My first MH closet grow - input please!!

[4Frnt]

Alright my budget on this grow was exactly $0.00 so I am doing my best... I was lucky my friend is generous and gave me the light, some seeds, mylar and a couple other supplies. I started out with 2 plants but the other one died as a seedling so I removed the pot from the closet and just have this one going now. I've never followed through with a grow before so I would consider myself a 1rst time grower and there is way too much information out there... it would be awesome to get some reassurances and tips.

-I germinated in gro-cubes and has been growing in soil for 11 days now.

-using a 250watt MH

-about 50/50 mix of soil and organic compost

-using 24/0 light cycle

-watering about .5 to 1 cup of water every couple days when it seems real dry

-running a powerful window fan to circulate air

- it does get quite hot in there, but as you can see the closet door is folding so there is some ventilation. I keep it open on and off throughout the day, and keep it closed at night (so I can sleep)

-There's a slight bit of yellowing on the edge of one of the leaves that has been there the entire time, but otherwise the plant seems very healthy and green.

Here's pics, sorry about the shitty cell phone quality





Some questions I have are:

- How does the distance of the light look? Should I move it closer or what? I don't want to risk over heating but I want to maximize growth obviously, I really don't know I heard 10-18 inches?

- How often should I water? I've over watered plants in the past and I am scared of doing that. I also heard dry-periods strengthen the roots and growth sometimes?

-Should I bother with fertilizers? There's a good amount of compost in the pot so I feel like that might be enough. If not, which ones would you recommend?

-I'm using bag seeds... can I make my buds decent at all? Or is this a complete waste?

-Is it worth spending a couple bucks and buying some CLFs to add into the grow?

-I heard I have to wait until I switch to 12/12 to tell if its a female or not... I'm going to fucking shoot myself if its a male haha

-If I'm doing one plant, I want to obviously maximize yield, what techniques should I follow to do this? How long should I wait to go into flowering? I am not really in any rush.


I really appreciate it, thanks!

[4Frnt]

oh and I can't cut holes in the closet or anything to make better ventilation... my lease expires may 31rst so I'll probably have to finish the plant at home or outside.

thats why I open the door every couple hours throughout the day

[twistedthrottle]

I use fox farm soil and nut. The nut seem to do good for me. As for the quality you can expect, bagseed can yield some dank buds of grown right with optimum conditions. I would by no means consider it a waste. I may suggest you plant at least one more to help fight against the odds of not having a female at all, and consider LST to maximize yield.

[aregan35]

check out hotgirls outdoor grow in maine she had like 175 oz or something but definitly check it in the journals brother

[4Frnt]

Originally Posted by aregan35

check out hotgirls outdoor grow in maine she had like 175 oz or something but definitly check it in the journals brother

wait what?

[andyduckets]

your closet looks like a scene outta poltergeist... you're not alone

[4Frnt]

Originally Posted by twistedthrottle

I use fox farm soil and nut. The nut seem to do good for me. As for the quality you can expect, bagseed can yield some dank buds of grown right with optimum conditions. I would by no means consider it a waste. I may suggest you plant at least one more to help fight against the odds of not having a female at all, and consider LST to maximize yield.

word thanks


can anyone else answer my other questions?

[Anony]

Your questions cant have exact answers unfortunately, but ill try my best to help you understand them deeper.

The light distance depends on the brand, and ventilation.
If you have a temp/humidity meter, (what is the temp of your area?) put it at the top of the plants to guage how far you want the light. You generally dont want the plant to be in temperatures over 85 degrees, however this is a rough estimate.
If you do not have a temp/humidity meter, you can put your hand just above the plant, leave it there for a few seconds and see how hot the light makes your hand. You dont want the plant feeling anything uncomfortable. By your photo, it seems alright, but how far in inches is your light now? I assume your using both fans? By closing the closet door, you can increase the temperature dramatically, so make sure you know the temps of that as well.

As far as watering goes, its good to get into the habit (now that your plant is getting larger) watering evenly, and watering the entire soil (until you see drainage in all corners) and then waiting for it to be dry before watering again. There are two ways to test this. Pick up a pot of dry soil and remember how heavy it is. Then pick up a completely saturated pot of soil and remember that and water when the pot feels light again. How often and how much you will do this depends on your temperatures, type of soil (its retainability) and your plant. You could also stick your finger two inches down, and test if its dry. (or buy a moisture meter). These two methods accuracy are something that comes over time and will take a while to get a feel for it. The way you are watering now can only be done the first couple weeks before you can start to cause problems for the lower roots.
Also, you might want to think about switching from 24/0 to 18/6, this is a debate able subject, however IMO it is good to give the plant some dark time to mimic nature.


Do you know exactly whats in your soil? Looks like it may be high in pH (if you have any money to spend on this setup) youd want to purchase some sort of pH test kit, very important as MJ can only thrive within a certain pH range.
I do not believe you need to add any CFL's to the grow as a 250 MH is more than adaquate for one plant, however the more light the better if one desired. I would rather spend the money on meters in your case to start testing the environment.

Hope this helps.

[4Frnt]

^thanks man you helped me out a lot with that post.



im pretty up north, so it doesn't get super hot here, but still like 70s , 60s,. I'm going to put an AC in soon so it should keep it cooler in the room

The lights a little over a foot id say, don't have a measuring tape here but it's definitely way under 80-85 degrees in there, even with the closet closed. The fan is on full power and duel fans, id say it gets up to like 75 at most.

As for soil, I actually just stole the pot sitting outside a law firm next to mine ha and it already had soil in it... so it was probably some type of normal potting soil. Not the best choice but I didn't have any money to spend on anything. Compost was just organic compost , says on the bag the ingredients include , leaves, manure, ben and jerrys ice cream (?), food scraps , cheese whey and a bunch more

But yeah, I'm definitely investing in a PH scale tomorrow seems mad important, I can see that going wrong with my grow if anything

[aregan35]

the outdoor grow in maine definitly look at it man

[4Frnt]

i have no idea what that is... or where it is... or what outdoor grow in maine has to do with a MH closet grow?

[djam2020]

Yeah Bro Love The Mylar. Me And My Boy Jus Went Out And Ate A Shit Ton A Chipps And Used That Shit For Mylar. As Far As My Suggestion On Growing One Plant Goes Its Either Hit Or Miss. Ive Started Wit One Plant In The Past And Was Fortunate Enough It Was Female, But My Last Grow Broke My Dick With Males And Shit. I Started Wit 17 And Ended Up Wit Five. Some Times You Jus Gotta Bank On One Plant. Thats Wats Up....