DeaneR Tries DWC

Hello Growers! I thought I would give Deep Water Culture growing a try. With this grow, I will attempt to grow both cheaply and simply. My Set-up: I'll be using two, 5 gallon bucket and air stone setups, in a 2 foot by 4 foot tent. Since it is winter, and my house is currently 66F, keeping reservoir temps down shouldn't be a problem. A dual output pump feeds air 24 hours a day, to each bucket ( a single 2"X4" Air Stone / Bucket ). A 6" oscillating fan will blow across the top of the plants. The light is a Cheap Hollandstar X6 off amazon. It has 6 COBs, with switches for Bloom/Veg. Output is 200W with bloom switch (4 Cobs on), and 100W with Veg switch (2 Cobs on), making a combined output of 300W. I'll start with just the 2 veg Cobs on, then move to the full 300W at some point. My Nutrient Inputs: To keep costs down, I will be using a powdered nutrient ( 5-12-25 Tomato Blend ) by MasterBlend, plus Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate), and Calcium Nitrate. This is essentially the Jack's 3-2-1 method ( for those of you who are familiar with it ), except I'm using MasterBlend, a more readily available manufacturer in Canada. I mixed up two concentrated stock solutions to make a Part A and Part B (see photo above), for fast, easy reservoir mixing. The formula is 3 parts MasterBlend, 2 parts Calcium Nitrate, and 1 part Epsom Salt, all measured by weight. To Make Part A - Start with a 4 Liter bottle of distilled water. Remove about 2 liters and set aside. Mix in 720 grams of MasterBlend and stir until fully dissolved. Then mix in 240 grams of Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate) and stir until fully dissolved. Now add back enough distilled water, that was set aside earlier, to make 4 liters of stock solution. Store in a cool, dark place. To Make Part B - Start with a 4 Liter bottle of distilled water. Remove about 2 liters and set aside. Mix in 500 grams of Calcium Nitrate and stir until fully dissolved. Now add back enough distilled water, that was set aside earlier, to make 4 liters of stock solution. Store in a cool, dark place. Part A gets mixed into the reservoir, followed by part B. Equal amounts of Part A and Part B are used. These stock solutions will make several hundred gallons ( depending on your dosage strength ) of mixed reservoir nutrients, inexpensively. I also will be supplementing with Botanicare's Cal-Mag Plus. I add this to the reservoir, prior to adding A & B. I hope to only change out the reservoirs weekly, and top off as required. I will pH my fresh reservoirs to 5.7 and top off with a pH of 5.7. The pH is bound to drift, but I'm going to just let it (unless I see some lockout occurring😠). The Plants: Alien Orange Gum - These seeds were freebies from my membership to the Dude Grows Crew. I started with 5 regular seeds last spring, of which 4 germinated. One seedling was a real runt, so I culled it and raised the remaining three. My plan was to look for a male to make some seeds. These plants grew real quickly (tall and lanky with a hollow stalk) in the high summer temps of my tent, and didn't show their sex till they were about 30 inches tall ( I didn't train them at all, as I was looking to see their natural traits). Turns out they were all females, and I later learned that they were over-vegged and would grow right up to the lights, lol😆. Two cuttings were taken from the plant with the best structure and vigor for this grow, and rooted in Coco Coir under t8 fluorescent bulbs. I hope, with lower temperatures, to train and tame these ladies this time around 🙏. That's about it for my intro...... Thanks for stopping in! If you have any questions, about this 3-2-1 stuff, ask below or message me, and I'll try to answer as best I can. Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 2 VEG See WEEK 1 VEG for details of Stock Solution A & B. The plants have put some roots down into the nutrient solution from their net cups this week. The new growth leaves are looking healthy and are "praying" to the light with good color. Growth was about 3 inches this week. Very little was used from their reservoirs (about 1/2 inch down), and the old nutrient solution on the 7th day of this week measured pH 6.7 and 710ppm. Since the ppms increased by 30 ppm over the course of the week, this indicates to me that the plants consumed a little more water than the nutrients that were supplied to it. I anticipate the new root growth will cause more nutrient uptake, and will mix fresh reservoirs to 720ppm and pH 5.7 to start next week. Thanks for Viewing, Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 