1st Time Grower // Strain: White Rhino // Starting from seeds

I'm sorry Declectic, but you shouldn't believe every marketing video that you see. I do plan to grow with LED's over the summer and I think the technology is finally getting there. I don't however have delusions that I'll do better as far as yield or quality over the summer using LED's. I'm only going to do it because right now I can't grow at all in the summer with HID's unless I add air conditioning and that makes your little $140-$170 electric bill drastically higher.

You're electric bill would likely go to $200 with a 600w light, but you'll yield double what you are now. It's not even comparable. My avatar pic is from a 600w lamp, you won't get that out of a 400w and you won't get it out of an LED. LED's are great when there's no other choice, but just think about how long the ROI is on those LED's even if they COULD produce like HID's. 1000w of LED will not out yield 1000w of HID and 1000w's is a 1000w's bottom line.

For me in the summer to run 1000w I need the AC which is another 1400w!!! So I have to run 2400w to get 1000w light, that's where LED's are going to be much more efficient.

laserbrn said:

I'm sorry Declectic, but you shouldn't believe every marketing video that you see.

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Don't view that video as marketing when it showing you facts. You must not have watched the video all the way through, or even at all…*or just going to call it marketing no matter what. So we'll agree to disagree. BTW, the parts I'm talking bout specifically are LumiGrowES330 @ 19:00-20:00 // Lumatek 400w & MH hortilux bulb @ 20:38-22:00 // Lumatek 600w & HPS hortilux bulb @ 23:30. 600w get spanked. IMHO, it's not all all about the "WATTS". Something I've learned since growing is that people seem to be ALLL about the watts…*just like in computers EVERYONE is all about the CPU speed (when that's not all that matters) and in camera, everyone is ALLL about the Megapixels (when that's not ALL the matters).






Date 11/28/11
Wanted to share how on one of the two girls that I topped… I must have (in my carelessness) rubbed a few of the colas the wrong way because they got bent and couldn't hold themselves up anymore. So I bought this 'acid core solder' wiring on the last update (11/21/11) and was able to get it to prop them up and looks like they tried to rebuild themselves. I'm happy!

Cola 1




Cola 2



Wanted to share an experiment I did with cutting off the sun leaves. starting from the bottom and going to the top, I trimmed of ¾ of the sun leaves (as you can see it in the 1st two pics… would be the single leaf/fan blade below the top branch that actually buds… at each node). I did this awhile back… and I was trying to do the research before hand but wasn't using the right terms. I did it anyway and then found RM3 talking bout this in the 'riddle's nugget' thread. So I immediately regretted doing this. However… as time as gone one… maybe there is some trick to it? First thing I noticed when doing this… comparing it to the other two that I have that are non topped… I noticed the main cola stopped bulking up as much and that was at first. Now at this current stage, the 2nd two pics show the bugs, they appear to have a lot more trichomes than the other plants… dunno if that's a result of cutting off the sun leaves and a response or what… but definitely makes for some interesting experimentation.





Lastly, here is an overall shot of the girls and a few close up. You can't definitely see there is a nutrient deficiency, especially in N. Up until now, I only have a 10x scope (looks like a jewelers loop) and I wanted something closer to see the trichs. A friend of mine recommended nothing smaller than 30x and against his advice, I went to "The Shack" and found a 60x-100x scope and bought it. DAMN it's TOOO close lol but I saw that a lot of trichs are cloudy… and a lot of pistils are orange, I'm thinking that I will be chopping the girls down on my birthday this wednesday (12/1/11)

how far along in flower are you ? im into week 4 and using hps 1000w and buds are almost that size now . just curious

they are week 9

So i was reading whats your stance on leds etc compared to hps ? AND IS IT CERTAIN WATTS YOU ARE AIMED AT OR THE COLLECTIVE OF THE MH HPS BULB SERIES ?

Declectic said:

Don't view that video as marketing when it showing you facts. You must not have watched the video all the way through, or even at all…*or just going to call it marketing no matter what. So we'll agree to disagree. BTW, the parts I'm talking bout specifically are LumiGrowES330 @ 19:00-20:00 // Lumatek 400w & MH hortilux bulb @ 20:38-22:00 // Lumatek 600w & HPS hortilux bulb @ 23:30. 600w get spanked. IMHO, it's not all all about the "WATTS". Something I've learned since growing is that people seem to be ALLL about the watts…*just like in computers EVERYONE is all about the CPU speed (when that's not all that matters) and in camera, everyone is ALLL about the Megapixels (when that's not ALL the matters).

