Moody's first LED grow....

[moody420]

Alright, this is my first all LED GROW....

Previous grows:
600w HPS
portable air conditioner
various nutes (earth juice microblast, catalyst, grow and bloom, kool bloom, maxicrop, fulvic and humic acid and potash)
happy frog soil

*managed to grow good quality bud, not very high yeilds, heat was always an issue even with the portable air conditioner. I was running about 1400w of power. I have tried several strains. Blue dream is a favorite and I will be growing blue dream again under LED to really compare these methods....let's get it going! :jointsmile:

My LED grow:
150w LED....I have one right now on the vegging clones, and will be adding another 150w LED as I switch over to flower.
4 mini fans for circulation
mylar covered walls
House and Garden nutrient system for Coco
all coco medium

I have been inspired by several people on this board to give this a try....stra8, you have been ever so helpful and I'm excited to learn from someone so talented! :D I will try my best to update as often as possible....let's get this started! :jointsmile:

here a few pics of my closet with the new clones....

[khyberkitsune]

*pulls up a lawn chair, sparks up some medicine*

[stra8outtaWeed]

looks like a nice set up...welcome ot the world of LED...you'll do great! :thumbsup:

[irydyum]

Sparks up a fattie and passes it around.:joint1:

I'll be the quiet one in the back:S1:

Consider me very very curious to take this trip.:S3:

[moody420]

so pleased to have you guys on board! :jointsmile:

[bigsby]

I'm in. You're six week ahead of me so I'll be watching closely. Make us proud!

How many plants are you going to have in flower total?

[moody420]

right now I've got 2 strawberry kush and 4 blue dreams....I'm thinking i want to add 4 more of something....going to the club today or tomorrow to see what I can find! :)

I've grown Blue Dream 3 times under HPS so it will be cool to see the comparison between HPS vs. LED on that specific strain! :jointsmile:

Glad to have you along for the ride!

[dopet4h2c0]

hey im in on this one i cant wait to see what leds can do

[bigsby]

Point of interest - are these from seeds or clones? Also, can you tell us a bit more about the strains you are using based on your previous grow? Short, tall, stretch, time in veg, time to flower, etc. I'll be interested to know if they preform differently during their cycles - i.e. do they need a bit longer in veg with the LEDs.

You've given me some motivation. I have a ton of stuff to get done before I am allowed to build my room - so the plumber and electrician are scheduled this week and I estimated my lumber needs for a wall that I promised to build as a prerequisite... Thanks!

[moody420]

Hey Bigsby....I am growing from clones. Typically I would veg anywhere from 2-4 weeks. I think I am going to play it by ear, but I'm expecting to start to flower around may 1st. Also, I don't think they veg any slower in LED. If anything, I have seen tons of new growth on these clones already and they have only been in since 4/8/10. So I'm pretty excited! :jointsmile:

Other strains I have tried in the past have been Grapefruit diesel, purple kush, querkle and white widow. Blue dream is the one that I've had the best success with which is why I'm sticking with it. And I feel I will be able to do a good comparison with HPS vs. LED with that strain since I have grown it several times with the HPS.

Strawberry kush is new for me, and I plan on adding another 4 plants....still deciding what strain...

[xxMrGreenThumbx]

this is gonna be a good thread to keeep an eye on, ur pro mate... so this is first tym with leds? wots it like for eletrick consumption? wot other strains av u tried? you got pictures of ur blue dream? dat sound wells nice.. nice setup mate

[moody420]

this is gonna be a good thread to keeep an eye on, ur pro mate... so this is first tym with leds? wots it like for eletrick consumption? wot other strains av u tried? you got pictures of ur blue dream? dat sound wells nice.. nice setup mate

thanks for the well wishes! Yes, this is my first time using LED, but I have some really talented people walking me though it...so I feel very confident about it!

As far as saving power....well before I was running about 1400w (600hps and portable a/c). My SMUD bill was about $80-100 more a month....now I'm anticipating it to be about $20! I'm only using 150w right now....and only 300w once i start flowering. So about 1/5 of the power as before! big difference! And there is NO heat...NONE....no need for that big ass portable air conditioner! :jointsmile:

I do have pics of my blue dream from previous grows on my profile under 3rd grow....my 2nd grow album is pretty weak!

Other strains have been grapefruit diesel, purple kush, white widow and querkle...love the querkle! :D But i didn't do very good with it....it got root rot and powdered mold! yuck!

Anyways....thanks for joining the ride....I hope to impress! :jointsmile:

[xxMrGreenThumbx]

wot was ur white widow like? anything like the pictures u see? any updates?

[moody420]

i have pics of my last round of white widow on my profile in the album called "3rd grow"....check it out....I've got quite a few pics on there. :jointsmile:

[bigsby]

Interesting read on LEDs below. It is pretty basic but I know there will be many viewing hunting for LED information. Overall seems pretty balanced.

LED Grow Light Info - Linked by Bigs ;) (http://www.growlightexpress.com/pages/led-grow-lights-pv-c0-1.html)

I can't wait to get my room built! I'm using your grow as my time line. I'm aiming to be 6 weeks behind you although 8 weeks seems more realistic. I hope my schedule doesn't slip. I'm laying sod this weekend (check), the wall is framed (check), drywall is ready to go (check), scheduled the plumber and electrician (it's panel wiring - beyond my pay grade... check, check). A bit of painting, slap on some trim, finish the floor and I'm good to go. I figure I can build it in a weekend.

Give us an update moody!

[moody420]

here's some new pics....

the kushes are loving the new light....I added 4 more clones today called shuga....they were highly recommended, so we'll see....:jointsmile:

[irydyum]

That mylar is trippy looking, it makes it look like there's 30 of em' in there. I'm excited for you:thumbsup:

[stra8outtaWeed]

looks great...that mylar makes you dizzy if you stare too long!:stoned:

[khyberkitsune]

Interesting read on LEDs below. It is pretty basic but I know there will be many viewing hunting for LED information. Overall seems pretty balanced.

LED Grow Light Info - Linked by Bigs ;) (http://www.growlightexpress.com/pages/led-grow-lights-pv-c0-1.html)

I can't wait to get my room built! I'm using your grow as my time line. I'm aiming to be 6 weeks behind you although 8 weeks seems more realistic. I hope my schedule doesn't slip. I'm laying sod this weekend (check), the wall is framed (check), drywall is ready to go (check), scheduled the plumber and electrician (it's panel wiring - beyond my pay grade... check, check). A bit of painting, slap on some trim, finish the floor and I'm good to go. I figure I can build it in a weekend.

Give us an update moody!

From your link:

" An LED grow light designer isnâ??t trying to reproduce sunlight"

That's why they're failing, speaking as an LED light designer.

[420session]

What brand LED did you go with? I've been searching and everybody differs drastically in price and alot are not willing or don't know enough about the manufacturer specs. Im trying to focus on a LED grow, but still haven't decided how many plants I want to grow. Good luck

peace

[bigsby]

From your link:

" An LED grow light designer isnâ??t trying to reproduce sunlight"

That's why they're failing, speaking as an LED light designer.

I believe what they mean by this is that the LED does not need to reproduce the visible spectrum in the same quantities as sunlight or as an HID. Hence, with LEDs there is not a flood of white, yellow, and orange spectrum - light that is largely unused by the plant. This accounts for part of the efficiency gain. But I get your point. While this spectrum is important, the plant does not need much off it.

[khyberkitsune]

I believe what they mean by this is that the LED does not need to reproduce the visible spectrum in the same quantities as sunlight or as an HID. Hence, with LEDs there is not a flood of white, yellow, and orange spectrum - light that is largely unused by the plant. This accounts for part of the efficiency gain. But I get your point. While this spectrum is important, the plant does not need much off it.

Indeed, but still the problem with most typical LED panels is the sheer imbalance of light. You won't find such ratios of light naturally occurring on this planet except at the poles due to the way the atmosphere distorts incoming solar radiation.

