Grow Log: B+ / Popcorn / Worm Castings+Coir (40/60) / Monotub **UPDATED WITH FIRST HARVEST WEIGHT**

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MrSparkles
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Registered: 12/03/06
Posts: 48
Last seen: 19 years, 5 months

Grow Log: B+ / Popcorn / Worm Castings+Coir (40/60) / Monotub **UPDATED WITH FIRST HARVEST WEIGHT**

#6462455 - 01/15/07 02:32 PM (19 years, 7 months ago)

** NOTE **: I exceeded my upload limit for the day and as a result, not all the pictures are available as of the first writing. I will update ASAP.

I'm just getting into growing. I did a small PF grow about 3 years ago with some B+ and EQ. Everything went well but I just didn't have the time nor the energy to continue.

I did a couple of double tubs (B+/rye/worm castings+coir/coir casing) and was very happy with the result. I just harvested the 3rd flush and I'm just over 200% BE. I have another double tub that I just spawned to worm castings/coir (B+ on rye). It's just pinning as we speak.

This grow will be quite detailed. Comments and constructive criticisms are more than welcome.

First we start with the tub. It's 23"x16"x16" including the bubble top. The top is supposed to be the same color as the bottom but I just took a clear on anyways. Much easier than cutting a hole in the top, siliconing lexan, etc.

There was was row of holes for air exchange in each handle. Nothing a bead of silicone couldn't fix.

I want to have complete control of the FAE, so I threw on a little weather-stripping. It's closed-cell 1/2"x1/2" foam. It forms a nice, tight seal when the lid is snapped down.

On to substrate preparation. I'll be using a 40/60 worm casting to coco coir substrate. The night before I prepared a worm casting 'tea' to use to hydrate the coir brick. A 600g brick absorbs almost a whole gallon of the 'tea' yielding approx. 12 quarts of expanded coir.

To make the tea, I simmered 4 cups of worm castings in 2.5 gallons of water for one hour uncovered. After the hour was up, I covered the pot, and let the 'tea' cool. I then decanted the tea into two 1 gallon containers (the extra gallon for a future grow). The sludge in the bottom is put into another container and topped off with water. Plants love it!

I heated up the tea and threw the brick of coir in and let it expanded. When it was soft, I used a knife to break it up any chunks.

I then divided the worm castings (24 cups total) into 3 deep foil trays and then mixed the hydrated coir in with the worm castings. I mixed well and made sure that the moisture level was just a little over field capacity. I know that I will lose some moisture during the oven pasteurization and if there's still too much liquid, I can squeeze it out before I put it in the tub and mix with the spawn.

** PICTURE NOT YET UPLOADED **

I also added a total of 1.25oz of organic canola oil in with the mixed substrate. I got this from this thread. It's my first shot and we'll see what happens.

I then covered the tins with tin foil, placed a meat thermometer in one tin and placed all three in a 300F pre-heated oven. As the temperature started to rise in the tins, I turned the heat down to about 170F which kept the temperature inside the tins at a steady 150F for 3 hours.

I then removed the tins from the oven, covered them with more tinfoil, and let them cool overnight.

While the substrate was being pasteurized, I went to work on installing the FAE holes in the tub. Four in the bottom (the bottom of the holes are 4" from the bottom of the tub) and four in the lid. All holes are 2" in diameter. I removed all the plastic from the drilling, throughly washed out the tub, and set it aside.

8 pieces of polyfill were then cut to be used as filters for the holes.

** PICTURE NOT YET UPLOADED **

When everything was cooled down the next morning, I took 3lbs. (dry) bag of popcorn spawn out of the incubator. It was been inoculated with 10ml of B+ LC 11 days prior. This was my first LC inoculation and I loved the amazing growth! Fo' shizzle my rhizo!

I then cleaned the inside of the tub with isopropyl alcohol and lined the inside of the tub with tin foil that had been sprayed down as well. I'm hoping that this will reduce side-pinning as the substrate shrinks from moisture loss. I got this idea from the one and only Agar in this thread.

I did the Lysol spray thing but I still use the good ol' oven tek. Preheat the oven to 200F, open the oven door, lay a towel or two down, and place the tub on the door. The hot air from the oven will (hopefully) kill any nasties floating around that my air ionizer with germicidal UV lamp doesn't kill. It runs 24/7 in my apartment and I have noticed that I do breath easier.

I don't have any pictures as I like to move quickly, but I then mixed the colonized spawn with the substrate. I would toss in a few handfuls of substrate, then a few handfuls of spawn, substrate, spawn, etc. When everything was added, I mixed it up some more, made sure that there was no spawn on the surface (but very, very close to the surface), leveled everything out, and closed up the tub. Put the polyfill in the holes, and placed the tub in a super-large garbage bag with one end open. I put it in my growing area draped with a large blanket to keep it warm while it all colonizes.

I'll check it in two or three days and will update with more photos. I hope to have some nice rhizo showing and will do some patching!

The substrate was just a little too damp for my liking but it may have been the canola oil glistening. I have about a 1:5 spawn/substrate ratio so that will (hopefully) keep any nasties from brewing. I also have another air ionizer in my grow area (no UV lamp, though).

I will update with more pics when I'm allowed to upload some more!

Cheers!

** UPDATE #1 18 JAN **

I took a peak at the tub for the first time this morning and was pleased with what I saw. Due to the translucency of the lid, I can't actually see what's going on. I took out a piece of polyfill and saw some excellent rhizomorphic growth.

I was never planning on opening the tub but for you guys, I snapped a quick pic.

So, I'm leaving the garbage bag and blanket off and turned on the fan I have in my grow area. It won't see light until this evening (my light comes on at night for a 12/12 cycle) but hopefully having the fresh air blow on it will push most of the CO2 out of the tub and induce pinning. I have no idea how to cold shock something this big so hopefully light, FAE, and a slight temperature drop (due to the fan) should induce pinning.

I'm not going to bother casing or patching because 1) I'm lazy 2) It's a monotub and it's supposed to be very little maintenance 3) I'm happy with the moisture level (check out the condensation on the walls).

I may case after the a flush or two. We'll see how the moisture level holds up.

Expect another update in a couple of days. Any guesses on when I'll see pins?

Cheers!

--------------------
I'm a street walking cheetah
with a heart full of napalm
I'm a runaway son of the nuclear A-bomb

- Search & Destroy by Iggy Pop & The Stooges

Edited by MrSparkles (02/04/07 02:51 PM)

Extras:

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