how to maximize yield for my grow space

[wordologist448]

Hi all,

I'm posting a picture of my brand-new grow, just for context, but this is a more general question about getting more yield for my grow space.

Here are the specs of my setup (hope I'm not forgetting anything!):

2' x 4' x 5' Apollo grow tent
2 x 300w GalaxyHydro LED hanging light fixtures
450cfm 6" exhaust fan mounted on top of tent, carbon filter inside
Foxfarm Coco Loco mix
General Hydroponics Trio + Liquid KoolBloom + FloraBlend + Floralicious Plus, nutrient schedule that I found someplace on this site...
general ambient temps: 70-80 degrees with lights on; 65-70 with lights off

I've been growing for about two years, and my yields have gone up, but I'm wondering if there's something else I should be doing: my last grow was one Hawaii Maui Waui, and one Aurora Indica, and I got ~50 and 53 grams, respectively. I followed the grow journal here: http://www.growweedeasy.com/original...s-grow-journal , and while I realize that grow was hydro, the poster said somewhere that they did the same grow in coco and got "similar yields," and I'm just wondering why I got barely a third of that amount.

I've read like EVERY article about lights, nutrients, humidity, etc. etc. etc., and I really haven't had any specific plant "problems" (no yellow leaves, nutrient deficiencies, light burn, clawing, etc.), but it just seems like I should be able to get more out of this space...is adding PLANTS the answer (i.e., I did a grow with 6 little plants, and got far more buds, but that was a paaaaaain to trim all those little popcorn guys!)? Should I switch to HPS lights (I'm worried about heat, in such a small space)? Do I need MORE nutrients? Should I not do the four-way topping thing and just let them grow all Christmas-tree-like?

Thanks in advance!

[Canuck147]

Hey wordy - welcome to the forum - to increase your yield, follow other people's tricks. Start with fabric pots if you are growing in soil - pay attention to your plants needs and water only when they need it. Try foliar sprays - use a product called Exhale - if growing autos leave your light on 20/4........on and on

[strainsgrow]

Hey!

Are you topping or doing any LST to your plants? If not, start doing it. Christmas-tree-like growing will give you only one main cola which defeats the purpose of more yield IMO. Use some Great White mycorrhizae when transplanting and put it on your soil where the new plant is going. This will sky rock you root development. More Roots More Buds. Good Luck!

[gbauto]

I'm running an experimental closet grow downstairs along with my current annual grow. It's a couple of DWC buckets under 300W(actual-not advertised) and they thrive. I would concentrate each fixture over a single plant and then train each plant to fill its canopy to the lights footprint. Primary goal is to create a sea of colas.

[wordologist448]

Gotcha; thanks for the suggestions so far!

I totally forgot to include fabric pots in my original description; I'm using the 5-gallon ones (after final transplant from the ones pictured above)!

I have been doing LST; the tutorial I linked is one that does 2 4-way splits, so you end up with 8 colas - that's totally what I got with both plants from my last harvest; it just looks from other people's photos that my buds could be bigger/thicker/denser - I harvest using the trichome method, and I wait until most of them are cloudy, so I don't think I'm harvesting too early. I also pull off the biggest fan leaves when they're palm-sized or bigger, to give maximum light to the buds...id I'm doing the 8-cola grow, would there be any point to leaving them in the veg stage longer? I generally go by the "when they're half the final height, flip to 12/12" rule, and when I've let them go longer, that just seems to make more little buds, not increase the size of the biggest ones.

I guess my biggest ideas right now would be making the "day" longer (I've been doing 18-6 and 12-12) or switching lighting - what do y'all think?

[Campesino]

If you are looking to replicate hydro growth rates and harvests with coco, I recommend that you look at the guide I just posted!

https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum/growing-community/196078-campesino%E2%80%99s-guide-to-growing-in-coco

[wordologist448]

OOOOOOO - you're the first person I've found who actually SAID not to do non-nuted water - I've been WONDERING about that - thanks!

[Campesino]

If you look at the links I shared, you will find a lot of others who say the same thing.
Let me know if you have any questions - here, the other thread, or in the Guide thread.