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

[fanleaf]

As long as I get to see the Pink Beast running once, that will hold me over until the next grow I suppose

 

[Amy Gardner]

Suspense baby!

I’ll watch, however it comes! Bring on the Pink Sparkles!

 

[Emilya Green]

@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.

It was the last bit that got me... " Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night." but I was already leaning toward this decision anyway. The very proper imperial spelling of programme also coloured my final decision as well as the overall logic of this argument.
I agree that some of the strains only have a matter of days left... it would be of very dubious value changing lights at this point.
There is the warning about plants acting up after a change of this magnitude to consider... I don't want to risk it.
Lastly, the stated purpose of this journal was to try out these cheap lights and evaluate their performance during the entire grow. A question popped up early on as to how fast the plants would finish under these cheap lights and what the final trichome production would look like under the full time UVA and imitation Full Spectrum light. To stop the experiment this close to the end and without the results to these inquiries would be a disservice to science and to those who were interested in the results, and I can't do it.

So Mark is right, the next grow will be a whole new ball game with new pots, terpinator at the end, beans directly from the breeder and the new lights. I will be building the new light array this next week and will be putting it in the room at least temporarily to show it off, test the light levels and compare to the present lights (I bought a light meter) and I am curious what pictures of the plants will look like under the DIY indoor sunlight... but I will finish out this grow under the present lights.

The experiment continues and I have accepted that my yield will be down a bit this time due to the cheap lights... but I am still hoping that quality will be excellent. The buds are firm and tight and there is no need to panic.
Semper prorsum!

 

[Edna]

It was the last bit that got me... " Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night." but I was already leaning toward this decision anyway. The very proper imperial spelling of programme also coloured my final decision as well as the overall logic of this argument.
I agree that some of the strains only have a matter of days left... it would be of very dubious value changing lights at this point.
There is the warning about plants acting up after a change of this magnitude to consider... I don't want to risk it.
Lastly, the stated purpose of this journal was to try out these cheap lights and evaluate their performance during the entire grow. A question popped up early on as to how fast the plants would finish under these cheap lights and what the final trichome production would look like under the full time UVA and imitation Full Spectrum light. To stop the experiment this close to the end and without the results to these inquiries would be a disservice to science and to those who were interested in the results, and I can't do it.

So Mark is right, the next grow will be a whole new ball game with new pots, terpinator at the end, beans directly from the breeder and the new lights. I will be building the new light array this next week and will be putting it in the room at least temporarily to show it off, test the light levels and compare to the present lights (I bought a light meter) and I am curious what pictures of the plants will look like under the DIY indoor sunlight... but I will finish out this grow under the present lights.

The experiment continues and I have accepted that my yield will be down a bit this time due to the cheap lights... but I am still hoping that quality will be excellent. The buds are firm and tight and there is no need to panic.
Semper prorsum!

Yay em! In the name of science! Haha... on the other hand I’m sooooo pumped to see the sparkling beast !!!!

 

[concrete]

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.

Thanks Emmie. I have kind of been doing this: 4 gallons (total for 5 pots) of plain water followed by 2 gallons of nutrient water. My plants look great so I'm not too concerned. Plus, I am not following the feeding schedule as prescibed. I am using mostly Big Bloom until now (week 3 of flower) and only just started using small amounts of Tiger Bloom and Cal Mag. Big Bloom is organic input, so I shouldn't have much salt in my grow anyway. I read that organic grows don't need as much flushing, and my grow would be completely organic without the couple teaspoons of Cal Mag and Tiger Bloom.

 

[bluenoserjoe]

The experiment continues and I have accepted that my yield will be down a bit this time due to the cheap lights... but I am still hoping that quality will be excellent. The buds are firm and tight and there is no need to panic.
Semper prorsum!
[/QUOTE]
The question is will the lower yield off set the cost of running the bigger lights. Or is that the other way around ,hmmmmmm

 

[Chopss420]

Hello Emilya, I have been lurking around the forum since around December when I got my card and the wife asked if I was going to grow my own . I finally joined a few weeks ago and set up my first grow journal. I have been doing as much research as possible since December, and I have ran across many of your journals and the help that you have provided many of the other members. To say that your tutorials and advice given to others has saved my grow would be an understatement. I apparently had a major watering problem in the beginning, but I think I now have a better understanding on how to water, thanks to your efforts here. I currently have made your diy calmag, and hope to start, I think it’s Angrybirds?, banana ferment and your Lacto-ferment this week or next. I have really enjoyed this grow journal, and super appreciate the unbiased review on the cheap leds.

 

[Emilya Green]

The experiment continues and I have accepted that my yield will be down a bit this time due to the cheap lights... but I am still hoping that quality will be excellent. The buds are firm and tight and there is no need to panic.
Semper prorsum!

The question is will the lower yield off set the cost of running the bigger lights. Or is that the other way around ,hmmmmmm

If I were running a for profit grow op this would be a factor. Since I am using 1/3 the electricity LED is definitely more economical, but if that resulted in a significant loss of production it would not be acceptable. I don't think it is as bad as all that though because even the cheap lights have done better than a 400w HID grow would have. I won't be getting 3-4 oz per 3 gallon container this time, but I am still going to do better than some of my early grows weight wise, but in quality of the buds, I am quite satisfied with what I am seeing. Since I am doing this for my own use, and prefer high quality over quantity, I am very pleased with what I have found is possible with these lights.
Am I satisfied and planning to stay with what I have here? No.
Have I ever tried to suggest that these cheap lights could keep up with a Kind, Perfect Sun, Timber, MaxBloom, Mars or a QB? No, clearly they can't. Is what I am doing a viable option for a grower on a tight budget? I think so.

