1st Go-Round - CFL's and Bagseed

[RamblerGambler]

I had intended to keep a detailed account of this first go-round, however between my hard drive crashing and the boards being down, I'm afraid this log is going to be a little less then complete.

Cab Dimensions
33.5" deep x 22 3/4 wide x 46 3/4 tall


Lighting
(12) 23w 5600k CFL's (Veg)

(4) 42w 2700k CFL's (Flower)
(8) 23-26w 2700k CFL's (Flower)

Ventilation
120mm Computer Fan
3-Speed Oscillating fan

Temp
Living in a southern state has presented a few problems, temp wise. 20-30 degree swings and an unseasonably warm winter have provided their share of difficulties. Now that winter has finally settled in, temps tend to stay between the high 70's and low 80's.
Temp readings are taken by one of these:Aj MOSS | Mini Temp Ir Thermometer by Raytek (http://www.ajmoss.com/superstore/raytek-mini-temp-ir-thermometer/) that I had laying around.


A few improvements have been added since these pictures were taken. The passive intake was expanded to 8"x4" while the fan was relocated inside the cab. I've ghetto rigged a light trap for the exhaust out of a shoebox, but I'm probably going to be forced to rethink the whole exhaust setup. Either by adding a second computer fan and finding a better designed light trap or give in to this newfound hobby and invest in a quality can fan.

The smaller part of the cab is not yet in use. It will either be used for clones or a mother somewhere down the line, hopefully after I recieve a rooted clone of either Sensi-Star or Bubblegum.

Now on to part II - The Plants!

[RamblerGambler]

Seeds
All the seeds from this go-round came from the same strain of bagseed. They were germinated about a month and a half ago, then tossed into Jiffy Peat pucks. The jiffy pellets were then planted in a solo cup slightly modified for drainage. Soil was a random "professional" brand purchased from my local nursery, which sadly looks to go out of business soon.

Transplanted
About 3 weeks ago the 5 survivors were moved into 8" pots with Fafard's Professional Potting Mix mixed with perlite for drainage.

Nutes
Technaflora Recipe for Success Starter Kit

Though I recently acquired this box set from the hydro store, the majority of vegetative growth occurred without the benefit of nutrients. At present I've only fed the plants twice, following their schedule of Feed-Water-Water-Feed


Training
As you can probably tell, all the plants show signs of overenthusiastic LST-ing. This clearly was something I began without fully understanding the concept, and continued unchecked while the boards where down. Of course the plants end up overgrowing the sides of their pots and everything has become a little crowded, but at least I'm learning. As is the plants are looking bushy rather than tall, which is exactly what I need them to do.

End of Veg
The plants are on 18/6 cycle while I finish up the last minute tweeks before throwing it into 12/12. I do plan on letting the plants sit in the dark for about 36 hours prior to making the switch to 12/12.


There, that should just about get this log caught back up to speed...

[GoldenGraham84]

righteous! the log begins! :thumbsup:

[detroitfish]

looking good bro :thumbsup:

[RamblerGambler]

Update time.

After 8 days in flower the plants are showing their true colors. Of the 5 surviving plants, 3 had the audacity to let their balls hang out. But what can you expect from bagseed? Damn. So out comes the axe and down they go. The two girls seem to be doing alright, though clearly one is straggling. It's only just showing it's pistils, unlike it's more robust sister. None the less, I'm glad that the first go round didn't end up all males.

Pic 1 - Girl #1
Pic 2 - A closer look at Girl #1
Pic 3 - 2 sisters. Isn't that cute?

[GoldenGraham84]

nice. good for you. i wouldn't be too discouraged over only seeing pistils at 8 days in. my ladies don't do anything till about day 12-14. then they get really hairy. a few more weeks and they start putting on weight. soon they become really stinky and then, towards the end of their life, they get really fat. women, eh? ;)

[RamblerGambler]

soon they become really stinky and then, towards the end of their life, they get really fat. women, eh? ;)
I think this is the first time in my life that I'm actually excited by that idea

[RamblerGambler]

Time for an update! Went ahead and changed the nute schedule around after the first week of flower, dropping down to half strength every other feeding. Basically feed water feed. The two girls seem to be doing well, though one is still leaving her sister in the dust.

