First grow, good advice always needed

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Today i have started my first grow and i cannot wait to see some leaves!

My setup is in my attic, i have a 4" AC duct tube come directly out of the AC unit so i will be able to cool the room with downstair controls. I've made a room out of empty space and roof supports with wood and 1" thick foam insulation walls.

As of now, i only have 2 100 watt daylight compact cfls and both in large reflective ballasts. I plan to get another ballast and a stronger high output daylight bulb for veging and then find the most powerful warm white cfl for flowering (daylight spectrum contains more blue and warm white has more red).

I used a natural germination technique by putting the seeds appx 1/4 - 1/2" in the soil

I am using Ocean Forrest soil by Fox Farm and will begin using Fox Farm Grow Big for vegetative growth two weeks after the plants have been growing.

Using my beginner judgment and hopefully some help from the growing goorus on this site i plan to transplant 2 times in hope of at least 4 ladies out of the 9 that i planted. 3 of the seeds are seeds ive found in some nice sacks of my own, 1 was given to me i think it was mids, and the other 5 are a mix of crystal seeds and strawberry cough seeds that my greatest ganja buddy gave me. hopefully i get some sort of a decent turn out. The next few months should be fun and a good learning experience, thats all i really want plus a little prize at the end!

Thanks for all the help and i will post pictures as soon as i can!

[stinkyattic]

Cool, good luck, can't wait to see pics.
Isn't foam board fun to work with? It feels like being back in preschool playing with those big carboard blocks that have a brick pattern printed on them!

For a whole mess of seedlings, you need more light. A T12 shop light with 2 'cool white' or 'daylight' bulbs will run you no more than $15 at home depot and is good for a BUNCH of seedlings. It also does not get very hot.

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

I also hope to save up enough money in the next month to get a Procyon 100, hopefully ill be able to use in for some flowering and get some nice resin production like SnSstealth and doughboy!

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Thanks Stinky! yea foam board is pretty fun to work w but with limited space it can find a way of being a pain.

I was worried about not enough light but i shall purchase more asap!

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Okay, i went to home depot and got 2 48" indoor garden daylight fluorescents and a ballast. Here goes the setup!

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Checked the pots today, no sprouts, soil lookin dry so i gave em a little bit of water. I hope i see some results by tomorrow or else i think im going to send away for some seeds.

Any one have any recommendations plants that harvest well with cfls? i was thinking a heavy yielding plant with low odor.

List out some strains!

[stinkyattic]

I've seen papaya do very well under flouros, and the odor is more sweet n fruity than anything. It's also a very easy and hardy plant.

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

oohh sounds delicious! do you know of any sites i can get at least 10 seeds off of discretely?

[SnSstealth]

get some pics up dodo!!! we use all FF nutes and soil too...no complaints....AK-47 does amazing for beginners too....but kinda stinky...it can take alot of abuse though.
well good luck on your grow...I'll keep poppin in on ya:thumbsup:
:smokebong:
whiskeytango

[stinkyattic]

The papaya seeds I ran came from seedboutique/nirvana.

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Here are some pics of my setup... still working on it though I'm going to go to my hydro store and get some mylar today or tomorrow.

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

A few more pics, the buds are stinky fruit...ive been told... a buddy of mine has a group of kids that are pretty close to the grower. nice taste, full body high, gets you uppity and going in the beginning but follows with some couch lock and HUNGER. enjoy!

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Papaya and Big Bud... thanks for the recommendation on the papaya it sounds yummy. these are the strains im leaning towards if my plethora doesn't work out

[hatch]

Nice Set-Up!!!

Tasty Looking Nug's:jointsmile::jointsmile:

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Its been approximately 34 hours since i put the seeds in the soil... no sprouts... gettin bummed out over here thinkin im going to have to send away
wish me luck>blaze on

[bombdiggity]

it takes time!!! have some patience the plant will grow.

