Indoor First Grow Log 3-4 strains

[VapedAs]

Hey all, about time I made a fool of myself and scratched down some notes this time.

Strains I am using are Purple Jem, Mossy Jem, Duurty Dragon and Cobra x ?(most likely with PJem)

Light I am using is a Lighthouse Hydro 50W, later will switch to my Lighthouse Hydro BlackStar 135W.

Growing Medium is straight NF Coco and intend on using NF Coco A+B nutes throughout the entire grow after first 1-2weeks. Am totally new to Coco.

Have 1x PJem 1x DDragon 2x Cobra's in 950ml pots.
Replaced the (Mossy)MJem with Cobra #2 as it hadn't even cracked so back into a seedling tray it goes.. Cobra #3 in seedling tray may end up replacing Cobra #1

Here's Day 1 Pics:

Really hoping PJem and Cobra #1 straighten out. Though I do want a MJem going.

Thanks for looking! Any comments welcomed

 

[Stunted]

There is no way I am gonna ride in the back of this bus, gots me the co-pilot seat!
All the best with the grow Vaped
:thread:

Stunted Bus
:smokebuds:

 

[VapedAs]

Thanks mate, will need you riding Co- for sure! Just don't expect me to offer to turn the heat on in this bus.. had that switch Modified, springloading your seat:hot:

9pm, raining, only 26*C yet so hot and humidity checks in at 95% right now..

:smokebuds:Take a few extra tokes for me Stunted, soo sober ha. Stay Stoney!

 

[DrPurple]

Nice Vaped, like your selection you picked for this :group:

 

[VapedAs]

Thanks all. Thank you Dr.P, Variety is the spice of Life. Their all different yet I think they all have a small amount in common genetics wise.:group:

Interested to see what survives and the coming weeks have to offer.

 

[VapedAs]

Couldn't pull the plug on Cobra #1 so had to take Cobra #3 out of seedling tray as tap root was a couple mm out the bottom and repot in something like a 500-750ml pot just for some more room till one of the other Cobra's die as I am running out of space to put pots under this 50W'er LED. Hurry up week 1 or 2 so I can whip out the big boy!

Here is day 1 of Cobra #3 22/1/13:

 

[low_and_slow]

Make sure you're watering every day...twice a day would be better. If you've never used coco before, the tendency is to treat it like ProMix where you let it dry out between waterings, then soak heavily, let it dry out, etc.

With coco, the more you water with fresh pH balanced nutrients (never use plain water) then the more air it moves through the medium and the better your plants would do. It's 100% a hydroponic medium, and so long as you remember that and consider your hand waterings "aeration" instead of "watering" you'll be fine. I'm using the modified Lucas formula right now in coco with Mossy's strains (magic/jem/pak) and getting AWESOME results! 6ml GH Micro, 9ml GH Bloom...once a day until you barely see runoff. I used 1/2 strength for the first 10 days then transplanted from party cups to 2 gallon dirt pots...full strength from there out. Make sure to pH adjust to the 5.7-5.9 range.

 

[VapedAs]

Hey there low_and_slow, thanks for stopping in and leaving that great info. I've switched from (Peat Moss and Perlite) to Coco and it absorbs and drains at different rates I can see already, quick to drain yet absorbs/holds a fair bit! 2 pots were still heavy and 2 were quite light, think that variation was part me and part the fan as the closer were the dry ones.

The still damp/heavy pots first real set of leaves were very curled under making me think they both were over watered?

I will take on the view of watering as aeration, aswell as its feed

That is quite a low PH though I remember Hydro being so. A Very generous friend has sent me his previous digi/elec PH and EC meters so I can work on PH when received. Nutrifields site states prebuffered PH to <7 which is vague as but believe I've seen it's stated somewhere at 6.5. Think low-mid 6's would hold up? Looks like I would lock out Mn, w/e that is. Not sure how NF A+B nutes effect PH so will see where I'm at then.
Always can get some PH Down..

I envy you with having some Magic Dragons! I think I drowned mine long time ago. I come from drowning plants in soil, peat/perlite. Coco sounds like a real learning curve to force myself to feed it ha!
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Mossy Jem finally cracked and starting to root in seedling tray. Had to get a blade out and scrape the hell out of its surface till it was almost bare to do so though. No real space for it till I switch to my 135W and my seedlings hate that light. I want my PJem to beat my MJem anyways, where is Aunty Mossy with a Cloud of Jem karma when you need her!
:smokebudseace & Pot

 

[low_and_slow]

Definitely need to be at 5.8 for hydro...

If you're feeding in the 6's you're going to be missing a lot. As far as watering is concerned, you cannot over water coco...so long as there are ample drainage holes in the pot and those holes are not causing the coco to turn into a swimming pool, you can pour water through that stuff to your hearts content and it will not over water. If you let your coco get dry, the concentration of your nutes increases and pH will shift drastically...keeping it nice and wet and watering regularly (2 or 3 times a day once plants are fully mature) can actually keep your pH more stable and your nutrients at the right availability level. If you let coco dry out, that is when you'll see problems like nute burn and leaf curl. Personally, I think coco is a lot easier because you just have to follow the rules...it's when you start looking at soilless mixes and wondering "Do I feed? Do I let it dry out? Do I increase nutrient strength?" In coco, you can just use a relatively mild solution and feed every day, slowly bumping up the EC until you see very mild signs of stress.

As far as the aeration part goes...when you dump water in, it has salts in it and it has dissolved oxygen. As that water sits in the coco, the roots absorb the oxygen and the nutrients and the water slowly evaporates away, leaving air pockets in the coco. This happens rapidly because coco drains so well. When you add more fresh nutrients, you're also adding a huge shot of freshly oxygenated solution to the roots...basically you're flushing out the "used" solution and re-oxygenating. That's why the more you water it the better.

 

[VapedAs]

Thanks for getting back to me low_and_slow! That was a great indepth but simple explaination to understand cocos benifets and the milder solutions in hydro.
As I was typing my last reply I was actually looking right at that PH pic in my growing folders for info and such, hence how I knew I'd lockout some things (Mn mainly) yet have no idea what it was
I sucked at science in school I prefered to play with the bunsen burners and a delayed spark and BOOM!

Looks like I will be introducing the A+B nutrients in mild doses earlier then expected.:booya: Tomorrow I'll feed 1/4-1/2 strength for seedlings with 20% runoff.
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Duurty Dragon is now stretched 2 inches tall approx. signs of 2nd set of leaves coming in, I raise and I raise.. Only getting 14-16hrs light so understandable stretch I guess. 135W BS might come out tomorrow and lower all plants to stop stretch and get 2nd sets happening.