Live & Reloaded

HGoffRoad

For those who don’t know the brand :

I discovered this around 2005, i was coming directly from Atami (Bcuzz line). Still today the line of nutrients i’ve used the more, at every scale possible.

The two flagships of the brand are the Root Excelurator and the Top Shooter. And for the last one, I’ve found a kind of trick to express radically the yield in most of strains.

And that’s the problem, considering the interest of @KETAMINE_GRENADE i’ve started to make a kind of schedule that quickly became useless in considering different types of scenarios.

I can write a schedule for a 45 days Kush, but the timing and the dosages become totally shitty for a “Dutched Haze” like the Silver Haze, the Jack Herer or even the NL#5xHaze. If i write it for a skunk, it can’t be compatible with anything else. Etc …

So the best way is to share it as it’s used : without any schedule but the faculty of adaptation to the strain. And in fact, it’s only in this case that it become barely universal. Not with week’s numbers that mean nothing from one strain to another one.

On timings alone, it’s pretty universal and i’m writing it also for a couple of friends not using HG nutes but interested on how i can inflate the plants without destroying the quality with hard nutrients.

Let’s dance now ^^


To best use the potential of the Top Shooter, you have to prepare the plants to furnish it. Watch closely the plants and the day they start to really stretch, start the Roots Excelurator.

Root mass full throttle = TS used at maximum potential. Needless to say that if the medium is not entirely colonized with sturdy root in a dense configuration, any flo booster is just a waste of money.

Also the stretch is the most productive period for roots in the whole lifespan of this plant. Plants dig really hard during this frame of time, and it’s why i generally transplant in the definitive pot just before to switch to 12/12.

Rightly boosted during this time, the roots transform an uncontrolled stretch in a “good stretch” for the yield. It mean thick secondaries ready to fire. It limit also the height on most sativa-ish strains, very effiscient on the Jack Herer.

HGtech01d
When the trunk stop to act like a spring, the roots stop to colonize and they start to densify. The production of hairy roots for cannabinoids start. The plant enter in a week of “holiday”, because tired to have reached its definitive shape.

Giving a little boost in micro permit to prepare the war that is coming and to don’t lose totally this week, it permit also to keep the root booster at Max without tiring more the plant. For more weight but also important for the final quality in term of potency.

HGtech01e

The pivot point of the whole trick is here. And it’s not specially natural to consider at first glance, you cut everything but a finishing product.

This idea come with a pure africaan then later with the californian COB cut, the stretch of the stems supporting directly the flowers was very obvious during this period and i searched how to jugulate it.

Applying the Top shooter at this point permit to chock the plant and to prevent the stretch of the stems directly supporting the flowers : the one you trimming to individualize each bud, but also the central stem of the buds themselves.

This treatment permit to push harder the Top Shooter later, and to get more compact and fat buds. Even in aerated sativas.

Don’t worry for the trichomes, most of them are immatures at this stage and are “fake ones”, with atrophied bulbs or no bulbs at all. The good snow is coming later.

HGtech01f
HGtech01g

This is the soft way, for delicate palates (like mine), to cover the plant with trichomes before unleashing the hell with yield. Or the hard way.

HGtech01h
HGtech01i
Unleashing the hell in yield, in twos styles.

The hard way is unleashing the hell because you have the right hungry strain for that. You will not transform the genetic with nutrients, a greedy fast saturated plant is just not made to be a monster.

MAX+ mean off chart, over 100%. The advantage : drying process stress less and pretty fast, curing too. Disadvantage : the more extrem, the more “dry smoke” you get. At high dose, you can transform an expansive wet Kush in a dry and dense COB hit. Be warned, don’t max all strains.

1:400 is the ratio of concentration of humic and fulvic acid of AN. I’m using actually a cheap 1:1000 product with the same rate (at factory dosages ofc).

HGtech01j
HGtech01k

The end of the rush, before you do what you’re using to do : flushing, not flushing, half flushing, whatever.

After this program, don’t use zym for the final stage if you’re flushing but more a fulvic dilution. Rince the medium with that.

I personally prefer to create strategic carencies before and to flush depending on the round, i’m very-very picky on terpens quality and harvest my sinse before it become fully amber for max potency. It don’t hit much the yield VS full throttle, no more than 15% in general with all types of strains.

See you tomorow for the next update. Still boring, no buds. And no sex, the 5th node is just showing.

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LightStatsFormattedDay36
FoodStatsDay36

For Sensi Seeds, i’m barely synchro. For me I’ve two weeks in the ass. Damned.
“Hormonally” i’m very happy and i passed the week to start the notations on everything. It keep me busy. Even the scent are now very characterized and the phenotypes are expressing fully.

But the bad start have created a late and a delay between the aerial side and the underground side. The root mass is ready to be transplanted since more than a good week, they have all insane block of roots hard like rocks. They are eating 5L/1.3 gal per day, sometimes i’ve to split the watering during the day to don’t let them become too thirsty within 6 hours. They are “forced”(horticultural meaning) as fuck, can’t wait to flower this.

I know and i feel that they are waiting like compressed springs more room for the roots to grow like crazy, but they have to do the peep show before.

