1st grow! Check it out!!

[sociobud]

Here's my set up so far. I will remove the shelf when the plants get bigger, but for now I'm using it as a "nursery." Total Lumens is close to 1,000 all CFL (24hr on). The temp stays around 75-80F. The large fan is for added circulation/cooling. The soil is a local mix (Okolona Mix) with added perlite. The pH is around 6.8. These plants are 2-3 weeks old.

What do you think? Suggestions, criticisms, advice is always wanted and appreciated!

[DreamerGirl7]

For now you have enough light but in soon future that wont be enough !
You have a large closet . What are dimensions ?

For that space a 400 w hps would be great ! She have around 45000 lumen's ! You need at least 25000 lumen's per sq/m !

You can grow your plants with less then 25000 lumen's but they will be poor !

Ventilation => try to put a exhaust fan in the closet because when you go on 12/12 the closet must be light proof . Thats mean that your door must be closed !

For now you must install more light !

[sociobud]

Ok, I made a mistake. I have close to 10,000 Lumens, not 1,000. Sorry.

I'm also saving up for a nice HPS light as well.

[DreamerGirl7]

that would be ok. i mean with hps 150 - 250 w + CFl's you already have !
Hps that you buy will generate allot more heat then cfl's . Think how will you manage your ventilation !
Plants love fresh air !

[sociobud]

I've changed some things in my closet, and I think my set up is way better. My plants seem to think so as well. Its only been 4 days since my last photo, and my plants look so much better. Here's a few pics to enjoy! Make sure to check out the older pics for comparison!!!

[DreamerGirl7]

Thats much better ! Good job !
Keep us updated ! :thumbsup:

[50ul }{4ck3r]

Thats much better ! Good job !
Keep us updated ! :thumbsup:

X2 Yes Please Do!!!!

[sociobud]

I just planted another seed. Now I have 5 plants. My other plants are happy, happy, happy. They're growing bushier and taller each day. My oldest plant is starting to smell like weed too.

[sociobud]

I have new photos! These were taken today, ten days after the last pics. They're not growing half bad, especially since I'm still building my closet and have very low lumens on them now. I'm learning while I go.

Oddly enough, my seed still hasn't sprouted. Hmm..I seem to still be having problems getting those damn things to grow once planted in the soil, dammit.

Anyway, enjoy the pics!

[DreamerGirl7]

Ur plants look good . Nice seedlings :thumbsup:

Work on the lights a little bit . . . you will need more lumens for later periods of veg and flowering !

Soak seeds overnight in a cup of water. Make sure seeds get good and wet so that growth is activated. Do not let seeds soak more than 24 hours or they might get too wet and suffer oxygen depravation and rot. Once soaked, seeds are ready to be placed between moist paper towels to sprout, planted in a root cube or fine, light soilless mix.

In a warm location (70 â?? 90 degrees F) place seeds in a moist paper towel or cheesecloth, making sure they are in darkness. Set the moist cloth or paper towel in a vertical position (so tap root grows down) on a grate (for drainage) on a dinner plate.

Water the cloth daily, keeping it moist, letting excess water drain away freely. The cloth will retain enough moisture to germinate the seed in a few days.

[twitch]

dream girl is right about ur seeds put in a warm dark area they will sprout better...
but other that they look good man just keep it up

[sociobud]

I do that with my seeds now. The problem is after they have sprouted and I have planted them in the soil. They just die. My soil has NO ferts and pH fine. I can't figure it out really. I planted a new seed 12/7/07, and it still hasn't crowned.

Thanks all. I'm working on more light as we speak. I bought a 250W MH lamp recently, and I am about to purchuse a 150W HPS lamp. I'll be doing much better after those are installed.

I"ve been talking with some other people in another post about possibly splitting my closet (5Wx7.5Hx1.5D) in half. One half for veg, and other half flower (this part would be a tad bigger). What do you all think about that?

[DreamerGirl7]

I do that with my seeds now. The problem is after they have sprouted and I have planted them in the soil. They just die. My soil has NO ferts and pH fine. I can't figure it out really. I planted a new seed 12/7/07, and it still hasn't crowned.


I"ve been talking with some other people in another post about possibly splitting my closet (5Wx7.5Hx1.5D) in half. One half for veg, and other half flower (this part would be a tad bigger). What do you all think about that?

plant ur seed in a softly, wet soil so that the seed can easily pop up and turn the white "root" down into medium, not up . I don't see what else can be the problem .

