Need Your Grow Questions Answered? Come On In!

[ToadInCan]

Absolutely.. cheap and effective. The hardest part is finding the alcohol lol

 

 

one dollar per pint at meijer thrifty acres.

[Dlo]

THE LUCAS METHOD

 

the "Lucas Method" is very simple, cheap, and it obviously works as is evident in the pics in this thread. we only need 2 kinds of nutes. General Hydroponic Flora Micro and General Hydroponic Flora Bloom.

 

 

here is the formula:

 

VEG: 5ml of Micro and 10ml of Bloom per gallon of water. (5-10) IF VEGGING UNDER CFL LIGHTS

VEG: 8ml of Micro and 16ml of Bloom per gallon of water. (8-16) IF VEGGING UNDER HID LAMPS

FLOWER: 8ml Micro and 16ml of bloom per gallon of water. (8-16)

 

 

 

there are a couple different methods on backfilling whatever the plants drink/what evaporates. i recommend backfilling with full strength nutes/water as needed to maintain the proper water level in the bucket/tote, and then doing two rez changes throughout the cycle. once at the switch to flower, and once after about 3-4 weeks of flower.

 

 

---and here is a "normal" schedule for a plant:

 

seedling/clone/veg 2-4 weeks. 8-16 nutes. 1/2 strength for first few days for seedlings. 5-10 nutes under flourescent lights

when it is time to flip the lights to 12/12 i dump everything and flush. flush=just plain ph'd water for 24-48 hours.

then they get new water after the flush and continue with 8-16 nutes

after a month i try to flush once again

then back to 8-16 nutes

 

 

after 6 weeks of flower, depending on the strain and how much longer it will need to finish, i have to make a decision. i "final flush" for a week minimum so if i am growing a 7-8 week strain i will go into final flush now. if it is a 8-12 week strain i will go back to 8-16 nutes for as long as needed and then into final flush for the last week or so.

 

 

also, another couple freebie tips. when adding the nutes, add the micro to the water first, and then the bloom. NEVER mix the 2 nutes together and then add the combination to water. this WILL promote lock-out.

 

after adding both nutes (separately of course) STIR/SHAKE WELL!! can't say it enough. make sure you have it all mixed up real good. don't rely on your bubbles to do the mixing for you.

 

the flora micro will stain carpet/clothes if not tended to right away

 

assuming you are starting with r.o. water (ph7) the nutes will drop the ph to a perfect 5.5-6.0. i RARELY have to add ph down to maintain proper levels. at any rate, do whatever needs to be done to maintain a 5.5-6.0ph level. and i keep my water temps at 68-70 degrees.

 

also, for 99 cents ANYWHERE in the kitchen department. (target-walmart) this is my best friend. the turkey baster. perfect for measuring nutes out.

 

 

 

here are another couple ways to work with this formula:

 

1. Top off the reservoir daily using a pH corrected water solution as required to maintain full reservoir level. After adding back an amount of water equal to the amount of your reservoir capacity you should change the reservoir and put in fresh solution.

 

2. Top off the reservoir daily using a pH corrected 100% strength nutrient solution as required to maintain full reservoir level. Continue to use this nutrient solution without dumping the tank unless the PPM rises above acceptable levels.

 

Between vegetative and flowering cycles you should dump your nutrients, then flush (possibly with Clearex) to remove salt buildups, then change to the other feeding program. Always shake your GH nutrient bottles before using them!

 

For young plants, just transplanted into the hydro setup, give them 50% strength nutrient mix to prevent overfeeding them while their young. Gradually bring up the mix to full strength as they grow over the next few days or so.

 

The lucas formula is normally intended for use with RO or near 0 PPM water.

 

NOTE: The Lucas formula eliminates the need for Epsom salts to correct (Magnesium) Mg deficiencies in most normal feeding programs recommended by manufacturers. Cannabis needs a lot of Magnesium to thrive.

