Winging It In Winter By The Window: Soil Auto Grow

[Azimuth]

That's the one.

One caution on using the double fisherman's knot to tie the ends together. Once you put some good tension on that knot it can be very difficult to undo. I usually use a simple overhand knot or, even better, a slip knot but then again I'm not trying to climb out of a crevasse.

But this is a super handy knot to know. I use it for all kinds of things like to hang a rope to a post in my basement that I tie my air pump to when I make aerated teas. The pump vibrates quite a bit and the rope absorbs the vibration and makes for a quieter operation.

 

[BubbaKush909]

Hey Carmen! I was away for a day and was 3 pages behind, lot's of great info. Your roots looked just about like mine when I transplanted, I think we'll be fine. I put mine in a 5 gal bag. I just take a hole punch and put a few holes in the bottom of the cup, it drains fine and roots rarely go through it. I've had to tear some of the roots in the past when extracting the plant and I've never noticed any harm done to the plant. This one was coiled around the bottom of the cup several times and had a root ball when I removed it. The transplant soil is still pretty moist so I just watered it lightly. Good luck to both of us!

Can you post pics when you start tying down your plant? I'd like to see the early stages. I've always tied to the sides of the pots before but that's not too practical with these bags, I'm going to try stakes.

I should have quoted them but one of the posters was talking about their 90x100 grow box next to a geyser? First is that a measurement in feet, and second was that translated correctly?

Keep up the great work and have a great day!

 

[BubbaKush909]

That's the one.

One caution on using the double fisherman's knot to tie the ends together. Once you put some good tension on that knot it can be very difficult to undo. I usually use a simple overhand knot or, even better, a slip knot but then again I'm not trying to climb out of a crevasse.

But this is a super handy knot to know. I use it for all kinds of things like to hang a rope to a post in my basement that I tie my air pump to when I make aerated teas. The pump vibrates quite a bit and the rope absorbs the vibration and makes for a quieter operation.

Hey Azi were you a Boy Scout? Knots are pretty amazing, we spent a whole week at summer camp learning them many years ago.

 

[Azimuth]

I've had to tear some of the roots in the past when extracting the plant and I've never noticed any harm done to the plant. This one was coiled around the bottom of the cup several times and had a root ball when I removed it.

I make holes in my party cups with a hot soldering iron and sometimes the roots pop out through the holes. Once they get to the dry air the tips die back, effectively root pruning themselves, which then causes the root to make more feeder roots upstream.

So, tearing some of the roots on transplant should not be a big deal. In fact, it might even be a benefit if done in small amounts. Many growers slice up their root balls at up-pot as well.

Hey Azi were you a Boy Scout?

Ha! No, never made it further than Cub Scouts. So, now I'm a "self-taught" knot tier.

 

[Grand Daddy Black]

Hey Carmen.

Here's my two cents on the sticks.

I use some thin garden plant ties to attach the thicker wire to the stick. The garden ties are much easier to wrap on tightly.

 

[Carmen Ray]

Hey Carmen! I was away for a day and was 3 pages behind, lot's of great info. Your roots looked just about like mine when I transplanted, I think we'll be fine. I put mine in a 5 gal bag. I just take a hole punch and put a few holes in the bottom of the cup, it drains fine and roots rarely go through it. I've had to tear some of the roots in the past when extracting the plant and I've never noticed any harm done to the plant. This one was coiled around the bottom of the cup several times and had a root ball when I removed it. The transplant soil is still pretty moist so I just watered it lightly. Good luck to both of us!

Can you post pics when you start tying down your plant? I'd like to see the early stages. I've always tied to the sides of the pots before but that's not too practical with these bags, I'm going to try stakes.

I should have quoted them but one of the posters was talking about their 90x100 grow box next to a geyser? First is that a measurement in feet, and second was that translated correctly?

Keep up the great work and have a great day!

Hey BK, thank you so much for the encouragement. I'm think we're on the right track Good luck to us both!
I think you are referring to @Skottelgoed Spons and it would be 90 cm x 100 cm? I think. Thank you for reassuring me about the roots and yes I will definitely post pics when I start the hook work.

One caution on using the double fisherman's knot to tie the ends together. Once you put some good tension on that knot it can be very difficult to undo. I usually use a simple overhand knot or, even better, a slip knot

That's a good point, thank you Azi.

So, tearing some of the roots on transplant should not be a big deal. In fact, it might even be a benefit if done in small amounts. Many growers slice up their root balls at up-pot as well.

Thanks. I wasn't too sure if the roots were mature enough to handle some damage. So it's great to have the reassurance.

Here's my two cents on the sticks.

I frikken love this solution GDB! I saw those today at the store. I'm going to go back and get those. Fabulous!

 

[Jon]

Hey Carmen.

Here's my two cents on the sticks.

I use some thin garden plant ties to attach the thicker wire to the stick. The garden ties are much easier to wrap on tightly.

Those look super solid. Excellent tip. Similar to my tape method but also allows for shifting along the stake, which is useful as the plant grows and saves many extra stakes. Thanks!

 

[Skottelgoed Spons]

Looking good carmen!! Coming on nicely there. Oops i should have added the metric with my measurement of my grow box. Lol

 

[Carmen Ray]

Lavender Best - Day 4 AG
I'm way less fussy about this little one than I was with CK. Now I know how to water the cup and what to look out for, so it's less worrisome.
LB, like CK at this stage, is a little leggy and so I assumed the light is too far away. I double checked what my friend had done. He told me he had his vegging plants between 40 to 50 cm so I lowered the light and it is now 55 cm away from the seedling and 50 cm away from my little CK.
I still don't have the light aspect clear in my mind. LB is getting about 22500 lux now but the Royal Queen Seeds guide suggests 5000 to 7000 lux. If I go by the guide she is getting too much light, and if I go by her height I think she needs more. The second photo is of her reaching towards the sun. I just don't want to accidentally burn her to a crisp. Please light enthusiasts, help me out again with the lighting.

 

[Jon]

Lavender Best - Day 4 AG
I'm way less fussy about this little one than I was with CK. Now I know how to water the cup and what to look out for, so it's less worrisome.
LB, like CK at this stage, is a little leggy and so I assumed the light is too far away. I double checked what my friend had done. He told me he had his vegging plants between 40 to 50 cm so I lowered the light and it is now 55 cm away from the seedling and 50 cm away from my little CK.
I still don't have the light aspect clear in my mind. LB is getting about 22500 lux now but the Royal Queen Seeds guide suggests 5000 to 7000 lux. If I go by the guide she is getting too much light, and if I go by her height I think she needs more. The second photo is of her reaching towards the sun. I just don't want to accidentally burn her to a crisp. Please light enthusiasts, help me out again with the lighting.

Not sure I qualify as an enthusiast, but for what it's worth, I see the same thing you see with your eyes. It's leggy. Stretching. Too far for sure. It's begging for more light, hell, even the cotys are praying, lol. The manufacturers tend to give you the safest possible numbers that will work for all strains. Many will vary a good bit. I would say you have one of those here and I would lower the light. Think around 25K lux. With the 4000CRI spectrum I used in the conversion, my estimate of your light's spectrum, that would put you in the mid-400s ppfd. Try that is my suggestion. If you have a picture of the spectrum chart of your light, it would help me dial in the numbers in the conversion - you have to select the closest spectrum to your light to get an accurate conversion. Here's the spectrum I used for the conversion:

 

[Carmen Ray]

Not sure I qualify as an enthusiast, but for what it's worth, I see the same thing you see with your eyes. It's leggy. Stretching. Too far for sure. It's begging for more light, hell, even the cotys are praying, lol. The manufacturers tend to give you the safest possible numbers that will work for all strains. Many will vary a good bit. I would say you have one of those here and I would lower the light. Think around 25K lux. With the 4000CRI spectrum I used in the conversion, my estimate of your light's spectrum, that would put you in the mid-400s ppfd. Try that is my suggestion. If you have a picture of the spectrum chart of your light, it would help me dial in the numbers in the conversion - you have to select the closest spectrum to your light to get an accurate conversion. Here's the spectrum I used for the conversion:

Thank you Jon, so when I measured in lux I measured in ppfd too and it was about 450 ppfd at the new level, so leave it there or move it even closer? The light came as is without any instructions except what the previous grower said he did. I don't know what spectrum it is on? Would these pics help? You are more than an enthusiast. I would say you know a lot about light. Thanks for coming to my aid.