3 VEG See WEEK 1 VEG for details of Stock Solution A & B. The Plants grew another 3 inches this week, and are looking healthy. On day seven of this week I topped the main stem of each plant. I then bent them in half and tied them down with some coated wire to a height of 5 inches. The reservoirs were left alone for the week with no top offs. At the end of the week the reservoirs measured pH 6.7 and 720 ppm. This level of ppm (720) appears to be appropriate for the size and stage of these plants. The plants are consuming equal amounts of water and nutrients from the reservoir. I then changed out the reservoirs and added in a new batch of nutrients at pH 5.7 and 720 ppm to start next week. Thanks for Viewing, Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 4 VEG See WEEK 1 VEG for details of Stock Solution A & B The plants are throwing out some nice side branches now. Everyday I spend 10 minutes gently bending the branches down in a attempt to level the canopy. I am not using any tie down method this grow (other than the main stem from last week). I left the reservoirs alone this week (no top offs or adjustments) and about 1 gallon was consumed. At the end of the week the reservoirs measured pH 6.7 and 770ppm. I then refilled the reservoirs with pH 5.7 and 750 ppm nutrient solution for the upcoming week. Thanks for Viewing, Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 5 VEG See WEEK 1 VEG for details of Stock Solution A & B Nice growth this week! I bumped up the Cal-Mag by 1mL per gallon. Some of the leaf petioles (the piece between the leaf and main stem) were turning a little purple on their upper sides (bottom still green). Speaking of petioles...these girls have some long ones! I selectively pruned out some fan leaves, to expose the future bud sites to the light. Pictures 7 thru 11 show how much more light is now penetrating the plants. I continue to bend down the plants daily. At this weeks end, I dumped the reservoirs (pH 6.7 and 760 ppm), and replaced a new batch with pH 5.7 and 750 ppm for the upcoming week. So far, I am enjoying the results and ease of this growing style. I hope this trend continues 😀. Plus no F*ck'n Fungus Gnats!!!!😁. Thanks for Viewing, Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 6 VEG See WEEK 1 VEG for details of Stock Solution A & B This week began with a light schedule change to 12 hours on, and 12 hours off. After 7 days no pistils appeared, so I am calling this transition a vegetative week. I continue to bend and manipulate the plants daily. These girls are really starting to drink up their reservoirs. My week runs from Monday to Sunday, and on Wednesday of this week I topped off each reservoir with 1 Gallon. This Gallon of R.O. water contained 10mL A + 10mL B + 2.5mL Cal-Mag = 700 ppm pH'd down to 5.5. At the end of the week (Sunday) the reservoirs measured pH 6.6 and 740 ppm. The reservoirs were then changed out with new nutrients pH 5.7 and 750 ppm for the upcoming week. Time for these girls to start flowering😀. Thanks for Viewing, Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 1 FLOWER See WEEK 1 VEG for details of Stock Solution A & B Finally! After two weeks of 12/12 light cycle, these girls are starting to look like they are flowering. A ton of new tip growth this week, and they stretched about 4 inches. These girls continue to drink up their reservoirs. My week runs from Monday to Sunday, and on Wednesday of this week I topped off each reservoir with 1 Gallon. This Gallon of R.O. water contained 10mL A + 10mL B + 2.5mL Cal-Mag = 700 ppm pH'd down to 5.5. At the end of the week (Sunday) the reservoirs measured pH 6.5 and 710 ppm. The reservoirs were then changed out with new nutrients pH 5.7 and 800 ppm for the upcoming week. Thanks for Viewing, Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 2 FLOWER See WEEK 1 VEG for details of Stock Solution A & B Great growth this week! The girls stretched another 3 inches, and are throwing out a ton of pistils. These girls continue to drink up their reservoirs. My week runs from Monday to Sunday, and on Wednesday of this week I topped off each reservoir with 1 Gallon. This Gallon of R.O. water contained 10mL A + 10mL B + 2.5mL Cal-Mag = 700 ppm pH'd down to 5.5. At the end of the week (Sunday) the reservoirs measured pH 6.7 and 900 ppm. The reservoirs were then changed out with new nutrients pH 5.7 and 700 ppm for the upcoming week. Thanks for Viewing, Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 3 FLOWER See WEEK 1 VEG for details of Stock Solution A & B Another 2 inches of stretch. These girls are starting to max out this tent height wise (60" H tent). I'll move them to a taller tent soon. These girls continue to drink up their reservoirs and pump out pistils. My week runs from Monday to Sunday, and on Wednesday of this week I topped off each reservoir with 1.5 Gallon. This 1.5 Gallon of R.O. water contained 20mL A + 20mL B = 650 ppm pH'd down to 5.7. I then went out of town for the Christmas Holidays. I returned at the end of the week (Sunday) to reservoirs that only contained less than a gallon each ( YIKES! the top off on Fridays are clearly needed). The reservoirs measured pH 6.7 and 1100 ppm!