Better RWDC results with Bluelab?

Bluelab Hey GrowDiaries fam, time for another update from our test tent – as always, everything measured, logged, and verified with Bluelab tools. No guesswork here. 19.06 – Early Stretch Pheno #1 bent over a little → lowered the lamp (~200 µmol). Curious – what’s your experience with early stretching? Stabilized the plugs → #2 was already firm in the clay pebbles, so we left it alone. 21.–24.06 – Root Check Back from Mary Jane Expo → #2 was slow on root development. Extended drip irrigation slightly → success. Constant monitoring via Bluelab Guardian + Edenic (screenshot below). By 24.06: first 3-finger leaves, and #1 even showed 5-finger leaves. 28.06 – Reservoir Change (VP1) 35 L tap water (EC 0.52) • 63 ml A + B • 70 ml Rhizo • 88 ml Cannazym → Adjusted pH to 5.5, EC 1.4 Classic RDWC issue: pH drift upwards due to CO₂ loss when aerating. 29.–30.06 – Root Care Rhizotonic caused some brown deposits → added 100 ml H₂O₂ → after 1 h, fresh water change. New mix: 35 ml A + B → EC 1.1, pH 5.5. Light raised to 30% (~450 µmol), but Pheno #1 drooped → back to VP1 feed (EC 1.4). Also swapped in a new pump (old one was noisy + clogged). Any recommendations on reliable silent pumps? 01.–04.07 – Cooling & Maintenance pH drifted up to 6.3 – no stress, Bluelab Guardian ATC kept it steady. Outside temps hit 31 °C → improvised cooling with 1.5 L frozen bottles in the reservoir. Light defoliation: lower fan leaves + inner shoots removed. Light at 40% (~660 µmol). 05.07 – Flower Flip 🌸 Switched to 12/12 (9:30–21:30). First time weighing nutrients by grams, not ml (density matters!). VP2 Mix (35 L, EC 0.5): • 106.7 g A + B • 72.5 g Rhizo • 90.0 g Cannazym • 78.9 g Boost • 10 g CalMag → Final: EC 1.9, pH 5.5 Light bumped to 50% (~770 µmol → DLI ~33 @12/12). pH corrected from 6.1 to 5.9 with a small dose of pH-. System running stable. Gear in Use Alongside the plants, here are the tools keeping everything dialed in: AC Infinity AI Controller Bluelab Guardian Bluelab Truncheon Bluelab pH Pen Also sharing the Edenic trend graphs from the last 4 weeks. 07.07 – DIY Cooling First frozen 1.5 L bottle dropped into the tank. Budget chiller system = activated. Who says you always need high-end gear? 08.–09.07 – Lights, Camera, Action Lamp gradually raised from 50% → 60% → 70% (~1000 µmol, DLI ~43). Smart-timed via AC Infinity app with sunrise simulation. Daily bottle swaps now routine. Removed two massive fan leaves per pheno – light isn’t a democracy. 10.–11.07 – Sterile Roots = Happy Roots Light at 80%, distance adjusted (30–35 cm). Peaks at 1100 µmol, mid canopy ~900 µmol. Added 75 ml H₂O₂ to keep roots clean. Bluelab tracking everything. 12.07 – Fresh Juice for the Ladies Reservoir change with VP2 mix (as of 05.07), verified with Bluelab Truncheon: A+B: 106.7 g each Rhizo: 72.5 g Cannazym: 90 g Boost: 78.9 g CalMag: 10 ml pH- Grow: 15 ml EC 2.0 | pH 5.6 → 6.4 → corrected to 6.1. Light at 100%, ~45 cm distance, ~1150 µmol PPFD. Removed two more fan leaves – light management is key. 13.–15.07 – Lollipopping & Light Management Heavy lollipopping – bottom third cleared, selective defoliation up top. 15.07: another round – final weak shoots removed. Lamp raised slightly to maintain ~35 cm distance despite growth. 16.–18.07 – Nutrient Mix Mishap Bottle swapped as usual. Mistakenly mixed veg feed instead of bloom feed 🤦‍♂️ – but plants weren’t showing deficiency yet. Checked with Bluelab Truncheon: Aqua Flores A+B: 121 g each Rhizo: 18.3 g Cannazym: 90.64 g Boost: 78.9 g CalMag: 10 ml Final EC 2.0 | pH 6.6 → corrected to 5.7. Lesson of the day: exact measurements are everything. 19.07 – Defoliation Round 3 Snipped two lower branches + more fan leaves → airflow and light penetration improved. 20.07 – Clones & VPD Setup Freshly cut side shoots placed into rockwool, lights switched on from 3 PM. High temps in the system → added 75 ml H₂O₂. Humidifier now set to a VPD target of 1.2 kPa instead of just relative humidity. 👉 Result: Much better transpiration, leaves stretching upwards, stomata wide open. Nutrient uptake at high temps is maxed out when PPFD and CO₂ are dialed in. ~1 L nutrient solution topped up. --- 21.–24.07 – Stabilization & H₂O₂ Routine - Plants recovering very well. - Daily H₂O₂ additions (50–75 ml) due to high water temps (enzymes killed → daily dosing needed until enzymes are reintroduced). - Multiple bottles swapped, 4–5 L of nutrient solution topped up. - 23.07: first big fan leaves removed, light defoliation. - 24.07: tried a 5 L nutrient mix by formula, but pH error (2.4) → discarded. --- 25.–30.07 – Fresh Mix & Strong Growth - Full res change with 45 L fresh nutrient solution, GP1 recipe. - EC at 2.0, pH set to 5.6. - For several days: 1–2 L topped up daily, bottles swapped. - Roots booming, plants drinking heavily. - 30.07: Defoliation + wide stems tied outward to the tent poles. Removed thin shoots to avoid snapping later. --- 02.–04.08 – Running Out of Space - 2–3 L nutrient top-ups. - Cooler weather → no frozen bottles needed anymore. - Both plants now ~84 cm tall, tent filling up fast. --- 05.–06.08 – Fine-Tuning - EC had dropped to 1.8 after res change → corrected back to 2.0 with 2 L fresh solution + 10 g PK 13/14. - A few fan leaves removed, but lighter defoliation this time (less stress). - 06.08: another 1 L nutrient top-up. --- Midway Recap - VPD control instead of RH = total gamechanger → noticeably better leaf posture + max nutrient uptake. - H₂O₂ routine works well under high temps, but only until enzymes are reintroduced. - Plants respond extremely well to steady EC corrections. - Growth is strong, roots are thick and healthy, tent is nearly full already. 👉 We’ll keep tracking progress and share the next update soon. Grow smart, Bluelab Official 🌱