The 4x4 Grow Tent Club

[Jdub95]

I have the Vivio Sun tent it's no gorilla but it's good. The Viper Spectra tents are nice also.
My tents currently holding a stealth grow 602 600w LED a Viper Spectra 600w LED a 4 inch carbon filter and 4 inch exhaust fan and a 16 inch oscillating fan in the corner.

Your setup looks very similar to what I'm trying to accomplish. I was looking for an air scrubber but not sure if I absolutely needed it. What are your opinions on it.

 

[Jdub95]

Except it's a 48x24x60

 

[Jdub95]

Hey guys I don't have a 4x4 but I just ordered my self a 48x24x60 and was wondering what type of lights you guys recommend for this type of tent. Rn I'm running Phillips led 1600 lumens for each bulb and then there each 100 w equivalent 6 bulbs in total for one plant rn

if I were to keep these lights and use them when my tent arrives you think I could use it to grow a good yield. I'll simply switch out for 2700k lights when I switch to veg. Rn inn running 18 on and 6 off. (Although) I just realized last night that the timer wasn't actually switched to use the timer so the lights fan and humidifier never went off ever since they've sprouted since 4/20 do that could be the reason why it looks so small

any opinions would be appreciated thanks again

 

[Calvados]

Either something is up with your environment (temperature, air-flow, watering) or it's the plant. What kind is it? You mention they. Is there another one? You actually have to go out of your way to keep a weed from growing. They need natural light and fresh air. If you don't have natural you need the right kind of artificial for vegetative growth. Those look like ordinary bulbs. Not going to work. While you are at it read up on "topping".

 

[Jdub95]

This is just a bag seed but the strain was very crappy so it was just an experiment of it was a weak bud would it have problems growing. It dosent help that the ph is bad and it's over watered so I can't feed it what it needs not that I actually have it

 

[WillGrow510]

Yeah, it looks over watered to me. Let it dry out more in between watering. You can lift the pot daily and tell by how light the pot gets. You could probably go a couple days without any water depending on your set up. I over watered my first couple of plants and when I realized, stopped watering for 7 days. Then they started coming back. Good luck.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Hey guys I don't have a 4x4 but I just ordered my self a 48x24x60 and was wondering what type of lights you guys recommend for this type of tent.

That's eight square feet. But it's twice as wide as it is deep, so you would end up with weaker illumination at the ends than in the middle and/or throwing a significant portion of the light onto the walls that are closest to the light. A couple of 250-watt HPS setups would give you 62.5 watts per square foot, which should be fine for indicas and middle-of-the-road hybrids. Pure sativa buds might still be a bit airy, but that's a sativa for you, lol. If you plan on using that space for the vegetative phase as well as flowering, ballasts that can be dimmed might be of interest. Go with air-cooled reflectors and you can run a short piece between them, and ventilate both with one fan.

could be the reason why it looks so small

It could be that your bulbs are too far from the plant. Most people like to keep those low-wattage CFLs an inch or so away from their plants. To make things worse, those walls are absorbing a significant percentage of what light they do produce. Try lowering the lights and painting the walls bright flat white. Another thing you can do to ensure that more of the light reaches your plant is to redo things so that the bulbs are in a horizontal orientation. There are threads in the DiY section, IIRC, that show how one can make a multi-CFL reflector cheaply (and easily). But you can also just cut some soda pop cans so they fit onto the bases of the bulbs/sockets and set around the bulb - on the opposite side of the bulb from the plants - and kind of open up like a pair of wings. A slight crease along the middle can help a little bit more, but is not a requirement. If you don't cut the bottom of the can completely off, you can open it outwards slightly so that it reflects the relatively small amount of light that is produced at the end of the bulb. It might take a couple of tries to figure out how much material to leave on the top of the can so that it provides for a tension fit.

Also, I don't see any perlite in that soil. What are you using to increase the soil's drainage ability (and how much of it)? If your soil is heavy, it can easily become waterlogged. Cannabis thrives when it is watered well and the soil is then allowed to dry out, as opposed to being in soil that stays wet/swampy.

