Photoperiod Wedding Cake BX1 Adventure

[HellaDutch]

Damn brother, that is a big chunk of Grodan knowledge (which is also very helpful for my own grow!)

Will be following the grow. That Wedding Cake is quickly getting legendary status!

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Hi HellaDutch Welcome:

I met a very knowledgeable GroDan Rep at a local hydro shop event. That is where the seed was planted about using Hugos; mostly to deal with low oxygen problems in high temp DWC. It gets so hot here in the summer it is hard to control reservoir temperatures without refrigeration. So after several conversations with him I made the switch. So far My yields have been down 15% - 20% over the DWC but there are many factors that could be contributing to that. I am moving back to Dyna-Gro. I used DG for several years with great success but got talked into H&G at the same show. I don't think H&G made a better product. I do really like their Algen Extract and I am using it in this grow.

I can legally grow 6 plants here and of course want them to all be girls. The Wedding Cake BX1 are regular seeds at best 50/50 boys/girls. So I decided to do a seed run to feminise the strain. I was going to have a low volume run no matter what. This will insure a full tent on the next run. But like you I cannot wait to see the buds on this strain.

Should be fun!

 

[Chris Stroupe]

PS. my curiosity got the best of me this morning before I started the seeds and I measured the flow from my drippers at each FloraFlex cap. They were all within 2 ml each at about 50 ml per minute or 1.7 fluid ounces. Two minutes is going to be right on target for the "Precision Watering Method" from GroDan.

Remember this from the Incredible Bulk grow? I know this is a lot to read; it is just here in case someone wants to copy my work.

Ok so after communicating with the west coast GroDan rep; there is a newer “Precision Watering” method recommended in my scenario that supersedes the previously published information. I am going to reiterate the information sent and discussed with me here and I will try to explain what it means to me in my 6 plant grow as well as some of the ideas behind the changes. You want to slowly water about 3% of the capacity of the rock wool block on each pump on cycle with enough cycles to accomplish a 10% to 20% of that total volume as run off by the end of the watering period that day.


Watering Formula


1 Gallon of Water = 231 in3

1 Hugo = 216 in3 (.94gal)

1 Ounce = 1.805 in3

1 Gallon = 128 oz.


Formula:

216 ÷ 231 = .94gal. x 128oz. = 120 x 3% = 3.6oz.


Whew….. Ok so let’s talk first about that small 3.6 oz. of water (nutrient mix) per cycle for the Hugo. I could not understand why such a small amount of water per cycle until in the course of our conversation the topic of “Water Channeling” came up. When you water in larger faster volumes the water develops “channels” through the block instead of permeating the entire block. Smaller slower more frequent watering provides a more desirable capillary action. This capillary action moistens and aerates the block more evenly which is the goal as opposed to just the areas close to the channels. It was like a light went on for me with this revelation. Using “X” number of water cycles per day to achieve a 10% to 20% run off of the total water applied in those cycles by the end of the day has to be accomplished by observation and measuring the run off. This small runoff is what is flushing any salt build up out of the block daily. The number of cycles in a period is going to change as the plants uptake changes and I think I have figured out a way to keep tabs on that in my system. More on that as the grow proceeds.

The “when” to water patterns has changed as well from previously prescribed regimes, it is now recommended for me in Veg. to start watering 2 – 4 hours after lights on until 4 – 2 hours prior to lights out. So this is a 12 to 14 hour watering window in veg. Listening to your plants is part of determining when to start and stop within these hourly ranges. Remember you need to achieve that 10% - 20% runoff of the total by the end of the watering time frame. Not watering during lights out is going to provide a very important “Dry Back Period” in the block which stimulates root growth and health.

In flower mode you water from ~4 hours after lights on until ~4 hours prior to lights out. Here we are talking about a 4 hour watering window in which to accomplish the runoff. Shrinking down the watering window places more stress on the plants to strive for “survival of the species with bigger better flowers hoping to get pollinated” at least that is the theory behind it. I think that this may set a very fine line between good stress and too much stress that can cause hermies in some strains. Consequently I may opt to be a bit conservative here.

When I am ready to transplant the A-Ok starter blocks into the Hugos, I will prepare the Hugos by following Grodan’s instructions soaking them in 5.5 PH water for 30 minutes then flushing to waste with ¼ strength nutrients PHed 5.5 to 6.0. Transplant, and then don’t water for 7 – 10 days in order to establish a good root system in the Hugo. Watering should start when the blocks are ~30% - 50% moisture content. Just picking them up is the test here they will be light yet should still have about 36oz to 60oz of water.

The “First drip watering”, It has been explained to me that runoff from this first drip watering will begin at around the 4th cycle which means I will have applied about 14.4oz per block and would be looking for 1.4oz. to 2.8oz runoff; If I don’t get that then I would want to add another cycle in which case I will have applied 17oz and looking for 1.7oz to 3.4oz and so on. Remember I have a big watering window and the plants will not be very large yet so I should be able to dial this in.

Now I don’t want to water again until the block is at that ~30% to 50% moisture content range again which may be a few days or more but now I will have a better idea on the number of cycles needed to get the proper runoff.

As the grow progresses I will just keep ramping up the number of water cycles to meet the plants demands and getting that 10% to 20% runoff as well as keeping within the other watering parameters above.

Now to make this happen I added pressure compensating .5 GPH drip emitters to what I already have and in a 5 minute time interval I accomplished the 3.6oz per block desired.

I know that right now that seems complicated but I think it will be easier once I get it going.

Great detail with the watering! Also excellent math.. I checked lol

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

I hate when I do something wrong. I forgot to water the seedlings two days ago and they are all but dead. I waited a day to see if they would snap out of it

I replanted just now. Sorry for the delay. I sometimes think I have done something when in reality I have not. Life has been busy busy busy.

 

[komplex180]

Seed Junky Genetics?! I'm in! Only wish I could afford their seeds

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Seed Junky Genetics?! I'm in! Only wish I could afford their seeds

Welcome komplex180:

I am having a hard time getting them to germinate plus they are regular seeds. Hopefully I will get at least one female to do the S1 seeds with. Yes they are expensive I hope the genetics are worth it? Stayed tuned.

 

[komplex180]

Welcome komplex180:

I am having a hard time getting them to germinate plus they are regular seeds. Hopefully I will get at least one female to do the S1 seeds with. Yes they are expensive I hope the genetics are worth it? Stayed tuned.

TLC/jungle boys are actually local, and they are definitely worth it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

This has been the start from hell...........Having a very slow start?

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

Way too many problems with these seeds, poor germination, fall over dead after germinating using the same method I have used for many previous grows. I am pulling the plug on this one

 

[Free Flow]

Sorry to hear @Mañ'O'Green , how many are left? Any for future attempts later down the road?