Vuhnillas first grow log

[VuhnillaGorilla]

whats up guys, ive been a quiet follower around here for a while now and ive recently decided to try a grow. ive been doing reserch on growing from alot of folks around here on growing techniques and styles, seeing how this is my first grow im not expecting amazing results right off the bat im just getting my feet wet here, but i worked in a greenhouse all thru highschool and always had fun planting and etc. now i have a real motivation to use my green thumb. I also followed the "total noobs guide to growing" for location, safety, risk and etc.

so 2 days ago i started a germinating process and set out on a mission

i went out today and got my supplies for your average run of the mill rubbermaid grow box

-2 20 gallon rubbermaid containers
-1 15 foot 3 wire extention cord
-1 four inch electronic fan
-4 contractors splicing light sockets
-2 cans of flat white pain (one for each bin just to make sure ;)
-1 average house hold wall electric socket
-1 electric 24hr plug in timer
- and cut a hole in the bottom about 2-3 inch hole (my box runs off passive intake and active exhaust)
so i assembled the box (i know theres cracks but i found out that duck tape makes a good light block and a good loose hinge ;) (picture one)


My light source is 4 26 watt CFLs at 1600L each bulb. i wired the box for 4 about 4 inches diagonaly twards the center in a square. and the fan right in the middle (see pic)

currently the box is located in the attick acsessed by a removable cealing panel.
i swept out an area free of insulation and laid down a solid wood base arcross the rafters to hold the box up, and cardboard on top to soak up any leaks that may poke out the exhaust hole

on this grow im using seeds i got from a pretty decent bag i had. so i got a pack of dixie cups, a bag of miracle grow potting soil (i plan on adding some really nice organic neuts when the time comes) and planted 10 seeds. put a five gallon bucket under the tray and im going to pick the best two plants and grow them full harvest. i waterded the plants with about 5 sprays of a water bottle (full of mineral water) to get the top soil wet but not soaked

Notice: (yes i know that having a grow box in an attick can be dangerous because of risk of fire (see my precautionary steps above) and risky due to temp changes with the plants being stressed but be aware that the temp stays pretty consistent around here 75-80 daytime and 40-50 at night.


from here on out this will be my full grow log, i will probly have a few questions along the way so thanks to everyone in advance wish me luck dood :rastasmoke:

one last noob question, should i have any worry about posting this onlione, it seems a little sketchy no?

[RAINHAZE]

Welcome VuhnillaGorilla,

Looks like your motivated to get your first grow under your belt.
Good luck to you.:thumbsup:

Being that you just want to get your feet wet, and aren't looking for
a big yield necesarily is the right attitude to start with IMO. But the more times
you grow, and learn from each one, the more your yields will be.
I have never done a rubbermaid grow myself, I use a grow cabinet and
raise my lights with chains according to the plants highth.

As far as the risks of internet security are concerned, just dont let anything
get in your pics that can trace back to you, like shoes, or personal items etc.
Put a disclaimer in your signature, or copy/paste one from notepad each post.

[weeddaddy50]

I will pull up a chair.:thumbsup:

[VuhnillaGorilla]

Thanks Haze.

yea you pretty much have it right, its my first grow so im not expecting anything amazing, id be happy just getting a halfway decent result. thanks for the heads up about keeping it on the DL,

Ill keep news coming in on the regular

[RAINHAZE]

I will pull up a chair.:thumbsup:

Great! I will go get a beer! :thumbsup:

[VuhnillaGorilla]

well i went and checked on the seeds this morning. i currently have them on an 18-6 timer, went to check on them (planted them last night round 9ish and gave them a decent bit of water. not soaking wet but moist.) they were pretty dry this morning so i added a little more, how often should i check them for water.

still waitin to see some heads pop out:rastasmoke:

[Dutch Pimp]

keep the temps up...75-85 degrees...I use a spray bottle to keep the tops lightly, moist..:thumbsup:..use room temp water, not cold

[VuhnillaGorilla]

thanks man, i use bottled water that i keep next to the box to it stays room temp. im considering stopping at walmart and getting some sort of addative to the water for neutrient suppliment

[Dutch Pimp]

I don't give my seedlings any nutes the first three weeks.