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I agree with you that LED's aren't a watt for watt comparison to HID, but you are taking information from a MARKETING video, regardless of what you consider to be "factual" about it and accepting it aweful fast. Not only is that the case, but you are ignoring the MOUNTAINS of evidence on this website that shows different. LED's have their place, but if you are going to purchase this product, understand that you won't yield what an equivalent wattage HID would. Have you noticed that they don't seem to have a video there of them comparing ACTUAL grows side by side...because we've seen those videos before, LED's don't win, at least not yet.

0calli said:

So i was reading whats your stance on leds etc compared to hps ? AND IS IT CERTAIN WATTS YOU ARE AIMED AT OR THE COLLECTIVE OF THE MH HPS BULB SERIES ?

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I'm sorry but I have no idea what you're saying or asking… I reread it like 10x too lol

laserbrn said:

I agree with you that LED's aren't a watt for watt comparison to HID, but you are taking information from a MARKETING video, regardless of what you consider to be "factual" about it and accepting it aweful fast. Not only is that the case, but you are ignoring the MOUNTAINS of evidence on this website that shows different. LED's have their place, but if you are going to purchase this product, understand that you won't yield what an equivalent wattage HID would. Have you noticed that they don't seem to have a video there of them comparing ACTUAL grows side by side...because we've seen those videos before, LED's don't win, at least not yet.

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I've done some searches on the ES330 and people that have grown with them… some have done side by side comparisons… I didn't save any links and honestly don't feel like looking them up ATM but from the different grows I've seen I didn't really see a downside to LED, only pros. BTW… it's not like i'm running out to purchase this tomorrow or anytime soon… hell for that fact… I may never purchase it at all considering that it's $1500. I hear what you're saying (which is the same thing I hear from anyone — grow under a 1000w… all i here is "thouy this and thouy that"). Hell I don't really post on this site too much anymore because of all the random no sense from people (and I'm not at all talking about you… I've enjoyed our back-n-forth) and started spending majority of my time on www.riddlem3.com. On that site everyone is ALLL about the CMH… and the highest you can go there is 400w, and I'm seeing some KILLER grows under that.

And as for them not posting a video grow comparison… I don't think I've EVER seen a video of any one that produces a ballast/light/led/hood/etc… show a marijuana grow… side by side just to sell to the consumer (unless it was done BY the consumer on a forum such as this). So if you can show me a video of a company doing a side by side grow to show their product is superior to another; please share it. As I said in my first post, I am here to learn. This is just my first grow, Barely getting started and scratching the surface of the mairjuana growing world and have LOTS to learn and by no means to I claim to know it all…*I just do my research and grab knowledge from people with experience. (I got a friend that grows… in houses, multiple houses, has like 4x1000w per room… he tells me not to go LED…*but he's also the same person who told me to go with Advanced-expensiveass-Nutrients, which I'm glad I didn't and went with my own research and went with Dyna-Gro)

Well what im saying is and also wanting to learn form this is the led factor cause i have vegged with hps and led but not a faie enough comparrison for wattage power but the hps gave better penatration growing the seedling fast but i found with the led the new growth actually looked healthier to me imo but from stuff ive seen here and other forums i have seen led is probably the way to go for vegging but for flowering i dont belive we are there yet with the tech do do what i have seen a hps do for light density etc but please im subbed here if i find something useful ill deff put it up and same to you pal and i deff hear what your saying about all the bullshit being sprwed around here and im part of a thread one of the biggest here on riu but its all down to earth growers willing to help eachother also i have been experimenting with black lights for the uv-a and uv-b spectrums for resin production very intresting but the thread we are a part of is called doggie nuts armegeddon love to see ya pop by and shae ideas with us/\.

Declectic said:

(I got a friend that grows… in houses, multiple houses, has like 4x1000w per room… he tells me not to go LED…

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With this I also wanted to add…*Blue Dreams was the crop at that time…*and the buds weren't as big as yours in your avatar laserbrn. Perhaps that thick fluffed up could be also dependent on strain as well?

