Silk Road forums
Discussion => Off topic => Topic started by: ultramarket on August 13, 2012, 12:31 am
-
Greetings,
I was going to document my grow on other cannabis forums, but I had problems finding any board which allows registrations from a Tor IP address. Figured it would be less risky to document my grow here. Hopefully there are other growers here who can throw me tips or lend guidance.
This is my first grow all by myself and I am starting with a Delicious Seeds Critical Sensi Star (CSS) Feminized seedfrom BreakingBad, and Orange Bull Feminized seed from DexterMorgan. The Orange Bull has not arrived in the mail yet, but it should hopefully arrive later this week. My eventual goal is to have a perpetual grow - still debating whether to grow the seedlings into mothers, or to bloom them and just clone mothers beforehand.
I have two 2x3ft grow tents equipped with 150watt LED grow lights. Unfortunately, it is a model which uses a "flowering" spectrum with extra orange and white lamps. I have a suspicion that models with just red and blue would have been better- this will do for now. Other plants have germinated and sprouted fine under these lamps, so I believe that it will suffice.
The Critical Sensi Star was germinated directly in a 3 inch pot filled with potting soil and about 10% perlite stuck in a dark place. It took LESS than 48 hours for the cotyledons to pop above the surface. The seed came pre-scored (I believe) so that might have quickened the germination.
-
Critical Sensi Star, Day One:
http://xfq5l5p4g3eyrct7.onion/view.php?image=fd8ebf34a3ac2e7915356a670f8b334b.jpg
While waiting for cannabis seeds, I decided to grow a strain of grass which goes by the name "Bermuda":
http://xfq5l5p4g3eyrct7.onion/view.php?image=a7f005dfd7bd250d322e3cfff7b93a22.jpg
Gala Apple:
http://xfq5l5p4g3eyrct7.onion/view.php?image=dfb0c65fb9d549c5c1a16f4d58b34dea.jpg
Watermelon:
http://xfq5l5p4g3eyrct7.onion/view.php?image=6c44dd8a71fcc8a69bff5106e2cc5404.jpg
As the CSS grows, I will be throwing the other guys onto the patio, where they will hopefully live long and prosper.
-
As I accumulate Bitcoin I will acquire and sprout more seeds from SR. If people are fine with the nature of this thread, I will continue documenting their growth in here.
-
Greetings fellow grower. :)
I'm curious as to why you went with LEDs? Other than in a very few (expensive) systems, led panels are mainly marketing bullshit, and will not perform as well as HPS or even CFLs.
You would be better served at this point by using cfls. Even standard 20 watt household ones are fine for seedlings, provided you get them nice and close. 6500k (blue spec) are preferable, but even red spec CFLs still put out plenty of blue light. A flowering spectrum led is completely lacking in blue, which is necessary for good veg growth, and will lead to stretchy weak plants when used in veg/seedling stage.
I usually meet a lot of resistance from LED users on forums when pointing out their shortcomings, but I only do so in the interests of helping people get the most out of their plants. I have seen the grows that get passed around as "proof" that leds work, but I remain unconvinced. The few grows that aren't sponsored by panel manufacturers are generally done by expert growers who know how to get the most out of their plants, but when it comes to the average grower, these results are rarely, if ever replicated.
CFLs for veg (Or MH, if you are feeling brave) and HPS for flower is the way to go, if you want the best bang for your buck.
-
Greetings fellow grower. :)
I'm curious as to why you went with LEDs? Other than in a very few (expensive) systems, led panels are mainly marketing bullshit, and will not perform as well as HPS or even CFLs.
Yeah - I tend not to listen to the HPS vs LED debate. It's not the early 2000's anymore - LED systems have already proven themselves many times over - Kind of a dead horse to beat at this point.
Main reasons are energy and heat -- I don't want to pull a lot of amps, or show up on FLIR the next time the DEA/FBI/PD take a helicopter trip over my area.
Cheers!
-
Yeah - I tend not to listen to the HPS vs LED debate.
Most LED users don't. ::)
Oh well, good luck with your grow.
-
Yeah - I tend not to listen to the HPS vs LED debate.
Most LED users don't. ::)
Oh well, good luck with your grow.
This lamp has a bit of blue on it - and it has 3W LEDs. The putting green at the edge of the tent has grown like a champ under this light (I have had to clip it several times) - which is a good sign as Bermuda has a notorious hunger for sunshine.
Of course, if there are problems during the veg phase I will throw 2 ft. CFLs into the tent. So far everything seems gravy though . Cheers!
-
Sorry if my last reply came across as rude, I didn't mean it as such. Your concerns about heat and flir are not rational though. For a start, a watt is a watt, and it is all turned to heat eventually. Leds don't generate any less heat, per watt, than any other form of lighting. I recently made a post addressing this, check my post history if you are interested.
Flir is not something to be concerned about unless you are doing a huge grow, or doing something stupid like hanging bare bulbs on the ridge of an uninsulated roof. Much is made of the dreaded eye in the sky on grow sites, but it is 99% propaganda, and the cops love to use it as a fear device when talking to journos etc. In reality, most people get informed on, or fail to take basic precautions regarding odors. Flir devices can only see surface temps of walls, they can't see through anything, so unless you are doing a full room grow, with enough wattage to heat up the walls, you are safe.
As for amperage draw, again it is a non-issue, unless you are drawing many KWs you will not be "flagged", as long as you pay your bills.
