IslandMon's 1st grow. Early Misty, Fox soil and CFL's

Alright, Time for me to start this journal since I spend all my time on this project now!

Got 10 seeds from amserdamonline(sp), Early Misty, with 10 free winter mix seeds. Dropped 3 misty and 2 mix in water for 24 hours and planted. Only got 3 to germinate, but 1 had to go due to massive stretching issue. Man it was a crazy looking thin ass spaghetti noodle!

So I only have 2 to work with as my space is very limited. Never took measurements but ABOUT 2ft wideX2.5 ft deepX5 foot hi -1foot for big reflector. so only 4-4.5 ft hi.
Currently have 1 150watt CFL 6500K on the top, 1 42 watt CFL 6500k I think that gets moved around the pots, and 1 dual 2foot floro fixture with 1 6500k and 1 2700k, that stands up vertically. Haven't kept all on at all time, YET, it's a wate as the suplimental lights don't get to the plants much...too small still. But I hope the 232watts of light will produce for me. Of course switching to more 2700k spectrum when flower time comes.

This is an interior closet so not a lot of venting going on here(passive door in wall going to bathroom that is cold and drafty with outside air. ( old windows), but I have a fan in there and the temps stay between 68-84...mid 70's when the GF isn't around, whole other story there!

So I vegged these 2 for 2 weeks and was seeing a lot of tip browning and curling down. Went through some PH crash course and got test strips. Had to adjust the water I was using, BUT the runoff was OFF THE CHART acidic. That or the color of the runoff affected the test, but it is a chemical reaction I though...color shouldn't change that, anyway!

Got Foxfarm, Ocean forest yesterday 1/23, transplanted both and had 1 go well and the other go BAD, really really bad. I lost a lot of small roots through the repotting, and you can see the effects.

Appologies for not starting the journal sooner...I can't tell ya'll how much fun this is! I look forward to seeing my ladies (yeah, wishgull thinking on my part, lol) every day and see how much change took place when I was at work.

So I'll post a bunch of pic's here. Feel free to comment, criticize (constructive please, I don't want to be bashed) ask questions!

Pease GC...OOh and before I forget, Chimera, you have jumped on every question I have had so far, can't thank you enough.

Here's the pics
First 4 are in order
1. My little closet setup at the start
2. First sprout ever for me...WooHooo!
3. Big one week old - big is now tiny in comparison to Lil
4. lil one week old

I'm out for now...will continue tomorow, tons more pic's to come.

Morning all!

So after about a week I had noticed the tips of my leaves turning a white color and looking very crusty. The sprouts were stretching a bit too. I was doing my best to keep them close to the light...too close maybe. I think the white tips MAY have been caused from being almost touching the Floro bulb, that or my lack of watering. I was so leary about over watering that I think I let my babies get too dry.

Now the next pics are from 9 days old. You can probably make out the white tips. Lil and Big our my babies names...I know, totally not creative. These were taken under a 400 MH. Only one day of the MH as it was way too hot for my grow area.

These next two shots are just to show you 1 day after the MH was used. I am back to Floro at this point, only 1 day after trying out the MH.HPS system.

Anyway, you can clearly see the tip issue I had early on.

#1 is Lil

#2 is Big

You can also see the stretching I had too...I think that was more to do with starting in large pots then lights being too far away...not 100% sure though.

Next two shots are 1 day after previous pics.

At this point I was not checking PH of my water. I am doing so now. I also had test strip questions that I never got an answer too, but I think I found out on my own.

You can see new growth all over the place at this point. Too bad I was not keeping PH in check...but al least that means I learned something yes!

1 is big

2 is Lil

This will be about a 4 day jump in time. Lil is now bigger then Big. Yeah, this is going to get confusing, lol.

You can see that the new growth is a bit on the light side. I believe do to my PH being very acidic...anyone agree with that?? At this point I was PHing my feed water and did the runoff test. The color was no where to be found on the chart. I have a limited PH, like 5-9, and it was off the low end acidic. This is when I started looking around for Foxfarm products, and PH meters.

Here it is, about 4 days after previous post.

1 is Lil
2 is Big

Both getting lighter green, and all tips are browning and starting to curl down.

The good news is I was able to get some Foxfarm Oceanforest, no PH meter yet, just the test strips, and got some 3 gallon pots to transplant into. The GF is going back today to get some grow big and big bloom...but I won't be adding anything for another couple weeks.

The bad news is I suck at transplanting. I decided to use Big first as that one was smaller weaker looking, so if I lost it I would not be as upset. Well, I lost sooooo many roots. I was trying to be so careful, but then a big ol hunk of soil broke off and took a SH** load of root with it. Oh guess what, I am no less upset about the smaller one looking hurt...I love my babies! LOL So the transplant of Lil went much better. Lil didn't even droop her leaves once...what a tough Lil trooper.


It won't let me re-post pics...I'll come back and try to link them.

Here it is http://forum.grassci...d-one-pics.html

Sorry to link you around...those pics are the day of transplant, plus a shot of Big 10 hours after...not looking to happy losing all those roots.

Last post for now..and this will bring you all up to current date...well current as of this morning, lol!

Big has started on some new growth thankfully, as I though it was a goner for sure. The middle row of leaves pretty much dried up hard. I pinched one of them just to feel if it had any moisture in it, and it crumbled like a potato chip. No being a noob and all I was not sure if the right think to do is leave the dead leaves on, or cut them off...if I cut them off do I take the whole leave, of just the dead part...I didn't know what to do.

