"Bagged Soil + ???" Is there a generically decent recipe for white LEDs? (3/2020)

[wvkindbud38]

If you can afford it get some Plant Sucess granular and put in your buckets.....Kinda like what I was using in that Sensi Star grow. I'm a KISS type guy and keep it simple. Everybody's does things a little different. I've tried several yrs to built a compost area from old soil. I don't use it, I could give you a cheaper soil mix, or soiless. Mix regular potting soil into Promix, or just use Promix and fed the heck outta it. There's millions of ways not to complex things and have beauty plants!!! Good luck on your choice, tried and true is hard to go against

 

[wvkindbud38]

DC, I wonder if you vegged them under normal/"optimal" conditions and then lowered your temps and humidity gradually for flowering...if that would result in even more high quality flower. Cause your trichome development isnt during veg, why not get a large dense healthy root system going and then lower the environment factors. I'm not sure if it would be beneficial or would result in stress/deficiencies..

I had some buds not fill in as good, I'm kinda wondering and testing alot of Leds. WVs this and that in the Indoor Soil forums. Got a harvest anyday now. I've got 5-6 different brands of Leds, most are the white spectrum I raved about in my thread on Mars Hydro SP 250 but I only have one of them. Most the other brands are doing good, they may not cost as much. It seems to me like the Mars 250 penetrates better than some of the cheaper Leds. I wonder about temps, because 2 yrs in a row I'll did a kinda cool weather wise indoor grow....Im trying a lot of different things I've been at it over 20yrs lol, I'm about to get the HPS back out I dunno. If I had several of the expensive Leds I feel I could do better than with most others. I do like several brands I've been using Updayday 1000w and 1800ws Really nice lights. Got a 100w also that's great for mom's or seedlings. Also Ibozily has a good 1000w I love. It's has like 8 bigger lights instead of the entire board lite up. EnjoYield has some great lights to fit anywhere. I've got like 4 white spectrum and 1 purple on those. Also a REALLY nice Smart 3522 from canna lights Xeccon lightning that is really bright, it like to have a couple of the Mars SP 250s and a few of the 3522s plus all the Updayday stuff is great. I'm working on a 1000w hopefully I get it going. I need to solder a few wires and fingers crossed. I mostly in the correct white spectrum, and Mars Hydro, Canna/Xecoon lighting, Updayday and even the EnjoYield work pretty good. I flowered some nice Lemon Tart, and San Fernando Lemon kush clones. The full shot is more HPS looking. I'm beginning to feel maybe mixing spectrums on some strains effect the entire way the plant grows. I Kinda feel it's still you get what you pay for. Of course a 300$ led is better than a 100$ one ??? Didn't mean to invade the thread. I just always give that soil mix if your ready to start planting, Its better with more Ocean Forest.....yea it's pricey but get the Promix to dilute your OF, Happy Frog, Stonington mix into the Promix.

 

[dank.frank]

I'm using HGLED XB200 LED boards. Their 6 color mixed spectrum produces a white light with a light pink hue to it. 5% 440nm, 5% 470nm, 15% 525nm, 28.125% 640nm, 28.125% 660nm, 18.75% 740nm

I use my own custom organic soil mix. It's not based on malarkey or some lame attempt at being overly unique. It's based on fostering diverse microbial populations and a balanced set of inputs, based on science. Scientist in Israel developed an all in one NPK ratio of 4-6-5 for cannabis and I expanded on their work and applied their data to what I know about amending soil and the organic paradigm.

I've been posting my soil mixes as open source information on ICm for nearly a decade. My current mix builds on the foundation of my prior work.

Roughly, the first 40 pages of my current thread are all about the development of the mix I am currently using. All the information is there. My garden legitimately is 100% water only after the soil is mixed. Unfiltered city tap water at that.

That being said - I think making a mix specific to a type of lighting, is a bit fallacious. I ran this same mix under CMH and now under LED. The LED does NOT drive the plants any where remotely near as hard as the CMH did. I have some curled and slightly burnt tips as the soil is driving the plants harder than the lights are.

I've tried increasing temps and I see a reduction of resin output, but yes, an increase in flower size. Same thing that happens with any form of HID lighting. I'm not really one to follow the VPD chart simply because I've seen quality reductions when doing so. Yield increases, but quality reduction. Even when using CO2 and higher temps are supposed to be okay - I still say no. Not if the end goal is quality.

