Northern Lights X BB auto & Speed Devil auto

Ugh just looking at the Blackstar LEDs. So hard to choose. I don't want too much light so that I bleach my plant(s), but I don't want to supplement with CFLs if I don't have to.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/180W-New-2012-Lighthouse-Hydro-BlackStar-LED-Grow-Light-3W-LEDs-/290622453178?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43aa72b5ba#ht_8728wt_1163
or
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-2012-240w-Lighthouse-Hydro-BlackStar-LED-Grow-light-Flowering-3W-LEDs-/280817633570?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4162090922#ht_8517wt_1163

Basically same coverage size, $50 more for 80 more watts. I'm sure for a 1 plant grow a 180w would be fine though right? Just trying to make sure I don't exceed the space I have by growing 2 plants and end up having to either cut some tops(like I did for this grow) or ditch a plant entirely. Limited space as well so I can't go and buy a tent or anything.

One thing that confuses me about LEDs is that I don't see them post the lumens or the PAR. So it's kind of hard to see how much more I'm getting for the additional amount. I can see a lot more people bought the BS240, but I can't see why.

Did separate watering today. Which sucked because I had to use the same amount of molasses and fish fertilizer as I would for both plants, but only used it for one. Watered the Northern Lights with 3/4 tsp of epsom salt, 1 ounce of fish blend, and 2 tablespoons of molasses. Noticed that the plant is beginning to burn at the top leaves so for the next one to two watering I'm going to water with plain water. No molasses, no Epsom salt, no nothing. Such a fickle girl is she. Watered the Blue Mammoth with just plain water. Been watering with the same water as I've been using to combat the several deficiencies as the Northern Lights, but the Blue Mammoth hasn't had any real problems. Decided to give her a break. I'll continue with plain water for at least one more watering. Last watering with the 1-3-2 seems to burn her a little bit.

Buds are looking frosty, although the camera makes them look it even more so . Northern Lights definitively has the yield going, but the looks/smell goes to the Blue Mammoth. It smells a little bit like coffee and weed to me. Northern Lights smells like grade A stuff too, just can't put my finger on it. Can't wait to harvest and dry/cry them. Supposedly the smells become more pronounced after. Judging by the pics I've taken over the past week it looks like vertical growth is just now coming to a complete halt. Any new growth has a much higher bud to leaf ratio so the only thing that's getting taller/fatter really are the buds, not the stems.

Temps have been 79-84. The acu-rite is about 1-2" away now from the exhaust so I figure it's a decently accurate reading. Don't see any signs of heat stress either. My 60x microscope shipped from Cali yesterday so hopefully in a little less than a week I might be able to take some microscopic pics of the trichomes. Then I'll know how far along I really am. I still have plenty of white hairs vs brown/red hairs that have or have not receded.

Little less than 3 weeks before I have to move and 3 days after that the semester starts. Depending on the trichs by that time I may just harvest em. Checked the temp/humidity in my closet and it stays at 81F with 55% humidity. That's probably where I'll dry.

EDIT: Like 8 pics in no specific order decided not to upload. Instead of looking at each picture and looking at which one I had and didn't have I said fuck it and decided not to upload em. I think you guys can make do with 20

I really hate this Northern Lights...Looks like I have a full blown case of calcium deficiency along with either Potassium or magnesium. In the past 2 days about 6-7 leaves have gone completely yellow. Those brown spots that I posted on the top of one of leaves from the top that got burnt spread...to every other top and a little below it. Checked the 3 stickies on plant problems and they look almost exactly the same. Probably going to look at buying either some calmag or lime if I can't find the calmag. Blue Mammoth, as usual, is just fine and green.

Watered with 3/4 tsp of Veg+Blood, for it's 18% calcium, 1/4 tsp of Blossom Booster(1-3-2) for it's 30% Phosphorus and 20% Potassium and 3/4 tsp of epsom salt(magnesium). I watered the Blue Mammoth with 1/4 of a gallon of the leftover mix and added 3/4 gallon of water to dilute it. Kinda at a loss for words lol. This plant has been giving me trouble from day 1. Been fighting various deficiencies since like week 4. I'm happy that it has a lot more tops than the Blue Mammoth, but the amount of issues the girl has had kind of outweighs the benefits at this point.

