Starke's Story: An LED Tale

[starke]

Hey Starke!

I was just updating my grow thread after a month or so of silence, and seen where you mentioned that you too have incorporated an automatic watering/feeding system into your grow as well. Wanted to stop by and check it out... Shit looks great man! Good job and I already know your loving the hands free labor of watering, lol I know I will.

Bout how much did it break you down financially?? Yours is a bit different than what mine will be. How many gallon reservoir did you get and what kind of pumps, timers, emitters, etc did you go with?

Looks good man, keep up the good work! That screen is filling in nicely bro...

I have less than $100.00 in the feed setup. Most expensive parts were the hydro halo rings - about $10.00 each. (I already had the sump pump.) The rest is just 1/2" pvc and some 1/2" irrigation tubing. Of course I'm only dealing with six plants. My rez is a 32 gallon trash can. I manually feed each morning after lights on by turning on the pump and opening one valve at a time, which feeds two plants at a time, until all six are fed. No timers or anything as these are Hempy buckets and I only feed once a day.

 

[shaggyballs]

Nice grow, sour orange diesel sound delicious!
I was wondering what you have been up to stark.

 

[MountainBudz]

I have less than $100.00 in the feed setup. Most expensive parts were the hydro halo rings - about $10.00 each. (I already had the sump pump.) The rest is just 1/2" pvc and some 1/2" irrigation tubing. Of course I'm only dealing with six plants. My rez is a 32 gallon trash can. I manually feed each morning after lights on by turning on the pump and opening one valve at a time, which feeds two plants at a time, until all six are fed. No timers or anything as these are Hempy buckets and I only feed once a day.

You truly do have a very nice setup there, it's small and easy to manage yet still produces tons of nice heavy tops... I like how you use your space wisely.

People tend to get carried away investing in huge rooms and big grows and then in the end they only lose because they can't keep up with it. Sometimes, less is more especially in this business.

I am hoping I don't I have to spend over $250.00 for my drip irrigation setup. And yeah those halos are expensive man, I have looked into them. I am gonna go with these one emitters and system someone recommended to me over on the RIU forum... I forget the name of em, but I will post up a photo here in a bit when I get time. They are nice and look really economical and easy.

 

[starke]

Update Flower Day 35

Update Flower Day 35

Five weeks since the flip and the ladies continue to build buds. In a bit of a rush this morning to work on my outdoor hydro herb project so I'm just going to let the pics tell the story:

Last Week:

Today:

Big Bud x White Widow:

BB x WW Closeup:

Next update in a week.

Peace,
starke

 

[starke]

Foooooking White Flies

Foooooking White Flies

Like the title says...

while feeding this morning I thought I noticed movement a couple of times above the canopy. Something small, white and flying. Finally found one on top of a leaf and was able to get close enough with my 30x loupe to make a positive ID.

Agitating the canopy will produce only 5 - 10 flyers at this point so I'm hoping the infestation is not severe yet. Heading from here to the Infirmary to search on white flies.

Anyone with advice on dealing with these little bastards five weeks into flower, please chime in. I can use all the help I can get.

TIA,
starke

 

[hush]

First thought that comes to mind is to try ladybugs, or maybe some other kind of biological pest control. There's always sticky traps, too. And, I just looked it up, diatomaceous earth is effective against them, as well. That's probably what I would try first. It's the safest thing for the plants, and the produce as well. I would put some in a cotton sock, turn off everything in the grow that creates wind movement, and start smacking that sock. Create clouds of dust everywhere, and make sure to fondle the plants while doing so to make sure that the DE particles make it to the undersides of the leaves.

DE is some serious shit to critters with exoskeletons, and it's completely harmless to mammals. (Except for breathing it in... don't breathe in any kind of dust, obviously. Wear a mask!)

 

[starke]

First thought that comes to mind is to try ladybugs, or maybe some other kind of biological pest control. There's always sticky traps, too. And, I just looked it up, diatomaceous earth is effective against them, as well. That's probably what I would try first. It's the safest thing for the plants, and the produce as well. I would put some in a cotton sock, turn off everything in the grow that creates wind movement, and start smacking that sock. Create clouds of dust everywhere, and make sure to fondle the plants while doing so to make sure that the DE particles make it to the undersides of the leaves.

DE is some serious shit to critters with exoskeletons, and it's completely harmless to mammals. (Except for breathing it in... don't breathe in any kind of dust, obviously. Wear a mask!)

Thanks hush. Was leaning in that direction and your post has just confirmed that as my opening salvo.

 

[unnamedmike]

I'm so sorry starke. The yellow traps keep the population low. It also bothers them raise the aeration and low temperature / humidity. How many weeks are you left to harvest?

 

[starke]

I'm so sorry starke. The yellow traps keep the population low. It also bothers them raise the aeration and low temperature / humidity. How many weeks are you left to harvest?

Somewhere between three and four.

