Printable View
Hi everyone,
I've been growing for 2 years indoors and am happy with the results for the most part. I am using a simple hydro setup with a 250W Hortilux blue lamp. Quality is good so I don't know why I am being picky. the problem is the buds are not that big and or tight or compressed, more like airy and light. One of my friends said it could be C02 defiency but i don't know. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Have you been using the same light for two years and how many grows ?Quote:
Originally Posted by pbrenco
S_a_H
Hi m8 a few things can make your buds go loose like u say if u let your plants grow to tall with out enough energy for a plant that size
or a low watt light can cause this too another thing it could also be is that lamp u are using i havent heard of it b4 so i could be wrong but if it is giving out a blue spectrum it could be your reason the blue spectrum is whats needed for vegging and for flowering you will need the red spectrum for bud grown
-Lamp could be aging or incorrect
-Heat problems cause loose buds
-Some strains grow fluffy (esp ones meant for outdoors in wet climates)
-light leaks cause fluff too
Good solid HPS with a new bulb, lower temps, check for light leaks, and add a carb synthesizer will help you out big time. Also consider trying a different strain.
This is my second bulb, I've done 3-4 grows with it. my plants to get tall, even after switching the cycle they can grow another 1-2 feet easily. I don't have an HPS light but supposedly the hortilux blue casts a bit of red spectrum too. Note, i didn't use the hotilux through all of my last project but MH instead... so... maybe things would change on this next one. But from what i am gathering from everyone, it is a matter of lighting?
And or spectrum?
Pick up a nice HPS and watch your plants BASK in it.
Talking to some older growers who have done flowering under MH, their common complaint was lack of bud density on an otherwise healthy plant.
Thanks everyone... guess i need to save my lunch money for a new lamp :) one question, can plants experience shock switching from MH to HPS?
No, the switch really should not be stressful at all. If anything, they will let out an audible "aaahhhhhhh!" and maybe even give you a lil pat on the bum as you leave the room.
proper drying and curing can also effect this....so maybe read up on it to make sure you're doing it right
Won't high humidity cause "airy" buds also?
You say yer plants get tall, sounds like not enough intensity from the 250 watter to me. Get ya at least a 600 watt w/digi ballast and grow ya some nice, big, tight, fat budz.
Pete, never dealt with high humidity, but that would be nice to know for the notes.
b0nger
Everyone,
After reading what everyone has written and giving it more thought, I am truly believing my issue with lighting and the power of the lights. Ventilation is good, and I am confident in my drying and curing process and the nutes in use are definitely working. So that just leaves light. I am not 100% on how I am going to remediate this yet, but the first phase will be to upgrade to an HPS setup, higher wattage when I get close to my next 12/12 cycle.
Thanks everyone! :)
Pbren, if you got everything else dialed in as you say, you will get excellent results with a more powerful light, I promise. Will be the best cash you ever spent. Bite the bullet bro when you buy and get a digital ballast. They are easily worth that extra few bucks up front. Best of luck.
b0nger
Could it be the strain? I have one strain that makes pretty fluffy buds. I dont really mind it though. I find it a PIA to breakup buds that are hard as freaking rocks. Someone brought over some this weekend that had been rolled up in little balls that looked like dry dogfood chunks (had about the same flavor too). I probably ended up with more trichromes on my fingers than in the bowl.
:) It could easily be the strain... I really don't know what it is but the seeds came from a mutt of the first grow my buddy and I did... Talk about a shoestring learning the hardway experience. We are VERY happy with that though.
I've picked out the HPS system I am going to get so just waiting to get that now.
But after giving this issue much more thought I have another question. Using the MH lights through flowering, my plants would not stop growing vertically. I would get easily 18" to 2' more height. When I switch over to HPS will the same thing happen, or will they stop the veritcal growth and just bud?
whats the space your growing in 40 to 50 watts per sq foot is good its prob the light that you are using:thumbsup:
Most strains have a "stretch" period at the onset of flowering. How much they stretch depends on strain (if all lighting were adequate and equal). The short answer is yes, they will stretch, however the stretching shouldn't last long.
Sad truth is, your just gonna have to watch them and learn the characteristics of the stain your growing. One thing that is most certain is your plants should be noticeably shorter and fatter with the HPS.
If you want buds to look like good pics you have seen, u need 1000 w lights, simple as that, bigger light = more light intensity = bigger tighter buds.
Also you want ther to be small gaps between internodes, in order to achieve that you have to veg with metal halide for optimal growth.
And you have to flower with hps.
Until you do that, your bud will never fulfill its full potential.
O ya also wanted to add , depending on the strain will effect it as well, indica = short bushy tight buds. Sativa = tall ,skinny,less tight buds.