Set up my first real grow, props to KamelRedLight for giving me some hope with his CFL Guide My Current Situation: I have 3 seedlings growing right now History: I germinated some bagseed in grodan cubes and a slightly acidic solution, then moved to my "Garden of Ease" (GoE) about a week or so after germination. I ran the GoE with just water for about a day, then started with my 400W MH - within less than 24 hours the heat got so bad all the babies looked dead and the water was really hot. Left it for a couple days in the dark, figuring it was over and the heat was unmanageable. To my surprise I found that three had survived, and looked pretty ok! I came across KamelRedLight's CFL Guide, and decided to go for it. Went out and got a whole bunch of light-clamps and CFLs - all 26W. I refilled the GoE with tap water, tested pH for first time (was very low, ~4.0 or so). So I had been killing the plants with highly acidic water and alot of heat. I adjusted pH to 6.0 +/- 0.5 and set up the CFLs. They run so much cooler than the MH did, with closet temps running around 70-85F or so now. The babies seemed to like the better water and less heat, so I added nutrients to the water. I use SensiGrow (both parts A & B), and my TDS meter reads ~1020. I didn't have the GoE motor run very often for a few days (every 12 hours for 1/2 hour) - now I have set up to run the full 18 hours the lights are on. Here's the setup: On the left there are two bulbs in reflectors with two bulbs below (not in reflectors) - there are 3 26W 6500K and 1 26W 2700K; on the right there is one 26W 6500K, for baby3 in the lower right. Baby1 is lower left and baby 2 is upper left. The lights come on 18 hours, with the fan and GoE motor running the same schedule. At the top of the closet is a HEPA filter positioned to spit the hot air out of the closet - this does NOT have an ionizer and is constantly on. After the heat and acidic water, the leaf color was a lime-green with yellow spots (and curled). After two days of CFL light and nutrient water, they look much greener. However the main stems cannot hold up the tops - the leaves, while greener, seem to continue to curl. baby1 baby2 baby3 GoE was purchased on advice from guy working at High Tech Garden Supply in PA, as were my lights (400W MH and 400W HPS) and nutrients (SensiGrow A & B, SensiBloom A & B). Apparently my closet setup is way too hot for the HID lights, so I think CFLs are the only realistic way to go. These guys looks salvageable? Anyone have any advice on improving the setup? I spent a lot of $$ at HT Garden Supply on lights (which I can't use) and nutrients and GoE; now want to get this working economically My ultimate goal: To have one of these babies survive and turn out to be a ~healthy female, who I can then clone forever. So with these 3, I don't necessarily intend to flower (to harvest, but will to sex). If workable, I would consider using the HPS in our spare bedroom to flower, if only for a few hours a day or for a few days. Otherwise will probably be stuck with CFLs since we rent and I can't install a ventilation system (as much as I would LOVE to) Any and all advice welcome!!! Very seasoned toker, just moved, so now I'm just a pothead without pot - sucks!! Need to figure out a workable grow system, although stealth is not all that important heat definitely is
On Ganja Guerrilla's advice, I diluted the nutrient solution to around 700 ppm to correct for the nitrogen toxicity, removed the CFL reflectors so I could get the bulbs closer to the plants, and lowered the plants themselves into the baskets as much as I could to correct for the weak, stretched stems. I put in sterile paperclips to hold up the remainder; also, the pH as slightly lowered, was in the 5.5-6.5 range before, now more like 5.0 or 5.5 to 6.0. Temp has also lowered a bit, now working in 70-80F or so. From right side: From left side:
Closet Temp: 78F PPM: 740 pH: ? ~5.0-6.0, will have meter shortly Babies were in bad shape before, the nute dilution really seemed to help. Getting a pH meter today to better make sure these guys are doing ok. baby3 doesn't look too healthy, I really don't expect it to survive. baby1 baby2 baby3
Looking much better now! That 400w MH will really make this grow go off, the CFLs will get more and more impractical as the plant gets larger. Maybe look into getting a proper exhaust for it in your closet? I vent my closet to the attic. Good luck!
Thanks for the advice!! I should have mentioned that I moved to a 20/4 schedule when I diluted, see you have the same schedule going on. Still haven't figured out how to use my 400Ws - can't cut the closet to vent since we rent - would it make any sense to maybe have the CFL's on the babies most of the time and just move the setup out into the room for MH/HPS for a few hours at a time (or maybe put the HID into the closet and only have it come on for 1/2 hour or so at a time every few hours)?
i rent and am in a small closet that i cant cut but i have 315 watts of CFLs in only three bulbs, which is pretty damn good. check it out: http://forum.grasscity.com/grow-journals/173030-6-plant-hydro-bubbleponics-cfls-top44.html it just needs some air circulation: i got it because of that and it wont own my electric bill
Closet Temp: 83F PPM: 760 - rising so i diluted, guessing plants still using more water than nute pH: ~6.0-6.5 (still no meter) had def gone up a little; adjusted back down so after slight adjustments and a short wait to let the pump get the nute uniform: PPM: 650 pH: ~5.5 They look pretty good - tons of growth after my adjustments the other day on GG's advice; the green color is much less deep/dark, tho there might be some slight nute burn as there are (barely noticeable) brown spots - only a couple though; haven't lost hope on this grow yet! The babies are showing much more resiliency than I anticipated!!
Closet Temp: 77F PPM: 670 pH: ~5.5-6.0 new growth starting all over the babies, tho baby3 probably won't make it very far - much smaller scale of growth than the other two. fingers crossed one of the two is a female!
Closet Temp: 81F PPM: 675 pH: ~5.5-6.0 on the chemical test; bought the Hanna pH Champ and calibrated - showed 6.8 adjusted with pH down pH: 5.6 (according to the champ; little wary, showed my tap water to be 8.8) leaves drooping a bit, changed the watering cycle to 2 hours on 2 hours off.
Yo man yeah GG knows his shite. Your ppm of 1080 was way too high. I would think even 680 at this point might be too high. Anyway, best wishes on this grow.
definately take any advice that Ganja guerrilla gives you. if it looks like your running into a problem check this www.ganjaguerrilla.net peace
pH: 5.6 PPM: 677 Temp: 81F The fact that these babies are even still around is directly because of guerrilla's advice, taking as much of it as I can get!! Much appreciated!! In fact, baby2 almost looks like what I thought a plant should look like baby1 baby2 should i sex soon? 12/12 for 4 days or so then to 18/6 (0r 20/4?)?