[moody420]

The mylar is a trip! It makes me feel like I'm on an acid trip every time I open the closet! I got so dizzy when I was hanging that stuff on the walls....but I believe it's going to help make a difference....it's very reflective! :jointsmile:

[moody420]

What brand LED did you go with? I've been searching and everybody differs drastically in price and alot are not willing or don't know enough about the manufacturer specs. Im trying to focus on a LED grow, but still haven't decided how many plants I want to grow. Good luck

peace

hey 420session....I went with a WEX led....talk to my buddy stra8outtaweed...he's very helpful with information about LED lighting! :jointsmile:

This is my first time with an LED...but already i'm seeing huge differences....and the temps are steady! :D

[moody420]

quick update and a few new pics....

I added the last of my clones in yesterday. I have 2 strawberry kush, 4 blue dream and 4 shugas. The strawberry kushes LOVE the LED and have doubled in size in a week....the blue dreams haven't grown much taller but are flooding with new leaves....and the shugas are new, but came highly recommended. they are an indica blend and are supposed to be great producers! :jointsmile:

pic 1 & 2 are the blue dreams
pic 3 & 4 are the strawberry kushes....they had to be staked already! :jointsmile:
pic 5 is the shugas....so far so good!

more to come....thanks for checking in! :jointsmile:

[CovertCarpenter]

...cuz I'm thinking about doing the same thing.

TO summers can be verra hot and shitty, with a pissy front moving in every now and then ;) I'm doing some DUI thinking about no-power air conditioners, but running an almost-exclusively LED show in the summer is reeeeally really attractive to me (not that I'm hating my 600w-ish of beautiful HPS, tho...) :D

Pullin' up de lawn chaiah...

(c)C :chainsaw:

[khyberkitsune]

...cuz I'm thinking about doing the same thing.

TO summers can be verra hot and shitty, with a pissy front moving in every now and then ;) I'm doing some DUI thinking about no-power air conditioners, but running an almost-exclusively LED show in the summer is reeeeally really attractive to me (not that I'm hating my 600w-ish of beautiful HPS, tho...) :D

Pullin' up de lawn chaiah...

(c)C :chainsaw:

Well, if you want a nearly nil-power cooling system for your HPS, just hook one of these bad boys up and give it water flow, then just push the air through!

With ground water hooked up one of these babies can cool 4 600w and keep the air temp at a constant 19C/66F

[CovertCarpenter]

...'preciate the good tip on the rad /Rad/ there, mon :)

Hate to ask, but what does such a lovely little unit like that go fer? I've got my setup built, but I /did/ leave space to add something like that, and the only difficulty would be the water run. I have something in mind to fix that, tho :)

And Moody... KEEP UP THE FREAKIN' GOOD WORK, MON! Seeing some /great/ density so far!

(c)C :chainsaw:

[moody420]

...'preciate the good tip on the rad /Rad/ there, mon :)

Hate to ask, but what does such a lovely little unit like that go fer? I've got my setup built, but I /did/ leave space to add something like that, and the only difficulty would be the water run. I have something in mind to fix that, tho :)

And Moody... KEEP UP THE FREAKIN' GOOD WORK, MON! Seeing some /great/ density so far!

(c)C :chainsaw:


Thanks CC....I'm really loving the LED so far. I can actually stay gone for a night and not stress out about what's going on at home in the closet. And I know I'm going to love it even more as the weather gets warmer. That 600hps i had before was really hard to control the heat even with a fancy smancy portable a/c unit....It's nice to not have all that power going too! :thumbsup:

Keep watching....I'll try to update with pics as often as possible. I plan to switch over to flowering around may 1st....that's when it'll get really interesting! :jointsmile:

[khyberkitsune]

...'preciate the good tip on the rad /Rad/ there, mon :)

Hate to ask, but what does such a lovely little unit like that go fer? I've got my setup built, but I /did/ leave space to add something like that, and the only difficulty would be the water run. I have something in mind to fix that, tho :)

And Moody... KEEP UP THE FREAKIN' GOOD WORK, MON! Seeing some /great/ density so far!

(c)C :chainsaw:

Unfortunately, they are EXPENSIVE. That model is probably 300 dollars.

[moody420]

here's a little update....

the strawberry kushes are loving the LED and are growing so fast i already had to take them down a few inches...

the blue dreams are starting to really kick into gear...I added the roots accelerator on their last feed...

the shuga's are doing great and adapting great....hasn't even been a week for them!

Still got another few weeks till I start to flower....but here's a few pics of their progress. Also, I'm throwing in a picture of the nutes I'm using....

more to come :jointsmile:

[stra8outtaWeed]

they look like they are coming along nicely...good work :thumbsup:

[moody420]

A few more pics to show the progress over the last few days....I've seen some major growth on the blue dreams over the last 5 days! They all seem to be doing great with the coco and enjoying themselves under the LED light....more to come! :jointsmile:

pic 1 - strawberry kush....i had to take them down a few inches last week, they are loving the light!
pic 2 & 3 - blue dream....lots of new growth and much bushier than when i vegged with HPS.
pic 4 & 5 - all the babies! :D

I'll keep posting every few days.....should be switching over the flower cycle in just about a week now....stay tuned! :jointsmile:

[whitem5]

Hey Khyberkitsune where can i find one of those cooling units that you hook water up to??

[JungleSuperstar]

looking nice moody :thumbsup:

il defo be keeping an eye on this thread specially when u go into flowering:jointsmile:

are LED lights best for energy consumption?

[khyberkitsune]

Hey Khyberkitsune where can i find one of those cooling units that you hook water up to??

I don't exactly remember. It's just a radiator inside a ventilation mount with two water hookups (intake and outtake) and they really shouldn't be that expensive.

[whitem5]

Ohh ok.. So is that custom made or is their a company that actualy manufactures that item?

[moody420]

looking nice moody :thumbsup:

il defo be keeping an eye on this thread specially when u go into flowering:jointsmile:

are LED lights best for energy consumption?

thanks junglesuperstar! It should just be a few more days now. I'm adding a 2nd light in a few days.....I'm excited to see this take off! :jointsmile:

[CovertCarpenter]

...no criteria available, except keep on' doin' what'cher doin'...

(think about LST tho..! KUSHes /LOVE/ LST!/)

Happy gardening..!

[khyberkitsune]

Ohh ok.. So is that custom made or is their a company that actualy manufactures that item?

There is a company that manufactures them but they're really expensive considering what they are. it's just a two-tap unidirectional radiator stuck inside a venting flange.

[bigsby]

thanks junglesuperstar! It should just be a few more days now. I'm adding a 2nd light in a few days.....I'm excited to see this take off! :jointsmile:

Damn Moody - you're getting another set? Jealous!! I was hoping you would flower through with the one set so I could gauge my needs. I'm going to go all the way through with one set and see how it goes before I decide to upgrade. I'm aiming for 4 plants on my first grow but I'd like to do 8 which I don't think I can do with the 1 light. Maybe.

Anyway, keep the updates coming. I'm looking forward to seeing these go to flower.

[moody420]

Damn Moody - you're getting another set? Jealous!! I was hoping you would flower through with the one set so I could gauge my needs. I'm going to go all the way through with one set and see how it goes before I decide to upgrade. I'm aiming for 4 plants on my first grow but I'd like to do 8 which I don't think I can do with the 1 light. Maybe.

Anyway, keep the updates coming. I'm looking forward to seeing these go to flower.

Yep, I'm adding the 2nd light for the flower cycle. You can veg more plants under 1 light, but any more than 8 plants you are going to want more light....I have 10 plants going this time with a SOG type setup. If you did 4 plants you will be more than ok with just the 1 light.

I will put up a few pics soon....about another week or less of vegging. I added some mychorrizae to the coco today. It's just a benefical to help the roots take in the nutrients. I should have done it at transplant, but better late than never! :jointsmile: This is my first time using coco and didn't realize that it has no added nutrients like soil does. So I had to add a little of my own. But I do love the coco....it's a pretty cool medium to use. I heard lots of good things about it and so far I am impressed. It aerates the roots better and it seems to retain moisture longer so I'm only feeding about every 4th day.

