Dick23rk's Fresh Start: Mantis Nutrients Featuring MedicGrow's New Spectrum X+ 880w Light Panel

** Medic Grow - Spectrum X+ Light Panel Introduction**

Good day folks, here we are on a snowy and rainy morning in my parts. Due to the weather, I should have all kinds of time to get things done around here today since I wont be outside. So lets get started on our introduction and first light review of this monster light panel from one of our 420Mag sponsors, MedicGrow.

To start with, I'd like to say that my experience so far has been very good with this company. We have emailed back and forth numerous times, they are prompt to answer any questions I may have and pretty speedy on the replies as well.
Thank you @MedicGrow for allowing me this opportunity to showcase your
Spectrum X+ light panel!



Lets start with unboxing the light panel. Everything came in 2 boxes, the main panel and hardware was in 1 larger box and the 2 UV/IR light bars were in another smaller box. Both were packaged very well with huge foam panels inside to protect the products even if they got bumped around, I was impressed how well it was protected. Unfortunately I did not get pictures when I first opened the box, minor details.

spectrum_x.png


Inside the main box was a small box right on top with the hardware for the panel. It comes with the booklet, 6' power cord, plug socket adapter, hanging cables and the daisy chain cable to connect more than 1 panel.

spcectrum_X.png


So I got the panel out of the box, it feels pretty heavy duty and weights about 35lbs. It comes folded up, there are hinges on each side of the driver housing/frame, this is convenient for storage compared to some other models out there this size that don't fold up from what I've seen. Once I unfolded it on the table, I opened up the UV/IR bars and started to secure them, they just snap on in between the fixed light bars and the cable screws into a provided port for power.



Right away I took it downstairs to my grow room to start hanging it up. Once I measured and got my hanging hooks in place, my wife helped me to hang the panel. We started with the middle main frame, once hung on the provided cable we opened up each wing and secured the second set of cables on each end to hold up the wings. Sorry I didn't get any pictures of this process but it's pretty straight forward.

The cables they provide are a different style from what I'm used to, they have a little plush pin in the top to adjust the height and you just pull the cable through to where you want it and let go of the pin for it to lock. The cables for the wings are set up in a Y formation so you can slide the cable and level out the panel, then you tighten a screw in the bottom so it wont slide anymore. Handy little cables.




Now, onto the light panel itself. It seems very sturdy and made with some quality hardware. There's nothing to get snagged on as you walk around the hanging panel and all the cables are secure as well, they either click in or screw in. The display panel is very well shaped, it doesn't stick out and stays somewhat protected. It also shows you the PPF and wattage output levels on the display as you turn the dimmer up or down, very nice to have. The dimmer and timer knobs are on top out of the way, as well as the red and uv/ir buttons. The daisy chain connections and power are on the opposite end. The timer only goes from 6-16hrs, I have been told this would be changed in the near future. It's not a big issue though as you can leave the timer off on the panel and use your own timer at the plug.



Once we got everything hung and in place, it was time to turn this panel on and see how it works. I was very impressed! I started to turn the knob from the off position, there is a click point for it to be completely turned off, and once the knob is turned to 30% the light turns on. At this point is when I said "wow" because the light intensity compared to the MH bulbs that were still on was crazy, and it wasn't even turned way up yet. I was able to take a couple of comparison shots for you all on this one. First we have just the 2 x 600W MH bulbs, then the Spectrum X panel at 30%, and again at 100%. These shots were taken without the red or uv/ir buttons on, we will get to those next.




So there's 4 different spectrum settings on this panel, plus the option to turn on extra red lighting for flowering. We have V1, V1 + UV/IR, F1 and F1 + UV/IR. The V1 options are for veg with more blue light and the F1 options are for flower with more red light. Also if you have the Spectrum Y daisy chained, when you change the spectrums on the X's display, it will also change it on the Y. This is a very convenient option to have and makes this panel great for every stage of your grow. Here are all the different spectrums that will show on your display as you change them.


