First grow setup + questions

Hi guys, this is my first post so I hope I haven't made any faux pas'... if I have apologies in advance!

So this is my first grow attempt. I've sourced 3 feminized Colombian Gold seeds, as I plan to end up with at least (hopefully) 2 plants at all times. I've germ'd them in tissue, which got off to a slow start but a night in the airing cupboard really got them eager.

I've had problems getting any decent kind of potting soil (I'm not sure how many here are from the UK, but I've found Homebase and B&Q to be REALLY poor at stocking anything other than multipurpose compost.) So what I've done (with hesitation...) is I've bought a tomato grow-bag, and gone 50/50 with perlite. Hopefully this isn't terrible?

So I potted them a centimeter or so down, and I've got them in a drawer where I've got 22deg and 45% humidity, and put some cling film over the top to hopefully incubate them and encourage growth. Is this sounding ok so far? I've checked PH levels (water and soil) and both are neutral (6.8 ish).

I've got a 400W HPS in an area roughly 70cmx80cmx160cm.

So a couple of questions.

1) Have I done anything 'bad' so far? If so can I change this without damaging the seedlings?

2) Is the space I've designated big enough for 3 plants? (If not I have a walk in wardrobe I can use which is more like 60cmx150cmx160cm - last resort though as I want ventilation to be decent).

3) How much yeild (post drying) can I expect at the least / best?

4) Has anyone found a really decent DIY superstore in the UK? ie. not Homebase or B&Q

5) I realise that fluorescents are better for veg but will HPS do the job ok? I want to keep this on a sensible budget...

6) How long does it take for planted seets with tap root roughly 1cm to surface from soil?


I'll do some pics soon and hopefully people can offer advice as I go. Any questions answered or nuggets of wonder-knowledge appreciated.

You don't use a humidity dome for seedlings. Take it off before you get mold in there.

I don't know, I'm a guy that knows inches and am too lazy to go convert your cm measurements but it sounds like way too much light in too small of an area.
Might want to just start with a couple cfl's first.

OregonMeds said:

You don't use a humidity dome for seedlings. Take it off before you get mold in there.

I don't know, I'm a guy that knows inches and am too lazy to go convert your cm measurements but it sounds like way too much light in too small of an area.
Might want to just start with a couple cfl's first.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads-up, I've taken it off the pots.

As for the light, I really dont want to be spending more on lighting, so what I may do instead then is use the bigger area (walk-in-wardrobe).

Cheers for the reply

Using flourescent tubes for veg will actually cost you less. I can buy a 4' flourescent fixture with 2 tubes for less than $20.00 US. You will make that back in the first month running flouros instead of that HPS and the spectrum will be better for the veg phase. It doesn't make sense to have designer seeds growing in the wrong spectrum. Good luck with your grow. Your seeds should pop out within a couple days.

Ok I guess maths don't lie, fluorescent it is (providing I can find the right size/price). What wattage am I looking for to sustain decent growth of 3 plants?

75w-110 sound ok?

Try The Envirolights (plug and grow) they are about 75cm long , Its english, i am currently growing with these: http://www.lightsystems.co.uk/

really good setup right there, not HPS, but it sure gets you great bud, its enviro-friendly so you burn like £8 a month on electricity, instead of the HPS's £50 a month.

i am 100% satisfied customer, delivery anywhere in the uk within 3 days. im doing a closet grow so heat is a big issue, these are completely cool, i can bascially hold the bulb whilst its been on for a whole day. its great. they can also be place right on top of the plants, without burning them. my plants are about 75cm tall now, in second week of flowering, i had to buy a carbon filter to get rid of the smell.... its so sweet you dont notice it ... but the neighbors SURE DOO!!!! and my next door neighbor is a drug-cop so i gotta be careful!!! lol

good luck with grow mate

that smaller box you got is alright
I've got a 30" x 30" x 4' box and yours is sitting around 27" x 31" x 4.5'

I've got a 400 Watt hps I use for veg and flower.......

here's some pix of my stuff... *more space the better.... just remember your plants will BUSH!*

I started with 4 in here and ended up taking one out due to lack of space..... mind you I'm experimenting in here too

I've added a few pix for you to look at...... what kinda exhaust you got kickin??? You got a fan on those little seedlings?? best to get a small one on them asap to start to strengthen them stock....

Awesome asrultraz, thanks so much - I'll definately look into this. I take it 75w-110w was with regard to fluorescents as these lights you're showing me are 200w. The lights being 75cm are probably slightly too big for the area i was originally intending but it's probably better to go in the closet anyway for more space, plus it's a bit more stealthy than having a black plastic sheeting draped over a little cubby hole in the corner of my room Great stuff.

Tanis - cheers, interesting that you seem to have a similar setup to mine. I don't have a fan on them just yet, I figured it wouldn't do much good til they surface from soil? They literally got planted last night.

Missed the latest pic sorry lol for the double post

i messed up, remeasured and the plug and grow is about 48 cm long, with reflector and everything, the Eviron light are 200w but its great, as you know, the more Watts the better, and these bulbs burn almost no energy. there are two bulbs, the veging bulb and the flowering bulb. the vegging roduces 6700k lum and the flowering 2700k. This is the best thing on the market if you are going to grow something in stealth, dont have a lot of money to pay towards electricity, and have restricted space.

If you really want to see the results of this, im gunna give you the link of a thread where i have pictures of my 3 white widow plants using plug and grow envirolighting. results are tremendous!

https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/148151-white-widow-grow-end-first.html

there you go, i would recomend this to anyone who cant have a hps for different reasons as mentioned above 100% satisfaction guarenteed!

it is an incredible alternative to hps!

Right azrultraz, thanks very much - I've just ordered the blue kit (veg lamp), and I'll probably end up getting the red kit as well for flowering unless I find a solution for the HPS heat issue. Anyway the plug and grow light systems definately look like a great deal to me, and your results look quite purty.

With heat slowly becoming less and less of a problem, all I need to work out now is some decent airflow solution (for fresh CO2) that doesn't involve cutting holes out of my cupboard door/wall :/

spraying carbonated water (I.E. Fizzy water on leaves is sufficient )

btw you will need to buy a carbon filter for odor control. that is great ventilation too

Just to let you know, I have begun a new grow journal for this first attempt. I've already encountered a problem, and hopefully I've already fixed it... but if anyone can offer any thoughts on it... please visit my grow thread