Less is best ?

[blendmik]

GREETINGS FELLOW GROWERS,
LOOKING FOR SOME OPINIONS ON THE NUMBER OF PLANTS FOR BETTER YIELD.
I HAVE HAD 3 INDOOR GROWS, FIRST WAS 3 PLANTS WITH RESULTS MINIMAL DUE TO LACK OF PROPER LIGHT AND REFLECTION.
SECOND WAS MUCH BETTER, BUT I HAD 6 CLONES READY FOR TRANSFER SO THAT TIME I PUT ALL 6 UNDER THE LIGHTS. ALTHOUGH I GOT A BUNCH OF TOPPER BUDDING AND THE STUFF WAS GREAT, I JUST DIDN'T GET THE DESIRABLE LONG COLA TYPE BUDDING. GOT NICE STUFF BUT YIELD AGAIN WAS MINIMAL ACHIEVING ONLY JUST OVER 3 OUNCES FOR 6 PLANTS.... MY SPACE IS ONLY 4X6 SO MY FIRST THOUGHT IS THAT NO LIGHT GOT UNDERNEATH.
THIS LAST ONE THOUGH WAS A LOT BETTER. I ONLY HAD TWO PLANTS AND REFLECTION WAS IMPROVED 1000% AS LIGHT WAS NOW GETTING TO ALL OF THE PLANTS. I ACTUALLY HAD A COUPLE OF NICE BIC LIGHTER SIZE COLAS AND THE PRODUCT WAS GREAT YIELDING ALMOST 3 OUNCES FROM JUST THE TWO.
SO MY QUESTION IS, IN A LIMITED SPACE FOR BEST YIELD ISN'T IT BETTER TO HAVE LESS FOR BEST ? THANKS MY FRIENDS.

 

[hermdog]

From a few of your photos I've seen, it looks like you could be vegetating far longer.
Other than a factor of veg time, whether you have many or one plant, you're going to want fill your containers up with roots before you flower.
Multiple transplants through the plant's life cycle allows the plants to quickly acclimate to larger and larger containers, rather than putting a clone straight into it's final container.

A few keep it simple tips, if you have plants with a flexible stalk, bend her back and let your undergrowth reach for the lights. I've growe plenty of strains that bush out their canopy much faster with light stress training over topping.

Give smaller containers a try, it doesn't take long from seed or clone to filled a 2 or 3 gal with roots especially with a few transplants in between.

Give us the specs of your lighting and your current methods through veg and flower, we'll have you growing some juicy colas.

Temp and humidity regulation inline with the VPD chart to the best of your abilities as well a strong veg cycle is what you're after.

 

[blendmik]

CURRENT ENVIRONMENT

CURRENT ENVIRONMENT

From a few of your photos I've seen, it looks like you could be vegetating far longer.
Other than a factor of veg time, whether you have many or one plant, you're going to want fill your containers up with roots before you flower.
Multiple transplants through the plant's life cycle allows the plants to quickly acclimate to larger and larger containers, rather than putting a clone straight into it's final container.

A few keep it simple tips, if you have plants with a flexible stalk, bend her back and let your undergrowth reach for the lights. I've growe plenty of strains that bush out their canopy much faster with light stress training over topping.

Give smaller containers a try, it doesn't take long from seed or clone to filled a 2 or 3 gal with roots especially with a few transplants in between.

Give us the specs of your lighting and your current methods through veg and flower, we'll have you growing some juicy colas.

Temp and humidity regulation inline with the VPD chart to the best of your abilities as well a strong veg cycle is what you're after.

OKAY, I HEAR YA REGARDING THE POT SIZE. BUT I ALREADY DO WHAT YOU DESCRIBED, CLONES GO INTO A 6 INCH POT UNTIL ROOTS EITHER ARE SHOWING UNDERNEATH OR THE PLUG IS BEGINNING TO PUSH UP. THEN THEY GO INTO THE 12 INCH POT UNTIL THE PLANT FOLIAGE EXCEEDS THE EDGE OF THE POT OR ROOTS ARE VISIBLE. ONLY THEN IS EACH ONE PLACED IN THE FIVE GALLON AND INTO FULL VEG CYCLE WHICH IS APPROX. 8 WEEKS.
THE LIGHTING IS A 250W UFO LED, A 250W SUNGRO HPS, AND A 40 CFL BAR FOR CLONES.

 

[hermdog]

Have you got some more photos to share?
What about your humidity and temp?
The plant exceeding the edge of the pot or roots reaching air holes isn't really what you're looking for.
I'd be looking to see how much water the plant is demanding, with your limited wattage you probably want them nearly rootbound before transplant.
If you have wispy roots over a rootball, going into a 5 gal the roots are going to end up waterlogged and in need of more oxygen, slowing your veg down considerably.

