COB LED DIY Build Journal

PDX Joe

Well-Known Member
I decided to ditch the two front plants. They were showing issues all over the entire plant... the plants just didn't look as good as the back two plants and I was tired of fighting to fix them. Plus the closet was a bit crowded with four plants. Trying to reach the back two plants to do a SCROG was just a pain in the ass. I repositioned the two good plants to the middle and then started to bend branches under the trellis.
 

Attachments

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
Were the plants that are doing well a different strain than the ones that weren't?

I find this to some degree with every grow -- I have a soil mix/nute routine I do, and I'd say 70% of the strains I've grown (so far I've almost never grown the same one's twice) love it, some tolerate it, and a few hate it. I generally go "sink or swim" in this vein too, the ones that do really well will be run again some time, the few that do really poorly are pulled or just limp along. We are lucky that there are so many strains to choose from.

You have an excellent grow space, but everything has practical limitations. Do you think that next run you will go with two plants, or grow without a scrog? I have a 3x3 tent, doing my first run with it. It also only has access from the front. I'm doing a sort of SOG in there, and I'm enjoying it, but I won't do it again for logistical reasons.
 

PDX Joe

Well-Known Member
Were the plants that are doing well a different strain than the ones that weren't?

I find this to some degree with every grow -- I have a soil mix/nute routine I do, and I'd say 70% of the strains I've grown (so far I've almost never grown the same one's twice) love it, some tolerate it, and a few hate it. I generally go "sink or swim" in this vein too, the ones that do really well will be run again some time, the few that do really poorly are pulled or just limp along. We are lucky that there are so many strains to choose from.

You have an excellent grow space, but everything has practical limitations. Do you think that next run you will go with two plants, or grow without a scrog? I have a 3x3 tent, doing my first run with it. It also only has access from the front. I'm doing a sort of SOG in there, and I'm enjoying it, but I won't do it again for logistical reasons.
No, actually all the plants were the same strain from the same seed pack (Barney's Blue Cheese). I'm thinking they are just different phenos of the same strain and that was why they were acting differently. The two very healthy plants look different than the two I ditched. They have longer leaves and were stretching a bit more, which leads me to think maybe those are more of the Blueberry sativa expression. The other two were bushier with fatter stinkier leaves that tended to droop and the deficiencies seemed to suggest they wanted a lot more nutrients and maybe calcium. So, maybe these were more of the Cheese indica side of things. I think it is a valuable lesson for me to see the variation one can get from seeds. If they all stayed healthy then I would have flowered all four, because it would have been nice to see the variation in the flowers.

My preference was to use one or two plants for the SCROG, but growing four was my insurance policy to make sure I had at least a couple good plants to take to harvest. So, I think that was good for this first grow in the closet. But, I think in the future I will probably try one or two plants from the beginning and focus on them as long as I know they are quality genetics. It would be nice to get a couple grows out of a seed pack rather than just one grow. So far I really like the SCROG technique due to a low ceiling and I'm only running a 250 Watt LED fixture. I also like having easy access to the underside of the plants with only one or two plants in the 3x3 area.

If I decide to do a one plant SCROG then I would probably use the Autopot XL, which is 6.5 gallons instead of the 3.5 gallon size I am using now.
 

PDX Joe

Well-Known Member
Very nice! Did you ever think of putting the setup on casters so you could roll them out to work on them?
That would be a good idea. However, my closet has a big threshold which would prevent me from rolling anything in and out. But, I could build a big drawer style tray similar to how I built my reservoir storage. Maybe that will be phase 2 improvements.
 

OrganiChron

Member
That would be a good idea. However, my closet has a big threshold which would prevent me from rolling anything in and out. But, I could build a big drawer style tray similar to how I built my reservoir storage. Maybe that will be phase 2 improvements.
You could furr the floor up so it sits flush with the threshold.
 

PDX Joe

Well-Known Member
I did a bit of pruning and training today. The screen is beginning to fill in. I think I will try to fill the screen about 70% before I flip. So, I've got a bit more veg to go. I'm hoping I can flip in a few more weeks... patience. I'm seeing quite a bit of purple streaks starting in the newer top growth branches and the older leaf petioles, curling/ drooping leaves and lighter colored new growth, especially on the left plant. I'm thinking about adding epsom back into the mix for the added magnesium and sulfur. I went for almost a month without epsom, but think it might be time for it.IMG_3367.JPG
 

Attachments

PDX Joe

Well-Known Member
I popped a few seeds a few weeks back... UK Cheese. I'm switched to peat and organic fertilizer. They're looking a bit healthier than my first grow.

Anyway, I'm looking for some suggestions for an upgrade to my light. My current light has 4 CXB 3590, 3500k running at 1750 mA. So, I'm pulling about 270 Watts. But, I'd like to bump my power up a bit. Maybe get up into the 40 Watts per square foot range. I'm in a 3x3 closet.

So, I wasn't sure about maybe adding a couple COBs in a more blue range or going in a more red range. I was thinking about the Vero 18 1750k from Cutter for maybe some extra punch in flower.

http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut3120

Or should I maybe get a couple COBs in the 5000k - 4000k range? I'm a bit torn.
 

Attachments

verticalgrow

Well-Known Member
I popped a few seeds a few weeks back... UK Cheese. I'm switched to peat and organic fertilizer. They're looking a bit healthier than my first grow.

Anyway, I'm looking for some suggestions for an upgrade to my light. My current light has 4 CXB 3590, 3500k running at 1750 mA. So, I'm pulling about 270 Watts. But, I'd like to bump my power up a bit. Maybe get up into the 40 Watts per square foot range. I'm in a 3x3 closet.

