Looking good in there. I’d thin it out too. Never hurts to have a little more air flow and light penetration. I lbeen using the medic grows for a few runs now. Pretty happy with them. I have the uv bars but haven’t tested them too much. I’m running 700 par, and having good results.
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Thx for the input, appreciate it and agree!
I’m running the UV 100% during lights on. I’ve noticed some pistils directly under the bars are turning red and shriveling. I’m not drawing any conclusions yet, but it’s something I’m keeping an eye on.
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Yea, I know. I looked at the cost of the sensor, and the gateway and thougth “it’s still cheaper than - or the same price as the Growlink”. Isn’t it? I thought the Growlink was $899-1000, and I thought that was USD. But then their subscription nonsense seems like a deal breaker, for me.
Hmm… I don’t know what to think about all that. Makes me want to go with RDWC even more.
I don’t like knowing that there is this facet of gardening with media in containers and using sensors to trigger irrigation, and that I can’t use/afford to do that right now, but want to. I don’t like just essentially “guessing” when to water, by hand or by guessing a time schedule.
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Yeah, the cheapest Growlink Precision Irrigation Controller (PIC) is about $800 USD with one sensor. Then $250 for additional sensors, max is 4. But it is a full blown irrigation program (you do need to install the actual watering system, cost me about $300 for that). As far as I know, the other options out there are for monitoring only, and don’t include the irrigation component.
I know you can probably do work arounds using Open Sprinkler and mini pc’s, but I don’t have the time nor patience for that either. Growlink is not for everyone obviously, but I love to tinker, I love to grow, I love computers, and it kind of ties all of that together for me.
Still cheaper than hookers and blow …
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D43 since flip, chugging along.
Here’s a sample of the crop steering recommendations that come in each morning …
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Hmm. Interesting. And is this the new approach you mentioned GL was taking, but only you’re not using their “new” sensors?
Also, did you get that email grom GL regarding “The New Connect Controller” Pre-Order and stuff?
Edit: When it says “save over $1000” you know it’s gonna be too expensive, hah. https://www.growlink.ag/hardware/p/growlink-connect-room-controller?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=268422088&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8vSIb4hWQjMNlL2ayWc15-iTv9I6CcvEC5zy2UcplJ2CfevQSqajvLaYMJidduo3OvD-ZY3F5rr8Uq30B0AFIYKb2bJQ&utm_content=268422088&utm_source=hs_email
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Yeah, it’s their new “Co-pilot” crop steering program. The cheapest way to get into it is via their Precision Irrigation Controller with 1 probe, about $700 usd. Then your $20/mo ongoing fee…. You don’t need the new sensors though.
I did get that email. To be honest, I don’t understand half of the crap they are talking about that thing doing. I just know I don’t need it, and even if I wanted it, I can’t afford it 
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D56 since flip.
They’ve been unattended for 8 days, came through it okay (can’t say the same for the unwatered veg tent …). Starting to show some wear as I’ve been pushing them relatively hard. Not a lot of smells so far, just general fruitiness.
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D62 since flip. Still just existing. I sorta have a dilemma as to harvest, a personal friend (who happens to be a LEO) will be visiting in 8 days, here for 4 days. It’s not an issue, but I want to be respectful and not make things uncomfortable If I can keep the smell down I’d like to keep them going, we shall see.
Tent shot, then the Skunk Qabbage, then the B&W. The scrog has kept the buds smaller, but they honestly haven’t bulked much yet.
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D69 since flip. I have a houseguest coming so I’m going to ride it out until he leaves, which will be D75 and then I’ll take them down. This will probably be my last grow photo, I’ll update after harvest.
Growlink did fine with the appropriate media/plant size ratio. I’m not sure it’s better or easier than the old way, but it works. It is nice, for instance, to see the B&W’s have really reduced their water uptake, which indicates they are about done. The Skunk Qabbage on the right side are still drinking a fair amount.
The MedicGrow light also did fine, and I was able to push higher ppfd than in the past (because of the bar style) without too much damage. I also had to feed much heavier than I ever have (up to about a 3.0 EC). I guess ultimate proof will be in the pudding once everything gets dried and cured.
Thanks for following along …
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Old way meaning just based off timed irrigations?
What ppfd did you use?
