CMH lights: What is the deal?

[ThaTinMan]

I do have sonic humidifiers. They spit out micro nodes of water mist. Plants love it. Can get any numbers that are needed. Just have to find those numbers, like a bloody virgin all over again! Haha!

 

[ThaTinMan]

Well, this morning we have a totally different look. Darker color, only the 2 midsize plants have yellowing at dead center, small amount. Gotta be their wet still. Already flushed and cleaned, so we will see.
7000 LUX may be the key. Larger plants now opening up and grew ever ever so slowly. But IT DID MOVE!Been staring at these every day for 2 and a half weeks! We will see, so far so good.

 

[ThaTinMan]

I have 2 digital controls for humidity, for back up. 1 digital and 3 analog temp gauges. Sentinel and Inkbird (which runs my kickbutt dehumidifier if it get too high). I turned off lights for 2 hours last night on a hunch.
My god, humidity climbed to 100%rh and like 85% humidity!
It was a struggle all day long to keep dumping humidity from sonic units.
Then it all appeared suddenly!
My dehumidifier ate it in minutes. If I did not have that unit, I would have been seriously screwed

 

[ThaTinMan]

Like a virgin dude, seriously.....

 

[Icemud]

That's a most likely. This room is so tight because I went overboard in securing the absolute sealing of room. Y'know I personally add 1000ppm by just BREATHING....
I always had a replacing of air constantly works well. But I am using a burner (not now, breathing gets too high anyways!) Not using presently, but if I am not in there for hours, drops to 900 from 1300ppm.

Be really careful of using a burner in a sealed room without air exchange. Since "burning" uses oxygen, you could easily strip the oxygen out of the room without knowing it. I've heard horror stories of people using burners in sealed rooms, and they walk in, but don't walk back out... due to them passing out because of no oxygen.

 

[ThaTinMan]

Yup, right with you there. It's a 2 burner, plugging one side to just make it a single burner. Got to try to even out the day which is 22 hours. When I am not in there so much.
My eyeballs need a break anyways.... looking nice and even now....

 

[ThaTinMan]

O also, I always peer in first. That's the first thing I check. Spent the right amount to get a worthy ppm controller. If I am not in there constantly, it always drops...

 

[ThaTinMan]

Well,
With y'alls help I believe I am dialed in finally. They are all growing, still stretching a bit, but the secondaries are comming in for clones.
So, much appreciations to those who contributed!
But 7k to tops of babies (basically starting to measure at top of 4" pot. Then the rest just grows into place. No need to raise.
But using a single 315 you may have to deal with low and hot situations. Must keep air flowing.
I bought 2-315cmh kits. Hung 4' apart, then tied them together at transformers. 2' now set apart for bulbs.
There is like 5' spreads or wider for plants. Will spread apart when the is more coverage....

TinMan

 

[ThaTinMan]

Now, after much ado, I am seeing what I am expecting.
So dialing in at 7000LUX measured from bulb to to a 4" pot sitting below. That's 48" exactly plus some. Plants will grow into the higher LUX. No real need to raise, unless they are yellowing.
Need to keep 45% humidity or 75rh. Get a lux meter for pete sake....
But after the abuse, the changing of lights and depths of how far they can take it with LUX, there is now no doubt that these lights are the best thing ever made!
Over watering, flushing and never drying out for weeks with some. And they ate it all up with no serious problems in the end.
If you buy any other light setup, you are a fool! For 180 bucks per unit WITH BULB, is too damn cheap NOT to try one. Just plug it in. Yanks about the same for a 400watt in amperage, with 240v it comes in UNDER 2 amps apiece. Cannot get better than that.
I bought 2. Hung 4' apart and strung both ends together to give a wide spread. Need to be like 5' from top of 4" pots. That is better than most.
Cannot beat the white light, it is that generous and forgiving for first commers and yes, Pro OG folks to need to check it out, for less than 200 bucks, it's so worth it.
Still in recovery mode with plants. Will keep up on this posting...
Cheers

TinMan

 

[ThaTinMan]

Actually its 2' apart for lights. Can cover like 8' for double trays too. 2 IS that much better than 1. I am using on a single 4x8 tray I will add 2 more for the second half. SAME PRICE AS A 63OCMH. That is alot of heat with 2 bulbs in a tini space, if it's the same price as buying 2, this is a no brainer for widening the plant are with nice even spread.
Planning on doing a canopy with these loppy stretched vines, to lay them down a bit...

 

[ThaTinMan]

Ok update

 

[ThaTinMan]

Actually had to raise lights, then lowered again. Tops of 4" pots is now back to 6500lux, tops of mids is 6700 and bigs are 8500. Also had to pull lights closer together to about 16" from bulb to bulb....
There is definitive lux changes through out spread. Pulling closer together removed center dead spot....

