My first grow, 200W CFL, whatcha think? [Archive] - Green Grass Forums

Bulster

11-10-2007, 10:57 PM

Well, despite being a few weeks into flower already I thought I would start a log. I always have new questions and this way I can keep them in one place. I hope some of you find it interesting.

Some info on the grow:
- 2 x Sour Diesel and 2 x MK Ultra clones.
- SuperSoil w. 25% perilite
- Using GH 3 part nutes, CalMag, Liquid Karma, SuperThrive and sometimes hydrogen peroxide and alfalfa tea.
- Light is 1 x 100w CFL + 3 x 23w CFL + 1 x 18w CFL.
- Space is approx 3 sq.ft.

I started flowering on 9/14 so now I'm almost a month in. I have no experience but they look good to me. What do you think?
These plants were actually started way back in July, I ended up vegging for two whole months but really only got growth in the second month. The first month I was .... well.... learning, and almost lost the lot.
I have LST'ed them since they were quite small, probably too small, which was part of my many original problems.

These days I'm thinking of replacing the CFL's with a 150 or 250 watt HPS light. I wonder if 150w HPS will yield the same or more than my close to 200w CFL's?????

I will post the pictures below in 3 separate posts and note the dates the pictures were taken so you can 'keep up'.

Would love to hear comments and questions.

Peace !

Bulster

11-10-2007, 11:11 PM

So here we are back on 8/16, six days after I got them, they look pretty sad with spider mites and growing in 100 degrees F. :what:
Two plants per pot and straight in the big pot, no transplanting. Not sure I'd do it that way next time.
These are 4 gal pots.

Bulster

11-10-2007, 11:21 PM

Fast forward to 9/7.. no difference, the plants haven't grown at all and vultures are starting to circle above the grow ! :sadcrying:
It's hard to see the size of the plants in these pic's but they are pretty close to every bit as small as when I got them and I'm losing my mind :yippee:

Bulster

11-10-2007, 11:35 PM

OK, now fast forward all the way to 10/28.... Two weeks after I started the flower cycle... sorry no pics in between.
As you can see all is well now, to make a long story short I finally flushed the heck out of them and started giving them the GH 3 part nutes at very low dose, and bought a good ph meter. BLAM....they perked up and grew like mad. :woohoo:
I was going to start flower at around 12 inches of height but got delayed so they were more like 14-16 inches.
As mentioned this is two weeks in....

Bulster

11-10-2007, 11:59 PM

And now on to 11/7 - 24 days of flower. Still going strong... have been adjusting the nutes to more PK and less N and have increased the amount of total nutes with each watering. At this point I started to see slightly burnt tips and stopped increasing the nutes. My TDS/PPM is about 1150 for those who care and they need water every 3 days.
Also have continued to LST in order to keep a relatively even canopy.
These are my last pics and from 3 days ago, I'll wait a few more days now before posting more since there isn't that much happening.... they're just chuggin' along.

Man, I just love the thought of being able to avoid illegal dealers and get my medicine for less $.. and better quality too! (I hope) :clap:

What do you all think? Am I looking fine for 24 days in? REALLY fine? Not so fine? You wanna smoke this?
Anyway, I'm playing with the idea of changing to 150 or 250 watt HPS... not sure if it's worth it? I mean of course the 250 is .... but the 150???

PEACE!

PS: The pic that's taken from above is of the MK Ultra (90% sativa), didn't take one of those of the Sour Diesel (Indica).

whisky

11-11-2007, 08:10 AM

nice man, you can get the 150w and keep some cfls for side coverage.
those nugs are looking awesome that is going to kick street seaweed in the head. ( just dont harvest early and resist the temptation, but you already knew that.. just checking ;) )
keep em coming:)

Lucky_13

11-11-2007, 09:06 AM

Very nice :thumbsup:

Bulster

11-11-2007, 06:51 PM

Thanks guys. I hear you on the harvesting early part, but I am armed with patience and focused on maximum yield. I wonder how much I'll get? Is it too early to guestimate at this point?

hydrocannabis

11-12-2007, 04:29 AM

UR plant looks killer.

spongebobsmokepants

11-12-2007, 04:53 AM

Another successful CFL grow! congrats! My grow is also CFL, Check it out in my sig.

