First Grow, an Evolving Effort

Hey guys, this is my first grow. Because I still live with my mom (college toker), and she will be in the house for at least another year, I have to do this inside my dresser. As a result, I don't yet have things in optimal condition, but as I get the money I will be sealing things, re-building things, installing things.

At the moment, I'm just trying to get some seedlings started. I have three 4.5" pots and a larger pot underneath one CFL (26W I think) which is doing well enough to get them up and out of the dirt. Two have shown within the last 48 hours. The big pot currently has a three-way seed thing happening. One is growing, and the others were an experiment in soak-and-sow prafctice, but I'm pretty sure they won't grow, so I'll soon move the seedling to the center of the pot so it can stretch its roots.

Unfortunately, I can only take pictures with my iPhone right now, but in the near future I'll get some photos with a real camera. My pal is going to supply me with two or three PC fans, as well as a power supply. I plan to use the $13 carbon filter made from Wal Mart products, as well as adding more lights.

Just to start things off, I'd like to ask a question regarding space. Is it a reasonable idea to begin a plant, and upon finding it a female, taking several clones rather than raising the mother? I only have about 3 (or so) square feet in here, so I would like to maximize that in any way I can.

I'm looking forward to this venture. Hope you guys will help me through it

Also, the pic is from last night. This fella grew to about 2" tall in the last 24 hours.

These pictures were taken earlier this evening (it's 3:53AM where I am now).

The third seedling appeared overnight. Number 2 is also standing straight up now.

I have a question about bag seeds. I read a thread on here which detailed how schwag comes to be schwag. If I raise bag seeds properly, what kind of high can I expect? Obviously it's not any popular, potent strain, but having never gotten schwag that was raised properly into good weed, I don't know what to expect.

Thanks for anyone who is following. Your tips will be much appreciated!

Just got back from the Home Depot with some hinges, screws, and a light fixture

i picked up a $9.97 bathroom lamp fixture with 3 sockets, a $4.99 pack of two hinges for the door I will create in the back, and a $2.99 pack of screws for good measure. I installed the fixture into the bottom of the fourth drawer from the floor (sorry the picture is rotated...phone) and plugged in two outer 17w Cool White 900-lumens mini-CFLs, and one middle 27w 2000-some-lumens Daylight CFL. Still ghetto, but getting better!

I made a noob mistake and I may pay for it. It will take some explaining.

When I first planted my original 6 seedlings, they were put into four pots. I know, I know. I put three seedlings into their own pots, and three in triangular points in a larger pot. Two of those three were experiments in the soak-n-sow method. I had dismissed them as not going to sprout, and so decided to move the champion of the pot to the center soit could stretch its roots more. While dogging out the side, I discovered a growing seedling. I set it aside, and kept digging. Sure enough, I found another seedling. Now I was choking on my own discomfort, realizing I had just brutally disturbed two baby plants. I quickly rushed to get a plastic cup to insert one seedling into, and I had a pot prepared to receive the other. Then I knocked over that pot. It took the seedlings with it. I searched, but was unable to find them. I wound up sweeping up the whole mess, sad at the loss.

Then, it got worse. While trying to scoot the plant into the center of the pot, the soil around it came crumbling apart, and it dislodged from its upright position. I tried desperately to repair the situation, but I don't know what kind of damage may have been done. So at best, I broke even, and at worst, I might lose my front-running plant

Just took these. Day 5 since Baby 1 sprouted. 4 is on the way, and I just planted 5 and 6. This should give me a good enough variety to pick two fine females to raise.

Wow. Two seedlings turned up in one pot, which must mean that one of the seedlings which was lost, simply fell in. I gave the poor fella his own plastic cup, but I am officially out of space. 7 seedlings is enough. Now we sit back and wait. Pics on the way.

Alright man, subbing to watch this mini bagseed grow happen. Hope to be able to give at least some help while I am along for the ride.

statik said:

Alright man, subbing to watch this mini bagseed grow happen. Hope to be able to give at least some help while I am along for the ride.

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Thank you kindly, especially as you'll be my first sub on RIU

If I get more of the same schwag from the same supplier I'll be sure and post pictures so we can compare it to the final product. It'll be more inspirational than a Weight Watchers before-and-after.

Johan Liebert said:

Thank you kindly, especially as you'll be my first sub on RIU

If I get more of the same schwag from the same supplier I'll be sure and post pictures so we can compare it to the final product. It'll be more inspirational than a Weight Watchers before-and-after.

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I would like to see that comparison. What I appreciate about your grow, is the fact you are seriously trying to LEARN. We had a discussion on here recently...

A lot of new growers come in here and just expect to be master growers overnight, or for people with more experience to virtually grow their crop for them.

The other thread you posted about the color of your seedlings stalks shows you wanna know every little thing your babies are doing.

Wish more new growers had that mindset.

Thank you statik, I'll take that as a compliment. I am definitely in the mindset of an attentive student, here. I've got a lot of nurture in me so I love checking them over and over, constantly adjusting their environment. Today I went to Wal Mart and picked up a 6-pack (only option, lolbigboxstores) of 26w 1200-or-so-lumens bulbs, so I've got 100 watts of light (give or take) across the crop right now. Three big girls (fingers crossed) and four seedlings.

