Need Your Grow Questions Answered? Come On In!

[MightyMightyMezz]

yup, same screen name on both 420 and grasscity. haven't logged into either since i started my account here

 

 

 

Nice plant!

[THC-Farmer]

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[Grow Thread]

Nice plant!

 

thanks!! she "met her maker" back on 4-20. was a fun grow. a new cross for me. a WW male with the highest yielding pure sativa i have ever grown. interesting and fun results.

 

 

I agree 100%

 

1500ppm or higher is the general rule of thumb if you choose to use C02 supplement.

 

C02 must be used strategically or it's a waste of energy...

 

It's easiest to use when the air exchange systems are off, if your grow room consists of an air exchange system. If not, it's yet another grow room feature to consider when designing a grow room. Sealed lighting ventilation systems coupled with a seperate air exchange system are really the only effective way to using C02 systems.

 

The only REAL benefit to adding more C02 to the air is a slightly higher rate of transpiration. This of course translates to a faster growth rate for vegetation.

 

HOWEVER, this in turn increases the requirement for higher moisture levels at the roots but lower humidity levels in the air. It slowly becomes a tricky situation and can actually become a negative situation if moisture levels are not monitored and adjusted accordingly.

 

In my honest opinion based on my experience, the slight growth rate increase does not justify the cost of C02 generating equipment.

 

And for those who say they have seen huge differences in yield and what not with little yeast bubblers and small C02 generators alike, prove it! Show me the side by side blind tests with the results. Because I have done multiple tests with C02 and none proved worth the effort by any means.

 

thanks for backing me up!! always nice to know when someone agrees/disagrees with you.... but agreeing is better

i totally agree with you as well. i do not run co2. not because i can't afford it, but because it's not worth it. total waste of money, and if you are legal and in MI, and wanna stay 100% legal, there is no need for it anyways. At least from the laws i have read. there is just no need for 1/2 pound+ harvests if you truly are staying within the letter of the law.

[bobandtorey]

 

bubblegrower is that you? thanks for helping us all out i will post here one day

[MightyMightyMezz]

Really, you guys? No benefit between 300 and 1500? Somehow I doubt that.

[stonecrowe316]

when do i use a de humidifier veg or flower room

[bobandtorey]

when do i use a de humidifier veg or flower room

 

 

i would keep mine in the basement just out side of the rooms if that is were you grow (basement)

[MightyMightyMezz]

Is this not accurate? It shows quite a benefit from sub 1000 ppm.

 

Hydrofarm

 

[christinax4]

ahhh haha Bubblegrower, GREAT PIC

[THC-Farmer]

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[Grow Thread]

bubblegrower is that you? thanks for helping us all out i will post here one day

 

haha..... yup, that ugly dude could very well possibly maybe just be me.... maybe not though too....

 

 

Really, you guys? No benefit between 300 and 1500? Somehow I doubt that.

THC Farmer has it 100% squared away.... sure, any amount helps... but the % vs. $$ works out to 1500ppm.... and anything less is a waste of time/money.

 

 

when do i use a de humidifier veg or flower room

during veg you want high humidity.... 60-80%. 80% being the better end of it. during flower is when you want to introduce the de-humidifier if needed. i usually strive for 30-50% during flower. with more emphasis on the last month of flower. getting it down during that month is crucial.

[Grow Thread]

I'm not saying C02 isn't beneficial. Of course it is! Don't get the wrong idea here... I'm just passing along the logical notion that the EXTRA C02 is not necessary at all. Providing, of course, that normal C02 levels are already present (300-400ppm).

 

As long as you have nomral C02 levels you're going to get normal growth rates. If you don't have normal C02 levels then you may need to think about a solution to that problem. A lot of times it's cheaper and more efficient to simply create a ventilation system to exchange air on a timed basis.

 

The increase in C02 levels really doesn't increase the growth rate that dramatically. Though, there is no denying it, extra C02 will indeed increase the growth rate. But that's about all it will do. Whether that will help you or not, is your decision.

 

I always recommend to simply keep a decent air flow and/or exchange setup as it is far more cost effective.