Here's the better of the two, posing in few rather revealing shots. What a tease.

[MonkeyBone]

Some popcorn!!! I want! Healthy looking plants you got there!

[cman20118ut]

looks like are plants are close to the same time frame...about when are you planning to harvest...i'm hoping to have some freshly cured homegrown herb for 420...hope i'm able to pull it off...your grow is looking good tho...
peace
cman:rasta:

[RamblerGambler]

Thanks MonkeyBone

cman - They're a couple days into the 3rd week of flower at this point, so we'll just have to see how it goes

Here's a few pic's of the 2nd female

[jkalb42]

hey guy, the plants look awesome. i like what i see here, very good. my cab's dimensions so far are 29" wide x 2' deep x 5'6" tall.

[RamblerGambler]

Things have been going too well as of late, so misfortune seemed inevitable. While taking a gander at the girls, your humble narrator somehow managed to drop a light fixture onto both, burning several leaves in the process. Meanwhile, it appears a number of fan leaves are yellowing on Plant A. Is this a natural development seeing as she's at almost 4 weeks of flower, or should I be concerned? I wonder because at no point in her life has she been flushed.

Pic 1 - Burn on Plant A
Pic 2 & 3 - Yellowing fan leaves

[jkalb42]

sorry about the burns, hope it wasnt too bad. and i cant really answer your question about yellowing, since i havent gotten that far in my own grow yet. but your plants still look good, i wouldnt complain about having a couple like that. im almost finished with my new grow cabinet. pretty excited...wiring it up now. its going to have 14 light sockets and 1 18" fluorescent. 12 sockets are in the bottom portion, some of them have splitters for more bulbs. 2 sockets are in the top, along with the 18" fluorescent. i hope i wont need more light lol.

[RamblerGambler]

With a setup like that, you should do all right for yourself. Now to find a way to cram more light into my cab...

[RamblerGambler]

Pushing week 5 of flower, and my have things changed. The weather is turning warm once more, throughly demonstrating the utter failing of the cab's ventilation. Whether this is due to the relatively short height of the cab or the inability of a single 120mm computer fan to properly vent the area is anyones guess. Unfortunately, the larger female is in the midst of shedding her fan leaves. There's a thread discussing it here (http://boards.cannabis.com/plant-problems/168613-yellowing-fan-leaves.html)

Here's a few pics of the older girl for your viewing pleasure:

[RamblerGambler]

Almost forgot to mention, in an attempt to rectify the drooping/yellowing fan leaf issue the plant was uprooted from her 8" pot and transplanted into a 10". This was probably too little too late. Judging by how rootbound she was, the poor girl probably needed a bigger container somewhere around the final days of vegetative growth. Oh well, live and learn.

The next pictures are of the 2nd female. Though coming from the same bagseed as her sister, there are several characteristics that appear distinctly different. She's bushier then her sister, possessing far more leaves and significantly less distinct bud. Considering that she took about two weeks or so to start showing her sex, maybe she's just a little slow. If this trend continues, she'll probably end up being harvested a couple weeks later then her overeager sister. Other than the odd nute burn, the only discouraging thing about this plant is the sugar leaves pointing downwards on a couple of the colas - as seen in the 5th picture:

[cman20118ut]

i feel ya on the ventilation issues same for me...damn this warm weather and the fact that its too expensive to run the A/C haha...i've been thinking about throwing her outside and moving her in every night but idk about that cuz i dont know if i can get away with it...still man...looking good for sure

[RamblerGambler]

Unfortunately, mover her outside is a no go with the current light cycle. The light turn on at 8pm and shut off at 8am in an attempt to capitalize on cooler nighttime temps. You can see how well that's working.

[RamblerGambler]

Today a deep sadness overshadowed the grow. Several seeds sprouted on the larger plant, standing out like an adams apple on a go-go dancer. The other plant seems to be seed free, a trend that hopefully will continue until harvest. Trying to look at the bright side, perhaps there will be at least a few viable seeds that will come of this. Perpetuate the bag seed line.