The show continues....thanks for joining! :jointsmile:

[bigsby]

My setup will be scrog. Seems to make the most sense with LED. Plus I'm space-ally challenged so by far the best set up for my situation. Most I can fit is 3 rows x 4 plants at 1.3' square / plant and that would be t-i-g-h-t tight. I'm thinking the extra LED is on the horizon but for my first grow I'm going to do 4 plants max. If that meets my needs then great. Otherwise I add another panel and bump up to 8 - 12. My biggest issue is that I want to grow stavia heavy strains and... well... that doesn't work with my setup.

[whitem5]

Sorry about the side convo moody lol just really interested in that cooling device.. Your doing an awesome freakn job btw!! Loving the LED's so far :thumbsup: Keep it up!! or should i say keep up the inspiration lol!! (for me at least) :)

[whitem5]

But where would i go about finding a radiator that size with the ports in that exact location? Do you remember the manufactures' name? Cost is not an issue.. Thnks mayng :)

[bigsby]

It's called an "ice box" and there are all kinds of attending systems that you need to put in place. Crazy expensive. Run a search on any decent hydro supply site for ice and you'll find it.

[moody420]

looking nice moody :thumbsup:

il defo be keeping an eye on this thread specially when u go into flowering:jointsmile:

are LED lights best for energy consumption?

hey junglesuperstar....i realized i never answered your question. Yes, they are amazingly better for energy consumption. I was running a 600w hps and an 800w portable a/c.....now I'm running 150w and with the new light...a total of 300w. MUCH better than 1400w! I am impressed with them so far, they are using a hell of alot less energy and there is no heat emitting from the light. Can't wait to see what it does for me in flower! :jointsmile:

[khyberkitsune]

It's called an "ice box" and there are all kinds of attending systems that you need to put in place. Crazy expensive. Run a search on any decent hydro supply site for ice and you'll find it.

Actually, you don't need any sort of extra systems if you ran it open flow. All you need is a connect to water and a drain out, that's it. Sure if you wanted to run a closed system you'd need peltier coolers and all other kinds of fun stuff, but otherwise you can just hook water up to those and go, they are that simple.

They are designed to work with ground-pumped water or tap. Ground-pumped water is much better and keeps it much cooler. I'm lucky I can run direct out if I wanted to, though I don't need to since I don't use HID any longer. My community has a water treatment plant so running direct to waste is no issue since our water is constantly recycled. Nice tight system.

[JungleSuperstar]

hey junglesuperstar....i realized i never answered your question. Yes, they are amazingly better for energy consumption. I was running a 600w hps and an 800w portable a/c.....now I'm running 150w and with the new light...a total of 300w. MUCH better than 1400w! I am impressed with them so far, they are using a hell of alot less energy and there is no heat emitting from the light. Can't wait to see what it does for me in flower! :jointsmile:

sounds good i might have to keep that in mind when i go indoors, also il see how urs comes out, id much rather be running 300w than 1400!!! thats insane, it wouldnt be soooo bad if hps didnt fry everything!!!:jointsmile:

happy growing:thumbsup:

[whitem5]

Thanks a lot for the info guys :thumbsup:

[Coachgee]

Hey nice job moody:thumbsup: I will be checking u out and taking notes....:hippy:

[GP73LPC]

cool, i'm in... :smokin:

[GP73LPC]

I went with a WEX led....talk to my buddy stra8outtaweed...he's very helpful with information about LED lighting! :jointsmile:

I am about to go with a WEX also... :thumbsup:

[moody420]

Hey nice job moody:thumbsup: I will be checking u out and taking notes....:hippy:

thanks coachgee! I should be switching over to flower this week....just got to get a few things done first. Stay tuned....things should be getting good. :jointsmile:

[moody420]

I am about to go with a WEX also... :thumbsup:

sweet! I am very happy with mine so far! :jointsmile:

[GP73LPC]

sweet! I am very happy with mine so far! :jointsmile:

i've been doing some research and i believe it's the best bang for the buck and has the correct spectrum for flowering...

stra8outtaweed's thread clearly show what they can do :thumbsup:

[bigsby]

How is the grow going Moody? Did you flip to flower yet?

[moody420]

Just a quick update to keep you all posted! The babies are doing great. Pulled them all out and staked them yesterday. I'm cleaning up the lower branches tonight so I'll post those pics soon. I'm leaving them under 24/0 light until sunday and then flipping them. I will be adding bushmaster on that day.

Here's a few pics of the setup with both lights in. I also added an intake/outake fan in the window where the a/c was. I found it on amazon for $40 and it is working wonderfully....:jointsmile:

[cigarettes42]

if that fan goes out side i would put a nylon screen over it to prevent thrips and other bug infesting your room. now that its summer those bugs are out in full force, my mums got attacked by them

[moody420]

if that fan goes out side i would put a nylon screen over it to prevent thrips and other bug infesting your room. now that its summer those bugs are out in full force, my mums got attacked by them

yeah, i have a screen on the outside of the window....so no worries! :jointsmile: I also have a hot spot no pest strip near the window...no pests in sight! :D

Everything is going good so far....stay tuned! :jointsmile:

[Charbud]

Sup moody. Noticed you and StaightOuttaWeed both growing with LEDS. How you finding them ? Im looking to get a 120 watt Panel soonish. Any advice on purchasing ? brands ? where you got yours from ? Keep em green.
Respect

[Weezard]

Aloha Charbud.

You asked:
"Any advice on purchasing ?"

My unsolicited advice?

Look for high-power emitters.
1. and 2W. leds are a bad choice for blooming.
(For reasons see "penetration misunderstood" on the IC.)
So, avoid Hydro-grow, UFOs, etc.
StraightouttaWeed is using lights with 3W. emitters that are blooming up a storm.
I have yet to see any commercial lamp hold a candela to my homebrew 15W 660s. but his come close.

Weeze, out.

[moody420]

Sup moody. Noticed you and StaightOuttaWeed both growing with LEDS. How you finding them ? Im looking to get a 120 watt Panel soonish. Any advice on purchasing ? brands ? where you got yours from ? Keep em green.
Respect

Hit me up on yahoo....let's chat! :jointsmile:

[moody420]

Aloha Charbud.

You asked:
"Any advice on purchasing ?"

My unsolicited advice?

Look for high-power emitters.
1. and 2W. leds are a bad choice for blooming.
(For reasons see "penetration misunderstood" on the IC.)
So, avoid Hydro-grow, UFOs, etc.
StraightouttaWeed is using lights with 3W. emitters that are blooming up a storm.
I have yet to see any commercial lamp hold a candela to my homebrew 15W 660s. but his come close.

Weeze, out.

I'm no techy like weez....I have a hard enough time setting my timer correctly! :jointsmile:

But I do want to answer Charbuds question....I am using the WEX 150w LED. I have 2 of them in there now for flowering since I am doing 10 plants this time. With 2 lights I can do up to 16 plants no problem. Stra8 did help me out with purchasing and he is very knowledgeable when it comes to LED's. They cost $450 each which i don't think is alot considering what they can do and price comparing them with HPS. My closet has been staying at a good temp WITHOUT the use of A/C and my power bill has dropped immensely! So those are all things to take into consideration also. Anyways, feel free to hit me up on yahoo IM if you want to chat about it. I will also try to update my log as often as possible for those of you trying to learn from others! :jointsmile:

[Weezard]

Aloha Moody,

Didn' mean to 'jack, but dat question jus' dragged 2 cents outta me.
An' those WX... are the lights I was recommending on the strength of str8's grow.:greenthumb:

:o T'anks fo' da techy tag, but I is jus' a lizard.
An' a lazy one at dat.
I only learn as much as I need, to do what I need to do.
I'm seriously under-educated as a result.
But, like Paul Simon says; "My lack of education hasn't hurt me none.":jointsmile:

I'll desist now.:)

