Sterilite Storage Bin Stealth Grow, first time grower.

**Any Help Welcome, please criticize my work and help me improve**

Took 2x 22 gallon sterilite bins, placed them on top of each other, cut a hole out of the bottom bin and secured the top bin to it with some duct tape and weather stripping between the boxes to help seal light and (some smell until veg starts). Sprayed them with multiple lairs of flat black Krylon for plastic to seal in light so it doesnt shine through the boxes. THen sprayed multiple layers of a flat white krylon for reflection. Dimensions (24.5" x 18" x 17")(LxWxH)

I added 2x 140mm pc fans for intake, about 56 cfm each unit. 2x 120mm CPU fans for outtake, they run about 70 cfm but around 3000rpm. Cant hear them over my ac wallunit.

Lights:
Took 2x 3 outlet vanity lights, stripped them, wired together and to a light timer. fastened them back to back on to a piece of the cut sterilite plastic and am hanging it from the top in a stationary spot, will adjust the plant to the light itself.
18/6 cycles, 3am-9am lights off, 9am-3am lights on.

Bulbs:
6x 6500k 23w cfls for seedling and veg states.
6x 2700k 23w cfls for flowering.

Seeds:
Bought 10x bubblicious from Attitude.
Free - G13 Labs cheese
Free - World of Seeds Landraces Afghan Kush

Soil:
FFOF will be my medium, 2/3rd FFOF and 1/3rd added Perilite.
Dolomite Lime added to soil.
For Seedling im using standard potting soil that has no added nutes, just straight soil, added some perilite.

Nutes:
Tiger Bloom
Big Bloom
Grow Big

Adding at later date:
Have a 4" circular fan im adding inside of the box to move the air a bit more.
Also adding a gallon bottle of yeast/sugar to get some c02.

Pictures coming in next post with what I accomplished today.

cool i made some of these before they work great for just starting out

Day 1:
Germinated my seed, popped in just 24 hours. Using a bagseed for my first run so i dont fuck up my nice seeds with mistakes.

Put regular top soil and perilite in a Seed Starter Pot. Placed the seedling with the taproot down, covered it and poured on only a little bit of tap water that has sat out for 24 hours. Please ignore the pic of the muddy looking soil, it was my first starter pot and discarded that. The picture of the pot under the 1x 23w 6500k light is the correct pot with seed.

soil looks real wet
do u have drain holes

F A B said:

soil looks real wet
do u have drain holes

Click to expand...

Almost muddy looking even.

Ok, that first picture of the soil on the bottom row to the left wasnt suppose to be in there, i added too much water to it, mixed the soil around and it was still muddy. So i started over, the picture of the soil under the light (23w 6500k) is barely any water, only the top 1/2 inch should be moist id imagine. There is one drain hole in the bottom of this medium, the pots i have have ALOOTTTT of drain holes. This first seed i might add is a BAGSEED, giving it a test run to figure things out before I go with my nice strain seeds.

This is the second way less moist medium, as I said, only the top 1/2 inch or so is moist, added barely any water to it.

Any points on how I should water the soil once i added the seedling and covered it with soil? Cuz I felt like i was doing it wrong, do i not need to pour on water when its a seedling, should i just mist it a few times with water from a mister? Guess im just worried it will dry out quick when im not around if all I do is mist it.

Its going to need the moist soil. I basically watered till I saw some water come out of the bottom each time. They came out fine but my FFoF soil burnt them a bit until I had transplanted them now they are growing fine.

And as they sprout and begin to grow you're gonna be watering them less and less as they grow and the pots their in grows. Water only when its about an INCH or so of dry soil on top or if you noticeibly feel the pot being much lighter. Keep in mind the weight of the pot before and after watering so you can get a feel for it.

*I don't know why I put hour instead of inch*

Does your fox farm drain well without added perilite? Cuz this current growing medium (not ffof) turned muddy before i got water coming out of the bottom of the pot. So on the second pot i got scared to fuck it up again and barely put any water in, i guarantee the bottom 2/3rds of that pot are still dry.Not sure what the issue is, probably water not moving through this potting soil well enough? Theres a single pencil sized hole at the bottom of these seed starter pots.

Yeah I haven't had too much of an issue with drainage myself. I kind of jumped the gun and used the soil right from the bag without thinking of other things I should add into it but that will be for the next grow.

I think it may be the drainage holes themselves in your soil. I had them started in dixie cups with holes along the side bottom every quarter of the way with another hole in the middle. Also is that one of those root pots that roots are supposed to grow out of when you transplant? If so is that what you are planning to do?

that soil is not draining good
poke some more hole and when u transplant add some perlite

mister will work fine but dont have soil always soaking wet

its a natural fiber starter, i could just bury it with the seedling in the bigger pot or i can just pull it out and replant, which I think im going to do cuz i dunno how well these things absorb.

I didnt put enough water in for it too drain, because on the first pot i watered until it drained and it all turned to mud, dunno what im doing wrong.

well since u put seed in it already dont do anything to change soil yet
just wait a few days to water let soil dry out some
and when u transplant i would remove it from that pot

I was just asking because I've heard that those aren't good to let them grow out in because there may be complications of difficulty for the roots to penetrate. So like you said pulling it for transplant is your best bet.

what brand of soil u using

I will be using FFoF, until this thing sprouts and starts growing leaves etc I just have it in standard potting soil, added some perilite to it. dont want the FF to burn it.

Ajjax said:

I will be using FFoF, until this thing sprouts and starts growing leaves etc I just have it in standard potting soil, added some perilite to it. dont want the FF to burn it.

Click to expand...

ok first thing to do is do like balactus said u need more drain holes
if i fall asleep i will get back with u tomm
or if u have ? just send me a private message

ill add more drain holes when i wake up, it should have enough water for tonight, in 30 minutes its going to start its 6 hour dark phase, doing the 18-6 rotation. Lights will be on when im up, ill add 4-5 more pencil sized holes cuz it wlil need water in a day or two with how very little i added. I have msn or skype, or here.

Ajjax said:

ill add more drain holes when i wake up, it should have enough water for tonight, in 30 minutes its going to start its 6 hour dark phase, doing the 18-6 rotation. Lights will be on when im up, ill add 4-5 more pencil sized holes cuz it wlil need water in a day or two with how very little i added. I have msn or skype, or here.

Click to expand...

on here they have pm here
as wet as it is dont worry about water for few days

That soil looks way too dense, it needs some perlite at the very least. I would suggest you give up on soil altogether and go 100% perlite in 1 gal milk jugs with the tops cut off (leave the handle for easy lifting) and a drain hole poked in 1 side, 1" from the bottom, hempy bucket style, and transplant to that. You have hydro nutes, so go soilless. Much cleaner, easier and better producing.