Well let me just say this first before I go into anything else....

I've been here for like 2 days and I'm already inspired to do great things. There is so much knowledge running around, in my short stay I feel like I've learned enough from all of you nice folks to start my own little grow

Everyone has been very helpful and nice which is encouraging and builds a nice community. So may all of you be blessed with healthy crops in the future for being so supportive!

OK, now that I've got that out of the way As mentioned, I was inspired to start my own little grow. I'm going to use part of my closet for the grow area. It's going to be a very simple setup until I learn some things; the first run is strictly experimental in my opinion. I need to get my feet wet and do it once because there's only so much reading I can do I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on something and have it not turn out the way I wanted, so I'm starting kinda small in my opinion....

Grow Area: Closet. My space is about 5 feet tall, 2 feet wide, 1 ft deep

Grow containers: Germination is currently in progress, about 36 hours in using a paper towel method. From there I'll be planting them in plastic cups until the roots make their way to the bottom. I'll then repot the plants into what look like 2 or 3 gallon pots (Got them from Home Depot, they're about 13" or 14" in diameter). Upgrade pots later if needed

Medium: Soil. Scots Organic Soil - comes premixed with perlite and peat moss

Ferts: I got an 'All purpose indoor & outdoor fertilizer' (Home Depot also, no hydro shop where I live ) It's called Dynamite....they're pellets....are these OK to use??? Main ingredients are nitrogen (Nitrate nitrogen, ammoniacal nitrogen), phosphate, and soluble potash
**If you know of a good fertilizer to get from local stores I would love some recommendations

Lights: I bought (4) 27w 1300 lumens, 5500k cfls, these are they 'day light' kinds I'll use for vegging (Right?). I'll buy more if I need too. I'll purchase the 'soft white' kinds for flowering (Right?). Numbers of bulbs will depend on how things go



I'm going to build a small base to set everything on in the corner. From there, I'll have a hanging light fixture that I'll be able to move up and down as needed. The light fixture will be a piece of MDF or plywood. I'll have two electrical mounts I'll mount on the wood, then I'll use Y splitters for the 4 bulbs. Upgrading is always possible if needed

I'll start with 24 hour light from the beginning (Right?) until it gets near flowering, I'll back it down to 18/6, then 12/12 and I'll switch the bulbs. Water every other day for a little while, ferts twice a week when they're old enough

Am I missing anything?? I'll post pictures soon once I get some sprouts and my setup going.

I would love it if those of you who have experience could help me with my questions I'd love you forever

pics?

good luck with your grow!

Once again the only thing I could show you now is a bag with a paper towel in it germinating my seeds. I'll post pics once I have sprouts

Got bored and got some pics together of what I'm working with

*Thought my soil was organic, I don't think it is....should I try and find something different?

*What do you think about the fertilizer? It's 18-6-8, you can't tell from the pic

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OK so I got some pics up, hopefully I'll have some sprouts by the end of the day.

When I'm out of classes today I'm going back to the store to get everything I forgot yesterday. I'm also going to make my light fixture and hang it up. I'll post new pics when I'm done tonight.

I'm getting really excited!!!

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I'm looking forward to seeing this grow, I have pretty much the same setup. Good luck!

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My CFL Grow Journal!!!
"Shit we're gonna be so late, what do we say?" "...We hit traffic!"

Yeah I think I'm going to implement LST...it seems simple enough and suitable for what I'm looking for

I can't wait until later today when I have time to put this stuff together

I checked my seeds, two have popped tap roots, one looks like it's very close. So as soon as I get my stuff assembled, it's into cups with soil and lights!!! Hopefully by the end of the night I'll be into my first day of vegging!

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I'm getting excited with ya, looks like you're well off to a good start, however there's a few things you ought to think about,
If you are only going to use part of your closet lst may not be such a good idea as they my bush out, if I where you I would try topping or fimming, I tried both and both are growing 4 colas and are growing up not out, therefore leaves me with more horizontal space.


The soil you are using is good for seedlings but I wouldn't recommend using it when transplanting to larger pots, I use black gold and natures, both organic and are working fine.. nature is the cheaper of the two and is fine, however if you can afford it and can find black gold I recommend it, try to find something with worm castings, seems to work good.