I have not had a chance to do any sort of par tests on the panel, I will be looking for a decent app on my phone to do this with as I do not have a par meter at the moment. Here are the ppfd distribution sheets that are provided on MedicGrow's website, they seem fairly impressive. The efficacy of this panel is rated at 2.8umol/J and the PPF light output is rated up to 2297umol/s. I have not broken down all the stats yet to compare these numbers, but have watched a couple other videos on ways to do so, I will check those out in the future.



This is my first really nice LED light panel so I don't have much to compare to, but I will say that the light this panel gives off is amazing. With that being said, I am going to give this panel the best possible testing that I can personally can with what I have available. I am going to continue my current grow journal with just this light panel, I should be able to fit everything under it as it has about a 6x6 footprint, they say 5x5 for flower by the time you get the light closer to the plants. As for now, I'd say that's about it for an introduction on this panel. Once I have used it for a while longer, or even completed this round of plants, I will do a full final review in the appropriate sections of the 420Mag forums. Now lets test this monster light out on growing some buds, that's what we got it for! Thanks to everyone who took the time to read through this intro, I greatly appreciate every single one of you! Also, if there's any questions or comments about the light, please feel free to ask or comment away, I'd like the feedback!
 
** Medic Grow - Spectrum X+ Light Panel Introduction**

Good day folks, here we are on a snowy and rainy morning in my parts. Due to the weather, I should have all kinds of time to get things done around here today since I wont be outside. So lets get started on our introduction and first light review of this monster light panel from one of our 420Mag sponsors, MedicGrow.

To start with, I'd like to say that my experience so far has been very good with this company. We have emailed back and forth numerous times, they are prompt to answer any questions I may have and pretty speedy on the replies as well.
Thank you @MedicGrow for allowing me this opportunity to showcase your Spectrum X+ light panel!




Lets start with unboxing the light panel. Everything came in 2 boxes, the main panel and hardware was in 1 larger box and the 2 UV/IR light bars were in another smaller box. Both were packaged very well with huge foam panels inside to protect the products even if they got bumped around, I was impressed how well it was protected. Unfortunately I did not get pictures when I first opened the box, minor details.

View media item 1822532
Inside the main box was a small box right on top with the hardware for the panel. It comes with the booklet, 6' power cord, plug socket adapter, hanging cables and the daisy chain cable to connect more than 1 panel.

View media item 1822531
So I got the panel out of the box, it feels pretty heavy duty and weights about 35lbs. It comes folded up, there are hinges on each side of the driver housing/frame, this is convenient for storage compared to some other models out there this size that don't fold up from what I've seen. Once I unfolded it on the table, I opened up the UV/IR bars and started to secure them, they just snap on in between the fixed light bars and the cable screws into a provided port for power.



Right away I took it downstairs to my grow room to start hanging it up. Once I measured and got my hanging hooks in place, my wife helped me to hang the panel. We started with the middle main frame, once hung on the provided cable we opened up each wing and secured the second set of cables on each end to hold up the wings. Sorry I didn't get any pictures of this process but it's pretty straight forward.

The cables they provide are a different style from what I'm used to, they have a little plush pin in the top to adjust the height and you just pull the cable through to where you want it and let go of the pin for it to lock. The cables for the wings are set up in a Y formation so you can slide the cable and level out the panel, then you tighten a screw in the bottom so it wont slide anymore. Handy little cables.




Now, onto the light panel itself. It seems very sturdy and made with some quality hardware. There's nothing to get snagged on as you walk around the hanging panel and all the cables are secure as well, they either click in or screw in. The display panel is very well shaped, it doesn't stick out and stays somewhat protected. It also shows you the PPF and wattage output levels on the display as you turn the dimmer up or down, very nice to have. The dimmer and timer knobs are on top out of the way, as well as the red and uv/ir buttons. The daisy chain connections and power are on the opposite end. The timer only goes from 6-16hrs, I have been told this would be changed in the near future. It's not a big issue though as you can leave the timer off on the panel and use your own timer at the plug.



