Stealth CFL grow log

Hey guys, hope you enjoy following.. I look forward to constructive advice and ideas worth entertaining!

genetics - bag seed

start veg- march 30
medium - soil

nutes - consortium of walmart/homedepot liquid nutes mixed in by less the concentration prescribed on the box (i'm no fool)

------The setup --------
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flower box (each)
- appx size - 15"x15"x40" (W x D x H)
- 2 x 42w warm CFL for flower at 12/12 on/off
- reflective sheeting laid inside
*with the size of my 6 plants, this size is okay.. as they grow, i have a duplicate on hand to move half..


veg box
- Measures approximately 25-3/4" (L) x 19" (W) x 35-3/4" (H)
- 4-5 x 26w cool CFL for veg @18/6 on/off
- silver spray paint, because I got lazy putting up mylar

clone box
- appx size - 15"x15"x40" (W x D x H)
- 2 x 26w cool CFL for veg at 24/0 on

goal: continuous/perpetual harvest

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19 or so females confirmed.. hermies? not sure but I havent seen pods on'm yet, so i'll continue my work.. if they show, i'll pull'm.. got some yellowing on the middle growth.. just moved'm, had to supply them with tap water before, but they're on bottled spring water now as before.. the tap water had to be alkalinic, as hinted by the stress.. they're also ready for transplanting, but considering my space, i'm playing priorities against eachother right now..

roughly 10 clones.. the first few i started are out of shock.. i was rusty, hadn't cloned since my last grow.. all are ready for the 18/6

6 of the 19 are in their first week of flower, proceeding after a starting 24hr dark period... i'm flowering these six, cus as you'll see from the pics, they werent the best of the crop.. a few are just giving 3 leaves, others 1.. most are small (even though i grew my crop in a manner to be small)..

usually at ages like this in comparison, other grows on this site are exponentially larger/taller..

i like to call my method 'life support.' in the many places with low lighting, noone's known about'm :)

however with the concentration of light in the flower box amongst less plants, the turnout might be better.. looking to get my first harvest around the end of september..

i'll get some pics up as soon as i can! theres just a whole lot of hell so ive been movin them from one town to another in the span of a day or two, multiple times..

the boxes are almost somewat set for full portability, my life will get easier over time!

the pics with single door are the of the flower box

double door pics are regarding the clone box

warm lights are shown in the clone box, was just for functionality; i couldnt tell which bulb i had when i grabbed it outa the pile..

for reflective material i used emergenct blankets, they're like 2-3 bucks at the store for first aid kits, and i believe they're made of mylar... point is they're reflective and dont create hotspots like alumnium foil


a few nodes have 1 finger on the leaf, i wonder how the buds will produce for this plant.. these were the smallest plants, so i'm getting rid early.. the tallest one was topped, but not cloned.. i'll never get a kind like this again if it proves tasty.. same to the others, considering their unique attributes..

taken june 5th

some males in the crop at this time..

as of current, no males exist.. all are female...

as well I might be adding to the crop
potential for the following:

Aurora Indica
Jack Herrer
LowRyder

2/3 will be chosen... i'm excited.. doesnt sound like it tho with all these dots........

lookin to take more pics later on of all... still got work to do.. closing in on ending first week flower..

i gotta finish the second flower box so i can repot and relocate 3 plants to 'divvyup' space , im too busy being stoned..

From what I gathered, you started 4 and half months ago and haven't had a harvest yet. Is this correct?

I understand you have been moving around and all, and if this is just a hobby grow then you're doing OK. But much more lighting is needed if you actually want to produce something worth smoking. Anything under 5000 lumens per square foot is a waste of time and electricity among other things, IMO. With proper lighting you'd already be enjoying the first harvest. Just my :twocents:, best of luck with the grow! :jointsmile:

haha oh yes definitely! i'll definitely be upgrading lights as i move along, you'll be well informed as you follow ;-)

its all hobby to me, i love learning about it, i've been doin it since 05

i've been keeping them in veg for so long, the preflowers just came about-- it was so easy to weed out all the boys, i just pretended i was dealing with an autoflower (though i never dealt with one before).. i didnt want to flower without a secure place for them.. the others are moving around.. i wish i could dedicate the entire area, but i cant get away with that much, just the flower boxes in various locations both within my reach..

i figured some bag seeds laying around under the couch wouldnt hurt any on the wallet and the electric bill isnt an issue for me at least.. -- that was my initial thought

until the 2/3 strain option came my way free of charge, and i dont wanna F that up! so i'm trying to plot things carefully as I go along, but I figured while they're in veg, the lighting provided will keep them well maintained

my initial goal for the veg box was to be at least 156w cfl (@ 68lum per watt = 10608 lum) for them

and for the flower box at least 168w cfl (@ 68lum per watt = 11400 lum)

its all estimates, so i'm being careful with this first batch.. its the test run before i start putting the clones in..

i'm drawing up plans and saving up for an hps or mh upgrade.. i dont have to speak of the turn out if i did get it, thats common sense :D especially with less electric usage

Good to hear about the plans. Just been a lot of noobs around lately thinking they can grow something with a 26w cfl :D

I think you're on the right track, keep the ladies healthy and try to get more lights ASAP since you're already flowering. All the best. :thumbsup:

turns out im gettin all 3...

check'm out.. theres the veg group.. clones on the side.. got 4 more to add

It was also brought to my attention that the AI and LR are female, the Jack is unknown.. if that thing turns out to be a boy, he's gonna be my sugar daddy!!

