Setting LEDs at the right height to select phenos "thriving in intense light," killing the weak

Apostatize

Well-Known Member
Get set up on adjustable flood tables.
Thank you! I definitely need some kind of flood tray for the smaller tent, but prices of cannabis-specific products seem inflated (because they can) (I'm not suggesting what you're suggesting is cannabis-specific and/or over-priced, I just don't need to go 110% on this front).

In my larger tent and in one veg station, I placed 3 or 4 deep utility trays in each that I bought from cabletiesandmore.com for ~$28.50 apiece (currently $23, there's probably shipping). Will that work until I'm in a more permanent living arrangement? I've got time to plan something "I can live with" for my remaining years. And I can look up the products you're referring to, no problem there; but these trays seem straight.

Here's a link to the Eagle Spill Containment Utility Tray. Inadvertently bought some in both colors, and use the yellow ones in the veg station.

1617503020063.png
 
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Apostatize

Well-Known Member
"Some states in the US have limited plant counts which encourage growers to cultivate larger plants to maximize yield. However, there are other states, or countries, where growers are limited by canopy and not plant count. Growers that are regulated by canopy are shifting away from large plants to medium sized plants with high density plant spacing. This allows for shorter vegetative times and labor reduction for defoliating and harvesting. 'Another trend we have been seeing with the acceptance of multi-level vertical cultivation is growers who elected for two levels in flower for phase one build outs are now electing for three levels in flower for the future phases[.]'”

 

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
smaller tent pics
- 15 pics of small tents (split into two posts, there's a limit).View attachment 4869503View attachment 4869504View attachment 4869505View attachment 4869506View attachment 4869507View attachment 4869508View attachment 4869509View attachment 4869510
- plants with noticeable flowers developing are in their 5th week. In the middle, a few are replacements; they're about 2 weeks along.
From a pest management view , this looks like trouble ... dead organic material over , mildew on ply . Where does the cube water go ? ... on the floor ?

You could have supercropped instead of doing a cork apocalypse.
 

Apostatize

Well-Known Member
From a pest management view , this looks like trouble ... dead organic material over , mildew on ply . Where does the cube water go ? ... on the floor ?

You could have supercropped instead of doing a cork apocalypse.
Good observations. I've modified that build multiple times. mildew came from the two mos. I actually added humidifiers to the room (dumbest idea ever). non-issue now, though I need to clean it up. Actually, I need to add a dehumidifier and controller to dial-in the environment -- absolutely.

I'd just trimmed, need to vacuum the space.

In larger tent, I have deep trays that are meant for chemical spills. They sit below the shelves. Since I'm hand-feeding, no huge flood issues ... however, if a bucket should collect water, I just pour it into the deep spill trays and then shop vac it. Or I pour directly into another bucket and empty that way. If I were running water from a timer, yes, overflow would be more of an issue.

The smaller tent ... yes, I need to install flood trays of some sort. I was just happy to have raised the floor and lowered lights. Flood tray, on it.

I'm monster-cropping some of the phenos ... just to experiment. I didn't invent/create cork LST ... it has advantages, it's documented ... appears in at least a few articles. if a branch grows higher than the others, i just give it a tug and/or add a cork. all good, love it. In the future, it's going to allow me to have, for example, a 5-mos. veg plant in the center surrounded by four plants each cut with 2 branches at 90 degrees (framing the larger plant, using all the space).

Not too worried, though -- some people struggle to even copy and use a basic formula/approach on how to grow ... if true vertical grows were simple, everyone would do it. I'll get there ... sucks I waited so long in life to start growing....

Science, editing/brevity, file compression, convenient meals, compact workouts ... all in my background, all things aimed at maximizing space/time-management. Gotta get organized and dialed-in. Thanks, man.
 
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Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Those OSB ply ( engineered ) can get mold and mildew issues as well as standard ply. Some organic adhesives in it can trap moisture. I see it all the time in subfloors.

