What's new
  • Please note members who been with us for more than 10 years have been upgraded to "Veteran" status and will receive exclusive benefits. If you wish to find out more about this or support IcMag and get same benefits, check this thread here.
  • Important notice: ICMag's T.O.U. has been updated. Please review it here. For your convenience, it is also available in the main forum menu, under 'Quick Links"!

2000w 8x8 Perpetual Stadium Soil

Imma Bri

Member
Welcome all to my vertical stadium grow.

This will be a 2000 watt grow with 7 different strains of ladies, joining us in this cabaret.

I have grown vertical successfully once before several years back. I have never scrogged, sogged, cogged or bogged, but I will be trying some netting across the rows - i think if i can get it tied firmly on either side of the tent.

I chose this soil mix because I have used it before and am comfortable with it. I left out amending guano into the soil because my experience with this is that it runs a little a hot, and for indica dominants it was wonderful, but the higher sativa strains showed some burn. I am hoping that this run the soil is not so hot when i transplant from cups. I mixed in more Light Warrior and expect it to be able to handle this sativa dominance without making the ladies crispy around the edges (the confidence is part of the act-seriously).

The tent will be set up 3-tier stadium style. Seedlings will be veg 10-14 days before the tent goes 12/12 permanently.


disclaimer:

#1 - Do not expect efficiency.
#2 - Do expect to read decisions which are far from optimal.
#3 - Do expect incompetence, even when unexpected.
#4 - Do expect adjustments as the next grow happens based on your advisements.
#5 - Do expect copious amounts of pics and hopefully a modest harvest.

The Stage:

1 - Topolite Grow Tent: 8' x 8' x 6'6"
2 - 96" x 48" veg

The Central Cast:

  • 818 Headband (6) Cali Connection Seeds
  • Trainwreck (10) Humboldt Seed Organization
  • Amherst Sour Diesel (10) Humboldt Seed Organization
  • Blue Cheese (10) Royal Queen Seeds
  • Stardawg (10) Black Skull Seeds
  • Super AK (10) Kannabia Seeds
  • Mataro Blue (6) Kannabia Seeds

The Co-Stars:

  • (66) 2-Gallon Smart Pot knock-offs
  • (2) Cool Tubes in vertical configuration
  • (2) 1000w Eye Hortilux HPS (start to finish)
  • (1) AC Infinity S6"
  • (1) AC Infinity T6" (for temp & humidity control of the space)
  • (1) AC Infinity S8" (Intake for bulbs)

The Production Assistants:

  • - 12 Cubic feet of Fox Farms Ocean Forest & Light Warrior
  • - "Organic:"
  • Bone meal
  • Blood meal
  • Kelp meal
  • Greensands
  • Worm castings
  • - Perlite (chunky)
  • - Dolomite Lime
  • - Liquid Karma
I've been mixing this dirt by hand for a week and my arms are like gummi worms. I added water today near;y 23-25 gallons/100ltrs or so to get the soil just under field capacity and no dry spots anywhere through the mix.

picture.php



-Briana​
 

Imma Bri

Member
I will be vegging on this table. It was built for microgreens and will work fine in this role.

512w T8's, 48" bulbs.


The tarp isn't fastened properly to the table yet. In the center of the tarp at the bottom is a drain plug-gasket-thingo so the water can drain directly to the bucket when we water.

The tray was for microgreens, but for now it will be for party cups.

 

Imma Bri

Member
Finally got the tent up. Not the easiest thing to build an 8 x 8 tent in a 10x10 room, but it is do-able.

Had to move the soil out of the room so it was easier to put some of it pots and then move the soil pool on top of the tarp.


Assembly!

Now it is time to play with the ducting. We tried it on the ceiling and it was all wrong so we tried it on the floor and saw how much plant space that eats up. Sooooooo back to the ceiling and more properly placed than before. Its a straight 70 degree angle or so from the window to the tent where it 45's into fan.