I'm dreaming of
JH x = awesomeness
JH x LR = awesomeness
JH x my bag seeders!


I know it'll be a guess as to what's what after that point, but i've collected a shitload of seeds.. i'm growin strains i smoked years ago..

at the same time, babysteps!! i can only cross a bridge when i get there..

installing carbon filters this week, the mofo's already had their preflowers out before I put them on 12/12.. they'll start havin the place stink soon enuff..

so i got my clone box set up, did some rearranging,

did a roll call, these are the numbers

15 female - incl 1 childless mother , 1 mother of two
11 clones - was looking to clone more
6 in flower

3 to add - 2 female, 1 unknown

intentions: flower each clone and keep the ones with the best taste/attributes, the weaker mothers can be flowered to free up space..

if the jh turns out to be a boy, that allows for me to start breeding for each, though im confident some plants are of the same strain.. however, it'd be nice to collect a batch of seeds of each, incl the 2 other good ones

i kinda want to put a few more into flowering considering these exotic strains that i want to focus on..

my focus tho is the exhaust and pest control.. i gotta limit vermin and odor from my crop-- growing causes of concern

budget's getting tight and i need some exhaust for my clone box.. its kickin 90degrees and probably more given weather fluxuations

because i hadn't cut clones in a while since the last 10 or so, some of the mothers and mothers too are growing taller, an issue for my small veg box.. I gotta get to topping and cutting!!

unfortunately as well I'm stuck with prior engagements, its hard making it look like theres not like over 30 plants chillin, and its even harder to make it look like i'm not cultivating, especially when theres all this work to do (mixing nutes, balancing pH, swapping out lights, setting up clones, etc)

on the agenda ( a personal reminder )

Top the topless!
cut more clones!

i got 1 more box that i can use for extra veg/clones... i need to finish the other flower box so that I can continue my progress on guaranteeing a (successful) perpetual harvest

the 6 in flower were doing well... 2 ended up being hermie so i pulled them.. these werent clones so i dont have to worry about the mothers..

i was hoping for the first clone set to be ready and next in line for flowering, unfortunately since they were the first, they were deemed the test subjects/ trial cuttings if you will.. the 2nd set of clones took well to rooting and skipped ahead in line!

i'd consider it foolish to flower the 1st set if they were dealing with particular shocks.. i'm sure the shock would affect the yield, i'll keep them in veg and make sure they're good and ready to get back in line.. speaking of which, i forgot to top a clone before putting her in the flower box, its only been a few hours of the consistent light, i can just put her back in the veg box for a week until the topping shock is over...

i do have this one lady who's like, taking over my box.. she's gonna be awesome for clones.. can't wait..

a few plants topped.. the AI seems like it got a FIM treatment

2 sneaky boys were found in the crop, happily removed..

5 new clones on 24/0 light, all the ladies are mommy's now.. a few show moms some prior flowering strain (i forced'm all back into veg)

10 clones repotted, some have exploding roots..

all but 2 ladies in flower are repotted.. i hooked'm up with a new soil mixture.. i need to be careful with drainage.. i'm lacking in that category

although im makin 2 more boxes, i need to remind myself that i need more space.. 3 plants outside a growbox isn't good for business, and some of the mommies i'm losing patience with in terms of the flower-to-veg shock... i have some beauties in there exploding with new internodes, which means they'll need more space.. i'm starting to wonder if 15 moms is a smart idea with minimal space.. weed control is wat i need lol

the idea was to guarantee perpetual yield, if a clone died or didnt take well to rooting on a try, i had others to back up.. i wouldnt have to worry about stressing a plant too much when taking cuttings cus i'd have others to worry about..

problem is, i dont wanna knock'm down without tastin the goods yakno? so that at least i can know what im knockin down... it'll be a good while before I'm able try them ALL out, so half the rationale is lost..

end of the day, survival of the fittest might be the dictator.. some look genetically weaker, and may not be worth takin up space.. at least i'll be able to get my 3 titans in there when some others are removed.. time's gonna come when these need to be repotted too.. so i have to figure some shit OUT!

so i treated some stress for the plants- they seem to be stable after some nute-treated watering last week ( bumped up the dosage for N and P), topped a couple clones to prepare them for flowering

about 3 full weeks in, things are looking good.. watered them today with some plantfood n sugars i got at price chopper

i have a cutting for jack H ready for 24/0 lighting.. I'm keeping the other 5 newbies on24/0 just a few more days, then i'll put them into the clone box and rotate the others

right now i'm locked out of my veg box, I gotta find the key (its watering day!) quick

also i'll be able to tell if i can cut anymore clones today, i dont want Jack to be the only one this week (not that I mind)

its hard hiding shit in plain sight and pretending you're not doing this, keeping up with daily expectations of social life.. ugh.. i still gotta finish my clone and flower boxes, let alone put those filters on the exhausts i have set up already

will post a pic or two later.. i wanna show that fim job, u guys can tell me if its FIM or not..

