Goober's First Grow - Soil LED 240w

[Goober23]

Hello everyone!

I've been reading posts on here for a while now and decided it was time to create an account! And it happened just as I'm beginning my first attempt at growing. So.... Here goes...

The majority of my stuff is being shipped to me as I type so this is only my initial plan for now.

Here is a brief rundown of the supplies I'm planning on using. Please please PLEASE feel free to add input.

Light: 7-Band 240w LED from HTG Supply

Tent: 4'3'5' Reflective Mylar Hydroponics Growing Room

Seeds: 2x LSD (potentially, I don't believe the guy who gave them to me), and 2 other unknown named seeds
Soil: Fox Farms Happy Frog Organic Soil. [I'm mixing in Perlite for ~30% of the medium]
*** I also read recently that with LEDs and low heat, there is not enough evaporation of water so I heard to make the perlite mix about 50%? Any thoughts?***
Nutrients: General Hydroponics GO Box

As of now, those are what I have purchased. I'm not sure what type of fan or anything I'm going to use. But my funds are running low so if anyone knows where I can get a cheap fan (carbon filter would be great too), let me know

And a side note, do I need a reflector for an LED light?
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Internet went out the night I typed all of the above. Since typing it,I have received the Grow Tent and the LED Light. I'm loving the light. LEDs are truly beautiful. I've kept it on for 18 hours and kept a thermometer in there and it stays at an average of 78-82 degrees F. I just started germinating my seeds today and my soil should be here by tomorrow afternoon.

Still no fan or filter, I'm really hoping you guys can direct me to a cheap option for exhaust/intake.

Once the seeds germinate I am going to plant them about 1/4" into the Fox Farms soil and start with an 18/6 cycle. I've been contemplating creating a screen for a Scrog grow but I figured I'd get input first. If there are any thoughts or things to add/change, please let me know. I'll be updating this along the process and hopefully all goes well.

Happy Smoking!

 

[jesus of Cannabis]

with an LED you should be able to get close enough to the plants without needing a reflector IMO...

 

[Goober23]

with an LED you should be able to get close enough to the plants without needing a reflector IMO...

Alright thanks! That's what I heard but I figured any questions or doubts I have now I should post here since I trust the people on this site over most others.

 

[bl4ze:20]

Do your homework, dont get to close (bleach ur plants with LED's) IMO -- HPS/Metal Halide is the way to go for all growers but once again just an opinion. (Try Scrogging, LED's Make beautiful Scrogs -- especially in close spaces like yours) , and look into your upgrades as u go after your first grow is half way thru and set up ready 2 go. you want to have a plan and be prepared for the next best thing. believe you me, i went from my 60"x48"x24" ("=inch for those who dont know) grow tent, for 2 grows, then after my 4th grow i bought a 10 foot x 5 foot x 6 foot 8 inch grow tent for my 5th grow which is also my first scrog and its currently in progress and i couldnt be happier so far. hope this helps.

 

[Goober23]

Do your homework, dont get to close (bleach ur plants with LED's) IMO -- HPS/Metal Halide is the way to go for all growers but once again just an opinion. (Try Scrogging, LED's Make beautiful Scrogs -- especially in close spaces like yours) , and look into your upgrades as u go after your first grow is half way thru and set up ready 2 go. you want to have a plan and be prepared for the next best thing. believe you me, i went from my 60"x48"x24" ("=inch for those who dont know) grow tent, for 2 grows, then after my 4th grow i bought a 10 foot x 5 foot x 6 foot 8 inch grow tent for my 5th grow which is also my first scrog and its currently in progress and i couldnt be happier so far. hope this helps.

Yeah I chose LED simply because I love them and their cost-efficiency to operate. Also I don't have the right reflector for my 1000w HPS or any of the equipment to keep it running safely. I'm a theatrical lighting major so I have a nerd thing for LEDs lol

 

[casper9]

You should try a glassless (no reflector) run with the 1000w and compare it to the yield quality and quantity from the LED grow. It'll probably be more cost efficient and yield better results running the HPS.

 

[Goober23]

You should try a glassless (no reflector) run with the 1000w and compare it to the yield quality and quantity from the LED grow. It'll probably be more cost efficient and yield better results running the HPS.

