My First Grow - Stealth (CFL Journal)

So I have been reading how to grow for years and years, and never really had the means untill I moved out of my parents house of course. So a year has passed and I still have started nothing since I moved out. So this year, I got my tax returns and decided to get my feet wet with a little low budget closet grow. Half way into my blue print I went over budget lol, So I scratched that, picked new lights and vent systems. Even a new box. Finally said and done I spent just about 20 bucks over budget and I'm extremely happy with the result.

Setup for my first grow ever!:

3''x2''x4.5'' Gutted Dresser
(4x) 94mm pc fans bringing fresh air in
(2x) 120mm pc fans taking old air out at the top
(2x) 6'' clip on desk fan directly cooling the lights

8 total light sockets wired in, current bulb set up :
(6x) 26W Blue spectrum Daylight (1600 Lumens each)
(2x) 26W Warm Soft White (1750 Lumens Each)

- Digital Therm.
- 2 Timers (fans, and lights)

nice start! enjoy the inventing process of DIY stealth grows. i guarentee on the next grow you'll want to move to an HID but for now learn to grow under CFL's.

the best set up with CFL is supposed to be three bulbs per plant, all rigth above and tilted toward the one main cola. i just had mine daisy chained in a white reflector before i read about that method.

read the growFAQs. ask questions. good luck.

Begining of Journal (Catching up, now with pictures!) -

Day 1 Saturday Feb, 23 – ~ Watered plants
~ Soil PH = 6.5
[FONT=&quot]~ Humidity = 28%
~ Temp with door open 82*

Day 2 [/FONT]Sunday Feb, 24 – ~ Watered Plants
~ Soil PH = 6.5
~ Temp = 79*

~ Humidity = 23%
~4 of the 6 have now sprouted, only 2 light cycles into growth (12-12)

Day 3 Monday Feb, 25 -

~ all six germinated seeds have now sprouted

~ Soil PH = 6.5

~ Temp =77
~ Humidity =27
~ Light cycle changed to (18-6) As you can see in the pictures... I also cut down to 6x 26W Blue spectrum Daylight (1600 Lumens each) just to help with my heat issue... I'm working the Y splits back in with 2 more lights in the next day or so
~Watered (watering cycle changed to every other day)



(I added a few new fans today, the 6'' clip on desk fans. My heat issues is now solved. I'm so happy, my box is finally extremely low maintence.)


FIRST PICTURES!!! I apologize for the quality of photos, it was on a camera phone, I seem to be lacking the cd-rom that goes with my digital camera, I'm working on getting that fixed, but these are what I got for now.

Anyone know where to order a cheap water PH test kit online? Thats about the only thing I'm left worried about. However I've been using the 3 day old water trick that I've read about, as well as a brita filter, so hopefully its not to horrible for them. They seem to be rather happy sprouting way sooner than I imagined

Day 4 Tuesday Feb 26th -

Soil PH = 6.5
Temp = 76.5*
Humidity= 26%


Growth overnight was visible when I woke up. This was the first full light cycle with the door shut, and temps stayed where I wanted them! Yay! I'm pretty pumped that I finally got my heat issue worked out, and its still early so no damage done. They seem to be happy little guys, reachin for the lights.

I still need to find a water ph kit if anyone can help that would be awesome. I plan to water and take some more pics tonight when I get home from work. I'm also gonna try to work the other 2 lights back in and see how much the temp goes up.

just go to walmart in the aquarium section and they should have PH strips or litmus strips...i picked some up on saturday...

Goodluck with the grow Stay...I'm definitely interested in seeing how this grow progresses because i thinking about doing something almost exactly like this for my first grow...I would strongly recommend that you read SeeMoreBuds' book about growing with CFLs (SeeMoreBuds is Garden Knowm on RIU)

Word, So far its working out for me. I'm pleased with the handy work I put into it. Hopefully it all pays off in the end I'll definately check up on that CFL book... cant hurt to learn more thanks!

Yeah i actually just got it today in the mail and I can't stop reading it...it only cost me around $15 on amazon w/ S&H so it's definitely worth it...keep up the good work!

