Literally wardrobe growing

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AmnesiaRLD

Active Member
Hey guys,

One of my seeds sprouted about the indicated 1/4 of an inch so I decided to plant it in soil. The other seed I'm still waiting to sprout out of it's shell so I haven't planted it yet.

This really is budget growing. I don't have the space to stick a dedicated growing cabinet or the climate to grow outside.

Sorry for the bad picture, but it's a 20w CFL (1500 lumens) which it says is like a 150w equivalent (yeah right). I'm going to get another bulb in there soon too.

I've set the timer to come on at 4.30am and then to go off just after 10pm.

I'll keep this thread updated but I'd like some comments if there's anything I can change which will help them grow. I realise they are clear plastic cups but once I see roots through the plastic I will transport them to bigger, opaque pots.

Sorry for the bad photo.
 
keico

keico

Well-Known Member
AmnesiaRLD said:
Hey guys,

One of my seeds sprouted about the indicated 1/4 of an inch so I decided to plant it in soil. The other seed I'm still waiting to sprout out of it's shell so I haven't planted it yet.

This really is budget growing. I don't have the space to stick a dedicated growing cabinet or the climate to grow outside.

Sorry for the bad picture, but it's a 20w CFL (1500 lumens) which it says is like a 150w equivalent (yeah right). I'm going to get another bulb in there soon too.

I've set the timer to come on at 4.30am and then to go off just after 10pm.

I'll keep this thread updated but I'd like some comments if there's anything I can change which will help them grow. I realise they are clear plastic cups but once I see roots through the plastic I will transport them to bigger, opaque pots.

.
Click to expand...
Well There is so much need to do. First thing i would do is at wrap some tape around the cups (Black) Don't wait to see the roots.

I know being on a budget makes it hard, because of the excitement "of wanting to get growing"

My advice is if you are on a budget save your money and buy all the supplies you need.

It is what I did.

The last thing you need is for these plants to start doing well, then die because you can't afford to buy a necessary item.
 
N

Nocturn3

Well-Known Member
If you want to be able to see the roots grow, but are concerned about light getting to them, put the clear cups inside another cup that is non-transparent.

The next step would be to make the wardrobe more reflective, either by painting it, or lining it with plastic/mylar etc. I would also advise a fan blowing gently on them at all times, to encourage strong stems and prevent pests and mold.

As they get bigger, you will need a way to get air in and out of the drobe, which means you will need some form of extraction. If smell is likely to be a concern, a carbon filter will also be needed, in which case, you should ensure the extractor you choose has the power to pull through the carbon.

For now, the light you have will do, but you will need to keep adding more as the plants grow. More light = more weed. Aim for about 5000 lumens per square foot of growing area if possible.

Finally, if you haven't started lightproofing the drobe yet, you should think about this now. It should be completely light-tight by the time you initiate flowering (12/12), whilst still allowing air in and out.
 
A

AmnesiaRLD

Active Member
Thanks for the advice.

Well I don't really fancy cutting up my furniture and it is in my rather small bedroom so noise would be a concern. I don't want to base my bedroom around the plant(s), I'd rather have the plants based on my room - if that makes sense?

Does it need to be light tight to get the maximum amount of light possible?

Seriously, how smelly do they get? I was just going to get a bottle of Oust (or some other neutraliser spray) to spray my room and clothes daily. I hope it works haha. I guess I have the greenhouse outside if things start getting very smelly and out of control.

As I mentioned, another light is coming with a lot more lumens which I will be placing in there alongside the other light.

If I keep the light as close to the top of the plants as possible, is that a way of restricting their growth upwards?

