watering

[4barrel]

As shown in my pic,
My final transplant prior to flower will be in these 44L containers, in Pro-Mix grow medium.(Iguana Juice for nutes)

I'm thinking of using 2" perforated pips
for water.
Feeding from the open top of the pips.
(Maybe placed at diffrent depths for even distribution of water)

My thought behind this would be to avoid soil compression from top feeding

Now being that I'm using pro-Mix;
Would my medium actually pack to the point of concern, or am I just wasting perfectly good pip for nothing???

And yes i'll be punching drain holes at the bottom of the containers.

all inputs welcome

[tyler_ hobbyist]

I also grow with promix but I mix it with no less than 1/3 perlight because when the soil is wet it really holds the water this sounds like a good idea but I would prob add more perlight than I do in this situation for aerogation or u may drawnd ur roots

[Weedgrodamus]

I see no drainage at bottom.

[tyler_ hobbyist]

I agree u need drainage holes and side holes

[4barrel]

Oh yeah for sure i'll be punching holes through the bottoms.
just haven't got to it yet

[tyler_ hobbyist]

The other thing I found that's usefull is to drill a lot of holes so air can get the soil more evenly. This idea is neat but I would also make another pipe that watered from the top as the heat distribion for the roots would be better

[4barrel]

yeah.
the more I think about it, the more I'm thinking of scrapping the pip idea and just add more perilite...

I don't know!
I got time ta sleep on it till time comes

or maybe just do 1 plant in this way as an experiment see how it goes.

[tyler_ hobbyist]

In my opinion I would try one and see if it works and do the rest in a 1/3 perlight/ promix or 2/3. Iv noticed with promix it really holds the water so if I was to try soil again I would go 2/3 but my next grow is gunna be bubble ponics

[4barrel]

Yeah ok...
your positive responce was appreciated...

[4barrel]

what's your thoughts on mixing in clay pellets with promix?
or is clay pellets more for a hydro set up??

[tyler_ hobbyist]

Hytdron/ clay pellets os more for hydro set ups, but Hytdron has little bubbles around it that holds air and water but I'm not sure if the soil would completly covers thos but an idea not sure how well it will work but maybe try laylering them put the pellets on the bottom for more aerogation and drainage because I have noticed that my 5gal jugs are always still wet at the bottom and dry on the top even tho I have a million holes drilled in the bucket lol

[tyler_ hobbyist]

Hydrton will also obsorb a great deal of water

[tyler_ hobbyist]

I try to stay positive but everyone has there bad days lol I hope some of that info helps

[4barrel]

yes it did thanks for your Input. ...
I think layering pellets would help against soil compression. think I'll do that instead of the pip.
My containers are plenty big to have both promix and couple layers of pellets....

[tyler_ hobbyist]

That's a good idea let me know how it works for ya also mix in perlight to ur soil it will do wounders for ya if u can't find perlight, vermiculite is ur next best

[4barrel]

yup.
just picked up 4 cubic feet of perilite
and the same in clay pellets today.
so I should be ready to do my last transplant and throw my C99's / NL /Brian barrie cough and Hash passion into flower in an other couple weeks.
they are 4 weeks old now 15" tall and booshed right out, from pinched them all
and bent the branches. training them for scrog

I'll post pics at some point

[tyler_ hobbyist]

Awesome sounds like ur doin a great job can't wait to see em

[4barrel]

ok so new topic..
I have 2 LED's 1200 watt each hung above my veg.
(they come from China so I qwestion the wattage)
and 4,ta 5 hrs oh the 18 hrs I blast them with my 1000w metal halidE. just be cuz the LED'S only have red and blue.

so I'm wondering if I should lower them.
sometimes I think I'm seeing stretchin.
sometimes I think I'm losing my mind....

also, I'm having a ph problem, trying ta lower from 7 closer ta 6.
But damn pro mix holds water for so frickin long can't give water for a while....
this is affecting the nuts.
signs of difficiencus or maybe it's lock out.
cuz I know they got nuts .....

