Sun Hut XXL, 1200w numerous strains...Here we grow!

[shipinit]

While researching my water situation I have come to the conclusion that not only is it not safe to drink or use for plants and animals I probably shouldn't even shower in this crap
Enjoy

This does not include trace pharmaceuticals that are present....

 

[shipinit]

Had a minor setback this morning, checked on the flower room and the light was off. I am running digital ballasts so there should not be hard starts or excess wear on the bulb system.....this bulb had less than 600 hours on it. This is the third bulb to do this to me, all purchased from the same popular place all the same brand. Lesson learned......I have a spare but it is the same brand and bought from the same company......it will not even come out of it's package
At this point I am not sure if it is the bulb, ballast, manufacturer or supplier that is to fault......I can't be arsed with this right now so I think I will scrap it all and purchase new equip.........on a related note I have a few 600w bulbs and digital ballasts for sale at a bargain price

So.....time to bite the bullet and spend some cash......kind of reminds me of owning a boat except I doubt my happiest day will be when I give up this hobby

If there is no update by tomorrow this time it means my wife has murdered me most likely......hmm how to spin this properly to her

 

[shipinit]

Well, still alive.

Canceled my first order.....that still hadn't arrived and placed a new one.

Hopefully by Friday it is all here.....really don't want to limp through the weekend with my old school 1980's joke of a 400w.

Ordered:
1.5 gallon of dry ph up and down
light hangers (2) for veg area
600w digital w/easy cool 6 reflector
4- sunmaster 600w hps bulbs
2- extra flanges for the tent

The seedlings are doing well, got the stretch under control with the 400w....the one that is now in the flower room.



All the clones are ready to go in the flower room, I may have to transplant some of the larger ones as they will probably be root-bound by the end of the grow due to the delay.




And my temps with lights and small heater on Gonna have to add a larger heater for a few more weeks I guess.



That is it for today, sorry there isn't much going on.

Ordering tomorrow:
TDS Meter
RO System (still do not know which one)
PH Meter (picking up local)
Misc. hydro parts for cloner

 

[orzz]

I am glad to here ur still alive.
And your clones look great.
Sorry to hear about ur bulbs .... bummer.
I am using 600watt HPS from Belgium imported by U.S. sli lighting inc

 

[wonderland420]

can i ask what your ppm level was when you watered your plants? im doing coco and my ppm level was at 710, you think that's too high? it seems like some of my babies are starting to droop =(

 

[overmyhead]

I too am glad you're still alive! Have a great weekend!

 

[orzz]

can i ask what your ppm level was when you watered your plants? im doing coco and my ppm level was at 710, you think that's too high? it seems like some of my babies are starting to droop =(

my ppm is 1190 at the moment. It is the end of the res life. 2 week drain and clean and refill. I will be back @ 1200 after the refill.

 

[cream8]

get ready cause that alaskin ice grows big

 

[shipinit]

I am glad to here ur still alive.
And your clones look great.
Sorry to hear about ur bulbs .... bummer.
I am using 600watt HPS from Belgium imported by U.S. sli lighting inc

Ye still alive I have some 400w sli lighting bulbs, sold locally here as sylvania bulbs. I am not happy with my HPS orders at all, Wed. I placed my order.....3 hours before they opened. Paid for express, was assured that it would be here Thur. if not Friday......here it is Sunday and I am limping through with a 400w......I'm pissed. I placed my 1st order with them over 3 weeks ago and it hasn't shown either. Anyway enough of a rant....thx on the clones.....since they should have been in flower 10 days ago I will end up topping them all tonight.

can i ask what your ppm level was when you watered your plants? im doing coco and my ppm level was at 710, you think that's too high? it seems like some of my babies are starting to droop =(

I am using soil so keep that in mind....well a soiless mix with vermiculite, perlite and worm casings added. My standing PPM out of the tap varies between 450 and 700....so I wouldn't use my situation as comparison.

I too am glad you're still alive! Have a great weekend!

Thx.....will stop by your journal in a bit.....looking good last time I checked

get ready cause that alaskin ice grows big

Ye, I am prepared for that. I have a seperate space for them if they get unruley. 12 foot ceilings and a 1000w if needed. I am hoping that I end up with at least a few indica dom pheno's out of the 10 I plant.....time will tell. Any that don't conform will get the axe pre-flower as I have plenty of other seeds that can use the space better.

Will get some photo's up shortly, not much to add really as I am still waiting on my gear and new bulbs

Thanks all for stopping by for the ride......I promise some nice bud porn soon

 

[shipinit]

Well, not a whole lot happening......below are the clones that are now overdue for flowering.