[VuhnillaGorilla]

really? well the soil i used says on the bag itself that it has feed and neuts in the soil already, so its just bottled water from now on then :thumbsup:

[RAINHAZE]

really? well the soil i used says on the bag itself that it has feed and neuts in the soil already, so its just bottled water from now on then :thumbsup:
Absolutly. My last couple of grows with MG I tried using small amounts of fish emulsion and every time I did I would get yellow tips. I found it better to use just plain old water. This time I am going to add mollasses after the flowering stage and thats it.

[VuhnillaGorilla]

Absolutly. My last couple of grows with MG I tried using small amounts of fish emulsion and every time I did I would get yellow tips. I found it better to use just plain old water. This time I am going to add mollasses after the flowering stage and thats it.

Thanks for the info, ive noticed on people using mollasses, ive done some poking around about different neuts people use. worm casting, bat shit, fish, etc. What exactly makes mollases any better than the rest?
:rastasmoke:

[RAINHAZE]

Thanks for the info, ive noticed on people using mollasses, ive done some poking around about different neuts people use. worm casting, bat shit, fish, etc. What exactly makes mollases any better than the rest?
:rastasmoke:

This will be my first attempt and from what I've gathered so far, molasses provides carbs (sugars) which help bud development, whereas other nutrients are for the plants over all health & development, etc.
I'm no expert by no means, I'm still learning this, same as you.
Lately, I been researching basic hydroponics & will probably try my hand at that on my next grow.

[VuhnillaGorilla]

This will be my first attempt and from what I've gathered so far, molasses provides carbs (sugars) which help bud development, whereas other nutrients are for the plants over all health & development, etc.

makes good sence, ill have to take a look at that when the time comes:rastasmoke:

[VuhnillaGorilla]

no new sprouts yet, few more pics of the setup and my plants. stil hoping to see some lil sprouts in the next couple days

[VuhnillaGorilla]

i added some dryer pipeing from the vent about 2 feet away in the rafter, its getting a lillte chilly at night but i solved that problem, the box stays at 75-80 all the time. i also added a fourth CFL. i had only three the last few days cuz one broke. im starting to see sprouts, im curently in night time of my 18-6 cycle so ill post some pics later

[VuhnillaGorilla]

well fellas. we have growth! ill admit its not much and probly not impressive to many but damn am i happy. outof ten cups i currently have about 5 that have started to break ground. three have fully broken ground but with the seed casting still hangin on and, one is completely shedded its shell. and theres two that the shell has come thru the soil (im gueeing theres a little bud trying to fight under it)

im currently on a 18-6 cycle, is there any way i can give it a little extra help along? ive followed it to the tee so far. all cups are vented, i water only once a day if needed. the box is sealed up tighter than a clams ass and remains between 75-80 with 4 cfls putting out 1700L a piece, heres some pics.

anythign else i can do to help it along?

took the plants a total of 4 days to start sprouting

any helps yall can put in is great or if im still doiong this the right way lemme know, thanks guys this has become really addicting:rastasmoke:

[VuhnillaGorilla]

oh and one quick note in case it helps. i have the cups on a metal cookie pan on top of a 5 gallon bucket so its closer to the light, there still about 10-12inches away. bring them closer maybe??

[RAINHAZE]

Glad to hear they're sprouting!:thumbsup:
Best thing you can do right now is to be patient and let 'em do they're thing. Keep an eye on your temps, and try not to overwater.
....oh and keep us posted.:jointsmile:

[RAINHAZE]

oh and one quick note in case it helps. i have the cups on a metal cookie pan on top of a 5 gallon bucket so its closer to the light, there still about 10-12inches away. bring them closer maybe??
Yes! closer. With cfl's you need to be about 3 inches at first,(since they're just seedlings basicaly) then after a week bring them to 1 or two inches from the plant.

[VuhnillaGorilla]

i knew it! well when i get a chance ill raise them up tomorrow morning. ill be sure to keep everyone updated. sooo pumped :rastasmoke:

[VuhnillaGorilla]

i moved the pkants cloer yesterday, and theyve grown about an inch. i have three full sprouts w/ two leaves a piece, still on an 18/6 cycle, how long should i remain on that light period? ill post pics tomorrow

[RAINHAZE]

i moved the pkants cloer yesterday, and theyve grown about an inch. i have three full sprouts w/ two leaves a piece, still on an 18/6 cycle, how long should i remain on that light period? ill post pics tomorrow

I usually wait until they are about 20 inches tall, but it depends on how much room you have. They will double they're size (or more) when you start the flowering.

