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My second grow (Indoor, Soil/Coco, Doctor's Choice #1)

R

Rowerg

Member
Hello, peeps! :tiphat:

I'm new on the forum and I'ma kinda noobie in growing. That's my second growing experience by myself. Before that I always was only a spectator. Just got some brand new seeds from my friend. It's tests or bonus ones, somethink like this. Those seeds are from the legendary Joint Doctor (you probably should know that guy) and his new seedbank called Doctor's Choice. The name of those seeds is simply Doctor's Choice #1. It's hybrid, sativa-dominant variety. Genetics comes from Jack Herer, Skunk and Lowryder.

My set up:
3 seeds Doctor's Choice #1
240х120x200 grow tent
2 sodium-vapor lamps 400W
Coolmasters, Small Clip Fans, 1 big fan, Air Carbon Filter
Growbags
Soil (50%), Coco (50%) + Vermiculite
Nutrients from General Hydroponics and Canna
...

Started from the bottom!
Let's go!:woohoo:

:watchplant:
 
Phaeton

Phaeton

Speed of Dark
Veteran
No advice asked. The second grow is usually the one with the most improvement. After that they still get better, but not the big jump the second grow gets over the first.

Now for the unasked advice. The only blue in sodium comes from the trace amounts of mercury added to start the arc. Some late season chemical changes need the higher energy of blue light, without it the plant takes an extra week to ten days for full maturity. While not a common thread topic, side by side folks have mentioned it consistently for a great many years.
Adding an 85 watt CFL would speed up the budding without losing the other growth patterns HPS gives. Cheap for the effect gained, 5% blue is the break point.

I use clear containers now and then to keep track of root growth. By the end of harvest the algae is such a dark green it is very difficult to see the roots anymore.
The algae is only about an eighth inch thick, not enough to cause measurable damage but now I put a strip of masking tape down a side and paint the container black. Pulling the masking tape off leaves a transparent stripe I can see the roots through without the whole container going green.

Anything posted is open for comment, some of my toys are deliberately taken out of photos.
 
R

Rowerg

Member
Phaeton said:
No advice asked. The second grow is usually the one with the most improvement. After that they still get better, but not the big jump the second grow gets over the first.

Now for the unasked advice. The only blue in sodium comes from the trace amounts of mercury added to start the arc. Some late season chemical changes need the higher energy of blue light, without it the plant takes an extra week to ten days for full maturity. While not a common thread topic, side by side folks have mentioned it consistently for a great many years.
Adding an 85 watt CFL would speed up the budding without losing the other growth patterns HPS gives. Cheap for the effect gained, 5% blue is the break point.

I use clear containers now and then to keep track of root growth. By the end of harvest the algae is such a dark green it is very difficult to see the roots anymore.
The algae is only about an eighth inch thick, not enough to cause measurable damage but now I put a strip of masking tape down a side and paint the container black. Pulling the masking tape off leaves a transparent stripe I can see the roots through without the whole container going green.

Anything posted is open for comment, some of my toys are deliberately taken out of photos.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice, bro! I appreciate! You’re the first, who came to help.
I’m feeling the improvement already since the first grow. However, there is much more to learn and improve!
So basically I need to add an 85 watt CFL and it will speed up the budding, right?
I didn’t get the whole idea how does it work, but thank you! I will take note.

What kind of containers do you use? What can roots tell you about the plants?

I would appreciate your response!
Cheers!

PS
Now we look like this.
 
Phaeton

Phaeton

Speed of Dark
Veteran
I found that a couple days after the root tips hit the sides of the container the above ground plant gets a major growth spurt. Knowing how long it takes various strain's roots to reach the sides helps decide plant movement.

I run photo period plants in a three room perpetual garden and root development is useful, autoflowers have a set schedule and this matters less.

Advanced Diamond makes blue LED units designed just for supplementing the HPS bulbs. These units work very well and cost $300 or more. An 85 watt CFL also works and costs $30.
I still use Reptile fluorescent's instead of UVB LED for the same reason, $50 versus $500.

The week's time saved on some strains in the bud room affects my garden's output which affects my income. This does not apply to autoflowering plants.
A personal use garden does not have these restrictions, money and labor do not have to be spent getting the timing sequences consistent.

