Need some help PLEASE

I just started my first grow closet and i have 7 plants that are a week old. I have four of them in gallon size pots mixed with perlite and then other two small cups still. I am using two cfls, one of them is larger in size than the other. Together they are producing 3000 lumens. I also have a 24' floro grow light in between the cfls. My final tool that i am using in the closet is a small desk fast to keep good air flow. They seem to be doing alright and i can notice growth about every other day. Any tips anyone can give me to increase my chances of them surviving?

Are they in dirt or Hydroo?

Youll more or less decide on your own that youll want to get more light on them once they get bigger so might as well get them now. Try to have at least maybe 50 watts per square foot. If you dont have it already then paint the walls white or cover them with mylar or reflective gift wrap. If you could upload some pictures it would really help analise the situation.

Thanks for the replies, they are in soil mixed with perlite. I know i will need more lighting and i will prolly pick up more cfls. I covered the walls with white computer paper. I am trying to make due with what i can find around the house or what is cheap enough to buy. The closet dimensions are 2ft by 2ft by 5ft. Also i am a little nervous about all the wires in the closet, i have the 3 light and fan plugged inside it. Another question, dose it matter what my lighting cycle is, i have been turning them off for about 4 or 5 hours in the morning but i dont have a set schedule, will this matter? Thanks a lot for the help.

Scedule matters as much as watering them. If you dont have a light cycle your plants wont grow right. Some have a 24 hour light cylcle untill flowering others prefer 18 hours light 6 hours dark. The cycle matters because your plant behaves according to the time of light. When the plant gets nly 12 hours of light a day it will start to flower. Switching the lights on and off will be no good for them. I used paper for my wally as well and it seems to do alright. Iv got 6 lights and 2 fans hooked up in a small grow box and was worried about the wireing the first few days but if you do it right youll realise that everything will be fine.

You need a timer so it can be constant.

Some folks use 18/6 thats 18 hours on and 6 hours off for Veg

The best cycle for bloom is 12/12

I hope this helps

Misread your last post a bit, thought you were semi randomly turning the lights on whenever you were around. Im not sure if one hour more or less a day will matter but your way better off getting a timer for 2$ and never having to worry about it anyways. Eventually youll be gone for a day or two and need it to turn on automatically anyways.

Alright i will hook up a timer as soon as possible. Vegging and blooming? Could you explain those terms for me. The plants are a week old and are almost 2 inches. What do u think the best light cycle would be and when should i switch. I appreciate all the feed back i am getting, thanks again

You should 18on 6 off until flower then change to 12 on 12 off.
It is a seedling right now.
Once it gets 3 nodes or sets of leaves it will be in veg state. This is when the plant grows. You should veg until the plants are around 12" tall.
Then you will switch to 12/12. As long as you are getting total darkness during lights off you should see signs of sex within 2weeks after 12/12.

It will probably take 4 weeks for veg with enough light provided mind you.
Then it will take another 6-9 weeks for flowering.

Read growfaq up top.
Happy growing...

Thanks for the help

You need to click on GROWFAQ up above and learn the terms.
you start plants at 18 light, 6 dark most growers suggest, called 18/6. I do 24/7 or lights 24 hours a day all day long. That is called the GROW stage or VEG or VEGGING stage. When they get a certain desired height or age, you go to FLOWER or BLOOM stage, which is 12/12. the varying factors depend if you are seeking monster plants or doing sea of green in a small space. Dirt or Hydro, inside, outside, different species or strains vary.

hey DanJos3 I'm a newbie too and on my first grow and so I know what u r going through - it's shredding my nerves.

You might want to check out this v informative grow guide movie (I found it helpful) -

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

Dan, you will need more light on those girls. The minimum light a plant needs to grow is about 2,700 lumens. You have 7 plants sharing 3,000 lumens. Ideally, you want about 7,000 lumens on each plant. I'd say you need to buy several more CFLs or a HPS. Good luck!

Thanks for the tips and yes i plan on getting a few more of the large cfl's to help grow. Also can i control how big the plants get, i would like them to be full plants but short as possible.

Dan,

I would veg for about 4 weeks if you want them to be relatively small. Your plants should be about 8" to 12" tall at that time. Although vegging for longer would of course be better, you have to make due. Expect your plant to double or even triple in size when you switch to flowering (12/12 light cycle).

Dan listen to what everyone is suggesting then go read the FAQ's so you will better understand. Growing (at least for me) should be theraputic and enjoyable. And it can be you just have to be patient and read up on everything. Then ask these guys they are very helpful. A timer is real easy to get . I got one of those timers that turn on lights in the house when you are on vacation. It works perfectly. Also what kind of water you giving them. I might have missed that part . But test your water ph after you add nutrients. Hope this helps . Remember to enjoy your babies and give them attention and love and you will feel better. good luck bro

Thanks for the responses, i am enjoying my first grow just trying to get as many tips as possible, i did set up my timer which helps tremendously and i have just been using sink water that is untested. Hopefully within the next couple days i will be able to get more cfls and a water tester.

If you want shorter plants without sacrificing yield, you can either FIM or LST. Read the FAQ or search the threads, both methods are well explained. Good luck.