[Lynhal]

Congrats on your little sprouts, VG! I'll be sure to check back to see how things are coming along for you and your set up. :bonghit:

[VuhnillaGorilla]

more news, i have 6 sprouts all about 1 1/2 inches tall. i also have one more thats still just popping out (late bloomer i guess?)

so now comes my question, how long untilll i can tell if i have a few lovely ladies or have a boatload of males? still on my 18-6 cycle and each plant has two leaves with two smaller ones opposed to them.

heres a few more pics, take a look and lemme know im doin lol:rastasmoke:

[VuhnillaGorilla]

oh and one more thing, ivbe been poking around and i noticed a little trick some guys do, well im having trouble with one of my seed just doenst wanna pop yet so i took a pastic bag and put it over the cup with some vent holes on top to give it a better greenhouse like enviroment.

good idea or bad?

[RAINHAZE]

oh and one more thing, ivbe been poking around and i noticed a little trick some guys do, well im having trouble with one of my seed just doenst wanna pop yet so i took a pastic bag and put it over the cup with some vent holes on top to give it a better greenhouse like enviroment.

good idea or bad?
That's kinda what I do, only I use a saucer and place cellophane or a flat baggie on top of the paper towel. I don't do it to rush the seed per se', I do it so the towel stays moist. Still gives it that greenhouse effect tho.


This is a little late in your case, but for future reference this pic will come in handy.

[VuhnillaGorilla]

DOH!! oh well imma save that for sure, for my next grow mwuah ha ahah ahahaha aha

[VuhnillaGorilla]

hey yall, sorry bout that last post i was slightly :smokin: last night wheni posted that

Ok guys well I have come to the point in this grow log where itâ??s time for my noob brightness to shine.
First Iâ??m going to state everything Iâ??ve been doing. Routinely.
Iâ??ve had them on a 20-4 timer I have 4 cfl lights that put out 1700 lumens a piece so thatâ??s a total of 6800 lumens, and my walls are painted flat white. And white paint absorbs roughly 28% of the light so when you do the math (carry the 4 add 5% multiply by the rate of time speed continuum) and that leaves me with 4896 lumens total. Is that still good, I know the closer to around 5k you get the better.
I planted my seeds in dixe cups, with holes in the bottom and planted with Miracle Grow potting soil. Also known as (MG) right?
Iâ??ve watered them daily, Iâ??ve been using only bottled water at room temp, the only thing I havenâ??t done is check the PH level, but other than that Iâ??ve left the plants not soaking wet but moist. One thing I noticed though. I havenâ??t seen ANY water come out of the bottom of the Dixie cups I put for draining. This bad?
I noticed the soil had settled a little more than an inch below the top brim, so I cut the tops off so thereâ??s only about a 3/16 of an inch lip between the top of the soil, and the top of the cup, I read that if itâ??s too deep it blocks the light and has poor ventilation.
I have the cups raised up so there almost less than an inch form the lights; I actually had to move some around so the light wouldnâ??t hit the cups brim.
Now comes my question....
The plants have been growing for 10 days now. My plats all range from about 3/4 of an inch to about 1 1/4 inch tall. They have two round leaves, and now are starting to sprout two more leaves opposing the first two, there slightly jagged and they form a cross with the other two rounded leaves, but they are still very small leaves.
But I canâ??t help but notice allot of guys on here who have grow logs with their own seedlings who started recently and there plants arenâ??t much different than mine except for one big difference
The SIZE!!! Why are mine so small compared to someone whoâ??s had their plants in the same time as I have? Am I doing something wrong or is it just that the bag seeds I planted are a slow grower?
Or is it just the first time jitters and Iâ??m over reacting for nothing?
Iâ??m really enjoying this and as soon as I am comfortable with a solid grow set up I want to buy some good seeds and have a realllllyl nice plant to grow.
thank you for the help guys I know Iâ??m a noob but I really have searched the hell out of the site and I at least did some serious research before I started but we all have first time noob problems, and ill post pictures of what Iâ??m talking about in like an hour.

I have to go pick something up....canâ??t wait to not have to go do this shit anymore lol

sorry for the psot being so long but i figured id get it out at once

:rastasmoke:VG

[Dutch Pimp]

don't over engineer this

[VuhnillaGorilla]

meaning just let nature take its course right?

[Dutch Pimp]

yeah, relax...take a deep breath...enjoy your grow

...and mark events on the calender...not a stopwatch...:)

ps...I tried bagseeds, once....never again.