Checked the triches with the microscope. Having trouble using the 60x because it's so damn small and for some reason the plant looks upside down through it. Used the 30x. From what I can see all the triches are clear on both plants. Probably means I'm at least 2-3 weeks away. Which is awesome because I have about 20 days before I have to move. So it looks like I may end up having to leave the plant here for a week or so.

Didn't bother taking pics. Just a little​ bit annoyed on how this plant is going so I didn't want to put my frustration behind a $700 camera I guess this is a good reason why you should grow multiple plants.

I have a NL blue auto freebie I've been waiting to pop, but perhaps I will wait and throw it in the bottom of the heap of seeds.
Sounds like a bunch of Cal/Mag issues.
I have some cal/mag though so maybe it won't be so bad.

Well this is a World of Seeds Northern Lights x Big Bud so you have a different breeder and strain. I've got one more NL, but I think I'm going to go through all the other seeds first.

Found this: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100342329/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=calcium+magnesium&storeId=10051, only $3.50 so it seems like a good deal.

Yeah, I use lime in every pot of soil.

KidneyStoner420 said:

Yeah, I use lime in every pot of soil.

Click to expand...

Lime helps Ph and gives cal right?

I use it for the PH, not sure about Calcium values.
I WAS using 1 TBS per gallon of soil, but after checking runoff (never used to bother) I've starting using 2 TBS/gallon of soil.
My runoff was low 5s!

So can you mix it into the water or are you supposed to mix it in the soil before you plant the seed/clone? That or top dressing.

No, you mix it in. Like you would with perlite.
I have the granular lime. It's tiny little rocks. I'll crumble up most of it into dust between my fingers as I put it in the soil.

Well what are my options at this stage of the grow then? Can't mix it in the soil because that would require me to remove the soil from the root bound plant.

At this stage, all you can do is crush it up real fine and work it into the soil as best you can without disrupting. Then water accordingly.
Check the runoff the next few following waterings.

Work it in how? Like take the powder, poke holes in the soil(with my finger?) and deposit it in the holes? Roots begin 1" into the soil so not a lot of room to work with. Besides top dressing and then watering wouldn't any other method create pockets where the lime doesn't get to?

Just dust it on the soil and then scratch it in as best you can.

espoma garden lime says on the bag the nutrients it contains.. i believe last time i looked it had calcium and magnesium in it. check the bag label when you go to the store. =)

Hmm I found this: http://www.aliexpress.com/product-gs/509638385-3w-660nm-led-New-2012-240w-Lighthouse-Hydro-BlackStar-LED-Grow-light-Flowering-3W-LED-s-wholesalers.html, $200 for the BS240. Even if it's too good to be true and comes damaged, if the warranty still covers it for a year I should be fine right? The website got decent reviews...on it's website. I save $80 if I go with them instead of amazon/ebay.

EDIT: And then I just noticed it wasn't black and said LG on the picture...

Alright my mix for this watering is a little complicated lol. I had some issues getting pulverized lime except for a gigantic 40lb bag at lowes/home depot. I did find a nice small 6lb bag of Pennington's Fast Acting Lime for like $5. What I'm going to water with is: 1tsp of epsom salt(yellowing leaves), 1/4 tsp of 1-3-2(yellowing leaves), 1 tbsp of molasses and 2 tbsp of the lime pellets per gallon. I'm also going to top dress the soil with the lime pellets as well. I'll try and take pics today, but it's gotten pretty bad at the canopy.

The yellowing is from the outside in with the veins still green so I think that was a P def. I read that the calcium is lime is avaliable fairly quick, but the magnesium takes a little while so I'm going to supplement with the epsom salt just to cover all my bases. I'm going to top dress both plants, but I will only be using plain water for the Blue Mammoth. Trying to get that N abundance out. That plant doesn't have any yellowing leaves I can see. Oh the lime pellets are pretty small, more like granules. Pretty close in size to the epsom salt and the Jack's Classic I use.

Bro, the lime does not go in the water. You mix it in the soil.

Well I've seen a few threads about mixing it into the water and I figured it couldn't hurt any. Like I said I plan on adding it into the soil anyway.