[trinitybound]

If your having problems with temps you could try a bathroom fan. I have a small one on my cab I think it's 50cfm, and my cab has similar dimensions to yours. At lowes they have them for about $15 but you might want to put a ceiling fan dimmer on it so it doesn't run full blast these things can move some air.

I googled it Broan at Lowe's: 50 CFM Bath Fan (http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=26506-14-688&lpage=none)

[RamblerGambler]

Thanks for the suggestion trinity, definitely something to check out next trip to the hardware store

[RamblerGambler]

Well, the hits keep on coming. Both plants appear to have turned hermie, and are cranking out the seeds. At this point it's looking like light leaks that did it, either due to its covering coming undone or inadequate caulking on one of the corners. Changes will have to be made. Either way, pictures when the lights come back on tonight.

On the bright side, thanks to the generosity of a fellow southern grower there is now a Sensi Star clone attempting to root underneath a humidity dome over in the Veg box. This being the first clone this grower has ever experimented with, hopefully all will go well. If not, fortune may smile upon us once again in the form of a rooted Sensi Star or Bubblegum clone.

[RamblerGambler]

Another week, another update. Cut off nutes for the balding girl. The 2nd, more leafy plant still appears several weeks away from finishing.
Pic #1 - The flowering sisters
Pic #2,#3, #5 - Plant A
Pic 4 - Dreaded seeds

[RamblerGambler]

A few pics of the once dainty 2nd female. While the plant is bushing out, it also shows some rather strange growth.

[BigLeagueJew]

Hey man i'm also growing with CFLs and bag seed. I hope all goes well and such

[RamblerGambler]

Hopefully they'll finish sometime in the next few weeks, it being about week 7 or so.

BigLeague, amazing how many cfl logs there are these days. How far along are you?

[RamblerGambler]

Do to the amazing number of CFL logs and the apparent dwindling interest of others in my own log, updates have not been as regular as they should be. Maybe the next grow will garner more interest. One can hope... But until then I'll attempt to keep documenting for learning purposes.

Week 8 Update
Flushed both plants - something that has not been done at any point during the grow. After an earlier post bemoaning the plants going herm, it would seem that I overreacted. Rather than being packed full of seeds, only a handful are now present on both plants, leading this inexperienced grower to believe that most of what I believed to be "seeds" in fact weren't.

Obamanation! (Plant A) - The more developed of the two girls is looking like harvest is almost at hand. Nutrients have been cut for a couple weeks now, leaving her on a steady diet of water and molasses. Needless to say, the nugs have been doing their best to fatten up, and they're starting to look so goddamn shiny I can barely look at it. I joke, but I'm simply floored that bagseed would turn out so well. After experiencing a rather strange purpling of several of her sugar leaves, she continues to slowly shed her yellowing leaves. I'll need to invest in a better magnifying glass from radioshack, as the ones that I have are not up to the task of identifying trichome development.

Plant B - The straggling runt of first grow, she's finally starting to sprout pistils like crazy. About damn time if you ask me. The nugs on this plant appear to be thicker and more well formed then Obamanation!, but this is often obstructed by the thick canopy of leaves unique to Plant B. Nutes are up to full strength, but sadly she's looking like she's trying her hardest to be an 11 week plant.


Pic 1 & 2 - Obamanation! in all her glory. Can't wait to cut her down...
Pic 3 - Plant 2 profile shot
Pic 4 - Conjoined nugs that have suddenly decided to separate. This bears observation as the stem continues to split.
Pic 5 - Freaky triple growth on the main stem

[albatrossSKY]

delicious! really inspiring. im hoping my bagseed is gonna come out half this good. youve done a great job

[camoxnhx]

Wow he'll of a green thumb for cfl grow!! Now ATM I am doing a cfl box grow and I was wondering if you could point me in the right detection. The link is below. Thanks!

[RamblerGambler]

Albatross- I appreciate the compliment. And bagseed can surprise you, the plant with the densest nugs was actually the runt of the group. And I accidently butchered 2 main branches by accident and she still turned out beautifully. Gotta love these plants.

camoxnhx- Sure thing. This is only my first time and I know there a more than a few out there with some serious knowhow, but I'll stop by and offer any assistance that I can.

[BigLeagueJew]

Hopefully they'll finish sometime in the next few weeks, it being about week 7 or so.