[VuhnillaGorilla]

haha im sorry man i cant help it i let my excitment get ahead of me, time is key and ill jsut let everythign pan out as it sould

[RAINHAZE]

Yaeh deffinetly let it do its thing, hell Ive thrown seeds on the ground before and found them growing months later with no help at all.

Here's my 2 ak47 AF Lowryders. They sprouted Nov. 14th. I had them in cups
and I started having probems with curling leaves from overwatering. I checked the ph and it was high so even tho they were overwatered, I had to flush 'em.
The next day I did a "stealth" transplant, and just barely watered
'em to keep them from going into shock.
That was on 11/27/2010 and I am just now getting ready to water them, they haven't been watered since. That's 8 days!
I am using three 27w & two 65w cfl's, and I am getting 12,822 lumens from this setup. I also use white paper on top of the pots to help the light from underneath also.
All I do is watch my temps and humidity. ...and kick back!:thumbsup:
BTW Its hard to see right now, but these mofo's are flowering already.

[Gare0440]

The plants have been growing for 10 days now. My plats all range from about 3/4 of an inch to about 1 1/4 inch tall. They have two round leaves, and now are starting to sprout two more leaves opposing the first two, there slightly jagged and they form a cross with the other two rounded leaves, but they are still very small leaves.
But I canâ??t help but notice allot of guys on here who have grow logs with their own seedlings who started recently and there plants arenâ??t much different than mine except for one big difference
The SIZE!!! Why are mine so small compared to someone whoâ??s had their plants in the same time as I have? Am I doing something wrong or is it just that the bag seeds I planted are a slow grower?

like dutch is saying. just relax haha
i tried to do this same thing all a few months ago. but 6000 to 5000 lumens wont make a difference i dont think. if ure concerned about light go get 5 more of those cfl's and some y splitters and add more light.

hard to give them too much cfl i had 8 cfl's 3 42 acctual watt and 5 24 acctual watt along with a 2 ft 4 bulb t5 for 2 plants. an no probs with heat or bleaching but i had an open closet.

there's so much variation to what can make a plant grow fast or slow, big or small.
lights, soil, genetics etc etc theres too much to try to compare to someone elses to yours. if only we all grew the same... not :jointsmile:
you should try just not looking at your buddys for extended periods of time. makes for more excitement:rastasmoke:

[VuhnillaGorilla]

thanks fellas, well i think i might add a few Y splitters in the box. my one other question is, how much can i expect my bill to run up a month? i try to compensate by turning off any lights i dont need its not a big worry im just curious if i should worry about someone noticing an electric spike

[Gare0440]

my bill was up maybe 10 15? each month. with what your runnin. maybe just a few bucks? :D

[VuhnillaGorilla]

very cool, again, thank you guys alot for dealing with the sily questions.

well i decided to take some advice. i made sure the plants had water, closed the box up good'n'tite (i also have insulation around the bottom box to help out with containing heat as much as possible seeing how its been cold at night) and im gunna let my babies sit for a day or two and see what happens. i currently have six pretty solid plants that sprouted. i just hope i can at least get two females out of this.

:rastasmoke: VG

[VuhnillaGorilla]

well i let them sit for a day and a half now, jsut went upstairs to check them and well i must say they look sweeeeet. heres a few pictures.

hows it lookin so far? my only concern is that first little guy, one of its leaves are a little yellow and you can se that there curling. i had it a little close to the light. all the plants are about an inch or less away from the light. other than that im happy with the plants, they have two sets of leaves, and on one or two of them i can see tiny tiny leaves coming up thru the middle on top. well there ya go, any helpfull input is more than welcome:rastasmoke::rastasmoke:

:rastasmoke:VG

[VuhnillaGorilla]

i was wondering, when the time comes could i benift more if i try to LST grow? or SCROG grow? am i trying to bite off more than i can chew for a first groe or would this be a good idea when the time comes?

[VuhnillaGorilla]

hey guys, the sprouts are getting pretty decent size. the leaves are almost hanging over the side of the cups. think its time to trasplant?

[Dutch Pimp]

look at the roots...are any roots coming out the bottom drainage holes?

[VuhnillaGorilla]

i think i theres a few poking out. i have 2 2.5 gallin pots i wanna use as final pots, would these be big enough?

[Dutch Pimp]

i think i theres a few poking out. i have 2 2.5 gallin pots i wanna use as final pots, would these be big enough?
yes...but, I would wait longer before transplanting. Your last pics indicate that.

