LED Panel Grow - Low Ryder #2

[wouldnot]

Day 53...

Good news, they're actually starting to grow.

More good news, replacement CFLs came so I turned it on yesterday aswell.

Taking the male out of there before those pollen sacks pop.

New 125W CFL. Temps have gone up a bit to about 25-26C. Switched the bigger reflector to the HPS though. I have a red spectrum CFL for flowering later.

Most noticable growth yet. Fingers crossed.

Female #1.

The healthiest one from before. Is that a healthier green I'm seeing with the new growth? Hopefully that new fertilizer is working how I hoped.

The male has shot up alot. It's going outside now before it causes trouble. I'll have to do something so the animals don't eat this one.

Lowryder sprout...so slow I think it's the soil, otherwise the strain.

White widow sprout. This thing is growing so big and leafy, such a change from the lowryders. The picture may not show a good comparison, but it's easily twice as wide as the lowryder sprout which was started earlier. Probably the soil, I will repot the lowryder into this soil today.

 

[wackymack]

starting to look good,ect

 

[wouldnot]

Wow, I just compared the pics. They have improved so much. I may have solved the problem I had before which I think was pH issues when using that particular seaweed fertilizer I had before. I'm guessing it was locking out Nitrogen from the plants.

The leaves are so much greener and the growth in the last 2 days has been what I normally get in a week.

Now I just need to fix those lowryder sprouts. Hopefully the different soil I have will fix them up nicely.

 

[wouldnot]

Umm, 1 bad thing I just thought off. What if those LEDs weren't the problem! Doh.

Another experiment later maybe....

 

[wouldnot]

Ordered a 120mm computer fan for some exhaust. It's not that bad at the moment, but things are pretty sealed up in the shed.

I bought some random transformer from ebay that outputs 12V which I'll cut up the lead to attach.

Have to make something to stop light coming out of fan vent. Maybe a plastic pipe end covering a smaller pipe, something like this..

|----
| ----------
| F
| A
| N
| ----------
|----

Bad ascii formatting, but apparently they do this with dark room setups.

 

[mr west]

they have defo turned a corner. i really dont think the led's helped the problem. Ur back on track now tho, happy growing lol

 

[anhedonia]

lamasuryadas I would bet that it was infact the LED's. The seedlings looked fine they just wernt growing it seemed. I still think LED's are fucking worthless and hopefully when the technology comes out these led's now will be the laughing stock. (lamasuryadas LOL!!!!!!)

 

[hmmm123]

I just used a plasic plant pot, found a black one in the shed that fit snug around my fan then taped it in place, a bit of light still leaks out though the holes in the bottom where the air gets sucked in but it's better than it was, just a cheap idea!

Ordered a 120mm computer fan for some exhaust. It's not that bad at the moment, but things are pretty sealed up in the shed.

I bought some random transformer from ebay that outputs 12V which I'll cut up the lead to attach.

Have to make something to stop light coming out of fan vent. Maybe a plastic pipe end covering a smaller pipe, something like this..

|----
| ----------
| F
| A
| N
| ----------
|----

Bad ascii formatting, but apparently they do this with dark room setups.

 

[wouldnot]

I just used a plasic plant pot, found a black one in the shed that fit snug around my fan then taped it in place, a bit of light still leaks out though the holes in the bottom where the air gets sucked in but it's better than it was, just a cheap idea!

Damn, that's so much easier. I'll do that then.

 

[hmmm123]

lol yep it is. I need to make another one actually for my 80mm fan at the front so will take some pics for you if i remember!

Damn, that's so much easier. I'll do that then.

 

[wouldnot]

I got another soil ph test kit in the mail today. Did a few tests...it pissed me off so bad that I went researching on the net for a digital one. Went for a drive and bought one for $80. After some screwing around calibrating it I have it figured out.

Redid to the tests from before, now I know where things are at.

Tap water pH - 7.65

Mixed with the fertilizers I was using:
*Original seaweed one: 6.36, if I make it stronger then 5.36 (drops down alot!)
*New stuff I used which is working good: 6.62, I made it really strong: 6.1 (better than above)
*Miracle grow chemical stuff (overly strong): 5.75, still better than first one.

Then I tested the soil by mixing it with the tap water (7.65ph)
* Old soil that I was using: 6.38
* New soil that the white widows are growing nicely in: 7.08

So....what does it tell me?

* Ideal soil is supposed to be around 6.5-7.0. White widows are a bit too high, but I'm not gonna touch it! They are going good. Other soil is not too good.
* First fertilizer I used really screws with the pH. Watch out.

I have some dolomite lime I will add to 1 plant next water.

 

[wouldnot]

Day 55...

They are looking real nice with the lowryders now. They are green and lush, and the growth is perfect. Such a change from what they were. It is probably the new nutes, not sure how much the new CFL is doing to them. Oh well, when things are good there's not much need to play around with it.

The healthiest female, looking so much better. The light green leaves have gone from the top. It looks better each day.

The other female.

Other white widow sprout plus the healthiest female.

Repotted lowryder sprout (16 days old). Nothing has changed yet, but it will probably take a while for it to settle down again.

12 Day old white widow seedling. I'm very impressed with the growth in just 2 days. The leaves are so much fatter than the lowryders aswell.

 

[wouldnot]

Comparison pics from 4 days ago. It's amazing how much they have improved...

It could be like a fat loss ad.

 

[mr west]

well they look so much better now and in only 4 days, nice one dude

 

[hmmm123]

Wow there looking loads better now! I'm intrested in your white widow sprout at the moment fancy trying that next time round lol.

I took some pics of my cheap idea for you lol. Will upload them in a bit. See i didn't forget which is quiet impressive for me!

 

[hmmm123]

Here is some pics for you, this is how i stopped the light getting in though my 80mm pc fan at the front. Just an idea for you. Cost me nothing too, which is always a bonus!

 

[wouldnot]

Thanks mate, I'll do something like that soon. I have to figure out how to cut a hole in the wall of the metal shed first.

 

[hmmm123]

Want to borrow my grinder lol.

Thanks mate, I'll do something like that soon. I have to figure out how to cut a hole in the wall of the metal shed first.

 

[bouncy bob]

actual LED grow lights are only 175$ and 12 watts of LED pumps out equal light too 250 matt Metal halide.

personally i think this quote(probably from the box)is complete hogwash.

would like to try them out, if ooly to save my electric bill but having done the math they DONT WORK....

LEDs with Punch!

check this article out...this dude tests every led on the market...he says you will be lucky to get 20 lumens out of a watt (which incidentally will take you 8 leds to get to that watt) on blue, and 46 lumens per watt for red.....AND THESE ARE THE BRIGHTEST CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.. so if you want to get to 7000 lumens psf thenyour looking at 2,800 psf for blue or 1400 per red...

no doubt they are the future as ones in development at 150 lumens per watt, but your still going to need 900-1000 of the buggers psf;not worth a month swinging a soldering iron sadly...

you can get low energy now in different colours and 11w, 20w outputs but i worked out for my 13sq ft grow space would need 85 11w or 41 20w....and 500w is bad enough with energy prices rising....

so matey, get your money back or use them as disco lights cos they aint worth a wank

 

[wouldnot]

Grinder, yeah that's what I need. A ph meter I can justify buying, a grinder, maybe not Maybe I'll drill 50 holes and use a file. Ghetto approach.

LEDs....I reckon I'll try a panel out again considering I have them already. Maybe I'll grow some legal herbs as a test. I would get my money back, but buying shit from china makes things difficult.

Will get some photos up later, first I'm going for a surf.