First time grower

[GrinKyle]

Well, this is my first grow in my lifetime. I am making a log because I think it will help me keep things organized. Plus get some insiders tips.
Soil: Soil outside from my garden beds (Will get Fox Farms soil to transplant them into for veg.)
Seeds: Bagseed
Plants: 3 (One started on 2/7 and other two on 2/10)
Light: 2 - 20watt cfls @ 1200lumens Each. w/ reflective hoods around them.
Grow Cab: Dimensions - 13in. Width x 17in. Length x 24in. Height

MISC:
◙Painted the inside flat white below the lights.
◙Picking up a fan tomorrow (2/13)
◙Picking up a PH kit tomorrow(2/13)
◙Picking up the Fox Farm brand nutrients tomorrow(TigerBloom, GrowBig, And BigBloom)

And here are pics: They are growing slower than most grow logs I've seen.

[GrinKyle]

Purpose: I'm wanting to get at least one female out of these three, so I can make as many clones as I can, for this years outdoor season.

Question: Should I get different (23watt) cfls? and people say things like, "6500k" how do you find that? I can't find that anywhere on the package.

[Cocoa0069]

Pick up some 42watt CFL's I got a 3 pack at the homedepot

[cannakeeper]

If I understand correctly, you are bringing inside some dirt from outside to start seeds? I personally would never do that because you are likely to bring in insects/larvae and all kinds of nasty pathogens. Even if they are going outdoors eventually it is better to put healthy starts out than bring outdoors in to start them. I did that my very first ever grow and dealt with all kinds of issues as a result. Bugs tend to want to stick around when they find that comfy a spot.

[GrinKyle]

Pick up 42watt crls = will do, it did seem that the 20watts were pretty "dull" for growing lights.

cannkeeper, ya, i actually am very worried that I brought in some bad bugs that could hinder my plants grown, even if I cant see it.. like them eating my roots or something..

What could I do? Can i go get some fox farms soil and mix in some vermiculite? like a 75%/25% ratio? and transplant these guys? or are they too young?

How would i go about doing this? Like take a small chunk of dirt, like 1in x 1in around the base and put it in the new soil?

[theeviltrees]

I would leave your plants to it, buy some compost for when you transplant - you risk breaking roots if you firk around with the soil, you did a good thing by using small pots to start in.

The hue of the light to me suggests you have 2700k bulbs you want 6500k (5000k at least for veg) the pic I found kinda shows you the yellowness of the lower kelvin bulbs and the whiteness of the higher ones)

How long are you growing them indoors for?

Do you know the temperature inside?

[GrinKyle]

How long are you growing them indoors for? I might keep a mother vegging in here for a long time... I can keep cutting clones and then transplanting them outdoors for a while during the summer.

I want to get as much cannabis as I can during this outdoor season so I won't have to buy any until next year. I have spent over $6,000 last year for pot, and during these times, that money really needs to go towards better things, like a savings account in case something bad happens.

Do you know the temperature inside? I am thinking about picking up a temp+humidity unit that hangs on the wall, wheres the best place to find a good one?

I looked at your picture, and holy cow, my lights are pretty low on that list... like what you said 2700k..

I have read the whole package through and through and it never even mentions the "xxxxK" anywhere. When I go buy new cfl's to throw in there, do other companies put the "K" rating on their packaging?

Thanks for the help everyone.

[spiked666killer]

Ahh your in the same postition I was in.
I couldnt find crap for the kelvin rating of the bulbs.

Just go to your local homedepot or electric store.
And ask some one and maybe they can help you find them.
There called Day Light 5600k Bulbs.

Some times they say in extremely small writting and usally in a spot no one would really look.

Like "The Great Value" Bulbs walmart ses, Tells the kelvin rating on the very back left hand corner. Good luck.


Your best bet is hitting up a store that specializing in bulbs and talk to them.



:rastasmoke:

[theeviltrees]

Hi Grinkyle (forgot to say it last time sorry!)

I got my bulbs from ebay, i just searched for "6500k" and "2700k" and found them like that.

I also got my temp/humidity reader from ebay, it came from hong kong but its damm good and was cheap too!

Some bulbs actually have the kelvin rating on the bulb base, some on the box, and like you said, some don't even have it on anywhere. Like S666K said, look for daylight or cool white bullbs if it doesnt say the rating.:thumbsup:

[GrinKyle]

Well here is an update.

