NLNo5

Originally Posted by v12xjs

A thought occurred to me with regard to needhelp's question on my choice of methods and the reasons behind those choices. Maybe it will help you guys to understand my system a little better and assist in forming your own setups.

The biggest breakthrough I ever made in terms of pc case growing was nothing to do with cultivation techniques. I realised that I could get by with modest amounts of weed. In fact when I thought about it, a gram a day was actually more than enough. Once I knew I only needed 350g/year, growing in a pc case was actually a viable option.
Once you understand this principle, maximising yield becomes a secondary consideration. My job is to churn out average yields day in and day out.
The reality of this can be seen in the difference between a hobby gardener and a commercial market garden. Where the hobbyist grows the largest pumpkin or cabbage, the market gardener is concerned with getting lots of high quality smaller fruits for the least amount of effort.
I can pump nutes into a plant to get an extra gram or 2 but I risk nuteburn and losing half the crop or more in order to gain a minimal amount and this risk is too great. The same goes for topping or FIMming. If the timing is right then I can gain a small amount but if it's wrong then none of the tops will develop fully and I lose more than I ever stood to gain.
If you need more than a PC can give then you need to look elsewhere for a grow cab. Most of the problems I see on here are from people who use too much light or too many nutes. Just put more plants in a bigger cab! Everyone seems to want to better the 1g/watt thing but I only aim for a quarter of that which is far more achievable and much less risky.
As a result, I'm much more concerned with correct temps, getting the ph right and ensuring that the plant has an environment where it can thrive on it's own.
Any form of stress is counterproductive to that aim.