I'm a firm believer anything above 76-78 F is going to reduce resin field density. I also, love love love running a drier RH - 25-32% when in the last two weeks of flower. I also, completely stop watering entirely, for about 4-5 days prior to harvest to let the plants cannibalize themselves and utilize their remaining nutrient reserves.

In my opinion, the hallmark of a good "all in one" soil mix - is one that allows for senescence. Without the plant entering it's final maturation phase, there is no proper cannabis to harvest. I've ran 9-12wk plants in this mix and everything is still able to finish properly.

I guess all I can say is click the links in my signature. There are plenty of people on IC and all around the world following my soil mixes with excellent results.

You'll find a path that works best for you. I'd suggest you pay particular attention to the Phillthy mix, if answering with in the limited scope of your initial question - it's listed in the Stank Bros stickies - but that particular sticky is also linked in my signature.

Good luck, Douglas.



dank.Frank

 

[dank.frank]

315w CMH flowers from last round:

LED light - AND YES - my intakes are HEPA filtered....hahaha! Always! You're not wrong in that thread!

Current run under LED @ 48 days:

Once planted - 100% water only. No gimmicks.



dank.Frank

 

[wvkindbud38]

Yea I don't think there's a soil mix to work with a certain light spectrum. But everybody's kinda got there own tried and true mixes. I've always been a Fox Farm guy, like somebody else uses General Hydro or something and it works for them. It's just all in what you learned and worked best. Just a simple mix to help somebody starting out all I was listing. I just buy my soil, and mix like I started or close too. I'd rather fed them myself.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Wow, some great stuff here and wonderful looking plants. Thank you.

20s and 30s with occasional rainy days around 50s

Probably not low compared to your location.

I never see a seasonal effect on the plants indoors here.

I've lived in higher RH areas, but where you're at is actually decent. Thanks for sharing.

DC, I wonder if you vegged them under normal/"optimal" conditions and then lowered your temps and humidity gradually for flowering...if that would result in even more high quality flower. Cause your trichome development isnt during veg, why not get a large dense healthy root system going and then lower the environment factors. I'm not sure if it would be beneficial or would result in stress/deficiencies..

As far as I'm aware, this works just fine. As I stated before, my retentiveness kicks in as soon as actual 'flowers' begin forming.

I'll give you something simple

Go 5parts Promix
2-3 parts Ocean Forest or Happy Frog
35% perlite
dolomite as directed
castings if available, and grow those fuckers. I've done it for years, if you can afford to use more OF or Happy Frog it'll help more of course. But get the Fox Farm trio and holler and thank me 4mths or so from now seriously

Awesome, thank you, and congrats on some very nice looking flowers in the link you provided.

I'm a believer in trying to achieve 80% calcium saturation and the role sulphur has on terpenes. I just don't think bought soil will get you there without further ammending.

(edited: Forgot I asked for recipes in the original question.) Building your own soil is definitely less expensive in the long run, yes. Thank you for the advice as well, it's still helpful to the discussion. The whole calcium thing has been very helpful, and I've seen some impressive results with what little testing I've done lately. Sulfur is awesome for terpenes for sure, I get a kick out of the terpene increase after it's been added.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

I'm using HGLED XB200 LED boards. Their 6 color mixed spectrum produces a white light with a light pink hue to it. 5% 440nm, 5% 470nm, 15% 525nm, 28.125% 640nm, 28.125% 660nm, 18.75% 740nm

I haven't seen pink yet, but the spectrum looks interesting. Which would you say produces leafier flowers, the LED or the CMH?

I've been posting my soil mixes as open source information on ICm for nearly a decade. My current mix builds on the foundation of my prior work.

Roughly, the first 40 pages of my current thread are all about the development of the mix I am currently using. All the information is there. My garden legitimately is 100% water only after the soil is mixed. Unfiltered city tap water at that.

Thank you for being part of the solution, I and many other growers greatly appreciate your efforts. Your diplomacy is excellent, and so is your information. I'm definitely going to use your information when I begin mixing my own soil.

That being said - I think making a mix specific to a type of lighting, is a bit fallacious. I ran this same mix under CMH and now under LED. The LED does NOT drive the plants any where remotely near as hard as the CMH did. I have some curled and slightly burnt tips as the soil is driving the plants harder than the lights are.

