will the wickedness never end?

[MacGydro]

I feel ya on that whole reply, man!
I find my way to a solution via the bassackwards route way too often, but I tell myself it's just more practice to feel better about it lol
I generally do a lot more reading than posting, but I'm trying to be more social in the community again lately. I just browsed ICMag, soaking up info since 07, and didn't even create my acct there til 09. Then IC was my only home for years, until people started using it less, and that damn "site upgrade" just made it suck all the more.
I still check in, of course, but it's a shame it's so quiet there nowadays.
Now this is my main canna hangout, and thank god there's a solid community of folks here to interact with, without most of the drama found other places.

 

[greyfader]

my wife and i live a "no drama" lifestyle. we identify those prone to living drama-ridden lives and avoid them like the plague.

ain't nobody got time for that shit!

my cat ate a sewing needle a couple of days ago. it was attached to a piece of thread that she was eating from the middle and she pulled it down in reverse.

luckily i saw the thread end hanging out of her mouth and asked my wife if she had been sewing something. she checked and both the thread and needle were gone.

so we go to the emergency vet for an x-ray and sure enough, it was in her stomach.

we got her to our regular vet in the morning and it had moved into the intestine but just the first part.

she had surgery to remove it. she's back home now and in fine shape. very fast recovery.

we are both grateful and 1400 bucks lighter.



i figured everyone is bored today so i have a few pics of the new veg system i built for this pheno hunt.

of the 3 strains and 15 possible variations, i have rejected 2 phenos.

candy store #7 and planet of the grapes #2. both stretch queens with long internodes.

i have not topped them yet as there are large differences in height and i still have not taken another set of clones yet.

this is a 31 site automated ppk device.

it is a closed-loop recirculating system that mechanically drains the perched water table after each watering event.

i am running a 4" air gap.

water level is controlled by a float valve.

there is a 700 gph pump powering the irrigation system.

i am using one of the cheap amazon "nearpow" timers again. they are working fine so far.

they can be used for lights too but if you are running more than about 8 amps i would suggest that you use the timer to flip relays to actuate the lamps.

you can run up to 40 amps on one of these;

https://www.automationdirect.com/adc/shopping/catalog/relays_-z-_timers/electro-mechanical_relays/power_relays,_open-style,_40a_(ad-pr40_series)/ad-pr40-2c-120a

i have used these for years. they don't break. you can run up to 600v at 40 amps max. the solenoid coil is 120v so the cheap 120v timer can fire a bunch of 240v lights simultaneously.

it's a good idea to mount them in an electrical box. i have installed receptacles in them before as well.

i have used them to flipflop flipflops of hps lights. not just room to room but up and down in the same period. back and forth. experimenting with light and reactions.

i have a confession to make.

i am totally addicted to experimenting.

i see quite a few addicts around here too.

those poor lost souls that keep accumulating seeds at a rate that defies reason.

even though they know they will never get to them all they just can't stop buying seeds.


the light is a 4x4' frame with 72 14 watt 5000k walmart bulbs.

it is 1008 watts total draw and produces 1500 umols at about 16". 1000 umols at 24".

i used double pools for the reservoir for insurance against leaks.

those are some old nursery pots in the pool.

they are drilled out with 6 1" holes so water can flow freely through them.

They are 8" tall so i can run 4" of water which gives me about 40 gals of recirculating volume.

the float valve is installed in one of them and the pump is in one of the free areas around the edges.

it is all fed with another 30 gal brute trash can.

the irrigation system is comprised of a ring of 1/2" hydro tubing around the top edge of the pool with 33 irrigation fittings installed.

the two crossover lines even out the delivery of each line without the use of valves..

the pic with the two tubing ends shows the one closest to the pump and the one farthest from the pump.

if you keep all tubing the same length it also helps get equal flow.

the holes in the top pool are centered over each pot in the pool to get clearance for the tailpieces.

 

[MacGydro]

As a newly adopted cat's person, let me just say OUCH on the surgery bill....but glad everything came out alright!

I love those Nearpow timers, especially for cycle pumps. Don't think I actually used it for the lights, but I don't run that much power, so I'm sure it would be fine.
Pump wise, I was liking 12v bilge pumps, because I needed something that would only suck from the bottom, and as low as possible.
Those pumps are damn quiet, and only suck from the bottom 1/4". They worked well in the shallow under-bed storage totes I was using as flood/drain tubs, as they were only like 4" tall as well.

