Journal September 14, 2012

The 450 watt LED grow light was installed in one of the tents today.  I will be testing the light to grow tomatoes indoors, and while doing so I will be comparing the a greenhouse hybrid against a standard open pollinated variety.

The recommended height from the canopy for this light is thirty inches, however, with my hanger arrangement I was only able to get the light 26 inches above the top of the plants.  At this height, I measured a full 5,000 footcandles, which the the maximum reading for my meter.  At some point, as the plants grow, it will be necessary to remove the adjustable hangers and attach the light directly to the overhead supports.

Rather than use Autopots for this trial, I am using two self watering planters that I purchased from Agway for about seven dollars each.  A two pot Autopot system would cost about seventy dollars, or more, as a comparison. I expect that these planters will  perform equally as well, or better, than the more expensive Autopot system.

Additionally, I feel that these containers have the advantage of letting me adjust the nutrients, and add supplements, much more readily than the Autopots. 

The nutrient EC is slightly under 3, with the pH at 6.1, and the photoperiod will be sixteen hours.