Building single-plant growbox, I want your opinions!

Fractus said:

thanks tonetics87, even if you don't like me, thank you for explaining how easy it would be for them to just leave because they are turning a learning thread into a debate and it's a waste of time and energy for both parties. What's done is done, I flushed it one way and you guys do it another way. Even though mine won't hurt it. Just check this thread for days to come and you'll see that evrything is fine. By the way it's almost time to water again because my soil is pretty much dry now. Tomorrow I'd like to try giving it some molasses, if I plan on giving her 1.5 gallons of water, how much molasses should I put it in with it? I won't argue I promise

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Most of us use 1-2 tablespoons per gallon.

Although I am sure you will disagree....

You should have opened with that instead of waiting this long to give a legitamate explanation. But I do understand. My MG has less trouble dissolving initially so I wouldn't think it would be any different coming back out... When I add a teaspoon of it to a couple litres of water to feed my plant it did dissolve instantly. Didn;t take anymore than 10 seconds, just a little stir and it was mixed with no powder on the bottom. It just made a pale blue solution. I wasn't having any runoff because I had no drain holes, I just didn't overwater so that she could only use what I gave her and when the dirt got dry I watered again. I know drainage is standard for indoor growing I just didn't want it leaking on the floor of my closet and I didn't think it would make a difference, and I'm confident that it didn't make a difference. But now I have drain holes and a catch tray so that's a bonus. Anyway, by putting as much water as I did, in and out, and I did it slowly, plenty of time to dissolve, I think I accomplished the goal of a good flush. My verification was the colour of the drainage. But Im'm going to continue watering normally from now on until harvest, and allow probably 25% drainage, I'm sure that will take care of whatever salt I missed..

And 1-2 tablespoons per gallon sounds just fine actually. Thank you.

No prob.

If you continue watering normally now until harvest with ph'd h2o with molasses added and get the run off you mentioned, you should indeed flush successfully, you are correct there.

Is there anyway to get some closer shots of the buds?

I may have missed this, but what day of 12/12 are you on?

https://www.rollitup.org/2666455-post815.html

I'm looking for PROOF guys...

I'm NOT GONNA take your word for it...

I am arguing with someone that has DECADES more hands on experience than I do, but I still think he's wrong...

WHO'S GOT SOME PROOF...???

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We all go through the same phases when learning things, you want proof. Even experienced growers once asked the same questions and argued the same points I did and it made them smarter and better growers, and look where they are now. Just lightening the mood a little with some optimistic philosophy.


This was taken 28 days ago on the 13th of August, the first day I switched to 12/12.


I REALLY want to get some awesome closeups so I can show you guys what I see with my eyes, but I don't have a digital camera. I've taken every picture so far with my cellphone which has terrible optical zoom and it won't focus up close. I have a friend that has a nice camera, I'm going to try to get it from him soon.

So its only 28 days into flower??

Yes...is that good or bad? lol

Fractus said:

Yes...is that good or bad? lol

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Well its good or its bad....that all depends on how you handle this comment...

And I am NOT tryin to nit pick you...just help...

But for an indoor soil grow, the MINIMUM number of days of 12/12 (flower) required for a ripe plant is 70.

So you should NOT START FLUSHING!

Quit using MG and its Nitrogen rich ferts. Get something with a low N and higher P and K numbers and continue to feed, water, and let your plant grow!

You only want to flush for the final two weeks or so! If you start flushing now and harvest in two weeks (day 42) your plants WILL NOT have bulked up to nearly their potential, both in terms of yield and trichs.

So keep going! Let those buds fatten up!

Its ok you flushed her once. Its actually great to flush the medium every 2-4 weeks in soil (as hydro growers change their rez out and clean it on about the same time table).

Please...I ASSURE you I am correct on this. I am not tryin to argue or beat down the n00b with no facts. If you want more facts I got em.

Just DON'T SELL YOUR PLANT SHORT! LET HER GROW TILL THE TIME IS RIGHT!

EDIT: Well perhaps 70 is not a "minimum." It is usually about right on. Let's say 8 weeks is minimum, in most every case.