I’m waiting the pre-flowers to transplant them in 10L/2.6 gal. I’m starting to see microscopic shoots aside the base of secondaries, good sign, and i think that the next week will give some declarations.

They are eating like ogres too, not expected. I’ve pushed the humic/fulvic at max to catalyze the dose of All-in-One but it start to don’t be enough. Next week I’ve to lower the acids and to push the base to 75% of the maximal dose (1.5ml/L). I’m supposed to be at 100% at the middle of the flowering stage.
I think they will go off chart fast.

You can zap from here.

Zombie Jack : ready to fire



I was waiting the colonization of the pot to prune it a bit and help it to get a shape. Done in one week without any root booster, i’m happy. It’s like reveg clones, when the phillotaxy is a bit disturbed to cut the funk help to restart the grow at one point if the roots are ready.

I think it will be synchro with the prude Big Bud, it will be the advantage of this extra period of veg. I will not transplant it before the 12/12 switch.

My disappointing love affair

Still mad at Sensi for the variegation. Even light, it break a bit the potential of use of this specimen.
Depend on the shape and the sex of the Jack, maybe i will roll the dice with it for the zombie F1.

Overall

This one is nice also but unselected at this point, it’s already hard to stay focused and to respect the minimalist approach. Each day that i’m making notations, i’ve to remember that i’m launching a repro totally devoted to preserve a yielder that i want the closer possible to the SCBB performances and shape. Not a taste agent or anything not fully dedicated to this goal.

Scents start to be mouthwatering, but I’ve to keep the head on the shoulders. At first I’ve to reduce drastically the water needs, to improve the vigor and to push the yield at max potential.

At this point i’m anxious to be lured by a couple of short specimens, in the “hybrid” group, with great potential of stretch. I need to resist and to avoid to create parallel lines, and to go straight to the F3/F4 segregation. Psychological bias, i already know what i have under the nose in term of balance.

I’m forced to say that the line is no longer stable like before, and that the motherplants are on the end of the road. Still worth the pain for now, the critical traits are responding.

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LightStatsFormattedDay43
FoodStatsDay43

They are under 2x18W T8 neons since the night of Wednesday/Thursday, H24 regime with insane RH (80%), with stagnant warm air … and they are happy as fck. Bitch to the nails.

The underlying reasons is my usual madness, the space is under construction. Again :

I will try to make a big post to show details, i have to :

  • for the prince of smoked ribs with texan dust, and his chimney
  • for the citizen of the temple of Jah swearing only by the bat guano, covid panic or not ^^
  • for the only one farmer in the alps covering the ground of his chicken coop with ganja fan leaves
  • for the only car exhaust manufacturer in europe responsible for the blueprint of this crazy triple-CFL-reflector that I love as hell

The craziness start with some considerations on air pressure, both in the 4x4 but also in what was planned to be the “porn room” to pollinate the females.

For this last consideration, after one test the negative pressure was so insane that it was not possible to keep a male alive inside twos or three weeks.

BB#5 is really sexing since Wednesday and is the only one. I’ve a bad feeling about this one, i suspect an herm. One of the nicest combo of notations, except the scents. Off course. But not in the range of shapes i’m hunting, by chance.

All the others have reached the final hormonal stage, they are sexing at usual speed. I dislike my late in grow generated by the 2100K experiment, they are too advanced to stay in 2 liters / 0.5 gal which limit a lot their “wingspan”. No sign, but i know they are starting to suffer from it.

To be continued …

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LightStatsFormattedDay50
FoodStatsFormattedDay50


The two pics are from the same day, it’s a fcking celebration for me. No more vegging on my grow desk under very low density and saturated atmosphere. It’s sad in a way to see that they don’t give a damn fuck, except a bit of elongation.

I’ve finished the final version of the updated space, after a total of 5 prototypes. It’s Armageddon around the tent. Big mess, tools everywhere, dust and all … it make me crazy.

To stay in the grow log, they are in plain declaration period but surprisingly they are not in hurry. Hormonal balances are full throttle for all, the phenotypes are individually very characterized. I’ve a dense week to read them in details. Well it’s a bit more complicated than that, like usually.

First factor : Partially due to the chaos of this past week and half, they are not in hurry to make the peep show. If I transplant the declared females now in 10 liters / 2.6 gallons, it will give them a comparative advantage and it will blur my overall sight. They are all ready to explode, the day i’m transplanting they will dominate as fast as they can.

Difficult choice : waiting the declaration in normal conditions (no more relocation, the tent can be continued to be upgraded while in production) or switching the 12/12 in twos liters when i can. I don’t like the second choice because this strain is a yielder and will be kept for that. And a yielder switched in 12/12 before the transplant mean wasted grams, not strategic to see the full potential. But not dangerous for the notations either, because they will all live a synchronized limitation. Hard choice.

Second factor : Due to the new setup, i can’t switch them in 12/12 until I’ve finished to build the three passive intake boxes. Depend on surprises found while building it, it can take one day or a week.

Time will speak, and i’m now in good conditions for observations. Plus, they are back in decent light density and it will speed up a bit the declarations.