Also have some pictures. My roomie was shooting me taking a tip from the stalk thread and adding soil up to the foliage in my pots. Then, after a quick water of the newly added soil, I saw a bead atop one of the leaves and just had to shoot it. Hope everyone likes the pics

I should also point out that, so far, the one in the water picture is the best-looking. It's the second tallest, has the shapeliest leaves, and most vibrant color. The leaf ridges of the taller plant have been curling just a bit recently. Does this mean anything? It's not a dramatic curl, and it's not yellowed. I wondered if it is just normal or not. I've been treating them all the same.

Johan Liebert said:

I should also point out that, so far, the one in the water picture is the best-looking. It's the second tallest, has the shapeliest leaves, and most vibrant color. The leaf ridges of the taller plant have been curling just a bit recently. Does this mean anything? It's not a dramatic curl, and it's not yellowed. I wondered if it is just normal or not. I've been treating them all the same.

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What kind of water are you using? Be careful with tap, if you have hard water then you shouldn't use it. Also, chlorine is bad for plants too.

If you are able to use your tap water, try letting it sit out for 24 (or more) hours in an open container to let it evaporate off.

IDK where you live (dont wanna either) or what the laws are like there...but a face shot is never a good idea either way.

Did you fill the pots pretty much to the top with soil/medium (covering most of those stretched stalks)? What are you using for soil anyway?

statik said:

What kind of water are you using? Be careful with tap, if you have hard water then you shouldn't use it. Also, chlorine is bad for plants too.

If you are able to use your tap water, try letting it sit out for 24 (or more) hours in an open container to let it evaporate off.

IDK where you live (dont wanna either) or what the laws are like there...but a face shot is never a good idea either way.

Did you fill the pots pretty much to the top with soil/medium (covering most of those stretched stalks)? What are you using for soil anyway?

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I had pondered that about the faceshot, but decided it probably wasn't a huge deal because I'm not looking toward the camera. That said, where I live we've got a decriminalized situation where posession or cultivation of up to 100 grams is punishable as a minor misdemeanor with a $100 penalty attached. Not too awful.

As for water, I have been using tap, although I believe the water we have here is pretty good. Essentially, I fill my water cup up when it's low, but the rest of the time it is sitting under the same light as the plants, so I would assume it's helping to evap the chlorine as I don't water daily.

I did pile the soil up to the foliage, but it came back down a bit when watered, so I'll have to add soil gradually. I've just been using this "Green Thumb" ferted soil from the local superstore. It was like 5 bucks for 8oz of soil or something like that, so I picked it up. When I transplant the keeper plants into their final 10" homes I plan to get some of that $19.99 Fox Farm soil that everyone recommends so highly.

Hey, it's been a minute since my last update. Let's see. I'll get pics up soon, but at the moment my other computer (the pics one) is down (don't use Ubuntu). So, anyway...

5 pots, 2 plastic cups containing, now, 7 plants. The four seedlings have all pushed up and out of the soil, and their seed shells are just about to fall off.

Of the three plants which have ever-growing leaves, the two oldest (8 and 7 days, I believe) are beginning to show their second pair of fan leaves. I'm ecstatic. Can't wait to show off some pics. I'm planning on doing the technique I saw on another board of covering the bottom branch of each plant with a piece of paper for four hours a day so as to set it on a 12-12 light cycle and hopefully tell sex early. Since I have limited room, I need to pick out my prize girls early.

I'll have a shot of this, but my tallest, 8-day plant is getting a tiny bit of curling on the edges of its leaves. It also seems not to be quite as rich a green as its neighbor, the 7-day plant. Is this normal? Is it too warm?

Quick note: my netbook will not boot at the moment, so I cannot update with pictures for another day or so.

Today while I was changing the drawer situation in the dresser (to lower the established plants down from the lights and ideally, reduce the amount of heat to which they were being subjected) my room mate bumped a 3"x1"x3" block down and onto (I believe) #5. It knocked the pot over, spilling some soil. I packed as much as I could back in, and stood the plant back up straight. It appears that the damage was minimal, and that only one of the new appearing leaves was mangled, but after some hard work resetting it, I think it will probably do fine.

Thus far, I am seeing a few differences between my 7 different plants. Some have slightly wider leaves and others, longer. Two up-and-coming babies have surprisingly chunky leaves. I don't know if they will be flattening out in the future, or if this is indicative of a shape / size I have not yet seen. I'll keep posting.

No worries about a knocked over cup man. As long as nothing broke it will be fine. In the mean time while your netbook is down, why dont you go ahead and post in your thread what it is you have, what you have done, and what you intend to do.

Grow journals are NOT just for everyone else to follow. They help you get your thoughts out and organized so you actually decide what it is you can, and cannot do with your grow. Also helps make sure you have a good game plan, believe me...putting a grow together AS you are growing is a pain in the ass. The best you can do now is plan things out while you are still in early stages.