 

The Flora Micro is providing the Nitrogen and the Magnesium in the proper balance, thus there is no need for the Grow formula and little or no room under the maximum acceptable ppm limit of 1600 @ 0.7 conversion.

 

Calculated EC/TDS levels:

 

EC microsiemen:

0-4-8: 946 µS

0-5-10: 1184 µS

0-8-16: 1894 µS

 

TDS @ 0.5 conversion:

0-4-8 = 473 ppm

0-5-10 = 592 ppm

0-8-16 = 947 ppm

 

TDS @ 0.7 conversion:

0-4-8 = 663 ppm

0-5-10 = 829 ppm

0-8-16 = 1326 ppm

 

Addback Calculator - (For Advanced Users)

 

Say you were running the 0-8-16 formula, at 0.7 conversion with a 22 gallon res. When you first fill it up, your ppm will be around 1330.

 

Now you have been growing for a week, and some of the water has been taken up by the plants, some has evaporated, and now your res is at 947 ppm. You need to get your ppm from 947 to 1330. Here is the equation:

 

((target - current) / target) * 8 ml per gallon * res gallons = Flora Micro (ml) double this figure to get Flora Bloom (ml)

 

Example:

 

((1330 - 947) / 1330) * 8 * 22

(383 / 1330) * 8 * 22

0.3 * 8 * 22 = 53 ml Flora Micro

 

53 ml Flora Micro, double that and you get 106 ml Flora Bloom. So 53 ml Flora Micro and 106 ml Flora Bloom to add back to your 22 gallon res to get you from 947 to 1330.

 

 

One tip - do not pH down this stuff, the hard water micro will drop pH gradually over the next 24 hours, for example I mix up a batch, it is at like 6.2, the next day, its at 5.6-5.8 after running in the system for a while. If I pH downed that to 5.7 before putting it in the system, it ended up as low as 4.8-5.2 by the next day.

 

______________________

 

** major props and many thanks to Lucas. i have spent countless hours reading his charts and study logs. the man is brilliant.

 

Is the lucas method just for hydro, or can It be use in soil?

Edited June 21, 2011 by Dlo

[ToadInCan]

Is the lucas method just for hydro, or can It be use in soil?

 

 

Hi Dlo. I'm quoting the label on the package, as I have little experience using the Lucas formula in soil.

 

 

"Ideal for all hydroponic applications and as a nutrient suppliment for all potted plants."

 

I've used it on occasion to feed the few plants that I have in soil, but only when I know that the soil is weak in nutrients. If you are using a soil mix with time released nutrients, you risk over fertilizing them. I'm sure that the soil growers in here have some better advice for you. Good luck!

[Nix]

Is the lucas method just for hydro, or can It be use in soil?

 

I use it in both hydro and for soilless plants. Soilless is just a potted plant without dirt. I use a mix of peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite. This mix is sterile and drains really well. Once in a while I will flush them with some plain water so the nutes don't build up. If you're using premixed soil you might want to make sure you know what's in it first. If it comes with nutes (Miracle Grow brand mixes etc) then you probably won't have to add nutrients for 3-6 months.

[JimD]

I have a question about my ever stretching SLH.

I have fimmed, topped, chopped and snugged it deeper in the hydroton, but this plant may outgrow the 6' ceiling in my grow room before it finishes in 12 weeks or so

I am thinking about using bushmaster, but cannot treat one plants bucket without treating plants that don't need it.

Long to short, is there a way to apply it foliarly?

[Nix]

I have a question about my ever stretching SLH.

I have fimmed, topped, chopped and snugged it deeper in the hydroton, but this plant may outgrow the 6' ceiling in my grow room before it finishes in 12 weeks or so

I am thinking about using bushmaster, but cannot treat one plants bucket without treating plants that don't need it.

Long to short, is there a way to apply it foliarly?

 

I can't help about the Bushmaster question, but have you tried just bending it over and tying it down? I assume that you have raised your lights as high as they can go? Have you ever tried supercropping? I'm growing a Durban Poison right now and that thing is just not made for hydro. It's twice as big as my other plants so I've had to supercrop the hell out of it, raise the lights, and put a fence around it so after I supercrop I can tie down the branches to stop vertical growth. Good luck!