Basically yeah. For a large scale grow I can certainly see cost savings in nutrients, water, etc. (Growlink does a pretty good job of managing runoff in rockwool), but for a small tent guy like me I’m not sure yet. But I just harvested 2nd grow so I can’t really say much yet about any quality improvements. First round, I’d give about 6/10.
I ran about 950 ppfd the entire flower cycle, at between 2.5-3 EC, one part Megacrop. They started barking a bit around day 60, but made it to day75 largely intact. High LED light, high feed ppm seems to work in my system. I chopped them a couple days ago, seem pretty heavy, and I attribute that to these changes (ppfd/EC increase). I might be off base though, just a gut feeling.
I ran the MedicGrow at 60%, about 14-18” above the canopy.
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I think some recurring issues I have in flower might be due to underfertilizing. It looks like they kind of stall/run out of energy somewhat, and seems to look like potassium deficiency, but I’m not sure that the cause it actually a lack of K in the solution.
I need a screen to use with my usb apogee sensor though. Checking it recently, compared to the photone app I use for convenience, showed that there was much more light intensity than I thought, despite the app having been calibrated to the apogee sensor previously. Now I don’t trust this app as much. But I need to figure out a solution for a screen for the apogee of some sort (windows or mac capable).
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I’m coming to the same conclusion about some of my earlier grows - I was getting early fan leaf yellowing and dropping, and I’m pretty certain I was under feeding. LEDs are different, and I was mixing/matching led and hps. But running straight led, it’s apparent they can handle higher ppm.
I’m using Photone too, but checking it back to the par map that coco for cannabis published for my light it seems pretty close.
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The more I try and learn, or learn about, the more uncertain I am about everything I do. Specifically with nutrient/elemental profiles, and what ppm of what to be using. I just was reading something posted by @Pannonian in @lefthandseeds synthetic fertilizer thread. Anyways, I could easily be wrong, but one thing I read or skimmed over seemed to suggest that their experiment (with one or two varieties, under their other various environmental conditions, mind you) testing N, P, and K (just K in one of the studies) suggested that “optimal” K levels are somewhere around the 60-175 ppm range.
It would be pretty difficult to provide that low a level of K using many if not most commercial blends, wouldn’t it? Especially considering the micro nutrients being attached to that blend (not to mention everything else). I didn’t see their complete elemental profile mentioned, but it’s very possible that I missed it.
I’d like to come across some… general study of cannabis that gives a general elemental profile (or say absolute min and max) numbers, with considerations to ratios, cations/anions, all that “stuff”, for a guideline to at least know that on is in a reasonable area with their fertilizer applications.
As I sort of mentioned in my previous post here, I was just getting the feeling that under fertilizing might’ve been an issue, and specically having a hunch that potassium was in deficit (which might mean…, what exactly? not enough K in solution, too much K in solution, too much Ca in solution or media, antagonism of some other sort, environmental, life cycle stage, any one of possibly a handful or more other potential sources), and now I read some of these studies and it sounds like they’re suggesting that K in any amount I’ve been providing would be “too much”(?) to the level of actual detrimental effects?..
sigh
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Sorry slow to respond … lots of good thoughts there but tbh I’m not a real student of the chemistry of ferts …
I try to feed a “balanced” nutrient (I rely on manufacturer for that) and then replace it daily, push out the old, bring in the new, let the plant take what it wants then start over the next day. It’s probably why I can get away with higher EC levels.
I’m pleased with my harvest from this round and I think it’s because I just hit them harder with everything. I don’t normally weigh, but I did this time and it was 1.6lbs of “A” quality buds and a grocery bag of other stuff I’ll probably end up burning in the fire pit …I’ll post a few pics later.
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Hahaha. Why? Just not worth the effort?
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It’s just for me and unfortunately the environment is not such that I can freely give it away. I burn through a lot making RSO but I still end up with too much. I suppose I could grow fewer plants but what fun is that?
Here’s what the dried flowers look like. 75 days of 12/12. The Skunk Cabbage appears a lot leafier, but it yielded almost 30% more than the B&W.
After a few days in a Grove bag, the SC is a heavy hitting stone. I keep going back to it and haven’t really tried the B&W yet.
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Looks alright to me.
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That’s a great haul!
I’ll be looking forward to the next grow. I’ve been learning a lot following these. 
Have you cured in the grove bags before?
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