Noopin’s fridge conversion

[Thai Stick]

Ouch.

Reminds me of the time i was checking on a plant i had out in the jungle and it was infested with spider mites.
I was super stoned and thought it would be a great idea to take my lighter and run the flame quickly underneath the leaves with the spider mites to kill them off.

Started doing that at the top and working my way down, listening to the spider mites popping away there was me super chuffed thinking ive just saved the plant.

By the time i got to the bottom of the 8ft tall plant the tops was already wilted, not far from what you see there.

One of my more special moments in growing

 

 

[stu914]

On 14/04/2021 at 4:46 PM, Noopin said:

thermostatically controlled 15-30C, 500W, 2-speed fan heater, with timer and 2-year guarantee.

 

I had a look at these and decided against as the led light would probably interfere with flowering.

Still use a 500w in the fridge but on a seperate thermostat and pointed at the inside of the door, nowhere near the plant

Here's mine on the floor tucked in next to the blue reservoir.

.

[Noopin]

I really didn’t think it through, for a space that size, did I?  
 

Aren’t these plants pleasingly resilient - the branch that had the scorching, such that it needed supporting, is now firm again with foliage unimpaired, although with brown bruised areas.

 

The pot has now been lowered further into the bottom section (modifying the lower drawers to accommodate) and, if something spectacular happens, there’s always another 4”.   
 

The airflow is now principally downwards past the pot, which keeps that snuggly warm, so I water enough to satisfy me that it’s not drying out too much.  Basically, enough that’ll run off and get sucked back in within a minute or so.  In practice, every three days, though I’ve usually let the look of the plant tell me when it’s thirsty.

 

I wedged the small fan at the top, below the inlet, and because there’s better airflow now, the temps are more stable.  It remains something of a dog’s dinner at the top with cables, plugs, timers and lamps but I’ve left them a bit higher than earlier and she’ll just have to keep stretching.

 

 
Tray of garden flower seedlings in bottom  

 

Been able to turn the pot now and get some more trimming done.  Because there’s a lot of activity down the stems, the dangling centre lamp is for those.   I overdid the thinning at this stage last year, on a few plants, but I struggle to resist the urge to remove too many leaves.  I see them as parasols rather than solar panels.

 

So that I’m clear on this - once it’s in flower, are the lights “feeding” the buds or do they get what they need from what the leaves are doing?  In practice, it makes little odds but, in theory, would the buds develop normally if only the leaves were subject to full light?  
 

And, whilst I’m asking a question that seems either interesting or pointless each time I read it back...here’s a final one.  I avoided O-level biology, so - say you had four main stems or branches on a plant and removed all the leaves on two stems and kept the other two in  vintage porn bushiness - would the tips on the stripped branch wither, or does the plant centralise all the resources?  In other words, does a flowering stem wholly or largely rely on the leaves immediately beneath and around it?

 

    Pistils galore

oh no, “galore” - I’ve said it too many times, it’s just morphed into another odd noise...

 

It’s 33 days from flipping and 21 days since I decided that enough pistils were showing to reassure me it was female.  Last year, my temps were low and I chopped a bit early but I’m presuming there must be - what, 50-odd days left.

 

Edited April 27, 2021 by Noopin
Formatting

[Noopin]

As an update, more about the environment than the plant, I realised that the overnight temps were plummeting and the full lights came on again with the canopy as low as 13C.  My earlier brush with a fan-heater bushfire had cautioned me but I’ve now installed a 45W tube heater on the middle lower shelf, to come on at lights out.  There’s no thermostat involved, just (another) plug-in timer and I now have 27-30 on, 23 off.

The extract fan goes off just after the lights and stays off for the 12 hours.  The stirring fan, which is plenty for the tiny space, stays on and ensures that the heat wafting around the pot, up into the canopy chamber is evenly distributed.

 

Thinking about it, I’ll set the extractor to come on a couple or three times overnight, that’ll be for 15 minutes each time.  Now I have the heater, I don’t have to worry so much about the effect on temperature.  Maybe, then, once an hour to get a decent air exchange.  It could stay on but that’ll just mean it’s pulling some of the warmed air straight out, so I’d have to start another seat of the pants balancing job.

I’ll do that now cos, even if the temps drop briefly while the fan’s on, it’ll be a sight better than 10 degrees lower.  There’s also humidity to consider, of course; my filter was doing a decent job of cleaning up the overnight pong, the moment it came on at 9am. but I suspect that the humidity blast that accompanied it isn’t beneficial to my carbon.

Right - doing that now.

 

Any time now...

Edited May 6, 2021 by Noopin

[growinggold]

Ouchy could you squeeze in a tiny tube heater? 

