Recent content by mockasin

I tightened it by the ballast. Maybe I wasn't as careful with it as I should have been before screwing it in, though I can't remember. Sending the seller a refund request and hoping for the best...

Pic is after. (though I didn't inspect too carefully before. one thing I regret now) Nope, it was dry when I put it in. Is it not a problem with the "self-ballasted" part then? That was the only thing I was unsure about, but my bulb base doesn't have any prongs and it's an E39 mogul just like...

Today I was really excited to upgrade my bulb to a 250W CFL... immediately after screwing it in and turning it on however, it quickly flickered and went dark, as a burnt out bulb does. On closer inspection some of the white poweder inside was burned away or something, and the glass was...

Seedling is all straightened out now! I guess I worried way too soon. Thanks for the input.

My first plant just sprouted today, although compared to other sprouts I've seen it looks a little worse for wear... does it seem unhealthy/stressed? Is this just something it'll outgrow? Also I haven't had much light on it until now because I figured there was no point in wasting electricity...

What about people who live in areas with alkaline soil? I'm a complete beginner and have never used any soils with bark fines, but I wonder if they could be beneficial as they decompose, provided you add nitrogen. (I plan on going the small pebbles route soon though, it's completely free and...

Styrofoam is supposed to be safe to grow vegetables in, so I imagine they'd be safe to grow weed in... however since OP's problem is that it accumulates at the top, this wouldn't be a very good solution. Also if you're using lights that get hot I would be even more wary of using styrofoam. I've...

I mean, the full spectrum light isn't an extra expense to me, it's something I had laying around which I don't use often. I'm not trying to find a "secret" I'm simply a bare beginner with not a lot of money to spend. Also, that's awesome to hear RM3. I'll check out your journal :)

Yikes, that's a bit hopeless. I've heard of yields around 20 grams per plant, using 300W CFL. Even halving that amount would mean I made profit.

Also I take it full spectrum is not important in growing? Not sure if that term is just a marketing thing or if it's actually beneficial at all.

Though I'm not looking to be truly effective, I need best value for cheap. To put into perspective, I spend about $90 a month on food to feed two adults. I can't even afford these recommended lower-end lights right now. Maybe in the future, but my prospects at the moment are florescent or CFLs...

I probably should have mentioned I'm using auto seeds. Thanks for the suggestions, I appreciate it. Do you think DHgate would be okay to get lighting from? They're like a cheap reseller/wholesale market and most of their sellers ship from China. For glass rigs at least, they have a lot of really...

Hi there. About a year back I got a full spectrum lamp that mimics natural light, as it's supposed to be helpful for Winter depression. I'm planning on doing a very small grow soon--1 to 3 plants, most likely just one or two--for fun. Would this kind of lamp be good to use, or is it better to go...

Wasn't asking about whether or not to use autos, that was a personal choice that had mostly to do with the space I have available to me and my experience level. Looking into cloning and breeding got me into the idea, which I thought could be interesting. Problem solved though.

Awesome, that's good to know, thanks! And yeah, just cloning won't allow me to keep plants going after the mother comes to harvest, which is the crux of my problem. I like the idea of autoflowers, but I don't want to be dependent on seed banks, and from what I've read it can be quite difficult...