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1200W Barebulb Vertical Grow


Petyr

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I recently became legal under the MMMA so I thought I would share my current grow.

 

I constructed a tent out of PVC and black and white poly down in my basement, 8x8x6' tall. Unfortunately, that is all the higher the ceilings are in my basement. It cost about $100. I am using a 12" HTG fan to exhaust and a Stanley blower for intake. I use the desktop fans set on low under the bulbs to move the heat up and away and a oscillating fan to keep the air in the tent moving.

 

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I had one plan for the lights but heat was an issue so I changed it up. I am going to have 2 flower rooms each with 1200w hps and a veg with 1 600 MH. The HPS lights are hooked up to relays, so I can flip flop between the flower rooms every 12 hours. I put a new 220v 30 amp breaker into my breaker box and ran 10/2 over to a hot water heater timer and then to the ballasts and relays all mounted on a board. I have a fan blowing up and the whole deal stays cool to the touch. It looks scary, but everything is up to code as far as wiring size and connections, I just will have to make sure to not allow any 3 year olds near it. The ballasts were $85, the relays $25 and the sockets about $5.

 

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Anyways, the plants are in 5 gallon buckets with drains about 2 inches above the bottom. I have mini lava rock on the bottom up to the level of the drain, and the rest of the bucket is filled with 75% canna coco and 25% Napa part 8822 which is diatomaceous earth. I feed them per gallon of tap water 6 ml GH micro, 9 ml GH bloom, 1 ml silica, 2 ml calmag, and .5 ml pH down to get the pH to 5.8.

 

For plants I have 2 clones of a C99 mother I selected. She is very crystally and fruity smelly with good vigor and clonability. I am a bit worried about the stretch as she stretched insane like as a seed, but often clones aren't as bad so we shall see. I have 1 Darkstar, which wasn't anything super special, but its the most indica of the plants I grew from seed, so I did one clone of it. It has decent vigor, but it doesn't seem to handle the heat as well others, so its fallen behind the C99s. I've been getting canoeing of the leaves which will hopefully go away once fall truly and fully arrives. The last clone is a Kushage that has super trich coverage and chunky nugs but is a slower vegging plant. I won't get as much of this, but its pretty strong so I whatever.

 

Anyways, some pics of the plants. Here they are a couple days after I put them in the Hempy buckets, August 12th.

 

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And here they are on August 20th. The other plants are from 6 seeds of Deadhead OG which is SFV Og Kush x Chemdawg 91. I got 3 females, 3 males and I will be flowering them out soonish.

 

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Here they are on the 25th. The roots have gotten down in to the hempy res at this point. The others are some other random clones/future mothers.

 

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And here they are today, September 10th. This is how the lights will stay for flowering. Though disregard the bulb in the upper corner, its a relic. I just topped the biggest C99, once that starts growing again I will flip to 12/12. I am a bit worried about stretch on the C99s so I have to pull the trigger soon.

 

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Here is the biggest C99 that I just topped. I took just the very topmost growth of about 8 of the bigger shoots.

 

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Here is the smaller C99. It is about 5 days behind the other one because I was not happy with the clone I originally had in this bucket and switched it out 5 days in.

 

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Darkstar with the taco leaves.

 

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and the Kushage

 

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So thats where I stand now. I figure a week or so and then its flowering time.

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looks well thought out to me,your gonna have mad tops on the cindys/will you be doing SOG or just letting them do as they please?It would be a good way to control and stretch issues you get and you can pick up some rebarb square from home improvement store then hang it from ceiling at desired height/ just a thought but the bottoms will get a chance to get up there and produce some worth while buds if you approach in this manner however with the lights vertical as long as you ratate plants daily they should also get good light exposure.I also am growing in hempys with just perlite 3/4 and vermiculite 1/4 and they seem to be doing much better than the girls in soil.My first run of hempys in flower now so we will see the out come but looking good so far/.I use the flora nove micro and bloom 8ml micro and 16 ml bloom with R/O water and no need to adjust Ph.I am also using sweet and open sesame in the flower room and in veg every other feeding is strait R/O water with a drop of super thrive.Keep it posted and maybe throw up a how to make your own tent thread as 100 bucks isnt bad and you can make it to fit your space which is also good. :goodjob:

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I will put some 4x4 fencing around the plants in the next couple days. I just need to get to home depot. I'll guide the branches through the fence, but not really use it for training at all. I would have preferred to not top the Cindy, but it was going to just completely overgrow the others so I had to do it. It isn't a good idea to rotate plants with vertical lights. The leaves are in the downward orientation they have mostly because they turn towards the light. Everytime you rotate the plants the leaves completely reorient themselves taking away energy that could be used for growth. It is best to trim the backsides of the plants. After I get the fencing on, any of the backside branches that can't be trained to the front will be trimmed 4 days before flower. Think of it as people trimming 50% of the plants lower growth before flower. Since the lights will stay down level with the plants, I get buds all the way down to the soil so I don't mind trimming 20-25% off the backs.