We will connect that T-vent-duct directly to the 8" inline and blow fresh cold air over the bulbs and out of the tent. 1 exhaust duct will connect to a temp controlled 6" fan and flow that cold air back into the tent on demand for cooling.

picture.php

View image in gallery

One of the 1000w Eye Hortilux was dead on arrival, don't buy them from Amazon.

picture.php

View image in gallery

Next pics will (should) be:

  • Building of the stadium
  • The Stadium "fully operational"
  • The strains
  • Party Cups babies

-briana
 

Imma Bri

Member
I found my old grow journal: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=192893

Wish i had been able to find this account before I started all over again. Believe me i tried but today I found it 100% by accident just reading some old thread.

I see that I have made a couple mistakes already based on memory.

- #1: I chose #2 (2 gallon) pots instead of #3.

I was dang positive I had chosen #2. And I reallllllly do not want to buy 60 more pots 1 gallon bigger.

I think this grow will have to start 12/12 on first day of transplant - around day 6-10.

I also noticed my seed choice was pretty much similar. The more we change the more we stay the same, eh?

I expect this grow to be about the same (i hope) as the one I did back in 2011, and the 2nd round with more seedlings + clones should begin to shape the room into a proper dialed-in perpetual room.

Total Optimal Efficiency is not the goal. A good fun learning experience and a yield that can last to the next one however, is.

I may use plurals on occasion because there are 3 of us, 2 girls + 1 guy and that guy is our BF and OTR trucker, so it's really just 2 of us making it all happen.

Thankfully I found my old journal to give me renewed confidence. Every time I go a few years not growing, it feels all new again.
 

thailer

Active member
hello!! I'll just take a seat here. welcome back! with every passing year that i've grown, the info has changed a lot.
 

packerfan79

Active member
Veteran
Love the stadium idea. I ran a 4k stadium monocroped 125 plants in 2 gallon smarties. Very productive, but a pain in the ass to maneuver things. I look forward to seeing what you can do.
 

Imma Bri

Member
1st seed shipment arrived. With a story:

Got the package. Opened it up: (1) Piece of studded leather; (1 package) Candy.

So...I send an email. Didn't post about. Prefer to not perpetuate negative energy and today I decided to shake the leather band some and low and behold...seeds. I had to pop off the studs. :yay:

No photo of fancy seed packages this go around:

 

DunHav`nFun

Well-known member
Ok....I`m pumped.....Not many Vertville growers anymore since the onset of the DE overhead fixtures that cover bigger horizontal footprints , so I`m glad ta come back and visit my `ol stompin grounds…

Welcome back Briana.....Sounds like you`ve got your gameplan sussed out , but using 2-1K`s only puts you @ lil over 31 watts per sq ft , when 3-1K`s would put you close to optimal light for bare bulbs hanging @ 2-4-and 6' in your tent setup with 3 shelves on each side …..that said.....

In a flat grow , each 4 x 4 area would have a 1K above it so 4 1K`s would be in your 8 x 8 tent ,but environmental control is first and foremost before blastin their ass with light and excess heat.....anyways.....

Just wanted to stop by and show respect for hard work already done , and I`ll be over here on my bucket waitin and watchin for good things ta come......regardless....Good luck and holler if I can help …..

Peace....DHF.....:ying:
 

Imma Bri

Member
Ok....I`m pumped.....Not many Vertville growers anymore since the onset of the DE overhead fixtures that cover bigger horizontal footprints , so I`m glad ta come back and visit my `ol stompin grounds…

Welcome back Briana.....Sounds like you`ve got your gameplan sussed out , but using 2-1K`s only puts you @ lil over 31 watts per sq ft , when 3-1K`s would put you close to optimal light for bare bulbs hanging @ 2-4-and 6' in your tent setup with 3 shelves on each side …..that said.....

In a flat grow , each 4 x 4 area would have a 1K above it so 4 1K`s would be in your 8 x 8 tent ,but environmental control is first and foremost before blastin their ass with light and excess heat.....anyways.....

Just wanted to stop by and show respect for hard work already done , and I`ll be over here on my bucket waitin and watchin for good things ta come......regardless....Good luck and holler if I can help …..

Peace....DHF.....:ying:
Thanks for stopping in!

I am a bit behind the times I guess, as someone else said in a thread "10 years behind".

I looked at DE's when i saw them but all i found was stuff on fire issues regarding them, and that was enough for me to skitter on.