[SnSstealth]

i have had beans take 3-4 days dodo.....you got plenty of time....wait it out..get a nail file for the sides of the beans if they look like they are having problems poppin...i have problems with "fresh" seeds sometimes...nail file helps.
:smokebong:
whiskeytango

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

yeah i know patience pays...these aren't fresh seeds though they're a little on the old side thats my main concern. ill check the pots asap today

[SnSstealth]

my cross I am growing now, the beans are almost 4 yrs old...all in how you keep em.
WT

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

well i checked them a few minutes ago. nothing showing still... does anyone think i should back the lights off a little? the soil seems to be drying out quickly..

the room temp isnt high at all my estimate is around 77 to 80 degrees but i want it a little cooler. let me know what any of you think

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

anyone thin k i need to back off the lights?

[stinkyattic]

You can actually TURN OFF the lights until the seedlings pop up. Then put them back on ASAP and monitor soil moisture carefully.

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Thanks stinky however i have excellent news, i peeped in very delicately on one of the lesser quality seeds and the taproot is showing!

Just before i left the room i added little bit of water to each pot because they were looking dry, and then there it was haha, my first leaves! theyre barely out of the soil but i have much relief just for the fact that what ive worked hard to put together has worked, it may not look like much but that room, the wood or the foam wasnt there, it was a bit of work.

also, i have some view but minimal responses, please people feel free to post up some thoughts i just feel like an idiot talking to no one

thanks!

[SnSstealth]

traffic will pick up as the plants get older dodo....trust me...lol
:smokebong:
whiskeytango

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

haha i know ive been onlooking your forum since the get go of it! your thread is gonna be hard to top for sure..

Light cycle is 18/6, i plan to veg the plants for a longer time rather than shorter time, im going to start my patience now that i know the seeds are sprouting

[Cede2Weed]

Based upon the care you have put into your grow space, I have no doubt your efforts will be more than rewarded. I look forward to watching your progress. :thumbsup:

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Arighty then, day 3 since seeds were put into the ground and i have 3 toddlers so far. This is probably the slowest, yet most exciting process ive ever been a part of lol.

2 of the random seeds have spurted up, and the other plant is either crystal or strawberry cough. lets hope theyre alllll female!!

The first two pics are the first one two show, the 3rd shot is the second to show, both of my random seeds. The 4th shot is either crystal or strawberry cough, and then a group shot.

The temp feels great in the room, however i have noticed that in the ladder part of the day it can get fairly hot up there...and in florida getting hot now is bad because it will only get hotter.. anyone have any low cost ideas?

[SnSstealth]

your fine with temps outdoors here in Fl dodo...if you are talking about your indoor, you want your temps 75-80 day, and 68-72 night...those are my magic numbers at least...some may disagree more FL growers!!...woo-hoo!!!
:smokebong:
whiskeytango

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

My brother and i went to home depot and got another fan that i can put directly on the lights, then i can use the other fan for its oscillating features.

Yes indeed reppin the FL sns! Those temps sound right around what it feels like in there..dont have a thermometer yet lol i should probably get on that.

But i just got back from a little anti-civilization getaway down the coast and got a few surprises when i checked my room.. 2 more peeking through the soil! i gave them each a little water because the moisture level in the soil looked and felt low.

I went into this grow expecting a low germination rate and the rate has already surpassed what i at least wanted.. now i am hoping for at least 2 out of the 5 that are presently sprouting to be female, hopefully im wrong for the better!

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Here are some updated pics, just a couple of hours shows how fast some plants can start off..(something only a person of the stoner type would be amazed by haha)

I saw a few small flea looking buds in the room around the soil this morning and i killed em all and havent seen any since, anyone think cedar chips will at least rid them temporarily? sns i know it worked for your pests but these are different.

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

No new sprouts yet, the plants that have sprouted are coming along quite well in my eyes.

There is one that just sprouted and has yellowing on one of the leaves as you can see in the 3rd picture...I tried getting a read on the ph levels but i think my ph/water/light meter is a piece of shit, guess thats what you get for 10 bucks lol.

My brother decided to put a seed in a few of the pots that havent sprouted yet, most of his seeds are from better dro than mine are except the crystal and strawberry cough.

