First time grower, first time cfl grow

Big improvements day by day.
Wouldnt worry too much about blant B. It only looks like the bottom leaves are curling a bit. If the top ones start curling, then you should start worrying.
Remember how stressed it got with foil. Look at the diffrence!

the curling is most likely one of two things, overwatering or too much nitrogen. theres other factors that can cause it but those are the most common.

Hey Mr Bitti & Oblivion. Cheers for the comments. Think it may be overwatering as the curling had started before I started adding nutes. It is only on the bottom leafs so will ease up on the feeding for a day or two and see if it makes a difference. Plants are both looking strong though so am still happy.

Day 21 (20 in soil)
Both plants are going strong and have just hit a set of 9 fingered leafs and node 4. Am definitely going to top both plants tomorrow as I want them to recover from the cuts for a week or so before I put them to flower. Feel like a total muppet tonight as I realised I had missed the fact that my reflector had a protective gel/plastic cover over the mirrored parts until tonight when I noticed one of the edges peeling away. Obviously I have now removed all of the cover and have noticed just how much light this bounces round my cab. I wonder how much this has subtracted from the growth (if much) overall although couldnt be happier with things so far. Will document the topping tomoz but here for today are pics:

Plant A:


Plant B:


Two shot (some pretty heavy foilage developing now!):

All looks good Dafoe, how high are you hoping on keeping them till harvest?

Need to ask you where you got those mesh pencil cups and activated carbon? I can get the carbon of ebay, but i cant find two different size mesh cups.
Tried staple's but no joy.
That carbon filter link was great, will save us all money.

I really like your reflective insulation, looks neat and tidy. I know you said it was left over, but would it be cost effective for me to go and buy some of this, or stick with my £5 for 5 meters of standard mylar?

Keep it real. Saturday is here! Wake 'n' Bake!

Those plants are looking very nice they are staying short with lots of internodes, and dont worry about that mild curling.

If you are going to grow with cfl's then topping after the fourth set of leaves/internodes will be best, encourage 4 to six branches to sprout up from the plant above the main mass of leaves, these branches will hold the bulk of the harvest and recieve maximun light from the enviros/cfls. Penetration into the foliage is low and only popcorn buds will form under shaded areas with cfls meaning that big juicy buds are normally only possible down to 20 to 30 centimeters from the light source.

Evening all - hope everyone is fine and dandy!!!!

A few people to reply to first before I update as I really appreciate everyones comments and input - I fricking love this site and the kind folke who use it!!!!

Oblivion, my total grow room height is about 4ft but the pots are pretty big so I'm guessing the overall height I can use minus the lights is about 2.5-3ft. Am looking to flower at the end of next week all being well - topped today so want to see how this affects the plants first (if I havent killed them) before I switch cycle. I'm about 4-5 nodes up at the moment so think its about time for switch over with the height I have available.

I managed to get my carbon from an ebay store called fins-r-us (very original). They did a deal on postage and got a kilo for about £10. The two pencil cups were from staples but I got them instore rather than online. Checked their on line store for you as was going to send you a link but can't find them. If you have a store nearby, I reckon their layout should be pretty universal across all the stores and I found them right at the back of the store. Was well suprised to get two mesh ones at different sizes. If you have a real problem finding them let me know and if you are in the UK am happy to pick a pair up for you and post them to you. Just ask me for my email if you want to sort this at a later date - filter is working really really well to be honest and am well happy - see what happens when I go to flower though!!!

The insulation (insulex thermal foil I think) I managed to get from Tescos and was either a 15 or 25 meter roll for £20. Thikn mylor is better as a reflective surface and slightly cheaper but had the stuff to hand so went with it. Again I have tried the website for you but no luck. I got it in store this year when it was on offer (DIY day). I have a link for the same stuff here: http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Construction/Insulation/Insulex+Double+Foil+Bubble+15m+x+25m/d210/sd2738/p79434
but it definitely wasn't as expensive as this!!!!! It was a total dodle to use and cut through it with scissors then staple gunned it to the sterling board. Some more googling should through something up for you - hope this helps. One roll covered my entire box which is 4ftx3ftx2ft.