Then the rest of us can come in here and give you advice as to which way you really should be headed with things.

~Statik~

statik said:

No worries about a knocked over cup man. As long as nothing broke it will be fine. In the mean time while your netbook is down, why dont you go ahead and post in your thread what it is you have, what you have done, and what you intend to do.

Grow journals are NOT just for everyone else to follow. They help you get your thoughts out and organized so you actually decide what it is you can, and cannot do with your grow. Also helps make sure you have a good game plan, believe me...putting a grow together AS you are growing is a pain in the ass. The best you can do now is plan things out while you are still in early stages.

Then the rest of us can come in here and give you advice as to which way you really should be headed with things.

~Statik~

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Noted, and thanks for the advise. I'm about to re-install Ubuntu so I will do that, get my device back online, and return with a game plan.

Johan's First Grow


Why? This is my first grow, and it will also be a stealth operation. My last experience growing plants was a dead bonsai, and before that, a dead cactus (both difficult plants to kill). My last experience building anything was simply hanging drywall on a volunteer trip. So why a stealth grow box? I am tired of paying good money for schwag. It must be stealthy because I still live at home (college). Because I am not one to fail at what I set my mind to, and because I love weed in a fanatical, evangelical, hobbyist sort of way, I decided that the dream of raising my own plants was not beyond my grasp. So, with basic tools from around the house, a little money, and a lot of helpful forum threads, I began with the most basic of knowledge: what a grow box was meant to look like, how it was built, and how (basically) to grow weed.


Method I am currently vegging under 3 26w Daylight CFLs. I bought the first one, which started growing three seedlings, for $9.XX at Meijer, and as my crop grew, I realized I would need to expand. To this end, I went to Wal-Mart where I found a 6 pack of the same capacity bulb for...wait...$5.00.


The first step to creating my grow area was to take a sectioned space (that is, after all, all a dresser is) and turn it into a very vertical space. I removed the bottom panels of three shelves, and opened up roughly 2 to 3 square feet (give or take) of space. I then removed the back of the dresser, a 1/4” piece of particleboard, and removed the bottom panel of the fourth shelf from the floor, which I carved into using a box cutter. I snipped an unused lamp cord, and made the connection (my first ever) to a 3-socket panel from Home Depot ($9.97). I screwed in three bulbs after some internet research regarding which wires to tie to which (unmarked...turns out the thicker prong on a polarized electrical cord is the line for the neutral wire), and nervously plugged in the fixture. It came to life like a goddamn sun in my room.


I carved a hole in the back of the particleboard with the same box cutter, and ran the cord through. I carefully re-mounted the back to the dresser (I will turn this into a door as soon as I quit being high long enough to remember where I put the hinges I bought) and now my grow was officially suitable for life (if not perfect).


I took advantage of the fact that it is still essentially a dresser, and I tactically inserted a bottom panel into the second drawer, and this became the shelf which kept my plants inches away from the CFLs while they were still only a couple inches tall. When they got bigger and heat became an issue, I removed the panel, and set them directly on the floor, about a foot away from the lights. The smaller plants which are farther away have been perched atop uniformly stackable Atari 2600 games.


Construction plans Although I don't know that I can afford mylar, I'm sure I can paint the inside white to reflect more light (though they seem to be comfortable with what they're getting now). Once I successfully turn the back of the dresser into a door, I will use caulk to seal all air and light escapes, and make the drawers completely inaccessible from the front (except for the top two, which are themselves small half-drawers, housing my equipment like gloves and tools). My pal is going to hook me up with two or three PC fans, and a power supply...maybe even (God willing) a power tester, which would keep my costs for ventilation at next to nothing. The power supply will reside in the fourth drawer with the cord for the lighting fixture (as will another light cord whenever more lights come in). I will build a $13 carbon filter. I priced a tub of activated carbon at the pet store already ($8.50).


Farming Although I'm no experienced botanist, my friends constantly remark on the love and care and intensity I have for this grow. I am monitoring and attending to my children around the clock. It is my hope that with this mentality, I can be an imperfect parent and still raise plants which are of some obvious quality, even if they're not the dankest dope on High Street. So far, I am in week two of growing, with 4/7 of the crop younger and smaller. This is consistently irritating, and I have learned a lesson [plant all seeds at the same time!] for future grows.


I am toying with several ideas on how to maximize yield with my limited space. Among these are LST and cloning. First I planned to LST two plants and harvest them together, or possibly staggered for a continuous supply. Then I began reading about the sea of green method which yields weed faster, but in smaller amounts. As I am growing this for personal use rather than profit, this seems very reasonable to me. However, in order to clone, I would need a mother, and then the idea popped into my head:


Could I separate the space I have into two compartments, and raise an LST'ed mother in one, with maybe four clones in the other? When I decide to grow a new strain I could simply harvest the mother and swap it for a new one in the mother compartment. Is this any kind of idea? Am I on to something or simply in over my head?


For flowering, anyhow, I am planning to either up the number of CFLs in the room to something appropriate, or possibly invest in a small HPS (although I am concerned about heat with this option.




That's it for now. Tips would be appreciated.