Aloha
W:stoned::stoned:zard

[moody420]

Aloha Moody,

Didn' mean to 'jack, but dat question jus' dragged 2 cents outta me.
An' those WX... are the lights I was recommending on the strength of str8's grow.:greenthumb:

:o T'anks fo' da techy tag, but I is jus' a lizard.
An' a lazy one at dat.
I only learn as much as I need, to do what I need to do.
I'm seriously under-educated as a result.
But, like Paul Simon says; "My lack of education hasn't hurt me none.":jointsmile:

I'll desist now.:)

Aloha
W:stoned::stoned:zard

Oh Weezard....your advice is welcome always on my threads! You are part of the reason I switched to LED's! You are mad talented! And just because someone isn't "formerly" educated doesn't mean you aren't smart! I think your grow logs are genius and even jacked a couple ideas from ya! :jointsmile:

Feel free to chime in and advise....I am still learning myself! I am proud to be part of the LED revolution that's coming! :jointsmile:

[moody420]

ok....it's flower time! :jointsmile:

I flipped the lights yesterday (5/10/10) starting the flower cycle. So things should start getting exciting!!! I've attached a few pics of the babies all trimmed and staked....ready to go! :jointsmile:

pic 1 - lights on

[stra8outtaWeed]

looks like like you got one goin past the light :jointsmile:

the fun begins :thumbsup:

[moody420]

looks like like you got one goin past the light :jointsmile:

the fun begins :thumbsup:


yup....those kushes are going crazy!!! Mental note....do more kushes next time! :D

My buddy is coming by tomorrow to help me with raising the light. You like my reflectors? I actually think they are a great idea....thanks WEEZ!!! :jointsmile:

let the show begin....it's what we've been waiting for! You know I'm excited! :thumbsup:

[GP73LPC]

looking good.... :thumbsup:

the reflectors aren't gonna do much for you underneath the leaves, are they?

[moody420]

looking good.... :thumbsup:

the reflectors aren't gonna do much for you underneath the leaves, are they?


It's my first time trying it.....I saw it on weezards album! I actually thought it was a great idea which is why i'm trying it! But I'm not sure how much affect it will really have. I just figure it's more light shooting back at the plant....so it can't be a bad thing! :jointsmile:

[khyberkitsune]

"But I'm not sure how much affect it will really have. I just figure it's more light shooting back at the plant....so it can't be a bad thing! "

Well, I'll tel you it doesn't work very well. If you take a test tube of chlorophyll and an incandescent light, depending upon the location of the tube relative to you and the light, it will either appear green, or red. With the test tube in front of you, between you and the light, you will see red, with the test tube in front of you, and the incandescent bulb beside or behind you, you will see it as green. Chlorophyll has some properties of a metamaterial, and as such light doesn't act in the typical fashion when it strikes those tissues.

Lighting from the underside is not that viable of an idea. The mesophyll layer is also closer to being on the top of the leaf (typically right under the eipdermis and spongy layer,) and the underside tends to block light, making underside lighting far more inefficient.

[Weezard]

It's my first time trying it.....I saw it on weezards album! I actually thought it was a great idea which is why i'm trying it! But I'm not sure how much affect it will really have. I just figure it's more light shooting back at the plant....so it can't be a bad thing! :jointsmile:

Khyber is correct.
There's not a lot of help light-wise and the under-leaf is a hard sell, for photon absorbtion.

I cover my coco to thwart thrips n Fungus gnats n Whitefly.
They all reproduce in soil.
I use reflective material while I'm at it because, well, "it can't be a bad thing".:)
And specular reflections do seem to confuse the whitefly.

Aloha,
Weezard

[bigsby]

Thrips, gnats, spider mites etc. need moist soil for their eggs - they need to land on the soil to deposit their load. A layer of hydroton clay on top of your soil maintains a dry inhospitable surface that repels pests. It also prevents water from damaging or overflowing soil, as occurs when water is poured in a heavy stream.

[khyberkitsune]

"And specular reflections do seem to confuse the whitefly."

Man, whiteflies are about the dumbest things I've ever seen! I can use a blue/UV laser pointer to confuse them (and the cats at the same time!)

[moody420]

Khyber is correct.
There's not a lot of help light-wise and the under-leaf is a hard sell, for photon absorbtion.

I cover my coco to thwart thrips n Fungus gnats n Whitefly.
They all reproduce in soil.
I use reflective material while I'm at it because, well, "it can't be a bad thing".:)
And specular reflections do seem to confuse the whitefly.

Aloha,
Weezard

Well, lucky for me, pests aren't a problem currently....the hot shot pest strip seems to be keeping the little buggers away! Thank goodness! :thumbsup:

I am not expecting it to have amazing results, just something I wanted to try....I had some extra cardboard and mylar and figured what the hell....:jointsmile:

[moody420]

Just a quick update....no pics at this time, but there isn't much of a visible difference yet. My camera is not good enough to get that close of a shot. But the plants are covered in little white pistils....so I am happy! :D

I gave them a second dose of bushmaster on thursday. Might give the kushes a 3rd dose since they have been growing like crazy! Last night I gave them the H&G nutes for flower week 2, in between feedings I am using 1 tsp per gallon of mollasses as recommended by quite a few....so we'll see! :thumbsup:

I'll add a few pics soon....

[stra8outtaWeed]

i would hold back on the 3rd dose of BM....you'll see its effects in due time....just raise your lights a little and arrange your plants by height and put the tallest under one light and the shorties under the other light :thumbsup:

lookin forward to the pics :jointsmile:

[biggtone]

stra8outtaWeed would like to talk about your units, am definitly interested. Tried skype yahoo, etc but can't seem to connect to you. The Weezard likes your units and that is good enough for me. [email protected]

[bigsby]

lookin forward to the pics :jointsmile:

Me too!

Damn I'm behind schedule now. I had hoped to be up and running with my new room. I still haven't done the framing :( Oh well. Better to take a little longer and do it right than rush through before I'm ready.

[moody420]

Me too!

Damn I'm behind schedule now. I had hoped to be up and running with my new room. I still haven't done the framing :( Oh well. Better to take a little longer and do it right than rush through before I'm ready.


You are so right....you don't want to rush and do a shitty job! There are always lots of factors you forget to consider....you will have a few unexpected things in every grow setup. It takes awhile to get a grow room dialed in just right! :jointsmile:

I've been growing for a year now and still learn alot each round.

[bigsby]

Well... yes that is true however, in my situation I have a check list of projects that I need to complete before starting my new project - build partition wall, paint 3 rooms, complete sodding of lawn, paint side of house, clean/organize the rest of the basement and a few others. And in all fairness, these items need to be completed. I'm 2/3rds through my list so perhaps a week or two off schedule... I'll get there.

[moody420]

alright, alright....I got some pics!!! :D I will try and be better about the updates! Now that the babies are in flower, things are going to get good. I'm posting pics from 2 days ago and then a few from tonight. you can see a difference. I'm about 10 days into flower and it's amazing how many pistils there are! My camera isn't that great, but I tried to get some good shots for ya! Let me know what you think so far....:jointsmile:

Pic 1 - side view of one of the shuga's
Pic 2 - top view of some shuga's and blue dreams
Pic 3 - blue dreams
Pic 4 - one of my kushes next to a shuga....she's a beast! :stoned:
Pic 5 - my shop fan throwing up air for circulation

[moody420]

And here's a few from tonight....:jointsmile:

Pic 1 - Lights on!
Pic 2 - Shuga
Pic 3 - Blue Dream...
Pic 4 - Blue Dream....
Pic 5 - Blue Dream.....it's why I always grow it...it's a dream! :jointsmile:

[dopet4h2c0]

looking good how long they got left?

[moody420]

thanks....they are only 1 1/2 weeks into flowering....so I have about 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 weeks left.....some are indica and some are sativa. :jointsmile:

[stra8outtaWeed]

the only thing with growing different strains is they take different strengths of feed...you have a little nute burn on the shuga...looking good otherwise :thumbsup:

[bigsby]

So I have to dial in the nutes for each strain? Good to know. I learn something every time I come on here.

