LED lights not doing so good.
- Thread starter SDK420
- Start date
PadawanWarrior
Well-Known Member
Glad to hear. I'd raise them even higher, to like 24", like I said before. The plants will probably be even happier. I underestimated the power of these things at first too. Do you have a par meter or someway to measure the intensity?
DoubleAtotheRON
Well-Known Member
I start out at 53" above the tray with seedlings, or clones (about 40 inches above the soil), and just let them grow to the light. About the time to flip, I'll raise them about 8 more inches, and that's about it. Why would PH rise when they are eating?
SDK420
Well-Known Member
Because the plants eat the acidic nutrients in the water. Similar to when the plants drinking more than eating causes the ph to go down as the nutrient solution becomes more concentrated. I'm just guessing that because the hps are not concentrating ir heat on the leafs it causes the plants to transpire less water and the ratio of nutrient uptake vs water uptake stabilizes a little more
Cboat38
Well-Known Member
12000 I’ll be pissed too maybe to much light? Because plants loves them
jimihendrix1
Well-Known Member
We run a Gavita 1700e at 24 inches from seedlings through flowering. 78f-84f temps. Same as HID
The Gavita is said by Gavita to replace a 1000w HID in a 4 x 4 area.
We also use 1000w Hortilux HPS which is 1600umol
The Gavita 1700e at 645w is 1700umol
We use Promix BX and 20 gallons potting soil per plant. We grow big plants because were in an unfriendly state, and plant count matters.
Food is Hydo Gardens Chem Gro. They have been making Plant Specific fertilizer since the 70s, and fertilizer in general since the 60s.
15.5-0-0- Calcium Nitrate
4-20-39
Monopotassium Phosphate ( 0-52-34 ) in weeks 2.5-4 flowering in an 8 weeks flowering strain
Epsom Salts throughout the grow.
We also feed seedlings as soon as the pop through the soil at 10% feeding. We do not wait to feed. If theyre up, they get food. We also feed small amounts throughout the grow, at every watering vs large feeding, and then skipping.
I like the Calcium Nitrate, and Epsom Salts better than using a different formula, and using Cal/Mag. IMHO the Calcium in Calcium Nitrate is superior to Cal/Mag. And I also like the Mg source from Epsom salts as it also supplies Sulfur. Some plants may also like extra Iron. But is not the rule
We also run an 1150w Gavita DE, and run it from 36in to 40in from canopy. We have used all of these lights from seedling - flowering with basically the same results, except the 1150w Gavita covers a larger area and is 2100umol, and is way hotter, and the IR is of the charts. We use the 1150w Gavita in a 5 x 6 area
We also use 2 Flower Power 32w UVA/B bulbs for each 4 x 4 area, and use them from seedling - flowering, and 24 inches from canopy, and 8 hours a day, in both Veg, and Flowering.
The Gavita is 42w Sq/ft in a 4 x 4 area. The Hortilux HPS is 62w Sq/ft. So Gavita is recommending 42w Sq/Ft for LED for best results. Hortilux HPS is also made for a 4 x 4 so that makes 62.4w Sq/Ft optimal for HID. Hortilux is the most powerful single ended HID at 1600umol Weve also used 1000w CMH, and got no better results than the 1000w Hortilux.
In the winter when its cooler we can sometimes get away with running the Hortilux as close as 18 inches, with No CO2, and no heat, or stress issues. But some plants just dont need all that light, and can retard growth. Sativa genetics seem to do better with higher light levels. We also have really good fresh air supply
Weve not needed to up the Magnesium with LED vs HID. Same feedings, Same Temps.
The Gavita is said by Gavita to replace a 1000w HID in a 4 x 4 area.
We also use 1000w Hortilux HPS which is 1600umol
The Gavita 1700e at 645w is 1700umol
We use Promix BX and 20 gallons potting soil per plant. We grow big plants because were in an unfriendly state, and plant count matters.
Food is Hydo Gardens Chem Gro. They have been making Plant Specific fertilizer since the 70s, and fertilizer in general since the 60s.
15.5-0-0- Calcium Nitrate
4-20-39
Monopotassium Phosphate ( 0-52-34 ) in weeks 2.5-4 flowering in an 8 weeks flowering strain
Epsom Salts throughout the grow.
We also feed seedlings as soon as the pop through the soil at 10% feeding. We do not wait to feed. If theyre up, they get food. We also feed small amounts throughout the grow, at every watering vs large feeding, and then skipping.
I like the Calcium Nitrate, and Epsom Salts better than using a different formula, and using Cal/Mag. IMHO the Calcium in Calcium Nitrate is superior to Cal/Mag. And I also like the Mg source from Epsom salts as it also supplies Sulfur. Some plants may also like extra Iron. But is not the rule
We also run an 1150w Gavita DE, and run it from 36in to 40in from canopy. We have used all of these lights from seedling - flowering with basically the same results, except the 1150w Gavita covers a larger area and is 2100umol, and is way hotter, and the IR is of the charts. We use the 1150w Gavita in a 5 x 6 area
We also use 2 Flower Power 32w UVA/B bulbs for each 4 x 4 area, and use them from seedling - flowering, and 24 inches from canopy, and 8 hours a day, in both Veg, and Flowering.