[ToadInCan]

I have a question about my ever stretching SLH.

I have fimmed, topped, chopped and snugged it deeper in the hydroton, but this plant may outgrow the 6' ceiling in my grow room before it finishes in 12 weeks or so

I am thinking about using bushmaster, but cannot treat one plants bucket without treating plants that don't need it.

Long to short, is there a way to apply it foliarly?

 

Interesting question, JimD. I believe that Bushmaster is intended to stunt the growth early in the plant's life cycle. If she's already six feet tall, I'd think that it's too late. Have you tried Supercropping? Or Low stress Training? These plants are pretty resilient, even late in flower. Pinch the stem between you thumb and fingers to soften it up a bit, then gently lay it over on it's side. By tomorrow she'll be making a turn for the light, and build a really strong knuckle where you bent it. If you really like that strain, and plan on perpetuating it, introduce the Bushmaster early. It takes a little experimenting, but you'll figure it out. Are you having fun yet?

[JimD]

Thanks for the replies so fast. I have one big hurdle if I LST,space to rotate the plant.

Unless I shape it to some type of a lattice tha fits over my bucket...argh

As much as I like SLH, it just may not be a.good choice for a 4x4x6 room.

[Nix]

Thanks for the replies so fast. I have one big hurdle if I LST,space to rotate the plant.

Unless I shape it to some type of a lattice tha fits over my bucket...argh

As much as I like SLH, it just may not be a.good choice for a 4x4x6 room.

 

I don't have a pic to judge but it sounds like it might be too late for LST. Supercropping will take the plant a little bit longer to recover (high stress training) which I think is what you want. If you do decide to LST you could build a small screen out of PVC and put a grid over that. I did one on a bubbletote, but as you can see, the plant was very small at the time. You would need some six foot legs on the thing, but luckily PVC is cheap. Then as it grows feed it through the fencing. That could get you through.

 

[GreenDreamz]

Alright guys I was doing so good and then.. gnats. I went to the store and ended up with a product named go gnats. Well this stuff almost killed my pride and joys completely. The next day all the roots had a white coATING OF OIL.. similiar looking to bacon grease that sat out. I flushed my system like 5 times and had to spray the roots with a hose to try and get most of it out. My little veg plants are gonna be ok i think but i just put myh other room into flower. they wilted like crazy and the tops started to fall over. I put in 1/4 strength nutes and the stalks have gotten hard again but are still wilted. what do i do with all the wilted leaves? Should i put my halide in to try and pruduce some foliage? should i keep them in flower or go back to veg until they heal? they were flowering for a week and just had the hints of buds. Im so pissewd at myself. please help my recover my babys i have worked on these for 2 months everyday.

 

 

18 gal dwc totes GH lucas

[ToadInCan]

Alright guys I was doing so good and then.. gnats. I went to the store and ended up with a product named go gnats. Well this stuff almost killed my pride and joys completely. The next day all the roots had a white coATING OF OIL.. similiar looking to bacon grease that sat out. I flushed my system like 5 times and had to spray the roots with a hose to try and get most of it out. My little veg plants are gonna be ok i think but i just put myh other room into flower. they wilted like crazy and the tops started to fall over. I put in 1/4 strength nutes and the stalks have gotten hard again but are still wilted. what do i do with all the wilted leaves? Should i put my halide in to try and pruduce some foliage? should i keep them in flower or go back to veg until they heal? they were flowering for a week and just had the hints of buds. Im so pissewd at myself. please help my recover my babys i have worked on these for 2 months everyday.