Hey Tatan, cheers for the support. The curling was worrying me a bit but I may have found the answer today. I opened my cab to find the humidity had shot up to 70% and some of the leafs had condensation on them. I wonder if this is the reason they are curling with the lights burning up the water on the leafs. Have slapped my fans on for longer bursts with shorted intervals to try and get the condensation down but am not surprised its gone up now with more leafs and bushier plants. Am leaving it until tomorrow to water again (2day gap) to see if this helps as well. Will leave the nutes for a day longer as I have topped both plants today and want the wounds to heal before I attack them with nutes again. Will keep you posted.

Hi Kingrow. Cheers for the advice but I didn't get to it in time lol. Went ahead and topped both plants this morning as want to get the most out of the CFL's as you said and aim for two colas each. Both plants are at node 4 and I'm just hoping I topped correctly and it won't mess them up too much. See the update below for pics.

Day 22 (21 in soil - yeah its been 3 weeks already)

So then! Big steps for me today as I decided to go at my babies with the scissors and do a bit of topping. This filled me with fear lol as I don't like the idea of hacking them up but its the way ahead with CFL's I think and after previously fing up lots of bonsai tress I wasn't keen on LST. Humidty was up today so have smakced the fans on a bit more to see if this helps. I have just put the before and after pics on for the topping as I havent been back to the cab since then as I can't bear to open it up and see my two ladies dead on their asses!!!! Will take a peek later and see if I have scarred them for life or not. Was up to node 4 when I toppped them. Am going to give it another week then hit the flowering cycle. What do you think people? Any confirmation or advice appreciated!!!!! The weekend has landed!
PICS:

Plant A (before topping):

Plant A (after topping - ouch!!!!):

Plant B (before topping):

Plant B (after topping - hope to shit I haven't cocked this up!!!!)

OK - very quick update since opening my cab to inspect any damage caused by the topping earlier in the day. Wow - these buggers are hardy, all thats happened is they have grown. PICS:

Plant A (8 after topping):

Plant B (8 hours after topping):

Two shot of both Getting a bit full in there!:

Thanks for the info Dafoe, very helpful.
Will go down to staples tomorrow, only looked online.

Finally going to set up extract tomorrow, cant belive theyv'e survived 3 weeks without. Going to be extracting in to the loft. Anyone have any input on this?

Dafoe, My lowryders will only grow to a max height of around 60cm. I have quite a few nodes now, but as it only produces one main cola there is lots of smaller leaves close to the stem.

Do you think i need to go down the same route with topping? I have still not sexed them, so out of 5 i am hoping to get at least 2 under the one 300w.

If i top a one cola plant, will this lose bud mass?

Dafoe, your plants look beautiful, I also think that you topped them at the right stage. From my experience topping in my grow, you can expect growth to slow down now a bit before other stems take over.

I did get a little worried though when you said that you had 4 feet total height available, and since your pots are pretty big you had between 2.5 and 3 feet space...

The thing is that the light has to be some distance fom the plant as well...
My last plant was 9 inches tall when i put her in flower, and she has stretched to 33 inches. Maybe you can increase the vertical space ?

oblivion3005 said:

Thanks for the info Dafoe, very helpful.
Will go down to staples tomorrow, only looked online.

Finally going to set up extract tomorrow, cant belive theyv'e survived 3 weeks without. Going to be extracting in to the loft. Anyone have any input on this?

Dafoe, My lowryders will only grow to a max height of around 60cm. I have quite a few nodes now, but as it only produces one main cola there is lots of smaller leaves close to the stem.

Do you think i need to go down the same route with topping? I have still not sexed them, so out of 5 i am hoping to get at least 2 under the one 300w.

If i top a one cola plant, will this lose bud mass?

Click to expand...

some strains dont like to be topped, i dont have experience with lowriders but i would suggest not to top autoflowering plants

Thanks for advice Mr Bitti. Was thinking the same sortof thing. If it only grows one cola, them if i top i would lose buds.

