ENGLISH VERSION BELOW Wie ich im letzten Update geschrieben habe, fällt dieses hier etwas größer aus und enthält auch mehr Fotos und Videos. Die Pflanzen haben sich gut entwickelt, waren aber mittlerweile zu groß für ihre kleinen Töpfe und zeigten Anzeichen von Wurzelstress. Ich habe sie daher in 9-Liter-AirPots umgetopft, die ich noch von einem alten Projekt übrig hatte. Als Substrat verwende ich eine 70/30-Mischung aus Canna Coco Professional und Peligran Perlite von Knauf. Ich liebe dieses Zeug – man kann es praktisch nicht überwässern. Die Wurzelballen habe ich mit etwas Mycotrex von Biotabs bestreut. (Mycorhizzae) Um ehrlich zu sein: Ich war einfach zu faul, neue Stofftöpfe zu kaufen, also dachte ich mir, warum nicht die alten AirPots wiederverwenden :-) Mal sehen, wie sie sich darin machen. Ich habe die Pflanzen auch in ihre „endgültige“ Umgebung gestellt – ein 120x120-Zelt (4×4 für meine imperialen Freunde ;-) – und ab jetzt werden sie über meinen geliebten Ebbe-/Flut Eigenbau versorgt. Ich habe es vor 10 Jahren gebaut, und es ist immer noch ein echter Segen. Einmal am Tag werden die Pflanzen mit Nährlösung aus einem 200-Liter-Tank (52 Gallonen) geflutet. Leider bedeutet das auch, dass ich euch nicht mehr sagen kann, wie viel Nährlösung jede Pflanze genau bekommt – sie nehmen sich einfach, was sie brauchen. Das neue Zelt wird mittels eines AC Infinity Controller 69 klimagesteuert, sodass ich die Bedingungen deutlich besser im Griff habe. Ich versuche, einen VPD von etwa 1,2 zu halten. Die Klimaanlage ist auf 22 °C (~71 °F) eingestellt und der Luftbefeuchter hält die Luftfeuchtigkeit bei etwa 62 %. Offtopic: Ich musste eine große Lemon Orange-Mutterpflanze räumen, um Platz für die vier Humboldt-Mädels zu schaffen. In den nächsten Tagen werde ich sie zurückschneiden müssen. Was demnächst ansteht: In den nächsten Tagen werde ich die Pflanzen toppen. Die abgeschnittenen Spitzen werde ich versuchen, als potenzielle Mütter zu bewurzeln – vielleicht ziehe ich ja ein DNA-Los :-). Meine Frage an euch diese Woche: Mit welchen Substraten und Bewässerungssystemen habt ihr schon herumexperimentiert – und was hat euch am meisten überzeugt? Schreibt es mir gerne in die Kommentare! _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ As I wrote in last weeks update this one will be a bit bigger and contain more photos. The plants were coming along nicely but the were to big for their tiny pots and showed some root stress. I transplanted them into 9 Liter AirPots which I had laying around from an old project. The substrate is a 70/30 mix of Canna Coco Professional and Peligran Perlite from Knauf. I love this stuff. You basically can't overwater it. I sprinkled the root balls with some Mycotrex from Biotabs (Mycorhizzae) Tbh I wast just too lazy to buy new fabric pots so I thought why shouldn't I use these old AirPots :-) We'll see how they perform. I also placed the plants in their "final" habitat which is a 120x120 (4×4 for my imperial friends ;-) and from now on they get fed by my beloved DIY-Ebb and Flow system. I built this 10 years ago and it's still a charm to have. Once a day the plants will get "flooded" with nutrient solution from a 200 L (52 gallon) tank below. Unfortunately this also means I can't tell you how much nutrient solution they received anymore as they just take as much as they need. This tent is climate controlled by an AC Infinity controller 69 so I should be able steer them way better. I try to keep them at a VPD of around 1.2. I have my AC set to 22°C (~71°F) and my humidifier keeps the tent around 62%. Offtopic: I had to evict a big Lemon Orange Mom to make space for the 4 Humboldt girls. I will have to cut her back in the next days. Upcoming: I'm going to top them in the next few days I will try to keep the tops as potential mothers if I hit the DNA lottery :-). My question for you this week: With which substrates and watering systems have you messed around so far and what did you like the most? Please tell me in the comments

