I wonder if anyone remembers me. I posted so many pictures of my last grow, one each day, I forgot how long it went... maybe 3 months... but eventually got screwed up, the setup was a pain in the ass, on the floor, no space anywhere, falling apart daily. The plant ended up dieing because the roots were to constrained, the pot was too large already, and another transplant would be impossible... no way I could have got it out with even 1/4 of the roots, and I would have had to go outside to do it... no way it would happen...

last time the seeds were crap, and bag seeds...

I use a soil medium, the miracle grow crap, its the only decent stuff around here, and hey it works.

well im starting again, just decided to last Friday spontaneously. This time I have juicy fruit seeds, bag seeds though. The bud was amazing and smelled so strongly of juicy fruit gum... not many seeds... but I germinated about 5, and planted 4 in 3 cups, all 4 sprouted and i removed the extra one in the cup that had 2 sprouts.

I already have a bunch of lights, I wired my own 5 socket vanity light strip to an extension cord, works very nicely. I made a reflector out of cardboard, that will work perfect, and angle right over the lights perfectly, since I use the Y socket things, for 2 bulbs per socket, and they angle right down on the plant... dollar general was out of mylar so im fucked for the time being... might layer some white paper for now...

this time the grow is a bit different, heres why it will probably be more successful than the last one haha...
- I know what I am doing from the very start, not 2 weeks into the grow like last time.
- The setup is so much nicer, on a bed stand type thing. Hot glue definitely helps a crap load since its easier to attach cardboard together with that, than duct tape... the tape just falls off easy haha.
- I am attaching my main set of 5 lights to a reflector, which will have an adjustable height over the plants, so I can grow these plants wayyyyyyyyy taller... I have about 4 times more room in the height department haha, and if it gets too big I can move it to the floor and get an extra 2 1/2 feet.
- Closets cleaner
- I have a bunch of cardboard
- Got a car
- Have money
- Already have a crap load of lights with tin can reflectors I made...

This grow is gonna be done completely with CFL's, and plenty of them. Its winter here, so my closet is pretty cold, the lights heat the room to room temperature, warmer near the plants... so thats good... heat did become a bit of a problem last time.

So it has been 1 week since I germinated. There are 3 sprouts currently, both have there first set of leafs - the round ones forgot the name... and started the first real set of leafs.

Replies and comments are wanted .

Grow Calender
Dec 14, 2007 - Germination Started... around 6-9pm. Moist paper towels used, with plastic wrap, on my cable box.
Dec 15, 2007 - Checked it about the same time, not germinated yet.
Dec 16, 2007 - Fully germinated, planted in cups filled with mirical grow that I already watered and let sit. I covered the cups with plastic wrap lightly.
Dec 17, 2007 - Nothing.
Dec 18, 2007 - 1 sprouted, attempted digging at the others... nothing.
Dec 19, 2007 - All 4 sprouted, extra sprout was removed. I moved them under 2 CFL lights, 23 watts each just temporary. Watered lightly.
Dec 20, 2007 - Set up the vanity strip of 5, which only has 3 y sockets = 6 cfls currently, right above the plants. Watered again more than last time.
Dec 21, 2007 - Showing more growth, 1 plant got tipped, hopefuly I saved it. Started working on the grow setup more... making room, etc...
Dec 22, 2007 - About 1am added the fan, the grow "box" was very hot, and I think the sprouts have been stressing from it. Now noon, the "box" is much cooler... still not much growth.
Dec 23, 2007 - Lighting strip is fixed, and reattached.

Lights Calender
Dec 19, 2007 - Sprouts started, and put under 24/0, 2 CFL, 23 watts each.
Dec 20, 2007 - Put under the vanity strip with 5 sockets. Only 3 sockets used, Y splitter in each, for a total of 6 CFLs over 3 cups [2 ea]. Watt stats later. 4 Out of the 6 CFLs have coke can reflectors. Still on 24/0.
Dec 22, 2007 - Added 1 more CFL on the gooseneck lamp, total of 7 now on 24/0.

Dates To Remember - just random things... not plant related haha.
Dec 17, 2007 - Was blinded by ice on my windshield getting onto the highway couldnt see a thing ran my car off the road into 2 white pole things and then got back on the road... fucked up my bumper... I was really baked at the time too haha.

Day One -> Dec 20, 2007.

Pictures
Reflector and stand finished 12/22/07 - This is the main part of the setup, I will raise it when needed.


