First CFL grow just started need tutors

Incognito1989

Active Member
So i just started my first closet cfl grow
My box is 3 feet tall by 2.5 feet wide by a foot deep
I have 2 5" radio shack fans one blowing in and one sucking out
The one that sucks air out has a homeade carbon scrubber made from activated carbon and pencil holders
I have 4 100w equivalent CFL lights and the floor of my box moves up and down to keep the plants close to the lights
I have started germinating 6 seeds 3 of which i know the strain and 3 that i dont know what they are. Im not sure if there femine and plan on growing a max of 4 plants at a time in the box and possibly building a second taller box for the flowering stage of my plants.
Fan blowing in covered by panthose:


The box:


Bowls taped together with germinating seeds inside and label on top:



Now this is my first time and im probably going to need help all the way.
Once they sprout im going to put them in ocean forest soil from fox farms and plan on growing them with fox farm grow big and tiger bloom for nutrients. I have a tester for PH and wet/dry meter along with a somethign to tell me temp and humidity.

All input is appreciated, how much do you think i can yield? and does anyone have suggestions to improve my yield cheaply and by able to keep it somewhat hidden (I.E. no huge fans and lights)

Thanks
 

willRavage

Well-Known Member
Hello,

for starters your going to need adjustable lights, since your using cfl's they need to be an inch to two inches away from the plant at all times. I Recommend a t12 2 foot shop light, they cost about 38 dollars all together with bulbs. Once they reach a good length and height, incorporate those cfls in.
 

Incognito1989

Active Member
ok cool i actually have a floresent grow light thats about 2 feet long that i had from before ill mount it adujustable on the top
 

k|ng18

Well-Known Member
I suggest throwing two 150w equivalent cfl's inside your box. Cfl's can get rather close, they say put your hand where the foliage is and if it's to hot for your hand then it's def. to hot for her. Are you talking about a 24inch grow light found in the "mart"? If so those aren't as good as one 150w cfl....plus 150 in more lumens. As my grow has gone on I've added a 150w & a 120w...the girls love em! Just something to think about...

Good luck
 

Mitsu racerX

Well-Known Member
AS everybody is saying the lights need to be closer and I myself would wrap the walls in reflective material(security blanket found at Walmart). From one closet grower to another here is my last grow with 7 plants...
 

Incognito1989

Active Member
ok thanks guys im going to go track down a couple stonger CFL's and somethin reflective for the inside. Anyone know of a chain store where i can get a CFL higher than 100w?
 

bxke1414

Well-Known Member
AS everybody is saying the lights need to be closer and I myself would wrap the walls in reflective material(security blanket found at Walmart). From one closet grower to another here is my last grow with 7 plants...
That looks awesome, any journals or past pics of grows?
 

k|ng18

Well-Known Member
How many cfls in that last grow?? Must be a hps in there hidden somewhere lol no way those plants are going of 4 cfls...?
 

hackel

Well-Known Member
damn! That looks like a really good setup that you have there, incognito! I will have to say that you have the right idea! You have the best soil and enough lights to get it started strong. The only advice I feel I am qualified to give is that you will be tempted on your first grow to fiddle around with your sprouts or water them a lot to make sure they don't dry out... First... don't fiddle with them too much, and have a lot of patience with the gowth for the first couple of weeks. if your seeds shoot up after a few days in the ground great! ut if it is like 5 days and you are still not seeing things... PLEASE don't go digging after them. Good luck!
 

BlUkRypt024

Active Member
yeah and the equivent amount doesnt really matter b/c its the real wattage that counts, the best growers barley get 1 gram per watt. so when you purchase look at the real watt the is received cause our plants notice the distance. and make sure its over 5600k like full spectrum light, it takes to long with dfay lgiht color lights and soft whites are joke for veg. only 2 are neded in veg. thats just my experiance and my opinion......reply id be glad to try and help.
 

Mitsu racerX

Well-Known Member
that you will be tempted on your first grow to fiddle around with your sprouts or water them a lot to make sure they don't dry out... First... don't fiddle with them too much, and have a lot of patience with the gowth for the first couple of weeks. if your seeds shoot up after a few days in the ground great! ut if it is like 5 days and you are still not seeing things... PLEASE don't go digging after them. Good luck!
Very sound advice. +1
Patience is a Verchew
 

Incognito1989

Active Member
So i decided that since im going to try to keep these plants relitively short so im going to keep these lights for veg and then for bud add alot more cfl wattage.

So i planted 4 of the 6 seeds i started in germination as the sprouts were ready.

Ive still got 2 in germination but 4 in the ground!

Ill snap some pics tomorrow of the set up.

My only question is about watering, after i put the seeds in the ground i had a about 8 ounce glass of water that had set out over night and i spread that evenly over the 4 cups with seeds in them.
Is that too much water?
I have a meter to tell wet/dry, how should i water them through this beginning phase?
And i read that start nutes week 2 but ive also seen to wait, when should i start with the grow big nute?

Thanks
 

bxke1414

Well-Known Member
It doesn't matter if you have too many for veg, keeping them short is all about keeping the lights close, I have vegged mine for almost 4 weeks and they are bushy and probably only 10in tall. But I used 3 26wCFL's 6500k per plant until last week when I added a 150wHPS. I have lots of pics in my journal, what I found is that they do get hot in a small space so make sure you have proper ventilation.
 

bxke1414

Well-Known Member
I water every 3-4 days, about 1.5 quarts per 3.5gallon pot, I was using 12 CFL's on 4 plants, now I have 8CFL's and 1 150wHPS, I still water about the same, I have only used nutes once tho.
 

Incognito1989

Active Member
Update

So only two of the seeds i planted sprouted and here they are
This one is a bag seed:




Heres my second plant it is Alaskan Thunder Fuck




There each directly under a light within about 2 inches of the plant and they are ten days old being watered 3 to 4 ounces every 2 to 3 days. The leaves are growing great but they dont seem to be getting any taller?
Do i have anything to worry about?
I have fox farm tiger bloom and grow big and was going to start the grow big on monday which would make the plants 2 weeks old.

Ive got 6 more bag seeds germinating and im going to take the 2 best seeds and plant them this weekend.

Any advice?
 

Mitsu racerX

Well-Known Member
Yours look like mine. Here is mine all 6 seeds rooted and are growing well. Took about 1 week to get this far.






They are already on Nutes and get fed every 2 days....(we will call these McD's weed thanks Ronald, HAHAHAHA)
 
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