First time grow, advice please

[COOLWHIP]

I have purchased from home depot 3 68watt cfl and that is what i am using for light, I am just using miracle grow organic potting soil , they are just bagseed and 2 are 4 days old and 2 are 2 days old. how do i post pictures on here?

[COOLWHIP]

http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/COOLWHIP420/100_1059.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/COOLWHIP420/100_1061.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/COOLWHIP420/100_1058.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/COOLWHIP420/100_1057.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/COOLWHIP420/100_1060.jpg

My lights are 4 inches above them right now is that to close and is 3 of these enough for 4 plants???

[canniwhatsis]

You should be ok with the height, and with them in party cups like that you should be ok for now. Your probably gonna want more as your little girls get bigger.

[COOLWHIP]

what about the light is that enough or do I need more and what if I want to get up to 8-10 plants how many lights would i need then?

[Bongojaz]

seedlings need "zero" nutes for a good 2 weeks. yours are already showing signs of being in ferted medium. get them out out of the mg!

[TruePyroman]

I have one of those lights, I prefer not to use it because it makes a lot of heat, and since it's so big it doesn't transmit the lumens too great, which is why I use the smaller 23w 2700k cfls in the splitters, this works for me because I can hang the 2 light fixture at any height in the grow cab, or you can just use the one 68w on a chain, and for some reason I really want to hang that light sideways.

you should be ok in the soil, just stay on top of watering it, and don't overwater, the roots need oxygen to spread, so don't drown 'em.

In fact, I'm going to go do a test with the light meter I have. Just as I thought, the 68w doesn't cast the light any better than the 2x23w, at 5 inches from the light both read 200 on the meter. So in this bulbs case, the more wattage doesn't make for better light output, maybe overall, yes, but that light is like 8" tall by 3.5" wide, that's quite a bit of surface area to be projecting light from.

I'm gonna stop ranting now but I hope this helps!

[t3hn00b137]

I agree with the last post. Just get the 23w bulbs, a few splitters and there you go... I planted 9 bagseed on my first grow ended up with 2 females and a hermie. So good luck with those!


TehNooblet:pimp:

[jetta17]

You also might want to try and get a different spectrum of the CFL bulbs. For seedlings up until flowering, I would be using a 6700K Bulb to promote quick and healthy growth. Next time you are at Walmart or any hardware store, look at the CFL bulbs, there should be some labeled 6500K. This is the bulb that you want for vegetation. When you start to flower, you will be using the 2700K bulbs. I have a total of 53 watts of 6700K CFL's in my small veg box and my clones and seedlings love it.

[COOLWHIP]

I will look into some 6700k cfl's, and I replanted them into some none fert potting soil, is it possible to grow and harvest of off these lights or am I going to need the 6700k lights too

[TruePyroman]

I personally don't use the blue light spectrum(6500k) at all anymore. I am strictly on the 2700k lights, so no you don't need the 6500k lights, but they do aid in vegetative growth. As for flowering with only those lights, yes it's possible, but you want the plant to get as much light to it as possible. I doodled up a little sketch in MSpaint to help get my point across.

Using multiple 2bulb splitters will work better than just the 68w, you want to surround the plant with lights if you are using cfls for flowering, because they have barely any penetration power, so if you have any type of canopy you are going to want side lighting.


http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c13/TruePyroman111/lighting.jpg

[COOLWHIP]

ok so I added 4 26w cfl 6500k with a few spliters should i leave all the lights on through outor should i strictly only use the 6500k for veg or is it ok to have all of them on, I have 3 of the 68watt cfl 2700k, and 4 of the 25watt 6500k, I will post more pics later today they are looking healthier there is sign of new growth atleast so that has to be a good sign. thanks for all the input sorry for all the noob questions.
COOLWHIP

[COOLWHIP]

http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/COOLWHIP420/100_1073.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/COOLWHIP420/100_1074.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/COOLWHIP420/100_1075.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/COOLWHIP420/100_1076.jpg

Are they looking better?

[t3hn00b137]

do you know what type these are? Such as Indica, Sativa, Ruderalis(sp), etc...