😵. The reservoirs were then changed out with new nutrients pH 5.7 and 820 ppm for the upcoming week. Thanks for Viewing, Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 4 FLOWER See WEEK 1 VEG for details of Stock Solution A & B I've started using a fertilization technique coined as "trickling", (Canna PK 13/14 @ 0.33mL/L = 1.25mL/US Gal of water) for a light PK boost this week. I'll continue this until the final week of flushing. Another 2 inches of stretch. These girls are maxing out this tent, height wise (60" H tent). Only 15 inches from the light😎. Time to prepare a taller tent. These girls continue to drink up a half gallon per day from their reservoirs. The tent has become a thick jungle of fan leaves. This week I did a big defoliation of fan leaves and pruned out some lower larfy branches. I hope to improve airflow through the plants and increase light penetration into the canopy. This cleanup, likely should have been done last week. Let's hope I didn't shock and stunt these girls🙏. My week runs from Monday to Sunday, and on Wednesday and Friday of this week I topped off each reservoir with 1 Gallon. This 1 Gallon of R.O. water contained 300ppm of Cal-Mag pH'd down to 5.7. At week's end, the reservoirs measured pH 6.6 and 700 ppm. The reservoirs were then changed out with new nutrients pH 5.7 and 750 ppm for the upcoming week. Thanks for Viewing, Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 5 FLOWER See WEEK 1 VEG for details of Stock Solution A & B This week started with a move to a new tent, trellis, and light set-up, as the plants were running out of headroom in the 60" tent. The tent is a 24"X48"X84" Quicktent, and the light is a SpiderFarmer SF-2000, that pulls about 200W @120V from the wall. I'm running 5 fans in this tent😵. The intake is a 6" constant speed duct booster fan, that I installed some silkscreen over to keep out pests. The ducting is bent and pointed into a dark corner to minimize light infiltration. The exhaust fan is a 6" AC Infinity fan (teamed with a 6" carbon filter), that I bypassed all of its' fancy controls, to run the fan at a constant speed of 3. This set-up yields a slight negative pressure within the tent and is controlling odor well. Speaking of odor... these girls smell like Mandarin Oranges😍...very nice. The other 3 fans move air within the tent, across and under the canopy. One fan is dedicated to cooling the driver and heat-sink of the SF-2000. Two layers of 3" trellis netting support and space the colas. That's about it for the kit. GROW TIP: See photos above. The cap for Dawn dish washing soap fits perfectly on a 2L soda bottle. I utilize this for my stock solutions A & B. The cap makes it easy to dispense small amounts of my stock solutions into measuring vessels.👍 These girls continue to drink up a half gallon per day from their reservoirs. The "stretch" has stopped...now let's hope the buds bulk up. My week runs from Monday to Sunday, and on Wednesday and Friday of this week I topped off each reservoir with 1 Gallon. This 1 Gallon of R.O. water contained 10mL of A+10ml of B=600ppm pH'd down to 5.6. At week's end, the reservoirs measured pH 6.5 and 820 ppm. The reservoirs were then changed out with new nutrients pH 5.7 and 720 ppm for the upcoming week. Thanks for Viewing, Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 6 FLOWER See WEEK 1 VEG for details of Stock Solution A & B These girls continue to drink up a half gallon per day from their reservoirs. The buds have grown a little bit thicker this week, and are putting on the trichomes . The pistils have turned from white to a cream color, and are getting real curly, with some changing to a reddish-orange color. When changing my reservoirs this week I spotted some new residents...springtails. The picture above (taken with a USB microscope/camera) is springtails I collected from both reservoirs floating on the surface. These little ones can jump over an inch😲! I've read the majority of springtails are