Hey there fellow Growmies! I have a question for you if you happen to utilize a DLI chart similar to the ones I posted here. My question has to do with timing of the plant. I hope I can convey what I want to say here, I’ll try.
With autos and the auto chart, I’ve used the chart at face value, so to speak. Where I consider day one of week one when she pokes her head out of the soil and I follow the DLI chart accordingly and let it run its course.
My issue is with photos and hence my question for y’all. Do you drop your DLI to 25 when you flip the lights and begin to increase weekly like the chart (and similar charts) show OR do you leave your DLI at 25 during pre-flower and a week into flower before starting to increase weekly? Does that make sense?
Currently, my photos are 10 days in pre-flower and one day in flower. I’ve had my DLI at 25 since flip and was going to continue at 25 for this first week of flower and continue following the chart from there. That’s how I’ve been handling my photos’ DLI at flip.
I hate chasing charts to be honest. Each plant is different. When I first started my first grow I wanted to do everything to a T, and well, that just didn’t work well for me. I kept her under 45 DLI and eventually moved to 35 mid flower and rode that out till harvest.
Thanks. That’s where I want to get to, putting the charts away and growing from experience and instinct. Adjusting my light height knowledge this grow. Got a new light meter and found the photone app wasn’t so accurate, have to re-adjust my height measurements.
I’m a bit paranoid of doing anything to stress them out, especially at transition into flower. I’m thinking too much light will keep them from stretching enough, blocking light to lower bud sites, or not enough light will cause them to stretch too much.
Kind of like being paranoid to prune now that it’s in transition. I didn’t get it done before I flipped and I couldn’t wait any longer. I was running out of room.
So here’s a second question. Will I be sacraficing yeild to prune now and again at around day 21 or by waiting until day 21?
Good question for the group Grow Bro. I approach lighting the same way I do VPD…don’t chase numbers. I set my DLI for seedlings and early veg and once I see the flower transition I go full flower mode and don’t back that down until the last few weeks. I’m usually around a DLI of 40-50 in flower. I do my best to read the plant and what their telling me
Yeah, I’m getting better at reading the plants all the time. It’s certainly been a learning experience.
So you go full power right away and watch for detrimental signs? Interesting.
On my second grow I think it was with some bug infested clones I picked up from a dispensary, I got my new HLG 350R half way through flower and by the day of harverst the buds were alreay crispy to the touch. They never showed signs of bleaching or anything but I figured I’d fried them.
I will admit, I’m a little hung up on the perfect light, lighting, newest light diodes…hell, I even like light beer!
That’s how they drag you in bro haha. I’m a tech nerd and there is a lot offered for growers. I’ve spent way more money than I’d care to admit for my first grow and during it. I went from a single 3x3 to now have 2 5x5s, lights, fans, nutes, monitoring stuff, you name it and I went overboard. That was all during my first grow.
Just get a decent light, you can skimp on the rest, well besides pH/ppm meters. Don’t umol chase for efficiency. What I found is a lot of lights will say they are super efficient but they use a lot of white diodes which are naturally efficient to boost their score. My biggest regret was not getting a light to fit my tent right at the start, i mean mostly physical in size. No sense in having a 500w light that is only like 2ftx2ft in size imo. Upgraded to an 800w that is closer to physically 4ftx4ft so has a better footprint spread. Kind of regret getting it but that’s for other reasons.
I adjust from the seedling/early veg (3-4 weeks above ground) once I flip the light schedule I bump that up once I see the flowering stretch to approximately a DLI of 40 then adjust after the stretch to high 40-low 50 and watch the plants reaction to the higher intensity. Some strains are more finicky and some love the intensity
I can certainly relate. Not all on my first grow, but been stepping it up ever since. Built my first tent, then afterwards read a post here in this forum where someone said you can spend as much building one as you can buying one. HA! They were right. Then I upgraded to the bigger light, so I had to get the larger tent - went with the 2X4.
Then…I picked up 3 first edition (I think) HLG Scorpion Diablos from an auction at a failed grow farm nearby (couldn’t pass them up at the price I got em for) and recently procured a 5x5 to fit one of those. I was thinking 4x4 but wanted a little extra room and I’ve read where that light’s footprint will be more than adequate for that tent.
As Jim Carey would say…somebody Stop Me!! At this point, I’m avoiding stepping up to the controllers they’re trying to drag me into buying that fit the tents I bought but it’s getting harder all the time!