I would be looking into preventative measures like KILZ or similar moisture repelling products to seal. Also perhaps look into panda film for reflect ability , i feel you are losing lots of useful photon energy from absorbability of those ply boards. Plants would have supplemental light from bounce.

My 2 pesos.
 

Lordhooha

Well-Known Member
Good observations. I've modified that build multiple times. mildew came from the two mos. I actually added humidifiers to the room (dumbest idea ever). non-issue now, though I need to clean it up. Actually, I need to add a dehumidifier and controller to dial-in the environment -- absolutely.

I'd just trimmed, need to vacuum the space.

In larger tent, I have deep trays that are meant for chemical spills. They sit below the shelves. Since I'm hand-feeding, no huge flood issues ... however, if a bucket should collect water, I just pour it into the deep spill trays and then shop vac it. Or I pour directly into another bucket and empty that way. If I were running water from a timer, yes, overflow would be more of an issue.

The smaller tent ... yes, I need to install flood trays of some sort. I was just happy to have raised the floor and lowered lights. Flood tray, on it.

I'm monster-cropping some of the phenos ... just to experiment. I didn't invent/create cork LST ... it has advantages, it's documented ... appears in at least a few articles. if a branch grows higher than the others, i just give it a tug and/or add a cork. all good, love it. In the future, it's going to allow me to have, for example, a 5-mos. veg plant in the center surrounded by four plants each cut with 2 branches at 90 degrees (framing the larger plant, using all the space).

Not too worried, though -- some people struggle to even copy and use a basic formula/approach on how to grow ... if true vertical grows were simple, everyone would do it. I'll get there ... sucks I waited so long in life to start growing....

Science, editing/brevity, file compression, convenient meals, compact workouts ... all in my background, all things aimed at maximizing space/time-management. Gotta get organized and dialed-in. Thanks, man.
That entire space makes my ocd go through the roof and my skin crawl
 
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Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Seriously tho .... no matter the plant training , “ pheno “ hunting ( *cough ) , porous cork ( they can mold too ) , high moisture / mildew ( look at grow cube sides - seen in pics .... or your grow plan ...

Those conditions alone would wreck it.
I would pretty much get space dialed in first before throwing in ANY plants.

Jeezus ..... i feel like coughing my god damn lungs out thinking it .... lol.

2838770F-D22A-4D4A-A1F1-48EF4EE89010.gif

Moldy Cork

97295977-3F1F-4BC9-946C-88C5100951BD.jpeg

7B266801-0364-4D12-8456-6D5DD5D946B9.gif
 

Apostatize

Well-Known Member
Seriously tho .... no matter the plant training , “ pheno “ hunting ( *cough ) , porous cork ( they can mold too ) , high moisture / mildew ( look at grow cube sides - seen in pics .... or your grow plan ...

Those conditions alone would wreck it.
I would pretty much get space dialed in first before throwing in ANY plants.

Jeezus ..... i feel like coughing my god damn lungs out thinking it .... lol.
________________________________________________________________

Will take it into consideration. Grodan blocks get algae, you can limit it but it will be present wherever the insulation's exposed to light. Not sure what the long-term solution is about corks -- something weighted and non-porous, perhaps, idk. I already figured I'd have to replace the corks over time whether they became brittle, water-logged, moldy, etc.

But so far, I'm just seeing a progression of bigger, better buds ... and I'm getting better at the ripening process. I get that there are bacteria/mold risks ... and appreciate the emphasis on aseptic technique ... at the same time, plants can grow outside in dirt, rain, sharing an ecosystem with bugs and varmint ... growing indoors already greatly reduces plants' exposure ... I don't even use soil ... but, right, I'm moving toward a cleanlier grow area. I work with my plants every day, so I'm not letting anything get out of control. Yes, it has a long way to go. And when I move in about 2-3 years, I'll start anew, incorporating everything I've learned along the way. Thanks.

Quickly re weighted LST v. tying branches back: since I started using corks and adding silica, I've noticed more flexibility in branches and I've broken fewer branches. I've also excluded strains that I found to be brittle, not conducive to LST. And these are unused corks. Never sat in wine, unlike the photo in the image above. They're "craft corks."