So, I wasn't sure about maybe adding a couple COBs in a more blue range or going in a more red range. I was thinking about the Vero 18 1750k from Cutter for maybe some extra punch in flower.

http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut3120

Or should I maybe get a couple COBs in the 5000k - 4000k range? I'm a bit torn.
hey Joe,
IF your gut is screaming RED then go 2700K 90CRI or 1750K should add a higher yeild
just like HPS 2200k.

Are you getting vigurous & strong stem growth in veg with current 3500K lights?

if yes add red if not add 4000K,
all strains vary & ur guts opinion is 100% right at the end of the day.
:peace:VG:eyesmoke:
 
Last edited:

ohdang

Member
this is an awesome build! glad i found it.. sorry if i missed it, how did you go about building the case? did you design it with cad or some other program?
 

PDX Joe

Well-Known Member
hey Joe,
IF your gut is screaming RED then go 2700K 90CRI or 1750K should add a higher yeild
just like HPS 2200k.

Are you getting vigurous & strong stem growth in veg with current 3500K lights?

if yes add red if not add 4000K,
all strains vary & ur guts opinion is 100% right at the end of the day.
:peace:VG:eyesmoke:
Yes, I was getting good vegetative growth. The plants were bushy and compact. I do like the look of those Growmau bud burst kits... all the parts and a good price.
 

PDX Joe

Well-Known Member
this is an awesome build! glad i found it.. sorry if i missed it, how did you go about building the case? did you design it with cad or some other program?
Thanks, I really fussed way too much over it, but I like how it turned out. Actually I bought the case from an online electrical supply store. It's a steel electrical box but without any cutouts. I used some metal hole bits and hole saws to make the cutouts. My only complaint is that it is a bit heavy. Built like a tank. I like how all the electrical parts and wiring are contained... seems safer.
 

ohdang

Member
Thanks, I really fussed way too much over it, but I like how it turned out. Actually I bought the case from an online electrical supply store. It's a steel electrical box but without any cutouts. I used some metal hole bits and hole saws to make the cutouts. My only complaint is that it is a bit heavy. Built like a tank. I like how all the electrical parts and wiring are contained... seems safer.
cool cool.. did you ever consider doing something like the ChilLED brand lights have toyed with, having a closed box with an isolated ventilation system for just the light? Like a closed hood on an hid light? It seems like with the box, you're already most of the way there.. And i saw that you had some issues with keeping temps down previously.. It's something i'm definitely going to try to implement when i start my project.
 

PDX Joe

Well-Known Member
cool cool.. did you ever consider doing something like the ChilLED brand lights have toyed with, having a closed box with an isolated ventilation system for just the light? Like a closed hood on an hid light? It seems like with the box, you're already most of the way there.. And i saw that you had some issues with keeping temps down previously.. It's something i'm definitely going to try to implement when i start my project.
Those ChilLED are slick. Vitaly's stuff is so well designed. Those cooling cowlings are awesome. Actually I have been having a hard time keeping my temps up in the winter. When I was initially setting up my closet I was trying to get my temps around 77F, but it seems like the plants may actually like temps in the low 80s. So I have my exhaust fan on a timer that runs 15 minutes on and 45 minutes off. This has also allowed me to add a humidifier and get my humidity up to 55 - 60%. When I was running my exhaust constantly the humidity was dropping to 35%.

I just bought this temperature controller to keep the temperature within a range instead of using a timer. This will allow me to dim or turn up the COBs and not have to reset my timer to get temps in check. This controller should so it automatically.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KMA6EAM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 

PDX Joe

Well-Known Member
looking good over here,
are those your buckets you converted to sip?
No, I haven't transplanted my new seedlings into the SIPs yet. I bought some of the large 6.6 gallon Autopots and did the modification on those. I'll probably mix up my soil next weekend and let the SIPs soil rest for about a week before transplant. In a perfect situation I would have like to have planted the 4" pot seedlings directly into the 6.6 gallon Autopots, but I was a little worried about such a big jump in pot size. So, I put them in 1 gallons for a few weeks.
 

PDX Joe

Well-Known Member
So, I wasn't a big fan of running my exhaust fan on a timer. It was difficult to keep the temperature up with the COB fixture. When the fan would kick on for 15 minutes every hour then it would suck all the heat out and the temp. would drop to around 74F. So, I got one of these Bayite controllers which kicks the fan on once temps get up to 82F and then shuts the fan off when temps get down to 77F. Plus, I don't have to worry about what happens to temps when I dim or increase the light of the COB fixture. The controller will do the necessary adjustment. I also got a Bayite humidity controller to control a "dumb" little humidifier. Now I can dial in my VPD in a small closet grow.
 

Attachments

l0wbob2016

Well-Known Member
Here they are at the end of week 6. They've been feeding from the reservoir now for a week. I'm seeing some improvement I believe. I think I was underfeeding a bit before getting them on the Autopot system and hopefully I am past the deficiencies I was seeing. I cut out the epsom and I'm at 1.2 EC and 5.5 - 5.9 ph with some humic too. I gave them a top applied treat of Recharge last weekend to maybe establish some beneficial bacteria. Temps have been a little low because of the cold weather. I think I'm going to put a speed control on the fan to warm it up a bit. I think I'm sucking too much air through the closet. I was hoping to avoid a fan speed controller... oh well.
View attachment 3854679
maybe u want to hide that sensor from the light cause it could have influence on the readings :)
 
Top