 

You are correct to be using 8/16 with the perlite vermiculite blend. The 6/9 formula is recommended for coco because of coco's increased availability of potassium.

 

As far as making a tent, there's not much to it. Get some pvc, connectors, panda film and duct tape and have at it. The tarp zippers they sell at hydro stores are nice but not crucial.

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What makes you think that having splices in open air and mounting heat producing electrical apparatus on wood is up to code? Looks like a fire waiting to happen to me...The relays should be mounted in an enclosure too....You have open contacts there and anything could fall and hit them and cause a fire or a short...All of the splices should be in boxes too....None of your equipment is grounded either....HJ

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I never said all of it was up to code, just the size of the wires. I know electricity is scary but I am not worried.

 

I debated even showing that pic because I know lots of folks are hardcore on electrical safety. Then they have their ballasts sitting on the floor.

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I never said all of it was up to code, just the size of the wires. I know electricity is scary but I am not worried.

 

I debated even showing that pic because I know lots of folks are hardcore on electrical safety. Then they have their ballasts sitting on the floor.

you can mark me down for "hardcore on electrical safety". only a fool isn't

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Id just like to add my own 2 cents here...... there is no such thing as hardcore safety when it comes to electricity. You are either safe, or you are not....i believe he is trying to tell you you are not. Its good you did post the pic, and it is good he said something. I hope you can make it right. where are you from, maybe i can help with a bit of wire or something?

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I never said all of it was up to code, just the size of the wires. I know electricity is scary but I am not worried.

 

I debated even showing that pic because I know lots of folks are hardcore on electrical safety. Then they have their ballasts sitting on the floor.

 

That, my dear child, is one of the funniest posts I have ever read. I would recommend making sure your homeowners policy is fully paid, but they don't cover this kind of stupid...

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I never said all of it was up to code, just the size of the wires. I know electricity is scary but I am not worried.

 

I debated even showing that pic because I know lots of folks are hardcore on electrical safety. Then they have their ballasts sitting on the floor.

 

LOL!

 

Nice looking trees....

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There's really nothing wrong with that board, we had one just like it (for troubleshooting) back in engineering school. If you could see inside your walls you'd see wires stapled to boards all over the place. Those relays should be covered though.

 

That, my dear child, is one of the funniest posts I have ever read. I would recommend making sure your homeowners policy is fully paid, but they don't cover this kind of stupid...

 

Name calling? Really? :thumbsd:

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you can mark me down for "hardcore on electrical safety". only a fool isn't

Yea nothing worse than driving back from the store seeing your block closed off and your house in flames ive done everything i can to ensure safety and im still not done im hiring a electrician to run 220 lines directly into my grow area to pull some of those amps off the breaker box.

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There's really nothing wrong with that board, we had one just like it (for troubleshooting) back in engineering school. If you could see inside your walls you'd see wires stapled to boards all over the place. Those relays should be covered though.

 

 

 

Name calling? Really? :thumbsd:

 

Wires stapled to boards are one thing but mounting heat producing equipment (ie ballasts & capacitors) to wood is a no no....All the equipment should be mounded on metal so it can be properly grounded.....HJ

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I've seen stores which burned down from ballasts and relays which were properly enclosed. When a ballast goes bad but decides to catch fire instead of shorting out the circuit they can start quite a fire. Let alone if one of those splices goes bad. Enclosing them properly will give you a good chance of keeping your house. I don't know if I could sleep over that at night.

 

A metal cabinet wouldn't cost that much and you'd be safe from a fire. And the cabinet can provide a ground to the ballast transformers.

 

Even worse, I just re-read the first post, is it says you have a fan blowing across the ballasts to keep them cool? Or is that to provide fresh air to the fire? The heat from those ballasts is going to char the wood.

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Even worse, I just re-read the first post, is it says you have a fan blowing across the ballasts to keep them cool? Or is that to provide fresh air to the fire? The heat from those ballasts is going to char the wood.

 

LMAO! I hope you're being sarcastic, if not that's really overdramatic. Unless those transformers are going to get up to 400-600 degrees (same temperature that melts lead) they won't be charring anything. Even then you're going to need to double that to start a fire.

 

 

Wires stapled to boards are one thing but mounting heat producing equipment (ie ballasts & capacitors) to wood is a no no....All the equipment should be mounded on metal so it can be properly grounded.....HJ

 

That's funny. Just because it's mounted to metal doesn't mean it's grounded, in fact it could potentially make it more dangerous. All of those green wires are ground wires and are probably connected to a true ground in his panel, which is the right way to do it, not connecting it to a piece of metal.

