Budz: Mars Hydro FC-E3000, 3x3, Do Si Dos SCROG Grow

[Nunyabiz]

3x3 is virtually the same sq/ft as my 2x5.
I usually run two 25 gallon fabric pots and it usually takes 7-8 weeks to properly fill 10 sq/ft and my plants normally grow pretty quick.
I changed up this current grow because I couldn't find 25 gallon fabric pots to save my life and 30 gallon wouldn't fit so went with 20 gallon and decided to squeeze a tiny 7 gallon fabric pot on the side.
I believe it was 6 weeks to fill with two big plants and one small.

I start LST around week 2

 

[HappyHippyBeads]

Following - I need to learn more about scrogging too

 

[Buds Buddy]

Here we have the Power Cord & Light Wiring Harness. Sorry if I don't call the parts by their actual names; but not sure what they are called so I'll make due.

Included is a bag containing 2 Ratchet Rope Hangers, Wire Hanging Cables & the Daisy Chain Connector.

The other bag contains all the mounting hardware.

Here are the pics of the Hardware & the names I gave them.
From Top to Bottom in the pic.

1) Eye Bolts to hang the light from. (4)
2) Washers for the Eye Bolts (4)
3) End Cap Brackets (4)
4) Slider Nuts (4)
5) Wing Nuts (8)
6) Plastic Screws to mount the Driver to the light. (4)
***I keep my Driver outside my tent to eliminate some heat.***

I'm posting this info because this light is a little confusing on the assembly. The pics in the Manual are too small for me to see how it all goes together. Took me 3 try's & 2 Hours to figure it out. So I'll go over the assembly of it to make things easy for anyone who purchases one.

 

[Buds Buddy]

I'm just here to learn.
Bill

Yeah, but you still may notice something along the line that could be a big plus for me.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Following - I need to learn more about scrogging too

Welcome ! Happy to have you here.

 

[Emilya Green]

Sounds like fun! How far above the soil are you planning on putting your scrog screen, and how large are the holes? I used to scrog at 10" above the soil using 2" holes. Easily one plant can do it, but let me give you the advice not to put the plant in the middle of the screen, but instead to locate it in the far corner and allow all the growth to come toward you as it fills the screen. This will make it much easier to work on it and to figure out the routing for each of the branches as they come across.

 

[Bill284]

Yeah, but you still may notice something along the line that could be a big plus for me.

I jest my friend. I am here to learn but any time I can be of assistance in any way I'm in.
I'm hoping @Mars Hydro answers me soon regarding my light. But in the meantime I'd like to have been there for assembly of that light. HeHe . I'm enjoying your display.
Bill

 

[Buds Buddy]

3x3 is virtually the same sq/ft as my 2x5.
I usually run two 25 gallon fabric pots and it usually takes 7-8 weeks to properly fill 10 sq/ft and my plants normally grow pretty quick.
I changed up this current grow because I couldn't find 25 gallon fabric pots to save my life and 30 gallon wouldn't fit so went with 20 gallon and decided to squeeze a tiny 7 gallon fabric pot on the side.
I believe it was 6 weeks to fill with two big plants and one small.

I start LST around week 2

To be totally honest, I thought the whole purpose of doing a SCROG was to produce the same yield with less plants.
I also thought that SOG grows were for a quick flip turn around. Sounds like you've combined the 2 methods; which is pretty cool.
20 & 25 gallon pots in a small tent sounds crazy to me... lol. I'd be growing outside in pots that big. I don't even like the 10 gallon. Just too big to deal with in a tent for me.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Sounds like fun! How far above the soil are you planning on putting your scrog screen, and how large are the holes? I used to scrog at 10" above the soil using 2" holes. Easily one plant can do it, but let me give you the advice not to put the plant in the middle of the screen, but instead to locate it in the far corner and allow all the growth to come toward you as it fills the screen. This will make it much easier to work on it and to figure out the routing for each of the branches as they come across.

Hello & Good to see you !

Hmmm, I guess I should open the bag with the SCROG Nets to see what I ordered.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Sounds like fun! How far above the soil are you planning on putting your scrog screen, and how large are the holes? I used to scrog at 10" above the soil using 2" holes. Easily one plant can do it, but let me give you the advice not to put the plant in the middle of the screen, but instead to locate it in the far corner and allow all the growth to come toward you as it fills the screen. This will make it much easier to work on it and to figure out the routing for each of the branches as they come across.

OK, you say put it in the corner to let the plant grow toward me. So I guess I better ask a few questions on this.

1) I was planning to do most things the normal way of growing. Top between 4th & 5th node & strip the bottom 2 nodes. Then once the 4 branches grew out I was planning to top all 4 of them & put the net up.
Should I not do it this way ?

2) Do you just bend / LST the plant & SCROG the branches that grow off of it & that's why you start in a corner ?

Not questioning your method. Just want to know the how's & why's of things.

 

[Nunyabiz]

To be totally honest, I thought the whole purpose of doing a SCROG was to produce the same yield with less plants.
I also thought that SOG grows were for a quick flip turn around. Sounds like you've combined the 2 methods; which is pretty cool.
20 & 25 gallon pots in a small tent sounds crazy to me... lol. I'd be growing outside in pots that big. I don't even like the 10 gallon. Just too big to deal with in a tent for me.

True, SCROG is definitely good for getting the absolute most from the least amount of plants.
Two plants in 10 sq/ft is about right though, you don't really want to veg for 3 months.

