CFL Closet Grow For Me And Wifey

ZipDriveX · Dec 8, 2011

Well since my last plant turned out to be male I decided to go ahead and get started on my second attempt at our closet grow. This time around I've got 5 seeds germinating in a wet paper towel (last time I only did 3).

Lights: 4 100w 5000k CFL's

Medium: 0.21 -0.07 -0.14 MG Moisture Control Potting Mix (Has served me well my past grows)

This is the hanger system I'll be using again, works pretty well

This time I think I'm going to want to try and do the 4-way LST on my babys, seems like the perfect ammount of playing with it for just the right size of plants I want.

Any comments/criticism/questions welcomed!! I'm still a newby since my last plant didn't make it a month! Happy toking!! bongsmilie

bkbbudz · Dec 8, 2011

I suggesst getting some cfl's that are made for growing. Not that what you have won't work. But, if you go to HTGSUPPLY.com they have 6400k for veg and 2700k for flowering. Not very expensive at all. I just firgure if you are gonna use cfl why not get what the plant really needs? Just my .02 Good Luck with the grow. +rep for taking the plunge.

ZipDriveX · Dec 8, 2011

Thanks for that info man!! I'm not looking to spend and more money into this than what I already have and have to.

Now the wife is all of a sudden paranoid that we're gonna get caught. Seriously? Not sure what route I'm going to be taking now. I'm growing at least one more that's for sure. If she makes me do one at a time just hit and miss then that's just the way it will be and I'll have some awesome experiance lol

bkbbudz · Dec 8, 2011

If you are not renting your place and/or are completely sure NO ONE will enter at an inconvenient time. AND the most important thing TELL NO ONE BUT GOD WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR CLOSET. Then you should be just fine. If you are renting read your lease. Most will mandate 24hour notice prior to entering. But, if they are doing emergency maintenence or even regular monthly pest control, all they need to do is knock. If there is no answer, they are coming in when you are not home. Just be careful out there!

Uber Newb · Dec 8, 2011

On a real note, if you are gonna use MG, add some garden/dolomite lime to the soil. MG soil is never at the proper PH to support the growth of our favorite plants.

ZipDriveX · Dec 8, 2011

We're homeowners with rare visitors except for the occasional buddy stopping by to match bowls

I'm not worried at all. I think the fact I started five seeds makes her think I'm starting a huge grow, plus it's that "time" for her so who knows lol

matthebrute · Dec 11, 2011

hey man im here and subbed up

ZipDriveX · Dec 13, 2011

FINALLY an update! Feels like these seeds took forever to germinate!!
Anyway all four newbies are planted and ready to start popping up any day now

Decided to go with girl names this time, and Disney characters at that! We've got Alice, Bell, Jasmine, and Tiana. Hope my girls serve me well this time around!

matthebrute · Dec 13, 2011

WOOT first update......LOOKING.......like dirt >< literally

hey do you have a pic of Tom or Jerry wichever one made it till you found out the sex
?

lopezri · Dec 13, 2011

Just step into it all like you would any other hobby. You'll be okay with it all if you don't rush it. I started out using an aerogarden for my first grow. It's amazing how creative you can get with stuff as you learn more about how the plants grow. Also keep in mind to do your shopping at the local pawn shops and second hand stores. Lots of good stuff there that you can use to beef-up your set up. Also remember that PVC pipe and PVC joint pieces are the cost effective and easy way for us newbies to build onto our grow systems a little at a time. Keep your mind open and your creative juices flowing.

Oh, one more bit of advice. If it's just for you and your wife, you'll find that just a couple plants is going to be more than enough to handle. Especially when it comes to having to harvest and trim.

lopezri · Dec 13, 2011

Oh, also. . . not sure what area of the world you live but in my neck of the woods, sprouts work better if you put some ziplock bags over them to keep in the humidity and warmth. Just cut a small 1/2 inch "V" in the sealed seam on the top so they can breath. If you've got one, throw a heating pad under those babies at around medium.

matthebrute · Dec 13, 2011

i would like to make a suggestion, your loosing a ton of light without your collars on your lights, maybe find some tinfoil or something to extend them and put em back on, might have to invest in a extension (4$ tops for both of them)

Heres a terrible diagram but it will focus the light right to your plants and they will recieve much more of the lights potential this way, right now your losing alot of light thats just fading out into the room

also for the sake of being informative and not to pick you apart, those CFL are only 26watts each. the 100 watt means that a 100 watt incandecent provides the same light output as the 26watt CFL only using an additional 74 watts.