Day 5 Wednesday 27th -

Soil PH = 6.5
Temp = 75* (however I woke up today with no heat in my apartment, so not only was I freezing, but my babies were very cold for a couple hours... I'm not to worried though, the low temp says 65, so It didnt drop dangerously. Plus it was only for a couple hours untill my lack luster maintnence came to fix my heat.)

Humidity = 23%


I'm pretty happy with how things are going, only 5 days out of the soil and all 6 seeds I germinated are looking healthy! I'm going to have a hard decision when it comes down to weeding out the weakest plants.

I just got home from the hell I call work, so I'm gonna warm up and get my mind right... If I dont fall asleep on the couch instantly I'm gonna try to post some more pics tonight

dude if u wanna cheap water tester,go to a pet store.They have them for fish tank set-up's.And they'er only like $7

-good luck

Gnarley, thanks bro. Someone else mentioned it as well. I'm just gonna run into walmarts aquarium section after work tonight. Nice pic by the way plant manager lol

Thursday Feb 28 (day 6) -
Soil Ph= 6.5
Temp = 78
Humidity = 23%

(Buying a water ph test kit tonight) In the mean time... NEW PICS!


This little 6'' desk fans allowed me to use the Y splits and 2 more bulbs without outrageous temps


6 various sized PC fans, the 4 smaller ones on the sides bring fresh air in, the 2 larger at the top take the hot air out.


[FONT=&quot]Inconspicuous[/FONT] Dresser? Lol, Once I cash my check I'm gonna tack the dress drawer fronts on, and stain the door. It may not be perfectly stealth, but it will still at least look nice


This is all the light that escapes the fan holes, I dont think this will be a problem, but if anyone says otherwise I'd gladly listen....



Here is all 6, on day 6. The 4 on the right seem to be loving life, I'm really struggling to understand the 2 on the left?

All 6 (day 6)



This leaves us to the two weaklings. I tried to get some quality photos this time so maybe some experts can give me advice on the little guys...








Anyone able to tell me what could possibly be wrong with these two? My big worries are... after germination, they both had the biggest tap roots and now they are the smallest growers. Is it possible to over germinate waiting for the slower seeds? I've been making sure each plant has the same exact amount of love. Water, light, positioning, slight breeze, temps, soil mixtures, ph, everything. Why are they looking sick?

prob just stunted(they have more chance of turning male) but leave them be and keep watering them at the same rate at the others and pull later if male

They'll prob get growing after a while, don't freak out

I will watch this grow until the end.....

I'm guessing you fell asleep on the couch instantly? haha I'd love to see more pics!

hehe, makes me happy to see people interested. I'm about to blaze and leave for work right now, but I promise some new pics tonight, the little girls are lookin nice and healthy!

Friday Feb 29th (Day 7) - All is well
Soil PH = 6.5
Temp = 76
hum = 30%

Sat 1st(Day - Nothing new to report Same as above. Watered plants first time since thursday night

Sun 2nd (day 9) -
Stats are the same as above

I lost a little girl today. One of the stunted plants passed away in the middle of the light cycle last night. Our thoughts are with her, a good friend of mine is in town from bowling green so we smoked a couple dank blunts for our fallen homie.

Monday 3rd (day 10) - All is well, the other mini guy is doing fine, he seems happy and trying to catch up in size.


I bought SEE MORE BUDS (Garden Knowm's) Growing with CFLS book at B&N last night at work... and read it cover to cover. Amazing, nice work GK. Definately cleared some things up, as well as many helpful pointers. I also loved the quotes and random facts on the page edges!


If anyone else has purchased this book, on the inside of the back cover it mentions in 2004 he was a espn sportscaster. He went to Santa Barbra and assumingly graduated in 1999. I'm trying to figure out this top secret true identity... I'm a die hard sports fan. I eat, sleep, and shit sportscenter. So I'm thinkin, if he had any big projects I may have heard/seen garden knowm. I dunno... its a long shot, and I definately do not want to irritate him by reveling his secret identiy, however I do want to know for myself. If anyone has any tips or knows pm me?