1st CFL Grow Journal

[Nyax]

75$ thats mighty cheap! It's true going from seed allows you more variety, but with cloning, allows faster harvest and is more reliable. If I had a good supply of cheap seeds, I'd try a few strains and then clone the best one.

[bird_d69]

Light leaksd are almost all taken care of. The traps juat need some flat black paint.

The growth overall growth for these plants seems rather stunted in comparison to others. Gonna have to wait a few more days to tell for sure, I guess.

[bird_d69]

So I got home today and 2/3 seedlings are doing amazingly, even the runt is lookin better. However, the oldest has some deformaties. The first set of leaves went verry round, and verry long. Now they're turning yellow. I have the heat under controll now. just under 88F.

I'll post pics once they perk up from their soaking.
(plus i'm recharging my camera batteries.)

[bird_d69]

Here is the sick Seedling.

[bird_d69]

I took the fan I was using and mounted it to the back upper wall for exhaust. I also added my higher powered cfls again. Hopefully temps are better now.

I used pvc electrical tape to make a collar to prevent the fan from recirculating it's own exhaust, then I caulked it all nice and tight to maximize air flow.

[bird_d69]

Temps are now stable at 81F, even with the higher powered bulbs installed.

The weaker seedling has not grown much, and it's counterpart from the same bag of soil is stunted as well. Thankfully I planted one from a different bag of soil. It is thriving very well. There is less biomatter in the "good" soil, and a high presence of vermiculite.

Debating wether or not to cull the weaker seedlings. I'm just not that ready to lessen my female possibilities. Not yet anyways.

[bird_d69]

Well I've got one good one going and one that is just crappy. Only keeping the bad one as a safety plant. The good one is 2 inches tall by 5 inches wide. Very nice bright deep green rounded leaves. Growing the fourth set of vertical leaves with seccondary leaves growing at the lover nodes too.

If that little burn victim isn't thriving by the time I get arround to finding the spare money for more good quality seeds, I'm just gonna chuck it and lay my blueberry strain's luck down to the one plant.


I Think I'm gonna use this as my mother cab. I'm slowly gathering plans and ideas to flower SOG in a nice concealed place. 8 2l soda bottles DrBGrn style.

Any Ideas Welcome.

[bird_d69]

I just saw the coolest DIY BUBBLE CLONER on here. I also found many closer attempts. but this guy was smarter. I'm putting together a bubble cloner myself, but very very small in comparison.

I think It's time to realize that this is only going to be my Mother Cab. But oh wat a pretty cabinet to diplay in your living room. Nobody would guess it once i'm done with it.

Now the question remains, Continue on with hydro or soil? I know both ways would be a simple 6 or 8 clones to flower in their own cab. If I go soil I'd be using Drbgrns method for sure. he's the man.

The question is, If this guy can flower in 1 - 1.5L soda bottles, I should be able to make two, 3 or 4 chambered bubble buckets. Hmm. . . or mabey a small stout 6 chamber bubbler.

And I'm so inspired by this energy saving grow system with cfls. I'm going to be growing my complete own supply of pot, all for less energy than a 25 gallon auqarium.

[bird_d69]

I found the perfect ehaust fan lying arround my house yesterday.
There was this old compact space heater, Remeber I'm Canadain, this thing moves a lot of air. While servicing the heating element I noticed the little plastic sticker on the plastic fan, "120v x ......" Oh man. I immediately removed the fan I was using. Wired the new fan to an old power cord and as soon as I flipped on the new one the difference was evident. WOW. Plus now I can run that little fan back near the bottom.

Plus I found the perfect size roasting pan. Now I'm using it as a reflector hood.

And finally I went out to find some of that foam stick on door strips. Alas August seems top ba a bad month for finding them. I ended up picking up 2 sheets of black foam craft mats for $.80 each and a little contact cement from the local DollarRama. Making my own over the week.

I also switched to 18/6 last night.

[bird_d69]

I've made my decision to flower with hydro clones. I spent the day gethering and preparin' meterials.

I'm gonna go for 5 clones in a 15 gallon rubbermaid tub. Today I made 5, 4 inch net pots out of plastic pots with MANY, MANY holes drilled out. 4 square near the corners, and a round pot for the middle. I've also already cut holes for all five, and covered the top with reflective tape.

Shopping List Remaining:

- 2 Air Pumps
- 2 large air stones
- 6 ft air tubing
- 2 T fittings
- small zip ties
- Aquarium Gravel
- Glass Marbles
- flower CFL's
- Duplicate Light Fixture To Mother Cab.
- Light Timer
- Power Strip
- Fan
- Exhaust & Odour Filter
- NUTES.

I'll be cloning in a DIY bubble cloner, probobly spots for 8 clones and pick the best 5 for flowering. Hopefully the bubble cloner will be made big enough to vegg the chosen ones enough to induce good flowers.

Now that I have the Hydro Tub, I can start scavenging for an appropriate sized cab.

Also since this tub is Big in comparison to most... Thinking about Aquaponics.
I still want a seccond strain. So It will still be months before I use this

[bird_d69]

It's garbage day tomorrow. So I went out on my bike tonight to scope out "treasures". I found a wardrobe thats going to be perfect. Just deep enough for my tub with loads of extra room to mount and store various things. 3 ft W x 2 ft D x 5 ft T.

[bird_d69]

Hi All ... Lots to share. I'll explain the pics in the next post. I'm not to good at integrating.

[bird_d69]

First off we have a shot as you just open the cab.
Then the little gal.
Next an Ivy I enjoy and behind it a fuscia cutting I did ages ago but just took recently.
Then we move onto looking at the $1 reflector setup.
A tissue box is all I'm using to raise the fan.
Then to the rear. My powerstrip, timer & Glade.
And a dark rear shot to see the intake holes.
Thats my temperature probe in the last shot. It even communicates with my alarm clock to give me real time info.

[bird_d69]

Well today I pruned the lowest shoots and fan leaves. I noticed the lower portion of the plant was being restricted by the pot diameter. Now those newer shoots have the energy and space to over grow the pot brim and not be forced down.

I am impressed the internodal spading was all less than 1cm. If i was ready I could have had 3 viable clones.

To all you CFL naysayers.

[bird_d69]

Well the flower cab isn't ready yet and I'm ancious. Three days ago I switched bulbs and went to 12/12. No male signs yet. Hopefully I'll have some bud for my birthday in a month, proboly not though...