 

Electricity will always take the path of least resistance. If you ground those ballasts to a metal table (for instance) and for some reason it starts feeding current through the ground then the table will be the path of least resistance. If you touch that table with both hands then you will be the path of least resistance. The few times that I've become the path of least resistance in a circuit were less than pleasurable.

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All is well and good, but safety is paramount, i have seen your system style before, it works, but is high risk, especially to water exposure, i spill water all the time. so far so good. I reccomend every grow room have its own, breaker/controller. This is mine. It was 240. deliverd. every light, fan has its own circuit and breaker. Nothing electrical gets too hot. and each section is breaker controlled, the main unit is breakered as well. Its both 220/120 timed,switched circuits. This unit controls 4k watts+

 

http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/gallery/image/8669-dscf0056jpg/

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LMAO! I hope you're being sarcastic, if not that's really overdramatic. Unless those transformers are going to get up to 400-600 degrees (same temperature that melts lead) they won't be charring anything. Even then you're going to need to double that to start a fire.

 

 

 

 

That's funny. Just because it's mounted to metal doesn't mean it's grounded, in fact it could potentially make it more dangerous. All of those green wires are ground wires and are probably connected to a true ground in his panel, which is the right way to do it, not connecting it to a piece of metal.

 

Electricity will always take the path of least resistance. If you ground those ballasts to a metal table (for instance) and for some reason it starts feeding current through the ground then the table will be the path of least resistance. If you touch that table with both hands then you will be the path of least resistance. The few times that I've become the path of least resistance in a circuit were less than pleasurable.

 

Nope not being sarcastic or over dramatic. The heat is plenty enough to blacken and slowly char and dry out the wood. It won't happen instantly, it will be slowly over time. I've got fifteen years electrical experience in mostly commercial and industrial settings. Ballasts fail in a lot of different ways. There is no justification for setting something like that up. It's just laziness.

 

Not one of those ballast cores are grounded. Look closer at the capacitors and ballast cores, there are no ground wires. Those parts of the ballast are normally grounded through a mechanical connection to a grounded metal enclosure.

 

There is nothing "right" about anything on that board.

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Nope not being sarcastic or over dramatic. The heat is plenty enough to blacken and slowly char and dry out the wood. It won't happen instantly, it will be slowly over time. I've got fifteen years electrical experience in mostly commercial and industrial settings. Ballasts fail in a lot of different ways. There is no justification for setting something like that up. It's just laziness.

 

Not one of those ballast cores are grounded. Look closer at the capacitors and ballast cores, there are no ground wires. Those parts of the ballast are normally grounded through a mechanical connection to a grounded metal enclosure.

 

There is nothing "right" about anything on that board.

 

I'm not going to argue anymore in this gent's journal that he posted to try to contribute. I do doubt the extent of your credentials though because what you're saying is a little off base for a supposed professional (and yes I work in the field).

 

Either way, nice looking plants Petyr and good luck with finishing up your grow with some more positive feedback :thumbsu:

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I'm not going to argue anymore in this gent's journal that he posted to try to contribute. I do doubt the extent of your credentials though because what you're saying is a little off base for a supposed professional (and yes I work in the field).

 

Either way, nice looking plants Petyr and good luck with finishing up your grow with some more positive feedback :thumbsu:

ditto motorbuds...I just did things differently designating bloom room and veg. to thier own individual circuit(30 amp,on a 250 amp service)..ballast are contained and off the floor...but all in all nice grow!!!!Petry!!!!you should have a beautiful grow!!

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I like the fact that someone else is using their lights in the vertical position. 360 degrees of direct light. :thumbsu:

 

Thanks to you and all the rest! Ya, I've done vert for a while now, it just seems like the way to go for me.

 

I put some 2x4 fencing up around the 2 C99 clones. I was able to reach most of the back and side branches through the fencing towards the front, so I don't think I will need to trim much of these. I'll decide on Sunday for sure, but I think I am going to put them into 12/12 then.

 

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The buds from this clone's mother are almost cured. It turned out pretty good, leaning towards a rotten fruit smell with a deep taste. The high is strong and mainly in the head and lasts about 2 hours. I'm fairly happy with it, but I need to see how the clones do in flower.

 

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I've been trying out a new cloning method and have great success so I thought I would share it with everyone.

 

You just take a 9 oz cup with some holes cut in the bottom and fill it with coco coir. Soak the coco with 1/2 strength nutes, poke a hole in for the clone, and stick the baby in there. I don't use any rooting compound, but I'm sure you could. Place the clones on a heating mat and keep the humidity at least at 50%. If it is lower than this, you might need a dome for the first few days. Keep the coco moist and in 5-14 days you should see the first roots poking out. I put the clear cups inside of some colored ones at this time and start feeding full strength nutes.

 

This clone is about 14 days old. I'd say they should be able to stay in these for at least 30 days.

 

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For hydro I would use my aero cloner, but for soil or coco this seems like the way to go.

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