Mephisto Genetics White Crack and Kis Organics Soil

[MMMi]

Do you adjust your Aloe amount?

The stuff I bought wasn't 200x, I just slap a teaspoon into a half-gallon once a week. figure it's better than nothing. After I get through this bag, I'll pay more attention when I order...

 

[Organic Sinse]

I have some probe thermometers I use for cooking, but I gotta imagine at 20hrs a day lights on, the soil approaches ambient. These are the tent temps over last 24h
View attachment 1137162

Generally the soil temp will be 5-10 degrees F less than air temp, with a larger soil temp deficit directly proportional to the length of your night.
With autos the best trick for battling low temps is running lights 24/0, especially when running low heat leds. It’s not what everyone wants to do, but it sure helps in the winter. In my experience, I have better results if I try to get the temps right, even at the cost of losing some humidity.
cheers
os

 

[MrOldBoy]

Generally the soil temp will be 5-10 degrees F less than air temp, with a larger soil temp deficit directly proportional to the length of your night.
With autos the best trick for battling low temps is running lights 24/0, especially when running low heat leds. It’s not what everyone wants to do, but it sure helps in the winter. In my experience, I have better results if I try to get the temps right, even at the cost of losing some humidity.
cheers
os

Funny you mentioned 24 hour run, that’s what I did with Sam and found at night when our house temp dropped the tent went down a few degrees as well but nothing drastic ..... and .... and it was easier to maintain the ideal temp / humidity with the nominal swing in day/nite temps.

 

[Organic Sinse]

Hey @MrOldBoy

Probably more suited to your other thread but... If I get my bigger LOS/SIP containers going, I'd like to consider adding earthworms. I do not have a bin (may or may not start one in the summer). Do you have to add any additional worm food to your SIPs while growing -- or is the organics already in there good enough? Just wondering if I have to throw some produce or something in there to keep 'em happy.

You want to add only dry things like amendments or mulch, don’t use food scraps or banana peels in your grow container. Fungus gnats and other unwanted pests will flock to your containers if you add food Scraps. Save that stuff for a worm bin or compost pile.
cheers
os

 

[MMMi]

Generally the soil temp will be 5-10 degrees F less than air temp, with a larger soil temp deficit directly proportional to the length of your night.
With autos the best trick for battling low temps is running lights 24/0, especially when running low heat leds. It’s not what everyone wants to do, but it sure helps in the winter. In my experience, I have better results if I try to get the temps right, even at the cost of losing some humidity.
cheers
os

Part of the problem is I got a way roomier tent and only grow in 1/2 - 2/3 of it. That came with a bigger/6" filter/fan combo. I fear anything I try to do inside the tent will be short lived and exhausted outside pronto. The old 4x4 seemed to stay warmer.

Considering:
1. partially closing vents all around the house to force more heat downstairs. It's unfinished though and all the concrete is probably a losing battle
2. getting an oil heater for inside the tent and trying it
3. going back to 4" exhaust to slow down exhaust
4. running 24/0, but the purples are pretty
5. getting a couple of those 4' heat mats to run under the containers (pita, $$$, and would create the inverse condition. soil temp >> air temp)
6. exhausting the tent inside the basement instead of outside, would maybe get me a point or two raising ambient while lights on.
7. getting rid of the cool mist ultrasonic, replacing with a pan of water+aquarium heater on a cycle timer.

I'm going to try setting up #3, 6, and 7 this weekend and run it a week to see.

 

[MMMi]

Fungus gnats and other unwanted pests will flock to your containers if you add food Scraps.

I'm starting to think that fungus gnats is a never-ending test of wills.

 

[Organic Sinse]

Part of the problem is I got a way roomier tent and only grow in 1/2 - 2/3 of it. That came with a bigger/6" filter/fan combo. I fear anything I try to do inside the tent will be short lived and exhausted outside pronto. The old 4x4 seemed to stay warmer.

Considering:
1. partially closing vents all around the house to force more heat downstairs. It's unfinished though and all the concrete is probably a losing battle
2. getting an oil heater for inside the tent and trying it
3. going back to 4" exhaust to slow down exhaust
4. running 24/0, but the purples are pretty
5. getting a couple of those 4' heat mats to run under the containers (pita, $$$, and would create the inverse condition. soil temp >> air temp)
6. exhausting the tent inside the basement instead of outside, would maybe get me a point or two raising ambient while lights on.
7. getting rid of the cool mist ultrasonic, replacing with a pan of water+aquarium heater on a cycle timer.

I'm going to try setting up #3, 6, and 7 this weekend and run it a week to see.

When plants are small, I don’t worry about air exchange much. A little passive exchange is usually plenty. With living soil grows, you get plenty of co2 for small plants from the soil itself. This makes it easier to keep temps up and raise humidity at the same time. That first month to 5 weeks is when all the temps being high enough is most beneficial. After that, going to option 6 is the way I would go. You prob don’t need a carbon filter prior to that anyway. I never vent to outside, it’s just to damn cold and just doesn’t really work out.
Another thing I do is instead of allowing heat to leave out the top, I blow it down from the top to scavenge the heat, and vent at the bottom if needed.
I wouldn’t worry about soil temp being to high when using heat mats, and they help with ambient as well. The high power mats require a temp controller anyway. I run the big high power mats in my greenhouse, 8’ agritape, 22” wide. They never even cycle off until June when it’s really warm.
I use a lot of little tricks, just like your list to eventually get where I want to be. It’s worth it to dial things in the best you can.
You should put a thermometer in a pot and see where you are at. I think you will be surprised at soil temp when growing in a basement.
hth
cheers
os

 

[MrOldBoy]

You want to add only dry things like amendments or mulch, don’t use food scraps or banana peels in your grow container. Fungus gnats and other unwanted pests will flock to your containers if you add food Scraps. Save that stuff for a worm bin or compost pile.
cheers
os

Dried banana peels, aged then frozen / thawed placed under the plastic would be ok I would think as well as washed egg shells but for feeding worms I think the mulch and amendments such as barley, kelp, karanja in moderation is the best way. ....BTW crush egg shells before top dressing and be sure to wash them out as well before crushing or jus go to fed store and get some crushed oyster shells - rinse them and blend them up even finer and top dress working them into top inch or so of soil with a fork ..... Oyster shells also help with cal-mag issues when she starts to flip to flower ..... Also if talking about feeding worms be sure to top dress with some rock dust, worms need rock dust to help digest their food, worms have no stomach.

 

[Organic Sinse]

I'm starting to think that fungus gnats is a never-ending test of wills.

They are pretty easy to manage if you don’t feed em, and have a dry mulch layer on top of the soil.
I learned everything not to do when it comes to fungus gnats thru worm farming. When you are intentionally feeding banana peels in a worm bin, if you slightly cover the food, and then place a piece of newsprint or cardboard on top, no gnats. Skip either of those and it’s a buffet.
cheers
os

 

[MMMi]

You should put a thermometer in a pot and see where you are at. I think you will be surprised at soil temp when growing in a basement.

I know my RDWC with rez in tent is either 68 or 72 depending on the probe. My arduino submersible reads 68, the bluelab pen reads 72. But there is an inline pump adding a couple degrees probably.

All my current plants are late veg to early flower right now but I'm gearing up for 2 new pink panamas after I make room. It's perpetual so same environment veg to flower.