This will be my second attempt at growing cannabis. I have decided to grow inside. I have 5 seedlings from bag seed 4 of the plants have long medium width leaves one plant has wider leaves and is a little darker. The plants are currently in a mixture of coir 30% coarse vermiculite 30% leafgro organic compost Maryland Environmental Service :: Leafgro 30% perlite 9% and about 1% gypusm. The plants are currently about an inch under 2 2 tube 4 foot t8 shoplite 32 watt 6500k 2750 lumens running about 16 on 8 off timed I am planning on using an unused bathroom for my grow closet 4.5x2.5 usable space with a window that I can black out and use for exhaust. I need to find some sort of cheap blower and build a carbon filter. I've read a lot of info but there are so many different methods it's just a lot to take in. I am pretty much set on using the t8 fixtures as they are cheap and easily available/mountable/adjustable. I pick them up at walmart for 10 a pop. I was thinking at full size I could use 3 fixtures on each long side 1 upright on each shortside and 2 hanging and adjusted from above. As the plants grow I plan on just slightly widening the area as needed and as they grow taller adding a set of lights to each side. Should I add in a warm bulb here and there so they get a fuller spectrum or maybe one of the 5k bulbs here and there. I would guess that if I used a couple of the 5 k bulbs then when I put the plants in flowering I could just leave them in and replace all the 6500k with warm. So does this sound like it might be doable? Also what kind of reading should I do any of your favorite links? Will my soil work will I have to add nutes? I do plan to repot fairly frequently doing a little root trimming as I repot. I already have my fourth node on the first plant that popped so I'm going to top it when I see the fifth set of leaves. Thanks, Tom
The tall one is the one that sprouted first 4/14 the rest were all within the next couple of days. The leaves on the one on the bottom left have a little yellow on them but it's been like that since it sprouted. I think it's because it sprouted upside down and I had to flip it and repot Back right is the first seedling it seems to want to stretch more than the rest I've moved my lights so that they are now about 3 inches away I do think it's amazing how it went from 2 single leaves to 2 3 blade leaves to 2 five blade leaves. pics in next post I forgot to attach sorry. Suggestions?!?
im going to throw this idea out there, it may not be fesable for your grow, but im on a floro grow right now, I'm using the t5's rather than the t8's ... but still the 6500k high output - if you would like ot compare your results, My grow journal link is in my sig. im not hapy with the grow rate on my floro grow. I'm producing amazing results, but weeks behind a grower under Metal Halide. That looks like a lot of plants to try and be grown under floro's .... I'm purchasing an HPS/MH package from HTGsupply, 400w system, ballast and hod included, with shippin is only 200 dollars. Metal Halide for Veg, and HPS for flowering will produce better plants, faster growing, and better yeilds. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...akeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en - My Next Purchase
I debated growing under hps/mh but I want to try to keep the heat down in the room. It's going to be in an old bathroom that we don't use and there is a window up near the ceiling so I was planning on just opening the window and then covering it with a carbon filter also covering the ac vent in the floor and making the door air tight. this should keep this room nice and warm about 80-85 and I think it'll keep the CO2 levels high. I am going to section off the room so the grow space will only be about 4x2 since these were bag seed and my first real try indoors I think if I only got 3 out of the 5 plants female(being optimistic) I think even running 8-10 fixtures in the room by the time I'm in flowering I'll have 16 to 20 t8's lighting from all 4 sides and the top at 32 watts per I'm looking at 512 - 620 watts of light in a 4L x 2W x 4-5T I think the lighting may even be overkill. But I'm hoping it will be enough. I consider that 400 setup that you are getting because that should be more than enough and the price sounds good. My buddy said he'd sell me a 150watt hps for 60 bucks maybe I'll do fluro for the veg and use the hps and fluro to supplement for the flower? Oh also do I need to worry about nutes. If I keep repotting with my current soil mix I'm assuming I should still get ok buds maybe not mammoth but enough to keep me happy. I'm not planning on selling it's just for personal use and maybe a few friends. I just don't feel like buying any more. Since this is my first real grow I want it to be as simple as possible and then I want to really mix things up on my next grows maybe get some seeds that don't come out of a bag lol.
You know what, this happens all the time when I suggest HPS/MH setups. I live somewhere that heat is NOT an issue, above 80 degree's doesnt happen much. I always tend to forget theres not many places during the summer that can handle a setup like that without some crazy ventilation. As for nutes - I've never done my own mixtures before, I swear by Foxfarm - I love the stuff, so im not 100% sure. I'm sure that if you keep repotting it would make it through veg fine, but possibly your going to want to introduce a little more fert to produce bigger and more productive blooms.
yeah my house is already at 80 now I'm holding off on the ac because it should cool back down within the next few days. I've heard great things about foxfarms but I don't want to pay for it lol. I guess as I grow and I get into flowering I'll have to keep posting pics and asking for suggestions. I'm going to pick up a cheap soil meter today from depot just to make sure my soil is ok up till now I've just been mixing stuff that I thought would make a good soil using my mycology knowledge.
So I ran a soil test today on the mix I used to start my plants. it looks like the ph is like a 7.5 the nit phos and potash are reading high. So what do I need to do if anything to my soil. I'm guessing that since the levels are all high and all the plants are doing fine minus the one with some yellow tips I should just leave it be. Now when it comes time to flower how do I need to do something to lower the nit. I was thinking that I should change my soil up to just straight coir verm perl and then I guess add nutes when I water. I don't want to end up with a harsh smoke because the nit was too high during flowering. All of my plants seem to be getting a little taller except for the tall one I guess moving the lights away a bit worked. Oh and I had a seedling growing with one of my plants I tried to remove it and get the root to replant so it wouldn't take away from the resources of the primary plant in the cup. The tap root ended up breaking in half and then when I stuck it in it's own cup the root snapped abit but after 3 days it seems to be doing just fine. Any advice.
