liquidice281
Active Member
Liquidice281's From Ground Up Journal
Yet another 400w Cabinet with a soil medium.......from start to finish......on a budget!
Why I started to grow:
*I'm broke and can't afford weed and it makes me sad.
*I'm broke and can't afford internets or cable.
*I'm bored.
*I watched Weeds.
What this journal is:
*A journal of my ground up grow project; not only will I document my grow process, but I will also cover my cabinet construction as the grow progresses.
*For kicks I'll include money spent.
*A tool for myself to track dates and data during my grow so I can keep track of everything.
*A resource to others for entertainment value or education or just to watch me fail. If you feel inclined to comment, go for it!
Grow goals:
*To grow awesome weed!
*Learn about the science & challenge of growing.
*Hit the elusive 1 gram/watt harvest. (More of a long term goal since I only have three plants)
Here we go!
===================================
June 13th, 2009 (Day #4)
Seeds: Three (3) bagseed from a friend who's been smoking massive amounts of pot for almost ten years now. Friend said these seeds came from the BEST weed she's ever smoked and has been saving them for a long time to grow. I didn't buy designer seeds since I'm broke and this is my first grow but I plan to clone just in case these are the 'Jesus Seed.'
Germination: Seeds were folded into a wet paper towel four days ago and kept in a dark place. Three days later I checked on them and surprisingly all three had germinated. I was doubtful since the seeds were at least two years old. Mother nature rocks!
Seeding Soil: 50% Schultz Professional Cactus & Succulent Mix & 50% Scott's Select Moisture Guard Potting Mix. Both soils were in my parents garage; Scotts seems like a good choice with it's 0.7-.01-.03 neut ratio and the fact that it is pH balanced -- unlike Miracle Grow soil which was another one of my options in the garage. I did not have clean sand or perelite so I took a gamble on the Cactus mix. The ingredients basically indicate that its potting soil with much larger ratios of perelite and sand already mixed in.
Seeding Containers: Three (3) 16oz Red Solo Cups
Seeding Lights: Three (3) 15w T8 fluorescent fixtures with 4200K tubes. Lights are about two (2) inches from the top of the plants currently. Lighting isn't ideal but again, they were in my parent's garage and free.
Cooling/Circulation: Big box fan on lowest setting.
Current Status: Seeding under a 24 hour light cycle.
Money Spent: $0
Notes:
So after my weekend at home I managed to find everything I needed to get my grow started in the garage. Got my babies in the soil and they seemed to pop up overnight except for one. I dug her up to find out that I had buried her too deep so I dug her out and replanted her. I hope she pulls through! I really need to be more careful since I only have three plants and these little mistakes will hurt my yield in the end.
I also scored some Green Charm® Rootone brand F rooting hormone for cloning later on and some Peter's Professional Orchid Plant Food as my grow cycle fertilizer. Its water soluble with a 30-10-10 neut ratio. Will this be a decent grow fertilizer? Instructions indicate I should use 1 teaspoon/gallon of water for growing and ¼ teaspoon/gallon for maintenance. Should I reduce the concentration for my grow? I won't start fertilizing until two weeks from now. Label also shows:
*Total Nitrogen (N) 30%
*Soluble Potash (K2O)10%
So things are going pretty well. I'm on the hunt for a 400w lighting system and so far HTGSupply has the best deal on a 400w Metal Halide (MH) and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) combo kit at $164 -- you can take a look HERE. I'm also stalking Craigslist but unless I can find a 600w MH/HPS combo kit for under $200, I'll be going with HTGSupply.
I'm also on the hunt for a large cabinet or wardrobe; I'm also considering making my own. I don't mind growing without a cabinet but when flowering hits I want them all sealed up. Ideally I'll be ordering lighting two weeks from now and have my cabinet under construction in four weeks so I'll be cutting it close.
If things go as planned, the cabinet will be PIMPIN with airtight seals for future CO2 use, full mylar interior, deadbolts in case anyone gets snoopy, fluorescent clone and seeding area at the top, sealed cooling for the 400w/600w grow lights, and all exhaust funneled through active carbon filters and out through a dryer connection. Should be a fun project!
Lesson of the Day: Growing is not a quick buck. Patience & attention to detail are required. Fertilizer burns skin.
Yet another 400w Cabinet with a soil medium.......from start to finish......on a budget!
