Cliffs at the end: This is my first grow. I realize that I could be doing many things better esp. lighting, but the goal of this grow is mostly for hobby and medical consumption. I started my first grow about a month ago (April 19). I bought 2 plants at the local dispensary, figuring it would be easier to grow something that was already alive and guaranteed female. One is an indicus Napalm and one a lemon sativa that i can't remember the full name of. I built a small containment area out of pvc, my space is 5L x 4H x 2W. I used hot glue to secure Milky white plastic sheeting around the frame I built. I have also placed mylar around to help with reflection. I planted the indicus in the MG moisture control, and the other in the MG organic. I have since learned of the hatred for MG and wished that I had gone with the Gardner and Bloom, but at the start, having prefertalized soil with no prior knowledge seemed to be the way to go. The first trouble I had was that I didn't have enough light. I originally bought a 4' t12 fixture for my two plants. I soon found that this wasn't nearly enough, so I added another 4' fixture with 4 new 40w daylight (6500k) bulbs. I also added 4 30w daylight cfls with reflectors around the sides. I know this still probably isn't sufficient, but the plants look healthy. I soon added an exhaust fan out of my case and placed a small 50w heater after a small bout with powdery mildew which i successfully combated with Bonide INFUSE systemic treatment. (actually i was very impressed with the quality of this product. I Used it out of a spray bottle, directly applied to the lower leaves; the only ones affected, and it cleared up the powdery mildew in a day without any discernible damage or harm to the plant.) Now my problem is that my indicus is growing vertical at a considerable rate, but my sativa seems to be staying low to the pot and bushy I am considering topping the indicus to keep the light at a similar level on both plants, and to promote more horizontal growth. How much of the indicus can I chop down seeing as how its a good 6" higher then the sativa at the moment? Fertilizer has also been a point of stress for me. I have not added any yet, since I started with MG and didn't want to burn. I plan on switching to 12/12 in 2 weeks or so (switching out all lights to 2700k for bloom). What sort of ratio should I be looking for on ferts. Is there a plant that is grown legally, similar to marijuana, that has premade ferts (I see yeild boosters for different types of veg and flower is there one that will work well for MJ?) My local nursery carries Dr. Earth, Espoma, MG, but doesn't supply fox farms. Does anyone have a recommendation on a fert from one of these companies? Cliffs: I don't have enough light It's a pretty ghetto setup without much forethought How much can I top wtihtout harming my plant and is this smart? Any Reccomendation on flowering food from Dr. Earth, Espoma, or MG. My plants are alive, so I must being doing something right Pics in the next 24 hours. Thanks for reading, recommendations, and the help I've already taken from guides and other posts.
Cliffs: * I don't have enough light I would drop the tubes and replace with CFL's I'm currently using 6 23 watt CFL's per plant. I also have 2 plant. To use 2 CFL's in one lamp socket, you need a "Y" adapter. You can get a look at one in the reflector link in my signature. * It's a pretty ghetto setup without much forethought Nothing wrong with that. Make sure it's light proof. Either turn off the lights in the room to see if the "set up" is leaking light, or get in the set up and see if light from your room is entering the set up. Close leaks. Mine's far from perfect. Check timer to ensure that it's set for 12-12.5 hour off. Like 7pm to 7:15am. * How much can I top wtihtout harming my plant and is this smart? I've never topped a plant, but I've seen wonderful plants that have been topped. 4 feet may be too short. I've had to raise my entire box 6 inches to accomodate one stretchy plant. * Any Reccomendation on flowering food from Dr. Earth, Espoma, or MG. I've used MG Bloom Booster. It works well. Suggested a weak solution at 1 tsp per 2 liters. * My plants are alive, so I must being doing something right Agreed. Check timer to make sure it's set for a 12/12 cycle. If you have windows or ambient sunlight in the evening, make the dark period 12.5 hours. * Pics in the next 24 hours. We'll be waiting. The frog in my pocket is stoked. Good Luck! Things are going well.