Things progressing, does defoliation really improve yield? I’m hearing conflicting arguments

Week 6 coming to an end going to week 7 where I will start the flush mid week peace out y’all 👩‍🚀☘️👽

FIRST GROW, ANY ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED" PEACE

She sure looks awesome. I’ve started flushing her this week our harvest her sometime next week or so. The blueberry smell is strong. Her trichs are glistening and she’s swelling up. She’s not very big but I’m hoping to get at least 56 grams of smokable buds from her. I finally chopped her at day 69. I’ll give her a good 5-6 day hang and get her into some jars for curing then update with the harvest.

1/12/26 4:18AM MONDAY.....💪💪💪💪👌 1/12 CANNAKAN DAY EDICINAL SLAVERY WOULD MAKE HARVEST A BREEZE!! ABOUT THE LEDS Yes, the **Samsung LM301H EVO diodes** in your Mars Hydro lights (likely an FC-E series like FC-E3000, FC-E4000, or similar) are among the most efficient horticultural LEDs available right now—individual diodes hit **3.14 μmol/J** efficacy, pushing the whole fixture to around **2.85–2.9 μmol/J** PPE (photosynthetic photon efficacy) in manufacturer specs and independent tests. That's top-tier for full-spectrum grow lights, meaning they convert more electrical power into usable plant photons than older diodes or cheaper LEDs. If they "seem more efficient than the PPFD meter says" (your plants thriving at lower wattage/height adjustments), that's actually common and not a contradiction—it's often the **real-world efficiency** shining through once nutes/stress are fixed. Here's why this happens and what your recent wattage drop (a few more watts lower) likely means: ### Why Samsung LM301H EVO Can "Seem" More Efficient Than Raw PPFD Readings Suggest - **High PPE + Uniform Distribution**: These diodes excel at producing photons in the PAR range (400–700nm) with minimal waste (heat/loss). Mars Hydro FC-EVOs achieve strong average PPFD (e.g., 750–1000+ μmol/m²/s in tests at recommended heights/power) with even spread—no hot spots wasting energy. When your nutes were suboptimal (Advanced Nutrients issues), plants couldn't fully use the light (wasted photons → stress, stretch, lower efficiency). Now dialed in (GH powder + aminos + mycos), they convert more of that PPFD into growth—making the light "feel" stronger/more efficient even if meter numbers stay the same or drop slightly. - **Meter Limitations & Calibration**: - Handheld PAR meters (especially cheap/older ones) can under-read full-spectrum LEDs like LM301H EVO (strong white + red enhancement). They often have poor spectral response to the exact mix, reading 10–30% low compared to pro tools (Apogee SQ-500) or calibrated apps. - If you're using an app like Photone (mentioned in your diary), it's generally more accurate for Samsung full-spectrum lights (especially on iPhone; Android varies but often close with diffuser/paper). Many growers report Photone matching or exceeding cheap handhelds on LM301H setups—sometimes showing higher effective PPFD than a basic meter implies. - Bottom line: Your plants are the ultimate meter. Thriving (miraculous growth, no burn/stress) at lower wattage means the effective usable PPFD is higher than a potentially under-reading meter suggests—efficiency win. ### Your Wattage Drop & What It Means Lowering by a few more watts (on top of the earlier ~10% drop) is smart and aligns with the efficiency gains: - Dimming on Mars Hydro FC series is **very linear**—tests show PPFD percentage tracks close to (or slightly above) the dimmer % because diodes run more efficiently at lower currents (less heat/loss). - Example: Dropping from 100% to 90% might only reduce PPFD by ~8–10%, not full 10%, due to that efficiency curve. - Your plants handling it (still "miraculously better") without stretch or pale leaves confirms the sweet spot: likely 450–650 μmol/m²/s veg/late veg range now, with room to push if pistils emerge. - Solar bonus: Every watt saved = less battery drain on cloudy days, cooler tent (less fan/AC draw), and more headroom for extra plants without spiking consumption. **Practical next steps**: - Recheck PPFD (if using Photone/handheld): Average multiple canopy spots at current height/power—aim 450–600 for late veg autos, 600–800 early flower. - Watch response: If nodes stay tight/dark green/no cupping, you can drop another 5% or lower height slightly for denser canopy. - Log kWh if your inverter shows it—track the drop to celebrate the savings. - If meter still "under-says" vs. plant performance, trust the plants more—Samsung EVOs are proven beasts when the rest of the grow is dialed. This is textbook optimization: nute fix → better photon use → lower power for same/better results → solar efficiency skyrockets. You're building a truly lean system. How low are you at now (e.g., 70–75W total?)