 

[Jdub95]

That's eight square feet. But it's twice as wide as it is deep, so you would end up with weaker illumination at the ends than in the middle and/or throwing a significant portion of the light onto the walls that are closest to the light. A couple of 250-watt HPS setups would give you 62.5 watts per square foot, which should be fine for indicas and middle-of-the-road hybrids. Pure sativa buds might still be a bit airy, but that's a sativa for you, lol. If you plan on using that space for the vegetative phase as well as flowering, ballasts that can be dimmed might be of interest. Go with air-cooled reflectors and you can run a short piece between them, and ventilate both with one fan.





It could be that your bulbs are too far from the plant. Most people like to keep those low-wattage CFLs an inch or so away from their plants. To make things worse, those walls are absorbing a significant percentage of what light they do produce. Try lowering the lights and painting the walls bright flat white. Another thing you can do to ensure that more of the light reaches your plant is to redo things so that the bulbs are in a horizontal orientation. There are threads in the DiY section, IIRC, that show how one can make a multi-CFL reflector cheaply (and easily). But you can also just cut some soda pop cans so they fit onto the bases of the bulbs/sockets and set around the bulb - on the opposite side of the bulb from the plants - and kind of open up like a pair of wings. A slight crease along the middle can help a little bit more, but is not a requirement. If you don't cut the bottom of the can completely off, you can open it outwards slightly so that it reflects the relatively small amount of light that is produced at the end of the bulb. It might take a couple of tries to figure out how much material to leave on the top of the can so that it provides for a tension fit.

Also, I don't see any perlite in that soil. What are you using to increase the soil's drainage ability (and how much of it)? If your soil is heavy, it can easily become waterlogged. Cannabis thrives when it is watered well and the soil is then allowed to dry out, as opposed to being in soil that stays wet/swampy.

I'm not using any perlite I have ff soil on the way and want to order more perlite when the soil comes in as for the light I have a 600 w led light that came in today from Amazon as well with a 48x24x60

 

[MasterRookie]

First timer here who's desperate to experience a harvest ! Looking for any advice as to how much longer I should veg for a decent yield (I'm not worried about breaking records right now, I'm just tired of paying for and smoking stuff and not knowing wth it is) and if I should scrog or just continue training with binder clips and pipe cleaners? <--Which works miracles in smart pots if any other rookie is curious !


What Strain is it? Astrodawg
Is it Indica, Sativa or Hybrid? Hybrid
How Many Plants? 5
Is it in Vegetative or Flowering Stage? Veg
If in Vegetative Stage... How Long? 8 weeks (lost about 10 days or more due to nute def/lockout)
Indoor or Outdoor? Indoor
Soil or Hydro? Soil
If Soil... What is in your Mix? FFOF w/ 35% perlite and dolomite lime
If Soil... What Size Pot? 5 gal
Size (Wattage) of Light? 600w mh (that I forgot has been on 50% power .)
Is it Air Cooled? Yes but no inline fan atm
Temperature of Room/Cabinet? 72-75 day 68 night
RH of Room/Cabinet? 50-60 day 90+ night ( I've read it raises at night but should I address this?)
PH of Medium or Reservoir? 6.5ish
Any Pests? Kids
How Often are you Watering? Every 7-10 days when pots get light but they never dry completely or droop/wilt or anything... again, cause for concern or nah?
Type and Strength of Fertilizers used? FFOF trio and just got some blackstrap for the cal/mag, K, other beneficial goods coupled with the chelating powers it possesses.

This is what they looked like before being nursed back to current state

 

[Calvados]

They look great (now). My own limited experience (1st grow. Half way through flowering) looking at your set up you should start flowering now. You could have started a couple weeks back. The main thing is your root system and the foot print of your plants look well established. It's not like they will stop developing when you start flowering. It's going to take 2 months from when you flip your lights in any case. So... get a timer. Set them to 12/12 and observe strict light discipline. I recommend you move this to the grow journal section where you will pick up more attention from experienced growers.

 

[MasterRookie]

They look great (now). My own limited experience (1st grow. Half way through flowering) looking at your set up you should start flowering now. You could have started a couple weeks back. The main thing is your root system and the foot print of your plants look well established. It's not like they will stop developing when you start flowering. It's going to take 2 months from when you flip your lights in any case. So... get a timer. Set them to 12/12 and observe strict light discipline. I recommend you move this to the grow journal section where you will pick up more attention from experienced growers.

