Hello everyone. I have been lurking here for the few weeks soaking up any information I can. I am new to indoor growing, and am struggling to dial my tent in correctly. Was wondering if anyone could lend a hand or ear to hear out what I am doing, and maybe correct me where I am going wrong.
Current Setup:
Tent: 4'x4'x7', GA (reflective interior)
Light: Meijou Folux 2 - 480w Samsung/Epistar Quantum v2, dimmable.
Pots: Fabric Grow Pots, 3 gallon
Growing Medium: Happy Farm Happy Frog
Genetics: 4 Mephisto Skywalker and 1 freebee Mephisto White Chemdawg
Fans: 1 14W Monkey Fan cooling the passive heat sink. 1 circulating the lower canopy air.
Vents: 2 side vents open on the tent for intake, on. 1 6" Exhaust 390CFM w/Filter, off.
Light HRS: 24 HRS.
I dropped some beans into water for 24 HRS and watched for tails. Once the tails appeared, they went into the paper towel for about 2 days, until the root was approx 1/2 to 1 inch. Once the tails were long enough I moistened the soil, popped the bean in root down, and gently closed her up. Applied a little room temp water to water in the root/bean.
I put the pots into the tent, with the light about 3.5-4ft away from the soil. Humidity readings were around 50% and Temp was hovering around 28 degrees (82.5F). pH was not taken of the water at this time as I did not have a meter. Neither with the soil, same reason.
After about 6-7 days I started to look at the plant really close, and noticed the leaves were warping weird. Then I could see that the edges were turning up on the leaves. I left things along for a day or so to try and figure out what to do next, then it looks like it got worse. The leaves curled on their edges even more, and looked dried out almost. Soil is moist, humidity at around 50% and the light just blasting it.
I read so much about what could be wrong as you know a noob would. What else can I do? So, I determined I must have stressed out the plant with heat/light. I had no PAR meter at this time, and really had to guess on lighting. I decided to turn down the lights to about 1/2 power (240 plug watts). I also started misting my ladies 2 times a day now, if they are not being watered. Maybe my determination was wrong, I don't know. As well, I added a humidifier to the mix, and uppsed the moisture reading to around 75-80%.
I left the ladies under 1/2 light for a couple days, and my PH meter came in. Great. I checked the PH of the water I started the plants with...8.1PH out of the tap (dechlorinated via 24HR air out). Crap. So, I now adjust my water to 6.5-6.3. The ladies looked a bit more healthier on the new growth. The 'scorched' (from what I think) growth is turning yellow and you can tell it is dying (not the plant, but the deformed, scorched parts of the leaf). The plant seems to function okay like this (maybe it is not but it looks okay other then the after effects of my torture). Temperature in the tent dropped to around 25 degrees.
This all happened to my 1st 5 plants, which I still have going. Now, I thought I corrected things a bit because the scorching is gone so hey... should be good to fill in the tent right? So I sprouted 5 more Mephisto Skywalker. 3/5 shot tails and I planted them all anyhow. I am still waiting on 2 of them to come up (prob dead). I noted that the seedlings were stretching like crazy so I knew the light was messed up again.
So, next the PAR meter arrives (sweet deal on it!) and I measure my light. No where near where I need to be for seedlings, never mind veg cycle. I think I was measuring around 150 uM. I cranked the power on the light and left it way up as high as I can go (about 4-4.5' above canopy) and now I register around 300uM on the outside plants (still low is it not??!). My temperature shot up to around 28 degrees C now. I have to leave the flap of the tent open at the top in order to not start thermal runaway inside! I have it perfected now to an opening that balances the heat and the humidity retention for the most part. If I turn on my overhead exhaust, it RIPS all my humidity down to around 45-50 %. I am paranoid to run these ladies is that lower humidity as I think the extra humidity was helping them.
This morning I go to check on the ladies and their leaves were curling in again on the new growth, since I started blasting the light again. It is sitting 4 feet over the canopy, a monkey fan is blowing the heat from under the heat sink upwards, canopy fan is on, they just got watered with 6.3 water last night. Temp is at 25 at the canopy and humidity sitting around 55-60.
The manufacturer of the light recommends that the light stay about 2.5 feet from top of canopy, but if I do that my herb will be dried before I freaking even grow it from the looks of it! So... I am at a loss as to what to do next here.... I need to stabilize this room and figure out what I need to dial into... but I am not sure where to go next!
I can upload some pics later to this thread, I am at work right now and don't have access to the ladies to show the damage I have done. I want to be a good parent here and get these little girls the life they deserve, so that is why I am reaching out.
