First grow, day 1 of veg. Couple ?'s w/pics.

I just started a WW seed (from Nirvana) on Friday, it sprouted 3 days later. and is now under a 65W cfl. I have a bank of 4 double tube 40w 4' fl tube lights to go to next.

I am interested in optimizing reflectivity, the ultimate in efficiency (?). We'll see I have yet to build it.

My thoughts, create a bottom up reflector just below the (pruned) upper canopy.

My first marijuana grow!

PS if this grow is shoddy I will buy a 400w hps (from htgsupply) for $120,( w/out delivery).

Snowdog

snowdog203 said:

I just started a WW seed (from Nirvana) on Friday, it sprouted 3 days later. and is now under a 65W cfl. I have a bank of 4 double tube 40w 4' fl tube lights to go to next.

I am interested in optimizing reflectivity, the ultimate in efficiency (?). We'll see I have yet to build it.

My thoughts, create a bottom up reflector just below the (pruned) upper canopy.

My first marijuana grow!

PS if this grow is shoddy I will buy a 400w hps (from htgsupply) for $120,( w/out delivery).

Snowdog

Click to expand...

You should check out the links provided earlier in this thread we get 150w hps for 32bucks delivered, here's a 400w metal halide for 85

E-PB4M40Q
16-inch 400-watt Prob Start MH High Bay with Acrylic Prismatic Reflector, quad-volt HPF CWA ballast. Open Rated socket and lamp included. Meets 2005 NEC code.

Note: This item may not meet the current NEC codes as detailed in articles 410.73(F) and 410.4(E). Click here for more information

Applications - Warehouses, industrial and retail sites
Lamp Output: 32400 lumens
Lamp Color Rendition: 70 CRI
Everyday Low Price
$84.90 Quantity: Caution: California Title 20 Restriction Features:

• <LI type=disc>Sturdy die-cast aluminum housing <LI type=disc>Adjustable lamp position <LI type=disc>Rugged 4kv open rated porcelain socket <LI type=disc>Wiring compartment with adjustable leveling feature <LI type=disc>16-inch acrylic prismatic reflector <LI type=disc>Mount using threaded 3/4-in conduit or with hook & cord accessory kit <LI type=disc>1-year warranty
• UL Listed in U.S. for damp locations

22-24-in H x 16-in W x 16-in D
Typical mounting height: 20 to 35 feet

Thanks noticed the deal after I posted.

Got this from one of the commercial pages about growing:
IV. Lighting requirements As far as lighting requirements for a given space, try to think on a watts-per-square-foot basis. If you learn to do this from the beginning, you will find that it is an easy and consistent way to relate the relative brightness of any grow area. (Also, yield-per-square-foot is a good way to track production). You will also find a direct link between this brightness and the growth habits, bud density and overall yield of your plants. To calculate the square footage of your area, multiply (L)ength times (W)idth. Then divide the square feet into the total watts of all the lamps. This figure is your watts per square foot (w.p.f.2). A minimum of about 20-30 w.p.f.2 will be adequate for the vegetative area and 30 to 40 w.p.f.2 or more is recommended for highest yields and vigorous growth during flowering.

OK Thanks earnie, I owe you one, the lamps came in and they are totally mind blowing!! 20 bucks and it is the ballast housing and lamp. wtf. Anyway they just got here and I immediately cked em out. The ballast separates from the lamp socket so I don't have to hang the ballast with the lamp. And btw my one little WW is now about 2.5 inches and has two serated leaves that are about and inch long each. The stem is real thin which is worrisome, maybe it is the coarse growing mix I bought, but as long as it don't die, I am ok.

There is a 9 part series by "Mr. Green" on YouTube that runs at least an hourt but it was real enjoyable to watch and very well done. It should help you on your quest, I hope you find it, watch it, and enjoy it as much as I did. ~Snowdog

great info guys. now i understant that kelvin or "k" system. i have a small space to. ijust got down bulding it. i had a 8' x 2' byy 60 " high. i split in half for a floweringg side. and i put a shef in the veging side 4'x2'and 37" high and 4'x2' 22" high for the little girls. for lighting on the flowering side i have 2 40w 4' flouce. tubes and 6 26watt cfl. i will put all around the plants. here r some pics
joe dirt

here r the pics if grow box area
joe dirt

Dear Ndugu,
I have noticed a couple of fruit fly's flying around the WW plant, though I think it is moving along pretty good. Seems to be stronger on the stem, and now it is getting a pair of triple pointers coming out. I will get the camera and start taking pix one of these days. I may bomb the grow room w/ a pesticide but have yet to discern if the fruit fly's are truely bothering the plant or just living in the soil. I am not organic but don't want any extra chems floating around. Hoping to get some Mylar and really build out my grow room over the upcoming holidays. I hope to have the hps/mylar/home grown CO2/enclosure ready for the flowering stage. I got careless the other day and watered the leaves and the next day noticed there was a slight discoloration to the leaves. I am also looking at the leaf color and wondering if it should be a darker green, although it is not to far off where I imagine it should be so I am still content with the grow so far. Long term next grow I will grow for seed, should be great for learning, if this one is mail I definitely will be saving the pollen in he freezer, I hope what I read is wrong and the pollen will last longer than 1 month.