I appreciate the feedback ! Already have the timer so no prob there... I've read of so many ppl talking about they vegged too long and didn't think they'd stretch so much and i don't wanna be a victim of that... I also don't wanna harvest a plant that yields an 8th due to my impatience ! I'll def investigate starting a journal tho thank u

 

[MasterRookie]

I'm attempting cloning in RW in nanodome for sexing purposes... Conditions are perfect except for night temps where they drop to 68 which is too cold thus delaying rooting, right?! If so, any suggestions besides a heat mat which I don't have atm?

 

[TheFertilizer]

First timer here who's desperate to experience a harvest ! Looking for any advice as to how much longer I should veg for a decent yield (I'm not worried about breaking records right now, I'm just tired of paying for and smoking stuff and not knowing wth it is) and if I should scrog or just continue training with binder clips and pipe cleaners? <--Which works miracles in smart pots if any other rookie is curious !


What Strain is it? Astrodawg
Is it Indica, Sativa or Hybrid? Hybrid
How Many Plants? 5
Is it in Vegetative or Flowering Stage? Veg
If in Vegetative Stage... How Long? 8 weeks (lost about 10 days or more due to nute def/lockout)
Indoor or Outdoor? Indoor
Soil or Hydro? Soil
If Soil... What is in your Mix? FFOF w/ 35% perlite and dolomite lime
If Soil... What Size Pot? 5 gal
Size (Wattage) of Light? 600w mh (that I forgot has been on 50% power .)
Is it Air Cooled? Yes but no inline fan atm
Temperature of Room/Cabinet? 72-75 day 68 night
RH of Room/Cabinet? 50-60 day 90+ night ( I've read it raises at night but should I address this?)
PH of Medium or Reservoir? 6.5ish
Any Pests? Kids
How Often are you Watering? Every 7-10 days when pots get light but they never dry completely or droop/wilt or anything... again, cause for concern or nah?
Type and Strength of Fertilizers used? FFOF trio and just got some blackstrap for the cal/mag, K, other beneficial goods coupled with the chelating powers it possesses.

This is what they looked like before being nursed back to current state

7 to 10 days without drying isn't the best for veg because you want the roots to search for water and get bigger, that in turn makes the plants bigger. If you transplant into a larger pot too early, the same amount of water will last for a lot longer and the plant will just kind of stop stretching it's roots since it will have water readily available to them all the time.

 

[MasterRookie]

7 to 10 days without drying isn't the best for veg because you want the roots to search for water and get bigger, that in turn makes the plants bigger. If you transplant into a larger pot too early, the same amount of water will last for a lot longer and the plant will just kind of stop stretching it's roots since it will have water readily available to them all the time.

That's what i understood from all my research. I went from solos to 5 gal fab pots, had to skip the 1 gal plus RH was in the 80's so they took forever to dry. I know allowing them to dry causes roots to grow out seeking water. I fed them 6 days ago and last night the first couple inches were dry enough for a gallon of tap water w/ 1tsp of blackstrap ph'ed to 6.5 w/ a runoff of 6.2-6.4. I would've preferred them to dry longer but i wanted to address the lack of cal and mag.

 

[Calvados]

I appreciate the feedback ! Already have the timer so no prob there... I've read of so many ppl talking about they vegged too long and didn't think they'd stretch so much and i don't wanna be a victim of that... I also don't wanna harvest a plant that yields an 8th due to my impatience ! I'll def investigate starting a journal tho thank u

Just because you start flowering doesn't mean you are going to retard growth. I vegged for 5 weeks. Not a lot happened for the first month of flowering. A guy who certainly knows told me that it would take two months of flowering at a minimum. My plants are finally starting to look like everyone else's in those wonderful budding pictures. I'm still 3-6 weeks away. Patience seems to be the biggest ingredient of success for me.

