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Help with my potency loss Please & Thanks

  • Thread starter Thread starter Frosty.McDanknugs
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Help with my potency loss Please & Thanks

Frosty.McDanknugs 9 Replies 496 Views
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Frosty.McDanknugs

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#1
I could really use some experienced input here — I’ve hit a frustrating drop in potency since moving to a different home, and I’m trying to isolate the cause.
I grow legally and run proven genetics from reputable seed banks, so I don’t believe this is strain-related.
Before the move, I was consistently producing flower with strong potency and great terp profiles.
Since moving into a new house, though, there’s been a noticeable decline in potency. The appearance is still amazing, still looks frosty and it's dense and tasty.
The key thing is — only two variables have changed:

1. Nighttime Temps (Dark Cycle)​

At my old place, I could get temps down into the mid-60s°F, even in summer, without AC. and in the high 50's during winter time.
Now:
  • I can’t get below ~70°F during lights-off
  • Lights-on temps are 77–80°F
  • RH is steady around 50%

2. Lighting Change​

Old setup:
  • 3 × 600W CMH (ceramic)
New setup:
  • 2 × Spider Farmer SF-4000 LEDs (~450W each)
  • 1 Pro Grow 1800 (600W)
So I went from about 1800W of CMH → ~1500ish W/LED

What I’m Noticing​

  • Bud structure is still super solid
  • Yields are decent and trikes are goregous before and after harvest.
  • But potency and overall “punch” are clearly down

My Questions​

  • Could not dropping below 70°F during dark be impacting potency or terpene production?
  • Or is this more likely due to the switch from CMH/HPS to LED (spectrum, intensity, or total wattage)?
  • Did I effectively cut too much light energy in half, even if LEDs are more efficient?
  • Would it make sense to:
    • Run fewer plants under the same LEDs to increase intensity per plant?
    • Go back to CMH/HPS for better results?
    • Invest in a cooling solution to get night temps back into the 60s?
Everything else is consistent:
  • Same nutrients
  • Same grow style
  • Same dry and cure process
This feels like it has to be environmental.
Would really appreciate insight from anyone. Especially those who have:
  • Switched from CMH/HPS → LED and noticed potency differences
  • Dealt with higher night temps
  • Dialed in SF-4000s specifically
Trying to get back to that top-shelf quality I was hitting before the move.
Thanks in advance 🙏
 
#2
Lowering temps in flower has a stress response and increases resin production.
To me it also reduces yield in vegative state so I split the difference. During flower after sugar shows I limit top temp to 75f as countless studies have shown higher temps than that have a potency impact.
Not unusual in flower to go from 75 to 65.
I have gotten colors also but as it was just a color thing and did not help with anything else I checked off the box for making purple and black fans and will not do that again.
 
#3
JIMKSI64 said:
Lowering temps in flower has a stress response and increases resin production.
To me it also reduces yield in vegative state so I split the difference. During flower after sugar shows I limit top temp to 75f as countless studies have shown higher temps than that have a potency impact.
Not unusual in flower to go from 75 to 65.
I have gotten colors also but as it was just a color thing and did not help with anything else I checked off the box for making purple and black fans and will not do that again.
Click to expand...
To be clear.... You think the fact that my top temps (even during lights on 12/12) being between 77-80ish is still too high and THAT's what is making a difference? In other words you think the "top temp" for the 24 hour day has a bigger effect on potency than getting temps into the 60's during dark? Or do BOTH have a massive impact?
 
#6
Frosty.McDanknugs said:
To be clear.... You think the fact that my top temps (even during lights on 12/12) being between 77-80ish is still too high and THAT's what is making a difference? In other words you think the "top temp" for the 24 hour day has a bigger effect on potency than getting temps into the 60's during dark? Or do BOTH have a massive impact?
Click to expand...
Here is a good read about ppdf and air temps. One of the best things about this write up is all the earlier work mentioned giving more links to more information.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0098847225000024#bib45
Terps and THC are volatile organic compounds that evaporate. Higher temps and low humidity increase this.
The stress response and resin production from the night temp drop is a well known fact that is also strain dependant.
Some of the stuff I read had correlation numbers and reductions for the heat but I have never seen a side by side on resin production.
 
#7
GNick55 said:
i think part of it is the light switch,,
regardless or these experiments hps is still best,. even large warehouse grows will have hps inbetween the led’s,..
led lighting is actually bad for you,..
Click to expand...
I think I agree man. So you disagree with the people who say lowering temps late in flower causes a stress response and increases resin production?
 
#8
Frosty.McDanknugs said:
I think I agree man. So you disagree with the people who say lowering temps late in flower causes a stress response and increases resin production?
Click to expand...

It CAN cause a stress response that increases resin production but that's never guaranteed and really kind of contingent on the strain. What those lower temps in late flower are going to do for you is PRESERVE the volatile organic compounds (VOC's), especially the monoterpenes that really put the smell over the top but are lost at relatively low temperatures. If you want to preserve the most pine, for example, keep the temps lower.
 
#9
GNick55 said:
your temps are fine,
too low temps will cause nutrient uptake issues that’s why leaves change colours and can delay trichome ripening,.
Click to expand...

It's probably published somewhere what the trigger root temp is, but I see phosphorus uptake get wonky when air temps go down to roughly about 60 degrees. It's that first cold snap that brings the P blotching. When it starts hitting mid 50's, N and Mag start acting up. Probably not usually an issue in an indoor tent but if your doing your thing in a shed, for sure.
 
#10
Frosty.McDanknugs said:
I think I agree man. So you disagree with the people who say lowering temps late in flower causes a stress response and increases resin production?
Click to expand...
the only trichomes that get produced during stress is cystolith which have no heads and contain nothing,
capitate-stalked are the ones that contain all the good stuff and those trichomes need 6-8 weeks to grow and produce the chemicals inside to convert over,..
i believe the plants are already genetically set into how much capitated stalked trichomes it will produce regardless of the stress induced as those trichomes are the csytolith hair trichomes..
colder temps only cause nutrient uptake issues and delay of ripening,..
 
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