[VuhnillaGorilla]

alright, thanks. well then other than a little more growth nothing to serious going on lately... just throwing this out there, depending on how well this grow goes i might try and see what the autoflowering seeds can do. id like to see if they have an autoflower sativa dominant strain (ive been doing alot of reserch on first time grows and howtheyve gone and just basicly trying to absorb as much information while im waiting for my trees to start growing. im still on a 20-4cycle ATM

[bigsby]

i might try and see what the autoflowering seeds can do. id like to see if they have an autoflower sativa dominant strain (ive been doing alot of reserch on first time grows and howtheyve gone and just basicly trying to absorb as much information while im waiting for my trees to start growing. im still on a 20-4cycle ATM

Too bad you have reps disabled. I'd add to your rep for that. Too many people show up wanting others to do all the background research for them. Nice to gain gain users who are not in that category... stick around!

As for autos, I've read nothing but bad things. They must have a niche somewhere or they wouldn't be available but as far as I can tell they are of little use for anyone who takes this seriously.

[VuhnillaGorilla]

thanks man, i fixed tthat now that ya mention it:rastasmoke:

but yea ive been cool and calm with this grow, i know im a newbie and so to try and avoid any common first times mistakes ive just sat here on the couch at night (pretty medicated) and serched this site inside out for any sort of information, and tips when it comes to growing. its so effing amazing and cant wait to have a seriously diesel setup one day. but for now im super stoked for my rubbermaid forst grow

thanks for the tip on auto's, the woman and i were talking and we (she) decided that depending on how well this grow goes and if im confident enough we would go half's on a nice pack of bean for a strain we would like. she has been doing a little serching on here with me as well and from her findings she wants to grow a

sativa dominate,
with decent THC content 8-15
and decent yield (were supplying two daily smokers here)nothing superb but id be super happy if i could find a strain that had a rough 2 mayyybe 3oz dry yield

i told her that sometimes that the seed banks bullshit lie on the actual THC%. i want pretty much the same but i want a shorter strain due to lack of room, or maybe a nice SOG grow ;) you can see where this is headed lol

if anyone has any info about a strain, or even someone whos gotta grow that meets what im lookin for lemme know whatcha got fellas

:rastasmoke:VG

[VuhnillaGorilla]

ok guys, i havea problem, last night there was a undercover cruiser rolling thru my apt complex. and then about 20 min lateriherd a loud noise outside, i go out adn look and theres a fucking chopper circleing overhead, but just over my complex, itdid a complete look overthe buildings, circled once more then headed out, now when this happened i was a lil stoned and not gunna lie i got extremely paranoid, could someone be watching me?

[Lynhal]

ok guys, i havea problem, last night there was a undercover cruiser rolling thru my apt complex. and then about 20 min lateriherd a loud noise outside, i go out adn look and theres a fucking chopper circleing overhead, but just over my complex, itdid a complete look overthe buildings, circled once more then headed out, now when this happened i was a lil stoned and not gunna lie i got extremely paranoid, could someone be watching me?

I have stuff like that happen all the time but I do not live in the best of neighborhoods to be completely honest. Most of the time when a chopper is out :apachecopter: they are hunting for someone that was lost on a foot or vehicle pursuit. I wouldn't worry about it. I bet if you check your local newspaper you will see some story about someone getting away or chasing a fugitive or something similar.

Just keep your cool for a while and see if it happens repeatedly. :cool:

[RAINHAZE]

ok guys, i havea problem, last night there was a undercover cruiser rolling thru my apt complex. and then about 20 min lateriherd a loud noise outside, i go out adn look and theres a fucking chopper circleing overhead, but just over my complex, itdid a complete look overthe buildings, circled once more then headed out, now when this happened i was a lil stoned and not gunna lie i got extremely paranoid, could someone be watching me?

If you lived in the country or suburbs I would worry. But you live in an apartment complex where the odds are different. They could of been searching just about anyone. Besides if they were looking at you they would be looking for massive lighting like you would normally get from HPS or MH lights. I doubt your cfl's would be distinguishable from other lights in the apartment(s).
Now, how many people know what your doing? There should be absolutley no one knowing jack shit.

[VuhnillaGorilla]

only people who know is my wife and the guy who went halfs on the cost w/ me, so im sure he doesnt want any trouble just as much as i

[bigsby]

People talk. Make sure they keep their mouths' shut. It only takes one dumbass to bring you down.