They will be a few days behind but im not to worried about it, if it becomes a problem with the other plants when the time to end veg is up ill force the females into flowering if i have to.

Let me know what you think of my progress so far.. thanks!

[Cede2Weed]

I bet they will take off shortly.

Mine are a few days ahead of you under much less light.

I also give them much more water than you are. Not saying I am right, just curious to get others opinions.

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

yeah im lightly watering them until i know their roots have a good area covered, the top looks dry but its fairly moist underneath. The last thing i want to do is drown them so im taking my time with it and trying not to get ahead of myself you know?

Anyways im dying to check on them but my buddy is over and im trying to keep it a secret...update pics tomorrow afternoon peace!

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Theyre lookin great! possibility of stretching but i expected it with the cfls.

My brothers 5 seeds all seem to be opening up well the taproots havent really came out yet, ill give them another 10 to 12 hours.

Pics updated this afternoon so check in then for a view.

Also i have been rotating the sprouts because they seem to be getting windblown lol but i have heard that rotating your crop has a positive affect on the yield.

toke on

[Cede2Weed]

looking forward to the pics

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Here are the pics I promised

[SnSstealth]

they look great dodo...thats not stretching per se....seedlings look like that normally...
WT

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

I just did a quick check, one group pic this time, im going to go to home depot and get some more lights for sure.

My bro and i made some of that green dragon stuff, damn nice

[Cede2Weed]

:thumbsup: Time goes no slower than when we are waiting on our special plants to produce

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Plants are looking nice, they certainly keep growing more and more everyday. It looks like a few of the plants are in the early stages of producing new sets of leaves.

I just got back with 2 2600 lumen soft white lights, they are each 42 watts with the equivalent to 150 watts. They are bright as hell, they make it look like my tube cfls are turned off, ill post up some pics of them


I would like some advice for topping, dose anyone think when the time comes i should FIM or just let them grow? I might use one of the mid grade plants to experiment on with topping and LST but ill make up my mind when the time comes.

Thank you for your input!

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Here a 2 pics of how i have the lights set up

[Cede2Weed]

Stinky has a sticky on topping and fimming that will be very helpful to you under the growing information section.

I think you are supposed to wait on the 5th node.

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Everythings going fine in the room, plants are looking healthy its just a little hot.

2 of my brothers seedlings have sprouted out so far and waiting for 3 more.

Not going to have updated pics until Sunday, 4-20!! :rastasmoke:

Ill try to keep small updates going throughout the weekend.

dodo

[Cede2Weed]

looks like pot in those pots :thumbsup:

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Haha! hell yes they are, and i just checked em and all 5 of my bros successfully sprouted and look wonderful, my plants are looking great as well and i just cant wait to sex them!

Hoping for 2 to 4 females, if i get more im going to be in desperate need of more lights...but hey, for the small price im willing to do what i need to.

toke on!

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Plants look nice, i think im going to give them about 3 to 5 days until their first transplant or wait until they show their first signs of hunger


Pics will be updated this afternoon

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Heres a group shot and a couple mug shots of the older plants.

Growing marijuana is easily one of the most satisfying things once you get it under way

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

4got to attach the pics haha

[fenderninja]

theyre lookin good, they grow so damn fast!

[hudson88]

Yeah they're looking good man, glad to hear you're enjoying the grow, it just keeps getting better from here on in.........wait till your starting to look for their sex, then watching them buds grow mmmmmmmmm :)

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

The first pic is the largest and oldest plant, then 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and a group photo. It seems like on at least one plant a day i see new leaves, not all of the plants are at the same stage but hopefully some will catch up by the time i move to flowering, i have no doubt they will.

It has almost been 2 weeks since theyve been planted so im sure the food supply from the soil is gradually getting used up and should be gone in the next 2 to 3 days..

Ive decided to wait for some of the plants to catch up before i transplant them because of the amount of lit space i have, how much does anyone think i should start feeding them? 2? 3? times a week?

[stinkyattic]

They aren't going to need a transplant for a good solid week or 2. Try shuffling them around to give the stragglers more intense light position and catch up if that is important to you. But they look very healthy so word up homeslice.

