First grow Thai Stick CFL

[fooman2002]

After lurking at GC for a while, I decided to start a journal for my first grow.

I'm working with Thai Stick seeds (the free ones with my Ice purchase) in soil.

I've uploaded a few pics of my modified cab from home depot.

The timeline so far:
5/13 - Started germing 4 seeds
5/17 - 3/4 Seeds sprouted
5/18 - Potted in 8" pots using MC Organic. I've heard mixed reviews about MC, but it looked as if it didn't have the time release nuts, so I gave it a shot. Unfortunately, I didn't have any perlite, but I'm hoping to repot once I get some.
5/21 - Saw 2/3 pop out of the soil
5/22 - The last one popped out of the soil

Currently I'm using 4 23W Silvania CFLS, (going to be adding more as they grow). 2 6500K and 2 3000K. I had 3 6500K, but they looked as if they responded better to 50/50. Will most likely go heavy 6500K up to flowering.

Specs on the cab are 30" W x 35" H x 20" D (planning on doing a ton of LST), covered in Mylar. I've a 4" Vortex "strapped" to the side for exhaust that was originally going to blow into a carbon filter I picked up at http://www.plantlightinghydroponics....er-p-1378.html . But reading more about push vs pull carbon filters, I'm thinking of building a cab from scratch that can hold the filter and pull air out. Currently I have only a passive intake with a light trap made out of cardboard.

Temps generally stay between 65F-70F, which feels a bit low. I'm thinking of throwing another 2-4 CFLs in there just to raise the temps.

[fooman2002]

As of today, they're 1 week from popping out of the soil. And I haven't watered yet, since the soil has been feeling semi damp at the first knuckle. Of course the topsoil is really dry.

Checking in on them today, I was a bit bummed. The leaves of all 3 have yellow spots throughout. 1 (the smallest) had it's leaves curling up towards the light. I read through a few forums, and it looks similar to Potassium or Calcium deficiencies. (Looking from http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=11688 ). I haven't given any nutes, but I read that if the PH is off, it will lock out nuts from the plants. My soil test meter has been reading 7.0 if not a bit higher. Not as high as 7.5 though.

2 of the largest plants were laying on their sides ontop of the soil.

Since I don't have any PH Down/Up with me now, I gave them some water with a bit of vinegar. I may have used a tad much, as the soil was reading between 5.8ish - 6.5 among the pots. Before giving the vinegar water, I went ahead and watered them for the first time, being careful not to drown them. I'll be buying some PH Down/Up soon along with some nuts, but read vinegar could be used in a pinch.

I'll try and get a few better pictures (sorry about the focus). My guess was a combination of being too water conservative and PH being off. Does anyone else have any ideas?

I'd really feel stupid if I killed a couple plants within the the first 2 weeks.

A couple updates from the first post. It's actually 65F-ish in the evening to about 70-74F-ish with the lights on. The humidity says 55-60% which sounds high (going to search on that). I'm currently on 18/6 on an automated timer.

(Btw, is it just my comp / connection, or does it take a really long time to upload small photos to GC?)

[HATCH]

Look's Good!!!!..........Wish You Luck On Your Grow!!!!!!

We were posting at the same time???........Yo, I'm not a dirt farmer, Put I would say PH is to High, Maybe need to be 5.8 to 6.3??.....Hate to see them yellow so soon, The stress of recovery is going to slow them down...If you haven't added nut's, I just wonder what kind of condition the soil was in at germination???.......Bet You wouldn't be wrong adding some Potassium & Calcium, Like Cal-Mag+

[fooman2002]

Thanks Hatch. I wanted to give soil a shot before trying hydro. I'll see if it goes away in a couple days. I can't pick up nuts until Fri anyway.

It's a bummer that it's going to slow them down. Though, they looked as if they had slowed down the past couple days, compared to the first few days. I was hoping that I would be able to harvest before 8/17. Couple weeks veg, and 10-11 weeks flowering. Still hopeful.

[valleyhempz]

Hey nice set up you got goin, but with cfls most there light is emmited from the sides not the top... so having those reflectors on inhibits the light, its better and nicer to just take them off, and you shouldnt have any nute problem yet and your soil does look a bit barky also get a fan in there if you dont already you wanna simulate wind to strengthen the stems.

[fooman2002]

I don't have time to post any pics, but the 2nd strongest looks a little more shriveled. Checking the PH again resulted in it back up to 6.8-7.2 for each pot.

I forgot I had an errand this morning that'll take my by the hydro store. I'm going to pick up some PH Down (and Up), Perlite, and some Vegging nutes. Going to shoot for 20-20-20 of Foxfarm or something similar. Going to also pick up a smaller fan for a breeze.

