This week in my grow room has been full of developments. First, I added additional lights because I couldn't get the relative humidity (RH) under control. I ordered a dehumidifier, but it will take a few weeks to arrive, so I had to find a temporary solution. I also emptied the reservoir and refilled it with fresh water and nutrients. I secured the net to ensure it stays in place under tension. In two days, I plan to switch the light schedule to 12/12, hoping the plants will stretch a bit during the switch to avoid having overly large buds that aren't evenly spread.
Seventeen hours later, I decided to keep the lights on a 16/8 schedule for a few more days. The plants are starting to show signs of something happening, so I want to see how they develop. I will keep you updated on the progress. Then, I received a message from my supplier that the dehumidifier would arrive today. Great news—time to spice things up!
On June 2nd, the dehumidifier arrived, and I managed to get my Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) to 1.17! This is fantastic news, and I'm very curious how this will affect water usage. The dehumidifier seems pretty powerful, with water literally dripping out of the hose, so I'm no longer worried about high humidity levels. It's a shame it doesn't have a range setting, but I couldn't expect more for the price. I'm considering ordering the Dimlux Auxbox to set a working range and separate day/night settings. Thankfully, the dehumidifier has an auto-restart function after a power loss.
On June 3rd, the night is over, and while my values are now more stable, I haven't noticed any significant differences in water absorption. What I do notice is that the pots seem much drier. The difference in leaf temperature compared to the room temperature has increased slightly, now about a 2˚C difference, indicating that evaporation has increased somewhat. Despite the dehumidifier cooling the air, the room temperature has risen. This is explainable since dry air heats up faster than humid air. The CO2 heater is also running significantly longer. So, although there are no immediately visible differences, there are indeed some changes.
Today is the last short night of 8 hours, and tomorrow will be the first night of 12 hours. I am contemplating doing a 10-hour night first and will decide later tonight. After closely reviewing the video footage, I noticed some divergent colors on the leaves. My pH is currently 6.4, which I had adjusted to compensate for the low pH last week—a foolish decision in coco, I know. I plan to make videos of each individual plant for my records to investigate further. The light is too intense to inspect them up close, so the videos will help me get a better look.
Has anyone worked with a leaf temperature camera before? I am considering purchasing one to regulate based on Daily Light Integral (DLI). My lights support daisy chaining, allowing me to simulate sunrise and sunset. One of the benefits should be reduced condensation due to more gradual warming. Additionally, by controlling based on DLI, it is possible to achieve optimal lighting durations (my targets are a DLI of 35 for growth and DLI 30 for flowering). Using a CO2 sensor, I can also determine the CO2 deficit for each cycle.
I see some root tips on a few Black Sugar plants, but not all. Peyote Zkittlez... not much to see. Lava Freeze, also a few root tips. Royal Amnesia... nothing at all... I think they might be too old by now. All lamps are still working, unfortunately one dimmer is out; I'll order a new one tomorrow. Currently running at 50W except for the last one, which is running at 240W.
Extractor fan naturally not installed yet; unnecessary noise and a high humidity level are appreciated in the beginning (basement from 1930s). Water EC is 0.3, water pH is 7.6. EC is now at 1.4 (250-liter tank, 250ml rootfast, 125ml CalMag, 125ml AtaZyme, 125ml ATA Awa Leaves A+B) pH 6.5, Temp. 21˚C.
I took 30 liters of this mix to water the coconut and this served as the reference value for the Blumats. Now hoping it works directly from the tank through the Blumats. If so, a very cost-effective hydro setup.
Yes, it says 250 liters. Unfortunately, the nutrient tank ended up being slightly larger. It just doesn't fit under the boiler. If I'm doing something completely wrong, please let me know. I've been out of the loop for a while and only have experience with Blumats combined with a Blumat tensio. Unfortunately, I've sold all that stuff and don't plan on buying it again until I make a definitive decision about the house."
Raised front row plants by about 30cm so they match the rear row. This night they will be dark for 10 hours. Tomorrow it will be 12 hours. So this is probably the las update for this week.
As you have probably noticed my RH is on the high side.. Not too bad during vegetation but I believe they can transpire a lot more with a Leaf VPD around 1.00. So I have ordered a dehumidifier to control that. My aim RH is around 58%.. Let's see if that is possible with this device and see if my VPD will be around 1.00