Too small? Help!

[merl1n]

Hi MJ, The sock would reduce the larger bits of perlite getting thru but not the bits that make the water cloudy, Its like a dust and as Ive never used coco I ain't gonna give any advice there on whether that would cloud up ya waters. Ive heard and seen ppl using coco in a run to waste system, but I cant recall seeing it in a recirc, but others here would have more info on that . The sock would restrict your return flow minimally, but you're already having problems with that so ya don't want to restrict it anymore.

As for the clogging, I have never had a problem with clogging from perlite. Clogging due to root growth, certainly, but not perlite.

Let us kno how you get on

Merl1n

[Mr Jane]

Hey Merl1n, I think it may just be the coco making the water cloudy on closer inspection. I got to the shop and bought a few more bits and pieces to get it all working properly, but have now decided to just use my set up as a run to waste (pumping the water out of the reserviour after each feed) because I don't want to end up with wet feet or fungas nats... also there was a hairline fracture in my water temp controller so thanks for saving me there mate, seriously! I would have been dust.

 

I've flipped to 12/12, the ladies are looking lovely atm, I haven't been able to find a GREAT deal of good info on 12/12, could someone steer me in the right direction? I just need the do's and dont's.. I did trim the dying leaves and a few fan leaves off last night, some people say do, others want to kill you for it.. but as I said they look happy and I read it helps with circulation through the plant.

 

Another thing I was curious about, I made a nice scrog net in earlier days, which isn't in yet due to being a noob really.. I was wondering if I could lower it gently over now? I'm aware this really isn't how to scrog.. but I fear I'm going to run out of room and the net would be just helping keep the tops of the plants away from the lights.

 

Thoughts/suggestions/info always welcomed and appreciated! Here's a pic of the chirpy girls.

 

[El Gato]

Hey MJ

 

Run to waste works best for coco IMO, due to its water retention and heavy nutes. You need to entirly soak the coco then let it dry out a bit. I like to let my coco dry to about what it comes fresh out the bag like to maybe a little dryer. The first top inch or so is bone dry. The leaves droop if you let it go too much but a feed and day or two and they are fine again.

 

Not much to know about 12/12.

It needs to 100% dark. You need to sit in the grow room for atleast 5 mins to let your eyes adjust before you say its light tight.

Check no LED lights on fans or anything is showing, tape them up.

Do not go into the room/tent when its lights off.

Check timers dont fail regularly, timer or light failure can lead to hermies.

Expect the plant to streatch. Buds wont really form for about 2 weeks into 12/12, give or take a few days, dont stress. I found the more sativa the longer it takes to start to flower.

You can trim off lower leaves that are fully shaded or dead ones. Leave the big fan leaves or anything up at canopy height. I trim up under the bottom, but not too hardcore. Thats something for you to play around with and see.

Probably throw ya net over it now if ya worried about height/streatch, it might help. I usally just tie string to the branches and to the frame of the tent, top and sides to train it if needed.

 

Party on

[Mr Jane]

Hey El, Thanks for the advice, I'll be following it. Just one thing though, If I have to sit in the tent to make sure it's entirely light proof, I would have to do this during the dark period right?

 

Peace MJ

[merl1n]

Hi MJ,

I'm glad you learnt from my error in regard to your water temp controller, its better to be safe.

As Ive previously said Im not a user of coco, but from all reports wet feet is a problem with coco, so as advised by El, let it dry out a bit.

El Gato is very much on the money with the 12/12. Darkness, total darkness. A pin hole of light is enough to mess things up, TOTAL DARKNESS. And as he advised sitting in your room for a minimum 5 minutes (I usually go 10-15min) for your eyes to fully adjust, to check for ANY light leaks. Also don't sit in one spot to check, move around your grow space as the light may not be visible from one angle but becomes obvious as you change your position.

As for your trimming, I do it, here is a couple of pics, before and after

And yes it helps with air flow, but for me, I want the plants goodness and energy to go into the top buds and not the 'popcorn' bud underneath. So I strip, not just trim, the undergrowth, little buds, leaf, the lot, stripped. Leaving the main stems. My rule "if it doesn't get the full light, its gone." If you are growing outside where the light source (the sun) constantly moves the more leaf to absorb the lights energy the better. But my lights are fixed. The light is above the plant and once my SCROG net is full no decent light can penetrate under the canopy. The leaves, if left, turn pale, go yellow and die. And those little immature buds can get stressed and can start making pollen flowers.

