MedmanMike Celebrating 10th High-Brix Grow With Major Room & Equipment Upgrades

[medmanmike]

Checking in, one of my biggest complaints is lights not covering a 4 x 4 very well. I was looking at the Spyder now I get to watch one.
Thanks Mike

overlord, I have my SPYDRx running at 40% and these 18 day old seedlings are loving it. I turn up the dimmer about 5% every 4 to 5 days.

I'm already seeing a difference in size between plants (same strains) under the SPYDRx and my other LED. Not to mention preflowers are showing under the SPYDRx already.

 

[overlord]

overlord, I have my SPYDRx running at 40% and these 18 day old seedlings are loving it. I turn up the dimmer about 5% every 4 to 5 days.

I'm already seeing a difference in size between plants (same strains) under the SPYDRx and my other LED. Not to mention preflowers are showing under the SPYDRx already.

Thanks again,

I saw you made some mention about the heat they put off. Having used COBs and CMH recently, they put off more heat than I cared for in my set-up.
My understanding is the spyder has less heat, and with upcoming summer months this could be ideal. However I would like to hear from someone actually using one. Is the heat less than most or about the same or whatever?

 

[overlord]

Sorry I guess it was @Van Stank who mentioned the heat, said with good airflow it wasn't bad.

Is your experience the same as his?

 

[medmanmike]

Sorry I guess it was @Van Stank who mentioned the heat, said with good airflow it wasn't bad.

Is your experience the same as his?

Again, at 40% of power there is virtually no heat. When I put my hand an inch away from one of the Rays (that's what they call each arm or ind. light) it doesn't even feel warm. I imagine at 100% there will be some heat, but as you probably know they're "passive", have a huge heat sink and only require a minimum amount of air movement-something like 1 meter/second. Sorry can't put my hands on the exact figure at the moment.

 

[overlord]

Again, at 40% of power there is virtually no heat. When I put my hand an inch away from one of the Rays (that's what they call each arm or ind. light) it doesn't even feel warm. I imagine at 100% there will be some heat, but as you probably know they're "passive", have a huge heat sink and only require a minimum amount of air movement-something like 1 meter/second. Sorry can't put my hands on the exact figure at the moment.

Between you and VanStank I get the picture, thank you.

 

[Van Stank]

Checking in, one of my biggest complaints is lights not covering a 4 x 4 very well. I was looking at the Spyder now I get to watch one.
Thanks Mike

Great coverage OL......and heat for what you get is not bad at all. I have mine on full power (haven't hooked up the dimmer yet) and if I keep the room's door opened, I generally run 78-80 with the room temp being about 71-72. I assume when I get the dimmer installed and drop her down a little lower, that heat will be even less. But honestly I actually find I get better growth in the 80-84 degree range than I do in the 70s. So I don't mind the heat I am getting!

 

[Governmentchz]

lol...my room was 82.7 today. Higher than normal, but I had all lights on and only vent fans going. No AC of any sort. It just worked out that way though since the weather here allowed me to open the windows and enjoy a springlike day.

 

[Killerbudz]

Checking in and very clean set up indeed! Impressive that one is throwing pistils at 18 days as well. Very interested to follow along and learn from a kit vet

 

[medmanmike]

Here's a little update.

Pots were light and plants were drooping on Sunday the 19th so I gave them a double drench dunk-their first- of full strength Transplant. They've responded well and growth exploded. Here is a pic I took of Tonic Ryder #2 on Sunday before the drench and then this morning. Not sure the photos show the "growth" since the drench but it's significant.

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• medmanmike
• Mar 21, 2018

Tonic Ryder #2 March 19

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• medmanmike
• Mar 21, 2018

Tonic Ryder #2 March 21

All the girls have really taken off since the drench. All but a couple are showing pre flowers and all have very tight internodes. Here's an example, though again, not sure the pic does justice to what is.

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• medmanmike
• Mar 21, 2018

Big Bang - internodes

They also received their first Brix treatment today.

I did run into a minor negative for the first time today with the SPYDRx. Because the recommended height above the canopy is 6" the light either has to be raised or the pots removed to another location to foliar spray. Not that big a deal, but when you're use to having (EDIT) the light well above the canopy it requires a little more effort.

Not sure it this is a characteristic of Autos, but the lower side branches are growing beyond the upper fan leaves without any intervention. You can see this is the second Tonic Ryder pic. This bodes well for multiple bud sites.

 

[Van Stank]

Looking great! Strong and healthy looking plants.

 

[medmanmike]

The ladies are all doing well. Growth continues unabated, pre-flowers are abundant, branches are beginning to alternate and bud sites are becoming obvious. Today is Day 27 from breaking ground. Still waiting for them to dry out for their second drench/dunk. This time will be Growth Ionic and Tea. It's been 8 days since their first drench and probably need 3-4 days until they're ready again.

