What up GC, This is my first indoor grow, Im germinating 4 seeds now and 1 plant i got from outside. I have lined a 20 gallon tank with tinfoil, and 1 60w CFL bulb. I have a couple questions for you guys 1. I can run 2 CFL lights but is it necessary. Once my seeds germinate i will then put them in jiffy pots, Is this a good idea? If you guys can give me any pointers/tips it would be much appreciated. {Pics}
You're going to need more light for even 1 plant. 60 actual watts (not equivalent watts) will be OK for seedlings but beyond that they will stretch. Read the stickies, specifically the CFL guide and Grandpa's grow guide.
Alright thanks for the help. I changed the setup, Im now running 2 60 watt CFLs. {pics} Will update when i see change.
You should get those cfls closer to your plants. Plants will stretch if the cfl is to far away. You want your cfls to be an inch to 2 inches away from the tops. 2 cfls will be enough for now but your going to want more once they start maturing. Good luck on the grow bro, things are looking good.
A week into my grow and heres how they look: So i have a couple questions: Do you think i should put a fan in there? What size should they be when i transplant them? and Should i put a cover over the tank to keep the light in? Thank you
The lights are 800 lumen a piece. What do you think i should have in there? Now that the plants are stretched what will happen?
You just need to put a fan on em and move the lights closer. Once you transplant bury some of the stem. Btw those 2 cfls wont be enough for very long. I would look into getting some more.
Alright, ill put another lamp in there but for the lights, What wattage do you think would be best? The lights that are in there are 60watts a piece.
You should look into getting some splitters. They allow you to place 2 bulbs per socket instead of 1, this way you can easily fit more lights without adding a lot of light fixtures. Power strips work well too. Just get some more of what you have now, like another 5 or 6 so you have 7 or 8 cfls.
Damn 7 or 8 lights thats a lot lol. Alright so iv thought of a new plan, The 2 plants that havnt come up yet im going to take them out and put them outside. Splitters sound like a good idea but since im taking those 2 plants out ill have 4 in there do you think just having 4 CFLs would work. When do you think i should transplant them?
Those 65w cfls are equivalent, so they're actually only like 23w I believe. You want a good 100w per plant. 4 cfls for 4 plants won't be nearly enough, not unless you got some big ones. What size containers are you going to put them in? I would wait till they get bigger. Even though their so tall their just seedlings. Once you get the lights closer they'll start bushing up. I would think in like 3 weeks they would be good for a transplant.
Alright, that makes sense. I found a 27w CFL and i put that in there for now, just until i get the splitters and bigger lights. The pot ill put them in is the same size as that black pot thats in there now
i have a new problem, i come home from work and 2 of my plants are leaning over. I know that they are really stretched but should i stake them or since there already leaning over should i start the LST training? Need as much help as i can get, thanks
Hey man in pretty new as to growing as far as indoors goes but have read 90% of what these forums have to offer.from that and in my experience, you gotta lower those lights with low amount of clf's. i would say you need 2 lights per plant, so splitters make things alot easier. 100w per plant is optimal, but not needed to grow. If you go to a hardware store and pick up a few utility lights, the cheap ones with a metal reflector (looks kinda like the thing you put around a dogs neck so it wont bite iteself). should only be a couple dollars a piece, and i know that home depot sells the splitters for under 3$ each. i actually have a post just like yours in the journals.... http://forum.grasscity.com/indoor-grow-journals/403605-my-first-indoor-grow.html .... and you can see how little space it actually requires. in my set up i only have 3 plants but you will get the idea. Plus, those reflectors around the utility light will help use the light given off more effeciently. like i started to say earlier. lower your lights. bring it down to 2-3 inches above the tops to see how fast they will rise to the light. if they rise fast, you will have to moniter them and adjust often. also, whats the kelvin rating on those 27W cfl's? for the vegitation period your going to want high kelvin rating, usually called "daylight" on packaging, and numericly is around 6400k or 6500k. you will want to use "soft white" or "cool white" during flowering, which gives off around 2300k. Wow, sorry i think i got a little carried away. But i hope it all helps. GL brother.
Alright, I will be going to the hardware store to pick up a splitter later but for now i staked them up and moved the light closer. Im not sure what the kelvin is for the light but i think its around 6400k, I just found the light in another lamp lol. I think the CFL is a daytime bulb. When i get the splitter i will run 2 42 watt CFLs which is 150w each. I will also take out a couple plants. Thanks for all your guys help.