Low Yields, what can I improve?

I have a 6x6x8 room, in the room i have; 3 150w HPS, 1 400w HPS, and a 250w HPS. I have all the lights on drop chords that I move throughout my garden to maximize light in shady areas under the canopy.
I use beds instead of buckets and made my own soil, which included; 6 bags organic soil, 4 bags peat moss, 2 bags manure, my own compost, blood meal, bone meal, 1 bag sand.
My nutes were bought at local garden supply with 24-8-16 npk for veg, and 9-59-8 for flower. I tried only using soil and rain water but seemed to be not enough and is only reason started using nutes.
After using nutes my girls seemed to thrive during both stages of grow.
Light cycle is 24 during veg and 12/12 during flower.

My first grow with one plant ended with a 2.5 oz. yield, using a smaller setup that was only the 3 150w HPS from beginning to end in a 2x4x5 box. but soil, nutes, and beds were all the same.
I now use that box for vegging and have 2 4ft 2 lamp T8's and 1 175 w MH. that new girls are loving.
I am not sure of the strain, was told that the seeds were a "Skittles/Orange Kush" cross. It does have a very citrus aroma.
I am now about to harvest 2nd grow, which is same strain and instead of 1 3ft plant, I have 4 6ft plants, that until some recent trimming of a few leaves, were so big, I could barely enter the room. They have been in flower for about 45 days and ready for the picking.
My only problem is during my last grow my yield was almost twice what is going to be this time per plant.
I was thinking that because the girls were so big and had so much foliage that the light wasn't getting where it needed to be.
Oh yeah, all the lights in flower room were all above until a couple weeks ago when I started dropping them down in the canopy except for 400w that stays up high.
I know it is to late now to increase the yield on this grow but I have a 3rd grow that will be ready soon for flower room and with this one having 8 lil girls I want to maximize, of course, my yield.
Until recently there has been no where but the giant corporate DIY stores to access any nutrients, and just last week I located a place close enough to drive too that carries fox farm.
If anyone has any advice on what I have done wrong or can do better, hell anything, let me know.

Come on someone please help me out. I know someone knows how to help, I should have gotten twice what I did.

They have been in flower for 45 days????

thats probably too short if you are thinking of harvesting now. There are quick finishing strains but i would of thought you should be somewhere near 60 days or a little over unless it is a quick finisher.. You could be picking them before they even go through the swell! Look in the harvesting and curing section for a sticky at the top called Harvest time a tutorial and get used to how a finished plant looks as it sound like you havent been allowing them enough time to bulk up.


J

Most plants can double their yield in the last 2 weeks - 45 days may look tempting, but 20 days would be so worth the wait...

Well there are many things you can do to get better, research here is a start, here are some things you can do:

[FONT=&quot]growers must control six "essential elements" - air, light, nutrients, water, humidity and temperature. Remove or alter the ratio of only one of these elements, growth will slow, and plants could eventually die. [/FONT]

You see you need to nail down all the above and be able to do it every day of the year. So what do you get for your work, increased yield's for one, better and taster bud. The better you get the better it gets. For example if your getting 448g from a 1000w make some changes than get another 100g and so on. It's just hard work getting it nailed down. It helps to stay with 1 main strain so you can dial them in. I have been working with the same lady for 8 years, and know how to treat her. That helps big time. I still grow others but I don't always get the same results because maybe they need more or less of something. Takes time to understand your plants.

woodsmaneh! said:

It's just hard work getting it nailed down.

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F*cking AMEN to that. i can spend countless hours researching how to improve and altering little things that make a very small difference but the difference brings better results.


J

I appreciate the comments guys. I looked back at calendar, to make sure my 45 day estimate was correct and I was off about 10 days. I was actually sitting around 55 days, 56 to be exact. I do plan on keeping the strain and experimenting with others, to "get it nailed down"
Before next round of girls are ready for flower, I am going to revamp flower room, get rid of beds, use pots, better nutrients, make lights more movable, and possibly other little tweeks here and there.
I honestly think I am just super anxious to harvest and the anticipation of exactly how much is killing me.
My third round have been in veg for about 45 days, cuttings, approximately 18in, how much longer would be recommended before placing them in flower?

moontree farmer said:

Come on someone please help me out. I know someone knows how to help, I should have gotten twice what I did.

