G13 Auto Blueberry, G13 Auto Pineapple Express & Dinafem Fruit Auto

BigLittlejohn · Oct 12, 2012

Decided to try an all Auto grow.

Growing in a closet, DWC in 3.5 Gal buckets, using 250wHPS and I've added some snap reflectors with 6500k CFLs and added a small T-5 I have just to give the plants some blue spectrum light on 18/6.

Fruit and Pineapple Express germed on 9/26, Blueberry on 9/29.

All went into the buckets as seedlings on 10/1.

Here we are 12 days in:

Fruit:

Pineapple Express:

Blueberry:

BigLittlejohn · Oct 14, 2012

Day 14 Update:

Fruit:

Blueberry:

Pineapple Express:

Very pleased with the progress so far. Next time I update I will include pics of the roots.

Temp 79, RH 49%

808killahz · Oct 15, 2012

Looking good so far john.... sub'd....

jela10 · Oct 15, 2012

I like the way you offset the hole for the net pot to the side of the bucket. Is that to aid your access to the air-stone or measuring PPM/pH?

BigLittlejohn · Oct 15, 2012

jela10 said:
I like the way you offset the hole for the net pot to the side of the bucket. Is that to aid your access to the air-stone or measuring PPM/pH?

I did that for a few reasons. My thinking was that with my small grow space, that would be one way of keeping the growing plants from getting in each others' way as they compete for light. The other thing it has done is it allows me access to the res without allowing much light to hit the water, which is always a concern (Algae, increasing temps etc.). I can fool around in the res without really disturbing the plant much by placing the top in such a way that off-set hole allows me some space to work and the plant roots still stay submerged. I am not sure it is any more functional that putting the hole in the center of the lid, but it was what I was thinking when I did it.

I also have an extra bucket, so on the few occasions I change the res, the plants are relatively undisturbed.

BigLittlejohn · Oct 15, 2012

Day 15 update:

Pineapple Express:

Roots:

Fruit:

Roots:

Blueberry:

Roots:

I did a res change tonight and upped the PPM levels of the Nutes in all 3 plants. I snapped these pics a few hours later and noticed some staining on my roots. This will be something I watch very closely, as my roots were pearly white before I did the res change.

BigLittlejohn · Oct 17, 2012

OK, here we are at Day 17. When I say Day 17, I mean the 17th day the plants have been in buckets. All of them sat for 3 days to a week in my propagation tray and humidity dome until my house guest left. So technically they are a bit older that 17 days, but tracking from the day they went into the buckets is easier for me.

Anyway, here's how we look today. I am very pleased with the progress.

Pineapple Express:

Fruit:

Blueberry:

The staining on my roots has seemed to work itself out, they are all pearly white again, though you cannot tell from these pictures due to the red hue of the HPS.

BB PPM = 590 PH 5.8

Fruit PPM = 540 PH 5.9

PE PPM - 510 PH 6.0

I am very pleased with the progress so far. Fruit is already starting to stink a little bit as is the P.E. and none of the plants are showing any pre-flowering yet.

I will update again on Friday or Saturday.

jela10 · Oct 17, 2012

I'd love to do some DWC one day so I'll be asking a lot of questions.....I would have to use the winter months where I live cause every hydro attempt so far was a disaster (pyhium, algae, clear slime ect.) I can't even run a Turbo-clone aero-cloner without having to break that darned thing down and clean it out in a hurry.....sheesh.

BigLittlejohn · Oct 17, 2012

Ask away man. I am no expert and am still learning, but I will happily share my experience. This is my 2nd grow, and I've only grown DWC. I know a lot of experienced growers say don't try hydro first but I figured, why not? What really convinced me, as I was researching, coming across a youtube of a guy running two clones from the same mother in the same room under the same conditions, one with soil and the other DWC, and the difference in the sizes of the plants was tremendous. That and how easy it is to build yourself.

I live in a hot state, and there are things you can do for heat. Water chillers work and I've read, but not tried because I haven't had the issue, that CO2 helps to mitigate high temps. In addition to nutrients I also use Aqua Shield which has beneficial microbes which help prevent issues you mention ultimately leading to root rot.

BigLittlejohn · Oct 19, 2012

I've gotten rid of the T-5. The plants have gotten big enough were all it was doing was eating electricity.

Both Blueberry and Fruit are showing pre-flower pistils.

I will post some updated pics tomorrow.

jela10 · Oct 19, 2012

Say John, how much water actual fills the root zone of a 5g bucket? Are those 5g buckets? Does the net-pot sit in the water or just the roots hanging from the net-pot?

