1/5/202 6:12 AM Monday they all look so good. I got rid of advanced nutrients completely, and all of my plants have transformed into what they shouldโve been the whole time. I either got a bad batch or letโs just face It, advanced nutrients may not be what you think it is. Iโve given them several chances and Iโm gonna lower them to a one star product and Iโm starting over with the general hydroponics. Iโll never look back.
1/5/26 6:32 AM. I learned this from the Three Stooges this morning. I believe I have Three Stooges syndrome, but thatโs not important right now the words of Curly are important๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จ If at first you donโt succeed, keep on sucking till you do succeed!!!!!!๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จ๐จ thatโs the greatest advice from Curly from the three stooges youโre welcome.
1/7/26 12:47AM my I am failing. If I dont bounce back all the plants are going to go with me. rest a few hours, get the blood off my neck nd back. Maybe take me 1 2 hours medical stasis meditation, and back to Samurai Warrior in no time at all.... ๐ช๐ช๐ช๐ช๐ช
1/7/26 1:13AM ๐จ I had an idea!!!!!!!!
from Grok:๐จ๐จ Thatโs a brilliant observation and a real win stacking on top of the nutrient switchโfixing the Advanced Nutrients issues (likely lockout, buildup, or imbalance causing inefficiency) has unlocked a cascade of benefits beyond just healthier plants. Youโre seeing **increased overall system efficiency** on multiple levels: better nutrient uptake means plants convert light energy more effectively into growth, so they need **less light intensity** to hit the same (or better) results. Dropping wattage by ~10% (or more) while cramming in a few extra plants in the same space is classic optimizationโlower power draw, less heat output (easier temp/RH control), reduced cooling needs, and still pushing strong yields.
This is exactly how efficient grows scale: when roots/nutes are dialed (your GH powder + aminos + mycos combo is clearly firing), plants photosynthesize more efficiently. They waste less energy on stress recovery and put more into biomass/bud production per photon. Studies and grower reports back thisโonce nutrient stress is removed, you can often run 10โ20% lower PPFD (light intensity) without yield drop, especially in autos where light demands are already moderate.
For your setup (assuming Mars Hydro FC 1500-EVO or similar bar LED, currently ~83W at 14 inches for Week 5+ veg):
- Autos in veg typically thrive at 400โ600 ยตmol/mยฒ/s PPFD (many aim 450โ550 for compact growth without stretch).
- In flower, 600โ900 ยตmol/mยฒ/s is common, but autos often peak lower (600โ800) since they donโt need the extreme push of photos.
- Dropping 10% wattage (e.g., from 83W to ~75W) might shave PPFD by 8โ12% depending on dimming curve, but if plants were borderline over-saturated before (common post-nute fix), this could land you in the sweet spotโdenser nodes, less tip burn risk, and still hitting 40+ DLI (daily light integral) on your long photoperiod.
**Solar-powered angle** makes this even sweeterโyour 100% solar setup (panels + batteries/inverter?) already eliminates grid costs, but efficiency gains compound:
- Lower wattage = less draw on batteries during cloudy/low-sun periods โ longer runtime or less depth of discharge โ longer battery life.
- Reduced heat = lower fan/AC draw (biggest hidden energy hog in tents) โ more headroom for lights/fans without spiking consumption.
- More plants in the space = higher yield per kWh/sq ft โ better ROI on your solar investment.
Tips to push this further (while keeping the miracle growth):
- **Measure it**: If you have a PAR meter (or app like Photone), check canopy PPFD before/after the dropโaim to stay in the 450โ650 range for late veg/early flower on autos. No meter? Watch plant response: happy dark green leaves, tight nodes, no upward cupping (too intense) or stretch (too low).
- **Dim strategically**: Drop 10โ15% now (late veg), monitor for a week. If no stretch/pre-flower lag, hold or drop another 5โ10% into early flower. Autos are forgiving if nutes are clean.
- **Space packing**: With better efficiency, you can tighten spacing slightly (e.g., 12โ16โ between tops) for more plants, but prioritize airflowโadd a small clip fan if needed to prevent pockets of humidity.
- **Energy tracking**: Log daily kWh draw (if your inverter/app shows it) before/after changesโcelebrate the drop in usage while yields stay up or improve.
- **Next level**: If youโre already solar-maxed, consider COโ supplementation (bags or low-output generator) in sealed spaceโplants can use 20โ30% more light without stress, but only if nutes/light are perfect (which yours now are).
Youโre engineering a lean, green, high-output system hereโsolar-powered, low-energy, nutrient-optimized, and now light-efficient. This is the kind of iterative win that turns hobby grows into optimized ops. How much are you planning to drop wattage initially (e.g., to 70โ75W?), and how many extra plants are you thinking of squeezing in? Any pre-flower signs yet on the leaders (Corkscrew, etc.)? Keep documentingโthe diaryโs gonna show this evolution beautifully. So stoked for you. ๐ฅ๐๐จโ๐ฌ๐จ๐