joe-grow's first grow

[joe-grow]

So, after a bit of a break, while relocating the young plants, and learning a few lessons about cabinet grows. I learned I should consider all dimensions of all equipment when planning a cabinet plan change. I learned that an open grow environment needs to be hidden every time a utility service person shows up to check on equipment located within your grow area, until you get a cabinet. 6 gallons of water isn't light, after carrying it several times.

I tried to go with a laminate cabinet from the local hardware store. Unfortunately, a 24" cabinet is not really a 24" interior dimension, but then again, a 24" lamp isn't really 24". The lamp case is a little less than 24", but the cord more than makes up the difference, and then pushes it over 24" length. That wasn't the only problem; the depth of the garden - about 15.5" is deeper than most of the laminate cabinets you find at the local hardware store. Well, the first attempt, even though too small for the garden, did work out well as a storage cabinet for supplies. In replacement, I found my cabinet at the local office supply store. It's 18" deep, 36" wide, and 72" tall. This should be able to handle all the current equipment. I will, however need to make some adjustments to the cabinet.

First, the interior needs to be painted a flat white, to help in reflecting the light. Currently, it's a beige color. I also need to cover up all the holes, for the shelf hooks, to minimize the light into the cabinet. Finally, I will need to cut exhaust holes for the vent/filter and intake filter. I picked up a standard fresh air return duct filter cover, and a trim-able filter (to help minimize light from outside) to provide a fresh air intake. I will post photos once that project has been completed. So far, costs are up another $320 to about $1500 overall (not counting seeds).

For now, they are sitting in a storage area, with no filter, but a fan that circulates the air in the room. They are still under the T5 lamps. A couple days ago, I changed the water for the first time, and it seems to have gone ok. I was able to place the cover of the garden in another container while I cleaned out the garden reservoir. I'm not sure if it is good to expose the plants' roots to that much light. I changed the nutrient mix to the next level in the schedule. Initially, I started with 1/4 TSP per gallon (1.5 TSP total for my garden of 6 gallons). This time, I went with 1 TSP per gallon, or 6 TSP total for my garden, of each FloraGro, FloraBloom, FloraMicro. I also added a couple drops of the SUPERthrive.

After a couple days to settle down after the water change, the numbers are

• pH = 6.0
• ppm = 685
• water temp = 73.5F
• air temp = 72F
• RH = 36%

Now, I am in day 22, and the photos below are from this morning. They appear to be growing a lot faster now. The lower leaves don't look very good. I'm not sure if this is normal, or an indication of something wrong. The upper left plant (photo 1) was the fastest to crack it's shell, and has been the clear winner in growth on a consistent basis. The one in the lower left, however, has been starting to show some accelerated growth in recent days, and that one was the last to really sprout - I needed to help remove it's shell at the beginning. The stems appear to be getting thicker and stronger. I still need to pick up a couple small, oscillating fans to blow across the plants. The one I'm using now, even at its lowest setting, it way too strong for blowing directly on these plants.

Hopefully, with some luck, I'll get the cabinet ready to go before the next water change.

[joe-grow]

So, I've posted a couple more pics of the current plants. They are sprouting new sets of leaves very quickly now. I'm worried that the lower leaves will now suffer from lack of light, given the canopy with the close quarters of this garden. It's difficult, even with the reflector built into the T5 lamp, I'm still losing a lot of light due to the environment - out in the open, without any reflective surfaces to help provide side light.

They have grown to approximately 6" in height. They appear to have strong, thick stems, measuring a little under 1/8" in diameter. Their stems are not as long and thin as I thought they would be. I've seen many post here that appear to be a lot thinner than mine. These stems seem to be shorter and thicker. One plant appears to be developing roots close to the surface of the seedling starter cube. Not sure, but may have to cover that up better. I wonder if it has something to do with them constantly being under the pump in the water.

I have the cabinet, but I need to either paint the interior, or line it with mylar. I believe that that mylar is easier to apply and more reflective than using flat white paint. However, painting is easier, in that I can obtain supplies easier. To get mylar, I'd have to wait for a shipment, or drive to the local hydro shop, which is probably a good 3 hour round trip. On the other hand, it may be some time before I have time to get the cabinet ready - I could always order it now, and if it's here, then I'll use that.

I'm hoping to get these cabinets ready before flowering begins. This will allow me to cut down on the smell, as well as the light and noise (fan). I'm curious on how long I should wait before attempting flowering. Should I take a clone from each to determine it's sex? This might be easier than finding out while they are in the planter, and develop interwoven roots. I believe you need to have at least 5 sets of branches (nodes?) before taking clones. Mine have three.

I'm considering building my own aeroponics garden, after I have the cabinet ready. It seems my plants are a little too close together. I could use a couple, longer, thinner containers, which could hold the same amount of plants, but spread them out, helping to avoid their canopy overcoming one another.

When I get to flowering, or perhaps at least when I have at least 5 nodes, I will add the HPS lamp, and move the T5 to the side of the plants. This should help a lot with the side lighting loss from lack of reflective surfaces on the sides currently.

[TheGreenFog]

Hey, JoeGrow...nice thread. I can't take the time to read all that info right now, but I want to soon. Then I'll be caught up. Looks like you've really done your homework. Very good. Can't wait to see the final results. Like was said, though, try not to over-analyze too much and kill your plants with too much kindness. So far, they look good. Be back to check in soon.