Id use 30 gallon if I could, that would be perfect size for me indoor.
But I am doing LOS

 

[Nunyabiz]

OK, you say put it in the corner to let the plant grow toward me. So I guess I better ask a few questions on this.

1) I was planning to do most things the normal way of growing. Top between 4th & 5th node & strip the bottom 2 nodes. Then once the 4 branches grew out I was planning to top all 4 of them & put the net up.
Should I not do it this way ?

2) Do you just bend / LST the plant & SCROG the branches that grow off of it & that's why you start in a corner ?

Not questioning your method. Just want to know the how's & why's of things.

I would just bend over and LST forget the topping, that does nothing for you IMO.
I've never actually topped a plant.
I had one plant unfortunately top itself on this current grow, I had a wrench holding it down and it grew so fast overnight that in the morning the extra pressure from the 2" it grew broke the top clean off.
It ended up OK but I probably lost 5 to 7 colas plus the main top bud because of it, certainly didn't help any

 

[Emilya Green]

I would top once if I had multiple plants or quadline with one, and then scrog from there instead of the normal LST, routing the 2 or 4 main branches in 4 directions around the screen, keeping in mind a path back toward the far edge when the growth reaches the edge on your side. If you hold off on stripping the lower growth after the topping or quadding, it will fill in the area immediately surrounding the plant there in the corner, allowing the main kolas to stretch out to fill the screen. Completing a scrog screen is sort of like putting a puzzle together or mapping out a maze.

 

[Buds Buddy]

So here are the FC-E3000

Light Assembly Instructions from the Manual. Good Luck with that !

And here's what I chose to do.
I put the Eye Bolt in the Brass Fitting so I could slide it off. There are 4 Clips but you only need to remove 1 from each side rail if you do it this way. I had to do this to evenly space the Light Bars. Otherwise, the 2 Eye Bolts would be too close together; making the Wire Hangers too long to raise the light as high as I want. I try to keep my hanging wires fairly short so I can raise my light as much as possible if needed.
Here's pics of what I'm explaining.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Next you take your Slider Nuts & put 2 in each of the channels on the Mounting Rails. Two of your Light Bars will attach to these Slider Nuts when we get there.

Now we put the Brass Clips & Eye Bolts back in.

And it should look like this.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Next, you slide your End Cap Brackets in the Channels of your Mounting Rails. Line up a Light Bar with the mounting hole in the End Caps & fasten with a Plastic Wing Nut.

Then you mount the 2 Light Bars on the ends of the Rails. The Rails are approximately 2' long.

If you measure 7.25" from the center fin on the Light bar to the center fin on the next light bar you will have placed all 4 light bars at 7.25" apart.

The main section is now together.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Now take your Wiring Harness & connect it to the light. It has a notch in the Light Bar end & a Flat Prong on the Harness Ends that you push in & twist to connect.

The Driver & Dimmer Switch are Pre-Mounted on some really convenient Slider Brackets. The Plastic Mounting Screws are used to mount the Driver to the Light. However, I mount mine to a board that sits on top of my tent.

Here's what I did. As you can see the Driver Mounting Brackets are fully adjustable.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Time for the Hanging Hardware. 2 Wire Hangers & 2 Ratchet Rope Hangers. As I said, I like my Hanging Wire short; so I double it up. I remove 1 of the aluminum hooks from the wire & put it on the other end. Then I put both wires on the 1st end through the other hook. I've done this to all my lights & have never had a balancing issue. They seem to stay put. Maybe you can see in the pics what I've done here.

Here is the 3 x 3 x 6 Tent with the Ratchet Rope Hangers.

And some pics of the Mars Hydro FC-E3000 lighting up the tent. Some pics are at 50% & some at 75%.

 

[Buds Buddy]

All caught up on the pre-view part of this journal. I'll post pics of the plant tomorrow to get things started.

 

[BakedARea]

Heck yeah! Count me in @Buds Buddy and many thanks for the tag! What another killer light setup and tutorial. That light is going to kill it in that tent!

I have never done a SCROG either. Definitely looking forward to learning more. I already learned some good wisdom on the first page! So thank you for tagging me.

If you did 4 plants in small 5 gal pots you would cut your veg in half

Uhhh...in half?! Seems hard to believe if already in veg for only 5-6 weeks.

I figured since you still get some stretch after flip I'd only need to Veg about 5 - 6 weeks ? Like I said, I've never done SCROG so don't know if I'm correct in my assumption.

Following - I need to learn more about scrogging too

Same here!

Sounds like fun! How far above the soil are you planning on putting your scrog screen, and how large are the holes? I used to scrog at 10" above the soil using 2" holes. Easily one plant can do it, but let me give you the advice not to put the plant in the middle of the screen, but instead to locate it in the far corner and allow all the growth to come toward you as it fills the screen. This will make it much easier to work on it and to figure out the routing for each of the branches as they come across.

Comes in with a big ass punch of wisdom as always! Love it.

I don't even like the 10 gallon. Just too big to deal with in a tent for me.

I agree. If I have to move a pot, I would rather move a smaller one than a large one. Also, a smaller pot will help control growth. I'm already worried about the final size of my plants that are going into 7 gallons.

Id use 30 gallon if I could, that would be perfect size for me indoor.
But I am doing LOS

Why does the container size limit your ability to do LOS? That confused me. I would think it is easier to keep a larger container going with LOS.

Next year, I may try a large container to fill my 5x5 and plant multiple plants in it. Hmmm...

Then the thought of lugging all that soil in and back out if I decide to go back to smaller containers. Hmmm...