Noob on the Cheap

[Cede2Weed]

I have a little experience growing outdoors. We basically used large numbers to guarantee success and were at the mercy of the seasons. Long story short, the land we grew on is no longer available to us and I am not the type that would even consider guerrilla growing.

I have ready many, many, posts on this board and am very excited. At the same time, the more I read, the more differing views I get. So I have decided to just jump in, splash around and hope If I am not able to swim a lifeguard will come to my rescue.

This log will be for tracking my mistakes and, hopefully, getting advice as I am sure to make many of the same mistakes I have read about here. American eagerness sometimes triumphs over ingenuity.

Cede2Weed Reviewed by Cede2Weed on 04-08-2008. Noob on the Cheap I have a little experience growing outdoors. We basically used large numbers to guarantee success and were at the mercy of the seasons. Long story short, the land we grew on is no longer available to us and I am not the type that would even consider guerrilla growing. I have ready many, many, posts on this board and am very excited. At the same time, the more I read, the more differing views I get. So I have decided to just jump in, splash around and hope If I am not able to swim a Rating: 5

[Cede2Weed]

LOL - I just found a post you made to someone else with the same question.

"halogen lights are not in the correct light spectrum and run WAY to hot. They will burn up your plants." -- Daihashi

Thanks, Daihashi

[daihashi]

I picked up a new light but am not going to install until someone informs if it will work or not. It is a Halogen 500W (I am about to research on boards but wanted to get pics of my saggers up)

New Light and plants 1 - 4

return that light asap. The heat output alone will kill your plants. Doesn't put out as many lumens per watt as HID and completely wrong color spectrum/temperature.

Really the big thing for me on those lights are the heat output. You can grow in sub par lumens and color, but you can't grow if your area is too hot.

take it back and use that money for other plant goodies.

:thumbsup:

[Cede2Weed]

I picked up a new light but am not going to install until someone informs if it will work or not. It is a Halogen 500W (I am about to research on boards but wanted to get pics of my saggers up)

New Light and plants 1 - 4

[Cede2Weed]

Plants 5 - 9

[Cede2Weed]

Plant 10 and the seedlings and soil test (I will be getting a new soil testing kit. This cheap thing is awful.

[Cede2Weed]

My goal is to produce only for personal use and to be able to dictate my high. In my outdoor grows this was accomplish be timing the harvest alone. We would harvest in three phases, each phase producing a different high from the same crop. I know understand why, before I was just told that was how you did it.

I have purchased 2 large rubbermaid storage containers for making a portable grower, but have not begun the construction.

I have three 6500k CFLs, 26W = 100W variety.
1 oscillating fam, 1 box fan and 3 pc fans
JiffyStrips jiffy pots (although I am accustomed to nursing sprouts in egg cartons prior to translanting to buckets with handles for outdoor, but time to learn new tricks)
Seed starter mix consisting of a sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite, perlite and "other" ingredients - lightweight, free of weeds.

I have a large collection of seeds from 5 different strains. I do not know their names or anything scientific about them. One was chosen because it has been my favorite and I was fortunate enough to be given 10, presumed to be female seeds. I will wait until I have a well defined and successful process before I risk these seeds.

The other 4 types were chosen in hopes that one will prove to be hearty.

[Cede2Weed]

For my initial germination I attempted to chose 3 female seeds (based upon chart found here) from each of the 4 strains.

I thoroughly wet a wash cloth, placed the 15 seeds on top and placed in a large zipper lock bag.

April 6 -
checked on seeds, 7 have cracked with a sprout, with tweezers I placed the cracked sprouts in the soil attempting to have tap facing down. I barley placed below soil line and covered. Then placed under 24 hr light.

FYI - because I have not completed my rubber maid grower, I cannot assure total darkness so I am going to go with 24hr light until complete darkness is available to me.
They are simple on a table in an extra room with the light a couple of inches above.

April 7 -
The remaining 8 seeds have cracked and I followed the same process as above.

I know have all 15 germinated and in soil, but there has not been any separation of the seed shell.

Please wish me luck!

[Cede2Weed]

For those of you that use seeds, when do you move to dirt? After separation from the seed shell?

Thanks!

[bombdiggity]

I moved mine into the dirt as soon as the taproot showed itself. In all honesty though, geminating in the soil is just as effective. Main reason for germinating in paper towels is to satisfy curiosity IMO