Gtx's First Grow: Indoor Soil 4x4 With BD, GSC & WW

InTheShed said:
That face when the caterpillar is your HANDS!

I got a lux meter (Dr Meter LX1330B) and I enjoy knowing exactly what's going on where.
Click to expand...
@InTheShed or anyone else
What conversion factor are using with this gauge? It reads lux or Fc. I found something for a factor of FC X .2. I'm not sure if different light sources change the conversion factor. I'm using LED, so using the .2 factor, I'm running 430 par at 28 inches in the center. I realize this is an abnormally high height for the light, but I'm trying to induce some stretch. The little buggers are too short and bushy. I just watered in this pic, so they are a little droopy.
image.jpeg
 
Someone can correct me here but here goes!

If you have fixed spectrum lights you can use online calculators that will convert lux to PPFD. With mixed spectrum blurple LEDs that conversion is beyond what I know, though the manufacturer may have info on PPFD at different heights.

Mostly I use the lux reading to let me know whether I'm even or hot in one area or need to bring my light down on one side, so I'm comparing one part of the "tent" to another. I also use it to see if I should be in the shed or outside when the clouds roll in, but that obviously doesn't apply here!
 
Thanks intheshed, I did find a few conversion sites. Like you said, I guess it's better for seeing where the light is and isn't.
Well, as far as an update, they seem happy. I'm not seeing any stretch, still very low and full. Since I feel I over indulged and put too many plants in a 4x4 tent, maybe this low plant height is a good thing. With this in mind, does anyone think I should flip these early to flower? The smaller 5 are 45 days since seed, and the GDP clone is at least 3 weeks older than that.
The GDP clone is the only one I can see girly parts on as of yet. I transplanted her into a 5 gal smart pot.
This is my watering/feeding concoction:
Cal mag 3ml per gal
One teaspoon blackstrap molasses
5ml liquid seaweed
5ml green magic garden organic
Tap water ph'd to 6.4
I'm taking the baby steps approach to nutes.
image.jpeg
 
Oh hell, now I just read more info that confuses me. I never realized that pro-mix is considered soiless. I'm mixing about 60 % pro-mix bx, 30 % fox farms, 10 % large perlite, and a splash and alfalfa meal. Should I be taking the ph level to a lower level due to the partial soiless?
Looks like I over complicated yet another aspect of this! It's still fun!
 
Don't sweat the pH as long as your plants look good, and they do. I had a two-week email conversation with someone at ProMix and his bottom line was the pH of your nutes doesn't matter at all. What matters is the pH change in the medium, which is affected by the alkalinity of your water source and your nutes, not the pH.

Hasn't changed what I do because it's so hard to believe, but I wanted to pass it along to ease your mind!

The time to flip is when you think you still have the room for them to stretch in flower and maintain the distance to your light. I don't think six in a 4x4 is too many if you're growing up rather than out. What you'll be most concerned with is headroom. Are your plants big stretchers in flower? How tall is the tent?
 
Thanks for the reply. The tent is a 4x4 gorilla, 7'7" with extension.
As far as the heights of the plants in flower......this is my first grow, so I have been there yet. The strains are 2 girl scout cookies, 2 blue dream, 1 white widow, and the bigger one is a grand daddy purp clone. I know the sativa dominance will yield a taller plant than indica, so if all goes well, I'd assume the blue dream will be the taller strain. No idea on genetics, so dominance is yet to be seen, other than a little indication by leaf shape.
 
With 7'7" of height (minus whatever venting there is and the minimum light distance) I think you're good to keep growing. I've seen blue dream end up at 24" and at 60" so there's a wide variation. Either way, training can easily take care of any runaways.

How far off the ground is your highest canopy now?
 
27 " on the GDP. No obstructions from the venting really, as I run the Can-lite filter on the floor behind the door, pulling warmer air in from the vent in the top of the tent. That brought my temp in the tent up to 73 degrees when the lights are on, 68 off. RH is a little low, 53-57%, with the addition of a wet towel.
 
You can live at that RH all the way through with good air circulation. And height isn't going to be a problem unless you let them get out of control!
 
They are doing great. Color seems good, no nute burn or deficiency that I can see. Starting to see a little stretch. I may take the 5 smaller ones, and transplant into 5 gal smart pots tomorrow. I think I'll bump up the percentage of nutes this time, since I've been at the rock bottom due to fear. The seem vibrant enough to handle a little more juice.



IMG_20190124_044734703.jpg
 
I'm sure they'll appreciate the space for root growth! The tips of the leaves will tell you when you're feeding them too heavily. Bump the nutes up slowly, and if you see them start to brown, drop the nutes back to the previous level and you're golden :).
 
Update: switched the 5 girls into 5 gal smart pots. Somehow, I bought the ones that don't have handles, which is odd. They seem to like it, but I'm still feeling like I made a poor choice by choosing 6 plants, 4 strains in a 4x4 tent. My canopy is going to be a uneven mess! Is this what we call "my eyes were bigger than my lungs"?
I knew I should have bought the 5x5 when gorilla had their Black Friday sale.
I still don't have much spacing in between nodes. The under growth is just packed, leaves laying on top of one another.
image.jpeg
 
Prepare to put some pots on risers or bricks to keep them all level. And it looks like all you can do it go up since you can't train out in there!

You can strategically remove a fan leaf here and there to expose the lower buds to the light. It'll help with airflow as well!
 
Well, I couldn't take it any more. Last night, I set the light controller to these percentages: red 99 white 99 blue 60. This was California Lightworks recommendation for flower. They are now on 12/12. I'll be making some sort of a platform this weekend to raise up the shorter plants to even out the canopy. Temps are study at 72, RH has climbed to 70%, so I removed the wet towel, bumped up the fan speed a touch.
Weather report: Freeze-your-sack temps. -2F and -30f with wind chill. I'm ready to move!
 
Garden looks great! Flower is going to be killer :thumb:. And it's a lot nicer where California Lightworks is ;).
 

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