Stone Knitter's first CFL grow!
- Thread starter stoneknitter682
- Start date
Babs34
Well-Known Member
Are you seriously only using 8 26 watt bulbs and a shop light? Dayum...I'm at 700 watts and almost 3 weeks into flowering and my bud looks nowhere near as fluffy. Then again, I'm sure it's the strain. Pretty impressive...especially with using the Schultz fertilizer...looking good.
stoneknitter682
Active Member
Thank you Babs! Haha! Yup! This is as low budget as it gets! About the lighting I actually want to buy myself two more "CFL array" and I think I also need a way to deflect the light a little. Keeping it at the lowest possible price of course.
Babs34
Well-Known Member
Thanks for confirming. I follow so many CFL grows, I sometimes lose track. To tell the truth, it's kind of pissing me off to see others bud getting "bigger" when I am using expensive soil, expensive nutrients and MORE lights--thus more expense!! Did I mention I have a green thumb from hell? Pfft....I'll just chalk it up to the strain. It used to be outdoor growing for me, but after being burned on my local beauties, I swore never ever again. I'm also thinking that CFL's may require "some" additional time to harvest. I'll eventually get it right. I want to see this to the end........keep posting pictures!~~~
BTW, I've found the cheapest CFL's sold around are at Target. They sell 42's for less than 7 bucks a piece. You can also get 68's at Home Depot for less than 15 bucks. I figure 2 42's are cheaper and more efficient for my tiny grow. Also, have you thought of using molassas at this point in your grow? I had tried other carbs in the past and am only just now experimenting with this one, but it really did jumpstart my buds. It would really be interesting to see a "before and after" picture after using it a couple of times. Your call, but I say try it.
BTW, I've found the cheapest CFL's sold around are at Target. They sell 42's for less than 7 bucks a piece. You can also get 68's at Home Depot for less than 15 bucks. I figure 2 42's are cheaper and more efficient for my tiny grow. Also, have you thought of using molassas at this point in your grow? I had tried other carbs in the past and am only just now experimenting with this one, but it really did jumpstart my buds. It would really be interesting to see a "before and after" picture after using it a couple of times. Your call, but I say try it.
GreenGrrrl
Active Member
Nice-looking grow! +rep
I'm subscribed and look forward to seeing your harvest.
BTW I am also a knitter/fiber enthusiast! Nice to see other fiber geeks on here! Are you on Ravelry at all??
I'm subscribed and look forward to seeing your harvest.
BTW I am also a knitter/fiber enthusiast! Nice to see other fiber geeks on here! Are you on Ravelry at all??
stoneknitter682
Active Member
Babs, you're actually the second person who's asked me about "carbs"! Hahaha! I really don't know much about it. I've started to read about it. Some say that you should do it 4 weeks into flowering (?). That leaves me with a week to learn more about it. If you ever try it and I don't, let me know how it works out for you! Haha! I'm sorry to hear that you have a green thumb from hell! But it's a learning process man! Believe me, I've killed a lot of vegetable plants in the past and learned from every single one of them. Home Depot for some odd reason is the only place where I can pretty much find anything I need! It's awesome! I don't think we have Target over here.
Thank you Greengrrrl!! No, I'm not on Ravelry atm but now that I know about it I just might start something on there. Thank you for the rep!!
Thank you Greengrrrl!! No, I'm not on Ravelry atm but now that I know about it I just might start something on there. Thank you for the rep!!
Babs34
Well-Known Member
LOL...no, I meant I DO have a green thumb! Honestly, I read A LOT about growing, but as a rule, I don't take advice. I just go with my instincts. My first grow, I used a tea infusion (maple and vanilla flavor)--enhanced the flavor quite nicely. Little did I know that it was being done already. What I "read" was to use blackstrap molassas. You can find in some grocery stores and health stores. WTH......I'm going all out. I'm playing with maple syrup, blackstrap molassas AND apple juice---all organic of course. I may not have super fat buds yet, but they are looking and SMELLING good.
stoneknitter682
Active Member
Lol!! My bad! I'm french!! Haha! Man, that is so kewl that you're experimenting this way!! Do you have a grow journal that I can look up? I wanna know more!! haha!
stoneknitter682
Active Member
Hahaha! Sweet!!
Babs34
Well-Known Member
Stone, honestly, I don't have a journal. I've thought about making one, alas, it's just too much drama for me to do so currently. Let's not mention that I'm new to the CFL thing too. LOL, my setup is so ghetto rigged. Me being the female with no male around to do all the electrician work..well, let's just say I'd be the laughing stock of RIU. One day I'll get around to it.
You know, I'm just using some old bagseed. I moved recently and forgot to label my seeds. At the stage my plants are now, I can tell which it is....decent stuff. I can't wait to get my hands on something primo though! I hate that I don't have any fellow stoner friends to hook me up. My best hope of getting anything locally is to approach a local obvious stoner---who usually ends up being just a baby......sorry, I don't like dealing with 20 year-olds. And, they charge you outrageous prices "because it has no seeds." One way or the other, I will somehow get my "dream strain".....and I'll be a cloning fool from then on.
You know, I'm just using some old bagseed. I moved recently and forgot to label my seeds. At the stage my plants are now, I can tell which it is....decent stuff. I can't wait to get my hands on something primo though! I hate that I don't have any fellow stoner friends to hook me up. My best hope of getting anything locally is to approach a local obvious stoner---who usually ends up being just a baby......sorry, I don't like dealing with 20 year-olds. And, they charge you outrageous prices "because it has no seeds." One way or the other, I will somehow get my "dream strain".....and I'll be a cloning fool from then on.
Babs34
Well-Known Member
Oh, and don't get maple syrup happy, hahaha. When I say I "go by instinct"...I mean I just have the touch. I'm using very tiny amounts of each and for the most part am only foliar feeding the buds at this point. I do add 'just a tad' of molassas with each feeding. I'm using at least 4 or 5 different nutrients. Growing is fun.....it only becomes a science when you do it NUMEROUS times. I swear it's all about trial and error. I've yet to kill a plant yet....just not in my nature.
stoneknitter682
Active Member
Pics of the day!
Plant B
Her hair started to turn and the trichomes (Sp?) are really starting to show. And I'm totally addicted to my camera!!
Plant B and timid Plant A
Plant C, which we are looking forward to smoke sometime soon hopefully!
I got some white board to create my own deflectors and am going to try to improve on what we already have instead of going to buy those arrays like I first wanted to. I'm still going to replace my remaining white CFL with the warm ones ( I still have 4 left and they need to go soon) which will bring the total amount of warm CFL to 10.
Plant B
Her hair started to turn and the trichomes (Sp?) are really starting to show. And I'm totally addicted to my camera!!
Plant B and timid Plant A
Plant C, which we are looking forward to smoke sometime soon hopefully!
I got some white board to create my own deflectors and am going to try to improve on what we already have instead of going to buy those arrays like I first wanted to. I'm still going to replace my remaining white CFL with the warm ones ( I still have 4 left and they need to go soon) which will bring the total amount of warm CFL to 10.
stoneknitter682
Active Member
Haha! Two years ago when I was working for this garden I tried making compost tea using aquarium pumps, compost and molasses! And obviously, being fairly generous in nature, I was using too much of the molasses and I soon realised what was the danger of that as it really seemed to make the soil impenetrable. I would imagine that it's not good for soil aeration not to mention that it made watering rather difficult! But thank you for the heads up: I will for sure mind the quantity I use.
But really though, what does molasses do for your plants? In the compost tea it was the nutrient for the bacterias.
stoneknitter682
Active Member
Ok, so today I bought two sheets of bristol board that I used to make some reflectors (I'm going to be monitoring the heat this w/e. If they pass the test, I'll keep them). So that is two deflectors... for a dollar! haha! Hopefully they'll pass the heat test.
My buddy Froufrou is helping me with the measurements. Haha!
I'm not really good at explaining things, so I'll let these pictures do the explaining. If anyone has questions, go ahead and ask. If you're going to do the same thing, please note that YOU ARE DOING IT AT YOUR OWN RISK! I don't even know myself yet if this is permanent. I don't know how hot that bristol board's going to get yet.
My buddy Froufrou is helping me with the measurements. Haha!
I'm not really good at explaining things, so I'll let these pictures do the explaining. If anyone has questions, go ahead and ask. If you're going to do the same thing, please note that YOU ARE DOING IT AT YOUR OWN RISK! I don't even know myself yet if this is permanent. I don't know how hot that bristol board's going to get yet.
stoneknitter682
Active Member
While I was making the reflectors I had to turn the lights out in the closet. So I took it as an additional photo opportunity as the flash on the camera reaally brings out the trichomes!
stoneknitter682
Active Member
Thank you Crackbaby! I'm really anxious about harvest too!! And for sure I'll keep you guys posted on how much I harvested on each plant.
Thank you Joe! What were the troubles that you got with your grow, if you don't mind my asking? Was it because of the CFL?
Babs34
Well-Known Member
The short answer is that molassas also works as a carbohydrate for flowering. It tends to "fatten" the bud and enhance (sweeten) the taste. I believe it has Vitamin A, calcium and iron...as well as some B vitamins. (good source of potassium and magnesium too) I've seen "recommended dosages" of 1 tbsp per gallon at feeding time. I don't really measure, so I can't tell you how much I use. LOL, I tend to like overdo things myself, but I always catch it in time before any damage is done. For foliar feeding, I mix very smalll amounts of apple juice, moloassas and just a TINY amount of maple syrup.
Just peeked at your new pictures!!! Kudos to you......looking GREAT. I'm still amazed that you have that only under 8 26's.
How clever to use that bristol board!!! Why didn't I think of that?Very impressive, especially for your first grow. I can't wait to see what you harvest.