Grow grow grow my little beauties…..

So after paying through the nose for draw for the past 20 years, I’ve decided to set up my own grow room. I’m sick of giving my hard-earned cash to wannabe gangsters for either under weight deals or generally crap gear!

My friend has a spare room that he’s donated to the cause. It measures 8” X 7” and is 9” high. We’ve bought plasterboards that is reflective silver on one side, and polystyrene on the other to put on the walls (the idea of this is to help stop any heat signature) don’t know if it will work, but for piece of mind its worth it. There is also a nice little cupboard in the room that messures 3” x 4” and is 3” high that I’m going to use for mother plants and clones.

My set up

2 x Maxigrow propagation light (11,000+ lumens)
4 x 600w HPS lights
12” inline fan and monster filter. (man this things BIG!)
Bluelab fan controller unit
Co2 Controller unit + Co2 gas cylinder
4 x 4” trays and tank (NFT System) (Only going to use two for the first grow)
50 meters of grow matting
2 x Oscillating fans
1 x Digital Thermometer (with min & max readings)
1 x Power saver unit (do these things really work?)
1 x propagation tank.
3 x Grasslin timers
1 x Air pump
1 x 26A 8 Gang Contactor DIGITAL Timer £40
20 x 1” rockwool cubes
20 x 3” rockwool cubes
PH Pen
Nutrient test wand (not that I know how to use it yet lol)
Pressure Sprayer
5L of Ionic grow
5L of Ionic Bloom
5L of Ionic Boost
250ML of pest off (for the spider mites!!)
250ml of liquid oxygen
20 super skunk seeds (feminized)
And not forgetting my Jorge Cervantes Medical Grower's Bible!!

I’ve been reading through RIU for the past month or so, and have picked up loads of good ideas and advice from reading all your journals. As this is my first ever grow I’m hoping you guys can help me through it, hence my journal.

I do have a couple of questions already. As I said I’m using a NFT system and want to know if I should have the pumps on timers? I was thinking 3 times a day for 10min a time? What do you guys think?

I’ll post up some photos of the room in the next couple of days.

So the journey begins. Sunday night I soaked my seeds in a cup of bottled water for 12 hours.

The next morning the seeds were sitting on the bottom of the glass so I soaked a paper towel in fresh bottled water, put my seeds in the towel and put them in a dark cupboard for the next three days.

Tuesday night was the fun part. I knew the next day I had to plant my little babies in 1” rockwool, and I had to soak my rockwool overnight. I started by PH testing my water from the tap and it was 7.2. After adding what I thought was a small amount of PH down my next reading was 2.2!! Think I may have over done the PH down a little lol. I washed out the bowl and started again (more then once, but I wont bore with with all that) before going back to my grow bible and come to the conclusion I don’t have to work out the PH until I’ve mixed my nutrients… LOL First mistake of many I’m sure.

According to my bible I needed to soak the rockwool in nutrients at 1/8th of the manufactures recommendations. That’s where the fun started, was never any good at maths way back when so what chance do I stand now…. After phoning all my mates for fractions I worked out the right amounts (which was next to nothing)

I mixed up my nutrients and adjusted my PH to 6.0. I left my rockwool to soak and the next day (Wednesday) I opened my paper towel to find three or four of them had popped out of their seeds already. By the time I got to my last soaked rockwool cube I noticed I still had two seeds left!!! It took me ages to work out I had planted a popped seed somewhere along the line second mistake already….

I’ve now put all my babies in a propagation tank under the maxigrow light. I also decided to use a heat mat under the prop tank found in an old snake viv.

This morning I took the top off and wiped the condensation out.

CBC Riz said:

I do have a couple of questions already. As I said I’m using a NFT system and want to know if I should have the pumps on timers? I was thinking 3 times a day for 10min a time? What do you guys think?

Click to expand...

I was under the impression NFT used a constant low volume stream. What you describe sounds more like Flood & Ebb which I'm running. I may b wrong here but just my take on the matter.

If your using rockwool I would only recommend one flood every other day, maybe every 3rd day. This stuff wicks & holds water like crazy. I let a 6" cube sit out and it took over a week to go dry (no plant in it). Also make sure you use a pipette to draw water samples directly from the cubes periodically. I found even though I was diligent about keeping my res ph @ 6, my cubes had soared to nearly 8 and required a flush. This was after I watched them suffer for nearly a week...before I figured out to sample the cubes. Other tips you might find in my journal, sounds like your running similar setup and same nutes. Also I have heard that 50% is a 'strong' does of Ionic, so watch yourself if you don't have a TDS meter. GL, subscribed.