Once we got everything hung and in place, it was time to turn this panel on and see how it works. I was very impressed! I started to turn the knob from the off position, there is a click point for it to be completely turned off, and once the knob is turned to 30% the light turns on. At this point is when I said "wow" because the light intensity compared to the MH bulbs that were still on was crazy, and it wasn't even turned way up yet. I was able to take a couple of comparison shots for you all on this one. First we have just the 2 x 600W MH bulbs, then the Spectrum X panel at 30%, and again at 100%. These shots were taken without the red or uv/ir buttons on, we will get to those next.




So there's 4 different spectrum settings on this panel, plus the option to turn on extra red lighting for flowering. We have V1, V1 + UV/IR, F1 and F1 + UV/IR. The V1 options are for veg with more blue light and the F1 options are for flower with more red light. Also if you have the Spectrum Y daisy chained, when you change the spectrums on the X's display, it will also change it on the Y. This is a very convenient option to have and makes this panel great for every stage of your grow. Here are all the different spectrums that will show on your display as you change them.


I have not had a chance to do any sort of par tests on the panel, I will be looking for a decent app on my phone to do this with as I do not have a par meter at the moment. Here are the ppfd distribution sheets that are provided on MedicGrow's website, they seem fairly impressive. The efficacy of this panel is rated at 2.8umol/J and the PPF light output is rated up to 2297umol/s. I have not broken down all the stats yet to compare these numbers, but have watched a couple other videos on ways to do so, I will check those out in the future.



This is my first really nice LED light panel so I don't have much to compare to, but I will say that the light this panel gives off is amazing. With that being said, I am going to give this panel the best possible testing that I can personally can with what I have available. I am going to continue my current grow journal with just this light panel, I should be able to fit everything under it as it has about a 6x6 footprint, they say 5x5 for flower by the time you get the light closer to the plants. As for now, I'd say that's about it for an introduction on this panel. Once I have used it for a while longer, or even completed this round of plants, I will do a full final review in the appropriate sections of the 420Mag forums. Now lets test this monster light out on growing some buds, that's what we got it for! Thanks to everyone who took the time to read through this intro, I greatly appreciate every single one of you! Also, if there's any questions or comments about the light, please feel free to ask or comment away, I'd like the feedback!
So glad you did this post. I guess they're a sponsor. This light looks fantastic. Mine is very similar, with pretty much the same par numbers. If yours is anything like mine, err on the side of too high and bring it down SLOWLY. They are much more powerful than I thought, and I wasn't prepared for it cuz it was my first try with a good light as it is for you. The things yours has that mine doesn't is the UV bars. That's awesome. The controls are awesome. I like the spectrums. You have all the power in the world - enough that not having reflective walls around the plants is irrelevant. This is going to turn out really well. How damn bright is it with ALL the lights on?
 
I love how it allows you to tune the spectrum on the fly. Gotta say- if I had seen this a few months ago I would have gotten this one.
You've done an excellent write up on it as well :high-five:
 
That is a really nice light. Looks expensive. lol.
Thanks Reave, a bit pricey yes but they compare well to a lot of the other brands out there that have similar ratings. And if a person wanted a second one, you could buy the Spectrum Y which is a little cheaper, it doesn't have the controller and runs off the X.
This Spectrum X+ model runs $1099USD on their website right now. They also have an older model called the Fold-8 with very good numbers as well for $659USD. There's a great review on that panel that can be found via a google search.
So glad you did this post. I guess they're a sponsor. This light looks fantastic. Mine is very similar, with pretty much the same par numbers. If yours is anything like mine, err on the side of too high and bring it down SLOWLY. They are much more powerful than I thought, and I wasn't prepared for it cuz it was my first try with a good light as it is for you. The things yours has that mine doesn't is the UV bars. That's awesome. The controls are awesome. I like the spectrums. You have all the power in the world - enough that not having reflective walls around the plants is irrelevant. This is going to turn out really well. How damn bright is it with ALL the lights on?
Thanks Jon, yes they are a sponsor here. They have sponsored me and sent me this light to review and test out on a garden grow here at 420mag.
I'm not sure which light you have, I'd have to stop over to your journal at some point. But yes, I'd imagine just about any panel similar to these would be crazy powerful.

