My 1st Grow, with pics and a couple ?'s

Swale84

Swale84

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone! So, a couple weeks ago I decided I wanted to try my hand at growing for personal use. I have decided to use the CFL route. I am going to turn an old chest of drawers into my grow box, inspired by some other growers on this website. This forum is an awesome resource and I am trying to learn as much as I can.

So my last bag of chron i bought had some seeds in it. I germinated 3 successfully, planted them in some miracle grow soil my girl uses for flowers (I have no idea what kind but it gave us some awesome tomatoes this summer!) and set the cups on the window sill not expecting much. Two days later low and behold I have 2 plants! So I was like "Shit, I gotta do some planning!" Anyway its been 7 days now since i put them in soil. One plant looks great, the other not so much. I am going to build my grow box tomorrow and get them under some serious light. They have only been under 1 23 watt CFL. I am going to include some pics to see what everyone thinks. Any suggestions on the plant that doesn't look so healthy?

I included a pic of my soon to be growbox. The dimensions are 33" H by 23" W by 14.5" deep.

Any suggestions would be great....thanks a lot!!




unhealthy plant (leaves drooping)


Soon to be grow box!


Thanks for looking!
 
deesbarrett

deesbarrett

Well-Known Member
Swale84 said:
Hello everyone! So, a couple weeks ago I decided I wanted to try my hand at growing for personal use. I have decided to use the CFL route. I am going to turn an old chest of drawers into my grow box, inspired by some other growers on this website. This forum is an awesome resource and I am trying to learn as much as I can.

So my last bag of chron i bought had some seeds in it. I germinated 3 successfully, planted them in some miracle grow soil my girl uses for flowers (I have no idea what kind but it gave us some awesome tomatoes this summer!) and set the cups on the window sill not expecting much. Two days later low and behold I have 2 plants! So I was like "Shit, I gotta do some planning!" Anyway its been 7 days now since i put them in soil. One plant looks great, the other not so much. I am going to build my grow box tomorrow and get them under some serious light. They have only been under 1 23 watt CFL. I am going to include some pics to see what everyone thinks. Any suggestions on the plant that doesn't look so healthy?

I included a pic of my soon to be growbox. The dimensions are 33" H by 23" W by 14.5" deep.

Any suggestions would be great....thanks a lot!!




unhealthy plant (leaves drooping)


Soon to be grow box!


Thanks for looking!
Click to expand...
The cabinet looks great...but add a few more lights to the little seedlings...they will perk up then.
 
Kingb420

Kingb420

Well-Known Member
and move the cfl like 2 inches away from it for best light. you will constantly be moving your lights, but you will grow. CFL's FTW
 
Swale84

Swale84

Well-Known Member
Update Time!!

OK everyone, time for an update. I've been working on my grow box for my 2 girls and here is how it is coming along. PLEASE, I need suggestions/criticism. I am a complete newbie to growing, and also am a dumbass when it comes to building stuff. I have never in my life built anything, but i figured a grow box would be a good way to start!! Here are some pics of my process. Big ups to member Icurbyou for inspiration and basically the plan for my grow box.

Grow box with the drawers ripped out....


Exhaust hole....


Painted it white!!


Here is my door!!


With the door closed. I didn't measure very well, but i did add a door handle which i thought was kinda cool!


Added some 4" exhaust venting....


Then installed an exhaust fan....


Time for some lights...


And God said "Let there be light!" You can see is kinda messed up on the hole i made for the electrical cords...again, I have no clue what I am doing!


Close up of light set up (for now) 3-26 watt CFL's


Closer shot of plants



I think that's about it. Any suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated. Like I said, I am a complete newbie as far as grow boxes and growing in general. I need to find a fan. My temp right now is 84 F. I have been all over town looking for a fan, but this time of year places just don't carry them. Again, I have to give big props to Icurbyou. His grow journal/grow box plans have really been relied on heavily. Check out his journal here...

https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/114829-icurbyous-whitewidow-cfl-dresser-growbox.html#post1392334

Thanks for looking!


 
Swale84

Swale84

Well-Known Member
OK everyone, time for an update!! Here is what I accomplished in that last 2 days. I need suggestions/criticism, since I am a complete newbie on growing and pretty much building ANYTHING, haha!!!

Grow box with the shelves ripped out...


Exhaust hole...


Painted her white and added a door....


Door closed with a door handle, haha!!


Exhaust system...how does it look?


More to come!

 
Swale84

Swale84

Well-Known Member
Added some lights, but i really messed up the hole for the electrical cords. I pretty much have no idea what I am doing, but this is a lot of fun...


Lights turned on...


Lights turned on....


Close up....



