newbie. growing on metal shelving.

[SuiJuris]

Ave.

In advance, Thank you for the responses. Now, I have a metal shelving unit, with four shelves, one of which has been removed to accomodate a fluorescent light fixture, 118 volt with one f20/t12 agro and one f20/t12 kitchen bulb (not sure if it is cool white or what, as I have no knowledge in the lighting dept.) I have switched to two of the agros for a few days, but just today went back to the agro and the unknown white, it seemed to help the plants better. I planted the seeds about a week ago, into a potting soil mix, two in coffee cans, (bottoms removed, and replaced by the removable lid with holes in the bottom) one in a clay pot, and one in an alien head container, novelty is all, It will look neat if the plant survives my ignorance in this area. anyway, three days after planting the seeds i had plants with their first two leaves, THis seemed awfully fast for a plant to be produced, but pretty neat anyway, I think I owe credit to my daily liquid mineral complex I decided to supplement the water with (which I get from a natural spring straight from the ground) ten drops to a quart. but, I removed the second from bottom shelf, hung the light by chains off the second from top shelf, and stuck the plants under it as soon as i saw they popped up, they are and have been about 2" away from the bulbs for about 7 days now. at first, they grew at about an inch a day, they are about 5 inches tall right now, and have been that way for a few days, the leaves are getting slightly larger, but the stems in comparison to the leaves are quite enlongated, and I think it caught up to my alien head novelty plant today, as it toppled over, I have just finnished proping it up with a stick, and hopefully it will stand back up, not sure what to do other than that, I have been putting a fan on them every day now, for about an hour on high...they really have been getting a workout :-) in hopes that it would strenthen their stems and aviod what happend today, but it didnt work for that one. i wrapped the shelv in a mylar camping blanket, to try and conserve some of the escaping light, but other than that they are still long skinny plants with four pairs of leaves...not sets...pairs (8 leaves. they are small, but they are there.)
I have been trying to find a good internet source (which is frightning in itself. now that the Patriot act is now being used) on lighting information, but thus far, have not gotten a good understanding of what I should be trying to get,....some say cool whites are fine, and plenty for growing a plant, others sugest the more costly hps and mh lights, I live next door to an electrician (call him a friend if you like...drunken son of a...)but anyway. ;-) so I am sure that will help cut my costs down on whatever I decide to buy, but deciding is the hardest part. So, I guess what Im asking is, any tips for lighting, and explinations for lighting, is it lighting, particularly the WRONG kind of lighting, that is invititing the plants to stretch there stems, and also, on the point of fertilizers... I really do not want to pump chems into the soil mixes I have, for challenge purposes as well as to gain experience in simulating nature as best as possible... never know when your local garden supply store will be hit by a kamikaze pilot huh? if you catch me.... any help for the newbie would be appreciated

hopefully the experience I gain with growing herb will be carried over to my garden... Thank you much

ave atque vale.

SuiJuris

www.carnicom.com
www.rense.com excelent sites... reccomended for your own well being.

[overgrowray]

i wouldn't use coffee cans because they can rust, i have flower pots out the ass at my house so i never tried coffee cans to really know i just read its bad.

[SuiJuris]

ave.

Hopefully, they will stay alive long enough for me to go and get some containers, ... and not long enough for the can to rust, I wont be surprised if I am doing a milion other things wrong also...I need lighting but still cant decide what to get...any tips from anybody are appreciated.




Ave atque vale.









It has served us well; this myth of christ. ~ Pope Leo X.

[greeneyes420_us]

Ure best bet would probaly be hps lights

[SoNe_OnE]

Just curious to know if there are n e holes at the bottom of those coffe cans so the water can drain it self out? If there isnt this can cause it to mold or die! So yeah, i would get some pots like sometime soon, their really cheap..

[MtnFlower25]

Hey, your plants look exactly like mine at this point. Unfortunately, my lights haven't arrived yet. I ordered a switchable 400 Watt MH and HPS system (from ebay) $290 incl. shipping. I'm going to put the MH light in first right over top my plants. The HPS is for the flowering phase.

I also ordered a nice 1100 CFM squirrel cage blower fan ($76.59 incl shipping) to keep the air fresh in my grow box. My plants look just like yours, the reason the stem is elongated is because they're stretching for the light which in my case is natural sunlight until my lights arrive - hopefully next week. So what I'm doing is not watering them so the roots will be forced to dig deeper for nutrients. If the roots are at least as deep as the height of the plant, it will stay sturdy. They say not to overwater anyway.

I'm also using Miracle Gro perlite because I didn't have any luck with soil plants but again, I didn't have the proper lighting then either. This Miracle Gro is miraculous!

[SuiJuris]

Ave.

