Regarding LED quality

[2RedEyes]

Pete, where are you in terms of your acoustic guitar build? It can be daunting but it can also be done...

 

[Lawrenc Smith]

Couldn't agree more. I've always been one to go too far to the point of mental chaos over too much information. But in the end, that's how I imagine lots of people function.

And I understand your point on starting out anxious and losing interest once the true level of expertise needed to do well shows up. I'm sitting on an acoustic guitar kit I paid over $1000 on 13 years ago. Part way in, the full magnitude arrested my brains and now I have an awesome, high end guitar that somebody will buy from me and finish building some day. ... the best laid plans.....

I am a guitarist and I've been told by my luthier that sometimes kits are good but need special tools to put the kit together. That has kept me away from building an acoustic, although I am considering building an electric. I read some replies here so I hope you finish the kit. Back to this topic, I am on my first grow operation and noticed I was "overthinking" everything I was doing. I have settled down and am only researching what I need to know for the stage my plants are in. They are in the flowering stage and so I am really in uncharted territory!

 

[2RedEyes]

It’s just as easy to make a mistake building a guitar as it is growing weed...at least mistakes in the build are appearant...you can see what you did wrong... lotta times I just wonder what I did wrong with my grow...All these practices require Practice!

 

[Pete]

Pete, where are you in terms of your acoustic guitar build? It can be daunting but it can also be done...

At this point, I have the sides with all the braces and kerfing done and a top with all the bracing and the back and bracing.

 

[Pete]

I am a guitarist and I've been told by my luthier that sometimes kits are good but need special tools to put the kit together. That has kept me away from building an acoustic, although I am considering building an electric. I read some replies here so I hope you finish the kit. Back to this topic, I am on my first grow operation and noticed I was "overthinking" everything I was doing. I have settled down and am only researching what I need to know for the stage my plants are in. They are in the flowering stage and so I am really in uncharted territory!

Maybe your luthier doesn't want the competition? I tooled up for this kit and there are a few things for sure but outside of the saddle spacer (45 bucks), some small bullnose planers, maybe ten bucks each, you probably have most of the tools you need at home, and there again, depending on how much you want to do as opposed to pre-made parts. It can get pricey if you want to shape the sides with radial disks and do some power planing or make arch tops from scratch. You should check out some of the cheapo builds on youtube. These guys make amazing acoustics with plywood and dog snot.... nothing specialized at all. Maybe they're possessed, I don't know.

I'm pretty much relegated to each stage like you but I've had some really great people here respond with tons of help that has given me a leg up for sure. I'm gonna remain guilty of overthinking and over-everything on the first plant, after that, probably like the second child... it can do whatever it wants as long as it's home when the street lights come on.

 

[Pete]

It’s just as easy to make a mistake building a guitar as it is growing weed...at least mistakes in the build are appearant...you can see what you did wrong... lotta times I just wonder what I did wrong with my grow...All these practices require Practice!

2RedEyes for President.

 

[Aksarben]

At this link: https://www.growweedeasy.com/lux-meter it shows measurement for LUX, which would seem an easy solution to follow over PAR, or am I missing something? It also stated in the beginning of the article that LUX does not work for LED lighting. Wonder why that is?

 

[oldfogey8]

Lux is a measurement of light as perceived by the human eye. PAR is concerned with photosynthesis which is more pertinent to growing plants than how our eyes see the light.

 

[umbra]

couldn't have said it better. They make PAR meters just for this. Most are pricey and unless you are growing in a warehouse, you will only use it a couple of times when first setting up a garden.

 

[Aksarben]

My little plant, under the dual SANSI LED lights. THey have full spectrum including green.

Coming out of a node....

 

[oldfogey8]

More light would help the plant be more compact. Not trying to be a jerk, but you will need a lot more light to flower under.