 

 

18 gal dwc totes GH lucas

 

 

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles, GreenDreamz. It sure is frustrating sometimes. Tell us about how you used the Go Gnats. Did you mix it up and spray? Did you add it to your totes/buckets? How much did you use? It's not uncommon to over-react to these problems like pests - - - thinking that if a little works, then a wee bit more will work better. We all learn from these mistakes, so try and tell us exactly what you did. If the insecticide coated your roots then it must have reacted with something in your solution to form a wax or grease. The grease sealed the surface of the roots, stopping their ability to take up water and nutrients. The result of that would be drooping and wilting. If you rinsed the roots enough, the roots should start doing what they are supposed to do again and your plants should perk up. I would try adding some hydrogen peroxide to the solution at about 5 to 10 ml./gallon (that's about 1 to 2 tsp./gal.) You know how hydrogen peroxide reacts with a cut and fizzes? Thats because hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has a weak bond between the two oxygen atoms and will easily give one of them up. The H2O2 will help to break the grease loose from the roots. You may not see any fizzing, but will be happening. I would also scrub out the containers to remove any grease that's clinging to the tub/bucket, and put the plants into flush for a few days. I'd use pH'd water with H2O2 as my flush, then slowly bring the nutes back up as the plants recover. You said that the stems are firming up again, which would indicate that the roots are working again. I'd suspect that the foliage should perk up soon also. If the foliage comes back, the plants should be fine to continue in flower. If the foliage doesn't come back, then it may be that you've killed the plants by shutting down the roots, and I'm not sure that anything will fix that. It could take weeks for the plant to generate enough roots to support vegetation again. Pests are a pain in the butt, and getting rid of them can be too. Don't be too hard on yourself. Any grower worth his salt has killed a plant or two along the way.

[GreenDreamz]

THANKS ALOT Toadinacan. I am using bubble totes and mixed it into them individually. I am going to add some peroxide asap to break down anything that is still in there. I flushed them and emptied the totes, sprayed the roots offf and flushed them more. i have quarter strength nutes in there rite now. I will post pics later.

[Nix]

I've been having issues with white slime lately in my RDWC gardens. First thing to do is get your pH balanced to between 5.5-6.5. I add one full qt. bottle of 3% (drug store) H202 to my 30 gl system. That's around 30 ml/gl. If there is slime on roots I put a higher dose of H202 and water in a spray bottle and spray the roots until its all gone. Do this over a bucket and not your reservoir so the slime doesn't go back in. Try to scoop as much as you can out of the system/bucket. Good luck. I would like to know why you had to add pesticide as I've never heard of that stuff. If you have gnats have you thought about just added some flypaper? You could also cover your hydroton cups with mylar or foil.

[GreenDreamz]

Well i thought it was just a gnat or two also but i was inspecting all the roots and i found fungus gnat larvae in one of the root balls. ...so i freaked out and went and got the pesticide....then almost killed all 40 of my babys. I think i found the root of my problem after doing all this too. My r/o water res is two 60 gallon drums. The hose to the pump hangs out and goes back in leaving a small crack in the lid. I think this is where they originated from. What is safe to add to my clean water res to make sure bugs dont get in there. I put up hot shots pest strips today and hope they work for me. i have seen a aphid here and there aswell. Well i learned a couple valueabale lessons

1. Research all products online no matter what anyone tells you

2.only use half strength of a new product.

3.im and idiot

 

also i covered all the tops of my totes with mylar. Where the plastic covers the hydroton it causes water to build up inbetween the plastic and the top causing a breeding ground for bacteria/fungus and bugs. so i cut all the pot outlines out of the plastic.

Thanks for the help guys you have no idea how helpful you are. Im still so sick over this fiasco i cant sleep...MY BABYS!!!

[Morhawk]

Just doing some research on fertilizers and found this review of Advanced Nutrients...

 

No offense to AN or their users.. Just found it funny.. :-D

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rqGzkqHneg

Edited June 27, 2011 by Morhawk

[ToadInCan]

MY BABYS!!!

 

I'm always glad to pay forward all the help I've gotten here, GreenDreamz. How are the little ladies doing?