So after some debate with the GF, I decided to remove the dead parts of the leaves, nad took an entire leafe off from the stem as it was completely hardened...did I do the right thing here guys???

The first pic is of Big (who is looking smaller and small) after I trimmed off most of the deadness. It looks positively horrible to me...and makes me damn sad at the same time! Although I have not given up onm Big...gave him a pep talk just last night! lol

Second pic is Lil who is looking good to me. These two have been in Ocean forest for only 1 day now. Can't wait to see if it solves my tip browning issue.

Comments, suggestions welcome!!!

I'll be back to update as often as I can.

How come ur the only one who comments on ur page? That's crzy being that there's soo many experts on this site.

Probably because this thread is only 1 day old. I started it yesterday at work, and did all the other posts this morning. I should have started the journal right away, but ooh well!

Glad there is another poster besides me though...thanks Fatt Daddy, but no comment on my progress or disasters????

i am no expert just a new grower but i know from my own grow that tin foil is ok to use but you need to have it smooth or it will put little hot spots and brun your leaves.

Has to be smooth hu!? Interesting. I no longer cover the pots in foil, and I have been slowly taking the foil on the walls and ceiling down, due mostly to heat build up. But that could explain the burnt looking tips I had a week ago.

Good looking out tolhas - would the white side of wrapping paper be a better cheepo choice to use to cover the walls?? How important is the reflected light anyway. I saw a chart about light efficiency (sp) and to me it would seam light that is bounced around the walls is too far from it's sourse and mostly in effective!

So, do I iron out the foil, remove and go to bare walls that are a dark redish/brown, or can I be a cheep and like use the white side of left over Xmas paper?? Does mylar retain heat like the foil does??

looked like you had slight nute burn.

everything looks good so far though, they'll like the FFOF.

you don't need to add nutes for the 3+4weeks.

Since I went to FFOF At 2 weeks, I won't even think about nutes until week 4 or 5. Still wondering if it is better to look for deficencies before nuting, or just go by time?? I would not want to starve them by waiting for deficencies, but also don't want to burn then by nuting too soon!

Only water for the next few weeks, then, with some expert helpers , we can descide when the right time to start nutes! Sound good?

Probably because this thread is only 1 day old. I started it yesterday at work, and did all the other posts this morning. I should have started the journal right away, but ooh well!

Glad there is another poster besides me though...thanks Fatt Daddy, but no comment on my progress or disasters????

Yeah ur welcome man. But I am definately not the one to ask about comments on the disaster and progress. You've got much more experience than me with that. I'm really thinking of growing my own plant, I just don't know much about it. Anyways good job on just doing it & looking good (from a beginners eye).

Since I went to FFOF At 2 weeks, I won't even think about nutes until week 4 or 5. Still wondering if it is better to look for deficencies before nuting, or just go by time?? I would not want to starve them by waiting for deficencies, but also don't want to burn then by nuting too soon!

Only water for the next few weeks, then, with some expert helpers , we can descide when the right time to start nutes! Sound good?

Do you know what you plan on using for flower??

At home I have Foxfarm Grow big, and big bloom. Only other nutes I have are a general Schultz plant food 10-15-10...but I have not used any of these yet.

The biggest thing I am lacking right now is a good PH meter. I am using test strips, and just got a soil PH kit and another liquid dropper PH tester...but from all I read a good digi PH meter is more accurate.

At home I have Foxfarm Grow big, and big bloom. Only other nutes I have are a general Schultz plant food 10-15-10...but I have not used any of these yet.



The biggest thing I am lacking right now is a good PH meter. I am using test strips, and just got a soil PH kit and another liquid dropper PH tester...but from all I read a good digi PH meter is more accurate.

you really have to go crazy to burn them with the foxfarm nutes.. i think you're safe going 1/2 str after a few weeks. I wouldn't wait for a deficiency to start using nutes.
get the digital meter, i just picked one up this week, was the best purchase i made yet. Check the water PH after you add the foxfarm stuff, it lowered my PH quite a bit.

Lookin like you got it in order man.. plants look real nice.

GL!

you really have to go crazy to burn them with the foxfarm nutes.. i think you're safe going 1/2 str after a few weeks. I wouldn't wait for a deficiency to start using nutes.
get the digital meter, i just picked one up this week, was the best purchase i made yet. Check the water PH after you add the foxfarm stuff, it lowered my PH quite a bit.

Lookin like you got it in order man.. plants look real nice.

GL!

yea he would definitely need to measure ph when using foxfarm nutes. I would not recommend test strips, they are way too inacurrate, get a good digi meter before messing with nutes, so u ensure u dont have a lockout from low ph.

Jay - The digi should be in in a day or 2... !

West - thanks, yeah didn't want to starve them, that just can't be good for them . I'll nute in 2 weeks and see how they do.

I'm going to go take some more pic's tonight, hoping Big looks happier...I'll post it in the morning. Thanks again all.

Sup all!?

So I got some PH drops while I wait for the digi meter to arrive..and guess what? The test strips were sooo far off it' sunreal. Strips were telling me my water was almost acidic, the PH drops (suppose to more accurate then strips, according to hydro store guy) said I was almost at PH7.5. Good thing I have a bottle or PH Up and Down. So I had watered 2 days ago, but descided to water again to correct the PH. Checked the runoff PH and it was 6.5, so that put a smile on my face.

So here are ht elittle ones as of yesterday. QUESTION, the sickly looking one, should I be removing more of the dead leaf, or let it do it's own thing? I already took some deadness off a day ago.