Low-cost CFL Grow - My First Growing Attempt

[PottyBear]

OK, this is not a big update, just a picture. I am amazed by these plants! Their growth is almost alarming at times - and really makes me admire them for more than their medicinal (or recreational for some) purposes. We should be using these for so many things. Why cut down trees to make paper? Why use petrochemical products for making so many synthetics for ropes and the like? I'd like to see an acre-to-acre comparison of land use when you look at other crops or trees. Too bad hemp is tEh Evil!

The picture below is of the same plant (the best one) as in the previous update.

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Healthiest Plant, Day 19 - barely 24 hours later:
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Every time I think they are growing too slow, they do something like this to surprise me!

PottyBear Reviewed by PottyBear on 07-31-2008. Low-cost CFL Grow - My First Growing Attempt OK, here goes... I think I will make this grow log for the sake of anyone else like me who might be trying to do this indoors in the cheapest way possible, short of a pot on a windowsill (or if you already have a full-size greenhouse). I'm avoiding big expenses for supplies and equipment, and trying to keep the power bill under control. I have no idea what will come out the other end but there are not a lot of extras I can add. Iâ??ll try and document what it costs along the way as best I can Rating: 5

[NaughtyDreadz]

aa staple gun will easily straighten out the mylar

[PottyBear]

aa staple gun will easily straighten out the mylar

Not with it fastened to the metal frame of the mini-greenhouse. It tends to resist staples.

No biggie, tonight we pulled the outer vinyl cover off and covered the frame properly and tightly, then put the cover back on. Only took an hour or so. It's as good as it will ever be now.

[PottyBear]

Spent a little money yesterday and today put those items to use:

$ 5.00 for 2 x light sockets, 1 x chain, 1 x cord
$ 7.00 for 2 x Y-splitters for sockets
$ 5.00 for moisture meter because not knowing was making me crazy
$ 9.50 for 4 x 1600 lumen 2700K CFLs
$ 2.00 for 2 x pkgs of 3 foil cake pans
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$28.50 + tax, we'll call it $32 to add to the total.

All but the bad plant have grown so much in the last few days it is almost insane. The leaves on the bad one have doubled now, so it is recovering. The one I planted deepest is now beginning to look exactly like the kind of hempy-type plant it is. One would now have a hard time telling someone snooping around in my little greenhouse that I was starting a crop of blackberries for next year...

They are not gaining a lot of height but are getting a lot thicker vegetation - it is quite satisfying to see them thriving now. I bought a cheap moisture meter from Wal-Mart because I was having trouble knowing how wet/dry the soil was down deep and I didn't want to overdo it. I also drilled holes in the bottoms of the pots for drainage and placed the pots in the cake pans so I can leach out salts (if needed) later.

We also spent $20 on some vent pipes and stuff which I am going to use to vent the hot air coming out of the greenhouse to the outside. August is likely to just keep the room too warm if the heat from the lights is just cycled around and around.

Also, I noticed when handling the plants today that they already have a distinct smell. If I was blindfolded I'd know what they were just as I would be able to tell if I was sitting beside tomato plants. I didn't think they had much smell early on (from what others have said), and maybe some strains don't smell like this, but as these get bigger I can only assume that they will have more scent. I'm seriously doubting the words of anyone who has said "I don't know how I got caught, my plants don't smell at all!" These are nothing but little green tufts and there is no doubt what they smell like. The scent is almost exactly the same as when you unwrap some dried buds that have been kept in foil. I think if I was in a position where I had to worry about stealth (like an apartment or something), I'd be freaking out a bit right now. Good thing I'm old and just worried about people breaking in and ripping things off, and not about my parents/roommates/landlord!

BTW, do any of you cover your vents to the outdoors with screen? I am concerned about bugs coming in through the out door, but I am also wonder about spider mites (which are so small I think they can fit through screen?). Is this anything to worry about?

[PottyBear]

My internet service has been atrocious for the last couple of weeks and down most of this week. It has just come back up, but I am not feeling well enough to write a real update. Anyway, I will take a crack at it tomorrow...

For now, I can say the plants are doing VERY well, and I am very pleased - the largest ones are about 20cm tall. Pics and more info to come soon.

[RobPA]

Glad to hear its going well! Im following this grow closely, thinking of doing a similiar setup for a buddy who dosent have a lot of cash so im taking notes! :thumbsup:

[illnillinois]

:thumbsup::thumbsup:
imo
save more money and ditch the mylar and reflective mater.. paint grow space white.. cheap and the best, imo....
the seedlings look good..
:twocents::icon401::rhinoceros::vader1::icon220:
little buzzed

[PottyBear]

Just wanted to let anyone who might have been following along here that I have decided I am no longer going to be participating on this site. Therefore I won't be updating any info about this or any other grow in future.

I hate to let a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch but I'm just not interested in discussing this with certain individuals around these parts.

A final note: Have you ever noticed the first people to come out and accuse someone of having a "bad attitude" are the people who actually have bad attitudes? Just an observation I have made over the past 24+ years.

Hope you all have as good a time with your growing as I have had so far... TTFN!