Auto AK47 - CFL Closet Grow - 2nd Attempt

Actually, this is my 3rd attempt, but 2nd with indoors and cfl's (first was outdoors). First 2 grows ended up exactly the same with slow stunted growth after a week or so, and the main factor in that was because i used the same MG Organic Choice Gardening soil for both grows and the pH runoff was a whopping 7.7 and overwatering.

So i went to the local Garden Center and picked up a normal bag of regular potting soil, with no nutes inside. After testing the soil out, the pH runoff was a low 4.8 - 5.0. So i winded up mixing it with the 7.7 pH soil and about 25% perlite. The end runoff came out to be about 6.0. I'm hoping this will climb in the next few waterings.

Temps are anywhere from 74 - 83 F, depending on the weather outside and Humidity has been anywhere from 20% - 50%.

I'm not going to be satisfied until i get atleast one successful grow and i hope some of you can help me out a long the way. A little help can go a looooooong way. Welcome to the grow and hopefully we'll see some bud soon


Here are some pics.

Day 3 (popped out of dirt on 10/2)

 

So far, so good. I think they're coming along nicely. I've been seeing noticeable growth when i check on them in the morning. I hope it keeps up like this. How are they looking ?

I don't think i mentioned it before, but these seeds are feminised (the last 2 from a 5 pack), and i have them on a 20/4 lighting schedule. I ordered a bottle each of pH up and pH down last night from ebay and am gonna wait for that to come to adjust the pH properly before the next watering. I don't think i have to water for another few days anyway. I only watered the soil once in each pot on the 4th. Both with about 30 oz of water each. It was distilled tap water and was about 7.0. I wanted it high, so i can bring the low pH of the soil up a bit (hopefully). Unfortunaltely, there wasn't enough runoff to test it. And after the last two grows, i really didin't want to chance overwatering them again. But next watering, i will make sure there is enough runoff to test it. I'm really curious as well.

Day 5

 

Hey man , welcome aboard I'll definitely be checking your grow out.

 

Buzz hiiii :wave thanks alot i really hope this is the one . and thanks for coming by, nice to see you again

Hey thanks dude. Welcome aboard. Oh awesome, i'll definitely be checking your grow out as well. Yeah, i'll be pretty paranoid this time around once i see things that are wrong, so your help will be much appreciated when the time comes

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I'll be putting up more pics tomorrow morning. There has been lots of growth since the last pics. I see lots of new growth every time i wake up and i actually look forward to it, just to see how much they grew (it's awesome ). They really seem to thrive during the night time. I'm on a 20/4 schedule right now. I wonder if a 18/6 schedule would be better. But i guess why mess with it since they're doing fine. But i AM curious tho

 

Hey thanks dude and congrats on your 1st and good luck on your 2nd. If everything thing goes good, i really want to get a grow tent that is taller and wider than what i have now for future grows. I guess only time will tell.

 

Here is a little picture update. They seem to be doing really good so far. I was contemplating watering them today. It's been 4 days since I 1st watered them, with about 30oz of water each pot. I weighed the pots after i watered them the 1st time and weight was 11.0 lbs and 11.5 lbs (little more soil in pot than the other). When taking the pictures today, i weighed them again and one is 9.0 lbs and the other is 9.5 lbs. The soil is still semi-moist about 1 - 2 inches down. I'll probably wait a day. My pH up/down hasn't come yet either.

Two things i did notice tho. On the smaller one, the leaves seem to be kind of "wrinkled" ? Should this be anything of concern?

And on the bigger one, i see the leaf edge curled up a bit on one of the leaves. I don't think it's from heat stress as it's only about 80 F in there and got a slight breeze blowing on her.


Also, i have 4 "Y" adapters in the box. Which gives me 8 lights. I'm only using 4 of them right now (2 on each plant). Would it be a good idea to add the rest of the lights ? Would it make any difference at this stage ? I know for flowering, i'll be using them all up. All together, I have about about 250W worth (actual watts). But am only using 60W on each plant atm for a total of 120W.


Day 7

 

Hey guys, here is another update.

One of them continues to flourish, while the other is starting to show some bad signs. I watered them for the second time yesterday, both with 30oz each of 6.6 PH'd distilled.

The bigger one, has been going really good, the only thing i notice is the leaf edges curling up a bit on some of the leaves. Can this be from the low humidity ? it ranges anywhere from 20% - 45%. But is usually about 30%.


The other one, some leaves are starting to curl downwards and feel a bit dry when i touch them. I also noticed some light green spots on one of the leaves. I wonder why one is growing like this, and the other is not.. Since they are the same seeds and same soil. The only thing that is different about this one, is that it was the closest to the fan (which doesn't oscillate) and is right in front of the passive intake hole.


Lights: I have a alot more light bulbs that i can add, but they are all 2700k spectrum. One of them is 3500k. Should i add more light, or should i just wait for flowering to use these bulbs ? I should've gotten more 6500k bulbs D:


If anybody has any thoughts, please i would love to hear them.

Here are some pictures

Day 9

Picture 1 - Is how the setup has been the whole time, except that the silver fan was where the other fan was. The silver fan is pretty strong for such a little space.

Picture 3 - You can see the curling up of the leaf margins

Picture 4 - You can see the leaves curling down in this one.

Picture 5 - There are the light green spots

Picture 6 - This is how i have the fans now.

 

Hey thanks for checking in. I actually planted them straight into the 2 Gallon Grow Bags

My temps seem to be fine. Right now it's 75 F in there and RH is only 25%. Temps are usually about 75 F - 80 F now, since the weather has been getting cooler and cooler . Night time it's about 65 F .

 

Another 2 days down and everything seems to be going really good. I'm starting to see secondary growth on both plants Every day i still see noticeable growth and have raised the lights twice already. Probably will need to raise them again tomorrow morning, or maybe even tonight. It's been about 3 days or so since i last watered, but will probably wait another day or two. Soil still is moist a bit down.



Here is a little pic update. How are they coming along ? First 3 are of the big one, Second 3 is the other

Day 11

 

Hey guys, here with another update.

I'm starting to get a little nervous now because the roots are starting to come out of the holes on the bottom of the bigger plant and they are about to come out of the bottom of the other one too. I didn't even think this was going to happen at all, let alone at 13 days I uploaded a few pictures with the roots. My grow box is very limited with space and i have a feeling that the answer is going to be transplanting into something bigger. If anybody has any ideas on what i should do, i'd love to hear them.


Overall, i think they are coming along pretty nicely. The secondary growth is really starting to take off now. It's been 5 days since their last watering so i went ahead and gave the soil a nice soaking today. Also, take a look at the top of the smaller one, is it me, or is there an extra leaf there ? I see three of them, lol. (last 2 pictures)

Day 13

 

Hey, thanks alot dude

Awesome. So what should i do about the roots that are coming out of the holes on the bottom? Should i try and gently stick them back in ? I don't wanna screw them up I mean, if worse comes to worse i CAN use the actual closet instead of the box. But i want to avoid that, since there will be a huge glow coming out of the sides. After this grow, i am without a doubt buying a grow tent, that is bigger than what i have now.