First, thanks to everyone (especially Videoman) for the patience and information to make this possible.

I am using a box wrapped with mylar, with mylar on the top too.

I have 4 40-watt cfls, three at 2700k, one at 6000k. This seems like not much, but this box is small and very reflective, and I will be adding 1 more 6000k and one more 2700k soon.











I left them under the regular fluoro for a little too long and they are a bit stunted for being a little over a month old, but they have been shooting up since I repotted them and put the CFLs on them. Also, I think this will make them more small and bushy, which is perfect

Questions:

Since I repotted them I didnt want to give them any nutes. They seem to be growing well and I know the soil will sustain them for a while. When should I start giving them nutes? They have only been repotted for a little over a week.

Also, how long do u usually wait to go flowering? Do you usually just wait until the plant is good and bushy or about a foot tall or what? Thanks.

When u give soil plants nutes, do you just mix in with watering water?


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its all preference when you want to flower your girls ( hopefully ) but usually 6-7 nodes is good... around 18" tall or so? just remember, when you switch the lights to 12/12 they will double to triple the size good luck

Double to triple?! Didn't know they got that much bigger, cool.

(1) I'd give em the nutes.

(2) When the plants are mature enough to induce flowering. They are mature enough when you have alternating nodal arrangement and leaves with 5 or more blades.

(3)hmmmmmmmm, yes. lol
Peace

Hey videoman, first of all let me say thanks for all the great info you've provided for us. Quite useful. But would you mind going further into depth about alternating nodal arrangement? Perhaps a pic demonstrating what you're talking about? Thanks, you rock man.

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I left them under the regular fluoro for a little too long and they are a bit stunted for being a little over a month old, but they have been shooting up since I repotted them and put the CFLs on them. Also, I think this will make them more small and bushy, which is perfect.

>> I have the same suspcion with my vegging plants which are almost 1 month old, but how do you know they are stunted?


Questions:

Since I replotted them I didnt want to give them any nutes. They seem to be growing well and I know the soil will sustain them for a while. When should I start giving them nutes? They have only been repotted for a little over a week.

>> That depends. How do you know the soil will sustain them for awhile? Is it fertilized? If so, how? After one month veg you should be able to use a grow fertilizer, but this depends entriely on the details you haven't shared. Such as uf your plants have fertilizer allready in the soil and what nutes you plan on using.


Also, how long do u usually wait to go flowering? Do you usually just wait until the plant is good and bushy or about a foot tall or what? Thanks.

>>> I have been experimenting with veg time. In t
he past I have used two different techniques. One was height, started flowering at 1ft tall. The 2nd was counting nodes, flowered after 5 or 6. I'm currently trying an 8 week veg.

When u give soil plants nutes, do you just mix in with watering water?

>>> Depends on the nutes. I usee Biobizz and Greenfuse which are both liquid nutes that can be used in hydro or soil and you have to mix them with water.


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Sure thing dude, alternating nodal arrangement means branches from both sides of plant that are NOT side by side. It's pretty simply actually.
Peace

Start supplementing their nutrients when they've used up the existing nutrients in the soil. This means simply watching the plants growth and responding to any signs shown on the leaves due to nutrient deficiency. You shouldn't need to feed them for at least 3-4 weeks from being potted into fresh soil. Don't over-feed your plants - the most common newbie mistake made.

To grow out your plants so they fulfill their 'natural genetic potential' you should flower the plants when they're sexually mature enough to flower. This is usually when the nodes start alternating or about 6-8 weeks from seed. However, given your small height and the double to triple size the plants will reach in flower, you may want to consider flowering much sooner than sexual maturity is reached, this simply means you won't get the most from your plants.

You mix in your nutrients with your irrigation water. However, the feeding schedules on most nutrients are way too strong and I suggest you start off with a 1/4 recommended doseage and monitor how the plants respond to it. Ideally you should measure the EC of your irrigation water and once your nutrients are added the total EC should not exceed 1.5-2.0 for soil.

Are you talking to me or someone else? This setup is in the closet at my apartment (parents 100 miles away)...sorry if i misunderstood.

THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE!!

You guys (gals?) are the shit!

I now have 7 bulbs, total of around 13,500 lumens, 178 watts.



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They are growing so fast now. I love checking them every day and seeing real progress.



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