Uncle Ben's Gardening Tweeks and Pointers

notoriousb

notoriousb

Well-Known Member
I've been searching all over plant diagnoses faq's from different sites but can't pinpoint what's going on with 3 of 7 flat topp purples that are currently 3 weeks in bloom and I was hoping that a more experienced grower on this thread might be able to give me some insight.
Im growing in soil and Im running a 600w hps in an air cooled Xtrasun hood and the hood sits about 15 inches from the top of the canopy. Ive been rotating feedings with schultz's 20-20-20 soluble plant food at 1/4 tsp per gal and fox farm grow big 6-4-4 at 1/4 tsp per gal. I feed every other watering and rotate ferts each feeding. I've also had a little powder mildew that Ive been dealing with by treating the plants with a foliar of 1/2 tbsp of baking soda and 1/4 tsp of dishsoap and have experienced a little burning but it doesnt look like what's going on with these 3 plants

appreciate it much
 
S

shed pharmer

Member
hey ub i recently got some clones that were given 24/0 and after reading your post and using a little common sense seems like a 20/4 is closer to what nature intended,so my question is if i switch them over to 20/4 do you think that will trigger flower
thanks for all the useful non bullshit info
 
riddleme

riddleme

Well-Known Member
chiefbootknocker said:
Uncle Ben,

I would love to be a test case in increasing yield. If you have time give me some suggestions.


I usually flower 6 plants in a 4' x 4' area.
Lighting is 400w HPS....standard bulb.
I I run a circulation fan (but in no longer oscillates)
I run full power FF nuts including the solubles. I run one feeding of those according to the chart, then plain water the next feeding and so on
Temps usually stay in the upper 70's and a RH of about 30% with lights on
Lights off RH varies, and temps get to low 60's
I let my girls grow natural...i.e. no top no FIM etc.
The pot I use to pop my taproot in is where they finish....i.e. I do not transplant.
Pots I use are probably 10" in dia. I would guess a 1 gallon or 2 at best.
I use FFOF soil.

VEG
I already know your not in favor of 24/0 lights, but that is my current setup.
I try to keep 6 in there as well with 2-26w CFL which have the more white appearance, and 2-42w CFL of the more orange color
I only use water while I veg because 1) FF feeding scedule is too fucked up for me to keep track of who got what, and 2) I figured the soil could sustain the plants until they go to flower.

Yield on 6 plants is almost always 6-7oz.

It seems as though I could improve on that I just don't know how. Any help is much appreciated.


EDIT: finished plant height is about 24" for hybrids and up to 30" on Sativa leaning. I also try to veg long enough to get 10-12 nodes before flowering. A little less for Sativa due to height. I don't move my light I move the plants. I try to maintain the tops at no closer than 6" from the protective glass on my light hood.
Click to expand...
answered in your journal
 
riddleme

riddleme

Well-Known Member
notoriousb said:
I've been searching all over plant diagnoses faq's from different sites but can't pinpoint what's going on with 3 of 7 flat topp purples that are currently 3 weeks in bloom and I was hoping that a more experienced grower on this thread might be able to give me some insight.
Im growing in soil and Im running a 600w hps in an air cooled Xtrasun hood and the hood sits about 15 inches from the top of the canopy. Ive been rotating feedings with schultz's 20-20-20 soluble plant food at 1/4 tsp per gal and fox farm grow big 6-4-4 at 1/4 tsp per gal. I feed every other watering and rotate ferts each feeding. I've also had a little powder mildew that Ive been dealing with by treating the plants with a foliar of 1/2 tbsp of baking soda and 1/4 tsp of dishsoap and have experienced a little burning but it doesnt look like what's going on with these 3 plants

appreciate it much
Click to expand...
Looks like a Cal Def, are you supplimenting Cal/Mag?
 
riddleme

riddleme

Well-Known Member
shed pharmer said:
hey ub i recently got some clones that were given 24/0 and after reading your post and using a little common sense seems like a 20/4 is closer to what nature intended,so my question is if i switch them over to 20/4 do you think that will trigger flower
thanks for all the useful non bullshit info
Click to expand...

18/6, 20/4, and 24/0 are popular veg times plant will not flower using any of these (unless an auto) 12/12 promotes flowering
 
chiefbootknocker

chiefbootknocker

Well-Known Member
riddleme said:
answered in your journal
Click to expand...
Thank you for the suggestions. I did notice on my last Lemon Skunk that it was dried out. I was using a chart that some grower put together about optimum usage of light and penetration. I used 6 inches as he suggested it was as close as you ever wanted to get to the bulb. I figured that would also give the lower sites more light to develop. Well I'm commited to 6 right now, but I will back off for the next run and take the current plants off their stands. I really apprecitate it, and +rep. I hope a QP per is what I will get although I'm sure I will need to do more tweeking. I would LOVE THAT though.
 
bloatedcraig

bloatedcraig

Well-Known Member
Light - Plants needs a rest. Recommend 20/4 for veg. Plants do better (produce more carbos) with less light over a longer period of time than alot of light for a shorter period of time. There is a point of light saturation where more light will work against you by bleaching out the lifeblood of the plant - chlorophyll. Learn to "read your plants" and keep those leaves healthy and green until harvest. Also, contrary to forum paradigms, in general you want to give your plants more light during veg and less during flowering, think nature. The flowering response is not the time to bleach out the leaves with high light intensities (and high P foods). Ultra low levels of N found in bloom foods will generally not support leaf health.


What sort of drop are we talking here, just raising the light a little higher? or switching bulbs and ballast's?
 
CaptainW

CaptainW

Member
I ran a semi controlled test with a buddy of mine. I had beneficial bacteria (gave him enough for a few doses) we both used GH flora series. Only diff was lighting he had a 400 mh i had a 400hps enhanced blue spec I added a t5 because he had the mh. Like i said semi controlled, I did 18/6 and I must say if our bud plants could fight mine would have totally kicked his plants ass. What we both noticed was plants need a dark period to grow a more vigorous root system. His roots were long and string looking as where mine were fat massed and long.



Anyway needless to say I made a believer out of him which is no easy task old school growers are very stubborn at times. He now runs 20/4
 
J

jjfoo

Active Member
capt,

you could also use your grow to 'prove' that mh is diff than hps

I mean being that you used different lights how can you infer that the hours are what caused the changes? With all due respect, I don't see this as evidence. I'm not saying 20/4 is good or bad, it is what I use.
 
robert 14617

robert 14617

Well-Known Member
View attachment 897443Tio , i have a Q: i hope you haven't already covered , my compost is not hot and is full of billions of insects,maybe its ready to be incorporated into my garden , i just think it needs more time ,yet it consumes all my kitchen waste in no time
 
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