I have a problem: your instruction is incredibly successful, So successful that I have to ask a question you probably never get asked: HOW DO I SLOW IT DOWN??? Yeah, downloaded the guide AND bought the book too.
So, I built a DWC garden using a tote box about 24" by 18" by about 14" high. I put my ScnOG screen 15 inches above the the plant basket bases (2 plants, Blue Dream). I have this container in a 36" X 18" X 60" grow tent and I’m using a 400 HPS light. Because the container sits on a basement cement floor I put an aquarium heater in the base to keep the solution around 70ºF. I’m using General Hydroponics nutrients per instructions on the bottles.
I planted my seedlings on the 29th of January, on the 28th of February I did the super martini glass pruning (poor plants look naked under their skirts ) and begun tying the branches to the screen. On the 3rd of March I switched to 12/12 lighting. Now, two weeks later I have no more room to bend down branches and the new budding shoots are growing like crazy. “So, What’s the problem” you say? My light is within about an inch and a half of the roof of my tent and my 400 Watt light is only 9 inches from my tallest shoots and those suckers keep GROWING!!! Short of cutting a hole on my tent I don’t know how to proceed. I was going to switch to 600 watt lighting when I started this project, fortunately I stayed with my old 400 Watt or I’d be burning stuff by now with all that heat.
So, short of starting to bend these shoots over as well and just covering what’s below them (sort of screen of green over screen of green) I am at a loss of what to do.
Current nutrient ratio is 2 4 6 per gallon for blooming. Leaf color is good. There are a number of big fan leaves above the screen. Can they be pruned off (maybe making room to train some of the larger shoots) or are they needed to pump energy into the buds?
I will get a bigger tent for next grow but any thoughts for now?
Any thoughts out there? I appreciate any advice you have.
Just bend the fan leaves gently out of the way. Buy a bigger tent. Yes! You figured it out. Too small a tent. You can always mount the lamp on the edge or on the side of the grow. The mylar will still reflect light all over the tent, but you will gain back head room.
Thanks for the advice. I was also thinking of pinching tops (with tears in my eyes because it would be pruning buds ) So I’m going to be bending things to keep them lower.
I would love to go to a 48" X 24" but I can’t seem to find any in that size that are taller than 60". I may end up just building a Masonite enclosure and lining it with Mylar.
Thank you for your help.
Bruce
P.S. My wife just asked what I was so intensely typing here. So I explained the problem. Don’t you hate smart ass people? So she said, why don’t you just cut out the bottom and raise the tent. Duh, I can probably do that (though I’d hate to ruin a decent tent). And I’m the one who usually is thinking outside the Box (or tent in this case).
Yes; I suppose you could cut the botom out. However; I cannot understand why you cannot find a 2’x4’x7’ tent. There are 1000’s for sale on ebay. :smile I found this in 3 minutes:) Peace
Another thing. If you were going to cut out the bottom of your new tent; Perhaps building one would be a better option; After all, you are going to have to fabricate something to make up for reflection and enclosure at the bottom, below where you raise it to.
If you want to build one. Use 1’x2’ material, and drywall screws. Pretty easy, and light. Then you can purchase Panda Plastic or mylar for reflection; Or, add 1/8 plywood for walls and paint everything flat white.
$79 is a good price. I couldn’t build it much cheaper. I definately need to expand though. I coudn’t have raised a better crop this time if I could have spread out more.
Sometimes a grow tent is a bad idea; If you have the more room to grow in. The only reason I use a tent is because everyone was using a tent, and I had to know the issues with using a tent. I have plenty of room to just grow in, it is for all of you new growers. Experimentation, and knowledge to share.
Tents are prety cool though, because you can manage a nice gorw without having to spend too much onb lighting, due to the fantastic reflective characteristics of mylar grow tents
) and begun tying the branches to the screen. On the 3rd of March I switched to 12/12 lighting. Now, two weeks later I have no more room to bend down branches and the new budding shoots are growing like crazy. “So, What’s the problem” you say? My light is within about an inch and a half of the roof of my tent and my 400 Watt light is only 9 inches from my tallest shoots and those suckers keep GROWING!!! Short of cutting a hole on my tent I don’t know how to proceed. I was going to switch to 600 watt lighting when I started this project, fortunately I stayed with my old 400 Watt or I’d be burning stuff by now with all that heat.
) So I’m going to be bending things to keep them lower.