Here's a couple of pics of two of the more robust plants. One's a Tonic Ryder (Left) and the other Big Bang. Both are developing well. Lots of side branches challenging the main cola, plants are growing wide. The Tonic Ryder is 15 ½" above the dirt. Note the thickness of the stem - definitely a result of Doc's kit!

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• medmanmike
• Mar 26, 2018

Tonic Ryder & Big Bang d-27 comparison

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• medmanmike
• Mar 26, 2018

Tonic Ryder d-27 overall

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• medmanmike
• Mar 26, 2018

Tonic Ryder d-27 stem development

I thought I would also give an update on my "experiments".

1. Pot comparison: I'm trying the Gro Pot Plant Warrior 5 gal containers vs a standard nursery 5 gal trade pot. At this point it's hard to say if one if doing better than the other. The plant warriors are certainly drying out faster- they appear to hold less dirt- which may account for it. You may recall that they have a cone shaped indentation in the bottom of the pot. The sides and top of the cone are perforated so there is plenty of access to air, etc. which I'm sure impacts how quickly they dry. It may take a while to really see a difference, if there's to be one, and I may need to wait until harvest to see how they produce. Note: the first pic above gives an idea of the diff between the size of the Plant Warrior and Standard trade pots.

2. Grounding a plant: I have two Big Bang's in Plant Warrior pots. They broke ground the same day, are under the same light (Dorm Grow 450), have had the same feedings, etc. The plant that is grounded seems to be a little bigger particularly in width, and seems more robust then the other. Here are a couple of pics though I'm not sure they show the diff all that well. If you look closely at the second pic you can see the plant on the right (grounded) is a little taller and has a thicker stem and branches. (I took the pics just before lights on this am so they're a little droopy)

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• medmanmike
• Mar 26, 2018

big bang d-27 new pots 1/ground

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• medmanmike
• Mar 26, 2018

big bang d-27 comparison

4. Lights comparison - Fluence SPYDRx Plus vs Dorm Grow 450: I have six plants under the Spydrx and two under the 450. Overall I would say the plants under the Spydrx are bigger, have thicker growth and are wider. Again, it's probably too early for any conclusive comparison. FYI, the 450 is kept at 14" above the canopy per the manufacturer 's recommendation. I keep the Spydrx at 6", again per the manufacturer. I'm currently running the Spydrx at 65% which, according to Fluence, produces approx. 592 µmols/m2/s. Fluence recommends 300-600 µmols/m2/s for cannabis in the vegetative state. Given these are autos it's a little tricky knowing exactly where they are in the growth cycle. My plan is to keep the light at 65% until there's definite buds forming.

More later...

 

[Governmentchz]

Great update. I appreciate the comparisons you're doing as well as the lighting observations. My veg cabinet is on point and I can't imagine anything covering the 3x4 space better than I am right now...but I feel I can do better over my flower tray. Really looking forward to the next stages for that.

Honestly, your plants are all healthy. Turgid, lime-green stems, flat leaves. I'd find it hard to tell one's better than the other...lmao

 

[medmanmike]

A quick update.

Yesterday plants were pruned, top-dressed with ReCharge and fresh soil and each received approx. 1 gallon of ¼ Transplant/H2O. Bud sites are developing well and growth continues in earnest. Here are some pics - the first two are of a Tonic Ryder thats shows the general structure of the plants after pruning and the numerous bud sites that are developing. The next two are of a Green-O-Matic. The first an overall shot and the second, a close up of the main cola.

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• medmanmike
• Mar 31, 2018

Tonic Ryder, D-30 after pruning

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• medmanmike
• Mar 31, 2018

Tonic Ryder, D-30 top view

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• medmanmike
• Mar 31, 2018

Green-O-Matic, D-30 bud sites

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• medmanmike
• Mar 31, 2018

Green-O-Matic, D-30 main cola/bud sites

These Autos are growing so fast it's a challenge knowing when to apply the typical HB regimen, for example, when to add ReCharge. So far, so good. I plan on waiting to apply the Cat Drench until the buds are similar in size to what a photoperiod plant would be.

The SPYDRx is now set to 75%. Now that the plants are definitely in the flower stage, I'm increasing it by 5% every two days.

I wanted to share an observation regarding CO2 levels in the room and asked if anyone else has noticed this. When I installed my controller I had to calibrate it outside of the house to get a more accurate reading for my location. The manual indicated it should read around 400 ppm, give or take 50 ppm. I live in the woods, so there's a lot of decay of organic material which raises the ppm. My reading was 450. Once I put the unit in the grow room, the CO2 was in the range of 600-800 ppm. I haven't installed the CO2 unit yet. Sentinel customer support explained that CO2 levels inside are often higher and with pots full of dirt and small plants not consuming the CO2, the levels would naturally be high.