TehNooblet:pimp:

[COOLWHIP]

Im not sure what kind they are, its just bagseed from various bags

[COOLWHIP]

Added a 5" induction fan to the grow room today and 2 more smaller 6500k cfl's, Ill post more pics in a day or so

[COOLWHIP]

Here are pics as of this morning
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/COOLWHIP420/100_1081.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/COOLWHIP420/100_1082.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/COOLWHIP420/100_1083.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad350/COOLWHIP420/100_1085.jpg

[COOLWHIP]

How do the babies look, advice from anyone would be great do they look like they are on tract for growth, do they look healthy I should start nutes at 2 weeks right??? what kind of nutes should I use that wont cost me an arm and a leg

[StickyBuds1987]

well man are they a lil yellow or is that the glare from tha lights? how often do ya water and do you water with tap water if so let it set out for like 24 hours before ya water also did ya put any gravel in tha bottem of pots for good drainige are add more perlite one of tha 2 you prob can use some nutes but i would only use 1/4 of tha recomended dose and slowly up the dose over the weeks so ta dont burn ya plants as for nuts do some searching on here im sure you will find some ya like for cheap :thumbsup:

[COOLWHIP]

Its a reflection off of the lights, I water about every 2 days depending of how light the pots are, how long before I should transplant them to bigger pots? I will grab some nutes later this week, I will post pics of what I get. I do have some pea gravel on the bottom for drainage.

[COOLWHIP]

oh yeah and I do water with tap water but is left out atleast 24hrs.

[raizla]

Do you pH the water first? At that stage, I think I was still using a spray bottle to water so that I didn't wash away the lil girls with a torrent of water.

I didn't start adding nutes until the end of veg, however I did use a different soil than you. As of right now, your plants look very healthy.

[PhatJay]

you prob can use some nutes but i would only use 1/4 of tha recomended dose and slowly up the dose over the weeks so ta dont burn ya plants

If your soil has no nutrients in it, I would follow this advice. How close are the lights now? I use CFL's and aim for 1-3" from the top of the plants. As long as they don't touch the leaves they won't burn them.

[COOLWHIP]

I have them about 2-3 inches away from the lights right now, all the nutes that have been checking out have three main components listed on the bag with like a 10-15-10, or 6-10-10, etc. which formula works best for veg and which one for flower?

[PhatJay]

I have them about 2-3 inches away from the lights right now, all the nutes that have been checking out have three main components listed on the bag with like a 10-15-10, or 6-10-10, etc. which formula works best for veg and which one for flower?


I don't grow in soil so I cannot give you any specific advice on what product to buy. The problem with the nutes in your garden center, is that they are not designed for cannabis and are generally too strong. You can get round this by using smaller doses.

If I were you, I would do one of the following things....

1, Find a succesful grow log that uses nuteless soil and see what nutes they use.

2, Visit a grow shop or nute manufacturers website, find a cannabis specific food for nuteless soil and try to match the NPK ratio as best you can(For example Hesi's Bloom Complex for soil has a ratio of 3-3-4).

3, Buy some cannabis specific soil nutes.

Sorry I cannot be of more help.... :(

[COOLWHIP]

repotted them to a little larger home this morning
Plant #3 looks droopy I dont know what its problem is the rest look pretty healthy

[G13budsmoker]

cool....i use miracle grow moisture control soil with extra perlite added in, and as far as nutes go i use fox farm big bloom liquid plant food for VEG, its rating is 0.01-0.3-0.7.....and fox farm tiger bloom fertilizer for FLOWER, its rating is 2-8-4...my plants never get burnt with this product, and i HIGHLY recomend this product(im sure alot of people will). i hope this helps ya.

[PhatJay]

You asked about mixing the red and blu spectrum lights. If you have the option, a mix of the 2 spectrums is better than just 1.

Are you adding any nutes yet? Yellowing is generally a sign of a lack of Nitrogen and droopy leaves are usually a sign of over watering.

How often are you watering? For soil it's best not to water everyday. More like every 3 days, but this is dependant on pot size.

Do you have drainage holes in the bottom of your pots to let excess water run off? If not, add some.

[COOLWHIP]

I water about every 2 days I will spread it out to every 3, I have not started nutes yet but will by this weekend and I do have both light spectrums going at the same time. Thanks for all the input

[COOLWHIP]

and I do have drainage holes in the bottom with a little bit of gravel bellow the soil to help drain

[StickyBuds1987]

well man i think 2 days is a lil much on watering i mean ya want tha roots to grow down in search of water so they will have a nice root system if ya give them water every 2 days then your plants have no need to search for tha water and plus you have a higher risk of getting root rot and then you are kinda fucked i would water like every 3 or 4 days and on tha 3rd day id stick about half my finger in tha soil if its still moist id wait till tha 4th day

[nugrowr]

i used the organic mg last year it works good but you gotta mix it with topsoil i believe it says on the bag.. my bud used it without and the clone he used burnt and grew very slowly then died under a 400w hps i think it was too muddy... might check that out.. good luck with your grow :) hope ya get some girls.. i already pulld 2 with balls this year..:wtf:

[COOLWHIP]

Its the 3rd day since watering, just watered them this morning so I took some pictures while I had them out. Looks like they are enjoying their new pots.