That is pretty much as far as I have gone. At least my ladies have a home right!! It's now 8 days since planting. I am having trouble finidng a fan, probably due to the time of the year. But the temp is between 82-84. I haven't been keeping the door all the way closed. The plants have been on 24/7, but I might changed to 18/6. I am still learning as I go, so any help/suggestions/criticism would be awesome. Thanks for looking guys.
 
nici

nici

Well-Known Member
So I just have couple tips...by the way love your grow box you did a GREAT JOB! Other than more lights.....miracle grow is a very strong mixture and most cannabis growers dont use it. Its got shitload of nutes and every time you water it releases them and can burn your babies badly. Anyways. You will have to transplant at some point so google soil for cannabis there are looots of choices...figure out which suites you. The easiest would be 50% soil (no nute or VERY LOW nute and no bark in it) and 50% perlite. The perlite is important...it will make your soil drain well, you wont overwater, plants roots will get oxygen they need and grow to beautiful ladies (keeping my fingers crossed for you to have both girls). Dont worry about feeding until they are about 3 weeks old...read up on it in FAQ. I recommend organic fert. for first growth cause its hard to burn your plants... Also get a PH meter if you didnt do so yet, its one of the IMPORTANT things...check PH of your water every time before you water...it has to be between 6 - 7...anything below plants will suffer and probably turn male, anything over plants will suffer and wont be able to take in nutes they need...Hope this helps! Keep us updated and best of luck!!!
 
Swale84

Swale84

Well-Known Member
Yeah, the only reason they are in Miracle Grow is because I didn't do any planning. One day i put some germ'd seeds in the soil I had, not expecting much. I am going to transplant in Fox Farms Ocean Forest soil, since a place right by my apt sells it and I have read good things about it on here. Hopefully, I can transplant soon!
 
nici

nici

Well-Known Member
When you do be carefull not to disturb root structure...that could fuck them up...good choice of soil...I would mix with perlite at least 30 - 40% of it. It will REALLY help you!
 
SmokeyMcpot88

SmokeyMcpot88

Active Member
nice set up man.
my plant is a few days ahead of yours I think, she's got her next two serated leaves coming through.
Make sure you give them some TLC aswell dude.
 
Rooter

Rooter

Well-Known Member
Nice grow man, im on a similar path, and almost identical with box idea. I made mine out of a dresser by ripping out the drawers, and putting the back pannel on a hinge like a door. Hope yours turns out as well as mines going
 

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sterma123

Active Member
ok this is my advice to you. have fun. it DOESNT matter whether they die this first time around. just use it as a learning experience. another piece of advice is to leave one of your plants alone. dont change soil or anything just use what you have. dont put nutes in it dont over stree / over water it. just let nature run its course on the plant. with the other plant u can experiment and test out others advice. im on day like 20 or 21 i forget but both my plants are in miracle grow and i water once in a while, my day 20 plant is pretty large and my day 13 plant is doing O K. but just remember dude, have fun, and if you cant find a fan another thing you can do is just put some ice packs in the cabinet and let it chill the temp down. as for watering again, just put some tap water in a bucket, let it sit for a few hours then water (do it on the plant your leaving alone with no nutes) sometimes the simplest ways are the best. if you try to overdue everything and do everyones advice you are sure to screw your plants up. just have fun and see where your girls take you. its not too hard to listen to their needs :weed:
 
Swale84

Swale84

Well-Known Member
Rooter said:
Nice grow man, im on a similar path, and almost identical with box idea. I made mine out of a dresser by ripping out the drawers, and putting the back pannel on a hinge like a door. Hope yours turns out as well as mines going
Click to expand...

Holy Crap, Rooter, you have an awesome setup. Looks much cleaner than mine! I wish I would have thought about taking off my back panel, so the front would still look like a dresser. But like I said, I am not good with building stuff, so if I ever have to hide it I'll just throw it in the closet! Off to find a fan, I'll update later!
 
leggoeggo

leggoeggo

Well-Known Member
Very nice box for a newb Swale84, like others had mentioned, more lights. I'm in my first grow, and I started with a light set up just like yours (3-4 23watt CFLs).. but yeah, be expected to take some wrong turns and learn some valuable lessons, I can't go into how many I have had this first go-around, check it out below and you'll see what I mean.
 
icurbyou

icurbyou

Well-Known Member
those 3 CFLs are plenty for now. Trust me.

Check out my DIY reflector. Will help direct the light tremendously. Plus, I would get those CFLs 1" from the plants.. literally... 1"... I had mine about 1/4-1/2 an inch from the plants.. But I had a fan.. Which you dont have yet. Try to get one!!! lol

The miracle grow is weird... I did 2 plants for a ghetto grow before, in miracle grow and they never ever got burned... hwoever... this time around, #3 got burned abouit 3 times from it.. even AFTER I put it in fox farm, I mustve missed some of the feed balls... But charlotte never got burned...

#3 ended up being the female too... go figure.
 
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