Keeping a journal has really helped. I've done a spreadsheet using day zero to be when the seedlings poked their heads above ground. I don't update it daily, but I do look at my plants daily. I keep a photo diary as well. Again, it helps to mark changes. I also mark the dates that they should be done (2 different strains and grow periods). That helps to keep perspective.

Reference your cloning. What is RW? Are you treating the open ends with root stimulants before you plant them?

Soil conundrum!?

I'm PHing my water at 6, because I'm using the soil and neuts listed above. It explains about water and nutrient uptake. Good reading.

 

[TorturedSoul]

I vegged for 5 weeks. Not a lot happened for the first month of flowering.

Next time, try growing the same strain, but this time don't skimp on the vegetative time. You may see that, upon switching plants that are more mature to the flowering phase, that things take off quicker. Of course, flowering behavior is strain-dependent, so this is not a magic cure, lol. But a plant that is not mature cannot begin to flower until it becomes so.

 

[Guy Cavallero]

My tent is 5 ft across, 3 feet deep, and 5 ft tall. Im using 2 300 watt led lights from KING.

With LED it's complicated. LED is measured by PAR. Other lights are measured by lumens. Combining the two is a stricky prospect.

The complicated answer is, get yourself a par meter and test your lights. Maybe marshydro has this information available on their website but the manufacturing process isnt perfect and ymmv. Then use this light calculator to find the recommended amount of light.

Cannavertisy Grow Room Calculators - Lighting and Ventilation

Subtract the values of lights you have from the light recommended and make adjustments.

Shorter answer, estimate. Go off the mfg numbers either on their website or included with the light when you bought it.

I was lucky. Work was done for me. But this video has the BEST info I've found so far on LED lights.

Growing Cannabis With LEDs - YouTube

Sent from my HTC6600LVW using 420

How do you find those King lights?

 

[Calvados]

Next time, try growing the same strain, but this time don't skimp on the vegetative time. You may see that, upon switching plants that are more mature to the flowering phase, that things take off quicker. Of course, flowering behavior is strain-dependent, so this is not a magic cure, lol. But a plant that is not mature cannot begin to flower until it becomes so.

I kind of did mine based on height. I have 2 different strains going. One of them Supreme CBD Kush will triple in height when you flip to flower. I was worried that they would outgrow the tent. I don't have the experience to know if that was the right thing to do. It makes more sense to me to look for the pre-flower signs. Next time. I did a lot of things wrong on this grow that I will fix in the next one. Less plants. Low stress training and topping (2 things I didn't do) will make the height issue irrelevant. Better aerated soil, better pots, the list goes on. I think it's a miracle they are all looking so good.

 

[TorturedSoul]

I kind of did mine based on height.

That is certainly understandable, lol. As you mentioned, training will help in that regard. A Scrog style grow will allow you to set your light at its initial height and not have to raise it until you've filled your screen and your buds (plant) are growing upwards from the screen. If height is still expected to be an issue, you can continue to weave your growing tips back and forth under the screen during part of the stretch (the first 40% of flowering). If you do so, you will probably end up removing the entire screen and carrying it somewhere for your harvest (after sawing the trunk loose below) because you'll have some bud immediately under the screen (which may actually be part of what is above it, lol).

Restricting your root zone size can also help limit height. Beginning with clones instead of starting each grow from seed can help. Switching to a light source which has a spectral curve that is geared more for vegetative growth than flowering - or simply keeping your vegetative light during some portion of the stretch phase instead of switching to your flowering light setup immediately - can help produce plants that are somewhat more compact. Making sure that your light source is no farther away from the tops of your plants than it needs to be will help (if the light is too far away, the plants will tend to stretch towards it). Shortening your hours of light during the vegetative phase, but still keeping the number of uninterrupted dark hours too low to trigger flowering can limit the rate of growth. In that regard, setting your timer to shut off for an hour - or more - during the middle of your lights-on cycle is one way to limit the amount of illumination that your plants receive without the danger of prematurely triggering flowering. Ensuring that you are only giving your plants as much nitrogen as they actually need may help control growth. There are bound to be other things that could help that I'm simply too tired to think of.

 

[Guy Cavallero]

See.....that's the difference between a novice (like myself) and a seasoned grower. Great advice Torturedsoul. ....now to try to remember all of this.