Prom

Eskom really did this crap at the wrong time in regards to the growth stage and weather.. but at least the sun cycle played along. I simply emptied the Veg tent to the outside and shut it down for now. Might be over, stage 4 isn't a big stress.. for now they can Veg outside. 4 hours no power is a PM monster.. should have seen my eyes when it was raining and i checked on the tent... 98% humidity  next you saw a moron trying to vent his tent by hand  should have made a youtube video.. 

I think i just go for a solar system to backup the ventilation.. light is strangely cheaper to bridge, car battery and LED already sort that to not run into trouble, just not strong enough to keep things growing but at least nothing starts to flower unexpected. 

And went from Stage 3 to Stage 6 ^^ nothing is over 

Helps a lot if you use fabric pots with Velcro to easy open for repotting. Any pot you not use as final should be rather easy to empty of you put more stress on as needed.

Did i jinx it? ^^ Stage 6.. have to find a way to put em outside. Kinda demands me to build same support structure as i have outdoor.. and fiddle them out in the morning at 6 and bring em back in at 18. No way i can keep ventilation running that long with no 220v support. Need more batteries... need to get off Eskom totally... need a plan 

Lots of seed fraud out there.. most actually on CBD strains. Every doffus wants to sell pure CBD plants but they are not that easy to come by... so just sell anything and put a CBD sticker on  But once you get the material tested.. you see with your own eyes that you got pulled over the table. I tossed seeds into the trash.. and paid 10$ for a seed. PacificSeedBank.com Not touching those scammers ever again... the potency test showed very clear that they didn't sell medical marijuana seeds as promised. Was just some crap with more THC as CBD. 

Once you find a breeder you think that they actually do what they promise.. you stick with them. If you want to be 100% sure.. you have to do the work yourself  Not that you know at the end what genetics you really have in your mother tent ^^ but.. at least the stuff is a great smoke and that matters most, i think.

The real job market will pop up once legalization has passed. Till then I would focus on reading up on the topic you have interest in. I haven't read a book in ages.. today I get all my knowledge from the internet and self acquired experience from growing indoors.

Changed a  bit 16 days after the last pic. Would say 3 weeks out till harvest.. lets see ^^

Forgot... humidity is rather sexy right now. Hope it stays a bit longer.. hovering between 41-49% inside the tent.

17 hours ago, DesignatedDave said:

So this is something people tend to forget about when they try and do full hydroponics with stuff sitting in water. Yes 24° is too high, you need to bring that down to about 20°.

The proper solution to the problem is a water chiller, however...

500ml or 1L coke bottles filled with water and put in the freezer also works.
You do a bunch of them and keep them in your freezer, then just drop 1 or 2 into the reservoir and it will bring down the temps, they will last most of the day and you can just cycle them.

Poor home growers use frozen bottles... proper setups run automatically  Hydro has the smallest amount of work to maintain. if setup correct.

And a picture of the clones. The Deluxe Sugarcane is on a stretch mission as expected and they are placed more middle tent. I feel Eskom Stage 4.. you see the temp and humidity. Just had a rain shower this morning.. not at the usual 49%. Eskom was also off from 2 till 4 am (pic taken around 6.30) ^^ not helping either. Hope weather plays along and keeps more on the dry side for the next 4 weeks.

Sure you don't want to wait another week? They look perfect.. but ^^ also very very green and happy. I would let em fatten up more, they still have plenty of energy.

Back to the Clones ^^ 11 Nov picture on my trail to reach 1 kg dry on a square meter with clones. Autos, that is no big challenge anymore ^^ 

I will select the weed from this batch of Clones to enter into the CT weed competition.

This tray got a bit dry.. gave it a proper flooding. Have to get from relaxed winter care to more regular summer care now.

You see the difference of the "hungry" strain (front) to the normal ones (back), color tells you if they want more or are happy. Back is clearly saturated, while the front yells for more. 64 Clones in 2.6 liter pots with only the Main ( FIMed in different ways as it still confuses me to do the perfect cut, did experiments with different cuts from horizontal to diagonal). So far i have a clean growth and no signs of PM at all. Weather helps a lot, we have dry dry right now.. what wasn't to good for the fresh batch of Autos I put up, they clearly wanted more humidity during veg. But... rebuilding my ventilation setup for Summer now.