[COOLWHIP]

Just a pic of my Vegg room.

[COOLWHIP]

Just some more pics

[COOLWHIP]

A few more

[COOLWHIP]

When is the best time to attempt to top them or Fimm them?? How do you they look so far

[COOLWHIP]

As of now I have a total of 10 23watt 6500k cfl and 3 68watt 2700k cfl in my grow room, Is it ok to to try to Fimm any of these plants or should I give it another week or so??? Do they look like they are indica or sativa???

[COOLWHIP]

I found some plant food that I feed them with its 24-15-15, I gave them an 1/8th of recomended dose.

[canniwhatsis]

Give them a couple more nodes (leaf points) before topping or fiming, shouldn't take long for 2-3 more set's of leave's to grow in.

Strain is a bit early to tell, your gonna have to wait to see the full grown fan leaves as far as I know, ( I don't know shit BTW :o )

Like I said above, I don't know shit,... specially about nutes, good luck! :thumbsup:

[COOLWHIP]

Here are the Kids this morning

[COOLWHIP]

A few more

[COOLWHIP]

Looking at some other grow logs the plants are alot taller than mine by now, they have about the same amount of leaf sets as the others this age but mine are short and stocky and the distance between the leaf sets is very minimall Is this normal? do I need more light? I just feel like their highth is stunted but Im not really sure considering this is my first grow so if anyone else could let me know, I am mid week 3 of veg from seed, I have 10 23 watt 6500k cfls and 3 68watt 2700 cfls in my room, any advice is much apriciated.
COOLWHIP

[COOLWHIP]

So i think I messed up I was reppoting the kids into their new homes and my biggest one half of the roots broke off, and now the leaves are a lil curled and dried, there is still sign of new growth so I dont think its dead just almost, the others are doin ok, I also started a side DWC side project out of a ice cooler seems to be doin alright, any advice or tips is much apriciated.
COOLWHIP

[COOLWHIP]

A few more dont be too hard on me bout my DWC I am just messing around to see what I can do.

[keenan7899]

I've come to the conclusion that bag seed is not the way to go. Mass produced like hermie WTF stuff haha. Out of the twelve I started, and this came from amazing nug, I started thinking how this nug could have seeds. To be dumb enough to keep a male in that nug, and with how much I saw, I realized if I ge seeds in my good weed then it prob hermied. Bad weed yeah, outdoor could have males and stuff. Honestl I'd trust a swag seed over like a seed in some kush or something, the crap would at least most likely be male/female and not hermie, and I mean I can grow it better, because with bag seed it's like a box of chocolates, who the fuck knows what you'll be smokin haha.

[keenan7899]

Haha sorry Stoney bologna didn't finish.

Out of the twelve I started I flowered the four most health, every single one hermie. The one I kept (check my current grow) stopped givin me nanners And is in full flower now, but the other three no doubt would have been straight lady gaga's so it wasn't worth it.

Sucks, living somewhere that considers self medication a criminal act, seeing as that's why I couldn't get good seeds and went with the bag seed jammies

[COOLWHIP]

It is Mersh/shwag seeds

[keenan7899]

Word man. Haha I wish u better luck than I had! Subscribed!

Sorry if that was off topic but just came to mind as I was reading...

:-)

[COOLWHIP]

Should I just kill this one and start a new one or is it worth saving when i was repotting half of the roots broke off on accident and the leafs are dried and curled any advice from anyone on what to do with this plant if it is going to affect the yeild in a big way then I might as well start a new seed since its a young plant.
COOLWHIP

[raizla]

Eek! Well, it might survive, or it might not. If it does survive, the vertical growth will likely be stunted for a while while the plant re-establishes new roots. There are people far more knowledgeable that myself who could make a better call.

[COOLWHIP]

Well they all look pretty good so far I topped a few of them, the one I almost killed seems to be still alive it has lots of side growth and new branches, Just watered today I think I might have nute burned a few of them I am going to cut the dose in half for next feeding

[COOLWHIP]

A few more I think I am going to start flower in another 2 weeks

[COOLWHIP]

Any tips or advice??????
From anyone????

