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First grow journal, first grow. 360 L RDWC+150 Wilma, White Widow

IslandColas the single comment in the comment section from the article you posted highlights the issues with general/best practices in hydroponics or what is perceived as common knowledge. 1 liter per minute of air, providing .2 liters per minute of actual oxygen, is sufficient at 68F but if the temperature of the water is increased 10 degrees to 78F the O2 saturation capabilities of water is decreased by 50%. I agree that increased aeration at lower water temperatures can be detrimental but if we increase the water temperatures it is no longer detrimental it is necessary. I run a 60 liter per minute air pump for 20 gallons of nutrient solution at temps of 75-78, this provides 3 times the recommended aeration rate. If I dropped the aeration rate to the recommended 1 liter per minute, my roots would start to suffer from the lack of O2 and Pythium would attack. In my setup I am still only providing oxygen at a rate of .6 liters per minute, per gallon of nutrient solution. Aeration rates, water temperatures, and O2 levels in hydroponics are commonly looked at as static guidelines to be followed independently, when in reality they are symbiotic and should be increased and decreased together.

Dr.Moggs if your water is under constant circulation and you also have air stones in each bucket I would say you have adequate oxygen in your solution.
 
Unless there is over crowding I would leave all the plants. Make sure all are females obviously. But id try to keep them all now that you have them. You never know when one might turn hermie, one might get sick, etc and may have to remove them. Also if a few are that weak and slow growing the others will just crowd them out completely. You can remove them if they do.

Others may have different opinions but thats mine. Dont get rid of any until you just have to.
 
Dr.Moggs I won’t ever tell another grower that they’re wrong or that they must change their practices. The beauty of Cannabis Cultivation is the fact that there is so many ways to reach the same end goal. You and everyone I try to help through GWE can take or leave any information I put out. With that said I don’t feel comfortable ever telling a fellow hydroponic farmer (of any crop) to practice a method that could risk or even destroy their crop. Obi-Wan is 100% correct in what he is saying. The science behind O2 levels and temperatures he’s talking about is true. But he also cannot deny he’s playing a risky game with his crop. He has confidence in himself and his methods which have obviously worked for him. But I just cannot put my name behind telling you it’s okay to run hot or practice risky methods known for failing. Your weed is your weed and I encourage you to explore and play with any methods you would like because that’s what this game is about!!! :) I just couldn’t sleep at night if I woke up to you posting a horror scene due to advice I had given you.

In my personal opinion you do not have enough air running through your system. At 60L per minute you’re just over half the recommended air flow. And that recommendation is for a 68 degree reservoir. If you’re running hot like Obi-Wan you’ll need even more air to keep optimal oxygenation. If you weren’t DWC I’d tell you you’re just about perfect but in my experience with DWC lettuce, lack of oxygen can be a growth stunt. Even if you’re getting enough oxygen to keep your reservoir from going anaerobic it doesn’t mean you’re providing optimal levels. I’d personally, double my output. Especially if you’re reservoir is running a little warm. I would bet the cost of the pump that you see improvement in growth and vitality. Then you bring those reservoir temps down to 68 degrees Fahrenheit and you’ll be outta this world impressed by whatever crop you grow (lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, marijuana😂) the pumps will run a little warm from friction but that’s to be expected. You did the right thing moving it to a cool spot. Way to cover ever little detail!!
 
Oh that being said the yields are based directly on the total space filled by the plants. In theory you should get the same total yield whether or not you have 4 plants that completley fill a set amount of space or you have 15 plants filling that same space. SOG works because you can have a quicker turnaround since you do not need to veg them very long. I usually veg mine 8 weeks or more and grow fewer plants but they get massive. A sog setup will cut the total time taken from start to finish by 4 weeks or more. In bit over a year or so, depending on strain, a SOG can have for example 4 grows completed vs 3 for the way i grow.

Now if you go to auto plants that no longer holds true. They work on their own timetable.
 
In a well designed recirculating system the water will be falling down from above the functioning water level in each bucket, creating a waterfall effect. It is this waterfall effect that acts as a secondary source of O2.

