Grow #2: Outdoor/CFL Auto 420 Blueberry & AK-47 Smart Pots With Dr Earth Soil

InTheShed said:
Flatterer! So this means I need to start learning all about LEDs and COBs and boards and spectrum and efficiency and par and who knows what else. All to spend less than $100! Jeez.
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lol ... is the old geezer a bit rusty at learning new stuff ... did you grow an aversion to progress or change ? you do realise that the end product is all the motivation one needs to get his shit worked out ...

and unless ppl have a degree in botanics no newbie (past a certain age) has started growing pot in a fully pro setup dwc hydro setup ... you need to ease yourself into it hehe start in soil then indoor then coco and so on ... you know coco growing is the lovechild of soilgrowing and hydro culture ;) even outside it will result in better bigger plants
 
Pterostychus said:
lol ... is the old geezer a bit rusty at learning new stuff ... did you grow an aversion to progress or change ? you do realise that the end product is all the motivation one needs to get his shit worked out ...

and unless ppl have a degree in botanics no newbie (past a certain age) has started growing pot in a fully pro setup dwc hydro setup ... you need to ease yourself into it hehe start in soil then indoor then coco and so on ... you know coco growing is the lovechild of soilgrowing and hydro culture ;) even outside it will result in better bigger plants
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Incoming wall of self-reflecting text on getting an LED light. Feel free to skip!

I have a natural affinity for growing plants in soil (aka green thumb). I'm guessing part of my reticence regarding and LED comes from not wanting to make a further commitment to the "indoor" side of growing, because I don't have a dedicated space for it. The shed serves many purposes and I need to go in and out for all sorts of stuff stored in there. And originally I didn't want to up my carbon footprint. That's why I was surprised just now when I totaled up the wattage I'm currently (;)) using. I'd be saving electricity with the LEDs compared to what's there now!

When I started growing I thought "what the heck, I can grow plants." Then I saw how grey it was in June in LA and thought I needed to add some additional light, using stuff on hand like CFLs in the shed. Then I added more CFLs and the T5s I already had, but all equipment that could be used for many purposes. The only stuff I bought were nutes and tools directly related to the art of growing (PPM and pH meter). Adding LEDs moves me into a different "commitment level" (and an indoor one at that), and I must be telegraphing my resistance to it in what I wrote above. Thanks for picking up on that Pt!

Since I don't smoke, I currently grow for my wife and occasionally some friends. And I could take a year off with all the jars I got from the first three autos, nearly 8 ounces. Most of this and the next grow will go to more experimenting with pain salves and, with some CBD strains, eventually capsules for whatever I can find they might be helpful for. I have to say I enjoyed the oil-making process.

All that said, I'll probably eventually buy an LED. It does make sense if I'm going to be using the shed for autos, and I could start them in the fall and grow into the winter with more effective lights in the shed. But I'm not sure I can justify it for now. I won't need them for the clones as those just need to stay in veg (T5s only) and I'll be flowering them outdoors. And the autos are about a month from being done. Still, it never hurts to do a little early research :)

MarsHydro 300W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum for Hydroponic Indoor Plants Growing Veg and Flower

Thanks for listening to my inner workings! Back to what you were doing...
 
my apologies if it comes over that i am pushing things to people that work for me ... i just want everyone to get perfect harvests thats all ... and its hard for me to put my self in others' shoes ... as i see everything through my science goggles (lots of biology chemistry biochemistry and labtechnices at highschool) i am biased ... oh and i must admire you for your commitment to growing medicine for your loved ones without using it yourself ... chapeau :adore:
 
Pterostychus said:
my apologies if it comes over that i am pushing things to people that work for me ... i just want everyone to get perfect harvests thats all ... and its hard for me to put my self in others' shoes ... as i see everything through my science goggles (lots of biology chemistry biochemistry and labtechnices at highschool) i am biased ... oh and i must admire you for your commitment to growing medicine for your loved ones without using it yourself ... chapeau :adore:
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No problem at all Pt! I appreciate you offering another perspective. That's why I'm here posting in this journal...so other people can offer their thoughts and advice. And yours is well taken. Getting me to think about why I do what I'm doing gives me the opportunity to see where I may not be making the clearest decision. :thanks:

And to that point, I was telling my wife about this LED discussion and she asked me if putting an LED in the shed now would make the buds bigger by the time I chop. I said I would imagine so. She said then why wait! It could pay for itself in increased yield. What a smart woman.