The added blue adds quality as well as shortening the time. There are four types of trichomes and causing the stalked trichomes to mature more quickly also gives the buds more nuanced flavors.
That last is backed only by anecdotal evidence from those who did side by sides with HID/HPS, using a lower watt supplement may or may not give the frosty effect.

The fact of major LED manufacturers making special blue units indicates an advantage, but any benefits over CFL have not been proven and may be a marketing strategy.

Autoflowers have a set time for budding and advancing the maturation rate should improve potency. I ran my last set of Blackberry Autos under a 10,000 K bulb and it certainly outperformed the 4,000 K CMH and the LED buds. Photo period plants like lower K lights more than autos do, go figure.
Trial and error, trial and error, sixteen years and it is still trial and error.
 
R

Rowerg

Member
Phaeton said:
I found that a couple days after the root tips hit the sides of the container the above ground plant gets a major growth spurt. Knowing how long it takes various strain's roots to reach the sides helps decide plant movement.

I run photo period plants in a three room perpetual garden and root development is useful, autoflowers have a set schedule and this matters less.

Advanced Diamond makes blue LED units designed just for supplementing the HPS bulbs. These units work very well and cost $300 or more. An 85 watt CFL also works and costs $30.
I still use Reptile fluorescent's instead of UVB LED for the same reason, $50 versus $500.

The week's time saved on some strains in the bud room affects my garden's output which affects my income. This does not apply to autoflowering plants.
A personal use garden does not have these restrictions, money and labor do not have to be spent getting the timing sequences consistent.

The added blue adds quality as well as shortening the time. There are four types of trichomes and causing the stalked trichomes to mature more quickly also gives the buds more nuanced flavors.
That last is backed only by anecdotal evidence from those who did side by sides with HID/HPS, using a lower watt supplement may or may not give the frosty effect.

The fact of major LED manufacturers making special blue units indicates an advantage, but any benefits over CFL have not been proven and may be a marketing strategy.

Autoflowers have a set time for budding and advancing the maturation rate should improve potency. I ran my last set of Blackberry Autos under a 10,000 K bulb and it certainly outperformed the 4,000 K CMH and the LED buds. Photo period plants like lower K lights more than autos do, go figure.
Trial and error, trial and error, sixteen years and it is still trial and error.
Click to expand...

Thanks again! :tiphat: So you've been growing for sixteen years already? Wow! How many plants did you grow during this time?

Trial and error is the way to succeed. How else can you do this? Trail and error, again and again… That’s how everything works.

Man, can I find any online reports, where I can see the difference, which the blue light gives? Do you know any? Now I’m wondering.
 
Phaeton

Phaeton

Speed of Dark
Veteran
Rowerg said:
Thanks again! :tiphat: So you've been growing for sixteen years already? Wow! How many plants did you grow during this time?

Trial and error is the way to succeed. How else can you do this? Trail and error, again and again… That’s how everything works.

Man, can I find any online reports, where I can see the difference, which the blue light gives? Do you know any? Now I’m wondering.
Click to expand...

Since the main difference is the time to finish, the photos would show a not quite ready bud next to a bud just now ripe.

Already this year I see a fault with my findings. I have accidentally planted several 'never finish' sativas (Chronic Haze and Orange Hill Special) and the type of light is not mattering at all. These plants have surpassed 14 weeks and still putting out new buds and the old buds are not very dense yet.
So I put them outdoors in my dark shed with Far Red on all night and the sweet spot of the daily sunshine. I pull 11.5 hours out of the middle of our 21 hours of daylight. If this does not hurry them up at least I am not paying for the watts.

Lately all my seedlings have been tall, I like your short ones.
 
R

Rowerg

Member
3rd week

3rd week

Salute, peeps!:tiphat:
Starting the third week!

Two out of three plants are looking good. The third one is lagging behind for some reasons. I don't why. I already thought that she would not get out at all, but that girl is still alive! At least, she is growing... will see what is going to be!
 
R

Rowerg

Member
week #4

week #4

Some updates...
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https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=72944&pictureid=1754703
 
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