 

[smilley]

Doktor Doom Total Fogger. Pyrethrum and Piperolyn Butoxide. Pyrethrum has a half life of 11.8 hours and piperolyn butoxide has a half life of 8.4 hours. Very effective, generally 2 applications 4 days apart required as it doesn't kill the eggs. Stay away from soaps as they will affect the flavors. Not what you want to hear but it's effctive and in my opinion safe up to 2 weeks from harvest.

Edit - Wear a resperator when applying.

 

[starke]

Doktor Doom Total Fogger. Pyrethrum and Piperolyn Butoxide. Pyrethrum has a half life of 11.8 hours and piperolyn butoxide has a half life of 8.4 hours. Very effective, generally 2 applications 4 days apart required as it doesn't kill the eggs. Stay away from soaps as they will affect the flavors. Not what you want to hear but it's effctive and in my opinion safe up to 2 weeks from harvest.

Edit - Wear a resperator when applying.

Thanks for the info. I've got some on order.

 

[starke]

Update Flower Day 42

Update Flower Day 42

Six weeks since the flip and the ladies are in chunk up mode now. Other than sticky traps, decreasing temp as possible and increasing airflow, I have not taken any stronger measures against the whiteflies. Their numbers seem to be remaining about the same. Even the DE powder is not something I want sticking to the trichs at this point. I think I can keep them at bay enough for the next two to three weeks to get through harvest. Then I will nuke the room.

Still feeding at .8ec but will be dropping that back to .6 by the weekend - in prep for beginning the flush in another 10 days or so.

Getting some light bleaching which is visible in the first photo but I'm out of height and not going to worry about it now. Have a future fix in the works.

Last Week:

This Morning:

Liberty Haze Bud:

Liberty Haze Closeup:

Peace,
starke

 

[hush]

Looking fantastic, Starke!

 

[Goats]

sucks about the bugs man, but at least your flowers are looking good.

 

[FrozenFire]

Shit happens. I'd do the same. Nuke the room after and save the buds from any further contamination. This round looks great otherwise!

 

[Mars Hydro Led]

awesome

 

[Handlebar]

Looking great! Nice and chunky. See any notiable changes in plants from previous setup?

 

[LungCooking]

wouldnt worry about pests at this stage, the flowers are looking incredible Starke!

 

[starke]

Flower Update Day 49

Flower Update Day 49

Seven weeks in and the remaining ladies continue to build weight. Harvested the BBxWW cross this morning as the misses and I were out of smoke and she is a 7 - 8 week run anyway. It has been over two years since the misses and I have had to buy weed and I just could not bear the thought of buying with a room full of almost done plants.

Backed the nutes down to .6ec a couple of days ago and will probably start the flush in another two or three days. The remaining ladies have reliably finished at the nine week mark in the past.

Pic this morning at my eye level, roughly 5'10":

Hawaiian Snow bud: (She stays overfed on any mix she is on that keeps the other ladies happy.)

Hawaiian Snow closeup:

Peace,
starke

 

[starke]

Thoughts on Cloning

Thoughts on Cloning

A lot has changed in the almost two years since I started this diary, most of the changes for the better I think.

From grow to grow I try to improve not only the results of my grow but the ease and efficiency with which I grow.

Today I needed to take clones from the girls who will be the next round in flower soon.

In the case of clones, I do not need high numbers or fast turnarounds. Simplicity and reliability are the main concerns.

After much experimentation I have been using a simple Rubbermaid food storage tray filled with the same perlite/hydroton mix I use in the Hempy buckets. I would add enough water to keep liquid water just visible on the bottom then put up to 16 clones in the tray. Cover with a clear Sterilite container and within 10 days to two weeks there would be roots. This method has worked very well and gives me about a 98% success rate with very little fuss.

The only downside is having to transplant the clones once rooted. Often the roots have become intertwined causing injury when separated. Then there is the shock of the transplant itself. So I want to try and eliminate these two negatives.

How about just Hempy solo cups with clones in them, sitting in the Rubbermaid tray with enough water in the tray to cover the drain holes in the Hempy cups.

Neither perlite nor hydroton are great at wicking.

I think the reason the tray method worked so well was because the cut end of the clone was probably only one half inch or so away from the liquid water at the bottom of the tray. (The trays are only about 1.5 inches deep). I hope there will be enough wicking in the height of the solo cups to keep the moisture where it needs to be for roots to form. If it works it's less work and better for the plants. Let the experiment begin.

Two each of Hawaiian Snow, Super Lemon Haze, Liberty Haze, Juan Herer, BBxWW and Sour Orange Diesel. Cut with a sterile blade, soaked for 15 minutes in water with a couple drops Superthrive. Stem scraped and dipped in rooting powder then into the cup. The trays sit on a seedling mat set to 78F.

Covered with the clear Sterilite as a half assed humidity dome. I have not found it necessary to mist the clones in the past with this setup.

So let's wait two weeks and see what happens.

Peace,
starke