Four weeks into my first grow...

[submast3r]

A small closet operation. I built my own cool tube which you can see and there is an open fan on top that I'll connect my home made carbon filter to once she starts to smell. I have 5600 lumens coming from 6800 K cfl's for the veg cycle. Then I have the same power cfl's but at 2800 K for the flowering cycle. Its only one plant taking up about a foot of square face with EVERYTHING inside their reflective with space blanket. I figured that would be enough. I have some earthworm castings in there as well as a very dilute solution of Green Lightnin' nitrogen fertilizer that I water it with every other time. I actually haven't had to water it yet since transplanting it to the big pot about a week ago because I saturated the soil when I did it and under the surface the soil is still quite moist. The soil is an organic mix that I got from a local nursery.


Let me know what you think. I was so scared for the first few weeks that it was growing too slowly. Does this look normal for a 4 week old from planting? How does it look in general? If you notice the brown spot on one of the leaves I burned it with the light when I had to turn off the cool tube fan for a few minutes and set the light on the pot itself when I had to take it down for redoing the siding of my container. Normally the glass fixture is quite cool to the touch when the fan is on.

submast3r Reviewed by submast3r on 07-08-2009. Four weeks into my first grow... A small closet operation. I built my own cool tube which you can see and there is an open fan on top that I'll connect my home made carbon filter to once she starts to smell. I have 5600 lumens coming from 6800 K cfl's for the veg cycle. Then I have the same power cfl's but at 2800 K for the flowering cycle. Its only one plant taking up about a foot of square face with EVERYTHING inside their reflective with space blanket. I figured that would be enough. I have some earthworm castings in there Rating: 5

[killerweed420]

Looks good for 4 weeks from seed. When you go to transplant put it directly in a 3 gallon pot. Got good healthy color.

[justanotherbozo]

high and welcome to the world of cannabis cultivation grasshopper, lol.

...and it shows you've done some homework, not many noobs would
think to build themselves a cooltube so, kudos to you bro!

...now, in your post you say, 'I was so scared for the first few weeks that it was
growing too slowly. Does this look normal for a 4 week old from planting?'.

...and to answer that, i'd say first that your plant looks nice and healthy, whatever
you're feedin' it, it likes it, lol. ...and second, the reason it's so short is the
light your using is too blue.

you don't mention what the wattage is but i'm assuming it's at least 2x
65watts for a total of 130?

anyway, as a CFLer myself, i'd suggest you dispense with the cooltube
and go with the lower wattage bulbs which will enable you to mix the
spectra of the bulbs in order to replicate sunlight, as best you can.

...here's a couple pics of a couple of my CFL fixtures, which are filled
with mostly 23 and 26watt bulbs in a mix of 6500K and 2700K. ...if
you look around you'll see these light bars are commonly used with
great success.

keep in mind also that you aren't required to use the y-splitters, plus,
there are many other different configurations, including hard-mounting,
they don't have to hang from chains.

[sheist]

Can you explain how you made the cooltube 65w? I found a 65w at homedepot

[submast3r]

65 watt cool tube?

I have a couple 42 watt cfl's in a glass bake-a-round tube I bought off of ebay. I have dryer tubing on each end with one connected to a passive inlet and the other to an inline fan attached to the chamber walls that is blowing air out. So air is sucked in, flows past the lights in the glass part of my cooling system, picks up their heat and the hot air is blown out by the fan. I don't have to worry about a carbon filter on that oulet at least because the air never comes in contact with plant. Hope that helps.

[justanotherbozo]

Can you explain how you made the cooltube 65w? I found a 65w at homedepot

be careful, most of the 65watters require that you also buy their fixture as
well, otherwise, the bulb doesn't work.

in other words, ...the bulb is made without a ballast so can't be used in standard
sockets. ...you'd never be able to use them in a cooltube like this.

btw, it was me that guessed he had 65watters by his pictures,
it wasn't him saying he did.

[justanotherbozo]

65 watt cool tube?

I have a couple 42 watt cfl's in a glass bake-a-round tube I bought off of ebay. I have dryer tubing on each end with one connected to a passive inlet and the other to an inline fan attached to the chamber walls that is blowing air out. So air is sucked in, flows past the lights in the glass part of my cooling system, picks up their heat and the hot air is blown out by the fan. I don't have to worry about a carbon filter on that oulet at least because the air never comes in contact with plant. Hope that helps.

oh yeah, while you aren't required to agree with all the advice you might
receive in a public forum, ...courtesy should require that you at least
acknowledge someone who has taken the time to help you.

keep in mind that it was you who brought your stuff out for us to see.

if you only listen to the advice you agree with, you hold yourself back.

you did say you were scared, didn't you?

also, people will quickly lose interest in giving you advice if, when advice
is given, you ignore it, ...people around here aren't interested in helping
people who already know everything.

did you notice how many responses you got, bro?

either way, good luck, grasshopper!

[submast3r]

What are you talking about? Did you want me to respond to your post? What advice did I ignore. You just said Iifjt want to try a more balanced light source, a little less blue. I'm sure that good advice but Ive heard other stuff how 6500 k is best for veg. I appreciate your input though.

[justanotherbozo]

What are you talking about? Did you want me to respond to your post? What advice did I ignore. You just said Iifjt want to try a more balanced light source, a little less blue. I'm sure that good advice but Ive heard other stuff how 6500 k is best for veg. I appreciate your input though.

good luck

[submast3r]

Thanks man, I appreciate the support and advice. This is all a learning experience and just because this time I want to stick with the 6500 K for veg I might switch it up if I do another grow.

Another reason why I'm sticking with he 6500's is actually because of your advice. You say they're short? Well I guess I kind like that because my vertical growing space is limited to 3~ feet. Here's some new pics. Tomorrow will be her one month birthday of seed in soil

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4356/img0176d.jpg
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/6696/img0177c.jpg