BigLeague, amazing how many cfl logs there are these days. How far along are you?

Hey man haven't been around this thread in a while, subscribed now though. Looks good. I am not very far along yet, about 4th week maybe? I will be glad if my plant turns out like yours.:jointsmile: How many CFLs did you use?

[RamblerGambler]

I have two 4-light fixtures with Y splitters, each with (4) 23w in the middle and a 42w at each end. In hindsight I should have gone with straight 23w or 26w instead of picking up those 42 watters. At $10 a pop you can pretty much buy a box set of smaller bulbs. Oh well, live and learn.

When the lights come back on tonight I'll try and take some more pictures. I finally got around to purchasing one of those 60-100x adjustable magnifying glass from Radioshack, and I'm reassured to see the end is near.

[RamblerGambler]

A misplaced usb cable caused a bit of a delay in the updates. It's looking like the end for the older girl. The trichomes are clouding up and there's a spattering of amber appearing. I'll give it until sunday, then she's got a date with destiny. I do have a bit of a conundrum though. I'm trying to decide whether to follow my nute schedule for the final week, or just keep going with molasses and water. It's been nutrient free for the last two weeks in preparation for harvest, so I'm not sure if I want go and muck it up. Any guidance would be much appreciated. In the meantime, enjoy a couple bud porn pics.

[RamblerGambler]

The "special" girl continues to plod onwards. She continues to drop her fan leaves and the pistils are showing the first signs of darkening up. Its looking like an 11 week plant for sure.

[headshake]

looking good rambler!

don't get discouraged if you don't get all of the comments that you would like on your log. just because people don't comment doesn't mean that they aren't lurking. some people don't have the time to comment on everything, but they will be there when the time warrants. also there are so many grow logs started that don't go anywhere, so the further they go along the more interest they will garner. i didn't think anyone would read my first one either, but low and behold i got plenty of readers and comments.

i wouldn't give your second lady any more nutes. why bother? it won't make that much of a difference, IMHO. the clean taste would be better. the molasses does wonders. at least for me it did. it seems like the next day, after using the molasses, that my plants went nuts the night before with growth. a lot of it was undergrowth, but still.

keep up the good work!

-shake

[RamblerGambler]

Thanks for the tips shake! And yes, I did expect more. But you know what? The entire process of keeping this log was probably one of the more informative parts of this grow. It amazes me how little I knew at the beginning as opposed to now. And god knows I've barely scratched the surface when it comes to ganja knowledge. Hopefully my 2nd attempt will be better - I'm currently in the process of growing a mother from a clone of Sensi Star. The future looks bright...

[headshake]

i hear ya rambler. i mean i knew i knew nothing starting out. once i started though, i realized just how much that i didn't know!

i'm only on my second grow, but i try to gobble up all of the info that i can. and i try to pass it all on as well. gotta give back, ya know.

besides, i don't think i could stop if i could. it's a lot of folks on this boards fault for getting me hooked damnit!!!

-shake

[RamblerGambler]

It's just about time to harvest the older girl. She's been yanked out of the cab and placed into darkness for the next 36 hours, at which point she will face the executioners axe. Needless to say, I'm very excited.

[headshake]

can't wait to see your ladies guts, you pshyco serial killer you!

have you noticed a difference between putting your girl into darkness and not, before harvesting?

i saw in a video that they increased the light to 14 hours the final two weeks before harvest. wonder if that works?

-shake

[RamblerGambler]

This will be the first time harvesting, so I have exactly zero experience one way or the other. After doing a fair amount of reading I decided that the preharvest darkness concept seemed to make sense, so we'll just have to see how that goes.

I did rearrange the flower cab a bit. Instead of keeping both fixtures on top of the single remaining girl, I've repositioned one to provide side lighting via 3 42w bulbs, while the canopy is lit by 6 23w and a single 42w. Here's to hoping for marked improvement in the undergrowth

[headshake]

gotcha gambler. i have seen the 36-hour darkness before harvest on a video. they say it resets the internal clock (same as before switching to flower) and makes the ladies force out all the last bits of goodness!

i hope it works. i'm gonna give that a go this time.

oh, and i'm too lazy to go back to read through your journal again (and too stoned to remember) what nutes/additives/supplements are you using? lol. sorry.


