Tuxy's grow log.

[Terps]

i doubt its mold...its probably algae. algae needs 3 things to live

1) Algae spores (good luck getting rid of those they are everywhere specially in basements)
2) Light
3) Constantly moist conditions

The most effective way to fight algae (Specially if still in seedling stage and growing in peat cubes, rockwool, or any other type of plug) is to stop light from reaching the moist plug. use some type of foam or 'light blocking' material and cut a slit in it for the stem of your plant and cover the top of the plug.

[WhiteTux]

Hopefully i'll be able to buy some normal pots today. I don't really know what size to go with though.. I guess i'll just look and see what they have a decent price on, and go with that. Seeing as how i need 28 of them......... So many.. i shouldn't have started with so many..

[Terps]

i dont know where you live or your current living situation but if i had 28 plants that needed pots and was looking for the cheapest method available id look into visiting the local hydroponics store (or order online) some grow bags! i wouldnt get anything less then a 3 gallon bag or your going to run into root bound issues and it could effect the quality and quantity of your yeilds.

Grow bags are cheap! last time i ordered some i think it was around 50 cents a grow bag maybe even less!

Another cheap option would be to drive around construction sites where painters have already come and gone and you might be able to score a few old empty 5 gallon paint buckets (Make sure to wash them out RLY good and drill some drainage holes in the bottom)

[Terps]

i dont know where you live or your current living situation but if i had 28 plants that needed pots and was looking for the cheapest method available id look into visiting the local hydroponics store (or order online) some grow bags! i wouldnt get anything less then a 3 gallon bag or your going to run into root bound issues and it could effect the quality and quantity of your yeilds.

Grow bags are cheap! last time i ordered some i think it was around 50 cents a grow bag maybe even less!

Another cheap option would be to drive around construction sites where painters have already come and gone and you might be able to score a few old empty 5 gallon paint buckets (Make sure to wash them out RLY good and drill some drainage holes in the bottom)

*a cheap container to veg plants in are tall keg cups (plastic red or blue cups that college kids drink beer outa) you can usuly get away with keg cups for a few weeks worth of veg. Remember, stabilizer roots grow down about as far as the plant is tall and roots grow out about as far as your canopy does. If you ignore this fact for too long your plant will become root bound and will not have the plant vigor and growth that it should.

*also when you transplant, if you notice on the side and bottom or your root ball are substantially built up with strong white roots dont be afraid the rough up the roots ball (literally take a razor and cut the root ball a bunch of times if the plant is root bound) this promotes NEW root development (because the root to shoot disturbance)

[WhiteTux]

I think i might go with the plastic cup option for now. My seedlings are still VERY small. well, 3-4 inches anyway. so they should do alright in some plastic cups. Thank you for your advice And i'll either invest in grow bags when they get large enough, or just put them in five gallon buckets

Thanks again

--Tux

[canniwhatsis]

It's ill advised to put a tiny plant in a huge bucket. (made that mistake on my first grow) The plant doesn't have the root structure to absorb the nutes/water in the soil and you wind up with a bunch of wet soil that will harbor mold/mildew and other problems waiting to happen.

I start seedlings in .5 liter pots, then move up to 1 gallon, then 3 gallons for flowering.



Keep an eye out around your neighborhood for anyone that's planting their garden out of nursery plants. Odds are they will just throw the pots away. TADA!!!! FREE POTS! Most are .5L 1L and 1 Gallon, but I've scored about 50-75 pots just this fall and now have a complete surplus!

Another place to search is behind the local hardware store. When the nursery plants get sick or die they THROW THEM AWAY! Dump the dead plant out and SCORE!!!! I got some 7 gallon's off of dead junipers earlier this year, again for FREE! (It's a good idea to check with store management before dumpster diving tho)

[Shovelhandle]

I agree with pot transplants = good.

[WhiteTux]

judging from the current size of my plants, do you think it would be okay to place them in plastic cups right now? Just, standard plastic cups.. I cant really afford much other than that. I have to buy new lights soon.. . I might just do a couple walls of cfl leaning at 30 degree angles above all of my plants.. that's about the cheapest thing i know to do that will actually be effective.. But, yeah, for now, my main question is on the pots.. Cups? then 1 gallon pots?

[canniwhatsis]

Your plants don't seem to be big enough to need any kind of up potting. Let em dry more between watering if you think it's mold on the peat pots. Spacing them out to let air flow between them will help too.

Do you have a small fan blowing on them?


Here's a cheap idea for lighting;
Get a cheap bathroom light fixture (for above the mirror) Hampton Bay 4-Light Bath Bar - HB2051-35 at The Home Depot with 3-4 sockets, Wire it with a plug (cut off of any dead 110v appliance), and screw in "Y" splitters into each socket Leviton 660-Watt Keyless Twin-Socket Lamp Holder Adapter - R52-00128-00W at The Home Depot , if there's enough room, put splitters into the splitters, then you will have 4 sockets per socket, then screw in the little 27w CFL's EcoSmart 23-Watt (100W) Soft White CFL Light Bulbs (4-Pack) (E)* - ES5M8234 at The Home Depot and BLAMO! Truckloads of light for less than $100

[WhiteTux]

That's a great idea! I don't know why i didnt think of that! Thank you so much! . And yes, i do have a fan, it's a just a standard house fan that stands up.. very similar to this, but blue. lol. And i have it on 24/7 now. It was only on part of the time. But, i'll see if i can make a home depot/lowes run tonight. that would be fantastic . By the way, do you think it would be cheaper to have a similar setup, just mounted on a piece of wood? I can buy just sockets from lowes for i think around 2 dollars a piece (I THINK! not really sure), so i could just mount them on a 1x8, or a couple 1x8s to spread the light out, and then still add the splitters in Or do you think i should go the other way? I don't mind wiring, i just want to do whichever way saves the most cash, but is also effective