Thanks for the replies, I just now re-established connection to the internet.... 60 bucks a month for cable is rediculous, perhaps it will be put towards me baby plants aye.

Yes, I have holes in the can, What I did, was take the plastic lid off of the top, put holes evenly through out where the water would collect, cut the metal bottom out of the can and popped the hole filled plastic top on the bottom to hold the soil till I transplant... I suppose i will just fill a 5 gal. bucket 3/4 full with regular potting soil? (suggestions are appreciated) remove the bottom off the cans and just set it in to let it grow into the new stuff,.. I am not sure how long i have till I have to transplant, but my little novelty plant sure looks pretty and I noticed that I have another set of leaves popping through the center Ill include a picture either with this post or the next, you can watch the progress with me, its the best one outta the bunch, its growing thick stemed too (hope "its" a she), ive just had a small circle fan on them for about 4-5 hours a day, they get lots of excersize.... I just switched to a 18/6 hour light sched. two nights ago....no timer yet, havent had time so Im shutting it off at 12am and on again at 6. just yesterday I was givin 4 brand new (2 - 4 footers and 2 - 18") fluorescent fixtures (single light strips) all with cool white bulbs, i wasnt going to complain...hell they were free, and good for starting new plants??? I dont know, any information sources for in depth light explinations are welcome...lol. once I gain a little more experience with this, I have a perfect room for a more large scale garden but Im not jumping ahead of myself here, just want my plants to survive, hope youll help me out.... thanks again.

Ave atque vale.
SuiJuris


I will attach a photo when I locate my camera... good night.

[SuiJuris]

THEE photo monsieur'...

[SuiJuris]

Thee second picture...

and I believe that I really made a mistake with these too.... i jus dont want to snip one of them.

with my luck, id snip the female by mistake.

[SuiJuris]

The third (actually forth if counting by plants) plant... in a clay pot... seriously messed up....delayed growth in comparison to the others, and just downright .... ugly.

[Sohigh]

theyre stretching bad.. you need more light, and your going to eventually (more sooner than later) get larger pots

[SuiJuris]

OK, i am going to transplant tonight...what do I do? i have a five gal. with holes in bottom, what do I fill it with? potting soil or a mix of ???


Bad news for me and the stretching bit...too bad....





Ave atque vale

[Sohigh]

5 gals of soil. I did a 2/3 soil, 1/3 vermiculite or perlite. Lots of trouble and messy though, thats one of biggest reasons I went hydro (there's nothing more fun then lugging around a 20lb bag of dirt). Light should be your BIGGEST concern, forget about ferts, soil, or anything else. You get some quality light and you WILL see the difference. Later dude

[SuiJuris]

I appreciate the fact you are checkin' in on me an lending a hand. I will do that today, that is unless I get hit by a meteor before it gets done...

I picked up this bat habit, perhaps it's in my genes, but if there is more than one way to do something...I gotta try every one of them...thats probably why I get so little done, but I have fun in the process... Im kinda strange in this way also, but I like knowing how to do things without having to rely on china or some other country to decide my success or failure, which means I like knowing how to do things the natural way, (I am aware, that as soon as I plant a seed, i have done something unatural, as I am positive I am not. ;-) but hopefully you understand what Im trying to convey...) without having to rely on chems or anything of that sort...an example would be: If i lost a hand, Id have to (for the satisfaction of knowing I can) learn to tie my shoes with one hand...after I knew I was able, Id go to velcro, because I could. Make sense? hope so. I AM fully anticipating and anxiously waiting for the time I am able to set up a hydro system or something along those lines, but as you can tell, Im still attempting to learn about lighting, Im all ears to ANYTHING anyone says, cause you all know more than me on this, no pride factor here...that said Thanks for the advice, I accept it as the best piece thus far, as your the only one that has givin it. (talking directly here, after looking at the pictures.. la dee da....) so I am off now to get zee merchan'dice'...


Ave, atque vale.
Sui Juris

PS
As said, anyone with any different suggestions are begged to leave them here, I have four plants to play with right now, and I am (unfortunately) expecting a few to give up, not exactly positive energy being directed there way, but if you seen the pictures you may say the same, perhaps not.


I need info on lights! just saying get hps, really doesnt do a justice, I dont understand how to pick them, quite difficut to find a decent guide on picking them on the net..i was surprised to find this out... I have heard that hps will do great for both stages, now I hear that it causes enlongated stems and thicker leaves, Ive read to use MHals' alone for both stages, and also that it produces smaller stems and thick leaves... Im going for the aspirin bottle!

[Sohigh]

Not much to know on lights.. MH and HPS do just fine. Since HPS outputs more lumens, and all the professionals on the other boards recommend HPS, Id say go with one 400w HPS light. On your subsequent grows, you can pickup an MH when you become more seasoned, and have different growing areas(veg area and flowering area)