My progressing journal with LED grow lights

[davemedinis]

LED grow light was invented four years ago,over the several years,it has been being used by minority gardeners.But there are still lots of users suspicious about the LED grow lights, I am one of those ones LOL!
But since my tent was only 4x4x6 ft, and my old HPS and MH lights always emitted too much heat, initially I had a 220CFM fan on the exhaust to a carbon scrubber, but the temps were still too high. Of course, I didn't realize that I got a booster fan! So I got a 440CFM 6", which is much better (and put the 220CFM booster fan in the intake). If I close up the tent, temps shoot up to 86-88 C.
I finally had to consider the LEDs, though they are far more expensive than MH and HPS.
I started my journal at the beginning of November 2011 with one 50W UFO(Majority Blue for sparkling) and two 208W LED grow light(three spectrum for full period,120 degree beam angle,90pcs 3W LED chips, with optical lens,actual power 208W).
At the beginning, the 50W UFO was very useful, the plants grew quickly,and from the third week, I hanged those two 208W powerful LEDs at a height of 1 meter, about 39inch.
Things were pretty well, the plants began blossoming at the 12th week. But there is a problem, I was going to keep the flowering period longer, and are there any good ideas about expanding the flowering period with LEDs please? And some says that UV will work, is that true?
Anyone who can offer some advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you~.
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davemedinis Reviewed by davemedinis on 02-21-2012. My progressing journal with LED grow lights LED grow light was invented four years ago,over the several years,it has been being used by minority gardeners.But there are still lots of users suspicious about the LED grow lights, I am one of those ones LOL! But since my tent was only 4x4x6 ft, and my old HPS and MH lights always emitted too much heat, initially I had a 220CFM fan on the exhaust to a carbon scrubber, but the temps were still too high. Of course, I didn't realize that I got a booster fan! So I got a 440CFM 6", which is much Rating: 5

[silent leprechaun]

Nice grow, I am also an LED grower. One of the few who took the risk. What light do you use ? I use the Pro-Grow Range, very nice lights.

Anyway, I am mow in week 11 or so of bloom, I vegged for 5 week so this is now week 16 since seed.

I heard that LED naturally prolong the bloom stage. I never go by what it says on the seed package. I always go by the colour of the trichomes to decide when to bloom.

Half milky and half amber is a standard time to harvest. If only 20% are amber you will get a more energetic high, if 80% are amber then you will get a heavy high.

For some reason it take a very long time for the trichomes to go amber under LED light. I have some milky trichs at week 11 but no amber yet.

The milky trichs are where the THC is at its peak, the amber is where THC breaks down in CBD. I think a nice balance between THC and CBD is a good high.

So you have a 60x jewellery microscope ? If not get on from the net for $5 or so. I think you will have more bloom to go. Don't go by the hairs (pistils) turning rusty. Watch the trichomes.

It is far more accurate. Let me know when you have a look at your trichomes under a microscope. Ill be interested to find out how they are looking.

[davemedinis]

I don't have any microscope yet. By the way, do you think 18%HTC is high enough or not.

[silent leprechaun]

Harvesting early will get you high quantities of THC in comparison to CBD.

CBD is seen as an anti-psychotic and so controls, to an extent, the psychotropic effects of the THC. Read something on this before somewhere. I think it's a scret 'legit' lab in England where they grow weed. The government are involved in it somehow. But the scientists there have found interesting things in the weed. Funny, with all the claims that weed can trigger schizophrenia etc they actually found that weed possesses anti-psychotic properties too. 18% THC is one of the higher end groups of weed I think. I'm guessing that what it says on the packet of seeds.

Just remember that it isn't just about getting THC out of the weed. CBD also plays a role in the kind of high you will get. You might find that you like a high with more CBD in it.

Maybe harvest the plant on 3 separate occasions.

First, when most of the trichomes have gone from clear to milky. This will give you high THC to CBD levels. It will be more of an energetic high. (Early harvest)

Second, when most of the trichomes are milky but you have around 20% amber.

Third, when about 60% of the trichomes are amber. This will give you mare of a heavy high. Stuck to the couch type of high. (Late Harvest)

From these 3 types of smoke you can decide which you prefer and make note for the next grow.

Keep me posted on your results.

[davemedinis]

Thanks,dear silent leprechaun, i will keep all of your ideas. My Canadian friend told me,he got more than 1gpw in his hydroponics system with LEDs. I am still have a long way to get that yield I think.

[silent leprechaun]

At the moment I am running the Pro-Grow 260 which sucks in about 190w, and I also have 4 x 20w CFL in there for heating purposes.

So that gives me 270w. I only kept 2 plants so I could have done much better if I managed the canopy better and had 4 plants maybe.

Keeping the plants short and not growing over each other is important. I learned this the hard way !

I couldn't hazard a guess right now as to what the final weight will be. I know I will be happy anyway. I have my axe sharpened and 6 large storage jars at the ready for curing.

On average 70% of the weight of the freshly harvested weed will be lost through water. So 100 grams wet is really 30 grams dry... (not that I don't think you can do the math )

It won't be too long now until I hack these babies down ! Yummy I think I can see a few ounces dry so far I hope. I can't wait to take the harvest pictures

So at 270w your friend would get 270grams dry... I don't think I will get that but I did have some teething problems during my first grow with LED and in a tent.

I'm happy I could have been of some help to you I'll be keeping a close eye on your grow

[davemedinis]

At the moment I am running the Pro-Grow 260 which sucks in about 190w, and I also have 4 x 20w CFL in there for heating purposes.

So that gives me 270w. I only kept 2 plants so I could have done much better if I managed the canopy better and had 4 plants maybe.

Keeping the plants short and not growing over each other is important. I learned this the hard way !

I couldn't hazard a guess right now as to what the final weight will be. I know I will be happy anyway. I have my axe sharpened and 6 large storage jars at the ready for curing.

On average 70% of the weight of the freshly harvested weed will be lost through water. So 100 grams wet is really 30 grams dry... (not that I don't think you can do the math )

It won't be too long now until I hack these babies down ! Yummy I think I can see a few ounces dry so far I hope. I can't wait to take the harvest pictures

So at 270w your friend would get 270grams dry... I don't think I will get that but I did have some teething problems during my first grow with LED and in a tent.

I'm happy I could have been of some help to you I'll be keeping a close eye on your grow

. i estimate my yield will be 0.5gpw, i send my pictures and other information to my friend, he told me about that last night.