I don't know about the ferts you have there but if it were me I'd rather use MG but I'm sure you can find something better, I heard good things about foxfarm products and am now using them, thanks to the following link, it was turned on to me and I found a place near me that sold it, maybe you can do the same.


http://www.foxfarmfertilizer.com/buyfox.html


The lights you have will definitely work for veg but as they grow you may need to ad a few as you already know, although because I'm a noob! I vegged and now flowering using all softwhite and things appear to be doing awesome!


If you use plywood for your lighting fixture, be sure to build a support forming around it or it will bend/fold/warp in time.



Concerning lighting schedule I would recommend doing one or the other, 24/7 - 18/6 I used 24/7, things worked out good.


Here are a few things that helped me in my journey, hope they will help you in yours as well.


http://www.greenmanspage.com/guides/plant_abuse.html

http://www.onlinepot.org/grow/nutrients2.htm







Hope this helps and good luck to you and your grow!

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Humboldt's Growing Adventures! Up & Away!



CLICK HERE! For a Cheap and Easy Hash Technique!

CLICK HERE! For a Black Oil - Finger Hash Technique!

Check out the following link for some Awesome Marijuana pictures and audio clips, part of a site I started awhile back that fell through, but the pictures are still awesome, some you've probably seen but I bet a lot you haven't.

http://bratcat.net/bratcat/marijuana.html

Enjoy!

Thanks for the help!

It's official as of tonight, I put everything together and have it in place. Hopefully I'll get a couple of females

Here's my setup....I'm trying to find some Mylar locally for my walls...not working out so well I tried 4 places and nothing...I'll probably have to order online







Humboldt:

Topping I've heard of...you clip the top once you get a few nodes, it'll force it to fix itself on top and grow up instead of out, right? Never heard of fimming....

As for the soil, I don't have anything good around here to buy stuff. I checked Walmart, they've got all their gardening stuff put away for Christmas. Home Depot is about the same, that's where I managed to get he soil that I have. So unless I order some online, I'm not sure where else to go....

Same goes for ferts and nutes. That's about all I saw other than MG...and everyone shuns that so much I figured I'd stay away from it? Another thing I'm probably going to have to order

Hope everything goes well...I spent a lot more money on this stuff than I originally thought I was going to.....

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Looking good so far but I would lay some plastic or tarp down to protect that carpeting, also the thermometer I think would be better off bellow the lights closer to the sprouts as you are trying to keep the roots warm but not hot and the smoke alarm would be better mounted above everything and upside down, oh and where's your fireextinguisher? .lol j/k


Here is something about fimming,


Fimming and Topping 101


The only difference I've noticed so far is the growth rate to recover, a topped plant may take a week or so to recover and fimming may take two or more, my topped plant took slightly longer than a week, she's now flowering and doing fine, I'm not certain if by topping or fimming a plant will always grow up, I stated that mine did and by what I've read and seen of lsting that they do tend to bush out, also I'm thinking that the bushiness of a plant highly depends on the strain and size of pots.


If you top or fim your plant and it appears to be widening start to grow out you could always train them to grow up, I'm sure there are several methods of doing so, for instance use a tomato cone as I call them.

As for soil, anything should work as long as it says ORGANIC and that its mixed with some perlite or something for proper drainage, I've seen people use woodchips, also they say to put small rock, sand and or gravel at the bottom of the pots, this is supposed to help with drainage and for the roots to breathe better.

I used MG on some of my plants in veg, I think they are turning out fine, just be sure to switch to a decent bloom when flowering even if it costs a bit and you have to get it online, it's well worth the investment, as for spending more than you figured, don't feel alone, I'm thinking everybody goes through that, I spent way more money on accessories than I did on the lighting itself, expect to spend a lot more.

The more your plants grow and are doing well the more you will want to care for them, you don't want to risk anything happening to them and you'll want them to grow as best they can, I think you will find yourself spending some money doing so.

Keep up the good work!

__________________
Humboldt's Growing Adventures! Up & Away!



CLICK HERE! For a Cheap and Easy Hash Technique!

CLICK HERE! For a Black Oil - Finger Hash Technique!

Check out the following link for some Awesome Marijuana pictures and audio clips, part of a site I started awhile back that fell through, but the pictures are still awesome, some you've probably seen but I bet a lot you haven't.

http://bratcat.net/bratcat/marijuana.html

Enjoy!