Still Stumped Low Yield

[Illside667]

Hey guys still stumped here. 400w HPS. Supplemented with 400mh occasionally. Soil. 4 plants. Regular watering and using nutrients. Using bag seeds from some really good seeds I save. About 4-6 weeks veg. 8 weeks so far flowering.

Everything seems good except I consistently get low yields. I have never had over 14 grams from one plant. The plants look good and the buds that I do get are spectacular so I'm really stumped as to what I'm doing wrong as I hear people getting 100-400grams from a 400 watt.

My best guess is temperature? They are in a cold basement usually 60-68 degrees F I battled it the whole time but I couldn't get it very warm down there because its winter. <br><br>I cut a cola bud today and its nice but small and as you can see the leaf is dark almost black....due to cold?

 

[Bugeye]

If it is 60-68F at canopy level, the cold is probably the main reason for lower yield. What is your soil like?

 

[LetsGetCritical]

grow autos 24/0 and keep 400w nice and close to maintain temps or get a heater idk

 

[Merlin34]

Too much N in flower can lead to lower bud production and super dark leaves as well. Pic of the whole plant would be helpful.

 

[LetsGetCritical]

^ like this , makes sense

 

[DemonTrich]

I grow in a basement as well. I have 2 rooms: veg is a 4x4x7 dr120 tent w/600w mh 18/6 temps are 79 lights on and 74 lights off vegging for 8-10 weeks. my flower room is a 5x10x6.5 with 2 600w hps, 2 18" fans blowing under each xxxl cool tube hood, monster carbon carbon scrubber matted to a 750 8" fan 100% power, 8" intake fan at 75% power AND an 8000btu a/c unit running when lights are on. my lights on temps are 73* canopy height, and 72* lights off. I have my intake fan drawing in the ac air (kinda like a vacuum). I average 2-4 zips per plant. and my basement temps are 70-74*. im in soil if it helps and grow in either 5 gal or 3 gal pots.

you need more light, bigger pots, and more nutes for bigger yields.
"

 

[Grandpapy]

How old are your lights, mine are only good for about 1-1/2 grows before they turn into space heaters.

 

[Illside667]

Thanks guys for the quick replies. I doubt its too much nutrients because I actually probably don't use enough. Could that be a factor? I guess I cant really test my temperature theory until summer due to the basement setup. And I don't want to invest in more powerful lights yet because what if I get them and I still cant get much yield. I feel like I should get better with this 400w first. I blame myself not the light.

DemonTrich - Nice sounds like you got a really nice setup. How do you keep it so warm in the basement? Mine just wants to be cold in the winter its old.

 

[Illside667]

How old are your lights, mine are only good for about 1-1/2 grows before they turn into space heaters.

Lol its funny that you asked. I was given this setup used from a friend so I actually don't know how old the lights are, but they are the nice Hortilux Eye bulbs.

 

[lilroach]

I had the same problem with low yields for the first few grows and then I made wholesale changes to just about everything I was doing.

Here's a list of what I feel has given me dense buds and higher yields.

1. I actually use a combination of MH and HPS together in 12/12. I feel this may be the biggest thing I've done to get dense buds.

2. I feed/water daily using small amounts of nutrients. I use Jack's Classic 20-20-20 (1/2 tspn per gallon of water) and feed 1/2 gal per mature plant.

3. I do not defoliate.

4. Topping will increase your yield. Check out my "Uncle Bens" links on my signature.

These should get your yield up.

 

[DemonTrich]

I actually have 2 ac/heat registers in my basement as well. I tape them off and close them in the winter, and open 1 up in the summer. its a constant 72/73* year round down there. was same temps year round as well in my old condo's basement. its currently 10* outside. I do change my bulbs out after 3 harvests (equals to every 27 weeks). Im changing my nute cycle this go around. ill be giving 125-150% nutes, as I think they can take more than the 100% ive been giving them. my water ppm is 103, and after 100% nutes is just over 1000. I also use density and MOAB in flower.

 

[tusseltussel]

big plants give big yields.

 

[rwbrock]

Here are some suggestions, add some supplemental CFL in the grow area will add 2-3 degrees of heat. Veg. longer and train plants, maybe transplant into larger pots prior to flowering (5 gallon). Ensure you have no light leaks in the flower area. Start with a decent soil mix or amend your own. Watch how much you water and feed, more is not better and can cause issues with salt build up and lock out toward end of harvest. Do you have fresh air and/or good air exchange down there? Also are you harvesting to soon? A lot of strains really bulk up at the end last couple weeks. There can be so many variables but you should easily be pulling 1.5 to 2 oz per plant with that light. Buying a new light build may help as well.

 

[RIKNSTEIN]

Hey guys still stumped here. 400w HPS. Supplemented with 400mh occasionally. Soil. 4 plants. Regular watering and using nutrients. Using bag seeds from some really good seeds I save. About 4-6 weeks veg. 8 weeks so far flowering.

