First Ever Grow

Hello Everyone. I've been growing for the first time and just lurking the forums for tips. My grow started March 20th. I germinated about 20 seeds that were collected from bags(I know not the smartest idea, but you'll quickly discover my grow to be as white trash as they come.) The seeds were collected from bags of OG Kush, Sweet Dreams and Triple X. Of the 20 seeds, 17 of them were successful germinated. I bought a seed starter for tomatoes from Wal-mart to get them started without much watering and a single 75 watt fluorescent long bulb. (The grow medium at this time was the soil pellets from in the seed starter kit.) Grow started in my closet in a 4x4 Seedling started with 16 germinated seeds planted.

Below: Seedlings just starting to pop out of soil.




Then before I could realize, they started stretching, fast. I added 3 more 75 watt bulbs and tied together with a shoe-string to solve the issue, but they kept stretching. I realized shortly after that I was not putting the light close enough for fear of burning, but these lights could not burn anything regardless. My seedlings already needed crutches made from pens and bread ties. (Like I said earlier, white trash grow.) At this time I have weeded down to 13 plants which is good because I can legally grow 12. I chose the one that wasn't do as good and killed it.

Edited by Wuggs420, 06 July 2012 - 10:07 AM.

Day 25 (Yes, I too feel the grow is behind and on life support) I re-potted the plants into larger pots. (Unsure of size, quite small I guess.) I started using Miracle Grow nutrients for my vegetative growth. I was informed that the stretching was a combination of too far from light and not enough wind to keep the stems strong so I added a little fan to the grow. (No hating, I was learning as I went.)

Unsatisfied with how they were going after re-pot, I was ballsy and decided to uproot them, and bury the stems to make them all the same height.

Feel free to make comments or ask any questions =)

Day 30 - (Which happened to be on 4/20) Plants seem to be doing better. So far so good with burying stems.) Grow was moved from closet to under my computer desk. Added another, much larger fan.



Day 38 - I think they are finally on the right track... Opening up to light and finally getting bushier.


Feel free to make comments or ask any questions =)

Day 39 - Plants have become a burden to water in current location under desk. Friend loaned me a light to use to better cover grow. A long florescent hood with 4 bulbs. Unsure of wattage. Moved plants to kitchen under table.





The next morning, I found the plants did not like being moved from my room to the kitchen table. (Drooped bad.) I quickly figure out the problem was too much heat getting trapped in there so I moved the grow back to my room. (Waste of time putting in kitchen.)
Below: Plants droopy and sad because too much heat.

Back in room with new hood and cans of food holding up platform. (White Trash?)

The plants are currently in flowering stage, I am still posting more pics at work. I get off soon so I will update this some more when I get back to work. (Feel free to leave feedback.)
Thanks,
Wuggs420

Day 44 - Plants are making a recovery and starting to grow again.



Day 53 - Definite progress. Plants have had very stressful environments throughout grow. 'Lucky' here had cell phone dropped on him about a week ago and now he's dwarfing. Hope he comes back I topped hulk and fern as they were growing too much faster than the others. About 15 nodes.


Feel free to make comments or ask any questions =)

Edited by Wuggs420, 07 July 2012 - 12:16 PM.

how far along are they now?

They are early flowering in 12 12 and estimated harvast date per the strains flowering of 53 days/ they will be harvastable august 15th. I cant wait theyre doing so good. 2 ft tall indoor indicas.

That's how mine were. About 22 inches when I put my indicas into flowering. They're now 2 weeks away from harvesting, and about 3 feet tall. You seem like you're an attentive grower, and able to correctly spot your errors quickly. That's a good skill to have, as I've learned the hard way myself. I just wish I had the room to grow as many plants as you!

Awesome job for your first time.

Thank you both. Ill be adding more tonight. Took some fresh pics today so I'm going to try to get caught up to current status

Day 75 - Grow is in my bedroom and half in the closet. Removed the Canned vegetables for stilts as they are finally reaching light.

Day 80 - Bushing pretty heavy =) Excited. Ignore the bum sleeping on the floor. Added a couple of cans to raise the pots height on a few that fell behind. Cut off bottom 4-5 nodes on each plant to promote stronger top canvas growth during flowering. Also makes them easier to water.

Edited by Wuggs420, 07 July 2012 - 12:10 PM.

Day 80 Continued. (About 2.5 months into grow so far from planting seeds) My new grow light finally arrived later in the day. 1000 Watt HPS Ballast with bat-wing reflector. No cooling method, sadly enough. Light is going be on 24 hours until I flower.

I was setting this little girl in the sink and I liked the way she was bending so I took a pic =).

Day 81 - Each of the plants is drooping dramatically. They all look so sick =(

Day 82 - Figured i'd show my set up. It's a rental house so I did not mount my light to the ceiling. Yes... That is a broom with the light on it hanging from a hanger in closet and resting on top of ballast box on otherside. (See note pertaining to white trash grow, kthx lol) You can also see my vaporizor there in the back.

Below we see that the plants are starting to do better. Air conditioning in room is on max, but the lights heat output in combination with the warming summer weather is making it unbearable to sleep. I am sure the plants don't like it neither. Watering too often due high temperature and leaves are drooping to try to retain water. Ventilation is an issue that I am having trouble conquering in a rental house. Plants are finally starting to be less ambiguous about sex. Will be removing males very soon.

