This is my very first grow, so constructive (and gentle) criticism is highly appreciated. I ordered 5 Pineapple Express feminized seeds, which came with 4 freebies, so I have 9 total seeds to work with. I read somewhere that most first time growers fail, because they are overly ambitious. Therefore, I am doing the opposite and being under ambitious. My goal is simple: grow 1 plant from seed to harvest. If the first attempt fails, I have plenty more to try with, without feeling bad about losing a whole lot of seeds due to massive inexperience. My equipment includes 400W MH light (will get HPS bulb later), electronic ballast, adjustable light hangers, and a basic oscillating fan. I also have a thermometer/hygrometer and a pH meter. I will be using FoxFarm Ocean Forest soil as my medium as well as some fertilizer (which I have yet to purchase/decide on). I am growing in a closet in a spare bedroom, and the closet walls are covered in mylar. I plan to also get some odor control within the next month or so. Here is my setup, and a picture of the tupperware housing the seed (sorry I didn't get a pic before covering the seed; next time). Wish me luck!
Curious as to what the dimensions of your grow space are, and what your temps are holding at. believe it or not, those 400's still put off alot of heat. Especially if not air cooled. What are you running ventilation wise? How do you plan on dealing with smell issues, etc. Give us the details bro. Good luck on the grow. Love me some PE.
The grow space is 32" x 58" with the light hanging from 66" above the floor. The closet is 8ft tall. I will be running the AC at ~75F with the fan blowing off much of the heat into the bedroom. I have tested the temperature at various times of day and found I can easily keep the temp in the closet under 78F. I don't have a proper ventilation setup at the moment, but plan to board up the bedroom window and have air pushed outside through a carbon filter. I'm still very much open to suggestions on this. I live alone, so the fruity smell indoors isn't going to bother me. I think that by the time that the plant gets big enough for there to be an impact outside, I will have the filter setup. I've been planning and saving money for months. There's still so much I don't know!
Something I never considered on my first grow was options for containers. I went and bought some 3 gallon colored buckets. I drilled a bunch of holes in the bottom and called it good. If only I would have known. If you have a hydro shop near you, I would go check out some of the pots that help combat becoming rootbound. Smart pots, air pots, and plant warrior pots (I've actually used these and like them) are some of the options. If you do find something you like, be sure to get it in different sizes for your future transplants
I've got a sprout! I was very excited to see a tiny white root peeking out of the seed. I feel like a proud parent now . I think I'm going to give it one more day before placing in soil.
WOW! Just 24 hours later, the root grew four times longer! It's about 3/4 inch long. I probably should have put it in soil 12 hours sooner. I didn't think it would grow that quickly. I mixed up the pot with 3 parts soil : 1 part perlite. I placed the seed in the middle about an inch or so deep. I wasn't careful enough, because it ended up on its side. Better luck next time. Hopefully it will find its way to the surface. I also placed plastic wrap over the pot to keep humidity in. At its current rate of growth, maybe the cotyledons will poke out of the soil this weekend. I'll update when something green appears.
You want to plant your seed when the root gets to about 1/8th of an inch long. I sometimes even throw it in the dirt once the seed is just cracked from the moisture. I usually let them sit in moist paper towels for 24 to no more than 48 hours. I have never grown or smoked Pineapple Express, but I bet it will be pretty dank. Good luck with your grow.
You can just barely see it, but there is a tiny blob of green on the surface of the soil . The soil felt a little dry, so I added a few drops of water near the seedling. I'm a little concerned about the brown on the tips of the cotyledons. Is this normal? Or is there some kind of deficiency happening?
I think next time I will plant as soon as the root is visible. It's probably easier to plant that way too. *Lesson learned*
The sprout is growing. I think I see its first leaves growing. They're very tiny, but very green. Also, I discovered that the temperature has a wider range than first thought. During the day when the AC runs, it stays between 79F and 81F. But at night, when the AC does not need to run, it gets up to 85F. I definitely need to investigate getting some heat exhaust going, and soon.
Just make sure you have your light on a 18/6 schedule now. If you don't have a carbon filter yet, I suggest you get one. That is what most of us use. I have a decent fan which pulls the air through my carbon filter, then it goes through the cool tube on my light to pull any heat off my bulb, and then it exits the tent. Temps usually between 70 to 85 are fine. I try to stick near 80 degrees, but it won't hurt if the temp drops down to 60 or 70 when the light is off.
The leaves are a little bigger now, and I think I see some new growth showing too. Otherwise, not much has changed with the seedling. I did have a chance to pick up a few needed items: fertilizer, carbon filter, exhaust fan (100CFM), and duct. I'm not sure what the optimum configuration of my (existing) somewhat-intake fan and the exhaust duct. I posted a picture of the current setup, so please advise. I'm not ready to carve any 4" holes in the walls yet. I think I may want to get a smaller intake fan, since the oscillating fan is so big and has a (presumably) low CFM. The exhaust duct is about a foot above the pot for now. The temp has been stable around 80-84 lately. I'm not as concerned about the temp as I am about the impending smell. I hope that the filter works as I expect, but if there is a better configuration that doesn't involve drilling any holes, please let me know! Edit: I also tested the pH of the soil. It's sitting around 6.93, so all is well there.
I'm running 24/0 right now. Does 18/6 have an advantage over 24/0 at this stage in the grow? If 18/6 now, would 24/0 be useful later on during vegetation? My light doesn't have a cool tube, but I will definitely get one that does when I'm ready to upgrade.
I think its a debatable question. Personally myself I use 18/6 for vegging. I may start out with the light on for 24 hours for the first day of vegging, but then I use 18/6 until flowering. The people that use 18/6 claim that it gives the plant a bit of a night period to rest. Maybe it grows roots during that period too in order to get ready for the next morning. Other people claim that Marijuana does not need need a rest. Meaning that photosynthesis will continue to happen as long as you give them a light source. Others dispute that there is really no yield difference when comparing giving them a night period to just 24/0 light.
I guess I could experiment; use 24/0 for this grow and 18/6 for the next and see if I notice a difference.
The first two leaves have gotten a lot bigger. There's also now two smaller leaves that have started growing. I have a hard time believing that this plant will get very big in a month's time. I was planning on introducing nutrients in about a week, but maybe I should start them sooner?
You'll be very happy with he Pineapple Express, if you've never had it before. The buds reek of fruit and hints of skunk when flowering, super fruity smell, an intense strawberry/pineapple smell is what I had. I just got 5 fem PE the other day, so I am very excited to grow this strain again. Good luck on the grow, I'll be watching.
Those two smaller leaves are already half the size of the two larger leaves. And now I see 4 more leaves sprouting. I have a feeling like this plant is going to start growing fast real soon.