BlueCollarBob- Bumbling Through My First Grow

[Stoneyluv]

That makes sense. I guess you could draw straight well water before filtration, if it was good enough. I'm having a hard time figuring what measurement to convert that conductivity to. Pre-filter pH is high.

As @Stoneyluv mention in his thread, rainwater is an option. I've read about some positives for that, but it sure would be nice to just run a fill line right to a reservoir. Maybe even have a level float and shut off valve.

If I get the water tested post-filtration, I need to learn what all to have them test for. I recall there being options when I had the well water tested.

our water is similar to yours. i used my well water for years to water plants and it worked great. rain water is attractive to hydro because of it's low EC, easier and better to measure your nutrients and more importantly you then also know exactly how much of each food in then combined. my water is under 10ppm from my roof. i only use one side of a third of my roof to collect and i never run out. i have one for the garden and i have another one behind my garage for my koi pond top off and i use a smaller one off of my chicken coop roof to provide them water.

Marty Rainey claims a metal roof is the cleanest for rain collection. i have one on shingles and one on a metal roof and both read identical.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

i have one for the garden and i have another one behind my garage for my koi pond top off and i use a smaller one off of my chicken coop roof to provide them water.

Do the chickens drink directly from the collection barrel or do you have to transfer it to their waterer? My chicken have two buckets with the with the poultry nipples on the bottom hanging in their run. Until freezing weather hits, I just leave a water hose running to a splitter with hoses running to both buckets. It's nice to just open the valve and let the buckets fill up. Your way might require even less labor.

Off topic, but one of the best investments I made for the chickens was adding a solar powered dawn-to-dusk door. I've had it for like 7 years and it has operated flawlessly. They march out when it opens in the morning and head in before it closes at night.

Marty Rainey claims a metal roof is the cleanest for rain collection. i have one on shingles and one on a metal roof and both read identical.

Asphalt shingles here. Good to know that work for you.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

6.8 is not too high of a pH IMO. You should be able to manipulate it.
Your 244 conductivity equals 159 TDS.

Thanks! I see where it says 159 TDS and I'm guessing the 500 mcl indicates the scale. I'm trying to understand how the conversion to TDS was calculated. I've tried using this online calculator, but I'm missing something and/or the starting unit isn't available in the calculator . Might not matter. Just got it stuck in my head.

I was leaning toward coco, but I'm also drawn towards the fallponic systems like PA Hydro sells. I don't really know why those options interest me. I just like the idea of trying something new (to me). I also like the idea of building a system vs buying a package. Starting to get antsy. I'll probably dive into the wrong option here, soon .

 

[steamroller]

500 mcl is
Maximum Contaminant Level
MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) refers to the highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water

 

[Zen_seeker]

, rainwater is an option. I've read about some positives for that, but it sure would be nice to just run a fill line right to a reservoir. Maybe even have a level float and shut off valve.

Wonder if you could collect in 50g rain barrels and go from there? At least it’s a secondary reservoir.

We have four now. Only ran out of water for outdoor plants once last year.

 

[Stoneyluv]

Do the chickens drink directly from the collection barrel or do you have to transfer it to their waterer? My chicken have two buckets with the with the poultry nipples on the bottom hanging in their run. Until freezing weather hits, I just leave a water hose running to a splitter with hoses running to both buckets. It's nice to just open the valve and let the buckets fill up. Your way might require even less labor.

i collect it in an elevated drum, i think it's 35 gallons... their coop and run are on a decent grade so it helps me get the elevation so i don't need any pumps. one output goes to a float valve inside the coop in a gallon jug with three nipples on the bottom, in the winter i put a small aquarium heater in it and this is their main source of drinking when frozen outside. and outside in their run i have a big jug with auto fill cups all around it. they prefer to drink from this over the nipples but it makes too much of a mess inside the coop with open water.

Off topic, but one of the best investments I made for the chickens was adding a solar powered dawn-to-dusk door. I've had it for like 7 years and it has operated flawlessly. They march out when it opens in the morning and head in before it closes at night.

i sure do, great minds think alike!!... installed it as i was building the coop!!! i used an automotive light sensor and a couple relays connected to an actuator... it's still a mess yet, i had to take it apart and change out the power source a while back and never ties it back neat again, the chicken don't mind!!! haha

 

[BlueCollarBob]

i collect it in an elevated drum, i think it's 35 gallons... their coop and run are on a decent grade so it helps me get the elevation so i don't need any pumps. one output goes to a float valve inside the coop in a gallon jug with three nipples on the bottom, in the winter i put a small aquarium heater in it and this is their main source of drinking when frozen outside. and outside in their run i have a big jug with auto fill cups all around it. they prefer to drink from this over the nipples but it makes too much of a mess inside the coop with open water.

Yep, that sounds like a good set-up. My waterers are outside the coop, but in the run. I use those 1500W tank de-icers. The 500W bucket de-icers don't seem to last very long.

i sure do, great minds think alike!!... installed it as i was building the coop!!! i used an automotive light sensor and a couple relays connected to an actuator... it's still a mess yet, i had to take it apart and change out the power source a while back and never ties it back neat again, the chicken don't mind!!! haha

View attachment 78456View attachment 78457

Yours is sexier, because you built it. I just bought the door, solar panel and battery as a kit. It's been a great purchase, tho.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Wonder if you could collect in 50g rain barrels and go from there? At least it’s a secondary reservoir.

We have four now. Only ran out of water for outdoor plants once last year.

I was thinking along these same lines. I think I like this idea.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

500 mcl is
Maximum Contaminant Level
MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) refers to the highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water

I made a horrible guess, lol.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Dry trimmed what was left of Jet Fuel Odder Popz, this afternoon. This one had 3 weeks in the dry tent and already smoked well in a test bowl. Weighed in at 11.3oz.



