1st Grow: DP, HB, CFL

First, I want to thank you all for this wonderful forum. I'm posting my grow journal here because every time I would Google for answers, the most and best answers were found here. Plus, I didn't find anyone who was experimenting with the particular combination I'm trying: Durban Poison from seed in Hempy Buckets under Compact Flourescent Lights.

Also I should thank Stephen from MARIJUANA SEEDS 20,$20 £10 €12 FEMINIZED $30 £15 €18 for coming through. Tried buying seed from Doc Chronic but he never received my order. Somebody from the PO musta kyped my cash? Anyway...

8.20.08: Order arrived, 2 seeds immediately germed between a wet napkin and the wall of a clear plastic cup on a heating pad in a dark place. This way I could see their progress without having to handle them.

8.22.08: Seeds cracked, planted using tweezers in 12 oz. styro cups 2/3 full of perlite and topped with 1/3 virgin potting soil with organic nutes. Used a pencil to insert a 1/4" hole 1" from bottom of cups and watered with water taken from my fishtank. Lined a box with mylar (DollarStore gift wrap leftovers from Christmas) and set it on its side, on top of the heating pad, in the south window with the baby Hempies inside.

8.24.08: Both plants popped their heads and quickly stretched to 1.5" ooopsie!

8.26.08: Set up semi-stealth in my closet -- 4 x 23w CFL using a plug/screw converter and 3 splitters. Yes, that is aluminum foil used as reflectors - are we not rebels inherently? LOL The plants don't seem to mind. Without a fan blowing upwards on the lights (and stems), the temps were in the 90's but with the fan, they remain at a steady 72 degrees.

9.11.08: Transplanted both, soil and all, into pure perlite in used vinegar jugs, well rinsed and cut to remove tops and drilled with the Hempy Bucket holes. I wanted to look at the roots sooo badly but I didn't dare. Wouldn't have known what I was looking for anyway, so why take chances on stressing them? Also tried to bury the lanky stems (on which I practiced a little supercropping) but the old vinegar jugs were a wee bit short.

9.15.08: FloroNovaGrow arrived from Discount Hydroponics just in time to save my babies from being pale with browned leaf tips. Each plant has been drinking about 1 cup per day with 1/4 tsp FNG and a few drops of 35% H202 added. I chose Hempy Buckets because I knew, as a new Mama, I would tend to overwater. Question: are they taking off well enough now so I should back off watering to every other day or so?

Items on order: darkroom plastic and 1 gallon of bulk aquarium carbon. I am not mechanically inclined but I can sew, so I will attempt some sort of carbon sock for when the girls (I assume) begin to exude that wonderful aroma. Next containers will be dark in color but this noob wanted to see roots. Meanwhile, does algae growth do any harm?

I guess that's all for now except for the "kiddie porn," and to invite comments and suggestions (no highjacking please). Thanks again for making this fabulous resource available.
And awaaaay we go!

Each plant is accepting almost exactly 1 cup of full-strength FNG per day with a only tiny drip coming out of the Hempy hole each time. Are the plants developed enough now so I should not water/fert every day? They don't look droopy or anything so I guess I'm on the right track?

I eliminated the H202 because there is nothing green where it shouldn't be and one reason behind the HB is that the use of perlite already promotes oxygen to the roots, right?

I did wrap the pots with a light- and water-proof sleeve so I can still peek at water levels and (anticipated) root development.

Should I wait to veg until the leaves start to alternate (as opposed to growing in pairs)?

If I veg for 2 months, will I be able to see sex before flowering? And, if I apply LST, will that prevent me being sorry I vegged them for so long?

And, when flipping to 12/12, I should induce complete darkness for 48? hours first to jump start the flowering?

Note to self: hook up the fans separately from timer so they're on 24/7 to prevent bud rot.

I plan to use FloraNova Bloom. Will adding epsom salts help bulk them up since I'm limited to CFL? If so, how much to add?

Don't mean to play favorites but Gladys' position in the grow room is more conducive to her being the model du jour, so here's the "porn."

Even I can see the difference from the pics taken only 2 days ago. I guess the roots have hit the rez, so I'll back of on nuting/watering to every other day now?

Wow, hempy buckets sure do make things clean, fast and easy! Kinda scary for a noob until they get going but when they do, wow! Judging by the results already obtained with FNG, I'll have to order the Bloom component soon.