Haha alright. That was very informational. I didn't realize there was an optimum number of days. She just looks so nice I figured in 2 weeks she would be huge enough to harvest. But I still have plenty of space left in the upper compartment since I cut the top off and also raised the lights a while back. I don't see why not. Yeah all this reading about flushing lately has taught me that occasional flushes are good anyway. I guess I should probably feed her tomorrow instead of giving her molasses then Maybe I can find some good flowering nutes somewhere local. I really don't want to order and wait for Fox Farms, even though I hear it's the best there is. I'll do some browsing tomorrow and see what I can find. But she has come a long way in 28 days for using MG lol. I was told it was shit but I just didn't have much left to spend after building the damn thing.

Fractus said:

Haha alright. That was very informational. I didn't realize there was an optimum number of days. She just looks so nice I figured in 2 weeks she would be huge enough to harvest. But I still have plenty of space left in the upper compartment since I cut the top off and also raised the lights a while back. I don't see why not. Yeah all this reading about flushing lately has taught me that occasional flushes are good anyway. I guess I should probably feed her tomorrow instead of giving her molasses then Maybe I can find some good flowering nutes somewhere local. I really don't want to order and wait for Fox Farms, even though I hear it's the best there is. I'll do some browsing tomorrow and see what I can find. But she has come a long way in 28 days for using MG lol. I was told it was shit but I just didn't have much left to spend after building the damn thing.

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MG isn't all that bad. Its just very easy to burn plants, especially when they are young, when using it.

You should be able to find something at a hardware store like Lowes or Home Depot. Get an All Purpose one though, no 11 - 45 - 65 shit either.

A nice 2-10-8 or something. This is all general to give you an idea, not the optimal dosage per se.

Yes, remember up to 25% of a plant's weight can be formed during the final 2 weeks.

Plus, her trichs haven't started to truly develop like they will have at day 65 or 70, compared to day 45 or so. Not saying there isnt a good amount there...

What I mean is, the trichs will still be mostly clear, maybe a few cloudy. Meaning the weed won't get you as high as if you wait for the trichs to turn half cloudy/amber or so (or maybe it will get you blzed, since you did get high off an infantile male plant!

Make sense?

I gotcha. I like numbers, by the way. When you give me numbers it will sink right in haha. I also need a way to look closely at those trichs so I will know when it's time to start my final 2 week flush period.

For the record I can hardly call it high when I smoked the male, because I wasn't couch ridden and dazed like a statue. It was just a mild buzz, I felt lightheaded and energetic almost. It was weird. A very strange high, similar to some hash that I smoked before but obviously not as potent. Hash a whole different effect than weed I find.. lol. I also smoked the dried out top section of this female after it spent too much time near the lights :S It was already dried for me though right? Anyway it had a similar effect as the male, but again it was just early stages of a couple budsites. And they tasted funny too. I blame MG.

Yeah well that and the chlorophyll !

That's why ya gotta cur it before ya smoke it!

As far as telling when its done, trich scopes are helpful.

But you also want to look for other signs.

The hairs (pistils) will recede into the calyxes and these same calyxes will swell up and "look done."

My rule is, if it "looks about done," and the trichs match, THEN I start my flush.

And by ABOUT, I mean when the calyxes really start to swell and such as mentioned.

Let it do its thing and just watch, observe what's going on. You will learn a whole lot from your plant.

Well I am off to bed. We can pick this up tomorrow if you'd like.

Sure thing.
I knew about the pistils receding and the calyxes swelling actually. I read that somewhere else. But I can also control it by making the plant think it's dying. Of course if I let it run its own course I'm bound to end up with more in the end so I think that's what I'll do. Thanks, this is a stage of the plant I have never experienced before. I'm almost too excited for my own good lol. I'll be hooked on this for years to come.

Fractus said:

Sure thing.
I knew about the pistils receding and the calyxes swelling actually. I read that somewhere else. But I can also control it by making the plant think it's dying.

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This can be variable.

Certain strains responded differently than others.