[COOLWHIP]

Update Topping the plants worked out great, I tried to fimm one but I dont think I cut enough off or something because it didnt work,

[COOLWHIP]

I cant wait to start flowering them hope they are all females I am mid week 4 of Veg now.

[COOLWHIP]

I know the one looks over watered I am going to cut back on it and let it dry out good for a few days.

[PhatJay]

They are very small for 1 month old but at least they are green and fairly healthy looking. How old are the plants in the hydroton pebbles? They seem to be much happier.

Keep plugging away Coolwhip, fingers crossed for all females. :thumbsup:

[COOLWHIP]

They are 4 weeks as well, I thought they seened small compaired to other logs on here,

[COOLWHIP]

Today is Start of week 5 from seed

[COOLWHIP]

More

[jtsik330]

If the girls in the hydroton are a month old then they are laggining in growth. I'm in the process of of completing my first hydro run and expierienced a few issues early on but after a month, I pretty much had a tree.

[COOLWHIP]

I think they are all lagging in growth but dont understand why, I am trying to get a successfull grow under my belt before I go to the local club and purchase clones,

[PhatJay]

I topped a few of them

This could be one of the reasons why they are a little behind. Topping slows down growth for a week, sometimes more.

[COOLWHIP]

K, thanks phatjay I was a little worried all of the new stems are starting to explode with new leafs now hopefully be able to start flowering in another week or 2

[COOLWHIP]

This mornings pics

[COOLWHIP]

Couple more

[COOLWHIP]

Do they look Indica or Sativa

[PhatJay]

They have broad leaves, so they will be on the Indica side.

[COOLWHIP]

When should I start flowering them?

[PhatJay]

As you are growing with CFL's and not doing LST or SCROG, it would be best if you put them into flower before they get too large. At 28 days veg my plants are around 14-16" high and they are about 26" high once they have stretched during the 1st 2 weeks of flower. Even at this height my 2x125w CFL's struggle to penetrate the lower leaves and I am only growing 2 plants.

If they were mine, I would wait till they get 12" tall and then go into flower or I would just flower them now and see how I got on. The longer you veg the more bud you will get, as long as you can give the plants enough light and food to make it.

If you plan to keep using CFL's have a read up on LST and SCROG for your next grow, it should give you a better harvest than just letting them grow naturally.

(the only reason I am letting mine grow naturally is because I want to test how much these techniques increases harvest size by)

[COOLWHIP]

Thanks for all the tips phatjay, everyone else agree to put them into flower this week?? when i start to flower them how long should i leave them in the dark before I start the 12/12, or should I just start 12/12.

[COOLWHIP]

the rest of them, the last one is the one that I had tried to fimm but it didnt work out thats why the leafs looked trimmed.

[COOLWHIP]

Well just an update, I took ur advice phatjay and kicked them into flower today is day 3 flower for them I will post pictures later today they have really started to get tall in the last 3 days, no sign of sex yet, anyone know how long before i will start to see signs of sex?

[PhatJay]

You should see signs of sex within 2 weeks of switching to 12/12.

[COOLWHIP]

Pictures as promised, thanks again phatjay, your grow looks really good i hope my buds looks half as good as that I switched all but 2 of my 6500k over to 2700k for flowering, its going to be a long 2 weeks I feel like I am checking on them every hlaf hour to see signs of sex lol

[COOLWHIP]

The rest of the crew
Ill be looking to you guys to help determine sex and telling me when to harvest cause being this is my first atempt at growing I am a noob

[COOLWHIP]

Can anyone explain why the yellow/browning of the lower leaves?

[THContent]

My initial reaction would be you need more light hitting those bottom leaves, if they do not produce in terms of photosynthesis the leaves will begin to wither, and eventually die and fall off.

But, if you are not using nutes yet, now would be the time to start adding more Nitrogen to the diet, could also be magnesium, but more commonly you see N deficiency. Start out using half the recommend dosage, I recommend Jack's Classic All Purpose, it is very cheap about $6.00 at your local nursery that carry's it, effective, and 100% organic. Eventually you will need Blossom Booster, but that is later in the game. Since you are most likely using a soil that does not have very many nutes, you may want to invest in Fox Farms Ocean Forest Organic mix, mixed with 40% perlite (miracle grow brand is good - ONLY FOR PERLITE!!)

