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new grower asking for advice

Discussion in 'First Time Marijuana Growers' started by poundhound, Jun 14, 2006.

  1. #1 poundhound, Jun 14, 2006
    just started a seedling almost a week ago. used the paper towel propagation and had 1 out of 3 really take off. i transfered all to peat cubes and placed them into a small greenhouse type container. (for humidity/etc) 1 seedling sprouted and i just placed it into a small conainter containing the peat and ferry morse quick and easy seed starter mix. here are some questions:
    doesn't give any nutrient ratio even though it is labeled as pre-mixed. should this be a concern?
    second concerns lighting.

    i am looking at something small to start. my living situation prohibits me from having anything remotely large. (i'm looking at 3/4 plants tops) my house should be inspected every month by the developer but this may or may not happen. (i get a letter saying they will be here but that doesn't mean they appear.) i'm looking at a small fluoro set up as i do not intend to let them get very tall at all. (per grandpa's grow guide) until i get the lighting set up, since the sprout has just manifested, (see photo's) is there any problem with it being in the sun? (i'm going tonight to look at the lighting) what other concerns should i have?
    any info would be great.
     

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  2. #2 SmknVTEC, Jun 14, 2006
    For 3-4 plants I would get as close to 400 watts as you can. You might be able to get away with 250 watts but shoot for between 250-400. You can get some 4 foot fluorescent lights and that should cover you. If you can, try to go for some HID lights. Those are the best. If you can give them sunlight outside that would be cool too. If you are going to have home inspections consider getting a lock to your grow room and start thinking about something to combat the smell. Oh and the plant won't need nutrients for about the first 3 weeks of its life so don't worry about your soil-less mix not having any ferts in it.
     
  3. #3 poundhound, Jun 14, 2006
    ok. i went and grabbed some light from a local store. (not the hid but i think it will suffice) i bought 3 but have only implemented 2. i set up two 135w cfl that output 2000 lumens each and have a ccr of 65k. ( see photo) at the moment i have these on only 1 sprout. (i'm waiting to see if the other 2 just happen to be late bloomers. i think 1 is about to show) with obvious considerations regarding ventilation/odor/security is there anything else that could/should be changed. this set up is in a closet in an upstairs room that tends to be quite warm, even with the air on. i have a fan in the room because of that. inspections aren't a major concern yet. again, it's just a small sprout and could be any number of plants so i'm not worried. again, any advice is greatly appreciated. i will obviously provide photo updates as time progresses. this is bag seed so i don't know anything about the veg/flower time frame, but it is a good smoke. so i don't have a problem growing to see what i get.
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  4. #4 SmknVTEC, Jun 17, 2006
    If your closet gets too warm you would need to get an exhaust fan. Too warm would be above 85 degrees F. Also, be careful with the wattering. Your second pic shows soil that looks gooey.
     
  5. #5 poundhound, Jun 17, 2006
    pic 2 looks like that because i had just added some water. how much radiant heat will cfls emit?
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  6. #6 Spanishfly, Jun 17, 2006
    Good luck with your grow
     
  7. #7 SmknVTEC, Jun 17, 2006

    Not much at all.
     
  8. #8 poundhound, Jun 19, 2006
    one plant's stem fell over when i was placing it in the window for sunlight. i sacrificed it to see if the root development was "normal" for the age. the other small plant (when i checked this morning) has drooping leaves. there are no ferts going in and i am not watering all the time. i check the soil and water (mist) as needed. the soil doesn't seem to hold any water even the the bottom of the tray is filled with it. it seems i should really never have to water as the water should be absorbed through the soil. but i still have to mist the plants 2-3 times a day. what could be the causes of this? i have a 4" fan for extraction and a 19" fan to blow into the dresser with the drawer slightly open. as a result, there shouldn't really be any heat stress at all. the 1st plant that was placed in the starter mix is doing fine.
    the photo of the sacrificed plant and the container type used is here:

    http://forum.grasscity.com/showthread.php?t=98611
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  9. #9 poundhound, Jun 19, 2006
    an0nym0us
    {{{you are watering it to much bro ... water it ever 2 or 3 days if you keep it under the lights ....sun however is a different story ... put it in the sun till it acts right and the leaves are sagging then put it under lights and only water every 2- 3 days}}}

    but i keep reading to check and if the soil is dry to water. this soil mix does not hold water well at all. i check and then water. i water the other plant just as much and there are no problems with it at all. it stays under the lights 24/7.

    i'm not trying to complain but it confuses me when i read something telling me to stick my finger in "x" depth and if it is dry, water the plant. this is exactly what i do.
     
  10. #10 an0nym0us, Jun 19, 2006
    ok then ur plant is gay and its trying to fuck the dirt
     
  11. #11 toastybiz, Jun 19, 2006
    I'm sure you think you are doing it right, but obviously you aren't. Your soil should never look like pic #2 -- the water should soak down not puddle on top. Do you have drainage holes in the bottom of those cups?

    When folks say to stick your finger an inch or two in the soil to feel if its dry that doesn't mean that it feels less than soaking wet, it means it should feel really dry. If you are having trouble discerning how wet your soil is spend a few bucks on a moisture probe from any gardening shop, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, etc.
     
  12. #12 poundhound, Jun 19, 2006
    the only time the soil is wet is when i spray it. if you read, picture 2 was right after (almost immeadiately after) i had misted the plant.
    when i stick my finger in the soil it is dry. if it was any more dry it would spontaneously combust. the cup sits in a tray. the cup has holes int the bottom which sit in the tray that contains water. this, in theory, should prevent overwatering because you just fill the bottom of the tray and the water is absorbed into the soil from the bottom up. this is not is happening though. the soil is always dry. unless i spray the plant the soil is dry. i can't be overwatering the plant because i water both the same and plant 1 is fine. plant 2 was fine until i got up this morning. so then this is the suggestion, don't water for 2-3 days. ok. i can do this but i have a feeling the soil will be the same in 2-3 days as it is right now. but!!!
    thanks for all the advice that you all are giving me. i do appreciate it.
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  13. #13 toastybiz, Jun 19, 2006
    Pretty funny, OK, I believe you! If your soil won't absorb water then you need to switch the plants out of it.

    BTW, once you have soil that does retain water, you don't want to water it by having the container sitting in a pan of water for constant absorption. MJ likes a thorough watering then being allowed to dry out, this prevents root rot and encourages roots to grow out more in search of water.
     
  14. #14 SmknVTEC, Jun 19, 2006
    poundhound,

    There are three things that I am concerned about;
    1. Your misting
    2. Your window sill lighting
    3. The water in the bottom of the tray

    First, do not mist. The plant does not need it, the water drops can topple the baby cotyledon (probably why it fell over) and can certainly cause mold if continuously sprayed onto the soil. Stop spraying your plants!

    Window sill lighting: If you want to grow inside grow inside. If you want to grow outside, grow outside. Do not combine the two. At very most a direct facing East West window will get no more than 4-6 hours of sunlight. Therefore you would then need to transport the seedlings to the CFL's. This seems like an awful lot of work plus increases the likelihood that the seedlings get disturbed.

    Water at the bottom of the tray: this can lead to over watering if your soil has poor drainage. It can also promote root rot. I only leave water in the tray if I am going out of town for instance so they can drink while I am away. If the soil is constantly moist it is not good.

    As for the seedling in your other thread that you are measuring; you might as well throw it in the trash because I do not believe that can come back. Additionally, make sure your fan is blowing by the cotyledons enough so that they sway in the breeze. This will strengthen the stems.

    Good luck man.
     

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