I love the double kiddie pool, and have definitely thought of similar ideas before. Hard to find a cheaper rez with more capacity!

What would the pros and cons be to adding another pool as your rez directly underneath, as opposed to the remote brute?

That light is a freakin monster lol

 

[greyfader]

you have to take care of your pets. few things piss me off more than to see someone abusing an animal. you see animals all the time that are afraid of their owners. if you treat them right they should be fearless as they have never known fear.

be careful with bilge pumps for fish and animals. most are built with an oil-filled motor cavity. and the shaft that goes from the motor goes through a bulkhead with a seal and then powers the impeller.

when the seal fails oil can leak into your system. i have killed marine fish with a bilge pump before.

they may be making mag drive bilge pumps now.



the pools are $16 each at wally's 16.49 sq ft.

i have built a short 4x4' table before to put one pool under for a res and one pool on top for the plants.

 

[greyfader]

in my experiment using 8 hrs of very intense light (1500+umols) followed by 16 hrs of dark, instead of 12 hrs of moderate light (1000umols) followed by 12 hrs of dark i have not yet deviated from nature's circadian clock.

i am still maintaining a 24 hour diurnal cycle.

texagonian mentioned using a twelve-hour dark period with possibly a 6 hour light period.

so this got me started reading research papers about circadian rhythm in plants.

some types of plants have autonomous internal circadian clocks and some rely on exogenous signals to entrain the internal clock.

when you deviate from the circadian clock you could be unbalancing the carbon/oxygen stores.

some reading indicated that modern hybrid cannabis may be more susceptible to re-entrainment than landrace types.

landrace types have been under the same exact environmental conditions and light cycles for a very long time.

we may have bred flexibility into modern strains without being aware of it.

so i'm providing 43.2 moles per period at 8 hrs of 1500 umols. you can also achieve 43.2 moles with 12 hrs of 1000 umols.

some of my plants are actually getting 8hrs of 1800 umols and are not showing any ill effects.

6hrs of 1800 umols is 38.8 moles per period. that's not too bad.

1900 umols for 6 hrs is 41 moles of light delivered per period. even better.

can we reset the diurnal clock? maybe.

 

[greyfader]

we know that the papers on cannabis reactions to light show that the maximum rate of photosynthesis occurs at 1500 umols of flow but as far as i know these results were achieved in the lab in an integrating sphere and not on actual whole growing plants over time.

i don't know of any study done on the actual real use of light above 1500 umols. one comparing results between 1500 and 2000 umols. specifically on cannabis.

maybe there is a benefit that has not been recognized.

the sun hits 2000 umols in the field here at the 35th latitude. but it doesn't do it for 12 straight hours.

so the plant is capable of handling that level of light for at least short periods.

here is a newer dli map. i would really like to see the instantaneous readings that were averaged to get this.

 

[greyfader]

today is 7 wks of flower so here is an update.

 

[greyfader]

a few more random shots

 

[Texagonian]

today is 7 wks of flower so here is an update.

a few more random shots

Spectacular!

 

[greyfader]

hardly! but i am hoping to get a couple of elbows, at least.

i will try to name the flower shots in order.

the candy stores will finish first, followed by the orange kush cake, and then the planet of the grapes.

1. planet of the grapes
2. candy store, i have 2 showing this coloration
3. orange kush cake branch end
4. okc in the scrog
5. okc in scrog
6. okc terminal end
7. planet of the grapes in the scrog with orange kush cake behind it
8. different okc branch end
9. candy store

 

[greyfader]

a few more from today

 

[greyfader]

3 days growth from transplant and a flash shot.

photo 1095 above is not an okc, it is the terminal end of the other candy store pheno.

this has the most narrow leaf structure and is by far the heaviest. also short with tight nodes. candy store #2 replete with cat hair.

 

[Frimpong]

3 days growth from transplant and a flash shot.

Very cool man ??