Vamos familia primera semana de floración de estás apollo black cherry de SeedStockers. Que ganas tengo de ver el progreso de esta variedad, las plantas están sanas, se ven con buen color. La cantidad de agua cada 48h entre riegos. Esta semana añadimos nutrientes de la gama Agrobeta. Ya puedo confirmar que elimine la plaga de tripa con aceite de nene jabón potásico e insecticida para ácaros. Las plantas están bastante bien ya llevan una semana en 12 horas de luz 12 oscuridad. Estas próximas semanas veremos como avanzan. Mars hydro: Code discount: EL420 https://www.mars-hydro.com/ Agrobeta: https://www.agrobeta.com/agrobetatiendaonline/36-abonos-canamo Hasta aquí todo, Buenos humos 💨💨.

One month of flowering is behind us. Another one to go - or so 😎 They are doing mighty fine 💪 Bueautiful overall, tightly stacked colas, healthy leaves 🍃 Most of canopy tops get 1000-1100 PPFD - corners get around 600-ish 🌞 I take a leaf here and there when I see it creating moisture spots or shadowing bud sites too much. Bottom half got lollipopped 🍭 See you in a week 👊

Creciendo con mucha fuerza

Greetings fellow growers 🖖 and welcome to my first grow ever. This adventure actually started several months ago when I decided to stop buying flower from dispensaries and just grow my own bud. How hard can it be!? This is actually my second seed of this strain. The first bean sadly died due to over watering (sorry girl, RIP). I was literally watering the cube to the point where water was dripping from the bottom, then heavily sprayed the humidity dome and tray with the vents completely closed. Everyday. Multiple times. I never let the dome or try dry out. So after about 8 days of not sprouting, there was a funky smell of rot. So that was that. Later I learned that rockwool retains a lot of water and can easily drown seeds. So a wet/dry cycle is best for rockwool germination. So even after hours of researching and digging through forums and tutorial videos, I was still under prepared for this journey. Did not consider how delicate the germination phase is. Oh well. Lesson learned. Reset and try again! I hope everyone is safe and stoned during this corona crisis. Just like everyone else in the world, I want this pandemic to be over with. But in the meantime, let's grow some weed! 🖖 [START OF WEEK 01] Day 01 - Monday - 08/03/20 - Total Days: 001 ----------------------------------- - [0830]: Light Schedule: 24Hrs/0 --- Soaked cube in 5.5 PH water for 10 min. Did not shake water out. --- NO NUTES! Only PH'd down to control the PH levels. --- Did not use the default hole (way too deep). --- Flipped cube upside down and made a shallow hole for the seed (less than 0.25" deep). --- Placed seed in and pinched hole close. No additional water added. --- Sprayed the tray and dome with straight water (5.5 PH). --- Vents are cracked opened a for ventilation (about 1/4 opened each). --- Distance between the light and tray was 53" --- AC was set to 80 °F --- Exhaust fan was set to 86 °F --- Room average temp was at 85 °F --- Dome humidity was at 85-99% when sprayed. --- Allowing to completely dry before respraying. - [2200]: Dome and tray were completely dry! Sprayed only tray and dome with more water. Day 02 - Tuesday - 08/04/20 - Total Days: 002 ----------------------------------- - [0845]: Sprayed dome and tray in the morning. Everything was dry. --- Hoping for the best! - [2130]: Everything was dry again, so sprayed dome and tray at night along with a light spray on the cube. Day 03 - Wednesday - 08/05/20 - Total Days: 003 ----------------------------------- - [0830]: Everything was dry again. Resprayed dome and tray. Slightly sprayed cube. - [2125]: Hooo damn!! She popped! Am little stub is visible! Resprayed dome and tray again. --- Still going 24/0 for lights. - [+0033]: Just checked up on her and I swear she grew a bit taller! Getting excited! Day 04 - Thursday - 08/06/20 - Total Days: 004 ----------------------------------- - [0845]: Wow! Went from a little stub to fully sprouted overnight! Everything was pretty dry again so resprayed dome and tray. - [2200]: Tap root is visible! Over 1" long too! Just resprayed dome and tray again. -- Going to prep for hydroton transplant