Long Time Grower & Producer

[Liam Hughes]

If I could send you samples of my indoor crops, I would wager you would change your mind lol

The best smelling and tasting bud, comes from organic soils (hence the reason you prefer outdoor) and a light spectrum closer to the sun and in all honesty, lower temps during flower.

The most aromatic bud I grow is in the seed tent with runs about 70F (21C), the densest bud and not far behind the LED seed tent for taste and aroma, comes from my big tent with CMH lights which runs about 80F (27C)

The soil I use for outdoor growing is the same as indoor growing, although my Dream doesn't like heavy neuts. According to the seed company, it likes basic soil with no additives. I do use Big Up powder with a couple of weeks to go, but otherwise nothing.
I have built soils in the past and still do at times, but I haven't found a big difference in quantity or quality of my smoke. Mostly I use Pro Mix for flowering plants. I use a seedling starter soil for new seeds and transplant of clones.
I could always use advice on nutrients and lighting. In my veg tent I mostly just use coil daylight bulbs with a 1000 watt LED. I my flowering tent I have always used a 600 watt high pressure sodium light. Recently I've added a 1000 watt LED. I'm wondering if I should get rid of my HPS and get a second LED. What are your thoughts, Celt?

 

[The Celt]

@Liam Hughes

I have no experience with HPS or MH but both run quite hot and neither have a great light spectrum, HPS has too much red and little blue, MH is the opposite.

I have used the Blurple LEDs, with good results as far as yield, but quality (smell, flavour and potency) I found lacking after I started experimenting with white LEDs. I run a variable wattage 3200k White LED that I built from 4 x 100w Cree COBs that use 20 5w SMDs, in my seed tent. It produces the best bud as far as aroma and flavour but only penetrates about 12” into the canopy.

In the big tent I run 2 - 630 DE CHM lights with 3100k bulbs. These lights produce near the quality of the LED but is more potent and can penetrate 18+ inches into the canopy and as such, more yield. These 2 lights, with a 6” fan on full, keeps my tent about 80F, 10F warmer than the LED seed tent.

Last grow, a haywire grow as I had issues with one plant in there and I am away a lot with work, yield was about 1g/w which I can hit with the LED. This grow will have 18 Blue Dream plants in 11.5gallon pots of my organic supersoil. These plants will be topped twice and tops spaced at 8” apart. This is to see how far I can push yields, expecting near 2g/w.

My guess for why white light produces better quality than Blurple LEDs and the HPS/MH is the broader spectrum of light. Smells and flavours need that green/yellow light which is lacking in these lights. Not to mention, the HPS/MH lights heat will burn of a lot of the terpenes responsible for the smells and flavour.

Having used LEDs and CMH, I found the CMH to be the best bang for your buck. $380 each out of Ontario, tax in and free shipping to your door about 3 days later.

 

[Liam Hughes]

@Liam Hughes

I have no experience with HPS or MH but both run quite hot and neither have a great light spectrum, HPS has too much red and little blue, MH is the opposite.

I have used the Blurple LEDs, with good results as far as yield, but quality (smell, flavour and potency) I found lacking after I started experimenting with white LEDs. I run a variable wattage 3200k White LED that I built from 4 x 100w Cree COBs that use 20 5w SMDs, in my seed tent. It produces the best bud as far as aroma and flavour but only penetrates about 12” into the canopy.

In the big tent I run 2 - 630 DE CHM lights with 3100k bulbs. These lights produce near the quality of the LED but is more potent and can penetrate 18+ inches into the canopy and as such, more yield. These 2 lights, with a 6” fan on full, keeps my tent about 80F, 10F warmer than the LED seed tent.

Last grow, a haywire grow as I had issues with one plant in there and I am away a lot with work, yield was about 1g/w which I can hit with the LED. This grow will have 18 Blue Dream plants in 11.5gallon pots of my organic supersoil. These plants will be topped twice and tops spaced at 8” apart. This is to see how far I can push yields, expecting near 2g/w.

My guess for why white light produces better quality than Blurple LEDs and the HPS/MH is the broader spectrum of light. Smells and flavours need that green/yellow light which is lacking in these lights. Not to mention, the HPS/MH lights heat will burn of a lot of the terpenes responsible for the smells and flavour.

Having used LEDs and CMH, I found the CMH to be the best bang for your buck. $380 each out of Ontario, tax in and free shipping to your door about 3 days later.

Thanks so much, Celt. I have some studying to do.

 

[The Celt]

 

[The Celt]

@Liam Hughes

Just to give you an idea of what CMH are capable of, this is from that last “wild” grow in the tent, I was using whatever I could find to tie and support the colas.

Each of those colas in the first pictures were like the last picture when cut, about 24” long and dried weight approx 30g. Entire crop of 5 plants yielded 2.5+ lbs

 

[Liam Hughes]

@Liam Hughes

Just to give you an idea of what CMH are capable of, this is from that last “wild” grow in the tent, I was using whatever I could find to tie and support the colas.

Each of those colas in the first pictures were like the last picture when cut, about 24” long and dried weight approx 30g. Entire crop of 5 plants yielded 2.5+ lbs

Nice. I assume you're using 1000 watt? Any idea how long the bulb lasts? Looking to replace my clunky HPS lighting. I was considering going with 2x 1000 watt LED in my 2x4x4 tent. My brother uses just one 1000 watt LED and has been getting excellent results.

 

[The Celt]

My CMH are 630 DE units, for a total of 1230w in the 4x8 tent.

As for bulbs, I don’t remember what they claim on longevity is but was longer than HPS/MH bulbs. I will monitor the output and change them as I feel necessary.

 

[Liam Hughes]

That will be a project for early June on my return from Europe. My grow tent will be empty at that time. Thanks for the info, Celt.

 

[The Celt]

Anytime mate