Balls to it - NL Run

[Hmr81]

Hello GR420 faithful, the last one is curing so on with the next! a few changes this time...

Light: Invisi 4R
Tent: 75x75x160 Bud box Pro
Medium: Clay balls in the AutoPot system, Res has an Airstone and a water pump to keep things moving.
Nutes: Shogun Hydro Range (which is a veg A and B and bloom A and B(4 bottles in total))
Temp: 24c
Strain: NL, I've forgotten which breeder lol but i have a feeling its GC.
Extraction: AC infinity
Fans: 2 x AC infinity oscillating fans, one under canopy area and one above.

First new bit of this grow was getting the seed to bang out a tap root using one of those rockwool starters, never used one before so just guessed that we would replicate the paper towel method but using rockwool. Seemed to work, tap root showed after 4 days and my lovely wife popped it into the tent for me this morning. I should say that i did "buffer" the clay balls with a weak feed and some calmag, i have no idea if i needed to but after a chat with @2-Scoops yesterday in my other diary i thought i best had. I'll keep the clay a little damp and see how we go. Never done a run with no coco so these early stages will be interesting, once the roots hit the bottom im not concerned as the autopot was amazing for a lazy sod like me once it kicked in.

[2-Scoops]

Tbh Hmr I've never rinsed & buffered the clay-balls and only quickly rinsed them in a bucket to get rid of any crap on them when I use them mixed in coco, i just think that when im adding them to coco it shouldn`t matter too much cus new coco or the older re-buffered coco would do jobby naturally and bring them good after a few wettings in the pot, always worked well for me. But iff i used them as a standalone medium well i think i would defo pre-soak in a ph`ed mix of calmag like you have done. Fuck knows if it buffers them like you can do with coco im unsure and whether they need doing or not im unsure tbh but i would do it personally if growing in them on their own, like you are gonna do, basically just to try and correct ph before starting up.

Anyhow good luck with this one mate

[Treetrunk]

If you're using new clay balls give them a blast with the hose to get the dust and grit off.
I then fill the pot's and pour a couple of watering cans full of pH 5.5 water or old nutrients through them and good to go.
At the end of the grow soak the ball's in water and hydrogen peroxide and use em again.

[Hmr81]

not been on recently so sorry for lack of updates. plant is going well, so fucking slow to start with just using clay balls. Next time i'll start it in a small plug of coco and then pot it up into the clay. Lives and learns i guess. and when i say slow, i do mean slow, probably 6 weeks before roots hit the bottom of the pot but as soon as it does hit the bottom it just takes off like me to the bar for last orders. Should be ready to train her any day now, its been topped and things. Should be ready to flip in a few weeks at this rate.

Hope everyone is well and growing some amazing shit.

[seymore_budz]

Nice one @Hmr81. I always rinse my balls :) The reason is a lot of the time they're left outside for months before they end up in your grow room. Animals piss on them and all sorts of stuff. They're also full of dust that can end up in the pumps etc so a good rinse is always the safest approach.

[Grumpy Toad]

I'm subbed for updates. I rinse my clay balls and my perlite or vermiculite for that matter. After filling my 5 or 6 buckets I have a lot of sludge in the bottom of my rinsing container. But never done anything to buffer. I figure when I feed it will be in the range for uptake. I use starter plugs (Root Riot) and they work great for sprouting after paper towel.

Good luck!

[Hmr81]

So here she is now, it was much bushier until i let P5 attack it to start the training lol. She's drinking well and seems happy enough.

[Hmr81]

Flipped 30/10. Switched feed to 2ml per ltr a and b of shogun bloom nutes for hydro. PH 6.2.

Probably need to insulate the res now as water is getting cold at night, dont really want to add a heater to it but will see how we get on.

[camkush]

Gotta love a NL grow! Best of luck to you and that beautiful plant

[Labs Dexter]

Let’s gooo! She’s spread out and ready to explode with growth! Great looking plant as well