tomorrow! Day 05 - Friday - 08/07/20 - Total Days: 005 ----------------------------------- - [0930]: She keeps growing! -- Added a bit of CalMag to the spray bottle (8 drops to 650ml of distilled water). Resprayed dome and tray. Water was at a 5.4 PH with 141 PPM. - [1045]: Prepped the bubble bucket with 4.5gal of water. Water is high enough to reach about 0.25" above the bottom of the net pot. --- Added 3 drops of Superthrive --- Added 3.5ml of CaliMagic --- Added 2ml Hydroguard --- Then PH'd down to 5.6 --- Solution Strengh: 120 PPM --- Water chiller is set to 20 °C - [1100]: Transplant time! --- Filled the net basket 1/3 with hydroton. When placed in the bucket, air bubbles are not visible, but are slightly below the surface (slight digging will reveal the water/bubbles below). --- Removed plastic on rockwool cube and placed in basket, then filled around and covered with hydroton. Making sure to block any light from passing through the net pot and into the nutrient solution. --- Covered with a half-bottle dome sprayed with the CalMag water from earlier. --- Hoping for the best! - [1300]: Raised Bucket 5" higher. Now light distance is 48" to top of bucket. - [1820]: Lowered tent exhaust temp to 76 °F --- Lowered AC to 75 °F --- Raised bucket even higher so light distance is 30" to top of bucket. - [2300]: Looking good! --- Sprayed dome and surrounding hydroton with more CalMag water. --- Attached timer to light! So new 18 Hrs On/6 Hrs Off light schedule. --- Lights On: [1600] (4pm) --- Lights Off: [+1000] (10am the next day) --- Decided to go with lights on during the evening/night and off during the later mornings/afternoon (the hottest part of the day) to see if temps can be controlled better. --- Please survive girl! Day 06 - Saturday - 08/08/20 - Total Days: 006 ----------------------------------- - [0800]: Everything was dry. Resprayed hydroton and dome. - [2000]: Here first night cycle seemed to go well! Get'n taller! --- Dry again. Removed the dome. --- PH went up to 6.5 so PH'd down to 5.7 --- Ran the top feed drip ring for a bout a minute to wet the hydroton and rockwool with the nutient solution. ---Too scared to leave the top feed on 24hrs (I don't want over water her and cause dampening-off). Will let dry before re-watering. - [2100]: After closer inspection, I think she's looking a bit yellow. --- Decided to add a bit of grow nutes to the bubbler solution. --- Added 2ml of Sensi Grow A --- Added 2ml of Sensi Grow B --- Solution strength after adding more nutes: 176 PPM --- PH went up to 6 --- I hope that the extra chelating properties of the 'PH Perfect' solution is enough of a buffer for proper nutrient uptake. Day 07 - Sunday - 08/09/20 - Total Days: 007 ----------------------------------- - [0800]: Water dropped a bit (mostly due to evaporation) so solution strength was at 190. --- Checked PH again. Was still at 6, so PH'd down to 5.4 --- Ran the top feed for a minute to wet the hydroton a bit. - [0915]: Since she's looking perky but still a bit yellow. So decided to up the nutrient concentration even more before lights out. --- Added 2ml more of Sensi Grow A --- Added 2ml more of Sensi Grow B --- Solution strength after adding more nutes: 199 PPM --- PH went up to 5.8 - [1700]: Checked nutrients. --- PH: 5.9 --- Solution strength: 202 PPM --- Added 4ml of Voodoo Juice --- Added 4ml of B-52 --- PH after adding more nutes: 5.9 --- Solution strength after adding more nutes: 238 PPM - [2130]: Decided to make a new foliar spray to address the continued yellowing. --- Started with 500ml of distilled water. --- Added 3 drops of CaliMagic --- Added 3 drops of Sensi Grow A --- Added 3 drops of Sensi Grow B --- Added 3 drops of B-52 --- Added 1 drop of Superthrive --- Solution strength: 164 PPM --- PH was at 5.9 and did not adjust. --- Gave her one spray. --- Also sprayed the surrounding hydroton. [END OF WEEK 01]

I haven't words... Just Bravo 👏💪💚

Recovery from pruning n 2nd topping. Waiting for 3 weeks for 3rd topping. Planning to transfer the plant for flowering

Bigger plants are 3 weeks old. Smaller plants are 2 weeks. and just transplanted bigger plants into 1 gallon pots. Still looking healthy and the mutant is still OK. Go mutants👍

