i have 5 seeds planted now with 2 already sprouted and 3 well on their way. im using wondersoil wafers and the coconut hair pot that came with them. theyre under 4 23-watt daylight cfls right now and am planning on more. any comments concerns tips anything is greatly appreciated
1st priority is get more lights in there. With a possible of 5 plants to grow, you'd need more than 100W to get a good enough harvest. what are your plans for nutes?
i just but in another 23 watt, so i know how at least 1 bulb per plant, that should be good for now right? the bad thing is my fan just knocked over the pots and one of the sprouts fell all the way out of the soil, i planted it back within 30 seconds but i hope not too much damage was done the humidity in the room in about 30% and the temp ranges from 77 to 85 throughout the day
Actually using your bulbs, you'd need more than 1 bulb per plant, more like 3 to 4 per plant. It's 100W (Actual) not converted. If you have additional plants, then you can get away with about 2 cfls. So if you have 5 plants and you want to fully grow them, then you'd need at least 8 to 10 cfls at 23W.
alright ill be sure to get more lights as soon as possible, im able to borrow my friends hps light. im not sure the wattage but i know its a nice one. but im concerned about heat and the $$ on the electric bill. the leaves on the first picture seem to be reaching and have some yellow spots any idea? and on a good note the second picture is of a sprout that was not even showing leaves last night, crazy growth over the night
tbh I'd go with the HPS if your going ot have that many plants, more light penetration. In terms of sheer wattage you would need around the same regardless of if you use HPS or CFL, it's just the HPS comes with some extra cooling requirements. If you want to have a decent crop you need at least 200 actual watts in your grow area if you have more than one plant, and you need to get on some side lighting for the lower foliage, but probably not until they start to stetch.
Since you only have 1 light per plant for now, make sure they're about 2 inches away from your babies.
not sure how much all the cfls cost and heat given off but for next grow check out t-5's....awesome for veg...about 100 with ship..then the 400 for flower my mandala hashberry day 34 veg under a 2 bulb 10,500 lumen t-5ho...mandala gear rocks
im about to call my friend to get his hps, but ive read that cfl is good for the first two weeks. should i stick with the cfls for now or switch asap?
i would stick with and add to your cfls...check out the diy thread in growroom desigh on good cfl set ups..great stuff there...good light up top and more bulbs in real close to side light the plants..then the 400 for flower..unless its mh/hps switchable 400..if so...get it now
I agree the t5 bulbs are great. cfls should be close to the plant as possible I would say about an inch.
I see your RH is 40%, that might have something to do with the leaves yellowing.. During early veg its a good idea to have some more humidity.. Maybe get a cheap humidifier. Good luck bro.
bad news down to two actual seedlings now and one that is just about to sprout. but on the upside that means the cfl wattage per plant should be at about...5 x 23 =115/3=38.3 watts per plant, damn guess i still need to increase it haha anyways i will try to increase the humidity but im on a semi limited budget and ive heard misting water over the plants is another good way to increase it. any suggestions? pics later
For cheap source of humidity you can cut a bottled water in half and fill it water or put water on a dish and leave it inside + regular misting.
just cut a water bottle and put it in there. and found the label on the wonder soil the nutes in it are .7 total nitrogen and .2 available phosphate and the front says .7-.2-.3 whats the third?
Or check out Craigslist for a humidifier, I found some on there for cheap cheap and sometimes even free. Dont skimp on simple stuff, it will cost you good yield and quality in the end..
the leaves are getting worse on plant #1, the new set of leaves is starting to grow in a tad yellow as well. ive tested the ph and its at 7 which i know is a little bit high. is that what is causing that? and on a lighter note plant #2 seems to be doing very well and the new sprout is doing pretty good. she'll probably pop that seed of her head tonight and my ph is ranges in the 30s
I highly suggest getting that humidity up, save some money and get a humidifier.. Or check CL for cheap ones. You can get one for 20-40$
found out i was under watering them, that was causing the tips of the leaves to yellow. since then ive moved them into a rubbermaid grow box that ive made. still not done though, i need to put in at least one computer fan in for ventilation and some pvc elbows for passive intake theyre under 8 cfls right now 4 23 6500k, 2 26 watt 6500k, and 2 26 watt 2700k the temp stays at about 86 with the lights on the and top cracked open to let the fan blow hot air out