Is the light I posted above any good? It's 300 watts (132 watt at the wall) for $70. Let me know! No need to scroll, here it is again:

MarsHydro 300W LED Grow Light Full Spectrum for Hydroponic Indoor Plants Growing Veg and Flower

On to the pics for Wednesday:

Blue 4 day 75:

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AK 7 day 73:

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Chime in all you indoor growers...now's your chance!
 
Shed I think any LED would be better than your cfls. You are relying on the sun for most your input of light. The problem with the led would be coverage of your plants in the shed. I don't know if you can keep the light low enough and cover all plants.
 
Derbybud said:
Shed I think any LED would be better than your cfls. You are relying on the sun for most your input of light. The problem with the led would be coverage of your plants in the shed. I don't know if you can keep the light low enough and cover all plants.
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Yeah, but damn sun can't get it up this time of year (lazy ass star). Must have seasonal affective disorder :).

It's just two 7 gallon pots. Side by side I'm guessing it's around 18"x3', surrounded by the shiny walls.
 
I'm with derb there. However if you do choose to do an led mars is a great selection. Affordable, reliable, they are a sponsor so any issues and Sara can sort you out immediately. Most of all the results are proven via grows all over 420.

I never knew you didn't smoke. No wonder you derby and rider are all so buddy buddy .

But in all seriousness I think you would be making a smaller foot print if you choose to go with leds. Join the indoor crew! At least for the winter.... And in 2 months start digging a 300 gallon hole to grow some sphinx like trees!
 
Rider509 said:
Shed, if you have a little bit bigger budget to work with PM me a number and the sqft you need to cover I'm sure we can DIY more bang for the buck.
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Thanks! It's really only 2x4 at the max. Three 7 gallon smart pots side by side. I'll PM you.

TheMadDabber said:
I'm with derb there. However if you do choose to do an led mars is a great selection. Affordable, reliable, they are a sponsor so any issues and Sara can sort you out immediately. Most of all the results are proven via grows all over 420.
I never knew you didn't smoke. No wonder you derby and rider are all so buddy buddy .
But in all seriousness I think you would be making a smaller foot print if you choose to go with leds. Join the indoor crew! At least for the winter.... And in 2 months start digging a 300 gallon hole to grow some sphinx like trees!
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I'm unclear on "I'm with derb" and "However if you do choose to do an LED..." I thought Derby was saying go with an LED. The "however" is messing up my understanding! Pls clarify!

I'd love to grow in the ground but I don't have a sunny spot in soil to get that done. Otherwise I'd try to emulate LED209. He was in his actual backyard, not on his farm :)!
 
Grow #2 - Outdoor/CFL Auto 420 Blueberry & AK-47 Smart Pots With Dr Earth Soil

Hey InTheShed! Just skimming and saw this convo... I think what TMD is saying is that he agrees with Derb's whole opinion... Led is the way to go, and Mars lights (that one included) is superior to everything you have going on right now... However... that specific LED may not give you enough coverage... Rider has some skill and some serious cred in the light side of things... he can help you get something similar in that price range but that will give you a bigger footprint and coverage to help u get that extra yield!!

That's what I took from it... hope it helps! Love the variety you are growing and bringing up! ..
 
