This'll be my first grow journal, i'm so glad to finally get started. I'll try to explain my setup as clearly and easy to follow as i can; i about an eight [8]... Container: 2x rubbermaid containers stacked top to top. They're painted white on the inside and black on the outside. Lights: 4x 23w 5000k CFL 1x 46w 6500k CFL They're in the top bin under a reflector. The reflector is bolted into the sides of the tub. I was going to use chains to hang the reflector with the lights, but they always seem to hook on to themselves and get tangled. No me gusta. I digress. Air: 120mm cougar pc fan. I've read it has a CFM from 79-101 at it's max. I wired it up to an AC/DC charger that has multiple voltage outputs (3, 4.5, 6, 7.5, 9, 12) so i can control the speed of the fan. At this point i only put 6 volts through the fan and it keeps the container at a cool 72 F. Passive intake towards the bottom of the container. I'm using bag seed that i've collected over some time. I germinated 11, i think, and so far i have 9 poking up through the medium. I'm using a mix of coir and perlite. It's been 10 days since i first put them in between paper towels. This is them so far, so cute. They seem pretty happy if i do say so myself.
DAY 12: All 11 have sprouted, i've got em under the lights for 24 hours until they get their true leaves. Temp stays around 72F. Really nothin much to report. Oh, i derped and accidentally dropped a baby on its head. Hopefully she pulls through.
No it's really not, just a little hum that blends into the background noise. I recommend getting a wall plug in, for the fan, that has different voltage outputs. My fan can take 13v max but i only have it on 6v. Saves energy and it's quieter.
Thanks. One more question. Was that one fan strong enough to give the plants a breeze so the branches get stronger?
DAY 14: First things first, happy (almost) new year, depending on where you are in the world, toke through the new year! Couple things i changed. The temp was stayin around 70-72F and the plants weren't really showing much progress. I turned my fan down to where it stays a comfy 85F where the kids seem to be much more happy with. I added an extra intake hole so now there is one on each side. I was under the impression that your intake had to be smaller than your exhaust to maintain negative pressure. Got some schoolin on ventilation and fixed that right up. Fan is working much better and doesn't groan when i close the box. I experimented with putting a light trap on the passive intake but it made the fan work so hard so i took it off. I figure i'm going to be keeping the box in a dark room that has 0 traffic so i really don't need light traps correct? My rosemary and mint plants keep the kids company 9 hours a day
So my temps are dropping fast, last i checked the temp was 79F with my fan on the lowest setting. The extra intake hole is jackin up my temps. What can i do to bring them back up? The sooner the help the better, i really wanna keep it warmer in my cab!!!
Caulk something over the extra hole u made or throw a carbon filter on if its stinking already, the filter will most likely limit some air flow and increase temps by a couple degrees. Just a thought. Good luck.
I moved the seedlings closer to the light and put a pot tray in front of one of the holes to cut down on air flow. So it's been about 2 weeks since germination and they're still very small. Part of me wants to think this is due to the low temperatures early on, but I think there's more to it. I let the soil get a little dry but watered it as soon as I saw. Overall, it seems like the plants have just stopped making progress, one of them even bent over and is pretty much done. I read through other people's grow journals and see other people having several more nodes already developed than mine. I shouldn't be giving it nutes yet right? I also thought it might be that the newspaper pots are too small but I've seen bigger plants in containers about the same size. Thank goodness these are bag seeds. I'm saving my seedbank seeds for when I get everything figured out... Thanks so much for the help
Here's the one that keeled over Some look stronger than others It seems like the leaves are curling up, i know it's not too hot and the lights aren't too close. Too cold? Last question, sorry i know i asked so many already, but i've had them on a 24/0 light schedule. I've read it's ok but i just have a gut feeling they want some darkness to sleep a bit. Should i switch to 20/4 or 18/6 or stay on 24/0?
Switch to 18/6. See how they react. Ive never liked the idea of 24/7. It's unnatural. With rubbermaids (fungi like newspaper too) make sure your getting air movement and circulation in the very bottom too. I always seem to get mycellum and promote fungal over bacterial growth in rubbermaids. I bet stale air at the very bottom is why. Hope that helps.
Meant to ask. You made pots out of newspaper only? How much do you water and how often? Does it help dry the medium out better is what id like to know. Ive used newspaper at the bottom of pots before, and it makes getting salts built up at the bottom a pain in the ass. 5 gallons pot with newspaper on the bottom, even one sheet want to hold too much moisture and salts. I'm going to have to try your smaller version. I think it would help me with cloning, which is always gets me being i can't afford to make a simple bubbler.
Yeah newspaper and a piece of scotch tape. I didn't have any red plastic cups to use as a pot for the babies so i just made those. They're are solely used for convenience, money, and they're the perfect fun yet easy arts and crafts project for a stoner . They're also pretty darn sturdy. I usually water them every few days. I wait for the top soil to get dry, then i check a little farther and if it's still dry i water it. I'm sure it breathes better than a plastic cup, but if anything it just made me water them more. I originally had my fan on too high and everything got dry after about 2 days.
Thanks for the thoughts bud. I decided to switch to 20/4 for now. If they respond well, i may go into 18/6. If they don't get better, i'll stay on 20/4. I had passive intake on both sides near the bottom so i don't stale air was an issue. In fact, the seedlings were even with the passive intake and were getting dry out too quickly! I put some books in there to raise em up higher than the intake holes.
I gave them quarter strength nutes last night and moved the cab to another prospectively warmer area of the apartment. I'm loosely covering the intake holes with pot trays and now we have our temp stable at 82F. Now that i'm not having lights 24/7 i need to make sure my temps don't drop a crazy amount at when the lights go off.