8x8 growtent, CO2, 3,600 W HPS. Need input from veterans.

Hi, I've been reading a lot on here but would like some input/feedback on what I can do to make my grows better.

Here's my setup:
CAP Ebb & Grow system with about 24 - 2 gallon buckets with hydroton
I water about four times during the light and once in the middle of night
CAP CO2 controller & propane generator
CAP environmental controller
3 - 1000 W HPS w/ AC vented hoods
1 - 600 W HPS w/ AC vented hood
2 - Hydrofarm 6" inline fans cooling the lights
1 - 8" inline fan pulling through a CAN 66 carbon scrubber
1 - 8'x8' GL 240L Growlab Growtent
1- Airstone in the reservoir

Nutrients:
Veg: 3 part GH
Budding: Lucas Formula - General Hydroponics Flora Bloom & Micro
I use liquid karma sparingly at the beginning of bloom until about four weeks in
PPM at around 1200 to 1400 w/ 0.7EC conversion
I add back nutrients every couple of days as necessary
Change nutrient solution completely about every three or four weeks and run Clearex
I don't check PH much because I use lucas formula, but usually check it when I add liquid karma. It's always between 5.5 and 6.5.
I use RO water always.

Plants:
I usually veg about 4 weeks.
Finishing Barney's Farm Blue Cheese
Barney's Farm Red Diesel about four weeks in

Temp:
Keep them around 85 during the light cycle and 75 at night.
Nutrient solution kept at 70 to 75 degrees
Humidity is kept at 50%


So that's my setup.

Here's my problems:
1. After three or four weeks into flower they start to yellow. I have read this is normal, but when I look at some of you guys, you're plants stay dark green the entire grow. Does this not leave a lot of nitrogen in your plants and there by make it a harsher smoke?
2. I feel like I don't have a good grip on the nutrients. I have grown in the past using ALL of the additives the guy at the hydro shop told me I HAD TO HAVE and here's what happened:
1. 2/3 rd's of my plants died, my PPM's were up in the 2000's+
2. the 1/3 rd that lived, produced the heaviest, dankest plants I have ever seen (WOS Afghan Kush)

Here's my questions and I would really like answers from veteran medium to large scale growers:
1. What additives are necessary? When do you apply them? At what rate?
2. How much of a difference would it make for me to get a chiller on my nutrient solution?
3. Has anyone switched from GH to Advanced Nutrients and seen a huge difference under the same growing conditions? Is it worth it?
4. How much dry weight would you expect out of 3600W of HPS & CO2 using an average to high yielding strain?
5. WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU MAKE TO MY SETUP TO MAKE IT MORE PRODUCTIVE?

I know I'm a newbie on here but I would really appreciate some help from veteran growers.

Do you give them carbs?

i have in the past with the blue cheese but the diesel seems to do the best with just the lucas formula. i haven't seen a noticeable difference using carbs. it really depends on the strain i think.

There are a couple of things you could add.....

Use Root Excelurator to rear them....Shit really gives amazing results...It's a little expensive but goes a long way...

http://organic-hydroponicsupplies.thebigtomato.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=tbt&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=814907252&Count2=732047677&ProductID=2211&Target=products.asp&utm_medium=cse&utm_source=googlebase


Feed some beneficial bacteria like Tarantula or Piranha.....Add the carbs a week into flowering and you'll see a difference....

For flowering, I use Open Sesame, Beastie Bloom and Cha Ching....Works wonders

I am pretty sure your yellowing of the leaf were caused by lack of Calicium, Magnesium.
RO filter removes pretty much everything in your water.

I could benefit from a detailed answer to some of your questions as well, what I don't understand with nutes is, if I'm supposed to add 2ml of this one nute, but now I have 10 nutes to give my plant with some advanced package of all the many boosters and beneficial bacteria ect ect, and I'm still giving my plant 2ml of this 2ml of that, 4 of this... by the time I'm through al the nutes my ppm's are outasite! Do I just cut everything back the appropriate amount and add mere drops of all the nutes to make it up to the desired 1200ish range?

TheRuiner said:

I could benefit from a detailed answer to some of your questions as well, what I don't understand with nutes is, if I'm supposed to add 2ml of this one nute, but now I have 10 nutes to give my plant with some advanced package of all the many boosters and beneficial bacteria ect ect, and I'm still giving my plant 2ml of this 2ml of that, 4 of this... by the time I'm through al the nutes my ppm's are outasite! Do I just cut everything back the appropriate amount and add mere drops of all the nutes to make it up to the desired 1200ish range?

Click to expand...

What is your line of nutrients?

In the past it's been GH 3 part, with Kool Bloom. I have some of all that left as well as Bitanicare (however it's spelled) 3 part, as well as some fox farms 3 part i'm picking up for a soil grow this week. I'm mainly considering when I have the AN package that I'll be ordering shortly, with a basic 3 part as well as 6 additives, what ratio's am I supposed to be adding this stuff to keep my plants nice and fed as well as keep my ppm's down from something stupid like 2500...???

Think of it as 3 parts....Roots - Base nutes - Additives....Water with straight water every week or so and follow the directions....don't feed more than it says to just because you think it's not enough....

Ohh yea, I always go easy on anything I use, especially at first, I'm scared of burning my plants or getting a nasty taste so I always do that...

WHat AN products will you get? and what additives do you use? i'll do my best to help a brother out.

xan2, how much of the cal-mag do you add per gallon when adding for a deficiency like mine when using RO water? The standard 5 to 10ml per gallon (it think) it says on the bottle, or would you back it off to 2 ml per gallon? I went out of town and came home today and some of my diesel fan leaves were yellow and withered off, so I added 2ml of GH grow (green stuff) and 2ml of cal mag to my reservoir. Thanks.

how do i give & get rep? I read about it on the FAQ but don't see a + sign?

I get some yellow/ dead leafs in 85 degrees.
DId you use sprays or anything?

not usually during the bud cycle. i just keep my humidity at 50%

Well, after testing out the SensiCal Mg, heres what i found.

I use the SensiCal Mg Bloom for the whole plant cycle.
If you follow the directions of 1.25ml - 2.50ml per litre (5-10ml per Gal) is way too much!! 1.25ml per 1L of RO 0ppm water went upto 200ppm, didnt try 2.50ml per 1L...
What i did to correct my plants is fill up a 5Gal of RO water. Drop a pump to circulate the water, dip your EC/TDS/PPM meter and add few drops of CalMag.. Repeat untill you have 100ppm of CalMag in the bucket. Than from there you add the nutrients as usual.

Hope this helps.

I would never give them 10 different products per feeding... Many of them overlap or do similar things.... I think there are better nutrients than the GH line...... I would try combinations of additives along with your baselines. Research your additives, and see how they work together. If you are using that much, its hard to tell what to give the desired characteristics credit too....

I am a soil grower, but 2000 PPms sounds super high if you are using RO water which should be relatively grow..... Pushing is good, but do what the plants tell you too......

Advanced Nutrients are very good, but like I said earlier, many additives(especially theirs) are similar or overlap with other products.....

Thanks for the input wonderblunder, I checked out your grow journal. Do you have any updated pics? Not trying to knock AN, but your pics don't do much to make me think AN are worth it.

Nice set up! I read on here from Heath Robinson (peep his grows on here they are insane) What he does (read for your self to make sure) is he keeps feeding veg nutes 1 or 2 weeks into flowering to prevent yellowing of the leaves in final stages of flowering. Hope this helps!