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You need more light for that big an area. 2 600 watters at least

Even 55 days is too early for most strains, your small harvests are because you are cutting too soon before ripening. Your ferts will work OK but I would use perlite or pumice for drainage instead of sand. You need to gauge the harvest time by the resin colors.

Veg is up to you can veg along time. How big do you want them? They should at least double in size when switched. Ive had some triple. And learn man, keep doing your reg time. Do little tweeks on one - different ones on another. See how they affect, and in what way, and keep a strain for awhile it helps. You learn that strain. Then you can apply methods to new strains later, but then again you'll have to learn that strain. Little differences.

Right on everyone, I am diggin the info it really helps to get a different view of the situation at hand.
I will definitely be taking everyone's advice into consideration.

My resin color is right on target, more than 2/3 of my crop is amber in color and that is exactly how I gauged it before.

As far as lighting goes, according to my calculations, I have 4080 lumens for the amount of sq. ft. I have from what I understand is right on target for maximum potential.

Please know I am not doubting anyones knowledge of the grow, I am only stating that the research I have done says I am ok.

If 2/3 of the resin in the flower cluster is amber you need to harvest. From this point the THC is degrading as the flower ripens. If you meant 2/3 of the plants are starting to show amber you are very close and should monitor the color ratio every day for indication of harvest.

moontree farmer said:

, I am only stating that the research I have done says I am ok.

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Yeah ? How's that working for you so far ?

frmrboi said:

Yeah ? How's that working for you so far ?

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Sarcasm is not your friend, spread the knowledge brother and stop doubting my dedication. I am here to learn, hence Newbie Central. Why not back up your theory, and give someone asking for help an answer instead of sarcastic jargon that proves your ability to grow.

Add a little beneficial microbes to do the work for the plant. Quantum Growth has the only stable photosynteic bacteria in a liquid form plus other strains that each have a job to do for the plant. They create the sugar(plant food) that the plant needs ten times faster than the plant can. Converting and providing the nutrients to the plant. The plant doesn't have to work as hard converting and will spend that time growing and producing. It contains no NPK so you need to just add to regular mix to give the microbes something to feed on and convert. I used to be able to see a little floor of my basement before I used it, now you can't. Thick , bushy and producing all the way to the bank. I purchase from an maufactures rep. in Fl. (Douglas Speed and Associates) check out the site same good info. Indoorman

thanks indoorman, I appreciate the info.

moontree farmer said:

Sarcasm is not your friend, spread the knowledge brother and stop doubting my dedication. I am here to learn, hence Newbie Central. Why not back up your theory, and give someone asking for help an answer instead of sarcastic jargon that proves your ability to grow.

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He's right. I wouldn't think of it as sarcasm. I think his intent was to stop you and make you re-think your game plan.
You have a "6 X 6 X 8 area. Your biggest light is 400W. Your total wattage is over 1100 watts, but it's nowhere equal to 1 1K light (usable lumens).
Think water temps. you've got 1 400 degree pot of water, add in 3 150 degree pots of water and what do you have? 850 degree water? NO, you end up with an average of less than 400 degrees.
Now think lumens. Dilution is the same.
IF you keep everything low you may do better because the limited lumens simply doesn't need to penetrate. The top of them tall plants are actually trying to suport the lower foliage that are starved for light instead of producing bud.
If you insist on growing tall, you'll want 2 1000w at least to produce good (think lumens per cubic foot, not watts).
If you stay short you'll be better off with 3-4 400w. I feel 2 600w would not spread out and still cover well for your room,, but maybe. A lot of this can depend entirely on how you're set up. That's why we have to take time to dial-in a grow system / style. No instant gratification to growing - sorry.

Note; the above is not absolutely techniclly correct. BUT, it's a good enough evaluation to get you thinking. There's a lot more to this than simply adding more light bulbs.

Canon said:

He's right. I wouldn't think of it as sarcasm. I think his intent was to stop you and make you re-think your game plan.
.

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Bingo ! RIU give this man a cigar !

frmrboi said:

Bingo ! RIU give this man a cigar !

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Thank you,,, make it a Wolf Bros. !

"Man"?????