Mama's First CFL Tote Grow

After reading several Grow Journals, I've finally decided to document my own here on good ol' Roll It Up. My set-up is pretty much the bare-minimums as this is my first grow. Low-budget, to say the least.

Set-Up:
20 gallon tote
2 lights w dbl sockets
3 - 100 [27]watt CFL
1 - 40 [13] watt CFL
4" mini fan

July 28th -
Soaked 10 seeds gathered from some of Papa Grumpums nug into a jar of distilled water.
July 29th - Began to germinate seeds with wet-paper-towel method. [I won't do the soak again in the future]
July 30th - 6 of 10 seeds popped! Planted then in organic topsoil and placed beneath 2x40watt CFLs.
July 31st - No visible growth
August 1st - 2 visible spouts. 1 questionable. GREW BEFORE MY EYES!
Started 13 mystery seeds found in Papa Grumpum's tray to germinate
August 2nd- 3 visible sprouts. 1 questionable. Drastic growth within hours!
August 3rd - Replanted 4 of the 6 planted nug seeds into Fox Farms Ocean Potting soil. Transplanted 1 nug seed into peat pot.
The organic top soil was a BAD IDEA -- it turned into MUD when wet -- had to chisel the tops off to allow the sprouts to bloom!
-Planted 4 of the 13 mystery schwag seeds into peat pots - placed beneath a 40watt lamp 1 inch away on a shelf. [SEE PHOTO] Placing the 4 peat pots in a dish directly under the lamp seemed much more effective than previous method.

Today, August 4th -- Added 4" mini fan to help with heat.
The nug-seed/root that was placed int he peat pot has risen; however, has yet to flip the starter leaves.

RECAP:
Grow Box: 4 nug-seed plants.
DOB range from 8/1 to 8/4.
Lamp: 4 schwag-sprouts!
**Lights 1-3 inches from each plant**

Unfortunately, my camera wasn't cooperating for close up photos -- but from the bird's eye view of my grow-box gives adequate display of growth. Everything in the box had germinated at the same time -- I've marveled at the differences of growth rate.

My plan is to just grow all 9 of these little buggers in my box -- yes.. all of them in my tiny 20 gallon tote on 24 hour lighting. I'll keep the new schwag-sprout-lings in their peat-pots for at least another week.
Once I'm able to differentiate males vs. females, I will set-up more of my $50 grow-boxes to accommodate the ladies -- 2 gallon buckets will fit in each tote. I have another tote I will add to the top, cutting the bottom, to accommodate the growth expected in flowering. I've read several grow journals that have hosted plants with ~10gal tote space/doubled tote height per plant. I noticed several comments that gave the grower's a tsk-tsk; however, they had photo proof of their success.
I do realize that I will most likely need 2 more 100watt CFLs; however, the 3x100 and 1x40 I have will suffice for now.

As for temperature concerns -- I had some moisture building up on the side of the totes and since then, the little fan seems to be doing a great job -- and it helps that I don't have the tote sealed anymore, either. I have yet to add a thermometer, but it is on my to-do list within these next few days. Same with an 'exhaust' hole -- but as I mentioned earlier, I rotate my lid for air-escape.

QUESTIONS:

-*-If anyone is reading, I just have to ask....are you aware of people harvesting male plants and using them for smoke?
Papa insists that a lot of weed he buys is from male plants, but... I'm not so sure. I believe he's referring to the low-quality schwag that's seed-laden. Based on my readings here, it's only used for hash?? Any insight on this would be greatly appreciated.

-*-I currently don't have any reflective material on the sides of the totes -- is it worth the investment??? I figured if I went any route it would be spray painting the sides of the tote flat-white. I don't want an entire roll of white mylar for $30, and I've heard the cons of aluminum foil. Insight?

I am under the mind-set that it will be 10 weeks from first sprout until I have matured flowers -- sound about right?

