Al B. FAQt

dcg, if you want to cite text and have it appear in a QUOTE box, either use the REPLY WITH QUOTE ( ) button or copy/paste the text you want to cite and highlight the text and click the QUOTE ( ) button.

Al B. Fuct said:

dcg, if you want to cite text and have it appear in a QUOTE box, either use the REPLY WITH QUOTE (

) button or copy/paste the text you want to cite and highlight the text and click the QUOTE (

) button.

Click to expand...

I just learned how to use the button... I was always wondering why u would qoute peoples text and it wouldn't say their name by it...
Hey Al, I know it's probably been awhile since u germinated a seed, but what method do u use, and what temp do u think is best. Lately certain strains just won't pop for me, but then I get 100% on others. I would say it is a seed problem but I have only had luck with 2 strains out of the last 5 or 6... Between seized orders and seeds not taking, I'm out quite a bit of cash...

good morning al , what is your take on the liquid lumens product, the reflector that gets cooled off by passing water through it

sorry bout the double post, it just occured to me to also ask you what you think of House and Garden nutrients, ive read some posts from some really happy customers. Also, do you think its worth it going through the extra trouble of setting up a great aero system? I mean will the results be dramitic compared to a well maintained flood and drain or drip whatever.
gracias muchacho

Al,
i need to figure out how i can constantly get bud (sog) with what i have.can u help me??
Here are some pics

PS: 3RD PIC...ARE THOSE TEMPS GOOD FOR STARTING WITH SEED OR SHOULD IT BE WARMER?...4TH PIC...IS THIS HOW THE RESEVOIR SUPPOSE TO BE HOOKED WITH 2 BUBBLERS?
I ALSO HAVE DWC BUCKETS THAT I WANNA USE TO HOUSE 2 MOTHER PLANTS IN A HOMEBOX S AND A MISTIC CLONER
IF NEED BE I WILL SETUP 3RD HOMEBOX S JUST FOR MISTIC CLONER OR IS THERE A WAY I CAN HAVE IT IN THE HOMEBOX WITH 2 DWC BUCKETS..I DONT THINK SO,BUT IF U CAN HELP ME FIGURE THIS OUT I WILL SEND YOU SEEDS LOL..I NEED TO MAKE MONEY AS WELL AS NEVER BUY AGAIN

Hey Al,

Do you have any input on grounding rods as to how they affect iron content. Someone asked me about it but I don't know what they are refering to unless it is a rod of rusty metal. Which I believe is the least favorable way to offer an iron supplement...please advise.

Thanks,
OitW

hey al i was wondering if you could help me indenify the problems on my leaves.

i am currently 2 weeks into my grow and i am using grow flora nova and 1/8 suggeusted strength. now i know this problem is not burn however i think it may have to do with the PH

my tap water PH is around 7.0
after nutes are added the ph goes down to about 6.6-6.4
run off 6.0

the medium i am using is promix with a drip to waist system and a digital timer that comes on every 2 days for 1 min.

i know that in tradionational hydro systems people sugguest to have a lower PH then what i am using. however because it is in soil i dont see the need to have it lower.

i know that my pictures aren't very good but along the tips there are tiney white spots. the interesting thing is it is only on one side of the plant. somthing i though of while i was making this post; could these white spots be from my drippers spraying nutes and having the nutes land on the leaves?

well your the master so any help would be great!

CustomHydro said:

Hey Al, I know it's probably been awhile since u germinated a seed, but what method do u use, and what temp do u think is best. Lately certain strains just won't pop for me, but then I get 100% on others. I would say it is a seed problem but I have only had luck with 2 strains out of the last 5 or 6... Between seized orders and seeds not taking, I'm out quite a bit of cash...

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I use a way low-tech method for sprouting beans. A paper towel, folded in quarters, gets about 3-4ml of water and is stuck in a ziploc bag. Beans are put on the surface of the paper towel and the bag is held partly open. The bag, towel & beans go on the back of my (CRT) computer monitor, which is warm enough to pop the beans without cooking them. Top of a fridge might do equally well but is harder to keep an eye on.

