Hey guys, it's been a long time since posting on here but with new endevours come new issues! I recently moved into a new property which already had a greenhouse frame setup (made with branches from trees on the property). Although I did not expect much from it I figured I'd buy roll of poly plastic and throw a few plants out, which I vegged indoors to catch the natural flower cycle the beginning of November. A month and a half later my plants in the rustic greenhouse are still looking healthy but do not seem to be progressing at all. I have 2 potential reasons I believe and was hoping you guys could help me narrow it down. The first is temps; although I have a radiator style heater in the greenhouse common lows reach mid-low 40's and one or 2 nights have reached high 30's. My second theory is the light cycles. Although I had 11+ hours when I put these girls out they now have only 9+ as we approach the shortest day of the year. Although I was not expecting much from this greenhouse I had certainly expected more than this. I will be adding supplemental lighting at some point which may fix it but if you have any ideas please share! Thanks in advance for input! /monthly_2015_12/image.jpg.5f3845edf4332845b74dd73bae25d31b.jpg
6 weeks in and top buds are smaller than a dime /monthly_2015_12/image.jpg.5734001ec5f8e352ded022994e310bce.jpg
Sound like low night temps may be causing some of your problems. what are the temps during the daylight hours?
Ok that is kinda what I thought but didn't want to beef up my heater (and bill) if it was the lights that were more important. During the day it stays between 50-70'
how cold is the soil? if anything not having 12/12 is going to create smaller buds. You may be able to warm the place up and keep light cycle correct by hanging a 1k in there
I wish I could but the glow would be noticeable to neighbors. Eventually I will tear this down and build a better and larger greenhouse in this area... Maybe one not made of tree branches haha I'm not sure about soil temp. I don't think my soul meter does that but maybe I could use a meat thermometer? It does not appear that the roots are frozen or I think I would see more noticeable leaf damage, right?
Did you start turning on any type of light on neer by at night? If not then probably temps, i have flowered in my greenhouse the month before and after the shortest daylight so the two shortest months of the year and yes the buds are smaller but not nearly that small. You need to keep your nights at least 50 and your days at least 65.
temps. Pick up a couple seedling mats at a nursery store and put them under the pots. Cannabis roots require higher temps than what you're seeing. My guess is the pots rarely ever totally dry out...or only after 3-4 days of not watering? Cool green house. Like the rustic garden style. :redbong:
Greenjah- No lights in this area, it gets complete darkness back there. I was assuming smaller buds than normal but this is really ridiculous haha Resin Rubber- I think you are right. I am probably going to run underground piping hooked up to a pool solar heating to try to fight the ground coldness as well as sitting the plants on foam board insulation. I guess my final question here is... are these plants toast? Or do you think they could start putting in some work if I fixed some of these problems? I dont want to waste my time and electricity on something thats not worth it
Foam will help. but only so much. I used to grow in an un-insulated attic. In winter it was always cold enough to see your breath when the lights were out. The key was a warm floor that kept the roots nice and toasty. In the trailer the ambient air stays 60-79F, but the floor leaches heat like a bitch so 1" pads keep the pots from getting too cold. Ideally you're looking for a root zone temp of 67F. The further you stray, the more severe the effects. IMHO it's better to stray to the cooler side since cooler temps also allow more oxygen in the roots. But if the root temps are under 60F for extended periods the plant will definitely underperform. Slow growth, stunted buds, smaller root mass. If'n it were me.... I'd throw some dirt along the outside edges of the greenhouse to decrease airflow around the pots. Put the pots in trays on top of 1" indoor/outdoor carpet pad, crank the heater up at least 12 hours a day, and consider the cost of the heat as a trade off for free sun. Or invest in a seedling mat or two. The savings in electricity vs cranking the heater will easily pay for them. http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/seedling-propagation-mat/propagation-mats-cables If you get on it, those plants will definitely be worth the effort.
its the temps for sure...I actually do this on purpose to slow down my moms from going insane propane heaters are great and cheaper to run, plus you get a little bit of Co2 if the neighbors are a worry bout the light, build a makeshift fence on whatever side theyre on and line the backside with black plastic