Moody, they look like they're stretching a little? It's common complain with LED so I'm perhaps seeing something that is not there or is a result of the pictures. How far off the plants are the lights?

[moody420]

the lights are about 10-12" about the plants (some are taller than others). The shuga's and blue dreams are pretty compact and bushy....but the kushes are growing like I've never seen before. They might look like they are stretching in the pics...they just created alot more branches than the others. I had to cut them down 2 weeks into vegging because they were so much taller than the others. they are clearly the leader of the pack right now! :jointsmile:

[moody420]

the only thing with growing different strains is they take different strengths of feed...you have a little nute burn on the shuga...looking good otherwise :thumbsup:


yeah, it's not too bad though. I gave them the "aggressive" recipe last week....I went back to "normal" this week.....I'm going to stick with that! :jointsmile:

[moody420]

Here's a few more pics....you can see a HUGE difference in just 4 days! :jointsmile:

Pic 1 - lights on
Pic 2 - Blue Dream
Pic 3 - Strawberry Kush
Pic 4 - top view of BD's and Shuga's
Pic 5 - side view of Shuga's

Things should start to progress pretty quickly now....so stay tuned! :D

[dopet4h2c0]

hey i got a question were did you get your LEDS from? and is it the same place as straightouttaweed? thanks and keep up the good work:thumbsup:

[moody420]

hey i got a question were did you get your LEDS from? and is it the same place as straightouttaweed? thanks and keep up the good work:thumbsup:

Yep, same place! So far I'm very happy with them! Stay tuned....the babies are growing lots every day....I'll add some pics in a day or two :jointsmile:

[moody420]

New pics...:jointsmile:

pic 1 - Shuga
pic 2 - Blue Dream
pic 3 - Blue Dream
pic 4 - Strawberry Kush
pic 5 - Strawberry Kush

i'm 2 1/2 weeks into flowering....

[dopet4h2c0]

ok but were did you get them lol like what website? thanks:thumbsup:

[Charbud]

Lookin nice moody ! Girls are liking those leds. are you growing in coco ? easy/difficult ? Keep em green man :D

[moody420]

ok but were did you get them lol like what website? thanks:thumbsup:

talk to stra8....he's my LED guy.

[moody420]

Lookin nice moody ! Girls are liking those leds. are you growing in coco ? easy/difficult ? Keep em green man :D

Hey Charbud! Thanks! :jointsmile:

Yeah, I'm using all coco. This is my first time working with this medium. I'm still learning all the pros and cons of it. It retains water longer which is good, but you have to be careful not to overwater. The LED's aren't producing heat like a HPS would, so it doesn't dry up as fast. Also, there are no added nutes, so you have to be very careful that things are as they should be. It's not as forgiving as soil. But I'm still happy with it. It's a good learning experience for me! :thumbsup:

[stra8outtaWeed]

ok but were did you get them lol like what website? thanks:thumbsup:

i got the direct connect with manufacturer...skype or yahoo me :thumbsup:

[dopet4h2c0]

whens the next update comein moody?

[dopet4h2c0]

oh sry you updated 6 days ago lol im getin antzy to see this LED harvest

[moody420]

oh sry you updated 6 days ago lol im getin antzy to see this LED harvest


haha...its ok! I get the same way! I will take a few pics tonight and post them. There has been alot of bud development. I'm about 3 1/2 weeks into flowering and they are looking great! I'll get you guys some pics soon....thanks for keeping up with my thread! :jointsmile:

[dopet4h2c0]

lol...hey no problem iv been really likeing this thread everyone likes something new right and LEDS have had alot of bad rap so just like to see the new tecnology doing what it says it can cant wait for the pics:thumbsup:

[moody420]

Here's a few more pics....tomorrow I will be at the 4 week mark for flowering. The shugas should be ready in another 4 weeks....the blue dreams and kush will probably go about another 6 weeks....

I ordered a ph pen since it seems I've been having trouble getting it exact with the drops. Coco has no added nutrients so its not as forgiving as soil if everything is not perfect. This way my ph will be perfect every time! :thumbsup:

Pic 1 - Kush
Pic 2 - Kush
Pic 3 - Blue Dream
Pic 4 - Blue Dream

[moody420]

and a few more.....:jointsmile:

Pic 1 - Shuga
Pic 2 - Shuga
Pic 3 - group shot
Pic 4 - lights on

[stra8outtaWeed]

You're doing good for your first run...the ph pen is going to help you get things dialed in just right :thumbsup:

[dopet4h2c0]

yea those look real nice and frosty:jointsmile:

[bigsby]

Those are looking nice. Can't wait to see this grow play out!

[420session]

Yeah. Good shit, man. Any tips from what you learned so far?

Peace

[jbrand]

I have been searching ever where and i can find any place that sells these wex led lights. any advice on where to search?

Great show by the way.

J

[bigsby]

yahoo message to stra8outtaWeed. He'll set you on your way.

[moody420]

hey all...thanks for the kind words! I'll try to get some pics up tonight! :jointsmile:

Stra8outtaweed is my LED guy....he can take care of you! :thumbsup:

[bigsby]

Yeah yeah we want pictures!

[moody420]

here's some new pics just taken tonight! I got my ph pen last week and have been making sure everything that goes into my babies is exactly as it should be! :jointsmile:

I hit the 5 week mark yesterday from when i started flowering. The shugas are looking mighty tasty already and I'm thinking they will be ready around the 8 week mark....they are a heavy indica. The kushes are long and not filling out the way i would like, but I figure i have about another 5 weeks, so I'm hoping they will come through! The blue dreams....again....just a dream! :thumbsup: I have about another 5 weeks to go for those as well....stay tuned!

pic 1 - Strawberry Kush
pic 2 - Strawberry Kush
pic 3 - Shuga in the glow of the LED's....:D
pic 4 - Shuga

[moody420]

more pics....:jointsmile:

pic 1 - Shuga
pic 2 - Shuga
pic 3 - Blue Dream
pic 4 - Blue Dream

[jbrand]

wow moody those are looking delish

hey stra8outtaWeed i sent you a instant message on yahoo to stra8outtaWeed
mine is jasongottats. hit me up.

[stra8outtaWeed]

wow moody those are looking delish

hey stra8outtaWeed i sent you a instant message on yahoo to stra8outtaWeed
mine is jasongottats. hit me up.

just sent a hit to your yahoo :jointsmile:

moody~those are looking better than your HPS run i have to say...witrh some more runs you are gonna get it dialed...good work! :thumbsup:

[moody420]

moody~those are looking better than your HPS run i have to say...witrh some more runs you are gonna get it dialed...good work! :thumbsup:

thanks for the kind words, boys! :D

yeah, I'm loving the LED's....more and more I'm seeing the benefits. I can't even remember life with my HPS. My babies stay nice and cool now...so far it's been a very positive experience! :jointsmile:

[dopet4h2c0]

looking real nice keep them pics coming:thumbsup:

[moody420]

It's been about 10 days since my last update! I've got about a week left on the shugas' and about 3 weeks left on the kushes and blue dreams. I've seen a major turn around since using a ph pen! It really does make a huge difference. Most of all the yellowing leaves have fallen off and it's now all green! :jointsmile:

Here's the shugas....

[moody420]

Blue Dreams....:jointsmile:

[moody420]

Strawberry Kush :jointsmile:

[GetThisOrDie]

Im curious for a smoke report on the strawberry kush... nice work.

[stra8outtaWeed]

good job....the shuga's and blue dreams are putting the weight on nicely:thumbsup:

[dopet4h2c0]

come on buddy were ya at we need the pics!! LOL

[bigsby]

bump!

[moody420]

I know...I know....I've been totally neglecting this grow log! Life has been super busy....the plants have been doing great....just haven't had alot of time for updates on here!

