(FTG) CFL Garden Grow

Hey everyone this is my FIRST TIME GROW! and I am really excited to get started. First off, I am starting off quick and cheap. My grow area is a simple 3 sided box (took me 5 mins) with a cheap blanket on top. It is approximately 2W x 3L x 4H. Right now I am in the process of designing a cabinet stealth box, but for now this will do great... I hope . For future reference if anyone happens to take an interest the cabinet I am building will be approx. 24 x 36 x 96. As well even though this is my (FTG) I will hopefully be able to attempt a successfully scrOG.

Basic setup consists of:

4 - 150w CFLs
4 - 45w CFLs
9 - Sprouts (as of now)
1 - 12" Fan (I am looking for a switch of some kinda to control)
1 - Digital Thermometer (Also does humidity)

Temperature 77 - 82 (High peeks at 85)
Humidity 25 - 30 (Would like up a little)

Future setup consists at least of:

1 - 200+w HPS
Full Automated Intake and Exhaust system (Some suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am in the dark about this but can do wiring)
4 - Simple Bubbler systems
And anything else that is recommended for good or better yield.




Currently my little sprouts are a strain from bottom bag seeds, Green Crack (Cali kush?) and these little guys a popping up like hot cakes. Any help would be appreciated and any comments. Speak your mind, help comes in many forms. Thx Again. Check em out!

Less then a week after Sprouting:

YO BC... I am so stoked for YOU!!!

thanks for making a grow journal..

love

1- YOu should never use containers that are CLEAR.. when LIGHT and water or moist soil mix, THEY make SCARY SHIT... so transplant into 1-3 gallon container ASAP.

2. YOU WANT TO FLOWER EARLY... as soon as you have 4-5 nodes and the PLANTS ARE HEALTHY, you NEED to flower!!!!!

THIS is VITAL

3. are you ph ING your water?

4. KEEP the lights close to your plants... after day 7, make sure the lights are 1 inch or less from your foliage.. you will need to raise the lights daily, so they don;t burn your leaves... HAVE a fan gently blowing the air in between your lights and your leaves..

WHEN using CFLs LIGHT PROXIMITY is EVERYTHING!!!

iloveyou

Funny you should say that, cause today well when i wake up i was gonna get some 3 gallon pales. The roots are showing thru on the bottom of the cups and i figured it was time.

Alrighty! tryin to find pots and organic soil at 4 pm was a bad idea lol. Well I managed to get the pots but they seem larger then 3 gallons. As for more soil, couldn't find shit! so I was only able to transplant 2 of my strongest looking plants. As for the rest, gotta wait and see tomorrow. So heres what it looks like, not much different.

Could anyone estimate how tall these plants might get in these large pots? thx!

Okay, little update now. im now down to 6 of my best plants. There looking better and growing but some are showing a faint yellow to them. I believe its a lack of nutes. Good thing i live 5 mins away from a hydro shop lol. On a further note ive bought a new lamp and its being shipped. Its a 400W HPS w/ reflector and ballast. As well ive started on my grow cabinet. I will post pictures of my cabinet when it is done. Just doing the finishing touches on it.

heres my plants...

Well its about week 2 into my grow and the little bastards are growing nicely (well i think so). Got my new cabinet made and just finishing up on the Air intake and the heat exhaust. Other then that i got my 400w HPS still coming in the mail. So heres a look at them greens....

And Some MORE...

Nice grow so far. Just wondering, but in the last 3 pics, the first two plants are a substantial amount larger than the 3rd. Did you germinate at the same time? Or is the 3rd plant 1 in which you kept in a smaller see-through cup for an extra day or two? I dont see why that happened, especially with even lighting, and all the same soils and nutrients... Unless you changed the soil when you switched to bigger pots. Nevermind, looks good either way just a bit younger to my eye. Keep up the grow! Can't wait to see how the babies do with a 400W HPS

Ah, well Im not quiet sure. I might have transplanted late with the other 4, but that doesn't explain why one of mine in a 2 gallon pot is surpassing my large one in a 5 gallon pot. The only thing i can think of is the soil. The 5 gallons are all Pro-Mix Organic while the other 4, 2 gallons are Pro-Mix HP with the top 3" of Organic (This time of year organic apparently is hard to find). Other then that i hope they even out with the HPS and some EarthJuice.

Oh and yes i germinated at the same time but there bag seeds so they started popping at different times.

Thx!

UPDATE:

The plants are going good now. Just added Earthjuice to the equation at 1/2 strength and misted them with a solution at 1/8 of the strength. Only problem right now is my 2 big ones are having the leaves fold because i didn't fill the pot up with enough soil. Is there anyway i can raise the plant a little, its only like 2" from the top of the pot. Or will it just grow out more and be alright? Anyways eyeball my plants.

And Heres More:

Hey nice grow. I'm currently trying to make a new indoor setup for my CFL's. I think Im going to end up putting on a Y splitter and using two 42w CFL = 150w.... You think thats enough for just 2 plants to experiment?

It'll be for Veg/Flower. But, I'm expecting one male so flower will be for 1 plant.

It depends on the area and the lumens from what i can remember. I believe the ball park is 5000 lumens per square foot. Right now im pumping out 16880 in an area of about 2 x 4. So id say atleast 3 - 150w bulbs minimum. Each should be emitting about 2600 lumens each. Cool white is for veg'in and warm white is for flowering or you can do both. Try search'in around on the forum but im pretty sure this is solid information ive gathered from here.

Today i finally got my 400w HPS light. Hooked it up, and set it up. Now its time for these gals to eat up some light. They seem to be doin alright, except this one i got. Any suggestions on why its so droopy? Anyways heres the Gee Cee!

i got 2 400 watt hps
so your doing good man
im not sure why your plants are droopy but ill look into it
so the pro mix has nutes in it already?

but how did you wire your cfl fixtures
i needs some side lighting

Black to black, white to white, if you can green or exposed copper to its ground counter part. Use electric tape and merrets twists. Everything you can get a home depo. Just do the best that you can on the wiring job and make sure its properly insulated. Make it so its not a fire hazard basically.

Update time. After finding out about my ph unbalance after adding earthjuice to my perfectly PH'd water there all coming out of shock and are doing just fine. The leaves are no longer droopy and they upward and saying hi! Two look like they have nute burn or maybe a mag. deficiency if any of you could comment on that please do. Heres my babies. Oh also when do you think i should flower? i would like ideally 3' high. And i might scrog half just to see what its like.

looking fucking great dude....keep up the good work...how tall are they atm?

One of them is pulling away from the pack at 10" while the other 3 are 8+. And as before the 2 - 5 gallon pots are dying, but go figure it would be the pots with the organic pro mix and not the HP mix. LOL, stupid plants don't know what good for em!

Anyone think i should start to flower at 12" to 15"? i am trying to keep them a manageable size... and i want bud!!!