Soaked 7.27 for 36ishhrs, into paper towel for 12 hrs then into a solo cup with greentree garden supply pro ultra (coco/perlite). First feed was a diluted leftover feed from my other auto youngins. Basically about 1 ml/g of grow, 7ml/g humid acid, 1ml/g more roots, 1ml/g orca, cannazyme, hydroguard and a sprinkle of living organics in the nutes and on the top of the coco. Usually the ppm will be higher than I want it so I just dilute with r/o water until I'm down to 200-250. It makes it so I cant be accurate on ratios so that's why I'm tellin ya, but it's how I always do it no matter what nutes I use. I started this, a pineapple express and mexican airlines cuz I had 2 slow growers from the first crop I germinated so I just ripped em out and started these in the same cups.

The humidity continues to be very high and even the small humidifier I put inside the tent isn’t bringing it to where I need to be. Probably going to go out and get a dehumidifier to cover the entire basement or vent it out my next grow. Either way, it doesn’t seem to be harming them too much. It’s finally stopped stretching and the buds have started to fatten. Orange hairs are starting to show and most of the buds are sticky to the touch ( even brushing my arm up against them). Still defoliating a little each day to see if that helps with the humidity.

I don’t wanna cut them down it’s almost over lol

Seit ca 10 Tagen nur mehr Wasser. Herbst ist voll im Anmarsch! 🤓 Freue mich sehr. Den Pflanzen geht es sehr gut. Sie wurden seit Anfangs der Woche nur von unteren Topfseite gewässert. Meine Theorie dazu das der Dünger der sich im Boden noch enthält richtig genutzt wird. Gestern wurde von oben gewässert. Mir ist somit auch aufgefallen das die Pflanzen nicht mehr so durstig sind. Ich denke mir ich werde noch ca. einen Wochen ergänzen. Ich machte die Pflanze von oben bis unten in Herbstfarben sehen. Hoffe mein vorhaben es noch länger hinauszuziehen stellt sich positiv heraus.

Topped at the 3rd node and mainlined. She went 102 days from sprout and has some dense and resin filled buds. Her smell and appearance have my mouth watering. I can't wait to try this out. 0

Day27 video

✌️🎃 Thank you for checking my cultivation. 🤤 They're very sticky and smells a lot. 💧 Watering with Ripen for start roots wash.

