Hot Diggity Sog - Chapter 5: The Big One
- Thread starter Hot Diggity Sog
- Start date
Hot Diggity Sog
Well-Known Member
I'm just kind of winging it. I thinned out the middle almost 2 weeks ago and I'll be doing another pruning session very soon - focusing on the interior, mainly.
I've been trying to leaf tuck and pull branches out with string which has been going pretty well. But earlier today, I came down to an entire branch that was completely wilted. Was like WTF. I guess the tension from the string was too much and compromised one of the main arms and it separated from the main stem. I was shocked and surprised. Fortunately, the branch did not have too many branches. But I've since cut all of the string and may have to rethink this strategy. I'll grap some pictures of what happened in a few hours.
When you say lollypop, what do you mean...exactly?
Hot Diggity Sog
Well-Known Member
So this morning, everything looked great. But then later on ~ 5 hours after lights came on, this branch was all wilted. Where it connected to the main stem had become compromised. I'm hoping this is not indicative of some problem and was maybe from me pulling a bit too hard to stretch her out.
jzs147
Well-Known Member
Hate when I do that shit to my plants I snapped a few branches the other day soon as I notice I just push them up an duct tape em
Hot Diggity Sog
Well-Known Member
I was really pissed at first but I'm fine now. Ironically, there was another whole set of branches behind that one and now you can't even tell it happened. Kind of funny, really.
Regardless, I will be very careful from here on out. Not that I was careless in any way...but now I've seen something like this happen to extra careful. This is the 1st ever *big* plant that I've grown so I'm learning as I go.
jzs147
Well-Known Member
Yeah man they get heavy an can break easy get silica in there makes stems nice an thick I super crop as I go squeeze the stems when they smaller then they get nice big knuckles an thick stems. But hey man I’m not judging I’ve never done anything like what your doing there so who am I to tell you anything.
Hot Diggity Sog
Well-Known Member
True that man, true that. It's still very early and my opinions are subject to change but it almost seems like the plant is in full control over which branches will produce cola's and which will produce popcorn. I pretty much have every square inch of this plant getting optimum light yet some branches just don't respond at all. On average, I'm thinking maybe 50% do but 50% don't. It's like the plant is saying: "Hey man - lets not forget who is in control here. If I wanted that branch to grow a donkey dick, I would have. You can give it all the fucking LED light you want, I'm not doin' it."Yeah man they get heavy an can break easy get silica in there makes stems nice an thick I super crop as I go squeeze the stems when they smaller then they get nice big knuckles an thick stems. But hey man I’m not judging I’ve never done anything like what your doing there so who am I to tell you anything.
(Yes...I have these conversations in my head while spending time with her).
Hot Diggity Sog
Well-Known Member
Hot Diggity Sog
Well-Known Member
I looked at some pictures of lollypopping and no, I definitely won't be doing that. Would kind of defeat the purpose of the LED's aimed at all 4 sides.
Bongsmoke420
Well-Known Member
Plumbers tape works great
I get your point, but at week 2/3 I would still go through the centre of the plant and remove all the popcorn bud sites. These are never going to be great, and removing them will make your good buds bigger.
I just finished a run and could only reach half of the plants. I regret not having pulled the popcorn off the back ones, as it was mostly wasted. The buds are not good enough to save, and probably took away from the good buds.
I am really interested in this grow. Good luck
Hot Diggity Sog
Well-Known Member
Day 102
Flowering - Day 23
Peak insanity was reached on Friday when 8 more LED boards were introduced. As it turns out, it was too much. (16) QB V288's on the sides with a 600W HPS on top was just too much. I replaced the HPS with a 315W CMH but that just sucked, in comparison (no disrespect meant to the CMH fans...I'm a huge metal halide fan).
I ended up just toning back to 2 LED boards per tower. Kept the way they are oriented. Put the HPS back online. And yeah - I like it. So as of now, we have:
600 Watt HPS above
( 8 ) QB 288 v2's on the sides - 2 per tower. The spectrums are staggered: 3000K, then 4000K, then 3000K, etc.
I moved each board up approx 8" which ended up being perfect. They are still getting the lower stuff and still contributing to the upper stuff but are now focused on the middle.
Removing ( 8 ) LED boards is a drop of ~ 920 watts so my concern now is temps. I should be able to hold 72 degrees F while lights are on for the next few weeks but that won't last. Lights off temps are currently 64 degrees F and that will likely start to drop a bit soon. I'm already thinking about a heater.
