Awesome info Soft, thanks. Another lighting question if I may? In the summer I have a 4" air intake in the wall, and a 4" exhaust as well(for ventilating my lights). This is the shit for controlling temps/humidity, not to mention if I decide to add C02 down the road. However, i live in Canada, and in the winter(now), I tried bringing the fresh air in(with a fan speed controller to adjust for cooler incoming air). I used insulated duct, but I still get condensation where the metal of the reflector meets the duct. Anyway around that? I can turn the hood around so the condensation isn't near the socket(unless the condensation follows the hotter socket end). Right now I've gone back to just venting the grow room air through the hoods and out into my house, but I worry that when I get the 2nd light running(plants are big enough now), that my room temps will get too high without a cooler source of incoming air. My other option is to extend the forced air duct, disconnect it in the basement, and use basement air as my cool air source in the winter. That route involves hiring someone though, as it's out of my expertise. Thoughts?
Help Needed with Leaf Issues-Also, how do I go about getting a mentor?
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TribalSeeds
Temps shouldn't change much when you add another light. Im in CA, temps are about 55-60 at night. Im using an 8" maxfan to exhaust 2 600's with the speed control set on Medium. Its only about 72-75 in there. It was a little warmer when I had my t5 and a 600 going.
I've never noticed any benefit from running an intake, I just let my 6" exhaust bring in air.
I wanted to add intake air so that I'd be able to add C02 down the road. This way I can still exhaust the lights while using C02, without having to exhaust the room very often. You're right though, with my cool air from the basement, my speed is in between low-med, and the room's 76(and sometimes dips to 74). I have to add my dehumidifier today, as the humidity rises quicker than the temps(it only goes above 60 RH when I flood, so it should rarely kick on). I'm holding around 52 RH now, but it climbs up at night too.
In the summer I'll be fine with 2 vented hoods and CO2, but I'm thinking in the winter I may have to go with one open reflector to get my temps up over 80(which is the temp i understand is needed for C02 enrichment). My budget's spent for the next month at least though, so the room is likely set as it is for the next month or longer. Check the journal for updates as they come.
In the summer I'll be fine with 2 vented hoods and CO2, but I'm thinking in the winter I may have to go with one open reflector to get my temps up over 80(which is the temp i understand is needed for C02 enrichment). My budget's spent for the next month at least though, so the room is likely set as it is for the next month or longer. Check the journal for updates as they come.
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TribalSeeds
If you bring new air in, the old air will be forced out through cracks anyway. Also, if you just turn your fan speed up, the RH% will go down. Might wanna play around with it after adding the second light before you run the dehumidifier.
I would consider going without CO2 for your first run. It doesnt allow you much room for error on a first grow. If something fails or goes wrong in an environment thats enhanced with CO2 and 80-85 degree with high PPMs, it could become a disaster very quickly.
You say that the RH climbs at night, are you running your lights during the day? Its cheaper and easier for me to run my lights at night. Im not sure if they have peak hour charges in Canada, but its expensive in CA.
The new air coming in doesn't actually enter the room. It's ducted to the hoods and then back out of the room. The only time fresh air "should" enter is when my carbon filtre/fan kicks on for temps, and by me going in and out of the room(which happens a lot, lol). I could be wrong, but I don't think so. The dehumidifier is mainly for nighttime(lights out), as the RH climbs higher than my electric heater for the room can lower it. There's a humidistat on the dehumidifier, so my plan was to just set it for 56 degrees and forget it.
