Live Stoner Chat 600 LED from seedling to harvest?

[NugNoob]

I grow with 2 x Mars 300and although an early model they still grow from start to finish in my cabinet. - I tried some BIG CFL's and binned them within weeks - tho I keep a couple of 30W Blue vegging lights in there as well, I confess they end up tending either a Basil or Chilli in the corner behind the ducts.

In the first few days extra humidity can be good - I do a bit of humidity screening by using a clear-semi-open (just cut holes) plastic cup over seedlings for the for first few days/week (say second leaf-set formation) - keeps the intensity of the LEDs off for a bit and adds a bit of humidity by reducing airflow from circulation fans.

I know they SAY that 18" is the ideal distance from LEDs - well I have a small cabinet and even with the smallest of phenos those babies' will come close to 6" which can lead to some leaf bleaching << learning a bit of LST training can be useful in confined spaces - as can getting pot size right - because I was height lacking I went for a 15L airpot - that I height trimmed to give me an 11L pot (wider but shorter in height) << working well so far... But If you have space obviously bigger pots = bigger plants... paradoxically NOT what I want LOL.

The other thing I've noticed in small confined spaces is the need for careful experimentation with small fan placement (I currently use 3 PC fans and a 4" Filter system) - one large PC crosses airflow across the front of the LEDs (and top of plants) to help keep surface temps down - one PC fan scoops the dead air from the top of the cabinet down towards the extraction - the last PC fan (on a variable speed toggle) wiggles about on an elastic band providing some basic 'flutter' - << main extraction is a 4" Ruck n Rhino with venting to an internal room (passive air intake). When I first built the cabinet I tried using 6" circulation fans - but in the smaller space it went from breeze to tornado effect with the doors closed (drop your phone and let it record a few mins) - so it actually overwhelmed all the careful placing of intake/ extracts and everything in between.

Even moving or switching off a very small fan can have a HUGE effect on small space air circulation and cooling << so be patient and experiment [In my small cabinet I could switch off one PC fan and my cabinet temps will go from 24-26C to 32-34C << that's my top of cabinet downscoop.

But play about and good luck...

Interesting stuff man, thanks for sharing! I've done a few "test runs" w/o plants and such with the fans and temps. I have been surprised by how powerful the 6" inline fan can be even on medium and that's with it pulling through the carbon filter, through maybe 4 feet to the fan in my crawl space then from there, another 10 feet out the side of the house! The thing is a beast at 440cfm. In addition so far, I've got 1x 6" clip on fan for inside the tent and I have a 10" fan on the outside to pull some fresh, cool air in.

Side note... It's been like 60-70 degrees F around here in New England past almost all week, maybe spring is coming early and I won't have to struggle to get the RH and temps up (though I got a humidifier).

Here's to hoping!

 

[NugNoob]

Every grow I have done with Vipar spectra I get a gram per watt man there good lights for the price I actually have one running now for about 6 months straight haven't turned t off, I grow killer plants with them all the time, I actually
Recommend going with the par series, those lights have optical lenses so you get some better penetration

That's great news man, I got the 600 PAR from them. I'm completely new to this so I mean, I'll be happy if I get some decent tasting bud!

 

[KapScot]

Temps could well vary throughout your grow (airflow aside) - I find at the start the cabinet will run HOT << there simply isn't anything using the energy from all those photon's and the energy has to go somewhere << entropy dictates heat. As plants grow larger (and particularly as they stretch in first flower) they seem to suck up a huge amount of energy - and your temps may well drop a few degrees (just my small space perhaps) but don't be over alarmed by a slightly high start on say a room full of seedlings v the same plants at at bloom.... as long as you can keep humidity high for seedlings and low for flower you sound all sorted.

Since you are starting you might want to consider staggering grows rather than an all-in space filler . For me this evens out temps and humidity as above, and you can tuck a seedling under the semi shade of a larger auto. It also makes the whole space less-full and easier to manage/navigate for maintenance.... it's the same amount of plants in the same space - but just in a staggered seedling v flowering ratio.

 

[NugNoob]

Temps could well vary throughout your grow (airflow aside) - I find at the start the cabinet will run HOT << there simply isn't anything using the energy from all those photon's and the energy has to go somewhere << entropy dictates heat. As plants grow larger (and particularly as they stretch in first flower) they seem to suck up a huge amount of energy - and your temps may well drop a few degrees (just my small space perhaps) but don't be over alarmed by a slightly high start on say a room full of seedlings v the same plants at at bloom.... as long as you can keep humidity high for seedlings and low for flower you sound all sorted.

Since you are starting you might want to consider staggering grows rather than an all-in space filler . For me this evens out temps and humidity as above, and you can tuck a seedling under the semi shade of a larger auto. It also makes the whole space less-full and easier to manage/navigate for maintenance.... it's the same amount of plants in the same space - but just in a staggered seedling v flowering ratio.

Sound advice and I appreciate the good suggestions man! Thanks, love the experience talk.

 

[budelee]

Looks like tour getting dialed in!!! Awesome!!

 

[Headbudz77]

I have used a viparspectra 600 for 3 months now and they work very well.
They don't have a lot of penetration but as long as you don't do too many plants under yours you should get enough light for a good harvest.


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