My 1st Medical Grow. I need some advice.

[rwagner]

Hello fellow growers! This is my first grow and I have questions that I hope can be answered.

My setup is as follows:

ViparSpectra 4x4x6 tent
2 x ViparSpectra 400w LED arrays
AC Infinty Cloudline 6" (venting out the top of the tent for now)
2 x tent pole fans (that always fall down)
5 x 5 gallon canvas grow bags
All Fox Farm nutes
5 x Gorilla Glue seeds (at least that's what I was told they were)
1 x 1 gallon intelligent cool mist humidifier
Temperature - Hovers around 74 F with 54% humidity

My grow began on October 16th from germination. The plants are very healthy and had began to trim back inward facing fan leaves below the 4th node on each stem.

I am attempting to induce flowering stage by going to the 12/12 light cycle which began on December 10th.
Since then I've noticed an increased height in the plants. ( stretching ?) The tallest is currently 19" from Top to base of LED array.

Because this is my first grow I knew nothing about topping, fimming, etc. I have a net on the way to attempt Scrogging, hopefully by the end of the week. The plants are female from what I can tell, I see the white hairs (no balls, yet).

Questions

1) Is Scrogging a good idea at this point in time? Can I damage them?
2) I have 5 plants in the grow, because I had no idea what I was doing. Is this ok?
3) For these Vipar 400 W LEDs there are 2 modes, veg and bloom(non dimmable). They are currently set to both positions on each light. Should I simply keep Bloom on to force flower?
4) any recommendations for fans? My fans are clip on and while they have good airflow they tend to fall off the pole. So I tied them up so when they slip they dont hit the plants, again! (newb)

Any and all info would be greatly appreciated!

 

[TripsRabbit]

I cut everything except the top node off a few weeks into flower.

 

[Goblinkiller]

Hello !
I have also had trouble with fans. They stop to oscillate, they stop to work and they are prone to fall down. One solution that works well is to have a bigger fan(bigger than you would Clip on pole) lying/laying? On the tent floor.

F.ex. in the middle pointing upwards. The air stream would go up,hit the lights and be directed to the sides and downwards.

Could provide pics if its hard to visualize.

Have no experience with scrog so cant tell you.

Have no experience with those kind of lights, but my common sense tells me to lower the lights and to have no more than 12h light to introduce bloom.

 

[MIMedGrower]

Wrap the poles with something to make them thicker and clamp fans to that or i actually use a hand clamp that is stronger and tighter and clip the 6’ fan to that.

 

[rwagner]

Wrap the poles with something to make them thicker and clamp fans to that or i actually use a hand clamp that is stronger and tighter and clip the 6’ fan to that.

Thank you. I utilized a rope method for hanging thats working out. Funny thing is that the main branch that broke is healed and very strong.

 

[rwagner]

3 weeks in Flower stage. I see Trichomes are coming in nicely!

 

[rwagner]

I cut everything except the top node off a few weeks into flower.

i'm going to LST on the next grow. This is definitely a learning experience

 

[rwagner]

Here's a couple more

 

[tobh]

1) Is Scrogging a good idea at this point in time? Can I damage them?

Don't scrog at this point. You need to veg the plants for a bit once the screen is in place. You'll want to learn a few other techniques like LST, supercropping, and topping/fimming before then to see maximum benefits. At this point, you won't get any advantage to trying to scrog, and will end up having more PITA work come harvest than is worth the effort.

2) I have 5 plants in the grow, because I had no idea what I was doing. Is this ok?

You plant count is on point for your media and area.

3) For these Vipar 400 W LEDs there are 2 modes, veg and bloom(non dimmable). They are currently set to both positions on each light. Should I simply keep Bloom on to force flower?

Bloom only offers a higher red spectrum, which encourages flower growth. Full spectrum is optimum, but in your situation I'd leave both on. What you can do is download an app called Light Meter on your phone and check the lux output. You want higher levels of light during flower than you did during veg, and if switching between the modes offers more light output, switch the lights to the mode that outputs the most.