ZipDriveX · Dec 13, 2011

matthebrute said:
WOOT first update......LOOKING.......like dirt >< literally

hey do you have a pic of Tom or Jerry wichever one made it till you found out the sex
?

This was the last one I took before I chopped Tom down

lopezri said:
Oh, one more bit of advice. If it's just for you and your wife, you'll find that just a couple plants is going to be more than enough to handle. Especially when it comes to having to harvest and trim.

Ya, one wasn't quite enough last time and it turned out male

I'm hoping to have at LEAST one female out of this bunch, two would be perfect!

Still haven't decided on weather to just let them all grow naturally or to do a little bit of topping (I like the four way lst method look)........ Opinions?

ZipDriveX · Dec 13, 2011

lopezri said:
Oh, also. . . not sure what area of the world you live but in my neck of the woods, sprouts work better if you put some ziplock bags over them to keep in the humidity and warmth. Just cut a small 1/2 inch "V" in the sealed seam on the top so they can breath. If you've got one, throw a heating pad under those babies at around medium.

Never heard this idea before, might have to try it out! I have both a small heating pad AND ziplocs..... Thanks man!!

ZipDriveX · Dec 13, 2011

matthebrute said:
i would like to make a suggestion, your loosing a ton of light without your collars on your lights, maybe find some tinfoil or something to extend them and put em back on, .......... right now your losing alot of light thats just fading out into the room

also for the sake of being informative and not to pick you apart, those CFL are only 26watts each. the 100 watt means that a 100 watt incandecent provides the same light output as the 26watt CFL only using an additional 74 watts.

I am actually working on putting the colars back on, but I have to cut them in half first. I couldn't have the full thing on with the Y adapter. This will be my project for tonight probably, I've already got one cut in half and ready to go (besides loosing light, it's blinding when you look in the closet!!)

And on the wattage, I understand that they're 26 actual watt and 100 equalivant, I just figured when you posted how many watts you had on your plants you wanted to post the equalivant not the actual. My bad.

ZipDriveX · Dec 13, 2011

Not to sure I want to use any tinfoil as I've seen it cause hotspots before. But I am going to run down and get two Large size collars since my small ones aren't big enough to reflect any light. Also I'm going to throw my heating pad under them for the night to see if that'll help any

matthebrute · Dec 13, 2011

ZipDriveX said:
Not to sure I want to use any tinfoil as I've seen it cause hotspots before. But I am going to run down and get two Large size collars since my small ones aren't big enough to reflect any light. Also I'm going to throw my heating pad under them for the night to see if that'll help any

A cat on here named Gastanker did some tests and put some really good proof up that tinfoil is actually better than mylar in some cases. the collars are made of aluminum so they create just as many hot spots as foil would right?

just trying to save ya a buck.

also they may seem really bright but plants dont have eyes and they will use that light + some

ZipDriveX · Dec 13, 2011

Thanks for the info on the foil! Still need bigger hoods, the ones I got barely cover one of my lights, I'll grab those when I pick up dinner tonight.

Also I've got the heating pad under them now on medium, not sure how well this is goig to help but it's deff not hurting anything

Not sure if I want to put the baggies on them still because then I'd have to move my lights farther away thus (in my mind) reducing the amount of heat being put onto the soil...

wheels619 · Dec 13, 2011

if those are the same lamp cords im using in which case im pretty sure they are. the sockets are only rated for 160watts and u are pumpin 200watts thru them. be careful man.

nomaninsf · Dec 13, 2011

wheels619 said:
if those are the same lamp cords im using in which case im pretty sure they are. the sockets are only rated for 160watts and u are pumpin 200watts thru them. be careful man.

It's not too much power. He's not using 100 watt bulbs like he said. They are only 26 watts each. Four only totals 104 watts.

CFL Closet Grow For Me And Wifey

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