Boboro
Well-Known Member
I think think the snow was to deep so thy didnt read the meater for a few mounths and that leakin tolit from a few mounths back done cautt up with you.
Michibacy Grow Log 2013
- Thread starter Michibacy
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Boboro could be onto something. Sometimes they just guess for a few months and then check it for real. It happens out here even in pretty weather. You'll find the guy on some back road catching some zzzzzzzzz's.
Still the best way to know for sure is shut the valve off to the toilet, write down the meter numbers before you go to work and check them again when you get back. Otherwise, you may get another surprise you don't want.
I know it seems to be rushing it, but I had time so I transplanted into the float trays. I'd say 75% of the leaves are about 1/2 size of a dime. Most of them seemed to fare just fine. I weeded out unhealthy plants and left the remaining to grow in the starter bed. I have about 27 YTB, 11 Izmir, 11 Xanthi, 4 Green brior and a combo of VA bright, Conn. Shade and 7 Mammoth Large. Pictures to come this afternoon, but for quick info, I found a plastic tub that would fit the float tray perfectly. I pre filled the trays a few weeks ago and made sure it floated. I had to heat up the soil with a couple 300 watt spot lights, and the remaining water was topped off with 120*F water (heated up quickly!). The lights on the plants right now are are CFL and are as follows: (2) 30 watt full spectrum bulbs, (2)18 watt 2700k bulbs, (1) 10 watt Coralight bulb (half and half of 2600k and 7900k) and (1) 12 watt 5000k aquarium bulb. Which results in over 8000 CFL-Lumens. I built a hood/ballast system to house all of the bulbs using some galvanized aluminum, I wired in 2 sockets (with 3 way splitters) and installed the said lights. I hung the assembling from a rod using a bungee cord and can adjust height pretty easily. The temp after 4 hours was 83.4*F, I opened the hood that's over the tub to allow a bit of heat exchange as anything over 82*F I've notice seems to slow down sprouts.
looking good dude! i got a late start here, just started germing today eek
Very nice. Mine are getting leggy, so I'm going light hunting tomorrow. The work lights saved the plants by adding heat , but I need something I can put right on top of them like yours. Your plants look great!
Clamp lights really work well, you can bend the cone into a oval shape to distribute lift better, a lot of growing stores have 30 watt cfls in full spectrum lighting for 10 bucks each. I built my light for about 40 dollars if everything was new.
Thanks Larry! Couldn't have done it without your help! I hand picked each plant according to it's own characteristics (and sometimes because I only had say 7 sprouts!). I kept the rest to sell/give to a few coworkers and local customers for this upcoming season.
grgfinney
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Plants are looking good Jeremy.
Are you using supplemental heat or just the lights? I just noticed air vs soil temps.
I was at one point using a small 40watt inca bulb to heat up the small propagator. Now in the large tub if I turn on a tube of tube lights (8watt) underneath the tub, the soil temp in a cell in the float tray is 79.6*F, if it's off, it's 76.4*F. I have tried both. In the basement the ambient temp right now is around 58*F (not very well insulated) inside the tub I don't know the air temp, again the temps listed above are soil temp only.
I need to go ahead and get a thermometer and humidity meter with probes. I have no way to check soil temps, but the air temp in my basement runs between 65 and 68. I got new grow lights today. Two 2' single bulb fluorescent per float tray (2 trays floating in water). I'm sure the water temp is probably pulling down soil temp. 20 watt, 750 lumens, 90 cri, is all the info I can find on the bulbs. It was all Walmart had. They were out of the dedicated grow lights so I got undercabinet fluorescents and then got the grow bulbs to swap out. Pictures are in my grow log.
DonH
Well-Known Member
I was able to check soil temps for my seedlings using a meat thermometer.
DonH, I did that last year. Mine goes from -3*F to 330*F. This year I found a simple thermometer in the outdoor garden section at Lowes that has a probe with a 10 foot wire on it. This way I don't have to take the cover off the tub when I want to check it.
The plants really started to grow, It's kind of interesting to watch how when there is a huge increase in plant matter above the ground, soil temp and air temp change. For the past week it's had a constant temperature of 79.4*F ground temp, Went to check lastnight and you can see what happened with the plants, and the temp is now 81.2*F, I didn't change a thing.
A change in air temp perhaps?
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