 

[Aksarben]

I have another plant, OG Kush Auto on the right side in smaller pot. It is growing pretty compact. This one you see, I have no clue to what it is. It was from MSNL seeds and was a "premium feminized mix" bag of seeds. Cheap, but no clue to what it is. Other plants are oranges, and a banana. Yes I live in SW Michigan. One can hope for fruit someday. Can't wait for it to warm up around here and move things outside. Right now, March 4th, only 8 degrees outside,, windy.... snowy (lake effect) so blowing snow as well. Where's that mangy groundhog????

 

[umbra]

When I lived on the East Coast I grew oranges, lemons, limes, tangerines, and bananas

 

[Devile]

More light would help the plant be more compact. Not trying to be a jerk, but you will need a lot more light to flower under.

When I changed my no brand led 37W/SF to my Mars proII1600 led, 46W/SF, it help increase my yields

 

[Alexphillips]

Cheap LEDs do not give desired results because they made with using low quality material to keep their cost as low as possible. if you really want to grow healthy plants buy a branded LED like MarsHydro, Advanced Platinum, Zooped LED, COB LED, KIng Plus etc . Check their current price online

 

[Aksarben]

To me cheap LED is a 8 dollar bulb. I paid about $40.00 a piece for my 2 SANI LED lights. Things are growing great with them, but I did not specifically choose them because of the cost, but more on the quality of the light spectrum. In LED 40 watts (actually are around 37W) is not the same light intensity as a regular incandescent bulb. More lie 4x the luminosity. I know then they go off in the early evening, it seems strangely dark in that area of our living room. The 2 are like a HUGE amount of light, in full spectrum. Once can channel more of the light with just a little trick of using Mylar and increase light effect for a larger distance.

 

[Growdude]

More light would help the plant be more compact. Not trying to be a jerk, but you will need a lot more light to flower under.

Agree 100%
Almost anything will veg. Also doesn't sound like its in total darkness, going to have problems in flower.

 

[Aksarben]

Agree 100%
Almost anything will veg. Also doesn't sound like its in total darkness, going to have problems in flower.

Probably not totally dark until around 1 AM around here. I have thought of moving it into our spare bathroom that has NO windows, in the late afternoon, and just shutting the door. However, I also figured I'd pot it in a new grow bag I recently bought, and move it outdoors. Weather is not co-operating with me though. Most nights are in the 20s. Can't wait for spring!! I figured once in the grow bag I can put it in the wagon, and move it into nice light in the back yard (live in the country and yes, Michigan now allows us to grow 12 plants) and in the latter part of the afternoon just moving it into our metal shed and shutting the door until nightfall, then moving it back out again for the next day. Pain in the butt but would otherwise probably vegetate all summer long until around Sept 22. Now, the problem with SW Michigan, close to the lake, is that we get really rainy weather in late September and into October and November. I work at a winery and there is always issues with rain and harvest, and sometimes some of our grapes, like Vignoles, put so much water into the berries that they cause bursting int he cluster and then sour rot starts to take ahold, along with other fungus problems like powder mildew, downy mildew.... etc. So want to avoid late fall flowering.

 

[elliek]

To me cheap LED is a 8 dollar bulb. I paid about $40.00 a piece for my 2 SANI LED lights. Things are growing great with them, but I did not specifically choose them because of the cost, but more on the quality of the light spectrum. In LED 40 watts (actually are around 37W) is not the same light intensity as a regular incandescent bulb. More lie 4x the luminosity. I know then they go off in the early evening, it seems strangely dark in that area of our living room. The 2 are like a HUGE amount of light, in full spectrum. Once can channel more of the light with just a little trick of using Mylar and increase light effect for a larger distance.

I have used a 600w Lush Lighting system for the last three years, at 2 plants per grow, once a year. The lighting has produced ~ 4 oz from each plant during the first two years, Stacked Kush(4 oz / plant) the last was Cookies Kush (5 oz per plant). The Lush LEDs seem to be able to penetrate right to the bottom of the plant. LEDs less heat, less electric. I cannot get closer than 18" from the tops with the Lushes or they will burn the plants. I think they are remarkable after I've used HIDs & MHs for 12 years before.