SOIL Disabled, senior female noob > LEDs. Have many questions, made mistakes, need advice

[Puglover1]

Disabled, senior female noob > LEDs. Have many questions, made mistakes, need advice

Hi, I started this with a 'partner' now I'm flying solo. I didn't train or cut tops. Three dispensary seeds from Mag Landrace were started in Aero-Garden, each about a week apart. The first, best seed was in the middle, got most of the light. I had to transplant to peat pots and used the A-G lights until my panel arrived and the 2x6x8 bedroom closet was clean and ready. My light panel's rod is getting close to the ceiling, I've started to remove fan leaves. I used Recharge last week. Using Cal-Mag and fish emulsion for nutes, sometimes via foliar spraying. Soil is 2/3 organic gardening mix and 1/3 perlite, I put a few inches of perlite in the bottom of the pots before transplanting and moving to the closet on Memorial Day weekend. I bought a King Plus 1200W panel, using three fluorescent tubes, a hanging LED grow bulb, another hanging grow bulb and a clip-on light with CFL bulb. Using a tower fan, just bought a clip-on fan but not sure where to aim it? I'm just starting to pH my water (I know, I know). The bigger middle plant has yellowing leaves and I accidentally broke off the top while trying to bend it. I need to get ready to 12/12 soon, please Any and All advice is welcomed. Do I remove all the lightweight stems and compost them? Should I clone some before 12/12? How often to use Recharge? Flushing advice? My closet temp stays around 70 degrees, RH 35-45, depending on watering day & lights on/off. I have another, smaller, bedroom closet to use if needed. I plan to buy a small humidifier, do I need another LED panel? I haven't been using the red lights for a few weeks so that they get more light when flowering. I plan to use GH Bloom when in flowering mode. And I know that free Dispensary seed can morph. This is one of my go-to strains, 5th year of med card. (I fell and got a concussion, doing my best to finish this grow on my own, MMJ is bankrupting me.) TY TY!

 

[Mr.furley]

How old are the plants? Can you tell me more about your lighting? Watts?

 

[growell]

i would get lights use the cfl light for seeds and clones take clones before 1212 switch put them in your other closet under cfl light need them on a diffrent light cycle 18 6 move plants around so they all get some of the strong light remove the stuff from bottom that is not getting light the fan point it at plants dont want to be swaying just fluttering not sure what u mean red but if it stronger light put on has middle plant got nitrogen deficience dont take off to many fan leaves just yellow ones then any blocking bud sites if u cant move them when u switch hope this helps i meant stronger lights keep led just keep rest for other stuff mentioned

 

[Puglover1]

Sorry, I was tending to my compost bin. It says this "King Plus 1200w LED Grow Light Full Spectrum for Greenhouse Indoor Plant Veg and Flower (Dual-chip 10w LEDs)" I don't have a way to check what I'm really getting from that panel. Two 4' fluorescent fixtures, one ballast doesn't work so three tubes of different spectrum. The grow bulb has red & blue LEDs, I won it, not much info. The other LED 'grow' bulb I don't remember where it came from, and the clamp-on with a CFL bulb was to try to get more light through to the middle plant. The seeds were started sometime in April, been in these pots and the closet since Memorial Day wknd.

 

[SoOrbudgal]

Puglover1 My hands go out to you wish i could help you trim up your plants they are wild right now. But it can be done i'd like to here how old they are also. These are females have they showed sex yet they will after the switch. I would take inside center smaller tiny stems out 1/2 with all plants now and let it rest then do it again in couple days. It will make the main branches harder/tougher. I'd like you to catch a hail mary with you grow but you got to move them around for each getting enough light under that LED. Those old yellow leave remove. Start there take your time.

 

[Puglover1]

Hi, that same LED panel is $50 cheaper today. Should I use two of those for the three plants? I can move them around, I had the end plants on top of something until they both almost caught up in height to the middle. Remove via scissors all the 'fuzzy' growth and small shoots on the bottoms now? The tower fan is always on, I just bought that white clip fan on the shelf, just barely point it downward? I had the panel on full light but turned off the bloom/flower mode ~ 2 weeks ago. The plant was getting too close to it, little bit of heat burn that I caught early. After moving the rod higher I just left it off so it'd get more after 12/12 switch. That middle plant always seems to have leaf yellowing or some leaf issue. I give them all Cal-Mag + fish emulsion, started at 1/2 strength increased to full. The two side plants look pretty green. Do red stems on the biggest/oldest fan leaves mean anything? I've been taking off fans that are touching or blocking, I turn the pots regularly. Is there a reason/benefit in force flowering some clones? Thnx!

 

[growell]

i would get another led the red or is it purple could be amagnesium defience or the genetics of the strain

 

[growell]

hang them bulbs further down angle them to face plant further down if there not pentrating

 

[Mr.furley]

No problem, we anit in a hurry round these parts most the time.

Your specs on the Led light are 243 actual watt and with the others you probably have another 160 to 200w. How much vertical space do you have left to use? And what Sq footage do you have under the lights?

We'll get to the deficiencies in lower growth next, I just what to see about over crowding first.