All of my first grow is in the bag. Ended up with 71.6oz, altogether. I lost a little due to not properly preparing for rain and wind late in flower, but still ended up with way more than I imagined when I started. There's a lot to work on, but you all really helped me exceed expectations. Thank you all!

 

[BlueCollarBob]

Saturday morning, I started trying to germinate some seeds for outdoors 2025. All are feminized. Two seeds are White Widow from Southern Oregon Seeds. Two each (all from Captain Red Beard Seeds) Orange Widow, Lemon Sour Diesel and Green Crack (auto-flower). I peeked this morning and the White Widow and Orange Widow have cracked . Pretty impressed as it's a little cool in the room where I have them. A new seedling mat is supposed to arrive tomorrow.

I'm hoping to build on what I learned from you all, last year.

Happy Growing!

White Widow:


Orange Widow:

 

[BlueCollarBob]

6 of 8 seeds are sprouting. No action out of the Green Crack, so far. I'm not sure whether I should give these Green Crack seeds some more time, try a couple new Green Crack seeds, or go with a different strain, entirely. This is the first time I've tried germinating seeds. My first grow attempt, last year, started with a seedling a buddy gave me and I purchased three clones to go with that.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

So, just checking in before I go too far with this. I've only used the tent to dry my first harvests, last Fall. Now, I want to set it up to grow some seedlings I've germinated. I'm mainly looking for input on how the fan is set up with the light. Please, ignore where things aren't tidied up, yet.

I have a MH/HPS light and hood that a buddy gave to me. I purchased new bulbs and have the MH in there, now. The hood was designed for 6" duct. I purchased a 4" fan for this 2X4 tent. So, I attached 6" to 4" reducers too the hood. The light and the filter are on pulleys, so the height is adjustable. I read somewhere that the fan should blow across the light rather than pull air across it. So, that's how it's set up, now.

Does this look okay to you guys or do I need to make some changes. Thanks for checking it out and any for advice offered.

Let's see whether this video of the current arrangement displays :

 

[steamroller]

I would think fan first.
I don't run MH but you would the fan first if you were going to filter/scrub the exhaust.
@smoke runs MH.
Maybe we can get him here.
Set up looks good to me.

 

[BlueCollarBob]

I would think fan first.
I don't run MH but you would the fan first if you were going to filter/scrub the exhaust.
@smoke runs MH.
Maybe we can get him here.
Set up looks good to me.

That's the way to do it, from what I've been reading here and there. Truth is, I feel better getting input from Bud Builders. I really appreciate the input @steamroller!

Recent bumblings:

I had first placed 8 seeds in a wet paper towel and DVD case on 08MAR25. 6 seeds germinated and on 15MAR25 I put the seedlings in soil. Nothing fancy. As per usual, I didn't prepare and grabbed GroundWork Organic Seed Starter that was available locally at TSC. Just to keep track of things, I marked the healthier-looking seedling of each strain as "1" and the second as "2". I haven't done any research on what I should be looking for in soil for seedlings. The info on the bag says:

Total Nitrogen- 0.06%
0.006% Ammoniacal Nitrogen
0.006% Other water soluble Nitrogen
0.048 Water insoluble Nitrogen (Slowly available Nitrogen derived from from compaost poultry manure and feather meal)
Available Phosphate- 0.03%
Soluble Potash- 0.03%

Ingredients- sphagnum peat moss, processed wood fiber, perlite, ground dolomitic limestone (pH adjuster), and a wetting agent.

Photos of the seedlings that I took on 15MAR25, immediately before putting them in the starter mix:



The humidity in the tent was hanging around 40% when I put the seedlings in on 15MAR25 and continuing through the next day. I ended up making a 1.5hr drive to a shop in Salem, VA and buying the small ACI (T3) humidifier. I also picked up an ACI outlet to replace the mechanical timer I had on the light. I had never been here before, but will be returning. They seemed to have a little bit of everything and were super-friendly.

Shop manager, Sparkles, was a real sweetheart:


Sunday night, I installed the humidifier. Here's the current configuration:


I don't guess you can tell while the tent is open in that photo, but the Govee hygrometer readings are not inline with the ACI temps and humidity. They were dead even when I was using the tent for drying last Fall. I guess i should pick up a third before calibrating this one to the ACI readings? I supposed it could be ACI is out of whack or even both. Anyone have a recommendation on a reliable device I should pick up?

I screwed up and didn't fill the humidifier with water Sunday night. I had just put in enough for it to run while I was figuring out where to place it. Ended up forgetting to top it off and got an alert that it had run empty and shut off shortly after arriving at work, yesterday morning. It was after 9:00PM before I was able to fill it up and get it running last night. I don't know if it was the long stretches of dry air or something else I've done wrong, but Orange Widow 2 seems to be toast.

Current targets. Recommended changes are welcome for any of this:

Temperature	75℉
Humidity	70% (wondering if it I should use the humidifier to target VPD, instead)
Metal Halide lamp	Vegelumax 400W, correlated color temp(K) 6000
Bulb Spacing	17" above seedlings
Light Cycle	18/6 (on at 6:00AM and off at 11:59PM)

Here's the most recent 24 hour trend. That dip at the front is 6 hours with no light. The temp dropped to 62℉. Should I run a small heater in there during lights off?

 

[BlueCollarBob]

The healthiest looking seedlings (#1s) when I put them in soil are still the healthiest looking, now. I killed Orange Widow 2. So, only one of those remain. I'm trying to learn what they want. As always, I welcome any insight and recommendations: