First grow, grow log.

Figured I would go ahead and start my grow log now, since people on here seem to like following along.

Objective: Have fun doing a little project, if the amount of bud produced is "worth" more than spent on the set up it is a victory. Seeing as I'm a lightweight smoker (a gram can last me up to a week.) I figure to spend about $50 total on this grow (already spent $25) Seeing as I buy a gram for $10 ($20 for "dro") then if I only get 5 grams out of it then it will be a success. It's basically a test run to see if I have the patience to invest real money and time.

My setup is very, very low budget. I know I'm not doing it in optimal conditions. It's an indoor stealth grow.
I'm using the cardboard box my lcd tv came in it's about 35" long, 12" wide and 44" tall. Tight width wise I know but it is the best option I could find that I have laying around. I painted the inside white. Today I installed a PC fan that I wired to an old phone charger set to exhaust. I still have some light proofing to do, as well as an intake opening.
Currently I have 2 23w cfls in a clamp light with a y spliter. This weekend I'll be getting 2 or 3 more bulbs when I get a paid. I also have an 8" pot to put my plant in. Using miracle grow potting mix, I know I shouldn't have gotten it I saw people saying don't use it after I already bought it.

Today 3 seeds finished germinating, I used 5 seeds to up my odds because the seeds are just old bag seeds. Using a sponge (real sponge like bob) in a ziplock bag works so well, I also put it in my pc case for heat because can get cold in here. I put the seeds that sproted in a 2L, a gatoraid, and the top of a blank cd spindle. full of dirt. I'm hoping this is enough till they show sex because I only have the 1 potter which is a little undersized to begin with.

I plan to keep 1 plant after they show sex, but if I have to lovely ladies I may just have to keep both.

Any thoughts or comments?

I will update as updates are needed, pics once there is something worth looking at.

 

I was thinking it would be better in here because I'll probably have beginner questions every step of the way. As well as other beginners who are a step behind me. But I'm new here so I will certainly listen do what you guys want, I'm guessing if it needs to be moved the mod will do it.

 

It doesn't say anything about time release. It says feeds plants up to 3 months, but I think that refers to the NPK and the like.

 

Oh well, they are planted in it already so we will see what happens. I found a few posts from people who used the same soil and they said it works, it's not the best idea but it works, might get get a little nute burn on some lower leaves.

I'm worried about the fan I rigged up. I really don't like messing with electronics, I'm afraid I'm going to burn the house down. I didn't have a 12v plug laying round but I found a 5v and hooked it up and the fan works (at half speed) but it works. I'm just nervous about it.

 

Quick update, nothing has sprouted yet, but all 5 seeds ended up germing. I have 3 in my box as my serious plants. 1 on my desk just to keep an eye on and the last one (the root had gotten real long and curled some, so seeing as I don't have room for it anyway I put it in a end table which is a 1'x1' plywood square with a granite top. No air, no light, and I have it in soil I grabbed from the backyard, just to see if anything will happen in the worst possible conditions, nothing will, but if it does manage to take hold in that hard nasty dirt I will set it in the backyard to see if anything happens.

 

They are sprouting 2 so far. Got the box pretty much light proofed, will work on a few small leaks later when I have time.

 

Grabbed a couple quick pics this morning on my way out the door. Amazing what 10 hours of light can do, when I got home last night I had 2 yellow nubs poking out of the soil 10 hours with the light on I have green leafs. You can only see 1 sprouted plant in the picture, the other one is the light reflector is covering, 3rd one hasn't seen it's shadow yet. Pictures are pretty bad sorry.

Paycheck isn't as much as I had hoped (In what world does taking almost 80 dollars on a 320 dollar paycheck make sense.) But I should still be able to go get the rest of the lights I need.

Questions:

1: How long into it do the plants start to smell? As in you can notice it just being near the box or in the room. Also, will a single plant smell so strong it can be smelled in other rooms (door closed)

2. Does home depot or lowes have little cheap fans similar to pc fans that I won't have to splice wires to use?

3. Since I used MG I will probably need to flush a few times, do I just flood the pot and let it drain? or is there more to it to make sure you don't hurt the plant?