Everything seems good except I consistently get low yields. I have never had over 14 grams from one plant. The plants look good and the buds that I do get are spectacular so I'm really stumped as to what I'm doing wrong as I hear people getting 100-400grams from a 400 watt.

My best guess is temperature? They are in a cold basement usually 60-68 degrees F I battled it the whole time but I couldn't get it very warm down there because its winter. <br><br>I cut a cola bud today and its nice but small and as you can see the leaf is dark almost black....due to cold?

If it is 60-68F at canopy level, the cold is probably the main reason for lower yield. What is your soil like?

LMFAO...I usually flower at those temps and get 6+ zips per plant...58F-60F soil level...68F-72 canopy level...

Too much N in flower can lead to lower bud production and super dark leaves as well. Pic of the whole plant would be helpful.

^ like this , makes sense

I did not know this as I use a veg nute (30-15-15) for the first 4 weeks of flower, but not past that...I switch to a 10-25-20 mix after the 4th week...I'm in a supersoil I might add...

How old are your lights, mine are only good for about 1-1/2 grows before they turn into space heaters.

I was gona ask the same question

Here are some suggestions, add some supplemental CFL in the grow area will add 2-3 degrees of heat. Veg. longer and train plants, maybe transplant into larger pots prior to flowering (5 gallon). Ensure you have no light leaks in the flower area. Start with a decent soil mix or amend your own. Watch how much you water and feed, more is not better and can cause issues with salt build up and lock out toward end of harvest. Do you have fresh air and/or good air exchange down there? Also are you harvesting to soon? A lot of strains really bulk up at the end last couple weeks. There can be so many variables but you should easily be pulling 1.5 to 2 oz per plant with that light. Buying a new light build may help as well.

That's some good advice/info rw

 

[mrCRC420]

Have you ever purchased genetics from a trusted seed bank? A lot of your bagseeds are essentially USA Landrace (sorta ridiculous I know) and that means lower yields, lower strength, more old school 90's skunk style than the powerhouse crosses I buy from overseas. The original bubblegum from Indiana in the 80's may have a better smoke but it's not going to be as strong as the Nirvana Bubblicious it has become. Give seedbank genetics a shot... I did.

 

[MonkeyGrinder]

Put your lights on the floor and rig your pots up like a topsy turvy. No more cold plants! Heat rises.
But seriously though at least snag some new bulbs for your lights. Those things burn out eventually. I know if I were to upgrade and give someone a light setup I wouldn't buy him new bulbs and all. You also said you consistently get those results. I'm not sure how many grows you've done with the same bulbs either but consistently usually means more than one.
Also are you in plastic pots? Smart pots? What size are your pots as well?
The crappy thing about a basement would be if the pots were on the cold floor. Maybe rig up some sort of platform where they'll be elevated maybe an inch (or more) above it if you have the space. It'll make a difference in your soil temps.
Underground is just as important as above ground.
Also you mentioned bagseed. I'd order some good genetics. That way you more or less know what you're getting.
I'll also vouch for lilroach. He speaks the truth when it comes to topping and training. Uncle Ben's method will double your yield and then some when your set up is dialed in. If you have the ability to use a pair of scissors once then you 100% meet the criteria to apply it. It's one snip. After that it's totally up to you. I did it on my guerrilla girls last year and will do so from here on out. I'd buy Uncle Ben several beers and a steak if I could. Not only for his topping method but also everything else he points out has just flat out worked and totally rewritten everything I had learned from other people who were in turn following the next "thing". Lets put it this way they prefer my smoke above everyone else's including their own.
Look into mainlining as well. There's a little more work to it with tying stuff down and whatnot for a while but you're indoors so you can do it conveniently.
So snag a new bulb and some new genetics. Then get to training your plants.

 

[TheSnake]

What size container you using (soil)? You can severely limit them gains by restricting to smaller pots. Trimming sugars and small shit, will stretch the plant, much more bush like if you keep all the stuff near the bottoms. ^ like lilroach said. Also topping does help to get main's, although they tend to be smaller, than a non topped main, you'll have more of them.

My first grow was like 600 watts worth of cfl's, all 5k's unfortunately, Such shitty yield... Containers were small, i burnt, and made terrible designs to everything, had like a half oz? some bullshit. Hell i didn't even ph my water.

Second grow I went bonkers, bought a 1000 watt hid, an air conditioner, more fans, inline fan, carbon filter, ducting, put up drywall, sealed light leaks, made separate veg area (with all my daylight cfl's) Much better, and still trying to battle heat constantly in 90's even into low 100's at times, and cropped out around 5 oz's, I was much happier.

Third I had to destroy.

Fourth, Current... I'm really hoping for half pound or better, with any luck.

(second grow all plants in 3 gal buckets, and all got seeded because of a hermie.) Now I got them things in like 10-15 gal worth of soil each for 4 of them, 1 in a 5 gal, and just those 5 are literally crowding the shit out 5x5, put 3 more in in smaller 3 gal pots because the other 5 are taking most of the damn light.