Hello, TL;DR at the bottom Ill start this thread by saying that I've done a fair bit of research so I'm not coming here to be babysat however my case is unique. How it started: What started out as an experiment for fun actually germinated and sprouted. I had seeds lying around for a while so I decided to germinate 2 of them to see if it would work and one of them actually sprouted. Obviously now that it sprouted I wanna keep it alive. My initial plan was to simply put it outside on the balcony and let it do its thing however, this plan won't work anymore given the ridiculous rainy weather outside. Yield doesn't matter much to me, doesn't have to be dank shit or anything, any yield will do. Now, the point of this post is to ask how the plant is doing according to you guys. I have it put under a fairly strong desk light now that I took it out of the dark shoe box, since it sprouted. TL;DR: I attached pictures, let me know how the plant is doing and what I can do to keep it alive in an at least decent condition. The tiny yellow leaf has me worried. If any more info is needed, ask away. Thanks!
Does it have drainage holes? What wattage is the (CFL?) What kind of soil? When you water, saturate the soil completely, not just around the stem. Then, wait 2-3 days before seeing if you should water again. Your going to need to transplant soon since it's such a small container with little soil in it. Transplant into a 3-5gal pot.
[quote name='"BYOweed"']Does it have drainage holes? What wattage is the (CFL?) What kind of soil? [/quote] 1.No drainage holes in that pot. 2.Not a CFL, just a simple desk lamp, don't think it'll do though, it's temporary. 3. At first, it was just some random soil from other regular plants in the house, however I went and bought soil that says its universal, retains humidity and makes plants resillient. Brand is Vilmorin, french brand I believe. I was wondering what wattage I should aim for? Will probably get a regular CFL light however I am unsure as to how to hang the CFL bulb inches above the plant.
100 actual watts for a single plants. Try to get 3 6500 40w bulbs You'll need drainage, it is very inportant. You may need fixtures for bulbs so you can hang them properly. As well as bowl reflectors for them
3 bulbs each on a side? or 3 bulbs so they can take turns? Also, I don't get what "6500" means. I've been trying to check it out for as long as this thread has been up and I have yet to see anyone mentioning what that means; could you elaborate?
6500k is the color temp. 65k for veg/27k for flower. you need the 3 bulbs on it at the same time, spread the lights around it so it gets light all over
[quote name='"potatohead11"'] 3 bulbs each on a side? or 3 bulbs so they can take turns? Also, I don't get what "6500" means. I've been trying to check it out for as long as this thread has been up and I have yet to see anyone mentioning what that means; could you elaborate?[/quote] That's what I'm here for! 6500K(daylight) and 2500K(soft white) are popular color temperatures for the different stages of the plants life. The color temp of the bulb depends on the type of phosphor used to coat the bulb. 6500K bulbs are for vegging because they emit more blue light which promotes veg growth. 2500K emits more red light, which promotes flower growth. These color temps are used to mimic the sun in the spring and fall.
Ok, so tomorrow morning I'm going to get 3 40w lights that look along the lines of this: http://www.gfllighting.com/Upload/SmallProductsPhotos/201011111645210.jpg Correct? Does a 40w bulb's box have to indicate 6500k or is 40w equivalent to 6500k when it comes to CFL's? Also, since 3 are going to be on at the same time, I'm pretty sure they would get really, really hot, how do I go about cooling them? Remember, I'm trying to make it as simple as possible as well. Btw, I greatly appreciate all the help, especially the quick answers so I can get to work asap!