I personally think FIM is a fluke, if not a myth.. just a lucky shot every now and then.. all other times I tried before to FIM, it ended up in a regular topping.. now that I top, i get a magical FIM lol perhaps i just need more practice

pic 1 - flowering, pic 2 - topping turned FIM

Looking forward to following this post!

Thanks


RockLobster4040

note to self:
if you're gonna lock your grow box, make sure to not be a pothead and forget to put your key on one of the many keyrings you have..

lost my key to the growbox.. somewhere.. had to break the lock aparatus just to get in.. i had no idea of whether or not i should water (couldnt see'm).. tturns out they had much more time to rock with than i expected, which coulda meant more time to finding the key..

im sure the key will turn up in a matter of time and i'm gonna feel like an ass... now i'll have to reinforce my grow box.. learn from my mistakes people!

i'm dealing with these plants in veg.. the confusion is getting to me.. as i expected, its about time for me to cut some clones, these girls are shootin out quick! its leaving me to wonder about the few i have still appearing to be in some sorta flowershock.. i might flower them to make more space, considering space is a main issue.. i just dont wanna finish off the rest of that plant without gettin a chance to bring it out and examine its results.. it could be a tasty one! decions, decisions..!

aaaaaand im still alive... things goin steady, but rough at the same time..

flowers are comin along
clones comin along, feww straggling... JH isnt movin yet..
moms doin good.. dark spots and yellowing, im guessin some phosphorus..

not enoug time to work with. not enuff space to work with..

still noone knows about it, but im runnin out of places to hide.. tired of moving.. i stress...

exploring the option of having someone help with housing, but im not sure what i'ma have to pay(scarifice) for it.. i'm a little big on trust... and for some thing im big on, theres little of it around that i see >=\

built another box, housing the AI, LR, JH.. gotta put more in sooner or later..

its time to cut some clones, lower branches are risking lost light..

boxes need to be upgraded too.. so much to do do!

oh man, i just cant wait til first harvest..

pics to come soon

i'm downsizing on the veg crop for now.. i have plans to sell off a few of the mommies to make space for my 3 new comers.. im still waiting for this jH to get out of shock and develop so i can flower it and find the verdict..

just got done moving everything again, will have to do it again and again.. thank God i've been building with plans for a mobile setup!

the flowers are comin along! can't wait til the end of the month to try'm out, the hairs are changing colors on half, buds are getting dense and tight.. and i only started out with puny lights, cant wait for first harvest so i can calculate my g/w ratio..

lights are slowly getting upgraded as I go along.. it appears as tho given my current set up i can max out with 4 varying bulbs.. i'm lookin at

(2) 65w cool spectrum
(2) 26w warm spectrum

to max out on overall intensity for light but i feel like that'll be a compromise 'spectral' intensity, the cool light would promote more foliar growth (as i'm to understand)

I'm thinkin about (4) 65w's with a 420nm color gel (used in theatre) to filter out alof ot the cool color.. any that the plants receive would come moreso ifnot only from the reflective material (which would be interesting)

but if i can get 260w in that box, i could be lookin at good yields for some plants.. i'm reading other logs here and on other sites, as well as various discussions, and doin my own calculations

it appears as tho the avg g/w return for CFL is betw 20-40% (in optimal circumstances)

hopefully i'll attain that.. that'd mean 50-75g.. considering the 106w i have now, i'm expectin a half oz, then maybe 20-30g on the next harvest..

i can't wait to cut my clones! after some trimming and gettin rid of a few mommies, my next goal is putting the next set of clones into flower..

jH is a boy!

jH is a grown man now.. I'm more than ready to cut clones, got my hands on some potent seeds too, so i'm thinkin about raisin these and getting some breeding on... i have plenty of unknown bag seed, and i'd like to get some good genetics in my collection, perhaps replace the old collection with a new and improved, ya know?

the females are doin already, a couple weeks shock, and they're starting to come out.. a few have fallen, but I was able to do flower some clones n mommies over these past few months.. So i'm down to like 6 moms, and 9 clones.. Maybe a week or two before I flower the clones.. The moms are with the jH, originally I was gonna flower them and kick off the genetics race.. But now I got these few good seeds and I wanna reproduce...

Its been a good minute, these ladies have been fightin the good fight since March of last year I believe... good shit for a simple CFL stealth grow! I now have them in a nice reserved place where I can focus my efforts on them without disturbance!

Goal here is to get these ladies out of shock, clone some jH for preserved breeding, flower the rest with the jH and breed those genetics, raise these potent seeds, breed with jH clones..

Either the LR or the AI died, it was unlabeled.. however jH x LR shouldn't be a bad combo..