[Cede2Weed]

Lookin good, DoDo. :thumbsup:

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Thanks stinky and cede, I have been putting the older ones on the outer limits of the light but im being a little selfish and keeping my nice younger ones close in, i think im doin my bro a favor growing his seeds out for him so no guilt felt lol.

Any opinions on the feeding? im new to this obviously so i don't want to muf it up

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Alright i put one and a half tsp of ff grow big in the gallon of water that im using, i gave them a generous portion of water, probably the most water ive given them.

They look great tho and the leave just multiply and grow over and over, very fun yet tedious process to watch!

Pics will be up tonight

toke on

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Here are some pics, i put the more mature plants to the outer edge of the light and the second picture (oldest) really shows nicely how the plant turns its leaves toward the light, incredible.

enjoy the pics and more will be coming tomorrow or friday.

dodo

also, the close up of the stem shows little developments, what exactly are those? is that where i should be looking for the pre-flower?

[Shovelhandle]

This is just my recent experience with indica afghani type plants. But usually the plants are much larger by the time they show the hairs, starting at 5 weeks from seed. I've not seen maturing plants that small. Is there a reason why they should be showing so soon? Are they clones or are they under 12-12 lights?


Shov

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

You know what shov, these plants are under 18/6 and were naturally germinated seeds, and the fact that you, Shovelhandle, dont know what going on kinda puts me in a blah mode lol.

I have no idea even what they are?!? if they are showing sex this soon i am in awe, ive never heard of it. but please let me know if hear or see anything that will help me out..

THANKS!

STINKY PLEASE CHECK THIS

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

no idea why the little white hairs are there, only strains that i know for a fact are growing are strawberry cough and crystal, and i dont know which ones they are at that! that are random strains in there as well but if they really are maturing rapidly maybe harvest wont be so far away...

[Shovelhandle]

those are some prime genetics, dodo. Early preflowers isn't a bad thing, I think

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

awesome, maybe ill need to do some research on cloning and try to grow a few out, if its female. If its a good looking male who knows, maybe i could try to collect some pollen and if in fact they are early pre-flowers maybe the genetics will be carried on into the cross.

Anythings possible eh? haha

Pics posted tonight. these plants grow like crazy! sooo much more development coming through, theyre staying nice and short for now, however i do have one plant, the oldest one, is quite a bit taller than the others and has narrower leaves, so im thinking it could be a sativa leaning strain. I hope so at least! i dont want a whole mess of couch lock ganja.

check back later, toke on.


Ohhhh and yes, my bro got sensi star and mighty mite, these are amazing nugs! ill try to post some pics it later

[thathippiekid]

Maybe it's ruderalis.

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Ruderalis? i actually read somthing about ruderalis today but i was pretty high and cant quite remember, ill research that thanks!

The plants are realll healthy looking and i can smell distinct scents if i shove my nose gently into the plants lol, cant describe them yet im gonna need more time.

enjoy the pictures!
many different strains in here, i cant wait to flower!
i dont know if those are pre-flowers or not, anyone help?
danka

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Pics will be up tomorrow, plants are looking healthy right now, i think im going to feed them grow big tomorrow morning.

check back for visual updates tomorrow


dodo

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

No ruderalis, the plants are looking great though and it seems that my plants are pulling further away from my brothers than i expected.

I think im going to give them another 2 weeks under 18/6 then slowly work them down to 12/12. I might go one week 16/8 then one more at 14/10, that will be about 6 and a half weeks in veg, then i will go 12/12 after that. I wont be surprised if they start showing sexes in the 14/10, at least i hope they do!

Enjoy the pics, you can compare the leaves and really be able to tell difference in strains. there are a lot in here!

I was also thinking about getting a 250 watt hps to stick in my closet for my favorite girl or 2 that i get, i think ill get a bigger yield out of the best ones if i put them under a bigger light during flowering. might be a good idea!

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

also what does anyone think is happening to the base of the stem in the plant in the second pic? could that be from watering? or to much ferts?

