1st Grow CFL+T5 - Bagseed

[deprave]

I have been reading here for several weeks and I have learned a lot, I have recently obtained a caretaker card which allows me to grow legally. I never grew anything in my life besides mushrooms until now...


3/29/10 - Germinated 20 bag seeds using papertowel method

3/31/10 - Planted two of the seeds that have longest taproot

4/1/10 - Planted 6 more seeds

4/2/10 - It appears they are starting to break dirt, I see small green stems laying partially above the surface.





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About the setup: I am currently using a small cardboard box roughly 18 inches long, 20 inches wide, 20 inches tall - this is going to be my baby chamber. I plan to move to much bigger area once they reach about 6 inches in height. The box has holes poked in it all around and a large fan about 10inches set on low to move air around. The box has a large file of blankets on the top, in part for stealth and in part to keep warmth in, the box is staying around 80F.

The babies are planted in 16oz party cups with miracle grow moisture control.

I am using 3 CFL bulbs 23W 5500K in this baby nursery currently. I have a pan of water for humidity.

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Note: Many of these will be going outdoors in about a month.


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Once they reach 1ft I am adding 12 CFL bubls - I have not purchased bulbs yet but I looked at home depot and saw 4 packs I beleive 3000K for 17$, my plan is to get 2 of these 4 packs, I have two other 5500K bulbs I am going to add during the veg once they get a little bigger.

I also have a 14W T5 - It is a flowering bulb I believe 3300K - I have not installed yet as its hard wired.

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My first question for you guys, should I add some water to the first two cups as its starting to look pretty dry.. How soon will I be able to identify if it is predominantly indica or sativa and what is the best early indicator?











Pics Incoming



Please POST AWAY

 

[deprave]

OK here is some pics of the ones that are starting to break dirt, really hard to see in these pics , I only noticed in the first and third pic look for the green..ok well RIU resized it automagically and now the resolution is so low you cant even really see it :\

gunna try to fix it

 

[deprave]

OK here is some pics of the ones that are starting to break dirt, really hard to see in these pics , I only noticed in the first and third pic look for the green..ok well RIU resized it automagically and now the resolution is so low you cant even really see it :\

gunna try to fix it

Ok 4th time is a charm - I removed the little pebble that was covering it so you can clearly see it

 

[deprave]

Just checked my seeds and seems they all have germinated now with large taproots...planted 4 more and now box is full...not to worried it seems I wasted some seeds but I have hundreds of them..maybe i will try to actually start these outside, better then throwing them in the trash I guess..the reason I germinated so many was because I was worried they would not germinate...since they look pretty crappy, they are really small seeds and old..I guess it really doesn't matter as I have read.

I have placed an order with attitude seeds to use on my next grows after I learn off these bagseeds, I got:

5x Fem Barney Farms Sweet Tooth - Recommended by a friend.
1x Fem White Widow
1x Fem Sharks Breath (was free)
1x [FONT=Tahoma, sans-serif]UFO#1 Reserva Privada Cole Train Feminized (Free also)
[/FONT]

 

[deprave]

Ok I went about a mile into the woods and dug 8 holes about 1ft deep each, filled with my soil and planted them - I know its prolly way to early but needed to get rid of the extra seeds I germed, We could still have another frost maybe not, it is 85F out right now, this is in Michigan so again most likely way to early..Ill be happy if these even come out..saving my actual outdoor garden for later in the season.

 

[deprave]

Ok I went about a mile into the woods and dug 8 holes about 1ft deep each, filled with my soil and planted them - I know its prolly way to early but needed to get rid of the extra seeds I germed, We could still have another frost maybe not, it is 85F out right now, this is in Michigan so again most likely way to early..Ill be happy if these even come out..saving my actual outdoor garden for later in the season.

Today construction begins on their new more permanent home - haven't checked on them yet , just arrived at home with the materials to get starting putting the new grow chamber togather. I got a 45 Gal Rubbermaid and the next isle over some emergence blankets. Total cost 17$ and I have way more emergency blanket then nessecary so when I expand to this chamber I can blanket it also - the plan is to do the ole upside-down rubbermaid stacked on rubbermaid eventually for this grow, just going with 1 right now, Check it out:

 

[deprave]

Today construction begins on their new more permanent home - haven't checked on them yet , just arrived at home with the materials to get starting putting the new grow chamber togather. I got a 45 Gal Rubbermaid and the next isle over some emergence blankets. Total cost 17$ and I have way more emergency blanket then nessecary so when I expand to this chamber I can blanket it also - the plan is to do the ole upside-down rubbermaid stacked on rubbermaid eventually for this grow, just going with 1 right now, Check it out:

Great news - Just checked on the little guys and I have 2 new sprouts break dirt and one of them is an entire inch tall!

The bigger one was only planted 2 days ago and the smaller one is just from yesterday afternoon! It is hard to tell in the pic but the second one is standing up perfectly straight.

 

[deprave]

well, I didnt cover the entire box with the emrgency blanket but it looks likes im going to haveto, when i cut the lights on it glows makes my whole basement glow blue lol, Gunna have to cover the inside real good with that stuff, I would just cover the outside with something but I think that looks a lot more suspicious I am gunna have to tape it down better and more tight also because when I cut the fan on it blows it around and is noisy....what a pain in the butt..anyhow...the guys/gals like their home much better now..much more room..I might just have to go the computer fan route anyway because I think my fan is way to big for this setup...its about 8 or 10 inches in diameter. I was going to cut slits in the box and have it blow out the slits but I am not so sure about that now.

proper ventilation is definitly a problem right now and I need to do something fast.

 

[deprave]

ok well i got the fan going quietly again

Here is a little peak at where I stand so far with the whole operation roughly 5 days in (including germination)

The next most important thing I think I need to do is get the lights mounted in a good spot.

 

[deprave]

I lightly misted the entire chamber, I am pretty sure I should of been doing this the whole time, going to mist every 8-24 hours, we had a flash rainstorm here and I bet it was good for the ones outside, this is what made me think of this

I wonder what else I am screwing up on?

9:02PM 3/3/10 - First Mist

Oh btw: I also repositioned the lights so they are on the back wall and evenly lighting all the plants, I moved them all as close to the light as possible..I did this minutes after I took that last photo.

Tomorrow morning I plan to mount the lights onto the lid, touch up my emergency blanket job and finish it, and hopefully design a better way for air to escape and enter. (currently it is only escaping and entering because I have the lid cracked very slightly (not good) - I have a blanket drapped over the whole thing so that the entire room does not glow blue so this is further restricting good airflow

Other things on the agenda:

1)Install PC fans so I can get rid of the big one and give them more room

2) Install pad locks to better comply with the law, the room they are in is locked but additional security would be nice. This will come with number 3.

3) Get an additional tote

4) Go to home depot and get an additional surge protector, Y adapters, and more bulbs.

5)Get extension cord so that I can do the wiring for my t5 bulb.

One thing I have learned - maintaining good stealth is a lot of fine tuning to get things just right even without big plants to hide - its also nice I have a seedling now to direct me what to do, I am pretty sure he told me to mist just by the looks of him

no pics for this update - my phone is dead and cant find the charger

 

[deprave]

or should I say seedlings, just 30 minutes after misting they responded very well and I have 2 new ones pop!

I gave them each a small drop of water as the surface of each one looked really dry. ( when I misted I only misted the chamber and not the plants btw)

 

[deprave]

or should I say seedlings, just 30 minutes after misting they responded very well and I have 2 new ones pop!

I gave them each a small drop of water as the surface of each one looked really dry. ( when I misted I only misted the chamber and not the plants btw)

I taped up some emergency blanket covering the bottom of the lid...I have been putting togather exactly how I will do things tommorow and I am thinking about getting 4 'fixtures' total - using 8 bulbs in each to surround this countainer...I am going to use a computer powersupply to power the fans so I am going to wire the t5 directly to that after all, the t5 is going to be at the top of the whole enclosure so I will be adding that once I add the second rubbermaid.

I am a bit worried about all this might be causing to much stress - from my research it seems a lot of stress can give quite a few negative results including hermi so I hopefully this is not to much stress being born in an under construction enviorment, but in the end I think its going to be for the best because I can make better adjustments to my setup using their advice - to add to my list I think I am going to pickup something to measure ph, temperature, and humidity in my shopping ventures this morning, perhaps a light timer is in order also.

I should have around 16 bulbs in total as of my plans right now - 10 flowering spectrum and 6 in the veg spectrum (5500K+) and then I will additionally have the t5 which is a flowering bulb covering the ceiling of the enclosure.

Currently the largest seedling has reached about 3 inches in height! He/she is reaching for the bulb which is about 2 inches away now...I still have about 5 that have not broke dirt..the rest have all barely broke (just a touch of green is visible) with the exception of two which are about a half inch high with a bulb on top. I am a little worried about the 3 inch one, part of the bulb on the top has a brownish color to it. Is this normal and what could it mean?


This Concludes day 5 since place in the towel for germination (Days 1,2, and 3 since planting)

PLEASE POST!!! I need all the help I can get!

 

[deprave]

Well after a rather stressful night in the ER I decided to rush home and blaze up a spliff and put off the shopping trip for another day or more, 3 CFL I think are fine for my little seedlings for now...The seedling had no dramatic growth overnight however the one which was stretching a little bit twoard the light is now pointing straight up again, I am thinking this is due to me putting the emergency blanket on the top. - Going to do some pics later today -


Anyway I am looking at HPS lights for what will be my real grow at my new house..I have a 10x12x8 room, An entire basement, and a walk-in closet to work with at the new location and only 2 months untill that time..

MY father is also getting his card soon for glucoma so it looks like I will be helping him aswell...I really look forward to the long road ahead RIU!

 

[deprave]

Pics for the day - DAY 6 since placed in the towel for germination (Days 2,3, and 4 since planting) Plants from day 3 and 4 have grown into sprouts - plants from day 2 are showing green just under the surface but have not grew taller then 1mm

Here is my best seedlings -the only ones that have height to them (the rest are visible thru the soil however they are not taller than 1mm

I have been on 24/0 light schedule however just gave my these guys/gals a 30 minute breather and finished the emergency blanket job, the whole tub is now lined with this however it could still use a bit of tightening up.

I gave each about 10CC of water that has been sitting for 48 hours in their chamber evaporating. They where placed in the sun for these photos. I am considering to let them bathe in the sun for awhile today.

 

[riddleme]

Pics for the day - DAY 6 since placed in the towel for germination (Days 2,3, and 4 since planting) Plants from day 3 and 4 have grown into sprouts - plants from day 2 are showing green just under the surface but have not grew taller then 1mm

Here is my best seedlings -the only ones that have height to them (the rest are visible thru the soil however they are not taller than 1mm

I have been on 24/0 light schedule however just gave my these guys/gals a 30 minute breather and finished the emergency blanket job, the whole tub is now lined with this however it could still use a bit of tightening up.

I gave each about 10CC of water that has been sitting for 48 hours in their chamber evaporating. They where placed in the sun for these photos. I am considering to let them bathe in the sun for awhile today.

Ween them to the sun slowly as it will shock em, start out with an hour today then add 1/2 hour each time till they are used to it

 

[deprave]

Ween them to the sun slowly as it will shock em, start out with an hour today then add 1/2 hour each time till they are used to it

gotchya thanks

 

[deprave]

CONCLUSION/SUMMARY FOR: day 6 since placing them in the papertowel for germanation... and Days 2,3, and 4 since planting..


Ok well I did not give them a sun bath cause I was sooo tired I was going to pass out , didnt want to leave em out and forget them....I finished 100% the emergency blanket job and also taped up the light 'fixture' with tape so its suspended from the back wall at the top of the wall, this allowed me to move a lot of plants much closer to the light. I attempted to cut a ventalation hole with an exato knife, normal bigass knife, and a straight razor but it just was not happening, I am going to need a saw or perhaps a heated blade or pin as this material is very very thick..again I was way to tried so I passed out and got 5 hours of sleep before my 3rd shift work tonite...

The only real air these guys/gals are getting is when I open the container every 4-8 hours to let it breathe..aside from that I have the large high speed fan in there simply blowing out the cracks on the lid I left...I really hope that is enough for now..

The air in the chamber is very thick and humid and also it is atleast 80 degrees F.....Its really time I get that humidity/temp gauge and get this ventilation thing under wraps..

The major challenge for me to keep this ventilated without light poking out, I am going to have to cut a good hole and use some piping or something so the light dont come thru...sigh..really hope they arent sufficating..again I also have a blanket over the container to keep light from poking out...can't wait to get in my new place and I will have a large closet and won't have to worry so much about stealth..I think what I am going to do is make the vent hole very large so I can just continue to use the blanket for blocking light..I will then get the vent hole covered with a custom made charcoal filter likely made out of some scotch cloth sewed togather.

The seedlings responded well to the light and they grew at least a quarter inch each while I slept..They seem seem to be pretty strong, perhaps because of othe wind..they are standing straight up, the leaves are forming really well on the bigger one..Pictures coming this afternoon...

I just want to add that I did the second misting of the chamber at the same time I took the photos earlier today.


For the light cycle I have been on 24/0 but I plan to go to to 20/4 as soon as I see some leaves and then shortly after 18/6...I am considering going to 12/12 as early as 4 weeks in so that I can try to start rapping this up for my big hps grow in 2 months..I really don't want these guys to be very big for the move..ideally I want to be just done with them when I move but If i can have them not completly done and not too big than I can move them easier and actually finish off flower under hps. If i have to move them and they are like 4ft tall so be it but thats a situation I want to avoid.


That concludes day 6 since placing them in the papertowel for germanation... and Days 2,3, and 4 since planting..



Also I i got a bag of mids that has more seeds in it..and getting some lemon skunk tommorow so maybe I will get lucky..I have about 200 seeds of regs/mids right now with the attitude seeds in the mail...Sweet Tooth, White Widow, Sharks breath, and some other freebie which name escapes me at the momment.

 

[deprave]

Well I went to check on my outdoor ones and they are simply beautiful little sprotlings with nice leaves and a perfect shade of green!

On my way back there a fox decided he would dart thru the woods near me and it just reminds me of the challenges I am going to face with this type of grow..I will need chicken wire...and bullets..It makes me look forward to the day when I will be using a real outdoor garden. If these guys can manage to make it a few months then they are definitly getting transported to a real garden where they will be safe from animals

Work begins on my indoor setup shortly..

 

[deprave]

Well..After seeing the outdoor ones and talking with some of you on IRC I am not really sure if any of my seedlings are going to make it..the taller one still doesnt have leaves and he is way to tall I assume he didn't break out of the seed properly...the smaller ones look pitifull..what few small ones there are...I definitely need to refine my setup..I should be installing quality ventelation today..starting to get worried about them..none have their leaves it seems.except 1...should I be using the bulbs with lower kelvin rating for seedlings? The ones I am using are all 'DAYLIGHT' 5500K

here is a view of the entire grow chamber right now..I am going to try to get my phone to take some better pics..the spot at the back is where I will cut the vent

 

[cylee89]

Change that CFL set up PLEASE.. that power strip should be horizontal..
and also,
Your plants need a lot more light than that.. I mean it's the seedling stage right now so it might not matter that much, but later in the process you'll need much more.

Also, what soil are you using.. did you get that from the forest lol I hope you baked them before using it..

Your seedlings need good lighting at the beginning stages of growth.. The two cotyledons (first pair of leaves) receive the initial light for photosynthesis which greatly affect the primary stages of growth.. change your setup please