First Grow - Northern Lights with 400w

[bonuslazer]

I originally started a thread in the CFL subcategory of indoor growing, but since yesterday I just purchased a 400w mh light, I figured I'd keep it in the journals...

My plant is already 15 days since it cracked the surface. I will post a series of pics since it was a seedling to catch you guys up on my grow...

 

[bonuslazer]

As you can see she got a little sad the first day I used the light, but today she's back and bad as ever!

 

[bonuslazer]

Here's a few shots from this morning... as you can see she's working on her 4th node right now! Also some additional leaf sets coming in on the lower nodes...

I'm really excited at how healthy she looks. Beginners luck?

 

[CLOSETGROWTH]

Looking good my friend

Im also growing Northern lights, but its the #5.

Can I make a slight reccomendation?

I think you should be running hps, instead of mh..

Especially when you put em in flowering.

Each to their own.

Good luck to you man

 

[Stoney Macgyver]

Lookin good man, Im growing NL at the moment too and she is doing great, really stong plant and pretty fast grower! You'll notice since you put that 400w in there, shes have a lot of side branching, every branch from the bottom to the top reaches the canopy, but I cut about 6in up on here to focus more energy to the top. But goodluck man on the grow and I'll keep watchin this one, she how she grows!

 

[Stoney Macgyver]

Can I make a slight reccomendation?

I think you should be running hps, instead of mh..

Run the MH all veg and then switch over to a hps. Im sorry but Ive never seen any really beautiful plants that use one type of light for the whole grow. Use MH for veg and when you decided to flower switch to HPS. Because MH in flowering cause really light fluffy buds, and HPS in vegg cause stalkly plants, the red light they get from it makes the plant focus more on building fat stems rather than nice foilage and they have a stunted growth I noticed when you use HPS for vegg. Hope this helps

 

[bonuslazer]

Looking good my friend

Im also growing Northern lights, but its the #5.

Can I make a slight reccomendation?

I think you should be running hps, instead of mh..

Especially when you put em in flowering.

Each to their own.

Good luck to you man

Yeah I'm not totally sure what the strain is, since its bagseed from a dispensary. Should be interesting to see what kind of buds she produces... if she is indeed a girl.

About the hps... I was thinking I would switch the bulbs when I start flowering. Is it better to use hps the whole time? The bulb I got got tossed in for free from the hydro store, so I guess I can't complain!

 

[bonuslazer]

Lookin good man, Im growing NL at the moment too and she is doing great, really stong plant and pretty fast grower! You'll notice since you put that 400w in there, shes have a lot of side branching, every branch from the bottom to the top reaches the canopy, but I cut about 6in up on here to focus more energy to the top. But goodluck man on the grow and I'll keep watchin this one, she how she grows!

Yes, I have noticed in the few days since I put the light in there's alot more undergrowth. I think she is really responding well (aside from the the first half day) to the new light. Was thinking about LST and topping, but I'm not sure... I kind of want this first plant to be more natural, just because I really love the way they grow on their own. I know I might be sacrificing a little yield, but it might be worth it just for my first grow.

 

[Stoney Macgyver]

No you should run the whole veg with MH, because your plant uses a lot more blue light when its in vegative, which a MH is perfect for. (5500k Color Temp)

Now when you flower run a HPS because your plant uses more red light than it does blue. And a HPS puts out red light, I think 3000k actually.



And about LST and Fimming, Ive done both and I dont really care much for LST but I do have to admit it can really increase yeild if you know what your doing thatn it. But fimming is a bitch to get right but if you do, it does really help with creating more colla's. Have you ever thought of using a trellis in your grow room?

 

[bonuslazer]

Run the MH all veg and then switch over to a hps. Im sorry but Ive never seen any really beautiful plants that use one type of light for the whole grow. Use MH for veg and when you decided to flower switch to HPS. Because MH in flowering cause really light fluffy buds, and HPS in vegg cause stalkly plants, the red light they get from it makes the plant focus more on building fat stems rather than nice foilage and they have a stunted growth I noticed when you use HPS for vegg. Hope this helps

Yes, I have also heard the same... I think this is exactly what I'm gonna do. MH until I'm ready to flower, then I'll switch to HPS. Any suggestions on when I should switch? another 2-3 weeks? Keep in mind I have a smallish closet space...

 

[Stoney Macgyver]

Well a good rule of thumb is that your plant will double its size in flowering, so grow to whatever you have room for, but in another 2-3 weeks that plant will be a nice bush!

 

[bonuslazer]

Well a good rule of thumb is that your plant will double its size in flowering, so grow to whatever you have room for, but in another 2-3 weeks that plant will be a nice bush!

I thought the rule of thumb had to do with the girth of your thumb and wooden sticks!

I can't wait till she grows more! Also have a pack of 5 Jock Horror Feminised coming in the mail soooon... think I'm gonna grow about two of those along with this baby...

Question: I'm I start from seed with the new batch, is it gonna throw off the cycle with my NL plant? I suppose I could start flowering later with this plant and kind of early with my Jock Horror, but I'm not sure if thats such a good idea...

 

[Stoney Macgyver]

Well you could also flower the northern lights when the 2 seeds pop up, so the seeds would be 12/12 from seed. You could pull off over and oz. if your your good off of each plant! Ive seen it done a few times!

 

[bonuslazer]

Well you could also flower the northern lights when the 2 seeds pop up, so the seeds would be 12/12 from seed. You could pull off over and oz. if your your good off of each plant! Ive seen it done a few times!

Sound intriguing, but I think I'm gonna let the seeds veg for a while and postpone the flowering of the NL.

 

[Stoney Macgyver]

Just watch out for the size of NL, sometimes these girls grow a little to fast and crowed everything, just like my Shiskaberry! But its going to be one hell of a yeild!

 

[forb1d]

Just watch out for the size of NL, sometimes these girls grow a little to fast and crowed everything, just like my Shiskaberry! But its going to be one hell of a yeild!

I'm aboujt to start growing nl#5 and it will be my first ever grow. Going to be using bubbleponics and a 400w hps. I would like to know of the scent in flowering if any at all. I hope mine turns out like yours.

 

[Stoney Macgyver]

[QUOTEI would like to know of the scent in flowering if any at all][/QUOTE]

Well mines a day over 3 weeks now and she has the lowest odor of all my plants but she has a strong musky scent to her if you smell her up close!

 

[bonuslazer]

Well, it looks like my plant didn't quite adjust to the new light I introduced, so I decided to switch back to CFL until she gets a little bigger and stronger...

She is experiencing some major drooping, which I am not so happy about, but I hope the lighting switch will help...

 

[gunnjabsgrow]

how often/how much are you watering? i kind of think the drooping is from over watering.

 

[bonuslazer]

how often/how much are you watering? i kind of think the drooping is from over watering.

About every other day. I have a 50/50 perlite to potting soil mix so it dries out reasonably quickly. I usually check the soil too to make sure its real dry.