#1 indoor grow. NL/BB , WW sprouting. Now the waiting......

Hey heads n headettes. This will be my first indoor grow. Tired of high prices, dry spells and especially RIP OFFS!

I have some NL/BB and some WW sprouting with a few mystery seeds and I'm assembling the components for my room which is 4'x7'x8'.

I've got Dutch passion white widow-fem and snowbud-fem on the way. With these come some free UFO.



I'm trying both soil, with different soil mixes, and DWC hydro.

I've ordered nutes and soil from Fox Farm.

Soil is Pacific forest and light warrior. I'm going to experiment with mixing them and also with coir pot liners for added root room.




Nutes are Gow big, big bloom and tiger bloom. Could use recomendations on other Fox Farm ADVANCED nutes.

Closet will be 100% mylar lined.

Lighting. I'm experimenting with lighting as well. Don't want too much heat or power bill spikes so I'm mixing:

CFLs:

2- 5000K - 7000 Lumen ~ 500w 13" CFL
2- 6500K - 3000 Lumen ~ 150w 8" CFL
6- 6500K - 2000 Lumen ~ 100w 8" CFL
6- 2700K - 2000 lumen ~ 100w 8" CFL

LEDS

5 - 250 LED Red / Blue panels.

6 - 8 fixture light bars to mount on three sides. One attached lights can be added, raised, lowered. Thinking about LED or Halo spot lights in these for under canopy light penetration ( BUT I'M TAKING SUGGESTIONS ). Each panel is rated for 450w and made for a bathroom environment. @ less than $7.00 each and free shipping I couldn't pass on these. PLUS I think my closet will look cool (as long as you are wearing sunglasses).

Westek Power strip Timer
Small fan for circ.

My Plan:

18 hour light cycle with full spectrum of lights listed. 6 hours of dimmer night light. Day light cycle reduced to 12 hours using only lower 2700 - 5000 K then reducing to only 2700 last few weeks.

(Fox farm has bud enhaancers and stimulants. Are they worthwhile? They are hi-$$$)

Hydro in the center with 6 - 5 in posts
1 tray of 6 - 2 gallon pots lined in coir with Pacific Forest soil.
1 Tray of 6 - 2 gallon pots lined in coir with Light Warrior soil.

Soil pots will have wick watering from the bottom. All nutes go to soil via capilary action. No overwatering, pretty automatic.

2 BIG 7000 lumen CFLs hung over center with smaller CFLs hung disperesed at varrying heights and spacing moved daily.

6 -8 socket light bars mounted 2 on each of three walls. I may just use these to adjust the spectrum and intensity if / when needed. I think I may get some small LED or Halogen plant friendly spot lights to concentrate light from the side so the plants don't stretch out as much reaching for the sky.

So friends. Do you have any suggestions, constructive critisizm, additions, subtractions etc?

MOST IMPORTANTLY. Could you more experienced stealth growers give me an idea of what to expect from these strains in this environment?



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The good folks with Attitude threw in dynafem UFO #1, #2, #3, #4$, Hash Plant, Grapefriut, royal Haze.

Any comments or suggestions on the following? Quality? Crossing?

Looks like your on the right track homie! I'm actually almost done with my harvesting my first two plants, "shortrider & WonderWoman." They where grown in FoxFarms ocean forest and I used the same nutes your using, gb/bb/tb! The only other thing I'm using is molasses for nutes..

I didn't see anything about the ph, you might not have to worry about it now but its better to be safe than sorry. Do you know what the ph of your tap water is, "if thats what your using?"

Other than that it seems like you have everything covered!

Thanks ST.

I'm trying several different things but my main goal is to flood the area with light. I'm using mostly CFLs and LEDs to keep down heat and costs but from what I'm reading I'll sacrifice harvest. I'm experimenting with starting mediums and will experiment with soils and DWC bubble hydro.

Still don't know if I want 24 hr light or 18-6 cycle for grow. I guess that's the problem with starting a bunch of different strains. Sounds like some do well in 24, some 18-6 and some (roadrunner) 12-12. Oh well. If it grows it glows!! I guess I'll find out.

I have an idea about producing CO2 that I floated in another thread. I see mixed reviews on CO2. I'm wondering if it worth the trouble since I'm leaving my area open to ambient air.

I'm stoked though. I started some white widow yesterday and today I started some dinafem California hash and road runner. Sounds like if things go OK I'll be in the green by Thankgiving.

How do I get into the CFL Cartel?

Just click on the link in my sig and join!! I actually put some pics up on there recently, you can also come by and look at the grows in my sig to see some cfl buds.. I'm sure If I had an hid light the buds would be fatter but I couldn't be more happy with the results so far!!

I've done 20/4 and 24 for veg so far and I must say that I'm liking the 24hr veg a lot!! My kandykush has takin off with this light schedule!!

I haven't messed with co2 yet but I'm sure it does great things!!

Thinking about it a 24 cycle makes sense for grow when using CFLs or LEDS. I could see where higher intensity lights could cause stress and stretch and the plants need time to unwind. Maybe the 24 cycle with CFLs n LEDs gives them a consistent slow grow. OK. 24 hr it is until the plants say different!

