Emmie's 6 Plant, True Living Organic, LED Grow Journal

[Smeegol]

Garden is looking beautiful ms.Emilya....

 

[concrete]

ah... I understand. Did you try a flush right before going to flower, or when you first noticed the slowdown? Oftentimes, a good flush with 3x the container size of water, will clear out those salts and get things going again. Using FF makes it almost mandatory to do these flushes 3 or 4 times during the grow because this system does leave a lot of debris in the soil. Trust the system, but you have to also do the work to make sure it can do what you expect it to do. Sometimes a salt lockout can look exactly like what you have here... the plants for some reason not being able to get the nutes you are supplying.

Uh-oh, I am using Fox Farms and I haven't flushed yet. I have 5 x 10 gallon grow bags. If I flushed with 3x the container weight, I wouldn't know what to do with 150 gallons of runoff!

 

[JustMeds]

High mineral hot tub maybe.

 

[FoNz]

High mineral hot tub maybe.

And if you market it right people may pay big money for the nutrient rich sauna experience!

 

[Emilya Green]

Uh-oh, I am using Fox Farms and I haven't flushed yet. I have 5 x 10 gallon grow bags. If I flushed with 3x the container weight, I wouldn't know what to do with 150 gallons of runoff!

That could be a big problem and would indeed be one of those factors that were figured in when deciding to run with 10g containers. May I suggest a two person carry into the nearest bathtub? Your plants will love you for it.

 

[Scottsquatch]

I thought I was subbed! Now I have some reading to do tonight. I look forward to it.

 

[DramaMonkey1]

ah... I understand. Did you try a flush right before going to flower, or when you first noticed the slowdown? Oftentimes, a good flush with 3x the container size of water, will clear out those salts and get things going again. Using FF makes it almost mandatory to do these flushes 3 or 4 times during the grow because this system does leave a lot of debris in the soil. Trust the system, but you have to also do the work to make sure it can do what you expect it to do. Sometimes a salt lockout can look exactly like what you have here... the plants for some reason not being able to get the nutes you are supplying.

I actually haven’t flushed, and I do think that’s where I went wrong. Although, the FF schedule mentions flushing twice during flower. I missed the initial, so I’m wondering if I should wait till the next, or if I should flush before then? I’m thinking I should wait. My next flush would be in two weeks if following the schedule.

 

[Emilya Green]

What is your reasoning on waiting? Two weeks can be fully a quarter of the bloom time for many of our plants. In the meantime, the salt lockup continues to worsen and your plants continue to struggle, so I would do it now, knowing that it can be and probably is a problem.
Also, note that the timing of the flushes in the FF schedule coincide with significant adjustments in the nutrient mix, indicating that they also see a need to clear the soil of the preceding debris before moving on with the next stage.

 

[Emilya Green]

Today is watering day! We are in the 6th week, day 44 of flower.

Nothing spectacular going on as far as the watering goes. I will be adding some more banana and dandelion and calmag to this one again, but I am sure I could get by with just water.

I have a shipment scheduled to arrive today. I will be upgrading my lights a bit after building and testing the new project. I have been consulting with @fanleaf about his massive COB light project and have decided to go a similar route. With Fanleaf's help with the frame and design considerations, I have ordered nearly $500 worth of parts for this beast of a 2x4 light. It will feature 6 100w 90CRI COBs and will idle along producing more light than a 1000w HID.
I am conflicted as to whether to install this new monster light as soon as I get it assembled, or finish out this experiment with the new name lights. The cheap LED's have made their point... you can grow with them, but I also can clearly see their limitations as compared to the larger and more penetrating lights of the big brands, several of them sponsors to this forum. I have been convinced by this experiment that true full spectrum lights are superior to red/blue and I am equally not convinced that full time UVA and IR are desirable. It is this last consideration that makes me consider finishing out under the new and brighter white light, without the UVA and IR.
So, I would appreciate input from my readers on this one as to whether to call this experiment good and finish out with the new lights, or continue on to see the results of the experiment at hand. I am satisfied at this point knowing that it can be done and that the results are acceptable, but I know i can do better. I have done better than this under 1200w of HID, but with 3x the electricity costs.
I will finish out this update with a couple of bud shots... the full expression of natural colors and development that go along with organic growing is starting to become apparent.