The UV and IR bars are what intrigued me due to the option to turn them off and on as I want or need. Also the fact there is a "RED" button you can turn on for extra red during flower. What really got me was the amount of options it gives you for spectrum customizability... dam that seemed like a big word haha

I didn't grab a clear picture with every option on and turned up 100% yet but will try to get one later, with shades on of course. :nerd-with-glasses:

I love how it allows you to tune the spectrum on the fly. Gotta say- if I had seen this a few months ago I would have gotten this one.
You've done an excellent write up on it as well :high-five:
Thank you Rexer! I know there's a few other small details I had left out after posting it, but we can get to that stuff later and will be outline in the full end review as well, that one will take some time to make.

It's definitely an option that would sell me on a light panel, lots of flexibility here to adjust the light to your needs.
 
Thanks Reave, a bit pricey yes but they compare well to a lot of the other brands out there that have similar ratings. And if a person wanted a second one, you could buy the Spectrum Y which is a little cheaper, it doesn't have the controller and runs off the X.
This Spectrum X+ model runs $1099USD on their website right now. They also have an older model called the Fold-8 with very good numbers as well for $659USD. There's a great review on that panel that can be found via a google search.

Thanks Jon, yes they are a sponsor here. They have sponsored me and sent me this light to review and test out on a garden grow here at 420mag.
I'm not sure which light you have, I'd have to stop over to your journal at some point. But yes, I'd imagine just about any panel similar to these would be crazy powerful.

The UV and IR bars are what intrigued me due to the option to turn them off and on as I want or need. Also the fact there is a "RED" button you can turn on for extra red during flower. What really got me was the amount of options it gives you for spectrum customizability... dam that seemed like a big word haha

I didn't grab a clear picture with every option on and turned up 100% yet but will try to get one later, with shades on of course. :nerd-with-glasses:


Thank you Rexer! I know there's a few other small details I had left out after posting it, but we can get to that stuff later and will be outline in the full end review as well, that one will take some time to make.

It's definitely an option that would sell me on a light panel, lots of flexibility here to adjust the light to your needs.
Make sure you research the UV especially. I have a little, and my understanding is that you really only want it a couple hours a day. I could be wrong, but I would research that and how often to use them.
 
Make sure you research the UV especially. I have a little, and my understanding is that you really only want it a couple hours a day. I could be wrong, but I would research that and how often to use them.
Thanks, I actually planned on reading into it more before using them, they are off right now. I just haven't had much time yet to do that lol. Time to get into the grow room now to feed the potted plants and get and update ready on the grow itself.
 
**Update Time**

Alrighty folks, I'm back with an update finally. It's been a busy weekend trying to get things done and keeping up with everything else going on here at 420mag. It really is a great place though with all the wonderful people willing to lend a helping hand and sharing info. Along with that, all the sponsor that are pretty great to us all around here as well. I hope everyone is doing well this weekend! Lets get on with this sort of lengthy update. Lots has been going on.

I've been between my laptop and the garden all day after getting up and around the house this morning. Got some more things accomplished like feeding the potted plants, doing some more topping and LST work. Noticing a couple deficiencies I'll need to identify yet. More PH and TDS readings. Got the light panel hung at 20-22 inches now from the canopy, running at 50%. Here's how things look in the room itself right now.







Skunk #1 - Day 48
These girls have been the most stress free since I got things under control in the early days when they weren't looking so good from the ph issue. I just keep torturing them, feeding them, and cutting off limbs and they don't seem to mind in the least. Even dry pots and they seem happy compared to the SBC's. Very easy to work with and decent node spacing.

Today they got beat up pretty bad with more stripping and topping, along with more LST to finish them off. 3 of the 4 plants had the top 2 mains topped once again and the bottom 2 branches were not topped. 1 plant was left alone as far as topping again due to it's shorter stature and bit tighter nodes. So the 3 plants that were topped again, will end up having 6 branches and 1 will have 4 branches. All branches were stripped of lower growth up to where they are staked down with wires to eliminate scraggly growth and popcorn buds. This will also put all of the plants energy towards the remaining growth. After all that, they were fed.

