All COB Users - Lettuce Grow Challenge!!

Halfandhalf

Well-Known Member
So I've been messing around with my cobs for growing some greens, and specifically lately my aloe vera and they all seem deficient in some way for them. The aloe was burning under 3xvero29@75 watts (25w each) of 3000k 90 cri and under 75w 5000k it was turning light green and slowing growth with still lightened tips while staying small. I put it under my metal halide which is 400w (with ample distance though) and it's been looking better. So what is it about led's that are limiting growth and burning the plants? I've been reading this forum and thread and a bunch of other things and it seems the dip in cyan and possibly lack of IR and far red or possibly the high ratio of blue to red in led are some of the possible problems. It'd be nice to have a spectrum that was truly complete and balanced across it as I think the ratio of each wavelength to each other might be as important as having an abundance of each.

I came across this led, the Luminus Perfect White which seems to fill in the cyan gap so that's interesting but the max wattage is 36 and I haven't looked up or compared it's efficiency but I just think it's interesting that a company is trying to make that product and it's possible application to growing plants.

I'd also like to try a 4000k 90 cri cob but I'm not sure if it's a wise investment. The higher amount of blue in 90 cri vs lower cri's scares me but i still want some red in there. I haven't read through every single page in this thread but is there a consensus on a color temperature and cri that seems to do well for greens/succulents?
 

OneHitDone

Well-Known Member
So I've been messing around with my cobs for growing some greens, and specifically lately my aloe vera and they all seem deficient in some way for them. The aloe was burning under 3xvero29@75 watts (25w each) of 3000k 90 cri and under 75w 5000k it was turning light green and slowing growth with still lightened tips while staying small. I put it under my metal halide which is 400w (with ample distance though) and it's been looking better. So what is it about led's that are limiting growth and burning the plants? I've been reading this forum and thread and a bunch of other things and it seems the dip in cyan and possibly lack of IR and far red or possibly the high ratio of blue to red in led are some of the possible problems. It'd be nice to have a spectrum that was truly complete and balanced across it as I think the ratio of each wavelength to each other might be as important as having an abundance of each.

I came across this led, the Luminus Perfect White which seems to fill in the cyan gap so that's interesting but the max wattage is 36 and I haven't looked up or compared it's efficiency but I just think it's interesting that a company is trying to make that product and it's possible application to growing plants.

I'd also like to try a 4000k 90 cri cob but I'm not sure if it's a wise investment. The higher amount of blue in 90 cri vs lower cri's scares me but i still want some red in there. I haven't read through every single page in this thread but is there a consensus on a color temperature and cri that seems to do well for greens/succulents?
I am just glad to hear that others are noting some of the same issues with LED spectrum on Non-Cannabis plants as I have been reporting.
It will be a shame if the WHOLE indoor gardening lighting market is pushed to led too early in development just because "It grows Dank Weed bro".
 

PSUAGRO.

Well-Known Member
Nah, I'm busy watching the diehard marathon.....

The indoor farm in Miyagi Japan produces 10 thousand heads a day with leds since 2014...call them and ask how they do it? Might need a translator though; )
 

OneHitDone

Well-Known Member
Nah, I'm busy watching the diehard marathon.....

The indoor farm in Miyagi Japan produces 10 thousand heads a day with leds since 2014...call them and ask how they do it? Might need a translator though; )
But your supposed to know it all when it comes to led - figured you would help a brother out :lol:
 

Big Green Thumb

Well-Known Member
Whew, I finally made it through the entire thread this week. Good information in here, thanks for posting! I currently have some buttercrunch and red romaine growing in my veg area. I haven't done anything different with my vegetables than with cannabis except for lower ppm of nutes. They are in coco and perlite getting fed jacks 321.
 

OneHitDone

Well-Known Member
Whew, I finally made it through the entire thread this week. Good information in here, thanks for posting! I currently have some buttercrunch and red romaine growing in my veg area. I haven't done anything different with my vegetables than with cannabis except for lower ppm of nutes. They are in coco and perlite getting fed jacks 321.
Care to share some pics and feedback on the lettuce under led?
 

Big Green Thumb

Well-Known Member
Care to share some pics and feedback on the lettuce under led?
Yeah, for sure. I will get some pics tomorrow when lights are on. I am doing battle with some kind of white bugs that turn green after munching on my lettuce. I will try to get pics of those too. These bugs kind of look like tiny white ants. Maybe you guys can give me some ideas on how to end them forever. So far, I have sprinkled a bug dust on the leaves and sprayed my coco with neem oil. Neem seems to help since I see quite a few dead white bugs in the coco now.
I have never grown lettuce before inside or outside. Right now I have a few different other veggies going, too: scorpion pepper, jalapeno, ghost pepper, spinach, roma and cherry tomatoes, green onions, cucumbers, and probably some others I can't remember right now.
 