beneficial, eating bacteria, fungi, algae and decaying vegetation. What is your opinion? I'll put it to a grow question. My week runs from Monday to Sunday, and on Wednesday and Friday of this week I topped off each reservoir with 1 Gallon. This 1 Gallon of R.O. water contained 12mL of A+12ml of B +1mL P/K 13/14= 630 ppm pH'd down to 5.6. At week's end, the reservoirs measured pH 6.4 and 870 ppm. The reservoirs were then changed out with new nutrients pH 5.7 and 610 ppm for the upcoming week. Thanks for Viewing, Stay Safe & Grow Strong💪 Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 7 FLOWER See WEEK 1 VEG for details of nutrient Stock Solution A & B These ladies have put on a little bit of bud weight this week. The grow room smells heavenly with a strong sweet orange scent😍. These girls aren't said to be big producers, but the quality should be on point based on trichome production and smell. This week the girls continued to drink about a half gallon per day. They are still taking in the same amount of liquid per day, but have slowed down some in their nutrient uptake from the reservoirs. My week runs from Monday to Sunday. Wednesday - Reservoir measure - Plant A 6.0pH, 740ppm - Plant B 5.7pH, 710ppm @ 66F. Wednesday - Reservoir top-up - 2 gallons/ reservoir of R.O. water+20mL A+20mL B +2.5mL P/K 13=5.7 pH, 620ppm. Thursday - Reservoir measure - Plant A 6.0pH, 670ppm - Plant B 5.7pH, 640ppm @ 66F. Reservoirs are down about 1 inch ~ 1/2 Gallon. Friday - Reservoir measure - Plant A 6.0pH, 690ppm - Plant B 6.0pH, 650ppm @ 66F. Friday - Reservoir top-up - 2 gallons/ reservoir of R.O. water+20mL A+20mL B +2.5mL P/K 13= 4.8 pH, 680ppm. Friday - Remeasure reservoirs - Plant A 5.8pH, 690ppm - Plant B 5.7pH, 660ppm @ 66F. Sunday - Reservoir measure - Plant A 6.0pH, 750ppm - Plant B 5.9pH, 700ppm @ 66F. Reservoirs are down about 2 inch ~ 1 Gallon. Sunday - Reservoir Change - 5.8pH, 640ppm. I've noticed my reverse osmosis filter is starting to age, and its output ranges from 20 to 80ppm, with a tap water input of 200-240ppm. Thanks for Viewing, Stay Safe & Grow Strong💪 Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 8 FLOWER See WEEK 1 VEG for details of nutrient Stock Solution A & B The grow room smells heavenly with a strong sweet orange scent😍. These girls didn't appear to grow much this week. Some of the tops have rounded out and thickenend slightly. The girls continued to drink about a half gallon per day. They are still taking in the same amount of liquid per day, but have slowed down some in their nutrient uptake from the reservoirs. Trichomes appear to be about 80% cloudy and 20% clear with no ambers yet. I'll see if these girls will go another week, perhaps two at most. My week runs from Monday to Sunday. Thursday - Reservoir measure - Plant A 6.1pH, 760ppm - Plant B 6.4pH, 680ppm @ 66F. Thursday - Reservoir top-up - 2 gallons/ reservoir of R.O. water+20mL A+20mL B =5.7 pH, 560ppm. Saturday - Reservoir measure - Plant A 6.2pH, 680ppm - Plant B 6.1pH, 630ppm @ 66F. Reservoirs are down about 2 inch ~ 1 Gallon. Sunday - Reservoir measure - Plant A 6.3pH, 700ppm - Plant B 6.0pH, 630ppm @ 66F. Reservoirs are down about 3 inch ~ 1.5 Gallon. Sunday - Reservoir Change - 5.7pH, 610ppm. Thanks for Viewing, Stay Safe & Grow Strong💪 Peace, DeaneR😎

WEEK 9 FLOWER See WEEK 1 VEG for details of nutrient Stock Solution A & B Final update before Harvest😎. Well... here we are...70 days from the flip to 12/12 light schedule. The first week of flip didn't see much of a change in the girls, with no real pistil formation....so I regard it as a just another week of vegetative growth. With that in mind, we have arrived at day 63 of actual flower. The spec. sheet on this one says 55-65 days. Most of the trichomes are cloudy with a few amber. I've spotted some "Bananas"😭 (see pics 22&23 above taken today), on both the girls, so it's time to harvest these ladies before they seed out on me. My week runs from Monday to Sunday. Monday - Reservoir measure - Plant A 5.7pH, 630ppm - Plant B 5.6pH, 620ppm @ 66F. Reservoirs are down about 1 inch ~ 1/2 Gallon. Wednesday - Reservoir measure - Plant A 5.6pH, 640ppm - Plant B 6.0pH, 600ppm @ 66F. Reservoirs are down about 2.75 inch. Wednesday - Refill Reservoirs with 2 Gallons each of Water 5.7pH, 100ppm. Friday - Reservoir measure - Plant A 6.8pH, 180ppm - Plant B 7.0pH, 190ppm Saturday - Reservoir Change - Water 6.2 pH, 60ppm. The grow room smells heavenly with a strong sweet orange scent😍 ************** UPDATE: Chopped Down late Sunday Night. Thanks for Viewing, Stay Safe & Grow Strong💪 Peace, DeaneR😎