[VuhnillaGorilla]

good point, i honestly want to jsut tell him that the plants just didnt make it (give him some bullshit line like it got to cold or something) and pay him his money and wash my hand clean of no one but me knowing, ya feel me?

[Lynhal]

good point, i honestly want to jsut tell him that the plants just didnt make it (give him some bullshit line like it got to cold or something) and pay him his money and wash my hand clean of no one but me knowing, ya feel me?

Don't lie to him point blank just say, "It didn't work out." Tell him you don't want him out any cash so here is your 1/2 back. "Maybe we can try again later on at YOUR place." :S3:

[VuhnillaGorilla]

good point

[VuhnillaGorilla]

so im basicly scareing myself for no reason eh? i was worried that the box might show a hot spot thru the roof but like i said, i guess im being paranoid.

THE GROW CONTINUES

[captainendoe]

First off when choppers do fly by's they are using infrared. I'm fairly experienced with these systems and know enough that cfls couldn't possibly put off enough heat to cause a concern to someone looking for substantial commercial outfits. For all they know you have a lizard tank or a some kinda of reptile terrarium.
Second do some research on the internet about your local laws on this topic. I don't know what region you live in but in my neck of the woods they penitalize that amount of usable product. Meaning if you don't have it dried and ready to smoke its just an illegal hobby that amounts to a swift smack on the wrist. Im super paranoid and little research put all my worries to ease.

Now about lst scrogs and topping. Now I'm an arborist and what my job taught me is that when you cut the top off a plant(tree flower or weed, a plant is a plant) it will literally change the chemistry of the plant. I don't know how and to what effect it cause weeds but I'm guessing very minimal. I know if you cut the top of a tree all the growth hormones get redirected to the bottom branches more cause of how the tree adsorbs the nutes. But I know that if you cut the bottom limbs off a tree you will notice a dramatic shape difference in which the tree will stretch and start to grow slimmer. I don't know how that would work with weeds but I do know a plant is a plant!
L.S.T. is probably the best thing you could do for your plants. This is my first grow also but as an arborist i kinda have a foot in the door and know the only way you could hurt your tree is by either mutilating or choking your stem. For choking i mean tying a string around it so tight it hinders the growth and could cause damage. Now mutilating the stem wont kill it per say but it could kill the damaged area on up.
One Tip: I tried to train my best girl over and just the weight of the top folded her right in half. I panicked all the way up to the point of " oh shit that's my best cola i will get, oh well i just want the seeds". And i left it like that and that was about a week ago. the stem is still kinked in half but the top isn't showing in signs of stress and in fact it turned over just like I hoped and all is looking swell. Now I keep a good eye on it and if it show any kind of stress then I think I will just cut it up into as many clones I can get.

[VuhnillaGorilla]

wow, seriously, wow thank you guys, no matter what ive thrown at you so far youve been nothing but supportive and helped me out. honestly after those post i really have calmed down with the paranoia, the grow continues. my only worry is i have a long vacation coming up and no one will be able to water the plants, im thinking about getting a few of those little waer globes for the plants jsut to hold them over while im gone 8-9 days

[captainendoe]

YouTube - HOMEGROWN How To: How to Make A Self-watering (or Sub-irrigated) Garden Container for Cheap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chTKL6W1ntA&feature=related)

Between this glorious site and you tube anything is possible... this link is a good idea and if you cut your drain holes bigger im sure your water will be wicked up by your potted dirt but i don't think it would be a good idea with root rot. A timer and and water pump would prolly be a better idea if you could rig up two timers so on if one of them only clicks a few hours. I think i just came up with next weekends project.

[halfassedjedi]

some sort of automatic drip system can easily be fabricated, im sure. Like a chinese water torture type thing.

[Lynhal]

I'm just going to throw this out there. It is old school shit that a friend of mine used when they went away for 4 weeks and could not water.