Before and after pics.









Sundae Banana Cookies - Day 40
Well, the unruly and lanky girls seem to have been put in their place somewhat after the last LST session. Most branches were still bendy enough to get straightened out and pinned down again farther out. Not too much more training going to happen here unless we need to do something during the flower stretch.

I did not top these plants like I did with skunks, they just don't seem ready for it and don't look like they're going to have much strength in the branches unless they thicken up into flower. We have lots of bamboo sticks to help hold these suckers up. Only lower growth was stripped up to the tie down point of each branch on these.

There seems to be a deficiency happening on a couple of these plants, not all are effected and I don't see it happening on the Skunks. I have yet to look it up as I've been a little preoccupied so far today with everything else lol. It's not a huge problem yet but effecting the lower growth so far. It's dry and crispy on the discolored area. I'll get to the bottom of this tonight or by tomorrow and try to correct it hopefully before flower flip.

1 before picture and the rest after stripping, then pictures of deficiency.







SBC Deficiency issue





Big Bang - Day 31
I had to go and say it that the dwc trial has been pretty easy going so far haha. The issues arise. First we started with the calcium issue in bucket #1, still having that issue progress after starting to feed calmag, it's showing on the fan leaves now after topping and stripping. I'm now starting to believe that the plant hasn't been taking up any calcium due to the ph drifting a little lower than 5.9, which seems to be the best target. I don't think adding a little ph up will work with the ph buffers in the nutes, I'll have to find out.

The other issue which I brought up yesterday with bucket #2 was the plant being very droopy and a bit wrinkly. It seems to be looking a tiny bit better today, but not a lot. Really hoping it was the root growth at the base of the plant that was the issue, I know that roots don't like light and the effects will show in the plant. Using more clay pebbles to cover that area may be the ticket, not sure yet. We will see what tomorrow brings, could have also been the new light, who knows.

Other than that these plants are still growing, root balls are getting bigger. Bucket 2 has tons of extra roots popping thru the net pot while #1 has 2 or 3 main streams of roots shooting out with not many extras yet. Roots are still looking good, a little tinged due to the hydroton dust and tying themselves up into a ball/knot in the bubbles.

Here is our readings for today on the buckets when I checked
PH / TDS / Temp(c)
Bucket #1- 5.81 / 764 / 18.2
Bucket #2 - 5.76 / 654 / 18








That should be all for updates today, spent a lot of time puffing and typing today lol I'll be around if anyone has questions or comments and back again tomorrow possibly. This snow and rain has likely screwed over a couple of days of work this week due to mud, not that I have too much to do this week. I'd rather we get the moisture in the ground and have the fire bans lifted. If we get warmer weather after this moisture the humidity levels may rise :cheesygrinsmiley:

Take care everyone and keep it green out there! :yummy:
 
**Update Time**

Alrighty folks, I'm back with an update finally. It's been a busy weekend trying to get things done and keeping up with everything else going on here at 420mag. It really is a great place though with all the wonderful people willing to lend a helping hand and sharing info. Along with that, all the sponsor that are pretty great to us all around here as well. I hope everyone is doing well this weekend! Lets get on with this sort of lengthy update. Lots has been going on.

I've been between my laptop and the garden all day after getting up and around the house this morning. Got some more things accomplished like feeding the potted plants, doing some more topping and LST work. Noticing a couple deficiencies I'll need to identify yet. More PH and TDS readings. Got the light panel hung at 20-22 inches now from the canopy, running at 50%. Here's how things look in the room itself right now.







Skunk #1 - Day 48
These girls have been the most stress free since I got things under control in the early days when they weren't looking so good from the ph issue. I just keep torturing them, feeding them, and cutting off limbs and they don't seem to mind in the least. Even dry pots and they seem happy compared to the SBC's. Very easy to work with and decent node spacing.