Day 89 - Male were removed. Females we replanted into bigger pots. I believe they are 5 gallon pales with handles. I drilled 3 holes bottom of each and put them in Wal-Mart bags. Soil swapped from (Miracle grow) to (1/2 organic soil and 1/2 perlite). Stopped giving miracle grow nutrients for vegetative growth. Gave flat water for about a week to flush old nutrients from root mass. They are still looking bad due to heat. I am in hopes that when I switch light cycle that I can control temperature better.


Random picture of my bulb inside the reflector while it is on.

Day 89 - Male were removed. Females we replanted into bigger pots. I believe they are 5 gallon pales with handles. I drilled 3 holes bottom of each and put them in Wal-Mart bags. Soil swapped from (Miracle grow) to (1/2 organic soil and 1/2 perlite). Stopped giving miracle grow nutrients for vegetative growth. Gave flat water for about a week to flush old nutrients from root mass. They are still looking bad due to heat. I am in hopes that when I switch light cycle that I can control temperature better.

Random picture of my bulb inside the reflector while it is on.

When you turn to 12 / 12 try have the light on at night when outdoor and indoor temps are cooler mate, myt help a little. Also try an air cooled hood bro if you got cash, theyre £50 well spent. We're runnin 2 x 1000w in air cooled hoods and we gt temps at 27 - 8 bro

Day 93 - Was going to order some fox farm products at work until I seen price. Will use on later grows, this was just too short notice for my budget and I had to wait for shipping as there are no stores that sell around here. I got miracle grow bloom for 8 bucks at wal-mart. I've been told that it may give bud bad taste but flushing near the end of flowering will diminish this. I've been also told that it doesn't make good buds so we will have to wait and see. I'll prove you all wrong! lol.. xD Plants have started 12/12 light phase.


Day 98 - Below we see plants finally taking to the new grow enviroment and flowering nutrients and are coming back from looking near dead.



Day 102 - Plants are almost all looking green. Only 2 that aren't looking so great are the 2 I topped about a month prior. 1 Of the topped plants (nicknamed hulk by a friend) is actually splitting down the top of stem from the weight of the new 2 top colas. I have wrapped a pipe cleaner around it tightly in hopes to hold it together long enough to bud. Hulk was getting too tall to fast in earlier grow and needed to be topped to not allow light canopy over the other girls. Now hulk is the smallest... The other topped plant (Nicknamed fern by a friend) is in the center of the grow and is producing tiny leaves.

When you turn to 12 / 12 try have the light on at night when outdoor and indoor temps are cooler mate, myt help a little. Also try an air cooled hood bro if you got cash, theyre £50 well spent. We're runnin 2 x 1000w in air cooled hoods and we gt temps at 27 - 8 bro

This is exactly what I did good sir =) I work third shift so light is off and room is pitch dark during the day. I get home at 8 am and have an hour to do what I need in room/ attend to plants. Then when light goes out at 9 am, I go to sleep with plants. AC is on max and keeps room a cool 69 degrees. Light wakes me up at 9 PM. AC stays on max and temp throughout night only tops at like 78 degrees. One day during the 24 hr phase, I woke up to a room that was 98 degrees... never again... lol. I wake up, attend to them, get a shower and head to work. =) Rinse lather and repeat. I do have a question though. How much light is too much during dark hours? I often turn on my cell phone flash light app to use as a light to pack a bong =P... it stays pretty dark and I do have a reflective removable wall that is blocking plants too. (pics to come soon.)

This is exactly what I did good sir =) I work third shift so light is off and room is pitch dark during the day. I get home at 8 am and have an hour to do what I need in room/ attend to plants. Then when light goes out at 9 am, I go to sleep with plants. AC is on max and keeps room a cool 69 degrees. Light wakes me up at 9 PM. AC stays on max and temp throughout night only tops at like 78 degrees. One day during the 24 hr phase, I woke up to a room that was 98 degrees... never again... lol. I wake up, attend to them, get a shower and head to work. =) Rinse lather and repeat. I do have a question though. How much light is too much during dark hours? I often turn on my cell phone flash light app to use as a light to pack a bong =P... it stays pretty dark and I do have a reflective removable wall that is blocking plants too. (pics to come soon.)

Bio-bizz nutes and sum mollasses is a cheap proven set of nutes, organic too bro.
You wanna b really careful,, light leaks cause hermies, specially at your stage now mate. Get a cheap lightfitting or plug in lamp and a green bulb, green light doesnt affect photosynthesis or anythin bud. Dont get me wrong s little is allright, (headlights or lightning if it was outdoors or wild) but with a green bulb you have 24 hour access to your grow room

Edited by automan142, 07 July 2012 - 08:00 AM.

Day - 105 Here is a picture I took of my grow area in the dark immediately after the light went out. (Phone has a good flash, lol) Wanted to avoid the lines in the camera when light is on.


Here is 'Lucky' from earlier. She is no longer the runt, but is actually the tallest, bushiest and healthiest of 8 remaining females.