Please help us pick a light

[missty80]

Here is Cherry Wine CBD. Sopposed to be 18-20% CBD, and .3 THC Legal Industrial Hemp seeds.

This is day 68 from seed. I started her on 12/12 till she showed sex, then i topped, transplanted and flipped to 18/6 for 14 days. Topped again in that 2 weeks time, and then flipped back to 12/12 on day 30 from seed. She showed sex in 16 days from seed.

I made my own light, using 4 cobs and a 730 NM night puck. I use around 200-230 watts most of the time, and then blast them with 300 watts for 2 hours mid day, then back them down to 200 watts. They love the rest, and sometimes, like in these pics, i dim to 50 watts total, like cloud cover,lol.. the enjoy the rest it seems.

Using CocoLoco, and to date, she only got 400 PPM of MegaCrop in the 68 days. I didnt feed her anything for around 60 days i think it was. She only had 2 feedings, on Mondays.. Rest is RO water/Mag, 1 dose of PK boost, getting another monday. 2 total doses for the grow. 1 early flower, 1 mid flower, .. 1 dose of Open seasme early flower 2 doeses of Recharge. I never feed more then 250PPM at one time/ per week. The first feed, was only 100 PPMs of Megacrop.

This is a 3x5 area, but use mainly just the back of the closet, or about 3x3 area for light concentration.

the frost is amazing for a CBD i think. The smell is like rotten cherries, almost peppery smell, cheesey smell.
4.5 weeks left, 10 weeks strain.

Morel of this post, Cocoloco is awesome stuff. Need for Cal-mag a must if using LEDs, not sure about the CMHs. Water when the pot is around 70% light.

@Mayne lovely and well done, i hope i can do that well

<3 mist

 

[Greenlizard]

hi

yes, i'm venting it. the grow tent came with a vent fan + carbon air filter, plus i'm going to run 2 smaller fans, one on the side and one below the plants to discourage mold and pests (if i'm understanding right) and to strengthen the stalks.

i think that'll be ok for fresh air and controlling excess heat, right? i think there won't be a lot of heat, as you said.

i plan on just using one of the CMH lights i listed above, so that should be good for decent harvests without getting too hot...i hope anyway :3

<3 misty

Sounds like you did your homework. Your off to a great start. Happy Growing.

 

[Alafornia]

Happy for you to get started @missty80 . The CMH lights get as hot as the same wattage LED. You have ventilation and circulation. You'll be fine with heat as you would with any other. Glad you sent back the bubble kit. There is something to be said for simplicity.

You are going to do well and we are going to help you make sure of it. You need to continue doing your homework on this so you have the foundation of knowledge. You seem to have done a great job with this already.

Make a grow journal. Look below in my signature for the "helpful links for new members" then click on "how to make a grow journal". Once you make one we'll be able to follow along. Place a link in your signature and come back here to post when you've made the journal and we'll be able to follow along and provide some guidance. Ultimately it's your grow but you've come to the best possible place to get help in making it a success for mom.

Good luck and hope to see that journal sometime soon.

Good choice on the light. Really, there was no wrong choice at all - well, I take that back. lol. But just about anything recommended here would suffice. I am confident that your choice will provide sufficient yield and hopefully be no trouble as I can't speak to the brand.

Sending love and peace of mind to you and mom. Tell her to chill. You got this. We got your back.

 

[missty80]

Happy for you to get started @missty80 . The CMH lights get as hot as the same wattage LED. You have ventilation and circulation. You'll be fine with heat as you would with any other. Glad you sent back the bubble kit. There is something to be said for simplicity.

You are going to do well and we are going to help you make sure of it. You need to continue doing your homework on this so you have the foundation of knowledge. You seem to have done a great job with this already.

Make a grow journal. Look below in my signature for the "helpful links for new members" then click on "how to make a grow journal". Once you make one we'll be able to follow along. Place a link in your signature and come back here to post when you've made the journal and we'll be able to follow along and provide some guidance. Ultimately it's your grow but you've come to the best possible place to get help in making it a success for mom.

