ProfessorSkiSlopes INTRODUCTION
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Hi there, this is effectively my first grow - I have no experience with Hybridised feminised seeds, or Autoflowers, or Tents, or Carbon filters, or extraction fans, or LED lights, or humidity control, or Temp control, or coco feeding with a nutrient armoury comprising seven products. This entire endeavor is being done on the back of massive amounts of Internet research, looking at other diaries on here, and the commitment of a large part of my resources in both time and money. It took months of research to come to the choice of Quantum Boards, Fastbuds seeds, Coco, Flairform nutrient range , and a closed tent controlled ducted, humidity/temp controlled environment as being my best arrangement for optimum massive sticky bud production. However, the lack of practical experience is a huge factor, so I expect to see mistakes, possibly catastrophes. I also see huge advantage in LST but for my first grow I've decided to let them just go natural and try LST on my next grow.
AIMS FOR THIS GROW AND THIS DIARY
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I will do my best to make this a detailed, complete and informational diary with high quality imagery and video. and I will do my best to make this an attentively monitored grow and give it everything I have to get the best result I can. I would ideally like to get 8 plants with 3-5 ounces each (however unlikely for my first grow) this will be the ongoing goal for my grows using this setup.
Welcome and thank you for joining me. All comments, questions and suggestions are highly welcome.
GROW SETUP
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Gorilla Glue Auto plants from Fastbuds, in a 1.2m by 1.2m by 2m grow tent.
They are growing in 13.6 Litres airpots. Each Airpot has 2 Litres of Canna expanded clay balls in the base, followed by a 20/80 mix of growstones (essentially synthetic perlite) and Canna pro plus coco coir. The concentration of growstones is stratified, with a larger density of growstones in the bottom quarter, less in the next quarter, less in the next, and the top quarter is pure coco with no growstones.
The lighting is four quantum q288 boards, each has 288 samsung LM301b diodes for a total of 1156 diodes, at 3500k running at a combined 480watts for a total PPDF of 1176 umol. This is a DIY clone version of the HLG-550 and was purchased from Kingbrite on Alibaba for $400USD including International Express DHL Shipping. The quality of the light and its components are all high quality genuine parts.
The Coco was given an initial pre-treatment watering with a 20% strength Flairform nutrient mix in distilled water with 20% strength Cal-Mag additive and full strength rooting additive and 40% strength kelp extract. This had a PH of 5.9 (unadjusted) and a PPM of 200. The watering was done to an approx 20% run off. The growstones were rinsed with ph balanced water before being mixed with the coco.
GERMINATION
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The seeds were germinated using the tissue paper technique. They were left to germinate and then transplanted directly into their final pots. They were probably in the tissue a bit too long, and the tap roots got to around 3cm, so I made narrow holes in the coco and placed the tap root into the hole, and left the unopened cotyledon/seed hull just above the surface of the coco. This seems to have worked well and as soon as the first light cycle came on the cotyledons opened and photosynthesis turned things a great minty green.
ENVIRONMENT
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The light have been set to approx 1/2 intensity for this initial seedling stage (260w) and the lights have been suspended 80cm above the canopy. This is my first experience with LED lights so I've been experimenting with heights and intensities to try and dial-in the ideal settings. For the first several days the lights were hung at 120cm at 380w.
Air circulation is provided is via a tent-pole mounted (re-purposed ordinary household stand) fan. I used a laboratory lab clamp and drilled a hole in the fan plastic stand housing to mount the fan on the clamp, this positions the fan far enough out from the corner of the tent to allow the fan to fully oscillate through 90 degrees and rotate from one side of the tent to the other.
Air Ventilation will be provided via a (170m3/hr) 100mm booster fan that ducts (via 100mm ducting) to a second tent which has a carbon filter and centrifugal exhaust fan which ducts out of the room and into the roof space. The light doesn't throw out much heat (compared to a HID) so I'm just leaving the top of the door unzipped to ventilate at the moment and that is working fine for now.
Humidity/Temp monitoring is provided by a wireless monitoring station with 3 wireless monitors. I have one in each of my tents and one in the grow room itself, and the monitoring station is in my bedroom, allowing me to keep an eye on the growing environmentals whenever I like without needing to open up the growroom or the tents. (You can get one of these on ebay for around $30 USD with 3 remote sensors).
PH monitoring is done via a bluelabs PH Pen. This cost ten times as much as the cheap PH pen I was using, but it is worth every cent to have reliable quick PH reading capabilities. (Just search bluelabs on google, they retail for around $90 USD).
REMAINING GOALS
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1) Water quality management via a Reverse Osmosis water filter system.
2) Temperature control via simple temperature controller and fan heater (this will be managed at room level rather than tent level)
3) Plant leaf temperature monitoring via Infrared thermometer Gun.
4) Humidity control via controller and humidifier/dehumidifier setup.
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What a great looking diary so far!
Thanks for growing faster with us, let us know if you need anything :green_heart:
@ProfessorSkiSlopes, I'm sure you can! Our genetics are in good hands=)
Thank you @Fast_Buds! I hope I can do your fine genetics justice.