So let me answer your questions, What do I meen by "hardening off?" This is simply a period of time where clones are introduced to the intensity of the HID lights. Take a new clone that has been under T5's and put them 6" away from a 1000W HID and chances are you'll have a dead clone. Hardening off is the period where the intensity of light is increased so the clones can adjust to there new environment. Even if your clone survives the direct switching of lights it will be in shock and set you back a week. By placing them under HID's that are raised and then slowly dropped the transition is healthier for the plant. Pretty basic stuff.
what's the point in putting a 1000w HID 6" away from your plants? I keep the lights further away at the beginning to induce some stretch, and i then move the light to the correct distance to evenly cover all of the plants. having a 1000w 6" away is pretty pointless as you wouldn't be getting the full coverage of the light. a 1000w light is good for a 6x6 area, lowering a 1000w to just 6" would make it only good for a 3ft x 3ft area.
HID lighting, all lighting causes some shock to plants... they quickly get over it however. Doesn't take a week. The only time i've seen light have a drastic effect on growth was when using a 300w UV light as a sole light source. Two little seedlings, they hesitated for 3 days before producing the tri-leaves then grew perfectly normally. Cannabis photsynthesises perfectly well under pure UV lighting. Usually any shock from the HID light is offset by the benefits of photosynthesis. any time you change a plant's environment it will go through a period of shock. whether you leave the plants to harden off for a few days or not, it's still a few days.
Cannabis in nature is gradualy brought to the fall equinox 12/12 which triggers flowering. It has been my experience that plants grown indoor switch to the flowering phase quicker when put into an extended dark period, a kick in the ass if you will. There is no doubt to the plant it's time to reproduce.
Well the time cannabis flowers relates to the environment, or where on Earth is originated from. There are strains that will flower with just 9 hours dark. What that means is that that is all the dark time the plant needs to flower. Giving it any more doesn't make the plant behave any differently, aside from having to conserve energy as none is being provided by photosynthesis. so long as the plant gets 9 hours or whatever it is that triggers flowering in that particular strain then the hormone will be triggered. There is a trigger, no point going further than the trigger needs. I especially don't see the point with mature clones.
It is a common mistake for people to take the top of the plant for clones. The lowest part of the plant is the oldest and therefore the most mature. The clone is therefore that much more matuire when taken from the bottom, as much as six months in some cases which makes for a stonger more stable clone. As an added benefit it is also the part of the plant that will produce the least amount of bud if the mother is later flowered.
Genes age... do they not? Are you suggesting for one second that the parts lower down the plant are actually older, genetically than the parts from the top of the plant? they are the same age, the lower parts have simply been there longer. Like us when we grow, our feet never stop growing, so are our feet actually younger than the rest of our body? You can clone from every single plant cell, each cell is capable of reproducing an entire plant, so really where you take the cuts from isn't so important. However, the growth hormones, particularly auxins that provide apical dominance and are also responsible for rooting are largely situated in the tops of the plants. So they usually result in stronger sturdier cuts altogether, and they root faster.
Wrong on the C02, it was thought it was absorbed from the top but has since been found to be false, I will find the scientific data and post it.
This, i just have to see. I know you're completely wrong on this one. You also have no idea on plant biology at all do you?
I get so tired of dipshits like you who have dick for experience but suddenly become experts when someone more knowledgeable shows up. Open your ears and shut your mouth long enough to retain what I'm saying here. I said that I am currently using House and Garden for my nutes, one of the benefits to their system is that it is based on the size of your water holdings in your system. By following their recomendations based on your system your ppm and ec becomes a non-issue if you're not a lazy ass and drain on a regular basis as a good grower does, I'm sure you don't drain and therefore ec would be the reason you burn the crap out of your plants. If you use the GH that is given away thus not requiring you to squeeze a penny from your tight sphincter. Grow like a pro and you won't have that problem.
You're the one that burns your plants. I can tell from the pic you posted. They look fried to me. PPM and EC are the same thing. You don't need to drain... you clearly have no idea on plant biology, it's so obvious. A professor of pot without an inkling on basic plant biology. my my. What is the average salinty tolerance of cannabis professor? You can only burn your plants by breaking it, so what is it? stumped aren't you... you're stumped because you probably don't even know where to begin to find the answer. To know that you'd need a good understanding of plant biology, and you lack in this area, it's very clear.
Wrong again on ph, look anywhere and you'll see 5.5 to 6.5 are the ranges for ph in hydro systems, christ I can bet you are in your third year at best. Go tell these new growers that "Oh somewhere between 4 and 8 will do" what an idiot. Folks try maintaining 5.8 for best results, if your ph is going to change it will be rising so better to be a hair low, if it does rise check for growth in your water.
Look anywhere? why should I do that when you're here? I look to myself first, oh and of course BASIC plant biology. ALL plants, notice the ALL, take nutrients in the pH ranges 4-8, that is the availability margin. learning yet? good avice on the pathogens raising alkalinity by the way, they do prefer a pH of 7, and will actively change it. the biggest cause to pH instability of course is people not mixing the nutrients properly, not allowing tap water to stand, that type of thing.
Are you saying that a single plant with mildew will not spread to others? You're insane. Sulfer to kill what is on leaves, cover with a trash bag and kill it. Mildew will spread like wildfire if proper venting is done. Where did you learn this crap, you're going to spread a ton of bad info to new growers, a dangerous person to the new. Yes it is systemic which has nothing to do with it's ability to spread, are you for real?
I'm telling you for a cold hard fact that certain strains of cannabis are immune to PM. The spores are merely how the disease moves from plant to plant. A plant won't show spores unless the disease is actually inside it. It's perfectly possible to have an immune strain sit right next to a strain with PM. You know nothing, it's very clear. You know how to grow one way and enhance your results with bullshit. You clearly need some education on basic plant biology.
Ec should be between 1.5 and 1.8, just as bad being to low as it is being to high. Why don't you share why that is Skunk.
Can't answer it yourself? it's obvious anyway, but i will add... In a recirculating system you can get away with far less.... reason is because available nutrients are constantly being washed over the roots. In a system like soil or coco where the nutrients may not be hitting the root surface a stronger concentration is needed. Also in mediums like coco and soil the medium is only fed once per week (usually) so you need to feed much more to guarantee the plant finds available nutrients throughout the period till the next feed. Different strokes for different folks. I could go on, but then i'd be teaching you, and it's unfair as you haven't asked a serious question yet. Unlike me to you... and you divert from it with more of your I know everything bullshit.
And a heat mat for cloning, God you make my brain hurt from the amount of shit you're doing wrong. Please keep them cool, cement floors are best. Try em side by side one time skunk, it's call experimenting, been doing it for forty years and you are about as misinformed as anyone I know of.
There you go again, just thinking of yourself... I'm in England, UK... here it gets cold. Roots and plants do not like the cold... they stop growing in shock. I've had clones sit for a month in the cold and not root. a little heating mat underneath and they root in a week. what's that about then? i already know the real answer by the way. Roots like a temp of around 67-70f. once we start getting down in the 50's, plants go into a type of stasis.
Feel free folks to write Skunk for advice
strangely, people actually do... I've been helping people learn to grow weed for a few years now. Of course educating myself immensely along the way too.