Now that I have multiple tents I really feel like I have a well tuned machine. I'm excited for the doser I linked earlier -- up to 8 pumps per res will be more than enough. I doubt very much I will be re-buying all those AN additives I got once I'm done with the bottles. Once my new RDWC is up and running (for my next grow under the 1000W) it'll have automatic top-off through a float valve + doser, so everything will be truly automated. How amazing is technology?
I finally added a dehumidifier to my tent. I had to buy one from a hydro store in the US since I couldn't find one with auto-restart in Canada. I called a few stores all over Canada, it seems all consumer oriented dehumidifier don't think an auto restart is needed after power is cut-off... annoying. On my next grow I'll install it in an elevated position so I can have it drain continually so the grow itself is 100% maintenance free. Surely I won't need to de-leaf with a 1000HPS!? I've never seen one in person but the penetration must blow LED out of the water.
I decided on a OG vertical reflector, which means the ideal footprint is really 3x3 over 4x4, but I'm gonna build a 3x5 screen and use a motor (which I already own). I know you're not sold on motors, and even if you don't buy the theory that changing the angle of light refraction on the leaves will boost photosynthesis, I'll theoretically be able to place the reflector closer to the canopy since it's moving and I'm eliminating hot spots. I say theoritically because I've read it.
As you know, a well tuned machine should maximise potential results. Do you know what they plan on charging for the dosers and whatever they use to control them?
The really high end dehumidifiers are even water cooled. Yeah, you can drain them right into a water res to be used as needed. 1kw lights will penetrate better than any LED I've ever seen.
I admit I've never used them so, for me, it's theoretical but I think you misunderstand my skepticism regarding light movers. It's not that having light from different angles isn't good, it's the fact that when you move the light you trade one angle for another so some of the leaves that were lit up will now be in the shade, thus creating a near zero-sum game. To truly take advantage of lighting from multiple angles, imho, you'd have better results by using multiple lights. You'll almost always see 1000w HPS lights in a commercial grow but rarely movers and movers are pretty cheap so it wouldn't take much of a total yield improvement to get a ROI. My question is, if they really work as well as they claim, why doesn't everyone use them? Why do you almost never see them in commercial grows?
If I've said it once I've said it 1000 times, I'd love to be proven wrong. I learn more from being wrong than I've ever learned from being right and I've never claimed to know it all.
Disclaimer: I still use HID and I'm NOT an LED expert. All of my LED knowledge is from other parties or research so I can't say from first hand experience one way or another. I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
That's an excellent and most pertinent question Watson. I assume it's rhetorical since you know I have nothing to teach you, but I am hoping to prove you wrong down the line. The reason I have a bug up my ass about lightrails is that quote from Ed's book. Quantifying a yield boost like he does is usually backed up by at least some experience and his editors would have probably asked to double check the figure. I don't think he's the type of guy to just make a figure up and declare light movers can boost yield by 10-20%. Maybe the figure is exaggerated, but the theory is that the boost to photosynthesis compensates for the loss of temporary light (a simple way of describing it would be to say that changing the angle or refraction speeds up photosynthesis by 150% but you only lose 50% of the light with a mover so you still end up with a bigger yield in the end).
The scientific method required to prove this theory is easy enough to accomplish, but it'll take a while since the sample has to be large enough to be meaningful. At least 100 comparative grows.
Light movers can still help with things like limited height. If the reflector moves all the time theres no hotspot and the canopy temperature will be even everywhere, thus allowing the reflector to be closer to the canopy.
I've got plant problems that I think are due to overheating... I raised to 90F in flower like I did with the Kali Mist, which they loved. But ever since I raised to 90F growth has slowed down noticeably.
Exactly. I think some people might get a placebo effect by not having an accurate baseline both with and without a mover. I don't know that you'd have to have 100 grows to be sure though. If a grower had a consistent baseline (either with or without the mover) then they could simple try it the other way a few times and it should be enough to notice a positive or negative difference. It might be hard to put an actual percentage of change on it, without a larger sample, but even 10% should be noticeable, especially with large HID lights.
