Second round with BCNL producer, pink kush

[stillcantroll]

Back at it again. Couple things to mention:

I'm a little late starting this journal, still haven't bothered to invest in a decent camera, and I have a tough time posting journal entries with crappy picture quality.

Anyways, this journal starts in the middle of the first week of flowering. I vegged these girls for a total of 3 weeks. I'm extremely pleased with the results of this 3 week veg, but unpleased with the time in which it took to get them. Last grow I suffered immensly from over-feeding and over-watering my clones, and they wilted and almost died in the first week. This time, I backed off the nutes and hand fed them. They remained green the entire time and responded extremely well. I didn't get the clones in time to use my closet station which was the original plan, so next grow i'll be able to knock a week or more off of veg without a doubt in my mind. I'm aiming for a week of veg, and 7.5 weeks of flower in the box from now on so that I can still get 5.5-6 harvests a year depending on strain. End result of veg: 1 inch clones grew to 10-13 inch clones in 3 weeks, not bad but could be better.

The pics you see below are my girls at 3 days into the first week of flowering. They are being measured daily and are growing at a healthy rate of about an inch a day. I'm hoping they will continue to stretch till about 24 inches or maybe a bit more, then stop. If they don't, i'll super crop them in the second week of flowering to compensate.

The root mass is night and day compared to last run. I added 2 extra dual diaphragm air pumps, for a total 12' airstone count of 8. This has had an immense effect on my overall root health. They are litrally twice as big now as my last crops were at harvest, I look forward to seeing the results of this in budding. I did decide to use voodoo juice for my 3 veg weeks, and switch to h2o2 in flower, only so that I can contrast the rootmass with using pure h2o2 the entire time next run. If the rootmass is noticably better this run, I'll continue to use voodoo in veg. It's very expensive, but using only 150ml or less a crop makes it viable in my mind.

I've invested in a few other nutrients to test their effectiveness this run. They are: Dutch master Silica, Advanced nutrients F1/Mother Earth Tea/B-52/Bud Blood. I'm trying to steer away from the pricey AN nutes, but a few of them were 30% off at the hydro store, so I just went for it. So far I'm impressed with this new regiment, well see at the end of the run.

I've been able to stop using my air conditioner during most days. I wanted to test the effects of a slightly higher res temperature (75 or so) with the new air pumps. Turns out the extra air is more than enough to compensate for the higher temps. I'm really all about saving power right now, so I just let the unit air out into my home and open a window in some other rooms. The temp is about 78-80 degrees in my box after 12 hours of flowering, which is totally reasonable, and is saving me hydro having to run that AC for 10 hours a day or so.

My humidity so far is in the neighbourhood of 35-45 with the carbon filter off. I'm a little worried when I throw that thing on next week, but we'll see what happens. I'll run the AC in dehumid mode if I have to.

All in all, everything so far is perfect really. The plants are uniform and perfect looking, roots are perfect, growth is perfect. I can't wait to see the results. Sorry again for the poor picture quality.

 

[salinas]

hey very nice roots and leaves looks good i have lots of questions for you like your ac you said you run ac i wanted to know what you do to tackle your heat issues i live in central califronia and it gets hot and your nute recepie please post every week or days i will closely follow your grow since i too have a producer how do you get your res lid light proof from the irrigation light leaks much more thanks and keep it up!

 

[stillcantroll]

hey very nice roots and leaves looks good i have lots of questions for you like your ac you said you run ac i wanted to know what you do to tackle your heat issues i live in central califronia and it gets hot and your nute recepie please post every week or days i will closely follow your grow since i too have a producer how do you get your res lid light proof from the irrigation light leaks much more thanks and keep it up!

Hey buddy,

Well, I don't live in cali, I live in BC so the temps aren't *too* bad here. I just have a portable 7000 BTU AC unit in the same room as my producer. No fancy ducting, just the hot air going out of the room. I also have each of the lights ducted out of my room via dryer ducts (theres a video on how to do this on the BCNL website).

I've actually been able to not bother with my AC most days by just leaving all the rooms open in my home so the heat has a chance to escape the grow room. This keeps my res temps at about 72, and my box temps just under 80. If I turn on the AC, it brings my box temp down to about 73, and my res temp down to about 69. Right now I'm trying to save on hydro so, i'm seeing how things go without the AC on, and so far so great. Roots are perfectly healthy and plants are growing like crazy (an inch a day or more).

