Growing in limited space

**dude** · 12-28-2007, 07:48 PM

Greetings all, I've decided to start posting information about what I'm doing in the hope that it helps someone out there, maybe it'd even suit them to do something similar. I've been at this project since this October and I've just been messing around so far, but I'm beginning to see results already.

I'm very limited for space and only have about 3' in height to grow my plants (after light space). I'm using 7" pots, and flowering early (about 6") to limit the growth. I'm currently using a 200watt CFL bulb.

I'm growing from a mother plant that I've been told is Northern Light. The mother is healthy and currently in a separate growing area receiving 18hrs of light 200watt CFL. There's a 9" table fan and a 6" extractor, both are set on timers.

I've created a separate cloning area to help start things off and everything seems to be going so far. Believe it or not, I'm using a 24watt cfl bulb I picked up in woodies for €8, I have a light meter, and it's producing 1700 lumens and the top of the plant, that seems to be enough, nothing's died in there so far.

I'm putting my clones in a grow medium using a rooting gel, keeping the medium moist twice a day, and gently misting a few times a day, after two weeks some start showing signs of roots poking out the bottom of the cube. The solution I use for the misting is a 'jump start' kind of thing, I use it for both misting and wetting, using the misting formula prescribed. Seems to do the trick.

After 3/4 weeks I transplant them into larger pots (7") and move them to join the mother plant in the growing area, thus allowing them to grow for another 4 weeks. Watering usually once a day, just before lights out, around 300ml of water with a squirt of juice.

Then I just move them straight into the flowering area and hope for the best. The first 8 weeks are up now and the first batch of super dwarf buds are almost ready, we're at about 10% pistil turning at the moment. I only started these ones so I'd have something in there. They went straight from the cloner into the flowering area after four weeks.

At the moment I have 8 in the cloner for the past 2 weeks and they're looking good. One ready to move from grow area to flower area, four growing in there too along with the mother plant. Two nearly ready to harvest, another flowering since the 6th Dec and another flowering since the 17th.

My intention is to grow as much as I smoke, about a quarter a week when busy, half when not, and when just hanging around the full ounce. But I'm very good a rationing myself once I know what I have. You can always start later in the day if you really have to, better then not smoking at all.

I hope to get around an ounce every two weeks out of 4 plants (8 week grow cycle) using these 3 separate areas. Replacing a plant every 2 weeks when one is harvested.

Clone_Zone2.jpg
"The Clone Zone"
Made from a stripped out old PC I had lying around

Pic003a.jpg
Inside The Clone Zone
This pic shows 4, I currently have 8 in there

Pic002.jpg
The Growing Area
About 3" X 3" with the light tilted, plants are turned daily when fed

Pic008.jpg
The Flowering Area
About 3" X 3", I keep the light at the one level and move the plants up and down as necessary, plants are turned daily when fed

DSCF2399.jpg
These are my two mini buds, hardly worth my while, but if I didn't they wouldn't be here...

All the Best for now,
Dude

.

**GreenThumbGal** · 12-28-2007, 08:35 PM

I really dig your setup "dude". My man and i will eventually have a cfl setup very similar to yours, we have one beautiful (bag seed) female that is flourishing, the other two plants were not worth the time. She (plant "A") is very breath taking i want to keep her healthy and alive forever. Your clones look good but they are reaching for the light alot. Those dwarf buds are a trip lol. You should keep this post updated and keep a nice journal of your progress. Best of luck.

**dude** · 12-29-2007, 05:44 AM

thanks for the comments, I will definitely be keeping this journal up to date. The clones shown in the photo were actually that size & shape when cut, they were only in there two weeks when I took the snap. I turned them all around to face the same way to maximize the amount of light hitting the leaves, but I take your point, they do look that as if they're reaching a bit. I'm thinking of putting another bulb in there for the second week, once they get used to the one bulb. I'll keep you informed : )

Dude

.

**dude** · 12-29-2007, 05:51 AM

I also have made up a spread sheet that can be used to calculate the amount of electricity being used by everything. With my three separate areas, lights, fans, etc. I'm using about €5 of power a week keeping the system running. If anyone would like to see it I've attached it here.

Only change the green text boxes, everything else should work fine. Once you figure out how it works you can change it to suit your own setup. What a geek eh? : )

Dude

Power.zip

.

**dude** · 12-29-2007, 06:07 AM

I picked up a few little gadgets to help me wind away the weeks while I wait for the harvest. I got a Power Monitor to figure out exactly how much power everything uses. I also got a Light Meter to see how many lumens each light is putting out, and an excellent Microscope to watch the crystals form (and see what's eating my plants). I want to also pick up a Magnifying Glass for quick inspections.