28 minutes ago, DesignatedDave said:

Howsit,

TopMax is just humic acid and fulvic acid combined - check out these two and you'll save a fortune:

Humic Acid - https://www.greenhouston.co.za/products/humic-acid

Fulvic Acid - https://www.greenhouston.co.za/products/fulvic-acid

 or these guys - 

https://gthydro.co.za/products/277-humic-acid-1liter.html

https://gthydro.co.za/products/309-vulvic-acid-1-liter.html

 

These are stronger than what's in TopMax, so you only use 2ml/1L of Fulvic Acid & 5ml/1L Humic acid

On the note of the humic acid though, it's recommended to do it as a fortnightly drench but I've used it weekly together with fulvic acid
Stop the humic acid at 3 weeks into flower, Studies have shown that humic acid reduces cannabinoid content (as it makes the plant want to grow rather than flower). Fulvic you can use right through.

Ironically Bio-Heaven is Humic acid and amino acids, so I'm really glad you found a good amino acid replacement without the humic acid in it, I will definitely give that Canna Pro a try.

 

Very much appreciated.. will order a liter each right away and let em go head to head with TopMax when the next clone batch is ready. 

I look for a TopMax replacement. Somebody has a suggestion? I am willed to run a test to see if it is better. TopMax price is just going up way to much. 

Cana Pro is now Kushy... should make it easier to find the right product.

7 minutes ago, MrE said:

If you had ever asked me any questions, and not just assumed everything, you'd know that I am the FIRST one to suggest products from other local brands. I love LED lighting! I would never push my product on anyone. I would feel terrible if someone wasn't 100% happy with their purchase. I am the type of guy to suggest other brands over mine if your budget is too small. If we aren't happy growing, what's the point.

Had no idea is your shop ^^ or I would have written you directly and not posted something.

My opinion has nothing to do with any commandment ^^ they are just my opinions. As said, I enjoy very much to look what you grow.. I just do it different. Nothing wrong how ever you grow as long as the person doing the growing is happy with it. Each has their own style, mine is purely based of efficiency, that is a bit my nature. I was in European high management long time ago, retired myself when i was 31.

But lets go back to your shop... i understand when you say this is your product, this is what you have... but.. damn.. those stupid "but's".. business wise you placed yourself beside the market.. a little bit. If you go into a local grow shop.. how many tents are fitting your lights spot on? I personally think you should offer what the market needs and not go your own way. Yes, you can do that.. is just way harder that way. I don't know how much traffic your site has in comparison to your sales. If you are happy.. simply ignore my rambling. But if you are not that happy with your business performance, it might be that your product is just not very well placed.

Growing wise you do splendidly  never questioned that even once. I opened the thread as the lights simply confused me. The older you get, the easier you get confused ^^ 

14 minutes ago, MrE said:

"I honestly would slim the whole configuration down. Place the dimmer side ways and connect only 2 bars to the 120w driver."

Place the dimmer sideways?
 

Yeah, that one is on me.. ^^ place the DRIVER 90 degrees side ways and use same connection style on just 2 bars.. the driver will hold your bars in place, very simple, no frame.

Yes, you would need to sell 3 different lights to just 1 like now.. but you would cover the tent market rather well. People not even buying a tent.. will look for very cheap light solutions anyhow. As said.. as a German i very much enjoy the quality of your lights construction wise, very neat. The numbers for the light are a bit high.. and if you use the wattage they provide on the space they could light up at max.. the numbers will be not that great anymore on the spread.

28 October

Clones got a FIM and lolipop to the main only 7 days ago and went flip. If you ask yourself what insanity is this ^^ i can't accept that I can't reach the dry numbers i get from Autos using clones. Sooooo 2.6 liter pots 8x8, 64 in a 1.2x1.2 area. My goal is to get 15g per plant.. main colas only. I had a run with a general lolipop, but with side branches (still to much fluff) and had no PM issue. As ventilation seems to keep up, I decided to go main only this time and see if i reach 15g per plant  will know more in 9 weeks ^^

OK, lets come from the customer side.. I came to your site as I was looking for a light for a friend. Depending on your numbers i excluded you rather fast. He needed a 1.2x1.2 area lit for flower. I had a closer look, as i really like bar configurations. Light spread.. the advantage you put out.. isn't really there when i use your lamps. I can't use 3 of em on a 1.2x1.2.. must be 4. And that means i buy way to much material. At the end we got a local made used monstrosity with QBs on and made 2 new lamps out of it, owner of the monster bought 2 new Mars bar setups for his 2.4x1.2. 

So from a buyers perspective, which lamp you choose:

The one for a 0.6x0.6 area using 120w

or the lamp using 240w with the note that you can dim it down?