 

 

Read your update realised you got tube heater.  Nice. 

Edited May 6, 2021 by growinggold

[Noopin]

Here’s a surprise...I got er, distracted and forgot to alter the timer.

Just went down and it’s 28, so switched timer to ON (by feel) and that’ll do til 9am.

 

Oh, and after exchanges elsewhere, I’ve put a 4000K bulb as the centre dangler, dome removed and at a height that just includes the whole circle of buds.  Next redesign will make allowances for a bit more of a light mix.

 

I've, this minute, been informed that next week I’m to receive 5 gumberry auto seedlings and 5 blue cheese lucky dips.  That’ll be my first autos as well as the first grow of a known strain.  Up to now, talk of purple mountain gorillaz and monkey biscuit rainbow farts and all the casually-bandied daft names have been as cuneiform to me.

 

Much to my son’s despair, I always tell him that I don’t really notice a huge difference in effect between one weed and another; not to the extent that different resins used to vary.  I know if one’s stronger or nicer to smoke but I usually get stuck into things when I’ve had a smoke and it makes little difference what it is, I sort of adjust to whatever I’ve just got an ounce of.  Mind you, by now I’ve got a pretty good calibration of how much to consume per spliff/hour/mission and I rarely really load a doobie cos it’s more of an aid to getting shit done.

 

That attitude probably raises a few eyebrows but, every time my son asks me what the last weed was like, I can’t tell him if it’s a couchlock or a head high or a speedy thing or giggly one - and it drives him crazy.  I think how it feels is more about the situation and the company but, whatever I’m smoking (I think it’s a gelato something, presently) it relies on what I’m doing to decide the effect.

 

Sometimes, it’s my after-work cocktail, sometimes my sleep aid, sometimes what lets me noodle on my guitar for an hour or to complete an otherwise boring task, sometimes my fuck-off-world escape, often the thing that makes a familiar walk into a nature study, either pep pill or sedative, as required.  And it’s pretty much the same with any weed, it’s what I want it to do for me, each time.

 

Which is just a digressive way of realising that I’d better get up to speed with autos and different strains, but also that it doesn’t really matter as long as I grow healthy plants.  It’s otherwise much of a muchness, which is heresy to some.  
 

In any case, a second fridge required, methinks.

[Wacky Wardrobe]

On 27/04/2021 at 2:39 PM, Noopin said:

 In other words, does a flowering stem wholly or largely rely on the leaves immediately beneath and around it?

Hey again Noopin. Not a definitive answer but my observations lead me to believe that the un-stripped branches will do better.

I also remember someone explaining how they wait until a bud has at least formed a stalk away from it's node before defoliating the leaf at that node. If that makes sense. The idea being that formation of the bud will be slower without it's leaf.

I think you see this when doing any trimming in veg. A new branch shoot seems to be powered by it's node leaf to some extent. An un-trimmed node seems to grow a branch out a bit faster than a trimmed one.

[Noopin]

Makes sense and, more importantly, sounds intuitively correct.

 

And the point about not removing a leaf before it’s had a good chance to do some work for its adjacent stem, sounds like a sage piece of hard-earned wisdom - “Trim not the leaf which hath not fed its own children...”. One of those rules I’ll stick to.

 

I seem to recall that the question arose as a result of scorching one of my 12-limbed lady’s branches, from which she seemed to be recovering, though the two biggest leaves on that leg are wilting rather sadly, all of a sudden.  We’ll see.

 

Damn, this fridge seems so sensitive to a change in ambient temperature but I’ve learned not to over-correct things - temps will be 25-31 and 18-24, which I’ll accept.  There’s not enough air volume in the fridge to allow any automatic system to keep up with it, the fan and heater would forever be switching on and off.  Presently, I’m able to check things several times a day but I’ve just been offered some work starting in about a week and, although it’ll require a crunching gear-shift down to 2nd to get back into the swing, I can’t really say no.  And, if I’m not checking in on her several times a day (which means opening the fridge door, having a quick shufti and dropping the temperature), she’ll prefer it and I’ll notice the growth better.

Just remembered that I’ve got those baby autos coming at the same time, so better sort out a makeshift vegging area, which’ll use the good ol’ T5s and loads of bubblewrap, knowing me.

Edited May 7, 2021 by Noopin
Remembered the autos, of course.

[Wacky Wardrobe]

30 minutes ago, Noopin said:

the fan and heater would forever be switching on and off.

I don't like the sound of a fan turning on and off but I use an Inkbird to thermostatically control a cabinet heater (basically a big resistor). The Inkbird is set to a 0.3 degree swing (in practise the temperature swing slighytly exceeds this) and the cycling on and off means the heater never completely cools down or heats up all the way (unless ambient plus heat from lights dictate). This pulsing of the load is fine for heating elements I reckon as it can keep the thing running in a narrower temperature range rather than just flat out or off.

