AK Greenlovers Garden Featuring - 2 x 400 XTE 5W LED Lights - Top Genetics!

Hi again AK. That's really amazing. It looks so drastic. I'm going to try this on one of my plants. The one I have in mind is at 21 days flower- still stretching a bit but not a very stretchy plant- maybe stretched 6" max. So not a lot to weave with there. Do you feed any differently using this defol method, ie -extra nitrogen?
 
Hi again AK. That's really amazing. It looks so drastic. I'm going to try this on one of my plants. The one I have in mind is at 21 days flower- still stretching a bit but not a very stretchy plant- maybe stretched 6" max. So not a lot to weave with there. Do you feed any differently using this defol method, ie -extra nitrogen?

When I do it in veg yes I usually spike my water with fox farms big grow and then still do my feeds as scheduled. During flower I time the first defoliate during the very first day of week three nutes which has a healthy dosage of nitrogen for the next 2 weeks according to the feed schedule. On my second reap they are just coming down from a nitrogen rich few weeks of nutes so I don't add any extra nitrogen during those feeds. I just follow the fox farms feed schedule. Same with the last reap I don't add any extra nitrogen as the chaching finisher has extra nitrogen in it. The biggest and most brutal reap is done during a time the girls get spammed with nitrogen from day 15 - 30. I clip more fans during the first reap than I do on the second and third combined.

As a side note yes I have tried adding extra nitrogen during the 2nd and 3rd reaps in flower and ended up with stretchy fox tailed buds with elongated stems. So I stopped doing that.
 
Nice update AK. I may have to try and incorporate some of your techniques my next grow. Did you get those new panels?

Sadly no not yet. I haven't even gotten a tracking number which is a little disheartening as this would be my 4th order with them. I know I can't wait to get them as well as the girls who are getting sub par light around the edges.
 
Sadly no not yet. I haven't even gotten a tracking number which is a little disheartening as this would be my 4th order with them. I know I can't wait to get them as well as the girls who are getting sub par light around the edges.

Any word on why so slow? I placed an order on Thursday, I would like to see them show up this week.
 
Day 16 of Flower Update!:cheer:

Hey everyone!

So I figured I would do an update of the girls after they have fully recovered from the shock of defoliation. Sugar leaf size is starting to increase and all the tops have turned to face the light again.

Here are two canopy shots.


Here is a closeup of the center with the cfl on.
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Here is a little farther back to show just how many new tops there are now.
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So I can't stress this enough I love this method! All of those lower side shoots now get to turn into tops. I can already tell this is going to be our very best grow we have ever done. Those extreme veg lights we used created the most beastly bushy plants we have ever grown before. Combine that with these XTE's and it's magical. Both of those lights grow leaves faster than I have ever seen any other light produce. Not only do they grow faster they are much bigger as well.

Okay shameless plug for my favorite light is over LOL! No seriously if you're thinking of upgrading these lights are top shelf.:thumb:

Here are some things to note. During the bloom enhancer phase I follow my feed schedule when its time for food. When it's time for water I do spike all my water with molasses as well as a half dose of beastie blooms. I do this for a full two weeks then do a sledge hammer flush before nute build up happens. This REALLY helps with flower growth and size.

Every single time they are supposed to get water from here on out they will get molasses as well. When its time to do the flower finisher on week 6 through 8 I do the same thing. I add molasses as well as a half dose of chaching.

The very last week they will not get any kind of food other than a big dose of molasses at the beginning of the week then for the very last they get a straight water flush. The last 48 hours on day 61 - 63 will be total darkness.

In case I didn't mention it before every single feed I add cal/mag plus by Botanicare to combat deficiencies. This also has a very little bit of nitrogen. I do not add any extra nitrogen in my flowering. I have tried that before and didn't have the results I wanted.

See you on the next update! I'll give it a couple more days and then take some more pictures. Sugar leaves will be much larger as well as a little more vertical growth.
 
