Hey GC, so I've decided to try my hand at growing to see if i have a green thumb while getting some green in the process. Unfortunately I have no green (anyone getting sick of me using 'green' yet?) so this will be a relatively inexpensive grow as I am just looking to supplement my own consumption. Also for anyone who is interested, I'm just growing bagseed rather than wasting money on genetics and ending up killing my girls. I started germing the seeds using the paper towel method, 13 have shown taproots, so 13 have gone into moist soil (potting soil, perlite blend). I lightly covered them with saran wrap to hold in moisture and stored them in a dresser drawer in my room.* *NOTE: I am currently living in my parent's house, so they can't know about it. Keeps it interesting. I have two locations chosen for my little girls. Both are well hidden obviously, and I will post pictures of them if i can remember to bring my camera out when i go next (not today because it's about to start pouring rain. Of the seeds in soil, 7 little girls (i hope!) have sprouted. 2 last Thursday, 4 on 4/20 , and 1 more just today. They are getting as much light as I can for as long as I can. This has been around an 18-6 schedule so far. I have them under 2 CFLs (all that I have in the house right now, i know people are cringing) in a box that is painted white. I have ventilation and the air is circulating in my room at all times. I know I know, this is a super ghetto set up, but like i said I have no money and since it's bagseed I'm not too concerned about the quality. They are growing and looking very healthy as far as i can tell.i have the lights about 2.5 - 3 inches away from them, which i assume is correct. I have a few quick questions for anyone who's actually reading this: 1. What alternatives do i have for lighting? like what lights will produce the most for the cheapest and what spectrums am I looking to buy? It's to my understanding that halogens suck. is this because they get too hot, or because of the incorrect spectrum of light? I'll search the forums while i'm waiting for a response, but I only just thought of that question now. ANYWAYS, here's some photos of my girls to date, taken 15 minutes ago: First photos is all of them, then in order from youngest to oldest, macro images, then from oldest to youngest a shot of them in their cups.
Good luck. You need to find another place away from you window; your neighbors will be able to see 13 plants in a windowsill. CFL's the cheapest bulb you can get for growing. Blue spectrum for veg, red spectrum for flower. You might want to find a spot outdoors sooner rather than later...
Yea those will grow a lot faster under cfls especially if your getting a lot of cloudy days... run a fan on em too work out those stems
Yea they usually don't sit on my windowsill, not to mention that everyone in my neighborhood goes to work during the day (on my street at least) so no one will look at them. + rep for the light spectrum answer. and yea i have two spots just about prepped, will be vegging indoors for about another week or so, then out to the great outdoors! really? i don't have a small fan, i guess i should go to target or something and pick up like a really small fan? also how many CFLs should i be running?
really? i don't have a small fan, i guess i should go to target or something and pick up like a really small fan? also how many CFLs should i be running?[/QUOTE] since you have so many plants you probably should just stick to the sun unless you have some money in your pockets... buy enough cfls to cover 70+ w per plant, and trust me a fan is necessary or your plants will become droopy and weak.
So today I went out and bought some supplies. my plants are growing at such a rate that they will soon be unable to fit in my drawer so I bought a 20" square cardboard box, two lamps, 2 more 100W equivalent CFLs, white spraypaint, and fasteners and went to work making a ghetto growbox. I mocked up where i wanted the lights to be and secured the cords with the fasteners. took out the lights, and spraypainted the entire interior white. Now I'm quite literally waiting for paint to dry to finish my whole box up, but in the mean time i'm running to get a small desk fan to toss in there. Pics up later.
quick picture update of the new box and of the girls, they're getting so big Pictures are of the girls from oldest to youngest, the oldest's leaves are pointed upwards. i don't think that's a problem though right? the littlest is about to get tossed simply because of numbers and she's not looking to hot right now. after that is the box out of its normal spot, then intake and exhaust ventilation, then the inside of the box, the wiring bits, then in its spot and showing how little light is seen. I am considering leaving the ladies in here 24-0 simply because it's more convenient and there is less moving them around. they will stay there for a week or two depending on how fast they outgrow the box. i have since turned the fan around because it was pushing them too hard and they were keeling over. now they are just swaying in the gentle breeze the only problem is checking on them is a little time consuming, but i feel like thats for the better (the less i check on them = faster growth?)
