Only one of these two methods of boosting my reservoir capacity cost $32 plus plus.
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How do I tag @dbrn32 ? I could reply to one of his posts elsewhere but I don’t want to hijack a thread.
Pardon my ignorance I am very interested about learning horticulture but not so much messaging boards. But that’s the cost and I appreciate help, which I’m requesting.
To be brief: my AeroGarden experiment is going quite well through ten days of flowering. I have the ability to supplement the lighting if possible to do so effectively.
I was doing that with a 20W light https://www.aerogarden.com/aerogarden-20-watt-led-grow-light.html
and two Walmart Blurples but one of them failed and I didn’t take any of them seriously.
The space is at least 6” wide and 39” long so I can hang a bar or bulb fixtures, the latter being already in place.
Mars won’t ship this to my address: https://marshydroled.ca/collections/hot-sale/products/mars-hydro-sp150
This is interesting: https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/lamps/products/flowering-initiator-bulb
Is 2-3 of these a good boost? Is it an effective use of money? Are there better products? HLG also has a bar https://horticulturelightinggroup.com/collections/lamps/products/hlg-50 but none of these products sounds perfect for a flowering supplement.
Finally this product is intriguing https://rightbud.com/products/g8-led-90-watt-red-flower-booster-plant-led-grow-light?currency=USD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping. I’d have to get inventive to fit it in the room but it could be done.
Thanks for any thoughts you might be able to share.
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You tagged him in that post. He’ll be along shortly 
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Sorry, we were out on boat all day.
You really shouldn’t have to spend all that much to supplement aerogarden light. I would look for something a little less expensive and even on the spectrum.
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Actually a specialty light, One of these would suffice in my space. I can’t figure out why anyone indoors wouldn’t have this, though I do see far red built into LEDs? I hear a murmur about stem elongation, and it’s unclear if the benefit of putting the plants to sleep faster exists without changing the light cycle back to a longer day. That doesn’t sound good already in cycle.
I have no expectations! Thanks for stopping by.
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With the other stuff you’re working with, I don’t really see a great option for off the shelf dedicated grow light. Your best bet would probably be to MacGyver some easily accessible stuff together. Maybe a handful of a19 or a21 led bulbs with diffuser removed? I’m thinking throw one in each corner slightly angled in. But whatever you come up will help.
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Dude I had made just that type of decision, but I didn’t know to remove diffusers.
I’ll be doing that to three LED flood lights for tomorrow’s daylight. I haven’t googled how to yet, if I just break the glass or what, but I understand removing the frosty shield improves light intensity dramatically. I chose the flood lights I did because they were 1400 lumens spread out as opposed to a spotlight.
That’s why I posted a grow journal on a forum even though I didn’t buy any seeds there. I’m doing okay learning what I know I don’t know, but I’m making no progress on what I don’t know I don’t know. Thank you!
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You won’t grow in that aerogarden for long if you continue to grow. The grows take too long, and you’ll be putting more effort into making things work than your harvest weight will be worth. The good news is, if you can successfully get to harvest in the aerogarden moving to a larger system will be a breeze.
That being said, having all the other tools and understanding your nutrient solution will be same no matter what you grow in. You will get sick of ph swings and adding solution all the time, no doubt about it. But as long as you keep up with it, you can be successful. Do you know if ag has an expansion tank compatible with your model? If so, you will want it. Other than that, I would try not to spend any other money on making the aerogarden work or modifying it.
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PLants are looking great. I am in the middle of building something for the forum but, will try to read thgrough your post later tonight.
Interesting how you are adapting. Let me get back to you. Things look great,a nd now would be the itme consider what to do going forward. Talk ot you in a while.
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Thank you! I am interested in and open to input. So far it’s been more fascination than frustration.
Here are the girls this morning, Day 71 overall, Day 15 since 12/12. A bud has appeared, new this morning!
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If you have the time and curiosity, how does one evaluate and compare these? All are on hand, expenses already done, but using more than three would require more fixtures and cords.