SSGrower

Well-Known Member
Yeah, for sure. I will get some pics tomorrow when lights are on. I am doing battle with some kind of white bugs that turn green after munching on my lettuce. I will try to get pics of those too. These bugs kind of look like tiny white ants. Maybe you guys can give me some ideas on how to end them forever. So far, I have sprinkled a bug dust on the leaves and sprayed my coco with neem oil. Neem seems to help since I see quite a few dead white bugs in the coco now.
I have never grown lettuce before inside or outside. Right now I have a few different other veggies going, too: scorpion pepper, jalapeno, ghost pepper, spinach, roma and cherry tomatoes, green onions, cucumbers, and probably some others I can't remember right now.
Do they cluster and if so where?
Size reference?
I like something like this before going to the heavy oils.
20190310_105528.jpg
Pyretherines and sulfur.
 

Big Green Thumb

Well-Known Member
Here is one of the little bastards, dead on a leaf of lettuce.
190310_100658.jpg
They are tiny, maybe a half millimeter in length. They swell up green after they eat a while from the looks of it. I used a microscope to get that pic. I have a whole arsenal of insecticides to use since I have been battling spider mites on the other plants: Pyrethrin, Forbid 4F, Neem, Grean Cleaner, etc. I only sprayed the soil (coco) with neem, not the leaves. The plan is to get some insecticidal soap to regularly use on the plants.

More info on the grow. The plants are under about 180 watts of 4000k led strips in an area about 4' x 2.5'. The lettuce is getting bit of tip burn being caused by either too much light, not enough airflow, or too strong of nutes. All of my plants (cannabis flowering and vegging, plus all the vegetables) are getting the same Jacks Hydro Pro + calcium nitrate + epsom salt. The veggies get straight water occasionally unlike the weed that gets nutes all day everyday.
 

OneHitDone

Well-Known Member
Here is one of the little bastards, dead on a leaf of lettuce.
View attachment 4297805
They are tiny, maybe a half millimeter in length. They swell up green after they eat a while from the looks of it. I used a microscope to get that pic. I have a whole arsenal of insecticides to use since I have been battling spider mites on the other plants: Pyrethrin, Forbid 4F, Neem, Grean Cleaner, etc. I only sprayed the soil (coco) with neem, not the leaves. The plan is to get some insecticidal soap to regularly use on the plants.

More info on the grow. The plants are under about 180 watts of 4000k led strips in an area about 4' x 2.5'. The lettuce is getting bit of tip burn being caused by either too much light, not enough airflow, or too strong of nutes. All of my plants (cannabis flowering and vegging, plus all the vegetables) are getting the same Jacks Hydro Pro + calcium nitrate + epsom salt. The veggies get straight water occasionally unlike the weed that gets nutes all day everyday.
Leech can take that Jacks full strength no problem

Almost looks like a thrip but don't think so. Never seen them swell up green. Need to do some research on that one. :peace:
 

SSGrower

Well-Known Member
Here is one of the little bastards, dead on a leaf of lettuce.
View attachment 4297805
They are tiny, maybe a half millimeter in length. They swell up green after they eat a while from the looks of it. I used a microscope to get that pic. I have a whole arsenal of insecticides to use since I have been battling spider mites on the other plants: Pyrethrin, Forbid 4F, Neem, Grean Cleaner, etc. I only sprayed the soil (coco) with neem, not the leaves. The plan is to get some insecticidal soap to regularly use on the plants.

More info on the grow. The plants are under about 180 watts of 4000k led strips in an area about 4' x 2.5'. The lettuce is getting bit of tip burn being caused by either too much light, not enough airflow, or too strong of nutes. All of my plants (cannabis flowering and vegging, plus all the vegetables) are getting the same Jacks Hydro Pro + calcium nitrate + epsom salt. The veggies get straight water occasionally unlike the weed that gets nutes all day everyday.
Grasshopper? If so nolo bait if you can get it, factory burnt down last year, there's a couple others that use same active ingredient.

Whats you local weather like right now? Still freezing at night?
 

Big Green Thumb

Well-Known Member
Grasshopper? If so nolo bait if you can get it, factory burnt down last year, there's a couple others that use same active ingredient.

Whats you local weather like right now? Still freezing at night?
If I can find a green one, I will post a pic of it. Pretty sure not a grasshopper. Weather is down in the 40s at night, 60 or so in the day for another week or 2 then should be in the 80s.
 

SSGrower

Well-Known Member
If I can find a green one, I will post a pic of it. Pretty sure not a grasshopper. Weather is down in the 40s at night, 60 or so in the day for another week or 2 then should be in the 80s.
You are probably right .5 mm is a bit small and you'ld probably see egg clusters and larger ones.
 
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