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AJs 2011 Season Start...

Sandgroper said:
Thats bright, This will be interesting AJ.
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yes sir it is bright...if you have only these lights on in the garage and nothing else, it hurts your eyes...and agree...I am very interested in this test...if it is successful and I can grow seedlings under these, I can replace 756 watts with 90...and that is a huge electricity bill savings...if I want to grow to fruiting/flowering, they recommend augmenting the LED light with another light source be it HID, MH, CFL etc for a couple hours a day and they will only cover a 2'X 2' area...it will cover n area 4' X 4' for seedlings...


megamoo said:
I have seen the ads for the led lights. I can't wait to see if they actually do what they say. You are so organized I'm sure you will notice any quicker or slower growth than usual etc.
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I have been interested myself because of the number of plants I am starting to grow...I think Mike (wordwiz) has tried some but don't remember his results or what kind he used..there used to be a member here that was up to his ears in LED information and experiments...don't know where he went but I am sure the threads are still here somewhere...probably in "grow tech"
 
Man AJ I absolutely love reading your threads. Thanks for taking the time to write it all down and posting the pictures for us. I'd buy a ticket for a tour of you operation.

Best of luck to you on the season and your days.
 
Sandgroper said:
Sure but the next best is to watch what happens with AJs
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Hey....let's get Mikey to try it....roflmao..


ABurningMouth said:
Seriously though; LEDs won't keep your plants warm like the others.
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Understood but the growrage stays a comfortable 76-80F...


woody3says said:
Where did you get the Mylar sheeting from AJ? Went by Lowes and Humus D and they don't carry it.
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you need a hydro store or specialty grow store....got mine at hydroexpo on alta mere but they burned out last year...found a new place that is fully stocked with what I want/need to grow seedlings...

patrick said:
Man AJ I absolutely love reading your threads. Thanks for taking the time to write it all down and posting the pictures for us. I'd buy a ticket for a tour of you operation.

Best of luck to you on the season and your days.
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no tickets required...but if pods are in season, we will have to at least try a few...the wife is not interested in my hobby...she thinks it is nice I have something to keep me off the streets and out of the bars...so, I share with my friends here on THP...

--------------------------

The growrage is almost maxed out...got the two LEDs up and rearranged things...I have room for three more trays...I now have 45 trays...3240 seeds in their nice warm moist beds..will get 48 by the end of Jan...

I kinda like my little growrage...

GrowragePanarama01-27-11.jpg
 
Wow, that is truly the red light district! :cool: Hence the best pepper porn around! Looks really awesome AJ, I cant wait to see how the LED's grow some peppers.
Kevin
 
AlabamaJack said:
IMO, if it is time for you to make it stop producing, then simply prune it back...how drastically you prune it is up to you...the general rule is to prune the rootball and the top of the plant to be the same size..
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What tool do you use to prune the plants with? Sharp snips, hacksaw blade, knife, etc...? I ask because the stalk on my plant looks pretty stout.
 
thanks wayright...sure hope they were worth the investment...

OK...today I have spent all day in the growrage...planted another 576 and watered everything else...

While moving plants from one stage to the next, I noticed something about the first 8 trays of scorpions I planted and put in my germinator...the bottom chamber of the chamber stays about 6-8 degrees cooler than the top, the top runs 86-88...all seeds planted within 4 hours of one another and in the top chamber at 8 days, I am getting a 71% germination rate...bottom chamber has only sprouted 26 out of 288...the temperature in that chamber runs 78-80...now, all in all being the same I would say that difference is caused simply by temperature..

8 Day since planting plants...first pic is of the "warmer ones"....sorry about the pics but those LED lights make the pictures look funny...

012711e8dayoldplants.jpg


cooler ones at 8 days...

012711ecooler8dayoldplants.jpg


15 days since planting...

012711e15dayoldplants.jpg


27 days since planting...

012711e27dayoldplants.jpg
 
Dot Com said:
What tool do you use to prune the plants with? Sharp snips, hacksaw blade, knife, etc...? I ask because the stalk on my plant looks pretty stout.
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what ever works...you don't want to split the stem, you want to cut it....a good pair of heavy duty garden shears is worth their weight in gold...I actually used pruning shears with a 4 foot handle on some of mine this year...
 
patrick said:
Man AJ I absolutely love reading your threads. Thanks for taking the time to write it all down and posting the pictures for us. I'd buy a ticket for a tour of you operation.

Best of luck to you on the season and your days.
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+1 for patrick I too really enjoy watching and learning from your operation. That's a beautiful little hideaway there. The plants at 27 days, have you added any ferts with the Hoffmans?
 
logchief said:
+1 for patrick I too really enjoy watching and learning from your operation. That's a beautiful little hideaway there. The plants at 27 days, have you added any ferts with the Hoffmans?
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the plants have been getting a steady diet since before they poked their little hooks up. They have been getting about 1 tsp (5mil)of Botanicare Progro and 1.5 tsp (7.5 ml) of Liquid Karma per gallon of feed...everytime they get water, they get food....I make up the nutrient solution in 4 gallon batches...think of me as growing hydro in soil...

logchief said:
It's amazing what you can build out of PVC and it's so easy to work with, I love that stuff.
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yup...I have used it for some pretty good sturdy structures too...
 
alright then...here we are again...today is Sunday, 30 Jan 2011 and I have just had the time to take "inventory" of the year so far to rate myself as compared to other years...

made some mistakes early...letting the soil dry too much after germination had started...different sets of trays (a set is 4 for me) being at too low temperature for quick germination...trays of seeds I cooked...the list goes on...

But as time has passed I seem to have gotten the hang of it back because I am seeing better germination rates now that the temperatures have stabilized and are almost constant 80-86...

I have planted 48 trays and tossed one so I have room for one more tray and I will plant that today or tomorrow...

Here is my growlog...

01-30-11GrowlogUpdate.jpg
 
Three thousand, four hundred and fifty-six seeds planted. The smile on my face is actually hurting.

At a 75% success rate you're going to have two thousand, five hundred and ninety-two plants.

Did you do that on purpose AJ? The three four five six thing?
 
patrick said:
Three thousand, four hundred and fifty-six seeds planted. The smile on my face is actually hurting.

At a 75% success rate you're going to have two thousand, five hundred and ninety-two plants.

Did you do that on purpose AJ? The three four five six thing?
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nope, just worked out that way...48 72 cell trays...but that is cool that it came out 3456

Yabba said:
If he was any good he'd have had 2,345 plants ;)

Â¥
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agreed, the start up process this year was sloppy, but I think I got it under control now... ;)


WGB said:
As always AJ, you are an insperation! Come on Feb.20 th.(my start date)
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just doin' my thang so to say...I love growing pepper plants...patience was very hard for me to learn....

I think I have fallen in love with two of my plants...two of the overwintered scorpion plants are just beggin' to grow and they are doing a great job of it....these have been under good, heavy light for a week and under the new LEDs for a week and getting a pretty heavy dose of botanicare progro and liquid karma...I am enamored with these two...

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I think I will wait for a week or so before putting up the hoophouse...for us here in North Texas, it is forecast to be the coldist weather this year with a little precip...I lost a greenhouse last february to snow so I'm gonna wait this one out...our low so far this year has been 20F...I know, I know, you northerners are scoffing at that, but to us down here, that is pretty dang cold...check this forecast out...looks like to me 36 hours of low 20 or teen temps to me...

10dayforecast01-31-11.jpg
 
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