To do list :

  • to build the three intakes before switching the lights in 12/12 @ 2100K
  • to mount the males/porn space with individual exhaust, used also to extract the smoke of my blunts
  • “tent tunning” : a bunch of patchs, zip reinforcement, tubular-structure-modding to prepare for the blumat system … basically i will mod one tent with another one.

The posts on the upgrade will be damned long but i took plenty of photos … i will split the whole process by subject. I will try to be enough clear and technical to share it with all, not only the ones that was directly or indirectly involved in this madness. The changes are not obvious at first glance.

See you later, i’m a wreck right now :face_with_head_bandage:

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LightStatsFormattedDay57
FoodStatsFormattedDay57

I’ve barely developed a Stockholm syndrome with these Big Bud, we lived a journey together and they handled a bunch of crazy ideas during the whole ride. But it’s finally the time, tomorrow i mount the 2100K bulbs in the reflector and I switch them in 12/12.

I’m surprised, the declaration are here but are staying microscopic.The thickness of a needle. No rush. I was expecting to have a more clear and definitive sight during this week, but no. Most are tagged females, only one male spotted, the choice of pairing to start the IBL will be complicated i think.

Considering their very extended vegetative stage, i’m expecting a stretch from outta space. I’m ready for it at least. I can’t wait to transplant the females in the next pot too.

On the grow space, today is the true end of a very long travel. A shit ton of blueprints, a shit ton of prototypes of everything, hands have more wounds than i can count … but the results are here, even if it mean nothing in the photo :

The beast is done. I’ve some finitions and modding to do but that can be done in peace. The mission is accomplished by far, i got the graal.

The porn space is ready too, it was actually the main reason before I fall in a strange exploration of a bunch of parameters.

Most of the photos are shitty, i’m a pretty bad war reporter. But enough clear to show the journey in all its steps.

It doesn’t look like a decent grow space but more like a random construction site from the third world. It make me crazy, I hate to grow in the mess. I’ve a ton of cleaning to do next week, before the flowers come. Ton of dust and all.

I’ve to build the “grow table” tomorrow and i’m done with the tools and the big mess. Just light finitions.
But damn, i was forced to rebuild everything from scratch it was a madness, and a big awareness step too on parameters i wasn’t considering the right way. The whole electric circuit is re-wired too … massive reform.

See you later, shared between a real grow log now and dedicated posts explaining in details my last craziness in date.

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Today i’ve enjoyed a decent grow space for the first time but let’s share some awareness about leaves by a radical example.

The whole room was finally cleaned. Washed, brushed, “vacuum-cleaner-ed” everywhere, then the tent, the lamps and the reflectors. 12/12 time, no more margin on dust.

And one time everything was clean, it was the time for the plants to get their shower. They don’t have seen a sprayer since a month and it’s a good opportunity to show what’s the point to clean your leaves.

So that’s the setup in this corner. It’s the “dirty space”, but in center you can see a simple trick i was using when i was making fems and that i kept for everything : simple, secure, efficient and easy to wash.

On the right, it’s to wash the top of the medium just in watering with good drain flow. I’ve just waited a dry cycle to can launch the whole operation. Cannabis don’t like to be sprayed with feets already well wet.

And now what I collect from all the plants shown :

It’s not that extreme usually, maybe only 25% of this epic photo for a whole group of a dozen plants, but the more they are tall … the bigger the dust harvest.

Twos big wash during veg time (the last just after the transplant), and one after a month of flowering time can move a lot of dust. When they are very dirty like that (by dust or pollen), i use only plain water but for light showers i use a light nutes solution and i water the next day.

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Damn. You have such a nice setup. I’m jealous :laughing:

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Today i’ve started to “mod” the tent a bit, let’s call this finitions after the big modifications already made (will be posted soon enough). Nothing fancy, but some annoying details to fix.

First thing, the zip and a problem we are numerous to encounter i’m sure. Previously i was an unconditional customer of gorilla’s tents, but even on these ones i was worried by the zip after a time. For the defense of the brand, under insane intensive use.

First thing to do : a bit of sewing. Thick needle, doubled thread.

In a Chanel workshop, i will be fired in the minute :smile:

I’ve added a line of cyanolite /cyanoacrilate on the interior, this stuff work very well with this kind of material. Heating well while drying and making a true soldering.

Then the secondary problem, light leak on the bottom and with time a loose flap. No bad joke intended, i swear.

I’ve broken my mind and my hands to generate a pure darkness in the tent for the plant’s night, it’s silly to let it like that.

So same technic but in the reverse. I use the glue to place the patch, then sewing scavenged scratchs.


And i’m happy.

Next step is to get rid of all cinching duct ports and to patch them too, but i’ve to wait the timer after the dinner. One at a time i think, i’ve 7 to patch ^^

It’s not only because i hate to wash them and that they are not so hermetic, but also for a future improvement on the tubular structure. Another strange idea that will end in prototyping something ^^


On the plant’s side, i’m on the go for a second shower when they are in dry cycle. They was damn dirty with all the stuff done around. At least they loved the first pass.