You can find it by typing your zip code in here:

Buy Jack's Classic Plant Food -- J.R. Peters, Inc., Fertilizer Manufacturer (http://jacksclassic.com/buy_jacksclassic.html)

Good luck, post back as soon as you give it a try, let us know how you do!

On a side note:

It could be possible that it is normal for those leaves to die off, its natural, but I would still give the half strength nutes a shot.

[PhatJay]

How many bulbs are you running now and how many plants?

[COOLWHIP]

I have 10 23watt 2700k and 3 68watt 2700k cfl in the room right now, is that enough?

[COOLWHIP]

oh yeah and I have 8 plants right now all together

[PhatJay]

I have 10 23watt 2700k and 3 68watt 2700k cfl in the room right now, is that enough?

No... I am a bit pissed with myself for not noticing this earlier, but I joined the thread late and thought you had got the lighting side of things pretty much sorted.

It is better to calculate what you need in lumens rather than watts (your bulbs packaging should say how many lumens they put out), You want to aim for 5000 lumens (5U) per square foot of your grow area. I am currently using 10U in 4.5 square feet (about half what I should have) and I am getting around 2oz per plant. Also during veg, I only used 1 x 125w (5U) on my second grow, so you can get away with using less during this period, this section taken from the Marijuana Cultivators Bible backs my theory up, as the plants require less area and therefore less light.

Taken from the Marijuana Cultivators Bible (page 3)....

"Current theory holds that the minimum amount of lighting
needed to sustain growth is around 2,000 lumens per square foot. Mid
range is around 5,000 lumens per square foot. Optimal is 7,000 to 7,500
or higher lumens per square foot."


Marijuana Cultivation Bible | Scribd (http://www.scribd.com/doc/2522847/Marijuana-Cultivation-Bible)



oh yeah and I have 8 plants right now all together

Doing a quick calculation in my head, I reckon you have enough light to get a reasonable yield off 3 maybe 4 plants (depending on the size of them). Or a really good yield off 2.

[COOLWHIP]

ok I have 3 68 watt cfl 2700k that have 4200 lumens each
10 23 watt cfl 2700k that have 1600 lumens each
Thats a total of 28,600 lumens all 2700k spectrum
right now I have my mylar tent at 3ft x 3ft x 4ft

[COOLWHIP]

do you think that is enough phatjay?

[PhatJay]

ok I have 3 68 watt cfl 2700k that have 4200 lumens each
10 23 watt cfl 2700k that have 1600 lumens each
Thats a total of 28,600 lumens all 2700k spectrum
right now I have my mylar tent at 3ft x 3ft x 4ft

Assuming that 4ft is the height...

3ftx3ft = 9sqft

9x5000 = 45000 lumens

You have over half of what is considered midrange, so you should be able to get a similar or better yield than me. If you have any spare 6500k from vegging you can add these as well, it will create a broader spectrum of light which the plants will appreciate.

3ftx3ft is a small space for 8 plants though (if all of them turn out to be female, which is unlikely if you are growing from bagseed). Plants prefer about 2sqft each, mine are a bit cramped as they have 1.5sqft each, they are tangled up with each other and I cannot take them out of the cabinet. I have to use a nutrient syringe to remove the runoff.

You will probabaly end up flowering 4, but because your plants are small you might get away with flowering more (an unintentional Sea Of Green), you will just have to play it by ear and see how many you can cram in there.

[COOLWHIP]

I have 8 other 23 watt 1600 lumen 6500k spectrum cfls so I should put those in there as well? would be adding another 12,800 lumens

[PhatJay]

If you can fit them in, go for it. The more light the more bud. Keep an eye on the temps though. They may be a lot cooler than hps but they still build heat up over time if your ventilation isn't adequate.

Spread them around aswell, don't put them all above, use some of the 6500k as side lighting (if you have room) it will help the lower buds fatten up.

[COOLWHIP]

K thanks phatjay Ill make a trip to the hardware store for more fixtures and will cramm what I can in there and post a pic when Im done

[CovertCarpenter]

... but yeah, I agree with PhatJay in that you should get those extra bulbs in there and try to get the canopy both as even as you can (either SCRoG or LST while vegging), and the lights as close as you can (2" to 4") with lotsa airflow...

And you can make up with closeness what you don't quite have in lumens :)

I'm doing the same thing in my livingroom garden, with 24,800 lumens (12 bulbs total, all spectræ represented), but I'm only trying to cover four plants in about 2.5 square feet (2' x 1.25'). Currently have bulbs around 4-5" from plants, but wanna get that closer as soon as I can get some decent little cheapie fans).