[ToadInCan]

I use and LOVE the LiteRail3.5 standard is 8' rail and mover motor. I like the "robo stick" add on too. its a stablizer bar that secures to the motor. easier to balance and two point hookup for hood. they also sell a "trolly" that allows you to use two lights. comes w/a threaded rod to hook to motor and connect trolly, again I get the robo stick there too. when you get the trolly, their is an additional rail option making 16' travel possible. I use 12' rail. lights 6' apart. 3'travel each way.

 

 

 

Hey LongHairBri! I want to thank you again for the input about the light rail. I'm getting much better bud development with the light moving, especially the ones below the canopy.

[Darkmatter]

Posted 27 June 2011 - 07:13 AM

Just doing some research on fertilizers and found this review of Advanced Nutrients...

 

No offense to AN or their users.. Just found it funny.. :-D

 

ROFL. Thanks I needed that.

[LongHairBri]

Hey LongHairBri! I want to thank you again for the input about the light rail. I'm getting much better bud development with the light moving, especially the ones below the canopy.

cool bro, glad I could help

[engineered_excellence]

I think these plants have a serious problems (pics coming soon)

 

They were cloned and vegged indoors to about a foot tall, planted in 20 gallon pots outside about 6 weeks ago, both took right off, and are now about 3.5 feet tall. A week ago they looked great, today all of the growing shoots, including the tops of the branches and main top are white and look like they are dting, the plants are standing strong and a lot of the fan leaves look fine, just all the growing shoots are white or kind of light tan. They were planted in a mix of top soil and miracle grow potting soil, and have had one feeding of miracle grow three weeks ago. I lifted the pots and noticed a couple slugs in the holes on the bottom and one had a bunch of ants under it? good they be munching on my roots? The only deficiency i read about the causes white leaves is a boron deficiency. To me, it doesnt look like they are going to come back, because al the new growth is white.

[ToadInCan]

I think these plants have a serious problems (pics coming soon)

 

They were cloned and vegged indoors to about a foot tall, planted in 20 gallon pots outside about 6 weeks ago, both took right off, and are now about 3.5 feet tall. A week ago they looked great, today all of the growing shoots, including the tops of the branches and main top are white and look like they are dting, the plants are standing strong and a lot of the fan leaves look fine, just all the growing shoots are white or kind of light tan. They were planted in a mix of top soil and miracle grow potting soil, and have had one feeding of miracle grow three weeks ago. I lifted the pots and noticed a couple slugs in the holes on the bottom and one had a bunch of ants under it? good they be munching on my roots? The only deficiency i read about the causes white leaves is a boron deficiency. To me, it doesnt look like they are going to come back, because al the new growth is white.

 

 

Slugs like to get under things when the sun is up. An old cabbage gardening trick is to lay newspaper or boards around the plants, then lift them when the sun is out and collect the grubs. They slither out and feed at night, then find a spot to hide from the sun. I wouldn't think that they'd feed on MMJ, but if you have large holes in your leaves they must be looking for some medicine. I don't know that ants would be interested either, unless you are growing a really sweet strain. I'm thinking that you have a nute problem of some kind, or lock up. Can you check the pH on the run off? Can you upset one of them enough to get a look at the roots? Roots usually show in the older growth, from the bottom up. That doesn't seem to be your symptom. Do you have adequate drainage? Pics would be nice.

[Nix]

I think these plants have a serious problems (pics coming soon)

 

They were cloned and vegged indoors to about a foot tall, planted in 20 gallon pots outside about 6 weeks ago, both took right off, and are now about 3.5 feet tall. A week ago they looked great, today all of the growing shoots, including the tops of the branches and main top are white and look like they are dting, the plants are standing strong and a lot of the fan leaves look fine, just all the growing shoots are white or kind of light tan. They were planted in a mix of top soil and miracle grow potting soil, and have had one feeding of miracle grow three weeks ago. I lifted the pots and noticed a couple slugs in the holes on the bottom and one had a bunch of ants under it? good they be munching on my roots? The only deficiency i read about the causes white leaves is a boron deficiency. To me, it doesnt look like they are going to come back, because al the new growth is white.