I'll grab some tinfoil and use that! :)
 
N

Nocturn3

Well-Known Member
AmnesiaRLD said:
Thanks for the advice.
Well I don't really fancy cutting up my furniture and it is in my rather small bedroom so noise would be a concern. I don't want to base my bedroom around the plant(s), I'd rather have the plants based on my room - if that makes sense?
Click to expand...
Fair enough. The plants do need a supply of fresh air though, to provide them with CO2. When they are sealed inside an area, they will turn the CO2 to O2 quickly, and unless this air is replaced with fresh, CO2 rich air, they will grow poorly. Added to this is the heat that the lighting creates (although it's not too bad with a few CFLs). That heat needs to go somewhere, or it will continue to increase.


AmnesiaRLD said:
Does it need to be light tight to get the maximum amount of light possible?
Click to expand...
No, the light tight factor is because, when flowering, the plants need 12 hours of TOTAL darkness. Any light leaks at this stage has the potential to make the plant hermie (ie: grow balls) and pollinate itself. This will seriously reduce your yields, and the resulting seeds will carry the hermie traits, which makes them relatively useless.


AmnesiaRLD said:
Seriously, how smelly do they get? I was just going to get a bottle of Oust (or some other neutraliser spray) to spray my room and clothes daily. I hope it works haha. I guess I have the greenhouse outside if things start getting very smelly and out of control.
Click to expand...
The smell is very much strain-dependent, but some strains absolutely stink, especially in late flower.


AmnesiaRLD said:
If I keep the light as close to the top of the plants as possible, is that a way of restricting their growth upwards?
Click to expand...
Yes, the closer you can keep the light, the less they will stretch. You can also employ one of a number of training methods to keep them short. Check the GrowFAQ at the top of the page for details on this.


AmnesiaRLD said:
I'll grab some tinfoil and use that! :)
Click to expand...
Tinfoil is not generally recommended. People say it creates "hot spots", although that will not be an issue with CFLs. The main problem with tin foil is that it is less reflective than a flat white surface, in terms of light. Plenty of people get away with it though, so it's up to you, and it will be better than the current brown walls.
 
A

AmnesiaRLD

Active Member
Nocturn3 said:
Fair enough. The plants do need a supply of fresh air though, to provide them with CO2. When they are sealed inside an area, they will turn the CO2 to O2 quickly, and unless this air is replaced with fresh, CO2 rich air, they will grow poorly. Added to this is the heat that the lighting creates (although it's not too bad with a few CFLs). That heat needs to go somewhere, or it will continue to increase.




No, the light tight factor is because, when flowering, the plants need 12 hours of TOTAL darkness. Any light leaks at this stage has the potential to make the plant hermie (ie: grow balls) and pollinate itself. This will seriously reduce your yields, and the resulting seeds will carry the hermie traits, which makes them relatively useless.




The smell is very much strain-dependent, but some strains absolutely stink, especially in late flower.




Yes, the closer you can keep the light, the less they will stretch. You can also employ one of a number of training methods to keep them short. Check the GrowFAQ at the top of the page for details on this.




Tinfoil is not generally recommended. People say it creates "hot spots", although that will not be an issue with CFLs. The main problem with tin foil is that it is less reflective than a flat white surface, in terms of light. Plenty of people get away with it though, so it's up to you, and it will be better than the current brown walls.
Click to expand...
Thanks - tremendous help. I've layered with tinfoil now and hopefully that will be okay.

With regards to the 12/12 stage I will pull the blinds down in my bedroom during the day and so daylight will be something like 10am until 10pm.

I'm not overly interested in high yielding etc. I don't smoke much (hardly ever) so this is really a case of more experimentation and seeing if I can successfully grow a plant or two. Hence why I don't want to make any permanent furniture changes.

I'll post some better photos with my camera once (if ha!) it shoots above the earth.

Cheers again.
 
A

AmnesiaRLD

Active Member
My other seed germinated last night so this morning I planted it - yay.

I also grabbed a couple of plastic cups, cut the bottom out and taped them up with thick electrical tape.

Finally I put some warm water in the bottom of the tray so they have water there to draw on as and when. I think I read somewhere that newly planted (germinated) seeds still need quite a bit of water.