This time i think that i will add a pinch of PK to the foliar wash to stimulate them, i’ve three specimens not declared (in don’t including the zombie jack) and they are the most indica of the pack.

A little stress is coming, for now i’ve only one male and 6 females. He have all parameters researched at max, but i dislike this unique male. Too fast hormonally. I’ve one another potential on sight, i cross my finger as hell until the clear declaration of this specimen. A bit less vigorous but the secondaries and their density are fire.

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Actually i’m crushing my head since three days to find a right way to present the rebuilding in details. Behind the humble apparences, there is a lot of calculations and concepts. I don’t want to make it too tailored for “private winks”, but also not to fall too much in boring technical aspects and maths. It’s all about airflow, not rocket science either. The angle i took is a bit strange but not specially off road also. I think i will draw a bunch of synthesis on the wacom and deal with it, most of documents i’ve used come from an unique source that is recognized on a national level. And it’s american ^^

Here we go again, most of the plants were enough dry to get their second shower and to become enough clean for my tastes.

This time i’ve used Super PK on foliar, to stimulate them a bit. I’m hoping that they will not insult me too much. I’ve dosed it at 3.5%, i was kind. I hate to switch the lamps before transplanting, i loose grammers everyday.

While i was washing the plants, twos news specimens was declared since yesterday. Two more females, for a total of 7.

And one additional male confirmed (thx Jah), the one on the left, the #10. So the #5 on the right is living his last week, fortunately. I don’t like him. Well, i don’t like him for this specific round.





I hate so much these things, i’m very happy to get rid of them now. 6 remaining damn.

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Jesus, what caliber is that gun?!

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Barely 10 inches bullets ^^

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StonedEngineering01

Intro

It’s all about sharing in details the cascading reasons that pushed me to rebuild entirely the space, it mostly concern the airflow optimization under unexpected parameters. I will split it in different dedicated chapters because it’s long to write it in thinking about four friends with different interests + the random fools and OGers finding these posts, at a time.

As an excuse i will give what i’m considering as a golden reference to all fools interested to dig the question for their own adaptation. I’ve used it to the bone as a guide : it’s the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Their docs are numerous and well-written, the potential of use is enormous for those that want to spend time on it.

Most of their production is a paying service as a subscription per year (over 200). But … some of their “hankbooks” from 2006 to 2019 can be coughing somewhere that has a logo with a boat.

Also a very inspiring practical video for empiric guys that want to test one million configuration per hour to find the best one.

It gave me also a lead to use the empiric method of the automotive designers for understanding what the fuck was happening in my tent.

Now the story, where the evil is in each fcking details actually. But i don’t regret the ride with backward.

The context : the previous flawed space

The goal during the building was to be the more dense possible, to make the more space possible around. Also very easy and fast to maintain/wash, with specific sense of the movement of things barely like a professional kitchen (dirty space, washing space, clean space, cooking space …).

Everything was good on the final blueprint, even the strange closet built with my experience on various spaces. I’ve just tryed to veg the Big Bud with a narrowed yellow/orange/red spectrum, in the hope to never switch my bulbs. Of course it was a bad idea with the neon tech, but at least i’ve the psychological proof of it now. Done.

The firestarter of a lot of cascading problems

After the first month of 18/6 and seeing the Big Bud not specially in hurry to show their sex, i’ve planned a switch to the 12/12 regime. Then, because i’m mostly addicted to seeds, the pollination of the first inbred generation + the zombie bonus.

I realized that i was so much focused on the plants (and happy of this fact), that i forgot to test the pollination space. And I’ve done it first with a young eucalyptus clone (i love it) then with a young plant of peony (my wife love it). Both vanished very fast, with excellent and sturdy genetic.

Then at this point i’m entering in panic mode.

This is the “lung closet”, planned also as a “pollination space”. A “porn room” in my slang.
It look like shit but the blueprints were fire and this is a lot of work overall, this space was fully hermetic and jointed/insulated. The torque in the tent was amazing and this, in a very low level of decibels.

But any plant inside was doomed to die, it was not at a vacuum state but the negative pressure was enough strong to don’t let plants breathe. Literally.

It was written from here, I’ve to rebuild something ASAP to can launch the flowering stage. Used to build porn room with pretty much high negative pressure, i took my lesson to have pushed too far and I’ve started to analyze more my overall airflow. To find a solution but also to check if I’ve not made another bullshit.

The secondary problem

And it was the case ^^ I pass on the wool thread aerodynamic test, but the tent wasn’t working as it was supposed to work. Even with certified maths.

Second panic attack : The Big Bud is (very) prone to mold in late stage of flowering, and is also a five stars hostel with mildew. Add the Critical Mass, tested and approved too.

And it’s where is really starting my journey in the real understanding of what is the static pressure. In being screwed with plants i can’t flower, until I’ve build something decent to pollinate them and also to flower them with high constraints on airflow. And the inherent constraints to grow fully with neon, from start to end.

Add to this equation that i’m stubborn and i don’t want a permanent (well,sized) active intake, no de-humidifier, no AC, and nothing more than the lamps and the plants inside the tent … well nothing more than a single RVK running 24 hours a day for this tent.

