~ AirCube Active Oxygen Ebb/Flow System sponsored by GrowAce, featuring Strawberry Gorilla Auto by FastBuds ~
Well guy's and gal's here we go again on another exciting Autoflower run together! This time will be different as I will be doing a 'Hydroponic' run utilizing the AirCube Active Oxygen Ebb/Flow System by GrowAce, who were kind enough to sponsor me for this run, so it should be interesting to see what results I get and have some fun along the way!
โขLet me first tell you about this 6 Pot Ebb/Flow system from GrowAce:
"The AirCube system is the one and only Ebb & Flow grow system on the market that combines the benefits of air pruning with a fully automated Ebb+Flow system! With the AirCube's proprietary fabric pot in bucket design, this system is guaranteed to outgrow any other Ebb + Flow system on the market. The results speak for themselves- grow MASSIVE roots that result in MASSIVE fruits!
Air Pruning- Air Pruning only happens with fabric pots. As the roots reach the fabric walls of the pot, they penetrate and grow into the breathable fabric. Once penetrated, the roots are exposed to air, which causes the tips of the root to dehydrate and naturally prune themselves. This natural pruning process forces the roots to grow tons of lateral fibrous feeder roots. This results in a plant that utilizes the entire root zone and fills the entire pot with tons of roots. These fibrous feeder roots are incredibly effective in uptaking water and nutrients, resulting in a plant that grows healthier and more vigorously!
Oxygen Benefits- Without oxygen, nutrient absorption cannot occur. On a molecular level, oxygen is needed to transmit nutrients across the cell walls and into the roots of a plant. With the AirCube's proprietary bottom lifted draining design, the system actively draws all of the water out of the bucket pulls vital oxygen into the root zone.
Maximum Versatility with Any Grow Medium: The AirCube System is the only system on the market that allows you to use any growing medium you like. Use coco coir, soil, peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, hydroton, rockwool or any other medium you wish! This system is the most versatile Ebb and Flow bucket system in today's hydroponics industry.
Temperature Control- with the fabric pots constructed with highly porous polypropylene fabric, heat dissipates easily and effectively. Unlike standard plastic pots, heat isn't trapped in the root zone. Heat in standard plastic containers can reach temperatures of up to 125 degrees. When this type of heat is trapped and unable to escape, it can damage your plant's health and limit the potential of your harvest. Growing in the AirCube System, plant roots grow cooler, healthier, and more vigorous.
Largest Pots in its Class- this system features 5 Gallon grow buckets, the largest pot size of any other ebb and flow hydroponic system in the market.
Modular and Expandable- start with 6 grow buckets and expand up to 36 grow buckets with the optional 105 gallons PopTank reservoir!"
For my medium and nutrients I decided to also switch things up from my regular Organic runs, going with Plagron Nutrients and Root Royale 70/30 Coco/Perlite. When filling the fabric pots with medium, I first added just under a gallon of horticulture perlite from Nor-Cal as a base layer to ensure good drainage and then filled the remainder with the Root Royale.
โขNow for one of my favorites, and award winning strain from my friends at FastBuds... Strawberry Gorilla Auto:
I'll be running Strawberry Gorilla Autoflower which is a 55/45 Sativa/Indica Hybrid. "ATTENTION ALL! Due to our continuous efforts in evolving our breeding process, we are proud to confirm that our Strawberry Gorilla Auto has now become one of the most potent autoflowers in the world! Paving the way to our recent success where she ranked on top & brought home the gold at the very first American Autoflower Cup in California. Moreover, she proved that not only modern autoflowers can compete with photoperiods, but they can even beat them in their field. At the most recent edition of the Farmerโs Cup and competing against various photoperiodic strains, Strawberry Gorilla Auto took home the title of 'Highest Combined Terpenes' in the highly sought-after 'Home Grow Hash' category, with an impressive 97.163 mg/g total terpene content! Our exceptional genetic selection's crowning Strawberry Gorilla Auto strain is a spectacular hybrid known for producing yields of up to 600 gr/m2 in 70 days. This is a very manageable grow that can reach heights of up to 150 cm - due to its magnitude we recommend it for more experienced growers, as a huge plant may be a little overwhelming for first-timers. This show stopping sativa heavy hybrid is perfect as an all day smoke, producing a taste bud tingling, pungent berry and diesel terpene-rich flavor combo that leaves you with a grin from ear to ear, a perfect choice for those looking for a day-and-night autoflower! "*
*References: GrowAce.com, 2fast4buds.com
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The Setup:
โข AC Infinity 4x4 tent
โขAC Infinity Cloudline T6 Exhaust Fan w/ Controller 67
โขHLG 650R w/UVA Bar *** For some reason GD does NOT have a listing for the USA version of the 650R so I selected the closest match to it.
โขAirCube Active Oxygen Ebb/Flow 6 pot System
โขTrolMaster Hydro-X Controller for light
โขAutoPilot APC8200 co2 controller fed by a 50# tank
โข16" Hurricane oscillating fan and 8" floor fan
โขTent cooling via filtered outside air delivered by AC Infinity Cloudline T6 fan
โขBlueLab instruments: PH Pen and Truncheon Nutrient Meter
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Weekly Updates:
11/22- Here we go into the third week of flower for the FastBuds Strawberry Gorilla Auto's and they are coming along slowly but surely.
I'm continuing with running the AirCube reservoir for 5-6 days between drain/refill, only topping off with well water and checking.adjusting the PH. The beginning nutrient strength is 800ppm, and over the course of the 5-6 days it has only been dropping approx. 150ppm's.
The #3 plant has some issues with leaf tips 'clawing' and leaves 'taco-ing'. Unfortunately, with this system you're giving all the plants the same thing. If a plant in the run requires less/more nutrients, or prefers less frequent feeds/watering you're shit out of luck. That being said, the #3 looks crappy but it is what it is and we'll see how she deals with her issues. The #2 plant continues to be the stand out of the three and she's on a mission, getting frostier by the day!
11/24- Yesterday I raised the HLG 650R to it's maximum height available putting it approx. 30" above canopy. In addition, I reduced the power to 80% to see if it had any effect on the #3 plants condition. I'll give it 2-3 days to see if there is any change in her appearance, at which point I'll decide what to do with the light output.
The #2 pheno is getting super frosty and is looking like a champ! The #1 plant is just starting to get her 'frost engine' going and I'm hoping she'll follow in the #2's footsteps!
11/26- Tomorrow I will once again be draining, cleaning and refilling the AirCube Reservoir with 80L of well water. After filling, I'll be adding Plagron nutrients to a 800 ppm solution strength, then will adjust the ph to 5.6-5.8 @70-71โ .
11/28- There goes three weeks of flower for the Strawberry Gorilla's and I wish they looked better, but it is what it is. I still have hope for the #2 and possibly the #1 but anything can happen so we'll have to wait and see how these girls turn out... fingers crossed!๐๐ค
๐ Thank you for checking out my passion in life! Please visit as often as you wish and I hope you enjoy this journey as much as I know I will! Grow what you love, Love what you grow!๐
The real problem with running multiple hydro pods with a single reservoir, not all plant nutrient needs are addressed individually. Although possible itโs difficult to get to their potential.