 

[Nunyabiz]

I find my LUX/PAR requirements fluctuate with the cultivar I am growing.
A mostly Sativa usually can handle higher intensity, where a mostly Indica seems to do better a little less.

I let the plant tell me.
If it starts to stretch as a seedling I lower it, if it never prays I raise it.
This current grow I think by week 3 I was pushing about 15,000 LUX.
Right now 1 week into flower I am at 40,000 LUX. Thats about 760 PPFD with my spectrum.

 

[Enjoil]

I have been growing for awhile now. But, ever since I moved to California, this is almost impossible.
Grow room is complete with everything you could imagine. But these seedling will NOT GROW AT ALL. Plants stay stunted or simply yellow out.
Keeping at 80°, 60-70 rh (like 38% humidity) dual 315CMH. LUX is presently at 10k+. Go ANY higher OR ANY lower, yellow out in seconds.
The humidity where I use to live was crazy, The South. Never ever had any problems like I have had here. Always used HPS for whole grow, no problems.
I have spent over 25k and 5 years to build this stupid thing and I cannot tweak it any better.
So i am reaching out and hopefully there are some answers out there....

Try starting them under different lights like fluorescent lights or leds.... then crank some lights on them. I love my 315 cmh! I like to flower with mine though and I veg with leds. You will figure it out. You in California? Just wait a couple weeks and put it outside, the sun will do it for ya.

 

[ThaTinMan]

I find my LUX/PAR requirements fluctuate with the cultivar I am growing.
A mostly Sativa usually can handle higher intensity, where a mostly Indica seems to do better a little less.

I let the plant tell me.
If it starts to stretch as a seedling I lower it, if it never prays I raise it.
This current grow I think by week 3 I was pushing about 15,000 LUX.
Right now 1 week into flower I am at 40,000 LUX. Thats about 760 PPFD with my spectrum.

Ok, wow! Good to know, thank you. I am experiencing just what you reccomend. It's the tweaking and seeing what needs to be done by plant alone. I have heard that CMH for seeds for a loooong time. They LOOK better than any others I have tried in the past. But they ARE recovering as we write. They have been well flushed with low amounts of cleaner. No permanent damage done.
Which is a miracle to me. As soon as I popped the CMH in, I actually saw the green I have been chasing for a decade now...
Never really had it with vegging with sodium. They just were not healthy until I started Flower.
So am using CMH for veg and Sodium for flowering. Depends on bulb, I bought the "eye" bulbs for that....

Also had to raise again...... 6300 LUX.

 

[ThaTinMan]

Try starting them under different lights like fluorescent lights or leds.... then crank some lights on them. I love my 315 cmh! I like flower with mine though and I veg with legs. You will figure it out. You in California? Just wait a couple weeks and put it outside, the sun will do it for ya.

Well this is the deal with that. Cannot ever, as a defined rule of thumb, never ever keep indoor plants out doors.
This has been thrust into my brain (ran a hydro store for a year).
Bugs. My god I have personally seen photos of these guys showing polluted flower. The crap all over the flower. So no one is interested at that point. Smokin bug turds dude! Hahaha.
Also in the desert. Starts at 36° then tops out at 80°......presently have up to 85mph winds that blow my trash cans all over my back yard. Those heavy ones too!
So....I cant do that...

 

[ThaTinMan]

So i tweaked it in at 6200lux. So weird, just a smidgen off, they start reaching dramatically at 6300. Back to nice and green.
Measured at top of a 4" pot at dead center. This way we should be able to set and forget. Drop humidity 5 points, yellowing, raise any drooping. Exactly 75rh or 45% humidity (in desert).
This hopefully will give a base to go by, starting out. Set temps where they do not pass 80°. Very submissive if that happens, almost wilting. Transportation has a certain smell to it, SERIOUSLY. Like an expelling musty smell, just when it starts. No smell now they are growing, my main objective....

 

[ThaTinMan]

UPDATE!
What's been my problem this whole time?
Bad reflection, period. Another catch for those tent folks. The pressed bubble wrap for all walls, has been the obvious culprit....
Use ORCA reflection film. Best ever with no hotspots.
Tried just the end, big time better. Then did sides for grins, even betta!
I am evening out with all good reflection. Transporation is woking. Settled at 6300 4" from bottom of pan. 81° - 77°, 75rh or 45% humidity. Co2 is at 1400ppm, looky!

 

[ThaTinMan]

Here are the bigs....

 

[ThaTinMan]

Had to raise again, just because of reflection. Lowered to 65rh. Riding at 6300 4" from bottom.