At this point i’m trying many things, not so to find a solution but to understand the problem and the leverages that are specific to my setup. And it’s when i’m opening for the first time since i’m using tents, the horizontal vents. All of them.

A magic happens then and i see the leafs of my plants dancing like I’ve placed a fan inside. Never saw that before with this kind of negative pressure.

Discovering a bonus function of something absolutely not planned for it

In viewing all these wool threads taped everywhere doing something i’m not understanding while i’m closing the horizontal vents, and opening them … i think about my reflector. And i tape it with wool too ^^

Now consider this :


And that the diameter cover almost the whole tent surface of the ground.

It’s when i finally got the “eureka” thing and that i understand that it’s useless to fight with parameters that depend on one big factor : the bad management of the static pressure.

Conclusion of this step :

  • I’ve to rebuild everything with the good priority in mind : the static pressure over the speed of airflow
  • In using the horizontal vents instead these awful duct ports i hate since ever, i can get a nice airflow that is venting the plants like a big fan and without a crazy negative pressure for them. And without any fan. And from the bottom.
  • It was so useful many times but i’ve now to reform what i’ve learned from my indoor mentor : the old way to consider the airflow like a liquid. I’ve to consider the airflow more like the gas feeding the engine of a car : phenomenons of dilatation/compression, stratification of dense cold air and hot air, vapor restricting the compression etc …
  • The tri-CFL parabolic reflector changed the rules of the game and break the standard calculations, I’ve to adapt fully to the wool lesson. Not adapting what is supposed to happens on the paper, on something that can’t happens ^^

It was for the context, the datas and to please the fantastic four on the details. Spoiler : next, it’s not an happy ending at all. But a long nightmare among 5 prototypes that failed miserably. Reforming habits and way of thinking is not easy. Don’t be afraid I will show only the 5th, because it was not that bad in fact.

See you later in the next chapter, more in depth on Static Pressure (SP) with a few draws.

6 Likes

LightStatsDay7Flo
FoodStatsDay7Flo

Great news for me, all specimens are finally declared. Good batch + Lucky shot I guess, i got almost the whole representation and their ratio. And more important, what I was looking for. And a bonus.

For now my choice is barely made, I’ve to resist and let the chaos work for me now until I’ve enough buds to know the upfront work to do. I love the taste of the Big Bud / Critical Mass but the first priority is to secure an inbred yielder in my genpool.

This nice guy on the left saved my ass at the last minute, one of the last declared (which is a bonus for me) and with the most nicely triggered traits on the yield department. Can’t wait to see him stretched and dirty.

The guy on the right was fucking fast to declare, the very first specimen of all. Nice combo-stats but not the shape and not the genetic potential i was looking for. During never-ending weeks, i was thinking it was the only one male i will get. Thx Jah.

I can’t ignore the über-sexy BB#1, my love affair since March. Typically what make a nice motherplant/cut to smoke, but a bad mother. Without heterosis, it’s useless to expect something decent in seeds with it without a BX program and I have more important priorities.

This Zombie Jack can be my savior if it’s a male, so i will not smoke with guilt the BB#1 in a tearful adios. They both match so much that it’s too much luck to dare to hope something. Fingers crossed anyway.

FCK yeah ! Transplanting finally !

I don’t really like to do it. It long, my manner to do it is long and not specially productive in term of speed. And it’s messy. But i’m so happy to finally unleash the hell in the tent, that it was not so a chore.

The stupid 2100K time during veg + recycling this error in root obsession + the very extended time in tiny pots … have totally streamlined the differences in term of root mass along the specimens. They have all the same structure of the photo. And strictly. So i can’t use this transplant session to make datas with it for later. At least they are all damned hard and dense as hell, job done while i was stressing on seedlings.

On the method, nothing strange. I guess. I’m waiting a good dry cycle, i remove the plants and one good centimeter of soil at the top.

Then i fill the bigger pot to get this height in the photo, it stimulate well the plant to dig faster and stronger the first week.

Cheap supermarket soil as usual, this time I’ve found a nice one in a new shop that i’m testing this run. It have nettle compost inside, and a surprising good one. A strong typical smell of camphor is emanating from it, i’m surprised. The type you get only in doing it yourself.

Now i will “supercharge” them with a strong sauce with plenty of root booster during two weeks, can’t wait to see the first calyx calibrations and shapes. Bracts thickness too.

See you later on a boring post dedicated to static pressure. It’s Sunday roll thick !!! ^^

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It’s how i chill with the horses, while i’m watching a documentary about Berner visiting Damian ^^ No one understand here.

It help me, the hands busy, to handle the fact that I’ve to kill the useless specimens in the tent, more than one male, to make space for the next round of zombie seeds. I will try to revive a Sensi Star F3 i got years ago, I’ve to think about my planning like a champ, they will be sogged directly aside the monsters. It give me also a margin with the zombie jack … the eventual encounter of these twos very potent strains is a nice music to my ears. Stoner’s brainstorming.

I’m not forgetting the chapter II buddy ^^ I think I’ve found a progressive angle.