If you have access to an AC to use for ventilation go with the HPS. Running all those T8's when you flower is gonna be a pain, not too mention it is also much less efficient than an HPS from a lumens per watt standpoint. Which means it will cost you less $ to run a HID. Are you planning on transplanting those out of the cups soon? I think it might be time to move them to their permanent home.
They've only been in those cups for about a week I started them in straight coir. I am going to move them to gallon buckets next then I guess 3 then 5. I guess I could move the larger ones into 1 gallons now without hurting anything. Coir vs peat any thoughts I was debating alternating my soils as I repot but everything I've read says coir holds more moisture and nutes
They are both very light and airy mediums. Coir needs to be watered alot from what I've read. I would avoid transplanting them that many times. It causes unneeded stress. Going to 3 gallon should be perfect.
cool thanks should I go from three to five at some point or is 3 sufficient for the rest of the grow? Also any ides on the test levels? Thanks, Tom
Depends on how big you want your plant. The Grow Bible says 3 gallon is the perfect size for indoor but alot of growers use 5 gallons.
Sounds like you're no novice (I use coir/vermiculite too, love it). Your question on lighting, it would depend on the overall canopy space but I think you'll still get a decent harvest using the fluorescents instead of HPS. Give them a short veg time so they don't branch all out of control, since you still get some branch growth during flowering too. I'm not quite sure what you mean by "warm bulb" but if you mean a UV-B light I would add that. I went to Oaksterdam with a girl who swore be using unhooded Metal Halide's because she said the UV-B (which causes cancer in humans) makes the plant produce more resin glands for protection. She had some pretty good shit too.
By warm bulb I just meant addind a couple of 2700k bulbs during veg but using mostly 6500k. Some people seem to think the plants do better with a mix and others swear by all 6500 for veg and all 2700-3000 for flower my guess is that it wont make a huge difference. The 4th set of leaves is developing on my larger plants should I fim/top them and if so should I delay repotting till they recover? Oh and I'm out of coir so I was debating reporting with a mix of my coco based soil with my peat based soil all other components are the same. I am waiting on a bale to come in and I do have one last block of eco earth so maybe I'll try a plant in coir a plant in peat and a plant in a mix of the 2 Oh and if you already have vermiculite and coco coir all you need to pick up are some spores and some brown rice and you have an awesome mix for growing "fungus"
So yesterday I transplanted my three larger plants into 2 3 gal and one 5 gal bucket and into their new room. I think that between watering my plants just before their move and watering the new pots since I mix dry I have overwatered them. my leaves are looking pretty droopy especially on my larger plant so I'm going to ignore them for 3 days so I'm not tempted to water them again. I'm trading my buddy a few fruiting chambers, some unused spore syringes, and an unused lc for a 150w hps and an eighth of cali mist. Good deal? Also I know 150 isn't a ton of light but right now like 6 plants and they aren't showing sex yet so who knows what that will work out to. So if I got lucky and got 3-4 females would the 150hps plus at least 2 but probably 4 t8 2 bulb fixtures for side lighting be adequate for flowering also should I just stick with my t8s for vegging or should I get a mh convo bulb for the fixture and run that along with my t8's? Thanks,
So I took a few more pics this morning. I'm pretty sure this is from overwatering but I'm open to all and any suggestions. If these die I have three more seedlings ready about ready for transplant so I'll hope for the best. I didn't use lime so it could also be high ph? The last pic that plant has had yellow tips since it sprouted so I'm not sure if it's my medium or what. The one in the middle seems ok The first one just doesn't look too good and last but not least yesterday I traded my leftover mycology supplies(a bunch of spore syringes, some grow bags and a couple fruiting chambers to my buddy for a 150watt florolux hps and an eighth of alaskan thunderfuck. he says that even though I'm still vegging that as long as I have enough of my 6500k bulbs in there that I should add the hps because it won't hurt anything just make for shorter bushier plants. Should I add it or wait till flowering to use it? Or should I go out and buy a mh conversion bulb and add it to my fluros?
Any help? Also I just found out that leafgro has an average npk of 1 - .5 - 1 and a ph of 7-7.5. so that combined with the fact that I'm using coco is telling me that my ph is probably way too high so I need to start trying to lower the ph of my water and since the leafgro is my only beneficial ammendment I think I'm definitely going to need to start feeding my babies. I really hope they perk up by tomorrow. If so what what supplies should I pick up from lowes home depot. I guess I need something that's higher in nit so I could always look around I think the mg organic is like an 8-0-0 Should that be good or should I make my own mix. I'd like to stay as organic as possible. Thanks again, Tom
I let them dry out then I fed them with half strength mg organic 8-0-0 and half strength tigerbloom since that's what're I had on hand. I think the levels work out fine that way for veg from what I read I just need to have the nit higher then the others. I just added the HPS its about 2.5 feet above I think it could be closer but ill see how the plants do. I picked up an Alaskan fish feet from depot 5-1-1 so that's what they are getting when they dry next. Also I am phing my eater down to 6.2 which I think is a huge help. I'll take pics tomorrow to show how they are doing. I'm learning so much as I go I think my next grow should be a real success.