PTSd's #1 Grow - 6 x Buddha Assorted Auto Fem - Dealer Cash Crop 4.0 - CFL - LED?
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Hey, looks good!
I did hydro for my second attempt. But I couldn't imagine how 6 plants could fit, so I only potted two, at opposite ends of the tub.
Those I vegged for an extra week, and during flower grew all the way to the top of the box. Got heat stressed a bit, and then I got too heavy handed trying to push them down I broke the top colas off both of them, and a few nodes down too. So Yeild was dismal.
I did hydro for my second attempt. But I couldn't imagine how 6 plants could fit, so I only potted two, at opposite ends of the tub.
Those I vegged for an extra week, and during flower grew all the way to the top of the box. Got heat stressed a bit, and then I got too heavy handed trying to push them down I broke the top colas off both of them, and a few nodes down too. So Yeild was dismal.
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Did what I believe will be my final round of LST, they are all beginning to flower in earnest. time to just sit back and make sure all the individual colas break out into the light from under the canopy.
I've been doing what I later found out y'all call "Light Stress Training- LST 101 (Autos)" basically creating a pinwheel out of each plant. I was really hoping to get any of the girls to make a full revolution before flowering, but no such luck.
The buds are all springing up healthily from each node and reaching towards the lights. once they get to a certain height, I'm going to try a technique I also found for back-building buds, while I was wondering if I could top all the buds to maintian and even "canopy of bud" height. It appears I can! Not that I care about "dense tear drop buds that will look uniform and presentable", because it's all getting process into oil/butter for Med use. But lets give each bud the same opportunity for light, once the slower ones catch up to the fatester plants.
Or I could just be overthinking everything, I tend to do that....
I've been doing what I later found out y'all call "Light Stress Training- LST 101 (Autos)" basically creating a pinwheel out of each plant. I was really hoping to get any of the girls to make a full revolution before flowering, but no such luck.
The buds are all springing up healthily from each node and reaching towards the lights. once they get to a certain height, I'm going to try a technique I also found for back-building buds, while I was wondering if I could top all the buds to maintian and even "canopy of bud" height. It appears I can! Not that I care about "dense tear drop buds that will look uniform and presentable", because it's all getting process into oil/butter for Med use. But lets give each bud the same opportunity for light, once the slower ones catch up to the fatester plants.
Or I could just be overthinking everything, I tend to do that....
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Being motivated by recent comments exchanged with fellow Cash Crop 4.0 owner Pstarsr in another thread, I was determined to do a "proof of concept" for the idea I had to externally mount a MarsHydro Mars-300 (134w actual) LED.
After-all, who wouldn't want to be able to safely stuff 4,377 lumens into a 16.5" x 11.25" grow cabinet?!?!?!
For the Mars-300, the recommended coverage: 2'*2' for Veg, and 1.5'*1.5' for flowering, which is pretty much exactly the space we have to fill.
I do think it is important to note that I have the Cash Crop Deluxe which is 34.75" Tall.
I do not believe this is a wise choice if you have the Cash Crop Standard which is 27.75" Tall, that extra 7" is what makes this possible, IMO.
Anyway, on to the butchery!
Measure once, cut twice?
Pre-drilling stop holes for my plunge cuts with the circular saw:
The Sun Roof(tm) is cut:
Everything is lining up nicely. Looking up from inside the cabinet:
Let there be LIGHT, and lots of it!
After-all, who wouldn't want to be able to safely stuff 4,377 lumens into a 16.5" x 11.25" grow cabinet?!?!?!
For the Mars-300, the recommended coverage: 2'*2' for Veg, and 1.5'*1.5' for flowering, which is pretty much exactly the space we have to fill.
I do think it is important to note that I have the Cash Crop Deluxe which is 34.75" Tall.
I do not believe this is a wise choice if you have the Cash Crop Standard which is 27.75" Tall, that extra 7" is what makes this possible, IMO.
Anyway, on to the butchery!
Measure once, cut twice?
Pre-drilling stop holes for my plunge cuts with the circular saw:
The Sun Roof(tm) is cut:
Everything is lining up nicely. Looking up from inside the cabinet:
Let there be LIGHT, and lots of it!
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And my girls all snug in their newly renovated suite:
I marked some lines on the inside wall at 18" and 12" away from the light to give myself a reference.
If the ladies start encroaching into the danger zone, I'll know it at a glance, and can take preventative measures in the way of lightly snipping the cola tips as is done in the "Back Building" technique. But for this grow at least, I think I'll be ok.
I'll definitely be keeping a watchful eye out for sunburn for the next few days.
