Pstarsr - 2016 - 3rd Round LED Cabinet Grow

[Pstarsr]

Hey guys, been lurking and decided to start contributing.

Current setup is a cash crop 4.0 cabinet from dealzer. But I converted to LED ( guess the new versions have these but only one) I got two.

Ok, current grow - Unknown seeds, popped and planted two weeks ago roughly. I'm gona try and follow the recommendations for the cabinet one time EXACTLY incase I'm doing something stupid. But of course I'm changing it up by swapping to these LEDs. The CFL worked, but the constant moving and the heat bugged me.

What strain is it? - Unknown seeds from my buddy

Started flower stage today 7/31
Veg for 2 weeks
Indoor
Soil
half miracle grow "water conserve" soil half soil from planter
2.5qt
20w led X2 - quazar led
Temps stay mild inside cabinet, 70-75degrees
PH 6.0
Any Pests - one I can't find, worm I think
Water when soil is dry, since planting once every few days
Using nutes that came with cabinet kit, NPK - 1:1 bloom split down to a 2 cup feed. Don't know ppm

Trying some LST on the left plant

 

[Pstarsr]

End of week 1 flower. Moved the lights within 8" got an led strip 3000k, more for when it gets taller. Get side light, maybe. It was cheap and may do nothing, oh well. I can't edit the first post I guess, but I found out the estimated wattage of the lights, still trying to find a par chart, or light chart for distances" things literally came in an unmarked box just lights. Anyways, 80w each so 160watts ( estimated ) plus this led strip says its 55watts course that's taken with a grain of salt. Until I find a cheap reasonable way to measure I won't really beleive it. So 210watts hopefully.

It's strange, one is perky. The other is droopy. Same soil, same light, same feeding.

The growth in the "crotch" or V where fan leaf meets stem, on the droopy plant is huge. Exploding with growth.
The perky plant shows mild growth in the "crotch"

Feeding "bloom" NPK nutrients. 1/8tblsp for 24oz water' pinch of cal/mag. Feed every other day roughly, over the week.

Worm or worms are still there, I'm checking often but still can't see them. It's nibbled both plants lower leaves, but nothing tragic, maybe he's fattening up then I can find em!

 

[Pstarsr]

Ok while checking my plants today I saw this growth near the top ( little pod near top, almost seed shaped ). I FIM'd the tops, maybe cutt too much. But this growth is only one side. Also I'm noticing roots at the surface of the soil about 2-3 inches from the stem. Not dead, just white and stretching out to the outsides of the pot.

This is my 3rd grow attempt, but first with these LEDs. Been lucky haven't gotten a male yet, maybe this one is it

Also started some LST to see if that helps grow more flower

 

[Pstarsr]

Here I go messing with it again. This is my third attempt, but first with these LEDs. The plants seem to be slow compared to the CFL setup I did the two other grows. Starting to figgit with it, because I want it to succeed.

First grow was 3 5000k CFL grow ( 13w or 50watt equivilant advertised ) ~150watts grow, 3 2700k CFL flower ~150watt flower - Yeild was pretty low ( 1 plant soil )
Second grow was 6 5000k grow ( 23watt or 100watt equivilant ) 3x100watts 3x50watts ~450watts grow, 5 2700k flower 4x100watts 1x50watt ~450watts flower - Yeild was better, but I broke off the colas as they outgrew the cabinet and started burning in the lights so it was low too ( 2 plants hydro )

I started with 2x80watt LEDs 160watts veg, flower started with same, 160watts. Added the led strip and now added two CFLs.

 

[Pstarsr]

While I was checking them out today I saw some different growth on the droopy plant. Which now seems to explain a bit why it looked so strange to me. It was male, I found some pollen sacs forming on the top and some nodes. Anyways, he's out and gone now.

She showed he true colors too! I spotted a few pistils in some new growth. So she gets to stay and be the lone survivor. I see some serious roots at the bottom of this pot, so tomorrow I'm might bump it up to a 1 gal or what ever I have that's bigger than this.

 

[Pstarsr]

While I was breaking down the male plant, to check how the roots were growing I found my pests!

Found two slugs living in a drain hole on the bottom of the pot, sneaky!

None in the female pot, I looked when I transplanted. Also got fresh soil, slugs were all in the half used bag I had.

 

[Pstarsr]

So end of week 2 flower, the plant it doing well since transplant yesterday. I tried to be gentle so it wouldnt get shocked and take a few days to recover. Seems to have worked. I'm continuing to do some LST, I want to try and pull it over and extend to the other side of the cabinet and then grow vertical. Kind of scog, just experimenting. It seems to be working as the new grow. each node is getting more direct light and are growing vertically making (hopefully) many tops. I trimmed one fan leave that was blocking, and tried to LST some fan leave over to the side opposite to the flowers. Since it will have direct light that way. I don't know if it's s good idea, but doubt it will hurt.

 

[Pstarsr]

Things are really starting to take off, she is growing! Highest shoot got up to the light when I opened the cabinet today. I decided to do some more LST today, might still do a bit more depending on how things progress. But so far I'm excited to see the result of this. Looks like it will work out. Just watered with 1:1.5 ratio bloom with pinch of cal/mag. Things should get interesting this week.