The bigger one is exactly 2 weeks old.

and the other two are 11 days old.

I started giving them all Fox Farms Grow Big. I know I am suppose to wait two weeks, but I did it anyway.

The back of the Grow Big says mix 1Tsp for every 1Gal... so I just mixed 1/2Tsp. for a 1/2 Gal...

My question is: Since it would take like a week or more for me to use a half gal of watering, is it okay to let the water w/ nutes to sit out in the open in the mean time? Will it evaporate away? Cause there is like no way I can make a smaller amount.

I put two 24watt 5600k cfls in, instead of the 20watt 2400k.

Question: Would it be better to have like 2 of each? (5600k and 2400k) in there?

I also put a fan blowing the top part of the lights, and a little bit hits the plants below, just enough to cause the leaves to ruffle a little bit.

Also added some soil and perlite from the store to the top to level off the cups, yet the outdoor soil is still in it.

Question: Are they growing at a decent speed? Are they looking some what normal? They were pretty close to the light for a while, and I pulled them back down cause I think I caused some light(heat) burn on the first set of leaves of the bigger plant.

Question: Do the first leaves that pop out of the seed, the none cannabis looking leaves normally die and fall off? Cause mine are dead/dying, as you can see in the pick.

If ya'll can shed some light on what I could be doing to improve these suckers, I'm all ears. Thanks.

[GrinKyle]

So, quick update, I fliped over one of my younger plants (Only 11Days old) and I saw a ROOT coming out of the bottom of the cup through one of the little holes I made. Do I have to transplant these guys already?

[Italiano715]

Question: Are they growing at a decent speed? Are they looking some what normal? They were pretty close to the light for a while, and I pulled them back down cause I think I caused some light(heat) burn on the first set of leaves of the bigger plant.

Question: Do the first leaves that pop out of the seed, the none cannabis looking leaves normally die and fall off? Cause mine are dead/dying, as you can see in the pick.

If ya'll can shed some light on what I could be doing to improve these suckers, I'm all ears. Thanks.

I'd say they are growing rather well, your doing a pretty good job I would say for your first time! IMO keep your lights 2-3 in. from tops at all time to get max efficiency from your light.....Also I would have at LEAST 3 lights for each female that you get. Also, yes, they will eventually die and they are called the cotelydons leaves for your insight :thumbsup:

If you take a look at my log you can see how mine looked around your same age....Look pretty similar! Besides that keep up the good work!

[GrinKyle]

Sounds good. Ty

Should I add a few 2700k 20watts in there? I have the lights already

[Italiano715]

Sounds good. Ty

Should I add a few 2700k 20watts in there? I have the lights already

More lights is always better, just be sure to watch the temps and also 6500K lights would be better to use specially if your space limited....But yes you can put them in there, more is better :thumbsup: Also you should think about LSTing them! You will be able to cover more space without the height issues. I didn't LST mine but my next batch I def. will be doing it! You should take a look into it if ya got the chance!

[shibby8]

hey man you might want to look into the sea of green method, its simmilar to low stress training good luck:hippy:

[DTRave420]

You're doin' better than I did my first grow GRIN...I knocked my cups over and put two Strawberry Coughs on the floor,lol...Nice start man...I'm liking the lush color on those plants...Keep it up bro...:)

[GrinKyle]

Thank you all for the support and kind words.

DTRave, I transplanted them into bigger pots, and I did your method that I saw in your grow log. I think you called it Soil Cake or something. It does seem it would give the roots more room to grow.

Shibby, I was thinking about lst'ing, but I also want to keep these all in veg. for a very long time. I have 60 acres of property to work with in the summer, and I plan on making ALOT of clones throughout the whole growing season to maximize my yield and self sufficiency.

Italiano, I am going to add 2 more 5600k lights. I am thinking of building a new cab for veg/flower, and that will be my cloning cab.

I need a little help with my nutes. I have all 3 fox farms nutes and on the back it has normal and heavy feeding.

Does anyone else use Grow Big? What is your water/nute ratio? What is your watering schedule like?

Other than that, thanks for checking it out guys.