Sorry for your bad luck with shipping & stuff.

holmes said:

good morning al , what is your take on the liquid lumens product, the reflector that gets cooled off by passing water through it

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Not a fan. There's certainly a use for liquid cooled cooltubes, but it's only in the extreme situation where you might have to grow in a space which can't be ventilated well, but trying to grow in an underventilated space has has lots of other problems.

If a seal on the tube fails and coolant contacts the lamp tube, it'll shatter and short the ballast output, possibly cooking the ballast. One maker of liquid cooled tubes recommends 50gal (189L) of coolant reservoir for each 1000W lamp. That'll take a considerable amount of floorspace! The approximately 1/2" layer of coolant and the necessity for 2 layers of glass tube will cause an unacceptable amount of light loss.

Air cooled tubes are far preferable due to their simplicity, single layer of glass between lamp & leaf, much lower cost and annual maintenance which in sum amounts to dusting them.

holmes said:

sorry bout the double post, it just occured to me to also ask you what you think of House and Garden nutrients, ive read some posts from some really happy customers.

Click to expand...

Never heard of them before.

Also, do you think its worth it going through the extra trouble of setting up a great aero system? I mean will the results be dramitic compared to a well maintained flood and drain or drip whatever.

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No, a watering system is a watering system is a watering system. Yes, aero will get a high amount of dissolved O2 to the roots but you can accomplish much the same with plants in pots of pellets in a flood system which is flooding frequently for short durations. Drip systems suffer from emitter clogs, DWC can kill plants if there's a power or air pump failure lasting more than a couple of hours.

There's little to no production difference, let alone any dramatic difference, between a flood with pots of pellets and any other method, but a flood system is much more reliable and requires almost no maintenance. Any performance gains from more complex systems are wiped out with the loss of any plants or an entire crop from a watering system failure.

paperfetti said:

Al,
i need to figure out how i can constantly get bud (sog) with what i have.can u help me??
Here are some pics

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Sorry, I can't tell what I'm looking at.

I don't see any HPS lighting. If you're going to SoG, you need HPS in flowering. CFLs won't cut it.

Old in the Way said:

Hey Al,

Do you have any input on grounding rods as to how they affect iron content. Someone asked me about it but I don't know what they are refering to unless it is a rod of rusty metal. Which I believe is the least favorable way to offer an iron supplement...please advise.

Thanks,
OitW

Click to expand...

Adding iron to a grow sounds HIGHLY unnecessary as Fe is usually present in all tapwater in more than sufficient quantity for plants simply due to leaching from underground cast iron mains piping. If a person is trying to solve an iron deficiency, I'd be willing to bet they're chasing the wrong deficiency or have some other problem.

Ground rods are usually copper plated steel. Not sure of the effect of copper (or CuO as an acidic nute soln would oxidise the Cu plating fast) on plants. I don't think I'd leave a ground rod in my nute tanks, that's for sure.

Ghost420 said:

however because it is in soil

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Sorry, I'm not a soil guy, there's much better soil growers than me whom you should consult.

i know that my pictures aren't very good

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you're right, it's too out of focus for me to be able to tell you anything.

Hi there Al! I was going through your gallery pics looking for something that showed what your root systems look like when mid-way, or so, through your 4 tray cycle. Do they grow right out of that fytocel stuff and intertwine into a mess? How do you control or deal with that?, or does by moving them every 2 weeks help?

Thanks much!

growinman said:

Do they grow right out of that fytocel stuff and intertwine into a mess? How do you control or deal with that?, or does by moving them every 2 weeks help?

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Some roots nose out of the drain holes in the pots, but the exposed roots are not kept wet enough by the either 2 or 3 floods/lights-on to support their escape. Exposure to air prunes off any escapees. They're never more than a couple mm long out of the drain holes.

Hey Al, couple questions for you.. I read in one of your very previous posts that you use a fluorescent uv ionizer to counteract odors.. How well does it work?? Is it more efficient than a carbonair filter?? I was looking for alternatives in an attempt to save space.. Also, I've read a post where you said you use a lightproof curtain to seperate your mothers from your flower room.. what material is it exactly? thanks.. and sorry if you've already been asked this.. i went through a few pages to check but it's a little wacky to browse all 100+

mountaindude530 said:

I read in one of your very previous posts that you use a fluorescent uv ionizer to counteract odors.. How well does it work?? Is it more efficient than a carbonair filter?? I was looking for alternatives in an attempt to save space..