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StonedEngineering02b

I drew a bunch of things, crushed my head in all directions and not helped much by my level of English … I’ve not yet found a way to vulgarize the static pressure game. At one point a lot of specific parameters enter in game :

  • temps (winter/summer/averages) : it set the average density of air to deal with
  • height and barometric factors
  • torque of the RVK and climate (barometric pressure)
  • also the house insulation and exposition (winds)
    For obvious reasons i can’t enter too much in details, and it’s damn hard to explain the things this way.

Better to show, and i’m sorry for the others, keeping the details external discussions. I don’t give up, i will find a way without falling in a tutorial barely practical.


Forget the RJ45 cable on right.
So, here we have the basis of the main problem with the static pressure. More clear without the tent.

  • 1st error : The twos “massive” structure (lung closet + tent) eat a good amount of cubic space in the same spot. It was voluntary and based on bad habits : to generate the maximum “free air volume” possible, to maximize the air exchange and its stability. Now considering what I’ve learned on static pressure and its cumulative aspect for our use, it was hard to be more wrong in fact.

My house is not specially tiny and most of walls are 10 feet high, but on insulation and energetic efficiency i’m a bit crazy. So a single filtered 400CFM RVK is enough to put the whole house in negative pressure, and to open the cat trap if i open/close the front door at the other side of the house.

That’s the main static pressure rate to deal with, and when you reach the “grow room” this static pressure is increased by 4. So it create another layer of increased static pressure around the mouth of the ducted intake that was sucking in the same negative pressure bubble. Then increasing the static pressure in the tent, without improving the air exchange for the plants (too much velocity for optimal goals and straight ballistic from the duct port to the parabolic side-effect).

  • 2nd error : also based on bad habits (considering my project, i don’t say it’s bad) : using the duct ports of tent. So in the photo you have the front left and the rear right, D125/5" each for an unique D125/5" mouth sucking air in the parabolic reflector.

What you’re seeing in the photo is an unwanted genius idea. I’ve build this platform to elevate the plant from the ground mostly for pest (gnats to name them). Just because I’ve saw that plants on shelves at this height was never colonized, simply.

But in opening the horizontal vents of the tents … thx Jah, i got the key directly. Leaves was dancing and the negative pressure inside was more close to the goal with passive intakes.

At this point, i built 4 prototypes of RVK box with different angles + different tests. But on static pressure it’s the final version that will stay until the end.

As you can see, in term of space used it look like i was drunk. But in term of static pressure it’s the heaven. Considering the three horizontal vents used, the equal space all around the tent is acting like big “U” for the negative pressure. And the space under the platform is acting like a buffer for the three vents. Sometimes complicated tests that turn like a nightmare, look very simple.

The red tape is the marks for the 5th prototype (it’s a “good” failure i will show) of insulated box for the RVK, that is replacing the “lung closet”.

The insulated RVK box

Nothing fancy or exotic. I’m used to build them and it was not so an headache for me. The more difficult was to scavenge in the house all planks and wood panels i can to build in chain these damned prototypes.

This is the box of the deadly “lung closet”. Compact, silent and pretty simple. If you want to make one good, don’t get mad it’s more cheap and fast than most of “overkill” tutorial are showing.

You need to make a cube in the thickest panel you find, any type of wood but never with empty space inside (like honeycombed) or you get a subwoofer amplifier ^^ Make it perfectly hermetic inside with acrylic sealing (not silicone), even if you don’t use it as “lung box”. Then use the cheap bubble insulation for the garage inside with a double face tape. Far enough, you don’t need to waste your money on expensive foams. Last but not least, duct your RVK inside the box with insulated duct and plan a minimal space of 6 to 8 inches on the “blowing side”. This little margin will kill all residual noises like a magic trick.

Then the ugly 5th that was not so bad in term of torque/noise ratio considering all the others and their respective strategy. It’s made like a “lung box” including the filter, with the intake at 90° in plain middle of the length. The final version of this one (that never born) was planned with thicker panel, and insulated. Problem : the weight. Almost 1,5 wife.

I take the bet to reinforce the roof to make it a “chinesed gorilla like”, we even made almost the publicity with my big son. Over 400 pounds like chimps ^^

The torque was good and i got the central port like i wanted. Straight duct and gain of height. But i was too much addicted by the luxury of the silence, and it failed for that. It’s a nice compact configuration i regret to don’t have tried in some previous space but from the reflector you can see directly the carbon filter, and ear the increased noise from it amplified by the duct. The noise reached 60 decibels in the space, at one meter of the tent opened.

So, i’ve unmounted again the whole thing to build the final version. And i’m proud to say that this one rox for all the goals to achieve.

Almost 1 inch thick MDF panels (22mm). Planned to be a bit big for specific reasons (static pressure and torque curve again).

First the support inspired from the cars, i use a foam for soil.

For the carbon filter, my “universal technic” using the same things ever. Double face tape, short wood screws, eventually duct tape.

Then i place the filter with a mason leveler on its support.

Now the pain in the ass sequence … insulation.

Each step i apply an acrylic sealant, it’s even more important for this one because it act like a “lung box”, no leak permitted.