... I'm always going to be a little "dirty."

And from what I've seen, the local market's not that impressive ... so, the fact that my bud has funk, a name, is well-fed, ripened, and at least dried/cured in a climate-controlled room, it's a lot better than what I've been seeing in the past several months locally.
 
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Apostatize

Well-Known Member
Panda reflective roll arrived today. I'll install this weekend. 10' x 50' should be enough to cover most of the wood, some other parts.

Can we just appreciate the versatility of corks? They're pretty inexpensive, too. Lol, see photo updates.

I hung corks on Larry Bird (aka Gelato), because it spreads/distributes the bud sites so evenly. The plant's still lopsided; a 4-mos. veg White Widow filled out a more even, somewhat larger square pattern.

For leggier strains, like Grape Ape and Bruce Banner, you can clip corks to bucket lips to aggressively tie down the plant. I'll ease up restraints in a week or two. In the meantime, I want to give the center-mass a chance to blossom (stuff I'd usually discard).

Plants in photos are at least 3 weeks apart.
 

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Scuzzman

Well-Known Member
oh lord its hard to be humble when you think your perfect in every way .....
alot of good constructive criticism in this thread..... and a lot of dribble..
Corks - I remember back when ladys use to make cork boards out of wine corks - they had to be sealed as they would rot from the inside out ,alge/mold thats the reason why not many use it as a medium or have it in there grow rooms( and the same reason you do not see cork floor tiles in bathrooms these days )- you would be better using pipe cleaners to tie plants down ... :wall: bongsmilie
 

Apostatize

Well-Known Member
alot of good constructive criticism in this thread..... and a lot of dribble..
you would be better using pipe cleaners to tie plants down ... :wall: bongsmilie
Agree mostly ... I've seen pipe cleaners used for LST, arguably more of a cluster f#ck. working out some details (e.g., best materials to use), but am working toward a future grow -- in my "humble" opinion, vertical grows are the future. eventually, i want an at-home, 2-tier setup. it's not for everyone.... but with Virginia legalizing, so many states getting onboard, so many more growers, so many growing advancements ... doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to model one's ideal indoor plant size/structure mostly based on plant growing in an outdoor/greenhouse setup ... state laws/plant limits influence ideal plant size. states/countries that regulate by sq ft of canopy don't limit by plant #; consequently, growers in those areas seem to trend toward multi-tier vertical grows with smaller plants. everything's more compact, quicker turnarounds. there's nothing wrong with classic methods, I just don't want to get left behind before I even get started ... so, whatever I learn about setups in the next 3 yrs I'll apply toward my personal ideal setup. i understand there are always going to be moisture/pathogen risks ... first, i'm figuring out what works (for me); then, I'll run it cleaner over time.

Appreciate all of the "constructive criticism," ignoring the straight up dickheads.

Soaking corks in vinegar whenever I take them off a branch.... Not ideal, but that's an effort to keep them mold-free until I replace them. There are rubber corks ... just need a supplier. ;) https://www.widgetco.com/epdm-rubber-stoppers?gclid=CjwKCAjw9r-DBhBxEiwA9qYUpZwLSQgqknJx0trn3YHeYzRFjIz0kGCNUIYplC-Gf1KbyOO1akEGhRoCRnYQAvD_BwE
 
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Cool setup, has a nice DIY touch!

will do! -- this weekend (or tomorrow). currently, i'm waterproofing 3 racks of shelves, including my 2-tier seedling/clone station which I set up recently. then i have to water again today ... and hopefully log-in and bill some hours ... ugh, even getting to 40 hrs has been difficult recently as I'm putting more time into getting the setup how I want it (and maintaining it). adjustments to the tents themselves are done, now i'm tweaking veg and seedling stations, and setting up racks to organize i'll my stuff.
Any update on the shelves? Looking to make a seedling shelf too and am a bit worried of water dripping onto my lights.
 
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