laxmankk11's first grow (indoor PC box)

Hello all:

New to the forum here and just set up my first grow about a week ago. I am currently growing in an old PC case that I gutted. I followed online write ups that you can find just about anywhere. I ordered seeds online and got them about 12 days later. I got all of my parts on amazon and newegg, if you want to know specifics about my box just ask and ill do my best to help.

This is my very first time growing ever. It is supposed to be stealth, but my room mates know about it so Im not going over the top with light leaks and I have done nothing for odor control yet. I am using 3 CFL bulbs now, running 18 hours on, 6 off.

My environment is not the most ideal for growing, so any tips I receive are greatly appreciated! I live in a very cold state about 50 miles from the Canadian border. It is the middle of winter here and my house is not the warmest. Ambient temps in my house range from 55-65 mostly right around 62 in the basement where its set up. My intake temp is usually right around 60, exhaust fans at the top are anywhere from 85 and up depending on their settings, its usually a constant 88. That is where my first concern is, is it too cold? Do I need to get intake temps warmer? Temps in the whole box average about 70 after its been on for a little. Also coming with my enviornment is very low humidity. With no humidifier, it can drop to 15% in the box. I have borrowed my roommates this weekend and itll get up around 25% sometimes higher. Is this an OK amount? If not, what is a good relative humidity?

This box has been running for a week now. The seeds I ordered are feminized and I placed two in the box. So far only one has popped and is growing. I didnt germinate them in paper towels or anything - I just threw them in the soil and covered them and watered it. Today is the first day I noticed it broke the top of the soil, didnt check it much over the weekend. Is it looking OK so far?

Anything I forgot to mention or you want to know just ask!

Thanks for all the info on the site, Ive been reading on here for about 3 weeks already.

It looks like your seedling is all the way on the edge of your planter. If so, you may want to move it to the middle before the roots go too deep. Don't pull it up, take a nice plug of dirt from around it with it if you move it. Try and get those CFLs closer if you can, within about 4" should be good.

As you suggested I moved the seedling closer to the lights and moved it to the center. Not much growth in the past day but it has fully opened up now. Anyone else have any input feel free as I know nothing of growing.

Pics from today.

It doesnt look any different... its actually leaning over now more than yesterday, I hope I didnt kill it when I moved it to the center of the pot.. Can anybody tell or is it still to early? Its been above ground for 3 or 4 days now.

looks fine....make sure the white is buried under the soil fully also squeeze the soil around it with ur fingers to compress it and make sure its held in firmly

Been a couple of days now, the second seed I had put in there finally came up. My first seed is getting yellow on the ends of the leafs though.. not sure what that means?? Still struggling with low humidity and temps. Temps with lights on is usually ok, around 75-78 at the soil, at night it gets around 55. My roommates are cheap with heating bills and since I'm in the basement its the coldest. I also am very limited in what I can do as far as space heaters in my room, we have blown multiple fuses when I do at the wrong times. The POS old ass house were renting wired two bedrooms and the living room all on one circuit, so with 3 plasma's, xboxs, laptops, home server, etc it gets pretty loaded. I can only turn on space heaters when all the other tvs are off. My humidity stays around 20% even with my current humidify going, Im going to replace it when I get paid next week.

I've also been reading a lot about people putting a mix of lights in these boxes, mixing 2700k with 6500k. Im currently doing 3 26 watt 6500k bulbs, I cant fit anymore in now its a small case but Ill probably make a new one soon. Should I switch one of the bulbs with a 2700k light?

New pics from today

Just opened my case and noticed this green stuff on the soil and Im not sure what it is, can anyone help? using Fox Farms natural and organic potting soil.

Do you have any drain holes cut in the container you're growing in to drain the excess water? You also need to lightproof it as well. Looks like algae. Wrap it with duct tape or something.

Since heat is a problem keep your lights on 24 hours, It will not hurt it, and it will promote more compact growth, your growing container needs to be light proof, duct tape works fine. The "green stuff" is in fact algae, just get it off of there, make holes in your container and only water when the soil dries out a bit, not bone dry but pretty dry on top and a LITTLE damp when you stick your finger in it. Looks like you did a pretty good job on your box.

doctor.j said:

Since heat is a problem keep your lights on 24 hours, It will not hurt it, and it will promote more compact growth, your growing container needs to be light proof, duct tape works fine. The "green stuff" is in fact algae, just get it off of there, make holes in your container and only water when the soil dries out a bit, not bone dry but pretty dry on top and a LITTLE damp when you stick your finger in it. Looks like you did a pretty good job on your box.

Click to expand...

So the algae started growing because of light getting in at night? My soil gets dry very vast with my low humidity I water almost every other day. Should I switch one of the lights to a 2700k if Im going to leave it on 24/7?

only if you want to flower them, they respond better to the 6500k during veg, if low humidity is an issue maybe get a squirt bottle on mist setting and mist your babies from time to time, theoretically the heat should make most of that water evaporate thus making it more humid. Just don't get your bulbs with the water!

Just to be sure, I am supposed to cover my container with duct tape to prevent the algae from growing? Ive never seen anyone else that does that. I know some light does get in at night, but if I can just keep the lights on 24/7 then thats no problem. I would still have to do 12/12 for flowering right?

The reason you are supposed to have a light proof container is because light kills roots, you would have to do 12/12 for flowering but I think your algae problem isn't light, but moisture.

Looks like half of my thread got deleted... Here are some pics from today. Growth has been slow lately, I really need to get on some nutes, does anybody have any to recommend?

Its definitely getting more and more yellow, can anyone help me out with nutrients ?

Fox farms has a good nutrient line . Im using this, just smaller bottles but you get the 3 bottles for 20 bucks... http://www.ebay.com/itm/FOX-FARMS-TRIO-Big-Bloom-Grow-Big-Tiger-Bloom-4oz-Each-/140693782226?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c200bed2