Fairly new grower wants opinions and other help!

Snow Crash

Snow Crash

Well-Known Member
5000K is just barely in the right spectrum but it will work. I Agree with maxmcleod that the 6500K is much more centered in the spectrum but I've used 5000's before and they do work.

I'm glad you decided on this small upgrade. It's going to blow your mind.
 
N

nl3004.kind

Active Member
homegrower23 said:
This post is rather long giving info about my plants. Any advice and tips much appreciated.

I am currently growing a strand called Ice. I am closet growing. My closet is only about 2 feet deep and about 3 feet wide. Currently I have 1 plant that is 40 days old, and one that is 31 days old. I have a 20inch flourescent tube running verticle with each plant, that are 1650 lumens a piece. Also I have a dome light over each plant. One dome has a reptigro 5.0 uva\uvb bulb. The other has a sunglo bulb. I believe each bulb is 500 lumens. Everyday I rotate each plant a quarter turn as well as switch the plants placements under the two different bulbs.

Each plants is growing in a topped gallon jug, with miracle grow potting soil. At the plants four week mark I introduced a 20-20-20 plant food. I mixed one gallon of water with 2 indoor sized scoops of food. Which was 2x the dose suggested. Watering like usual until the gallon was gone. I plan on continuing this evey two weeks.

I also use a 4inch fan as well as a low grade humidifier and spray bottle. Only using bottled water vs tap.

Everyday multiple times a day I spray the plant to resist against drying out. Also I lightly bend each branch downward as to allow good light to all limbs. Now for some specifics on each plant.

Plant 1 - 40 days as of 10\28\2010
At 4 weeks plant had 4 nodes and height of about 5 inches. Today the plant has 7 nodes. The bottom three have been pruned. The nodes have new nodes starting at the main stalk. Including the highest of the pruned ones. The plant is about 6inches.
On 10\28\2010 I accidentily snapped one of the branches on the 6th node up. I carefully cut the branch off as if pruning made another cleaner cut and submerged this nodes stem in water. Hoping to clone. Starting at the 5 node from the bottom the plant has 5 leafed nodes. This planted needed support since the first week and is just about sturdy enough to hold itself.

Plant 2 - 31 days as of 10\28\2010
At 4 weeks plant had 4 nodes at a height of 2 1\2inches. Growth was stunted due to compact soil above seed. Now the plant has the starts of the 7th node and about 3 1\2inches tall. With new nodes from the 2nd node up. The bottom 2 nodes have been pruned. Plant has 5 leaf nodes starting at the 5th node.

Both plants get yellowing edges on the leaves but overall look healthy. I plan on continuing 24 hour light period until at least 8 weeks old.

I would like to hear from expierienced growers. Whether its good or bad feedback. Tell me what I am doing wrong and tell me what I need to continue with. Thanks.
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if you are using miracle grow potting soil *and* nutes, and 2x labeled dosage, i strongly suspect that you are cooking the f- out of your little plantlets...

also the reason they aren't thriving is that you are overwatering in a massive way...

three times a day watering in pots that don't have holes in the bottom to drain means root rot like a mother...

if they are in potting soil, don't add nutes, don't water all the time... you really want a bit of drainage... if you stick your finger in the soil and it is wet, don't water it today...

also the people talking about the lighting issues are right, listen to them... change your bulbs/ setup... the reptile lights only add heat, not very much usable spectrum... if you have the 5k's, use them, get the 6500's if you can, but work with what you can, you know???

the yellowing is nute burn... flush them and try to not make them die any more than you are... don't prune at all until those suckers get bigger... lots bigger...

most (all) successful growers start out with either potting soil *or* nutes, for the beginning part of the plants life, potting soil has plenty nutes for baby plants...

miracle grow is great for lawns, ok for roses, crap for tomatoes (or ganja)... get some fox farm ocean or light warrior and don't over water them anymore...

