Greeting fellow gardeners, 1st Grow

Hi,
This is my first grow and I have to tell you that I am having so much fun!! Here is the low down on what I have done so far. I have to tell you that I have no idea what I'm doing. I am just reading on different internet sites, watching YouTube, I read Jorge Cervantes book and have a buddy coaching me a little.

My room is 10 x 12, ceiling 10' insulated, I installed a 2 ton mini split, running 6 xtrasun digital ballasts, 6 old school cool tubes duct with an 8" max fan with pulleys to raise and lower as needed, there is another 8" fan duct to the outside to bring in fresh air as needed.

I started with 12 Colorado Pinkberry as clones I got from a friend, potted them in 1 gal smart pots using Happy Frog for about 6 weeks. Then transferred them to 7 gal smart pots again with Happy Frog for another 6 weeks. 24 hrs under Metal Halide, I used the basic A&B and Cal Mag for 2 watering and then 1-2 watering with plain water, repeat as necessary. I ph the water to about 5.6. The temps during veg were kept between 70-85 deg depending on how cold it was outside. Humidity was low throughout the entire veg not going above 25%

I made 4 tables out of 2 x 4 and plywood with casters to roll the plants on and sometimes rotated them around the room. I tried to keep things very simple, very simple. Water, basic nutes, light, roughly the correct temp range, I know the humidity was low but I thought it would hold down some problems so I didn't try and add humidity.





At about 9 weeks I lollipop them. From what I understand I cleaned off the bottom 1/3, a couple I went to town on, some medium and some less









At 12 weeks I flipped them to flower 12/12 and swapped out the MH for HPS. At this point they were about 5 feet tall and I was worried I would run out of ceiling space so it was time to get these girls flowering. They are 1.5 weeks in and have stretched about 1.5 feet. I made a 4 trellis out of PVC and lashed it to the tables so I could still move the plants around. This has proved invaluable, the damn girls are so big it's like a jungle in there.





So that is all for now. I have tons of questions, comments and ideas I want to share with you guys. Most of this has gone great. I know I could do better but for my very first run nothing major has gone haywire. Here is a little video. I welcome any comments or advice.

Thanks,
Griff

Glad you are having fun! You went big for a first grow, congrats! Not sure it makes sense to veg so long indoors but whatever, you'll see soon enough. Keep having fun!

How did you learn how to setup your grow room?

Bug, I agree, the veg cycle went a little long but I didn't learn about lollipopping until about week 8-9. After I gave them a big hair cut I thought It would be a good idea to let them recover a week or so before flower. I also thought that if the girls grew big the harvest would be big too. On the next cycle I'm going to veg 8-10 weeks at the max. I kept them in solo cups for too long when I first got the clones and I think I stunted them a bit, it also took me a couple weeks to figure out the nutrient cycles.

PofN, I learned by looking at guys grows on YouTube, reading the MJ bible and talking to guys at grow stores. For a begginer like myself, they were very friendly and helpful. If you have any questions I can share with you the little I know

Welcome! Nice looking ladies!
Looks like you are a good student. Well done. Keep us posted!
WE

Howdy,
I'm just finishing my second week of flower, like a said up up above they stretched about 1 1/2 - 2 feet.

On one side of my room I didn't raise my cool tubes and the main stalk got a little bit too close to the light and cooked the very top bud. Nothing like learning from experience so make sure that you bend over your taller branches and or raise your lights so you don't cook the tops of your ladies.

I've given the normal A&B and Cal mag solution for the two weeks and I believe I do throughout flower, I have also added a bud booster. And soon I will add PK 13/14 for a few weeks and then add their product called Sweetness for a few weeks. I am following the feeding schedule of a brand of nutes called Complete Hydroponics. I'm not sure that this is the best stuff on the market I don't really know, but the guy at the grow store here in the Denver metro area was really friendly and really took some time to talk with me about the science behind growing I didn't have an affinity or experience with any other nutes so I just decided to use this brand. I go in to his shore 1-3 times a week and talk with him. I bet he dreads seeing me, lol. The results have been pretty good.

