Grow #1 in progress

I've just started my first grow I guess, germinated the seeds in some paper towels and a pair of plates. One has been transplanted to some soil and a couple more are looking promising.

Just bag seeds, no biggie I'd rather not spend mad cash on a pure strain to begin with and a friend is gonna be giving me some clones shortly. The seedlings are really just an experiment and something to keep my mind working.

Clearly no need for pictures at this point but I suppose this will be my grow thread:

1-400w hps
1-4x4x7 grow tent
1-210 cfm w/ carbon filter

1-150w hps-Not working atm, cycling I was told the bulb was fairly old.

Planning on starting off 24-7 w/ no nutes til the first true leaves. Stay tuned, I should be introducing some clones in about a week to 2 weeks. Hopefully they'll be close to my seed grows.

Also, pictures coming.... when they're even relative.

Edit: Ideas for a second grow pending success(cumulative):
*Hydroponic Clones-11 plant set up all diy
*PVC- Electroshock therapy or whatever ( http://forum.grasscity.com/advanced...growth-electrical-stimulation-w-pv-cells.html )
*CFL- Light supplementation for vegi phase, possibly switch out a 150whps for the equivalent in CFL.
*Clone/Mother area.
*LST/ScrOG/SOG- I might try them all at once next go round depending on how many plants I run, so possibly 6 total, 2 of each training although I might try SOG on the second grow and ScrOG on the third go.

 

Thanks, pretty stoked. So far out of 8 seeds I've put 3 to dirt and I've got 2 or 3 more cracking so they should be dirted pretty soon. I'm excited.

Mid, thanks for that I wasn't sure exactly when but that makes sense.

Mr, do you have a grow thread? It'd be cool to see how each others plants are growing and stuff. Good luck, hope you get some ladies. How many seeds/plants are you starting with and planning to grow over all?

I'll probably start with just growing out all the seeds that get planted and see how they each do and making a decision later on. Hopefully once they start growing I can figure out what some of these are. ^.^

**Does anyone have an opinion on the best bulb for a 150w hps ballast/socket combo? They all seem fairly similar, also a question I've seen asked before... does anyone know if there is a 150w hps->MH conversion bulb? I was thinking I'd like to run the 150 w/ a metal halide the entire time with the 400w hps and just turn off the 150w during flowering or keep it on the mother/clones.

 

First things first, I love ur pug. Secondly, I need to find a bulb for an existing set up. I may have to consider in the long run another light though, no telling how long this old 150w is gonna make it. Good luck on your grow, looking forward to seeing progress reports

 

Fortunately the 150w only required a new bulb. Replacing it was interesting, kind felt like I should treat it like an explosive it was a little hard to screw in so it took me a bit lol.

I'm considering grabbing 3-4 CFLs from the store @ 4.95 for a pair of 100w bulbs it seems like a steal, I was considering using those during my veg state so that I could supplement the red/yellow from the hps. Opinion? I think it might be worth it at only a few bucks for more watts/lumens. They're rolling in @ about 1750 lumens each, daylight type spectrum.

Mr. I didn't see your post until just now. Considering I've got a 4x4x7 tent coming in on wed(crosses fingers) or probably closer to friday, I'm not that worried about height and I'll probably be using the 150w @ mid height with the 400w overhead, and possibly some supplementation with other lights.

This is where it gets tricky though, I'm thinking about having a space in a closet with some cfls for seedlings and momma. Only question is how much would it wreak outside of flowering!?

As far as technique goes... I'm not that familiar with most of the techniques LST I vaguely understand, basically moving your plants to make them fit your space without messing with their growing capacity, it can also help in stealth grows to maximize plant development towards lower buds by using horizontal LST. As far as topping them off are you talking like.... ScrOG?

I guess my next question is how much space you rolling with? Vertically more than anything

 

Any chance that a mod could move this off to the indoor first time growers forum? My mistake posting this in the wrong area.

 

So, 4 cfls w/ a 400w hps and a 150w hps for veg and the hps for flowering? ya? Can't decide if I want to spend the buck.

 

zzzzzzzz

 

I did some reading about topping and fimming and it seems like that would be really helpful for you but I don't know if I have a good reason to utilize it. On my mother for clones I think, I may top my production plants also just to control them a bit but who knows.

Although cheap, I think the CFLs might have to wait.

As for the clones/mother, I've heard that you can get some like 5 buck air fresheners with a active carbon disc filter thingy. Supposed to be fairly effective for small grows or outside of flowering. I may give that a try. I think I might start a list of things I want to try on my next grow, assuming that this one produces.

 

I was also thinking that I could get some red spectrum CFL and replace the daylight ones during the flowering so I could get more light down low, not sure how this would manifest itself. Gotta read some more DIY before I make a go on this one.

 

Looks like we've got some action from seed #2 in the plastic pot, I'll probably post a picture when the seedling shell falls off. As it stands I can see the shell at dirt level with a taproot or part of a stem surfacing. Should I wait for the first pair of jagged leaves to start w/ the lamp?

Also I had to put two heaters in my bathroom with the seedlings, it's 78 degrees in there right now so it must've been pretty cold this morning.

I've got a test tent running with some strawberry plants in it and it's running about 70 degrees inside of my living room. Might be I have to keep these babies heated up a bit at first. Tent should be here... tomorrow, woot!

I've got a few days left to decide on the CFL, but I'm thinking for the sake of not having to turn on the 400w hps til flowering I'd like to stick with 4-6 cfls($5/2 bulbs) and the 150w to keep the cost down a bit and add some blue.

 

Gonna have some very baby pics tomorrow, I've got 4 that are breaking ground. Planted another one also, or my wife did rather, her first plant so I made her do it and name it. She picked Electra . Sweet.

 

3 more of mine broke ground over night, 2 of them lost there helmets already. Any idea on when we should start with light?

 

Well I've got 6 planted and turning up as seedlings, 5 more going into soil and one more about to be a seedling. So far they're all alive surprisingly and healthy looking. Clearly I have no real desire to even consider 12 plants on my first run. I figure I might lose some to males and then I'll get a few clones off the stronger looking plants. I guess I figure on losing about 1/2 so that would take me down to 6 which is a lot but at least it will keep me interested. I really don't want to just stop them now since there might be some decent strainage in there. Got them from a friend who is an avid pothead and I have a suspicion he grows but that's kinda a don't ask don't tell so yea.

Here are some pics of the plants home until I switch off to hps + CFL then I'll move them to a proper tent.

Gonna add 2 more 100w-26w or w/e CFLs over the next couple days. Six plants 1 box so far.

Them, doin their thing, you know.

The lights are closing in!

Not that much is going on here that is exciting but yea.

2 questions:

1.) When should I transplant the sprouts out of the cups, 4 of the plants are in 1/2 gallon pots so I've got a little time on those but what about the plastic cups. They're 16 oz.
2.)When should I add a 150w hps for bonus lumens, I only have the ability to get 4800 cfl lumens.