 

Now if you're growing in a sealed laboratory type environment trying to get the absolute FASTEST growth rate possible, then yea, I can understand why C02 supplement might be a necessary option.

 

But for a simple medical cannabis grow, I really don't feel a whole lot of effort should be put into C02 production. It really is a waste of time. Even on a slightly larger scale if you were a caregiver with 5 patients. When you compare the increase in growth rate to the cost of increasing that growth rate it really makes you wonder what the point of it is...

 

Either way it's always a personal preference.

 

Give it a shot!

 

Or save your money, let the free air do what it does best, and put that money towards better care for the medicine.

 

Your choice.

 

 

this just deserves a minute of my time..... AMEN BROTHER!!

 

i could not have worded it more proper and factual.

[Grow Thread]

ahhh haha Bubblegrower, GREAT PIC

 

awe thanks.... yeah i like to keep photo journals sometimes too. i am an amateur breeder also, and pics speak much more than words in a notebook when it comes to growing brand-new strains..... so i have become somewhat of an amateur photographer as well.

 

Nirvana's White Widow (1997 variety) x G13

 

 

same strain WW x Pure Mexican Sativa

 

 

and i have never entered a photo in a "competition" before, but i just submitted this pic to 420 and Hightimes magazines for "April Plant of the Month".

 

The last plant i ever harvested in Cali. We took her down on 4-20 this year. And yes, that's a fullsize laptop with a 16" monitor her final height was just under 6ft and she yielded just a few grams short of 6.5 ounces.

 

[MightyMightyMezz]

Of course it is not necessary to elevate Co2 levels beyond atmospheric, but if you want increased growth it does that. Not cost effective? I don't know. Even a 10-20% increase would pay for itself quickly. I think we agree on what Co2 does, but not on whether it is worth the expense.

[Grow Thread]

Of course it is not necessary to elevate Co2 levels beyond atmospheric, but if you want increased growth it does that. Not cost effective? I don't know. Even a 10-20% increase would pay for itself quickly. I think we agree on what Co2 does, but not on whether it is worth the expense.

it is not worth the expense. period. take our advice, or blow the money and see for yourself. the purpose of this thread is for experienced people to help the folks that have not yet experienced certain things. in doing so, we can open your eyes to what works and what doesnt work..... and what is cost-effective. as THC Farmer stated earlier in this thread, air exchange becomes a huge problem as well. you simply MUST have air flow.... so obvioulsy, when your exhaust fan kicks on, you are sucking out your everprecious and expensive CO2 as well. the ONLY WAY THAT GROWING WITH CO2 IS COST EFFECTIVE IS TO DO IT 100% RIGHT AND SPEND TONS OF MONEY FOR THE EXHAUST/INTAKE/TIMERS NECESSARY TO DO AN AIR EXCHANGE IN LESS THAN 60 SECONDS, AND YET PRODUCE ENOUGH CO2 TO MAINTAIN A LEVEL OF AT LEAST 1500ppm IN A COMPLETELY SEALED ENVIRONMENT......

 

you can call me out on it all day.... i don't care.... it is what it is. and i don't blame you, nor am i "bashing" you either.... i am a very hard-headed person myself, and have ignored great advice, and stumbled myself because of my ignorance. we are just trying to help man..... seriously..... but as was said, it's YOUR room.... you do with it as you please.

 

p.s. craigslist is a good spot to sell your leftover CO2 equipment after you are done experimenting.

 

p.s.s. some strains do MUCH better in CO2 than others.... if i were selling bad-donkey expensive CO2 systems i am going to show you numbers that are through the roof to get you amped up enough to get your wallet out. they aren't telling you that those numbers are from a "light of jah" strain that was grown under a 1000w HPS in $500 nutes with a $500 exhaust/intake system..... or something similar.