IslandColas I agree that my method is not for everyone and could be detrimental if practiced without a good understanding of hydroponic systems, water temperatures, O2 levels, and how they effect one another. However when the grower understands the relationship between water temperature and O2 levels, they will also understand that their plant’s root system is at no greater risk at 78F than it is at 68F. Pythium is present at both temperatures and will strike at both temperatures if given the opportunity. The only role water temperature plays in the equation is that it acts to define to the grower how much O2 they need to provide. A healthy root system is the plants best defense against Pythium. The root system functions at a higher capacity and the growth of the root system is more rapid at temperatures at or above 73F, as long as the grower can provide the O2 levels required by the plant. I don’t believe that my plants are at any greater risk because I keep the temperature of my nutrient solution higher, I actually believe that my root systems are healthier and better equipped to prevent a Pythium attack because I keep my nutrient solution warmer. It is very much like the plants ability to withstand higher ambient room temperatures when the environment is supplemented with appropriate co2 levels.
 
Thanks Campesino
I read that article just a moment ago, felt like the best option to continue the grow.
I also made this comment a bit down:

"I just read the GWE tutorial of SoG.
https://www.growweedeasy.com/sea-of-green

That seems like the best way to go ahead with this tent. I have reservoir change on Thursday and will switch the lights to 12/12 then.

Some of the plants are a bit bigger than what's recommended for the switch in the tutorial but I think it will work well anyways....?
All of my ladies are topped so I guess it will be crowded....

Maby i should throw my weakest two plants and continue with 12 of them. This way I'll be able to place the plants symmetrically:
Almost like this: but like an perfect square on the Wilma System.
X X X X
X.......X
X.......X
X X X X
"
What do you guys think ?

But after some consideration and input I decided to keep them all. If any of them get sick on the way, throw them then.
On the other hand, I think it could be good for the overall result not having them to crowded.......
 
Yeah, sorry - I was taken to this part of the thread first (by the mysterious powers that be).

I'd keep all the plants I could manage. If they start to go runty then get rid of them... perfect plan. Runts won't be worth their own shadow in a SOG, so if/when the other plants could use the space you probably should thin out the runtiest ones.

So, you're flipping today?
 
@Obi-Wan
"@Dr.Moggs if your water is under constant circulation and you also have air stones in each bucket I would say you have adequate oxygen in your solution."
I am running airstones in each bucket and the water constantly flows.
I have been thinking about upgrading with stronger water and air pumps, and about a chiller. This discussion made the question alot bigger...🤔
 
@Obi-wan
"In a well designed recirculating system the water will be falling down from above the functioning water level in each bucket, creating a waterfall effect. It is this waterfall effect that acts as a secondary source of O2."
Sry, Im not sure im following you on. Do you mean that the recirculated water should go down from the top in each bucket or just in the main bucket?
My system is undercurrent:
I have two holes in each side of the bucket, both in the bottom.
The holes are 25 mm in diameter, these holes are connected to all of the buckets. After the last bucket the pipes connect and the water goes back in the bucket.
The pump is placed in the main bucket so I guess i could adjust the water come out and fall down over the water surface. I know this would result in some extra O2 but I thought it would be negligible to what the airstones provide....?
 
There are a few different designs of undercurrent systems, some like yours, simply circulate water throughout the various buckets in the system using the same pipes. In a system like this there is a constant current of water pumped through all the buckets, but little to no surface agitation. Another design builds off of yours by adding a supply line just above the water level of each bucket. In a system like this, the lower lines pull water from the buckets back to the control bucket, while the supply line pours it into the individual buckets. Both systems have there pros and cons.

Given the the lack of surface agitation in your system you may want to invest in another air pump so you can double up, given that your running so many buckets.
 
@Campesino
No problem budd! This thread is starting to get big and with a lot of great facts. Both simple and advanced facts.

I really like the feedback and discussions I receive, great community 😁

My girls are on their last 18 hours of light now. I'll let them sleep 12 hours when lights out and then start their 12/12 hours full spectrum light cycle. (The flipp happens in 17 hours from now)
My native language isn't English and I have a bit problem understanding what you mean by "runty". I didnt find any fitting translation. I understood it to be about how compact the plant grows.
Can you please elaborate the word? :)
 
Sorry! What is your native language?