Bulster

11-12-2007, 05:46 AM

Thanks guys, just checked out your logs... Nice work!

klondike_bar

11-12-2007, 03:18 PM

tips for mites: spray bottle full of saopy water. either that or a few ladybugs.

in my experience, clones can take several weeks to build a rootbase before they even CONSIDER growing upwards. (thats why ppl use seeds unless cloning for genetics, its just faster and eisier)

Bulster

11-12-2007, 07:53 PM

Thanks Klondike, yeah I figured out how to deal with the mites, just add some Neem Oil to the soap mix and it really kicks their butt!
You mention several weeks before clones develop any roots? Wow, are you sure about that? It just sounds excessive. But I guess it's not a big deal as I expect to be vegging in a separate spot most of the time, so it's really just about timing the cuttings so they are ready at the right time to be put in flower.

Question for all: Where can I find a FAQ or get some answers on what to do the last 3 weeks of flower? I need to get a grip on Flushing, extended dark period, etc etc... I already found a bunch on harvesting, drying and curing but not much on the weeks leading up to harvest.

klondike_bar

11-12-2007, 08:41 PM

well personally, when i took clones they looked like complete crap for about 2 weeks where the leaves looked underwatered and took forever to get up agin.

and the seeds i planted a day after taking clones were at the same height as clones by the time the clones actually started to make any growth.

Bulster

11-13-2007, 09:42 AM

Still hoping someone out there can show me the way to some info on how to prepare for harvest. Do I start watering with just water? When? For how long? Do I keep it dark for a few days before cutting? Even if I am harvesting in two separate rounds two weeks apart? etc etc...

CannabisCarl2134

11-13-2007, 10:12 AM

Just use Plain water the last week (7-10 days), and no water 1-2 days before Harvest.
I think light schedules are kept the same, up until the final "Hack". Pretty much Just be very careful and meticulous with the harvest, plan it out thoroughly.

After that its the Curring process.

whisky

11-13-2007, 02:55 PM

you can leave the plants you will harvest 1-3 days of complete darkness before the harvest.. im not sure but some people say it makes the plant squeeze out the last juice it can on the buds..
like carl said use plaint water 1 week before harvest but also flush 1-2 times throughly :)

specs

11-13-2007, 08:23 PM

Nice CFl grow.

I think if you have the right conditions for cloning, it is much faster than seed. If you do some research you'll find that a clone retains the age of the plant from the time you cut it, so let's say you took a couple of clones at say 2-3weeks of veg, then when they root, they will continue from 2-3 weeks and move quickly, seeds start from 0. I have used a couple of cloning methods and I find the bubble cloning method (I think that's what it's called) the fastest-- usually takes 1 week to 10 days for very strong root growth.

Another thing with clones is, try not to plant them in too big of a pot too soon, as they will have to shoot the tap root to the bottom and then the off shoots BEFORE it shows signs of growth- this will slow it down. I transfer to 16oz cups then to veg pot, then to flower, but I like my plants to grow up to 18+ inches before flower.

Hope that helps.
Keep Growing.
Bless
specs:rastasmoke:

spongebobsmokepants

11-13-2007, 08:48 PM

I mist my clones 3-4 times a day for the first week, and 2 times a day for the second week. Clones need the high humidity and moisture as they have no roots to provide water and nutes to the leaves. Clones are great because you know exactly what you will end up with.
Lookin great man.
:thumbsup:

Bulster

11-14-2007, 08:40 AM

Thanks for all the tips, think I'll continue future grows with clones.

Bought a ducted 6" fan from HD, 250CFM. Thing makes quite a bit of noise so I'm playing around with how to muffle it. Any ideas?
In retrospect I should have mounted a tube to the hole in the ceiling and then put the fan on the tube down the line....oh well, learn a little every day.

Bulster

11-16-2007, 07:44 AM

Hey all, just a picture update.
Now 32 days in and still 30 to go for the two Sativa MK-Ultra's and at least 45 to go for the two Indica Sour Dielsel's.
Perhaps it's because it's my first grow, but damn, I think they look pretty darn good for a less than 200w CFL grow.

BTW, will be getting a 150w HPS very soon...

What do you think of the pic's?

jchap

11-16-2007, 07:57 AM

OrangeWidow

11-16-2007, 08:09 AM

Lookin great man, in the last week really cut down on the watering and stop when its the final 2-3 days (but keep close watch on the plant and the trichs) this will help the plant produce more resin to protect the leaves and the buds from the light.

Bulster

11-16-2007, 07:34 PM

JCHAP, since this is my first time I'm not sure why, but when I put them into flower it only took a couple of days for flowers to form and they've been growing ever since.
If you are growing from seed and starting flower very early with a very short veg period then that could be why you have to wait a while before you see flowers.... but others would be better at answering that than me.
Looks like you just missed my updated pics from yesterday, take a look right above your post, they are now 32 days in.