Day 1 - 12/20/07
[No picture]

Day 2 - 12/21/07


Day 3 - 12/22/07
[No picture]

Day 4 - 12/23/07
[No picture yet...]

Questions...

Alright, I need to get new supplies tomorrow... I know I need a thermometer and some sort of tool to measure the moisture in the soil [Is that really necessary? I could wing it... like I did last grow... and is what I have been doing]. Where can I get these? and how much would I end up spending? and what section in the store should I look in?

Can I find mylar or something better at Hobby Lobby? -Dollar General is the only place I'm sure has it, but they're currently sold out.

How should I go about watering the plants? I heard doing it ever 2-3 days is best, instead of once a day... my plants normally get dry after a day though... so should I just water them a lot more so I don't have to water them every day? or what?

Thanks for the replies... any comments are wanted.

Pictures will be coming soon. I took pictures of the current weird setup... theres still a few more days of work left until its completely finished.

hygrometer (temp/humidity guage) can be gotten for like 5-6 bucks at a walmart...

you don't need a soil moisture tester...

just water whenever the soil a couple inches down gets dry to the touch... just stick yer finger down in the soil to test...

flat white paint works quite well for reflective surfaces... and is easier to come by than mylar...

best of luck friend!

__________________
Lumberjack's personal - my new grow journal (check it out!)

i'll cut you yo

member of pagc

Thanks for the reply .

1 more question... how dense should the soil be? right now its pretty fluffy and my finger went down 2 inches without a problem... will this cause the roots to stretch or anything?

I couldn't really use white paint... I mean my walls are already white, but im not using the closet walls to reflect, too many things in the way... light would never make it back... but I have cardboard, that I usually tape mylar too, very flatly, and it is so freakn bright, its not actually mylar though, its gift wrap that comes precut in squares, not on a roll, and the gift wrap is colored on one side and uncolored plain mylar on the other.

I added the fan up yesterday, I think they were heat stressing, I never noticed how freakn hot it is inside the box... it really wasn't distributing the heat in the box to the rest of the room at all... but the box is back to normal temp, and the fans running 24/0.

i dont remember them growing this slow in my last grow though -_-.

mj likes looser dirt for the roots to easily move in... what you have sounds fine =]

you're reflective surfaces sounds fine... i know other people who do the same sorta thing...


wish you the best of luck...

hope to see this finish out well!

__________________
Lumberjack's personal - my new grow journal (check it out!)

i'll cut you yo

member of pagc

Thank you... but so far theres a few potential problems...

I went to walmart today, to get some more miracale grow, bigger pots, and mylar or some kinda wrapping paper that has a mylar back, and oh yeah the hygrometer, they didnt have any of it, the entire gardening sections gone... would lowes sell soil? or anything else?

I finally finshed the new setup, still no mylar on the reflector, I substituted a bunch of layered white printer paper. I also have pieces of cardboard with smooth mylar taped to it that I place around the area... but the new setup is pretty sweet, wayyy more room, and I can raise it as much as I need. I have tons of pictures I will post sometime soon.

You Should Look Around For A High Quality Soil To Start With Like Fox Farm Ocean Forest, Its Got Great Built In Nutes That Help A Lot. And Flat White Paint Is Recommended Because Mylar Will Be Hanging Off The Walls Getting All Over Before You Know It

lowes would be a lot better off...

actually you can set up an incredible grow with stuff from lowes

they even have hps lights if you wanna do some real good growing...

the white paper isn't gonna be too great for reflecting light...

i was suggesting painting the cardboard white and using them as panels to reflect the light...

__________________
Lumberjack's personal - my new grow journal (check it out!)

i'll cut you yo

member of pagc

I only have the mylar attached to the grow box, it will never be on the wall or in the way lol, but the papers all sorts of fucked up hanging everywhere, that stuff doesnt stay down... so I don't know. I actually think I have some paint but its a bit off white, visibly off white colored... I could paint the cardboard, I do have to touch up a few patches on the wall too anyways. How well do you think off white would do? What if I bought some thick white poster board would that work better?

Do all Lowes stores sell HPS lights? if so I could definitely get one... but I have never seen any and I have been to lowes several times in the past looking for lights.

Pictures

Temporary setup finished 12/21/07


Day 2 - 12/21/07


Reflector and stand finished 12/22/07


Final setup finished 12/22/07