first grow: northern lights; advice requested

[uzybear]

i have ordered nirvana northern lights from drchronic, and now i need to decide on equipment

my growing room is a standard closet. about 8feet tall, by 9feet wide, by 3feet deep. two sliding doors. i can hang lights from the hanger-bar (?) and remove it if they grow tall enough

the room the closet is in is a bedroom with a large window. i can put a big fan in that window to dump air into the bedroom. then i thought i'd put another big fan in the opening on one side of the closet and another for exhaust on the other side (sliding doors open a bit if you follow me)

this is to be my first grow, and i live in an appt


anyway, the big questions now are:

soil
nutrients
lighting


i need to keep costs down, so i'd appreciate budget minded suggestions. i'm definitely considering flourescent/cfl as my only lighting. the lower heat, lower electricity uses definitely appeal.

i've been reading a lot of threads and i'll continue to do so, this grow is pretty typical around here, but i thought i'd start a thread of my own


thanks

uzybear Reviewed by uzybear on 04-03-2007. first grow: northern lights; advice requested i have ordered nirvana northern lights from drchronic, and now i need to decide on equipment my growing room is a standard closet. about 8feet tall, by 9feet wide, by 3feet deep. two sliding doors. i can hang lights from the hanger-bar (?) and remove it if they grow tall enough the room the closet is in is a bedroom with a large window. i can put a big fan in that window to dump air into the bedroom. then i thought i'd put another big fan in the opening on one side of the closet and Rating: 5

[18toki]

Things that you can buy at Walmart. (Only in US )

Soil: Supersoil(miracle grow) (60%) + Perlite (40%)
Nutrients: SuperThrive
Lighting: 4 ~ 6 x 26w(100w output,6500k) CFLs and get utility clip lighting fixtures.
PH: PH down, Pool test kit (Get PH Meter if possible)
Timer: Get Digital timers.
Fans: Small cheap fans that rotates.
1 x Digital Thermometer/Humidity Meter
1 x power surge protector

And get Fox Farm Big Bloom from some hydrophonic shop..

For additional help, take a look at BongHitBoy420's thread..
http://boards.cannabis.com/closet-ca...ng-thread.html

[uzybear]

thanks very much; i'm in the usa and there's a walmart near; i appreciate the walmart advice as i imagine it will save me some cash; my current question is how i'm going to hang the cfl's, mainly what sort of hood to use

[18toki]

Look at BongHitBoy420's thread.. That's how it's done with
utility clip lighting fixtures(available at Walmart). They are about $5 ~ $6 each.
You also need power surge protectors so you can plug those light fixtures.

[uzybear]

you'll have to forgive the next question, as it comes from a raw newb (i'll leave this disclaimer out from now on for brevity ), but i just got done watching a "how to grow cannabis indoors" vid (though it was hydroponic) and here's the question: if i...

1. soak seeds till they crack

can i then put them directly into a pot of soil? or do i need something in-between like a cube type thing?


i'm definitely considering the possibility of cloning and keeping a mother plant, making regular clones; i have the room....humm something to consider, but first i need my veg room (closet) setup; i have the whole rest of the bedroom which i just use for storage that i could potentially use as a veg room (or part of it more like, cordoned-off........ not sure if i want to grow all the time; considering the electricity costs, and needing to keep things low profile....hummm

something to consider


i bought standard seeds. 10 of them. so i'm thinking i'd probably be lucky if i got 2females from those? just to estimate. so i'd be needing perhaps 10 small pots and a few larger ones; of course i know it's possible i could get zero females, but i surely hope that's not the case



another Q: is it really reasonable to flower under ONLY cfl lights? it seems somewhat unpopular, yet possible. my main concerns are keeping temperatures and electricity costs down, temperatures mostly. it's cool now, but summer's coming and it will be warm. i'm in denver, CO


also: from germination to harvest, with NL, is 3-4months usual? that seems to be what i'm seeing

[Bree1978]

I put my cracked seeds in the dirt, no in-between step. You can use cfls for flowering. Just keep your plants short (lst scrog sog ect). Also, keep the floros VERY close to the plant, because you only have about 18 inches of penetration (meaning max), with the first four inches being the best. Your buds will be less dense using the CFLS...because of thier weak penetration.

Also, if you keep stress (temp, ph, humidity, circulation ect at a minimum you should expect at least fifty percent females....not twenty percent.


Good Luck in whatever you decide! :jointsmile: Bree

[BongHitBoy420]

1. soak seeds till they crack

can i then put them directly into a pot of soil? or do i need something in-between like a cube type thing?

...

another Q: is it really reasonable to flower under ONLY cfl lights? it seems somewhat unpopular, yet possible. my main concerns are keeping temperatures and electricity costs down, temperatures mostly. it's cool now, but summer's coming and it will be warm. i'm in denver, CO

...

also: from germination to harvest, with NL, is 3-4months usual? that seems to be what i'm seeing

hello. thanks for comment on my thread. heres my opinion and insight, and opinions are like assholes, everyone has one

pics are two methods ive tried and tried perfecting for germinating seeds. everyone does things best their own way, be willing to fuck up. i've seen ppl germ seeds in paper towels, but hell if i can. ive tried. if you can get a bag of dirt weed w/ 3-4 dozen chit seeds, it might be a good investment to toss $10 on a bag just for practice seeds if you have purchased gentics. however, just a thought. typically, if you water it -- it will grow

just remember that germinating seeds need moisture, warmth, and preferr dark. air/breeze stunts baby tap roots. overwatering will drown em before they wake up! you dont wanna drown babies do you?

I have seen CFL's produce qute decent buds. Its my observation CFL's also seem to add to the "sugar coating" effect when added later in flowering. Typically, CFL's produce looser buds simple because the intensity isnt that of a well, high intensity lamp. Hence 'high intensity discharge' lamp. If you use enough CFL's to componsate (match lumen/lux) even a low watt HP/MH, you are usually running at more wattage, just as warm is not warmer due to # of bulbs, and still do not have the sheer penetrating intensity of a HID fixture. However, I use CFL's in conjunction to a low watt HPS (actually i just upgraded slightly higher, ill be getting more lumens and more intensity on less wattage than my current 150+cfl setup.) For $90, it just makes sense. Plus, id rather only replace 1 bulb vs ????? bulbs @ 7-10 $ a pop. PLUS better than ive been growing, it was a brainless choice in
***MY*** situation. Again, grow to your enviroment and as conditions allow.

Oh, and yeah turnaround is usually 3-4mo. Usually ~ 1 mo veg from seed, 2 mo flower.


Good luck w/ your grows! :thumbsup:

[BongHitBoy420]

Oh btw, this is a great link not only for you but anyone reading. Its lighting made simple. Great reference, only thing it doesnt have is the lumen chart. But honestly i was reconsidering your situation -- You can convert a home depot / lowes / wallmart 70w HPS outdoor light. Kill the dusk to dawn sensor.

48w CFL = lets say at BEST 3k lumen.

If you had two 48w CFL alone, you would have 6k lumen not to account for loss. Thats 96w. You little 70w light already has 2 CFLs beat both in wattage and output. Again, just a thought. Grow and let grow :thumbsup:

ACF Indoor Plant Grow Light Information Guide -- The link ( Lighting chart ) --

[uzybear]

interesting article

why then do folks choose to flower under only cfl? if you don't save electricty, and it doesn't create as much light as a HPS? is it justa heat issue in small spaces?

[Scarlet Sky]

cfl's put out waaaay less heat than a hid. cfl growers usually do so becuase of lack of funding.