As for the nute schedule, I just use the BCNL schedule that comes with the producer. It's in the grow manual that came with your box. If you don't have it, ask BCNL for it I'm sure theyll email it or send you another. The only things I use that aren't on the schedule are hydrogen peroxide (35%) and dutch master silica. I use 20ml of both of these products in my weekly res changes, and I allow the hydrogen peroxide to be added to the water first, and sit for 30 minutes before adding any other nutes.

And lastly for the light proofing, go to a hydro store and try to get your hands on some black and white poly material, or at the very least some mylar. Spread the sheet of material across the top of your box once the fresh clones are in, and cut small holes for every drip emitter and clone. Itll take a bit of time to guide all the clones and drippers in, but once theyre in theyre in, and won't need to be adjusted for the rest of hte crop. The exception to this rule would be if you wanted to move a clone into another net pod, then you'd have to maneauver a bit. with small holes for just the clones stalk, and the dripper, everything else is covered including the net pods and this will 100% light proof your lid. Make sure when you're closing your lid after adjusting pH that none of the cords from the water pump, air lines or t5 strips are stuck under the lids, as this will create a massive constant light leak for algae to feed on.

Oh, and if you have a producer, I STRONGLY recommend buying another air pump or two and adding more airstones to your res. Let me know if you buy it and ill help you get it installed, it's very easy.

 

[salinas]

Hey buddy,

Well, I don't live in cali, I live in BC so the temps aren't *too* bad here. I just have a portable 7000 BTU AC unit in the same room as my producer. No fancy ducting, just the hot air going out of the room. I also have each of the lights ducted out of my room via dryer ducts (theres a video on how to do this on the BCNL website).

I've actually been able to not bother with my AC most days by just leaving all the rooms open in my home so the heat has a chance to escape the grow room. This keeps my res temps at about 72, and my box temps just under 80. If I turn on the AC, it brings my box temp down to about 73, and my res temp down to about 69. Right now I'm trying to save on hydro so, i'm seeing how things go without the AC on, and so far so great. Roots are perfectly healthy and plants are growing like crazy (an inch a day or more).

As for the nute schedule, I just use the BCNL schedule that comes with the producer. It's in the grow manual that came with your box. If you don't have it, ask BCNL for it I'm sure theyll email it or send you another. The only things I use that aren't on the schedule are hydrogen peroxide (35%) and dutch master silica. I use 20ml of both of these products in my weekly res changes, and I allow the hydrogen peroxide to be added to the water first, and sit for 30 minutes before adding any other nutes.

And lastly for the light proofing, go to a hydro store and try to get your hands on some black and white poly material, or at the very least some mylar. Spread the sheet of material across the top of your box once the fresh clones are in, and cut small holes for every drip emitter and clone. Itll take a bit of time to guide all the clones and drippers in, but once theyre in theyre in, and won't need to be adjusted for the rest of hte crop. The exception to this rule would be if you wanted to move a clone into another net pod, then you'd have to maneauver a bit. with small holes for just the clones stalk, and the dripper, everything else is covered including the net pods and this will 100% light proof your lid. Make sure when you're closing your lid after adjusting pH that none of the cords from the water pump, air lines or t5 strips are stuck under the lids, as this will create a massive constant light leak for algae to feed on.

Oh, and if you have a producer, I STRONGLY recommend buying another air pump or two and adding more airstones to your res. Let me know if you buy it and ill help you get it installed, it's very easy.

hey thanks for the reply and help i already have an air pump its not as big as the one the producer has but it should do the work and help will be appreciated on installing it and another thing i have been thinnking and reading about do you have any problems with your carbon filter during flowering with all those nice smells. do you use anything else please let me know if you added anything to your box like any extra fans for stem strenghtening or any other upgrades beside the air pump and 7000 btu ac what kind if u dont mind and is it exhausted outside. thanks

 

[stillcantroll]

hey thanks for the reply and help i already have an air pump its not as big as the one the producer has but it should do the work and help will be appreciated on installing it and another thing i have been thinnking and reading about do you have any problems with your carbon filter during flowering with all those nice smells. do you use anything else please let me know if you added anything to your box like any extra fans for stem strenghtening or any other upgrades beside the air pump and 7000 btu ac what kind if u dont mind and is it exhausted outside. thanks