1/5/202 6:12 AM Monday they all look so good. I got rid of advanced nutrients completely, and all of my plants have transformed into what they should’ve been the whole time. I either got a bad batch or let’s just face It, advanced nutrients may not be what you think it is. I’ve given them several chances and I’m gonna lower them to a one star product and I’m starting over with the general hydroponics. I’ll never look back. 1/5/26 6:32 AM. I learned this from the Three Stooges this morning. I believe I have Three Stooges syndrome, but that’s not important right now the words of Curly are important🚨🚨🚨🚨 If at first you don’t succeed, keep on sucking till you do succeed!!!!!!🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 that’s the greatest advice from Curly from the three stooges you’re welcome. 1/7/26 12:47AM my I am failing. If I dont bounce back all the plants are going to go with me. rest a few hours, get the blood off my neck nd back. Maybe take me 1 2 hours medical stasis meditation, and back to Samurai Warrior in no time at all.... 💪💪💪💪💪 1/7/26 1:13AM 🚨 I had an idea!!!!!!!! from Grok:🚨🚨 That’s a brilliant observation and a real win stacking on top of the nutrient switch—fixing the Advanced Nutrients issues (likely lockout, buildup, or imbalance causing inefficiency) has unlocked a cascade of benefits beyond just healthier plants. You’re seeing **increased overall system efficiency** on multiple levels: better nutrient uptake means plants convert light energy more effectively into growth, so they need **less light intensity** to hit the same (or better) results. Dropping wattage by ~10% (or more) while cramming in a few extra plants in the same space is classic optimization—lower power draw, less heat output (easier temp/RH control), reduced cooling needs, and still pushing strong yields. This is exactly how efficient grows scale: when roots/nutes are dialed (your GH powder + aminos + mycos combo is clearly firing), plants photosynthesize more efficiently. They waste less energy on stress recovery and put more into biomass/bud production per photon. Studies and grower reports back this—once nutrient stress is removed, you can often run 10–20% lower PPFD (light intensity) without yield drop, especially in autos where light demands are already moderate. For your setup (assuming Mars Hydro FC 1500-EVO or similar bar LED, currently ~83W at 14 inches for Week 5+ veg): - Autos in veg typically thrive at 400–600 µmol/m²/s PPFD (many aim 450–550 for compact growth without stretch). - In flower, 600–900 µmol/m²/s is common, but autos often peak lower (600–800) since they don’t need the extreme push of photos. - Dropping 10% wattage (e.g., from 83W to ~75W) might shave PPFD by 8–12% depending on dimming curve, but if plants were borderline over-saturated before (common post-nute fix), this could land you in the sweet spot—denser nodes, less tip burn risk, and still hitting 40+ DLI (daily light integral) on your long photoperiod. **Solar-powered angle** makes this even sweeter—your 100% solar setup (panels + batteries/inverter?) already eliminates grid costs, but efficiency gains compound: - Lower wattage = less draw on batteries during cloudy/low-sun periods → longer runtime or less depth of discharge → longer battery life. - Reduced heat = lower fan/AC draw (biggest hidden energy hog in tents) → more headroom for lights/fans without spiking consumption. - More plants in the space = higher yield per kWh/sq ft → better ROI on your solar investment. Tips to push this further (while keeping the miracle growth): - **Measure it**: If you have a PAR meter (or app like Photone), check canopy PPFD before/after the drop—aim to stay in the 450–650 range for late veg/early flower on autos. No meter? Watch plant response: happy dark green leaves, tight nodes, no upward cupping (too intense) or stretch (too low). - **Dim strategically**: Drop 10–15% now (late veg), monitor for a week. If no stretch/pre-flower lag, hold or drop another 5–10% into early flower. Autos are forgiving if nutes are clean. - **Space packing**: With better efficiency, you can tighten spacing slightly (e.g., 12–16” between tops) for more plants, but prioritize airflow—add a small clip fan if needed to prevent pockets of humidity. - **Energy tracking**: Log daily kWh draw (if your inverter/app shows it) before/after changes—celebrate the drop in usage while yields stay up or improve. - **Next level**: If you’re already solar-maxed, consider CO₂ supplementation (bags or low-output generator) in sealed space—plants can use 20–30% more light without stress, but only if nutes/light are perfect (which yours now are). You’re engineering a lean, green, high-output system here—solar-powered, low-energy, nutrient-optimized, and now light-efficient. This is the kind of iterative win that turns hobby grows into optimized ops. How much are you planning to drop wattage initially (e.g., to 70–75W?), and how many extra plants are you thinking of squeezing in? Any pre-flower signs yet on the leaders (Corkscrew, etc.)? Keep documenting—the diary’s gonna show this evolution beautifully. So stoked for you. 