Seedlings are doing well, ready for transplant in the next day or two. It's a little early but it looks like I have at least 3 distinct pheno's on the ice plants.....will get photo's of each one up starting this week as I have had a few pm's requesting frequent updates on them.



And last but not least the only thing in the flower room at the moment.



Normally I don't flower my mom's when they are replaced as they are not space efficient.....but this time I said what the heck.....she can go solo under a 600w. Well, since the 600 has burned out she is struggling under the 400w.....hopefully my gear shows tomorrow. Anyway, if I can get her under the 600w this week she should do pretty decent as she is loaded with bud sites.....she was put in flower on the 30th, so about 2 weeks in......this strain starts fast and finishes strong.

Hopefully there will be a happy update tomorrow with a bunch of new gear.....hope everyone had a good weekend.

 

[orzz]

~~Hopefully there will be a happy update tomorrow with a bunch of new gear.....hope everyone had a good weekend.

They are looking xclnt and hope that u had a good wknd also.

 

[cream8]

awesome dude! happy easters

 

[shipinit]

Not much to update, seedlings got watered last night with a 1/2 dose strength of Alaskan fish emulsion. All clones got full strength at watering and will go on to FF grow big next watering.

Lights still not here, I sent them an email this morning asking to cancel my order and just send my replacement bulb when they receive it. I am officially done shopping with them.....for good.
Between my wife and myself we have spent probably close to 5 grand with them over the last 2 years or so.....guess they don't need to retain good customers in this bad economy......glad they are doing so well. My better half has a hobby of killing orchids....so she spends money on gear as well.
Anyway as soon as I get confirmation they canceled the order I am out the door and heading to my local hydro store.....the are pricier but at least I will have it today.....way I see it the extra cost will pay for itself come harvest time as this 400w I am using is just not cutting it.
Anyway enough of the ranting.....

All the clones are ready for flowering (have been for a while now), I have decided to split them in to two groups and run a controlled test. One group will stay in the 32 oz cups throughout the whole flower process, the other group will go in to 3 gallon containers. Both groups will have equal light (600w for each group) and will receive the same feedings. At the end of the grow I will label each plant and dry them and then get a weight on each.

Last run with this strain they were in 32 oz containers from start to finish and I yielded between 1/2 -3/4 oz per plant. I harvested in 4 stages, 60 days, 64 days, 68 days and 72 days, dried and cured each individually and labeled them. I found that the batch that went 68 days was in the so called "sweet spot" for my needs.

Here is the old mother at 16 days in to flower



Will get photos of the clones and seedlings up this afternoon.

 

[shipinit]

This update and photo's are from yesterday as the site was down all night:

Here are some photo's of each individual seedling. Most seem to be doing well, a few got a bit of nute burn......which will be noted and most likely those plants pulled. Other than that everything is ok, gear order still has not come, no refunds, no email back from them . ......oh well.





















And the clones that are whispering to me.....flower me or kill me.


Will update with today's photos this afternoon/evening.

 

[shipinit]

Quick update on gear.....just got off the phone with them. It was sent, so they say, so I asked for a tracking number....which they gave me. Got off the phone and checked the tracking number and it says something along the lines of we have been electronically notified of a package....bla bla bla. In other words they lied to me, nothing has been sent until I asked for a refund. Soooooo......now I need to call the CC company to cancel a grow related order.....got to love pre-paid cards I guess. Once I get my "replacement bulbs" from this joke of a company I will post all the emails from them so others can be aware......a lot of people use them and a lot of people have had issues with them lately.....Oh well, time to support my local economy.

 

[orzz]

.....Oh well, time to support my local economy.

For me dealing with the local hydro store has been a great experience. They have from the beginning, been very helpful. Now that I have been a loyal customer the discounts are getting bigger. Their prices were less than the MSRP in catalogs from the beginning but now they pass out the love. Like paying Rainbow Family prices back in the day.

I have to remember not to smoke so much b4 posting .... I get the Irish gab going .... lol ... later

the new pics look goooooood!

 

[shipinit]

For me dealing with the local hydro store has been a great experience. They have from the beginning, been very helpful. Now that I have been a loyal customer the discounts are getting bigger. Their prices were less than the MSRP in catalogs from the beginning but now they pass out the love. Like paying Rainbow Family prices back in the day.

I have to remember not to smoke so much b4 posting .... I get the Irish gab going .... lol ... later

the new pics look goooooood!

Normally I would agree but my hydro shop (the one that isn't over an hour drive) is sketchy at best....overpriced and since they are the only one within an hour...they act like it....like you have no choice but to shop there. Who in their right mind would open a hydro/head shop literally across the street from a cop shop.....not people I care to do biz with if it can be avoided.

