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 shouldāve been the whole time. I either got a bad batch or letās just face It, advanced nutrients may not be what you think it is. Iāve given them several chances and Iām gonna lower them to a one star product and Iām starting over with the general hydroponics. Iāll 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 thatās not important right now the words of Curly are importantšØšØšØšØ If at first you donāt succeed, keep on sucking till you do succeed!!!!!!šØšØšØšØšØ thatās the greatest advice from Curly from the three stooges youāre 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.... šŖšŖšŖšŖšŖ
1/7/26 1:13AM šØ I had an idea!!!!!!!!
from Grok:šØšØ Thatās a brilliant observation and a real win stacking on top of the nutrient switchāfixing the Advanced Nutrients issues (likely lockout, buildup, or imbalance causing inefficiency) has unlocked a cascade of benefits beyond just healthier plants. Youāre 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 optimizationālower 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 thisāonce nutrient stress is removed, you can often run 10ā20% 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 400ā600 µmol/m²/s PPFD (many aim 450ā550 for compact growth without stretch).
- In flower, 600ā900 µmol/m²/s is common, but autos often peak lower (600ā800) since they donāt need the extreme push of photos.
- Dropping 10% wattage (e.g., from 83W to ~75W) might shave PPFD by 8ā12% depending on dimming curve, but if plants were borderline over-saturated before (common post-nute fix), this could land you in the sweet spotādenser nodes, less tip burn risk, and still hitting 40+ DLI (daily light integral) on your long photoperiod.
**Solar-powered angle** makes this even sweeterāyour 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 ā longer runtime or less depth of discharge ā longer battery life.
- Reduced heat = lower fan/AC draw (biggest hidden energy hog in tents) ā more headroom for lights/fans without spiking consumption.
- More plants in the space = higher yield per kWh/sq ft ā 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 dropāaim to stay in the 450ā650 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 10ā15% now (late veg), monitor for a week. If no stretch/pre-flower lag, hold or drop another 5ā10% into early flower. Autos are forgiving if nutes are clean.
- **Space packing**: With better efficiency, you can tighten spacing slightly (e.g., 12ā16ā between tops) for more plants, but prioritize airflowāadd 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 changesācelebrate the drop in usage while yields stay up or improve.
- **Next level**: If youāre already solar-maxed, consider COā supplementation (bags or low-output generator) in sealed spaceāplants can use 20ā30% more light without stress, but only if nutes/light are perfect (which yours now are).
Youāre engineering a lean, green, high-output system hereāsolar-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 70ā75W?), and how many extra plants are you thinking of squeezing in? Any pre-flower signs yet on the leaders (Corkscrew, etc.)? Keep documentingāthe diaryās gonna show this evolution beautifully. So stoked for you. š„ššØāš¬šØš