400W MH/HPS First Grow Super Skunk

[linsys]

Ok I decided to start my grow journal since I really have no clue what I am doing (although I've been taking a lot of notes I still feel as if I need a lot of guidance)

Here is what I've done so far

Day 1 - Put seeds into Aerogrow system to germinate


Day 2 - Checked the seeds they have not sprouted


Day 3 - Nothing to report (purchased hyroton and other stuff from grow store)


Day 4 - Morning / One of the seeds starts to sprout today


Day 5 - Evening / Put in the hydrometer. Two seeds obviously sprouting, a third appears to be starting


Day 6 - Morning / The two seeds that where sprouting seem to be doing really well, the third one I think is still sprouting, one is missing and the fifth one doesn't seem to be doing anything. It seemed best to put the seeds on the top of the sponge instead of in it. The temperature was about 81 Deg F


Day 7 - Moved from the AeraGrow to the Grow Light. I added 1/2 str nutes µS 845, currently I'm flooding 4x per day. Added the pH down as needed before I went to bed.


Day 8 - The plans are still doing ok. Checked the pH and it looks fine as well right in the designated range.


Day 9 - plants have stopped growing probably because I added nutes too early (NOOB Mistake). Going to change the rez then in 20 days which is on jan 6th I will add nutes. Looks like the next leaves are just barley beginning to show life, I think the plans have finally settled into their new home, we will see..


Day 10 - Niothing to report

Day 11 - I added in some DIY CO2 bottles

Here are my pics so far... the plans seem to be growing pretty slow I figure because I moved them from the AeroGrow to my MH 400W system) They might be in shock or something... who knows...

Any comments are appreciated just be gentile

Sorry my camera sux its my camera phone.

It seems like my adding nutes too early stunted their growth, but I have since replaced the rez and flushed the system.. I'm doing my best to just leave it all alone

Here is some other info:

I'm using a 400W MH/HPS conversion ballast currently I have in the MH bulb (duah lol)
I'm using a flood and drain system
I flood 4x per day for 15 min
The light is currently 18" away from the plans
I have a big old square fan on the side of the flood try on the floor but at a side angle to hit the plans, I've been looking for a clip on rotating fan but its winter and no walmart has one, they all have heaters I'll be buying one online soon
I have an EC meter
I plan to use the Lucas Formula once its time (as you can read I tried to use it too early with negative effects)
I'm overly excited as I'm sure you can tell and as I'm sure most other noobs like me are

Thats all for now.

 

[linsys]

Well my plans are looking pretty yellow today so I decided to cool the closet down by keeping the closet's room door open allowing more cool air to flow into the room and hopefully into the closet its self, also I noticed that adding the CO2 raided the temperature about 5 degrees and I was pushing into the 90s which was way to hot, I also lifted the lights about 5" to cool the closet down more and I figured the lights might be too close to the plants... anyway its hard for me to leave this alone, I have no patience but I guess I will learn some or my little plants will die

 

[linsys]

Well I don't think my plans where getting enough water so I took out about half of the hydroton that was in the tub and replanted the plans hopefully they don't die but at this point I don't care, I'm going to build a bubbleponics system and do it all right this time... there are so many mistakes I've made already I nearly hope they die... we will see... I also added 1/4 nutes..

 

[linsys]

Well I've added 1/4 nutes replanted all 3 of the plants so they where closer to the bottom of the flood try I think I had way too much hydroton in there and since my drain is huge my plants wheren't getting enough water, I had my flood pump on 30min 4x per day I have changed this to 15 minutes every other hour we will see how the plans respond.

Currently one of my plants had really taken and shown a lot of life the other two seem pretty wilted from being under watered, I am just going to leave things the way they are for the next 24 hours then I will add more water and nutes to the system, I might keep things at 1/4 str while they other two plans recover if they do well I will bring it up to 1/2 str.

 

[linsys]

Well two of my three plants appear to be recovering... the leaves are pointing up now and gaining a green color, the third plant could be dead already but I'm not sure, I will wait till tomorrow and see where we sit.. I don't really want to make any changes at this point I just want to see if they recover... but like I said I feel more positive because two of the plants leaves seem to be gaining green color and seem to be pointing up and are more "perky" like a nice set of tits.

 

[linsys]

So I pulled one of the plants today because it was obviously not recovering... I also topped the other two plans, sorry more pics to come waiting on a digital camera..

 

[crackerboy]

camera phone pics are better than no pics

 

[linsys]

Sorry everyone i haven't updated this journal in a while I thought my plants where going to die there for a minute..

Anyway apparently I wasn't watering my plants enough and nearly killed them.

So the two plans who have survived my noob mistakes are FINALLY doing well..

I've finally uped my nutes to 100% (I'm running the lucas formula).

I'm currently watering once hour every 15 minutes my plants have been on this schedule for the last 7 days and seem to be loving it I see new growth every day..

Apparently when I toped my plans I toped one right and one wrong but you be the judge which is which.

Anyway I am thinking of changing the watering schedule to 15/min on 15/min off, I figure if the DWC guys can keep their plants in water 24/7 with oxygenated water why can't I with ebb & flow..

