GroErr Grows...

GroErr

GroErr

Well-Known Member
ChefKimbo said:
Hello GroErr quick question for you. After reading some old threads i found that you are aware of an issue that plagues me atm. I veg with a Mars blurple and im not getting much stretch when they go under the 3000k QBs for flowering. How did you fix this problem in your led flowering tents? Did you end up dimming the cobs to promote stretch or did you just end up dumping the Mars anyway? Great grows by the way!
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Hey how are you and thanks. I don't think that your low stretch issue would be from switching from blurples to 3000k QB's, you should see normal, maybe even a bit more stretch than normal. I was getting quite a bit of stretch from blurples to 3100k CMH and the current 3500k COBs. I just switched my veg lights to Citizen COBs a couple of runs ago. main reason I got rid of those by the way was they were hitting around 4 years old and had a couple fail, so replaced them before I was left stuck in the dark. Otherwise I was pretty happy with them for veg. The COBs made more sense for me now and added some flexibility in that I grabbed individual single COB fixtures so I can move them around easier when I need to.

Not all strains or phenos within strains will stretch the same, could be more that whatever you're running is not a big stretcher. if you see this across multiple strains there are a couple of things you can try, the most effective would be to add some 730nm initiators and run them for 10 minutes at the end of the light period. That's one way to induce more stretch and relatively low cost (1-2w/sq.ft. is all you need).
 
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ChefKimbo

ChefKimbo

Well-Known Member
Thanks for your response. Well im running two sativa dominant strains. Purple Trainwreck and some form of Sour D from feminized seed. Out of 5 females, none of the Sour Ds have stretched to double height. Plenty nodes but not much stretch. And some have slightly different growth/bud structure. The first trainwreck i flowered was vegged under T5 and 3000k QBs. When i flipped her she ended at 2 1/2 times her original height and almost just as wide. And all her cuts stretched two. Not until recently after i replaced the T5s with the Mars 600 i noticed the trainwrecks dont stretch much either.

Something i did notice that may or may not be related is that these plants under the Mars have grow pistils in veg unlike my T5 grown plants. I think i read somewhere this could help get a plant flowering sooner when you flip her. I imagine that would also hinder some stretch as well just an uneducated guess. Im surely a noob but i have flowered with cfl, t5, mars 600, and QBs. This is the only combination where i am getting a lot less stretch than i planned for.
 
GroErr

GroErr

Well-Known Member
ChefKimbo said:
Thanks for your response. Well im running two sativa dominant strains. Purple Trainwreck and some form of Sour D from feminized seed. Out of 5 females, none of the Sour Ds have stretched to double height. Plenty nodes but not much stretch. And some have slightly different growth/bud structure. The first trainwreck i flowered was vegged under T5 and 3000k QBs. When i flipped her she ended at 2 1/2 times her original height and almost just as wide. And all her cuts stretched two. Not until recently after i replaced the T5s with the Mars 600 i noticed the trainwrecks dont stretch much either.

Something i did notice that may or may not be related is that these plants under the Mars have grow pistils in veg unlike my T5 grown plants. I think i read somewhere this could help get a plant flowering sooner when you flip her. I imagine that would also hinder some stretch as well just an uneducated guess. Im surely a noob but i have flowered with cfl, t5, mars 600, and QBs. This is the only combination where i am getting a lot less stretch than i planned for.
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Well that makes some sense, another factor affecting stretch is kelvin colour of the lights, the greater the difference, the greater the stretch. If your T5's were high kelvin like 6500k (typical for T5 veggers), going from the T5's to the 3000k QB's would have given you more stretch than going blurples to 3000k QB's.

Does that Mars model have those Bloom/Veg switches? If it does and you were vegging with both switches on, the colour would have been warmer/closer to the 3000k's and reduced your stretch. Vegging with only the Veg switch on would increase stretch as it's more blues/less reds. Of course still have to mention, strain/phenos could have accounted for some of the reduced stretch as well, fems or not you'll get variation.
 