Good luck and hope to see that journal sometime soon.

Good choice on the light. Really, there was no wrong choice at all - well, I take that back. lol. But just about anything recommended here would suffice. I am confident that your choice will provide sufficient yield and hopefully be no trouble as I can't speak to the brand.

Sending love and peace of mind to you and mom. Tell her to chill. You got this. We got your back.

@Alafornia thank you SO MUCH for the support, we sure need it right now <3

i'm def gonna do a grow journal, i'm esp grateful for you guys converting me to use coco instead of DWC bubble, i've been reading more about it and it seems forgiving and less complex

now i'm just trying to get a grip on the nutrient feeding and watering schedule so i don't over or under water, and i'm thinking about getting 5 gallon air pots instead of 2 gallon bc someone on grow weed easy was saying his 2 gallon fabric pots might have stunted his autoflowers' growth, but idk, who knows?

i'm trying to keep it easy, but at the same time trying to avoid buying bigger/more stuff in the future and getting things complicated all over again...

idk i'm just rambling at this point so i'll stop now

<3 misty

 

[missty80]

Sounds like you did your homework. Your off to a great start. Happy Growing.

@Greenlizard thank you, i'm sure trying my best to do the right thing

<3 misty

 

[farside05]

I'll def check out mega nutrients, hopefully can find it on prime.

Order your first 300g bag direct from Greenleaf. They will give you a "free sample". Look for the free sample promo code on their website. You pay shipping. Will probably be around $5 for the shipping. If you are growing just 2 plants, the 300g bag might get you through your entire first grow.

 

[Alafornia]

@Alafornia thank you SO MUCH for the support, we sure need it right now <3

i'm def gonna do a grow journal, i'm esp grateful for you guys converting me to use coco instead of DWC bubble, i've been reading more about it and it seems forgiving and less complex

now i'm just trying to get a grip on the nutrient feeding and watering schedule so i don't over or under water, and i'm thinking about getting 5 gallon air pots instead of 2 gallon bc someone on grow weed easy was saying his 2 gallon fabric pots might have stunted his autoflowers' growth, but idk, who knows?

i'm trying to keep it easy, but at the same time trying to avoid buying bigger/more stuff in the future and getting things complicated all over again...

idk i'm just rambling at this point so i'll stop now

<3 misty

It's quite simpleaccording to @Barney86 :

All you need to know about how to feed in Coco

Simple and to the point. Other methods may work but this is a good simple starting point. I won't be much help for coco other than to point you to others since I'm learning on super soil. Hopefully I can help in other ways and I know others will step up to help.

You guys relax, take a few deep breaths, and try to enjoy being with each other this evening knowing you've got this.

 

[No Pain]

sorry to here about what you are going through , You are in the right place for help . For that size tent I would recommend spectrum king closet case 140W . I just produced over 1g per watt off of one plant in a space almost half that size and they are rated for 3x3 flowering space . They run cool and have a great warranty and a great product . Its all I use . By all means stay away from amazon blurple lamps I have 1k worth collecting dust in my attic .

 

[Barney86]

It's quite simpleaccording to @Barney86 :

All you need to know about how to feed in Coco

Simple and to the point. Other methods may work but this is a good simple starting point. I won't be much help for coco other than to point you to others since I'm learning on super soil. Hopefully I can help in other ways and I know others will step up to help.

You guys relax, take a few deep breaths, and try to enjoy being with each other this evening knowing you've got this.

Thanks for the tag bud.

Nothing complicated about Coco or hydro really. They're the same thing pretty much. Same rules to follow just a different delivery. Soil terrifies me lol.