For sure, CO2 is on hold until summer at least. That should give me two more successful runs before I add that to the mix. I've already had 3 runs of minimal success. Hermies on first run(fem seeds and a rookie?), fungus gnats and salt buildup/lockout on 2nd and 3rd(moreso on the 3rd). Other than the hermies, the final product was okay, but tasted awful. That's why I'm being uber careful this go around, and asked about mentoring(to catch problems quicker). Keep in mind my first 3 runs didn't consist of all the equipment I have now(i.e. no PH/TDS on first run), and my work schedule didn't allow me the time I needed to devote to the garden. I think I have a handle on things finally, but want the help you folks provide. That being said, C02 is a long term thing. I broke my back years ago from a fall and it's been discovered now that I have a brain lesion too causing crippling headaches, so I'm not looking for sympathy, just meaning that I'll likely be in this for the long haul(and off work for a while, so I can hone my skills/devote more time). I'm a quick learner, notorious planner, but crappy saver, so I'll be good at growing before I'm ready to buy the C02 I assume, lol. I just like to pick people's brain's as things come to me. Thanks Tribal
For sure, CO2 is on hold until summer at least. That should give me two more successful runs before I add that to the mix. I've already had 3 runs of minimal success. Hermies on first run(fem seeds and a rookie?), fungus gnats and salt buildup/lockout on 2nd and 3rd(moreso on the 3rd). Other than the hermies, the final product was okay, but tasted awful. That's why I'm being uber careful this go around, and asked about mentoring(to catch problems quicker). Keep in mind my first 3 runs didn't consist of all the equipment I have now(i.e. no PH/TDS on first run), and my work schedule didn't allow me the time I needed to devote to the garden. I think I have a handle on things finally, but want the help you folks provide. That being said, C02 is a long term thing. I broke my back years ago from a fall and it's been discovered now that I have a brain lesion too causing crippling headaches, so I'm not looking for sympathy, just meaning that I'll likely be in this for the long haul(and off work for a while, so I can hone my skills/devote more time). I'm a quick learner, notorious planner, but crappy saver, so I'll be good at growing before I'm ready to buy the C02 I assume, lol. I just like to pick people's brain's as things come to me. Thanks Tribal
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TribalSeeds
I have a pinched nerve in my back and I'm in a lot of pain all day. This is some really hard work with a back condition. I hope to have everything automated next run. Im moving the day I cut my plants down this grow... Should be fun!
hi guys sorry for gate crashing the thread but i gos some big problems iam 4week in to flowering and my ladies are yellowing up at an alarming rate. i vegged them for 2 months had probs with hi ph so had to flush a couple of times problem sorted. me being the stoner i am after the last time i flushed and flipped to flowering a couple of weeks later i just let them be thinking were at that special stage of flowering and nothing could go wrong now how wrong was i...so i checked my run of last night out of 16 2 were spot on the rest ph was coming in from 4.5 to 5.2. warter going in them was 6.2. anyone got a problem solver for me please............
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Groseph
CASPA,
Its normal for a plant to start to yellow and drop leaves as it matures near harvest. Your seeing it a little early so I do think you are experiencing a lock out caused by too LOW of a pH in the rootzone caused by an accumulation of salts.
Flush a large volume of water through them of low PPM solution with perhaps some liquid lime or calcium lime will bring your root zone pH up while at the same time binding to the salts to allow them to be flushed out.
* I dont want to post link to other sites but google around for Ask Ed's Coco Guide. Its pretty helpful if your growing in coco.
Its normal for a plant to start to yellow and drop leaves as it matures near harvest. Your seeing it a little early so I do think you are experiencing a lock out caused by too LOW of a pH in the rootzone caused by an accumulation of salts.
Flush a large volume of water through them of low PPM solution with perhaps some liquid lime or calcium lime will bring your root zone pH up while at the same time binding to the salts to allow them to be flushed out.
* I dont want to post link to other sites but google around for Ask Ed's Coco Guide. Its pretty helpful if your growing in coco.
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Pragma
I've done lots of plants in coco (over 100 last year) at ph 5.8 just fine. (I must mention I eventually moved to claypebbles/hydroton, much more effective and less costly on the nutes/water usage)
Over 6 you're risking some lockouts imho.
The leaf issues you have seem environmental :/
Are you ventilating your room at a minimum of 10-15 times per hour ? If not get to it.
Otherwise your plants seem healthy except for the slight clawing, don't sweat it.
As for watering, you treat coco only a bit like soil for the first few weeks, as in you let the pots get a bit light in weight but thats it, no full blown wet/dry cycles. This will encourage roots to grow at first, but when you have your root system established you should be watering 2 times per day or so depending on your medium volume, treat it like hydro.
Cheers
Over 6 you're risking some lockouts imho.
The leaf issues you have seem environmental :/
Are you ventilating your room at a minimum of 10-15 times per hour ? If not get to it.
Otherwise your plants seem healthy except for the slight clawing, don't sweat it.
As for watering, you treat coco only a bit like soil for the first few weeks, as in you let the pots get a bit light in weight but thats it, no full blown wet/dry cycles. This will encourage roots to grow at first, but when you have your root system established you should be watering 2 times per day or so depending on your medium volume, treat it like hydro.
Cheers