I've figured out a pattern for my "homegrown" carbon sock - the bulk aquarium carbon (from wal mart dot com) should arrive next week and the net-type fabric I need is around here somewhere (a perfect illustration of why I need the sativa! - I can't tell you how relieved I am to find others who understand that - even though none of you has accepted my invitation for feedback YET?).

I have tentative plans for a separate flowering box in a different closet made from rigid foam insulation board and duct tape.

Still hoping for some confirmation and/or correction to the questions in my last post. Most urgently, when can I start LST? Anybody?

What's strange to me is I've treated them each just the same, but one has a brown spot in the middle of one of the leaves. They both look varigated and the edges have curled a bit.

They each received about 1 cup of plain, aerated water today, not enough to drain from the Hempy Hole. Should I have given them more?

And some basic training. I used cotton twine and clothes pins. They gave easily, but not too easily. The stalks are much sturdier and they are not so compact since starting with the fert.

The closeup of the brown spot is fuzzy because I overestimated my macro setting, even on the second try.

Since starting this post, and it is still "watering day" (every other day), I've talked myself into giving them more plain water; enough to drain this time.

I will let them rest from my over-mothering tomorrow, then go back to the measure of FNG that was working so well until yesterday.

First two pics are from yesterday, the second 2 were taken today.

I thought again last night about overwatering and tipped the HB's to drain them as much as possible. I never relied upon measuring spoons but, because I'm back at brown tips on the new leaves, I was motivated to find them this morning.

I mixed 1/8 tsp of FNG per pint of tap water (set aside and aerated next to my fish tank), and gave each "girl" about one cup.

I don't have any meters or Ph strips. I will check wal mart next time I'm in town. The plants seemed happy until I tried to push them but, the last thing I want to do is kill them with "kindness."

Now that I have the nutes dialed in, the girls (hopeful assumption) are looking happy again. They're beginnng to exude that wonderful aroma so, I made my carbon sock today.

Using 2 layers of netting and some heavy-duty fabric glue, I created several channels about 4" wide and 16" long. I stuck the fan cord through the bottom and used twine to secure the bottom of the channels tightly around the cord. Then I filled the channels evenly with the carbon (it took both half-gallon cartons) and placed the muffin fan (stand removed) inside the top, gathering the top of the sock around it and using twine to tie it TIGHT.

I had previously cut a 9" circle in the top of my box, which held the fan perfectly, so I stuffed the carbon sock down into the hole and let the fan hold it in place. If I were to do it again, I would use one piece of fabric and fold it at the top to create a drawstring channel to secure it better. It looks to be holding though.

I've been LSTing at every node, with a spiral pattern as my goal. I'm thinking that when it comes time to flower, one plant will move back to the window sill for awhile, in case she is a boy. Plus, I don't have enough CFL equipment to do justice to 2 flowering plants at once.

Shopping list: darkroom plastic, a 4 gal trashcan, and FNB.

alright mate...your doin fine & good luck with the grow hoping for ladies for ya!!

Heya! Thanks for stopping by. I was feelin' kinda lonely here, and I couldn't do it without y'all.

I forgot to add to my shopping list: gooseneck lamps. When the Spiral is bigger, I can change out the overhead CFL from the blue to the green/yellow ones, and supplement with CFL on the sides.

Note to self: Ruthie is more sensitive to nutes. In deciding which one to clone, I'm thinking the hardier Gladie should be the mother of my mother.

The "girls" are about 5 weeks old.

Gladie has been moved back to her mylar-lined box facing the window (hiding in plain sight). Ruthie is still under the CFL's. Since assembling and installing my home-made carbon filter, the temp has increased to a steady 80 degrees. The CFL's put out more heat than I expected.

I practiced my cloning skills on a tomato plant; so far, so good.

This is the second day I've been able to keep from watering them. I ordered a quart of FloraNova Bloom today.

What should I know about switching from the Grow version to the Bloom version? Like, do I need to flush them or let them dry out for 2-3 days first?

The first 2 pics are of Gladie, the 2nd two are of Ruth. Can you see the stems?

Very nice bro...Keep it up ur doing well for ur 1st grow!!