 

[greyfader]

we are at 8 wks of flower today. the whole grow was done at 8 hours on and 16 hours off.

i'm going to take down the candy stores first, probably tomorrow.

the orange kush cakes could go a little longer and the planet of the grapes needs at least another week.

i am happy with the results of the 8 hour photoperiod.

to do it right you need exceptionally powerful lights and a par meter.

i have thought about texagonians idea of 6 on and 12 off and i really want to do it but i may not be able to until i move.

i have automated control over the lights and pumps only and have to manually open and close doors and adjust the house thermostat.

i can handle the 24 hour schedule but the rotating 18 hour one would kill me. i need my beauty rest.

some bad news on the "nearpow" timers. both of mine jumped off the repeat cycle and then stayed at the "on" setting leaving the pumps running full time. this occurred during an intense thunderstorm and we had some flickering lights too.

only because of the pools i didn't flood this rental house.

i unplugged and reset them and they are operating fine again so just beware.

automation direct has nice small industrial timers at about 80 bucks each but you have to be a computer nerd to operate them.

all analog timers are shit! i have used every one ever made and they all dumped on me.

blueprint used to make great digital timers but they are out of business now.

1. it is what it is

2. candy store

3. okc

4. candy store

5. candy store

6. okc

7. okc

8. planet of the grapes

9. side shot of the veg system that i couldn't find the first time. the veg pool at 7 days from transplant. i have since cloned the 12 orange kush cakes to death. i got 132 cuttings from 12.

 

[greyfader]

the aftermath!

that's yardstick unless you're metric!

half box is all of the candy stores. 7 small plants in 2 gal containers hand watered.

second box is all the planet of the grapes. 2 in the ppk scrog and two in 3.5 gal containers hand watered.

3 and 4 are the 4 orange kush cakes 2 in the scrog and two outside in 5 gal hand watered.

worth noting that all the plants outside the pool were not in the premium light except for the very tops.

overall, i am happy with the 8 hour photoperiod. the plants flowered hard and stacked nugs well.

absolutely covered in trichs but i have never grown these strains before so i don't know if they always do this or not.

i have isolated a top branch end from each plant and we are going to do the smoke test on them one at a time.

thus far we have tasted one of the candy stores and one of the orange kush cakes.

candy store #3 is a reject as, although it has good potency, it was bland. i can't move bland. everyone has bland.

orange kush cake #3 (numbers of sequence accidental) has a good strong intellectually uplifting type of buzz with an outrageously strong taste. not oranges but more like a strong-tasting chemdawg. some citrus undertones. i will be keeping this one.

now i gotta clean up the mess and reconfigure the flowering pool for sea of green.

i plan a single bed ppk style with barely rooted clones.

5" centers flowered immediately upon transplant.

i will use the 8 on 16 off light cycle again unless i can figure a way to build a false foam door with the 50 lpd de-huey fan exiting the room.

this would allow me to operate without opening and closing the frigging door every cycle.

if i can do this i will try the 6 hour on and 12 off cycle discussed above.

later for now, d9

 

[greyfader]

1. clean canvas

2. candy store is just shown as an example of growth.

3. before culling

4. same

5 after culling

6,7,8. root development 20 days from clone transplant

none of the candy stores were worth keeping. they were all very vague and bland. good potency but boring.

orange kush cake 2 and 3 very similar with good strong chem type flavor with slightly different undertones.

orange kush cake #1 is the champion. it is the only one with a pronounced orange flavor. has chem flavor too. it also yielded well and it is the only one that purpled.

i have rooted clones of all 3 of them and intend to run them sog style in a ppk bed next.

after rejecting planet of the grapes #2 for morphology and #4 for no flavor, we found both #3 and #4 to be very tasty and have good potency.

those are in the pool being grown out for clones.

also in the pool is my abused and neglected rare lemonhead that i need to run sometime. i might test flower it on the side to prove it before i commit.

the worm casting, DE, and vermiculite topping is promoting growth in the upper part of the container.

i have been mixing the worm poo in with the vermiculite and De beforehand and storing it. this may be a bad practice as i read that you are supposed to keep it moist while applying so that you don't kill off the micro-herd.

this next time i will apply it separately to the wet perlite and rake it into the top. then apple the vermiculite/De topping over that.

that's all folks!