As soon as I can, I wanna get all Sunbl4st3r CFLs in there, because I could up the light to 30,000 or 40,000 lumens, and at a cost of 312 or 416 watts, respectively.

Gonna do individuSCRoG next there...

[bubadutep75]

Good going on your first grow, it looks like things are getting better, I see that you are using foil as a reflector, that is the worst thing you can use it doesnt reflect worth crap, it sends light in all directions and it makes hot spots on your plants, I would use flat white paint or get some reflective mylar.

[COOLWHIP]

Day 6 Flower

[COOLWHIP]

I havent got the rest of the lights in there yet have been busy should get it done this weekend

[COOLWHIP]

This morning still no sign of sex :-(

[COOLWHIP]

and the others

[PhatJay]

This morning still no sign of sex :-(

Looking at those pics, it won't be much longer before they do.

[COOLWHIP]

Hopefully soon because the wait is driving me crazy, lol

[COOLWHIP]

Have to be close to showing sign of sex I think I see one started to develope Nuts but hopefully not.

[PhatJay]

Don't panic yet mate, what you might be seeing is a calyx forming (I need to find out the plural for calyx, I keep on having to restructure my sentences so I can use it in the singular). Calyx's/Calyxi/Calyxy? look a bit testicle like, but they are female parts.

Picture of a Calyx on a mature plant from my last grow...
http://i.imgur.com/jnje7.jpg

Picture of a bunch of cannabis testicles...
Cannabis Forums Message Boards - Medical Marijuana, Cannabis Club, Dispensary, News (http://boards.cannabis.com/attachments/plant-problems/179094d1203799571-charts-guides-graphs-all-sortsa-useful-goodies-sex01male.jpg)

Notice they look very similar, but the male parts are on stalks and the female parts have two pistils sticking out.

[COOLWHIP]

I think this one is a GIRL!!!

[PhatJay]

I think this one is a GIRL!!!

Me too :D

[CovertCarpenter]

I think this one is a GIRL!!!

...and a dirty girl at that ;) Get that naughty girl down to your local LST training school right away!

Muah hah hah :D

[COOLWHIP]

I will LST some of the main branches tomorrow the lights are already off for the night, they got their first taste of bloom fert. Fox Farm Tiger Bloom, I hope the like it Im sure only time will tell.

[COOLWHIP]

Day 13 Flower still only can tell the definate sex of one and she is a beauty

[COOLWHIP]

And the soil bunch, still no sign of sex on theses guys yet Im just assuming that the soil is a slower grow than the DWC so hopefully they will show sign in another week

[COOLWHIP]

I am seeing pubes on the top left one in soil so another confirmed female, keeping my fingers crossed for the rest

[PhatJay]

I am seeing pubes on the top left one in soil so another confirmed female, keeping my fingers crossed for the rest

Excellent news! :D

[COOLWHIP]

I am up to a total of 4 females so far 2 DWC and 2 soil, will update when the rest mature.

[COOLWHIP]

Need help sexing, the one one the top left i believe is a male, the one next to it seems like it is starting to flower but no signs of pistils???

[COOLWHIP]

and of course the ladies

[COOLWHIP]

today is day 16 of flower

[COOLWHIP]

the other 4 turned out male so I threw them out this morning

[COOLWHIP]

got bored so here a few pics i just took

[COOLWHIP]

Anyone??

[rikb631]

Anyone??

ya i know the feeling haven't got a comment on mine for a couple of days... anyways looks like shes nice and healthy.

[COOLWHIP]

Day 19 Flower

[COOLWHIP]

And the DWC Day 19 Flower

[StickyBuds1987]

hey man those ladies are looking good keep it up :thumbsup::thumbsup::jointsmile:

[COOLWHIP]

Day 22 flower

[COOLWHIP]

and the rest

[COOLWHIP]

Anyone have any idea how many weeks I am looking before harvest?

[G13budsmoker]

well since you dont know what strain it is, just gona have to go off trich maturity. probly will go about 8 weeks tho. just my 2 pennies for ya.:thumbsup:

[Kingpiner]

Looks good homie :thumbsup:

[COOLWHIP]

Thanks King,
G13 I need the Trichs to be 80%cloudy to harvest???

