Well, so far my grow is going well. Got two healthy plants a little over two weeks old, one LST'd while the other was FIM'd. I'm curious to see which'll turn out better, but I have a hunch that LSTing is the superior technique simply because it doesn't slow the plant's growth. Currently I'm debating if I want to FIM the LST'd plant to create a monstervbut this is only my first grow, and I don't want to do too much. Anyways, enough rambling, on to my questions. 1.)When switching to flowering, do you gradually swap out the cool white CFLs for warm white CFLs, or do you simply replace them all at once? 2.)Also, is it better to gradually decrease the hours of light the plants receive over the course of the week leading up to flowering, or is it okay to just put them on 12/12? 3.) And lastly, if I'm using pots that are like 1.5 gallons can I successfully grow in them for the full 3 months without damaging the plant? I know that this will limit the size of my plant, but that's exactly what I want to do(limited grow space, and this is just an experiment). I just need to know if it will become rootbound before the flowering period is complete. I'd really appreaciate an answer to this question, moreso than those above. Thanks in advance.
hey there, so see if i can answer a few of these.. 1. humm.. switching cool for warm... i'm not real sure... you'r probably on the right track... but i still have to mention HPS is best for flowering... 2. straight to 12/12. most definatly... 3. i think your plant will def. struggle in a 1.5gal pot in the long term. roots are soo key to a healthy plant, and i def think she'll get rootbound soon enough. transplant her to a 3gal, then 5gal when its necessary. MJ is a hearty plant... you can train her, stress her... do a lot... to control her height and size. height is your main concern, not width.... one nice plant is going to be 2sqft, you just cant help that. it'd recognmend a) get a cheap HPS for flowering nice (real.... aka:dense) buds, and b) veg your plants and keep the strong one(s).. and when its time to flower, keep the best and most you can, but one GOOD strong plant is what you want. best of luck man
Most indoor growers use one light or at least one primary light such as HPS so don't have the luxury of transitioning the light spectrum. Probably a good idea to transition them over about a week's time. I've always just flipped to 12/12 with no problems but acknowledge what others have said, that a transition may be less stressful for the plant. If you change it one hour a day from 18/6 to 12/12 that will take about a week, do it in the same week you are transitioning the lights. Actually not true, you do not want to limit the size of your plants, you want to limit the height of your plants by making them grow out. Ideally you want the same "size" plant, just proportioned differently. So if you keep your plant to 2 feet but it winds around on itself to equal a 6-foot untrained plant, that still requires a root system to support that 6-foot plant. I would go to at least a 3-gallon pot to ensure you have enough below the soil to support what you want above.
Yeah, I know HPS lights are the shiet, I'm reminded every time I view a grow journal. ; Unfortunately it's just not feasible for me to obtain one at the moment and I don't think it's worth dropping $150 on a lighting system for a first time grower. Considering all the HPS topics dealing with distance and heat issues, it seems that unless you know how to handle one, you'll likely burn your plants with 'em. Besides, I'm getting real good results using CFLs combined with a grow box I constructed. If I do a second grow, with more than a couple plants, I'll probably invest in one. I mean, is there actually a significant difference in the potency of plants grown under HPS lights vs. plants grown under CFLs? Sorry for all the questions...I just find learning fun, hence the name. Thanks for the speedy responses, Red's Dreads and toastybiz. After I sex them I'll follow your advice and transplant them to 5 gallon pots. +rep for the both of you.