@missty80 I'll happily help you along with the grow if you need anything. It's easy like. Just don't over think things and they look after themselves

 

[Nigorski]

I use the cheap amazon led’s For baby’s and a 400 watt MH/hps for the girls I throw into flower. 1 3x3 tent for the less and 1 for the big light. Works out great for me

 

[Mayne]

@Alafornia thank you SO MUCH for the support, we sure need it right now <3

i'm def gonna do a grow journal, i'm esp grateful for you guys converting me to use coco instead of DWC bubble, i've been reading more about it and it seems forgiving and less complex

now i'm just trying to get a grip on the nutrient feeding and watering schedule so i don't over or under water, and i'm thinking about getting 5 gallon air pots instead of 2 gallon bc someone on grow weed easy was saying his 2 gallon fabric pots might have stunted his autoflowers' growth, but idk, who knows?

i'm trying to keep it easy, but at the same time trying to avoid buying bigger/more stuff in the future and getting things complicated all over again...

idk i'm just rambling at this point so i'll stop now

<3 misty

Just keep in mind Misty, bigger the pot, bigger the plant. I showed you a pic of a CBD plant in a 2 gallon, in a 3x3, with litereally no veg time, and it takes the entire area. There is no way to fit 2 plants in this grow area if they are grown correctly. If your going with a 5 gallon, 1 plant per 3x3. STAY AWAY FROM FABRIC POTS,lol.. Those plastic SuperRoot pots you have picked out are awesome. Reusable for life time, easy to clean, and simple.

Id imagine your not going to scrog with the net, being so new to the game, but will be something u might want to learn to do for future grows.

 

[Barney86]

Just keep in mind Misty, bigger the pot, bigger the plant. I showed you a pic of a CBD plant in a 2 gallon, in a 3x3, with litereally no veg time, and it takes the entire area. There is no way to fit 2 plants in this grow area if they are grown correctly. If your going with a 5 gallon, 1 plant per 3x3. STAY AWAY FROM FABRIC POTS,lol.. Those plastic SuperRoot pots you have picked out are awesome. Reusable for life time, easy to clean, and simple.

Id imagine your not going to scrog with the net, being so new to the game, but will be something u might want to learn to do for future grows.

Nice plant mate. How long she take to veg?

 

[Mayne]

As far as the water/Feed..

Again, if you go the Cocoloco route, you wont need any nutes for 60 days at least. Just cal-mag. From that point, I let the bottom leaves tell me i need to start MegaCrop. Ive let cocoloco dry out forseveral days, and the still didnt droop, so it gives you some protection of sorts. Just learn to feel the weight of the pots when they are light and heavy.

On mondays, i give PPMs of Nutes, (megaCrop or PK flower Boost ) (250PPM MAX per week )When she needs water after Monday, Then I do RO-water, Then i do Cal-mag- (100PPM) then the Next will be RO Only water, then Cal-mag ( 100ppm ) then RO if u dont make it to Monday.

My PPM per week is calculated with the amount of watts/Par that the plant is getting. So i use around 250 watts, I dont want my plant getting more then 250PPMs of Nutes per week. 400 MAX towards end of flower phase.

Alot of watts = alot of PPMs, being in the 300 watts range, Over feeding can happen fast, and once its started, it never really recovers, and your meds will taste horrible, stunt growth.

Id rather underfeed, then over feed, and a 300watt plant, sure the heck wont need the same amount of nutes a 1000Watt HPS would use.

ALOT OF growers here, OVER FEED. Your leafs shouldnt be brown till last week of flush, White tips is threshold, brown tips is over feeding indication.

 

[Mayne]

Nice plant mate. How long she take to veg?

Thanks Barney, that was a 60 day veg, 2 days in 12/12.. those was started 12/12, sexed, then topped and flipped to 18/6 for 40 days, then flipped back to 12/12. The 12/12 start till sex shows, and then flipping back to 18/6 is truely amazing, because it goes thru 2 - stretch periods, and allows you to really spread her out for a scrog.

I actually ended up tearing this grow out, because I couldnt control humidity, it was always 85%, no matter what i did, couldnt afford a good humidifier. regreted it endlessly,lol.. Thats a strain of FireOG/Chemdog i created.

