LED/INDUCTION Grow Diary

Induction/LED Grow Diary

Started on Tuesday 15th June 2010

Equipment
What i have found especially when I got started was a complete lack of understanding of the little things you need and if they are not there or you forget them, everything takes time. This time around everything was ready. Tape, nails, extensions, wire,tools, pots. No running around, no stress and if you eliminate stress you eliminate a lot of risk. I have listed everything used. Cost would be approx £1500.

1 XL Large Bud Box Tent 120x120x200
2 x 120 watt Rectangular LED Units
2 x 90 watt UFO style LED Units
1 x 200 watt Induction Light
1 x 5 inch Fan
1 x 4 Inch Fan
4 x 2.5 metre 4 inch ducting
4 inch Carbon Filter
4 Way Contact Relay + Timer for Lights
Seperate Timer for Air In Fan
3 x Air Circulators
1 x 5m extension (1200 watts max)
1 x 25 metre extension (3200watt max)
90 litres John innes No.4 compost enriched with added fish emulsion 5-1-1

First of all the Bud Box is a joy in comparison to the half hearted attempt I made at my last grow set up although the finished results and yield were very good towards the end I felt i had no control over my grow environment with temperature and humidity changing constantly and outside influences stunting or stopping the growth early, not to mention a premature cropping and sudden movement of 100 lowryder autoflowering plants. I learned a lot but the bud was great even in its state. My last lot were vegged under LED and grown under lots of HPS and LED. This time around I want to get rid of the HPS and look towards continuous spectrum lighting whilst dialling in extra red and blue with the LED to give it all a little bit more love. The induction light is new to me but there are results out there especially on the dutch websites, the problems are light penetration at canopy level but in this environment that will not be a problem. Ideally I would have liked to use a 300watt unit but the price and the heat in mid-summer would have been a problem. With a 200watt unit you can practically touch the reflector all day long and the bulb is only hot not scorching hot. The light looks like a warm white light, it is very remoniscent of daylight.

I will be growing Chronic, 7 week flowering time from clones. I think I can grow 16 in my space in 10x8.5 inch tomato pots, because of the short cycle they should be fine. Not looking for monster plants, an oz a plant will be fine. I will be using John Innes Compost with a healthy glug of fish emulsion. and where possible organic nutes for the veg and pre flower stage. When I have buds I will change the regime to light flower bloom predominately organic. I feed not on a system but when the plants need and want it. I think in a small environment if you watch then you can see. I also find that the vast majority of green floating around on the streets has been over fed and under flushed and the taste is prominent.

The babies will be here in a few days and will go under a 20/4 light cycle. Last time I used 24/0 under pure LED, this time with the sun in the sky (induction) I think they would appreciate a little sleep. Although my reasoning for 24/0 was that even at nightime there is moonlight and if you look at the spectrum of light from the moon then that is high in red and purple.

I am a keen advocate in light saturation and continuous spectrum lighting hence this diary. It is to pay homage to all those actively seeking another cheaper, more economical way whilst producing even better green than before. This is a relatively cheap setup for the volume and yield I hope to create on a rolling cycle. Its not cheaper than a HPS setup but off my first yield in 7 weeks it will be. Sticking a 1000watt HPS or 2 x600watt HPS in my tent would cook my babies in the hotter months meaning I would have to stop growing. Also the heat residue, the hot ballasts and the actual drain on electricity is not practical I think to the average home grower yet here we are HPS and Metal Halides as standard. Hopefully this diary will show another way.

All questions welcome, thoughts, ideas and experiences. This will be an ongoing and constant diary from start to finish.

Wednesday 16th June 2010




Ok then. As you can see from the pictures the clones have arrived, early but a lot better than late. They are on a 20/4 light schedule from 9pm until 5pm and for the first 12 hours the lights were at the highest point to avoid any instant shock. I have now lowered in the morning to within six inches of the babies. I will watch carefully to see if they need to be a little higher. (i.e slow growth, light bleaching, rusting etc)

I intend to vegetate for approximately two weeks but again it depends very much on the growth and how they react to the lighting and environment. I cant see me going past that stage although the chronic is supposed to grow almost one major cola and lollypop style so that would be ideal to veg out perhaps another week.

In a few days I will start with precautionary Spider Mite spraying alternating between different products to avoid resistence. I will also be on the look out for ladybirds in my garden although not those nasty looking ones that tend to eat everything in sight. I will list the products when I buy and have taken preventative measures by covering my air in ducting with 25 micron mesh to avoid as many nasties as problem. It is the so called height of summer here in the UK and you can see the little bastards floating around in the air. I will spray right upto bud growth and then hopefully be able to leave well alone.

The temperature within the tent is 84 degrees celsius and the humidity is in the high 60â??s. This is with neither fan switched on yet and only aircirulators in the room moving around air to avoid stale air within the tent. Fans switched on the temp drops to 75 and the humidity to 50 and below. So all in all ideal. I will turn the fans on in a few days when I think the clones need it. Trying to keep humidity and temperature as high as I can at the moment. Temperature in outside world is mid to late 70â??s. Cant see us having too many days/weeks on past 90 temperature so all should be fine. One thing is for sure if I was to run 2 x 600 HPS it would be far too hot.

More of the boring World Cup to watch soon, wondering when it it start to become the World cup of football it is supposed to be rather than the mediocre Sunday league spectacle it is starting to resemble at the moment.

I'm interested in this. What is your average humidity? How hot do those LEDs get? Need an AC unit, or do fans work okay?

I want to get LEDs soon. Where did you get yours?

My humidity is perfect, drops to around 39 percent a few hours after watering and holds. Temp is mid 70s to mid 80s dependent on how hot it is outside. they just run straight from the mains, they have built in fans.
If you want in the USa I have no idea but if you are in the EU email me on [email protected] and will send you a price list.

you raise some excellent points here. IMO I went with the 400 watt 12 blend phosphor induction and the results from veg-bud were on par with my hps grows. the LEDs simply do not have adequate energy with a 300 ma driver and the 700 ma driver burns leds out to fast. LEDs also have heat issues with the 700 ma drivers and not enough canopy penetration.

I'm very happy with the yields and the 400 have replaced my 1000 w hps