Splitting ur closet is very smart thing to do !

[50ul }{4ck3r]

Good Work.....More lights like dreamer said

[sociobud]

OK, so I came across possibly a find yesterday. My parents are getting a new kitchen, so they have TONS of cabinets they are getting rid of. Some look to be perfect size. The only problem, which may not really be a problem, is the height. The cabs are about 3 feet high. Would that still work for a flower cab?

Here are my thoughts, tell me what you think: Take the 60'Wx36"H cab and split it into 2 sections (flower and veg). The good thing here is I can hang my HID lights with the ballast outside of the box to minimize heat in the cab. I'd have to install an exhaust fan, but would I need to somehow use a hose to get fresh air? The cab was going in my closet for stealthiness. I guess I could leave the closet open for fresh air.

Here's a cheap drawing to show you what I had in mind. PLEASE give me some ideas!!

[twitch]

you need intake fans

[DreamerGirl7]

The only problem, which may not really be a problem, is the height. The cabs are about 3 feet high. Would that still work for a flower cab?



These cabs use for vegetative stage ! The one u already have use
for flowering so u don't need to split your bigger cab .

[sociobud]

OK..ok..ok..so I've done alot of thinking. I'm gonna keep this thing small. Maybe I'll change my mind, maybe I won't, but I'm not gonna worry about that.

I'm not gonna divide my closet, or make a grow cab, or run two things at once. It overwhelms me at the moment. I know its probably the smart and efficient thing to do, but whatever. Besides, all I want to do is smoke my own weed. That's all. Worst case scenario, I'll have my cuttings in with the flowering. Which basically means they will get 12/12 light instead of 24 (takes em longer to grow), and they may stretch some from the HPS. Is there something else I may have missed by doing it like this?

The good news is I found a local store that sells all the stuff I will need; fert, soil, worm casings, etc..It's like an obvious "if you grow pot, come buy from us" store! I *think* I'm going to buy a switchable HPS/MH light system with a separate ballast from Discount Hydroponics - ValuLine Lighting (http://www.discount-hydro.com/productdisp.php?pid=480&navid=53) its so tempting to buy the 400W for $10 more then the 250W, but as a light guy said it won't be as effective in the space I am using. I'm still deciding tho...

[sociobud]

Another update. I'll have new pics soon.

I bought the 250W switchable HPS/MH light today from Discount Hydro. Unfortunately, its Christmas, so the light will probably be here next month. Now I must patiently wait.

I transplanted my four babies into their final home. Just in time too, they were getting too big for their pots fast. They look nice. I went to the hydro store and bought some FoxFarm organic soil with earthworm casings and bat guano. I also bought some FoxFarm Big Grow fert.

I'm soon on my way to a real setup that, hopefully, my babies will like. Once my light arrives, I'll be good to go. I'll have the 250W HPS/MH supplemented with some CFL's. I'll have to be on top of the light, and move it often, but I don't see any vacations in the future, so I'll be alright.

I'm starting to get REALLY excited about smoking my own bud. I would be VERY happy if I get just 1 plant to harvest. I've already asked my very good friends if they will join me in my first smoke. (Don't worry, only my gf & 2 of my closest friends know. I'm cautious.)

[Roughrider]

I use that light, and I'll tell you...it's a winner. (If you ever want to upgrade, you won't have any problem selling it used for $125 on craigslist.) And it works great in an area of up to around 5 sq. ft. You can get three or even four plants into an area that size. Looks good, man!

[sociobud]

This is probably an incredibly stupid question, but here goes: I'm using Fox Farm Big Grow fertilizer, and the directions say to feed 1 tsp per gallon. Gallon of what? Gallon of water? Gallon of bucket your plant's in?

[sociobud]

I used fert & molasses for the first time today. I can already tell the plants like it. I re-potted them into 3gl pots. My light should be here this week according to the FedEx site. I think I'll begin the 12/12 cycle when I get the light hooked up.

What do y'all think? Think they're big enough to start flowering? They're around 6" high.

[HateHeaven]

How old are they? Mine look very similar and was thinking If I should flower also, but only because I'm getting clones very soon and I'm not sure about how much room I will have.

[sociobud]

My babies are 4-6 weeks old.

I finally got my new light set up and turned on. I decided to go ahead and use the HPS light. So today I've started the flowering process. Let's hope all goes well!