-shake

[RamblerGambler]

I've been using the Technaflora Recipe for Success (http://www.hhydro.com/cgi-bin/hhydro/HH00565.html) starter kit. I should note that I didn't have any nutes for veg. They were acquired during the first week of flower.

[headshake]

that's right. my bad.


-shake

[RamblerGambler]

It seems to have worked alright, but I would love to give Fox Farm a go. Maybe a future grow...

[frostedwonder]

Hey, nice log! I am using bagseed as well and sure hope I don't get a hermie, hoping and praying I dont, but seeing all the work you did and then getting a hermie makes me get it in my head that its inevitable sometimes and to just deal with it. I have a stupid question tho,,,, molasses like what I make rye bread with or some name of a product called molasses but really is a chemical?

[headshake]

Hey, nice log! I am using bagseed as well and sure hope I don't get a hermie, hoping and praying I dont, but seeing all the work you did and then getting a hermie makes me get it in my head that its inevitable sometimes and to just deal with it. I have a stupid question tho,,,, molasses like what I make rye bread with or some name of a http://xbox-scene.com/product called molasses but really is a chemical?

just regular ol' molasses. blackstrap is said to be the best. i just use regular ol molasses. you can find it at the grocery store or what have you.

didn't mean to step on the toes gambler!


-shake

[RamblerGambler]

No problem Shake! As long as the question gets answered correctly, who cares where it comes from. Frosted, in case your still wondering just find this product: Buy The Case: Grandma's Original Molasses (http://www.buythecase.net/product/12551/grandmas_original_molasses/?engine=googlebase) You can find the stuff almost anywhere.

Now, I know the photos should have waited tomorrow when the light is better, but I'm too anxious not to post them now. That being said, Rambler is proud to present the harvest of Obamanation!

[albatrossSKY]

not bad at all for your first time, im hoping i get a similar result. well done!

[headshake]

nice work rambler! did you get a wet weight? just curious.

are the buds light and fluffy?


-shake

[RamblerGambler]

Unfortunately I didn't get a wet weight yet, and yes they are a bit fluffy. Especially the undergrowth.

[headshake]

yeah, mine did the same thing. i've read that it's the CFLs that cause this. i'm thinking of picking up an HPS. maybe even one of the security ones from lowes for the time being.

keep up the good work!


-shake

[RamblerGambler]

I didn't have a chance to weigh last night, but 24 hrs later it's looking like 44.7 grams off this plant

[RamblerGambler]

I'm more of a glass half full guy myself

[headshake]

hey gambler, if you have more jars you might want to move about half of that into another one. this will help it breathe better.

looks good though.

and for god's sake, clean up the cocaine!!!!


-shake

[RamblerGambler]

haha. Nothing better than a snoot full of PERLITE. It's the nose candy of the new millennium.

I do have a question and shake, perhaps you can help me with it. I left the nugs hanging until the stems were brittle enough to snap. They were then relocated to the jar. At the moment, the buds themselves are extremely dry. Almost crunchy. Should I moisten them up or...what?

[GoldenGraham84]

if they dry too quickly, they seem to keep a lot more of that chlorophyll taste. my friend was able to save his that dried too quickly with one of those clay tobacoo humidifier tablets. $2 at the local head shop, 1 week in a jar with it, and 2 weeks curing without it made it quite nice. a google image search oughtta fill you in to what i mean.

hope i helped, and congrats on your first harvest! now go get high and play some more fable 2!

[headshake]

yeah, what he said. lol.

the outside of your buds should dry fast. the jars are supposed to wick away the internal moisture away from the stems. that's why you open the jars and let them breathe a couple of times a day.

some people like to use a paper bag for 5 days (or however many it takes) and then go to the jars.

from what i read the drying/curing is almost the most critical part. it's where most of the taste/odor comes from.

but listen to golden, he has more experience than me. i was just explaining.


-shake

[RamblerGambler]

Thanks GG and Shake. Sounds like a plan - I'll look for it tomorrow while I acquire another jar. As for xbox live, unfortunately I just conquered the world of Albion for a second time, which means it's high time for me to find a new game.