They set up a wicking system with sterilized shoelaces and a 5 gallon bucket of water. They poked a whole in the medium, dropped one end of the shoelace in about 6"'s and gently packed the medium around it. Took the other end and dropped it into the bucket and taped it along the edge to insure against it dropping out. They did this with 6 plants but I'm sure if you rig it up right it could water more in the amount of time that you will be gone.
:rastabanna:

[VuhnillaGorilla]

Between this glorious site and you tube anything is possible..

hells yes dude, i love it. thanks you guys, ill do a little more poking around and see what i can rig up

:rastasmoke:VG

[VuhnillaGorilla]

hey guys, i just got another question here, ive been doing some serching about CFL vs tubes, and one thing i was wondering, whats the optimum light scheme for a plant going from gerination to veg stage? i have an assortment of bulbs, i have 3 23w, 4 26w, and there all hoked up currently on my 20-4 schedule theres all this talk about "soft lighting" for a beginner plant becase to much light for a "baby" will stress it, and that all makes sence to me but the one detail im still foggy on is what exactly is the "soft lighting" ammount. i know how lumens work (level of light given off by the bulb, but thats only to the human eye, plants absorb less than that) then i started reading about kelvins, and how around 6500k is good for starter plants, but my question is

how to i measure my kelvin output (or input that the plant is getting) with the CFL's i currently have, that way to make sure that im giving my plants the right aspect of light for there growth state, and not just throwing a ton of light on them and the plant not growing correctly

:rastasmoke:VG

[Dutch Pimp]

The Kelvin temp is on the bulb package at the store...usually...somewhere...some packages don't say on CFL's
...but, fluoro tubes always do...:thumbsup:

6500k is ideal for the first 3 weeks or more.

Lumens is the light output seen by humans...more is better....PAR is the key.

[Lynhal]

Thanks for posting that DP. That really spells out how much output one good bulb makes in black and white. Nothing really to explain once you look at it that way. :thumbsup:

[VuhnillaGorilla]

very cool, ill check out the package out, so basicly its the same thing as lumens, add up the kelvin temp of each light, and make sure its round 6500k sweet deal thanks gentlemen

[bluntar]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Not quite, There is alot on wikipedia that helps eplain lumens and kelvin. One analogy that helpd me under stand limens and why you cant simply add all the numbers was...

Picture a room with only 1 light bulb in the center and a door that is only open a crack. Turn the light on and note the light comeing out the crack..now add 1 more light bulb and look at the light comeing out the door, it will be brighter but not 2x as bright.

google image search kelvin temp. and the charts will help. Basicly the numbers do not just add up but you are on the right track!!

Good Luck

[VuhnillaGorilla]

i looked up0 the proper kelvin for veg and after a shitload of number crunching i can say i have 6400k a sq ft. in my box. and i also figured out that ihave 7.91 SQ FT total in my box. i am worried i wont be able to fit 2 full plants in this box even with LST, i was considering getting 2 50 gal rubbermaid bins and using there length to my advantage. and the height will still be tall enough, and then i plan on hooking up 3 y sockets with a few 40w cfls. and use it for a flowering box. and then use the box i curretly have for my early veg state for new babies and clones. sound like a good idea for a box?

[VuhnillaGorilla]

i have bad news guys, i didnt hook up the heating vent i have set up for my box when it gets cold at night i hook some flex pipe to the intake of my boxand the other end that i have tapped into my heating duct , and the plants frosted up when the temp plumeted last night, frosted the seedlings all to hell. the lights were off during the night for there 4 hour off period so they just froze the whole time i had no lights or heat at all. so fucking dissapointed. seriously so fucking livid at myself.......

[bluntar]

Sux big time man!! are you gona get more seeds and try agean? These plants are pretty strong, did ya pluck em?

[rattlingdags]

So sorry to read that - I've really enjoyed reading your log. I do hope you can salvage something from all your work and loving care. And don't beat yourself up over it!

[emilya]

so now comes my question, how long untilll i can tell if i have a few lovely ladies or have a boatload of males?

Check out my http://boards.cannabis.com/grow-log/193618-emmies-grow-log-white-widow.html for an interesting discussion and links back to some ideas of early sexing. Normally you cant tell for sure until the flowering stage, but it seems that there are a few clues you can start gathering, even as sprouts.

Good luck on your grow! Looking good so far! :thumbsup:

Emmie

[VuhnillaGorilla]

thanks forthe support everyone, and yes i do plan on starting again,asap. i already have some seeds in a hot glass under the sink waiting to crack, and i just made an order for some dutch passion PPP which shoulldbe here soon, but one thing im thinking about doing diferentlyis the box, i wanna set it up so its more incogneto, i want to actuallystack the rubbermaids and have away to adjust the light height from the plants. im thinking about sticking with CFL's i know when used right there great, and i just wanna getthis right. but yes theresstill hope, im eagrly waiting for my seeds to come in

[bigsby]

Check out my http://boards.cannabis.com/grow-log/193618-emmies-grow-log-white-widow.html for an interesting discussion and links back to some ideas of early sexing. Normally you cant tell for sure until the flowering stage, but it seems that there are a few clues you can start gathering, even as sprouts.