[Rusty Trichome]

I'm using Fox Farm Big Grow fertilizer, and the directions say to feed 1 tsp per gallon. Gallon of what? Gallon of water? Gallon of bucket your plant's in?
Per gallon of water. Don't use the whole gallon for one plant tho. (unless plant is in a really big pot)
Good stuff, I use it too.

[sociobud]

Yesterday was the first day of flowering. I waited until I got my closet all set up before I started. It finally looks like I got a REAL operation going now, and not just some half-assed set-up. I'll have new pics soon.

[sociobud]

My babies are starting to show their sex, and I think they all may be female! I'm so exicted. Right now, I'm 95% sure 3 of the 4 are girls. One plant is slow on showing, so I'm waiting patiently to see if little hairs appear. I'm pretty happy right now. If I get 3 out of 4 of these plants to be female, I'll be doing damn good!

Here's some pics. I couldn't really get good pics of all the hairs, so I just included one that turned out the best. Hope you enjoy! These babies have shot up 2-3 times the size in just two weeks.

Tell me what you think!!!!

[DreamerGirl7]

Nice looking plants ... i like them :rastasmoke:

Don't mean to discourage u . . . when my plants started to show sex i was happy that i will have 3 females of 4 plants but... hmm..
don't now why but 2 of those 3 turn up hermi :mad:

I hope that u will have 3 females ... keep the good work and good luck ! :thumbsup:

[sociobud]

Today was the first day I used Fox Farm Tiger Bloom. I'm 99% sure they're all female! The main reasons plants turn hermi is stress and genetics. I have no control over genetics. I have sealed the door pretty damn good to prevent light leaks. I also close the door off from the house during the night hours to further avoid light leaks. The pH is staying right around 6.5. The plants look happy & healthy. Two of them are starting to really develop flowers. I must say, they look really pretty in their pre-flower glory. I'm kinda proud!

[DreamerGirl7]

well, nice job ;)

u have nothing to worry about .
i'm waiting for new pictures :thumbsup:

peace !

[sociobud]

Its been 11 days since I started flowering. Here's a BUNCH of new pics. The 3 on the right are all from a bag of some serious funk. The very tall, sparse one on the far left is an unkown strain. As you can see, even my kitty likes my new babies. :D

[sociobud]

So I have mold in my closet. I think its cause I light proofed my closet so well, there's no ventilation. Walls are getting wet. I put in another fan to help, but I need to do something better. I don't know what yet. Plants are doing well despite the mold. More and more little buds are forming. Hairs are starting to sprout. Pretty girls...

[babydread]

NIC3 W0RK MAN... L00K$ LIK3 UR G0NNA HAV3 $UM NIC3 BUD$

[beginerbuddah]

ino its a bit late but the first pics you posted there 3 weeks old?
dam dude what happend? at least theyre growing nice now :thumbsup:
i hope you get some dank bud man:jointsmile:
:rastasmoke:

[sociobud]

Wow! I looked back at my first pics which were taken on Nov 30, and ya my babies have grown ALOT!

There's proof for ya that the right amount of light & the right ferts can do remarkable things!

All-in-all, I upgraded from about 10,000 L to about 60,000 L w/ HPS (and I still not sure that's even enough). I also started using Fox Farm ferts and soil. I remember that light helped my plants the most. Once I installed the 250W HPS light, my plants just took off.

Right now I have the door open because I haven't installed the exhaust fan yet, and my dog is enjoying "laying in the sun." ha!

[xxxhazexxx]

keep up the good work.:thumbsup:



nice dog

[sociobud]

It's now 19 days into flowering, and my babies look GREAT! I'm getting really excited now. I have 3-5 more weeks left. That means I'm half way through!

Here's some new pics to gander at. The buds are really forming now. They're not very tall, the tallest is only 15". Should I be concerned about that?

Let me know what you guys think. Any other ideas?? Suggestions? Criticisms?

[sociobud]

Here's some more.

Does anyone know roughly how much more potent homegrown is from the original batch (if grown from bag seed)? I know I'm gonna find out, but I was just wondering.

[twitch]

its all about how u take care of it, i grew buds from some crap ass shwag seeds and it was some bomb ass shit but ur shit looks good

[sociobud]

So my babies are pregnant. Somehow they got pollinated without me knowing it. Oh well, my first crop will be seedy. I could think of worse things. If I can just harvest all 4 plants I started with, I would be happy. I would consider that a success.