PHOTOS:
1- Schwag spouts - revealed just this morning!
2- Box set up of nug seeds - all germinated the same day, oddly enough.
3- The youngest of the nug-seeds to sprout -- the starter leaves have yet to flip.
4- Largest nug-seed plant. 'Mister Jiggles'. Working on 2nd leaf set.
--Again, I apologize for the low-quality photos.

Bah,
Mama Grumpums
 

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What a surprise!

When checking my germination plate, two more had popped! All of the other seeds have now been tossed.

The two little darlings have been moved into peat pots and placed beneath the lamp. I have moved two of the other sproutlings into the grow-box due to this little surprise.

This brings us to a total of...
4 newborn plants [nug] <1week old.
1 sproutling [nug]
4 sproutlings [schwag]
2 planted schwag seeds.

... with any luck, I've got some ladies in this mix and won't kill them all off before I'm able to find out.
 

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Lookin' good. Not much I can do at this point.

I let a CFL burn one leave of a plant -- how disappointing. She still seems to be surviving pretty well aside of curling to the side.


One peat pot sproutling looks like it nearly dried out.... All of the sproutlings that are in the grow box are within a darker container to keep the roots safe and help maintain moisture.

One sproutling is already working on the 2nd set of textured leaves.. even though the first ones are itty bitty.

I think I may add 2 more 100 watt CFLs to the box this weekend....

Photos:

1- Sky view of grow-box
2- 1 week old
3- 1 week old - burnt leaf
4- 6 days old
5- Planted in peat pots 3 days ago. One is just born today!
-->beneath a 13watt CFL. Largest is working on 2nd set of textured leaves.
 

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Grower -- from my latest set of photos uploaded, the 2nd plant was just 7 days old... the same as the 3rd photo! It's grown even more since I took pictures yesterday-- I'll be sure to update it again today.
 
Sorry for the delayed update... things have certainly progressed!

I haven't done much aside of replanted all of the peat-pot-ed sprouts into 9oz cups - and the smaller plants into gallon milk jugs cut in 1/3s.

I'm amazed at the different rate of growth-- and a few plants whose leaves seem to be shaped entirely differently than the rest -- they're a lot more round! ... could this mean a different strain???

My largest plant [photo #1] "Mr. Jiggles" has some interesting leaf growth in between the leaf stems and main stem -- could this be a display of gender already ?!? ... they just look like leaves-- no hairs or pistils

Doubled the lights today -- so we have a total of ..
6 - 23 watt
2 - 10 watt

I added a thermometer a few days ago -- the temperature has been between 80-85... until today... a hot-hot day which it's been a wholloping 100!!!!!! I've been spraying the leaves frequently to allow them time to cool off....

Photos:
1- Overview of Box
2- 12 days old
3 - 12 days old
4- ~1 week old
5- Sideview of box
6- 8 days old
7- 11 days old
8- The sprout flipped it's starter leaves 8 days ago.

Thinking about trying to flower some of these bad-boys once they're all the size of my largest... just have to get a flowering box set up.
 

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JanesGreenFinger

Active Member
sorry i cant help to ask why are you naming your plants with boy names, male plants are only good for hash. Most people cut them down and throw them out so they dont polinate the females and make them all seedy bud. Females are the ones that produce bud so males are pointless to have unless you make hash, otherwise they are a terrible thing to have when they pollinate your nice female buds. Sorry was just wondering why you would name them Mr anything. But im loving the box and you have a nice non-repetitive journal going. I just recently built a box like yours. Planted seeds 2 days ago but i didnt germinate them as well as you did so ill give them 2 more days before i decide they are bad seeds. Anyways congrats on the babies and i hope all goes well. Ima have to keep up with this one.
 

t3hmobster

Active Member
Awesome looking grow man, i'm in the works of setting up something very similar for my first grow. If you don't mind me asking what kind of sockets are you using for your lights? I can't seem to find anything like that.
Can't wait to see more on your grow =]
 
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