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[BoCoGrow]

Pretty sure I see her showing sex, definitely safe to up it a little if you keep the lights at the same height. If your temps allow it. After upping lights keep close eye to avoid bleaching, your plants will let you know if they like it. Looks good to me though, seems pretty healthy!

OK, so I went in to check on the girls 2 hours after I dialed up the light intensity. New growth at the top of both plants had white tips showing up on the leaves. I'm assuming that is bleaching kicking in? I dialed it back down to 60% for now.

 

[BoCoGrow]

Question for you, but context first...

Context: I'm still having a hard time controlling the heat in my tent when the lights are on. I've been able to keep the temp from exceeding 82F, though it is constantly fighting the exhaust fan to climb higher. To add to that, I upped the intensity of my light to 80% after the plants showed sex, but I dialed it back to 60% shortly afterward because the leaf tips at the top of the plant were showing signs of bleaching.

Question: What are your thoughts on a CO2 implementation? Then I can let the temps increase, and increase the light intensity, and the plants should do OK. I acknowledge that I'll also have to water more frequently and I will need to think about a nute regimen. If you think CO2 is the way to go, and you have experience with a good setup that would work great for a 4'x4' tent, please let me know. My thinking (though need more research) is CO2 tank, regulator and CO2 emission tubing, and a PPM controller.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance!

 

[Bill.de.Cat]

Problem I see is if your fighting temps now what will it be like in 1 or 2 months. Exhaust fan is probably gonna suck the co2 out before your plants can really utilize it. Better to iron out temps at this point then maybe the exhaust fan won't run so much giving your plants some time to use it.

 

[BoCoGrow]

Problem I see is if your fighting temps now what will it be like in 1 or 2 months. Exhaust fan is probably gonna suck the co2 out before your plants can really utilize it. Better to iron out temps at this point then maybe the exhaust fan won't run so much giving your plants some time to use it.

I share your concern about temps 1-2 months from now, which is another reason I am considering CO2 and asking about it. Thanks for your feedback!

The temp is fighting the fan now because I have the controller set to kick in when the temp hits 82F, even though the high end of the optimal temp range is 84F. With CO2, I could let the temp go between 85F-95F and not have to worry about it.

To get the temps down in the tent, I would need to get the temps down in the surrounding 10' x 10' room (which is the problem IMO). That would mean having my contractor come out, swap out the exhaust fan in the attic, change the ducting, remove and redo the wiring that enabled the fan speed controller to be in my grow room while the fan itself is up in the attic, etc. CO2 seems like a less expensive option in the short term. I would like to get the temp issue fixed when I can afford to, unless the CO2 leads to good yields and quality, in which case I may just run with it.

Once I'm done with work for the day, I'll spend a couple hours researching CO2. But keep the feedback coming, I value hearing the perspectives of more experienced growers!

 

[BoCoGrow]

Day 21 since sprout. First time doing some LST:

 

[Couch_Lock]

Co2 in a 4 x 4 tent? You kiddin me? If you are growing in a large unsealed area YEAH u want Co2.

TURN O the temp control in your exhaust system and run that bad boy 24/7 (the exhaust, if u plan on limiting tent temps below 80 Fahrenheit).

You'd be creating a problem to solve something not very hard to solve.

 

[BoCoGrow]

Here she is yesterday, Mar 12, day 23 since sprouting:

Two updates:

* I've ordered some Build-a-flower top dressing and some barley mulch. Will get that applied as soon as it arrives.

* Yesterday, I raised the lights to 39" above the canopy and switched the light to 80% intensity. No sign of bleaching, but the temp in the tent reached upwards of 88F. The lights are off now, but when they come back on in 5 hours I'm going to drop them back down to where they were and switch them back to 60%. I need to figure out the heat issue (I may just have the lung room's exhaust fan running 24/7 as Couch_Lock recommended) because the plants would definitely benefit from more light.

 

[BoCoGrow]

Day 31 since sprout. Over the last few days, the plants have looked a bit tired, and the leaf color was increasingly lightening here and there, so I decided to give them their first feed today! Put a thick layer of Build-a-Flower top dress kit on top of the OF, covered by barley straw, and gave them a 1/2 watering since I watered them yesterday.

Note: the main stalks on both plants are now turning purple, too. I did reduce the LED intensity back down to 80% but unsure if it is anything I need to be concerned about or monitor, or should I turn the light back up?