First Grow- Cardboard Box

Started this grow from seeds. I'm using cheapest of everything I can find- personal smoke. And this is my first time growing.

I'm into week 5 now and have already learned a lot about 'how to try to not kill a plant.' -that adventure is in Newb Central https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/575428-my-first-grow-tragically-amusing.html

Using CFL's and items around the house to grow 3 plants. Plants are random seed i've collected over the years- which were put into one neat pile by my Mrs. Thanks Babe! So this is a lottery of seeds from pop-widows. Soil is Miracle Grow leftovers from years prior. I DID buy the light tho! Lights I went with are 6-1425lumen CFL @ 5850k =8550lumen @ 150watt Total for veg. Flowering will be 6 -55watt CFl @ 2700k, 3860lumens= 23160lumens @ 330watt. Feeding Monday Wednesday Saturday-nutes/hormone on alternating saturdays.

Here's some pics
Week 2 from germination:
The second picture is a seedling with weird hair coming out the tip of the serrated leaves...? It's growing a little differently than the others, tighter nodes, stocky... darker green.

Week 3:
Good growth on this plant in particular. The grow box is made out of a U-Haul Moving box. About 18" or so square, I cut a side off the box so I could make a triangle for the 3 sets of lights I had to use. Cut a hole in the side of the box and duct taped a small deskfan in at the bottom- push cold from the bottom passed the lights and out the top. The top is cut form a triangular chimney that's held in place by some Velcro ties I stapled to the box- that way i can open the box up fully to vent if it gets too hot. Tried out Superthrive, plants perked up insanely, got burnt on a bulb. Yellowing of first petals, then second petals. But havent given any nutes yet.

I decided the problem was the soil- lack of good water penetration and retention was slowly starving plants of nutes...? sounds believable enough to be a real thing! So i repot in Ferti-Lome ultimate soil, trim growth thats 50% yellow.

Week 4:

I attached some lines to correct its curve. But other than that, we're doing ok. Plants are outgrowing their enclosure. So the next U-Grow box will be designed and assembled. I'm thinking I want my U-Haul grow box to be a walk-in box fort... maybe with a moat and a draw bridge... and a flag...

So here's a question how big am i supposed to let them get before going to flowering cycle? And LST? I dont know if i want to risk topping on my first growing... But ya any ideas are good. Picture replies are welcomed. I'm new and appreciate all the help I can get. Thanks!

Are you getting any air movement near the plants? Think they look good. Nice write-up. Looking forward to your progress reports.

bioWheel said:

Are you getting any air movement near the plants? Think they look good. Nice write-up. Looking forward to your progress reports.

Click to expand...

Ya. I have the fan on bottom for pulling air into the box and out the top. and usually I have another big fan just blowing on them- but with it getting colder I might have to do something different...

I just lined the inside of the small little box with foil- yaya! that raised the temp a few degrees to a now 76*. I still dont know if these are girls for sure... but I asked them, and 2 out of 3 of them said yes, they are girls... we'll see.

I plan on taking a clipping for a clone and putting it directly in 12/12 light- saw a youtube vid where a guy took a cutting and sexed the clone without growing roots. worth a try!

Ok New Pictures!
Here's the family line up, and more pics of my 'Pandora's grow box'. All the pics of plants have been of 'Bear', except the one with the hard white hair on the leaf tips as a seedling that's 'Seymore'. Yes, my plants have names for 2 reasons, 1) plants grow better when they have a sense of identity- FACT! 2) I have no idea about strain/type of these plants- FACT!

Here's Bear, trying to straighten him out a little

This is Cassius, steady growth, just not as explosive as Bear's was early on

And This is Seymore, He's the seedling shown if first post with the hard white tips on his 2nd leaves, he's also the slowest growing, but has good color, density and bushy growth

And for Pandora's Grow Box

...I know, it's almost too fantastic for words...
This is the nearing the end of Week 5- from when i first put seed to soil.

I am fairly proud of this box... the top completely opens/shuts, the tape all up the sides is because I cut thru about all the corners so I could raise/lower my clampy light things. I added foil to the inside for reflect- cfl's dont get hot enough to burn unless touching plant- and it helps keep my temps a few degrees higher since temps getting lower.

I started this grow as a challenge from a friend- we pulled seeds from a jar at random; highest yield take wins. But then his cat ate his seedlings.

VICTORY!

Those fan leaves are boss. Gonna get some height on those ladies.

I'm starting to get gender-paranoid... I asked my plants if they were ladies, and all but the smallest one said yes... So i believed them... but they havent shown me anything yet! So I have my doubts. For some reason I think the 2 big ones(Bear & Cassius) lied to me so I wouldn't kill them...
But now, I'm thinking little Seymore is actually a lady! I mean, look at her, full fan-dress, short and neat, and just as old as the other giants...

But anyway, was gone a few days and got back to some sad drooping plants today. Watered with a little splash of hormone/nutes. They perked up in a few hours and looked recovered by morning. Some of the leaves a still twisted though... and some are drying out but not discoloring... weird. only a few leaves are affected so hopefully it will fix itself and I'll prune if problem gets to 50% of leaf size.

Gender-paranoid? LOL

Good to hear you were able to get back to your plants in time. It's tough seeing some wilted plants but weed is tough and can usually bounce back.

You won't want to let them get to big since you only have cfls. Keep them small and youll have nicer denser buds. Also just so you know 6 55w cfls will generate a lot of heat so just be ready to handle that. And believe it or not the cfls actually give off more light from their ends than their sides. I used to hang mine horizontally like you under the impression that more exposed surface area to the plants meant more light. In reality cfls are made to disperse light from their conical end, their light foot print is pointed forward, kind of like a flash light. Your plants look great though man. Don't sweat your plants gender bro, they can feel your anxiety. Let them grow and when you flip the lights to 12/12 you'll know in a matter of days.