I pulled 2 of the shugas the other night and will pull the other 2 tonight. They look nice and dense and covered with crystals. Although they seem to have grown at different rates which makes me wonder if they aren't different strains. I did get them last minute and they guy didn't seem to confident in his clones....although they are definately indica which is what I wanted. :thumbsup:

The Kushes and Blue Dreams are coming along nicely. I would say another week or so till they are fully mature.

I will try to get you guys some pics tonight! Thanks so much for following this thread. If you have any questions about my grow log, feel free to ask! Happy Growing! :jointsmile:

[dopet4h2c0]

thanks for the update and i cant wait to see some pics:jointsmile:

[moody420]

alright here's a few pics of the first shuga plant that I chopped! More to come....:jointsmile:

[dopet4h2c0]

wow very nice...great job:thumbsup: let us no yeilds too plz

[Zeffer]

Hello Moody420,
like your set up...similar to mine...wondering if you could help me out
with a few ? i have.
1) ( if i can get my pics uploaded ) could you tell me what i should do
for the next phase of these seedlings. As you can see, they are in the
Rapid Rooters and are showing one sprout root from the bottom of the r. rs.
my ? then is this : should i just put them in the Hydroton buckets now ?
Ooor, put them in containers that will encourage the " ball of roots " condition.
Oooor, does the " ball of roots " happen in the Hydroton buckets ! ?[attachment=o250761]

[attachment=o250762]

[attachment=o250763]

[attachment=o250764]

[attachment=o250765]

[Zeffer]

Oh !, just to clarify the photos questions i posted ( if you expand the pics ) you'll see that, what looks like root, is actually fishing line i use with the red plastic ID card !
Ok, thanks youz guys for any info. suggestions and directions

pH balanced,
Zeffer

[Zeffer]

Moody, those bud photos are music to my eyes ! B thinking of youz when I
play slide dobro tonight...yes yes of course i get ready to play after spliffage!

Electrix Viola,
Zeffer

[bigsby]

A note on etiquette - you really should start your own thread. If you really want someone to see it, then post in their thread with a url pointer asking for comments. I'm tuned in to Moody's grow because I'm interested in her grow, not your seedlings!

[Zeffer]

...." then post in their thread with a url pointer asking for comments."

See whatta i mean about not knowing how to use this website ! Whatza
url pointer ! yeah, I know i should know what it is but i don't ! Sooooo,
that's why i posted where i did.... confusing everyone, mess'n up everyones
postings and and and i get to stuttering, then the frustration takes over and yuh ! see what happens ! ? Can't we all just git-a-long-ga ! ?

Zappa Fan Forever,

Zeffin Reff

[Zeffer]

I'm sorry i Eff'd up your posting. Seriously. I can' t even believe i got that far!

...if there's anything i can do... it won't happen again, thanks to
Bigsby, he pointed it out to me...kindda new to, Aaaalllll, this stuff !
But I like the company um keeping here ! Even though they don't quite get
my humor ! Hey were even then uh !! I don't quite get the usage of this
website yet and y'all don't get the Zeffinhymn humor !:stoned:

[Zeffer]

..Is there anyway we can take my posting that i so rudely posted, spray painted
all over Moody's posting ! That looks gross just sitting there, in the middle
of her page Fuk ! I'm sorry...Somebody delete that woodyuh !
Z

[bigsby]

See whatta i mean about not knowing how to use this website ! Whatza url pointer ! yeah, I know i should know what it is but i don't ! Sooooo, that's why i posted where i did.... confusing everyone, mess'n up everyones postings and and and i get to stuttering, then the frustration takes over and yuh ! see what happens ! ? Can't we all just git-a-long-ga ! ? It's cool. You are learning. No one pisses on people here unless they need pissing on. Mood's grow is wrapping up and she is pretty low key. Plus you are growing LED which gives you some bonus points.

Take some time to poke around the site. You will find a lot of useful information and many small growers willing to lend a hand. There are threads dedicated to different subjects - indoor growing, lighting, grow logs, plant problems, etc. This is an example of a URL pointer. Hey Zeffer, have a look at the top level forum for an overview of the growing threads available. See Growing Information (http://boards.cannabis.com/growing-information/). To create a pointer, just cut and past the URL of the page that you want to reference and stick it in your post. Also, take a look at the breadcrumb directory listing that runs along the top of each page just below the cannabis.com logo. It will help you find your way around. Also, be sure to look at the stickies!

OK now go start a new thread and post a pointer here so we don't hog up any more of Moody's grow log...

[moody420]

zeffer....I'm not really sure what I'm looking at with your pics. Or what it is you are seeking. I've tried to keep my log pretty specific and updated with pics along the way. But if you have specific questions....please ask away!

Bigsby....thanks for the assistance and your loyalty with my grow! :thumbsup:

Life has decided to go ahead and get a little crazy on me....work and home life have been hectic and consuming so I do apologize for not being around as much. I will try to update as I can...

I'm thinking I'm going to pull the 4 blue dreams tonight as it has been about 10 weeks. I will take some pics and let you all see the results. I think a few more days for the kushes, the trichs aren't quite amber-ish enough for me!

Thanks for checking in! :jointsmile:

[Zeffer]

Hello M420, my apologizes to you for mess'n up your page/post and causing
inconvenience and confusion to all your viewers...It was more of a panic process thingy, rather than a "15 yr. olds " act, as some have concluded !
Big ups for,
Bigsby, he gave me the heads-up on posting and stuff. Thank you sir.

I wish the best to all growers, becuz We all, are contributers, to the betterment of society... even if we suck at humor, and don't understand the slang language some of us might post !

Zeffrin Zoologist

[moody420]

So I pulled the rest of the Blue Dreams last night. They are nice tight buds as always! The shuga has all been pulled, dried and been curing for about 2 weeks. I didn't really get the yeild I was hoping for, but it smokes good so I'm happy about that. :jointsmile:

This was a whole new setup for me and I learned alot on the way. I learned that working with coco, you better be prepared to learn about ph adjusting (something I hadn't paid too much attention to in the past). I got the ph pen about 4 weeks into flowering and could see a difference, so I'm hoping this next round I will avoid those problems.

Also, I'm working with a SOG type setup, meaning more plants at smaller heights. I was hesitant to cut too much off before flowering, and now feel like I could have been more aggressive in order to work on the "one big cola" method. I will definately clean up the bottoms more next time so I wont have so many small buds.

I do feel like the LED has a lot of positive benefits. Not stressing over temps has been HUGE for me. And my electricity bill is back to normal. I was working will all new lights, medium, nutes and environment. I get an idea and I just go for it! I'm still learning and working with different techniques trying to find the right one for my situation.

I will be pulling the final 2 strawberry kushes in a few days. They are long and lanky, the buds aren't very dense so I'm not sure about yeild on those. I should be starting a new grow in about a week or two. I'm planning on working with mostly indicas (since they are my favorite and they take the least amount of time to harvest). Also, I think I will do a 50/50 soil/coco mix this time. That way if there are ph issues, it won't be so devastating since the soil has some good stuff already added.

Anyways....just wanted to give you guys a quick update. I will try to get some pics soon! If you have any questions....ask away! :jointsmile:

[dopet4h2c0]

sounds great and plz post some dry pics of all the buds and give us a final yeild again great grow and congrats to you:thumbsup:

[energyefficient]

how many of those LEDs did you end up using? thanks for sharing!

[moody420]

sounds great and plz post some dry pics of all the buds and give us a final yeild again great grow and congrats to you:thumbsup:


I'm working on it! I'll get some pics up in the next few days! thanks! :jointsmile:

[moody420]

how many of those LEDs did you end up using? thanks for sharing!

I'm using 2 150w LED panels.

[sunotorp]

Khyber is correct.
There's not a lot of help light-wise and the under-leaf is a hard sell, for photon absorbtion.

I'd like to get back to this, I tried to find a thread dedicated to the discussion of under leaf lighting and/or floor reflection applicable to LED's, but the 60 seconds between searches is kinda killin my ADD. Sorry for the threadjack though.

