4k is making my plants look like crap

Beehive

Well-Known Member
I had such great results with a bunch of Timber VS 3k lights that I decided to get another one with 4k for mothers and pre-vegging.
You gotta figure. Veg is the shortest part of the grow and the easiest. I get excellent growth from seed to harvest using 3000k.

I could understand 4000k for a mother but other then that. I have no use for 4000k in the grow room. High pressure sodium bulbs are in the 2800k range. That's low. 3000k does everything I need it to do.
 

jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
You gotta figure. Veg is the shortest part of the grow and the easiest. I get excellent growth from seed to harvest using 3000k.

I could understand 4000k for a mother but other then that. I have no use for 4000k in the grow room. High pressure sodium bulbs are in the 2800k range. That's low.
What he said << 4000k is an odd spectrum to run using LED's if that's the only spectrum on the light. 3000k seems to be the universally agreed sweet spot for seed to harvest.
 

DaFreak

Well-Known Member
You gotta figure. Veg is the shortest part of the grow and the easiest. I get excellent growth from seed to harvest using 3000k.

I could understand 4000k for a mother but other then that. I have no use for 4000k in the grow room. High pressure sodium bulbs are in the 2800k range. That's low. 3000k does everything I need it to do.
I'm not trying to sell you on 4k. I personally bought it for mothers and pre-veg.

This is happening with a Timber brand light?
Yes, but I also saw it with T5 replacement LED bulbs.
 

bk78

Well-Known Member
How much those flood trays run? That's convenience to the max. Nice work on the table construction. Cradles those trays nicely.
Lumber was free and the tables were like $60 each I think? I wanted my veg raised so I could put 3gallon buckets under to catch the run off water and so I don’t have to bend over to check the plants aha.
 

jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
Lumber was free and the tables were like $60 each I think? I wanted my veg raised so I could put 3gallon buckets under to catch the run off water and so I don’t have to bend over to check the plants aha.
I hate draining my saucers after watering. That's a very nice system you put together. Saves the back on the daily. Free lumber makes it all the better. I'm always afraid to ask how much those trays cost at the hydro shop. That seems like a great price and you'll have them forever. Sometimes the best upgrades are ones that just make the day to day drudge work easier ;)
 

bk78

Well-Known Member
I hate draining my saucers after watering. That's a very nice system you put together. Saves the back on the daily. Free lumber makes it all the better. I'm always afraid to ask how much those trays cost at the hydro shop. That seems like a great price and you'll have them forever. Sometimes the best upgrades are ones that just make the day to day drudge work easier ;)
That was my idea for my clone room, veg room and flower room. My clone room is a 3x7 closet that I built a shelf 2 feet off the ground and enclosed it with a door

Spend less time doing “chores” and more time just admiring and inspecting.
 

DaFreak

Well-Known Member
Have you tried any other types of plants under the light? I would reach out to Timber and ask them what's up. Snap a few pics. They might be able to offer some insight.
I guess I'll have to do that next time with some throw away plants, don't want to put my mothers through that again.
 

DaFreak

Well-Known Member
I hate draining my saucers after watering. That's a very nice system you put together. Saves the back on the daily. Free lumber makes it all the better. I'm always afraid to ask how much those trays cost at the hydro shop. That seems like a great price and you'll have them forever. Sometimes the best upgrades are ones that just make the day to day drudge work easier ;)
Just put the plants on risers and use a wet-vac. They sell awesome plastic risers for a few bucks.
 

DaFreak

Well-Known Member
IMG_7985.jpeg

These are mothers that have just been cut way back, pruned and transplanted with root mass being cut back before transplant. So I would expect a little bit of shock. This photo was taken just after that was done on March 14. I gave them a feeding of Renfo's mother recipe. Temps 79-80. Humidity about 55. 18/6.
IMG_8018.jpeg
This picture taken on March 20th. So one week later. You can see how bad they look within a week under 4,500k. I've seen this happen 4 or 5 times now. I mean would 2 degrees warmer make that much of a difference?
IMG_8029.jpeg
This photo was taken today, the 27th, so 1 week later about. Now I screwed up and was high, I should have taken one more pic yesterday to show what they looked like before this pic, because this is 24 hours back under the t5s. What you would have seen yesterday were these plants 3 shades more yellow. Those leafs on the lower left there were all yellow, no green in the middle like it is now. Now this was just 24 hours under the t5s. These are 4 different strains too.

Thoughts?
 
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jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
View attachment 4864405

These are mothers that have just been cut way back, pruned and transplanted with root mass being cut back before transplant. So I would expect a little bit of shock. This photo was taken just after that was done on March 14. I gave them a feeding of Renfo's mother recipe. Temps 79-90. Humidity about 55. 18/6.
View attachment 4864409
This picture taken on March 20th. So one week later. You can see how bad they look within a week under 4,500k. I've seen this happen 4 or 5 times now. I mean would 2 degrees warmer make that much of a difference?
View attachment 4864415
This photo was taken today, the 27th, so 1 week later about. Now I screwed up and was high, I should have taken one more pic yesterday to show what they looked like before this pic, because this is 24 hours back under the t5s. What you would have seen yesterday were these plants 3 shades more yellow. Those leafs on the lower left there were all yellow, no green in the middle like it is now. Now this was just 24 hours under the t5s. These are 4 different strains too.

Thoughts?
Fantastic recovery! The damage in the old photos looks like an intensity issue. Some twisted upper growth and severe bleaching of the canopy. It really looks like my plants when I got my first 660w LED board. Popped it in my 5x5 tent at full blast. 48 hours later my canopy looked like your canopy in the damaged photos. What wattage are these 4500k's operating at?
 

DaFreak

Well-Known Member
They are 400 watts at 18 inches which is the recommended height. I've also seen the same kind of weakness when the lights are run down to 200watts.

Yeah, they always bounce back real quick and go downhill real quick. It's a shame too because I've spent like 5 something on the light and another 2 something for the tent and fan etc so I want it to work. In the meantime I got the T5s. Right now I only stick them in the tent when I want to do some pre-vegging with the T5.
 

jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
They are 400 watts at 18 inches which is the recommended height. I've also seen the same kind of weakness when the lights are run down to 200watts.

Yeah, they always bounce back real quick and go downhill real quick. It's a shame too because I've spent like 5 something on the light and another 2 something for the tent and fan etc so I want it to work. In the meantime I got the T5s. Right now I only stick them in the tent when I want to do some pre-vegging with the T5.
What brand of light is this thing? I wouldn't put any plants under a light that causes growth like that. I'd be having a very serious conversation with the manufacturer right now about being sold a defective unit that's killing plants instead of growing them. There's just no excuse for any light performing like that when used as directed. No excuse. You should really be reaching out to the manufacturer. I would move heaven and earth to get my money back or the unit exchanged for a functional light. Clearly you have a unit that is absolutely dysfunctional and does not appear to be capable of growing plants. All of that aside get yourself another light asap. Then address a return / exchange of your defective light.
 

DaFreak

Well-Known Member
Don’t think that is it, as I said earlier, I noticed this with different brand lights that were same color temp. It has me scratching my head though.
 
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