Thanks guys. my first grow and all the big stuff is coming up! plants getting big, need to move them, theres a nice light smell in the hall way... How big should they get before I switch light? right now sall-big its 6"-8"-10", which they would be bigger buy i've repotted a couple times and burried stem up to the first real fan leaves. Roots are prolly alright to start I guess... I just worry about the small one... Our relationship has changed since my last nervous break down and she told me the 2 bigger ones were males...

I have pics of preflowers starting on 1 or 2 of them. But I cant upload pics for some reason... Admin says they're working on it- and I'm not the only one... wah wah wah.Pics hopefully coming soon!

I would flip as they approach 12" and your still going to end up with close to 2' plants. That's pretty big for cfls. I have a 250w hps and my tallest plant is 18" late in flower.

Alright! It's been a while since I updated, and I can post pics again! Thanks RIU Team!

We are in Week 8 now and a lot has happened. Plants getting big and pretty. I almost dont have the heart to switch to 12/12 because it's the start to the end... *Hrrk!* emotional...

But anyways. I decided to put Bear and Cassius in 12/12 and keep growing Seymore. I'm waiting on some misc parts to make sure my rig is neighbor-friendly. Took some cuttings for clones(first time- we'll see...) and used Root Tech powder- I think it was. So I've separated the the Bear/Cassius from Seymore/clones, and put in the lights I'm using for flowering. But Here's some pics!
This is Bear- about 12" across and 16" Tall.

This is Cassius- about 12" across and 17" tall.

Seymore has had issues the last week and a half. With the others being much taller the hole time, she's started stretching this last week. I know, she was so pretty a couple weeks ago, but her top half stretched like crazy and leaves had heat damage prior... so she's looking pretty rough.

The clones I took from the bottom nodes of Bear and Cassius. I cut at a 45* under water with root tech in it, dipped into the powder, and stuffed it in little planter cubes with soil. Then as any true professional, I put the clones into 2 Glad Tupperware bottoms and taped them together to make a mini green house.

So on Saturday I'll switch to 12/12 light cycle and get everything going for a DIY carbon scrubber and everything else.

About to Flower 2 plants and I have spent a total of ~$200 Which is pretty much pure lighting costs.

All in all I cant imagine why I havent grown brefore. To look into a room and see sunlight escaping the corners of a closet and peek in to see a garden growing... It's damn near magical.

I've just switched the timer to 12/12 light cycle starting tomorrow morning. I'm excited for my girls! ...This must be how parents feel; when they send their kids to their first day of kindergarten...

Here's to you Sancho and your future nugs! You've got to love flowering.

So question I have. I havent really trained or trimmed this plant much... I've cut limbs with damaged leaves and lower limbs and repotted deeper in soil a few times.
But now I'm in new territory. I have 2 plants [both unsexed], just started 12/12 cycle. For flower I suppose a scrog is a good plan with cfls, so I made a cheap screen out of some pvc and string. So for starting it, am i suppose to put the screen just below the highest point and channel all new growth in, or just above/at the tip so it grows in... do I cut all nodes below the half height mark since they'll be using a week or two of energy to just reach the screen?
Then lights just ontop of the screen or supplemental underneath as well?
I've looked at a lot of scrog tutorials, most are already in screen or dont go into my questions... i'll look again. but some advice would be great!

Mid Week 9 from seed- first week of flowering.

OK, so I thru my 2 flowering plants- Bear and Cassius in the starts of a scrog. came down a couple nodes and started weaving. My screen is homemade- ofcourse!- out of PVC and some fishing stringer(what mixes better than weed and the great outdoors??).

But I'm 3 days into flowering and my bagseed plants are starting to show the signs of preflowers- maybe? never sexed a plant before... except once... but I was wrong. Turns out the plant in Little shops of horrors was a girl... really?! had babies, but was looking up skirts and sang baritone.... *sigh*

But here's some pics of the preflowers. I think my other little plant was right when she told me the that cassius was a liar- and a man!!

Cassius preflower- maybe?-

Here's one small shot of Bear's


Like I said i've never done any of this before, so it could just be a another branch growing?? I'm only a 3-4 days into flowering. but those werent there on saturday, 12/12 timer on sunday, those were starting to grow monday.

Lemme know what ya'll think! I'm going to wait atleast til Sunday before I go crazy and rip Cassius out of there. but your input is much appreciated.

Thanks!

Well, no news on the gender front. BUT! my clones seem to be ok. I'm at the end of week 1 - I think now.

These were put in little planter squares with Ferti-Lome ultimate soil, Cut from bottom nodes during pruning, placed in a glass with a little root powder in it, then placed in a dish under water for the >45* cut and light stem scrape(no real damage or stringy peices, just enough to rough it up a little), then dipped in Bontone Root Powder(Home Depot), placed into the cubes carefully to not rub off powder, packed soil, marked the sides for which plant they came from. THEN! and this is the most important part, the secret to my methodology. I put them in 2- 8cup-size glad tupperware containers taped together. SHHH! don't tell anyone, especially my Mrs., who asked where they went since I didnt not hide the tops.

But heres a couple pics. I have 6 clones in all- 4 bear and 2 Cassius(I have my doubts about Cassius... and Bear was a very strong start).

Oh, I watered them a little every couple of days, mostly to the bottom of the tub so the planters absorb the water. I'd close it up and then exhale thru the side(my breath is magic), and a small shot of SuperThrive to the top of the soil.
Results look good, Now, i just need to know which mother is a Father, and have a viking funeral of their whole family... MUAHAHAHAHAAA

Whoa - nice white, healthy roots. Looking good. Funny about the tupperware - I understand completely. Wife is always wondering about my 'experiments'.