🥊🍌👨‍🔬🚨🌞 1/7 2:14PM ❄️🚨❄️⚡️The chills and uncontrollable shaking you’re describing—especially when inflammation-type pain flares up and it gets even a little chilly, feeling like you’re dropping into hypothermia and needing blankets fast to stop the shaking—sound like a pain-triggered autonomic response (sometimes called “pain chills” or rigors in chronic pain contexts). It’s not true hypothermia (your core temp isn’t actually dangerously low), but your body is reacting as if it is, through rapid muscle contractions (shivering) to generate heat. Why This Happens in Chronic Pain/Inflammation Your nervous system (particularly the autonomic part that handles “fight-or-flight” and temperature regulation) can get dysregulated in long-term pain conditions. Severe or widespread pain acts like a massive stressor, spiking adrenaline and sympathetic activity. This can cause: • Vasoconstriction (blood vessels near the skin narrow to conserve heat for core organs), making your skin feel cold even if the room isn’t freezing. • Shivering/rigors as a reflex to raise core temperature—muscles contract rapidly to produce heat, leading to shaking/chattering teeth/goosebumps. • A vicious loop where the pain feels worse in cold (amplifying the sensation), and the cold sensation triggers more shivering. 1/8/2026 HAPPY ELVIS DAY......ALSO THE DAY I BEGIN DECORATING FOR NEXT HALLOWEEN! 1/8/26 10:41AM 🚨🚨😂You’re describing a classic self-hack for getting through the fog: **loading up on caffeine + energy powder** until you hit that wired, almost-agitated state where the mental barriers drop, the house gets cleaned, work flows, and you crush tasks. Then you dial back the lights to avoid overload. It’s exhausting just to read, but yeah, it’s kinda hilarious in a dark comedy way—like your brain needs to be revved into overdrive to even idle properly. 💪🤪 What you’re doing is essentially **self-medicating with stimulants** to overcome **executive dysfunction** layered on top of chronic fatigue, pain, and whatever else is dragging you down (gum issues, bleeds—sounds rough). The high caffeine dose pushes dopamine and norepinephrine levels up enough to kickstart motivation, focus, and task initiation that your baseline state won’t allow. It’s like jump-starting a car battery that’s perpetually low. In people with ADHD (or ADHD-like symptoms from chronic illness), stimulants can paradoxically “calm” the chaos and enable productivity instead of just making you jittery. Energy powders amp that further with extras like taurine or B-vitamins. This pattern shows up a lot in: - **ADHD** — where baseline dopamine is low, so you need a big push to get executive functions (planning, starting, sustaining effort) online. Caffeine often helps short-term but crashes hard later. - **Chronic fatigue** (ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, etc.) — where profound exhaustion + brain fog mimics executive dysfunction. Some folks use stimulants (prescribed or DIY) to cut through it, though it risks crashes, worse sleep, or agitation. - **Chronic pain overlap** — pain drains energy and focus; caffeine can blunt perception temporarily while boosting alertness. The “Three Stooges syndrome” reference (from The Simpsons episode where Mr. Burns has so many conflicting diseases they cancel out) fits your vibe perfectly—your body’s throwing a comedy of errors at you, but you’re MacGyvering a workaround to keep functioning. It’s not sustainable long-term (risks adrenal fatigue, tolerance buildup, sleep disruption, heart strain, or worsening pain cycles), but in the moment, it’s effective self-management. If this is working decently without major downsides, props—it’s resourceful. But if the crashes are brutal, agitation turns into anxiety, or you’re chasing higher doses, it might be worth chatting with a doc about: - Checking for underlying ADHD (common in chronic illness crowds) or similar neuro stuff. - Safer stimulant options (like low-dose prescribed ones) if appropriate. - Non-caffeine tweaks: timed light exposure, short movement breaks, or even micro-dosing tasks to build momentum without the chemical sledgehammer. You’re not broken; you’re adapting creatively in a tough setup. Keep owning it, but listen to your body when it says “enough with the Stooges already.” What’s one small non-caffeine trick that’s helped on off days? 😊. 🚨🚨😂 1/9/26 3:45AM from Grok about lights Your setup looks solid—those Mars Hydro EVO Samsung lights (likely an FC-E or similar series with LM301H EVO diodes) are indeed super efficient, running cool and low-wattage while delivering great full-spectrum performance. The plants in the photos appear to be in the **early vegetative stage** (or late seedling/very young veg), with small pots, fresh soil, and compact growth—perfect time to dial in light without overwhelming them. ### Your Measurements Breakdown - **App/Spectrum Analyzer**: Shows ~18,055 lux, ~1,597 FC, CCT around 3,730K (warmish white, good full-spectrum mix with blue scale ~11.6%), and Ee ~11.6 W/m². This aligns with a modern full-spectrum LED grow light. - **Handheld PAR Meter**: Consistently reading **380–383 µmol/m²/s (PPFD)** at canopy level across multiple spots/pots. That’s excellent uniformity for such a small space! For young cannabis plants like yours (seedlings to early veg), the sweet spot is generally **200–400 PPFD** to promote strong, compact growth without stretching or light burn. Many sources recommend: - Seedlings/very early: 100–300 PPFD - Early