? Any pistils or new growth explosions today? Keep the momentum—it's paying off big. 🥊🍌👨‍🔬🚨🌞💪💪💪💪💪 1/15/26 12:36AM L-Phenylalanine: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/L-Phenylalanine#section=Crystal-Structures That’s your Mars Hydro bar-style LED grow light setup in a compact grow tent (looks like a 2x2 or similar Spider Farmer tent branding on the mylar walls), running super efficiently right now! Breaking down what I see from the photos: • The light is a multi-bar LED fixture (probably from Mars Hydro’s FC series, like FC3000, FC4000, or a smaller EVO variant) with Samsung LM301H (or similar LM301B/H EVO) diodes—these are high-end, efficient chips known for uniform distribution, low heat, and great full-spectrum output (warm white + red/IR boosts for veg/flower). • It’s hung at 19 inches (measured from the light bars to the canopy or sensor plane, with that white dotted line marker). The tent shows a hygrometer/thermometer combo reading 76°F / 53% RH (nice stable veg conditions—cooler side helps prevent stretch). • Your PAR meter app is showing 327 μmol/m²/s PPFD (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density) at that spot/height—solid reading for where you’re at. • Plants look like young cannabis in veg stage: multiple small pots (fabric or repurposed buckets like Krøger cottage cheese tubs—classic budget move!), healthy green canopy with some colorful accents (maybe early purpling or strain traits), topped or in early training, sitting in coco coir or similar media. • Power draw: ~50W current (from the energy usage screenshot), averaging super low over time (0.48–0.76 kWh daily average). That’s impressively efficient—likely dimmed way down or a lower-wattage model (e.g., 150–300W rated, but running at partial power). Total consumption over 30 days at ~14.5 kWh is pennies on the electric bill. This aligns perfectly with your earlier plan to target ~500 PPFD but getting great results at lower wattage/intensity. Right now at 19” and 327 PPFD: • That’s in the sweet spot for early-mid vegetative stage cannabis (typical recs: 300–600 μmol/m²/s for veg, starting lower ~300–400 for young plants to avoid stress, ramping up as they bush out). • Bar-style lights like this excel at even spread (no hot center like older quantum boards), so your canopy is getting consistent light without bleaching or stretch in spots. • Low power (49.6W) means minimal heat buildup—fans and passive cooling handle it easily, keeping temps/RH dialed (76°F/53% is golden for veg; prevents mold and encourages compact growth). Why it feels “great results at lower than recommended”: • Samsung diodes are top-tier efficient (often 2.8–3.1 μmol/J), so you hit usable PPFD without cranking full power. • Many Mars Hydro FC models recommend 18–24” for veg at 50–75% dim (your 19” fits right in). • Your plants are responding well—lush, no obvious deficiencies/stress, and you’re feeling physically ready to top/fill pots after the delay. To push toward your 500 PPFD goal without overdoing it: • Lower the light a few inches (try 16–18”) incrementally—PPFD scales roughly with the inverse square law, so dropping height boosts intensity noticeably (could jump 20–50% depending on spread). • Or bump dimmer % if it’s not maxed (your 50W draw suggests plenty of headroom). • Retest PPFD at multiple canopy spots for average (center often higher, edges lower in bars). • Watch for tacoing/upward leaf curl (too much light) or stretch (too little). This setup is dialed for low-energy, healthy veg growth—perfect for your “lower wattage wins” approach. Plants are happy, tent’s stable, and you’re crushing it efficiency-wise. If you drop the height or dim up, snap another meter reading/pic—I can help fine-tune further. How old are these ladies (weeks from seed/clone)? Any specific strain notes, or planning to flip to flower soon? Keep the momentum—today’s a win! 🌱💪😂