[hudson88]

Hey dodo your plants are looking great.

If you're talking about the little split in the stem at the bottom I wouldn't worry, it's just the outer skin of the stem splitting due to the growth I think, it'll just gradually peel away to reveal the new skin beneath.

Keep up the good work!

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

I checked on the plants and a few of the leaves look sparkly so i rubbed them gently in between my fingers and the smell was fine marijuana. Its hard to tell which plants are the same strain but the scent is definitely getting stronger and more distinct.

I thought i could smell strawberries slightly from the plant in that second picture...could be mental so im not going to get my hopes up.

Picture updates every 2 days for noticeable growth

[jcksnhffpr]

if u r talking bout that stuff on the stem that looks like its peeling off that is nothing that always happens as them stem strengens and gets thicker

[SnSstealth]

lookin good dodo! the stem peels as it gets thicker...your fine:thumbsup:
whiskeytango

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

End of day 20, lights turned off while i was in the room, cool temps tonight...i wish i had started 2 or 3 months ago so i couldve had nice cool temps throughout the whole grow, but well see. I think im going to get a carbon filter with a nice powerful fan suckin air outta the room.

Do i need to have an intake fan also because the AC isnt always on? or do yo think itll get hotter during the summer w an intake?

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Well those of you that have been silently and verbally following along, you may notice the straggler is out of there...

My brother and i decided to make and experiment out of it and took it deep in the woods and planted it where there is moderate sunlight. I think well check up on it every 2 or three weeks and give it a good heavy FF feeding :D

Here are some close ups of some of the more mature stems, one of them is quite a good pic i must say! the duet picture is of the two oldest plants, however the plant on the left is the oldest, it hasnt developed leaves by the stem like the others have. Im just guessing its the strain well have to wait and see if it takes longer to flower also!!

toke on and on...and on! :jointsmile:

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

I have spotted some minor nute burn on some of the leaves, coulld be over fertilizing or just the fox farm...im not to worried about it im going to give them a little fresh water flush tomorrow.

Im leaving for a week, and my bro is going to do me a favor and look after them for a little bit...Im setting out a little over 2 and a half gallons of water to get impurities out and tomorrow before i leave im going to put some big bloom and grow big into the water, low dosage. He will be giving them one double shot of water every morning, im fairly comfortable with this, not an over abundant source of nutrients yet not too little, and still have some water everyday, but i think itll do the job for a week. Any objections?

One leaf on a plant in the pot with the two plants was too close to the light for too long and half of a leaf turned brown, not worried about it im sure itll still be just fine

Gettin ready for a night cap, toke on ill let you guys and gals kno of any updates as soon as i get em!

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

alright my bro has been takin care of the babies and they are really bad looking now...i go back tomorrow and going to give them a transplant and a plentiful serving of water...

The older ones are dry and crinkly and curling over.. Im upset i know if i was there it wouldnt have happend, ill try to get some pictures on friday im doing an early morning transplant hopfully b4 the lights turn on. IM NERVOUS!!!! I dont want to lose em!

[justanotherbozo]

i hope they're ok, they looked really healthy.
btw, those 'hairs' you were talking about last week weren't the 'hairs' you're looking for i don't think, cause the plants are way too young. first, the stems are covered in 'hairs', if you look with a magnifier you'll see what i mean. also, where the leafstem meets the mainstem you will see two little things that look like shoots, or 'hairs', that's almost certainly what you see.
oh, and if your bro killed your plants, don't kill him, just plant some more, it'll suck having to go through the wait again but it'll be worth it the first time you roll one from your own sweet bud.
also, ruderalis is, as far as i know, the only type of cannabis that isn't photoperiodic meaning it flowers when it's ready, whether you have it under the lights 24\0. mostly it's used for making rope, clothing etc., etc. etc.. it aint worth smoking either. you can sometimes find cannabis seeds mixed in with bird seed but usually, it's Ruderalis.
anyway, toke amongst yourselves

bozo,
peace, love, dope

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

yea plants look like shit. all of my 5 died....that means no crystal, or strawberry cough. I think in august im gonna start another grow, official grow, its too damn hot in my attic. Im really thinkin about buying DJ Shorts Grape Krush. NL#5 is a nice strain, but one strain thats been weighing heavily on my mind is Master Kush, i got a quad of it last week and it is the most amazing smell, like a sugary bouquet of flowers. and the high is very desirable, meets every one of my anti anxiety standards, i love it. so hopefully by then i can get a nice light and the seeds that i want. Money saving time!