:rasta: RastafarI

TGF

[joe-grow]

Welcome to my grow thread, TGF. Thanks for the note. I hope I'm not getting 'too' analytical. I sometimes overthink things, I realize. The more I learn, and the further I get, the more relaxed I get about the whole thing. It's just not knowing what you're doing that get's me a little anxious. Once this first grow is under my belt, I'll probably feel much more comfortable.

There are so many little details that I'm learning now that I've actually tried growing. With all the reading I did, I didn't think I'd encounter very many new/unexpected things. The ammonia smell, for instance, was very surprising. I thought something was seriously wrong. After checking around a bit, I came to find that it was normal. I had expected odors during the flowing period, but not during the vegetative period.

[Slackersulli]

How close do you have your T5 fixture to the plants? Other than that you seem to have it under control. Also, if you want mylar, you can go to Wal-Mart or some such store and get those space blankets. They come in first aid kits, they are a pretty cheap option.

[joe-grow]

Hi Slackersulli .... I keep the T5 fixture about 3 to 5 inches from the tops of the plants.

Thanks for the tip about the mylar. It might be easier for me to pick up the roll. It's a bit of a drive, but I could always think of something else I 'should' probably pick up.

I picked up most of what I think I'll need to get the cabinet ready, short of the mylar. I had to pick up some drill bits, in order to cut through this metal, so that I could run the vents. I found a cool dryer vent, which closes when not being used. I tried to cut the holes, but the drill ran out of steam. Hopefully, I'll have all but the mylar done before the weekend.

Anyone have tips on pruning? I'm starting to see some leaves which don't look very healthy anymore. I recall reading that you should prune, to keep the dead leaves from bringing the whole plant down, but not sure when to start (from seedling stage, now around 4 nodes, maybe 5). Or, how to prune - all the way to the main stem?

The stems all look like they are getting thicker, which I hope is to support some large buds. Some of the nodes have branches which show some brownish color, instead of the green that many have. Not sure what to make of that. They are drinking about a quart of water (or it's getting lost through evaporation) a day now.

Well, that's about all for today's update. Hope to have some pics of the plants, as well as whatever progress I make on the cabinet build out.

Thanks for reading!

[Bodom Children Of]

Anyone have tips on pruning? I'm starting to see some leaves which don't look very healthy anymore. I recall reading that you should prune, to keep the dead leaves from bringing the whole plant down, but not sure when to start (from seedling stage, now around 4 nodes, maybe 5). Or, how to prune - all the way to the main stem?

don't prune!
evidently fan leaves can still provide the plant with some energy eventhough they look bad. just wait until they fall off the plant then throw them away.
that's what i do anyway.....good luck on your grow, can't wait for the pictures.:thumbsup: :smokin:

[TheGreenFog]

Most people say don't prune. My standpoint is...if the leaf looks really close to dying or dead...get if off there. If there is still some green to it, leave it on. "I" have pruned several of the plants...especially bottom growth that is not receiving light. I've even chopped partial leaves (even though this seems to kill the whole leaf ) I haven't seen a significant negative impact on the plants health due to pruning some. It actually seems to help. Just don't go all crazy and prune BIG fan leaves just cuz they are a little pale or have a spot on them.

Hello, my name is TGF...and I prune.

(audience: Hellooo, TGF.)

my :twocents:

:rastabong: :baggy: <~~~Here...hit this, it's the sh*t.

TGF

[joe-grow]

Hi Bodom & TGF .... thanks for dropping by again. I have read through both of your logs, and gained a great deal of insight from them. I think I will take a mix of your two suggestions - wait until they look dead or falling off, and clip them.

Thanks for the hit, TGF .... I'm dry, and would enjoy it! That's why I turned to growing - too difficult/risky, low quality, and out too often.

Here are the latest photos of the (hopefully) girls ....

First is a top shot - getting a really large canopy. Judging by the size of the leaves, I'm guessing that it's an indica strain (it's a bag seed grow, for practice).

Second is a side shot, showing height, and distance to the T5 lamp.

[joe-grow]

Ok, I've managed to make some time to work on the new cabinet. With the exception of the metal flakes on all around (from drilling), everything seems to be going pretty good. I picked up some elbow vents, eye hooks, a dryer vent, and a desk wire cover.

So far, I've drilled two 4-1/8" holes - one in the top of the cabinet, and one in the top shelf. I've also drilled one 2-3/8" hole in the top shelf. In addition to those major holes, I've drilled about ten other holes for screws and bolts to hold up equipment.

I need to go back to the hardware store and pick up two more duct clamps and one more desk wire cover. Once I have those, I'll need to drill one more 2-3/8" hole in the top right of the back of the cabinet, to allow the power cable to exit the cabinet. I need the clamps for the venting from the elbow on the bottom of the shelf, to the filter. I also need to install four more eye hooks. These will support the main light, and the T5, when I hang it vertically, for side coverage during flowering.

I will need to line the bottom portion with mylar. This will help to close up the shelf bracket holes, which could let in light during my 'night' hours. I will also need to cut a hole in the bottom of the cabinet for an air intake vent. I picked up some filter material, which I am hoping will minimize the light coming in from this vent. I will place the filter material between the vent cover and the cabinet. It will be stored in a utility room, so I'm not too worried about light getting into the room.

I've attached some photos of the work completed so far. The first is the dryer vent on the top of the cabinet. It was a little tight to get into the hole I drilled, but with some coercion, I managed to get it in the hole. The second is the cabinet closed. The third is the cabinet open. And the fourth is a close up of the equipment I installed so far. Unfortunately, the vent is covering up the desk wire cover, I used for the power from the ballast to the light. I'll probably need to tape that up, after all my cables are in place, to minimize the light.