I'll grab some pictures and chuck them up as they break through the soil.

Thanks again.
 
A

AmnesiaRLD

Active Member
Wooo. Finally. It's been over a week since germination began and I planted on Saturday, but my first sign of green has shown up through the soil.

Here are some pictures. I'm still waiting on another light and 'hanger' to come for a 250w CFL so will be able to light them up better.

Any other tips and advice based on what you can see would be great. Thanks for all who have helped me out thus far.



 
A

AmnesiaRLD

Active Member
Well, still no sign of the other plant yet. However, the one pictured is now fully above the surface this morning! Hopefully now I'll see it growing fast.

It is green with a bit of yellow which I assume is cos it's just a baby!
 
A

AmnesiaRLD

Active Member
It's grown some more during the day. However, one of the leaves it has first sprouted is brown at the end. Any idea what that could be? Thanks in advance.
 
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Nocturn3

Well-Known Member
If you are talking about the little round leaves (cotyledons), you don't need to worry. The plant no longer needs them, so it will leech all the remaining nutrients from them before discarding them.
 
A

AmnesiaRLD

Active Member
Nocturn3 said:
If you are talking about the little round leaves (cotyledons), you don't need to worry. The plant no longer needs them, so it will leech all the remaining nutrients from them before discarding them.
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Thanks for the reassurance. Surprisingly, the seed that germinated first (a week ago today it sprouted it's taproot) has not yet come above the surface but the one that sprouted it's taproot a day after is now above the ground. I think it's because the other one is maybe too wet, so I've stuck it in the airing cupboard to get some more heat to hopefully promote some growth.

I'll get some pictures tomorrow morning hopefully.

Repped

(damn, tried to but won't let me).
 
A

AmnesiaRLD

Active Member
Hey guys. Quick update...

She's come on a lot in the last 4-5 days. The first set of leaves are much bigger and the 2nd set are well on their way. I'll get pictures up tonight.

Just a quicky. Do I need to be doing anymore at the moment? I'm watering about every 3-4 days when she is dried out on top but that's it. Do I need to start considering nutes or repotting her into a pot?

Many thanks in advance.
 
A

AmnesiaRLD

Active Member
As per my previous post, here she is. I have noticed that there are 2-3 roots which are right on the edge of the cup (using 2 cup method so can see the roots) and one root has made it's way to the bottom and is poking out of it a little bit!




So basically, is she looking okay? Do I need to give her nutes? Could she do with repotting?

Cheers all!
 
R

rocweiler

Well-Known Member
She's looking good you might want to think about transplanting her soon judging by the size of her. She will hit her growth spurts soon and you don't want to rootbind or limit her to much. I would put her in her final pot now and let her stretch them legs. Also if ya want a cheap reflective surface grab an emergency blanket and line the wardrobe with that. Just tape it at the corners and it'll come down like it was never there. You can make a really nice grow enviroment by doing some searching and getting creative without changing your living space. As you said my house is for me the plants just happen to enjoy hanging out with me. Not trying to get ya to do to much, just making sure you give your experiment a fair chance. So many people come on here and say how stupid this is and how horrible this went when all they needed was a lil less heat or so on. Good luck :bigjoint:
 
teachme101

teachme101

Active Member
I noticed that nobody replied about the nute thing...I am no pro...but I have read ALOT on here and Nutes normally don't come until flowering..I too am on a budget grow, so I know what your going through..also subscribing so I can watch your little ladies grow!
 
A

AmnesiaRLD

Active Member
I'm feeling the love chaps!

I know she is a slow grower (I put it down to heat + humidity... or lack of!) but hopefully the tortoise will win. :mrgreen:

I only have a 80w or so (150w equiv) CFL on it, but I have ordered a a couple of circa 150w CFL in 6400k and a 250w CFL in 2700k so I should have enough light as she grows bigger. Thanks for the advice of the emergency blanket. I'll put that in my to do list! :)
 
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