unsure as to how hot it is in the room, how hot is it??? get a hygrometer/ thermometer so that you can check, this is very important!!!

to recap: good lights, good soil/ fertilizer (not both), drainage, temperature, humidity, and stop fussing with them so much... it's a plant not a newborn... if you stick it in the ground, it'll grow, so stop killing it with too much of everything, eh?

also a grow book like the one from greg green, jorge cervantes, or ed rosenthal will answer these and most other questions you may have... go spend the 30$ on that before you spend another 50 for a 5 pack of seeds you're gonna drown, burn, or overprune...

we have all been there, not beating up on you, hope your babies produce! good luck kid!
 
H

homegrower23

Member
I don't water 3x a day. Just once. I haven't watered today as per your recommendation seeing the soil is still moist. I will be looking for the soil you recommended for ny final transplant into 5 gal buckets. Will post pics.
 
H

homegrower23

Member
I tried uploading some pics but it seems like my samsung moment can't upload pics. I know it used to before but now that its just a dead cell with wifi it won't. I even tried a photo hosting site.
 
rsharp

rsharp

Well-Known Member
that sucks homegrower. i would love to see ur babies. are they responding well to your new lights?
 
rsharp

rsharp

Well-Known Member
pot plants dont like to be drenched. it wouldnt hurt to mist every now and then but not everyday. also when your plants are budding you dont want to mist them or your buds could rot.

save your uv reptile lights. when your plant has about 2 weeks left of budding thenplug them suckers up. use for about 30 minutes a day per plant. i also have them. i was told that uv light can be very damaging if used constantly thats why you wait till the end.
 
H

homegrower23

Member
Okay. So mist occassionally and use uv at the end. Gotcha. But can anyone tell me how to tie down the plants? I don't want to do it wrong or at the wrong time.
 
H

homegrower23

Member
Another note, depending on the temperature of my home, the grow area is between 75 and 90 degrees. I've been trying to keep the heater low enough to keep around 80. I try to keep the moisture at 50%.
 
grower001

grower001

Well-Known Member
0415101755b.jpg0415101756.jpg0415101836a.jpg0328102135a.jpgwow i just read threw this hole thread busting my ass off laughing and the hole compact part of the lighting. i would like to make a special note to thank u for making my night while i got high. and another note. homegrower keep it up. im glad u listened and switch to the twisty bulbs STOP USING NUTES right now especially with mg soil. i dont have a problem with MG at all thats wut i used to use. but definitly dont use MG nutes at least for a month or so and very littly. like the little scoop they give u. use HALF of that with every gallon. my pictures show wut i got using MG soil and nutes((after a month!! lol)) and cfl's TWISTED vegged for one month. 60 grams total dry (just over 2 oz)) oh and ya dont water until the top inch of your soil is dry and poke a hole at the bottom of your cups (( privat messege me if you got more direct ?'s )) be glad to help p.s. thats a meter stick by the time it finished flower it was 4ft ((but i had a bad 2 weeks of stretch
 
H

homegrower23

Member
Well I think I successfully lst'd one of my plant. Haven't noticed any difference in other nodes to become the main growth. Although the undergrowth is doing better. Only two days ago. How long should it take for the plant to cause a different node to become the main?
 
rsharp

rsharp

Well-Known Member
it shouldnt take more than a couple days to start noticing the other colas growing rapidly!!
 
stoner1984

stoner1984

Active Member
judging by the fact your using pre nuted soil i guess this all seems a bit tecnical at the moment believe me, it isnt, i'd take this grow as a test run and do some reading while your at it.

suppose the next steps for you will be better lighting, mabe a 250w hps if you have the ventilation, some better ventilation if you dont already have it, electric bathroom fans are cheap and easy to rig up, some decent soil and nutes are a must for a consistant grow.

i know this may not be to everyones oppinion but i dont think you will ever need 5 gal pots unless your growing trees and from the size of your grow space your not.
 
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