but back ta light distance .
should I leave em at 2 feet until I have my ph problem solved or what.
light burn freaks me out.

i'll post some pics when I turn the metal light on.
pics with LED'S just shows everything in pink.
does make for a good pic

[tyler_ hobbyist]

Does ur light look like this? If so I have the same one I put the light at different distances for each stage. Seedling 8-10inchs veg 10-12 and flower 16-20inchs play with the light and just watch for signs of the tips curling down/ 1st signs of light stress and if u see it move ur light up 5 inchs and keep playing with it each strain likes the different. But my blueberry tangerine dream and candy cane like this distance Any further and I can see the slowed growth.

[4barrel]

Yes .
those are the exact ones.....
I've had them much closer then 2 feet not long ago.
I raised them ta 2 feet when I noticed some spots on the leaves.
Once i raising them. I started qwestion in wheather the spots are from the lights or nuts or lock out or what thE frack...

gona post some pics here in a minute

[tyler_ hobbyist]

What kinda spots showed up? Can u post a pic? We're they bronze brown yellow white spots?

[tyler_ hobbyist]

What iv noticed with this light so far is that if it's to close the leaves curl right down and are stiff that's the warning sign of light stress from these lights it doesn't burn them just stresses them so then if u notice this happening just move ur lights up 5 more inchs or so

[tyler_ hobbyist]

A little bit of light stress wount hurt ur plant she'll be fine. Strong leds are recomended at 18inchs. Do you have autoflowers or phots? Autos I would run lights 24/0 all the time photos 18/6 them 12/12 in flower. As far as the metal halide how big is ur grow area and how many plants? If you have the same led as me the acutal wattage from the wall is 350watts.

[4barrel]

Yeah they are photos.
all from all female seeds...

and my as for my halide. I just plugged her in couple days ago..(just wanted to see the difrence really)
I blast them with it bout 5 hrs out of 18 hrs
My 5 plants are in a closet size space.
but they won't be in there the hole grow.
that's mor or less there place of birth...lol
and when I though them in flower I'll take a few clones from each ta get ready while the mother plants flower

[tyler_ hobbyist]

In my opion the 1200w/ 350w true wount be as strong as the 1000w mh but one thing I knowest with led they make they play bushier and a lot more bud sites just something iv observed, if ur looking for a cheap led that works amazing it's the 1000w bestva led light it doesn't have as long as life span and ur 1200w will but it's way stronger for acual growing power that iv noticed. Not trying to sell anything just expressing what iv seen

[tyler_ hobbyist]

I use promix as well did u end up mixing it with perlight? 1/3 or higher? The thing I noticed was the 1st 2months of veg the soil was always compacked min 3 days to water 500ml now that there in flower they drink way more and the soil. Drys up quick 5gal pails I water 1.5liters every 2 day and my moisture scale goes from 10 to 3 in that time period

[4barrel]

My grw
from left to right..
Hash Passion/Brian's Berry Cough/Cinderella 99/Cinderella 99/Northern Lights.

One pic is the 2 c99's but they look total diffrent

[tyler_ hobbyist]

That's a good set up they will grow big being in those big containers also good spaceing for the lights the 1000w mh might have to be moved up to 15-18 inchs but just keep an eye on ur babies and they will tell u, the mh will burn them far quicker than those 1200w leds

[4barrel]

Yeah the way they are in the pic, they hang at 2 feet.
and I'm in there every hr. till I go to bed.
then I'll shut the hid lamp of and turn the LEDS back on.

and I did insert 2 pips per container kiddy corner from one an other. but just straight doun. no elbows along the bottom. just incase they give me problems I can just slip them out

was trying to up load closed ups of some of the damaged leafs but the site kept telling me that files are to big..
but I'll keep trying...

[tyler_ hobbyist]

How old are they? Are they autos

[4barrel]

5th week.
they were much taller.
keep in mind I've been bending the branches back.
and all the tops have been pinched

[4barrel]

no not autos. photos
all female though