Just been down to my local town to get some BobMarley papers (extra wide!), went in a new shop that has opened up and it is BLATANT! Tents set up everywhere, lights hanging all over the ceiling, seeds, a wall of different nutes, fans, filters, pretty much everything for a set-up. Handy to know this is here and what it sells, but i am still going to order everything online so it is discreet.

Dont want to be walking out of it with a big bag, on to the main high street. Expecially when there is a 5ft ganja leaf on the sign!

Dafoe, How are those topped plants looking? Going to nip down to staples now to get kitted for filter. Going to see if an aquarium shop will sell active carbon.

Need to sex my plants so i will post close up pics of my internodes later.
Any help of everyone would be great.

Hey guys, excuse the late reply - all work and no play, etc, etc! A few catch up notes to all that have commented since yesterday, then on to todays post topping update.

Oblivion - glad you managed to get the mesh cups, gotta love staples. I really wouldn't like to pass on any advice on topping as I'm only just learning myself and wouldnt want to pass on duff knowledge. I don't know much about the strain either but your pics are looking good! Just seen Mr Bittis comments - he knows what he's talking about compared to me so hopefully his advice will help.

Hey Tatan - cheers fella. Am starting to feel proud of these lil babies now (although not so little anymore). Am suprised how quickly weed comes on in the right environment - long may it reign! I'm a bit concerned about the head room but have taken some pics of the cab to see if anyone can give a rough guess as to whether I'm gonna hit the roof with these two once I switch to flowering (excuse the pics my phone is cacking up for some reason on transfer!!!):

Plants as they stand now:


Head room available if I lift the lights - could lift them an extra half foot if I take the knot out of the eazi roller string:



What do you think peeps???? Time to start LST???

On to the UPDATE:

Day 23 (22 in soil)
Ok this is the first full day after topping and am pleased to report no signs of death at all and more signs of life. Not much else to add except I think I should switch to flowering at the end of this week (will be end of week 4), 4-5 nodes so far and both plants topped and looking healthy - really need advice on this if anyone has any to give? Cheers.

Plant A:


Plant A's topping shot (new stems seem to be starting to grow a little):


Plant B:


Plant B's topping shot (also new stems seem to be starting growth)

I would say no LST yet... maybe do that later during flowering depending how the plants shape up. About the headroom, its hard to tell... cause you never know how much the plants are going to stretch in the flowerring stage.

Hey Dafoe, topped plants looking good.

When you switch to flower, are you going to move your light up to its highest position and let them reach for the light, or are you still going to keep cfl, close all the way till harvest?

Yo mate, only onine now and again so here is your next peice of advice! You have topped at the right point and everything seems to be going well. I see you have ventalation but all your plants so close to the light is causing you small heat problems probably why they are so small and compact, try get a small fan on the plants and lights ideally blowing just above the tallest laves to move the heat off the plant. You need to get the plants as close to the lights as posible but not to close that excessive heat builds up or too far away that the plants stretch and become spindly, as with all marijuana growing it is a fine balance. You are not ready for LST yet, you need the branches that grow from every node, or where the leaves join the stem to pop out and grow above the point at which you topped, about a week or two judging from your pictures. See how the plant grows first before deciding how to LST, all branchs may just grow to the same height or one or two branches might just overtake the rest and need bending back to join the canopy. It is time to flower and dont leave it more than a week, you will be suprised how much height and gith the plants get in preflower, will reach the lights noproblem and plenty of extra shoots will form around the bigger buds, hard to explain but will post some pictures in couple of days as have plants at the same stage. So at the moment all you want to do is rectify your heat problems, allow the side banches to grow from the main stalk and consider flowering any time soon! Give us couple of days and will post pics of plants couple of weeks older from yours in the flowering stage to show you wot your in for and give you some hints with the LST if you do indeed need to LST, some plants dont need it. Post pics for you soon.

Evening all. I didnt get round to posting yesterday so have a bit of catching up to do - although do have pics from yesterday and today!!!