Pretty happy with the overall progress. I wish she would have grown taller. She's been averaging 1 inch per day during the stretch - she did not get any taller since yesterday so the stretch may be over....hopefully not though.
First few pictures have the HPS on - next few don't. It's looking like we have a bit of trich's starting to emerge
Flowering - Day 23
Peak insanity was reached on Friday when 8 more LED boards were introduced. As it turns out, it was too much. (16) QB V288's on the sides with a 600W HPS on top was just too much. I replaced the HPS with a 315W CMH but that just sucked, in comparison (no disrespect meant to the CMH fans...I'm a huge metal halide fan).
I ended up just toning back to 2 LED boards per tower. Kept the way they are oriented. Put the HPS back online. And yeah - I like it. So as of now, we have:
600 Watt HPS above
( 8 ) QB 288 v2's on the sides - 2 per tower. The spectrums are staggered: 3000K, then 4000K, then 3000K, etc.
I moved each board up approx 8" which ended up being perfect. They are still getting the lower stuff and still contributing to the upper stuff but are now focused on the middle.
Removing ( 8 ) LED boards is a drop of ~ 920 watts so my concern now is temps. I should be able to hold 72 degrees F while lights are on for the next few weeks but that won't last. Lights off temps are currently 64 degrees F and that will likely start to drop a bit soon. I'm already thinking about a heater.
Pretty happy with the overall progress. I wish she would have grown taller. She's been averaging 1 inch per day during the stretch - she did not get any taller since yesterday so the stretch may be over....hopefully not though.
First few pictures have the HPS on - next few don't. It's looking like we have a bit of trich's starting to emerge
MATTYMATT726
Well-Known Member
Just curious, why and are you still keeping the boards 3 ft from plant? They can be atleast 12" if not a bit closer with no burns/bleaching. Damn nice grow though. Id be terrified to grow a big plant like that. Between the bugs and possible mould you're a beast for sure.
Hot Diggity Sog
Well-Known Member
I've already burned them. I use a lux meter and 12" would be insane...I'll go down and see what that comes out to. I'll also take some pics of burned pistols from them.
MATTYMATT726
Well-Known Member
12" with the amount of lights you have yes, but if rhey were closer though you probably wouldn't have needed as many lights was my point. I have 1 135 watt and keep it usually at 12" and no problems whatsoever. I was just curious on what made you keep them that far away as even cob users get as close as 6" and these don't penetrate as far as higher density cobs making them good for up close and personal. I myself am going for 4 in my 4x4 as i get into using the whole tent. Have a 2nd on the way as we speak. Hoping to pick up 2 more 135s for vlack friday if on sale.
Hot Diggity Sog
Well-Known Member
Ok...each of the boards on a single tower are slightly pointed inward so the brightest spot is actually in the middle - in between the 2 boards (as you move away from them)
12" reads 111,000 on my Lux meter. I measured and I currently have them ~ 27" away and they were only coming up in the high 30,000 range on the meter....that def. seems very weak.
50,000 to 60,000 should be the target, yes?
Can a lux meter be trusted when measuring LED's?
I'll def. move them closer if you guys think they should be closer. Regarding the pistols being burned on a few little flowers - I have no way to be 100% sure that burn is the cause...I just assumed.
MATTYMATT726
Well-Known Member
I don't have a meter myself, but i can show you a pic of my last harvest over the summer. O ly 2 autos in 3.9 gal pots of coco. GH Micro and Bloom only. Cal mag as well but zero grow or additives. Under 1 135 watt qb. I kept no further than 12" the whole time aside from seedling it was about 24". I had to tie them up cause branches kert breaking. Only leaf problems were dying fade to yellow.
Attachments
MATTYMATT726
Well-Known Member
Ended up with about 10 oz give or take a few grams as i don't weigh. I had high humidity and temps but good grow under the qbs for sure.
Attachments
Hot Diggity Sog
Well-Known Member
I don't know what to say. The proof is in the pudding...those look amazing and don't look light stressed or burned. I just don't know. I cannot believe that if I moved a tower to 12" away I would not have massive burn.
Bubblin
Well-Known Member
Comparing 1x QB135 to 16x QB288s is like comparing xmas lights to the sun ffs. n Unless you run emm at a very very low MA, there's not a chance in hell you can run emm that close without bleaching the crap out of everything.
n fwiw, I've bleached in flowering at 1200ma with 4x qb132s hung 16" up.
My point exactly lol, that's not dying fading to yellow, that's bleaching.