So I have some good news and some bad news, which do you want first? I'll start with the bad news: I just got home from working and checked on the girls. One of the fasteners holding a light fell. The bulb landed directly on one of my plants and proceeded to cook her until she was crunchy. i'll have pics tomorrow. The good news: It was the youngest girl and another seed that was germinating has sprouted up to take its place. Also I acquired 3 5 gallon buckets that I am going to use as pots. They were holding pickles in them so I need to wash them thoroughly before i put soil and eventually plants in them. I also fixed the fastener and added a safety one next to it so this doesn't happen again. Going to be doing yardwork and then going to work tomorrow so i won't have much time to spend on my ladies. Watered them just now as well Planning on getting chicken wire for my location on monday and finishing up all the work that needs to be done there. Couple of quick questions for whomever is reading... 1. What are some other fairly inexpensive deer and animal deterrants? i don't think chickenwire will be enough... 2. When will I know when to transplant the girls? How big, if you had to guess, will they be able to get while in solo cups? 3. Whats the best way to transplant them? should i let the soil dry out or should it be moist? should i just cut the solo cup with a razor blade or should i flip the cup and do it that way? Thanks in advance for any help.
you should probably wait until they have another couple of set of leaves (3 sets of true leaves - not counting the cotlydon rounded leaves) before the outdoor transplants. i am assuming those are the 16oz solo cups, so they can stay in the cup easily for for month or so (and if you feel a need to transpant them you should check out grow bags from your local garden shop - usually .30-.50 a bag). you will want to keep the soil moist as the roots are to fragile to sustain the shock of going totally dry. if you haven't done so already i would suggest checking out [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvBPjxcqJDM"]jorge cervante's ultimate grow dvd on youtube[/ame]. you can also download it from your favorite torrent site as well...it covers mostly outdoor grows if i remember correctly. fox urine is inexpensive (i saw it at my local grow shop for around $10 a bottle) and should deter many of the animals (cervantes also notes you can use your own urine - but of course only around your plants not on your plants).
hey snax, thanks for stopping in, that video is amazing! i watched it on youtube. really great stuff + rep for the help!
so just got back from work. Bought a temp. humidity gauge and some chicken wire. What are optimal temp. and humidity? 75 and 50ish right?
humidity for veg growth should be around 60-70 percent and for flowering around 40-60 percent. temps around mid-high 70s are ideal, with down temps around mid 60s (try not to let the temp drop below 62 as it will stress the plant and it will take it a hot second to start growth back up again).
Hey bud finally made it over here, and subscribed! I have Jorge's Medical Grower's Bible, and it literally is the Bible of MJ! Girls look good brah! You are in fuckin' suburbia! lol Look into stuffing foam where that hole in your box is to keep light from escaping, and having your rents see. Ill stay tuned!
That is a great idea! right now I am having trouble with temps being too high (with the lights on its like 85 degrees, woahhhh) so I need to make the holes a bit larger and get some more fans and possibly an AC unit for my room to cool the temp around the box as well.. Anyways guys, here's a quick picture update: my babies in their box Girl #3 Girl #2 Girl #1 (my big girl )
Get a 4" fan, and a 4" 90* angle piece. The 90* angle will keep light from shining out, and you will be able to get air in. Cut a large-ish hole in the top of the box, and place another box over that as a way to hide another 90* piece so the box always has air ventilation, and no light shines out to alert your parents.
hey guys, more bad news...my other lamp fell. i should have seen that coming. the lamp fell on on third biggest girl. :sigh: i'm so sad right now. well life moves on i guess but this is a crushing blow for me.
Its like asking gravity not to work lol! Take the biggest, thickest paper clips you can get, and use them as anchor hooks from the outside of the box, and attached to the lights so they won't fall anymore. The paper clips will help push the weight of the lights out across the whole box top so it won't be so heavy in a specific spot. Supplies: Big paper clips Metal wire Something to make a small hole (to feed the wire through)