I'd like to start a brainstorm thread on what I should do here. I will be gone for a week. I bought some HydroSpikes for watering. I'll let everyone know how they work. They will either work or it won't (I've been assured that it WILL work). Fuck it, that's not my issue. My issue is I've got one plant in flower (15th day) and one in veg that is 3 weeks old and is recovering VERY nicely from a recent (5-6 days ago) transplant / topping combo. She went from a 4" planter to a 4.75 gal pot, and she looks amazing. So, I've got two plants that I've got to leave, unattended, with only a hope that the watering system works and no idea what to do with the lights. I don't want the veg plant wayyyyy away from the light (125w 6500k CFL), but I don't want it killed via burning/heat, either. Same goes for the flowering plant. It's growing like a motherfucker and it wrapping itself around the lights. I've got a fan on them, so the bulbs are so cool, you literally can't tell they are on. However, I've got to adjust it daily as the plant keeps growing. It was LST'ed and scrogged, then unscrogged. It's looks like a really funky bonzai plant with the flowers only on one side. Anyway, kinda neat actually. So - basically, should I raise the lights to a level where they are too high to burn the plants (resulting in some stretching, I'm sure), but at least they will survive a week? Thoughts fellas?
raise the lights. I would say 6 days is enough time for them to grow into them considering you transplanted not too long ago they'll be taking off
Yes, raise the lights a bit higher than you think you'll need them to be. It's better to have a little stretch than to have them grow into the lights before you get back. Alternatively, you can try a little training - clip the top, bend it over, and let the side branches grow upward toward the light.
I'm going to need to see pics of this or something - I have no clue what you're talking about. Clip what top? And then bend the fan leaves down and secure them down?
Only one was transplanted. The plant in flower was transplanted 2 weeks before she was put into flower - she's good. I'm more concerned with the lights, specifically. Sounds like the consensus is to raise them. I leave this weekend - I'll keep you posted.
Yo Keif! If you clip the top growing tip of the plant, then bend the main stem over (it will crackle and fold a bit) And tie that down, so most of the plant is now horizontal, the new growth will grow upwards toward the light, giving you several new tops, and it will buy you time to go on vacation by giving your plant more room/time to veg.
Ahhhh..... My bad - I thought we were talking about fan leaves/stems and only fan leaves/stems. She's in a tiny tent - 16" x 16" - so not a lot of movement possible. I had to elevate her about 6-8" so she would be higher than the water feeding her, also limiting my height.. I can raise the lights to a point where they are about 6" higher than the top of the plant, at which point they'll be at the top of the tent. Lights are: Eight (8) 2700k 14w CFL's and one (1) 6500k 24w T5. So, would 6" suffice while I'm gone?
6" would probably be fine. An inch per day is achievable, under great conditions. Maybe not under CFL, but you never know. If it hits the light in the last day, you'll be coming home to adjust it soon anyways. 6" ought to do the trick. =)
Maybe she's talking about stem thickness.... You never know! Hope you have a great vaca! FYI, I recently came back from a tropical vacation and uprooted what I was a palm tree seedling, which survived 20 hours of travel wrapped in wet paper towel and a plastic bag in my front pocket. I planted it in rockwool when I got home, and I'll be damned it survived and started growing. Only now I realize it's crabgrass, just a common weed. But it's tropical. That's my recent vacation rant! Enjoy yours.
@[member="Original Past"] Thank man, going surfing. It looks like the HydroSpikes are working. I taped off the water line on the 1 gal jug, and it certainly decreased. Was it from success or from evap? I guess I'll find out. And remember - Charlie don't surf!
Alright bitches - I'm out in an hour! My Mazar x White Rhino (in veg) it's much of a concern. It's small and won't need much water, so a single HydroSpike, and she's REALLY bushy, not so much tall. So I moved her light from about 1.5 to 2" to 4.5". I think I've raised the lights on my Kerala Krush enough (about 5-6"). She was watered my own special mix of nute soup (just a dash of Grow Big and Big Grow at 1/4th strength + a regular dose of Cal-Mag) and then I added the second HydroSpike to the opposite side, so she has two now. I will be gone exactly 144 hours on the dot. Wish me the best, I'll report back when I return.
Ok, I'm back, and here is what happened. My plant in flower, krush, is alive. I had left two HydroSpike's in the plant and dropped the two hoses into a 1/2 gal of pH'ed distilled & Cal-Mag solution, which is what I feed as my watering. It was bone dry. I don't know why I didn't think to leave a full gal, assuming it would be more efficient with the water, I guess. She grew right into the lights, and a few of the leaves were burned in tiny spots. A lot of the top leaves were sickly looking. I got rid of the pot that was elevating the plant (needed to draw the water up). They are now considerably further away from the 1" they were, a new 4" fan was added, and the air filter was removed to increase air flow. It was way too hot in that tent, and unbelievably there isn't the slightest odor from her - weird, she's 3 & 1/2 weeks into flower and nothing. Most of the leaves were drooping some, so I watered it. My plant in veg, mazar/white, was alive and fine as well. In fact, it went into plant on steroids mode. The two tops are growing massively, but it seems one side is slightly uneven. Probably the nicest looking plant I've ever grown, and I topped it! On my first try! This is my lucky plant.... unfortunately for me, and unlike the kerala, it REEKS. We're talkin face slapping, groin stomping powerful! I can't even begin to describe how pungent this is. And this plant isn't in flower yet. Oh boy, I'm in big trouble. And I added my spare 150w 5000k CFL, so now she's on 275w of beautiful sunlight. Maybe I can get her several inches taller before I flip her. Or maybe I'm just feeding a monster. SUMMARY: It worked, but I wouldn't recommend using it long.