BigLittlejohn · Oct 19, 2012

jela10 said:
Say John, how much water actual fills the root zone of a 5g bucket? Are those 5g buckets? Does the net-pot sit in the water or just the roots hanging from the net-pot?

You will find varying opinions on the subject, but what I do is keep the water level right at the bottom of the net-pot so that it is touching the top of the water and I do this throughout the entire grow. Every evening I check the level while checking PPM/PH so I can see pretty much how much the plant is taking in, and whether or not it is eating the food, drinking the water or hopefully both. Then I top it off back to the original level with either ph adjusted water, nutrients mixed at the same concentration levels or a combination depending on the PPM reading.

I am using 3.5 g buckets, so give or take 3 gallons of water with my roots fully submerged. By the end, I have found that they suck down 1/2 gal to 1 gal per day. Right now my plants are taking in about 1-2 inches of water/food which I'd guess I am using about a 1/4 gal when I top off...probably a little less. I use a 2 & 1/4 Inch Air stones with some pretty decent pumps so the roots are getting plenty oxygen via air bubbles

BigLittlejohn · Oct 21, 2012

Day 21 Update:

All the plants are showing pre-flowering, but it is much more pronounced on the Blueberry. I figure I will give about one more week or so of the 6500k CFLs and replace them with 2700k CFLs to supplement the 250w HPS.

Temp 79, RH 50%

Blueberry:
PPM 590, PH 5.7

Close-up & Roots:

Fruit:
PPM 631, PH 5.7

Close-up & Roots:

Pineapple Express:
PPM 490, PH 5.7

I couldn't get the camera to focus on a close-up shot of the P.E. and I accidentally deleted the root shots I took.

Here we are. I am still pleased. Fruit is the only plant that is giving me any sorts of issues and the high PPM is due to me adding the additional cal/mag supplement, but it seems to be reacting well, but I plan to monitor this very closely.

BigLittlejohn · Oct 22, 2012

I substantially lowered the PPM on Fruit tonight. Still trying to find the right balance for this one. She is going to be a stinker, especially when I finally figure her out.

BigLittlejohn · Oct 23, 2012

Day 23 update, all 3 plants are pre-flowering. I haven't quite nailed down what Fruit likes in terms of PPM, but I am definitely getting closer. Blueberry has been stress-free and easy going so far. Pineapple Express has by far the nicest, cleanest looking roots and I seem to have found the level of nutes it likes. I took the height measurements of all 3 plants tonight. BB is slightly over 12 inches. PE and Fruit are both slightly over 11 inches.

I will post some pictures in the next few days.

CYLUS · Oct 25, 2012

lookin good john im interested in following this grow keep us posed. Ive been doing home work and thinking of switching to the hydro system. Glad to see the g13 blueberry has been stable for you so far I recently started with one in soil under cfls. good job and good luck

BigLittlejohn · Oct 25, 2012

Thanks Brother Cylus. I plan to update tonight with some pics. G13 Blueberry has been a breeze and I definitely plan to do more of that strain. I do have to disclaim something about G13 auto blueberry. I bought a 5-pack in the original breeder pack (G13 breeder packs are nice) and the first seed I attempted to germinate was a dud. I was really afraid for a second, but the 2nd one (now a plant as pictured above) germed in 24 hours. I am hoping they just gave me 1 seed that hadn't fully matured yet.

BigLittlejohn · Oct 25, 2012

Day 25

Fruit:
PPM 555, PH 6.1

Close-up (Can't see little white hairs but they are there):

Blueberry:
PPM 575, PH 6.0

No Close-up tonight. Couldn't get the camera to focus.

Pineapple Express:
PPM 494, PH 6.0

Attempted Close-up:

I am having a hard time getting decent shots of P.E. It's not location, because I have been rotating the plants' position in the closet. Basically I suck as a photographer.

seanel · Oct 26, 2012

dang brother they are looking nice... i think my fruit is gonna be the first one done... it between it and my landrace pakistan ryder... fruit looks to be maturing and swelling a bit quicker.. good bush genetics awesome trich development only mid of week two flowering.. im hoping they go more twards 8 weeks than just four.. well c... my cheese on the other hand 2.5ft and nodes are still semetrical..

BigLittlejohn · Oct 26, 2012

Thanks Seanel. I plan on doing a 24 hour flush tonight and then tomorrow will introduce low level of Bloom nutes. I am very pleased with the progress, but I think I still prefer Photos.

G13 Auto Blueberry, G13 Auto Pineapple Express & Dinafem Fruit Auto

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