Ok so, I have two extra air pumps, both dual diaphragm in addition to my original producer, for a total of 8 air stones. I have them both sitting on an elevated stool behind my producer to keep them above water level, to reduce backpressure and to prevent water siphoning if the pumps or power fail. Each air pump has 2 1/8th inch hoses coming off of it. I used a screw driver to pry open the openings where the intake air cover sits at the back of your producer. I ran 2 1/8th inch hoses into each of those 2 widened holes (so, two on one side and two on another). Once all 4 air hoses are inside the machine, I ran them down and to the side of the left my res tub, then all 4 into the little hole on the left hand side of the front of your res lid. I found that can comfortably fit all 4 hoses in there, and the original producer air pumps hoses + the water pump line on other side's hole. I know other people run it through a net pod, but this I found to be easier.

I did have problems with my carbon filter last run, but after close inspection, I think it was two things causing the smell leak:

1. there was obvious leaks in the casing of my machine. Where the back panel of my box meets the side panel, there was a tiny amount of space on both sides that was leaking a small amount of light and air. There was also some holes at the bottom of the box. I took tin tape and covered every single spot i could see light coming out of that I could cover.

2. There was a dent at the base of my original carbon filter that I found when taking it off. It appears i tightened it too much with the holding strap when originally installing, and bent it. This time, I didnt use the strap, and just duct taped the crap out of the filter on to my machine to keep it there safely, and to make escaping air impossible.


Right now there is absolutely no smell in my machine, and its working 100 percent as advertised. I'll let you know if that holds true as we get further into flowering...

I am thinking of adding a fan, but I can't seem to find a model that would work. Battery powered fans as far as I'm concerned aren't an option, so that means the power must come from somewhere. Your options are: an external power source, using the CFL socket or possibly even the t-5 socket. I do currently use the CFL bulb and t-5s all throughout flowering. The CFL adds a nice blue spectrum to flowering and I find it helps with resin producting at a very low additional cost to power. The t-5s help keep the bottoms of the plants filled out and i won't be getting rid of those either. So, my only option is to run a cord out of the box and plug it in somewhere. This, as you know, isn't an easy task, but I'm still considering it. I might drill a small hole in the back of the machine for this purpose. We'll see, but it wont happen this run.

My air conditioner is from a company called Noma. Here is a link to my exact model. http://shopping.canoe.ca/shop/product--productId_3296742.html

I have the exhaust air going out of my condo unit via a small dryer vent that I installed. When used, does an outstanding job with the heat. If I turn it up high, I can keep my inside box temps at 70 degrees, but right now as I mentioned before I have it turned off to save power. When the summer heat kicks in (IF it kicks in) I'll start using it again.

 

[salinas]

i will do that and thanks again and keep us updated with your grow let us know any updates and upgrades you have done to your box pics please

 

[ancap]

I'm planning on adding a fan or two to my current grow. I'm told it helps keep the mold spores from settling and also eliminates hot spots in the box. Mine gets really hot in the middle top of the left side. Smokedup12 pointed me to this fan, but I'm sure any similar sized fan would work. Here's what he wrote me... "Fans should be on the front left and right corners. U can tuck them very nicely with suction cups, I use these and recommend $9 at walmart. Not battery operated, but u wont go crazy switching batterys every 60 hours. Fans should be pointed right along the canopy, but when canopy is close to glass it can be pointed directional from the corner to middle of glass."

 

[stillcantroll]

I'm planning on adding a fan or two to my current grow. I'm told it helps keep the mold spores from settling and also eliminates hot spots in the box. Mine gets really hot in the middle top of the left side. Smokedup12 pointed me to this fan, but I'm sure any similar sized fan would work. Here's what he wrote me... "Fans should be on the front left and right corners. U can tuck them very nicely with suction cups, I use these and recommend $9 at walmart. Not battery operated, but u wont go crazy switching batterys every 60 hours. Fans should be pointed right along the canopy, but when canopy is close to glass it can be pointed directional from the corner to middle of glass."

It's an awesome idea, I just wonder how the power would work. If you end up getting this in, I'd love to take a look at how you managed to do it properly. And I agree, I think the airflow in these boxes is good, but the actual plant agitation is very poor.

