New Grower

[Hardy024]

I tried this year to get some plants going, but ran into a few problems.
first the outdoor I had, was needed to be pulled to avoid police interferrence, and then I set up an all indoor set up in my closet with a 4' floresent light and a 80 watt hydrogen lamp. I lined the room with alluminum foil and started some seeds, along with a hydroponic tank that held 2 plants.

The 2 hydro plants (due to lack of funds) was pretty make shift. I had a 5.5 gallon tank with styrofoam floats, a bubbler, and a water pump for flow. I was low on money at this point, as well as not experienced in hydro, I researched that some people use the tomato miracle grow as the nutes in the water res. To my surprise, the miracle grow seemed to be enough, as the plants lasted about 3 weeks. still quite small, the plants died to what I believe was poison that I sprayed, got into the res.

The plants in dirt were doind great, and if they made it about 3 more weeks, I think I would have had something good. however, at about 3.5 months, I devoloped "fungus flies" that nested in my too wet of soil. the larvea ate my roots and they all died premature.

I spent a total of $150 and spents hundreds of hours breathing on them and blowing in fresh air, blowing a fan on them, as well as a specific 18 on and 6 hr off day cycle with lights and hydroponics pumps.


I would appreciate it if somone would give a some tips as to what I did wronge, what I did right, and if the tomato miracle grow can act as a hydroponic nutrient without any others. If not, what are the bare minimum nutes I need to get a plant up and growing. Im not completly concerned with growing "good weed" in hydro, for now, I am mainly worried about getting it to work ok first, then Ill perfect my solution.

Hardy024 Reviewed by Hardy024 on 09-08-2008. New Grower I tried this year to get some plants going, but ran into a few problems. first the outdoor I had, was needed to be pulled to avoid police interferrence, and then I set up an all indoor set up in my closet with a 4' floresent light and a 80 watt hydrogen lamp. I lined the room with alluminum foil and started some seeds, along with a hydroponic tank that held 2 plants. The 2 hydro plants (due to lack of funds) was pretty make shift. I had a 5.5 gallon tank with styrofoam floats, a bubbler, Rating: 5

[Specialxtina]

i think you need to spray something on the plants to prevent fugi and bugs. cant remember what it's called, but if i can find out i'll be sure to let u know.

plus you'll have to take them (eventually) to an environment a little larger than a closet. plants only grow as big as their environment. try a storage room in the basement.
also are you remembering to give the right amount of light to darkness??

[Hardy024]

I have a very large closet. not like something i toss in a 2'X2' room. this is split down the middle and I use the highest parts of it. its about 3' wide. for the first like 4' in, you can stand right up and have another 2'. then the next area, that I primairily used, was about 4' tall. granted the plants wont get too large here, but I thought itd be a nice start to learning to grow.

For lights, I had a timer with a power strip in it. I put my lights (1 4' floresent grow light, and 1 65 watt hologen lamp) when I started it was an 18/6 hr light cycle (on/off). The fungus flies did respond to "seven" insect killer, however due to the fact they breed in dirt, I could not kill all of them off with poison.
I do have a question to anyone that uses insectacides, do you simply spray around the plant, as I did?, or do you spray in the dirt and on leaves as well?
When i sprayed, I was too nervous to kill em all to spray directly on them.

[Hardy024]

My main problem for my plants in the closet were the fungus flies. They come when your soil is like alway soaking wet, which of course I wasnt very knowlegable about watering and watered all the time. Overall, I think my first step is, much much less water, and Im not sure if I personally will grow indoor anymore.
Ill just rent off my grow space for some one else's buds:jointsmile:

[d4twamp]

Hardy,
don't get too down on yourself, even licensed doctors are still practicing, thats why they call themselves practicing physicians, cuz their still tryin to get it right after years of schooling. how long have you been growing.

take it as a learning experience, now you know some of the things to do differently next grow. from experience I know that the miracle grow is not enough to grow MJ and any hydro system is only a good as the nutes it uses

the halogen lamp isn't gonna do much either. if your budget is low go w/ a cfl grow they are cheap and you can get your feet WET (pun intended)

good luck and don't give up, your already here and there is a wealth of knowledge here at c-dot

D:S5:

[Hardy024]

Well Ive more or less found that outdoor is fantastic in growing. you dont even need to do anything most the time. I did learn a few hundred things, lol, during this process. it was really my first time growing, Im not too disappointed though, I was surprised they lived as long as they did. I had a few outdoor, but was pretty much forced to remove it or the cops just may find it.
I am thinking seriously though thanks to you now, about outdoor hydro. The nutes... Im gonna have to do some checking up i guess for that, because I am just starting out, but I hear this nutes shit all the time, and to be honest. It sounds like Im cooking up some fricken biological weapons of mass destruction just to grow a plant. I have no job at the time, and I pretty much have nothing but time to research it, but it sounds like a chemical warfare of headaches.
Im not so sure if the hydro will work this year or what.
If you have some knowlege, by all means, lemme know.