[MightyMightyMezz]

it is not worth the expense. period. take our advice, or blow the money and see for yourself. the purpose of this thread is for experienced people to help the folks that have not yet experienced certain things. in doing so, we can open your eyes to what works and what doesnt work..... and what is cost-effective. as THC Farmer stated earlier in this thread, air exchange becomes a huge problem as well. you simply MUST have air flow.... so obvioulsy, when your exhaust fan kicks on, you are sucking out your everprecious and expensive CO2 as well. the ONLY WAY THAT GROWING WITH CO2 IS COST EFFECTIVE IS TO DO IT 100% RIGHT AND SPEND TONS OF MONEY FOR THE EXHAUST/INTAKE/TIMERS NECESSARY TO DO AN AIR EXCHANGE IN LESS THAN 60 SECONDS, AND YET PRODUCE ENOUGH CO2 TO MAINTAIN A LEVEL OF AT LEAST 1500ppm......

 

you can call me out on it all day.... i don't care.... it is what it is. and i don't blame you, nor am i "bashing" you either.... i am a very hard-headed person myself, and have ignored great advice, and stumbled myself because of my ignorance. we are just trying to help man..... seriously..... but as was said, it's YOUR room.... you do with it as you please.

 

p.s. craigslist is a good spot to sell your leftover CO2 equipment after you are done experimenting.

 

p.s.s. some strains do MUCH better in CO2 than others.... if i were selling bad-donkey expensive CO2 systems i am going to show you numbers that are through the roof to get you amped up enough to get your wallet out. they aren't telling you that those numbers are from a "light of jah" strain that was grown under a 1000w HPS in $500 nutes with a $500 exhaust/intake system..... or something similar.

 

 

I noticed an increase in growth with just a couple of gallon jugs of yeast and sugar. That is pretty darn cost effective. Air-cooled hood drawing from outside the tent plus a fan sucking air out through a carbon filter. I would be shocked if a better Co2 system did not work better than that.

[Grow Thread]

[lilbuddy]

HI EVERYONE!!

I am new to the MMMJ site, but not new to MMJ or cultivation. I am more than willing to help anyone with any cultivation/grow room related questions. I will pop in daily to answer. Hope you all have a wonderful day!!

 

Hey bubblegrower,

Had a few questions for you. Always been a dirt farmer. But inside is legal so I'm sticking with that.

1)Never used rockwool before. Do I soak it before dropping seeds in? How do I know when to water/ how much do I water?

2) How long do I leave my new plants under T-5's before putting them under 600 watt halide? How far away should top of plants be from bulb(600W vertical w parabolic reflector)?

3) Like you, I have been playing with these stinky little plants for a good while. I went to a buddies yesterday and he said there were two male white widows that he had thrown out in trash. So I fished one out (it was broken in three), cut it off at the top third, wrapped it in wet napkins, brought it home, stuck it in water and it was all good. Now its in cloning gel, once it roots I'm transplanting it and growing it out until it drops pollen. What is the best way to collect and store pollen? Once stored, how long is it good for???

Thanks in advance for your answers bro. It's nice to finally see something develop with regards to legal liscenses/cards. Many of us in need no longer have to feel like we are doing something wrong, when we really are in need of this medicine.

lilbuddy

[Grow Thread]

Hey bubblegrower,

Had a few questions for you. Always been a dirt farmer. But inside is legal so I'm sticking with that.

1)Never used rockwool before. Do I soak it before dropping seeds in? How do I know when to water/ how much do I water?

2) How long do I leave my new plants under T-5's before putting them under 600 watt halide? How far away should top of plants be from bulb(600W vertical w parabolic reflector)?

3) Like you, I have been playing with these stinky little plants for a good while. I went to a buddies yesterday and he said there were two male white widows that he had thrown out in trash. So I fished one out (it was broken in three), cut it off at the top third, wrapped it in wet napkins, brought it home, stuck it in water and it was all good. Now its in cloning gel, once it roots I'm transplanting it and growing it out until it drops pollen. What is the best way to collect and store pollen? Once stored, how long is it good for???

Thanks in advance for your answers bro. It's nice to finally see something develop with regards to legal liscenses/cards. Many of us in need no longer have to feel like we are doing something wrong, when we really are in need of this medicine.

lilbuddy

 

hi there!! welcome to the site!! let's see what i know and don't know here..........

