Problem with DWC

[simonH]

Hey Guys

 

Thought I would post this here as it will get more views than in my thread.

 

So this is my DWC grow, its a Northern Lights Auto:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My other northern lights auto is in coco, was planted at the exact same time, and is currently flowering, although not a lot - lots of bud sites but not much size, and its taking a while for them to swell up.

 

My lighting is a 400W HPS for flowering, and a 400W MH for veg. Since 2 out of 3 plants are flowering, they are under HPS.

 

I switched to 12/12 a while back as I was growing some normal strains too, but they turned out to be male. So after about 3 -4 weeks under 12/12, lighting was switched to 18/6, and not its 20/4.

 

My problem is that this one has not began flowering at all. It either means the seed was labelled wrong, or something else entirely is wrong, and it needs 12/12 to flower. I dont mind putting it under 12/12, but I am going overseas on the 4th Jan. Hopefully by then, my other two autos will be done, they are in coco. So i can harvest and put them out to dry - was thinking that I would basically just leave them in their pots and let them dry in their pots naturally, as apparently thats better than cutting and hanging?

 

This plant looks healthy, and it may not be an auto. So I want to keep it. But I cant keep it in a DWC whilst I'm away for 3 weeks.

 

I was thinking of a few options:

 

Option 1: Cut the plant in half. Plant the top half in some coco, trim the branches, do the same, so I'll be left with a few clones in coco. If they root, brilliant, I can setup automated watering, and just leave them in the bathroom whilst I'm gone, where there is plenty of natural light, so they should survive as small plants for 3 weeks. Can setup automated watering or get a friend.

• Now the half plant that is left, I can trim the roots, trim some of the foliage, and leave it in DWC. Hopefully the smaller plant will use less water and might survive, or can use a bigger container
• My concern here, is that is the stem too thick? So if I plant the top half of the main stem will it root?
• Additionally, if I do cut it, will two new stems form from the main one? This would be ideal actually, as I want to try growing a plant with 8 apical tips, so 8 main colas and trim off everything else. My concern is because the stem is somewhat hardy now, it may not grow two new stems from the top?
• I coud give it to to a friend to look after too or get hime to come every 2 days. He wants to start growing too, so I could him a few rooted cuttings as payment, if indeed these are not autoflowering!

Option 2: Transplant the plant into coco. Trim the roots to encourage new growth, and then plant into coco. This means I can leave it with a friend whilst I'm gone to water, or setup auto watering.

• I'm guessing if I trim the roots I should trim some of the growth too? Also have the same concerns as above regarding stem thickness.

 

 

Also, some of the leaves look like this. Any idea what it is? I think its an Mg deficiency, but it shouldn't be? I'm using DWC, pH 5.6 - 5.9 or so, with jungle juice nutes using the lucas formula

 

 

 

Thanks for looking guys

 

 

[Artifice]

Love the root shots mate  The leaves look like PH fluctuations or calcium def? Don't take my word for it though.

Edited December 5, 2013 by Artifice

[simonH]

They do look pretty awesome dont they! I took a few shots with my film camera too, as film just looks awesome...lets hope the lab doesn't get suss or notice when the process it!

 

I measured the pH and it was 5.5. Increase to 5.8?

 

Any idea how I can keep it alive whilst I'm gone? And anyone got any idea of the species?

[Artifice]

I would keep my DWC between 5.6 and 5.8, 5.5 is the min. If you're going away for 3 weeks, you could buy a reservoir and set up an auto watering system, or a bucket/pot flood and drain/ebb and flow system. There is an absolute boatload of information on the net about these set ups, between this site and google; you'll find plenty, and they're not that hard to build  You mentioned you had a friend you could leave them with, a few res tops up and PH fixes in those 3 weeks would probably be fine.

 

I'm not sure it would be worth switching the lighting to 12/12 for your autos if only 1 isn't flowering, which might be due to unstable genetics, or just a mislabeled seed. You would definitely normally switch to 12/12 if an auto wasn't flowering, but if the other 2(?) autos are, I would expect a decrease in final yield under a 12/12 rather than 18/6 or 20/4. Again, don't take my word for it, try and research

 

Best of luck mate 

 

 

[simonH]

So we switched the lights to 12/12. One of the 'autos' definitely started increasing the bud size, adn the other auto is just about ready to harvest.

 

I'm hoping the 12/12 will cause the auto that has no flowers at all to begin flowering. 

 

In regards to going away for 3 weeks, and in general, it is possible to transplant a hydro plant to coco? I would think trimming the roots and transplantation and it should work? Thoughts?

 

And here is what the DWC looks like now, still no flowers, but we switched to 12/12 a few days ago, and the other auto has shown an increase in bud size whereas it was pretty stagnant before: