Mystery Seed's 400W LED Grow Journal - ScrOG - 2'x2'x5' Tent

[arellanobrian]

Ya I used some t5s in my last grow I used a 12 buld t5 I got from eBay as well and I did have some heat problems but it was because I kept them no more than 2-3 inches from the tops. I had the same problems under the mars lights and the mars seemed hotter closer but because you wanna keep the led's farther away I ended with about the same temp fluctuations so I have to have a rotating fan in the tent and a fan outside the tent blowing air in, I badly need a duct fan so I can keep the doors closed and have the tents be more light proof

 

[arellanobrian]

My max temps before I had the fan blowing in were between 65 and 85 and with the air blowing in between 63-78 not o whole lot but the lower I can keep the fluctuations and the closer I can get the top temps at about 75 the more im sure ill get better results. But honestly I didnt notice the plants start disliking the temps until the temps got to be @ 90 for over an hour or 2

 

[MysterySeeds]

Thanks to joining me on this journey, Dentu. I'll try to answer your questions in a concise manner:

By the way, this is one place that people do not treat you like you are a moron for asking something...some other sites, some of the people are so crude.

Glad you made your way to the 420 forums!

Still haven't quite figured out how to use the search here...keeps wanting to do an advanced search, wanting other things, where to look...tags...haven't the foggiest! Teaching an old dog....haha

I have some of the same problems. I just plan to use the advanced search because the search bar above never works. Does anybody have a fix? If a post has important information, I usually change the post title to reflect the information contained within. This helps other users search for the information later on. To do that, click the "Go Advanced" button which takes you to a page with more posting options like the ability to change the title and/or add tags.


This is my first grow, so I can't speak much for different types of growing medium when it comes to cannabis. I have heard though that coco coir and perlite make a great medium because they basically act like a hydroponic system that you hand water. As for soil, stores like Ace Hardware or True Value can often order Fox Farm or other specialty soils... you just have to ask.

Do you know the real difference between the Hydro brand you bought and the "cheaper" ones you can buy online? I hear people say you should stay away from these "cheaper ones", but when I read the technical information, I don't ind too many differences. Do you know? I would love to invest in led lights, but the systems they seem so expensive. And every place seems they work better with hydroponic set ups...do they work the same way with soil?
Thanks for everyone's time...good grows to all!

Here's one of the "old model" 300w LED grow lights from Mars Hydro:

In the description, it details the difference between Mars Hydro lights and the cheaper models found throughout Ebay. I consider Mars Hydro lights to be mid-grade LED lights, affordable and effective, but not as effective as higher-end LED lights. That said, I'm very satisfied with my Mars II 400w LED. The light is heavy-duty and well built with heat sinks and more than enough fans to cool the LEDs. The true test will be to see how much bud it will ultimately help me grow.

If you have more questions or would like clarification, please ask away.

 

[MysterySeeds]

Looking good, I like the speaker set-up, it's like the one I made from a box with some CFLs. In a month I hope to have some clones to put outside to enjoy the Colorado sunshine.

Your Golden Goat is doing well. Did you cut clones from that plant before you flowered it? Also, it's easier for other users to find your grow if you put it in your signature. The directions to do that can be found here: How To Add Links To Signatures

 

[COgrower]

Your Golden Goat is doing well. Did you cut clones from that plant before you flowered it? Also, it's easier for other users to find your grow if you put it in your signature. The directions to do that can be found here: How To Add Links To Signatures

I've got some clones cooking, I hope they take. It's not a journal, just some pics I took on 4/20 that are in my gallery. I might do a journal for the clones if they root.

 

[MysterySeeds]

I've been looking at LED's still pretty expensive. I have a 4x4 grow tent so I need one with a bit of coverage. The Mars 1200 I believe is about $500.

The Mars II 1200w runs for about $436 on their website.

Right now they're running specials on pairs of the "old model" 600w LEDs for about $350. They can be daisy chained together to equal 1200w and them being separate might allow better light placement. The main difference between the "old model" and the Mars II Series is that the Mars II has 5w LEDs while the "old model" has 3w LEDs. The 5w LEDs penetrate deeper into the canopy, but 3w LEDs provide a more even distribution of light. That said, reviews for both are very positive.

 

[MysterySeeds]

I might do a journal for the clones if they root.

Keep me updated if you do start a journal. I'd love to see how your plants do in the fresh mountain air and sunshine.

 

[arellanobrian]

Yes I would love to see some girls in my home state I love Colorado and wish I lived in an area where less ppl live to grow outdoors

 

[MysterySeeds]

The Autos are Flowering!

It's Day 35 since planting my first batch of seeds and the Bubbalicious Autoflowers have started showing some pistils! The Bubbi's are a little smaller than expected at this point, but I'm happy that they're moving along and will produce buds that I can harvest in the next month or so. Ahh, the fruits of labor.

Anyway, the two older Papayas are coming along great and the younger Papayas are doing as expected. One of the Mystery plants may also turn out to be an autoflower as what appears to be pistils have already started showing at the top. The other Mystery plant is coming right along. Enough with my words, here is the photographic proof.

{Day 35}Group shot! (April 28th, 2015)

{Day 35}Bubbalicious #1 showing some pistils. (April 28th, 2015)

{Day 35} Bubbaliciouis #2 showing some pistils. (April 28th, 2015)

{Day 35}Bubbalicious #3 showing a pistil or two, but a bit behind the other two. (April 28th, 2015)

{Day 35}Papaya #1 (April 28th, 2015)

{Day 35}Papaya #2 (April 28th, 2015)

{Day 35}Papaya #3(April 28th, 2015)

{Day 35}Papaya #4 (April 28th, 2015)

{Day 35}Mystery #1. Does that look like two pistils growing out the top? (April 28th, 2015)

{Day 35}Mystery #2 doing well. Thinking about transplanting soon. (April 28th, 2015)

Thanks for stopping by!

 

[Jimbory]

I love your plants, they look beautiful!
Yes, I think they are pistils, congratulations

 

[arellanobrian]

Ya I think youll be the first journal that will harvest good luck and looking awesome

 

[Whitty08]

The Mars II 1200w runs for about $436 on their website.

Right now they're running specials on pairs of the "old model" 600w LEDs for about $350. They can be daisy chained together to equal 1200w and them being separate might allow better light placement. The main difference between the "old model" and the Mars II Series is that the Mars II has 5w LEDs while the "old model" has 3w LEDs. The 5w LEDs penetrate deeper into the canopy, but 3w LEDs provide a more even distribution of light. That said, reviews for both are very positive.

Thank you for the information. I'll definitely have a look and see. Probably won't buy until I know what my system will produce.

 

[MysterySeeds]

Hydroponic Window Garden

This is a little off-topic, but I thought it might interest all of you green thumbs, my recycled hydroponic window garden. It uses an air pump to pump water and nutrients from the reservoir below to the top chamber which funnels into the middle and bottom chambers before returning to the reservoir. Currently, I'm growing from top-to-bottom: Mustard Spinach, Spinach, and Cherry Tomatoes. Out of all the plants growing in the window, these three are by far growing the best. That said, it might be an interesting project to try with an Autoflower strain if you have a window with plenty of sunlight.

If you have questions or want more details on how to build one, let me know and I might dedicate a post to the construction of such a system. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

 

[MysterySeeds]

Topped one, FIM'd another.

Since my last post, I started adding nutrients, topped one plant, FIM'd another, updated my SWICK Watering System, and started some LST.

I added 1tsp/gallon of FloraNova "Grow" 7-4-10 (1/2 strength) to my plants.

Updated SWICK Watering System. Now it holds about 20-quarts of water that will "wick" up through the perlite into the soil when the plant is thirsty. The glass jar is to monitor water levels, though I found it just as effective to poke a hole in the perlite with my finger and check the water level that way.

Papaya #2 with a FIM haircut. I topped Papaya #1, but didn't get a photo this go round. I choose to top one and FIM the other to see for myself what happens with each method.

Here is the Bubbalicious #1 after a little LST to expose the lower bud sites.

And now for an photo update of the plants:

Papaya #1. It is FIM'd in this photo, but I later topped it for comparison against the FIM'd Papaya #2.

Papaya #2. FIM'd

Papaya #3 and #4.

Bubbalicious #1. It's already adjusting to the LST I did on it the night before.

Baby Bubbalicious #2

Bubbalicious #3

Mystery Seed #1

Mystery Seed #2

Thanks for stopping by and taking a looksy. Until next time, keep your feet on the ground and your head in the clouds.

One love,
X

 

[Whitty08]

Everything looks awesome. I'm curious to see how well the SWICK system work. Might have to implement that in my next grow which I think is going to be either Strawberry Cough or Moby Dick. Ladies look really healthy and happy!

 

[Tranquilgreen]

Everything looks so healthy Mystery. This is going to be one great grow. Looks like the SWICK is working for you. I'm thinking my grow probably needs more nutes now considering they are a lighter green. Tomorrow I change my DWC water again.

 

[bobrown14]

Hey there Mystery, saw you over on SS's journal and thought I'd drop in and now Subb'd! Nice looking plants there too BTW. Great job nice looking buds there buddy, cant wait to see the big beautiful flowers!

I see you're running MarsII LED lamps, I'm running a MarsII 900w (5w LEDs) and 2 450 Reflector series (3W LEDs with no glass cover) in the same tent with excellent result. I'm pretty impressed with the MarsII - I have another 700W on in my VEG room that I have some Autos running along side some photo plants at 20/4 light schedule. I actually got my MarsII lamps used (1 run) on Ebay for VERY good price.

I run LOS soil like SweetSue and trying to get to all no-till next run, I'm almost there. I've not tried the swick system yet but it's looking pretty good there in your setup. I've over watered before so I'm paying attention here.

 

[MysterySeeds]

Everything looks awesome. I'm curious to see how well the SWICK system work. Might have to implement that in my next grow which I think is going to be either Strawberry Cough or Moby Dick. Ladies look really healthy and happy!

Thanks Whitty. I'll try to stay updated with any changes or improvements to my SWICK system. If you do implement it in your next grow, choose a fabric pot with a thin wall so the water can easily wick through the fabric. Brands like Smart Pot or Gro Pro work well.

As for choosing Strawberry Cough or Moby Dick, the choice is yours. If it were me, I'd choose both! So many strains, so little space. #mjgrowerproblems

 

[SweetSue]

Oh yeah, count me in! I'm mighty impressed MysterySeeds. Excellent documentation. I could only give you one of the four reps I wanted to.

Healthy, happy plants and great narrative. I like it.

One point I need to clarify: my drenches have nothing to do with salt build-up. They are micronutrients for the soil, because I won't be tilling this soil, but will continue growing in it indefinitely.

I'm a sucker for gorgeous leaves and your grow is full of them, all with rich, fabulous color. Great job.

 

[Sorenna]

Youre plants look awesome and I really like that stealthy cabinet box. Very cool. I like your SWICK set up, as well.