hey man, i hear ya about it not being feasable... spending a buncha money... but if ya wanna grow real buds, ya gotta do it right. growing MJ is just one of those things, that require your to commit to doing certain things over a prolonged time. what i mean, is ya gotta commit to buying your equipment, and then continuing to be attentive and responsive for 3 months, lol. i havn't seen lots of results, but they result in fluffy buds, and a low overall harvest. your right, your plants will do great under the CFLs, until flower... they just really need that red spectrum the HPS gives. i think it would be very difficult to get over an ounce/plant with CFLs... ive seen people do a whole grow and get less than an 8th (3.5grams)!!! yikes... prolly easier to buy a bag, lol as for distance and heat... they can be solved pretty easily. heres the overall light setup i did... and naturally recognmend for you, i say get a 150wHPS, and enjoy growing one or two plants in a cabnet, its awesome! i have a 400wHPS, and its overkill.. but i just saw my same one from same site for $135... and with that, itll give you pleanty of power to upgrade later when you can get say.. a dedicated room Pyrex Cool Tube.... $20 off ebay. mount your light in it, and dont worry about temp get some kinda fan, a stanley blower @ $40 works amazing! also its best for your plant, to keep good air flow. then you can pull air through your cab, specifically through the cool tube, cooling your light and cab at once! and your plant can actually touch the cool tube w/out fear of being burnt, very cool then you'll need to put $15 toward building a homemade carbon filter for the smell... and it helps silence the exiting air. overall, i bet you could do this for maybe $200... but the difference in harvest... it'd say a 150wHPS and you can get 2oz/plant, even if its your first grow. its really not that tough... just gotta keep things dialed in. i'm hoping for 4+oz from Lunah.. and its my first grow anyway... here you said you dont wanna invest all the money, and i'm talking the opposite, lol. crazy. but ya know... theres so many hidden expenses to growing, i just wanted to give a picture of a light setup you can do cheaply and get a great harvest
First off, Id like to commend you for your use of advanced techniques (FIM'ing - keep reading those HT mags) If I may, try to address a few of your questions. You say you are a first time grower and hesitate on procuring a HPS setup. Why? if you are already using the techs that you are HPS would be a step in the right direction. As well, when we refer to heat, a lot of us are probably doing something on a little larger of a scale than you think. Throwing down the bucks on a 250-w HPS is well worth it. Its not like you are running multiple 1000watters which is where most of s will have SERIOUS issues with heat. As long as you take into consideration the venting and replenishment of air, heat buildup shouldnt even be an issue, especailly with 1-250-w. As far as the quality and yield are concerned, HPS is the way to go. The bulbs you are using (which I admit, I have never used by themselves) i would imagine are throwing off a blue light spectrum (correct me if Im wrong) which is fine, if your vegging. They can do good for bud production, but not anywhere close as HPS. Think of it like this - spring months = vegging = more blue light specturne. later in the year toward the fall = red spectrum. As nature would dictate, the plant know when the time is time to kick into gear. A female plant grows "horny (bare with me) during the late summer/early fall months, which again as nature would dictate, is expressed through the formation of "buds" buds actually are unseeded pods. So, its during these late months when the sun is radiating more of a red spectrum when most of the bud/THC production is apparent. Hence, HPS is the best thing we can offer our beloved plant besides the actuall sun iteself. P.S - THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT FOR THE SUN. A lot of people associate "outdoor" with SCHWAG. This couldnt be further from the truth.
Probably because I made the most common newbie mistake and I rushed into the whole growing process not realizing the amount of responsibility and time required to complete a grow. I mean, I began growing within 24hrs of making an account. @_@ Fortunately my first batch of seeds never sprouted, so I was forced to order some online. I say fortunately because in the 5 days it took for my seeds to ship, I frequented the boards and learned a lot. I realize that HPS is the best alternative outside of the sun, but as Red's Dreads pointed out, a "cheap" setup is close to $200. I don't have that kind of money right now. In hindsight, I should've waited until I secured a decent lighting system before I started growing, but all the grow journal pics made me excited and now I have to deal with the hasty decision I made. Yeah, I know that plants need two different spectrums during the two different stages of growth. I went out yesterday afternoon and picked up three 42w warm white flouros that put out 2,600 lumens each, so I think I'll be fine for the red light spectrum. Hah, let's just hope I get at least one horny female...I'll know in about two or three weeks. Thanks for dropping a line in my thread, I appreciate it. Peace.
Ditto on the Stanley blower. it puts all these other fans to shame, whether computer, inline, vortex, squirrel cage. The Stanley has over 1200cfm on low, one of my best investments.