A lot will no doubt depend on finding the appropriate sized heater for the space.

My heater is just 100w. I also have a heat mat with thermostat probe in the soil. I have that set to a similar tolerance.

I use a basic remote thermometer hygrometer to keep an eye on Schroedinger's cat and reduce peeking temptation.

[Loftgrower]

21 hours ago, Noopin said:

Sometimes, it’s my after-work cocktail, sometimes my sleep aid, sometimes what lets me noodle on my guitar for an hour or to complete an otherwise boring task, sometimes my fuck-off-world escape, often the thing that makes a familiar walk into a nature study, either pep pill or sedative, as required.  And it’s pretty much the same with any weed, it’s what I want it to do for me, each time.

Totally agree with this mate. To me, it is what you make it. 

[Noopin]

On 07/05/2021 at 9:15 PM, Wacky Wardrobe said:

My heater is just 100w. I also have a heat mat with thermostat probe in the soil. I have that set to a similar tolerance.

I use a basic remote thermometer hygrometer to keep an eye on Schroedinger's cat and reduce peeking temptation.

45W is more than enough in my tiny space.  I’ve not been worried about root temps, cos the lights-on warm air is drawn down past the pot and out.  Lights-out, the heat rises from below, so I’ve installed some thermal overload shielding - sorry, I mean aluminium foil - to protect one side of the pot.  There are few options for placement of heaters in a fridge but because you’re heating the air that flows through, rather than the space generally (like a tent), it becomes tricky.  The lights warm the intake air (extract at bottom of fridge) and I’ll only achieve decent overnights if the heat can rise.  Hence, fan on for only 15mins per hour for humidity and fresh air.  Now things are set, unless there’s some other minor but crucial step I’ve missed, I’d love to see the figures over 24hrs.  I’ve imagined setting up a phone to take a time lapse of my gauge overnight, but that’s temp only because it’s a cheapo thing and I’d have to take flash pictures inside the fridge for humidity.
 

I really shall have to look into this remote monitoring...now, if Shroedinger had had bluetooth and wifi, well he’d still have dead cats but he’d only open the live ones.  But, if he’d had wifi in the 30’s, I think we’d know about that, instead.

 

Oh yes, temperature - the other night I turned the fan on, promising to set it properly the following morning.  By now, regular readers will know what transpired.  Yet again, this morning, just as artificial dawn crashed blindingly into the fridge, it was 18 again.  (Effing glad I’m not).  And the extractor was running because I’d spent ages setting it for 15 mins per dark hour but not switched it back to Timer.

 

That it was at 18C means that, with the fan fighting the heater, at least it won’t go any lower.  Now that I’ve fixed that, perhaps things overnight will settle down as expected.

Edited May 9, 2021 by Noopin

[Noopin]

Reading back through this lot, it’s been a case of (almost literal) fire-fighting and solving problems on the fly.  However, since I’ve had slightly more stable temps, it’s just been a matter of watering every couple of days, which includes Bio-bloom and a bit of wormery output.  Granted, it’s a case of seeing whether she’s a tiny bit droopy or sticking my finger into the soil.  The overnight heater will be drying the side of the pot, which is another reason for regular turning.  Around 2 litres every three days, in a 10L pot.

 

I think I forget that this is just one, rather brutally trained and trimmed, plant; and last year’s experience, when I tried all variations of manifolding and shaping, made the fridge solution obvious for one plant.  Basically, what I have is a stem with 12 11 radial branches all terminating in bud.  It’s about as far from a natural-looking plant as can be.

 

Because the flowering has settled in and conditions are as benevolent as they’ll ever be, I’ve not been constantly poking around in the fridge (and, let me tell you, it’s all very well having an effective filtration system until you open the fridge door and a warm, moist bubble of stink rises straight upstairs from the cellar).  

 

They’re not really stretching any more but, thankfully, fattening up.  It’s 58 days from flipping and, I suppose, things can’t be too far off.  The trichs are all clear as crystal and that’s fine if they’re still fattening up.

 

However much I believe that the fridge interior will provide enough reflected light, because the ring of buds is so wide, it shades the sides.  It’s ended up with an inner flowering ring, sprouting from further down and growing toward the open centre.

 

My point about forgetting that it’s a single plant is that one can expect only so much to be produced by one plant, particularly with frequent sub-optimal conditions, and a few shocks along the way.  I’ve been fixated on the 12 11 stems and how big they are, but there will be a practical limit on how big they can get.  Had I only developed two nodes, ie.6 branches, I’d be intrigued to know how much taller/bigger each cola would be (I’ve resisted using the cola word, cos I always associate it with the sort of half-pound monsters that have to be supported to keep upright).

