Grow Log #1 - Shiva Skunk - Help is appreciated!

[chadsvb]

I just put two Shiva Skunk seeds in some moist paper towels and tucked them away.

I'll wait a couple days before checking.

About my setup
I have nine CFL Cool White Lights (75watt equiv. / each; 675watt equiv. / total). Not sure about lumens.

My grow area with 2x2x4. The frame was built from 1" Schedule 40 PVC. Inside, the walls are painted Flat White.

Also, using Distilled Water. Not sure on my Soil just yet. Any suggestions would be awesome!

More to come...

Peace

[Earthy Dank]

What spectrum are your CFLs? The bluer (6900k) are best for veg and the yellower ones (2900k) are best for flowering. The 75watt equivilents are about 26w so you got 234w of CFLs thats good but make sure you ventilate all those lights well or it will get too hot. Also you'll need to keep those cfls 4"-6" from the tops of the plant for them to grow right.

[Cornelius]

this'll be fun. I'm just finishing a northern lights x shiva grow, hey. you don't need to use distilled water if you don't want.

as for soil don't get anything with much fertilizer already in it. these can burn young plants, and also make it harder for you to gauge what you are giving your plants. you want your soil to have good drainage, so you want your soil mix to be around 40% perlite. many soils come with a little, you might have to get some extra perlite. also you might want to mix in some dolomite lime to buffer your soil's ph.

good luck!

[razzapiggy]

Some people use distilled water, others don't. It really depends on the quality of water in your area... do you have a PPM meter? If not, it's a good thing to get from the hydro store. They aren't cheap but it measures how many parts per million are in the water. If your tap water is over 400, it's probably time to use distilled water instead. If not, you are fine. The PPM meter also helps you to know how much of your nutes you added to the water. Pretty handy tool

[chadsvb]

Anybody wanting information on this strain, Shiva Skunk, can check out this link:

Shiva Skunk Information (http://www.sensiseeds.com/shivaskunk/1p228.html)

I did not order from this place, they just seem to have a good description available. I do not recommend, nor do I condone this website for ordering. I have NO experience with them. This is ONLY for the Shiva Skunk information.

[chadsvb]

Ok, I have just purchased 2 (two) new plant holders. Also, I picked up some Top Soil, Perlite, and Peat Moss. Now I just need to put it all together! The Top Soil says it already contains Peat Moss, for better root development.

Question 1: Should I just add Perlite, since the soil already contains Peat Moss?
Question 2: When should I introduce nutes? I'm using Peter's 20-20-20.

All help is greatly appreciated.

Peace

[chadsvb]

Just a short update.

I have removed one (1) plant from the growing area. That leaves me with one (1) Shiva Skunk. So far, I've got about an inch of growth (above the soil, of course).

As soon as I get a camera, you'll get pictures.

Temperatures are being a pain in the ass to control though. Cool in the morning, Hot as hell in the afternoon, Cool in the evening. I think I have a solution. We'll see...

Peace

[Earthy Dank]

Don't use top soil... You need potting soil. I would add about a cup or perlite per gallon. I would be careful with peat moss as it is acidic. I would look for a high nitrogen fertilizer(10-0-0) for vegitative and a high phosphurous and potassium for flowering(0-10-10).

[chadsvb]

Everywhere I looked for potting soil, they contained slow feeding nutrients (feeds for up to 3 months, etc...). So, I just got some Top Soil, mixed it with a lot of perlite. Everything seems to be going good right now...

I've been keeping a check on the pH of the Water and the Soil. Both are at good levels.

If you could recommend a certain brand of potting soil, available online, that would be great.

Thanks for all the help...

Peace

[Earthy Dank]

FoxFarm Ocean Forest. Topsoil is shit... it doesn't hold water very well and compacts together.

[chadsvb]

Ok, I've been Vegging for about a month now. The 6th node is easing out. So far, so good. It's looking beautiful and I'm looking forward to switching to 12/12 within the next couple weeks!

Sorry for the lack of updates. I'm getting a new grow room ready for some Trainwreck clones. First experience with clones, so I'll be needing help on that too!

Also, I was told that Topsoil was "shit". I'm no expert, but mine has been working ok. It does seem to compact a little, but with the added perlite, it works ok. I'm sure the other soil's that were recommended would have done better, but I'm getting away from soil anyway!

Peace