really big buds. love it. my fav

The time is coming. Leaves are yellowing and falling down, buds stopped to grow and 50-60% of pistils became orange/brown. I already did few flushing watering. :)

Growing great. Smells good looks like its going to be be a nice physcodelic and strain. Smells sweet and spicy mostly like sttawberries.

Buds are getting bigger and smelling more and more. I defoliated a bit on day 40 for better light penetration. Nothing else to say.

This girl is looking great! Noticeably frostier than last year so I am excited! She smells really strong right now, lotta sweet and slightly skunky. I spend most of my video talking about how my plan for a tomato roof using stuff I already had didn't work out so looks like I'm going to Lowe's on Wednesday. Gotta get it up before the cold and rain starts in so I don't get moldy buds.

12.09.2023 Tag 52 - Woche 8 / Tag 3 Licht: 45cm – 80% Lichtzyklus: 18/6 Luftfeuchte: 58% Temperatur: 26°C VPD: 1.4 kPa Bemerkungen: Höhe Apricot: 46cm Höhe Watermelon: 34cm Es gab ein paar Probleme mit dem Mischungsverhältnis, aus dem die viel zu zeitige Blüte der Wassermelone und guter N Stress bei beiden Damen hervor ging. Insgesamt haben die Beiden das Alles aber gut überstanden und hauen nun dicke Nuggets raus. Ich gieße täglich gut 2 Liter H2O an die Damen und genieße ihren Duft nach Feierabend. 😍 Es gibt mehr Updates die Woche. ########################################################################################################################################################################################################## 15.09.2023 Tag 55 - Woche 8 / Tag 6 Licht: 40cm – 80% Lichtzyklus: 18/6 Luftfeuchte: 60% Temperatur: 27°C VPD: 1.5 kPa Bemerkungen: Ich habe es ein wenig mit dem Wasser übertrieben. Die Wassermelone zeigt Anzeichen von Überwässerung (könnte auch N sein). Aber nur wenig, deswegen mache ich mir keine Sorgen. Freunde, es geht weiter mit dem großen Wachsen. Es gibt einen Neuankömmling im Zelt. Ich weiß noch nicht, ob es ein Tagebuch geben wird, aber die Dame wird zumindest immer wieder Gastauftritte haben... und es wird eine sehr schöne Dame werden... FastBuds Crystal Meth. Terp 💪😎

Week 17

Smelling sexy

They are all putting on weight quickly and taking shape very impressed with all of them and they prob have another week or so before flush/harvest. REMEMBER , IF YOUR SHOPPING FOR GEAR YOU CAN USE THE CODE “BANGDANG” FOR 10% OFF YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE FROM ANY OF THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES. @greenbuzzliquids @rainscience_growbags @gorilla_grow_tent @growlightscience.led NEW* @Rocbudinc Seeds on his website * *****Gorilla grow tent discounts extend to all companies affiliated with grow strong industries which include..***** @super.closet Lotus Nutrients Kind LED grow lights

Day 57. Nutes increased for more growth hopefully. Day 58 notice alot what looks like thc from leaves and hairs. Day 59 to 63 see more orange hairs and trychomes. See videos Average 200ml water everyday.

Week 7 of flower and I opened the tent and it looked and smelled amazing 🤩 I took a few photos and than I checked for herms and other problems… Hidden in the middle behind the bigger buds from DW1 I found some yellow sugar leafs and of course it is bud rot. I remove the whole branch and checked it in detail outside the tent. At the moment I have no idea what I have to do now. I will start a google research and than I hope I can safe the plans from further problems. Sad day... Update After a few minutes of reading, I killed and removed the plant. I tried to clean everything as good as possible with alcohol. I ripped every cola in small pieces to check, on the outside everything looked very good, but I found two other mold spots deep inside the bud. Let's hope for the best. I changed the airflow and the inline fan to the maximum. Update 2 Omg, I am so stupid. I was very surprised because of the bud rot. Yes the humidity is a bit to high, but not that bad and everything was setup with a lot a passion. I grow tomatoes and peppers since 2016 and never had problems. Then I discovered my very big mistake. I connected the air circulation on the same power as the lights so 12 hours per day only the inline fan and I have no idea for how long. 😭 I only checked the plants after the lights went on and today I checked a few minutes earlier. Hope that will fix it.

Week 2 flower Day 1, Day 29 from seed. Bent her head just a little and removed a few leaf blockers! She got a tent all by herself. Smellin good now too, only one open stinking up the room! 🤤🤘 10-5 250ml 10-6 1/4 cup poo, 3 tbs buildaflower scoop of connect. 10-7 water, started a tea, 1/4 poo, kelp, yucca, cal/mag, recharge! Tried to keep it simple. 10-8 Day 34 Lovin her tea! Lst and defol, open her up a bit. Slight defol and used some clips. Fun with pictures! 😁🤘 10-9 Last day of the week! Her head and another branch took off enough for me to bend it! Was worried wasn't going to be able to. But we got her! Helped a ton!. After spacing her out, had to play musical tents! Water after she sleeps today! See ya next week! 🤘 Heads pulling up after sleepy time!

Used (biobizz feeds try pack)4th july and used (royalQueenseeds easygrow bloom) on the 1th July loving new feeds

Girls are growing strong and first signs of flower are showing up , been defoliating and removing all lower vegetation, hopefully I won’t run out of height , it’s gonna be a big old tent full of the fruit shortly . The little auto in the corner is looking little and chunky and is coping ok with 12-12 lights Lost the extraction fan sometime during the night , looks like I caught it in time