Off the shelf retail store screw-in LED and CFL bulb comparisons

[repuk]

How many chips on them?

I don't think the SILs are the cause on its own, you're at 20W per sq ft if you switch them on only (no CMH).

But if you're using the CMH too, that puts you in 36W per sq ft zone... plants are adapting to the light increase... and CMH requires much more canopy distance I think...

 

[Terpene]

I used twelve of the 16w with covers off
i mixed up the spectrum since I couldn't get all 5000k put the lights about 15 inches up from tops

~15w bulbs will not burn plants until they are within 2" of the bulbs. I veg under 15w at 8" from the bulb, flower all the way up to 3-4"

 

[Im'One]

How many chips on them?

I don't think the SILs are the cause on its own, you're at 20W per sq ft if you switch them on only (no CMH).

But if you're using the CMH too, that puts you in 36W per sq ft zone... plants are adapting to the light increase... and CMH requires much, more canopy distance I think...

I think they may just need time and a gvradual increase. Maybe i will shut off the cmh for now and wait til they are almost done

 

[Im'One]

I think its a nutes issue, these are one i used extra diatomaceous earth in the soil. Not so bad because these are the biggest also. The ones with all green leaves are not as tall

 

[indagroove]

I think its a nutes issue, these are one i used extra diatomaceous earth in the soil. Not so bad because these are the biggest also. The ones with all green leaves are not as tall

DE doesn't work when wet, it has to dry out to be effective, so using it in your soil seems a bit useless. If you used a lot of DE in the soil it could be causing issues in the soil in terms of lack of aeration. DE also has a high pH, so maybe it's throwing your available uptake off.

 

[PCBuds]

It's got calcium and magnesium and can be good for the soil.
(but it can turn to paste and maybe choke out oxygen?)

Some say silicon is good for plants.















I only used it as pest control and just sprinkled it in top of my soil.

 

[Im'One]

I have read it increases porosity and adds silica. The plants\clones with extra de are taller and are pulling nutrients from the fan leaves i think.
I am going to up my mega crop a little i think. I was running really high ppms (1200 to 1500) but decided to run this time a little lower. I ran last feeding at 880 ppm
My well water is about 300.

 

[PCBuds]

I think its a nutes issue, these are one i used extra diatomaceous earth in the soil. Not so bad because these are the biggest also. The ones with all green leaves are not as tall

You might be better off with dolomite lime instead for your soil mix.

It may be a better balance of calcium and magnesium with less chance of choking off your roots.

 

[indagroove]

I have read it increases porosity and adds silica. The plants\clones with extra de are taller and are pulling nutrients from the fan leaves i think.
I am going to up my mega crop a little i think. I was running really high ppms (1200 to 1500) but decided to run this time a little lower. I ran last feeding at 880 ppm
My well water is about 300.

MegaCrop already has silica, no need to add any more. Excessive silica will raise pH to an undesired range. In hydro systems you can use silica instead of pH up, since just a couple mL per gal will increase pH significantly. Also 1500 ppm seems excessively high. I wouldn't add more than 900ppm to your water myself. Maybe invest $100 in a RO filter to deal with the high ppm coming from your tap. Also with that high of ppm, my guess is your water is already high pH.

 

[PCBuds]

Diatomaceous earth is safe to eat and is non-toxic so I'm not worried about poisoning my plant or myself.

But it sucks up and holds water which I personally don't want.

(I've had too many overwatering swampy issues.)

 

[PCBuds]

I'm still rocking the SILs.







40 Watts, all in. Lol



I've got strips going too though.

 

[Im'One]

Here are my clones about six weeks in...they have DE sprinkles ikn them. The small leaf plants are Romulan grapefruit and the others are Bubba Hash. The taller plants with yellowing fans have the extra DE in the soil. I didnt mean to add that much DE but it seems to make them taller.

 

[indagroove]

I think you are going a bit overboard with the DE honestly. What pest are you trying to deter? Surely there is a better way? Inhaling DE is the last thing you want to do with the stuff.

 

[Im'One]

It keeps down the thrips, and i have no more spider mites. I have always put it in my soil but stubbed my toe and added a lot more than usual. Basically its a closet in my studio.

 

[indagroove]

It keeps down the thrips, and i have no more spider mites. I have always put it in my soil but stubbed my toe and added a lot more than usual. Basically its a closet in my studio.

Spinosad will help against both thrips and spider mites, and won't cut up the inside of your lungs if you inhale it the way DE will. Specifically I'd suggest the Monterey Garden Insect Spray Organic Liquid Concentrate with Spinosad.

 

[Im'One]

I always wear my covid mask...when handling the DE
I have spinosad but havent had to use it. Typically i see spiders and ocassional predator bugs like praying mantis and the de has no long lasting effect on them....they dissapear and come right back

 

[repuk]

I use DE not only for the plants, also use it a lot in the hens coop.

Wearing a mask is a must, DE is made of almost pure silica crystals, I use a "powder sprayer" to apply it:

that being said when I had pests in flowering I ended up using liquid sprays and foliar, made of hidrogen peroxide, sugar, neem, and potash soap. Great against aphyds, red mites... and the neem uptake shall take care of any bugs in the soil...

I also apply DE as a light top-dress over the soil or coco surface, once per week (pot surface must be dry!), on outdoor plants... they seem to love it and keeps ants at bay from bringing aphids, cottonets, etc to the canopy, or acidifying the medium.

 

[Terpene]

Call me what you like, but if you're going granular insecticides, why not just get pyrethrin based granular insecticide to kill soil borne pests. There are lots of them out there which are basically just permethrin applied to sand or another carrier and they sit on the soil level (typically sold as yard pesticides in large bags for spreader use)

 

[Im'One]

Unlimited access to free DE is why.
And it works.
So there is that right?

 

[fuutang]

Hey freind, the D.E your using is probably not safe, and it's not worth messing with!



How are you using this dangerous stuff? I don't think you should be scattering it around!


It says here:...The tiny glass-like particles cut the waxy coating of insects and they eventually dry out and die. Insects come in contact or ingest this powder and die within 48 hours.



The calcined form of D.E is known to develop pneumoconiosis or lung-disease.



Wiki says, D.E or Diatomaceous earth contains crystalline silica which can be very harmful to the lungs, causing Silicosis, a form of occupational lung disease where dust has caused interstitial fibrosis, characterized by shortness of breath, cough, fever, and cyanosis (bluish skin). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth#Safety_considerations



In short, all compost & peat contains pests in the egg or larvae stage. The simple answer is to sterilize your compost or peat. Bath water usually does it, if you can get 50-60C of heat through it, that will kill the lot. It makes no difference to the plants whether there are worms or even nutrients present. Nutrients will soon begin to be released again immediately after the compost or peat cools down. Simply fill a container, that already has drainage holes, perhaps covering the drainage holes ...and run the hot water tap over the lot. You can do this in the bath tub. Saves on mess, because it's easy to rinse out. You will no longer get any flies or pests whatsoever. You will also have to sterilize your water tank to get rid of spider mites. But they don't really do anything, as far as I know, so there's not really any point in doing this!



If you feel you still need pesticide, for flies or whatever that come in through the window, looking for somewhere to lay their eggs; use something like a fly-spray, which has been designed as a 'household insecticide'. If it says 'household' or 'amateur' anywhere on the can, you can be certain it's relatively safe.



Above all, you must observe safety precautions using industrial, albeit mechanical pesticides. Many forum members have replied with their concerns about D.E on here.