Why I started to grow:
*I'm broke and can't afford weed and it makes me sad.
*I'm broke and can't afford internets or cable.
*I'm bored.
*I watched Weeds.
What this journal is:
*A journal of my ground up grow project; not only will I document my grow process, but I will also cover my cabinet construction as the grow progresses.
*For kicks I'll include money spent.
*A tool for myself to track dates and data during my grow so I can keep track of everything.
*A resource to others for entertainment value or education or just to watch me fail. If you feel inclined to comment, go for it!
Grow goals:
*To grow awesome weed!
*Learn about the science & challenge of growing.
*Hit the elusive 1 gram/watt harvest. (More of a long term goal since I only have three plants)
Here we go!
===================================
June 13th, 2009 (Day #4)
Seeds: Three (3) bagseed from a friend who's been smoking massive amounts of pot for almost ten years now. Friend said these seeds came from the BEST weed she's ever smoked and has been saving them for a long time to grow. I didn't buy designer seeds since I'm broke and this is my first grow but I plan to clone just in case these are the 'Jesus Seed.'
Germination: Seeds were folded into a wet paper towel four days ago and kept in a dark place. Three days later I checked on them and surprisingly all three had germinated. I was doubtful since the seeds were at least two years old. Mother nature rocks!
Seeding Soil: 50% Schultz Professional Cactus & Succulent Mix & 50% Scott's Select Moisture Guard Potting Mix. Both soils were in my parents garage; Scotts seems like a good choice with it's 0.7-.01-.03 neut ratio and the fact that it is pH balanced -- unlike Miracle Grow soil which was another one of my options in the garage. I did not have clean sand or perelite so I took a gamble on the Cactus mix. The ingredients basically indicate that its potting soil with much larger ratios of perelite and sand already mixed in.
Seeding Containers: Three (3) 16oz Red Solo Cups
Seeding Lights: Three (3) 15w T8 fluorescent fixtures with 4200K tubes. Lights are about two (2) inches from the top of the plants currently. Lighting isn't ideal but again, they were in my parent's garage and free.
Cooling/Circulation: Big box fan on lowest setting.
Current Status: Seeding under a 24 hour light cycle.
Money Spent: $0
Notes:
So after my weekend at home I managed to find everything I needed to get my grow started in the garage. Got my babies in the soil and they seemed to pop up overnight except for one. I dug her up to find out that I had buried her too deep so I dug her out and replanted her. I hope she pulls through! I really need to be more careful since I only have three plants and these little mistakes will hurt my yield in the end.
I also scored some Green Charm® Rootone brand F rooting hormone for cloning later on and some Peter's Professional Orchid Plant Food as my grow cycle fertilizer. Its water soluble with a 30-10-10 neut ratio. Will this be a decent grow fertilizer? Instructions indicate I should use 1 teaspoon/gallon of water for growing and ¼ teaspoon/gallon for maintenance. Should I reduce the concentration for my grow? I won't start fertilizing until two weeks from now. Label also shows:
*Total Nitrogen (N) 30%
- 2.12% Ammonial Nitrogen
- 3.16% Nitrate Nitrogen
- 24.27% Urea Nitrogen
*Soluble Potash (K2O)10%
So things are going pretty well. I'm on the hunt for a 400w lighting system and so far HTGSupply has the best deal on a 400w Metal Halide (MH) and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) combo kit at $164 -- you can take a look HERE. I'm also stalking Craigslist but unless I can find a 600w MH/HPS combo kit for under $200, I'll be going with HTGSupply.
I'm also on the hunt for a large cabinet or wardrobe; I'm also considering making my own. I don't mind growing without a cabinet but when flowering hits I want them all sealed up. Ideally I'll be ordering lighting two weeks from now and have my cabinet under construction in four weeks so I'll be cutting it close.
If things go as planned, the cabinet will be PIMPIN with airtight seals for future CO2 use, full mylar interior, deadbolts in case anyone gets snoopy, fluorescent clone and seeding area at the top, sealed cooling for the 400w/600w grow lights, and all exhaust funneled through active carbon filters and out through a dryer connection. Should be a fun project!
Lesson of the Day: Growing is not a quick buck. Patience & attention to detail are required. Fertilizer burns skin.
I ended up looking through pics of two week old plants and mine were right on target -- pointless killing.......