 

There must be a sweet spot for figuring that out, particularly with a lo-tech, lo-stress grow.  I know some folk get carried away, to make a point, and keep manifolding to create 32, 64, 128 tips.  All very educational if you’ve enough time.  I managed 16, last year, but I never left enough leaves on anything.

 

If I ever get a successful cutting off the damn thing, or reveg it, I’ll probably go with 9.  But not in a fridge.

 

The fridge conversion was an ideal solution to a problem at the time but not sure I’d want to complete a grow in it again.  I’ll probably use it for drying & curing and starting young plants.  It puts too many constraints on the plant, keeping it compact but using all the space available.  No doubt, I could add LED strips to reach all areas, and make other tweaks but that gets away from the “keep it simple” vibe.

 

Reading other threads has got me thinking about the distinction between creating an ambient environment in which the plant can thrive, and concentrating all efforts directly at the plant, especially light.  It’s a bit of a Zen thing, but applies here.  As much, it seems to me, as to raising children.

 

Anyway...ma jeune fille à onze bras will mature quietly and slowly and I look forward to some a hint of colour in leaves and trichs, in due course.

 

Meanwhile, I took receipt of some tiny seedlings from someone who lurks around the site but won’t tell me if he’s joined!

 

One’s an auto, which’ll be a first for me - a GDPxGumberry - it’s being bloody slow getting going, minute but discernible growth!

There are three thriving regs -Blueberries - but not sexed.  All currently under 24h T5 6500K.

 

I’m re-establishing my En-suite Dreams grow room from last year, only better (well, that’s a given).  If the auto continues to grow, I’ll do a diary of that and whatever the others come up as.

 

Edited May 22, 2021 by Noopin

[Wacky Wardrobe]

On 09/05/2021 at 11:19 AM, Noopin said:

There are few options for placement of heaters in a fridge

Hi @Noopin. Looks like I missed the earlier post.

One idea for heating might be to make something along the lines of a duct heater/ rad box with an appropriate sized heater inside attached to the intake.

I've been thinking of doing something like this in the future. More or less just to tidy up the grow space a bit.

I use a compact cabinet/ enclosure heater (100w) and it hangs above the plants and below the inlets at the top. I might put it behind the drobe and duct the inlets past it on the outside.

As for cat watching gadgets I use a ThermoPro TP65 Digital Wireless Hygrometer (£23). Basically two hygrometer / thermometers for the price of one with one being a remote sensor that you can keep in the grow space and the display one outside.

[Noopin]

Just bought one, Wack.  I’ll be able to monitor conditions last thing at night and the moment I wake, without disturbing things, or going down three flights of stairs in my slippers and releasing a great heady waft of terpenes.

 

Humidity, I’ve checked a couple of times only - it is what it is, sayeth the lord - but it’d be nice to know.  ‘Specially now I’ve started another grow, involving an auto, which is uncharted territory for me.

 

I think I should’ve enlarged the intake hole at the top of the unit but that’s not possible with the plant in-situ (unless I want granules of insulating foam throughout my buds).  That would’ve given me more control of the internal conditions and avoided the occasional temperature spikes.  I don’t know what are the ramifications for a plant in flower, when temps hit 33 or so, but she’s always recovered promptly.  Lest we forget, she lost a limb in early adulthood, through my own neglect too, and it’s made her resilient.

 

Last few days a bit warmer and that has a direct effect on my temps - I’ve removed one out of five lamps and have the extractor on 5; also increased the frequency of the fan overnight.  I’m reliant on the lights for daytime heat, and the 45W tube heater overnight is almost too much - hence increased fan.  It’ll be interesting to monitor conditions on the go, next week.

 

Starting to see a little clouding and colour in the trichomes now.  It’s been 63 bleedin’ days since flipping and 148 from germination.  I think a successful auto will blow my mind in comparison.  If the little runt ever reaches adolescence - it seems to have suffered in escaping the pod but minutely bigger and wider each day.

 

Edited May 29, 2021 by Noopin

[OldFord]

I think the use of the fridge room is brilliant   I dont use online much so pardon my ignorance if its common but its a great idea and im sure she who rules will be happy  

No grow tent , fans and obv signs of a grow ... happy days ! ,   the stealth look will fit my needs perfect im hoping ,   i could use a taller upright fridge freezer , using the smaller chamber for a mini air filtered drying room ,  would be a single plant in soil as i have only ever grown outdoors , so its going to be a first indoor grow for me.       

Off to find a fridge