ETA: Wow, another visitor -- WELCOME and thanks for the positive energy. It is quite exciting to see my thumb turning from black to green and I relish the company. Not only is my medication on the way to available but, my sense of ingenuity is getting a workout, too. As I said before, I couldn't be doing it at all without your help! Even re-reading this journal gives me some giggles at some of my dumb questions. Effing noobs! LOL

This morning I mixed 1/4 tsp. FNG with a quart of rested/aerated water thinking it'd be enough to water both "girls," but no! They each accepted a whole quart with just a few drips runoff! I'm thinking this is a good sign - they look very happy to me.

The branches on Gladys, in the window, are stretching, tempting me to try my hand at cloning. I could use the practice even though I don't know her gender yet but, would it hurt the plant? They're less than 6 weeks old. Given her location in the window, I'm thinking "bonzai" would help her stay inconspicuous. Is "she" too young?

Naturally, more compact but steady growth on Ruthie, who's all by her lonesome under the CFL's.

In anticipation of flowering, I found 2 gooseneck lamps today. How does one remove the reflectors? It occured to me that I could cut/split them 4 ways and spread them a bit to accomodate a Y-splitter and 2 bulbs each.

Also my research turned up some stuff about reptile lights adding a UVb component that is purported to assist CFL in providing light ranges that plants appreciate. Anybody here try this? If so, in what ratio to the CFL?

Also, I found some old round plastic tote/baskets that I might be able to use for the second LST lap of my intended spiral. Assuming the plant will double in size during flowering, if I veg until the first circle around the current pot is complete, I could set the whole thing inside the tote and attach the second lap around the tote. This would prevent things getting out of hand before the plant is finished. RIGHT?

How long does Durban Poison take from seed to bud under CFL? Will I have an extra Happy Thanksgiving?

I will water/nute again on Friday unless I notice signs of distress, but I may not be able to resist posting more pics between now and then. LOL

How long does Durban Poison take from seed to bud under CFL? Will I have an extra Happy Thanksgiving?

Click to expand...

To make a guess at answering my own question, maybe they MIGHT be ready by late November. I saw in another thread: waiting 10-14 weeks for sativa was a turnoff for FilthyFletch (I think he's the one who said it). I can do 10-14 weeks because I don't need no fucking couch-lock. Does the speed of Hempy Buckets make up for using CFL? I guess I be findin' out soon enough, eh, mateys? Not that I'd have anything to compare with because the heat of those "real" lights scares me outta my socks and I'm not fond of the idea of switching to dirty dirt now that I've seen how the HB's perform.

I wonder, has Grandfather, my fellow sativa fan, ever tried the Hempy Bucket method under his CFL? Either way, Grandfather, can I adopt you as a mentor? I would welcome input from anyone else who has tried growing sativa in Hempy Buckets under CFL - especially if they've applied LST. Shirley, I'm not the first/only one here to have tried this combination!?

Now that I have gooseneck lamps and plenty of (green/yellow pkg.) bulbs, I'm thinking of switching to Flower as soon as my FNB arrives. If Ruthie turns out to be a boy, heaven only knows what Gladys will look like by the time I find out. Maybe I could make them take turns under the CFL. Or, I could put Gladie back in with her sister. When are they old enough to have sex with one another?

Oh, and, if she's going to remain out here hiding in plain sight, I was thinking of adding red food color to her drinking water for kinda like a disguise. "That looks like a pot plant but it can't be, it's the wrong color!" Riiiiight. LOL It'd be fun and pretty but, would the end result be smokable?

Your thoughts on any of these ramblings are wholeheartedly invited.

According to some who've seen videos produced by Arjan from Greenhouse seeds, 72 hours of darkness helps jump-start flowering for sativa. Can anyone here confirm this with their own experience?

How long after the nodes start alternating should I look for preflowers and, what in heck do preflowers look like?

The perforated tubs are good as anchors for the LST. Plus they're easier to grab (and prettier) than those old vinegar jugs.

I gave each plant another quart of full strength FNG this morning. Runoff from both plants equaled almost 2 cups, which I sucked up with a turkey baster and gave to my spider plants. So, each herb plant is using 3 cups every other day.

My odor control device seems to be working. Temps run in the low 80's.

Do alternating nodes on a few branches indicate that maturity is approaching? I'd like to get started flowering because last night I read about the horrors of a 12-16 week requirement! I can see why commercial growers don't do sativa. LOL I'm going to have to look into a perpetual-type operation. I'm not so much worried about the time but how many lights am I going to end up having to use? The largest CFL I've found locally is 23w equiv but I have 9 of 'em (green/yellow pkg) standing by.

