extra days to bounce back. They are suppose to go into flower tomorrow but not looking like they do now.

Its so frustrating. Im trying to do everything right with this RDWC goal of mine but I keep running into problems.

 

[sahdgrower]

It is so tempting to try and add stuff or foliar spray or just over tend your plants. I have to keep myself in check everytime I go to the hydro store and see all the snake oil in the fancy bottles, soooo tempting. For now though just straight GH flora series for me. No additives no preventatives nothing (well I do add bleach per Snype's regimen). If an issue comes up I will address it, otherwise I try and let my plants do their thing.

 

[Bennyweed1]

It is so tempting to try and add stuff or foliar spray or just over tend your plants. I have to keep myself in check everytime I go to the hydro store and see all the snake oil in the fancy bottles, soooo tempting. For now though just straight GH flora series for me. No additives no preventatives nothing (well I do add bleach per Snype's regimen). If an issue comes up I will address it, otherwise I try and let my plants do their thing.

true that man, i wont do that again. I am ashamed to admit this but if I cant turn this set of plants around, I will have to go back to soil. As much as I want hydro to be a success, I have a life to maintain. Please hydro lords.....bless me !!