RD's First Indoor Grow Journal - 150W HPS - G13 Labs Diesel

Alright folks. This is my first grow journal. I don't have a ton of equipment and such but I have found that what I do have has been enough to produce what I need for myself. My last grow was a hydroponic grow, which I found to be a bit more difficult than I wanted.... I may have made it more difficult than it should have been, but in any case I decided to go with a "soil" mixture this time.

For the soil I am using a perlite, vermiculite, peat moss mixture. I just kind of went by the feel of it so I do not know the mixture I used.

For lighting I just have one 150W HPS fixture. I know I really should have more light but this is currently all I have. If I make sure to adjust the pot and lights frequently I have found that this amount of light is enough to suit me. I may not have the largest possible yield but like I said, it's enough for me, So don't bash me using a 150W, I already know I could use a lot more.

The only other equipment I am using is a small desktop fan for now...

I have not ever tested my water... I know I really should, but I have never had any problems before, so I just use it from the tap as is... For feeding?? and suggestions?? I still have quite a bit of the General Hydroponics Flora Series (Grow, Micro, Bloom) Any suggestions on a mixture ratio that I can use to feed with that into the soil mixture I currently have? I have just been strictly watering for now.

Any comments, questions, or suggestions... Feel free. I am definitely no pro at this, just a guy who loves his plants

Oh this guy sprouted about 10 days ago. Sorry for the picture quality. My camera sucks.

Not much to report as of yet. I took some new pictures, not a whole lot to see. I've got a second set of leaves at this point.....Just waiting....

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DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE A TERRIBLE FUCKING TIME UPLOADING PICTURES. THIS SHIT IS PISSING ME OFF.

Ok, so if I can ever get the pictures to upload I will be posting new pictures later....

If you do it on here, it works best only doing like 3 at a time. I opened a photobucket account and load them off that. A whole lot easier.

Thanks LoudPack. I have decided to take your advice and just get a photobucket account. Sorry I know that is not as convenient as having the pictures right on here, but there really isn't much else I can do. I have tried using Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera and none of them make a difference. I get "The connection has timed out. The server at forum.grasscity.com is taking too long to respond." Or If I can get the attachment loader thing to come up it always fails to upload. Anyhow, long story short I most likely will not be uploading pictures to this site anymore. I will post links to my photobucket and you can see the pictures there.

Ok, moving on to the important stuff. Not a whole lot is happening yet. Got another set of leaves and you probably cant tell from the picture but the third set is starting to come out as well.

I have some bad looking spots on the first to leaves, and they are starting to curl. I think what happened is that I had some water droplets that got left on them and the light fried it. If you think it's something else let me know. Also....

FEEDING!! It's going to be time to start feeding soon and I'm still not positive on how to go about that. As I mentioned before I have the GH Flora series (grow, micro, bloom) left over from my last hydroponic grow and if possible I would like to use that. If anyone has any suggestions on how to mix that up I would appreciate it.

Pictures:

Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket

Also, what do you guys think... Small for 14 days since she sprouted?

Here is yesterdays order from the Attitude Seed Bank. I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about this place, but it is the only place I use. They always have freebie's (I only paid for the white skunk seeds in this order, the other 4 were free! ) and every seed I have ever got from them thus far has germinated. I do highly recommend them to anyone looking for a good place to get seeds at a relatively reasonable price. They also have stealth shipping options and will put the seeds in with other products if you want.... overall A+ for Attitude

Anyhow here what I ordered! Plan to see these hopefully soon.


10 White Label White Skunk

1 Dinafem Seeds Powerkush Feminized

1 Green House Seeds Bubba Kush Feminized

1 Green House Seeds Kings Kush Feminized

1 Green House Seeds Super Lemon Haze Feminized

Grand Total - $35.89

I also have a Lemon Skunk seed left here that I want to do soon

Well folks... Still not much happening. She is still tiny after 19 days!! If anyone knows why please let me know.

I started feeding yesterday. I mixed up a 3/4 of a gallon of water and 7.5 ml. of each part of the GH nutes (grow, micro, bloom). As per recommended by the GH website. I then fed one cup to the plant. This is full strength. I guess we will see if it is too much for it, but I think it will be fine....hopefully.

I have noted a little growth since yesterday so maybe I just needed to start feeding since i am using a soil mixture that really has no nutrients in it? (vermiculite, perlite, peat moss)

Anyhow, I've got a few new pictures. If anyone has any thoughts, suggestions, or comments..... Please let me know...

Pictures:

Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket

Edited by rdiehl6690, 11 February 2010 - 06:00 PM.

Well folks... Still not much happening. She is still tiny after 19 days!! If anyone knows why please let me know.

I started feeding yesterday. I mixed up a 3/4 of a gallon of water and 7.5 ml. of each part of the GH nutes (grow, micro, bloom). As per recommended by the GH website. I then fed one cup to the plant. This is full strength. I guess we will see if it is too much for it, but I think it will be fine....hopefully.

I have noted a little growth since yesterday so maybe I just needed to start feeding since i am using a soil mixture that really has no nutrients in it? (vermiculite, perlite, peat moss)

Anyhow, I've got a few new pictures. If anyone has any thoughts, suggestions, or comments..... Please let me know...