Side note...called shop back and canceled my order....got confirmation and the money is back on my card.....this morning I get a notice that UPS will deliver a package 61 + pounds, from the same company, that was shipped overnight. I don't know what to think of it.....anyway bottom line is more work for me.....sign for it and send it back I guess.....or refuse delivery. I guess the nasty email/phone calls worked.....too little too late

Side-Side note:
I am a medicinal user in a non medicinal state....supposedly it may make the ballot this year but that does not help my situation now. My health has been sliding for the last 10 years or so but has gotten progressively worse this last year....to the point that I will not be able to handle my garden.
My wife has offered to take over tending to the garden, an option but not the best one as she works full time and is in grad school.....not a bunch of free time. I know no one here that I can trust and even if I did I don't think I would go that route. So, what I am going to do for now.....until I collapse and die in the garden or another option opens up:

• Switch to perlite and vermiculite mix - lighter easier to handle and can be shipped - no soil
• Finish water line to 55 gal drum for easier watering
• Consider getting away from SOG so that harvest will be one day rather than every 2 weeks
• Continue to be active in ASA
• Look in to hydro-DWC......mainly issues of flooding as there are floors below me, if not feasible go back to hempy buckets?

The other 2 options we are considering are moving back to Cali (Northern this go around) or renting an apartment in neighboring state that has approved medicinal. Second option can be done fairly quickly, only live an hour or so from border, found a landlord that will rent to me without living there (300.00 a month) as well as a compassion doc that will prescribe. The downside I can see is that I would most likely end up on the national news for getting caught trying to skirt laws....totally my luck.
Obviously Cali is my choice but that would have to wait until next spring when the wife finishes up school.
Why does it have to be so difficult FFS.....god this country is so FUBAR!

Enough rambling.....any suggestions on making the garden as automated and easy as possible.....I am all ears.

Photos will be posted when lights come on tonight.

 

[orzz]

Sorry to hear about ur troubles Shipin. I am physically disabled with spine troubles, cant lift or bend much. Neck fused. I use a ebb & flow with grodan 6 in blocks. I don't have to do much more than move the cubes and manage the res. I use pumps and valve's in my tray lines to empty to outside garden. I hope this might help. PM me if u care to. Be well.

 

[shipinit]

Sorry to hear about ur troubles Shipin. I am physically disabled with spine troubles, cant lift or bend much. Neck fused. I use a ebb & flow with grodan 6 in blocks. I don't have to do much more than move the cubes and manage the res. I use pumps and valve's in my tray lines to empty to outside garden. I hope this might help. PM me if u care to. Be well.

Thx, physically disabled as well....and I may take you up on some ebb knowledge. In the past I have read a bit on different hydro systems.....need to brush back up and then I will be looking for advice. Appreciate it.

 

[shipinit]

Ok, well things are finally getting on track. Overnight order of gear showed up as well as my initial order. HTG stuff showed as it always does, on time and in tact.
Here is a pic of the flower room, now I apologize in advance for the mess.....lights off was 30 min ago and I just wasn't able to get it all set.



I need to rig something for the carbon filter, it is just too heavy for the tent. I think I will hang it again but make a conduit support or rack for it to sit stable on.....the thing is probably overkill but oh well. This weekend (pending feeling well) I will get some hose clamps for all the ducting as well as a few green lights for the flower room so that I can work in there after lights out if needed.

I was planning on re-potting 8 of the clones in to 3 gal containers and leave 8 in the 32 oz cups.....I just don't have the energy to haul soil.....so I transferred 1 to a 3 gal and left the rest in cups.....next run I will have more subjects for the experiment. Here is a photo of the clone pre-transfer as well as the root system.....these were put in soil on the 27th.





As you can see they should have been in flower 2 weeks ago OR transplanted.....they will require H2O everyday during flower due to the root systems.

And last but not least the two girls I have in flower.....first one is the Tomahawk mother:



I just love the node spacing and bud production of this strain......love it! This is 18 days in flower, by the time 70 days rolls around she will have to be tied up in every direction.....great SOG strain....gets a bit unruly otherwise.

This is a bud shot of a re-veg plant....this is a clone I received as a going away present from a friend in Cali......he was supposed to tell me the strain when I got done with harvest......life happened and he didn't.



All I was told is that it is a early finisher....which it was last go around....60 days.....early for me I guess as I usually chop when trichs are 50% amber. These buds will look like mini ski slopes come harvest time.....main reason I re-vegged her. This is about 35 days in to flower.

I will post another update this afternoon on all the seedlings, they are getting large and will need to be re-potted soon.