 

1)rockwool can be tricky. the perfect amount of moisture can be hard to obtain/maintain. unless you are using hydroton pebbles. yes, i soak them in water for about an hour before planting. some folks soak longer, but i really don't see the need to. as far as when to water.... haha... trick question. the answer is "when they need it" ......... will you be using hydroton pebbles?? if so, you will be just fine. they deliver the perfect amount of moisture all day everyday. otherwise the goal is "moist", not too wet, and not too dry. i grow hydro in bubbles. when the rockwool cubes are placed in net pots full of hydroton pebbles they receive the perfect amount of water. the air stones in the bottom of the bubblebuckets create air bubbles that rise to the surface and pop.... when the water level is kept at about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch below the bottom of the net pot, the bubbles pop and get just the bottom of the net pot wet. this in turn gets that first layer of clay pebbles wet, and thats all you need. the clay pabbles will "wick" the water/air/nutes between themselves and eventually to the rockwool cube..... delivering the PERFECT amount to keep the moisture levels perfect 24 hours/day. if you overwater rockwool, you are basically suffocating the root system until the cube dries out a little. moving water = oxygen....... a soaked rockwool cube contains zero oxygen. so the roots will begin breathing again once enough water has evaporated to let air in again. the hydroton maintains a perfect level constantly. and eventually the roots grow through the rockwool, through the clay pabbles, through the net pot, and down to the rez..... and thats when the REAL growth happens.

 

2) when i am growing from seed, i use cfl's for the first week to 10 days usually. it is really a judgment call, but for me, when they look solid and stable, and have a couple good sets of leaves, it's time for the metal halide.

 

3) i have never stored pollen, but i have read a couple DIY threads on it. from what i have heard, clip a few of the pollen sacs and put them in a film container or something similar with some grains of rice and store it in the freezer.

 

i hope this helps some.... if i have a chance today, i will search for that thread on saving pollen..... i'm sure i have it right though..... i do remember that it's not rocket science, and there was nothing particularly special or crazy about it.

[Grow Thread]

i just hijacked this from another site for you:

 

If left out in the open, pollen will lose viability quickly (anywhere from 24-168hrs, most likely). If refrigerated, it will last a little longer, but if frozen, it will last substantially longer, as cellular development / decay is at a minimum (assuming a consistent, non-interrupted freeze).

 

as was mentioned, storing in rice (or any dessicant) is advantageous. moisture is your enemy in pollen storage

 

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so i would assume this means to get them into the freezer with rice right away, and kind of let a "freeze dry" thing happen between freezing the moisture left in the pollen and letting the rice suck some of it out too.

[Jipo]

 

3) i have never stored pollen, but i have read a couple DIY threads on it. from what i have heard, clip a few of the pollen sacs and put them in a film container or something similar with some grains of rice and store it in the freezer.

 

i hope this helps some.... if i have a chance today, i will search for that thread on saving pollen..... i'm sure i have it right though..... i do remember that it's not rocket science, and there was nothing particularly special or crazy about it.

 

 

i just hijacked this from another site for you:

 

If left out in the open, pollen will lose viability quickly (anywhere from 24-168hrs, most likely). If refrigerated, it will last a little longer, but if frozen, it will last substantially longer, as cellular development / decay is at a minimum (assuming a consistent, non-interrupted freeze).

 

as was mentioned, storing in rice (or any dessicant) is advantageous. moisture is your enemy in pollen storage

 

-------------

 

so i would assume this means to get them into the freezer with rice right away, and kind of let a "freeze dry" thing happen between freezing the moisture left in the pollen and letting the rice suck some of it out too.

 

Well I didn't want to take over your thread about the pollen question, but I have done this in that past. Harvesting and Saving pollen is very simple, the main thing is to make sure your flowers are ready to burst, what I do with a male is wait until one or two flowers burst, I watch them like a hawk and take note of their traits just prior to them opening. This will give you a good sign as when to take them off.