0calli said:

Well what im saying is and also wanting to learn form this is the led factor cause i have vegged with hps and led but not a faie enough comparrison for wattage power but the hps gave better penatration growing the seedling fast but i found with the led the new growth actually looked healthier to me imo but from stuff ive seen here and other forums i have seen led is probably the way to go for vegging but for flowering i dont belive we are there yet with the tech do do what i have seen a hps do for light density etc but please im subbed here if i find something useful ill deff put it up and same to you pal and i deff hear what your saying about all the bullshit being sprwed around here and im part of a thread one of the biggest here on riu but its all down to earth growers willing to help eachother also i have been experimenting with black lights for the uv-a and uv-b spectrums for resin production very intresting but the thread we are a part of is called doggie nuts armegeddon love to see ya pop by and shae ideas with us/\.

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Well you bring an interesting bit of information for my planned setup. Once this crop finishes… hopefully it makes at least 50-75% of what I spent on all of it and then buy a 2x4 tent and build it for veg. As of right now, all I have is this tent… 4.5'x4.5' 400w HPS for veg/flower (I also have the small 2ft T5 I been veggin' under, but basically plan to just keep that for seeds/cuttings on one side of the veg tent, I have the plans in my head… veg/mother/cuttings tent). Initially I was going to go 400w MH, but after getting my first electric bill where the 400w ran like it normally would… I immediately decided against it and decided to just go with a 2x 2ft 4 or 6 or 8 bulb (so I can adjust the height on vegging plants and the mom depending on the growth, where as a 4ft T5 would be the length of the tent and wouldn't allow me to adjust for height on small clones ready to come out of the dome). So what you're saying about LED maybe best for veg and not so much flower… which could work out in my favor to save electricity wise. Ultimately if I did get it I would test flowering under it …

btw-Thanks for tunin' in & also check out www.riddlem3.com think you'll like it there.

lol avatar laser brn haha

LED is the dog's nuts for veg. I can't deny that one bit. I currently veg under T5 HO's and I love my lamp, but I'll probably replace it this year with LED. I don't have a veg tent setup in my new place, just a single right now. In order to use my T5 I need at least a 4x4 tent and I think I want something a little smaller for veg, maybe 3x3 so I'm thinking about a 500w Blackstar LED to get the job done. Price seems right and I have seen some good results from those lights. That pic in my avatar is from a single 600w light over 6 or 8 plants, I don't recall now.

I'm actually growing the same strain again in the same tent with a 1000w light this time. I also switched from hydro to soil so it'll be interesting to see how this one compares. So far everything seems like it did the first time so I'm hopefully optimistic.

My growing needs aren't exorbitant. I am trying to get the most BUD for the LEAST money in the shortest time. I smoke about a 1/2 oz per week. So I need 26oz's/yr from my "grow operation". Electricity gets more expensive in the summer and so does cooling and the challenges are endless so I try to avoid doing it. With a 1000w light I can easily grow from Oct - May and get the 26oz's that I need and generally plenty of extra. It's basically ALL about efficiency for me.

your grow looks great! hell of a job! I did good on my first run...I cut it too early though.....but this second grow I started right during the first - well they are getting the axe this weekend! another LSD and a Dinafem Moby Dick! <----teaser bud - wow A KnockOut punch! check out the pics I posted......

WidoW

Date 11/30/11 harvested!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Flower: Day 64 - the start of week 10
Since Germination: 114 days

My homie showed me the ropes on giving the girls a haircut. Helped me out as well. I officially now know the agony of trimming but also enjoyed the first time experience of it. Learned quite a bit. Well, I'll stop typing fluff and enjoy the pics!! (Stayed tuned for final weigh in)






























First Ever Grow, First Ever Grow Journal&#8230;

Date 12/8/11 - FINAL WEIGH IN

Well last night marked the 7th day of them hang drying&#8230; decided that it was time to go ahead and get these awesome nugs off the stems!!






Total weight was 242g &#8212; Let's just call it half a pound. Seem to average a little less than 50g per plant. All in all&#8230; I should make back the money I spent on my whole setup which was one of my initial goals!




PS
That pretty much concludes this journal. For those sub'd in, thanks for TUNING in!! I appreciate it. These pictures will stay up until June 2012 so if anyone cared to save any of the pics&#8230; go for it.

lastly &#8212; I pretty much won't be frequenting this site anymore as I've find my new bud home&#8230; www.riddlem3.com. My new journal will be there.