Yeah but I don't have the equipment to maintain a 1000w HPS running all the time haha. Nor can I afford it at this point lol

 

[bl4ze:20]

Yeah I chose LED simply because I love them and their cost-efficiency to operate. Also I don't have the right reflector for my 1000w HPS or any of the equipment to keep it running safely. I'm a theatrical lighting major so I have a nerd thing for LEDs lol

I personally prefer my 1000w hps, but i caught a fault Metal Halide so im just waiting for the new one to arrive in the mail. I was pissed when it blew out after 7 days of 24/0. My 600w MH has lasted 3 grows doing 6 weeks of 24/0 and the 1000w lasted 7 days but i used the warranty to get a free one so all is well. Goodluck with everything. i have never tried LED's i've only grown on CFL's and MH/HPS

 

[bl4ze:20]

Starting my first scrog currently, and waiting on all my equipment for my Hydroponics station then i will post pictures so u can see my setups and how everythings working.

 

[Goober23]

Hey guys! I've been away and busy on some things these past few days so this is what has progressed with the grow. I'm curious about the fan and I am wondering how much water will do it for them for now? I used a spray bottle because I didn't want to drown them with the LED's lower heat intensity. Any and all feedback is encouraged. I'll try to get a good picture of the sprouts.

I. Germination

a. July 18th, 2014 - ~7:00pm

i. I put four (4) seeds in a moist paper towel. I put that paper towel into a square Tupperware container and sealed it off in a dark cupboard.

b. July 22, 2014 – 12:00 pm

i. 4/4 Seeds have germinated in the container.

c. July 22, 2014 – 9:00 pm

i. All the seeds were planted ¼” down in Fox Farms Happy Frog soil and the light was turned on.

II. Vegetation

a. July 24, 2014 – 3:30 pm

i. All four seeds have sprouted roughly 1-2 inches above the soil. The leaves are a dark green color.

ii. I sprayed them with a spray bottle until the soil was damp and left the light on. Going to switch from 24/0 to 18/6 over the course of five days. The 25th and 26th will be 22/2. The 27th and 28th will be 20/4. By the 29th, it will be 18/6.

iii. I put a 9” mini fan inside blowing air around to try to strengthen the stems. Fan is not pointed directly at them because I was afraid it would be too much for fresh sprouts. One of them looked a little limp.

 

[UncleReemis]

:3

 

[Goober23]

Here are some pictures of the sprouts. The sad looking ones were moved so they were more directly under the light. I have to figure out a way to adjust the height of the light. As of right now I have no way to adjust it to be closer. right now its about 3-4 feet above the plants.

 

[Goober23]

Alrighty. I had two plants on opposite sides of two 5-gallon buckets (2 per bucket). I transplanted one into a 5 gallon smart pot. That made me so nervous that I just left two in one of the buckets. The remaining plant alone in the bucket is doing very well but it is on the side of the bucket still (I was nervous and didn't feel confident moving it to the center of the bucket). So I have a few questions.

1. Can I leave a plant near the edge of a bucket for the entire grow or is it dire that I move it to the middle?
2. What is the best way to transplant them in a soil medium? I feel like the stems aren't thick/strong enough yet for me to uproot it by grabbing the stems/root and just pulling it out.
3. Any recommendations on a good fan controller to maintain temperature?

I'll upload a couple more pictures of the plants in a bit. I should probably start labeling them too

 

[Goober23]

Starting my first scrog currently, and waiting on all my equipment for my Hydroponics station then i will post pictures so u can see my setups and how everythings working.

How is your scrog going? Didn't know if it was like a project coming up or if you were actually in the process of it

 

[UncleReemis]

The fan I gave you doesn't work with a controller.

I think you should def move it to the center. Dig a hole in the center, and try and shift the dirt surrounding the plant and root zone towards the center hole. When you transplant, you usually transplant a large portion of the soil along with the plant itself so you dont disturb the root mass as much. :3

 

[Goober23]

The fan I gave you doesn't work with a controller.