Right now we are in a blackout for 2.5 hours.... I truly hope the lights going out randomly instead of routinely doesn't mess with my plants' mojo.

 

[Jon]

Thank you Jon, so when I measured in lux I measured in ppfd too and it was about 450 ppfd at the new level, so leave it there or move it even closer? The light came as is without any instructions except what the previous grower said he did. I don't know what spectrum it is on? Would these pics help? You are more than an enthusiast. I would say you know a lot about light. Thanks for coming to my aid.

Right now we are in a blackout for 2.5 hours.... I truly hope the lights going out randomly instead of routinely doesn't mess with my plants' mojo.

Those helped a little, I know your driver and it's a 200 watt output, so that's good. What is the actual light, as in who makes it and what model is it?

 

[Jon]

Hey @Carmen Ray, You know what, never mind, it doesn't matter. If you can measure ppfd, great, I didn't realize you also did that. That saves me having to look up the light and spectrum. That should be a good level. They were stretching at LESS light than that, correct? Do you know what the numbers were before you got to 450 ppfd? Regardless, that should stop the stretch in it's tracks, or at least it's enough ppfd to do it to every seedling I've ever grown. I am growing out the spent soil pile and new auto in the small pot in the shade off my garage, and the ppfd there is around 350-400 depending. No stretch. Maybe it would be a good idea to measure her height right now, and then take measurements over the next three days or so. Then you'd have numbers to gauge with. I suspect you'll get very little inappropriate vertical growth now. Yay!

 

[Carmen Ray]

Those helped a little, I know your driver and it's a 200 watt output, so that's good. What is the actual light, as in who makes it and what model is it?

It says Mean Well, so I think that is the name of the manufacturer. I can't find a model number. It was a gift, so I don't have box or instruction manual.

I have just read your follow up comment, thanks Jon I measured her height now at 10 cm / 3.5 inches. I'll monitor that. So I won't burn her? That's my main concern. Oh I see from my spreadsheet (poor layout) that I moved CK to 450 ppfd at about the same age.

 

[Jon]

It says Mean Well, so I think that is the name of the manufacturer. I can't find a model number. It was a gift, so I don't have box or instruction manual.

It's a Mean Well driver. Is there a name embossed on the light anywhere? All the HLG lights use this driver or a version of it, but your light is not an HLG. Anyway I was just curious, the important thing is you can measure ppfd or Lux and you understand what both mean. Btw - meanwell drivers are considered to be very high end equipment, that's good. The driver is what powers the led's in the bars.

 

[Carmen Ray]

It's a Mean Well driver. Is there a name embossed on the light anywhere? All the HLG lights use this driver or a version of it, but your light is not an HLG. Anyway I was just curious, the important thing is you can measure ppfd or Lux and you understand what both mean. Btw - meanwell drivers are considered to be very high end equipment, that's good. The driver is what powers the led's in the bars.

I just looked at the underneath, at the strips. They are Samsung strips and I know Samsung to be a high end electronics manufacturer. I think I'm very lucky if that's the case.

 

[Jon]

I just looked at the underneath, at the strips. They are Samsung strips and I know Samsung to be a high end electronics manufacturer. I think I'm very lucky if that's the case.

You're in great shape, Meanwell drivers and Samsung LEDs. That's what you want. Nice gift. Got a dimmer on that thing or no?

 

[Carmen Ray]

You're in great shape, Meanwell drivers and Samsung LEDs. That's what you want. Nice gift. Got a dimmer on that thing or no?

The wiring is there for a dimmer. I can put a dimmer on if I need one?

 

[Jon]

The wiring is there for a dimmer. I can put a dimmer on if I need one?

Sure, you can if you want, you just buy the compatible dimmer setup and wire it to what's there, easy enough. Probably cost you in the neighborhood of $30-ish? But, why do that? You have unlimited space to raise and lower the light it looks like, correct? Screw the dimmer. It's at 100% all the time. Your dimmer is your height selection. Lol. That's the way I always prefer it when possible.

 

[StoneOtter]

Growing weed AND knot tying AND Light learning! We have it all going on here! It's a wonderful day! Hi Carmen!