Most people have rather dry wallets these days. As a 1.2x0.6 area uses 240w.. what foot print you have on that area with one of your 240w lamps?  You tell people that is it perfect to buy 2 of yours. Double cost.. not sure that is a great sales argument. As said.. i skipped site to look further, no idea was you behind. I like what you grow ^^ we just have different opinions on speed. 

^^ Sorry.. i was just over your site and just want to set things in the right way. I honestly like everything I see.. look neat and tidy. I like.. but... yeah the but ^^ I honestly would slim the whole configuration down. Place the dimmer side ways and connect only 2 bars to the 120w driver. Should provide a good foot print and as you use bars (love em) the air flow will be still sexy. Three setting, for three distances. For the 1.2x1.2 area i recommend to offer one lamp using 4 hangers and 8 of your bars split evenly over the 1x1 frame. 480 watts. If you want to go nuts.. 600, add 1 bar.. but 600 is about the max you should put on a 1.2x1.2 or you simply generate heat for nothing. There is also to much light ^^

I see you want to be rather versatile on grow areas. I would more focus on 0.6x0.6, 1.2x0.6 and 1.2x1.2.. bigger tents just add several 1.2x1.2 setups.. I use 16 x 120w QBs in a 2.4x2.4. 

19 minutes ago, MrE said:

No, using a dimmer doesn't require a quantum sensor, because I've made PAR maps. They come in the box, and are available to download on my site.

Only if you run a wattage display for the input. And if you have that in your setup... which i do not see, you might want to write that one is required to use your light profiles. If you add one, you take the confusion out. Light is to most confusing as they only think in the spectrum they see them self.

My main issue with the space, why buy a 240watt lamp when a 120 would do the trick. Why invest into a lamp way to big for the area you want to use it for. Yes, you can use a bigger lamp on a smaller space.. but why buy it in the first place if your grow space is just what it is? I use a dimmer only on 1 of my 120w QBs.. that is in the 0.6x0.6 breeding tent and the tent is not high enough to hang the light at the correct distance on max. Rest is on or off. If we stick to 1.2x1.2 (a bit the standard tent size these days), i use 2 QBs (240w) during veg and add 2 for flower. I kinda agree that using one setup dimmed to Veg and max on flower works... but what reason is it to run a lamp on 50% during flower. My brain tells me that i could simply buy a smaller one.. as they are usually also cheaper ^^

OK... what dimmer position on your lamps to reach 1000 micromoles PAR at 50cm distance... or what setting you give your customers? Your 1.2x1.2 doesn't make sense to use... you buy to much lamp to dim it all the time, then you can simple buy a cheaper lamp.. or??? So i do not see the advantage you talk about. Dual fixture.. i have a tent like that... 1.2x0.6.. why would I hang lamps in with a wattage you use on 1.2x1.2? Sorrryyyy but is just to much... and using a dimmer demands a Quantum Flux Meter to set them right or have on the dimmer the right setting marked for distances you provide. Lamps are one of the most essential tools in indoor growing. Guessing is the last you want to do... you have numbers to work with. Germination, Vegetation and Flower... they need very different light setups on each stage. How you hang your lights for each?

Is not me putting 1.2x1.2 there..  ^^ don't get me wrong, numbers should somehow fit the use and not make people guess what is right.

Lets make it easier. Your 4 fixture. How far do your lamps have to hang on a 1.2x1.2 or 1.5x1.5 area to reach 1000 micromoles PAR? 

On 10/13/2022 at 1:30 PM, MrE said:

"SINGLE FIXTURE (240W max)
Fits: 60cm | 70cm | 80cm | 90cm

DUAL FIXTURES (480W max)
Fits: 120cm x 60cm and up

4 FIXTURES (960W max)
Fits: 120cm x 120cm -
150cm x 150cm"

 

I guess on the 4 fixtures 1.2x1.2 is flower and 1.5x1.5 is for veg? 

A working time frame ^^ I will book a ticket to sent in some weed 

5 hours ago, ORGANinc. said:

So here we are with the results and a good chat with Mr Prom. 
 

Will correlate these in my grow diary with the plants. 
 

Cheers brother man! 
 

 

You were the first with a result of 15% coming for testing.. want to mention that too. So you do things rather right...  

On 10/24/2022 at 9:04 PM, Ill_Evan said:

Unfortunately, you would need another refractometer for brewing. The refractometers for brewing vs plant brix use different integers but are essentially the same device. 

Never got to distil anything.. as never got my birthday present  with 15k lost in seeds to customs, 2021 was not my best import year  was looking forward to burn some raspberries. I like fruity spirits.