Hello Emilya, I have been lurking around the forum since around December when I got my card and the wife asked if I was going to grow my own . I finally joined a few weeks ago and set up my first grow journal. I have been doing as much research as possible since December, and I have ran across many of your journals and the help that you have provided many of the other members. To say that your tutorials and advice given to others has saved my grow would be an understatement. I apparently had a major watering problem in the beginning, but I think I now have a better understanding on how to water, thanks to your efforts here. I currently have made your diy calmag, and hope to start, I think it’s Angrybirds?, banana ferment and your Lacto-ferment this week or next. I have really enjoyed this grow journal, and super appreciate the unbiased review on the cheap leds.

Chopss420, Welcome! I am so pleased to see another lurker come out of the dark and join us with a grow journal! I will be subscribing, forthwith! It makes me very happy to see that you have gotten so much benefit from my work and are trying out my recipes. You will like the calmagphos+ product, the banana extract is a jewel, and the lacto is so powerful it almost needs to be classified as a secret weapon! I also hope that when you see the springtime dandelion crop show up in your lawn, that your thoughts will turn to making the dandelion extract, one of the most powerful all around fertilizers I have ever used.
Good luck in your first grow and say hi to your wife for me!

 

[Emilya Green]

The big box of LED parts did not arrive when I first was led to believe they would, and it looks like it will be Tuesday before they get here.
In the meantime, the frame has been prepared. It has a base coat of pink, a coat of glitter paint, and 2 coats of clear sealer.
It is custom designed to put the sun inside a 2x4 tent with 2 rows of 3 COBS, making every corner bright and the center even brighter. There will be 2 power supplies and I will be able to dial up individual power settings on either the front or the back, or the right or left side and one middle light... I havent decided which way would be the most useful.
So here is a sneak peek at the beginnings of the PSMB:

 

[StoneOtter]

Now that's a frame!

 

[concrete]

The big box of LED parts did not arrive when I first was led to believe they would, and it looks like it will be Tuesday before they get here.
In the meantime, the frame has been prepared. It has a base coat of pink, a coat of glitter paint, and 2 coats of clear sealer.
It is custom designed to put the sun inside a 2x4 tent with 2 rows of 3 COBS, making every corner bright and the center even brighter. There will be 2 power supplies and I will be able to dial up individual power settings on either the front or the back, or the right or left side and one middle light... I havent decided which way would be the most useful.
So here is a sneak peek at the beginnings of the PSMB:

Nice. What cobs did you get?

 

[Emilya Green]

Nice. What cobs did you get?

6X (CXB3590 90 CRI), reflector, solder-less chip holder and Angelina wide lenses

 

[Chopss420]

Chopss420, Welcome! I am so pleased to see another lurker come out of the dark and join us with a grow journal! I will be subscribing, forthwith! It makes me very happy to see that you have gotten so much benefit from my work and are trying out my recipes. You will like the calmagphos+ product, the banana extract is a jewel, and the lacto is so powerful it almost needs to be classified as a secret weapon! I also hope that when you see the springtime dandelion crop show up in your lawn, that your thoughts will turn to making the dandelion extract, one of the most powerful all around fertilizers I have ever used.
Good luck in your first grow and say hi to your wife for me!

Hello again and thank you for your warm welcome. I too am glad I’ve joined, but I realize I have about as much to learn about using this forum correctly as I do about growing my medicine. Yes... I do plan on making use of the many dandelions that pop up in my yard, I knew I was cultivating those puppies for some reason.

 

[FoNz]

My grow could benefit from a frame that fantastic. Really putting the fun in functional!

 

[fanleaf]

The big box of LED parts did not arrive when I first was led to believe they would, and it looks like it will be Tuesday before they get here.
In the meantime, the frame has been prepared. It has a base coat of pink, a coat of glitter paint, and 2 coats of clear sealer.
It is custom designed to put the sun inside a 2x4 tent with 2 rows of 3 COBS, making every corner bright and the center even brighter. There will be 2 power supplies and I will be able to dial up individual power settings on either the front or the back, or the right or left side and one middle light... I havent decided which way would be the most useful.
So here is a sneak peek at the beginnings of the PSMB:

That is awesome! I did half @ss nylon brush wheel it clean before I sent it so I hope that helped a tad. The aluminum was a bit oxidized and dirty just from being in the garage where I build demolition derby cars lol.
You did a great job! So cool to see it like that. I think your par will be pretty darned even the way things will be spaced like that. Cannot wait to see it assembled. That will be a great looking/functioning light.

 

[Emilya Green]

Wappa is almost done. I am seeing the first ambers down on the sun leaves. I am halfway through a very sweet test popcorn bud right now. We are less than a week away from harvest. Today is day 47 of 49-56. Timing seems about perfect and right up to breeder's specs with no discernable change due to the lighting or anything else.

 

[Edna]

Wappa is almost done. I am seeing the first ambers down on the sun leaves. I am halfway through a very sweet test popcorn bud right now. We are less than a week away from harvest. Today is day 47 of 49-56. Timing seems about perfect and right up to breeder's specs with no discernable change due to the lighting or anything else.

Ooo em! May I ask how the tester went !?

 

[Emilya Green]

Ooo em! May I ask how the tester went !?

acceptable, even green. I only got half way through and had to stop. I will save the rest for bedtime and see how long this lasts.

 

[Emilya Green]

The PSMB light parts have arrived. I have only included 1 of the 6 heat sinks, mounts and reflector holders in the pic. Now I have a new project! Its amazing how compact $500 looks these days!

 

[SOG001]

Hello Emmie I would like to offer my opinion on your new light I think you will like it a lot IMHO. I am runnin Vero 29 cobs and I am harvestin more bud than ever. Good luck with the assembly and your next grow.