 

[Barney86]

Thanks Barney, that was a 60 day veg, 2 days in 12/12.. those was started 12/12, sexed, then topped and flipped to 18/6 for 40 days, then flipped back to 12/12. The 12/12 start till sex shows, and then flipping back to 18/6 is truely amazing, because it goes thru 2 - stretch periods, and allows you to really spread her out for a scrog.

I actually ended up tearing this grow out, because I couldnt control humidity, it was always 85%, no matter what i did, couldnt afford a good humidifier. regreted it endlessly,lol.. Thats a strain of FireOG/Chemdog i created.

Ahh that's a good idea isnt it. Never heard of that before. Didn't realise it would work.
So your saying if you start reg seeds on 12/12 they'll show by 20ish days and then you flip em back to veg?
Sexing can be done iether in the bloom tent or in a cupboard with a shitty little light so doesn't add any time into the grow and it's only the 40 days that count?
That's pretty smart mate I like it.
If that's what you mean anyway?

 

[Mayne]

Ahh that's a good idea isnt it. Never heard of that before. Didn't realise it would work.
So your saying if you start reg seeds on 12/12 they'll show by 20ish days and then you flip em back to veg?
Sexing can be done iether in the bloom tent or in a cupboard with a shitty little light so doesn't add any time into the grow and it's only the 40 days that count?
That's pretty smart mate I like it.
If that's what you mean anyway?

Yeap, basicly. Veg to fill your scrog, or area as long as u wish, thats up to you, but the 12/12 from start till sex shows, is the way to go in my book. Your not wasting time and money on a plant that you grow for 50 days, just to find out its a male, ugg. sex them as fast as you can, pull the males, and on you go. I also think, that when you do the final flip to 12/12, the buds start forming much earlier then if you did the traditional veg- to flower, which can be up to 20 days sometimes.

I have some more FireOG cross i germd, getting ready for the solos today, so going to treat just like the Cherry wine above. Its a fast strain to, like a 45 day flower. But will be using my Perfect sun mini mostly for that plant, in the same grow area. WIth the Cocoloco, I will probably only get 1-2 feeds of the MegaCrop because the grow cycle is like 80 days total. Seeing i didnt start to see alot of need for the Cherry wine till day 60, should be interesting. In the past, I WAYYYYYYYY over feed my plants in the Cocoloco, till i figured out, the stuff didnt need anything for a long period of time.

 

[Barney86]

Yeap, basicly. Veg to fill your scrog, or area as long as u wish, thats up to you, but the 12/12 from start till sex shows, is the way to go in my book. Your not wasting time and money on a plant that you grow for 50 days, just to find out its a male, ugg. sex them as fast as you can, pull the males, and on you go. I also think, that when you do the final flip to 12/12, the buds start forming much earlier then if you did the traditional veg- to flower, which can be up to 20 days sometimes.

I have some more FireOG cross i germd, getting ready for the solos today, so going to treat just like the Cherry wine above. Its a fast strain to, like a 45 day flower. But will be using my Perfect sun mini mostly for that plant, in the same grow area. WIth the Cocoloco, I will probably only get 1-2 feeds of the MegaCrop because the grow cycle is like 80 days total. Seeing i didnt start to see alot of need for the Cherry wine till day 60, should be interesting. In the past, I WAYYYYYYYY over feed my plants in the Cocoloco, till i figured out, the stuff didnt need anything for a long period of time.

I love Coco mate but I'd never use that stuff. Prefer a blank canvas me. Leaves less to chance when you know exactly whats in it.
Seen a lot of guys struggle with the stuff because it's gotta be treated more like soil.
It's a hydro media and in my opinion should be treated as such for optimum results.

Not looking for an argument mate, just a friendly exchange of Info. Were in opposite ends of the spectrum in the same media so I think it would be healthy to see the differences In preloaded Vs a blank canvas.
Shit... Not finished but gotta go. Be back.

 

[Mayne]

I still end up watering every day now, but ive found keeping it saturated like straight coco isnt a good idea with cocoloco. A big thing is, the PH must be above 6.5 for your water.

ive done 5.7 and looked like crap, but then again, i was over feeding to begin with, so might have to start another and water 7 times a day.

