Indoor Hempy vs soil experiment & advice solicitation thread. 500 watts MarsHydro led's

[theSmilingBandit]

I have five seedlings that I plan on putting in a 3x3 tent. I didn't expect them all to pop, and I think it is too much for my tent. However, I don't have the heart to throw any little girls out. So I decided to try experimenting for science! I have two Barney's Auto Blue Cheese, and two Green House Seed's auto Jack Herer. I also have a freebie World of Seeds Sugar Mango Ryder that I have decided to use as an (extremely unscientific) control grow.

In this tent I have installed two LED arrays. One is an old style MarsHydro 600, and the other is an old style MarsHydro 300. I just got them for $199 shipped. I am pretty excited. Together, they're pushing about 500w. I don't have a draw meter. The larger unit is towards the back of the tent, while the smaller is out front. I will put one of each seedling in both the front and back so as to even out the light reached for each experiment. I'm going to leave the lights on 24/7 for now. I may scale it back when it gets warmer, but I am having problems keeping the tent above 60F at the moment.

I have one Jack Herer in a 3 gallon hempy bucket setup filled with 90% vermiculite and about 10% vermiculite I had lying around. The other is in a three gallon fabric bag, filled with Happy Frog soil with about 25% vermiculite added. The Blue Cheese are set up identically. The Mango Ryder is in a regular three gallon nursery pot with straight, unamended Happy Frog soil. I'll probably move it around during the grow to spread out the effects of getting the leftover light. I plan to fertilize all plants as needed with MaxiBloom/MaxiGrow. I'll add other nutrients as needed...may end up needing cal/mag with these lights, I hear. I believe in less is more with fertilizers, as a rule.

SO:
2 plants in 3g fabric bags with Happy Frog/ vermiculite
2 plants in 3g hempy buckets
1 'control' in a 3 gallon nursery pot with pure Happy Frog soil
Maxi Bloom and Grow for fertilizer

I just have a pic of the seedlings in peat pots right now. I'll add more when I put them in the permanent homes. I haven't decided when I am going to do that. I guess I will wait till I see taproots.

Any questions or suggestions? Encouragement?

 

[theSmilingBandit]

I got the babies in the pots! The control is up front, and the 4 subjects are staggered behind. Keeping my fringes crossed, they all look fine. They got a very light dose of MicroBloom today in the water, because the little jiffy pots they germinated in are filled with only coco and perlite. The ones in the fabric pots will probably be fine once they hit soil. The hempy plants will need to be watched more carefully until their tap roots hit the reservoir.

 

[islandgrower]

I'm subbed. Love how hempys grow.

 

[theSmilingBandit]

Bad news. Both of the hempies died
I noticed yesterday morning that they were looking a little leggy and wispy. I made sure their little pots were damp and raised them in the light a bit. When I checked them after work, they were both on their sides and shrivelled. I have no idea why, this is my third try with hempy buckets and I had no problems before. It wasn't the seeds because they were both different strains and their counterparts in soil are doing fine. I don't know what I did wrong. It is a sad day. On the other hand, I think 3 plants is decent for a 3x3 tent, so now my grow is 1 Auto Jack Herer, 1 Auto Blue Cheese, and 1 Sugar Mango Ryder.

 

[islandgrower]

It happens 2 down less to concentrate on now . make the most out of the situation .

 

[Ripper]

Subbed.. And they thinned the heard all by themselves.. Good luck hope they produce huge for you.. I bought a small cheap heater fan and turned it on and had it blow on my tent in the winter ( I grow in my garage) and it help keep the temps up I think it was 20 bucks it doubles as a regular air fan as well has a heat and cool air setting.. Look into one..

 

[theSmilingBandit]

The other two died as well. I now think it simply got too cold that first night. The only one thriving is now the control, which was my freebie Sugar Mango Ryder. Here's to hoping it is a good one. I put two more seeds in the dirt, I hope they sprout.

 

[Roger Dee]

oh crap you are scaring the hell out of me, just started my own personal 3X3 grow

 

[islandgrower]

The other two died as well. I now think it simply got too cold that first night. The only one thriving is now the control, which was my freebie Sugar Mango Ryder. Here's to hoping it is a good one. I put two more seeds in the dirt, I hope they sprout.

What medium was used in the hempys