I am ready to be amazed!

SoMike said:

Nope no problems with the light timer.
Maybe they look like this because I don't manicure my buds as I only use them for edibles.
They are potent .

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Looks like you pulled a couple weeks too early.

SoMike said:

As you can see the mother plant is a bit tired.
She was in a 1 gal fabric pot and needed to have her roots cut and transplanted into the 3 gal fabric pot. I think she will recover nicely.
Second plant is a 4 week old clone.
I have started the LST and want to scrog (have the screen ready)

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You should perhaps look at dwarfing a clone of the mother (topping/stopping upwards growth, at say 5-6 node). Keep in a small pot (something that fits in your hand). Then, perhaps trim the roots after about 2-3 months (this solidifies the stunted growth). This last step is not always needed.
Prune every few weeks and keep topping tips and you end up with something like the first pic I've attached. The pic of the three plants are ones that I am currently dwarfing (between 2-3 months old).
In a. quarter meter squared tent, I can have nine dwarf plants ('shoulder to shoulder'). Vegging under 52 Watts of (good) led light. With a clip-on fan (15 Watts) and one 4" extractor fan (15 Watts), thats 82 Watts for vegging nine mother plants ..whcih is only when the year is less than 13 hrs (for the rest of the year they get natural sun). I use Blumats for most watering needs (watering the soil, occasionally). Without them, you would need to water most days (hassle). Bluemats mean I just top up the water source every week or so (a water jug
Saves a lot of money, is 'green' and the only draw back is the clones will be smaller (but it only adds maybe 1 week - as soon as you pot up, they are away!).

SoMike said:

My light is currently 24" from the top of the plants, and is at full power.
How do I place this at the optimum height and wattage?
Do I keep lowering my light closer until I see light stress? Which is?
Or should I lower and reduce power (dimmer).
Current temp is 75 inside the cabinet, with fans running full speed.
Outside temp is 51.

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Vegging small plants/seedlings - at least 24 - 28 inches (or, dim the light 50% if you want ..your choice, for seedlings/small plants).
In flower no closer than 16" (with 260 Watts), I would recommend 18". If no signs of stress, lower a little as flower progresses. but keep 16" as the lowest. Sativa Dom. can sometimes handle more intense light (lower light fitting) but indica's (from my experience anyway) tend to foxtail more with intense QB lights (just my own anecdotal evidence mind).

Signs of stress - leaf curl (edges of leaf). You will see it with the leaves that are closer to the light (lower leaves will not show the issue).

With QBs your tent can be 'allowed' to get up to 28-30c (sometimes even slightly more), but the plants themselves will generally then be 25-27c (when checked with a temp. gun). Thats the nature of leds not 'heating' the plants like other light sources. nb; I keep my tent (1M2 - 2 meters high) at 26c and the plant temps are between 21-24c

Thanks Puff for the ideas.
When I purchased my latest clone do-si-dos, it was really leggy.
I did get a clone off of her (she is now vegging under the QB).
So the clone i am keeping short (to be my next mother).

That strawberry dwarf has a huge trunk.
How long have you kept this one?
Is that an automatic drip system?
I need to learn more about "blumats", or some type of watering system.

Mike

SoMike said:

Thanks Puff for the ideas.
When I purchased my latest clone do-si-dos, it was really leggy.
I did get a clone off of her (she is now vegging under the QB).
So the clone i am keeping short (to be my next mother).

That strawberry dwarf has a huge trunk.
How long have you kept this one?
Is that an automatic drip system?
I need to learn more about "blumats", or some type of watering system.

Mike

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The Strawberry Shortcake (Dark Horse Genetics) is about 4-5 years old now. As time goes on, they get a sort of Bonsai look to them. I've never spent the time using wire etc to train them though. Just brute force pruning and restricting pot size.
In theory, I figure they could last like a Bonsai ..in theory
The oldest I've had was about 8 years old. I abused that one too much and she wilted and slowly died ..but, the 'slow death' allows time for clones. So, the story started again for that mother plant

Blumat are an autodrip system (a very simple siphon principle). With the small plant pots, I simple use the standard sized Blumats.
If left over a week, the soil will still dry out. But, the plants never wilt (as 'just enough' water comes from the Blumats). You could use more than one a pot, but one works fine (imo) with a soil watering once in a while. Restricting water also restricts growth, so when I don't collect cuttings I water less anyway. When I want cuttings, I up the water/nutes (this causes lots of shoots to appear quickly)