My First Grow, super noob!

[bijnas]

Oh and I also discovered that these homemade scrubbers are perfect weed smoke smell eliminator! Fuck the dryer sheets in a tube! I think I might start making these bitches and selling em to smokers on campus. The little fan sucked the smoke right outta my mouth, pushed it out and my apartment still smelt fresh!

[jackforest]

It is looking much better. You seem to have some stretching. Fill the plant containers up to the brim with soil. It's okay to support the stem with more soil. You might have gotten red warm CFL's, those are perfect for when you flower, but for now, You should have blue cool CFL's. If you do have the red ones, save em for flower.

Keep up the good work, You've come a long way. I'm impressed. Look up where you could find some Mylar or Emergency Blanket material (Check Walmart). Finding some with increase the light getting to you plant significantly.

[bijnas]

Well, I didn't know there was a difference in CFLs, which is just another thing I've learned about lights. I attached a picture of the box, maybe someone could identify which it is for me? I looked all over the box and it made no indication of which it was. I suspect that maybe the red square with the 100 in it designates this. So I'll head out today and try to find some blue ones.

I figured that the plants going that fast had something to do with the fact that they weren't getting enough light and were trying to grow faster towards the source. I didn't know it was bad or even called stretching. I'm just learning so much today! But I will fill the pots up all the way to try and counteract that. And hopefully I'll find some blue CFLs today and then they'll be happy.

And thank you very much Mr. Forest, I'm glad I could impress somebody, since I didn't expect to. As for the mylar goes, I searched up and down my hardware store for some (don't bother to ask because they will always tell you know and 8 times out of 10 I find it 3 minutes later) and just couldn't find any. Unfortunately for my project there are no Wal-Marts in Chicago. They're barred from the city! I think its nice sometimes not to have a wal-mart, until I need shit that I just can't find anywhere else. But, maybe they have emergency blankets at Target? I'll see what I can conjure. If I can't find any, then I'll just line the whole thing with that silver duct tape stuff. I just really didn't what to have to do that. Very tedious I'm sure.

Thanks again,
Jeff

[bijnas]

Oh, and does anybody know about the peat pots? Will the roots be able to get thru them? They are supposed to decompose once I plant them in bigger pots. Is 9 weeks just not enough time for them to decompose?

[Kbrandon]

hey im a newbie too good luck 2 u and your grow...

are u going to add another rubbermaid? Cause ur plant will most likely grow taller than that rubbermaid....

and u shuld put some books under ur pots to hoist them closer to the lights because i think thats why your stems are really long.

Good luck on ur grow tho.. im gonna keep track of it since we are both noobs and we are both around the same stage.

[jackforest]

Look for some mylar online... Foil Duct tape isn't anywhere near reflective enough. It's better than nothing but I'm pretty sure its around the same as aluminum foil at reflecting 33% of light. Mylar is 99%. It's pretty cheap stuff too. Perfect for the rubbermaid. Emergency Blanket would be to the same effect.

[bijnas]

are u going to add another rubbermaid? Cause ur plant will most likely grow taller than that rubbermaid....

Yeah, I got another one just chilling right now, I'm using it as a makeshift coffee table, lol.

Yeah man, I was looking at your post earlier. I'm glad I'm not the only person dong their first grow on here right now. Though, I think we're definitely going about it in different manners. I wish you the best of luck though.

[bijnas]

Look for some mylar online... Foil Duct tape isn't anywhere near reflective enough. It's better than nothing but I'm pretty sure its around the same as aluminum foil at reflecting 33% of light. Mylar is 99%. It's pretty cheap stuff too. Perfect for the rubbermaid. Emergency Blanket would be to the same effect.

I'm going to head to target today and see if they don't have some emergency blankets. I had no idea that there was even that much of a difference between mylar and aluminum foil. Awesome to know. Thanks! If I can't find it at Target, I guess I'll bite the bullet and order some online.

[JeffersonBud]

You want the CFLs in the Super white spectrum "daylight" This runs around 6500K They make all types of 5000k cfls on up to 6500K the closer to that 65 number the better. You have around a "soft white" or 2700k. this is an orange color as you can tell which mimics the flowering sun in fall. I would ditch that other grow light. they tend to cause a lot of heat. Just stick another cfl in there in its place. You can use the pots to place in the larger ones. those break down over time and allow the roots to poke out. when your babies become bigger you will see the roots poke out. Then its time to throw those into a 1 gallon container on to 2 depending on the size limitations. How hot is it in there? it should be around 72 but I doubt you can achieve that in a rubber made without some serious ventilation. shoot for anything under 85 degrees but the lower the better.
place your hands under the cfls when they are one and determine how far away your hand can be from the lights without being hot. thats where the tops of the plants should be at. they like the same temps as you and I so if its hot to your hand then its hot to them.

[bijnas]

Well I went to the store before I got to read your post, luckily I did get some 6500K daylight CFLs, 26=100 watt. They only had two though! So I got the two and I also upgraded the center light to a 120 watt big mamajamma plant light. I can see that you said to throw that one I had away, but I didn't get to read it in time. So for right now, I'm gonna keep it cause it was $16 and I wanna get my money worth. So only two 6500k.

I also went to Office Depot, Walgreens and a grocery store looking for emergency blankets. But no luck. While I was at Walgreens I came across some CFL Ionic Bulb Air Purifiers in the clearance bin. I picked up two since for now, my other two CFLs are gonna be the wrong ones anyways, I just wanted to try these. I'm not sure if they'll be beneficial in anyway, but maybe later they'll help with the smell.

So here are some pics of my new light set up
1. Before and after of light set up
2. the new bulbs
3. new light set up activated