super stealth stereo cab microgrow w/ PICS **MOD:please move to "grow journals"

[joephysics]

here it is, my second grow after an embarrassingly naive first attempt 2 years ago under my bed while i was still in high school -- i shared it with GC back when: http://forum.grasscity.com/grow-room-design-setup/192217-super-stealth-under-bed-grow-just-finished-lots-pictures.html#post2046315

this time it's the same basic concept: ultra cheap & super stealth:



i started with 2 plants in identical containers, but one of em didn't even make it past the seedling stage. rather than replant and stagger the schedules, i just moved the one that made it to the center of the cab. really ever since the second week or so, the oldest growth on the one you're seeing now began discoloring and eventually going almost white, though i cut those leaf sets off weeks ago. also, the leaves of new growth began curling up on the tips & becoming very brittle, turning brownish-yellow. growth has been incredibly slow lately... it's probably totally root-bound by now. stems are also redish-purple. i do apologize for the poor quality of the pictures:











...these were taken yesterday -- they look even worse today
i have since moved the lighting rig further from the plants as well.

i assumed nutrient deficiencies across the board by last friday, as i had yet to do any kind of feeding... i'll describe some changes i made towards the end of the following specifications:
- MG organic potting mix (no time-release ferts)
- germinated bagseed from mids in paper towels
- about 4 to 5 weeks old (i know i should have an exact date...)
- adjustable 104w PVC fixture w/ four 26 true watt CFLs at 6500k
- a distance of about 1 1/2 - 3 inches from the lights
- haven't tested the pH of the soil... don't have $ for tests
- also no temperatures... though i imagine the ventilation system is sufficient. i've got 2 pc fans w/ intake & outtake running nonstop. when i put my hand in there, the hottest it's ever felt was maybe high 70s/very low 80s. no idea about humidity
- less than great LST attempt on my part... should have done a bit more research before starting. i used unsugared, waxed floss to tie stem sections to mounts on all four corners of the container (so trashy, i know).
-the grow container is transparent tupperware duck-taped black. see pictures for scale.
- i watered every other day w/ pH balanced public tap water until last friday when problems began to flare up (can't remember the exact # for the tap's pH, but i've tested it & it was very reasonable). i have since added 1/2 tablespoon of USDA certified organic un-sulfured molasses & just a drop of vanilla extract per 2 liters of water (i know it's way early but i wanted to experiment).
- i read that when cannabis starts yellowing it sometimes means it's screaming for food. about the same time i began watering with molasses i also dropped a bit of ferts i got from a friend (17-17-17) evenly across the soil. the problem existed before this & as far as i can tell the ferts have done nothing; the yellowing/browning/warping/complete whitening of leaves from old growth to young has continued its course. i've done my research & i'm thinking maybe a magnesium deficiency?? i've been watering once daily (at smaller than usual amounts compared to every other day before) with the molasses/vanilla mix.
- i haven't seen any bugs on the plants, but weeks ago when i dug around in the soil a bit i'd see tiny, tiny white specks boppin around.
- the light schedule is 18/6 since seed.


i apologize for the novel length... if i'm forgetting anything please let me know. thanks GC.

[KittensOnPCP]

Rather than LST, you should probably top them, and after topping, LST is a lot easier for me. I can't really see much from the pictures, the website you use to host the images doesn't allow me to enlarge the photo, you should try and put the images directly on GC. Yellowing can mean that the plant is hungry, however it can also mean that the plant is being fed too much, just like droop with watering. The reddish-purple stems are natural from nutrients i'm pretty sure. Can you share more info on these ferts you're using? Are they little balls, or is it some kind of powder? If you're strapped for cash, Lowes/Home Depot usually has an okay selection of liquid nutrients that are good for starters, just start with a 1/4 dose. You say the plant may be rootbound, so you should really get a larger pot so she can stretch her roots out. I'll subscribe to this thread and offer help when I can. Sending positive vibes your way.

[joephysics]

Originally Posted by KittensOnPCP

Rather than LST, you should probably top them, and after topping, LST is a lot easier for me. I can't really see much from the pictures, the website you use to host the images doesn't allow me to enlarge the photo, you should try and put the images directly on GC. Yellowing can mean that the plant is hungry, however it can also mean that the plant is being fed too much, just like droop with watering. The reddish-purple stems are natural from nutrients i'm pretty sure. Can you share more info on these ferts you're using? Are they little balls, or is it some kind of powder? If you're strapped for cash, Lowes/Home Depot usually has an okay selection of liquid nutrients that are good for starters, just start with a 1/4 dose. You say the plant may be rootbound, so you should really get a larger pot so she can stretch her roots out. I'll subscribe to this thread and offer help when I can. Sending positive vibes your way.

thanks for the reply! i actually topped a couple days ago for the first time, but the stem has yet to split. i'm using ferts i got for free from an ag buddy -- no idea about the brand, but the NPK is 17-17-17. they're little balls, not powder... i was gonna wait until sex is determined to invest in premium ferts.
i picked up some epsom salt today to dilute and spray on leaves... i also ended up getting some bananas
i'll update w/ pics when i get my hands on a decent digital camera (how do you get pics directly on GC? i can't upload to the photo gallery, it's slow as hell & the loading bar freezes. any way to embed full size?)

[KittensOnPCP]

I've never uploaded to GC, I used to use imageshack, hopefully someone else can shed some light. You said you topped, but the stem hasn't split yet, not sure what that means. When you top, you just stop the growth on the one main branch, and cause the two lower nodes to grow out into two tops, rather than the one (Like a Y rather than just going straight up). Those little balls you're using are probably osmocote (We used to use those in my Greenhouse class while I was in High School), they worked well for those plants, but remember - they are time-released ferts. I hope those bananas work out!

[joephysics]

Originally Posted by KittensOnPCP

I've never uploaded to GC, I used to use imageshack, hopefully someone else can shed some light. You said you topped, but the stem hasn't split yet, not sure what that means. When you top, you just stop the growth on the one main branch, and cause the two lower nodes to grow out into two tops, rather than the one (Like a Y rather than just going straight up). Those little balls you're using are probably osmocote (We used to use those in my Greenhouse class while I was in High School), they worked well for those plants, but remember - they are time-released ferts. I hope those bananas work out!

the process as you described it is what i did. i just looked closely & can see the two nodes popping up.