I'm going to keep most of the original soil, just mix it into perlite, lower the PH and give a very small dose of some nutes. Maybe 1/8th.

I'm not sure if this will be too much of a shock for them, but the smaller 2 plants are definitely showing signs of some Nute defic. It'd suck for only the strongest plant to survive and it turn out to be a male.

This is the soil I'm currently using: ( http://www.miraclegro-organics.com/pottingmix.htm ). This thread mentions MG Organic needing nutes within the first few weeks: ( http://www.gardenscure.com/420/plant...ting-soil.html ).

@valleyhempz : Yea, it's a bit barky / chunky. When I repot it, I may crumble it up a bit more.

[fooman2002]

So I picked up some perlite, PH Up/Down, a liquid PH tester, and some FoxFarm Grow Big. But I forgot the fan.

I repotted 50/50, watered again with lowered PH. And added an 1/8 tsp of the nutes.

My guess is that they'll be overwatered (as I watered yesterday), but hopefully they won't be in shock too long.

Comparing the soil PH tester to the liquid PH tester (of the runoff) was interesting. Soil said I was little under 7.0, prob around 6.8. Runoff said I was right on 6. I may use the liquid tester more often from now on. I may also need to poke a few more holes in 2 of the pots. One was leaking out, while the other 2 didn't leak at all. Though I'm sure I put about the same amount of water in them.

Two things I noticed while repotting:

1. Much lighter with the perlite. Didn't register how much heavier watered soil would be compared to the 50/50.
2. The waterlogged soil was pretty tough to run my fingers through. I'm thinking the roots have had a pretty hard time wiggling through.

I'm hoping this'll do the trick. I'll upload some updated photos in a few days with the results.

good luck fella, hope your babies pull through!

[valleyhempz]

good plan with perlite but id say hold off the nutes your plants are still seedlings they shouldnt need nutes.

[fooman2002]

Here's a few better shots of what I am seeing. Sorry about the focus, the digital camera isn't that great on these close ups.

The first three shots are of the 2nd strongest, and the last 2 of the weakest. You can see the curling in both, but a lot worse in the second. I was assuming the browning was nutes and curling a combo of nutes and underwatering? But I'm not positive. (Again, still first grow)

Do you guys think they would have recovered with just the switch to 50/50 perlite and lowering the PH?

Again, I only gave them 1/8 (per gallon) serving. Do you think they'll get over-nuted / burned by it?

[valleyhempz]

they look pretty fryed so just no more nutes and hope for the best in the next few days.

[fooman2002]

they look pretty fryed so just no more nutes and hope for the best in the next few days.

These happened before I gave the nutes, and this is the first time I've given them nutes. Are you thinking they are nute burned, and not nute deficient?

[valleyhempz]

maybe the light is burning them get rid of those relfectors they cause heat to build up and most light from cfls comes out of the side, and move the lights up so there 5-6 inches away, hard to say whats killing them keep your temps around 75 to 79 at the highest. and just give straight water i dunno what else to say...

[fooman2002]

So I'm thinking the weakest 2 are dead.

Not sure though. The stronger of the 2 in the photos above took a pretty bad turn for the worse. It's become a lot more brown, curled, and the 2 leaves are laying down. The other seedling, has had no change at all. They both still have touches of green in their leaves, but it's probably 60-70% brown. They haven't fallen off, but they feel pretty brittle. The disheartening part is the new growth areas, the little spikes of new leaves, are brown and curled. I'm really hoping their growth has just stalled almost entirely, but I'm thinking they're too far gone.

I'm going to leave them in the pots a bit longer to see if they miraculously revive, but I'm not holding my breath. Any ideas on when to call it? I understand plants need leaves for photosynthesis, but I'm curious if seedlings can sprout new leaves if their first ones die off. They're still standing upright, and haven't laid down yet.

Good news though, the last one is looking great, and growing strong. I may germinate a few bag seed and plant them along with it though. It would really stink to wait another few weeks only to find out it's a male. At least this way, with a few more beans in the soil, I have a greater chance of a female, even if it's not the strain I was originally looking for.

I'm glad these were the free seeds that came with my purchase, and I didn't chance my noob skills against the survival of the Ice seeds I bought.

I'll try and upload new pics soon.

[fooman2002]

Just a short update. I watered all three, mainly because the biggest one (prob the last alive) told me she (I hope) needed some. So that puts me a week between waterings.

The soil is still a bit damp at the first knuckle, but I assume it's a lot dryer around the roots. They're in 1 gallon pots.

Still no change on the other 2. Thinking they're a lost cause. Should be updating some pics soon.