Etc … until the ducting.

This manner to duct can appear weird at first glance, but far more good for silent and torque with the right proportions. Don’t do it without insulated duct, it generate a “V8” sub bass because it create a bubble of negative pressure on the back of the carbon filter. It totally disappear when it’s no longer running “full tube”.

The beast is ready ^^ Less than a wife in weight.

Now it’s time to plan the all duct ports. For the exhaust points i’ve over 5 chimneys in the house. All “condemned”. Of course i’ve one brick-duct in the grow space.


6" duct directly linked.

Acrylic, double face tape , acrylic again.

For the tent, the credit go to my wife that have found a trick. It’s not that easy here, the shops have near nothing in term of choice and tools … even the specialized ones. French style, to accomplish something you have to reach a bunch of different people and shops.

In bonus i get nice white plant tags for my breeding notation in the pot.
And this now, full throttle noise :heart_eyes: :

Now that I’ve unmounted the previous deadly space to produce pollen, I’ve to set a contaminated line.
Not so simple, and it have to suck the smoke of my blunts on demand in bonus. With plants or not inside.

So it start with the exhaust point that i can’t joint with the 400CFM box, because i will use a little RVK of 264CFM with barely 75% less torque. The 400 will blow in the face of the 264, that will make a positive pressure in the pollen box … that will be sucked by the passive intake of the 4x4 tent.

No one will believe me if i say that this red circle was remotely set by a guy that make sport exhaust for cars ^^ But it work like a charm. Too much below, and the pollen grains will “levitate” and at this point it can escape in using the 400CFM pressure. Crazy to handle intellectually i find but it work heavenly.

Then the mount point, 90° elbow turned to the ground. It permit to lower enough the pressure applied to the little RVK, but also on the anti return valve. The pollen finish its travel almost only with gravity and sucked by the thermodynamic of the exhaust of the 400CFM. Best phone call I’ve made during the whole process.

Acrylic on the metal, cyanolite on the rubber.

Now the RVK scavenged in the bathroom, this little thing impress me. It turn all the time since … 2016. No pity. Poor little thing, it was the time for a maintenance.

And again a RVK box, because one time you taste to a quiet grow space … you never come back.

Ready to fire and to handle my blunts, on light two basic 20W domestic CFL. Far enough to produce a ton of pollen. Negative pressure is enough to secure the space, and not enough to kill the plants ^^

It’s now the time to handle the passive intake of the 4x4. And my very recent love for these horizontal vents I’ve never used before.

And why it’s a bit complicated to explain too ^^

I will not show all the prototypes maded and tested, there is a bunch. “Just a toke for the taste” :

And the final version, not the smaller but the better of all in term of airflow/light leak/noise/gravity trap.

Now i’ve a better RH (for me it’s lower-faster after a spray/watering) that is totally passive, the plants are vented as if I had placed a fan inside, the lamps are cold, and the negative pressure is just impossible to believe. For now i can’t get used by this mirage, it’s like my brain refuse to process the sensations. Strong outside, barely neutral inside. And total darkness even in a sunny day (night of my plants are always in daytime).

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All specimens have wrapped the new medium nicely, all the height is colonized and escaping from the drain holes. Good sign for the late show. Now they have to densify this nice work and to build a network. I will hep them with the rootbastic and dry cycles.

Stretch is starting strongly, the elongation set during the rebuilding of the space is not playing my favor. I’ve to keep the reflector very close, the height of my 4x4 is pretty limited for this kind of extended veg time.

There is more space now, I’ve culled three useless specimens. One male and two females. It make a free empty line in front that can welcome a good dozen of Sensi Star F3, if ever i can germinate them.


In culling the double-ovary specimen, I’ve finally saved the little companion. Mostly by curiosity and because they was finally not Siameses linked by the pivot root. During the examination of the root mass, I’ve discovered that it was only predation. I’m fairly impressed by the resistance of the companion, it eat hot sauce since the begin without much light. Not a single trace of burn, nothing. Useless genetic but strong answer and adaptation, i’m curious to see the linked traits if ever it can flower. Being not a siamese, it can be a male or a female.


The zombie JH F9. I just don’t stop to pinch the thickest stem to balance the vegetal mass, and i don’t really know why i do that. But … i’m lucky as fuck, it’s a male and i have the perfect lady for him. My sweet and sturdy love affair of the very beginning of this round. A top model with a lord, can’t turn bad in F1.

Opportunity : it’s time to show my favorites before they look like shit with the powerfull stretch

The male, can’t expect a better specimen in F1 to start an inbred yielder line with this strain. Very luck shot.

Finally rejected but finalist female, sativa blades but too much blended on everything else. Lucky shot, good gens.

The start of the stretch revealed exactly what i was hunting, there is something hided inside that i will take the time to extract with a careful refining. I start to be superstitious, i got this round everything i was wishing for.

The top model, even in stretching she stay balanced and majestic to my eyes. Absolutely not compliant for an IBL, but for a strong heterosis … can’t wait to launch the seeds. Last time i’ve done it with a Critical Mass, i was not so lucky with the female and the JH was in its early stage. I think that the kids will be a serious competitor with the NL#5 x Haze F1, can’t wait to compare with the 10bag i’ve in the fridge by the way.