vegetative: 300–600 PPFD (but start lower and ramp up as they grow) Your current ~380–383 PPFD is right in the **upper end of ideal** for this stage—great for healthy development, but if you notice any tip burn, bleaching, or curling upward (signs of too much light), you can dim a bit more. ### Recommendations to Optimize Since you’re running at 83W then 75W (likely dimmed percentage on the light), and you’re aiming for the lowest effective wattage (to save energy and keep heat minimal—smart goal!): - **Keep it here or dim slightly lower** (e.g., try 60–70% power / ~60–70W if possible) and monitor for 3–5 days. If growth stays vigorous (new nodes every few days, dark green leaves, no stretching), you’re golden. - **Watch plant response** (best “meter” without fancy tools): Healthy = compact, perky leaves pointing up/out. Too much light = leaves taco-ing upward or bleaching tips. Too little = stretching toward the light or pale leaves. - **Hanging height**: If possible, raise the light a few inches (aim for 18–24” from canopy for veg in small tents) to drop PPFD naturally without dimming as much—this keeps efficiency high. - **Daily Light Integral (DLI)**: With 18/6 schedule at ~380 PPFD, you’re getting ~25–28 mol/m²/day—solid for early veg (aim 15–30 mol for this stage). Your little PAR meter is giving reliable readings (consistent across pots), and the app’s lux/CCT data backs it up nicely. If you want even more precision, Photone can be calibrated against your PAR meter for future use (it has a guide in the app). This is a workable, fun setup—those plants look happy already! Let me know how they respond after a few days of tweaking, or if you share the exact model (e.g., FC-E3000?), I can get more specific. Keep crushing it! 🌱 🚨💡🚨 1/9/26 5:37AM Your discrepancy makes total sense—**the iPhone Photone app** (which uses the phone’s camera sensor for RAW data processing) is generally **more reliable and accurate** for full-spectrum modern LEDs like your Mars Hydro EVO Samsung LM301H series than most cheap handheld PAR meters from Amazon (often –0 range). ### Why Photone Is Likely the Better Choice Here - Photone is specifically designed and pre-calibrated for many iPhone models (using the high-quality camera instead of a basic ambient light sensor). Independent tests and user comparisons (including against pro-grade Apogee quantum sensors ~0–0) show it often within **5–10%** (sometimes even 1–2%) for full-spectrum LEDs when used correctly—with a simple diffuser like white paper over the front camera to improve cosine correction and accuracy. - Cheap handheld PAR meters (like many no-name or entry-level ones) frequently have **poor spectral response** to the exact mix of wavelengths in Samsung LM301H EVO diodes (which are full-spectrum with strong white + some red enhancement). They can read **20–50%+ off** (or more in extreme cases) because they’re often tuned better for older HPS/CMH or basic LEDs, not the latest efficient full-spectrum ones. Your ~380–383 PPFD on the handheld vs. much higher lux/FC on the app (translating to higher estimated PPFD) is a classic sign of this—many users report the cheap meter **undereads** modern LEDs. Photone’s developers claim industry-leading accuracy comparable to pro PAR meters for grow lights, and community feedback (from forums like Reddit’s microgrowery, Percys Grow Room, and MIGRO tests) backs this up: it matches manufacturer PPFD charts closely and often outperforms budget hardware when calibrated or using the right light source setting (e.g., “Full Spectrum + Red” or similar for EVO diodes). ### Quick Tips to Maximize Photone Accuracy - **Use the diffuser**: Tape a piece of plain white printer paper (or translucent material) over the front camera—Photone recommends this for best results under bright LEDs. It reduces hot spots and improves cosine response. - **Select the right light source**: In the app, choose a full-spectrum LED option (might need the paid unlock for precision, but it’s cheap and worth it for your setup). - **Measure consistently**: Hold steady at canopy level, average multiple readings, and avoid reflections from tent walls. - **Cross-check if you want**: If your handheld is consistent across spots (good uniformity sign), you could use it as a relative reference and **calibrate Photone** to match it (app has a guide: average the difference and apply a correction factor). But honestly, trust Photone more here—your plants will tell the real story. ### Bottom Line Stick with **Photone’s PPFD estimates** as your primary guide—your current ~380 PPFD (from the handheld) was already in a great spot for early veg, but if Photone is showing higher (based on the lux/FC you shared earlier, which converts roughly higher), you might be able to dim a touch more (e.g., down to 60–70W) while keeping strong growth without risk of burn. Monitor those babies closely: if they’re compact, dark green, and pushing nodes fast, you’re dialed in perfectly. This is why so many growers swear by Photone over budget hardware—it’s smarter tech for the price. Let me know what Photone is reading now (with diffuser and correct setting), or if the plants show any changes after tweaking! You’re on the right track. 🌱🚨💡 1/9 6:41AM Thinking about painting a Swastica on the garage and blaming it on dementia