First flowering with a LED - Any suggestions?

[JBUptown]

Beautiful Bottom Nugs!

I'm not sure why popcorn bud gets such a bad reputation other than they are physically diminutive compared to the major tops. Yield is never my primary goal, I'd rather an ounce of caviar than a pound of fish. The little nugs usually are just as frosty as the bigger tops (by volume). I am a little different and I embrace that, but I've think the small fluffy bottom nugs are some of the smoothest stuff on the plant. The effect is usually right on par with the rest of the plant, especially if given and extra week or so after the main colas are removed. Sometimes the taste and aroma of light airy nugs surpasses the main colas (when consumed by flame). No grinding required! Just plop it in a bowl and have at it! Just my opinion though.

JB

 

[Thattimeof]

Good stuff as I am on my 1st grow with a led its a mars hydro 300 watt i got for free from a friend I'm not sure what the comparison would be maybe compared to hps/my though but maybe one of you knows?

also I have a 250 watt cfl that I'm using as well until I get my veg tent set up

 

[OttawaGreen]

I found yield from led to be better than hps in grams per watt.
If you get your grow working well than you can do 1gpw fairly easy with led. Try to keep canopy flat to make a "panel" of weed under the light

 

[JBUptown]

Harvest and drying has been completed on my first LED Flowering, and I have to say, I think I'm sold on LED technology. My KillAWatt average power draw for my LED panel over the flower period averaged 364 watts. My HPS draws 421 watts and the MH draws 404 watts, so they are all close in power consumption with about a 10% reduction for my LED setup. The yield from the LED grow was within 5% of several previous accomplished with the other lights, all above one gram per watt. Almost every other factor in grow were the same, clones of the same mother, water, nutes, humidity etc. The size of the LED produced colas and nugs are larger but they are also less dense, with the weight being about the same. My unscientific first grow impression is positive and the quality of the yield is equal to or better than previous grows with HPS and MH, which is my main criteria. The greatest benefit of my LED is reduced temperature, and heat reduction costs are considerable. Maybe LED panels are not for every type and size of grow, and perhaps light aficionados may not ever totally agree, but based on my first experience I'll surely be using the LED again. I like when my hard earned money doesn't end up in the attic!

Best of Buds!
JB

 

[tucker99]

As usual I'm late to the party. JB how long was your veg? flower? What will you do differently with your next grow. I'm on my first grow and using 5X96 reflector in a cabinet 36" X 18" X 72", running hydro and scrogging. Ottowa, keeping a level canopy is easier said than done for the newb. I'm growing a bushy indica and having a hard time keeping things level. Do you employ the pulling the unruly branch down below the screen if you run out of screen and the dang thing keeps stretching?

 

[JBUptown]

As usual I'm late to the party. JB how long was your veg? flower? What will you do differently with your next grow. I'm on my first grow and using 5X96 reflector in a cabinet 36" X 18" X 72", running hydro and scrogging. Ottowa, keeping a level canopy is easier said than done for the newb. I'm growing a bushy indica and having a hard time keeping things level. Do you employ the pulling the unruly branch down below the screen if you run out of screen and the dang thing keeps stretching?

Tucker,
If you are still around, I'm just about finished typing up all the results of my experiment. Veg was 42 days, Flower was 73 days for this grow. OttawaGreen has is correct, LED seems to perform best on a even canopy, and it takes lots practice to learn how to train. Every strain has it's own particulars too, and what works for one might not for another. I'm going to find the best existing thread and add my post to the subject ... will try to link to it here in another post.

Best Of Buds

JB

 

[zagil]

hi
as of my experience regarding the LED then i can talk, i have never used HPS or MH in my life always but i start with LEDs and am still on LEDs .... i have used so many many brands of LED grow Light ... i will not talk about any brand name here in my expirance but i will talk about spectrum and more in deep of what i have gathered from my experience and results ...

lets just start with how many LED light you can find in the market ....

1- COB LED .. very extreme intensity but over-heat problems if not well done designed and build .. will give you a good result but more maintenance and failed on the COB it self.

2- SSL LED grow light that doesn't use any support lens and secondary lens .... which can be found under the SSL LED light .. very very affective efficient but cannot fix it if failed working "soldering is not possible " very expensive chips high dense spectrum .... very high result.