Orangewidow, thanks for the props and tips :-)

These things are looking so good to me I don't even know if I want to put them under the 150w HPS I am getting !?!?!

CannabisCarl2134

11-16-2007, 11:06 PM

IMHO I would just save, or spend the extra money on a 250w HPS. There is a Thread on Why 150w HPS vs. 250w. All in all I would just go with 250w. you will be much much more happier. BTW Awesome looking girls!

OrangeWidow

11-19-2007, 09:27 AM

No prob. I think that if you add the 150w hps it may make the resin glands become much more active and may make your plants reach out more to that light... might not be a bad idea but I am planning on only using cfl and 60w halogen bulbs on my grow.

I really like these outcomes of let wattage but just the perfect amount of light to give you some of the best buds around.

Honestly your plants looks beautiful and seems that you have a perfect setup so I would just continue what you are doing and not change it untill you need to.

Sorry just stoned off some Lemon OG Kush

rottenfork

11-19-2007, 09:33 AM

nice work they are some really good looking plants

Bulster

11-19-2007, 10:33 AM

Thanks for the props guys, really great to hear.

Well, I did buy and install the 150w HPS. Not because I'm not happy with the way things are going but because I want to be able to veg in one room and flower in another.
This should allow me to harvest enough to always have meds at hand, even with some periods of not growing.

So now I think I'm totally set, gonna start some new clones soon so they'll be ready for when my current grow is cut.

I did take some clones from my current plants but really like the idea of growing something new again. So if any of you have good suggestions for strains then I'm listening. Right now I'm thinking White Widow... but who knows what the local dispensary will have when it's time.

Man, I'm having too much fun with this these days! :jumphappy:

Bulster

11-21-2007, 08:09 PM

Well, just a little update, got some new clones yesterday. 3 small MK Ultra similar to what I already have and 1 x Sensi Skunk that's a little bigger. They are all under 100w CFL now in my veg space. Perhaps later I'll start a second grow log for those....

OrangeWidow

11-26-2007, 06:22 AM

Honestly my favorite strain out there and I would love to see a grower as yourself to experience the hindu kush stains that are out there I love just normal hindu kush over the purple hk cause ithe flavor is exsquisit(if that's how you spell it haha), as well as some of the afghani stuff too. Strawberry cough, permafrost.

Oh and the lemon deisel is unforgetable.

Bulster

11-27-2007, 11:01 PM

I hear ya Orange... I also have to Sour Diesel's that will be ready in about 20 more days:-)

So I'm about 10 days from cutting my two Mk-Ultra's. Was just going to start with pure water tonight and continue until harvest time.
But then I read about molasses, and I actually have some in the kitchen. Should I use it? And how? When? How much?

OrangeWidow

11-29-2007, 11:09 AM

I would definatly have started using the molasses about the 2nd-3rd week into flower... but very small quanitys to start and slowly stepping up the amount as the plant becomes more mature.

(2tablesp./gal i belive, correct me if I'm wrong.)

I just got a nice half of purp trainwreck

Bulster

11-29-2007, 07:33 PM

Hi all, now day 44 of flower on Nov. 27'th, time for another picture update and associated questions.
Here's what puzzles me.... The Sour Diesel is supposed to take 75-80 days to flower, and the MK-Ultra is only 55 days. BUT.... when I look at the trichs through my microscope there's hardly any difference between the two even though they're both at day 44 of flower!?!?!?! Shouldn't there be a difference? I'm supposed to cut the MK-Ultra in about a week now but it should be another month for the Sour Diesel... but again, they look equally mature with 90% cloudy trichs on both.
I'm confused... I have been warned about harvesting early but judging from the cloudy trichs it's almost time to cut... a month early for the Sour Diesel!?!?!?!

Please give feedback if you have it...

Thanks!

kx361

12-03-2007, 12:42 AM

I would suggest cutting off, quick drying, and sampling a bit from each strain weekly. Once each is at the type of high you prefer, go ahead and cut em! I think in this case you should probably rely on the accuracy of looking at the trichomes and sampling the product rather than what the company told you. ps fast maturing sour diesel?!?! Can I have some seeds of that mutation!:giggity:

Bulster

12-03-2007, 06:10 AM

Hey Kx, I like that idea, gives me a chance to cut some and feel good about it.
And now that you mention it, yeah if the SD really does mature as fast as it's looking then Yeehaa for that! :clap:

macro

12-04-2007, 11:25 PM

haha Bulster, i'm facing the EXACT SAME DILEMMA!
If you live in the bay area we may have the same awesomely retarded mutated sour diesel strain.

i'm 43 days into flowering and i'm trying to make up the decision to continue flowering for the remaining month or cutting them based on trichs.

i took a sample and it was good i'll. be checking back here for sure.