Jack Herer Day 44 of 64-72

TrainWreck, Day 44 of 56

 

[fanleaf]

I think that you will find the 90CRI will provide PLENTY of IR. Between 730 and 780nm they have a pretty fair amount. I think you will be quite happy with 6 of those 137W chips in there running well under half their rated power. I look forward to seeing that light in action. This will be a very nice setup indeed. This whole thing has given me an itch to build another array for an upcoming 4x4 grow room addition.....Thanks Em

 

[Bode]

Highya Emmie,

I don't know much about lights, but I do know they won't bulk up your colas in the box. If it was me, I'd get them operational asap. Might affect the plants with more light. Probably not, this late in the cycle. Cheers

 

[Amy Gardner]

Yeah DIY lights

I’d be inclined to get them in there ASAP - like Bode says!

The only downside, like B also said, is that some growers hav found strange issues can arise with light changes. That said, all the ones I’ve seen have been turned around - just took a little time, which maybe you don’t have. InTheShed observed yesterday that everyone he’s seen (including himself) have an issue with switching to full spectrum LED (from cheaper, or bplurples) has fixed the probs by upping nutrient levels.

I really don’t know if it would matter this late in bloom - but you could always switch back. Depends how much time you think you might have to trouble-shoot, if need be.

Good luck making the light! I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun with it

 

[Emilya Green]

I hear you both... more light isn't helping me while still in the box. Speaking of which... the big shipment from RapidLED has not yet arrived, but the frame has! It is outside in my paint shop now, turning pink. After the pink base coat it will get a laminated pink sparkled final painting and it will no doubt be all the talk around town when I unveil it. I am dubbing it the Pink Sparkly Momma Beast Light of the 2x4 tent world, the PSMBL, dimmable from 0-450 watts. It could go twice as much wattage, but there will be no need. I will finally be on the correct side of the Dollars/Watt and Watt/Gram equations.

 

[sativuhhh]

I went from 8 cobs to 11 at about the exact point you are at and was super glad for the additional light. The plants loved it. If you have it ready in time you might as well. That jack is looking good!

 

[fanleaf]

I hear you both... more light isn't helping me while still in the box. Speaking of which... the big shipment from RapidLED has not yet arrived, but the frame has! It is outside in my paint shop now, turning pink. After the pink base coat it will get a laminated pink sparkled final painting and it will no doubt be all the talk around town when I unveil it. I am dubbing it the Pink Sparkly Momma Beast Light of the 2x4 tent world, the PSMBL, dimmable from 0-450 watts. It could go twice as much wattage, but there will be no need. I will finally be on the correct side of the Dollars/Watt and Watt/Gram equations.

YES!! I cannot wait to see the Pink Sparkly Momma Beast!

 

[concrete]

That could be a big problem and would indeed be one of those factors that were figured in when deciding to run with 10g containers. May I suggest a two person carry into the nearest bathtub? Your plants will love you for it.

My bathtub does not drain well. It looks like FF has a flush product called "Sledgehammer." Can I use that instead.

 

[Emilya Green]

My bathtub does not drain well. It looks like FF has a flush product called "Sledgehammer." Can I use that instead.

All that is, is sugar water so as to dissolve the salts and get them out of there more easily. It still takes 3x water to get the job done. Might I suggest a shop vac to move water out of there as you are doing this?

 

[Emilya Green]

My bathtub does not drain well. It looks like FF has a flush product called "Sledgehammer." Can I use that instead.

I have another solution for you, and one you are going to like a lot better. It seems I have convinced you of the importance of flushing in a fox farm grow. That being said, you are in a 10 gallon container and going to that size didn't come without a couple of advantages. The main one is that with this much soil, you have a natural buffer in there against salt buildup... it still does build up, but it isn't as hard on the system as if you were in a smaller container.
So, from now on, get used to doing a mini flush every time you water. Give each container an extra amount each time in addition to what it would normally take to get to runoff...10% or 20% or whatever amount it is that you are willing to haul out of there after each watering. It isn't a full flush, but it should get you by in those large containers without a lot of salt buildup.

 

[Mark Gordan Smith]

@Em or finish out this experiment with the new name lights.
Surely by the time you get the latest lights up and running there wouldn't be that many days left for the original grow to run? Then you would complete the full organic grow and lighting run as intended start to finish. Then you would have given growers the journal as a full programme.
If I recall correctly, the next grow will be gifted seeds and with the new lighting that will be a whole new ball game.

Just my one and a half cents.....or Millie Jackson's Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night.

 

[Edna]

I agree with mark. Let’s see how these finish your girls! I have always wondered the switch in lighting half way threw flower as well. I’ve heard some weird things that can happen. I had a friend of mine growing autos and he introduced cobs late in flower with his leds and it was almost like they wanted to reflower. Just my two cents. Anyway the grow looks beautiful em