Today they got beat up pretty bad with more stripping and topping, along with more LST to finish them off. 3 of the 4 plants had the top 2 mains topped once again and the bottom 2 branches were not topped. 1 plant was left alone as far as topping again due to it's shorter stature and bit tighter nodes. So the 3 plants that were topped again, will end up having 6 branches and 1 will have 4 branches. All branches were stripped of lower growth up to where they are staked down with wires to eliminate scraggly growth and popcorn buds. This will also put all of the plants energy towards the remaining growth. After all that, they were fed.

Before and after pics.









Sundae Banana Cookies - Day 40
Well, the unruly and lanky girls seem to have been put in their place somewhat after the last LST session. Most branches were still bendy enough to get straightened out and pinned down again farther out. Not too much more training going to happen here unless we need to do something during the flower stretch.

I did not top these plants like I did with skunks, they just don't seem ready for it and don't look like they're going to have much strength in the branches unless they thicken up into flower. We have lots of bamboo sticks to help hold these suckers up. Only lower growth was stripped up to the tie down point of each branch on these.

There seems to be a deficiency happening on a couple of these plants, not all are effected and I don't see it happening on the Skunks. I have yet to look it up as I've been a little preoccupied so far today with everything else lol. It's not a huge problem yet but effecting the lower growth so far. It's dry and crispy on the discolored area. I'll get to the bottom of this tonight or by tomorrow and try to correct it hopefully before flower flip.

1 before picture and the rest after stripping, then pictures of deficiency.







SBC Deficiency issue





Big Bang - Day 31
I had to go and say it that the dwc trial has been pretty easy going so far haha. The issues arise. First we started with the calcium issue in bucket #1, still having that issue progress after starting to feed calmag, it's showing on the fan leaves now after topping and stripping. I'm now starting to believe that the plant hasn't been taking up any calcium due to the ph drifting a little lower than 5.9, which seems to be the best target. I don't think adding a little ph up will work with the ph buffers in the nutes, I'll have to find out.

The other issue which I brought up yesterday with bucket #2 was the plant being very droopy and a bit wrinkly. It seems to be looking a tiny bit better today, but not a lot. Really hoping it was the root growth at the base of the plant that was the issue, I know that roots don't like light and the effects will show in the plant. Using more clay pebbles to cover that area may be the ticket, not sure yet. We will see what tomorrow brings, could have also been the new light, who knows.

Other than that these plants are still growing, root balls are getting bigger. Bucket 2 has tons of extra roots popping thru the net pot while #1 has 2 or 3 main streams of roots shooting out with not many extras yet. Roots are still looking good, a little tinged due to the hydroton dust and tying themselves up into a ball/knot in the bubbles.

Here is our readings for today on the buckets when I checked
PH / TDS / Temp(c)
Bucket #1- 5.81 / 764 / 18.2
Bucket #2 - 5.76 / 654 / 18








That should be all for updates today, spent a lot of time puffing and typing today lol I'll be around if anyone has questions or comments and back again tomorrow possibly. This snow and rain has likely screwed over a couple of days of work this week due to mud, not that I have too much to do this week. I'd rather we get the moisture in the ground and have the fire bans lifted. If we get warmer weather after this moisture the humidity levels may rise :cheesygrinsmiley:

Take care everyone and keep it green out there! :yummy:
Your training is so good your plants are perfectly symmetrical. Love it.
 
Looking good. I dunno about that deficiency either. My guess is phosphorus.
Thanks reave. That's kind of what it looked like to me, and it would make sense because according to majority of the ph nutrient uptake charts, phosphorus doesn't get taken in until 5.9/6.0 or higher. When I mix my nutes, I normally get 5.7 to 5.8 for ph.

I'm also starting to think this is why I'm showing calcium deficiencies so early in my dwc. Some of the charts give different ph levels for calcium uptake, is it 6.0 and higher for hydro? I had the understanding 5.5 to 6.0 would be ideal. So much conflicting info out there now.

Your training is so good your plants are perfectly symmetrical. Love it.
Thanks Jon. It's far from perfect, you should see some others around here do this lol
 
Thanks reave. That's kind of what it looked like to me, and it would make sense because according to majority of the ph nutrient uptake charts, phosphorus doesn't get taken in until 5.9/6.0 or higher. When I mix my nutes, I normally get 5.7 to 5.8 for ph.