 

The soil nutes are 0.21 - 0.07 - 0.14. I found a store a couple citys away that has fox farms, so if MG does become a problem I will take the drive.

Update time, I need to figure out what day it is.

I went back to Lowes and got 2 more spiltters and a pack of 4 23w daylight CFLs, I accidentally got 2700k the first time. I had to take the reflector off the shop light to make it fit, but I kept the reflector sitting in the corner to send some light back to the plants.

So right now I have 4 23w CFLs (3 5600k, 1 2700k) on 4 little babys. With 2 bulbs I don't yet have an outlet for, I may go get something tomorrow when I go to the bank.

Things I still need:
Another fan to set in the box.
2 more light sockets (I don't think I need them per say since I'm only growing 1 after sex)
Odor control device
Thats all I can think of beside maybe needig nutes later on.

Side note: I said before I had an extra seed germ so I planted it in nasty hard dirt from outside as a "Let's see what happens in terrible conditions" test. It has sproted, looking pretty yellow, but I forgot about it for a day so it probably sproted and sat in the dark for a day. I set it by a window so it can get some light and see what happens.

I know it's almost surely going to die, but I thought it would be an interesting experiment. If it does manage to survive and grow I'm not planning to give it any nutes or anything but water and the sunlight it gets by a window.


Questions:
1. Will these little makeshift pots be able to get me sexing? And will the 8in one I bought take me the rest of the way? Biggest I can go in this box in 10in (Thats what she said.)

2. How much water should I be giving them and how often. I'm having trouble judging with feel the soil method. Is it like 2oz every 3 days or 20oz every 3 days or whatever. Just a rough ballpark would be very helpful.

Picture time: It's hard to get pictures inside the box.

1. General top view
2. Close up of the first sprouted plant
3. A closer looks at the next 2 to sprout
4. Another top view, that shows hack light trap job for the fan.
5. The box closed and covered with a towel, the towel stops the little bit of light that still gets though from the top.

 

Thanks Vtech.

I'm trying to decide if I should go to the store that has fox farms and see what all they have or if i should go back to lowes to find a little fan. When I get home I'll post more pics if there has been any progress worth showing.

 

Can I safely replant into FFOF now with them so young?

 

This is costing way more than I had hoped. I think I'm around $75 invested now.

Just got back from the plant store, which was interesting, it was a Bob Marley poster and glass case full of bongs from being a head shop.

I got a bag of FFOF, perlite, 3 gallon pot, and PH tester. Total was $26 not too bad.

Stopped by Walmart on the way back and got a pretty nice little 4" fan at Walmart for $7, it's louder than I hoped but moves way for air than I thought too. It's hardly noticable with the tv and pc on but when I'm gone I think I will have to turn it off just leaving the pc fan exhausting the tiny amount it is.

Moved 1 of the plants to the new 3 gallon, while taking it out of the old container I heard some of the roots tear, I think its going to be ok though, it didn't seem too bad. I guess we will find out in the next couple of days. I purposely only transfered 1 that way I could learn from mistakes before I did another one.

I ph tested the FFOF after I watered it, it was around 6 it seemed. Hard to tell because the run off water had alot of dirt in it. My tap water tested out at 6.5. So I'm hoping I will be good ph wise.

 

Question time:

What nutes and ferts will I need, from now till the end? I'd like to have a little list here so I don't forget.

I know I should get big bloom. Anything else that I will need?

I also heard peroxide is good to add to your water (2 cap fulls per gallon), should I be doing that or just go with the flow?

Also still looking for an answer as to how much water I should be giving them, I'm afraid I'm under watering because of all the over watering warnings. I just need a rough idea like 10oz every 3 days or something like that.

 

Damn it, I damaged my replanted one. One of my plants was looking pretty bad because it was too far away from the light so I was trying to find a way to get to closer to the light, long story short, it ended up falling and dumping on my replanted one, soil and everything. I carefully picked it up and though it out.

But it damaged one of the 2 bigger leafs, it's still attached but not well. Will it survive?

Huge F up, I'm not happy right now I hope it survives. I'm down to 3 plants, 2 if this one won't survive.

Please any help would be appreciated.