Indicas will conform usually, but a sativa may not.

Theoretically though, I would agree.

wow this has been a very entertaining read. I read bout 90% of it..only skipping some bickering..

lol @ the flushing debate though, got kinda blown outta proportion. I think you did fine the way you did it.
great job, hope you get a huge harvest.

keep us updated more pics!

Lights come back on in two hours, I'll take some new pics then. In the meantime I'm going to try and find a decent camera!

yeah, he didn't answer your question... i read it's about 1-2 tbsp per gallon... i use less... like .8 tbsp per gallon.... but my plant has bout a gallon of soil....

anyways, i cut one of my plants... it hermied and i just cut it out.... i'm gonna use it for brownies.... it's one that got real burned, well the day after it grew balls, i was gonna see if i could make feminized seeds out of it, but since the two plants are always together, didn't want to risk it.... i hope the brownies are good though (i smoked where the plant got burned, sort of like what you did and got high as a kite, off about 4 hits)..... anyways, pay attention to the whole flushing thing, they may be on to something... i flushed mine out today, but i just let it run under the tap until it filled out, then it drained, about 7-8 times.... they didn't even look shocked... put up sum pics!! i wanna sEEEE!!!

Post #561 he did answer, the same answer actually. 1-2 tbsp./gal. Also I'm going to let her keep growing for a while before starting to flush again lol. And when I do it I'm still undecided if I want to redo it my way or do it the standard way. Mainly because I can't get enough water in there around the buds, the only way to avoid soaking the buds is to water from the bottom lol. I'll argue this until the end of time too, that I cleaned approxiamtely 87.5% of the salts out of my dirt with that "flush". If I can find a way to do it from the top I suppose I will simply because everyone says so, and not because I'm convinced it is better But anyway we're past this now. Pics will come soon lol. I said that in the last post..

Hey Fractus great job on your box and grow. I've been following it for about a week now and I have learned quite a bit.

I just have a couple quick questions.
So I'm fairly new to this. I ordered some Fem Lowryder seeds from Attitude. I'm building a grow box that's about 3ft high 2ft wide and 1.5ft in length. I'm trying to be cheap and stealthy so my question to any of you is, what would be the best kind of lights to use. I prefer non expensive lights. I'm only going to be growing about 2 plants. Also where is the best place to buy nutrients and how much do they usually cost? Are there good package deals for cheap? Any comments would be helpful. Sorry if I sound like a complete idiot I just don't want to spend a lot of money if I don't have to, yet still maintain healthy plants.

Fractus said:

Post #561 he did answer, the same answer actually. 1-2 tbsp./gal. Also I'm going to let her keep growing for a while before starting to flush again lol. And when I do it I'm still undecided if I want to redo it my way or do it the standard way. Mainly because I can't get enough water in there around the buds, the only way to avoid soaking the buds is to water from the bottom lol. I'll argue this until the end of time too, that I cleaned approxiamtely 87.5% of the salts out of my dirt with that "flush". If I can find a way to do it from the top I suppose I will simply because everyone says so, and not because I'm convinced it is better But anyway we're past this now. Pics will come soon lol. I said that in the last post..

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Set your water container up above your plant and ciphon the feed to the plant with a small section of hose.

If you really CAN'T water/flush from the top without ruining buds (ie getting them wet) then do it your way.

Yeah I have a big water jug with a powerade top on it lol so it squirts accurately, but it will take forever to water anything over a gallon lol. Guess I'll just need to be patient

And Goodguy1942, I think the best way to go as far as cost is concerned, is CFL's like what I used. I have 6 bulbs in there. The Kelvin rating is important because they stimulate different aspects of growth in the plant. Higher Kelvins (5500K -> 6500K or more) stimulates vegetative growth, lower ratings like 2700 ->4500 are great for flowering. I actually did a lot of reading about the light spectruma nd useful wavelengths, and knowing a lot about light waves will help you in the long run. CFL's are relatively inexpensive, for a standard 25 watt CFL (100w incandescent equivalent) you're looking at no more than 4$ a bulb.