No idea what mono-cropping is, but I can google. :)

I am pretty sure this will be a fairly rough and rugged grow. This grow will help teach me a "lessons learned" and help guide us going forward. It is perpetual, so we can easily adjust, and I suspect that a switch up to 3 gallon pots, and more watts will happen by summer. I was also considering trimming down the tent to about 5 x 8 with Panda Paper.

Thankfully this grow is 100% personal stash for concentrates/edibles/healthy living.

I look forward to seeing what errors i make so i can correct them in the direction we wish to go.

Looking at my old 2011 thread reveals that I am already falling into a past pattern. Which is good that I am consistent :) in my mistakes. LOL!

I've never done a grow with 12/12 starting just 5-7 days after seed germination, but i'm hoping i can pack them in this way.

Thanks for the welcome back!
 

DunHav`nFun

Well-known member
Well then.....Let`s just see if we can keep yas from makin too many of those "lessons learned " errors up front so your run although perpetual will be as hiccup free as possible.....now....

5 x 8 would be perfect for 2-1k`s with the stadium shelves on the 8' lengths so the distance for proper light penetration sideways is cut down to only 30" instead of 48 and believe me proper watts per sq ft is paramount in importance to top shelf quality nuggage , ESPECIALLY if it`s all for personal consumption so you can get the best of the best for each and every usage you have for end result product.....so now 12/12 from seed perpetual.....

Quite an undertaking with a fairly large learning curve to find strains/varietals that will jump up and produce anything worth harveyin in a 10 week period from birth since the bloom room keeps on runnin with perpetual plantings of plants @ different ages , so my best advice would be to concentrate on Sativa/thin-leaf dominant "hybrids" that will finish in 10 weeks to keep the perpetual wheel rollin and make somethin worth havin once hung , dry , and ready for consumption or processing….. aight....nuff outta my old ass this day....just tryin ta help from all those yrs....

Peace....DHF.....:ying:
 

Imma Bri

Member
Well then.....Let`s just see if we can keep yas from makin too many of those "lessons learned " errors up front so your run although perpetual will be as hiccup free as possible.....now....

5 x 8 would be perfect for 2-1k`s with the stadium shelves on the 8' lengths so the distance for proper light penetration sideways is cut down to only 30" instead of 48 and believe me proper watts per sq ft is paramount in importance to top shelf quality nuggage , ESPECIALLY if it`s all for personal consumption so you can get the best of the best for each and every usage you have for end result product.....so now 12/12 from seed perpetual.....

Quite an undertaking with a fairly large learning curve to find strains/varietals that will jump up and produce anything worth harveyin in a 10 week period from birth since the bloom room keeps on runnin with perpetual plantings of plants @ different ages , so my best advice would be to concentrate on Sativa/thin-leaf dominant "hybrids" that will finish in 10 weeks to keep the perpetual wheel rollin and make somethin worth havin once hung , dry , and ready for consumption or processing….. aight....nuff outta my old ass this day....just tryin ta help from all those yrs....

Peace....DHF.....:ying:

That's a lot of good help.

I am pretty sure this time around we went with Sativa Dominant ladies, except 1, i think. :D

We will be reducing the space, and it would be great if we could figure out how to attach the 2 x 8's to the posts of the tent so the pots could hang. But I think that will be a work in progress, however, that is the ultimate plan. 3 rows of pots on the wall down to the floor, on 3 sides of the tent.

Great advice, totally good stuff.

We are still working on the cooling. I think it's best to have the A/C in place in case the weather wants to be warmer than normal for the area.

Will be posting new pics as soon as we make some changes!
 

DunHav`nFun

Well-known member
I wouldn`t trust those dinky ass metal pipes to hold 2 x 8`s or any other type built shelves......Spend a lil and go get those chrome open and adjustable kitchen pantry shelves with wheels for ease of access and ability to work the plants front and back till they have to go back against the walls....or do as best you can as budget provides upgrade then , but plants in containers fully soaked get heavy as fuck and we don`t want yo lil tent collapsing now do we.........