[RamblerGambler]

It's becoming increasingly obvious that the current cab is not living up to expectations. As unfortunate as it is to admit, one should never jump into a project without practical working knowledge of it. Oops. Chalk that one up to overzealous enthusiasm. So it's about time to go back to the drawing board and come up with something more convenient, and above all more stealthy.

This will not be a quick process. Materials will be acquired as the funds become available. As of now, the quest is something akin to this: The Holy Grail (http://boards.cannabis.com/closet-cabinet-growing/72774-our-new-stealth-cabinet.html) of stealth cabs. The only major decision being whether to go with a 250w or 400w. I shudder to think how long this project might take. This is further complicated by the fact that there is currently the 2nd female finishing up flowering while a Sensi Star mother sits in the half completed Veg box. It doesn't make sense to keep throwing money at the subpar box. At times it seems like a better idea to rig up a rubbermaid tub. Other times stripping the current cab down and attempt to reassemble its parts. Any opinions?

In the meantime, here's a sneak preview of Rambler's undocumented Outdoor Adventure 2009.

[headshake]

it's funny you bring this up rambler. i was pondering the same questions last night and this morning.

i completely agree with your train of thought. i'm gonna make a few more insignificant "upgrades" to my sub-par box. to maximize what i've got going now, ya know.

after that, i'm not investing anything else until i build an awesome cab of some sort with all the bells and whistles i want etc.

i feel your pain brother. so many decisions and so little money!?


-shake

[RamblerGambler]

So true shake, so true.

[albatrossSKY]

when its done drying im curious of the final weight please.

and nicely done

[GoldenGraham84]

i'm guessing you've already sampled some. if so, what's the smoke report, if you please?

[RamblerGambler]

albatross- Will do. It's looking at the moment like it will be between 1-1.5oz from the first plant. And by the time it dries out the second, fatter plant will probably be ready for harvest.

GG- The taste is still all kinds of green, a bit harsh at the moment but it's showing itself to be a real creeper. Within 10 min of smoking I find it to build to an intense mental high. Not the best for social situations, but a great couchlock

[Lit Up]

Very nice rambler. 2 thumbs up

[RamblerGambler]

Much appreciated Lit Up

[RamblerGambler]

Back to updating. The 2nd plant is coming along at her own pace. She continues to drop the fan leaves, and the addition of side lighting is already showing results. If only this had been done sooner... No matter. Hopefully it won't be much longer, as its already pushing the 10th week.

[headshake]

looking great rambler!


-shake

[KillerBudG]

Your lady looks great ramble. Hope you can get your thing situated man, Same thing I am trying to do now. But funds are close around E so only can do lil by lil . Good growing:thumbsup:



~One~:rastasmoke:
~BudG~:rastasmoke::rastasmoke:

[RamblerGambler]

Time for one of the final updates in this log. The remaining girl will be harvested sunday - the trichs are plenty cloudy with a few amber trichs popping up. If only the materials were at hand to take massively zoomed pictures, but alas it's not to be.

As for the setup, it needs some serious tweaking. The cab is too unwieldy and attention grabbing. It needs to be replaced by something smaller or stealthier. Something small enough to fit into a closet. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears

[frostedwonder]

Wow nice log, very cool read to follow and nice pics.. I am kinda thinking on using the summer sun to retool my box as well. I dont want to start over but I am almost done with my first indoor grow and have a list of things I need so I can understand what your looking at in your own setup..:thumbsup:

[RamblerGambler]

Harvested last night. Unfortunately the camera's power cord has gone missing again, so a full on spread will be delayed for the moment. These buds are far more supple than the first plant, and as expected these are significantly denser. As of today it's sitting just over 2 zips. I'll refrain from further description until the camera is operational once more. A picture worth a thousand words and all.

This brings us to the end of this experimental cabinet. There is a bit of sadness that the project is finished. For months now the ungainly plywood box has been a constant part of my existence. But now it's back to the drawing board. Thanks to soaring temps the summer months will provide a bit of downtime in which to retool and rethink the whole setup.

[RamblerGambler]

Bona Fortuna.

[headshake]

nice bounty you got there rambler!

can't wait to see what your mind comes up with over the summer!


-shake