I hear alot of folks talking CO2 via yeast / sugar fermentation in a gallon or 2 liter bottle. I can see it producing CO2 but not much. I was thinking a large 5 gallon office cooler type jug with a yeast / sugar mix. If there isn't closet space it could be piped in with some tubing. If CO2 REALLY helps growth I might consider having 2 and charging up one every other week. If a high CO2 content REALLY enhances growth, which makes sense if there were enough, I might try it and seal my area.

I'm not finding any real stas though, just opinion.

Also. The mollasses thing. I'm finding all sorts of people mentioning it but no real instructions. Is there a thread that details mollasses use?

Since I'm just sprouting and nearly NONE of my "stuff" is here for my area (grumble grumble grumble) I'm trying to get my head around what's coming.

I can't believe I ordered seed from across the pond and got both orders already and the room supplies I ordered from Ca, from THREE different sellers, is lost in limbo with THREE different carriers.

bladezilla said:

I guess a 24 cycle makes sense for grow when using CFLs or LEDS. I could see where higher intensity lights could cause stress and stretch. Maybe the 24 cycle with CFLs n LEDs gives them a consistent slow grow. OK. 24 hr it is until the plants say different!

Thanks man.

Click to expand...

No problem, glad I could help! Keep those cfl's close

Well the hydro finally came. I transplanted some newer seedlings but I didn't wash the roots and put them in rockwool. Is that bad? I just seem to loose plants hen I mess with roots and they looked so healthy I didn't want to screw up. A couple are in spagnum and the rest are in as small a ball of the original pacific forest, black gold, light warrior, dolomitic lime mix. It's an experiment but am I making a mistake? One of the "?" free seeds I got is going NUTZ!!! It sprouted way after the NL/BB but is as big as the best one. Any ideas what it might be?

I added 2 CO2 bubblers. One is a 5 gallon office cooler jug with a hypo needle run into a bubbler and it gives off a bubble a second unless shaken. When shaken the ballooon on top expands and it speeds up some. I can tell if I have CO2 if the balloon is standing. Pretty good setup.

Please take a look at the leaves closely and tell me what I'm doing wrong. When I transplanted them I nuted them lightly but maybe not lightly enough. Do you think the browning of the leaves is a little nute burn? PH is good. Maybe over watered? I've been having a bit of heat problem and the room was running 85-90. Is that maybe why the leaves look a little puffy and distorted?

Got a fan, exhaust and intake now so it's running cooler as of today.

So take a look at these photos compared to the ones from 9-15 and tell me what I'm doing right and wrong. It's been just over a week.

Don't be affraid to critisize. I want this to work.

9-15 they looked like this.



Here's the update pics from today, 9-23. It's been 8 days. The big bushy ones in dirt below are the sprouts above. 8 days ago those were the only sprouts I had. All the others popped up since.








I've been trying something different because I'm always doing something different.

I have a bunch of CFLS and 5 red/blue LED panels. I have the fan set on the light timer and run fan and CFLs with LEDS 18 hours. When the CFLs go off the fan goes off. Since plants like the CO2 and photosynth needs light I give the CO2 a shake after the CFLs go out and the fan stops.

My therory is that the plants get a little grow / heat break but still have the light from the LEDs to keep them breathing in the now concentrated CO2.

I think it looks like things are off to a decent start.

Yep lookin good, should show some good growth for you here in the next weeks to come!!

Thanks man. Appreciate it. Any tips you have are appreciated.

I shit canned the 2700K cfls until flowering and just use the 6500K and 5000K CFLs. The room is too hot. The 18 hour cycle with full on lights and the 4 hours of LEDs with high C02 cycle are working pretty well though.

Now I need to get my Hydro water temp down into the 60's so I get the best oxygen utilization. Any ideas? I was thinking about taking out some water and, instead of adding water, add a decent size chunk of ice. I think it would melt slow enough so it would not shock any plants.

These Northern Lights / Big Budz look like they are turning blue. Is that good, bad or to be expected?

I don't think I'm gonna nute ANY of the plants in my soil mix. I think it's good for now.

Got some micro bubblers coming for thye Hydro. The bubbler that came with it makes fart size bubbles!! L.O.L!!

soil seem good

Are you monitoring you ph and ppm ? I've havent grown hydroponically yet but have done some reading about it, seems like you obviously have some sort of difficiency. I'm not sure what though..

I think I'm going

bladezilla said:

I think I'm going to transfere the Hydroladies to soil. I'll use the hydro to experiment on tomastoes or something cheap I don't care so much about succeeding with.

Now I need tips on switching medium without shocking the pants off the girls.:^)

Hey, the NL/BB in soil are looking pretty good though, huh??

Click to expand...

Just be gentle and you should be okay! Yea the ones in soil look healthy! I would still recommend checking the ph of the water your using just to know for sure, "if you haven't already.."

It will save you a big head ache in the future if it is off.

Too late smelly.

Humm, So how are you watering exactly? Just soaking it from the bottom?

I put some drainage material

Sounds interesting, I'm curious how it works out for you! + Rep for a great explination!!