 

As for the SCROG net, I have mine in the room as soon as the grow starts and use it to train the growth in the direction I want. Now Im growing one plant and I start to spread her out from the start so my full area 3m x 3m is covered, then turn 12/12. Your plants seem more xmas tree shaped so I'm not sure how SCROGing it will go now. I'm not sure if Ive said this before but once you go 12/12 you need to be careful not to damage the bud as they weep inside and can cause mould to develope. Above my SCROG net I also use trailer nets to hold the weight of the bud upright. Even in installing the trailer net I have damaged buds before and resulted in mould, so be careful.

 

Hope it helps

Merl1n

Edited November 5, 2012 by merl1n

[Mr Jane]

Hey Merlin, I am also very glad I learnt from your errors Wow you really do give them a good going over, can I still do this? My ladies have been on 12/12 for six days?

Yeah I really should have started scrogging from the get go, I'm glad I didn't though because it would have been a pain in the arse when it came time to upgrade pot size. Do you start your 1 plant in the pot it finishes up in? Also you say you completely fill your screen then switch to 12/12.. don't you run out of room with the initial stretch/the following growth of the flowering phase?

 

Yeah I think you have mentioned this earlier on, this is a bit scary, I don't want to run out of room but I also don't want mould obviously! So I will be very careful when handling them.

 

A couple of quick questions:

 

I picked up an evap cooler, I was planning to put it on a timer.. 15mins on, 15 off during the hottest parts of the day (not that hot yet but it wont be long) is this a bad idea? Do fluctuating temps increase the risk of mould?

 

Anyways I'm off to check for light leaks Thanks as always guys.

[merl1n]

Hi MJ,

Now that you're in 12/12, I wouldn't be hackin it back. It can stunt growth and give you shitty fluffy bud. 18/6 you can hack as you wish and she'll recover but 12/12 is a time of nurture. Maybe next time. Just remove the dead and dying growth as you see it now.

As for the pot size, yep start to finish in a 50ltr pot and no I usually dont run out of room. Although last grow I had a timer die and room was a problem to the point where I had to remove a bulb to allow the buds somewhere to go. I also had problems with the size of the root mass, blocking drain tubes, resulting in floods.

As for ya aircooler, must say Im not a great fan (no pun intended ) of these. Its not so much the change in temp MJ but they increase the level of humidity or moisture in the air and mould loves humidity. I use fans, 7 oscalating and a centri, this could be seen as overkill, I know, but I no longer have any problems with mould or temp.

 

Merl1n

[Mr Jane]

Hey Merlin, yeah I'll leave the girls in peace and just let them dop thier thing this time round, next time I'll scrog and lollipop them. They are some awesome looking buds!.. bloody hell I bet my next issue will be root mass now .

 

Yeah I was thinking it would screw up the humidity, so I'll whack a couple more osicilating fans in there soon as I can, good advice!

 

Tonight once the lights go on I'm going to flush and feed them, with my system, if I just flush with normal Ph'd water and let it all drain back in to the res, can I then re-Ph this water, nute it, and feed with it? Also I might skip putting the scrog net in, and just tie them down like El suggested.. could this also stress them out to much? Damn I'ma cry if they hermie

[merl1n]

Hi again,

When you flush you're removing the crap that has built up in your system. To then feed that to your plant, pH adjusted or not, would be a bit like eating your own shit. When you flush throw it away dont reuse it. The idea is to start fresh.

Now that you're in 12/12, El's ideas are about the only that will work. All my info is primarily SCROGing from the start and using the netting to train growth, where as now you are way past that point. As for stressing it out ......... as I train from the start they are pretty used to being stretched and pulled anyway, but as I said before 90% of that training is done in grow cycle so I don't stress her out too much in head cos I did have a hermie and I learnt. DOH.

 

Merl1n

[Syb3 rm3nt41_%20]

It would be worthwhile foliar feeding those plants at lights on and lights out (15mins before) with 1/5 vege nutrients........ i would increase the ec based on how they look ...... they could do with a lil more food ... how often are you feeding them straight water ?

 

peace n pot,

Edited November 9, 2012 by ind00rcultiv8r