I'm also starting to think this is why I'm showing calcium deficiencies so early in my dwc. Some of the charts give different ph levels for calcium uptake, is it 6.0 and higher for hydro? I had the understanding 5.5 to 6.0 would be ideal. So much conflicting info out there now.


Thanks Jon. It's far from perfect, you should see some others around here do this lol
It just takes so long doing it that way. You and I started our photos on almost the same day. I have patience, but I'm not sure I have the patience you do. You could keep those plants small forever doing it that way.
 
It just takes so long doing it that way. You and I started our photos on almost the same day. I have patience, but I'm not sure I have the patience you do. You could keep those plants small forever doing it that way.
It does take some time and a bit of patience, but once you get used to it you can fly through a plant. I have 10 potted plants and did what I did today in about an hour including pictures.

Not sure if small is the word, but rather, short. I'm not going for growing monsters this time around, this is just a quick run to get things back up and running and back into the groove. These plants will be transplanted again flipped to flower very soon. It's a bit of a rushed grow, another month or 2 and it will be my optimal vegging time due to rh in the basement, so I'm hoping to have these ones done quick. So, soon when I get a veg tent for the corner I'll be able to start vegging my plants in there, with good humidity and better environment control, once these current ones are done, veg tent babies can come out.

I dunno, sometimes I change my mind more than I change my underwear :rofl:
 
It does take some time and a bit of patience, but once you get used to it you can fly through a plant. I have 10 potted plants and did what I did today in about an hour including pictures.

Not sure if small is the word, but rather, short. I'm not going for growing monsters this time around, this is just a quick run to get things back up and running and back into the groove. These plants will be transplanted again flipped to flower very soon. It's a bit of a rushed grow, another month or 2 and it will be my optimal vegging time due to rh in the basement, so I'm hoping to have these ones done quick. So, soon when I get a veg tent for the corner I'll be able to start vegging my plants in there, with good humidity and better environment control, once these current ones are done, veg tent babies can come out.

I dunno, sometimes I change my mind more than I change my underwear :rofl:
I get it. Cool. And yes, short was the more apt word there.
 
**Mini Update**

Ok, I kinda fu**ed up a bucket. I got the bright idea to try to use some PH UP to get my res up to 5.9 closer to 6 because I thought maybe the plant wasn't able to take up the calcium. Stupid decision.. I kept the bucket bubbling with my ph pen in one hand and pipette in the other, I would grab some ph up and drop it into the res and check the ph.. well I did this a little quicker than I should have and ended up with a cloudy friggin mess. NO WAY was I putting the roots of my plant back into that, possibly chancing burning the roots or something because it's corrosive stuff. Into a separate bucket it went..

So, I make sure I got enough RO water laying around, yup. I take the bucket and dump it. Now is my chance for doing that res clean I needed to do and get the hydroton dust cleaned out, so that's a bonus. The only not-so-bonus now is, I gotta mix up another 3 gallons of nute mix, that's 60ml of nutes and this stuff isn't exactly cheap lol, but I can be! :laughtwo:

All is good, nice clean res bubbling away and no dust or screw ups.. Now I'm thinking why don't I do bucket #2 as well, get it done and be ready for the flower flip soon, great idea, maybe a res change will perk the droopy looking thing up! Well, down the drain goes another 3 gallons of mix and make a fresh one for that plant.

Now here's the kicker, and I'm kicking myself for this one lol... why didn't I just keep that 2nd buckets res water to feed to my potted plants? It was likely still fine, I could have store it and used it somewhere... oh well, lessons learned haha.

Ph and TDS going into the res changes was 3 gallons in each bucket @ 5.78 and 671ppm
That's with 109ppm of calmag prior to mixing in the nutrients at 5ml/L.
Let's hope they perk up.

