Doin’ it Capn Style.
When I first started growing, I was running a RWDC (recirculating deep water culture) system. I was wildly successful, by ACCIDENT. Why do I say “by accident”? Because I didn’t know what I was doing. I saw some youtube videos and I thought DWC looked “COOL”, so I tried to replicate what I saw. 6 months into it, my plants started to turn yellow from the bottom up, until they eventually died. Yep, it was ROOT ROT. After this bout with pythium (a root disease that causes root rot) that left me without smoke for months (read more on pythium and beneficial bacteria here), I set out to find a different style of growing, that would rival the growth rates of DWC, but be less prone to root disease and less hassle. Let me preface this by saying, I’ve tried almost every possible growing style; DWC, dirt, coco, sunshine mix, flood and drain, rails, you name it, I tried it; yes, even bio buckets. What a mess that was.
In those months of battling pythium, I found myself researching for hours every night. I learned more about growing in that 6 months then I ever learned before. I learned about beneficial bacteria, live and sterile environments, growth rates, dissolved oxygen, etc.
Initially, I called my style of growing, “Simple hydroponics”. I started teaching people how to use the method to grow single 10 ounce chongers. Before I knew it, 10 zips turned into 12, and then 1 pounders. My buddies started calling it “Capn Style”. “Capn Style” is hydroponic growing method that provides copious amounts of oxygen to the root zone, allowing us to drench the roots with nutrient solution a couple times a day. This produces fast growth; nearly as fast as DWC, without the risk of pythium or root rot (ever so prevalent with medium-less growing). “Capn style”, doesn’t only refer to the grow system only; it is an entire growing “technique”, from start to finish.
Here are some other benefits of “capn style” growing:
*Nearly impossible to over-water
*Fast growth rates
*Low plant counts
*No chance of nutrient build up or PH drift in the root zone
*Inexpensive
*Very little chance of root disease
*Perpetual grow
*High yields
Let me be clear; nothing about “capn style” is completely unique, I didn’t “invent” any magic growing style. I’m just good at learning from my own mistakes and successes (and others), and then putting it all together in one package. Anyone can run a capn style system, on any budget, and take it as far as they want to go. Think of “Capn Style” as a “cookbook” to growing. If you can follow a recipe, you can grow plants that produce a pound. There are “chefs” and there are “cooks”. A chef can bake a cake from scratch, without a recipe. He knows what will happen if you add a little more, or a little less of each ingredient. A cook, can bake the same cake, but he needs a recipe. Just because vanilla smells good, doesn’t mean you should add more. You catch my drift here?
The most common mistake I see new growers make, is they don’t follow a recipe. They see what several other growers are doing, and use a bit of each technique, which doesn’t always work well. My advice… get a mentor. There are dozens of different growing techniques that are successful. Find ONE PERSON who grows the dank, and follow their every move. Don’t buy products and don’t change techniques, without consulting with your mentor first. Once you’re a CHEF, then you can start find tuning your recipe.
Let’s fast forward and get an overview of Capn Style Growing.
During vegetative growth, we top EARLY AND OFTEN, to produce 50-60 tops. Notice here, our plant has a “Flat top”. By topping often, we’ve already produced a plant that is on track to produce a pound of bud. Instead of a few giant colas and several small ones, when you make a flat top, the plant will give each cola a more even amount of attention. Our goal in veg, is to get the plant as bushy and flat as possible.
TheCapn grows em up big in vegetative growth for a good two months. Big veg = high yield. The size of your plant (before you go to a 12/12 light cycle), is the single most important thing you can do to increase your chances of pulling down a POUND of bud.
After 6 weeks of flower, you’ll see I’ve removed many fan leaves that shade lower buds. Things are coming along nicely. We use “yoyos” to hold up the heavy colas.
After 6 weeks in flower, we are right where we want to be. On track to produce a pound of dankness.
At 8 weeks, here comes the purple!
After 8 weeks of growth, we start our flush. With CapnStyle, a one week flush is PLENTY.
Like what you see? Again, ANYONE can do this if you follow the recipe. This will be a 3 part article series. Come back soon, and we will get started.
Cool Capn, can’t wait for this.
bring it on capn, can’t wait!!!
There was no such thing as youtube, or even the internet for that matter when I learned how to grow. I had to go to the school of trial n error. People have so much more access to information these days. The problem with so much information is learning what is useful and what is flat out wrong. It’s nice to see The Capn sharing useful information with new growers. Keep up the good work.
Now we are on Ignition !!!
Thats friggin awesome! I love vanilla!
Can’t wait to see his germing method
please re-post. some of your pictures arent loading
Chris, everything on the page seems to be loading fine on this end. Try re-entering the website.
Thanks
WHen is part 2 coming, i really want to know how you setup your pots, whats in them, and how do you water. DWC grower here
Hey lykaboss, I see you enjoyed part 1 as I did. I’m sure it won’t be long before part 2 will be published. You know how writers are. lol
Thanks for this sir, much appreciated!
Thank’s Capn I feel very lucky to have found my mentor. I want to keep things as easy and steady as she go’s as possible. I would like to use two Spectrum King 440+ lights and a nice clean closed environment.I understand I would need a co2 source and I plan to scrub the air with carbon filter.I will be at a fairly high altitude so hence the co2.The light’s will give off very low heat so I don’t think that will be an issue.I’m not trying to change things up, just trying to adapt. I will also need a humidifier. Would like to know what you think. Thank’s for your time.
>>> I want to keep things as easy and steady as she go’s as possible.
If you truly want simplicity, don’t attempt to seal your room and use c02. It is extremely expensive to do this correctly. Also, don’t expect a 400W LED light to produce the same weight that a 600W HPS will. LED lights do produce less heat than a open air HPS bulb, but if you use a ducted hood or cool tube, you will transmit less heat to the room than LED (keep your ballast outside the grow room).
Ok Capn I have no intention of jumping ship.My concern is the electric bill.Honestly i just read Capn style 1-4 just a few minutes ago for about the 7th time,just so it could sink in.I do really like the sk led’s the 120 degree lights at 300 watts X 3 = 900 watts in flower room for 1 60 day and 1 30 day plant’s with much greater foot print and same amount of penetration.Veg room 2 500 watt Metal Halides other than that every thing else will be followed to the t (The capns way). I have researched Growing methods more than I can count. I have no doubt, in my mind you have the best grow I’ve seen and I’m 63 brother. Thanks for your time. And I do appreciate your help. Stay cool and do what you do.
Hey White eagle, sounds good. You have me interested. I would just consider the following questions; How much will the 3 LED fixtures cost you? How much will 2 x 600W HPS cost you? How much will it cost you to run 900W 12 hours a day for two months? How much it will cost to run 2 x 600HPS (1200W) 12 hours a day for two months?
https://www.dudegrows.com/grow-room-set-101-thecapn/
Oh yeah! That’s right!!!