New Growers Journal for A Newbie, DIY Veg setup

[Growdude]

don't over think , put a brick under the pot if you think you need to but the pics look fine ,

Bob Marley didn't do "Don't Worry be Happy"
Bobby McFerrin did it in 1988, Marley died in 1981

 

[QBCrocket]

Bob Marley didn't do "Don't Worry be Happy"
Bobby McFerrin did it in 1988, Marley died in 1981

good pick up , its labelled Marley but defiantly not him singing.

 

[stepheneking]

Hey guys, wanted to put an update on the grow....this is yesterdays...

 

[stepheneking]

While we used to use watts per square foot to figure lighting (and it was 50 watts min per sq ft, not 20), with the advent of LED lighting we really don't do that much anymore. It is advisable to take the manufacturer's recommendations with a grain of salt. They often over-hype what their lights are capable of. That is why it is so important to take the advise of those actually using the products. With LED lights, the stated wattage is often not the working wattage. For instance, I have a 700W light that actually only uses about 300 watts. And I can tell you that there is absolutely no way that that light would adequately cover 15 sq ft.

Your lighting is the most important component of your grow space and it directly affects the yield. Without adequate lighting, the best genetics and the best care and nutrients will be a waste.

How many plants did you start? A grow space that is 2.67 sq ft is really not large enough to grow even 1 plant. I would never ever go smaller than 4 sq ft....and even that will be problematic.

I know that I can sound harsh, but I just don't want you to spend 4 months trying to grow a plant (or plants) in an environment where it is not going to work. There are certain things you really need to pull off a successful indoor grow and good lighting and space are 2 of those things.

I have been reading some of the Grow guides on here and have stated 20watt/sq ft. I do however, trust your expertise and experience. Is this not a decent setup as is for a VEG setup to consider 20watts/per sq ft and use 50watts/ sq ft for my flowering area of which I have not even erected yet. I am still planning on that setup. I did want your advice on this PDF I found See below. Do you agree to the HID to LED conversion? Is the amount of WATT INPUT vs WATT OUTPUT when it comes to LED and its equivalent HID lighting.

HID Lamp 70W PSMH has an equivalent LED Wattage of 36 to 40Watt depending on the LED INPUT Current.
Wouldn't that make the 50watt/sq ft different for LED but lower?

I appreciate and respect that you don't want me to get 4 months in and not be happy. I wouldn't either.

 

[stepheneking]

Todays update. They are looking good....

 

[stepheneking]

Update....

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

No, don't agree with the HPS to LED conversion. I replaced a 1000W HPS with 1468W of LED and it still didn't produce like the HPS.

I have also never seen anywhere that said that 20W per sq ft was enough light....where are you reading this?

 

[2RedEyes]

If I’m worried about how many watts l’m burning, I put a meter on the source...My led drivers are meanwell and I can adjust both the voltage and the current... So I set the voltage (with a multimeter)to the manufacturers spec and then adjust the current while reading the power meter...My led strips are capable of 48watts per strip and that is not a silly comparison to an old fashioned light type...that is actual power consumption, and I run them at about 80% for better efficiency...I have 9 of these strips in my setup with two drivers....5 of the 3500k that I use for veg and I add 4 more 2700k strips on a second driver for flower...so I’m running about 350 actual watts in my small little grow cabinet and that light is spread for good coverage...
My grow space is about 6 square feet so just under 60 watts/sq ft...

 

[stepheneking]

Hey guys....sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days. Been busy however, I have some great updates!!!!
First thing guys I now have a good TENT to grow in....see my Post here.. https://www.marijuanapassion.com/threads/new-diy-grow-tent.76328/

I have update on my lighting too...I have a buddy who hooked me up with a free light!!!
Galaxyhydro Series 300W LED
http://bestledgrowlightsreviews4u.com/galaxy-hydro-300w-led-grow-light-review/

 

[stepheneking]

Grow Update.....

Hey guys, I wanted to also get some photos up of the plants. I have missed a couple of days updates so I am jumping straight to today....

 

[novitius]

Lookin GOOD man
See, sometimes you get blessed!!
Now you've got yourself a lil clone/germ box too! I'm happy for you!

 

[QBCrocket]

cooking with gas now

 

[stepheneking]

Lookin GOOD man
See, sometimes you get blessed!!
Now you've got yourself a lil clone/germ box too! I'm happy for you!

Hey Novitius, thanks. I was thinking the same thing.....time for another add on for the box. I am going to coat it with the Panda Grow liner too

Thanks, I have been geeked about the setup and grow. Diffidently pleased

 

[stepheneking]

cooking with gas now

Hello QBCrocket!
Diesel, LoL

 

[stepheneking]

Hey guys, time for a update! They are looking great!
I am kicking myself but I think I am going to have to re-pot these again.
Thoughts

 

[stepheneking]

Also, I have update on my 1st box. I have it lined with my Panda Grow now and lights remounted so this baby is ready to go for the next wave

 

[stepheneking]

I also wanted to ask if anyone is using Grow Buddy. I have begun to use it and love it!!! Great Software
Let me know

 

[oldfogey8]

I repot twice myself(solo cup to approx 1 gal to 3 gallon felt).Not sure if that is a dunce move but it has worked for me.

 

[stepheneking]

I repot twice myself(solo cup to approx 1 gal to 3 gallon felt).Not sure if that is a dunce move but it has worked for me.

Hey Oldfogey8, thanks for posting! Whew, I am glad to hear that because I am wanting to get some of the 3 gallon felt ones too for replant. Whats a good time to do the re-pot to the 3gallon ones?

 

[oldfogey8]

I usually repot from the gallon pots to my 3 gallons when the plants are around 8-10 inches tall(200-250 mm if you are metric) or if I start seeing some roots near the drainage holes in the gallon pots. I like to have the plants in the final pot for a month or so to get a good rootball going to support flowering. I also top my plants and have used various low stress training methods so the 8-10” is kind of a loosey-goosey number. Your plants look good. I like short and squat...