 

[Puglover1]

Hi! I started from seed about a week apart (don't ask) sometime in April, lets call it 4/20. They've been in these pots and the closet since Memorial Day weekend so two months of veg, in there. That panel is $50 cheaper today, I might have to just buy (charge) a second panel. I had the two end plants elevated until they caught up in height so I wasn't moving them around, I could now. I turn them daily, remove dead leaves, the yellows too if they don't fall off by touch. Do I just throw away the smaller stems/shoots? I know there are too many. What location should I choose on the plant if I want to clone some? No sign of sex yet, I had a bag-seed grow in that closet 25 yrs ago, all fluorescent lighting, 13 seeds, 12 were females. I've been trimming off fan leaves for a week or so, little at a time. These photos are a week old, sorry. Thank you!!

 

[crucialbunny]

What you have accomplished with your grow so far is admirable. You have done better than many growers and all of their whiz-bang toys and do-hickeys. If you're getting that kind of growth with the lights you have I would say it is adequate.My only concern is that you are in serious danger of outgrowing your environment. My suggestion to you would be to flip just as fast as you can because you will still encounter significant growth. If you are going to take some clones and have a separate grow area you should go soon. Because you have a fairly wild grow going, trimming will be a bit confusing and haphazard. That's okay. Once you begin flower they will pretty much show you where to cut and you should end up with a sizable harvest. I am impressed with what you have managed with little more than tape, wire, sealing wax and determination. Keep us posted.

 

[Puglover1]

I have a stronger rod on the way, going to order another LED panel tonight. I figured including everything I'll only have safely 20 inches between ceiling/lights and top of the middle plant. Eek.

 

[Puglover1]

Thanks, I shall. I wasn't supposed to be doing this alone, and post-concussion, but is what it is. I have a heavier rod on the way, going to order another LED panel. I am afraid of the height issue more than anything, the middle plant. I knew to pinch it early on to split it but, life happened. I learned the basics from my 1979 grow 'bible', pre-LED. Poor person's method but if I can save dispensary $$ I can do better growing and cooking. I'm only going to have 20-22 inches between top of plant now and the rod up to the ceiling to hold the panels. Will that work? I want to clean them up and flip soon. Thanks again.

 

[Mr.furley]

If it was my plant I wouldn't flip to 12/12 for two weeks.

There is no doubt from looking at your pictures and what you are telling me you do not have the vertical space for the plants to double or even triple in size and they will!

Adding a second light to your grow from the pictures (I still don't know the size of the box? Sqft) will definitely increase your yield in the end and I highly recommend this.

If it was my plant I would top them on the main steam about half way down, cutting your plants back will give you the room you are lacking, options for training you don't have right now and waiting to flip two weeks will give you time to get the new light, fix the sick plants(you should never flower a plant that is having problems) and for them to recover from the topping.

Truthfully the plants should have been flip to flower after 6 to 8 weeks from germination and have been allowed to veg to long for the space and lighting you have. By cutting them back and adding a light you can save the outgrowing headache you're facing and create a flat canopy with room to stretch for flowering. I'll post a picture below of where I'd top the main stem.

How about we talk about the leaf discoloration.

What size pots do you have and what is your pH of the water you give them?

At this age in veg you should have preflower for sexing your plants, have you looked?

 

[Mr.furley]

If you decide to go this way I would top them main stem (red lines) and start using LST to tie down any side branches horizontally into free space below the topping, try to keep it level. I would suggest to remove all the leafs below the blue line, they are doing you no good.

 

[homegrown]

go away...dont need your garbage here

 

[Mr.furley]

You realize you're trying to sell weed to a bunch of Growers right? Bet you mine is better! Hahaha

 

[Puglover1]

If you decide to go this way I would top them main stem (red lines) and start using LST to tie down any side branches horizontally into free space below the topping, try to keep it level. I would suggest to remove all the leafs below the blue line, they are doing you no good.

So cut the main stems but leave the side shoots to tie down, versus cutting them all off flat, like trimming outdoor bushes? Remove leaves And side shoots at the blue line?? I don't know the volume of the pots, they're 14" dia x 11" high. The closet is 2' deep x 5' long (usable space, not incl fans, water/rock tray for humidity, and tube fixtures) and 8' high. I can remove a shelf if it alters the lighting, 2nd panel was ordered last night. The pH, still have to get back to you on that. They need watering/feeding tonight or in the morning, I used Recharge once two weeks ago, should I use that again and if so, when? Or should I flush? I have a pH and TDS-EC meter. They definitely vegged too long, long story. Here are a few more photos from today: Possible pre-flower? Some leaves don't look good, most are on the oldest, middle plant. Only time I ever saw a bug it looked like a dead fly and the cat ate it. I have Dr Doom here if needed. TYSVM

 

[Mr.furley]

Correct lcut just the main stem, leave the side branches, you can take them later if need just find a way to start to get them horizontal into open space. You have 10 sqft of light footprint and a good rule of thumb is 50 to 70 watts per sqft. So the extar light will work well as long as you keep the canopy from getting out of hand.

Untill you get a idea of the Ph let's just remove that lower Leaf only not the lower branches if they are reaching the mid to upper section below the red line, small one yes. Feel free the remove sick looking leaf, it will tell you later if the plant getting better or worse.

Your doing great and this is going to be worth the time you have invested.

 

[Puglover1]

I switched the corner plants' location/corners. Pulled them out to get a good look at their sizes. I have to re-read the tips for tying down. Two of the plants have stronger stems than the third one. I know there's more material to remove but I want to get started on training. I bought coated wire and the green adjustable zip-ties. Accepting advise on best way to proceed, while I read. Today's photos -