I *would* expect the flowers to be more "even," (the smaller flowers might be bigger but the bigger ones might be smaller) but I'm not sold on 10-20% more yield. I think that, if that were so, everybody would be using them. I'd be willing to test the mover thing once/if my back is fixed but I'd want to establish a baseline first.
Maybe you'll beat me to it, I'd be happy to help.
90F is certainly pushing it so try dropping it back down a bit if they don't like it. THAT is an easy fix. Every strain is different too...
Disclaimer: I still use HID and I'm NOT an LED expert. All of my LED knowledge is from other parties or research so I can't say from first hand experience one way or another. I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
At first I thought nute burn, but PPM have never went beyond 600PPM. There was a slight climb to 680PPM for less than 24h then it was reduced back to the usual 600PM. pH has remained within the ideal spectrum (5.6-6.3), ususually stabilizes at 5.8-5.9 and never moves.
They look wilted/dried up rather than the usual claw you typically see with nute burn, but this is my 2nd grow so I wanted to check.
I've already lowered it back to 85F where it was in veg. As you say every strain is different but since Kali Mist and Royal Haze are both sativa dominant I thought they'd both like the hot 90F.
That looks like a classic potassium def to me but, I suppose, the heat could be exacerbating it. How long since you did a drain and refill on your res? Are you using a lot of pH-UP?
6.3 is FAR above ideal for hydro...
Nutrient_Chart2.gif (31.01 KiB) Viewed 3488 times
Disclaimer: I still use HID and I'm NOT an LED expert. All of my LED knowledge is from other parties or research so I can't say from first hand experience one way or another. I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
5.6-6.1 is hydro, my mistake. I like to stay between 5.8-6.0 so I'm in the zone.
I did forget to mention I did not drain between veg and flower until this morning. In fact I had not completely drained the res ever in this grow. When I switched to bloom the res was at 1/8 capacity so I just filled it back up (added 18 gal of RO water) and re-adjusted PPM we bloom nutes. Short term memory problems and all
Bad idea, I guess?
I drained the tub empty this morning, refilled with plain water, drained again, re-filled with RO water, then re-fed them
I didn't know this is what potassium def looked like.
I can't say I've been using unusual amounts of ph UP but I suppose over 9 weeks its been building up.
So a drain between veg and bloom is something vital you do systemically? I'm curious what happens chemically that the potassium would be barred if you don't drain?
I'd say 5.6-6.0 is as wide as I'd want to go and 5.7-5.9 would be better while shooting, of course, for a middle of 5.8.
So, it could be several things; pH lockout from going too high, K def from not changing out the nutrients, heat or too much N/Ca or Na locking out K IF you use a lot of pH-up. Heat is the least likely at this point but, as I said, it could be exacerbating the other issues so 85 for now is still a good idea. You can bump it back up, if you want, later.
I've been trying to work on fixing the old Overgrow GrowFAQ to archive on my new website but I need to edit hundreds of html pages and it's a PITA so it's slow going. Once done there will be some pictures of common nutrient issues that people can look up. There are "other" sites that have archived the old Overgrow faq, if you wanted to search for "Plant Abuse Chart and Photos by Nietzsche" you'd see a K def picture that looks very much like your pictures.
Depending on how long you veg, you might even drain and fill before that too. Some people do it monthly, some every time the res gets used up, some twice/grow. That's one of the first things to do if you haven't done it in a while and plants show signs of problems.
Disclaimer: I still use HID and I'm NOT an LED expert. All of my LED knowledge is from other parties or research so I can't say from first hand experience one way or another. I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.
Thankfully the problem isn't too widespread and the beauty of hydro means they should bounce back rapidly.
Yes, a modern chart with high-res pics of different deficiencies would be super helpful. The only thing I have is a chart that looks like it was drawn by Tolkien fifty years ago... it looks nice but the clarity and details are nil.
There you'll find the "Plant Abuse Chart and Photos by Nietzsche" section...and others.
Disclaimer: I still use HID and I'm NOT an LED expert. All of my LED knowledge is from other parties or research so I can't say from first hand experience one way or another. I also run a medical grow consulting business in SoCal.