I'd still like to hear experiences on inducing complete darkness for 24/48/72 hours to jumpstart flowering - I don't want to take any chances that they'll herm, but I don't want them to take forever, either. And, does 11/13 mean 11 hours of light and 13 hours of darkness or the other way 'round?

Guess that's all for now. Thanks for reading!

More LST and pics. I think I see an alternating node!

If I'd remembered to get more splitters yesterday, I'd have set up my gooseneck lamps with the green/yellow pkg. bulbs today. The FNB is due to arrive any day, so flowering here we come! I've so enjoyed having my black thumb turn green that time is not such a factor anymore. Spending time with my plants is relaxing! What's interesting is that, even now when removing the twine previously held by the clothespins, it kinda sticks to the stems. Yum!

I want to give a shoutout to my neighbor, OregonMeds, for pointing out the $20 HPS, but even that will have to wait until I have available funds - plus, I'll need some dryer venting and a Bake-A-Round before I feel comfortable with heat that concentrated. Better late than never, right OM? From what I've read about DP, I'll have plenty of time. LOL

Note to self: next time you have run-off, use it on the tomato clone you have started to offset the odoroma and maybe have fresh t'maters with Christmas dinner after smoking the dried, cured-to-perfection BUD.

Speaking of time, how soon should I add mole-asses to the ferts?

Pic 1 - Gladie pre-LST
Pic 2 - Gladie post-LST
Pic 3 - Ruthie post-LST
Pic 4 - Roomies
Pic 5 - Alternating nodes on branches!

36 hours darkness between veg & flowering

Leave the fans on 24/7.

Since I'm seeing alternating nodes now, I'm chomping at the bit to get flowering.

However, with only 4 cool and 2 warm 23w CFLs, the current 24/7 temp is above 80F. If I bought a small space heater to even things out, I'd have to make room for it AND rig another timer to run the heater while the lights are off ... having to go ghetto is one thing but, being "penny-wise, pound foolish" is quite another. Plus, I've surpassed my own expectations just keeping them alive so now I want the biggest, densest, heaviest bud I can get!

If i buy the $20 HPS mentioned in this thread, could I cool it adequately by removing the aluminum housing and the glass cover; attaching a Bake-A-Round (with heatproof automotive tape?); clamping on some dryer duct with this fan inserted, running the ducting up through the ceiling of my growspace and attaching Zen's DIY carbon filter on top?

If need be, I could drill some 1/4" holes within a 4" circle in a corner of the closet floor for intake (and still keep the vermin out) from the crawlspace but, how would I attach the ducting to the other end of the light fixture/glass tube?

Thanks in advance for your help.

3 cups again for each plant with very little runoff. If I waited 3 days to water, they'd probably take a whole quart.

The fan leaves felt kinda crispy so, I gave them each another 2.5 cups of water today, this time with the bloom nute.

I almost shut the lights off to begin the 36 hours of pre-flower darkness but instead, I'll wait until I'm able to keep the chamber temps more consistant. To that end, I will implement my plan to drill 1/4" holes in the floor for better intake today.

And, I have ordered a 5"x10" candle chimney, a $20 HPS light with ballast, a 5" inline 225 CFM fan and 5"x6' aluminum flexiduct. Hopefully it was not too regretable a mistake not to order the extra bulb for $6. I will just have to be very careful, won't I?

Though most of the local pro builders drive 80+ miles to HD/Lowes (I can kinda see why), one of the nearby lumber yards/sheetmetal shops is sure to have the 5" collar/flange, pipe clamps and the other misc. items I need to complete this project.

The 4" pencil-cup odor filter won't probably be big enough for this but, since I already have a gallon of activated aquarium carbon, maybe I can find a set of med-lg. mesh wastebaskets and make one to to invert over the top. Or, get the mesh cloth and fabric glue out again and make a chambered charcoal filter "pillow" to lay over the "cool tube" opening. If I could afford one of those plug and play grow cabs, I'm not sure I would go that route because figuring this shit out is at least half the fun! Kinda like build-your-own Halloween costumes - for me, anything less would seem like cheating. That sounds kinda reverse-snobbish, doesn't it? Anyway ...

I'm thinking of trying my hand at taking clones so I can flower something. Branches dipped in hormone powder and inserted into Oasis and placed in a clear clamshell bakery container. That'll work, right?