Smokey Bear (Auto/fem) Cabinet Cfl Grow (First Time)

Discussion in 'Indoor Grow Journals' started by btownbudz, Sep 16, 2014.

  1. Week - 1
     
    Just starting my first grow with some Freedom Seeds Smokey Bear (auto/fem).  It's going to be a fairly small CFL cabinet grow, completely DIY and as economical as possible. 
     
    I'm sure there will be mistakes and corners cut.  But it's a learning experience, and as much as there is to take in, information, science, rules, etc. etc.  At the end of the day, its a cheeky little weed, so I'll do my best and see how things go.  
     
    Going to try to run this journal off my phone so short and sweet.  Here's where I am so far.  
     
    Seeds: 
    3 x Smokey Bear Auto/Fem - It's a Jack Herer, AK47, Ruderalis cross.  So fingers crossed it'll be a nice 'high high' with that high THC lineage. 
     
    Cabinet: 
    I've just finished building a little cabinet which I'm keeping in the loft. its 60cm square by about 95cm high. 
    I've built it from scratch with a thin wood frame and some light panels painted matte white on the inside. 
     
    Lights: 
    3 x 30w 2700K CFL (Red)
    1 x 30w 6400K CFL (Blue)
     
    I've read so many posts about lights, spectrums, wattages, etc.  In the end I just decided to try this setup out.  I know for germ/veg the blue spectrum is important.  But since Autoflowers seem to be on a race to flower from germ, I figured it's worth a go with the dominant red setup. 
     
    On that note, I've also decided to run 24 hours on for the first 4-5 weeks to give them as much light/energy as possible.  Once they start to flower and resin up, I'll drop the light down gradually to about  18/4 to give them a chance to rest/resin.  Apparently that's a thing, we'll see! 
     
    Growing Medium:
    Again with soil there seems to be a never ending list of magic components you could/should be adding. Sticking to the economics of it all, I've gone with a fairly basic (first time) approach: 
     
    5 parts organic compost (peat free) 
    5 parts perlite
    2 parts fish, bone and blood soil enrichment 
     
    I may end up regretting the peat free compost as the peat is meant to hold moisture/nutrients well.  But again, I'll just have to see how it goes.  I'm a fairly keen beginner gardener, and when making up the mix, I thought it looked like a pretty happy place for a seedling to grow up.  That'll do.  
     
    I'm using three slightly different pots sizes, as that's what I had to use.  The biggest is probably just over a gallon, and the smallest just under.  I made sure to give them all a good clean before planting out. 
     
     
    I germinated the seeds in some wet paper towel, fairly standard, and have just put them in the cabinet in there pots.  All the advice I've seen about Autoflowers is to not interrupt their growth by transplanting, so I've gone straight in to the full sized pots.
     
    I dont have a fan or any odor control just yet, but I'm sure I'll these these sorted in time.  
     
    Photos to come shortly.   Wish me luck!
     


     

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  2. Just went to check on them. You can't see in the photo but the one in the black pot has just sprouted.

    Happy days.
     

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  3. Congrats on the seedling! I too am growing an autoflower, day 10 in soil for me, I agree theres so much to learn, I've witnessed the difference getting a fan sooner than later makes on the plants stem, really strengthens it, good luck on your girls!
     

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