It's day 31 and right now not much activity is going on. They're just budding away. They're not really growing up anymore. Not quickly at least. I can't quite figure that out. I'm not over watering and the pH is fine. I'm not too worried, just curious why they're not growing up anymore. They still look ok. Anyone else have this problem?

If only I could keep my cats from eating the leaves.

I'll have photos later.

[ilovetv247]

Post some more pics when you get a chance :) Looks great!

[wman44]

your girls are not growing up anymore because they have started focusing all of their energy to make trichromes and or seeds. just keep an eye on those nugs and watch em swell!
also it looks like it might be time for you to invest in a jewelers loupe or some other type of magnification to keep an eye on those trichromes.
keep up the good work and let us know how they turn out!:rastasmoke:

[sociobud]

Damn, its been 3 weeks since my last post with photos, and wow my plants look different. I need to post new pics. One of my plants has lost almost all of her fan leaves. She is now just one giant stalk of bud! Looks sad actually! All scrawny and tall. The other plants are all going in the same direction-losing leaves and becoming fat stalks of bud.

It's now exactly 42d/6w into flowering. I think I should have maybe 2 weeks left. I ordered a 30x mag glass online last week. Hopefully it will get here this week. I'm gonna definitely have to start checking the trichomes daily. The girls are getting very close. I'm looking for more of a stupid head high, so I'm gonna harvest earlier then later.

I'm still deciding the method I'm going to use for drying and curing. I also don't know what I want to do with the trimmings. I don't want to attempt to make hash just yet. I guess I'll make cannabutter. Oh well, I still have a few weeks before I have to decide.

[sociobud]

So my girls are now just shy of 8 weeks old. They still look good. I finally received my 30x mag glass, and wouldn't you know, I still can't tell what color the trichs are! I think this may come with some practice and experience. I had a very trustworthy friend come over to lend me his eyes, he said it was hard too. He did say the tall, stalky plant looks cloudier then the other two. Damn, this trich thing is hard!!!

I think I'm going to harvest the tall one this weekend. I'll first put it in a dark place for a few days, then whack it down, and hang it up to dry. I'm going to wait awhile on the other two plants.

I'm excited about finally trying my product. I know its seedy, and not as potent, but who cares...I grew it!!

Here's some pics for your entertainment! I stuck a red pen at the bottom for size difference. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a real good shot at how thick my cola is on the tall plant. I measured the girth, and its almost 5".

What do y'all think???

[sociobud]

I harvested one of my girls. I had this STUPID idea to trim the "dead" leaves off this one plant..well I'm never gonna do that again! The plant started "burning." Getting really dried and reddish. After harvesting, I noticed it wasn't anything to do with the roots. They were fine. I'm pretty sure I took off leaves that were shading the plant, and thus the plant burned from the HPS light. That's the only thing I can think of. So I thought, damn this plant is in 8 weeks of flowering and its dying! What do I do?? I harvested it. If it doesn't have enough thc, then I could throw the whole bitch into brownies. I bet that would get you high!

Here's photos of my yield on what I call "burn plant." I don't know how much that is, but it doesn't really matter the quantity wet. I will definitely weigh the yield after it dries. That's a more accurate anyway. There's 3 more girlies still growing. There's a red pen in there for perspective.

[Surfnbird]

wow man looks good all this is a big help seeing as im starting to grow my own to this year.

[sociobud]

It's been a full week since I harvested the "burn plant." The drying is coming along quicker then imagined. Right now, I have used a cookie drying rack, a fan, and a cupboard. Working out quite well so far. When I harvest the other 3 plants, I'll hang them in a closet with a fan.

Since its so close to being fully dried, I weighed my yield. It weighed in just under 1oz. That's not bad considering I have sampled this plant with 2 joints already. This plant is not the best high, but not the worst either. I can tell it was harvested too soon. It's the kind of high where you can feel you're right on the edge of something great..yanno. Oh well, its free crap I can still smoke. The high is more like a strong buzz. I guess I'll use this stuff for "back up" in case I run dry.

In regards to my other plants, its almost 9 weeks and I still can't tell how close they are to harvest. I'm thinking maybe another week. Reading the trichomes is harder then you think!

[sociobud]

I just harvested plant #2, which I call crystal. She's trimmed & hanging in my closet drying. My other plant I dried 2 weeks ago is now in the jar curing. That smoke is getting better and better. It's starting to really knock me on my butt when I smoke it...nice and relaxing.

I think I will unplug the lights tonight and let the other 2 plants sit in darkness for a few days before harvesting. I need to flush them tonight. It will be 10 weeks of flowering for the last 2 plants. My first plant was at 8, second at week 9, and now the last at week 10. I'm just glad I was able to harvest all 4 of my babies. I started with 4, and ended with 4. That makes me quite proud.

Here's the wet yield from crystal. I put a keyboard and red pen in their for prospective. Enjoy!

[angry nomad]

Hey man, just wanted to say thanks for all your posts and pics. It helps those of us who never grew to see someone do it for the first time. Especially because you don't use a lot of the jargon that confuses the hell outta me.

Peace.

[sociobud]

First off, no problem anrgy nomad. I'm here to enjoy!! :jointsmile:

I have harvested all my babies now. I don't have any growing. :( It's alright, I'll have some more soon. I get to pick out which kind to try now. I'm exicited about that!

Here's some photos of the last of my girls. I have to post them in different threads due to size limits. The first set is of what I call "tall". I think she was pure Indica-tall & stout. She's by far the tallest, thickest, stalk-o-bud of the group.

[sociobud]

Now here's what I call, "shorty". I'm sure she's the shortest of the four, but she's still thick. She had to be cut up more then "tall" & "crystal", but not as much as "burn". After cut up, she was half the size of a sheet of paper. I don't think I got as much yield from her as I have from the others.

The last 2 pics are of all three hanging in my closet. Don't you love the color?! It's like "asylum green." The closest is "shorty", then "crystal" (who has been drying for 3 days now and considerably shrunk), and the furthest away is "tall".

I've already been smoking "burn plant." I harvested her more then 2 weeks ago. Its amazing how smooth her smoke is already. She's been curing for about a week now, and she's only getting better. At first, I thought she had an ok high, but the more she sits, the better she gets.

I'll keep you posted on how the rest turn out-yield, smoke, etc.

I DID IT! I started out with 4 plants, and I ended with 4 plants. FUCKIN' YAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[igotgreens123]

very nice grow dude... so how much did it weight out to..:thumbsup:

[Orzy]

Hah.. Pics 2/3 look like cock'n'balls.

Good job, though, looks nice.

[sociobud]

cock'n'balls! cock'n'balls!!!

My babies are drying nicely in my closet. Every time I open my closet door, I get blown away by skunk! Its REALLY strong.

I still don't know what type to grow next. I want something that gives a fun, social high. I don't want to fall asleep on the couch when I get high. I like to enjoy it!!!

[boxer1980]

I used fert & molasses for the first time today. I can already tell the plants like it. I re-potted them into 3gl pots. My light should be here this week according to the FedEx site. I think I'll begin the 12/12 cycle when I get the light hooked up.

What do y'all think? Think they're big enough to start flowering? They're around 6" high.

I would wait till they get to 1ft, usually is the perfect height, but hey, it's just me saying:rastasmoke:

[sociobud]

I put crystal in a jar to cure on 3/24/08. The last 2 plants are still drying in the closet, but will soon be put in jars to cure as well. So far my reaction to my pot is this:

VERY seedy (actually seedier then any weed I've ever bought)
decent yield (probably 2-2.5oz total)
unique, obvious high (here's where I'll elaborate below)...

So the high is weird. I bought some weed last night cause I'm dry and I don't want to smoke the harsh, unfinished weed I grew. I smoked a big 'ol J last night, and I could immediately tell the difference. The bag weed is good shit, but not the same as my grow. My grow is more powerful of a high. When you get high off my weed, you know it! You're head gets so heavy you can hardly hold it up, and all you want to do is lay on the couch and listen to some awesome music. Socially, I find myself watching more then interacting. I'll just sit in the corner, smile, and watch people. It's still fun, but different then my usual self(center of the party). There's no paranoia, but does punch a nasty burn out affect. So far, that's my least favorite affect from my grow-major burn out. :(

All-in-all, I'm happy with my turn out. I learned a lot and am ready to take on more. I think next time around will go much better.

[Kbrandon]

yah i noticed that when you grow ur own bud its more potent then when you buy it. Cause my cuzin grew some bud and we quick dried some of it and it was the most high ive ever been next to my first couple times smokin.