ill let youall know the results of this grow. toke on

[justanotherbozo]

i'd just use free bagbeans until you get a feel for how the plants feel, and it is like getting a feel for it.
last year i decided to grow for the first time ever, in 40 years of smoking the ganja, because a buddy of mine threw some seeds in a pot out on his patio the summer before.
what really inspired me was that my buddy, because he didn't bother doing ANY research, decided that some of the plants looked healthier than others. being certain it was better to keep the 'stronger' plants, he culled the shorter plants.
what he did was, he killed all the fems, lol.
so i figured i'd give it a try, see what I could do, with research, and re-research, ad infinitum (pardon if my latin is misspelled, lol)

anyway, last year i killed 2 batchs of 30 seeds each, almost entirely.
only 5 of the second batch of 30 survived. fortunately for me, 4 were fems and they produced approx. 50 clones before i shut it down. i was only yielding about 4 grams dry per, too meager for the effort.
now i learn hydro with cfl's, WAY better.

so, in short, keep researching, and go kill some bag seed, don't wait, find a way to deal with your heat issues now, with the bag beans.
if you do, when you get quality beans, you'll just punch them in and begin production.
DON'T BE DISCOURAGED, it's only failure if you don't try again!

[Technique2]

Noooooo! Dude, you had a GREAT grow going. I am bummed for you. Get back on that horse and ride it into the sunset (with a phat doobie in hand):thumbsup:

I agree with justanotherbozo. You should PRACTICE your method with BAGSEED, you will feel much more confident knowing that IF you DO mis-step, the investment won't be as substantial as purchasing some prime beans.

I too like justanotherbozo killed my first 2 sets of fully germ'd seedlings before I got my process down right. It isn't hit or miss, it's a science. Not exacting, but pretty precise. My current Venture is moving along nicely. Once it reaches COMPLETION I will start a Named strain grow.

Good luck on your future grow:thumbsup:

[iriebowl]

damn man better luck next time. At least you got some experience and that will help greatly on your next grow, and now you know that cooling/ventilation will be your biggest concern on future grows.

When your confident with your methods and have a suitable environment then go for the good stuff. Although you can find some inexpensive strains that are still great.



stay irie

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

Thanks all you guys, i see your point with just getting some bagseed i just hate all the effort for shitty bud ya know? ill probably just do a combo pack and get some random strains.

All the plants are dead now, summer just isnt the right time, too hot and my bro and i have been out of town at the same time too often to keep a grow going.

Good news though, our outdoor plant is looking decent for being 4 to 5 weeks in the wild, it rained heavily here and the dirt that was around it overflowed and the first check was scary to see only the top 2 nodes sticking out of the ground but we pulled it out and the plant is about 12 inches, a little hungover from the dirt but we have it about a gallon and a half of recycled and new soil and nicely poured a gallon of heavily nourished water to last it a couple of weeks. Im doing another check in a week and a half b4 i go out of town again, Hope its a female!

[DoDoFoShoDoe]

anybody know anywhere that sends clones via mail

[adahars37]

i don't know that anywhere is the right question, anyone might get you where you're looking to go...... just a thought, thinking back to the days of the OG boards and how easy it was to find "things" that you were in need of...

[frostedwonder]

It's fun to watch them when they are young for me for some reason. They get so big so soon enjoy them while they are young... would love some pics when your able..

[JohanD420]

Sorry to hear that it didn't work out. Better luck on your next grow. The first ones where looking very good with you were looking after them.

[justanotherbozo]

high guys, i don't mean to bust your chops but this thread is a year old so that
is why you aren't getting any responses.