Experimental grow with minimal hardware. Total cost of all equipment $90. Will update on very few weeks.

VincenzioVonHook

VincenzioVonHook

Well-Known Member
Thought I'd post this as a random experiment to see how well a plant can grow with the cheapest hardware, no dedicated nutrients, but good genetics.

Plant is a fat monkey auto from SAG, currently 8 days old. Potting mix is "Scott's osmacote premium seeding mix", which is an $8 seeding mix from Bunnings which comprises of peat moss, Coco coir and Coco chips. Has been mixed with perlite. Pot is 15L. Soil apparently has six months worth of slow release osmacote fertilizer, which is apparently ass and burns roots.

Lighting is a single 28w actual, 120w rated e27 LED comprising of white, warm white, red and blue, IR and UV, and can be purchased off eBay for $23. There will be four supplementary 6w e27 lights added when the plant goes into pre-flower. During veg there will be 28w, during bloom there will be 52 actual watts, or "240" manufacturer quoted watts.

Total cost was $49 AUD for the 60x60 tent, $23 for the 28w light, $22 for the 4x6w lights, $8 for a 5 way e27 splitter and $17 for the pot and medium. $119 AUD or $89ish USD for all the equipment used in this test.

Day 8 and current setup
IMG20210404012404.jpg
IMG20210404012421.jpg
IMG20210404014546.jpg

What are your predictions? It will be interesting to see how this shapes up compared to the other fat money I have growing under 150w of mars hydro in a 3x2, with Canna terra nutes.
 
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VincenzioVonHook

VincenzioVonHook

Well-Known Member
shroomhaze said:
how much actually that light pulls from the wall? I dont think it can be that cheap can it?
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Manufacturer quoted 120w rated, 28w power draw. It will be interesting to see how they go...took it to a local hydro shop, tested at 23w power. Light intensity came out at 312umol/s at 10" and 234umol/s at 14" in the hotspot. For a comparison my mars TS 600 puts out 392umol/s at 16" on the same Meter.
 
canna_420

canna_420

Well-Known Member
How about PH?

When using slow release ferts can become acidic. Definitely if more energy in the pot than energy being used.
 
VincenzioVonHook

VincenzioVonHook

Well-Known Member
canna_420 said:
How about PH?

When using slow release ferts can become acidic. Definitely if more energy in the pot than energy being used.
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That's one thing I'm completely unsure of, even in my current grow at 5 weeks. I'm using the same Scott's seeding mix and Canna terra Vega/Cannazym right now. With tap water, Vega and Cannazym added, the water tests at 6.6ph, but I have no idea what the soil is at, or the waters ec is. Basic runoff tests at 6.1, but I haven't done any slurry tests, and I don't have a soil pH kit. I've just been winging it.

Both grows will be using the same medium, pot size, watering technique and strain, but one has far less light and no nutes in the water.

Here's the current grow at day 35. Same medium, same strain.
IMG_20210403_231005.jpg
 
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VincenzioVonHook

VincenzioVonHook

Well-Known Member
hotrodharley said:
I predict disappointment in quantity and surprise it grew as much as it did. If it makes it.
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It will be very interesting. I consider the current setup (3x2 with mars TS 600 and 2x28w LEDs for a total of 150 watts) at week 5 to be very sub par when it comes to lighting, and already bottom of the barrel, so I don't even know what you would call this single light setup.
 
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VincenzioVonHook

VincenzioVonHook

Well-Known Member
To be honest, this whole experiment is probably a signifier that I should invest in a girlfriend or life, but a few hundred seeds, a few hundred grams from last year's harvest, and 3 years of study left, I'm in the perfect position to waste time.

IMG20210404050234.jpg

The little vial is 8 fat monkey autos from SAG, the snappy is 10 Skywalker Kush autos and the med container (it is airtight) has red skunk photo on the left, the middle are seeds from a gorilla glue that was pollinated by a male red skunk, and the lighter seeds on the right are some Thai Sativa seeds crossed with Skittlez that apparently have a problem with hermies.

I've got enough to keep me going for years.
 
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VincenzioVonHook

VincenzioVonHook

Well-Known Member
Quick update. At day 14 now. Leaves beginning to dry out a bit and one is turning up on the ends. A bit pedantic, but does this look like beginning of nute burn? Definately not light stress lol. It's been around 60-70% in the tent, highest temps have been 28c over the last week. Will be interesting to see how this turns out considering it's only getting 23w. Could be pests, as I did have a problem with fungus gnats for a few days.


IMG20210409121555.jpg
IMG_20210409_120852.jpg

Topping it tomorrow.
 
VincenzioVonHook

VincenzioVonHook

Well-Known Member
pulpoinspace said:
plant will surely die. unless u keep top dressing with more of the soil or feed the plant in some way. not sure what else you'd expect.
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That's the point Rufus. To see at what stage the plant starts to struggle with no support. Shouldn't take a genius to figure it out. It's just a bit of fun in a spare tent with excess seed, but you guys seem to be getting upset about it lol.
 
pulpoinspace

pulpoinspace

Well-Known Member
VincenzioVonHook said:
That's the point Rufus. To see at what stage the plant starts to struggle with no support. Shouldn't take a genius to figure it out.
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well then all you're doing is testing how much nutrients are in your starter soil. the answer is a few weeks.

edit. just looked up oscomote and i see it is a time release fertilizer. So it's actually up for grabs whether the plant starves first or burns to death. Should be interesting to see. 15L with time release could make it to the end depending when you flip.
 
V256.420

V256.420

Well-Known Member
VincenzioVonHook said:
Thought I'd post this as a random experiment to see how well a plant can grow with the cheapest hardware, no dedicated nutrients, but good genetics.

Plant is a fat monkey auto from SAG, currently 8 days old. Potting mix is "Scott's osmacote premium seeding mix", which is an $8 seeding mix from Bunnings which comprises of peat moss, Coco coir and Coco chips. Has been mixed with perlite. Pot is 15L. Soil apparently has six months worth of slow release osmacote fertilizer, which is apparently ass and burns roots.

Lighting is a single 28w actual, 120w rated e27 LED comprising of white, warm white, red and blue, IR and UV, and can be purchased off eBay for $23. There will be four supplementary 6w e27 lights added when the plant goes into pre-flower. During veg there will be 28w, during bloom there will be 52 actual watts, or "240" manufacturer quoted watts.

Total cost was $49 AUD for the 60x60 tent, $23 for the 28w light, $22 for the 4x6w lights, $8 for a 5 way e27 splitter and $17 for the pot and medium. $119 AUD or $89ish USD for all the equipment used in this test.

Day 8 and current setup
View attachment 4869780
View attachment 4869781
View attachment 4869783

What are your predictions? It will be interesting to see how this shapes up compared to the other fat money I have growing under 150w of mars hydro in a 3x2, with Canna terra nutes.
Click to expand...
Can I borrow "The Smoothie Kitchen"? I love those things :eyesmoke:
 
VincenzioVonHook

VincenzioVonHook

Well-Known Member
pulpoinspace said:
well then all you're doing is testing how much nutrients are in your starter soil. the answer is a few weeks.

edit. just looked up oscomote and i see it is a time release fertilizer. So it's actually up for grabs whether the plant starves first or burns to death.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Will definately be interesting to see.
this one made it to week 4 without nutes in the same soil, but has recently been put on Canna Flores and Cannazym.

IMG_20210409_122546.jpg
 
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