If it was legal here I’d probably have better luck finding local second hand stuff. You’ve definitely got the bug haha. I wish I could get some HLG gear. That diablo looks amazing. They are just way out of my price range. If you ever decide to sell one on ebay lmk. Though I don’t know what gen they are at now with those lights. I really want to get the 1000w AC Infinity EVO10 I think it is called. That’s a grand itself and no way I can convince the wife. I only plan to grow 1 maybe 2 plants at a time so it’s really not needed I just want some high end lights.
That makes a lot of sense thinking about how they are the same way when it comes to different uptake levels of nutrients and amounts of water and such. I’ll push em a little and I’ll be sure to watch em closely. Thanks growbro.
I hear ya. But I’ve put the light bug away, at least for now. I’m eyeballing a few bar lights lately but I’ve told myself I am going to use what I have untill I can’t anymore before I buy more. It would have been a while down the road for me to throw 1K+ at a light if it hadn’t been for the auction. One has a quantum board with a couple banks of diodes flickering at lower dimmer settings, probably higher too just not noticable. I was going to sell one of them to a grow buddy half way across the country, got it all packed up and ready to ship and the shipping companies wanted more than I paid for it to ship, which is also a third of what a brand new one costs. HLG and other mrg’s must get a cut rate. It’s still in the box, maybe I’ll have to sell it local. Or maybe get another tent, or two! I can replace a quantum board. HA!
Thats why i passed over some ebay second hand stuff bevause shipping was about the same as the cost of the unit. Not sure how some companies can ship cheaply even with a deal worked out.
Thats why I bought the UT383-BT LUX meter.
What meter and what readings do you get?
Do they match your light specs from the manufacturer?
What is the reading you get from Natural sun on a real sunny day?
150KLux was the max outdoor
200K Lux (max unit range) measured 5 inches from my light.
I got the VBR-100 PAR meter. I like it, easy to use. I would have sprung for an Apogee but I’m married. JK
I haven’t tested it against the mfg’s light specs yet, plan to after this grow. Only took time to check it against the Photone app. All previous grows I’ve used the Photone app but this round when I fired up the app and it uploaded its upgrades, It actually told me it was not compatable with my phone. I suspect it’s never been right judging from the difference in this grow with this new meter. But then again, who’s to say this new meter is accurate. I currently have no way of verifying that.
Anyway, I’m rambling. You got me off my butt to go get some numbers off of it and this is what I find:
Now it’s a question, can your light give the specs advertised.
I am married so I know how money goes.
The UT383-BT was affordable but needs more math to get to DLI.
Clearly the android app does not always work.
I use HLG resource calculators for converting.
Their light are as good as advertised, I believe.
I am still learning my grow, again.
[quote=“DEEPDIVERDAVE, post:18, topic:116249”
I am still learning my grow, again.
[/quote]
That’s me and always learning. That’s what I meant about easy to use, just read it, no converting.
I’ve thought about the mfg’s PPFD charts and how much they’re possibly inflated for marketing & sales purposes. I tend to use results from other tester’s charts from like Youtube and such. Like that Mygro dude and another I can’t think of his name off-hand who always tests the lights at the measurement off the floor where the light gives 1000 PPFD and then tests the grid from there. My first light, mfg chart showed a grid location of 1000 PPFD at 12 inches. The Youtube tester had that same point at 9 inches.
And then my mind goes to How much umol/m2/sec is lost over time and use? This VBR-100 has a grid plotting function I’m going to plot my own light chart after this grow and check it after subsequent grows, just for schlitz-n-giggles.
My HLG 350R has a weak quantum board. I either have to use booster chair(s) on my plants for an uneven canopy or hang my light at an angle.
I have 2 HLG lights (350R and 260D/K).
Both lights uses “drivers” and are adjusted by the MFG (or somebody else).
Those adjustments can be out of needed range (for full range adjust experience).
The 350 is controlled by the Cloudline 69P (steps 0-10). (ON/OFF 0-10).
The 260 is dimmer controlled and as adjusted currently will not dial adjust to OFF completely. 35years of “lick the fingers before touching wires” taught me to leave it alone until warrantee expired then adjust at driver and replace dimmer dial for RJ11/12 to Cloudline.
Having assembled the HLG 260 I can understand wires not properly connected or the dimmer/driver needing adjusting.
(USN-AT and Tweaker Trained for building Avionics-ALQ99s).
That’s funny, I need a copy of the sun’s chart, lol. 
)