Sup all, This is my grow journal for my pc micro rig. Its my first ever attempt and I'm very cautious but optimistic. I'm about to go to bed but I'll post pictures and more tomorrow if I don't lose the motivation. Just know that the first seed has been successfully germinated and has as of an hour ago been introduced into the growth medium. More to come later =)
Here's the finished thing. About to put it in my closet and turn it on. I'll be monitoring the temperature every hour and I've decided to keep a log of when I water/light it in order to be more efficient. Dependimg on how this works I will probably turn a big-ass amplifier I have into one as well. Jarrad the seeds I'm gonna try first are probably going to be sugar black rose and one of several bag seeds I've been saving. Thats what a few members advised me to do anyway.
Hey Cristo, Glad to see you're planning on keeping a journal. I wouldn't check the temp every hour if I were you, if you're really that concerned I'd check it 2-3 times a day once in the morning(when it should be coolest) once in the afternoon(when it should be warmest) and if you really need to, once at night(where it should be at it's average temp. once you have a general idea of your temp ranges, try to only open it once or twice a day. The less you open the case the better it is for the plant. I know it's temping as hell to check on it constantly, I wanted to every second of every day, but try to hold off. and I know it's too late for this grow, but for your next one you may want to think about replacing your foil with the material from a mylar sun shield, invest in a light timer, and set your fans across the case from eachother instead of on the same side(If i'm seeing that right)
Yea I'm thinking that probably later on in a few weeks when I have extra cash I will replace the blanket with the sun shield. I just couldn't wait to get started and plus the seed was already germinated and I didn't want to risk waiting any longer. And thanks for the tips on the temperature, I'll keep that in mind. Also, any suggestions from anyone on how to minimize light escape? The only thing I can think of is throwing a blanket on it, but I figure that would probably jack the hell out of the temp. Heres a picture of how it looks now, Its behind a picture frame in the corner of my closet:
wish I had known light traps were needed from the get go...I would have just told you to check my thread(link in my sig.) in the mean time caulk in the corners and angled light traps in the back(basically sheets of cardboard to angle the light down) Is smell going to be an issue with you? if so do you have a filter ready?
Doormouse once again you come through, it looks like you are going to be my Growbi Wan Kenobi. I spent about 45 making a neat little cardboard light trap and it seems to work, my only worry is that since it will be placed next an input fan, then the temp might go up. Other whys it looks like temperature is remaining constant. Also I'm not too worried about smell, as I've been combating weed smell for quite some time, and have because of that stocked up on a variety of fresheners.
I liked that just for the growbi wan kenobi bit lol It shouldn't mess with your temps too much but definitely keep an eye on it. and if you're stocked on air fresheners, good. But don't underestimate the power of the smell of cannabis. just in case I would familiarize myself with a few filter options if I were you. http://forum.grasscity.com/do-yourself/569506-diy-carbon-filter-compendium.html most of those will cost you less than $20 and could save you a world of headaches.
It looks like I'm gonna get to plant another seed later tonight, or possibly tomorrow morning. One problem though. I'm out of town for one night every week for my job, I work at my university. Should I turn off the lights or leave them on when I'm gone? Lemme know! And Thanks!
Don't put too many plants in that box, you can get two in there max...if you do it right. As for lights you should already have a light schedule worked out. Seeing as you're not running an auto flower I'd run an 18/6 light schedule for veg(18hrs of light 6hrs dark) and then once it's HALF the height you want it to be you switch it to a 12/12 flowering schedule. Like I said a few posts ago, get a light timer, and then you won't have to worry about it(just make sure not to open the case during her dark hours) Not to be rude, but if you're serious about growing this is stuff you should already know. google some grow guides or check out the absolute beginners section of this site.
Haha I appreciate the concern, but don't worry I've done the reading. These are just problems my stoned ass didn't think of, like the out of town once a week issue. XD I've decided to do 24 hours until Barnaby Jones and T.E. Lawrence sprout. At that point I will initiate the 18/6 until it reaches half the desired height (Which I admit I didn't know that was what I was supposed to shoot for, I thought I vegged for a tiny bit longer.) Upon reaching the desired height I will switch to a 12/12 cycle. Doing the 24 hour cycle until they sprout buys me an acceptable amount of time to procure a timer. Although since I built in a temperature gauge that can be read without opening the case, I do tend to be around the rig quite a bit. Keep the constructive criticism coming!
That should be fine for now. but as soon as she breaks the soil you need to switch over that lighting. The only plants that can stand a 24hr light schedule are autos.
Updates coming soon, just waiting for the light cycle to begin so I can take pictures! I am very surprised at how pumped I've become over this little summer project, but its great to have something to do with such a real concrete reward for success.
Alright here we go, The pictures are Barnaby Jones and T.E. Lawrence set up super close to the lights. Also a close up of Barnaby Jones who actually popped out today. Finally a picture of the grow box I made out of a big ass amplifier I don't use anymore. I figure since this one is about 5 inches taller then the PC I'll transfer the plants to that one when space becomes an issue. This also means no waiting between grows =)
Sup yo, So updates are as follows: I think I am getting an ear infection in my right ear, I can usually tell because the infected one tends to refuse to pop in the early stages. Barnaby Jones is almost an inch tall and is looking healthy. T.E. Lawrence broke soil today and appears to be full of vigor just like B.J. I worked on some of the wiring for the future flowering box. I mounted a place for a third light to be placed approximatley 4 inches from the bottom, my logic being that having a light down at the bottom will dramatically increase the amount of light getting to the lower areas. I will plan on posting pictures when I get it completely wired up. Later Gators
Updates! The flowering box is complete. I put a chicken wire cage around the third bulb, which hopefully will keep the leaves at a safe distance while still being able to contribute its light. I also picked up some shiny reflective duck tape which I was able to place in there flat with little to no difficulty. No crinkles or wrinkles! Its set up to house 2 plants, but the third light is just velcroed on, so it will be easy to move if I decide I can only handle one at a time. I'm excited to see what I can make out of the extra 4-5 inches I get with this box. Heres pictures! Its the box with the lights off and my cat, as well as the box turned on and lit up like the fricken sun.
Hey all, Things are going good. What I thought was an ear infection turned out to just be me being high. Heres pictures, the bigger one is Barnaby Jones, the other is T.E. Lawrence. Thoughts?