1st CFL Grow Journal

[bird_d69]

Hi there. It's my first grow and I decided to grow from almost 100% recycled materials, and seed bank seeds in a converted cabinet. I started preparing a few weeks ago. I'm only growing to supply myself and as gifts to close family. So a big yeild is important, but not stressed. Any input is welcome...

Here are the specs as it stands now. Cabinet dimensions: 12"D x 22"w x 44"T. I've already painted the inside flat white, but am slowly starting to strategically line it with reflective Mylar tape used for A/C and forced air furnaces. In total there is a vertical space of 2.5 ft of vertical vegging room per plant. I know thats more than enough room for an Indica, but is this enough for a good Sativa, or just a waste of time.

Lighting: For vegging I have 6 15w 6700K 900Lum CFLs. Using a three socket chrome vanity fixture, I set three Y socket adaptors to give me 6cfls in the available 18" of space. I'll have the equal amount of 2700K to flower.

Pots: I started things out this this week in Jiffy Pots. I have found the perfect final pots, they are for adult roses, about 3.5 gallons with more drainage than structure. I can fit 3 of these in if i choose, but i believe i will just go with 2 for the first few times around to better use the light.

Does anyone think ventilation is a biggie for this dimension of grow? I've heard that just checking them twice daily will give them the air they need.

Finally the strain is a moderately priced 80% indica. I only hope I get at least one female to clone the next round from.


Sorry Pics to come once things start to break ground.

[bird_d69]

Day three. With constant misting one has broken ground, which gives me great confidence because that was the deepest planted pot. YAY. Planted two more jiffy pots to better my female odds.

[1mapepper]

good luck

[PlumBob90]

Good luck on your grow man,

Its nice to see a fellow newb like me in the arena, lets see some pics soon my friend! Don't be shy about quality. I'm using my crappy camera phone until I can get the cord to my sister's camera. I have a CFL grow going on as well. Check it out and tell me what you think (Link in my Signature).

PlumBob

[bird_d69]

Last night I noticed my Jiffy Pots had roots protruding from the bottom. TIME TO REPOT. These little pots are great just sit them in new soil, no stress. Using 3.5 gallon comercial rose pots. Also I upgraded two of my six lights from the 13w/900L 's to two 40w/2600L 's. The light coil is the size of a good grape fruit. I now need sunglasses to attend my plants. Temps are stadily just below 40 C.

[mels]

Sounds good apart from your temps dude, like down another 20-30 degrees F

[Unclenugs]

whaddup bird! your plan sounds good, and those bigger lights will def. make a difference. I'm currently using 6 23w cfls, and I've had great success with them so far.

if you're worried about height, I would read up on some LST and try to keep your plants no taller than 10 inches before you flower. the 3.5 gallon pots will limit root space and keep your plant smaller, also. this should allow room for the plant to stretch during flowering.

I think that although venetlation is important, if you check your plants once or twice a day, they will have all the fresh air that they need to live. this is not optimal though, and if you can invest in some small fans (or recycle a couple old computer fans) it would help keep you temps down, and be better overall for the plant.

I'm also interested in this being almost all recycled materials, but I see jiffy pots, rose pots, new lights, and stuff like that... I'm just wondering if you could go into a little more detail as to what it is that is recycled...

hope to see some pics soon man, it really helps to have a visual to answer any questions that might come up.

[bird_d69]

Well the rose pots I found on one of my commutes to work, somebody had just planted a rose garden. So I picked up 5, brought them home and chose the best 2. They are really nice greenhouse grade stuff. Next the unit; it was this A/V storage unit i foung while garage sale'ing for my first appartment, $15 five years ago. I could never bring myself to throw it out once it became unnessissary. It has a small stainned glass window at the top. Makes a nice peice of living room furniture. Not out of place a hair, very stealthy I'd say. I started out with a light fixture from a reno and 6 cool whites i already had lying about. and reflective lining? why excess reflective foil A/C or furnace tape. Wired it with a shitty extension cord and TA DAAA.

Basically, the only new purchases were the newer lights, and original seed.

BTW, my jiffy pots are something i had lying about anyways... little 1.5oz compressed peet pots

[bird_d69]

here's a few pics of the simple setup

[bird_d69]

So should I place a fan coming in the wall behind each pot, and one big one near the top back going out?

How can I wire a PC fan? should i just find some 12V adaptor? They're 12V right?

I still need to light proof for flowering. I'm thinking about overlaping the door gaps with wood strips painted flat black where they meet.

[Unclenugs]

Originally Posted by bird_d69

So should I place a fan coming in the wall behind each pot, and one big one near the top back going out?

How can I wire a PC fan? should i just find some 12V adaptor? They're 12V right?

I still need to light proof for flowering. I'm thinking about overlaping the door gaps with wood strips painted flat black where they meet.

good stuff man, thats what I like to hear. looks like that cab is perfect for it.

if you make your unit air-tight with some weatherstripping, you can make all the fans you have exhaust, and just have a passive intake at the bottom. remember, hot air rises, so put all the exhaust fans on the top of your cab, and all your passive intakes at the bottom. the weatherstripping will also make your cab light proof (you may still need the overlaping wood)

look on the fan itself, they usually have a voltage and amperage listed on them. then, find yourself an adaptor that has around the same voltage, + or - 1 volt dosn't matter, IMO. then, lets say you have 1 amp fans, and you have a 3 amp adaptor, that means you can run 3 fans off the same adaptor.

if i missed something, let me know, and i'll elaborate, but you seem like a smart guy.

[bird_d69]

Given the size of the chamber, how high should I vegg the plants?

[Unclenugs]

I personally think that a third of the way up is optimal. you veg for a while if you LST them properly to get an even canopy. maybe some others with a little more experience will chime in though.

[bird_d69]

I got to some stonned thinking this morning and I dug out a failed drip irrigator soda thing I tried for my outdoor bonsai. I got to thinking about baking soda Co2 systems.

Does anyone think this could work out well. I know soda bottles can hold nearly 250 psi so I'm safe for there. The Hindenburg dispersed and regulated it's hydrogen gas flow with trays of water, so I figured like a bong. so here it is.

ps: Update Temps: with doors ajar, 82.5 YES

Any Thoughts?

[bird_d69]

I took my bike down to the local salvation army store and got a small metal fan. Good Basic Mechanics. Next I went to the local dollar mart and picked up some stove burner catch plate covers. Vola, reflectors and ventilation for $15. If i ever find a disposible 18" roasting pan i'm gonna use that for sure, but for now, it's workin'.

I need to resize the pics,,,,, more to follow.

Conducting Hindinberg Experiment as I write,,,,, Lookin' Good I'll say