 

[BTzGrow]

First let me wish you the best from your efforts to grow medicinal cannabis for your mom. I really believe there is much more to healing with cannabis than we know.

Second, I have had great success with LED's and kept my electric bill lower and not required a/c to keep things cool. My total electrical use for 3 mini's, a 100watt HLG Quantum Board, two blowers, two monkey fan's, and a tiny dehumidifier is under 200kWatts per month. At my cost in Southern California of $.21 cents per kwatt that works out to be well under $50 per month. In most other places around the country, the electrical cost are almost half, but if you are on a budget, cost count. Speaking of cost, another place people spend too much is on nutrients. I use a very simple mix and keep my cost per gallon of water under$.15cents. The Hempy Bucket media I use only requires about 2 liters every other day.

I started with Black Diamond Perfect Sun Mini's that are rated at 120watts. I used two in a 2x2.5x6'7" Gorilla Grow tent. The spacing allows me ultimate coverage and would certainly cover a 3x3tent. I now use two in a 2x4 GGT for flowering and a single in the 2x2.5 for veg. I have a small third tent that is 2x2 and use the 100watt HLG in it.

To give you an idea of how well the 100watt HLG Quantum works, I grew from start to finish a UK Cheese Auto under 24/7 light and it produced 2ounces. I grew this in the little 2x2x4 mini tent.

I feel for the best bang for your dollars two of the 100watt or 135watt HLG quantum boards at 4000k would rock your 3x3 tent.

I use a very different growing medium called Hempy Bucket and harvested a well over 1lbs in 2018. Please check out my signature and grow journals for what I consider a inexpensive and very productive way of growing. I have a couple of DIY projects in there for a seedling/clone propagation box and a HLG Light project I made for my brother with 4 65wattt HLG Quantum boards for his 2x2.5 Gorilla Grow Tent. I prefer smaller multiple light sources as I feel the coverage is much great and productive.

Good luck with your efforts and please know there are as many different opinions as there are growers. Just find the one that suits you best and adapt it for your specific needs.

 

[Slowpuffer]

what do you guys think about this one on amazon for $142? remember my grow tent is 36x36x72...


MARS HYDRO TS 1000W


or this one?
FISSIONING LED Grow Light 120W Full Spectrum 3000K Quantum Panel with Samsung LM301B and Meanwell Driver

i'd love to buy one of those nice HLG lights but at over $350 i just can't really afford it right now =/

is 72" high enough to not burn my plants with any of these lights?

i just don't know, i've been getting a lot of responses but i still don't know how MUCH light i actually need for the space, plus all these lights are "not as much wattage as advertised", i'm still so confused x.x

not saying that's anyone's fault, it's my difficulty understanding these complex things, i really appreciate everyone's advice and input.

thanks again guys...

missty80, 1st off your situation is hectic 7 the best advise I can give is go with a super soil like sohum, and immediately shed many headaches and pit falls. All you have to do is water when pots become lite. And for light, I'd do the sun prism set up, with a Phillips 3000 bulb. i got mine from grower house, for like $250. I use two of them in a 4x4x7 tent. One will cover your 3x3 nicely. Now i can tell you that you'll need to have an extraction fan and carbon filter, I would shop for the 6 inch version, probably around $180 for both. Mount your filter up high in the tent, out of the way of your lights. You will also need a couple of little plug & play 6 inch fans (clip ons) and I just bought two made by Comfort zone, for 15 bucks. the bulbs in the CMH lights last about twice the time of conventional MH bulbs, and give off far less heat. But you will not have a choice, when it comes to the fan & carbon filter, otherwise the smell in the condo will be unbearable. Are you in a state that has MM ?? And good luck !! You've already made an intelligent decision, by choosing 420 mag. as your go to place for info. Remember, the extraction fan is a must have.
And while your 1st. grow is finishing, I recommend you investigate Doc buds high brix soil, and kit. it's the easiest method of growing top shelf product, and the cheapest !! If we can ever help you & your Mom, don't hesitate to pm us!!