 

[salinas]

I'm planning on adding a fan or two to my current grow. I'm told it helps keep the mold spores from settling and also eliminates hot spots in the box. Mine gets really hot in the middle top of the left side. Smokedup12 pointed me to this fan, but I'm sure any similar sized fan would work. Here's what he wrote me... "Fans should be on the front left and right corners. U can tuck them very nicely with suction cups, I use these and recommend $9 at walmart. Not battery operated, but u wont go crazy switching batterys every 60 hours. Fans should be pointed right along the canopy, but when canopy is close to glass it can be pointed directional from the corner to middle of glass."

yes those extra fans i think will be a must and i actually went out to walmart and bought one yesterday pretty small alright air movement just a bit noicy like a kind of rattleling and makes more noice when attached to the box did i mention only 6 bucks pretty good 4 inch these http://www.amazon.com/Massey-High-Velocity-Inch-Fan/dp/B0019QU4XM are way overpriced here at walmart only 6 buks this is what i got

 

[stillcantroll]

yes those extra fans i think will be a must and i actually went out to walmart and bought one yesterday pretty small alright air movement just a bit noicy like a kind of rattleling and makes more noice when attached to the box did i mention only 6 bucks pretty good 4 inch these http://www.amazon.com/Massey-High-Velocity-Inch-Fan/dp/B0019QU4XM are way overpriced here at walmart only 6 buks this is what i got

How did you power these? Did you run a cord through the door or something?

 

[salinas]

How did you power these? Did you run a cord through the door or something?

i havent actually this will be my first bcnl grow after my first dirt grow and am gathering info and materials that did not come with this box like fans extra air stones like you suggested but i am thinking of drilling a small whole big enough for just the two little wires "x 2 since two fans" and cut the wires from the fan cord and feed them through the whole and re connect wires correctly and tape the wires with electrical tape and i would cut whole in an unseen area maybe back bottom closer to my outlet and connect to a timer to only run at 12/12 hey wanted to ask how much of a jump did you get from your electric bill running your pro and can you please post pics really liked your last grow how about some pics of the rear side of this baby really want to see back sides of peoples producers thanks

 

[stillcantroll]

i havent actually this will be my first bcnl grow after my first dirt grow and am gathering info and materials that did not come with this box like fans extra air stones like you suggested but i am thinking of drilling a small whole big enough for just the two little wires "x 2 since two fans" and cut the wires from the fan cord and feed them through the whole and re connect wires correctly and tape the wires with electrical tape and i would cut whole in an unseen area maybe back bottom closer to my outlet and connect to a timer to only run at 12/12 hey wanted to ask how much of a jump did you get from your electric bill running your pro and can you please post pics really liked your last grow how about some pics of the rear side of this baby really want to see back sides of peoples producers thanks

My camera is garbage so I haven't been in a rush to get pics, but I'll borrow a cam and take some in the next couple days (promise). I saw quite a large jump myself running the AC from time to time and the pros, my electricity bill went from 18$ a month to 75$ in my condo unit. The only reason I'm not too concerned is because I just moved in recently so I don't have any power history here. It's a sizeable jump, I don't mind paying it but, its the heatyness of the whole thing, you know how it is.

 

[happihour]

Sweet journal so far I have yet to receive my first bill running a/c and producer this summer but i guess costs what it costs.

 

[ancap]

I pay north of $500 for electricity! However, I think a good $100 of that is my roommate keeping the thermostat too low.

 

[stillcantroll]

I pay north of $500 for electricity! However, I think a good $100 of that is my roommate keeping the thermostat too low.

I'm only in a small condo right now, but electricity is generally very reasonable in BC, especially at steps one and two.

 

[salinas]

I pay north of $500 for electricity! However, I think a good $100 of that is my roommate keeping the thermostat too low.

woow man how much was it before the producer is it more than one your running

 

[Kent Clarksmith]

WOW UR ROOTS LOOK BEAUTIFUL STILLCANTROLL!!! do u have enough space to actually put the whole airpump in the Producer or u leave do u leave the pump outside the Producer because i have a Bloombox and my water temps are about 72-75, i know my roots should be bigger than they are rite now. Great idea by they way!!