 

[greyfader]

today is 5-5-22. 8 days to reload

this time i used 1 gal uline buckets for support because i already had them. the three right-side-up ones receive the three 3" tailpiece/drains.

all buckets except for the float valve bucket have four 1 3/8" holes in them. one of the holes intersects the waterline in each.

the float valve just barely fits in one. this bucket has one 7/64" hole in the bottom. this acts as an anti-flood device. it prevents the reservoir from overfilling by limiting the amount of water that enters during each pulsed irrigation. the water level in the float bucket drops at a much lower rate than the reservoir.

the cat that ate the sewing needle.

the pool with just perlite.

watering in the 12 lbs of worm castings that was spread evenly across the top. i couldn't help it!

after watering in the worm poo i mixed the same volume of vermiculite and added a quart of diatomaceous earth. mixed them and applied an even coat.

while transplanting i clawed the surface around with my hands the get it all mixed in a little better.

the clones are on 8" centers. i had been considering putting 90 plus clones in the pool using the other orange kush cake clones but then common sense took over and i'm just running the orange kush cake #1. it is much better tasting than the others and has been the most vigorous throughout. i will run these 32 so i will have to veg a little. the little 33rd one on the left is coming back out before the flip.

still using jack's 3-2-1 formula plus the fulvic and kelp.

i am going to have to run the 8 on 16 off photoperiod again until i can engineer a foam door for the de-huey exhaust.

the last pic shows the completed irrigation system. i put 64 fittings into the circular 1/2" tube. 24 of them are open around the edge and the rest are spread out as evenly as possible. there is a tubing end near each plant plus extras in the center.

all solution applied to the top has to travel laterally to get to a drain

forgot to mention that the pump is a 700 gph danner magdrive and i am running the timer 1 min per hour. this is delivering about 4 gals.

 

[Frimpong]

today is 5-5-22. 8 days to reload

this time i used 1 gal uline buckets for support because i already had them. the three right-side-up ones receive the three 3" tailpiece/drains.

all buckets except for the float valve bucket have four 1 3/8" holes in them. one of the holes intersects the waterline in each.

the float valve just barely fits in one. this bucket has one 7/64" hole in the bottom. this acts as an anti-flood device. it prevents the reservoir from overfilling by limiting the amount of water that enters during each pulsed irrigation. the water level in the float bucket drops at a much lower rate than the reservoir.

the cat that ate the sewing needle.

the pool with just perlite.

watering in the 12 lbs of worm castings that was spread evenly across the top. i couldn't help it!

after watering in the worm poo i mixed the same volume of vermiculite and added a quart of diatomaceous earth. mixed them and applied an even coat.

while transplanting i clawed the surface around with my hands the get it all mixed in a little better.

the clones are on 8" centers. i had been considering putting 90 plus clones in the pool using the other orange kush cake clones but then common sense took over and i'm just running the orange kush cake #1. it is much better tasting than the others and has been the most vigorous throughout. i will run these 32 so i will have to veg a little. the little 33rd one on the left is coming back out before the flip.

still using jack's 3-2-1 formula plus the fulvic and kelp.

i am going to have to run the 8 on 16 off photoperiod again until i can engineer a foam door for the de-huey exhaust.

the last pic shows the completed irrigation system. i put 64 fittings into the circular 1/2" tube. 24 of them are open around the edge and the rest are spread out as evenly as possible. there is a tubing end near each plant plus extras in the center.

all solution applied to the top has to travel laterally to get to a drain

forgot to mention that the pump is a 700 gph danner magdrive and i am running the timer 1 min per hour. this is delivering about 4 gals.

Badass man ?

 

[greyfader]

i used to be badass, now i'm half badass!

 

[greyfader]

yesterday, 5-13, i started flowering. i am using the 8 on, 16 off flowering schedule again.

8 days from transplant. 16 days from the last harvest.

the first 3 days of veg were at 400-500 umols of light by using only the outer ring of the light.

then without moving the light i turned on the inner half of the light and got about 900 umols. i ran this power level for 3 days.

the light has been about 4.5' above the canopy during this time.

then 2 days at 1500 umols achieved by lowering the light to about 36" above the canopy.

i added the reflectix "focuser" to the light on day 3 after transplant.

i am getting slightly stronger readings at any given distance after adding the focus ring thingy.

the panda film was added on day 3 also.

it slows evaporation and reflects upward.

it is also causing roots to come up out of the surface and dive back in.

the black tubes you can barely see in the overall shot are 1.5" pipe insulation foam.

i am sealing the gap between the upper and lower pools with it.