Day 20 of Flower Update!

So today is 6 fully days after we did the heavy defoliating and re-weave into the net. The girls are looking really good! In other news my 4 x 100w XTE's showed up today! Now I have all of them covered in core light. This should greatly help with yield!

Here are some pictures of the progress so far. The net is filling up rapidly with growing leaves! Sugar leaf size is really taking off at this point! New fans are popping up all over the place too. It's looking like everything will be prime for day 30 reap!

Tomorrow they get Fox Farms nutes with a dose of cal/mag plus and 6 oz of molasses. :thumb:

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Just amazing the growth speed is fa nominal. How are you handling the heat from the lights ?.

The XML leds put off very little heat. I have a 8" carbon filter setup but it just vents into the room itself. The tent stays pretty much at room temperature all day long. If you ever think of upgrading your lights you'll get more gram per watts with these XML's than you will with your HPS setup. You can also use them to veg and then just turn on your bloom lights when its time.

Speaking of growth I have to attribute some of that to how I make my 7 gallon pots before the transplant. Doing that dirt with layers of the small growstone really makes a difference. Couple that with the big chunky stuff on the bottom and it's amazing. Other than that I have to give a lot of the credit to the lights. The spectrum on these XML 5w chips really grow some plants.
 
That's great all the grows I've seen that have used or tried to use LED's had the heat issue and with no good way to vent heat was a very bad problem for most. Looks like these XML's are free of that and your get the economy of the LED too. I've always loved the the idea of LED and from what I see they work great but, "and it's a big but" the initial cost!!. I'm 70 and in forced retirement my wife & I were in a head on collision with a drunk uninsured motorist in 2010 & it left my wife disabled & me as her caretaker we lost all but still have our lives. I was bitter at 1st then we got news my wife had pareses cancer then I was horrified knowing I was most likely going to lose her all else was nothing then came Simpson oil and within 6 months my wife was clear of the tumor, our family doctor and close friend of 30 years was flabbergasted but still to this day won't acknowledge that MM oil did what it did but tells us don't stop doing what your doing. Anyway it's how I got into growing and I did it with very little capital so now we are just starting to upgrade as the budget will allow now that we are getting some excess production that I can return to the grow. It's been a long hard road but with the help of many of the members here at 420 & caregiver friends here in Michigan we are getting better at growing & hope to pay ahead to other MM patients that might be in the same boat.
 
Day 20 of Flower Update!

So today is 6 fully days after we did the heavy defoliating and re-weave into the net. The girls are looking really good! In other news my 4 x 100w XTE's showed up today! Now I have all of them covered in core light. This should greatly help with yield!

Here are some pictures of the progress so far. The net is filling up rapidly with growing leaves! Sugar leaf size is really taking off at this point! New fans are popping up all over the place too. It's looking like everything will be prime for day 30 reap!

Tomorrow they get Fox Farms nutes with a dose of cal/mag plus and 6 oz of molasses. :thumb:

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20150326_142256.jpg


20150326_142347.jpg


That's goooooreat looking AK.
 
OMFG:surrender::surrender:

That's like a bed of buds!!

:yahoo::yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:
 
OMFG:surrender::surrender:

That's like a bed of buds!!

:yahoo::yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:

Thanks a ton brother it means a lot! :high-five:

BTW here is my go to Molasses I like to use. This stuff is like magic if you have micro enzymes in your soil. Feed them and keep them happy and you will be very happy. Plus the girls love the sugar rush and much like life if you eat to much sugar you get fat. I love using unsulpherized molasses especially when I am supposed to do water without feed. One tablespoon per gallon is perfect during all stages of flower except for the very last two. I like to double the dose as it really helps when they are doing their final swell.

One thing I didn't mention about this style of growing is you wont win any contest for biggest over all bud by size. What you will destroy is your over all weight and quality of your yield goals gram per watt.. There will be no fluff. All you have are even sized tops by the boatload.

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