 

[stillcantroll]

WOW UR ROOTS LOOK BEAUTIFUL STILLCANTROLL!!! do u have enough space to actually put the whole airpump in the Producer or u leave do u leave the pump outside the Producer because i have a Bloombox and my water temps are about 72-75, i know my roots should be bigger than they are rite now. Great idea by they way!!

I have to give credit where credit is due. Smokedup was the person to suggest adding the airflow and it was the best thing I've done to improve my grow success. I'm borrowing a friends camera on monday, i'll take a picture of how they look now... it's absolutely stupid compared to how they were last run. There's just a sea of roots in the water, it looks like a cooked cup of bowl noodles. They are drinking a shit ton of water, PPM management has become very important this grow.

I don't put either of the 2 extra airpumps in the producer, I just ran the airlines through the holes in the back near the intake fans using a screwdriver to pry them open a little, then along the side of the tub and into the slots in the front of the DWC tub. The air pumps are sitting behind my producer, elevated on a bar stool to prevent back-pressure and possible siphoning if the pumps fail, and are plugged into a powerbar. They aren't much louder than anything else in the producer. Once installed properly, you forget they are there, just 8 stones now instead of 4... totally awesome. I've had my AC shut down prematurely, and these stones saved me from rot. My res was up to 80 degrees and you couldnt even tell, still perfect white roots. As I become more experienced, I learn how important some of these things are before nutrients... Nutrients are fast becoming the least important thing to yield in my grow life.


Take a pic of your roots, id love to see them. What stones does the bloombox use and how many?

 

[ancap]

I have to give credit where credit is due. Smokedup was the person to suggest adding the airflow and it was the best thing I've done to improve my grow success. I'm borrowing a friends camera on monday, i'll take a picture of how they look now... it's absolutely stupid compared to how they were last run. There's just a sea of roots in the water, it looks like a cooked cup of bowl noodles. They are drinking a shit ton of water, PPM management has become very important this grow.

I don't put either of the 2 extra airpumps in the producer, I just ran the airlines through the holes in the back near the intake fans using a screwdriver to pry them open a little, then along the side of the tub and into the slots in the front of the DWC tub. The air pumps are sitting behind my producer, elevated on a bar stool to prevent back-pressure and possible siphoning if the pumps fail, and are plugged into a powerbar. They aren't much louder than anything else in the producer. Once installed properly, you forget they are there, just 8 stones now instead of 4... totally awesome. I've had my AC shut down prematurely, and these stones saved me from rot. My res was up to 80 degrees and you couldnt even tell, still perfect white roots. As I become more experienced, I learn how important some of these things are before nutrients... Nutrients are fast becoming the least important thing to yield in my grow life.


Take a pic of your roots, id love to see them. What stones does the bloombox use and how many?

Yep, did this with my producer as well (as you know) and it was a great decision.

 

[Kent Clarksmith]

I have to give credit where credit is due. Smokedup was the person to suggest adding the airflow and it was the best thing I've done to improve my grow success. I'm borrowing a friends camera on monday, i'll take a picture of how they look now... it's absolutely stupid compared to how they were last run. There's just a sea of roots in the water, it looks like a cooked cup of bowl noodles. They are drinking a shit ton of water, PPM management has become very important this grow.

I don't put either of the 2 extra airpumps in the producer, I just ran the airlines through the holes in the back near the intake fans using a screwdriver to pry them open a little, then along the side of the tub and into the slots in the front of the DWC tub. The air pumps are sitting behind my producer, elevated on a bar stool to prevent back-pressure and possible siphoning if the pumps fail, and are plugged into a powerbar. They aren't much louder than anything else in the producer. Once installed properly, you forget they are there, just 8 stones now instead of 4... totally awesome. I've had my AC shut down prematurely, and these stones saved me from rot. My res was up to 80 degrees and you couldnt even tell, still perfect white roots. As I become more experienced, I learn how important some of these things are before nutrients... Nutrients are fast becoming the least important thing to yield in my grow life.


Take a pic of your roots, id love to see them. What stones does the bloombox use and how many?

OOOOHHH OK!! The Bloombox uses the same airstones as the Producer, the 12 inch and it only came with 4. I had an extra airpump at my house but the little wimp can only use 1 airstone, can't even split into two lol, what kind of pumps are you using?