 

When you notice other flowers about to open pluck them and put them in a dark container, Film canisters work great. Label them and store them in a cooler dark area should be good for a long while.

[Grow Thread]

Well I didn't want to take over your thread about the pollen question,

 

please, no worries. i started this thread for everyone to help each other. i am not a ganja guru... and i never will claim to be, but i do know more than the average bear on the subject. also, the way i do things may not always be the best way given their particular situation. so please, feel free to pop in and add on whenever you feel like it!!

 

Hey bubblegrower,

Thank you for your quick response and that extra bit of specific info on pollen storage.

lilbuddy

 

no problem at all!! anytime you need something just pop on in!! if i don't know the answer, i know exactly where to find it usually. GROW ON!!

[Jipo]

please, no worries. i started this thread for everyone to help each other. i am not a ganja guru... and i never will claim to be, but i do know more than the average bear on the subject. also, the way i do things may not always be the best way given their particular situation. so please, feel free to pop in and add on whenever you feel like it!!

 

 

I will do. Just always gotta be careful where I tread, some people get offended by things like that, others manipulate things I say and put words in my mouth to make a fight when I was simply trying to help. I'll never answer something before you, out of respect this is your thread but I will chime on subjects you're a little gray on. I'm basically in the same boat as you, the things I know I know well, the area's I don't I try to help where I can.

[MED-Jack]

So can you really run a sealed room set up..... AC, air cooled lights, CO2, dehi and so on? do you need to vent the room at all?

[Grow Thread]

I will do. Just always gotta be careful where I tread, some people get offended by things like that, others manipulate things I say and put words in my mouth to make a fight when I was simply trying to help. I'll never answer something before you, out of respect this is your thread but I will chime on subjects you're a little gray on. I'm basically in the same boat as you, the things I know I know well, the area's I don't I try to help where I can.

actually, there is no need to wait. we were all new once and can remember the stressing out and thinking that answers are needed NOW!! .... so if you beat me to it, feel free. if they don't like your answer then they can wait for mine as well. also, my log-in habits may be a bit sketchy over the next couple weeks as i will be navigating a box truck from cali. to Michigan and moving into my new house.

 

So can you really run a sealed room set up..... AC, air cooled lights, CO2, dehi and so on? do you need to vent the room at all?

yes you will need to vent the room. fresh air is essential with or without CO2.... that was my reasoning for the argument. when you use CO2 in a sealed room, you need to have fans with enough cfm's to clear the room out very quickly, so your CO2 system can get back to 1500ppm after having all the air sucked out of the room. high cfm fans can cost hundreds of dollars. you wouldnt want to put a 150cfm exhaust fan in a 8' x 10' room. you would have to leave the exhaust fan running for minutes at a time, multiple times daily to circulate enough fresh air in to keep them happy, and all those minutes that the fan is running, it is sucking out your expensive CO2 from your system that is now pumping in 5th gear because your exhaust fan is on dropping the levels down too far. so you need a very high cfm fan to do the exchange quickly. so expensive high cfm fan for exhaust.... now where is the fresh air going to come from to replace the dirty air that just got sucked out? well a "free air" vent isn't gonna work. it's open all the time, so it would let CO2 leak out and it would cost a fortune to try to keep the levels up. so many times, an intake fan is needed as well. something that seals itself when not in use. and yup, you guessed it..... another high cfm fan for the intake. now we have a 800cfm fan for intake and another 800cfm fan for exhaust. both on the same timer for one minute say 8 times a day. well 2 800cfm fans aren't cheap at all. and neither is 60 bucks for a timer that you can set for one minute multiple times daily..... so we are already up into the hundreds and hundreds of dollars and haven't even started talking about the CO2 tank/regulator/ect. yet........

 

it's all just my opinion. if i had an endless wallet, and endless restrictions on how much medicine i could posess, then hell yeah im going all out and using CO2.... but why do i need to harvest a half pound off a plant if i can only possess 2.5 ounces?? why not go the cheaper and easier route and harvest one 2-3 ounce plant weekly without the CO2?? just makes sense to me!!

 

hope that rambling helped ya a little