[bigtopsfinn]

Hey Grin, looking pretty good so far:thumbsup:

I think they could be growing a little more faster (of course there is always room for improvement...) Maybe try adding a couple more 42w lights and get those bulbs a couple inches from the plants (as long as you don't burn them), but higher temps are better for veg as long as its less than 85F.

Just my:twocents:, keep up the good work

[Italiano715]

ok so ya want to know a little about FIMing so here is a resource I found on this site! Hope this helps a bit!

http://boards.cannabis.com/grow-faqs/144573-guide-fimming-topping-made-easy.html

Grow Marijuana FAQ, Cannabis cultivation - marijuana growing tips & photos (http://www.drugs-forum.com/growfaq/1269.htm)

Grow Marijuana FAQ, Cannabis cultivation - marijuana growing tips & photos (http://www.drugs-forum.com/growfaq/727.htm)

Also here is one on LSTing.....

http://boards.cannabis.com/grow-faqs/103319-lst-low-stress-training.html

[GrinKyle]

Little update.

Its kind of funny. I look (but don't touch) at them a lot through out the day/weeks. I question myself if they are even growing. Then I look at 5 days ago post, and today's, and then I realize that is a dumb question.

I transplanted them all 4 days ago into random size pots I had laying around.

I tried what DTrave420 does, and leave a cake like layering of the soil. Its all gone down quite a bit, since I think I add a little 2 much perlite, and don't compact the soil at all.

There isn't a smell yet, but If I run my finger across a leaf, its a very hearty plant smell, like strong, and I can't really give you any better of a smell similar.

I fed them 3 days ago with "Heavy Feeding" that the back of the Fox Farms Grow Big said (1 1/2 tsp - Half Gal)... and have been watering them with normal PH water of 6.5 in between.

Question: What week do we start to see female pre-flowers?

Question: Since these seeds came from outdoor cannabis bud. Does that mean they aren't feminized? Since the plant didn't have to be a hermie to do so?

Question: When are they old enough to start cloning?

Thanks to you guys helping me out.

[Italiano715]

Little update.

Question: What week do we start to see female pre-flowers?




I'm not too sure about when you see "pre-flower" but usually within anywhere between a week to two weeks you should see either pistols starting to come out or little "nuts" which will tell you it's a male.....Usually a good way to tell it's a male is to also watch how the "nuts" cluster then that's usually a clear indication to eradicate the males.

[Shovelhandle]

real good grow log you've started. I'll be checking it til the end.

Shov

[FourTwenty4Life]

real good grow log you've started. I'll be checking it til the end.

Shov

Ditto :thumbsup:

[detroitfish]

double ditto :thumbsup:

[detroitfish]

clone before flowering and they are not femenized seeds . you usually see preflowers after the plant is mature in veg after 2 months or so. then flower after you see preflowers at your node intersections .i have a pic of mine in pre flower on my grow log last post i did . yours is looking good :jointsmile:

[GrinKyle]

Should I start cloning now?

They are 25days and 23days old. The undergrown comming diagnal from the branches are starting to envelope the plants into mighty bushes.

I have started giving them BigBloom along with the GrowBig together, with 2 waterings of normal 6.5ph water inbetween... and I have noticed ALOT of grown from my last set of pictures.

Question: Can I LST, while ALSO fim'ing? Even though I would train it go grow sideways, then when its put into flower, have the 4 or 2(if i get it wrong and top it) branches (Dont know what to call them) to grow up?

[bigtopsfinn]

Question: Can I LST, while ALSO fim'ing? Even though I would train it go grow sideways, then when its put into flower, have the 4 or 2(if i get it wrong and top it) branches (Dont know what to call them) to grow up?

Yes you can do both. My understanding is that topping and fimming will stunt the plants growth for a little while... I find LST and Scrog to work out pretty well one their own.

[GrinKyle]

Well I have lots of new shit I've done.

▬ Built a new grow cab out of lumber laying around left over from a addition to the deck.

▬ My oldest plant @ 33days has shown female preflowers! :thumbsup:

▬ One of my younger plants showed male preflowers (ball sack clusters) :( (2/10-3/11 RIP in my compost containers)

▬ Got a cloning dome, and plan on cloning later tonight or tomorrow after I do some reading and fill my brain with all the required info.