Peeece said:
Hey InTheShed! Just skimming and saw this convo... I think what TMD is saying is that he agrees with Derb’s whole opinion... Led is the way to go, and Mars lights (that one included) is superior to everything you have going on right now... However... that specific LED may not give you enough coverage... Rider has some skill and some serious cred in the light side of things... he can help you get something similar in that price range but that will give you a bigger footprint and coverage to help u get that extra yield!!

That’s what I took from it... hope it helps! Love the variety you are growing and bringing up! ..
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Thanks Peece! I thought that's what Them would be saying but that however threw me off! I thrive on clarity to a fault that drives people nuts!

Pterostychus said:
that led you linked is the perfect size for a 2x2 area ... marshydro is a good brand
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Thanks Pt...PM'd Rider to see what he had up his sleeve so waiting for that info. And I figure that I could probably stretch the coverage on the Mars one out to 2x3 as it's a level grow and it will be augmented by 6 hours of sun!
 
I'm a noob... and I run 2 of those 300w Mars lights... and I have a cheapo Chinese one... my room is 5X4 and I built it out in my shed... those two MÃ¥rs lights... the cats ass! I'm going to expand this spring build a 5x10 inside my shed and will need to upgrade and add to these... but these lights will be my starting point for which lights I get... I like the DIY lights Rider talks about... anyway... back to the shadows I go! ..
 
Hey shed if Rider will help ya that's the way to go. The guy knows cobs and diodes really well and it will be a full spectrum light. Plus out won't draw attention being a white light not a burple like the mars. Don't get me wrong as I have a mars light that I still use in my veg tent but the qb boards and strips are the cats ass. I'm running 9 of them in my flower tent and might build a second one here shortly for the other side of it. 8x4 tent
 
Derbybud said:
Hey shed if Rider will help ya that's the way to go. The guy knows cobs and diodes really well and it will be a full spectrum light. Plus out won't draw attention being a white light not a burple like the mars. Don't get me wrong as I have a mars light that I still use in my veg tent but the qb boards and strips are the cats ass. I'm running 9 of them in my flower tent and might build a second one here shortly for the other side of it. 8x4 tent
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I got so lost in the discussion on your old thread about COBs and boards that I really had no idea what y'all were talking about. At least now I've learned what COB stands for, but beyond that...

White would be great but price is probably going to be the final determinant. I can always mask the window in the shed door :).
 
ITS, if you can get a "white" light, you'll be able to work with your plants longer than usual. It takes the 3D effect AND pain from pink pics away completely. It's so much easier on the brain too.

<insert sarcasm> Although I know you really want to spend the money on purple lights, especially after I read their description... "gives off indoor plants' favorite purple tint" ... you can actually see the difference in yield and flower size when you use the lights side by side.

If you're going blurple, that Mars link is just fine. You'll have to lower the Mars light more than you would Riders' option too.

From a medical pov, don't waste time, money, and brain cells, when you can get a better light. I wish I had this option, so I wish it for you instead.
 
Derbybud said:
See what rider can come up with. Might be cheaper than you think
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Might be, but checked the Quantum website and they are sold out of everything. Waiting to hear from Rider to see what he's thinking.
 
Okay last convincing argument ITS...

The money I spent on my full spectrum light, I grew it back in my first harvest and then some.

Your pictures will be contest worthy cause you have white light. No pink photos in your future mate!

The energy you will pull from a "rider" light will service your 2 x 7 gallon plants evenly, from right to left with the training you do. The other option of light, I think you'll cover 1 (7) gallon plant nicely but you'll have to keep her centred in your training to get the sweet spot from the mars light.

I believe, you'll never have to upgrade to another light again for the size of your environment and longevity.

That's all I'll shush now. ;):idea:
 
You crack me up G2! Thanks for the pestering. :thumb: I have no idea what the cost of the white set-up would be so I don't know what the cost differential is, but I guarantee I will not be taking pink pictures. Useless, migraine-inducing (to some), and why bother when they're sitting in the sunshine every morning :):):).
 
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