 

Pics and the name of your strain would help a lot. How many times have you grown outside before? I would flush the containers with pure tap water to get rid of as much Miracle Grow as you can. That fertilizer and soil is not recommended for MJ because of it's time release pellets. If you can you might want to re-pot them with regular soil or a soilless mix. Make sure when you water that you're letting them dry out completely before re-watering. Definitely kill those slugs and snails as they are very bad for your plants. Go to the garden store and get some fast-acting lime. Sprinkle it around your plant or even on top of the soil. It will slightly raise the pH which snails don't like but plants do. Ants aren't good either. Destroy their hill if you can find it. Other factors could be too much sunlight or not enough. Since they're in containers you can move them which is nice. Good luck.

[engineered_excellence]

Slugs like to get under things when the sun is up. An old cabbage gardening trick is to lay newspaper or boards around the plants, then lift them when the sun is out and collect the grubs. They slither out and feed at night, then find a spot to hide from the sun. I wouldn't think that they'd feed on MMJ, but if you have large holes in your leaves they must be looking for some medicine. I don't know that ants would be interested either, unless you are growing a really sweet strain. I'm thinking that you have a nute problem of some kind, or lock up. Can you check the pH on the run off? Can you upset one of them enough to get a look at the roots? Roots usually show in the older growth, from the bottom up. That doesn't seem to be your symptom. Do you have adequate drainage? Pics would be nice.

 

 

There are no holes in the leaves, just the ends of the growing shoots are white, I thought maybe that the ants or slugs were eating the roots. here are the pictures.

 

This one already started flowering, it is michigan outdoor strain (ive been told) that starts flowering early and finishes before it gets too cold. It was perfectly fine a week ago.

 

This one is dinafem sweet deep grapefruit, did not start flowering yet, but same problem, white at the ends of all the growing shoots, and new growth. Fan leaves are also starting to turn white.

[engineered_excellence]

Pics and the name of your strain would help a lot. How many times have you grown outside before? I would flush the containers with pure tap water to get rid of as much Miracle Grow as you can. That fertilizer and soil is not recommended for MJ because of it's time release pellets. If you can you might want to re-pot them with regular soil or a soilless mix. Make sure when you water that you're letting them dry out completely before re-watering. Definitely kill those slugs and snails as they are very bad for your plants. Go to the garden store and get some fast-acting lime. Sprinkle it around your plant or even on top of the soil. It will slightly raise the pH which snails don't like but plants do. Ants aren't good either. Destroy their hill if you can find it. Other factors could be too much sunlight or not enough. Since they're in containers you can move them which is nice. Good luck.

 

 

I have assisted my cousin for quite a few years outside, he has used miracle grow soil mixed with topsoil and peat plenty of times and had great success. Maybe it was the time released ferts that are causing it. From the looks of it, I dont see how they can come back.. all the new growth, on the tops of the branches and at all the nodes are no longer green, they are white or yellow. But the fact that the rest of the plant looks strong gives me hope. Would picking off the white/yellow tops stimulate new growth? Or would leaving the plant alone be best?(i would still flush, and add lime, and possibly change soil).

 

I want to add, everytime i helped my cousin, he starts from seed, outdoors the whole time, these are clones that were vegged indoors until 1 foot tall.

Edited July 6, 2011 by engineered_excellence

[Nix]

Mixing MG soil with topsoil and peat moss is better than just MG. If you are fertilizing plants in a soil mix that has fertilizer in it you are risking nutrient burn. I highly recommend re-potting with fresh plain soil.

 

It looks like it is probably one of two things:

 

Sun and heat stress. Not surprising given the temperatures and lack of rain we've been having in lower Michigan. Try moving them to a more shaded spot.

 

The other problem could be a sulfur or iron deficiency. The yellow coming from the nodes and not the leaf tips is telling. Try adding some epsom salt.

 

To narrow down the problem you should definitely do a pH check. Either get a soil pH tester or use a liquid pH meter to test nutrient run off water. You very well may have nutrient lock out.