One more thing. I mentioned the flower flip. It's going to happen within the next 2 weeks, no more than 2. I'm hoping the potted plants will be ready to up-pot next weekend. Then I'll give them a few days to get used to their new homes and flip! This was mostly determined by the dwc, I don't want them getting too out of control compared to the potted plants, it's just my first try and I planned to flip them early.

That is all folks, you can see why I had to come back to the laptop for a 3rd time today haha. Closing it down now and back to phone only :laughtwo: Take care!
 
**Mini Update**

Ok, I kinda fu**ed up a bucket. I got the bright idea to try to use some PH UP to get my res up to 5.9 closer to 6 because I thought maybe the plant wasn't able to take up the calcium. Stupid decision.. I kept the bucket bubbling with my ph pen in one hand and pipette in the other, I would grab some ph up and drop it into the res and check the ph.. well I did this a little quicker than I should have and ended up with a cloudy friggin mess. NO WAY was I putting the roots of my plant back into that, possibly chancing burning the roots or something because it's corrosive stuff. Into a separate bucket it went..

So, I make sure I got enough RO water laying around, yup. I take the bucket and dump it. Now is my chance for doing that res clean I needed to do and get the hydroton dust cleaned out, so that's a bonus. The only not-so-bonus now is, I gotta mix up another 3 gallons of nute mix, that's 60ml of nutes and this stuff isn't exactly cheap lol, but I can be! :laughtwo:

All is good, nice clean res bubbling away and no dust or screw ups.. Now I'm thinking why don't I do bucket #2 as well, get it done and be ready for the flower flip soon, great idea, maybe a res change will perk the droopy looking thing up! Well, down the drain goes another 3 gallons of mix and make a fresh one for that plant.

Now here's the kicker, and I'm kicking myself for this one lol... why didn't I just keep that 2nd buckets res water to feed to my potted plants? It was likely still fine, I could have store it and used it somewhere... oh well, lessons learned haha.

Ph and TDS going into the res changes was 3 gallons in each bucket @ 5.78 and 671ppm
That's with 109ppm of calmag prior to mixing in the nutrients at 5ml/L.
Let's hope they perk up.

One more thing. I mentioned the flower flip. It's going to happen within the next 2 weeks, no more than 2. I'm hoping the potted plants will be ready to up-pot next weekend. Then I'll give them a few days to get used to their new homes and flip! This was mostly determined by the dwc, I don't want them getting too out of control compared to the potted plants, it's just my first try and I planned to flip them early.

That is all folks, you can see why I had to come back to the laptop for a 3rd time today haha. Closing it down now and back to phone only :laughtwo: Take care!
I wonder about using the res water in your potted plants, that would have never occurred to me. Might be a real good idea. I don't know anything about hydro, but are the nute levels the same? Is the old water in the res just that easily applicable to soil? I would wonder about the pH too. Hmm... GREAT job recognizing and diagnosing and fixing an issue. That's the way it's done, man. :thumb:
 
I wonder about using the res water in your potted plants, that would have never occurred to me. Might be a real good idea. I don't know anything about hydro, but are the nute levels the same? Is the old water in the res just that easily applicable to soil? I would wonder about the pH too. Hmm... GREAT job recognizing and diagnosing and fixing an issue. That's the way it's done, man. :thumb:
It would be different for someone using a different nutrient line. My nutrients are 5ml per liter from seed to harvest, 1 bottle, that's it. It's the same thing I'm using on my potted plants. I don't think there was anything wrong with the res water on bucket 2, but I screwed up bucket 1 with the ph up. But yes, I could have likely used it, let the hydroton dust settle and don't dump in the bottoms. These nutes are ph buffered, so they will always stay between 5.2 and 6.2 I believe.

As for fixing my issues, I'm not sure if I did yet, but a res change is always a good practice if things are going downhill. I don't know a lot about hydro but have read lots and seen many journals.
 
The pro mix hp you don’t need to worry about ph too much. I doubt ph is your issue. What are the percentages of nutes on that all in one product.
Yeah I never really had to bother with my GH lineup.

It's a 1.5-2.7-2.3 with 1.1 calcium and 0.6 magnesium. The other micro nutrients aren't listed.
 
Back
Top Bottom