They are kept in the background, all three are rejected. I think that they will be the most flavorful of the batch, but not what i need for the next generations.

Wish me good luck, i cross my fingers to keep them below the meter for the end of the next week. I will stimulate the roots as hell.

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And you was damn right, optimistic idiot.

It was so promising, some balls was on steroids looking like cocoa shells.




But … i got overnight long bracts on all shoots. And it was the only valuable male damned hell.
I’m now in red alert, all others will be watched closely. And i hate it. I’m hoping to don’t have more surprises on the go.

I’m supposed to order in hurry another pack of Big Bud, to launch aside in 12/12 but nah. Let’s say that it was written since the start, the JH x BB is on the go to make a potent yielder. One stone, twos birds.

On the timing it make the things more easy at least, but I’ve to think again on the next seeds to launch directly in 12/12. I’ve to process this change of plan first, I’ve almost a month to choose.

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Mission accomplished at this point, the taller are under the meter (3.3’). But just a little nano-bit under ^^

It’s the worst moment to show your plants with this strain. Good time to feint to be sick or away. She’s a late rusher, all is made the very last week. But i will not spoil too much.

I will continue to work on roots hardly one more week, and maybe the next week i can start gently the PK. She’s a bit late on the K-hunger, i hope she’s not make me a double waves stretch. Good sign for my gens-stash but my tent will rather see this :

7o8378

This photo made me laugh, from my favorite female :

SOooo NLish side branching that it’s becoming a parody of it ^^

Yeah, i know, i love her too much for a female doomed to only build a nice F1 and to never be inbred. Clone-only syndrom. BUT :

Can’t wait to see what will give the progeny with the JH F9.

I’ve finally finished to deal with all duct ports. I’m happy, no more cleaning of these things. I’ve saw that a brand offer tent without any ports, and tools to make your. Secret Garden i think. They improved their modularity too, i’ve missed one episode.

I’m still a bit stunned by how the dices have rolled for me this round and how it fucked the breeding plan set in March. The extended veg help me to handle it with timings at least.

Keep the vibes high

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A breaking new that desserve an explanation.

Short version : Sensi Seeds directly saved my unlucky ass.

Long version :

This round being locked by the beautiful herm male i got, and after have written a fucking dozen of breeding plans to adapt to the situation … I’ve tried also to contact Sensi. With my terrible experience with EU retailers since decades, it was mostly without any hope. But it’s happening, i’m getting an helpfully support. Still stunned. Not used to have it, specially in this kind of case.

I had to deal with support in past in the other side, i know how it’s ungrateful most of the time. So i sent an exhaustive explanation of the whole situation, with pictures and macros commented and good vibes in bonus. Without hiding that i was in plain selection and on the go to work with this one for a while, on a very specific way.

Damned hell the exchange was comprehensive, skilled and polite and after have processed the datas i got even more : jumping from the batch 625 to the batch 26C holly shit. No sense for most of you but one, can’t wait to see them.

Still in the razor edge style of the force, the Jack Herer slowly prepare the fiesta even without any pinch of PK. I will be forced to pollinate the top model earlier than planned, less seeds.

While i’m launching the new batch directly in 12/12 to close the F2 and to be able to start the IBL. It’s so much peaceful with a veg space, but too much for me now. Big pressure, no-return-choices, no failure permitted, crucial timings, everything running like a steam train filled with NOS … i really kind of like it lol Best stupid idea ever.

I think one month is the margin i have with the “salmon style selection”, do-able.

High five with the sexy girl, give me more luck sweaty.

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I waited to the very last moment to stop the Rootbastic, to jugulate a bit the stretch. One month already damn. So now they can get their PK. They are all pretty sticky, and want to start the show even without the right regime :

Just in time to start the PK ^^

The JH male is in jail waiting the visit of the bimbo, he’s starting to stretch but it was no longer possible to keep him in the 4x4.

I’m happy to have this one, i’ve to find a way to make support without hurting the shape or helping too much the plant.


The second batch is on the go to extract a male from it, the space remaining in the tent is a bit tight but for what we are calling “onebud” here, do-able.

I’ve mixed the zombie tea process with the automatic sprouter, and it was very fast. Sown this afternoon, this evening they were already jumping from the soil. I’ve to push them to the maximum i can, to fill the gap in term of timing. I’ve around 20 days of window. Challenging.

Still a nice thing to show imho, SOG from seeds aside their extra-vegged counterpart … the whole from the same F1 strain and both from a fresh batch.

Houston, we have a problem. It’s how i got a panic attack by the way, this strain is very prone to mildew and i saw white patch. It was plaster on her fucking glue gel. Facepalm moment.

I’m not only finding 15 years old seeds in my house, but also this kind of treat sometimes ^^ It’s not skuff for the sebsi but dried tampanensis powder. The true side effect is that i’m recycling all paints i find in the house to give colors to the grow space, tripping a bit. I’ve fun.

Keep the vibes high !

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