Anyways, even if the plant isn't absorbing much if any light thru the bottom of the leaf, shouldn't reflecting light back up at the ceiling, which I'm assuming is also reflective/mylar in most cases; cause the ambient lighting in the room to increase? I would think that some of the light would then be bounced back off the ceiling which should raise ambient light right? I would also think this would be verifiable via a light meter that's placed over the top of a plant facing up towards the LED's, to simulate increased ambient light at the topside of the plant which would be farthest from reflection placed at floor level - measuring the difference with and without floor/soil reflections?

Also, shouldn't any additional reflection, help "distribute" around the room, the very distinct light wavelengths present in the blue and red led's, like "homogenize" it basically? I would think this benefit would be more applicable to DIY lighting which may have subpar or at least not as efficient beam angles, lenses, and reflectors.

Just thinking outloud sorry if this is frequently discussed just kinda want to see more opinion on this. And I just chose your post Weez randomly to quote.

first post... I've read hundreds of pages on this forum and thank you all so much for sharing your many awesome ideas, huge fan of a lot of individuals on here... not gonna try and name 'em all lest I leave someone out. I'm a geek that loves LED's and i'm excited to be working on some DIY LED lights for a friend... can't wait to give back too. and sorry, I ramble and make long posts more then even normal when i'm hanging out with my Volcano like I was tonight :vap_smiley:

[khyberkitsune]

Plain and simple, you don't want to fight the inverse square law. under-lighting then having it hit a ceiling and scatter everywhere else just cuts down on the overall photon density. It just isn't worth it. Very few plants have chlorophyll on top and underside of the leaf (Jade plants are one example) and those plants are the only ones that would truly benefit from under-lighting.

You want as much direct exposure as possible.

[Weezard]

Good thinking, Sunotorp.
As yet, un-absorbed photons, are still
available photons.

I propose that I set my Lux meter up again, then cover the reflective walls and floor and take a second reading.
I did a li'l 'speriment like that a while back, and was quite surprised at how little difference there was between reflective, and non-reflective chambers according to the light meter.

Alas, I recorded almost nothing at the time, and wetware is not to be trusted, so, I'll have to do it again with a camera.

Even if it's only a few percent gain with 98% reflection, the key word here, is gain.:cool:
I'm too under-funded to waste any wee photons.:rastasmoke:

Mahalo for the use of the hall, Moody.

Aloha, y'all
Weeze

[sunotorp]

Plain and simple, you don't want to fight the inverse square law. under-lighting then having it hit a ceiling and scatter everywhere else just cuts down on the overall photon density. It just isn't worth it. Very few plants have chlorophyll on top and underside of the leaf (Jade plants are one example) and those plants are the only ones that would truly benefit from under-lighting.

You want as much direct exposure as possible.

Sorry though I mentioned under plant lighting, I was thinking more about under plant reflectors, while keeping the lights up top in their normal position. I know one of the banes of LED lighting for growing especially with "lesser powered" setups is penetration to the lower canopies. So I figure anything you do that increases ambient light would help penetration.

I would think that bouncing it off the ceiling in addition to normal lighting up top in it's normal position, would increase overall photo density if anything.

Weez: I appreciate you giving this a trial with your meter, I don't have one at the moment that I think is accurate enough and I don't have a setup at all at the moment to try it :-) Like you said, I think any gain is a gain worth having if all you're investing is a few extra dollars in extra mylar or foil or paint or paper!

Also, I'm planning to supplement power for this upcoming setup with wind and solar, so any efficency I can pick up allowing for lower wattage lights will make this closer to a truly "green" indoor grow.

[Weezard]

"I would think that bouncing it off the ceiling in addition to normal lighting up top in it's normal position, would increase overall photo density if anything.

Weez: I appreciate you giving this a trial with your meter, I don't have one at the moment that I think is accurate enough and I don't have a setup at all at the moment to try it :-) Like you said, I think any gain is a gain worth having if all you're investing is a few extra dollars in extra mylar or foil or paint or paper!"

So much for wetware!
I was fuzzily remembering some Inverse square law measurements from last year.:stoned:
I was happily wrong about reflection stats.:)

Huge difference!

Started with a white bucket and a yellow bucket.
[attachment=o252039]
I reasoned that the white would reflect the red and the blue well enough.
[attachment=o252040]
And, that the yellow bucket would reflect quite a bit less of each since they are narrow bandwidth sources.
[attachment=o252041]

Now for the numbers;
White bucket started at;
[attachment=o252042]
and dropped to 1570 LUX as the leds heated up a little.

The yellow bucket was 1030 after warmup.
Dang!

Got curious and stuffed a black, plastic bag into da white bucket.
It dropped to;
[attachment=o252043]

A photon absorbed, is a photon lost.:(


Hmm, I says, what about tech reflect?
I put 3 4" squares of relectix at a 30 degree angle in the bottom of the white bucket surrounding the photodetector, (kind of a triangular funnel);
got 1640!
Woohoo! Now I knows what to do.:thumbsup:

Next time I buy a roll of reflectix, I'll line the whole bucket and take a reading. I'll bet a penny that it tops 1700.:cool:

Thanks for gettin' me rollin' on dis.

Aloha and mahalo,
Weezard

[irydyum]

You should start a thread for the lil' xperiment ur runnin St. Wingnut. I'm sure we could think of plenty more for you to test :thumbsup:

[khyberkitsune]

"I would think that bouncing it off the ceiling in addition to normal lighting up top in it's normal position, would increase overall photo density if anything.

Weez: I appreciate you giving this a trial with your meter, I don't have one at the moment that I think is accurate enough and I don't have a setup at all at the moment to try it :-) Like you said, I think any gain is a gain worth having if all you're investing is a few extra dollars in extra mylar or foil or paint or paper!"

So much for wetware!
I was fuzzily remembering some Inverse square law measurements from last year.:stoned:
I was happily wrong about reflection stats.:)

Huge difference!

Started with a white bucket and a yellow bucket.
[attachment=o252039]
I reasoned that the white would reflect the red and the blue well enough.
[attachment=o252040]
And, that the yellow bucket would reflect quite a bit less of each since they are narrow bandwidth sources.
[attachment=o252041]

Now for the numbers;
White bucket started at;
[attachment=o252042]
and dropped to 1570 LUX as the leds heated up a little.

The yellow bucket was 1030 after warmup.
Dang!

Got curious and stuffed a black, plastic bag into da white bucket.
It dropped to;
[attachment=o252043]

A photon absorbed, is a photon lost.:(


Hmm, I says, what about tech reflect?
I put 3 4" squares of relectix at a 30 degree angle in the bottom of the white bucket surrounding the photodetector, (kind of a triangular funnel);
got 1640!
Woohoo! Now I knows what to do.:thumbsup:

Next time I buy a roll of reflectix, I'll line the whole bucket and take a reading. I'll bet a penny that it tops 1700.:cool:

Thanks for gettin' me rollin' on dis.

Aloha and mahalo,
Weezard

Just to add - this is proof that mirrored materials work better than plain white. Tons of misconceptions about that and here's the solid low-down in this very post.

However, lighting from the bottom is still wasteful. With LED, you could just take a smaller panel and nestle it below the main canopy and do a bang-up job. Not like you're really going to burn the plants.

[moody420]

Hey guys....sorry I've been lagging on posts! I just wanted to let everyone know that my first LED harvest is done! Everything has been cut and dried....and I've already smoked through the Shuga. I'm curing the blue dream and strawberry kush still (even though I have no patience and am smoking it). :jointsmile:

final yields:

shuga - 1 1/2 oz off of 4 plants (those were the last to go in). The smoke was very good, good flavor and good smell. I enjoyed it...don't know if I would say it's a favorite though.

Blue dream - got about an 1 1/2 oz off 4 plants. I should have vegged them longer and been more aggressive when it came to trimming the bottoms when i flipped to flowering. I also had alot of ph problems with this one in the beginning and wasn't able to correct it till about 4 weeks into flower. Live and learn....