Yeah, nice pix of the cabs, I have a pic of my set up which is really simple. Just one plant. I have a small bucket w/some garden mix and the big cfl sitting up top reflecting down on it. I'll wait for it to grow and throw a few pix up once it is a little larger.

Just read one of the other threads and found lots of good info about plant chemistry and nutes, ck it out. http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=11688 Also found more info about the bugs in my soil, the fungus knat. Yeah I know how to sterilize and am kicking myself for not. I have used the microwave to sterlize rather than the oven but my soil qty was small, it works great though. I am hoping to get the flies under control but have not heard that it will be anything but a nuisance. (?) Pura Vida, saw the other thread your plants are looking good, growing really fast! I choose this thread cause our ladies are on the same sprout timing, I'll get pictures up soon but it is a hassle w/my vintage digital camera.

Add as amny CFL's as you can if you can handle the heat. Make sure the temp does not reach anything over 85. You can also put a cup of water in the cabinet for humidity. But not too big cause gnats will come. I water every other day and check the soil with my finger for wetness. If the leaves of the plant start to wilt and curl, then you are overwatering.

Just altered my grow set up, I cked my soil temp and found it to be 62.5F probably the same as the air temp. I put my plant in a bucket and put my 65w CFL over the top, the lamp is now fully enclosed and should retain the heat generated by the CFL. I'll recheck the temp. and report back here. I believe a 75F soil temp is ideal. I believe this will get my plant a little greener, we'll see. In a couple weeks I'll be putting those econo lights together. I have pix, but later.....These CFL's are awesome.

Ok I am not impressed w/the look of my first plant definitely chlorotic and I hate getting into the maze of Zinc, Mg, N, pH,...... , I want to keep it simple I don't want to know how to be a fix-it expert but just to grow it right the first time that is why I chose soil.
About buying soil at the big warehouse stores, it is a shame, I was looking for a plain potting mix w/out the additives NPK and moisturizer (I hear that there is a study showing that is another scam). Anyway I have got this Schultz Deluxe Potting mix with the moisture thingy and the fertilizer. And little did I know fungus knats as well.
Soil: As above started w/a lite solu of hyponex but quickly stopped when plant showed chlorotic signs. And recently flushed w/2 gallons into the one or two gallon pot.
Heat: Soil temp was cold 63F but now at 75F
Light: 65W cfl w/in a couple inches of plant, burning was an issue so I pulled it away slightly. (the cfl-light is something I learned about on one of these threads about taking a cfl security light and altering it for a grow, cowabunga, ideal for a single plant for start thru...? we'll see.) The dome reflector sits perfectly on top of a 5 gallon bucket!! Talk about convienience.
Action: I guess I will either top dress the Schultz stuff w/compost or buy some top soil add something like perlite or another conditioner w/perhaps more compost (microwave sterilize) and replant/transplant. I'll reflush w/more water but twice as much. The water is aged to dechlorinate.
Other: The 4 150w hps econolights will be mounted and wired in a few weeks. I'll mail order some mylar.
Should be good to go but I am skeptical about how and why I am getting yellowing leaves, I believe it is either the soil nutes or soil temp. (just read something about soil temp cycles and the effect on internode spacing). If there was a quick and definitive way of discovering how to resolve the yelowing issue I'd be happy.
That's my plan and I'm sticking to it.

Soil Temp: is actually approx 65F. I'd like to get it warmer I think, perhaps when the HPS are up and running I can direct the heat to the soil? That'll be a trick.
Urea: I had some of that Urea so I added a pinch to a gallon of water and water the plant w/it.
Plant Issues: Chlorotic still of course but believe it is a temp issue, the urea I hope helps, the plant was prob. was OK w/out it, we'll see.
Edit: Just addressed the soil temp issue by covering the bucket with towels due to radiant, and conductive heat loss.

Soil Temp: Now with towel insulating both bucket and cfl reflector=70F Air Temp: 78F
CO2: Started today using this recipe http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/Diyco2.htm, the room is so cold I don't expect the CO2 to kick in until the HPS are up.
The plant looks like it has grown an inch since just yesterday. The warmth and the bump of Nitrogen seem to have done the trick, but time will tell. The leaves feel softer. Now I can think about the flowering/and the sex of the plant, if it is a male I am not sure about how to save the pollen for future seeds, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

A couple days ago my 65W CFL fell off my enclosure and busted. Today I was setting up those (4) 150W HPS that I bought, after striping the head of a screw I tried to drill it out and accidentally put my drill through the ballast coil. The plant is looking good, about a foot tall the temp and Nitrogen seem to have brought it around. Hope to have the other 3 HPS up by tomorrow cause I think I will go for flowering now.

I put the HID's online today. 4 150's. Thanks J Dirt for telling me about e-conolight. I also posted my pix today. The biggest problem I had was with the temp. my grow area stayed at about 55F and even when I insulated the 7 gallon bucket my plants still suffered from the cold.
Note: I woulda gone for a 400W off the shelf if I could do it over again considering the time and safety issues. I guess I'll go put a smoke alarm in my grow room.