Older, maybe wiser grow. Strawberry Cough and AK-47

[growtek]

It's been many moons since I've posted a grow, but I want to give and learn in return.

I'm in week 2 with an Ebb and Flow setup. We're right on the cusp of transplanting to a larger recirculating DWC I made myself.

I've done Strawberry in the past, I got 1/4 females. It's supposed to be a Purple dominant strain, but that didn't happen in my case. The taste color and high were great with a high Sativa content making it a perfect 'anytime' smoke.

I've done AK in the past. It's fun to grow but comes in very different phenotypes. AK's won 2nd place in different years (Cannibus Cup) in both Sativa and Indica categories.

Here's pics of just popped.

 

[growtek]

Week one

AK, all , SC

 

[growtek]

Week Two

Now we're all caught up heh.

I'm using these coco pots so they keep the soilless out of the hydroton. I was worried how easily the roots would penetrate. Not worried now!

I've had to keep increasing the nutes (Canna Vega) from ec .8 to 1.0. Still correcting a slight nitrogen deficiency (you can see in the Strawberry). Greedy bastards.

Veg is the foundation for your house. If you get nice healthy plants through veg, you're generally going to get some great bud and a lot of it.

 

[andy52]

looks good,i want to try the cough myself

 

[growtek]

Room/Environment

Space: 6 x 5 x 6 (not counting light hood).
Light: Vented 1000w Agrosun currently. Will change to HPS and add second 600w HPS during flower.
Temperature: 74-80 air, root 71-77
Airflow: presently vented and environment closed system with Co2 supplement. Oscillating fans. (winter temps are nice!)
Humidity 53
VpD (Vapor Pressure Deficit) 1.29 -1.56

 

[Dexter]

Cool, Best of Luck Growtech, Wishing you a sat AfghKush47.
Dexter

 

[bombbudpuffa]

Everything looks great.

 

[andy52]

sounds like a heck of a grow,i'll be watchink this as i just ordered some ak-47

 

[growtek]

Thanks for all the kind comments mang! :headbang2:

Andy, here's a few old pics of the AK-47. Long gone now... I probably cursed myself, will fung up this grow and show you mold in 3 months heh...

You can see the various phenos from more indy dominant (the shorter fat bud) to the sativa dominant (longer, leaner. Dexter check out the last pic). More important, all were very potent great stones.

But it's hard to see how AK won the Cannibus Cup in either category because they both seemed sativa/indy blends.

I like the first pic because it reminds me of some big cruiser from Starcraft.

I have some of the Strawberry around.... gotta check the archives, heh.

 

[growtek]

Hoooooooookay........ here we are a week later.

I've seen some peeps also use 5 gallon buckets. Gotta love it, best way to go IMHO. More room = bigger plant = bigger buds. The ebb and flow goes once they get too big ( a few days after week two) and into the Big Black Buckets.

TECH STUFF

I use a bubbler DWC setup (see the airstone in the bottom). I add a recirculator (submersible pump through grow ring). All the fittings and stuff easy to get and make yourself. All pumps are put into filter bags; the best way I've found to keep the rootmass out.

EC at 1.0; ph 5.8-6.0; T 78-81 (b/c added second 600 watt); humidity 58-60; VPD 1.1 Kpa

My humidity is higher than usually seen . It's based on vapor pressure deficit, a greenhouse value which relies on the humidity and temp together.

The higher the VPD, the lower the humidity for temp. The lower the value the higher the humidity for temp. There is a 'sweet spot' at 0.85 kpa. I use 'sunny day' temp range of 75.2-80.2 so my humidity is best at levels higher than 63.

Since I can't post links yet , google Autogrow Systems VPD, they are a commercial greenhouse site but they have a great one page summary of VPD as well as a calculator.

My unintended experiment is running that second 600 with a HPS because I don't have the MH conversion bulb. It will be interesting what effect it has on the plants in the back.

 

[eastla_kushsmoka]

Find Any Pics Of That Strawberry

 

[growtek]

Eastla here ya go.

I don't have any dried pics. I only got one fem from 4 seeds and was disappointed no purple (this was supposed to be purple dominant strain).

 

[growtek]

Argh! So I titled this "Older, Wiser Grow". Maybe I shoulda made it "Making More Mistakes Grow" LOL.

I started my seeds with an Ebb/Flow, something I've never done and had to use a highter level of nutes compared to my DWC.

I had the EC to 1.1 in the Ebb/Flow before I got rid of a Nitrogen deficiency.

Then I switched to my good ol Black Buckets. I kept the nutes at EC 1.0, which is too freaking high. I knew this. So why did I change? Because I had a moment of indecision thinking, "Maybe I have it wrong".

Man, lesson learned. TRUST WHAT YOU KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE. I cannot believe I let my experience get trumped by insecurity.

I was sure growth had slowed then those roots hit the nutes and it was obvious. I had leaf curling/malformation, leaf deposits all the usual crap (pic 2,3,4). I think I stunned them for 4 days total although changed the nutes as soon as I saw these leaf changes (pic 5 at week 4 right before the storm).

These last two days they've come around, the whole atmosphere in the room has changed with new growth peeking out everywhere (last pic, 4 weeks 5 days)! :cool2:

BTW, I was at Ye Olde Hydro store and saw these airstones Andy had mentioned in his grow thread. This pic doesn't do this stone justice how big it is! I swapped out 5 of my other airstones for these. Use them with a reef pump and you're golden. We'll see if the rootmass is going to engulf them as it's already pretty thick. The outlet is larger than standard airhose so you need to make an adaptor (sorry forgot to take a pic).

I'm hoping to have these the right height in 3-4 days so next pics will be in flower.

 

[Vegs]

Lookin' great! Thanks for the pics earlier ont he AK47 strain. I'm about to order some AK48 here shortly and look forward to getting some buds looking like the ones you posted earlier.

 

[andy52]

great pics,i too use that type air stones.

 

[growtek]

Hi Andy. Yeah, thanks! I saw it in your thread and thought I'd give them a try.

Vegs... I'm hoping to get some buds like the pics I posted LOL. The best bud I'm smoking right now I didn't grow. ouch! The AK was gone last by last summer.

 

[BuddyLuv]

I just heat the 1/4 hose up with a hair dryer, slides on smooth then.