The CAGE growing system.

[Keefhead]

Figured I'd start a thread on this system, since I've only seen them on DDOC's site and a bit on OG before the demise.

Here's a picture of the system being loaded.



Here's a picture of the system loaded. You can also see some of the controller, ballasts, and light cooling system.



Here's a shot after 5 days growth. Inflippincredible.



The plant is Diesel. I just harvested a grow of it in another room, and it smelled a lot, almost overcoming the carbon filter.

I'll add more information as the grow progresses, and I learn more.

I hope this encourages others to try vertical growing. From what I've seen of others, and what I'm experiencing on my own, this is a great way to get more from less space.

A close up of a "typical" plant.

 

[Guest]

That's different. Looks like it might be a tight on space kinda set up?

 

[Keefhead]

You treat it like a coliseum for trimming, but they are spaced further apart, and rotate 180 degrees for trimming, one tower at a time. That's the theory. Reality may be quite different. This is my first grow with it.

 

[Neptune]

Keep it growing, I have wanted to purchase one for some time... but did not want to be the one to demo it. Glad we have you Keefhead

I'm interested in the following:

Flood/irigation cycles
Nutrient selections, strength(ec) and PH
Medium? Mediumless?
Wattage of bulbs, how many?

Any leaks/spillage? Where is the reservoir, and what capacity is it?
What prevents the plants from growing into the hotass bulbs of death?
How many plants total?


Sorry but i'm curious!! :]
Thanks in advance!! I'll be here bro!

 

[mexicanmafia]

yea! tell us the specs... so i can go home depo on it and make one for myself! hehe..
looks really nice and a good way at upping the yields on limited space! k+ bro!

mm

 

[Keefhead]

Cage stuff

Cage stuff

Hey folks, welcome to my little thread.

Specs? OK! 72 plant sites. They claim 100 gallon reservoir, but I think its closer to 50 or 75. 4 foot diameter and about 1 foot tall. You do the math - I flunked.

The flood cycle is 8 minutes every hour when the lights are on. Nothing when the lights are off.

The nutes are Sensi 2-part, and very little in the way of additives yet. Later - yes.

The medium is hydroton. Very clean and easy to use, and it was recommended by the maker and on the internet from the company.

The bulbs are two 600-watters with digital ballasts. It seems to be enough, as I've taken light readings and it's almost the same as a 1000 watter on a regular ballast. Good stuff them digital ballasts.

The top of the base is tapered down toward the center, so any leakage flows to the center, through the hole, and back into the reservoir. There's a net pot in the hole that collects the occasional piece of hydroton. Good design.

What prevents the plants from kissing the lamps? I ain't sure yet. I may have to put a screen in there, or tie the plants back. However, the glass chimneys aroung the bulbs are running at 112 degrees, so it may be a non-issue. They'll simply grow up to the glass chimney, and that will be the end of it. Time, and experience, will tell. The room is quite cool, actually, maybe too much so, and the glass is barely warm. Big 6" fan does the trick there. Output air temps are running in the low 80s right now.

Oh, I measure the temps with a digital infrared thermometer, very accurate - within a degree or two of all my thermometers.

The unit holds 12 columns of 6 plants, for a total of 72 plants. 3 died (bad clones) leaving a current total of 69 plants.

Ought to be enough for a little smoke, and some hash for when I need the boost. Yes, I save a few buds for whatever, and ALL the rest becomes nice medicinal hash. Diesel hash.

Well, hope I answered some of your questions. Feel free to ask, but I ain't no guru on this system. However, I'll say one thing. IT'S WORKING!!!!

 

[Jah-Jah]

very VERY interesting, always wanted to see how that thing works, cant wait to see some progres

 

[BigToke]

Very nice dude, I’m in……..

 

[WeldFlash420]

I've followed quite a few of these verticals and am truly AMAZED at the yeilds these things produce...pullin up a chair for this one too.

 

[Keefhead]

OK, here's a few more pics, 1 WEEK later. Either I got real lucky and managed to dial this thing in right, or that cage with Sensi is one heck of a growing machine.

Here's a picture of my favorite plant. Count the stems. Can't wait to see what happens to her.



Here's a shot of the top after only ONE week. Aflippinmazing. Some kinda grow machine that is.



Here's a shot from another angle.



That's all for now, more pictures later when it has more to show.

And yes, the lights are a bit low. I will try to raise them this weekend.

 

[WeldFlash420]

This will be a monster yeild for ya, hope this thing really gives ya a whopper of one too. My early est. yeild guess is 48 o's dry. Shine on!

 

[mexicanmafia]

i gotta get me one of those!

 

[aeric]

fanflippintastic!

 

[gaiusmarius]

oh yes that's most interesting. great to see this thing in action. thanks for doing such a cool thread. there are too few successful vertical threads. when did you go to 12/12? thats one of the biggest problems with that setup, knowing exactly when the clones are ready for 12/12. i know they have to be quite small otherwise everything gets overgrown, once the plants are beyond a certain size they start to crowd each-other and in the end they defeat the object of a vert grow. but done the right way the potential is huge. can't wait to see more, good job.

 

[Keefhead]

Thanks folks for having an interrest. I hope to provide some nominal entertainment value along the way.

I suspect I waited too long to go 12/12, but we'll see. It was June 14, after about 12 days out of the ez-clone, when I flipped.

I've got a lot to learn, and this is the first grow in it. At first I wasn't sure I wanted to make this a thread, since I may fall flat on my face. But there is such a wealth of information out there - I'll learn from suggestions more than bad luck.

 

[The Dopest]

Keefhead, nice thread. i've been lurkin around for a while now. the thread is comin along nicely. my opinion is 12 days was a lil too long. but i'm makin a pothead guesstimate. really, i hope that 12 is the perfect number though cause i for one would love to see an overly successful vert grow! hate to bother you with details but can you elaborate a bit more on the specs setup? like what size pump (gph) and how exactly does the flood work? im assuming, but ya'll know what thaat leads to. that the pump cycles the nutes from the reservior below up through ?" tubing and in through the tops of the columns. but are there any misters involed or do the nutes simply run down the verts back to the res? also you said you dont run the nutes "at all" when the lights are off?

sorry bout the questions but you have my attention now what are ya goin to do with it? lol

gl and peace

 

[Keefhead]

A few answers

A few answers

Gaius, glad to see you here. Please pop in at anytime with your thoughts. I've followed your threads with respect for a while now.

Dopest - I suspect I should have gone 12/12 after only 3 days or so. This is turning into a forest in there. My bad.

The pump is a submersible, about 1200 gph if I recall. The original cage had an external pump, but I didn't like the arrangement, so I re-did it. Tweakers.

See those blue hoses at the bottom? There's a ring of hose inside the reservoir with 12 lines coming out. It's also connected to the output of the pump. There's a valve on each one, allowing you to shut off the valve, unscrew the connector, and lift the column out for whatever reason, trimming or harvesting.

The hoses run up inside the columns to the top, where holes in the hose allow the nutes to flow down the inside of the columns and wet all the hydroton. It then flows out the bottom of the column and back into the reservoir.

I can't promise to get to this thread every day, but feel free to post questions and I'll answer what I know. Remember, this is my first cage growl

May all your grows be prolific.

 

[Guest]

That is one nice piece of equipment.

And yes, how do they feed in the nutes.

I'm thinking these vertical tubes would work brilliantly in my greenhouse for some Aquaponic strawberries and herbs mmmm.

Now how am I gonna build some (Bigtoke?) or find similar in industry.

I'll continuous flow whatever I end up making as part of the total system flow. Less gadgets the better for me.

This is very cool. Booked in....

 

[Guest]

You answered as I did. You could prune the tops and let the rest go if it really is going to be too much. better than budrot etc that comes with no air circulation and dense growth.

 

[BigToke]

………..Dame!!! that’s some whicked ass shit dude ~ I love these kind of grows………keep up the good work.