 

[linsys]

Well I got me a new digital camera... really there is nothing to report the Lucas Formula makes EVERYTHING so easy now that I kinda have the hang of what I am doing here are the updates

1) my watering cycle is 15 min ever hour half of the day then 15 min/on 15min/off 12 hours of the day
2) Lights are on 24/7
3) My plants are drinking about a gallon of water every 2 days which is pretty good IMO.
4) I got a digital camera! So enjoy.

 

[linsys]

Well the plants are still doing good, nothing new to report just growing growing growing, I have noticed I don't seem to have any pH issues now that I am on 100% nutes using the Lucas formula..

I haven't had to adjust my pH since I went to 100% nutes which is good.

Here are some pics, I think I still should wait another week or two before I even begin flowering one concern I do have is how to keep the closet light tight I am going to have to think of something over the next few days, currently I just have a white board over the closet opening but it doesn't even go all the way up the opening.

 

[linsys]

Well I decided to try and do some supercropping I'd say overall I did an ok job except I did break some branches off (obviously I am learning and barley know what I am doing lol).

Here are some pics after they have been supercropped and a pick of the branches I broke off

Also any feedback is welcome just be eazy on me I'm still learning but willing to take any constructive criticism.

 

[hotsxyman911]

you should have taken those broken branches and made them clones. i just leave the door to my closet open 24/7 idk if you can do that or not but just make sure when the light is on that your not trying to sleep lol.

 

[linsys]

So my buddy and I are getting ready for flowering.. before today the door to the closet wasn't sealed and there was a lot of light coming in and out.

Today we bought some light proof white curtains from wal-mart with some Velcro, you will see patches of black tape this is to hide the holes in the curtain.

Anyway things are going good the plants took well to the supercropping.

Besides that nothing new to report, I put in 4G of water today with the associated nutes according to the Lucas formula.. I don't appear to have any nute difficiancy!

Finally as you can see we are getting ready for our next grow which will be a DWC/bubbleponics system, still waiting on my tent.

 

[linsys]

Also any feedback is greatly appreciated! Remember I am new this is my first grow and I welcome any constructive criticism or encouragement... Encouragement goes along way to making a new grower feel like they are doing the right thing!

 

[linsys]

Well I am going to have to rethink the door covering, the big issue is the material we used to cover up the doorway pretty much sucks, it tears easy (I've ripped it like 5x already). Any suggestions would be good... I read in one thread about a painter's tarp then tape mylar to it.. I might end up doing that since this thing isn't working so well.

 

[linsys]

So today I refilled my CO2 DIY bottle.. I have no idea if it really helps or not but it makes me feel like I am doing something

So I added 2G of water back to the rez today because the plants apparently drank that much in a day and a half which was pretty impressive to me!

Checked the pH it was fine, added my nutes back in accordance with the lucas formula and everything looks good..

I was researching preflowers and I think I am see them but I'm not sure.. I couldn't really get a good picture of what I thought where preflowers (but these should be fem seeds so they all should be female anyway).

Hope you like the new pics I'm getting excited about this weekend when I throw them into flowering..

Does anyone thing its too early for me to go into flower?

Thanks.

 

[FuZZyBUDz]

Nice growing dood, its never too early to flower tho. i like the foliage on that strain tho! ill b subscribed to this

 

[bucket o queens]

most definetly a good grow, im thinking about trying the lucas formula when i build my ebb and flow.

 

[linsys]

most definetly a good grow, im thinking about trying the lucas formula when i build my ebb and flow.

I've never grown before but I bought my first grow book 15 years go! I've read 1000s of pages and I can tell you I've read a lot of problems people have and just the overall work involved in draining your tank adjusting your pH etc..

I had to adjust my pH up until I was at 100% nutes 8/16 now I put in my 1-2G of water every day or every other day put in my 8/16 nutes test my pH and EC (ppm) and go back to what ever else I'm doing its almost too easy this way I don't have to drain the tank, I don't have to do anything but water the plans and put in more nutes..

I spend more time trying to come up with stuff to do then I do actually doing stuff (if that makes sense) like there are just two plants there but one day I read about supercropping and man it seems to have really made a difference my lil plants seem pretty bushy to me..

Today I spent the day trying to get my GrowLab 120L up but I can't do it alone and my friend decided to stay home tonight and get high! Damn stoners! lol

I do have one question, however.. as these plants grow bigger especially in flowering I'm worried my 400W isn't going to provide enough coverage.. so I was wondering if its ok to supplement some light on the sides with some Floros? If so I would like some suggestion on wattage for this area and these two plants..

I would just connect all the lights to the same power strip then connect the power strip to the same timer so the lights would still be 12/12 at the same time during flowering.

 

[linsys]

Ok, well I decided that these plants are gonna get too big if I don't flower them NOW.. So I switched over to the HPS bulb and put the light on a timer, they will be on all night and off during the day (12/12).

Anyway Its super cold here so I opened up the heater vent in the room and closed the door, I'm a little worried that its going to get too cold in that room, at what temperature should I start to worry and possibly look into a small heater?

Also I posted some pics of my new tent and the beginning of my next grow (I'll be doing a different journal for that grow.