I like the effect of mine better. The stuff I bought is strong, but it knocks you out. Good for insomnia, but not for enjoyment too much. My homegrown isn't so bad (in spite of my previous smoke report, which I need to correct). And one hit can get me high. Last night I took 2 hits and was stoned for about 3 hours. Then I took another 2 hits before I went to sleep. When I woke up I felt really refreshed and not burned out at all.
Hey man great grow so far, especially for the first time! (I've only made it to post #138 so far) Suggestions about the Scrog... The reason you had such a hard time controlling this plant is its sativa dominant flowering. Sativas stretch to 2 or 3 times the veg height. There's really no way that I know of which way to predict it other than growing a strain you're familiar with. The screen is there to be used during that stretch period and weaving those branches in and out as they grow. That's what creates the effect that you had on that branch where all the bud sights got light when you tied it down. 20" veg height is a great goal mark for your setup imo. Having those 125 watt CFLs a little lower certainly wont hurt either. Even if you prune the same way you did (which looked marvelous by the way, awesome job) you can still get thicker flowers down below the canopy. Also, that's one sturdy stalk and I LOVE the fogger idea, that was brilliant.Here's a photo of my plant that I took today:
It's still growing, but you can see the problems it has. For one, most of the big fan leaves are down below where they aren't getting much light. It really could have benefited from a SCROG setup and maybe some better pruning during the veg phase.
Here are some more pics from today:
I've just begun to plan for my next grow, so I need to do some more reading to nail down the details, but here's what I'm planning so far. (Corrections are welcome.) I'll only grow it in veg up to about 20" tall and prune all of the lower branches off. Then during flower, after the plant grows tall enough, I'll set up a screen of cotton string about 5-6" from the main light fixture, parallel to it. (I might make the distance adjustable, in case I need more space away from the lights as the buds thicken & fan leaves grow out.) If necessary, I'll move the two CFL's lower, so that the lower leaves will get more light. The screen will be about 3' x 3', so that's how much room the branches will have to grow through it. I think this will be the best way to get maximum yield from my fluorescent lights, since they don't penetrate as well as HID's do. I want to be a little more conservative on size next time, even if it means getting a modest harvest, because I don't want another problem like I'm having now with the plant outgrowing the limited space it has in its cabinet.
Thats a bit of a stretch on CFLs making airy bud. It has a lot to do with genetics. Sativas have airier flowers than do indicas. I've seen some CFL grown bud before and that shit was as dense as bud from HPS I've had. It's a lot to do with the grower and his/her techniques.
Thanks for the compliments, dude. I'm happy that I got a harvest at all this first time.
Most welcome for the kind words, sir. I've heard of LSD and I would LOVE to try some, its not really available where I'm at.Thanks for the compliments, dude. I'm happy that I got a harvest at all this first time.
The strain I grew was mostly Indica and partly Sativa, bred from Mazar & Skunk #1. It's called "LSD" from Barney's Farm Seeds. Turned out to be pretty potent in spite of the loose buds. VERY happy with it and so are my friends. I'd like to know how somebody else grew dense buds using CFL's. There must be some trick to it. I've heard that you can get dense buds with them, but still not as dense as when using HPS lamps. I might try one more grow with my fluoros again, but avoid the problems I ran into with this grow, namely that the plant got way to big and a tangled mess. I won't let them veg so big next time before I make them flower. Anyway, can you point me to a particular grow that got dense buds using CFL's?
That screen idea was just something I posted as an idea for next time, which I was quickly talked out of. I didn't use that method in this grow and won't in the future. But I might try a real SCROG next time. That would require some other changes in my system besides adding a screen. (For one, I'll need access into the res without moving the plant.)
Yeah, the fogger worked great to create a big, healthy root system without using a very powerful (and noisy) air pump. I'll do that again, definitely. If you do, I would recommend using a Teflon coated membrane in the fogger to keep it from getting dirty too fast (only about $5). The main problem with the fogger is that it heats up the res water a bit (around 80 degrees), so it won't hold as much oxygen as 70 degree H2O. But my plant still got massive roots. And since my grow cabinet is in our bedroom, making it quiet is a big priority. (I want to stay married.)
Thanks for the info on CFLs. I might try using fluoros again before upgrading to the hotter lights. 8 oz would last me several years probably if I could smoke it all myself.Most welcome for the kind words, sir. I've heard of LSD and I would LOVE to try some, its not really available where I'm at.
The trick to flowering with CFLs is keeping the light surrounding your plants through out the entire grow. 1-3" from the plant is the maximum distance you should have them once they get their 2nd or 3rd set of true leaves. I would go 4-5" for seedlings. Scrog is a great idea for CFLs as they don't have much penetration. Look for Garden Knowm's grow journal. He even has a book on how to get 8 oz for under $100. As far as adding the screen goes, I saw a post somewhere... I'm sorry I cant remember off the top of my head I'll look for it... where a guy was talking about building the screen onto your rez. Like using 4 poles around your rez and building a screen to tie to it that can be adjusted depending on sativa or indica dominant strains. I have an idea about doing it with soil or hempy buckets using bamboo and string to attach it directly to my container. It would allow me to rotate the plant and do regular trimming without disturbing the root systems or breaking any stems.
Thanks for the heads up on the fogger and the teflon coated membrane... that's some valuable info right thur. My bedroom would also be my growroom, and I don't think the wife likes loud noises... running water is alright but vibrations would get me killed. And as far as rez temps go, I think I'll just add some ice
Lol on that ambien comment! I have some what of a tolerance but I've had some one hitters before that truly knock you on your ass. I totally feel you on the munchies too. I get them almost every time I smoke. I noticed its worse with indicas though.
Yeah, I wish I could toke up in the hospital bed, but the nurses would smell the smoke and then I'd be in big trouble.
I'm just hoping it's enough to keep me feeling mellow and help me to sleep. Quitting pot is a lot like quitting coffee. I get a bit wired and anxious when I quit cold turkey. I'm hoping that the cookies will calm me down when I need them.
Oh, don't get me started on pot withdrawal. We're not talking Trainspotting here, but there is a bit of 'crankiness' associated with stopping suddenly.