[G13budsmoker]

well it depends on what type of high you want. you can harvest early when the tichs are at 25% amber to get a more cerebral head high, or you can harvest late when ATLEAST 75% of the trichs have become amber giving you more of a body stone. and yes if you want to try and have both a cerebral and a body high, you need to catch the maturity at 50% amberness(which is absolute peak ripeness). this maturity window is usualy within 2 weeks so just keep an eye on em...BUT, if you wait till late on a sativa it will not take full advantage of the strain(since sativas are known for there well head highs), just as if you harvest early on a indica strain, it will not take full advantage of the strain(as they are best known for there body stone).

now that being said heres what i would do if you plan to keep this strain and want to find out what the best time to harvest is for the future reference. take a few samples off a the plant at say 6 weeks(trichs should starting to turn), 7 weeks(trichs should be almost half amber), and at 8 weeks(when trichs should be mostly amber). dry them, cure them, just as you would normally do, then smoke it to see what "effects" you get from each. this way you will be able to tell which one you like and what "helps" you the best. :thumbsup:

good luck and let us know what you decide to do!:jointsmile:
The G13Budsmoker:jointsmile:

[COOLWHIP]

Day 24 Flower Buds are getting bigger every day now

[PhatJay]

Looking good :thumbsup:

[COOLWHIP]

Thanks Phatjay, here are todays pics

[COOLWHIP]

Day 27 Flower

[G13budsmoker]

looking good man, looking good!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[COOLWHIP]

Sorry its been a few days been really busy,
Day 32 Flower
When do you guys think I should take a small branch off to sample?

[G13budsmoker]

i was gona say wait till atleast week 7(so that the trichs would be probly milky atleast), but thats kinda pointless, might as well wait and enjoy the full goodness :jointsmile: a sample is pretty much useless for "tasting" because without flushing out nutes it wont taste the greatest and will be harsh when smoked, but will get you :stoned:. just keep that in mind if you do take a lil nug for sample...
btw looking good, cant wait to see come harvest time:thumbsup:

G13Budsmoker:jointsmile::stoned::rastasmoke:

[COOLWHIP]

Few pictures from this morning the main stem shots are of the topped main colas of the DWC laddies, the rest are some just random budd pictures

[COOLWHIP]

And a few more

[COOLWHIP]

Got to be getting close to the end

[PhatJay]

Coming along nicely. :)

[COOLWHIP]

Todays picks

[COOLWHIP]

Some lights off pics

[COOLWHIP]

Think Im going to cut and dry em this weekend

[MRDiff]

Less than 50 days of flowering? I hear up to 50% of the weight is formed in the last 2 weeks, so you might want to let it go another 2 weeks to get maximum bud.

[CovertCarpenter]

...reeeeeallly goood, mon!

If possible, let us know the wet and dry weights you wind up with!

Kudos. REP+

[drudown11]

IMHO they need at least another week, probably closer two. Cutting down early fucks you on quality and yield. Your nugs havent even started to really plump up yet. Be patient, you dont want your first grow to be a dissapointment.



dont cut them, THEY ARE NOT RIPE

[PhatJay]

dont cut them, THEY ARE NOT RIPE

I would like to 3rd the "They need a bit longer comments."

Don't be in a rush to crop your ladies, You also have to bear in mind that you are using CFL's. They will take longer to mature under CFL lighting, I would flower those for 2 more weeks.

[canniwhatsis]

I would like to 3rd the "They need a bit longer comments."

Don't be in a rush to crop your ladies, You also have to bear in mind that you are using CFL's. They will take longer to mature under CFL lighting, I would flower those for 2 more weeks.



+4 Give em a week or 2 more, I had to cut one of my girls when she popped out a male sack that pretty much pollenated that whole plant, I've been debating cutting the other one but it only got about 30% pollenated so we will just have to pick out a couple seeds. Point of the story is not to whine about seeds, but that was a week ago or so, and the plant thats still growing has about doubled in weight and still packing on new flowers. :D


other than not being done, your girls look pretty good! :thumbsup:

[COOLWHIP]

Thanks for the tips guys I guess I am just being impatient, I will give them another few weeks

[COOLWHIP]

Todays Pics

[COOLWHIP]

More

[CovertCarpenter]

...cuz those goils are nearly done :) (IMHO)

Beautiful plants, mon. Keep up the good work, but DON'T harvest 'em before their time. I think I'm prolly the +5'th person to say this ;)

Gettin' close, tho!