I marked some lines on the inside wall at 18" and 12" away from the light to give myself a reference.
If the ladies start encroaching into the danger zone, I'll know it at a glance, and can take preventative measures in the way of lightly snipping the cola tips as is done in the "Back Building" technique. But for this grow at least, I think I'll be ok.
I'll definitely be keeping a watchful eye out for sunburn for the next few days.
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8 hours later, no sign of sunburn. Buds developed more in that time than they have in the past week, despite the new COLD temperature. Ambient temps last night got down to the low 50's - upper 40's, cabinet never got above 70.
Perhaps with the addition of one or two of 20w Quasar panels, mounted a bit lower on the sides, I can safely increase available light and get my temps up into a better range? I'd be really happy with if I can get it to the 78-84F it was running before.
If that doesn't get me where I want, I can run some flex-duct between the exhaust fan on the top of the Mars-300 and into the cabinet intake, to push some pre-warmed air into the box?
Hmm maybe, or maybe a warming mat for the resivour?
Big bucket of cold water in there. Big heat sink too. The heat from the quasars is above mostly.
Post some pics! I wanna see the changes! I'm excited and it's not even my grow! I'm wondering if the plants will begin to stretch to the light more agreessivly now
Big bucket of cold water in there. Big heat sink too. The heat from the quasars is above mostly.
Post some pics! I wanna see the changes! I'm excited and it's not even my grow! I'm wondering if the plants will begin to stretch to the light more agreessivly now
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I was just thinking, I've got 6" of space to go up before I hit the 18" mark to get some warmth, so I just tried moving my temp. probe up to the 12" line and it was 79.7F, at the 18" line it is 78.3F and down at current canopy level (~24") it is 77.3F.
In the immortal words of George Jefferson : "Well, we're movin' on up....!
After my nap. I've been up since 0359....
I believe (hope) I'm about to hit the flowering stretch. plants are taking up much more water again and are actually flowering in earnest, so... lets hope, and hope they don't go too tall.
The plants were so whacked out during veg with erratic temperature, and my heavy handed training, and there was the 8 days they were left on autopilot while I was away... I'm really glad I did Auto's first time out in 20+ years.
I keep telling myself I really don't care about how pretty the buds are, because I'm planning on extracting most if not all of it.
But a certain part of me wants to see just how pretty they can be. And grow at least one luscious bud I can just wrap in a paper and have a hell of a campfire.
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My daughters' old High School locker shelf put to a new use. What would the School Board say!?!?!?!
Plants back in the cabinet on the stand, sitting right at 18" from the light:
What I'll try and use as my Reference Bud to show new growth:
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The top leaves were looking a bit sad from being so close to the new lights, or it could be just the sudden switch to the 300w of LED after being used to 200w of CFL, so I dropped everything back down to the floor.
The buds are starting to stretch slowly up above the veg. canopy.
It's "not bad" but it could be better.
Over the last few days I've been monitoring temperatures pretty closely at the intake, canopy and outlet.
With the Mars-300 up top, and one 20w LED inside, I'm generating a consistent Temp. Diff. of +12F. With the Temps getting colder up here, this is cause for concern.
Last night (day for the plants) the lowest readings were:
54F Temp. In
66F @ Canopy
68F Temp Out.
Definately could use some more warmth.
The buds are starting to stretch slowly up above the veg. canopy.
It's "not bad" but it could be better.
Over the last few days I've been monitoring temperatures pretty closely at the intake, canopy and outlet.
With the Mars-300 up top, and one 20w LED inside, I'm generating a consistent Temp. Diff. of +12F. With the Temps getting colder up here, this is cause for concern.
Last night (day for the plants) the lowest readings were:
54F Temp. In
66F @ Canopy
68F Temp Out.
Definately could use some more warmth.
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When you are literally living in a oversized tent (but with power and water), you are at the mercy of much of the whim of nature.
Thanks to these amazing mattress heaters, I haven't had to turn on the LP Catalytic heater, yet... But when I get out of bed at 0400, it sure is chilly!
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A few hours after putting them up to the 18" line these spots started appearing. at first they were only visible under the funky lights of the LED's.
Here they are under the Mars-300, the Dealzer 20w, and natural light respectively:
And a closer shot under natural light:
At first glance, it looks like a Magnesium (Mg) deficiency, but this started immediately after installing the new lights and raising the plants.
If anybody has any other advice, I'm listening.
Tomorrow is "flush and re-fill day"...
Hmm yea get fresh nutes, double check the mix. That won't fix that section but new growth should be better. They are kinda turned inwards like from light burn, but still nutes seem off in that one plant only? That's weird
