So, this is my first grow. I'm a complete noob. Like everyone else I figured I'd plant a seed in some dirt, turn my closet light on, and when I wake up in the morning I would have a lovely plant of giant buds. I would love to say that I wasn't that stupid but.....

My first couple of days consisted of moving my clothes over so there wasn't anything blocking the light and my cups of dirt. However, I started reading anything and everything on the subject and felt pretty dumb after.

I moved my clothes out and bought a few lights. (See pics)

After I started getting into more CFL growing journals I realized I didn't have enough light to work properly.... nor did I buy the right spectrum for the growth stage. So back out I went. I ended up with 6 26W daylight spectrum bulbs. I kept tinkering around and ended up moving all my plants down to the floor with my shelf lowered to support the lights. Now they are in a 2'x2' space. (see pics) I know I cut a lot of corners as far as materials but, this is my first grow so I see it as more of a Beta-Grow. My next grow I will add more lights, not use aluminum foil , and buy bigger pots. I did this as cheap as possible and I think I have $60 total in everything I have. Once I get everything down and know more of what I am doing I'll be ordering some good seeds. The ones I used for this one were just average Middi bag seeds.

I started LST one of the plants and it got a little out of control so now I'm just letting it do it's thing. However, on my next grow... all of them are going LST.

I started taking pics and meant to keep a journal but, life got in the way and I failed.

I had them on 24hr lighting for about 2 and a half months. About a week ago I started 4-20 lighting for a couple days, 6-18 for a couple more, then 12-12. I didn't want to stress the plants too much by the sudden light change. As of this moment they have has 2 days of 12-12.

I have posted the pics I took at the start of the operation and what I just took a few minutes ago.

One of the pics is of the LST plant and the top of it. For anyone who has done this do all those tops turn into main colas?

My plants didn't get scraggly and stretched. I kept the lights close and cut off all the fan leaves that started at the main stem to give light to the other branches. I know I know.. leave the fan leaves but, when i cut them the lower branches shot up and bushed out.... again I have a pic of one of the plans.

Now something happened when I forgot about them for a couple of days. One of the plants grew into the CFL bulb and it burnt the top. The funny thing is the plant pushed the top to the side and made it a fan leaf and then grew 6 tops in it's place. They were all clumped together for a few weeks but, now they are starting to grow apart. Maybe I found a new topping technique?

Oh, and yes those are my clothes in my grow room and I walk around smelling amazing all day. To be honest I get quite a few people asking what cologne I have on because they want to pick up a bottle of it. I always laugh a little because if they only knew...

PICS:
Starting grow:




2 1/2 weeks in




Current Grow Space




Current Grow Space 2




Busy Plants



Bushy Plants 2




LST Plants




LST Tops




Burnt Leaf




Burnt Leaf Top




Burnt Leaf Tops 2

Just checked on my six plants to sex them and by some sheer pot magic all six turned out to be female!!! I was counting on at least 3 being male so I could thin out my little grow area and not have to add more lights but, it looks like back to Lowes I go for a few more lights...

Bad news, one of my plants started to hermy so I introduced her/him to a snow filled dumpster. Made me a bit sad because she/he was a nice bushy plant. I ended up buying two 65watt lights and I am going out today to pick up a couple more and a couple of splitters.

I also spent quite a bit of time trying to get my LST plant back under control. (see pic)

Here a two pics. One of my new set-up and one of the LST bush.

All of my plants are short and busy with almost no stretch to them. The buds are starting to form nicely and I can't wait till harvest time.

Since this is my first grow, I don't really care how the plants turn out. I just want the hands-on experience for my next grow. Does anyone have any suggestions as far as a good plant to grow indoors under CFLs? I'm starting to look at seeds but, there are so many out there I don't know where to start.

So far I am running 4 - 65 watt and 2 - 26 watt for five plants. Is this enough to flower 5 plants effectively or should I add more?

Honestly, if I were you, I would @ least, maybe even triple those lights fer flowering. If you add 8 more of the 23Wer's, you should be good. If you wanna be GREAT, add those 8 + 8 more along the lower sides of the plant, as well. Make sure yer light is as close to yer girls as poss! And, if you run into a hermie or male ever again, dont waste all that! You could made some bomb ass butter

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Good call on the hermie, I didn't even think of that. However I don't have a separate space I could grow in far enough away that I don't contaminate the ladies.

OMG... Triple my lights? I couldn't even imagine having a dozen football sized lights hanging in my closet. lol I do think I'll buy a couple more of the bendable desk lamps ($10 @ Target) and a couple more 26W to go with them only to set them up along the sides as you suggested!!! Thanks for the info.

You are welcome fer the info, and it was only a suggestion fer MAXIMUM yield. I'm not even doing wat I suggest fer that! Yer grow shud be decent. But dont anticipate too much. BTW, You could got some butter outta wat you had, and if you have ANY outdoor area you coulda used, u coulda jus thrown herm out there!

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Unfortunately, it's winter here and any field trip outside would kill the ladies. I'm not to concerned about the weight I yield. I'll be happy if I get an ounce dry from each plant. This is my first grow and I just wanted the hands on experience. I can read everything in the world but, it's all meaningless until I get my hands dirty.

Also, I have one plant that has folded leaves. Nothing is different in it's schedule than any of the others but, this is the only plant it's happening to. What could be the cause? I have included pics of said plant.

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BTW, the burn on the leaves is from the plant growing into the lights and not from nute burn.

raise the light a tad bit and cut back on the chem.'s just a hair bro