Hey Al
I'm using an adaptation of your SoG method
I've only got two flower tents (1.25m x 1.25m, 1000w HPS each), a separate box with a 400w MH, and a propagation box (some fluro's)
Currently I'm doing it like this
Prop Box (24/0):
- 3 weeks -> Move to veg box
Veg box (24/0):
- 2 weeks -> Move to empty tent
Tents (12/12):
- Clones taken on day of move -> prop box
- Bottom 1/3-1/2 of plant trimmed
- 10 weeks - alternating with other tent to be 5 weeks apart.
This allows me to harvest every 5 weeks. At time of harvest I have a fresh batch of healthy, robust plants about 16-20 inches high ready to go in the now empty tent. The harvested bud is manicured and dries in darkness in the veg box, ventilated with a few computer fans. The veg box is turned off for up to 3 weeks, allowing for ample time to dry the bud.
The plants get about 4-4.5ft high with a mild touch of PGR, but I would like to get rid of this additive if possible. Currently I am using 4 inch rockwool cubes in flood and drain. Running 20 in each tent but could fit more. Not sure of the output tbh because I've only just started doing it like this, the last grow was 6 plants that had been topped to 4-5 main heads each, made about 10-11oz. I was running canna nutes, a touch of calmag (I'm on tankwater), a little of the PGR, and this stuff a mate gave me called liquid lead (it's supposed to be some sort of yield enhancer. It was given to me so I figured might as well. I'll use it until it runs out and then see how the harvests turn out without it)
Now I'm looking to improve on yield any way I can, as well as decrease my harvest time to 4 weeks if possible. My strains are sour kush and ak48, and require a fairly long bloom time for the amber trichs to appear so I have to keep it to 10 weeks flowering.
This setup I have is a bit stretchy tbh, the plants get tall. I thought I could adjust the timer on my veg box to be 12/12 and become a preflower box, hopefully the blue spectrum from the MH should inhibit some stretch, and this would also cut the time in the flower tent to 8 weeks instead of 10 ie, 4 week harvest instead of 5. The downside of this is that to fit the new schedule I would have to reduce the prop box time to 2 weeks, and as the plants have 3 weeks less growth at cloning they might be too small to support the abuse. I'm trying to avoid flip-flipping the plants from veg to flower and back to veg here, but I don't really know anything about cloning so maybe I'm doing the wrong thing, is it better to wait a week into flowering before taking the clones? There's a lot of confusing information on the subject, I really don't know.
The main goal here is to eliminate PGR use altogether, as well as use the equipment I have in some useful fashion (MH lamp), also I don't like the idea of having to maintain a mother plant
I'd also like to ask you about CO2. Is it practical? I'm in Australia and have limited resources. I'd rather not be messing about with complex automated valve systems and expensive bulky cylinders. I'd also like something a bit more reliable than a bucket of yeast. I was thinking of dry ice, but I don't know where to source it, and I'm concerned about the cooling effect it will have on the air as I understand you want higher air temps with CO2. Also I'd like something that won't kill me or the dog if possible, any ideas?
Speaking of Australia, I would absolutely love to get my hands on some of that STG you've been using. How's that been working out by the way? Have you got any clue where I can source it over here? Neither google or their website were any help, and I'm sick and tired of this rockwool crap. Desperate for a quality medium like STG.
Now the obligatory voodoo question, I know that blue light inhibits stretch, and red light promotes flowering, is there any practical use to supplemental LED's? I'm talking like maybe 1-200w of LED in a strip (I could DIY that with chinese eBay LED's) somewhere in the tent, just for an added boost in an appropriate point in the spectrum. I mean I haven't done any costing or anything so it could be wildly impractical, but setting price aside would there be any use to doing something like this in conjunction with the lights I already have?
Oh and I have it on good authority that if I sacrifice a goat on winter solstice while dancing the macarana I can expect to double my yield, thought on the subject?
Thanks for all your help
