my first grow - 3'x4' closet

Hey guys, just like most of the other newcomers here I've been browsing everyones grow logs and gathering up information, and the time has now come for me to start my own log. Sooo.. here it goes.

SEEDS:

I ordered the Tiki Mix from tiki seed bank.. its a varity pack of all their strains. This is pretty cool I guess except for the fact that they are randomly picked and not labeled.. hopefully I can work around this. (comments?)

I'm germinating them as we speak in a couple wet paper towels wrapped in tin foil in a plastic bag. I have it sitting under my computer case that runs 24/7 so it should stay pretty warm.

LIGHTS

So far I have a 400W HPS and 2 75W 2' Fluros.. I also have 3 CFLs but I dont know how to wire them.. I plan to use the 75W fluros and one of the CFLs (which I can screw into the exisiting light outlet in my closet) during the first couple weeks, then adding the HPS and running all the lights 24/7 till flower.

SOIL

I got Miracle Grow potting mix - I hope this is okay (comments?). I also purchased the peat pots- they are 2" and in a set of 10. My plan is to germinate the seeds then plant them into the peat pots. I suppose I could keep them in there for the first week or two.

The closet that I'm using measures 3' x 4' and the walls are painted flat white.

Anyway.. I know its boring right now but I'll keep this log updated with pics and everything quite often - and as soon as I get my digital camera :rasta:

Wish me luck !!!!! :D :D :D

hey bomb

The 2 75w flouros, are we talking T5 flouros or just regular ones? Either way I think it would be beneficial to use the flouros exclusively for the veg. stage and save the HPS for the flowering stage.

Wiring the light fixtures is extremely easy and only takes about 2 minutes, theres plenty of threads on the Growing FAQ's section that gives instructions on this.

As far as the miricle grow goes, I would stay away from that for two reasons. 1) you have very unstable pH levels with that, 2) NO NUTES FOR SEEDLINGS. Personally I wait until the flowering stage before I give my girls ANYTHING. I'm not saying that it's not possible, because it is, but I wouldn't be surprized if your plants growth was stunted for a while because of it.

Hope this info. helps you out a bit, until next time......

-mike :jointsmile:

I think the 75W are just regular ones.. they are really bright though. And also 3 100W CFLs.. So I guess I will look at the wiring threads here and try to figure that out. Thanks for your advice.

Anyone have any suggestions on the soil? Is this true that MG will stunt my plant's growth? Is there a type of soil that I could buy at say, WalMart for seedlings?

blah.. ive got too much up in the air still, and my seeds are already germinating!!!

yikes!!

ill post pictures of my setup soon with my cellphone.

I use miracle grow w/ a perlite mix. Despite what everyone says about the stuff, I cant talk bad about it. *shrugs*

Just remember, ultimately -- it boils down to what works best for *you*

thx bong :D

hello again,

I grow with homemade hydro set up mainly, but I have a few plants for personal use in soil. To me the bud tastes just a little bit better.:cool:

I get my soil from Home Depot, Scott's Seed Starting formula. Basically its got .01% phosphours for better root growth. All I know is that my plants take to that like a pig to shit.

Those flouros that you have should be more then enough to get the job done, I use 3- 75w bulbs, you know the sprial kind, I have extremely tight node spacing, and the leafs are a perfect color green. Very healthy :thumbsup:

Just get those seeds that have showed their taproots into those peat pot things you metioned above and you should be fine.

- mike :jointsmile:

Hrm.. well I planted the seeds directly into the soil instead of leaving them in the paper towel, because after about 24 hours i saw some weird green thing on the paper towel and it scared me.. was probably nothing now that I think of it in retrospect. But now I have 6 seeds planted in individual peat pots in miracle grow.. and then 5 more in peat pots with the seed starter soil stated above. No sprouts yet at about 26 hours.. so we'll see what happens in the morning.

BTW - my light situation is now 2 75W fluro tubes, and 2 100W CFLs (leaving the CFLs off till they break dirt.