-
CSS, day two:
http://xfq5l5p4g3eyrct7.onion/view.php?image=9c500feb338516d0882edeee9b6fb959.jpg
-
Sorry if my last reply came across as rude, I didn't mean it as such. Your concerns about heat and flir are not rational though. For a start, a watt is a watt, and it is all turned to heat eventually. Leds don't generate any less heat, per watt, than any other form of lighting. I recently made a post addressing this, check my post history if you are interested.
Flir is not something to be concerned about unless you are doing a huge grow, or doing something stupid like hanging bare bulbs on the ridge of an uninsulated roof. Much is made of the dreaded eye in the sky on grow sites, but it is 99% propaganda, and the cops love to use it as a fear device when talking to journos etc. In reality, most people get informed on, or fail to take basic precautions regarding odors. Flir devices can only see surface temps of walls, they can't see through anything, so unless you are doing a full room grow, with enough wattage to heat up the walls, you are safe.
As for amperage draw, again it is a non-issue, unless you are drawing many KWs you will not be "flagged", as long as you pay your bills.
Ok UKGrowerMan... After careful thought and re-considering your advice, I decided to purchase a 600watt digital ballast setup. Thanks. :)
-
Bagweed -- I know that 2 of these *might* be the dank
http://xfq5l5p4g3eyrct7.onion/view.php?image=69abe44ad6911229cc1d15995c2670b2.jpg
Gala Apple
http://xfq5l5p4g3eyrct7.onion/view.php?image=796bc7c76b31089a6c1177d8ff50e23a.jpg
CSS Day 3:
http://xfq5l5p4g3eyrct7.onion/view.php?image=84341b4fa5b697056055cbc604c35797.jpg
-
thousand watt or stay home!!!!
-
thousand watt or stay home!!!!
Oh, I *am* staying home. :)
-
CSS Day 4:
http://xfq5l5p4g3eyrct7.onion/view.php?image=a91302c4514ff6935122a60aa23c2d7a.jpg
I am starting to get that "Botany of Desire" feeling: Am I cultivating my plants, or are they cultivating me?
-
Good job with the 600 purchase, they are the most efficient setup, in terms of lumens per watt. Do you have your extraction bought/implemented yet? Also, what area are you growing in? Your 3x3 tents you mentioned would be better suited to a 400 light, although i've seen successful 600 grows in dr90s etc, so it is possible with good enough airflow. A cooltube or air-cooled hood will make life easier here.
-
600's are the best bang for the buck but they dont harden up the flowers properly.
I like small lbs!!!
-
Good job with the 600 purchase, they are the most efficient setup, in terms of lumens per watt. Do you have your extraction bought/implemented yet? Also, what area are you growing in? Your 3x3 tents you mentioned would be better suited to a 400 light, although i've seen successful 600 grows in dr90s etc, so it is possible with good enough airflow. A cooltube or air-cooled hood will make life easier here.
Both tents are 2'x3'x5' and have 6 inch ducting, a 250CFM inline fan, carbon filter, and a small oscillating fan. I wish I had space for 3'x3'
The veg tent is on it's side (the bottom waterproofed), and has quite a bit of real estate for the clones, mothers and veggies (I grow food too). My friend just dropped off a T5 lamp that I will be putting in the veg tent alongside all my plants this evening.
I realized that I don't want to run a science experiment with my precious high-grade seedlings. :)
The HID fixture is air-cooled w/ ducting, and I tested it briefly with the inline system - When I have everything moved into the veg tent I will set up the MH and see what kinds of temperatures I get. The 250CFM fan moves quite a bit of air, even pulling through the carbon filter so it should be fine.
I also have another smaller tent that I will eventually unbox & set up as a chamber to bloom autoflowers under the LEDs. All of the photo-period plants will live in the other tent.
-
I am still trying to decide what to do with the CSS. I definitely want a mother, but I am not sure if it will affect the genetics if I clone a mother from the seed-plant. Is it best to grow a mother from seed?
-
Ive ordered dexter_morgans orange bull seeds myself, Ill be watching this thread for sure,we dont get many American strains here,mostly the same old dutch stuff so im really looking forward to trying the finished bud !
-
600's are the best bang for the buck but they dont harden up the flowers properly.
I like small lbs!!!
1000 watts are awful, its like growing in the 80,s
600s are the way for sure ! 2x600w ballasts will draw the allmost the same as as 1 x 1000w lamp and cover allmost double the floor space !
-
Ive ordered dexter_morgans orange bull seeds myself, Ill be watching this thread for sure,we dont get many American strains here,mostly the same old dutch stuff so im really looking forward to trying the finished bud !
Orange Bull -- Here is day 3 of flowering after 30 days of veg. They all show sex as females -- I see in the listing now that they are feminized... This is fine. These are big bushy monsters and, I already took over a dozen cuttings off of these before I switched to 12/12.
http://xfq5l5p4g3eyrct7.onion/view.php?image=f0c521980b60de8ea5a5e68621e963e0.jpg
-
Grow-room update: Ditched all of my dirt, built a DIY aero system - switched back to 200 watts of LEDs to keep the closet temps down below 75. Botanicare nutes, ph buffered RO water, and WHITE roots. Happy about this grow tent.
Another picture, in better color. This is a very fast growing plant, and I am looking forward to scrogging these ladies. Will be getting more of these seeds.
http://xfq5l5p4g3eyrct7.onion/view.php?image=18286908764a0fe0aeec2b4ed0345c0a.jpg