Too much time and money invested...CAN ANYONE HELP ME???? AGGGGGGGGH

Anyway, I would just like to say hello and thank you in advance. If you can help me you will be my proverbial "daddy," and I will gladly send you some bud if this all works out. This is going to be a long post because I want to be clear on where I am at and what I am looking for. So if you don't want to read a long post, then now is the time to probably hit the back button on your proverbial "browser."

I am bitter. I am a dead broke student living in one of the most expensive (overpriced) cities in America, and have invested a lot of equally valuable time and money in my set up (pics below). I am 30, back in school for a career change after a miserable other one, and have been smoking pot regularly for over 15 years. Having marijuana is an important factor in my personal happiness, however although I live approximately 15 miles from where I grew up, for some time now I have had zero interest in procuring my medicine (proverbial...) from the old connections from my youth that exist on somewhat of a different life plane. I am not an elitist, I just don't hang at the gas station anymore. 'Nuff said, and much love to anyone who nonjudgmentally understands what I am saying. So, hence the long overdue grow.

I have done what I believe is a fair amount of research, although like anything else I am sure I will learn from doing. HOWEVER, I feel like I am RETARDED in this endeavor. I think my set up is passable, however there seem to be some major problems. Basically, I really do not have a fucking clue what I am doing and refuse to just waste more time and money without asking people who know more than me for help. I have resigned myself to the fact that this batch of seeds is probably over (I have already killed seven seedlings), and am looking for tips on how to make MY CURRENT SETUP work for the next seeds. This part is important, I DO NOT want a bunch of tips that include "go out and get this," "go out and buy that." I am NOT buying anything else. I am looking to see if you all can make this work as is. Hope you understand.


Basically, I built a 2' X 3.5' x 1' cabinet using framing lumber and drywall. I painted the inside of it flat white and hit it with organic fungicde. These and everything else are decisions I made on my own based on things that I read. I installed 120 mm computer intake and outtake fans powered by a PC power supply. The fans move the most air I could find, I think like 110 CFM. Lights. this is one of the places I am having major problems I think, primarily with heat. I have ten fixtures. They are all mosty 30 W 2000 lumens. Not pictured, the cabinet two modular panels that slide closed in front. When closed, the temperature in there is exceeding 85 F with the fans on and the cab being put in an air-conditioned room. These bulbs are obviously too hot, because people on other forums were saying "just put them two to three inches away." If I do this the temperature directly under the lamps will be nearly 100 F. I am pretty sure this is what fried my last batch of sprouts. UGGGH.

I basically just want to know how YOU would run MY setup. Oh yeah and forgot to mention, the soil is 1:1:1 perlite vermiculite peat with some lime. This is the only place where I would be willing to change upon a seemingly experienced suggestion. There are no nutrients in it. I was planning on watering them after I saw some decent growth...

Anyway I am sure there is other important info I am leaving out, but I am serious, if you help me I will send you bud, although if you can help me you probably already have bud. LOL. But if you want, then I will send.

THANK YOU PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess there are a couple of other pieces of info I can include.

1.) the first time around the pH of my water was probably over 8.5. This time it was too, but I flushed it with some at 6.6 with a *tiny" bit of fish fertilizer in it. I do not know why I did this, it just seemed cool. Actually my thought process was that someone on another forum told me that the plant can't take up nutrients when the pH is too high, so I thought I would give it some with the new water. Oh yeah, any nutrient suggestions for the seedling stage in my nutrient free soil HIGHLY APPRECIATED. As I said, you will be my "daddy" (mommy?).

2.) I am thinking about leaving the front open to reduce heat. obv light reflectivity lost...does it matter?

3.) I have a couple of little ones (one pictured) that look like they *might* have a chance at something more than a premature death at the hands of horticultural antichrist. One also turned black and died and the two of them are having trouble breaking the surface.

This is fun, even at failing.

OK your setup is nice btw.You dont have to add nute for the first 3-4 weeks.With the heat problem u probably will need to keep it open with a small house fan so you have air circulating or run your lights at night..See if you can cut another hole at the bottom so u can have another source of intake.

wyteberrywidow said:

OK your setup is nice btw.You dont have to add nute for the first 3-4 weeks.With the heat problem u probably will need to keep it open with a small house fan so you have air circulating or run your lights at night..See if you can cut another hole at the bottom so u can have another source of intake.

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Ok, sounds good, thanks a lot for the complients and advice. How about the whole distance from the plants with the heat aspect? Any help much appreciated. Thanks.

If u have a fan blowing on it then keep it at 3-4 inches if u see stretching lower it...

wyteberrywidow said:

If u have a fan blowing on it then keep it at 3-4 inches if u see stretching lower it...

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Ok, I should get a small fan so I can lower them then probably. Thanks

Run to the store and swap those cfls for some 2' t5s lol. Jk. That IS what I would do but I understand ur sit. Def leave the door open think about it would u rather lose a little light and yield or go for those few extra lumens and end up smokin them before they sprout? Lol definetly get a fan or two inside the box moving air across the lights and like said above try for another intake hole with no fan (passive). And 2-4 inches on distance should be good. I know I'm repeating him but it always made me feel better about advice when I get the same from 2 people

Nice thorough explanation of your setup; hopefully I can give you some good advice

Here’s how I suggest you improve grow:

1. I’m not sure if the lower fan is an intake, but I advise you move that fan to the top of the cab like the other one (exhausting hot air out), and just have a passive intake, or 2 at the bottom (drawing cool air in). A fan blowing on the lights is only going to draw more heat off them. You want a small fan circulating air around the plants, but don’t worry about that for now.