A "Runt" is a plant (or animal) that doesn't grow as well or as vigorously as the rest. They are often stunted and less healthy.
"Runty" is just the adjective form. And "Runtiest" is the superlative.
 
NP Campesino.
I speak a few languages but my native language is Norwegian👌
That's a great explanation, i just learned a new word.
That's exactly how I'm planning to continue , I'll let them all bloom and if any of them become runty I will take them away when I see that they aren't doing well .

I other words, in my first grow I'm trying three different techniques, SCRoG in one tent, light supercrop in one and SoG in the last one.

I'll give you guys an good update with pictures tomorrow when I change the reservoirs. Is there anything in particular you would like to know or see more about?
 
Well, that wasn't the plan from the beginning.
Two of my tents are part of the same RDWC. Next grow I'll use the same techniques for the plants in the same system. I'll also be sure to implement the techniques earlier to get better controll of my canopy level.

All of the three tents are in this thread, the thing I regret the most with my setup is buying separate tents and not one big tent. One big tent would make it much easier to work with the plants without to much obstacles.
 
I think you will become happy with having three tents rather than one big one. Increases your flexibility and will allow you to go perpetual - with different tents at different stages :)
 
That's a great way to see it, that was the plan from the start. In the two tents I'll go with the same strain and same techniques since they all thrive in the same nutes.

In my last tent my plan in to start growing some amazing and advanced strain.

But first, I'll try to finish the ongoing grow in the best possible way.
 
[ Update Two ]
I'll start this update with a picture, LOOK AT THIS BEUTY!
Click image for larger version Name: 20180614_203802.jpg Views: 1 Size: 2.31 MB ID: 214698

This post will be the update regarding my RDWC. The system with two separate tent. I'll make an separate post for the update on the tent with the Wilma-system to make discussion easier.

You who have been following my grow since i made my first post here know I have had some issues that have resulted in stains and burns. The reasons for the burns and stains is speculated to come from PH-issues, high temperatures and lights to close to plants.

Today I changed my reservoirs and made an meticulous controll of my plants. This was the start of Week 7. Flowering.

The roots looks great and have no bad smells, they almost smells good!
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​
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​

These roots are on one of the smaller plant, on the bigger plants the roots are almost three times as big and will soon fill all of mine 20 L bucket. Amazing !

Tent one.
Tent one is the one without any SCRoG net, in this tent the size and height of the plants are very different.

So far it's almoast only in this tent I have found stains and burns. The stains aren't really spreading anymore but they have become "harder".

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​
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​

None of the plants with stains have spread to the buds. It's only the leafs that's affected.

I also have the burns. This type of stains I only find on the highest plants and on the leafs closest to the lamp.
I guess this can't heal....
Click image for larger version Name: 20180614_203802.jpg Views: 1 Size: 2.31 MB ID: 214698

My goal in this tent is to take the plants to harvest. But to be honest to myself and you guys , this tent is pure chaos.
20180614_204024.jpg
Two of my biggest plants is equal to almoast 50 percent of the overall growth.

Feel free to ask and give advice !

Tent Two.
So tent two is part of the same RDWC as the other tent.
In here it looks so good.... not to talk about the smell😍
My babies are maturing and I am a proud parent. 20180614_190740.jpg20180614_190753.jpg20180614_190747.jpg

In this tent everything feels good and I think I just should continue with what I am doing.
One thought i would like some advice in is that to do with the leafs and budsites that are under the SCRoG net. Should i let this be or should i cut it of to give energy to everything over the net ?

20180614_222106.jpg

I have made two upgrades to these two tents, I have installed two tablefans on the floor of the tent, these are placed to take in some extra cold air from the outlet of the AC.
20180614_204427.jpg ( something of an primitive installation)

What temperatures and humidity do you think is ideal?
I'm trying to be around 27 °C and 50 % humidity.

All input, questions and discussions are welcome!

Sit tight, update on the Wilma-system is on the way.
 
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