Hello everyone, this is my first grow and i've read so much on the forums and hope that none of my questions are too nooby. I'm using plain bag seeds, and my pot consists of organic miracle grow and perlite. I am currently only using a CFL bulb on a floodlight lamp attachment and have it sitting about 3 or 4 inches above the top of the plant (which has recently sprouted and is about 1.5-2 inches. I hope this is ok FOR NOW, my budget is just really limited at the moment and i have to compensate with cheap lights/pot/etc. My grow room spacious and well ventilated as well. in short, am i doing ok right now? what exactly should i invest in if im on a budget? am i on the right track? lol so any help would be greatly appreciated.
You should invest in a PH testing kit, this is very very important, you dont want any lockouts and its number one reason why(plant will die eventually if not using the right PH) - And PH Down if your water is super high, or PH UP if its under(depends on your tap water - or water supply. I only need PH Down in my area) Lights: 6500k daylight spec for vegging(CFL wise) if your plant stretches to much looking for more light (of it not close enough), at a later date it'll fall over. So make sure you have atleast 40w for the first week or two, but after that you're going to need atleast 100 ACTUAL watts(not Equiv) per plant + 75ish per extra plant. Ive heard so much miracle grow and such bad results, i believe it had fert in it already? this tends to somewhat cause nute burn and somewhat kill seedlings, how ever one have had good results, if it turns out bad, make sure you buy some sterilized soil. Or do what id do and use peat coins (WIN!) then transplant after you seed tiny little white spikes(roots) out the sides or the bottom. Warm White (2700k CFL Bulb(s)) are used for flowering, 6500k for vegging Always always inspect your seedlings - please note - do not excessively handle the plant - less stress the better. Normally people like you and me first time growing - tend to stay by the plants side and fiddle to much! and may cause an accident . You need to be looking for bugs and such on your plants. Also purchase a microscope (30-40x+) off ebay for like $3 good for spotting those spider mites! Journal your progress, or atleast take a picture everyday to monitor! Read the stickies in the sick plants section and do it daily, this will help you retain the examples and help you spot early issues that may occur with your plants Dont feed your seedlings(if they are ) until week 2-3, when they should a DEF or have 3-4th set of leaves. Dont over water your seedlings, its good to let them dry nearly right out(i use weight to determine how dry it is, as poking around in the plant's area might hit the root - atleast in my head ) when they dry out-ish, they expand there roots and search for more water(this is WIN) If unsure about how much to water it, better to give a little than too much, you'll get a hang for it. Ask all the silly stupid questions you have, its best to get it all answered, although it seems pretty straight forward - there is a technical side to growing these
Why is it around here that people seem to decide its time to grow weed when they have no money for equipment? I don't understand the thought behind "Hmmm, i am broke, NOW is the time to grow some weed". lol. And no worries, I say that in jest, its just an observation from my year or so hanging around this place. Just know that when you grow on a budget, your plant will end up looking like it was grown by someone on a budget. Light and Air Exhange/Heat removal are your 2 biggest things to worry about. One CFL light (you didn't mention the wattage, but I am assuming its a 23W? ) is not enough for even one plant. You want to aim for 100W (Actual watts) per plant, and make sure your grow area has good ventilation and good temps. Thats just to start. Good Luck to you.