This is interesting, but not all soils are made equal to what you're using there. I've recently started using FFOF and Happy Frog potting soil under LEDs, and there's a very large difference in plant response vs. my HPS grows.

Was there a noticeable difference in transpiration rates between the CMH and your LED? Did you happen to run the same clone under each yet, to get a better baseline of the differences?

I've tried increasing temps and I see a reduction of resin output, but yes, an increase in flower size. Same thing that happens with any form of HID lighting. I'm not really one to follow the VPD chart simply because I've seen quality reductions when doing so. Yield increases, but quality reduction. Even when using CO2 and higher temps are supposed to be okay - I still say no. Not if the end goal is quality.

I'm a firm believer anything above 76-78 F is going to reduce resin field density. I also, love love love running a drier RH - 25-32% when in the last two weeks of flower. I also, completely stop watering entirely, for about 4-5 days prior to harvest to let the plants cannibalize themselves and utilize their remaining nutrient reserves.

Oh yeah.
Reading that makes my mouth water. lol

You'll find a path that works best for you. I'd suggest you pay particular attention to the Phillthy mix, if answering with in the limited scope of your initial question - it's listed in the Stank Bros stickies - but that particular sticky is also linked in my signature.

Good luck, Douglas.



dank.Frank

Thanks so much, I'll be reading your archives for a while now. Awesome looking flowers, congrats!

 

[MindEater]

There is a growing contingent of growers

Correlating with the changing trends in Cannabis, away from overwhelmingly pungent rich thick cottonmouth inducing sugary sour armpit smoke to the glamoristic diet deodorant lite model.


Frank show us a 20 ft tree with red petioles. LEDs need to come with an zoom lense for the Instagrams. Woody growth is also an issue. I swear LEDs are lowering pH..

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Correlating with the changing trends in Cannabis, away from overwhelmingly pungent rich thick cottonmouth inducing sugary sour armpit smoke to the glamoristic diet deodorant lite model.

Considering what I get from other growers, I can see where this opinion could be coming from.

I see it more of moving away from overwhelmingly pungent flavors and aromas from excess in the root zone (so sick of guano tasting cannabis *sigh*), and moving more toward cannabinoid rich, terpene rich, cottonmouth inducing, super sugary, super sour smoke you've never experienced. A massive move away from 'burnt plant' flavors and smells. Don't take my word for it though. Study up and get cool/dry, high transpiration, low feed/amendment grown cannabis perfect. Then come back and tell me I'm wrong.

 

[dank.frank]

@Douglas Curtis -

When standing near the lights and looking at the plants it does look white. The glow it casts, is a light pinkish hue. It seems to work. However, I have NOT run the same plants under different lighting yet. I plan to do so. This Mochiesel #9 from this last seed run is going to see multiple runs.

@MindEater - not sure of your point? I'm not exactly sold on LED tech to begin with. I'm just testing lights. It's a bit hard to make too many assertions when I am running from seed. I'll make some direct comparisons, using the same strains, eventually. I'll learn how to master this particular LED.

^ HGLED 2 x XB200 (400w total) in 2.5' x 5'.

It's just a small personal garden. Water only @62 days

@66 days

dank.Frank

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Definitely looks decent, and looking forward to comparison grows. Thanks!

 

[gladysvjubb]

I have 5 Commercial Electric Hi Bay LED's running. Got them for $99 each at Home Depot. Using Fox Farms Ocean Forest soil. Finish them off with 3 weeks of water with Grandma's Molasses. Great smoke. These LED's penetrate down in to the foliage.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Interesting, a lot of folks are calling FFOF too acidic and I'm currently having problems with it. What's your water source and contents, since that could be a contributing factor. Those lights are also 5000K spectrum, no IR or far-red, no 660nm, which makes me wonder what effects this has on nutrient demands.

I'm a big fan of not using molasses the last 3 weeks, because cannabis absorbs the sugars and flavors of the molasses. The final burn is more difficult, the ash is darker, the flavors are more non-cannabis and the smoke is harsher. (It sure weighs more!) Try it yourself next time by using plain water on one of your plants. I'm sure you'll be surprised at how much of a difference it makes.

 

['Boogieman']

I agree with the molasses, the one time I used it all my weed tasted very similar and it was harsh and nasty.