My rooms were framed and built with 4 shelves on 4 sides with 4 levels for a total of 4 plants per shelf and 64 # 5 smartpots top fed DTW in coco....8 x 8 outside dimensions with 1' shelves making 6 x 6 interiors and 3-600 eye hortilux`s stacked on top of each other for a total of 50 watts per sq ft...…

I used lung rooms to provide perfect environment "outside" the grow areas and used air exchange twice per minute to suck in and pull out constant consistent cooled air.....now....At some point you`ll be discovering pheno`s that produce well in your setup and they`ll need to be cloned for future use cuz seedplants doin what you want in a decent timeframe are few and far between but they`re out there.....for instance....

I was gifted some Deathstar bx`s and they`re 2 weeks outta the ground with 3 and 4 nodes but the damn things ain`t 2-3" tall , and I doubt seriously if flipped they`d do triple or quadruple their height and finish at a whopping 12-16" tall much less amount to any yield whatsoever.....lol....aight....Getchas some roll around shelving ftw and you`ll be well on your way to getting cranked up with this new project....anyways....

Keep up the good work and.....

Peace....DHF....:ying:
 

Imma Bri

Member
Okay. Been busy putting the nose to the grindstone.

Sprained my right hand and that slowed things down some, but even if i am stopped, i can't be stopped. You know that works even after death, right? :dance013:

Reducing the room grow space area to about 6 x 8,and Panda paper will be up one side to increase reflectivity.

Filled the party cups today with Light Warrior and wet the soil. Will let that sit over night and then add seeds in the day.

I have read so many posts on seed germination, and the only thing I can say is that it was not worth the read.

To germinate seeds, use the mother nature method:

Drop in soil, cover slightly, water, forget about them.


 

Itsmychoice

Well-known member
ICMag Donor
it will be worth some built shelves. Weights add up and you are going to be all up in there managing these plants. I agree, you will want one side on wheels to get in there and work. The more you can set the plants up through stretch the better you will do.
 
Last edited:

smilley

Well-known member
Veteran
Looking like a "house of cards". Sorry Imma Bri, I'd take Itsmychoice's advice and build the shelving right. One wrong move and it's all coming down. Break it into several sections and make it properly free standing. Castors would be nice too but make it solid. Shit happens in the garden, I know from experience.
 

Imma Bri

Member
Looking like a "house of cards". Sorry Imma Bri, I'd take Itsmychoice's advice and build the shelving right. One wrong move and it's all coming down.

This is post is the reason i took a hiatus from this grow journal.

Positivity and thinking bring results. Reactions simple do not.

The math:

Each pot weights 8lbs.

Each plank holds 7-8 pots. This means 56-64lbs.

The Top House of Cards = 250lbs +
The Bottom Row House of Cars = 200lbs+

House of Cards total weight = 450-500lbs.

It just was not worth my time to explain to people who TELL and do not ASK.

I can fall over the boards and it does not move a single inch. I have fallen over without issue. We climb into the center every 1-2 days without issue. The "Card Structure" is stronk.

It also helps to add a few 3" hex wood screws for stability when we take plants off.

But no one offered that.

Casters, and shelves, etc..etc.. That is great and all. It really is. But so many times people come to the forums and do this routine and they don't get constructive help, they get negative dooms day help.

Thus far with my return to Journaling i am told: Your house will burn down. And the set up is a house of cards. Okay.

Well, let the photos speak for themselves.

Continuing from where I left off. :biggrin:

Introducing the Ladies of the Journal stepping out of their seed shells with style.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?
albumid=80465&pictureid=1951832&thumb=1






 

Imma Bri

Member
The House of Cards continues:




We had to redo the room a bit because I didn't like the stacked tubes and i wanted a better light distribution. We also added an A/C unit to the window and opened a door on the tent and made it a sleeve/collar thing - and it works.


Had to put the ladies in the living room - just a few of them there.

 

Imma Bri

Member
The seeds sprouted on the 1st of April or so, and we started flowering on May 3rd, but because of a few issues with the Analog timer turning on poltergeist style on different occasions, the official start of the cycle is May 5th - without interruption.

We pulled some out to trim before flowering:

Blue Cheese, hence the blue-like tag :)


Amherst Sour Diesel: HUMBOLDT SEED ORG, good job.:tiphat:



3 of the Diesels were a little more nute hungrier, we fixed them a tea and they were good by the 2nd watering.

 

Latest posts

Latest posts

Top