Pictures:

Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket

To me, this makes sense: I have noted a little growth since yesterday so maybe I just needed to start feeding since i am using a soil mixture that really has no nutrients in it? (vermiculite, perlite, peat moss)

I mean, as soon as you give a plant something to use for growth, it makes sense that they'd respond.

That said, it might also be a little psychological trickery.

You've been looking for growth and you found it, but it might just be because it was about to grow right then too. I wish I could help more, but I've never used that nute lineup, so I have no idea how that reacts. I'm an Advanced Nutrients kind of guy.

Also, I haven't used this grow setup yet (though you have me intrigued)...

Sad enough, I've also learned a lot about how to finally put up photos, so that's pretty cool LOL - I always gave up when I was uploading because it's such a pain in the a**

Thanks growmo26. I'm glad SOMEONE is seeing this lol. I appreciate the feedback.

And yeah, I think that it may have just been that I waited too long to feed and she couldn't pull any nutes out of the soil I'm using because, well, there isn't any nutes in there, lol. And I think she was too big to keep bulking up on just water.... So I'll just have to wait and see how she responds to it. She may just be a little slow, but hopefully she'll make me a little slow when I smoke her, HAHA

FINALLY!!! Some NOTICEABLE growth. Still looking small, but healthy, so I guess I can't complain there. I guess she is just going to be a late bloomer, but I've got time : )

Pictures :
Click Here

This is the first time I have really used my camera this much and for capturing detail, so my pictures are progressively getting better as I figure out how to use different features. Bare with me folks.

Hey guys. I have been really looking into and researching going the 12/12 from seed method... I only have a limited space, and one light. So I can't really have a veg and flower room. I would like to have some type of perpetual, or, semi-perpetual harvest and it looks like this would be the best way to go.

I plan to take clones from the single plant I have growing now when it gets closer to flowering time and then flower the clones along with the mother as soon as the clones are rooted. I also plan to start some more seeds soon and put them in with the others on a 12/12 cycle from seed. This way I can keep that cycle going... I'll take clones from the next seeds and put them straight to flower while I start more seeds....

It's a shame that I cant keep a mother plant, and I really didn't know that you could do a 12/12 from seed grow... I have wanted to take clones but I had no place to put them where they would have constant light...

So, does this sound like a good plan?? I am just trying to come up with a new strategy rather than just doing a few plants at a time and having to wait all that time for them to be ready.

If anyone has any opinions on 12/12 from seed let me know. Especially if you have grown this way. What was your experience, and would you recommend that I go this route??

Any response is appreciated THANKS!

The reason its so small and not really growing is because of the 150w HPS

If you want some growth you need to get a MH bulb.

You need a good metal halide bulb to grow a nice vegging.
Your HPS will work wonders for the flowering stage.

But invest in the MH bulb. and you will have AMAZING plant growth.

I know I really should have more light but this is currently all I have. If I make sure to adjust the pot and lights frequently I have found that this amount of light is enough to suit me. I may not have the largest possible yield but like I said, it's enough for me, So don't bash me using a 150W, I already know I could use a lot more.

^^^ That being said she is starting to take off now, and I found that the problem was that I waited to long to feed. With a soiless mixture the plant how no way of drawing any nutes and just couldn't really get any bigger on water alone, as soon as I fed I noticed growth by the next day. I have used this light before to grow monsters. I just keep then trimmed to the minimum, rotate a lot, and keep the light super close to the plant.

But thanks for the suggestion. I wish I had the money to get another light at the moment, but I am currently laid off and poor lol. I made due

Ok, Time for another update. I'm surprised how much growth there has been since Friday! She looks super happy and healthy. And I'm super excited. Just feeding and watering as needed and waiting.

Thanks to everyone who has been sending me messages and posting on here. I really appreciate the feedback and questions. Keep them coming!

I've also attached some pictures of my grow room

So here at the pictures

Grow room completely closed


Partially open


Almost there


Fully Open


Picture of the lady

My plant still seems tiiiiinnny. It's been 24 days!! It still looks like a seedling. I haven't had plants that have taken this long before. Does anyone how any opinion? She looks perfectly happy and healthy, but terribly small.

Time for another update. More growth, still seems slow to me It's been 29 days today. Anyhow, still looking pretty healthy. Let me know what you think?!

Pictures:

This is how close I keep my light! 150W HPS (never underestimate how big a difference keeping the light just a few inches closer can make.)



Small??

Update:

I have come up with a few reasons for the small stature of my plant.

1.) Without thinking about in in the beginning I started the seed in this big bucket... so now all I am getting is root growth until it fills up the bucket. Wouldn't be an issue if it was outside, but this is very loose airy soil...

2.) Possibility of a ph problem. I have never tested my water as I said before, it is possible that the ph is off.

3.)Maybe in conjunction with the other issues she is just a runt...

In any case, I started a white skunk and a lemon skunk seed yesterday. So look forward to seeing those soon.

Alright, new pictures. Day 32 - still small

Ok, New plant. White Skunk, Day 1. I think that I will start another journal for this one, but I'll still put updates in here once in a while

Its healthy dude. Most plant jump once you flower them anyways. Like you said the smaller cup start will help the white skunk. Just make sure you wait a while between waterings. I also dont know how powerful that fan is, but it looks like it blows pretty good. I like mine at a gentle breeze.

It doesnt hurt to check your run off though but you look safe to me.