the complex questions of a perplexed noob

[kindprincess]

well, lets see....

i gess i should start off by saying "hi":dance: to n e 1 who drops by this thread. i beleive this will end up being quite a brute; i have a tendency to come up with the strangest ideas/questions at the most unusual time and places. i shall relate to everything stated as present tense, like i'm actually doing things instead of just thinking them...

more about me later.

ok, i saw at lowe's a 400w hps bulb. i walked around to the fixture isle, but alas! no 400w unit! so, looking at the bulb box, i see a note, "use only with ansi51 ballast". i walk around again, but, alas!! i find nothing that says "ansi51" anywhere!

questions:

what is ansi?
can i get just a ballast, and wire it myself?
how much (guesstimated) would the ballast cost?

~note~ i have sockets for the 400w bulbs. i don't have any idea where to get a 400w fixture, and ordering online is not going to happen.

~hypotheticle scenario~
ok, i have a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of a.... you get the point. she is currently growing cannabis for medical reasons. for fun, i'll go through this memory in the first person, like it was me growing. ((easier to say me/i than her/she etc.) i don't partake or have involvement with anything illegal; this is all 100% made up. not real.) i have a bagseed plant. about 6 weeks flowering, give or take a week. she was grown outdoors and recently brought inside due to cold snaps.she is budding nicely, buds are starting to fill out but still small, however, i notice there are much fewer trichomes on her buds than on any picture i've ever seen.

questions:

is it normal for buds to lack trichomes; do they form later on?
are there any nutes or other products to increase trich count?
is it normal for buds to be the size of my thumb at this age?

i have recently changed my room arrangement as well. i have 8 blueberry from seed, two cuttings from each. the seeded have been flowering for a couple weeks, i discovered 3 males and sepparated them out. now they are being starved and are dying of thirst ( the bastards deserve more!!) but sadly i've decided that they may be of use to me; i need seeds, so i will keep them alive just long enough to take the friut of their loins for my daughters. but the six copies have gone to the hogs.

well, i think that'll do for now, but don't worry; it gets better! stay tuned folks, same time, same channel, and well see you all later!

love, kp

kindprincess Reviewed by kindprincess on 10-28-2006. the complex questions of a perplexed noob well, lets see.... i gess i should start off by saying "hi":dance: to n e 1 who drops by this thread. i beleive this will end up being quite a brute; i have a tendency to come up with the strangest ideas/questions at the most unusual time and places.:p i shall relate to everything stated as present tense, like i'm actually doing things instead of just thinking them...;) more about me later.:o ok, i saw at lowe's a 400w hps bulb. i walked around to the fixture isle, but alas! no Rating: 5

[hemlockstones]

I too have wandered through lowes - and found the same issues you have. I found myself strangely attracted to secuity lights at office buildings, like a moth to a flame. But your best bet ( i have been told) would be to purchase on-line from someone like http://www.e-conolight.com/Product/EFamily.asp or http://www.1000bulbs.com/.

Peace

imp:

[Zigi]

as far a resin go`s(gland heads on storked trichomes) keep the air as dry as pos idealy humidity around 50% or lower this can be controled quite easyly and cheeply with a small dehumidifier. Apart from good light this is the only other facter you can easy control for better resin production.
I don`t think the size of your bud is a problem as long as they have adaquet light they will reach potencial.
My good buds(flowering cinamon and grapefruit under 400w hps, almost done) are about an inch long and nice and fat.
but the i do`nt know the size of your thumb.

[BlueBear]

I love the newb's, LOL.
Molasses 1 Table Spoon per gallon will help in flower to break down more of the nutes that you may decide to use giving a greater efficiency to the nutes and a smoother smoke to the final product. Also, going with a light cycle of 10 on and 14 off may help to fatten up the buds.
If you do want to order on line, then I can point you to a place to get a 400w bal for $44 and a 1000w bal for $105.
Adieu sweet Southern Comfort, oh yes my name is Bear, I have been known to be called darling Bear by my closest companions. LOL
Adieu

[kindprincess]

~hypotheticle grow update~
everybody got watered today, three males went out side. first set of clones are vegging nicely, second set is doing fine, still rooting. outdoor girl got a little too much light today,(fell asleep, so she got an extra hour),i have to turn her lights on/off manually.

~for my responders~
to hemlock: ah, yes. those office security lights cause many a "deer in the headlights" look (they're soooo beautiful!) lol. n e idea of store (not online) where these security lights can be found? thank you, great evergreen!

to zigi: i have dainy little paws. so my buds are pretty little marbles (you know how there are two different size marbles? my buds range from the small size to the larger size) thanx for the input, do you know how to increase the [I]number[I] of trichomes?

and to my darling bear: can sugar be substituted for molasses? just wondering, i don't have any molasses around the house. for the light schedule, if you think that will help, i shall start tomorrow. and alas, online ordering is out

it is good to meet all of you, you have been very helpful so far. please feel free to stop by kingdom often. for those who prove their worthiness and mettle i may so reward thou with knighthood.

thanx to everyone, once more

love, kp

ps bear, i'm not normally so forward, and hope you do not take offense from the "darling bear" statement. as we have only just met, we could not possibly be the closest of companions, however i feel as if i know you from another life, as if there were some sort of ethereal bond between us. i just could not restrain my fingers! i shall try not to be so forward in the future.

that being said, farewell to all, and to you my darling bear.

love some more, kp

[BlueBear]

Yes indeed my lady you may use sugar. You vividly remind me of a wood sprite that I new in another time and another world, and I will seek to learn more about you and your unique similarities to that kindred spirit. Those security lights can work, but they can get a little hot. If you get one, I think that I may be able to find some threads on how to modify the light cover and wire them up so that the ballast is remote so it can be separate from the light and remove some of the heat problems associated with the lights.
Wish I had more answers to give you, but with my own daily trials and tribulations, I lose the little creativeness and insight into these matters I do have.
Adieu

[kindprincess]

thanx bear, i will indeed use sugar. 1 tbsp per gallon, right? also, if i do get a security light, i'll disect it and turn it into a homemade cooltube (i have some oil lamp covers for the tube) and mount the ballast outside of the flowerbox.

~two questions reitterated~
what does ansi mean?
is there any way to increase the trichome count? or will she develope more in the next 2 or 3 weeks?

thanx a bunch!

love, kp

[faithlessxxx]

.

Oi Bluebear stop flirting with her, in RL she's a frozen meats truck driver named Roger.

.

[BlueBear]

Sorry on both ends of the questions, I searched high an low and found no info on the antsy terminology, and as far as the trichome increase goe's, the only thing I can find or think besides an assortment of flowering nutes and additional light is the sugar and decreased light cycle. The photo synthesis plays a key role in the trichome development and the nutes are little components that help to unlock the potential of that key, so with a plant that large and with so little light, or nutes that are high in P and or made for bud enhancement, I am at a los, but perhaps someone will arrive to save the day.
Believe me though, I have beat the bricks trying to find and think of something that may help. Sorry if I am coming up too short to really help.
Adieu little lady

[GrowinGranny]

Maybe granny can help...in another life she worked someplace where such things mattered but her memory isn't too good anymore. ANSI is an acronym for American National Standards Institute so you see it's not a specific ballast, but rather a rating or standard for a ballast meaning you need one that meets the ANSI 51 standard...if I remember correctly...