The Gavita is 42w Sq/ft in a 4 x 4 area. The Hortilux HPS is 62w Sq/ft. So Gavita is recommending 42w Sq/Ft for LED for best results. Hortilux HPS is also made for a 4 x 4 so that makes 62.4w Sq/Ft optimal for HID. Hortilux is the most powerful single ended HID at 1600umol Weve also used 1000w CMH, and got no better results than the 1000w Hortilux.
In the winter when its cooler we can sometimes get away with running the Hortilux as close as 18 inches, with No CO2, and no heat, or stress issues. But some plants just dont need all that light, and can retard growth. Sativa genetics seem to do better with higher light levels. We also have really good fresh air supply
Weve not needed to up the Magnesium with LED vs HID. Same feedings, Same Temps.
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DoubleAtotheRON
Well-Known Member
I read this about 12 times, and still don't understand the logic... not being rude or anything. I just try and gather bits and pieces of information here and there.
I'm wondering as well. I saw your post and was like - whoa - I was looking at pulling the trigger on a couple of these.
Any current users out there???
DoubleAtotheRON
Well-Known Member
I can only say that we have 18 HLG's and love them. We've had our fair share of problems, but none light related. They are very forgiving, use alot less energy, and produce very little heat compared to HPS/MH. Results?.. See at my grow link below.
FADING-SILHOUETTE
Well-Known Member
I am using almost 100w less with this 99.8% LED setup than with my sing 600W MH/HPS...I vegged her for 6 months!! (partly accidental...left a timer on by mistake...) under this setup replacing CFL for LED as time went on..
She is entering week 5..this is her so far...not being funny but at 100w less LED is stomping over a 600 hid...proof will be known come harvest...but so far no complaints and no desire to go back to hid with all that excessive heat
You may be questiong the stretch in the middle..? ..thats where I had timer troouble at 4.5 monts and decided to Veg her for 6 monhs instead...
..LEDs are better all round just need to choose the right LEDs to grow the way you want to grow..this girl is in a 3x3x7 and she fills it - STELTHY
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SDK420
Well-Known Member
I cant give you all the scientific facts but if your using nitrates or other chemical plants foods and they become too concentrated usually the ph will be lower. if your plants get too hot they will drink more water but they wont eat more food. if they drink all the water and dont eat the food your EC will usually go up and the ph will go down.
SDK420
Well-Known Member
@DoubleAtotheRON, seeing your grow journal looks promising.
DoubleAtotheRON
Well-Known Member
From what I have experienced.. yes, your nutes will drop your PH in your wet mix. What your soil does with that mix, as far as buffering, is totally up to what your medium is made up of. I don't understand your logic of drinking, and eating. If your soil buffers your nute mix at the correct range, it will eat/drink. Your environment is what allows the stoma to open up and transpire, not nutes.
SDK420
Well-Known Member
yes but excessive heat will cause the plants to absorb water faster than normal. this will not typically mean the drawn more nutrients from the solution. if anything it will stunt their growth and result in even less nutrient uptake when there isnt excessive heat. you have to create the buffer in your soil and you can fuck it up too, mineral salt buildup/lockout/death. i never said the nutrients open the stoma. I said excessive heat can cause your plant to drink water faster than normal and that CAN cause ur pH to go down. If you play around with the ppms your feeding at and you find that sweet spot your strains like and what they can tolerate then you can maximize everything. all that changes when your temps suddenly go up and you are feeding around max ppm for the plants and they start sucking up all the water and leaving the nutes behind. in soil nutes just lock up when it dries and causes salt buildup quick.. in hydro you have real time metering of the EC pH.
DoubleAtotheRON
Well-Known Member
I suppose that could be true, but there are a lot of people using a lot of different mediums, and they do react differently. IDK, I've never had a heat spike, so I can't really say I've experimented with that. We just don't run during June, July, or August,.. it's just too hot for our AC to keep up with the fresh air intake. Im going to have some mothers in there through summer tho.. but we will only be running 3-4 lights, so heat won't ...or shouldn't be a problem... I guess we'll see.
DoubleAtotheRON
Well-Known Member
The HLG 550v2, or their new R spec is rated for a 6x6 veg, 4.5x4.5 flower.
SDK420
Well-Known Member
As band-aid you could have a water emitter on your outdoor ac condenser. when the compressor is running have some water carry some of the heat away from the coil. idk if that an option for you but it can really bring down the temps from the evaporator. assuming you cant just upgrade your ac
SDK420
Well-Known Member
it should have been mentioned that there is only about 1-2ft max between the light and the canopy