▬ My new grow cab has no light leaks after my caulking and flat white paint job, but heat is my new dilemma.

▬ Plants have been getting pure water for the last week and few days to prepare for cloning.

Question: I have these rooting pellet things that you add water and they expand. How do I add this water? Do I just put them in a cup and add like a half cup of water? I forgot to ask the guy at the store when I bought them.

Question: How/what would I need to buy/install to incorprated good fresh air flow from outside the grow cab that will also keep the heat down?(Just 6CFL heat) I know I need a fan sucking air out, and a passive intake, but what kind of fan would do this?

If you guys have any hints on cloning, please give me a shout, being my first ever grow, I don't want to mutilate my mother.

Thanks

[GrinKyle]

Well I have lots of new shit I've done.

▬ Built a new grow cab out of lumber laying around left over from a addition to the deck.

▬ My oldest plant @ 33days has shown female preflowers! :thumbsup:

▬ One of my younger plants showed male preflowers (ball sack clusters) :( (2/10-3/11 RIP in my compost containers)

▬ Got a cloning dome, and plan on cloning later tonight or tomorrow after I do some reading and fill my brain with all the required info.

▬ My new grow cab has no light leaks after my caulking and flat white paint job, but heat is my new dilemma.

▬ Plants have been getting pure water for the last week and few days to prepare for cloning.

Question: I have these rooting pellet things that you add water and they expand. How do I add this water? Do I just put them in a cup and add like a half cup of water? I forgot to ask the guy at the store when I bought them.

Question: How/what would I need to buy/install to incorprated good fresh air flow from outside the grow cab that will also keep the heat down?(Just 6CFL heat) I know I need a fan sucking air out, and a passive intake, but what kind of fan would do this?

If you guys have any hints on cloning, please give me a shout, being my first ever grow, I don't want to mutilate my mother.

Thanks

[Italiano715]

Question: I have these rooting pellet things that you add water and they expand. How do I add this water? Do I just put them in a cup and add like a half cup of water? I forgot to ask the guy at the store when I bought them.

I use the same things and I usually just add REALLY WARM water until they get a nice dark brown color all the way through then go from there!!

[bigtopsfinn]

Question: How/what would I need to buy/install to incorprated good fresh air flow from outside the grow cab that will also keep the heat down?(Just 6CFL heat) I know I need a fan sucking air out, and a passive intake, but what kind of fan would do this

I think a kitchen/bathroom wall-mount fan from walmart or home depot will probably do the job. Best is to have the exhaust and intake directly opposite from eachother: exhaust in the top-left-back corner, intake in the bottom-right-near corner.

[GrinKyle]

I'm sorry I haven't posted a update in over a month, but I have expirenced so much this first grow, its really opened up a new hobby that I can see myself doing for a very long time.

So the news.

One of the plants was a male = Dead
One of the plants is a autoflower female
One of the plants is a normal female

Story. Little after my last post, I noticed female preflowers on my autoflower (didnt know at the time), so I cloned it. The clones took from 2 1/2 weeks - 3 1/2 weeks to grow roots.

Fast forward to now. I have light at 18/6 and my autoflower is still making rocking, while my mother is dishing out clones for my outdoor after last frost.

I've noticed that my autoflower has 2x thicker stalk then my veging mother. They are only a few days apart, and same pot size, same amount of water, same light. I guess its just better genetics, too bad its a autoflower, and after these clones are gone, so is its lineage.

flowering plant 71 days old

my mother is 68days

You can see the small flowering clones in the 2nd and 3rd pic.

I have been having major heat issues. 80-90F is a constant, and I know its hurting my plants. Removed a light bulb and it droped back down to 75-78

[GrinKyle]

Flushed them today for the first time, does it hurt the plants if i remove them out of the light for like 5minutes?

[BeFree]

No sir. They grow anywhere. So taking them out of the hot direct light a couple minutes was alright. =) Just don't kick the lights ON for 5 mins in the middle of the night.

beSafe:jointsmile:

[smoke_and_fly]

ever thought of having an intake fan lined up with a passive out take
simply sit the intake just above the canopy skimming the top and traveling to a hole in the wall across the canopy which links up to ducting and have passive holes in the top of the cab for the heat that rises and acouple of pipes traveling down and sitting level with the light
and an another small oscilating fan on the plants