CellarDweller
Well-Known Member
Day 34 update: (photos to follow):
Light:
Light on a strong, sunny day in Germany (Frankfurt area) will hit 1700umol/m2/s.......but this is at midday, with a full range from around 500 in the morning and then a good bell curve throughout the day. Estimated DLI in the range of 35mol/m2/day
On a sunny day with clouds, this can have a massive impact on DLI. Estimated DLI in the range of 20mol/m2/day
On a cloudy day......forget about it - 12mol/m2/day
On a rainy day.....utter fail.....looking at readings of 8umol/m2/s!!!!! The dial on my fluorescent watch face probably gives off more bloody light! (Well ok not really).
Finally, the water vapour inherent in clouds and ....well....rain.....means that the red light quotient is super low on a cloudy/rainy day.
Conclusion: COBs produce a truck-load more PAR than the sun in late April / early May. This is a fact.
Zucchini:
4 zucchini plants outside are doing perfectly well - it's been pretty sunny - but frankly their fruiting power is weak in comparison to the COB-lit cousins inside! Indoors, the zucchini are throwing out male and female flowers and the fruit are growing beautifully.
Findings -
1) Zucchini, when moved outside will stretch far more than those beneath deliciously strong 1000umol/m2/s COB lights (5000k/3000k equal mix). My Cob-Lit Zs (CLZs) are powerful, strong and bushy and producing more Zs faster and in a more compact manner.
2) Flowering on the CLZs is wonderful - they're blooming and looking so beautiful in the little MacGyver wardrobe/growing chamber. Flowering on the natural light........still waiting for the first to open.
Conclusion - so far, COB lit beats the sh*t out of natural light in May. Taste test to come (soon!)
Tomatoes:
2 plants outside, with a bunch more being "relegated" soon. I almost feel bad for the poor things........their Cob-Lit Tomato (CLT) Cousins are basically going to be out-growing and out-fruiting them within seconds.
Findings:
1) As with the Zucchini, more stretch outside and this is in spite of the few days that they have been outside being actually pretty darned sunny.
2) CLTs are pushing out their first blooms and the first of those are now beginning to open up.
3) The smell of tomato plant is so strong it's making me rather excited about the taste of the fruit.
4) The stickiness of the stem on the CLT is actually reminiscent of the stickiness of MJ! Those outside, not so much.
Conclusion - COB kicking ass for tomatoes.
Chilli / Paprika:
No comparisons......it's just a little too cold to be putting them outside and frankly, what's the point? We all know where this study is really going and why waste perfectly good light hungry/cold sensitive plants on a comparison you know the results of already?
Light:
Light on a strong, sunny day in Germany (Frankfurt area) will hit 1700umol/m2/s.......but this is at midday, with a full range from around 500 in the morning and then a good bell curve throughout the day. Estimated DLI in the range of 35mol/m2/day
On a sunny day with clouds, this can have a massive impact on DLI. Estimated DLI in the range of 20mol/m2/day
On a cloudy day......forget about it - 12mol/m2/day
On a rainy day.....utter fail.....looking at readings of 8umol/m2/s!!!!! The dial on my fluorescent watch face probably gives off more bloody light! (Well ok not really).
Finally, the water vapour inherent in clouds and ....well....rain.....means that the red light quotient is super low on a cloudy/rainy day.
Conclusion: COBs produce a truck-load more PAR than the sun in late April / early May. This is a fact.
Zucchini:
4 zucchini plants outside are doing perfectly well - it's been pretty sunny - but frankly their fruiting power is weak in comparison to the COB-lit cousins inside! Indoors, the zucchini are throwing out male and female flowers and the fruit are growing beautifully.
Findings -
1) Zucchini, when moved outside will stretch far more than those beneath deliciously strong 1000umol/m2/s COB lights (5000k/3000k equal mix). My Cob-Lit Zs (CLZs) are powerful, strong and bushy and producing more Zs faster and in a more compact manner.
2) Flowering on the CLZs is wonderful - they're blooming and looking so beautiful in the little MacGyver wardrobe/growing chamber. Flowering on the natural light........still waiting for the first to open.
Conclusion - so far, COB lit beats the sh*t out of natural light in May. Taste test to come (soon!)
Tomatoes:
2 plants outside, with a bunch more being "relegated" soon. I almost feel bad for the poor things........their Cob-Lit Tomato (CLT) Cousins are basically going to be out-growing and out-fruiting them within seconds.
Findings:
1) As with the Zucchini, more stretch outside and this is in spite of the few days that they have been outside being actually pretty darned sunny.
2) CLTs are pushing out their first blooms and the first of those are now beginning to open up.
3) The smell of tomato plant is so strong it's making me rather excited about the taste of the fruit.
4) The stickiness of the stem on the CLT is actually reminiscent of the stickiness of MJ! Those outside, not so much.
Conclusion - COB kicking ass for tomatoes.
Chilli / Paprika:
No comparisons......it's just a little too cold to be putting them outside and frankly, what's the point? We all know where this study is really going and why waste perfectly good light hungry/cold sensitive plants on a comparison you know the results of already?