3- 5W-3W chip with or without secondary lens ... the best for maintenance and heat issue the 5W will be more in heat when its running under 0.9mA driver but can be controlled by 2700 RPM or more cooling fan ... result is OK but not the best .. it comes with 3 type of chips which are 60-90-120 degree angel ... when use a secondary lens its will improve the result by more than 50-70% ... famous design "Apollo" ... not expensive compared to the result and the power consumption ...


all this intro just to stat the type of grow LED available in the market for normal users ....

but NO one was in the forum or other forms are talking in deep about the spectrum and the problems when using a wrong ratio and how to correct it....

2 years of my life focusing on this issue and came up with a ratio that is never been offered from any other manufacturer in USA or China......because i tried most of them ....

i was never been satisfied with my ratio and the type of spectrum that i can get out of this technology to have the result i want.... I start to design and build my own recipe and yes i achieved a good level of satisfaction ...


companies are going crazy about marketing 660nm 630nm 740nm 430nm 390nm 470nm 460nm 690nm and more and more letting the costumers don't know what they doing .. but STOP here ... my LED GROW LIGHT which I my self designed draw 600W from the wall and it doesn't have any of the spectrums i mentioned above ...

simply i use white LEDs
2100K
2700K
3000K
6500K
7200K
14000K
thats it


no red
no blue
no green
no colors
I've got the best result ever ...

GUYS LETS START TALK ABOUT SPECTRUM AND RATIO IN DEEP .....

 

[zagil]

bump

 

[jgrow1103]

This is also my first flowering with LEDs, and im fed cycle running 14\10
should I switch it back to 10\10 or 12\12?
Also, how far away should I keep my 300 W from the tip te plant?

 

[OlderGrower]

2 years of my life focusing on this issue and came up with a ratio that is never been offered from any other manufacturer in USA or China......because i tried most of them ....

i was never been satisfied with my ratio and the type of spectrum that i can get out of this technology to have the result i want.... I start to design and build my own recipe and yes i achieved a good level of satisfaction ...


companies are going crazy about marketing 660nm 630nm 740nm 430nm 390nm 470nm 460nm 690nm and more and more letting the costumers don't know what they doing .. but STOP here ... my LED GROW LIGHT which I my self designed draw 600W from the wall and it doesn't have any of the spectrums i mentioned above ...

simply i use white LEDs
2100K
2700K
3000K
6500K
7200K
14000K
thats it


no red
no blue
no green
no colors
I've got the best result ever ...

GUYS LETS START TALK ABOUT SPECTRUM AND RATIO IN DEEP .....

I actually find this interesting, you state you have the best results ever, mind posting a picture of your results? I do recall hearing of a guy up in Canada that was making an all white LED light a while back and claimed he was getting great results as well.

 

[zagil]

in 2 weeks i will post some photos .. yes using white LED chip much better than colors as well i will do some modification to my ratio when i receive my new CHIPS 2100K will be more in my new ratio ... 2700K did very well and i feel that 2100K would even do better.

one problem with the white led chip us more heat generated .... more power sucking than the red ... so the red chip operating temp for the 5Watt 0.9MA driver would be 40C but the white above 60C ...

i hope more members will join this thread.

 

[Flybye]

Thanks for hanging out Zagil. Ya I don't know anything about lighting but I had to change my whole way of thinking toward LED. I've done enough research tho to realize these aren't the lights I want. But I got them cheap and I think there working just fine now that I've raised them to 20-22 I guess. Plants instantly got happy. Look forward to your input

Can't wait to try a better LED light

 

[Flybye]

in 2 weeks i will post some photos .. yes using white LED chip much better than colors as well i will do some modification to my ratio when i receive my new CHIPS 2100K will be more in my new ratio ... 2700K did very well and i feel that 2100K would even do better.

one problem with the white led chip us more heat generated .... more power sucking than the red ... so the red chip operating temp for the 5Watt 0.9MA driver would be 40C but the white above 60C ...

i hope more members will join this thread.

But actually the added heat of the chip is a benefit for me. It's cold, wet and foggy hear in the winter. It's enough to heat my small shed during lights on. Wonder what's cheaper. More Watts on my heater or my lights haha

 

[zagil]

i would strongly advice you to Cidly grow light or Lumini grow light and if you need help with the ratio you can PM me.

the light from there 2 manufacturer are not cheap but high quality

 

[jgrow1103]

Can you replace the existing chip on the LED light. I have a galaxy hydro and just went into the flowering phase, and I'm trying to change the ratio without buying a whole separate lihts