[quote name='"potatohead11"']Ok, so tomorrow morning I'm going to get 3 40w lights that look along the lines of this: http://www.gfllighting.com/Upload/SmallProductsPhotos/201011111645210.jpg Correct? Does a 40w bulb's box have to indicate 6500k or is 40w equivalent to 6500k when it comes to CFL's? Also, since 3 are going to be on at the same time, I'm pretty sure they would get really, really hot, how do I go about cooling them? Remember, I'm trying to make it as simple as possible as well. Btw, I greatly appreciate all the help, especially the quick answers so I can get to work asap![/quote] Watts are not relevant to color temp. You can have a 40w bulb with 6500K or 2500K or 5000K etc. It should say 40w (150w equiv) daylight CFL. Remember daylight is 6500K. An osciallting fan will be necessary for cooling the bulbs and strengthening the stem. Have the air blow on the top of the plant, on the bulbs, and in between the plant and bulbs. This strengthens the stem, cools the bulbs, and moves the hot air created from the bulb away from the plant. Try to find y-splitters. This will allow two bulbs per fixture
Will any regular house fan do? Should I max out the fan intensity or just put it at 1? Everything seems to be settled except for the bulb fixtures :/. Is there anything like a desk lamp that can hold CFL's? or CFL's with wall-socket cords? My plant seems to have done some tiny progress from the desk lamp I had it put under which is good for like 4 hours today. However, that thing gets REALLY hot. What's the least time I can expose my plants to light for them not to die? For example, lets say I can't maintain 18/6, what other options do I have?
[quote name='"potatohead11"']Will any regular house fan do? Should I max out the fan intensity or just put it at 1? Everything seems to be settled except for the bulb fixtures :/. Is there anything like a desk lamp that can hold CFL's? or CFL's with wall-socket cords? My plant seems to have done some tiny progress from the desk lamp I had it put under which is good for like 4 hours today. However, that thing gets REALLY hot. What's the least time I can expose my plants to light for them not to die? For example, lets say I can't maintain 18/6, what other options do I have?[/quote] Incandescents are not for growing. CFLs hold more power and aren't as hot as regular bulbs. CFLs will fit into regular fixtures. Home depot and lowes have fixtures with a clamp and bowl reflector attached. You need to get CFLs asap. Even a little 14w spiral CFL common for regular household lighting is better until you get what you need.
Oh, I will definitely be getting the CFL's, was just saying what happened. Also, as previously asked, what's the least amount of light time the plant requires to simply stay alive? Will the pot on top of the plant in the middle be good enough for the plant's entire life? (Picture attached) I am aiming for a small plant with any half decent yield so the smaller the pot, the better. Stealthiness is a big plus.
At least 16hours to keep it in veg, at least 8 hours in flower A larger pot will help out greatly, the plant will become root bound quite fast. 3-5gal at least IMO
Does it have to be big for me to induce flowering or will a small decent size do? All I have to do is change the light cycle for it to begin flowering, correct? Is it ok if the light cycle is inconsistent? For example, if the plant gets an hour of light followed by an hour of darkness then 2hours of light etc..? And then it would be different the next day. Or does this shock the plant?
[quote name='"potatohead11"']Does it have to be big for me to induce flowering or will a small decent size do? All I have to do is change the light cycle for it to begin flowering, correct? Is it ok if the light cycle is inconsistent? For example, if the plant gets an hour of light followed by an hour of darkness then 2hours of light etc..? And then it would be different the next day. Or does this shock the plant?[/quote] When you decrease the amount of hours in the day(lights on) to 12 hours, a hormone by the name of Phytochrome or Pr, builds to a critcal level. When it builds to a critical level after 4-6 days the plant will begin to flower. When red light emitted by the bulbs interupts the elongated period of darkness, the hormone PR turns into it's inactive form Pfr, and will continue to veg. Stick with the traditional 18/6 for veg, 12/12 for flowering. Dark periods uninterrupted
Do I need to cover the plant with any humidity dome or an airtight Ziploc bag to contain humidity or not?
[quote name='"potatohead11"']Do I need to cover the plant with any humidity dome or an airtight Ziploc bag to contain humidity or not?[/quote] That's only necessary for clones. I loosely put a baggie over solo cups to keep the soil a little moist until it sprouts. When I see green, away with the baggie.
I'm thinking of transplanting it today. Whats the safest method to do so? Also, should I give it light/water right away after the transplant?