Hey all. My seeds have just started popping up and I'm in the process of starting to move them under a low intensity fluro until they're big enough to take the shiny new HPS One thing that has annoyed me is that the store I bought my CFL bulb from has provided me with a 'soft white' rather than the 'cool white' that I asked for. Not paying attention, I didn't realise this until I'd messed up the packaging/etc so it can't be returned. I DO plan on buying a 'cool white' asap but in the meantime, will it do the plants harm to be under the soft white? Does it do anything for the plants at this stage (a few days past germination)? The other question is on ventilation for my 400 watt HPS. I was originally planning on just using about 3-4 80mm computer case fans to keep air flow going and cool down the light.. However.. After turning on the HPS in our lounge for about 30 mins I thought that this might not be enough. I have an old desk fan I might install in the wardrobe I'm using) Any reccomendations? Will that be enough or should I get even more? *Scared* As an aside..I think I may have made a little of a mistake with my amount of plants. I planted 12 seeds, expecting most to die or not sprout. Most seem to be coming up though. Not sure what I'll do if I end up with 2x the amount of plants I can actually grow
What ever you do, do NOT order from plantlighting.com. I checked for a month or so to find the best deal and they had it. But after I ordered from them, I ordered 1 light system, they sent me 2 lights, charged me for 2 lights and when returning the 2nd light they will NOT refund the money. I've been in discussion w/ them for darn near a year with promisses of next week it will be taken care of. web site is plantlighting.com. their "Real" name is ALADDINS LIGHTS. check out the Better Buisness Bureau home page. they don't look good. Wish I did.
Hi. Thanks for the tip. I ordered my light from http://www.fastlight.co.uk/IP20_L.htm - It came with no plug/lead (easily remedied with a screwdriver) but seemed a pretty decent price for a UK site and did actually arrive in as quick a time as they claimed on the site
HIGH All, it's ok the soft white will do. Ventilation is one of the most important things in your room. You need a good intake fan and a good exhuast fan to suck the stale air out...the bigger the better.
Great. That's exactly what I wanted to hear! I'll probably end up using two room fans. That should give very good airflow I hope. I'm planning on converting another area as a veg-only area (the whole constant harvest strat thing I keep hearing about). Am I correct in thinking that the plants won't become *too* bushy until they hit the flowering stage? I was thinking of going for a smallish area - about 2'x3'x2' in order to store 4-6 plants for the early stages of veging. I'll keep them under fluros whilst in this veg area and move them under the HPS for a week or two of veging followed by the flowering period. So basically.. Clone - Cloning area under the 20w CFL on to.. Veg - Veging area under a couple of fluros whilst the other plants are flowering under the HPS. on to.. Veg - Move from the fluros and put under the HPS for a week or two of veging (until they hit the mythical 12" kind of size). Take clones and put these into the cloning area. on to.. Flower - Leave under HPS but switch to 12/12 light schedule. Clones will be moved to the veging area as soon as they are big enough. How does this sound as a plan? Sorry to keep coming out with all these questions you've no doubt answered a thousand times before but just want to see if this idea is insane or too convoluted. Also worried about the stress of changing to different kinds of lighting... Thanks for all your help
HIGH All, ask away Aekeron...it's why we love coming here. Just don't ask about Black lights *LOL* and then I won't fly O.F.F.F. the handle. Too bushy eh...it will be mostly the strain that will affect you..some are..some aren't..for me the bushier the better..more BUD sites. Looks like you have your priorities right my friend...stress...no you'll be ok putting them in like the way you say. Have Fun..that's what's All about.
Hey again Thanks. That was a very quick and once again very useful reply! No black lights you say? Damn... I could've stolen some from one of the local night clubs.. I see what you're saying about the bush factor. It definately makes sense! My problem is that I'm MUCH shorter on horizontal space than vertical space. I guess I'll just have to try and find a good balance... Or move house I'm growing some NL (seemed a good starter from what people here have said) and some K1 (some random seeds my friend had 'in his pocket' from an old experiment he did with growing). I guess I should have gone for the more indica (is that right, the type that grows taller and has the more 'high' effect than the 'stoned' effect?) type of seed but that's hindsight for you I guess :/ I am enjoying this atm. And despite all the warnings to the contrary, it does seem like I can almost SEE the things growing. I'm watching them like a hawk every couple of hours and can see growth even in that time. Thanks again for the help. I'll set up a grow journal as soon as I've secured my friend's digital camera
HIGH All, Indica the strain that is a shorter and bushier than Sativa which grows taller and takes up to 5 or 6 weeks more 12/12. Here's something I pulled O.F.F.F. the net.. The Differences of Cannabis Indica and Sativa plants. Fat Leaves and Short Bush = INDICA Thin Leaves and Tall Bush = SATIVA Sativas are just about the opposite of Indicas. They are tall, thin plants, with much narrower leaves and grow a lighter green in color. They grow very quickly and can reach heights of 20 feet in a single season. They originally come from Colombia, Mexico, Thailand and Southeast Asia. Once flowering has begun, they can take anywhere from 10 to 16 weeks to fully mature. Flavors range from earthy to sweet and fruity. Sativa's higher THC than CBD equals cerebral, soaring type of high, more energetic which can stimulate brain activity and may produce hallucinations. Sativa plants are taller, take longer to mature, have less chlorophyll and more accessory pigments (accessory pigments protect the plant from excessive sunlight). As Sativa strains have less chlorophyll than Indica they take longer to grow, mature, and require more light. Sativa typically takes longer to germinate and flower also, and grows more gangly then Indica breeds. Yield is usually lower than Indica, but is very potent. Thai Sativa grows taller and has a longer flowering period, so they are better suited for outdoors. Indicas originally come from the hash producing countries of the world like Afghanistan, Morocco, and Tibet. They are short dense plants, with broad leaves and often grow a darker green. After flowering starts they will be mature in 6 to 8 weeks. The buds will be thick and dense, with flavors and aromas ranging from pungent skunk to sweet and fruity. The smoke from an Indica is generally a body type stone, relaxing and laid back. Indica's higher CBD than THC equals a much heavier, sleepy type of high. Indica plants have a heavy, stony high that is relaxing and can help different medical problems. Indica yield is usually higher than Sativa, and shorter growing season. Better for indoor growing, because they don't get as tall. Indica plants are short, bushy, mature early, have more chlorophyll and less accessory pigments (accessory pigments protect the plant from excessive sunlight). As Indica strains have more chlorophyll than sativa they grow and mature faster. Combining different indicas, different sativas or a combination thereof creates hybrids. The resulting hybrid strains will grow, mature and smoke in relationship to the indica/sativa percentages they end up containing. Here is a quote from Hilary Black of the British Columbia Compassion Society: "Indica and Sativa are the two main varieties of the cannabis plant used as medicine. There are many strains that are crosses of those two varieties. Within each of those varieties and crosses there are a huge number of individual strains, each with a different cannabinoid profile and effect. According to anecdotal evidence, the Indica strains are a relaxant, effective for anxiety, pain, nausea, appetite stimulation, sleep, muscle spasms and tremors, among other symptoms. The Sativa strains are more of a stimulant, effective in appetite stimulation, relieving depression, migraines, pain and nausea. We are now aware of specific strains that are effective for specific conditions and symptoms." Hope this helps.
Ahh..I had it the opposite way around in my head i see Thanks for digging that up. It's very interesting as I didn't realise just HOW much higher sativa grew! I guess even with my increased ceiling space, that would be a little much ;p *carries on cutting up bits of old furniture for his grow areas*