First things first:

Tatan, cheers fella you are right about the LST - did a bit more reading and will be taking yours and Kingrow's advice on waiting until flowering.

Oblivion, Think I'm going to keep the lights close during flowering as I'm looking really low on room at the moment so will try and keep them compact. The CFL's will hopefully be more effective that way as well I think.

Kingrow, you are a legend. Cheers so much for the advice. I will bung them into flowering cycle first thing tomorrow!!! I have got a pc fan on full blast of 54cfm duck taped to one of the pots pointing as you said towards the top set of leafs and the light (you can see it in the first picture below on the plant in the background) but think you are right about the heat as they are really starting to buzz now and not even in flower. Will try and get a stronger ocsilating fan in there and see if I can get it all under control. The advice on LST would be great. I have read a few articles on here now and some very good diagrams but all advice is appreciated and really looking forward to seeing your pics. What strain are you growing? Cheers again for keeping an eye!!!!

Update from yesterday:

Day 24 (23 in soil)

Will keep this short as don;t want to bore the ass of everyone. Plants are growing at a phenomanal rate and the topping seems to have gone ok.

Plant A:


Plant A's topping growth:


Plant B:


Plant B's Topping growth:


Day 25 (24 in soil)

Not a lot to report other than these bad boy (ok girls) are growing wild. I added 33% nutes last night and the results this morning showed through again. I;ve been careful not to add the nutes too quickly and build it up as advised and only water when my moisture meter reads low - seems to be working so far. Decided to go into flowering tomorrow on Kingrow's kind advice and the fact I;ve hit 5 nodes on each plant, topped successfully, and they are getting bigger than I ever expected in veg - bloody satvias No news other than that and the fact I now have to reset all my timers tomorrow according to my 12/12 flowering! Will post on - pic time:

Plant A:


Plant A's topping growth:


Plant B (Jesus she's a bushy lady!!!):


Plant B's topping growth:

just a question, what are the rocks for on the top of the soil?

First off dafoe, this is the first journal i've ever read, and let me tell you it will probably always be my fav. It has helped me realize my little bagseed plant is destined for doom.
Also it helps me realize the potential for cfls. I've read so much about them being the poormans choice, but from your progress i would say I (and certainly you) have chosen the right way to grow.
In respect to your cpu fans I was wondering what kind of powersource are you using? Basicly how are they safely wired?

And to bkellegh this is the info from earlier in the journal.

The brown balls around the plants are Hydroleca. I bought them from the local garden centre (B&Q for you Brits!). Basically they help retain moisture (within the balls themselves) but also cover the soils surface and if I'm right that should help keep any mold at bay from. Also help to insulate the soil. I dropped a load in the bottom of the pot before I added the soil as well to help drainage for the roots and keep to keep the roots aerated lower down. I may be wrong to be using them but seems to be doing the trick and have seen them used in a few other peoples pics. Seen them used as part of a grow media in hydroponics as well. This is the description I just googled to give you a run down of the properties:

"Hydroleca - Hard smooth pebbles with honeycomb centre produced by expanding clay granules at over 1200 degrees. The main benefit is it absorbs water and releases it slowly insulates plants due to its cellular structure"

Click to expand...

Also go ahead and read the whole journal. I'ts extremely informative.

BigChillin said:

First off dafoe, this is the first journal i've ever read, and let me tell you it will probably always be my fav. It has helped me realize my little bagseed plant is destined for doom.
Also it helps me realize the potential for cfls. I've read so much about them being the poormans choice, but from your progress i would say I (and certainly you) have chosen the right way to grow.
In respect to your cpu fans I was wondering what kind of powersource are you using? Basicly how are they safely wired?

And to bkellegh this is the info from earlier in the journal. Also go ahead and read the whole journal. I'ts extremely informative.

Click to expand...

haha im also a cpu fan guy. i use a power supply made for radios rated at 3amps constant and i run about 1.8 amps on it max, got a fuse on it so id say its pretty safe.


and ive used cfl's and still use em for veg but i gotta hand it down to the hps in yield wise. not smashing cfl's just personally could easily tell the yield difference from one grow to the other