Strawberry Kush - got about 1 oz off of 2 plants. This was one of the most interesting plants I have ever grown. Very fast in veg, slow to flower and tons of ph problems. BUT, it grew some good dank! I was really surprised after cutting and curing it for a week how good it tastes and smells!

So all in all, I would say my first LED experience was successful. I am still a new grower and am learning every day. I feel like alot of problems came up as I was already in the middle of flowering, so hopefully this time will go smoother!

I will say the LED's have been fun to work with. People who say you can't grow bud under LED's are wrong. I am still an ameteur and was able to pull over 4 oz off of 10 plants that were only 8-10" when i started flowering.....not bad if you ask me! :jointsmile:

I've already got my grow room back in action. I am trying 3 different strains this time. Super Silver Spur, Sierra Kush, and good old purple kush....I'll try to start a new log soon. Thanks for checking in! :jointsmile:

[Weezard]

No worry Moody, :cool:

We been "talkin' story" while we wait.

Congratulations on the harvest, and thanks for the use of the hall.:)

Aloha,
Wee

[dopet4h2c0]

thanks for the update and lets see some dry pics of the buds on your next grow are you going to be adding more leds? and are you gonna do another thread casue i hope you do and i know everyone else does it was fun to whatch and learn i think you did a great job:thumbsup:

[moody420]

Loooong time....no updates! I haven't had a lot of time lately to keep on this board....and I miss it! My laptop at home has gotten some virus and it's not the easiest site to be on while in the office! :jointsmile:

I just wanted to say that I'm still growing and still using just the LED 150w panels. The only changes that I have made to this grow is that I used 50/50% coco/soil. And I'm not messing with my tap water anymore....I've gone all distilled water. It's a bit more of a pain having to constantly buy distilled water, but I don't have a hint of a yellow leaf....so I'm guessing it's working! :thumbsup:

I'm about 2 1/2 weeks into flower and they are looking great....i'll try to get some pics up soon! Happy Growing everyone! :jointsmile:

[stra8outtaWeed]

glad to hear everything is going well with the new soil/coco mix :thumbsup:

[moody420]

So I am completely done with the 2nd harvest using all LED lights. I had 15 plants. I have been clipping them down and hanging them in cycles....but let me say they are BEAUTIFUL!!!! I mean there is not a yellow leaf in sight! I used distilled water the whole grow and for me it made all the difference in the world! I have huge tops that are the size of my forearm! For me, considering my grow space, is pretty damn good!

I'm still having laptop issues and only can access this site from work periodically....but as soon as I can, i will post some pics. I'm very happy with this round as it has been my best yet. The buds look like they were rolled in sugar....so crystally! And they small AMAZING!!!! :thumbsup:

It's just funny to me, because I still have people tell me that you can't grow under LED lights....people are really still that close minded! I've seen the benefits of not running all that hot energy and it's been a great experience for me. NO heat, way less energy....great happy buds! :jointsmile:

[bigsby]

First, congrats! I'm interested to hear more. Second, I'm not thread jacking here. We're in similar situations and I'd like to compare oranges to oranges with you.

I completed my first run a few weeks back - 2x 150w LED panels same as yours. (Yes, it took me forEVER to complete my rooms.) I was a bit disappointed with the way they stretch which resulted in pretty smallish buds. The stretch made me think they were starved for light. They looked a lot like your first run. I'm thinking to move one of the panels to my veg / mothers and adding a 400w HPS to my flower room. I still have the heat issue to deal with but I'm confident that my fan can do the job @ 400w or even 600w. Or perhaps I should do a second LED run to see if I can dial it in? I grow in soil but could easily add some coco.

No pics and no log. I'm not in a grow friendly place and I'm highly risk averse by nature...

[GetThisOrDie]

Grats on the good buds man...

I started indoors with LEDs and I did grow some dank shit with just some panels I got from ebay. Its definitely possible to grow with them. Then I got a 600w hps and by god... it was like night and day difference. I still use the LEDs for supplimental and for veg.

Bigsby I think it would be a good idea to use them like so. Supplimental and for veg.

[moody420]

First, congrats! I'm interested to hear more. Second, I'm not thread jacking here. We're in similar situations and I'd like to compare oranges to oranges with you.

I completed my first run a few weeks back - 2x 150w LED panels same as yours. (Yes, it took me forEVER to complete my rooms.) I was a bit disappointed with the way they stretch which resulted in pretty smallish buds. The stretch made me think they were starved for light. They looked a lot like your first run. I'm thinking to move one of the panels to my veg / mothers and adding a 400w HPS to my flower room. I still have the heat issue to deal with but I'm confident that my fan can do the job @ 400w or even 600w. Or perhaps I should do a second LED run to see if I can dial it in? I grow in soil but could easily add some coco.

No pics and no log. I'm not in a grow friendly place and I'm highly risk averse by nature...

Hey bigsby! thanks! :D

how close did you have your lights to the plants? I have mine sitting pretty much right on top....seems to help avoid stretching. And you can have them close since there is no heat emmitting from the lights. Also, I tried a coco/soil mix which seemed to help alot also. Don't give up on LED's yet....you just gotta practice different techniques to see what works best for you and the environment you have. :jointsmile:

hit me up on yahoo sometime...we can chat about it!

[bigsby]

My room is done. It came out very well although it took me a long time to complete the build. Thanks for asking. I'm really pleased with it. Purpose building from scratch is definitely a great option. I had lots of time to work on the layout, wiring, etc. which really helped. Everything is right where it needs to be allowing for a very efficient use of space. It is wood frame with drywall making it just about air tight. I located intake vents just under the plant canopy together with an overhead scrubber / fan for exhaust. Keeping temperatures under control is much much less of an issue than I feared. The room is 7.5' L x 5' W x 6.5' H. I have a 3' x 5' scrog for flower and a 2' x 5' x 3' cabinet built under a counter top for mothers / cloning / vegging. Plus I have a 2.5' space between the two allowing me full access to plants on either side. The counter top has proven especially useful. It's a basement room with no external exit for heat so I pull the air from one room and vent into a separate room.

I'm not giving up. The plants vegged really nice and I am sure that I can get where I want to be with some effort. And I still don't like the idea of a HPS burning away in the basement but I'm thinking that a 400w or 600w bulb would significantly improve my grow while also freeing up one of the panels for veg / mothers. I'd keep the other as supplemental. I probably should do another run before I decide. The lights were 10" - 12" above the canopy. And with the scrog setup I was able to keep the light pretty uniform.

[Zeffer]

Greetings, even though i'm not that " experienced " with the indoor grow,
i've done an untouchable amount of research, which has put me on the path,
of an amazing crop. So, i want to congrads you, on your set-up. I believe you
have a great set up going there and would suggest going with the 600w HPS.
Cuz'n you have just a bit larger space than mine and i run the 400w HPS for
this flower phase.

You can get that set up with the new Digital, ( dimmable ) ballast for under
$ 175. If you need the website i can look it up for you. That research
( price comparison ) took me hours, so if you' re interested i can find it again!
The beauty of the these new ballast is, they run cooler, the warranty is awesome, you can lower the output if you are working in the G-Room,
If you run the lights during the day and run into a " hot week " you can
also combat the heat by dimming the power out put ! The plants don't mind !
Running the lights at " night " ( off peak hours )
should save you, $$ / month too.

Zeffer

[bigsby]

I appreciate the input. I've done a ton of homework too. If I do go with a light then I'll do a dual 400w - 600w and only run the 600w for two weeks during peak flower. But I'm really more interested in an all LED grow if I can get it done right. And if I need to run the HPS for a few weeks then so be it.

But enough of me. I did not set out to thread jack Moody's log. Sorry Moody! I'm more interested in hearing how you did with this grow, and to learn from your experience. Can you give us some more info on the coco/soil mix? What proportions? Any other amendments? Did you use perlite as well? Any other amendments? Why do you think this mix helped? Besides the coco/soil mix and the shishi high end water, what other steps did you take to dial it in?