Okay just started the brave adventure of growing. Here is my first plant ever. It's in coco coir and perlite mix (50-50 mix). If you have a sec please let me know if I'm doing this right. WATERING: I've been checking it every morning by placing my index finger about 1/4 of the inch down into the soil. If it's damp. I leave it alone. If it's really dry I add some water. I checked the PH of my water and it's 7 out of the tap. So I got some PH down and brought my PH down to 6 and I water the plant with that when it's dry. LIGHT: I am about to go out and get a light today from the hydropontics store. In the meantime I've been using good ol' fashioned sunlight. I welcome anyone's suggestion as to what kind've lamp or CFL I shuold get with 1 plant. TEMP: Temp in my apartment is around 70 degrees F. HUMIDITY: Humidity in my apartment is around 40% GAMEPLAN: The plant has been in the Coco-coir and perlite mix for about a week now. I was planning on giving it another week in the coco-coir and perlite mix and then replanting it in a Fox Form ocean forrest soil. not sure if I should add any nutrients now or later. If later...not sure how much. I bought the Fox Farm trio of GROW BIG, TIGER BIG BLOOM, LIQUID PLANT FOOD. Not sure when to use it. Anyway...that's my gameplan. I really welcome anyone's suggestions. -JM
I personally wouldnt feed it til its on its 2 nd or 3rd set of leaves. I would invest in a 150watt hps light... if you have the money a hps/mh switchable would be best. For pretty cheap you can get a hps. You can veg and flower under it.
okay. so keep it in the coco-coir and perlite mix until it's on it's 2nd or 3rd set of leaves. Then transplant it to the Fox farm Ocean floor soil. And that's when I add nutrients, right? money is a little tight right now so I can't go too overboard. I'll check out some cheap options for a HPS light thought. Thank you for your insight.
Lamp is only around $70 and I'm seeing the reviews say it doesn't really add to your electric bill (which is clutch). I know this sounds like a silly question but, how would I hang it? I don't really have anything in my apartment for the two ends to latch onto.
Its not heavy at all like a closet rack or an adjustable shower rod, i have lights hung on metal bars setting on top of 2x4s screwed into wall studs LOL. My very first light was a light very similar to the one i listed now i have a total of 8 lights 3 are 1000 watt switchable. That little light will bring results... Happy Growing
If you can use the sun, you might as well and use that. Gonna be stronger than any light your gonna buy.. I'd go for MH/HPS. As most people use that. Or LED's but i'm not sure how well those work (My friend grew a seed under 300watt led, mine looks bigger and he had a few weeks on me.) I'm using cfl's, cheap and easy. Since it's your first I'd start cheap, but whatever floats your boat
First time grower here too. Looks like we may be on the same schedule..... looks good so far!! Mine are under a T5 4' 4tube hanging in the closet(Nursery). Plan is to transplant to their final home in a few weeks where they will sit and veg for a few more then off to the tent. Good luck!!
Can you upload a quick pic of that? It would help tremendously seeing how you set it up. thanks for the help man. appreciate it
thanks for the pics. You really have a great set up aaron782us. Problem for me is that I don't really have any place to hang a grow light. I'd have to nail something in like you and I can't really do that because I rent. But I'm gonna get some clamp lamps and CFLs and hopefully that should do the trick. I'm going to start putting it on a 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness schedule as soon as it gets more leaves. Right now (as you can see from above it only has 4 leaves and it's super young). QUICK QUESTION: how often should I water my plant (it's in Coco-coir and perlite mix)? My PH is 7 but, I got a PH down and was able to bring it down to a 5.5PH which as I understand is perfect for coco-coir and perlite mix). Thanks so much
I do my waterings by feel just lift the pot youll get an idea after a few times. Real light needs water. Keep it simple dont stress. I would 18/6 it for a few weeks let it get some branches going. Then throw it to flower.
Ohh ya some random knowledge for ya.... The first set of round leaves that are on a new sprout are called Cotyledons. Not really considered a leave they fall off soon.... Happy Growing
okay. so taking your advice aaron I'm gonna put it on light for 18 hours and darkness for 6 hours to help build some branches and get it going. As for Nutrition. I bought this stuff: Right now with my plant in a Coco coir mix and looking like this: When should I add the nutriets to the water when I'm watering them. PS - you're right. I could feel right away when I lifted the pot today and it was light. I knew it needed some water. Thanks for the solid advice
okay...just a quick update here's the latest pic of my first plant. got 2 new leaves sprouting. It's coming along. I'm using coco-coir/ perlite mix and haven't added any nutrition yet. And I'm watering with CVS distilled water whenever the top of the soil is dry. And I just got a clamp lamp. So I'm keeping it on 18 hours of light. and 6 hours of pure darkness (I just throw it in a empty cabinet at night before I go to bed). Here's my set up. Welcome anyone's thoughts:
she is really coming along as per my readings on this forum, now that it has 4 leaves I'm going to transplant it from where it is now: a coco-coir/perlite mix to a fox farm soil mix. Any advice on actually transplanting it? I mean I want to be delicate...so what I was thinking was I would gently dump the plant into a big pale. then gently go through the mix to get the plant. Pick it up with tweezers and transplant it into damp Fox farm soil. That sound right? Welcome anyone's thoughts. Here's a pic of baby girl by the way: