Time to Walk the Walk!

I have been talking about doing a grow for a while, this would also be my first grow so really entering new territory now. I am no handy man either so things have been taking a long time but its getting done. Hope people can get something from this I know I sure learnt a lot reading on this site and following peoples grows. I will try and get pics up throughout thread and I am asking for everyones help and advice throughout, feel free to tell me a better way to do things if you see Im straying. So before hand thanks to all that get involved, enjoy your herbs and keep on growing, peace...

So I will be doing a DWC in 20 gal totes. I have 10 white widow seeds, the brand I believe is seedsman. My plan is to grow these seeds out and get a couple of clones from the strong plants to be mothers (that will go in soil and give me a good long supply of future children to work with in my grow box).

OK so I built a grow box in my garage its 8'x4'x6' tall. Now I know how Noah felt. Check it out. the places with no white paint is where the mylar will go, it should arrive tomorrow. Got my carbon filter and air outlet, small air intake, fan assisted, I have 2 400 watters HPS for inside and will be getting a 1000 MH/HPS to go in between the two 400's in a week or two - that should be plenty of light right? Fill you in more soon...

I germinated the seeds last night, 9 of the 10 were ready this morning. I put the germinated seeds into starter plugs( I believe thats what they r called) today and have them under T5 lights. My first question is are the new seedlings OK under light right now, they r just breaking out above the plugs. How often should I be wetting them, dont wanna dry them out and turn em into toast. Heres some pics of what I am using for lights, my T5's, I will use this until they get a little bit bigger and then the 400MH for them. Heres the seeds I used as well, anyone got any feedback on these genetics...

The 10th seed has germinated so its in with the rest. Thats them all under the lights. The seedlings are slowly raising up so I dont think the light and heat is hurting them. lights are about 1 ft away right now. Should I put the light only inches above the babies or keep as is for now? Feedback and some thread buddies much appreciated. I will elaborate more later...

Pics of seedlings, trying to get this computer stuff down...

Dont know if Im gonna get any help b4 I go to bed but am wondering how they will be over night, the lights will be on. Worried about them drying out, I will wet em a bit b4 I turn in. One last question, water Im using is tap water left out for 24 hrs. Do I need to ph it for seedlings, if so what should the ph be for this stage of plant life.

its been a week since I last posted, let me tell you this growing lark is a full time job. Im sure as you get more experienced no time gets wasted and you can do other things with your life other than be in a garage sweating and working any spare momments you have and getting it in the neck from your other half that it is feeling neglected, but other than that I love this shit its fascinating working so closely with mother nature and her blessings.

So yeh I have been going forward adding to the grow room as necesitates. Promise will put pics up tom. Still not much to see of my lovely children yet, to be honest I was and am still worried that they are ok. I am new to this and dont know what to expect, got done with the T5's about 2 days ago, have had them under a 400 MH since, the light was up high to begin now it is 2 ft away. Im wondering if they should be bigger for their age, anyways just ranting would love help and please stop in.

you know what I noticed, I have been running my 400 metal halide and for my first experience with these hid lights I gotta say I am glad I chose to get a 1000 w hps/mh, it will arrive soon, yummy. So far I am not that impreesed by the 400's power, although the plants look nice under it, cant wait to put that 1000w on em once theyre ready. Although the heat will be a b...h to handle. I may have to upgrade the exhaust for the lights. Was just stirring up some controvesy, dont feel bad you 400 watters I will have probably killed my first grow by weeks end, no, come on, hang in there, GGGGRRROOOWWWWWWWWWW. Peace...

MrWannabe said:

you know what I noticed, I have been running my 400 metal halide and for my first experience with these hid lights I gotta say I am glad I chose to get a 1000 w hps/mh, it will arrive soon, yummy. So far I am not that impreesed by the 400's power, although the plants look nice under it, cant wait to put that 1000w on em once theyre ready. Although the heat will be a b...h to handle. I may have to upgrade the exhaust for the lights. Was just stirring up some controvesy, dont feel bad you 400 watters I will have probably killed my first grow by weeks end, no, come on, hang in there, GGGGRRROOOWWWWWWWWWW. Peace...

Click to expand...

A 400w is best used in a space not even half the size as yours and two together still won't be spectacular. I hope you have a way to cool running either 1400 or 1800 watts in your garage in summer which you'll have to to cover that space. Those T5s should be not even six inches from your seedlings or they'll stretch. Good luck.

I am wishing you a successful first go round! I am changing over from a 400 to a 1K+400. After wiring in the 220 I tried out the 1K and man that sucker gets HOT compared to the 400. I'll be putting them both in 6in. cool tubes.

It sounds like you are doing well in your grow so far, but I too am new at this having just chopped my first crop. I used a 400 mh for veg the first time and now I am using eight 4ft HO t5's and what a difference! The t5's are far superior to the mh - no doubt about it!

I doubt you will kill your plants, you sound like an attentive gardener. Easy on the ferts, don't over water, watch your temps and humidity, and use a fan to blow fresh air over the plants. Oh yeah, and check your budding ladies for leetle balls. I had one herm on me and pollenized the whole crop!

Smoking your own grow is very satisfying! Good luck!

So 8 days since last posting, have added things to grow room and moved seedlings into pots now (net pots with hydroton).

I put the mylar up, switched from t5 to 400w MH, put in venting for HID light. Switched from the starter plugs to net pots 2 days ago. Some pics coming to show the DWC set up and the totes, hope this helps and inspires.

For the DWC, simple, 20 gal totes, air pumps, air pipes, air stones, net pots, a medium(hydrotron).

The plants are 8 days from sprouting are today now finally in their working DWC set ups, for the last couple days they were just hanging in the totes and I would manually wet them 2-3 times a day.

Gonna put pics up of the little uns tomorrow to get feed back if they look ok. Wanted to ask, its been 8 days since they poked their heads up above ground, should I be giving them nutes now in small doses or wait longer, Im just wondering with hydro? Also withfan exhaust for lights is it better to blow air over the lights or use the fans to pull the air over the bulb, you know what I mean, which works best. Thanks all, nice to know people check in, peace all...

This is about 10 days from sprouting. Do they look OK, I may be paranoid but Im thinking they should look a little bigger stronger by now.

everything looks nice...i have a mh thousand watter..it is nice check it out

people say not to add nutes so early on....i just did the recommended dosage from gh flora system for seedlings,cuttings nothin ever happened...if anything i should have switched them to veg nutes sooner...its all goood tho...of course i could just be lucky