I have a 24 pod nft set up and i
water my plants 4x daily for 10mins at a time
you should only water when the lights are on.
i hope this helps

Someguy15 said:

What you describe sounds more like Flood & Ebb

Click to expand...

Oops told you I was new to all this I think your right someguy, maybe it is a flood and drain system

Thanks for your input, will take note with the 'samples directly from the cubes periodically' part thanks

Thanks Jaybee too.

My germinated seeds have now been in my propagation tank for the past three days. Not all of the cubes have stems rising out of them yet (I know at least one wont sprout) but the ones that have are starting to drop a little. I removed the wool from a cotton bud stick and propped them up a little. This is harder then it looks and I’m only into the first week…..

I’ve been wiping the condensation of the lid everyday and checking to make sure the rockwool is still damp enough.

why have u been wiping the condensation off the lid ?
i wouldnt do that
just lift it a few times a day
4 a few mins getting longer each day
and mist when u put the lid back on

I've only been taking the lid off once a day, should I be doing it more then?

I'm only wiping the condensation off because its what my book told me, should I not be doing that then?

ive never heard of wiping the condensation
off the lid b4
i wouldnt recommend it
the condensation is whats feeding and keeping ur plants alive
untill they grow roots
also lift the lid a few times a day
4 maybe 5 mins or so 2 air them
2 prevent rotting and harden the
plants 4 when ur ready 2 move

click on the link in my signature and download
the ultimate grow dvd or i grow cronic.
Both are full of info but beware to ony take the files
you want as the whole folder is 24gig.It helped
me out a lot. Good luck
+rep if i helped, thanx bro

Droopyness is a sign of the roots drowning usually. Make sure your keeping your wool damp not soaked. If u pick up a cube and water pours out the bottom, it's too wet. Usually seedlings are pretty good about this, even though I drowned the shit out of them they didn't droop too bad. After they have 2 true sets of leaves going you can safely remove them from the humidity dome. Just make sure your veg grow area has humidity of 40-60%. Also don't plan on any regular watering at first. I had my timer set to water 3x a day with terrible results. The cubes were (unknowingly) getting way to wet and I had pretty bad droop. For 4" cubes you can water every other, or every third day while they are young. I'm hoping once I pass the 12" mark I'll be able to water once a day without consequence, but for now it's manual watering. Best of luck.

Will do, thanks for the tip bud. I'll keep you posted......

Thanks Someguy I dont think they are to wet. Its not running out the bottom.

ok bro no worries i'll b checking back
2 see how its going
good luck

hey guys i too am new to this and am also using nft hydro with pump running constantly??? is this wrong??? i have a journal also following this grow in my signature using pretty much same setup,,, Advice welcome
P.s any pics to come CBC riz????

Hi Growlow, keeping an eye on your journal too then fella.

I've not got to the point where I'm using the pumps and trays yet, but after reading some on the other guys I take it that its wrong to run the pumps 24 / 7. I think I'll be putting mine on every third day or something. Does that sound about right guys?

CBC Riz said:

Hi Growlow, keeping an eye on your journal too then fella.

I've not got to the point where I'm using the pumps and trays yet, but after reading some on the other guys I take it that its wrong to run the pumps 24 / 7. I think I'll be putting mine on every third day or something. Does that sound about right guys?

Click to expand...

Sup..... Well after lots of research and experience with this grow im on with, the nft is best suited to 24/7 pump as the roots should not dry out a constant trickle of water keeps roots wet/damp just as they would be in soil??? i have used this method so far and its working wonders!!!! im not saying there is a right or wrong way but given past experience its best suited to constant water otherwise by watering every 3rd day you are creating a flood and ebb system which is a different setup again??? As i said its just my opinion and im sure theres lots more experienced growers who may say otherwise...
Good luck whatever way you choose
Looking forward to watching your progress...

Cool thats what I'm doing now, the roots are just starting to come through the bottom of the rockwool. Its been 5 days in the rockwool and its starting to dry a little.

This morning I mixed up some more nutrients at 1/8th of the manufactures recommendations and dipped the rockwool in half way. I got one more popping this morning too, so I'm only 8 away from a full crop now. I've still got my fingers crossed for them to pop up over the next couple of days, lets see.

I still cant work out how to use (or more read) my nutrient wand!! waste of money that thing was LOL........

jaybee007 said:

click on the link in my signature and download
the ultimate grow dvd or i grow cronic.
Both are full of info but beware to ony take the files
you want as the whole folder is 24gig.It helped
me out a lot. Good luck
+rep if i helped, thanx bro

Click to expand...

I just cant work that out jaybee, I'm so crap on computers