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I'm using some Uvonair UV fluoro ionisers. They're highly effective at killing scent in and around the op.



I have one propped up so its output mixes with the air coming out of the bud dryer, arguably the stinkiest air in the op, and you simply would never know there is a pound of buds in the room with you.

However, the single tube UV ioniser in the flowering area doesn't always keep up with the 600CFM exhaust blower. I'm considering a carbon filter, but in my circumstances, with my nearest neighbours about 1km away, it's hard to justify.

Also, I've read a post where you said you use a lightproof curtain to seperate your mothers from your flower room.. what material is it exactly?

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Just a double thickness of panda film, looped over a 2x4 which is screwed to the ceiling, white sides outward.

Whats up AL!

I see ur thread is still cruzin'!!

I just wanted to know some things to keep in mind while choosing a balsast. I'm not sure im sold on the digi's so im gonna get a magnetic. I guess my question is, Can a person go cheap on a 600hps ballast? I know ur a BSEE in all. I just want something safe to use and last awhile.

"ROOTS", I say it again "ROOTS"!!!!

In one short week.

"In the aerocloner?" you ask.

"FUCT NO" I reply "Not in my $485 aerocloner (EZ Cloner 120) with another $100 in a heater, timer, thermometer and bs to optimize it. But in my $7 tray on the $40 heat mat plugged in to a $30 thermostat, oh and $6 in starter plugs......$83.00 vs. $600 hhmmmmmm.........and the suuurvey saaays.."

"Number One Answer"

-I have alot to learn from Al

should have returned the one i had when you suggested it. C'est la vi.

Ive had good luck with my homemade bubble cloner thus far... but also consistent results in rockwool. I think.. whatever works. But I def would expect it to be easy from something called an EZ cloner..LOL

flipsidesw said:

I guess my question is, Can a person go cheap on a 600hps ballast?

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Yes, but have them fire up the cheapie in the shop before you take it home. If it is not silent (or bloody close to it) 1-2 minutes after starting, the inductor laminations are not well fixed down and it will get noisier with age. It should not buzz, hum or sing at all. Even a cheap inductive ballast will last years, just make sure the one you pick is silent.

Old in the Way said:

"ROOTS", I say it again "ROOTS"!!!!

In one short week.

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7 days is bloody good, especially for an early attempt. That's exactly what should happen, every time. You got the watering totally right. Well done! I have seen roots out of RW cubes in as little as 5 days but 7 is more than acceptable.

SomeGuy said:

Ive had good luck with my homemade bubble cloner thus far... but also consistent results in rockwool.

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Lucky you. I could never get consistent results with aerocloners. Sometimes it worked great, sometimes stem tips rotted, requiring recutting.

oh yeah, a couple notes about ionisers...

O3 can cause natural rubber parts to dry rot. You don't wanna know how pissed off I was when I found cosmetic dry rot on my brand new set of Metzeler ME88/99 tyres I put on my touring bike just before winter layup and just before buying the O3 gens. Motorcycle tyres are natural rubber with low polymer content compared to car tyres, which for all intents and purposes, have a lot of plasticky polymers which make them last a long time. Motorcycle tyres & aircraft tyres are natural rubber for best adhesion, but they have the poorest durability and resilience to O3.

On the upside, the grow room vents into a crawl space, which had a persistent musty odour prior to getting the O3 gens. Scentless now. Even if you don't have a grow room, you want one of these things for attics & basements.

Great stuff, UV O3 gens. Just keep their output away from your $500 set of motorcycle tyres...

So were you ever able to built your own ionozer? I followed the other thread "diy big blu bastard" and there was no further info past looking into building your own.---I've got a little "air tiger" that does a good job when needed.

no, I had some spare UV tubes and some fluoro ballasts for ordinary fluoro lamps. Wired 'em up, they would not strike. Put it aside, haven't messed with it for a while.

Sorry, I can't tell what I'm looking at.

I don't see any HPS lighting. If you're going to SoG, you need HPS in flowering. CFLs won't cut it.

sorry cant figure the quote thing out...but i do have a 600 watt hps cool tube (dont know why i didnt add pic,but yea i have that) ..please tell me u can help me.