2.Unscrew half the lights you have in there until the plants are working on their 5th set of leaves. That will raise the humidity and lower the heat - for now. 4 lights is enough for seedlings.

3. You’re going to need to transplant in a week or 2. Pickup some cheapo potting soil or good black top soil to mix into what you have. You need some organic matter in there. If your local home depot sells moo doo (composted manure for $5 a bag), mix ½ moo doo, and ½ potting soil or top soil.

4. Keep using the fish emulsion, but only ½ strength for now. Fertilizer will help keep the PH down, and ½ stregth won’t do any harm.

5. Don’t water again until the soil looks dry, and the cups you’re growing in are feather light.

erkelsgoo420 said:

Run to the store and swap those cfls for some 2' t5s lol. Jk. That IS what I would do but I understand ur sit. Def leave the door open think about it would u rather lose a little light and yield or go for those few extra lumens and end up smokin them before they sprout? Lol definetly get a fan or two inside the box moving air across the lights and like said above try for another intake hole with no fan (passive). And 2-4 inches on distance should be good. I know I'm repeating him but it always made me feel better about advice when I get the same from 2 people

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Thanks a lot. It's wierd, I am feeling a little more confident now, just like you said. Are you an evil genious?

LOL jk, OK I think I am starting to get it somewhat. One thing, someone else said that I should turn off some the lights as the seedlings don't need all that. Basically I would leave the cab open, run ~30% of the lights, lower them to 2-4 inches like you said, and get an oscillating type desk fan thing to blow on them, and maybe cut a hole in the back (do I need that if I am leaving the door open do you think?)

THANKS BUD

i find it easyer for babys to get started under reguler flour tube

I have a grow tent split in half with 2 250w setups and a little closet withflour tube on one shelf to start beans and cuttings

on a lower shelf i grow autos under cfl

but i always start them up under floutr tubs very easy start at about 4 to 6 inches from top

after about week go to 2 to 4 inches

then about 2 inches

third week they go under big girl light and get transplanted sometimes i wait to week 5 for transplant

good luck my brother

CFLs actually put out some heat, I would keep the lights 5" away until they have some leaves

Green Cross, thanks a lot for your advice. I am going to run the lights at half strength. I will also look into adding organics to the mix. If I scrap my current sprout and start fresh, should I just start with a mix that has some organics in it rather than transplanting to a different one? Thanks...

mattc said:

Green Cross, thanks a lot for your advice. I am going to run the lights at half strength. I will also look into adding organics to the mix. If I scrap my current sprout and start fresh, should I just start with a mix that has some organics in it rather than transplanting to a different one? Thanks...

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Seedlings don't really need organic matter. I would just transplant into something better, and grow the plants you have, until you have your grow dialed in.

sumting that might help.

if u can i would make a top for ur bulbs to come thru so the ballast is above in an enclosed area. just cut sum holes in sum drywall that fits ur grow space. keep it adjustable for plant hight

if u need sum clones let me know
i have Yoda cush, sk#1 x SSH X flo, erkle x flo, og x flo...

it might help to start with sum established that can take the heat.. 85% isn't bad at all they should love it

if u want sum good nutes cheap. piss in a gallon of water and feed best organics for green stage

Mattc,
I know you said no buying notta, but please at least buy a lemon or a small bottle of vinegar, that ph thing really worries me. I would rather grow with the ph to low than high especially the young.

Alright... I know everyone is giving mixed answers, but the biggest factor I am seeing is quality soil. Ive seen stuff grow in super hot setups (like 95 degrees+) but continue growing due to good soil.


Buying cheap cow shit at home depot is only going to breed fungus nats..


Invest $25 into fox farm soil. You dont need to give it nutes until flowering (unless you want to). The soil makes all the difference.




Good luck bud (no pun intended lol)

Ok, so this being the general set up for the seedling/cup stage, with the only thing being that I should add a fan out front to blow on the plants I guess...? I am still getting temps of about 83 F at the cup. Am I going to fry my impressionably little tarts? bad breakup sorry...

mattc said:

Ok, so this being the general set up for the seedling/cup stage, with the only thing being that I should add a fan out front to blow on the plants I guess...? I am still getting temps of about 83 F at the cup. Am I going to fry my impressionably little tarts? bad breakup sorry...

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Also, the lower fan was flipped to become an exhaust. Does anyone think I will still need passive intake with the cab open? THANKS YOU

thebigragu25 said:

Alright... I know everyone is giving mixed answers, but the biggest factor I am seeing is quality soil. Ive seen stuff grow in super hot setups (like 95 degrees+) but continue growing due to good soil.


Buying cheap cow shit at home depot is only going to breed fungus nats..


Invest $25 into fox farm soil. You dont need to give it nutes until flowering (unless you want to). The soil makes all the difference.




Good luck bud (no pun intended lol)

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Thanks bigragu. Someone else told me to invest in some good soil... I just might do that. I am 100% committed to not committing ganjacide on the next batch

growlegal said:

but please at least buy a lemon \

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LOL. Thanks legal, I got that one down too. All good I think now. After I realized that I was probably really f'ing with them, I flushed the cups with water adjusted to 6.6 pH with the stuff you use for aquarium water. If I run out of that I am going to start hording lemons...