Bulster

12-05-2007, 08:58 AM

LOL Macro, that's funny!
Not sure what you have done but I took a look at some more trichs on various leaves and even though many are cloudy some are still clear and I see virtually no amber.
So, to ensure not harvesting too early, I will bide my time and not cut until I see at least a general tendency towards more amber trichs.

macro

12-05-2007, 03:42 PM

one thing i didnt notice: you're in soil where as i'm in deep water, which may allow me to harvest early :D

my trichs looked mostly amber but I will check again. I like your grow, looks nice and simple :) ahh sometimes I wish I went soil.

did you sample yours Bulster?

Bulster

12-05-2007, 11:23 PM

I see, sounds like you definitely have more amber than I do so far.
I did take a sample but haven't tried it yet, it should be dry enough in the next day or so, then I will chime in with a brief report on the effects.
You're right I am in soil, but my new clones are vegging in a Hempy Bucket (passive hydro) have you ever heard of those? As for keeping it simple there is no easier way to get the benefits of hydro without the work. It's easier than soil but with the fast growing benefits of hydro.

OrangeWidow

12-09-2007, 07:00 AM

If you are choosing to crop early then at least wait a week and lessen the hours of light to the plant to alow it to develop more amber trichs.

But in my opinion iwould grow that thing out as far as it can be pushed... it would be totaly worth it 9999999% lol

Bulster

12-11-2007, 02:25 AM

Thanks Orange... I have decided to wait until I see a consistent pattern of amber emerging... just to be sure.

So, smoke report, I had sampled the Sour Diesel the other day and smoked it last night. The high is VERY heady, at this early stage it pretty much leaves your body alone while buzzing your head big time. Overall it didn't last very long, perhaps due to the small amount I smoked and the fact that it's immature. The smell and taste is OUTSTANDING.. it really lingers.
So in short I really like it, a lot, got this strain originally because I wanted a heady high and that's exactly what I got, unlike any I've had before.

hydrocannabis

12-11-2007, 08:54 AM

dat sheet looks live.:D yumm yumm.

kx361

12-13-2007, 09:22 AM

So I just recieved a 100x mini microscope, and wow. I can see every trichome as if it were a tree lol. I highly recommend if you dislike the kinda retardifying stone that results from overly ripe buds. It turns harvesting into a fine art.

Bulster

12-15-2007, 04:51 AM

:jumphappy:
Yehaa.....Harvest day today for the two MK-Ultra's. They are listed as 53-55 days to flower but these have been flowering for 61 days....not sure why they took so long??? They still don't have much amber but I'm happy with that as I am trying to pursue a more 'heady' effect.
Using my 60-100 X magnifier I would say overall the trichs are 90% cloudy.
Over the last 10 days I have flushed them but only by reducing TDS PPM's from 1000+ to about 375, so basically using very light nutes. I read somewhere that it's really not that effective to flush the heck out of them with just pure water so I didn't. This has to do with reversing the osmotic pressure..... and if you know what that means I'd like to hear your oppinion on it.

Anyway, the Sour Diesels are still flowering and should be ready in another couple of weeks unless they start showing lots of amber before then.
Also, I've been vegging a Sensi-Skunk for three weeks or so and it's almost ready to take the place of the MK's in the flower room... more on that later.

A couple of questions:
- Hang the harvest in a light and warm room? Or is it Dark and cool? Or some combination? I seem to have read more than one approach???
- Does anyone know how to control and measure the moisture content as it's drying? How dry do you want it?

Here are some pics taken moments before I cut the two ladies today... so beautiful with the leaves turning colors like trees in the fall.

smokenss

12-15-2007, 09:04 AM

very nice looking buds there well done :thumbsup: looking forward 2 c ur yield and ur next grow:smokin:

smokenss

12-15-2007, 09:15 AM

iv herd that the best way to dry is to hang up in grow room with light off and air on and wait untill the stem snaps not bend at all

Bulster

12-27-2007, 10:55 PM

Just an update,
The two MK-Ultra have been dried and put in jars for curing, see the attached picture. I don't have a scale but from the looks of it I'd say there's about an ounce.
As for the Sour Diesel, I will be cutting it in the next week or so, looks like there'll be just a bit more on those but time will tell.

Lastly, I just put a single Sensi Skunk into the flower area as well, looking forward to see how it turns out and I may clone it in the next few days.

Anyway, enjoy the picture.....