If there is anyone that can help a n00b out here, please do! It would be very much appreciated! I am determined to figure this out and absolutely am having a good time doing this, even if it is not working out right now for me!
Current Setup:
Tent: 4'x4'x7', GA (reflective interior)
Light: Meijou Folux 2 - 480w Samsung/Epistar Quantum v2, dimmable.
Pots: Fabric Grow Pots, 3 gallon
Growing Medium: Happy Farm Happy Frog
Genetics: 4 Mephisto Skywalker and 1 freebee Mephisto White Chemdawg
Fans: 1 14W Monkey Fan cooling the passive heat sink. 1 circulating the lower canopy air.
Vents: 2 side vents open on the tent for intake, on. 1 6" Exhaust 390CFM w/Filter, off.
Light HRS: 24 HRS.
I dropped some beans into water for 24 HRS and watched for tails. Once the tails appeared, they went into the paper towel for about 2 days, until the root was approx 1/2 to 1 inch. Once the tails were long enough I moistened the soil, popped the bean in root down, and gently closed her up. Applied a little room temp water to water in the root/bean.
I put the pots into the tent, with the light about 3.5-4ft away from the soil. Humidity readings were around 50% and Temp was hovering around 28 degrees (82.5F). pH was not taken of the water at this time as I did not have a meter. Neither with the soil, same reason.
After about 6-7 days I started to look at the plant really close, and noticed the leaves were warping weird. Then I could see that the edges were turning up on the leaves. I left things along for a day or so to try and figure out what to do next, then it looks like it got worse. The leaves curled on their edges even more, and looked dried out almost. Soil is moist, humidity at around 50% and the light just blasting it.
I read so much about what could be wrong as you know a noob would. What else can I do? So, I determined I must have stressed out the plant with heat/light. I had no PAR meter at this time, and really had to guess on lighting. I decided to turn down the lights to about 1/2 power (240 plug watts). I also started misting my ladies 2 times a day now, if they are not being watered. Maybe my determination was wrong, I don't know. As well, I added a humidifier to the mix, and uppsed the moisture reading to around 75-80%.
I left the ladies under 1/2 light for a couple days, and my PH meter came in. Great. I checked the PH of the water I started the plants with...8.1PH out of the tap (dechlorinated via 24HR air out). Crap. So, I now adjust my water to 6.5-6.3. The ladies looked a bit more healthier on the new growth. The 'scorched' (from what I think) growth is turning yellow and you can tell it is dying (not the plant, but the deformed, scorched parts of the leaf). The plant seems to function okay like this (maybe it is not but it looks okay other then the after effects of my torture). Temperature in the tent dropped to around 25 degrees.
This all happened to my 1st 5 plants, which I still have going. Now, I thought I corrected things a bit because the scorching is gone so hey... should be good to fill in the tent right? So I sprouted 5 more Mephisto Skywalker. 3/5 shot tails and I planted them all anyhow. I am still waiting on 2 of them to come up (prob dead). I noted that the seedlings were stretching like crazy so I knew the light was messed up again.
So, next the PAR meter arrives (sweet deal on it!) and I measure my light. No where near where I need to be for seedlings, never mind veg cycle. I think I was measuring around 150 uM. I cranked the power on the light and left it way up as high as I can go (about 4-4.5' above canopy) and now I register around 300uM on the outside plants (still low is it not??!). My temperature shot up to around 28 degrees C now. I have to leave the flap of the tent open at the top in order to not start thermal runaway inside! I have it perfected now to an opening that balances the heat and the humidity retention for the most part. If I turn on my overhead exhaust, it RIPS all my humidity down to around 45-50 %. I am paranoid to run these ladies is that lower humidity as I think the extra humidity was helping them.
This morning I go to check on the ladies and their leaves were curling in again on the new growth, since I started blasting the light again. It is sitting 4 feet over the canopy, a monkey fan is blowing the heat from under the heat sink upwards, canopy fan is on, they just got watered with 6.3 water last night. Temp is at 25 at the canopy and humidity sitting around 55-60.
The manufacturer of the light recommends that the light stay about 2.5 feet from top of canopy, but if I do that my herb will be dried before I freaking even grow it from the looks of it! So... I am at a loss as to what to do next here.... I need to stabilize this room and figure out what I need to dial into... but I am not sure where to go next!
I can upload some pics later to this thread, I am at work right now and don't have access to the ladies to show the damage I have done. I want to be a good parent here and get these little girls the life they deserve, so that is why I am reaching out.
If there is anyone that can help a n00b out here, please do! It would be very much appreciated! I am determined to figure this out and absolutely am having a good time doing this, even if it is not working out right now for me!
