Dawgarten 1

[Dawg56]

I think I've assimilated enough info so as not to embarrass myself, but I'll be dead when I quit learnin'. Sooo..... just keep reading and you'll find the stupid questions!!

OK, the grow room. About an 8 ft by 16 ft cinder block addition to my garage. No windows and open rafters. I'm using an area that's about 4 ft by 6 ft at one end.

Lights.... Two 400W MH's, with 4 ft fluorescents on three sides. Currently on the vegetation stage I'm running them 20/4. (I just hung the flo's a few days ago) The plants set on an electrical lift table, so I've played with the distance and found that I can have them as close as 6 or 8 inches. I think it's because the ventilation carries so much heat out.

Ventilation.... Intake is through a 16 inch by 8 inch vent (removed a block), and has a fiber type filter inset. For exhaust, a 12 inch turbine on the roof with a panel underneath the rafters below it. Directly attached to the panel is ducting from my reflector. I used an old 4 ft fluorescent fixture to mount the bulbs with an 8 inch exhaust fan between and put half of a regular fan type reflector on each end with a piece of ThermaPly for the sides. I also put a piece below each flo. fixture and joined them so as to form a reflector from below.http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy126/Dawg56/Grow%20log%201/growlog047.jpg
http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy126/Dawg56/Grow%20log%201/growlog038.jpg

Temperatures have been running between the high 50's to the low 70's.

Water and food... I'm using tap water that has set in a 5 gal bucket for a few days and using Botanicare nutes which I've fed only once and some high nitrogen Miracle Gro once prior.

Genetics??? Six are an assortment of "some good meds, man!" from a friend of a friend, three are volunteers that showed up in a flower bed around the time I was getting started. I'm sure that I was probably stoned enough to interpret their arrival as an omen, so naturally they're invited!
http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy126/Dawg56/Grow%20log%201/Med3013.jpg
http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy126/Dawg56/Grow%20log%201/Med3015.jpg

http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy126/Dawg56/Grow%20log%201/Med3007.jpg
http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy126/Dawg56/Grow%20log%201/Med3004.jpg

Through my travels I've come up with an aeroponic clone machine which I'd like to use once I find the jewel of this bunch. This development, along with the fact that I am probably growing 3, 4, or even more different strains leaves me in a little bit of a puzzle, and I hope to gain some knowledge from you. It's a timing thing. It's nearly 6 weeks of veg now and the plants range 8 to 15 inches. I was thinking that it would be logical to keep vegging the small ones while I started the bigger ones to flower, but I made no provisions for two separate lighting areas. I started with the intention of growing only from store bought seed and (some of my better thinking!) thought that two lighting areas weren't necessary but I couldn't afford the seeds and finances made it simple to start out with these donations. Since then, I've been able to order and receive a dozen feminized White Widow seeds. I would like to start them now , but that's not at the top of the list. I have been wondering if I were to put these outdoors would they be able to come to maturity?

Also, everyplace I've found talking about cloning says to take cuttings while the plant is in a vegetative state. How could I know which plant to take cuttings from unless they flower first?
Damn!, guess I orta light one and contemplate this scenario!
More pics in a short. (I hope) Maybe I can figure out how to do this!

[Dawg56]

"Lefty" wanted everybody to know why it's called "Dawgarten".
My loyal assistant.http://i784.photobucket.com/albums/yy126/Dawg56/Grow%20log%201/growlog016.jpg

[bigtopsfinn]

Sounds like you have a handle on things here... :thumbsup:

As for the cloning thing, you can take them up to 2 weeks in flower, but they might take a little longer to root. If it were me, I'd take a couple clones from each one. Some plants take a little longer to mature but are great finishers, and its good to go through a couple runs before selecting a mother from the bunch.

Where'd you get the WW fems from?

[demoreal]

I don't know what the season is for you. Where i live people are just planting crops outdoors. The plants would be vegging right now and as the daylight gets closer to 12 hours and the nights longer there crops will start flowering. So where you live if the days are getting shorter and the nights longer I believe they will make it to full maturity.
I remember reading in Georges grow bible that some growers start the plants indoors and move them outdoors to finish flowering but this will only work if the days are getting shorter or are at least close to 12/12.

As for determining witch plants you want to keep there is a few ways of doing it. The way I would do it is take clones of all of them and after sexing keep the ones you want.
You can also flower them and as soon as they show sex take a clone of the ones you want. It will not be so far into flowering that it would make much a difference. Just don't rape the plants to bad. Could freak them out. Best take some clones now. Some people switch to 12/12 sex then revert back to veg.
That sounds time consuming.
Best take some clones now and get some practice doing so. :thumbsup:

[demoreal]

oops i did not see bigtopspins response.
I gave the same advice as him so I guess thats reassuring. :)

[Dawg56]

Sounds like you have a handle on things here... :thumbsup:

As for the cloning thing, you can take them up to 2 weeks in flower, but they might take a little longer to root. If it were me, I'd take a couple clones from each one. Some plants take a little longer to mature but are great finishers, and its good to go through a couple runs before selecting a mother from the bunch.

Where'd you get the WW fems from?
Hey bigtopsfinn! I ordered them online from Cannabis Seeds, Marijuana Seeds - Feminized Cannabis Seeds (http://www.cannabisseeds.com/) My first experience with an online seed co., and I've gotta say that it was painless. Their ad says 5 to 10 working days and they came on day 9. Small bubble pack envelope in a small plastic tube. I get a little excited just typing about'em!!
Hey!, and thanx for the kudos! I can get myself motivated, but sometimes it works against me, like NOT thinkin' 'bout two light zones. I think we gotta fix though! A friend found me an old street light recepticle, (at least it looks like one) which has what looks like a transformer (ballast?) built into the base of the unit. I don't know what it was designed for, but a 175W multi-gas unit works where as a 250W or 400W HPS bulb wouldn't. A 150W sodium bulb lit once, but it doesn't act ike it wants to again. If I can't get it to work, I'll probably buy something to veg my WW. What lighting would be adequate for four plants?

[Dawg56]

Hey bigtopsfinn! I ordered them online from Cannabis Seeds, Marijuana Seeds - Feminized Cannabis Seeds (http://www.cannabisseeds.com/) My first experience with an online seed co., and I've gotta say that it was painless. Their ad says 5 to 10 working days and they came on day 9. Small bubble pack envelope in a small plastic tube. I get a little excited just typing about'em!!

Hey bigtops, when I put the link in, I DIDN"T add "marijuana seeds" to the name of the company! I tried the link and wound up somewhere I've never been!! It's JUST cannabis seeds dot kom. (without the spaces or "k" in com!)
They charged me $29 for 12 fem WW. Hope this helps!

[bigtopsfinn]

Hey Dawg, I found the site, interestingly it doesn't say who the breeder is :wtf: and damn those are affordable! So I'd say no worries putting them outside. As for veg lights, depends really on how big you want to veg them. T5 fluoros work quite nicely for many people. CFL's also, maybe like Rusty does here: http://boards.cannabis.com/advanced-techniques/152079-rustys-re-veg.html#post1830094