ChefKimbo

ChefKimbo

Well-Known Member
Yea the T5 are all 6500k and did well for veg. Unfortunately my Mars model did not come with the switches which i remember was a ripoff because the product description mention the switches. I guess its time to experiment, ill split veg between the Mars and the T5s and go from there. Last questions, when you vegged with the Mars what was your distance for rooted clones and seedlings? Any nute issues? Thx in advance!!
 
Evil-Mobo

Evil-Mobo

Well-Known Member
ChefKimbo said:
Yea the T5 are all 6500k and did well for veg. Unfortunately my Mars model did not come with the switches which i remember was a ripoff because the product description mention the switches. I guess its time to experiment, ill split veg between the Mars and the T5s and go from there. Last questions, when you vegged with the Mars what was your distance for rooted clones and seedlings? Any nute issues? Thx in advance!!
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Just use the T5's all the way through man, I'm pretty sure would do better than the Mars. I have not used a Mars light before but my T5's were all 6500K bulbs after I was done experimenting with the different spectrums
 
GroErr

GroErr

Well-Known Member
ChefKimbo said:
Yea the T5 are all 6500k and did well for veg. Unfortunately my Mars model did not come with the switches which i remember was a ripoff because the product description mention the switches. I guess its time to experiment, ill split veg between the Mars and the T5s and go from there. Last questions, when you vegged with the Mars what was your distance for rooted clones and seedlings? Any nute issues? Thx in advance!!
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Yeah that will have likely affected your stretch, with no switch they run warmer colours so closer to the QB's in flower. If your veg space can handle the heat mixing up the lights won't hurt. Generally I keep those blurples or COBs at ~24" for clones. With seedlings I have a couple of platforms I use to bring them closer once they pop through so they don't stretch too much, you can go 14-16" they don't produce a lot of heat. I found a difference in veg with the COBs for feeding, I feed them low pm's like 250 ppm every other watering and they're fine. With the blurples I didn't have to do that, typically I'd feed at around 350 ppm every third watering. Slight differences but the blurples were more forgiving imo.
 
GroErr

GroErr

Well-Known Member
The 4x 5 gal gals, doing a little praying. Early but they stretched into place and buds have started popping up already, day 11. They're basically taking a 36" cube, height is 36-38" from the soil. Preparing another 6x 3gal plants to fill the room in, may flip this weekend, will decide when I get a chance to have a good look at them, not sure if they're ready..

All-Day11-1.JPG

And the Blue Ripper BX1 rks male and Blue Harley F1/P1 female. Male is starting to stretch already, day 4 :)

BR-BX1-RKS-Male-x-BH-F1-P1-Female-Day4.png

Cheers :bigjoint:
 
GroErr

GroErr

Well-Known Member
Evil-Mobo said:
Monster plants for 3 gal pots brother :hump:

Looking good as usual :bigjoint:
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Cheers Evil, just settling into early flowering and healthy, should be a good run. Those 4 are in 5gal pots, pretty big for 3gal, I'd be watering every 12 hours :shock: The one's coming up are in 3 gal pots, looking like 6 females.

Have some more males on the go, both stinkers, nice structures, colour. The Sand Storm terps are incredible, opening the cabinet it's all you smell. Very nice strain/pheno.

Blue Harley F1/P1 Male:

Blueharley-F1-P1-Male-Day7-1.JPG

Sand Storm P1 Male:

SandStorm-Male-P1-Day7-1.JPG

Cheers :bigjoint:
 
GroErr

GroErr

Well-Known Member
Posted this yesterday in the Seed Pictures thread. Biggest seeds I've ever had, this was a hit of Columbian Gold (male) on a Blue Ripper F2/P1 branch from the one I just pulled. Grabbed a little popcorn tester off that branch and found this in it. The seed on the left is a Blue Ripper BX1 like the one's the fairy sent out. They weren't exactly small seeds, normal to large if anything. This thing dwarfs those BR seeds!

ColumbianRipper-Seed-1.JPG

Cheers :bigjoint:
 
Mohican

Mohican

Well-Known Member
I got a seed from a Humboldt grower in 1980 that was probably Hindu Kush. It was black and the size of a pea. That thing had five fingered leaves right from the start. It was the first non-sativa I ever grew. I have a Polaroid of it stashed somewhere.

Looks like you are on to something, well...big!
 
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