[COOLWHIP]

More lights off pictures

[canniwhatsis]

Looks like the extra week helped out a bunch! :thumbsup: Have you checked your trichs? Looks a bit more frosty in the pics. :rastasmoke:

[COOLWHIP]

I dont have a microscope to check them, so I am kinda just winging it, they look way more frosty when i take pictures with the lights off

[canniwhatsis]

Radio Shack sells a 60x100 for something like $15 Give it a look ;)

[COOLWHIP]

Thanks for telling me to wait guys, they have put on some more wait for sure

[PhatJay]

They are looking much more mature now. It is hard to say without looking at the trichs, but they could be ready for harvest by day 63. Just bear in mind how slowly they have grown up until now, they may need 70 days.


Thanks for telling me to wait guys, they have put on some more wait for sure

It can be a bit tough picking a harvest date on your 1st grow, I know I found it tough 1st time round. Don't forget to plan in your 7 day flush period.

[COOLWHIP]

Should I trim off the fan leaves for that last week or leave them on? After cutting how long do they need to be in dark to dry? And how long until fully cure? Thanks for all the help and saving from big mistakes!!!:thumbsup:

[bigsby]

Thanks for telling me to wait guys, they have put on some more wait for surePerhaps some more wait would be in order? Sorry, couldn't resist.

[PhatJay]

Should I trim off the fan leaves for that last week or leave them on?

I don't think there is a definitive answer for that question, the cannabis growing community seems to be split into two on this subject. I know that probably is not the answer you wanted, but If I gave you my opinion, the next post will be someone who thinks the opposite and is just as likely to be right.


After cutting how long do they need to be in dark to dry?

It willl depend on temperature and humidity, it generally takes 3-10 days. My 1st crop took around 10 days (winter) my second crop took around 4 days (summer).


And how long until fully cure?

I'm still experimenting with this, so far my weed has got better with age.

[drudown11]

looking good. It shouldnt be more than a few weeks. Good thing you held off on harvesting i bet youve already noticed a huge increase in flower size and quality. You just held off from making the #1 biggest mistake first growers have, impatience with cannabis. I am probably giving you a mis informed guesstimate, but i would start flushing pretty soon and watching for nanners

Now what you will really be amazed at is how much the plants are going to grow when you flush them. Its very important to flush your plants before harvest. Plants store sugars and nutrients in the big fan leaves, and if have fully green fan leaves at harvest you cheated yourself out of extra production. If you flush with PH'd water a week and half before harvest, the plants use all of the stored nutrients and sugars they store up. Leaves begin to yellow, a strong aroma fills the air, and nuggets plump up tremendously. That is when the really magic happens. Flushed bud also tastes cleaner and smells better than unflushed weed(although proper drying and curing are the main factors):thumbsup:


Watch your how much nitrogen your giving your plant though. If youll look at some of the buds pics youll notice that there is a little bit of leaf curl, and how your leaves are still a reallllyy deep green. The clawing of the leaves is telling you that your giving a little to much N during flowering. I had the same problem during my DWC grows but it looks like you might have already fixed it.

[COOLWHIP]

Thanks again for the info, just drained the solution tank and filled it with only water to start the flush so no more nutes from here on out. Figure I am going to let them go one more week depending on what they look like 2 max, its been 100+degrees so hopefully they wont take long to dry out.

[TruePyroman]

Do you pH your water before giving it to them? my tap water after a 24 hour sit is still at ~8-9 pH ( I'm still using the General Hydro ph solution, no ph pen here. ) so I have to lower the pH for my plants to like the water.

I start flushing when I start to see brown pistils, ( this is because I am lazy and don't keep a proper log of what exact flower day they are on. ) but it all depends on the plant. If your plant has bulkened enough for your liking, then go ahead and start the flush. ( use pHed water, flush until you have barely any ppm in your runoff (100-400 is what I go by), then for the last 7-14 days just use pHed water. )

hope this helps.

[COOLWHIP]

Going to harvest this week

[COOLWHIP]

Well I have 1 grow under my belt, turned out ok. I know what i need to do different for my next grow just need to get some seeds or clones, if I grow actual genetics vs. bagseed(mersh) Im guessing the outcome will be much different thats what my plan is to grow next time around. total dry weight is just over a quarter pound. Thanks for all the help guys.
COOLWHIP

[MRDiff]

Good grow given it is your first. A quarter lb is a nice yield. Did you cure them? That could improve the taste and overall smoke of the bud.

[PhatJay]

:clap::clap::clap:
Congrats Coolwhip

[COOLWHIP]

they have been in the dark for 4 days and I have them in the jars, what else can I do to cure them??

[COOLWHIP]

Forgot to add that is the yield off of the 2 DWC plants