 

[Tri_Cho_Me]

hermdog is giving great advice and it sounds like you're a diligent grower. You'll be on track in no time. You're just dialing things in now.

Good luck!
Tri_Cho_Me

 

[blendmik]

Have you got some more photos to share?
What about your humidity and temp?
The plant exceeding the edge of the pot or roots reaching air holes isn't really what you're looking for.
I'd be looking to see how much water the plant is demanding, with your limited wattage you probably want them nearly rootbound before transplant.
If you have wispy roots over a rootball, going into a 5 gal the roots are going to end up waterlogged and in need of more oxygen, slowing your veg down considerably.

TEMP BETWEEN 70-72 AND HUMIDITY IS AROUND 68 USUALLY. IT'S AN ORIGINAL FIELD STONE BASEMENT SO ALTHOUGH A LITTLE DAMP, IT'S DRAFTY AND HAS GOOD AIR MOVEMENT.
OKAY SO I MAY BE FLOWERING AND MOVING TOO SOON. I CAN ADD MORE LIGHT /AND/OR MOVE LIGHT CLOSER AND MONITOR THE WATER INTAKE FOR STARTERS RIGHT ? THANKS!

 

[blendmik]

TEMP BETWEEN 70-72 AND HUMIDITY IS AROUND 68 USUALLY. IT'S AN ORIGINAL FIELD STONE BASEMENT SO ALTHOUGH A LITTLE DAMP, IT'S DRAFTY AND HAS GOOD AIR MOVEMENT.
OKAY SO I MAY BE FLOWERING AND MOVING TOO SOON. I CAN ADD MORE LIGHT /AND/OR MOVE LIGHT CLOSER AND MONITOR THE WATER INTAKE FOR STARTERS RIGHT ? THANKS!

I WILL SHOOT A FEW PHOTOS IN THE MORNING AND POST THEM.THAT'S IF I CAN DO IT RIGHT . THANKS FOR THE GOOD INFO SO FAR,

 

[hermdog]

Environment sounds quite good, if only the humidity is a few points high.
Have you experimented with bringing your HPS down closer to the canopy, you could inch it closer and watch for the leaves to react.

I had the same troubles as you when I started, and for me once my environment was in check I had to get a handle on reading the plant in order to know when it would be best to transplant.
When they get to be needing water daily is a pretty good indicator that the roots are ready to explode into a larger container.
It's also what you want before flower.

How often have your plants needed water throughout flower?
If not everyday, that's a pretty good indicator the plant wasn't able to acclimate to it's final container before budset.

I wouldn't add more light necessarily until you're getting reasonably higher yields, and then you could def bring in a 600 watt or more.
Personally, I jumped to a 1000 watter before I understood veg better and I ended up wasting electricity because my yields were poor from rushing weakly rooted plants into flower.

If you ever find yourself with a time constraint I'd always suggest smaller containers. One properly rooted plant in a 2 gal will blow away in terms of yield many more in water logged pots.

And you bet friend, good luck as you grow!

 

[blendmik]

Belated response

Belated response

I WILL SHOOT A FEW PHOTOS IN THE MORNING AND POST THEM.THAT'S IF I CAN DO IT RIGHT . THANKS FOR THE GOOD INFO SO FAR,

Sorry for this delay in the pics and updates. Had to blast to the Adirondacks to place my mom in her new facility and pack up all her stuff. Literally NO speed for internet and didn't want to use his pc.
New room is measured out and the frame for floor being done tomorrow.
I'll post the pics so far in another post so you'll get an idea what I am doing, thanks!

 

[aridbud]

It's best to take care of your elders. Plants will come...each grow better than before.

My nod of approval as well:

Give smaller containers a try, it doesn't take long from seed or clone to filled a 2 or 3 gal with roots especially with a few transplants in between.

Give us the specs of your lighting and your current methods through veg and flower, we'll have you growing some juicy colas.

 

[Granger2]

4x6=24 ft sq, 500w/24=20.8 w/sq ft.
You need to at least double your light, minimum of 40w/sq ft., 60w is better. Good luck. -granger

 

[Easy7]

Aside from the light issue and if plant numbers are an issue. I find SOG is the highest yield the quickest and cheapest. Veg takes time and is the most costly stage. More plants cuts down on expensive 18 hour light cycles, which really adds up. I can fit mor gallons of soil in a tent running SOG than one or even four larger plants. More soil equals more potential with available nutrients. Downside is more work. That is why SOG is usually done hydro, but can be done soil.