It's not uncommon for the unit to consistently register as high as 1,000 ppm. When I work in the room for any length of time, it goes up even higher. One day it was over 2,000 ppm! Now, humans are CO2 producing machines, but this really surprised me. So, without any supplemental CO2 the room typically reads 800-1,000 ppm. I imagine as the plants continue to grow they will consume more and the reading will be lower, though it makes me wonder if I even need to add any CO2. Anyone else seeing a similar thing?

 

[overlord]

I installed my controller but don't have the CO2 yet. However the sensor still picks up the levels, and I noticed the same. Up as high as 1800 and down under 400 after the fans run. Usually between 500 and 800 ppm on average.

 

[Governmentchz]

Same here. Calibrated last year at about 420ppm, but room reads over 600 regularly. Went as high as 1100, but seems to stay in the 600-700 range most times. I've not supplemented anything yet.

 

[Van Stank]

Really curious to see how much difference you get with the Spydrx while using CO2.

I am officially in flower with mine and loving it!

 

[medmanmike]

I installed my controller but don't have the CO2 yet. However the sensor still picks up the levels, and I noticed the same. Up as high as 1800 and down under 400 after the fans run. Usually between 500 and 800 ppm on average.

Same here. Calibrated last year at about 420ppm, but room reads over 600 regularly. Went as high as 1100, but seems to stay in the 600-700 range most times. I've not supplemented anything yet.

Really curious to see how much difference you get with the Spydrx while using CO2.

I am officially in flower with mine and loving it!

Thanks, guys. I'm quite surprised by the levels of CO2 that we're all experiencing. I was always under the impression that the plants would use up what Co2 there was and growth would suffer, hence the need to regularly exchange the air and/or supplement.

Fluence (SPYDRx manufacturer) recommends greater than or equal to 800 ppm in flower And as one raises the PPFD of the light the need for supplemental CO2 increases - up to 1400 ppm.

Obviously it depends on many factors- size of room, number of plants, size of plants, etc. the autos I'm growing are quite small (15-24") at present so we'll see as they continue to grow.

I'm thinking I'll not supplement this grow to see if the current levels remain similar. My next grow will also be Autos so I may try supplementing then to see if it makes a dif.

It may take a grow with photos to know for sure.

 

[medmanmike]

Great coverage OL......and heat for what you get is not bad at all. I have mine on full power (haven't hooked up the dimmer yet) and if I keep the room's door opened, I generally run 78-80 with the room temp being about 71-72. I assume when I get the dimmer installed and drop her down a little lower, that heat will be even less. But honestly I actually find I get better growth in the 80-84 degree range than I do in the 70s. So I don't mind the heat I am getting!

VS, you're probably aware that Fluence stats show low 80s as ideal for cannabis with their light. They do recommend >/= 800 ppm of CO2. Is your garden stayin this high? I'm still not supplementing and my garden is typically in the 600-1,000 ppm range.

My controller is set for 78° with a 2° hysteresis so I'm often at 80°.

The plants under the Spyder also are consuming a lot more water than those under the other light. Yours?

 

[medmanmike]

Here's a little update on the garden.

Today is day 47 from breaking ground for the majority of the plants. Some are building flowers like crazy - Tonic Ryder #2 and the Green-o-Matic. The Big Bangs are much slower, but coming along. Two of the BBs have had their first CAT drench, the other three will probably get theirs at the next feeding.

I currently have to water every other day, especially the plants under the SPYDRX . Haven't pulled a plant to look at the roots but I'm guessing they're getting root bound in their 5 gallon pots.

As I stated in my reply (above) to Van Stank, the flower development of the plants under the SPYDRx is much greater than the two under my other LED. The growth in general is similar, but def. a difference in flower development. I've included a couple of pics that show this-though I'm not sure it's a good comparison.

Here's some pics of the ladies. (Just noticed I labeled the third picture incorrectly. It's actually the other side of the Green-o-Matic)

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• medmanmike
• Apr 15, 2018

Green-o-Matic day 47 from breaking ground, cola formation

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• medmanmike
• Apr 15, 2018

Tonic Ryder day 47 cola formation

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• medmanmike
• Apr 15, 2018

Tonic Ryder day 47 from breaking ground

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• medmanmike
• Apr 15, 2018

Big Bang DG LED day 47

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• medmanmike
• Apr 15, 2018

Big Bang day 47 under SPYDRx LED

 

[Van Stank]

I am not measuring any CO2 PPM at all, nor am I running CO2.

My plants are drinking a lot more water under this light than they did under other lights. I also see that the light is testing the limits of my soil, especially calcium.