Going Dutch

Week 4 of flower in the books and the stretch has mercifully tapered off while the buds start to stack up. Good thing to because we’re essentially out of head room now and there’s a good chance we end up torching some of the larger colas on the cheese. Super cropping was considered but ultimately declined for the sake of experimentation. At least this way, we’ll know what the stress test is like for clearance on the vipar during future grows - you’d be surprised how close you can get to some these fixtures. The added calmag does appear to be paying dividends and the lemon haze is showing signs of accelerated growth which is good to see. Overall, the results on the system to date have been great. Only issue is continued leakage from these crappy buckets which are all failing below the grommet holes. I’ve been fixing and transplanting one at a time since the last week - again, just another lesson learned for the next run. But a right pain in the ass nonetheless. They’re pack’n on the weight now and should be a great finish👍😎👍😎. Background/Repetitive Nonsense The strain line up on this grow is look’n quite saucy 😈. We’ve got 2 FB strains this time around - Gorilla Cookies (seems we always have some GSC cross in the works). Mainly because the colours look stellar and remind me of a sugar breathe we did last year that was 🔥. The other FB is their original Cheese strain... because we already smoked all our cheese... and we really like our cheese...😉. Emerald triangle was kind enough to include a freebie of Lemon Haze. Wasn’t really big on the list but we haven’t done a haze strain to write home about yet so worth a go👍. The last is a Cherry auto from Bomb seeds that we’ve been trying to get to for months. Let’s just hope that she’s not a dud like the last bean. The new digs for this run are courtesy MarsHydro👊. Their 2x4 single grow tent, paired with a shiny new 240w QB courtesy ViparSpectra. These folks were kind enough to discuss a collaboration and as a result, here we are to test out the gear with an inaugural run of autos. Each week, we’ll try to expand on some of the benefits of each, as well as any limiting factors or considerations that need attention when pondering purchase. Already I can say that both are high quality products in terms of overall craftsmanship. MarsHydro 2x4 Grow Tent: Excellent construction in terms of durability. Reinforced stitching on the zippers and corners ensures zero tearing. Conveniently placed screen vents and intake/exhaust ports. The ceiling exhaust port only exists on the right side. Perfect for me but not great if you’re running exhaust from the top on the left side (left side wall port makes up for this however). The aluminum frame is rigid enough to support the weight of the lights and accessories. Once you have some weight in the tent, she’s go’n nowhere and you can assemble and break it down in record time if moving or stashing the grow op. Only limiting factors I’ve noticed is that temp. Control will be an issue for a tent. It just doesn’t have the same insulating ability as a wood cabinet or other permanent enclosed space. No worries, this is offset by a small desktop heater and keeps the environment exactly where desired. The other issue was a production problem - the ceiling vent was accidentally stitched into the corner seams on the assembly line. Again, no real issue - just pulled it out with no damage or fraying to the tent or port👍. Website link here: https://www.mars-hydro.com/grow-tent/buy-mars-hydro-grow-tent-24x48x70-2-x-4-cabinet-closet-grow-box-upgraded-diamond-1680d-mylar-for-sale ViparSpectra 240w Quantum Board: This thing is sleek and slick in terms of design. Closest comparable to it that I’ve seen would be spiderfarmers line of qbs. They feature the same top-o-the-line components and roughly similar spectrums. Where VS takes the advantage is in the convenience of the dimmer nob which is easily accessible and works great at 50% with no strobing👍. The heat sink is also larger which contributes to lower temps. That’s not a good thing in my case but beneficial for most folks. I can already say that this will be a great fixture through all stages of growth. Where I know this light will excel will be in the veg. Stage for sure. Dimming function gives seedlings a much better chance of success with the ability to use lower lighting levels early on and the coverage area on a 240w is great. The average grower will find this panel suitable and fitting to their needs in a 2x4 grow space although I’d suggest 2 units if going any larger than that. The total output in this space equates to about 30w/sq.ft. Which is a decent amount of coverage based on power vs. Growprint. Ideal for veg. Certainly but, in flower - I tend to run closer to 50-60w/sq.ft to achieve higher yields. Again, similar fixtures have performed admirably in the past and while this wouldn’t be considered an “entry-level” fixture, I’d recommend that any grower new to the game not skimp on lighting and start with one of these. The price points are a great value for quality LED tech. These days, so there’s little reason to even consider a lesser fixture👍. I have no detail on limiting factors for this light as yet but have heard that stock branded fixtures don’t necessarily incorporate enough red diodes. I’ve seen no issue myself but confess - I’m no lighting guru. Website link: https://www.viparspectra.com/collections/xs-series/products/xs-series-xs2000 ***8% discount when using code: “ItBudWhisper”*** Happy to have you along for the ride if you made it this far through my opening rant!!😎🤟😎🤟😎