When you had mentioned diffusion I had decided to use three of these:
That’s a 12.5W (100W equivalent) Walmart flood light. The 2700k warm spectrum caught my attention.
But I don’t know how it can be rated against this:
AeroGarden’s 20w (equivalent or real?) grow light with actual diode detail.
Distant third string, an early blurple:
Mistake purchase or flower booster? I have no tech info here.
What is the math/science that allows an effective comparison? I’m going to throw a separate, more important question at you in a different post. Thanks for your time, even some recommended reading will help.
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This phrase caught me: should I be expecting a change to the flowering period? My concern is clipping fan leaves, I’ve read the plant stops producing them 3-4 weeks in. Plus I have to plan for a flush. If light is lacking is the schedule the same?
You can download an app for smartphone that can give you a light intensity reference. I don’t use them, so no idea which one best. I know others on forum do though, may be able to find more info using search bar.
I mentioned length of grow because of the root mass expanding to consume most of the volume of res, not really anything to do with lights or leaves.
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Flushed & fed my left basin which is the two smaller plants. I made two gallons of nutes, they’re strongest feed yet, about 880 ppm. the two gallons feed has been ‘displaced’ by root matter, by about one-third gallon. Might help me to keep track of this.
The other day my other basin (I call the tubs with the roots, water and bubblers basins and I call the exterior water supplies reservoirs) was overfilled by its reservoir. While it was draining, I checked the pH both from the reservoir (left) and directly from the roots (right). Quite different:
One of my questions has been if pH is universal in a set volume of water and from where on that water is the most useful measurement taken? I try to get my sample right from the roots usually.
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PH directly from the roots will be totally different then if you had them in a larger volume of water.
I believe the photosynthesis that takes place within your plants roots will definitely cause a different reading. Moisture goes up during the day and comes down at night. It won’t be the same. A small volume of water will not keep a steady PH value simply because it’s a check and balance thing. You have to have either the soil/nute/ph or water/nute/ph balance or something will change. If that make sense at all.
Im sure someone can explain it in a more scientific terms but that’s a basic.
It’s not to say you can’t grow under those conditions, it just may not be optimal. All and all, your plants are looking great! 
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This leaf was at the very top back right of my gal Oprah.
I didn’t like chopping that leaf off but it was close to a light and the opposite fan leaf is there, so the spots had to go. Only leaf like this I see in the garden, so I’m assuming it was burned by the light or maybe I got something on it (no idea how). I could see spots on the leaf yesterday but they didn’t turn color until today.
As a lone leaf I’m more curious than concerned.
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This is a request for feedback on a possible action.
Here is Cleo. She is a runt that should have been clipped simply for being small, and she’s also the second girl in a DWC basin that in future grows will only house one girl at a time. (Things I’ve learned this grow)
If you can see, Cleo was topped twice and has four main colas. She was not topped nor trained well, that ship sailed. Cleo’s furthest left and furthest right ‘colas’ aren’t earning their name and the future isn’t bright. They’re in the shadow of another plant and the two inner, bigger colas, each of which have at least two offshoots that are 6” or more taller than the runty outside colas. Cleo has at least six budding growths 5”+ taller than these two runty colas.
Nevertheless those two runty colas have some girth and chopping them looks to me like some pretty high stress training for a plant starting week four of flower.
I’m tempted to chop them so the plant isn’t wasting energy on them. But any saved energy might just be recovery. Or would they try to grow a new shoot?
I also consider, if I just stripped those runty colas of all leaves would the plant conserve energy in favor of the other colas?
I must say, first grow, so any yield is to be celebrated, but for that yield I am interested in quality over quantity as possible.
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Sometimes when you have a full canopy, the plant will sweat. If you haven’t already, you’ll find moisture on some of the leaves every now and then. In that case I would thin her out some so she can get some air moving in there.
As long as you don’t see bugs on the bottom side of the leaf with a scope and more aren’t happening.
Moisture probably got on the leaf and the light baked it. Looking good!!
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