Newbie! ^.^

hey glad to see another closet grow. i have 4 plants at the end of week 1 in 12/12. its my first grow also.

anyways, what is your budget? if we knew that then we could help you a little easier as far as set up goes.

-Teapot

 

i would get check out all the CFL grow journals. for That much money you should be able to get set up.

I personally go 24/0 for all vegging then 12/12. the 24/0 vs. 18/6 light thing is a highly discussed topic around GC.

if i was going to give you one tip from newb to newb...it would be READ. i have learned a shiiitttt load from all these other stoned fools and it is working out great from my grow.

oh yeah, and for me, i write everything down in a journal. i keep track of everything. I have a horrible short term memory...lol i know right? anyways, it helps to write shit down so you remember what you did when shit goes crazy bad, or when shit goes really good.

 

Pixi,


Lights

What suitable watt/lumens should I use for the veg stage for ONE plant?

As many as you can get in the space without over heating your given space. For one plant I would shoot for 200 - 250 watts of CFL's.


- What suitable watt/lumens should I use for the flowering stage for ONE plant?

You want 6500K (blue) CFL's for veg and 2700K (red) for flower



- My mate used a UV light 15 - 30 mins a day during 'peak' times, he said it helped. What is your opinion/exp?

Plants do not feed on UV light.


-Where the hell in the UK can I get a lamp/seperate socket with a E40 socket. I looked like a right nutter getting lost in b&q trying to find one!

Sorry can't help with that one, I went to Russia a few years ago and none of my shit would plug into the wall, had to go and buy all these funky plugs to make everything work.

- What compost can i use? A simple all round compost with the right nuti.. In UK stores? (I've somehow got some baby bio, I found it in the shead.)

Any good organic soil WITH NO NUTES in it will work fine.

- Where can i get a really cheap thermom/humid thingy-ma-bob. (its late, I cba to spell)

Wal-Mart

-When you germ seeds, how long do you let the root get before you plant it? (in mm? )

What's mm? I would have to say 30 to 45 mm would be good. Thnx Google for the metric conversion.


- What strong wood would you reccomend for the shelf, something thats durable and can take the weight for the veg pots? Or can you suggest a good 'structure' for the shelf?

Any good plywood in the 19mm range should do fine.

.. God help me with a power drill

Is that a new prayer, have to dust off my King James.


- When nearing harvesting. What is 'Flushing' I'm being proper thick.

Proper thick, honey I luuuve your accent. Flushing is a technique that requires feeding your babies nothing but water for the last 8 or 9 days of flower to flush out the metallic taste some find is pulled up with fertilizer. Or maybe a little good quality Blackstrap molasses with your water for a smooooooth taste in the end.


And one last thing, the timings!
Seedlings/Srouts 24/0
Veg 18/6
- Dark time 36hour-
Flower 12/12


You can veg on a 24/7 basis if you like.

Hope that helps a bit


Wolf

 

The UVB thing is very true. Its not used to grow. Its used to get the plant to produce more tricomes.

UVB is harmful to plants in large amounts. But in small amounts like reptile lights it actually helps yield more potent bud.

The UVB tricks the plant to thinking its being attacked and the plants first defense mech. is to start producing more tricomes. More tricomes means better bud.

You dont need much. its only like 10w a plant or something. its just to trigger the plants response.

 

CFL bulbs need to be as close as possible to the plant canopy. Two Centimeters is about as close as you can get with a 23w to 27w bulb (store brand usual highest wattage). They are rated around 1800 to 2200 lumens but within the first five centimeters they will all provide in excess of 2500 lumens (the rating is based on a certain distance).

Use one bulb during the first week of life. Every 3 inches of plant height will need an additional lamp. A 12 inch plant will need 4 bulbs, or about 100w. That light can be distributed to several plants because the bulbs are round and cast light in many directions. Putting bulbs between plants is a great way to maximize your energy efficiency. I've used 250w on five 30cm plants with a 46w soft white bulb at the center several day light bulbs. You can find y-sockets (also found at a hardware store, looks like two light sockets connected to the bottom of a light bulb in the shape of a Y). You can use this to increase the number of bulbs in your area from two to four or even eight off of the sockets you have already.

The color temperature aka "type" of bulbs you're looking for are daylight CFL bulbs in the 5500K to 7000K wavelengths. If you can offer some variation that will work best. During flowering you'll want to add a soft white CFL bulb at 2700K. The blue bulbs offer more energy in the light spectrum the plant can use for photosynthesis. The red/orange light will trigger a hormonal response in the plant which assists in sexual reproduction (flowering). You will want a balance.

If you could save a little every week and put it towards a 150w HPS for your setup that would be a good option once you get the shelf installed. Order online to save yourself the hassle of finding it locally. You'll need to have adequate ventilation for that area already and the HPS will be great for a ceramic metal halide bulb (ideal). This way you could take a little time to save/make/swindle/show boobies for... that cash money, doller doller bills. Set up the thing right and you'll be happy you spent your money in the right places.

For soil I suggest you look into Canna Nutrients. You will probably be able to find these without much issue. Check out their website and search for retailers. The Canna Terra or the Canna Coco would be fine for what you're doing. Stick with Canna or BioCanna and you won't have to worry much.

For your shelf you'll just need to find something wooden. It shouldn't be too tough to find a place near by that sells a shelf. Your issue will be with the saw probably. Get a piece that is a little bit too big. Cut off a few centimeters from both ends so it will fit and use those two smaller pieces to support the shelf. Get the strongest adhesive you can and just glue them to the wall at the level you want it. Set the shelf on top of these and you should have all the support you need. Ensuring no light leaks from the veg chamber into the flowering chamber is important. Absolutely NO LIGHT can bleed through. You'll need to include some creative solution to make sure it fits snugly.

Make sure you haven't overlooked ventilation. Both chambers will need dedicated exhaust, and passive air intake. The plant fibers are 80% carbon after all, and that is consumed from the air it breathes. Small fans designed for computers (120mm) can be modified to ventilate your room. Another option would be to purchase a more professional exhaust fan and use ducting from each chamber connected to a Y joint to vent both with a single fan.

I think you need a good 100cfm at least in ventilation, 180cfm in that space would work fine split between the two areas and your temperature would be very easy to manage.

Good luck!

 

Where the hell in the UK can I get a lamp/seperate socket with a E40 socket. I looked like a right nutter getting lost in b&q trying to find one! im a uk grower as well and i lookt like a right plum looking 4 a E40 you have to go on ebay and get it off their 4 about £3 i tryb b and q , wilko. home bargens so like i said ebay was my last resort i just thourt i would help you

 

last month of flowering.