HydroFood
Active Member
These look beautiful.
Hope they are as delicious as they look!
All COB Users - Lettuce Grow Challenge!!
- Thread starter OneHitDone
- Start date
Hope they are as delicious as they look!
HydroFood
Active Member
Can someone fill me in as to what Stephen will be doing with his QB’s?
Any soecifics? Or is he simply going to be testing growing greens under them?
Growing greens, herbs?
Different spectrums?
Thanks guys.
HydroFood
Active Member
Got anything for us?
Stephenj37826
Well-Known Member
We will be sharing a very detailed side by side one of our wonderful customers has done on 3k vs 4k vs RB on different types of lettuce. Hopefully by mid week we will post it here once we return and get caught up.
eyderbuddy
Well-Known Member
awesome man, thanks
Stephenj37826
Well-Known Member
We are working with Borroughs racking to install a few rolling racks in our new facility for just these types of experiments. Once the SMT training is finished we will be able to do lots more. Installing a 60k watt plus assembly line is a big job. Butttt oh what fun when we can let our imaginations run wild ....
OneHitDone
Well-Known Member
There is absolutely no need for Cal-Mag with that Hydro-Gardens mix.
Master Blend 4-18-38 works fantastic on it's own when mixed as directed for lettuce as well.
I have ran side by side taste tests with the Master Blend and a "Organic" nutrient. The people I blind tested could not tell any significant difference.
I also spoke directly to the individual who ran the largest Certified Organic Hydroponic system and he stated - "Not difference in taste vs Conventional Hydroponic Nutrients"
I believe you are definitely on to something with Bolting and Bitter flavor and also crappy LED light spectrum that makes leaves thick, leathery, and other odd shaping issues does seem to affect taste and feel in the mouth. (ok i set myself up
)I have discovered some dirty little secrets about what Cal-Mag is actually doing for those who believe Magnesium is somehow fixing their woes, but that info is staying in my personal filing system for the moment
muleface
Well-Known Member
Can't speak for the mag side of the cal mag, but my understanding is you can help stave off leaf burn with some calcium, but with that said, if you are using tap water, you may have enough in there.There is absolutely no need for Cal-Mag with that Hydro-Gardens mix.
Master Blend 4-18-38 works fantastic on it's own when mixed as directed for lettuce as well.
I have ran side by side taste tests with the Master Blend and a "Organic" nutrient. The people I blind tested could not tell any significant difference.
I also spoke directly to the individual who ran the largest Certified Organic Hydroponic system and he stated - "Not difference in taste vs Conventional Hydroponic Nutrients"
I believe you are definitely on to something with Bolting and Bitter flavor and also crappy LED light spectrum that makes leaves thick, leathery, and other odd shaping issues does seem to affect taste and feel in the mouth. (ok i set myself up
I have discovered some dirty little secrets about what Cal-Mag is actually doing for those who believe Magnesium is somehow fixing their woes, but that info is staying in my personal filing system for the moment
My setup used the same res for both tomatoes and lettuce, so i added cal mag, I never just grew lettuce, I may do that this winter and scrap the cal mag. Thanks for the info
HydroFood
Active Member
@OneHitDone
How do you think the QB96 Elite V2 would preform growing lettuce.
Seems to have higher red levels that are often talked about in this thread.
Any new recent discoveries? New spectrums you’ve tried?
How do you think the QB96 Elite V2 would preform growing lettuce.
Seems to have higher red levels that are often talked about in this thread.
Any new recent discoveries? New spectrums you’ve tried?
OneHitDone
Well-Known Member
@Stephenj37826 promised to demonstrate QB's growing lettuce but has yet to step up.
My money is riding on a bonsai leaf flop. But if he proves me wrong I will most likely eat crow and hit him up for a deal on some HLG's
HydroFood
Active Member
What do you mean a bonsai leaf flop?@Stephenj37826 promised to demonstrate QB's growing lettuce but has yet to step up.
My money is riding on a bonsai leaf flop. But if he proves me wrong I will most likely eat crow and hit him up for a deal on some HLG's
OneHitDone
Well-Known Member
The issue I have seen with most led lettuce growing attempts is that the newest leaves start coming out smaller as the plants get larger rather than expanding. Especially on semi-head forming types like buttercrunch.
You can see in the last pic I posted with the NextLight dude exactly what I am talking about.
HydroFood
Active Member
Okay I see. Creates a bowl like shape.
Can you explain the cause of this please?
And what are the negatives to lettuce growing in such a way?
Lower yields?
Spectrum is the main culprit?
Iv heard you mention this many many times through the entirety of this thread but Iv not been able to grasp the concept fully.
Can you explain the cause of this please?
And what are the negatives to lettuce growing in such a way?
Lower yields?
Spectrum is the main culprit?
Iv heard you mention this many many times through the entirety of this thread but Iv not been able to grasp the concept fully.
OneHitDone
Well-Known Member
I am not smart enough to unravel the whole mystery but Spectrum plays huge in it. Particularly far red. I have tested a few different spectrums and seen with my own eyes what the introduction of far red does.
No one in the "Led Vendor" community wants to listen because "QB's grow bud", "lettuce is cheap", etc. Weed is falling to lettuce prices quick and there is much to be had in the QUALITY department with a much fuller spectrum than a 3K 90 etc. deliver.
To me led is a "compromise". To gain efficiency of "par photons" we have to loose some outside the 400-700 range. Kind of a trick being pulled on everyone even now by the led sellers if you ask me.
When someone can match the spectrum of a Hortilux Blue Metal Halide with led the tech has truly come of age.
As to the problems with the small leaf growth, it is generally accompanied by thick leathery leaf texture and a more bitter flavor.
pinner420
Well-Known Member
I watched a YouTube video of a classroom running a volksgarden some time ago were a Chinese LED vendor built a hexagon shaped cylinder that went in the center of the wheel. It was big and bulky and seemed to get the job done. The company didn't last and it was a 1500 dollar light back in the day. The design could be retrofitted to run with today's quantum boards and possibly be a winner. I haven't looked around much since then but that design is gonna eventually get picked up for vert guys that know about pulling 1.5 plus grams per what with our "old street lights"..
OneHitDone
Well-Known Member
Omega Garden appears to still be going strong. Notice what light they are currently using? T5
pinner420
Well-Known Member
If everyother review of the volksgarden wasn't negative I'd probably own one by now.Omega Garden appears to still be going strong. Notice what light they are currently using? T5
OneHitDone
Well-Known Member
Was just thinking the same