4) any recommendations for fans? My fans are clip on and while they have good airflow they tend to fall off the pole. So I tied them up so when they slip they dont hit the plants, again! (newb)

I use L brackets zip tied to the poles. This gives the fan clip a nice appendage to bite onto, and allows me to position the fans in a static position for directing airflow as I wish.

I cut everything except the top node off a few weeks into flower.

OP, don't do this. Lollipopping has a time and a place. In your situation (as a new grower with low plant count) this will result in a disheartening yield. Personally, I only cut off the absolute bare minimum. Leafs make flowers, flowers don't photosynthesize or transpire, leafs do. You've got a lot to learn before applying aggressive techniques like this.

 

[rwagner]

Don't scrog at this point. You need to veg the plants for a bit once the screen is in place. You'll want to learn a few other techniques like LST, supercropping, and topping/fimming before then to see maximum benefits. At this point, you won't get any advantage to trying to scrog, and will end up having more PITA work come harvest than is worth the effort.



You plant count is on point for your media and area.



Bloom only offers a higher red spectrum, which encourages flower growth. Full spectrum is optimum, but in your situation I'd leave both on. What you can do is download an app called Light Meter on your phone and check the lux output. You want higher levels of light during flower than you did during veg, and if switching between the modes offers more light output, switch the lights to the mode that outputs the most.


I use L brackets zip tied to the poles. This gives the fan clip a nice appendage to bite onto, and allows me to position the fans in a static position for directing airflow as I wish.



OP, don't do this. Lollipopping has a time and a place. In your situation (as a new grower with low plant count) this will result in a disheartening yield. Personally, I only cut off the absolute bare minimum. Leafs make flowers, flowers don't photosynthesize or transpire, leafs do. You've got a lot to learn before applying aggressive techniques like this.

TOBH... Thanks for the great info! I really appreciate the feedback.

 

[rwagner]

Just a couple update photos. The tops are really coming along and I figure I'm 2 weeks out for harvest.

 

[Dr.B]

Zip ties for the fan on the pole. My 4 stay where I put them. I don't even bother trying to clip them to the poles anymore.

 

[Goblinkiller]

In my short time i already ran through a couple of clip on fans and other. Its much low quality crap unfortunately. Like the zip solution

 

[DankNugz420]

Looks good man! That hanging fan reminds me of last run I hung a metal 10 inch fan in the middle at one end of the tent with pull straps. I go back in like half an hour later and this fan is just goin buck wild in there swinging allover! I was dying laughing after I seen the plants were still good and didn't get hit.

 

[Dr.B]

In my short time i already ran through a couple of clip on fans and other. Its much low quality crap unfortunately. Like the zip solution

I consider it a running cost. A few clip fans a year. FYI wind devil clip fans are garbage, hurricanes are hit and miss, I've had some running for 3 years +, some don't last a year. I'm trying out a couple royal sovereign fans now... So far not great. Flimsy and noisy.

 

[Goblinkiller]

Thats capitalism for us. Thank you for telling me about your experience with hurricane. I was under the impression that it was the shit.

 

[TripsRabbit]

I thought that the pros just hung a box fan. It moves a lot more air.

 

[Milson]

I had the same prob with the hurricane fan just like that one. Ended up hanging it and rigging a solution to keep it straight and pointing across my canopy. Drove me crazy.

 

[MIMedGrower]

I have used hurricane 6” clip fans for almost 7 years. I had 3 fail so far but with over 5 years use and they were not maintained properly. Now i blow out as much dust from inside the motor housing when i wipe off the blades and havent had another fail yet.

i do take the front grill off and the dan stays much cleaner longer. The plastic grill attracted way too much dust.

I will get a pic of the hand clamp set up i use for tent poles. They grab the 2x4’s in my flower room stand fine.

 

[SaintsSamilia]

100% zip ties and in my 5x5 I got two of the small wind tunnel fans at Walmart for 14 here... they work amazingly