Also I threw in the fan I replaced when I got the cabinet, it was way too loud. So I just put the covers from the new fan on it with the bolts that came with it. Just use it for a bit of circulation. It kinda works, but the inlet is right near it so it's probably helping fresh air circulate

Edit

Ok I just opened it up to see if I wanted to do some more LST in a few other branches. I know I'm basically talking to myself here. I know people say sometimes the changes happen fast. All the tips had already turned to the light. I had just done the first LST at 5 pm, feed her. Shut it and ate dinner. 9pm I open it and LST two branches ( middle two, opposite each other ), snapped the pics for here. And then I look at the pictures, before and now......... Poof wow filled out in a few hours. Anyways.

 

[Pstarsr]

Small photo update. Just letting her grow. Only minor LST to keep new shoots level.

From my notes this is week 3 start

 

[Pstarsr]

Mid week 3.

Funny how the iPhone will change hue with almost identical photos. I watered the living shit out of her tonight.

So, it's in this "water conserve" miracle grow soil. Always feels kinda wet. Not moist, but just damp. Tonight I scratched at it and if I closed my eyes, I could not feel "wetness" on my finger. So, I watered till it over ran out the bottom. About 40oz of water and it only barely over run, into the pan. Weird. So I recall something like this before, when flower really sets in water uptake increases.

 

[Croatsan]

She looks healthy.

 

[Pstarsr]

Mid canopy growth took off too

She was hungry! Huge growth after last night

 

[Jimdog]

Looking great!

Jimdogggy

 

[Pstarsr]

End of week 3 flower, she's doing well. Drinking a lot of water, about 24oz every other day. No signs of nutrient problems.
Getting impatient, I wanna see big buds! They are coming

 

[PTSd]

Just ordered a Quasar LED for my CFL (6x hydro) version Cash Crop 4.0

I was wondering if there would be enough room in the top of the box to mount two of them or just one. Now I know.

How's the heat with two of them running?

Haven't updated my grow journal a few weeks, thanks for the motivation.

 

[Pstarsr]

Just ordered a Quasar LED for my CFL (6x hydro) version Cash Crop 4.0

I was wondering if there would be enough room in the top of the box to mount two of them or just one. Now I know.

How's the heat with two of them running?

Haven't updated my grow journal a few weeks, thanks for the motivation.

they barely get hot, the heat sink fins get hot to the touch. But radiant heat is nothing with the LEDs. I almost think it might be too cold. When I used the power strip CFL setup, I put splitters on each so I had 6 CFLs going. It got really hot at the top, when the plants grew tall enough that I had to move the strip above the exhaust fan. All the heat got trapped above that fan, if anything grew up there it would get cooked and dry out.

I'm pretty impressed with the size and cost, we shall see how it goes on this grow. But it's looking really promising
If you see the first picture the LEDs are all the way up, slightly angled. Fit fine.

Glad you got some motivation back, this is almost therapeutic to me. I enjoy the process

 

[PTSd]

I almost think it might be too cold.

That is kind of what I'm worried about.

Right now, with 2x LED's and 2X CFL's in the power strip, the temperature is in the upper 70's most days, and only reach the lot to mid 80's for a few hours per day.

I also have a MarsHydro Mars300 LED, from a friend of mine a few weeks ago, and it really made a noticeable difference during the week of veg I was running it, but I took it out because I just could not vent all the heat that thing generated. I'm musing that I could cut out a hole in the box top a bit smaller than the Mars300 and flush mount it to the outside of the cabinet to keep all the excess heat from ever getting into the grow box in the first place.

this is almost therapeutic to me. I enjoy the process

It is indeed, almost as therapeutic as the crop.

 

[Pstarsr]

That is kind of what I'm worried about.

Right now, with 2x LED's and 2X CFL's in the power strip, the temperature is in the upper 70's most days, and only reach the lot to mid 80's for a few hours per day.

I also have a MarsHydro Mars300 LED, from a friend of mine a few weeks ago, and it really made a noticeable difference during the week of veg I was running it, but I took it out because I just could not vent all the heat that thing generated. I'm musing that I could cut out a hole in the box top a bit smaller than the Mars300 and flush mount it to the outside of the cabinet to keep all the excess heat from ever getting into the grow box in the first place.






It is indeed, almost as therapeutic as the crop.

If you take the CFLs out it would be pretty neutral temps. Which seemed weird to me. After I added two CFLs it warmed up to mid 70's I. The box. I had a similar idea about opening the top, to vent heat. I too have bought a bigger led, a king 1000w ( more like 600watt ) it fit the dimensions, but I couldn't get the height up enough to not light burn the plants. The light was strong, and felt warm to my hand. These quasars don't even "feel" warm from the light. But I had them full up for veg, and the plants grew fine, did t stretch at all. I think since we are new to this we might be overthinking it. But I keep reading, more light is better. But as long as you can put it in the right spot.

I have the 4ft tall version, do you?

 

[PTSd]

I have the 4ft tall version, do you?

Same.

 

[Ralleygirl23]

How big is your pot?