For those wishing to review source of this theory read WashougalWonder's post titled: http://boards.cannabis.com/advanced-techniques/181139-early-female-id.html#post2068667

[emilya]

...and the plants frosted up when the temp plumeted last night, frosted the seedlings all to hell. the lights were off during the night for there 4 hour off period so they just froze the whole time i had no lights or heat at all..

oh no! I'm so sorry for your loss VG. Live and Learn and try again is all I can offer. I bet on your next attempt you will put systems in place so that this can never happen again, and with that you will have a much more effective grow.

What I did for heat is pretty simple, maybe it will help you. I got a line voltage thermostat mounted on the wall near the plants and have it programmed for a daytime temp of 77 and night time of 70. This is plugged into a small ceramic space heater at floor level. My fan blows directly on that to evenly disperse the heat throughout the closet. I find that I have no more than a 2 degree fluctuation in the programmed temperature at any time day or night. Of course, this is going to need a complete re-think when summer comes, but for now... its all good.

I will soon have 2 areas here, the closet and a box... and I am sure that as I move forward I will be making some big errors. At least here on the forum we can all learn from each other and when something goes bad, you know that there are those of us out here who really do care about what you are going through and we really do feel your pain as well as your joys.

Merry Christmas VG and don't let it get you down. We are all pulling for you!
:thumbsup:
Emmie

[Lynhal]

i have bad news guys, i didnt hook up the heating vent i have set up for my box when it gets cold at night i hook some flex pipe to the intake of my boxand the other end that i have tapped into my heating duct , and the plants frosted up when the temp plumeted last night, frosted the seedlings all to hell. the lights were off during the night for there 4 hour off period so they just froze the whole time i had no lights or heat at all. so fucking dissapointed. seriously so fucking livid at myself.......

AW VG, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Did you try to save them or just toss them? They are hardy plants when it comes to frost since in their own natural environment frost can and does happen. If you gave it a go and saved any please post what you did to save their green, leafy selves. ;)

[VuhnillaGorilla]

i did try to do an emergency replant but the poor things just never took off after that, they stayed all plopped over after i tried to transplant them. right now im off to home depot to get a few items for the new box i wana try out. ill psot some pics of it later


i cant wait for my Power Plant beans to come in!!! i wanna get started again sooo bad. i have a few bagseeds in germ. right now and ill probly pot them jsut to see what happens before i leave next week for vacation

[VuhnillaGorilla]

hey everybody, bit of an update, i had a few bagseeds i had from a nice baggie i got so i planted them about 4 days ago, and there sprouting beautifully, solid red healthy stalks, about 2 in from my CFL rig, on at 24/0. im leavin for vaca soon hope that the time away will surprise me when i get back

[VuhnillaGorilla]

hey everyone, its been a few weeks since my last post sorry ive been busy thanks to the holidays, well heres an update

i had two plants that i had growing for about a week, i left for the holidays came home to find them pretty big. theyve really started to fan out and are about 4 inches tall. i also had some dutch passion power plant feminised seeds and i jsut put them in soil aobut 5 days ago and there started off healthy. im very excited, i have a total of four plants that are soilid growth and are on the fast track in vegg state. ill post a picture as soon as i rememebr where i put the camera


nowww comes my usual one question per post....


the 2 plants that are a few weeks old now have branched out 4 times from the main stem. im tryiong to figure out when i can begin to look for sex. becasue these are just bag seed and my Power plant are fem and i dont wanna take a risk of ruin my crop

[VuhnillaGorilla]

whats up guysssssss

long time no see. heres a few pics my plants are just about over a months old now.

and the smaller plants are 13 days old, there dutch passion power plant fem seeds, i planted three, two took off but now only one seems to be doing well, the other not so hot


heres a few pics and im sure the topic will ensure once questions are asked lol

VG:rastasmoke:

p.s. i know my plants are far apart in growth, and my two older plants are just bagseed, and when they go to flower and close to harvest my PP should be getting ready to finish veg and hit flower, heres my plan, my two older plants when the time comes im going to set up another box to use just for flowering with 2700k lights** and let my PP finish its time in my flower box and start some new clones annnnd so on and so on.

(im seriously leaning to using tubes buuut idk if i can make that work well and still have a box. and if anyone wants to help me with my plants for the set up hey im all ears, but ill get in more detail when the times comes)