First LED Grow

skullcandy · Aug 30, 2013

chaizmain420 have you considered running two grows one led one hps and see which one grows best they would need to be clones from the same plant or seeds same strain.

chazmaine420 · Aug 31, 2013

skullcandy said:
chaizmain420 have you considered running two grows one led one hps and see which one grows best they would need to be clones from the same plant or seeds same strain.

I have a tent with a 600w HPS growing Carmelicious. The back right plant here is also that strain. Its hard to compare a 600 hps to this though.

Mainebud · Aug 31, 2013

So I'm seriously considering LEDs. The problem for me is cost. I'm looking at 10k to refit my flower room. I may try one side with LEDs and keeptheother hids. The other issue is I'm planning on the heat from the lights to heat my room in winter. So for me it's all about quality and yield. They have to do a better job or it means nothing to me. I wish there was more legit info out there. Thanks for the tip on advanced LEDs as I was looking at those.

chazmaine420 · Sep 7, 2013

So its 4 weeks. The plants seem to have grown as tall as there going to get, which is a little disapointing as I would expect more height. It is budding up nicely though but I'll just have to wait and see what kind of yield I get.

ozzydiodude · Sep 7, 2013

How close are you keeping the LEDs?

chazmaine420 · Sep 7, 2013

ozzydiodude said:
How close are you keeping the LEDs?

Its about 12-14 inches off the canopy.

ozzydiodude · Sep 7, 2013

From my understanding of the LED you should be 2 or 3 inches away. they lose their lamination power fast in distance from plants

powerplanter · Sep 7, 2013

I was looking at leds and flos for when I start growing. LoL. If I ever get to grow that is. Good ole Ohio... Your girls are looking great.

Mainebud · Sep 7, 2013

ozzydiodude said:
From my understanding of the LED you should be 2 or 3 inches away. they lose their lamination power fast in distance from plants

This is contrary to what I have read. Most of research I have done suggests the distance they are at now. In fact most say LEDs penetrate better than hids. But again this is just research with no information of my own from experience. I am making some changes to my grow areas that will allow for side by side comparisons. I will do a journal on my experiment. The challenge is getting legit unbiased info.

ozzydiodude · Sep 7, 2013

What I have read by the makers and what some grower on other site are doing vastly differ

Mainebud · Sep 8, 2013

ozzydiodude said:
What I have read by the makers and what some grower on other site are doing vastly differ

That's the problem! Everything you read or see is different. Who knows the answers? Certainly not I!

sunakard2000 · Sep 8, 2013

well ill give some insight... i grew out a God Bud seed for my first grow under 2 145watt LED UFOs, 3watt LED chips, i wanna say 40-45 chips per UFO. anywho the penetration from that distance sucks... although your doing a scrog so that may make up for what i experienced. i let my GB get tall with no training of any kind, it was after all my first grow lol, anywho i did notice a difference in growth speed when it was a bit closer to the top of the plant, and once it was at like 5 weeks into flower i pitched my lights at like a 45* angle so get better coverage on some buds under the top kola, i ended up walking away with about 2oz dry product when all was said and done, not as good as my current HPS set up but hey for LED lights thats not too bad, but yes i would reccomend if its possible to get a 2nd light just like you have and lowering them to about 4-5 inches above the canapoy, and dont worry about the plants stretching and touching the lamp... the LEDs only put off like 2-5 degrees F. difference from 2 inches away from the lamp.. gotta love it... so just smash that sucker down closer, not all the way down but find that sweet spot where you can see super bright pink reflection from ALL of the canopy, the last pics you posted look like the lights a tad weak around the edges of your space, drop it a few inches till all is super bright. just my experience with LEDs, about 2-5 inches above canopy was my sweet spot till week 5 of flower, but all through veg and first 4 weeks of flower, then i pitched them as i said... thats my 2 cents on that matter hope it helps bump yer yield up a fuzz

ozzydiodude · Sep 8, 2013

Mainebud said:
That's the problem! Everything you read or see is different. Who knows the answers? Certainly not I!

IM?E it has been better to find threads by ppl growing with a light or system and see how good it is doing for them. Someone growing with a light will show the goods and bad of a light where as the company that made the light will tell you what they want so they can sell the light system.

Nice post Sunakard

chazmaine420 · Sep 8, 2013

Mainebud said:
This is contrary to what I have read. Most of research I have done suggests the distance they are at now. In fact most say LEDs penetrate better than hids. But again this is just research with no information of my own from experience. I am making some changes to my grow areas that will allow for side by side comparisons. I will do a journal on my experiment. The challenge is getting legit unbiased info.

Thanks to both of you for stopping by. I have to agree with Mainebud on this. Everything i have read suggests that putting LED's that close to the plants would burn them. Not with heat but with over saturation of light. I plucked a few leaves this morning and they are a perfect green. No burn or bleaching. Also if I lowered it to 3 inches the outside edges would get almost no light.

As to buying a second one for that space, that would really defeat the whole point of this. If I have to have a $375 light for every 1.5 x 2 feet of area then its totally not worth it.

Mainebud · Sep 8, 2013

Chaz I was on advanced led site and they brag about them being made in USA and shipping from Arkansas yet you said they came from china? I found the one you have on. Amazon at the same price you said but am confused as to the china part. I'm waiting for a call from company to explain this and recommend how many of what size I would need to do my room.

chazmaine420 · Sep 8, 2013

Mainebud said:
Chaz I was on advanced led site and they brag about them being made in USA and shipping from Arkansas yet you said they came from china? I found the one you have on. Amazon at the same price you said but am confused as to the china part. I'm waiting for a call from company to explain this and recommend how many of what size I would need to do my room.

Hey Bud,
I know exactly what you mean. The Advanced LED site charges more than twice as much for what appears to be the same light. I know mine shipped from China, Arrived in good time, and is working fine so far. Perhaps they stock up in Arkansas or maybe it really is made here but it sure looks the same to me. As far as being made in china, my TV was made there, my laptop, and who only knows what else I own. Then again they've made poisoned dog food and hazardous toys so who can tell.

Anyway I'm guessing you would need at least 3 of these 300w lights to cover what one of your lights does now. Another possibility could be to alternate HPS and LED lights to increase light spectrum.

chazmaine420 · Sep 13, 2013

Well its 5 weeks today so hopefully more than halfway there. The buds are filling in nicely and smell sweet & sticky. at this point theres no doubt I'll get some nice bud off this but think the yeild could be better. Getting a bit of brown spots on the leaves in the center which I think is burn from the light so i moved it up a bit. So heres more pics.

7greeneyes · Sep 13, 2013

Great shots chaz, nice steady eye with focus.

Me, I'm skaky w/ a camera...

chazmaine420 · Sep 20, 2013

Well its 42 days. The buds are firming up nice but not real big. The other thing I notice is some yellowing of leaves. I dont know if this is caused by the light or is theres a nute problem. I'm feeding the same way I feed my HPS grow which has no problems. Anyone have a guess on this?

I just harvested my 600watt HPS tent and got 94 ounces wet. A significant boost from my first grow which I attribute to a P/K booster and an "EXHALE" co2 bag I put in there. I dont have a co2 meter so I cant say for sure but I do think it was worth the $30 i paid for it. Buds are bigger and denser than last time. Anyway heres some pics from both.