I think you should def move it to the center. Dig a hole in the center, and try and shift the dirt surrounding the plant and root zone towards the center hole. When you transplant, you usually transplant a large portion of the soil along with the plant itself so you dont disturb the root mass as much. :3

That's what I tried to do with the one I moved but the roots went further down than I thought and that's how I accidentally cut the roots off a little lol. And boo to the controller. But oh well, I have a feeling it'll take care of the problem pretty easily. Danks :3

 

[Bomixius]

I skimmed through most of the threads, and if you still need the carbon filter, and depending on where you live you can make one that is cheap and recoup usable.

If you can get to a basic hardware store, you can make a filter. You need your 4-6inch elbow, or whichever fitting you like. A 6-10"x2' piece of screen and an end cap. Oh ya and some duct tape, The screen is wrapped around in between the end cap and the other fitting. Secure with screws or duct. Wraps the carbon filter around and secure at top and bottom with duct tape.

Connect elbow or other fitting to inline fan, and voila, carbon air filter that can be used over and over. It weighs so much less, and you just need to rewrap with new carbon filter every 4-6 months.

Sorry if I didn't paint a good picture.

 

[Goober23]

I skimmed through most of the threads, and if you still need the carbon filter, and depending on where you live you can make one that is cheap and recoup usable.

If you can get to a basic hardware store, you can make a filter. You need your 4-6inch elbow, or whichever fitting you like. A 6-10"x2' piece of screen and an end cap. Oh ya and some duct tape, The screen is wrapped around in between the end cap and the other fitting. Secure with screws or duct. Wraps the carbon filter around and secure at top and bottom with duct tape.

Connect elbow or other fitting to inline fan, and voila, carbon air filter that can be used over and over. It weighs so much less, and you just need to rewrap with new carbon filter every 4-6 months.

Sorry if I didn't paint a good picture.

No that was perfect! I've looked at a couple set ups that is the same as you're talking about. Thankfully, Uncle Reemis let me borrow his fan/filter combo last night. Going to get some new ducting and things to hang it with today.But I need to get my own anyway so I may end up trying your suggestion

Thank you for browsing through! Check back every now and then I'm running into a lot of confusion with this being my first grow ever so hopefully with the knowledge in these forums, all will turn out well

 

[Goober23]

HELLO NOBODY (I joke because nobody posts in here and I get lonely),

I'm adding some pics since it's been a while. I'm doing a lot of work in there today with installing a fan and getting the last bucket ready so I can get the last two in their own buckets. BUT here are some photos (in order this time (lol WHAT)).

Plant 1:

TOP​

(the fan was blowing this one, hence the blurriness and why it looks tilted)

SIDE​

PLANT 2



PLANT 3



PLANT 4


So there are the pics! The first one is doing far far better than the rest, hence the surplus of pictures for that one. Plant 2 and Plant 3 are in the same bucket at the moment. Plant 1 is at the side of the bucket (I'm moving it today). Plant 4 was in the same bucket as Plant 1 but is now in its own Smart pot. It hasn't grown much since I transplanted but I am giving it time to reestablish the roots (I did a BAAAADDD job transplanting... User error).

Let me know what you think and feel free to leave some input/tips/etc.

FINAL QUESTION BECAUSE I KEEP FORGETTING
I have the Fox Farms Nutrient Trio and the first time I fed them, I misread the schedule SUPER bad. That is what the leaf damage is from on the lower leaves. So here is the question(s) (apologies for the newbiness of it):

What is the proper way to water these plants? And how should I measure the nutrients? For a while I was spraying it with a spray bottle so I wouldn't drown the seed or damage the plants. I'm just confused as to whether I should mix all the nutrients together into one large reservoir and just water as needed or if I have to use ALL the water in order to get the right amount of nutes to the little ladies.

PLEASE someone respond with some input. It's time for me to start giving them nutes again but I'm terrified since last time haha.

Happy smoking!

 

[UncleReemis]

So its a three part nutrient kit, right? So it'll say on the back how much you use _____ of each one for ______ amount of water. So you take _____ amount of water (usually a gallon or a half gallon depending on how much water they need for their current stage of growth), then you add in the correct dosage of each type of nute. Then stir.

so for example, 1 tsp/gal of grow, .5 tsp/gal of micro, and .5 tsp/gal of bloom. Then mix them all in a gallon of water, then water the plants. Hope that made sense. Lol