More in a bit, have a good day
Griff

The rule of thumb for lollipopping is 1/3. But when I flip, my plants are at or just above the first line of lattice (I run two lines). I lollipop up to the lattice.Sometimes there is only 2 or 3 fan leaves left on some stems. No light is going to get to anything under that after a few weeks in flower and that leaves a lot of thin scraggly bud and it's miserable to trim.

Trig,
I've been reading a lot about pruning during flower. Half of what I read says "leave them alone", only take off what yellows, pruning shocks them and there is no proof that it helps the yield. The other camp wants to remove fan leaves and lower/inner growth to allow light in with the thought it will enlarge the buds. Both sides are super passionate about their position. To me both make sense. Any thoughts? Please anyone chime in but respect each others opinions.
Griff

Griff79 said:

Trig,
I've been reading a lot about pruning during flower. Half of what I read says "leave them alone", only take off what yellows, pruning shocks them and there is no proof that it helps the yield. The other camp wants to remove fan leaves and lower/inner growth to allow light in with the thought it will enlarge the buds. Both sides are super passionate about their position. To me both make sense. Any thoughts? Please anyone chime in but respect each others opinions.
Griff

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Hey @Griff79 nice grow- welcome, fellow Colorado grower! I'm up in da Fort.

I veg for a long time too, I run a low plant count but grow 'em BIG; as much as two pounds allege when I get everything just right!

I advocate for cleaning things up because even if the quantity doesn't change, it definitely results in better overall quality due to less larf and popcorn. And I still think I get more quantity anyway.

TT,
What is your level of pruning? I have experimented with cleaning up 4 of my 12. 2, I took any fan leaves bigger than 2" and most of the smaller branches on the lower 2/3. The 2 others I cleaned up the inner growth and some of the fan leaves but left the upper half. The other 8 are bushier than a 70's porn star. it is taking will power to leave them be.
Griff

Griff79 said:

TT,
What is your level of pruning? I have experimented with cleaning up 4 of my 12. 2, I took any fan leaves bigger than 2" and most of the smaller branches on the lower 2/3. The 2 others I cleaned up the inner growth and some of the fan leaves but left the upper half. The other 8 are bushier than a 70's porn star. it is taking will power to leave them be.
Griff

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It's an intuitive thing; after spending time doing it you develop a feel for it. It's important to keep the strain characteristics firmly in mind; sativa live to be cleaned up, indicas much less so.

I read some advice on pruning that made sense to me. The article said to make your cut about halfway between the leaf and the "trunk". The remaining branch, the part you didn't cut off, dries up and falls away from the trunk a week or two later. This method was described as a way to avoid infection.

Any time you cut you risk infection. I used to snip right up close to the trunk but not any more.

Wiping your scissors down with iso alcohol when you're done is a good idea too.

I'm a proponent of leaving leaves alone if the plant isn't clearly abandoning them.

Mellodrama said:

I read some advice on pruning that made sense to me. The article said to make your cut about halfway between the leaf and the "trunk". The remaining branch, the part you didn't cut off, dries up and falls away from the trunk a week or two later. This method was described as a way to avoid infection.

Any time you cut you risk infection. I used to snip right up close to the trunk but not any more.

Wiping your scissors down with iso alcohol when you're done is a good idea too.

I'm a proponent of leaving leaves alone if the plant isn't clearly abandoning them.

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Interesting, I'll have to investigate
Griff

Here are my ladies at day 16




I can't tell yet if the plants that I trimmed and pruned over the last 2 weeks are fuller than the ones that I left alone. It seems like the ones that I trimmed are more hairy.

Griff

Hi All,
To give you an update on my road right now I am just finishing week six of flower things have been going great. I did get one of my lights too close to the plant and cooked the top of one of the colas and ruined it. I have been watering every other day it's soaking it up pretty quickly I have also been feeding nutrients once a week.

The temp has been 75 to 80 with the lights on and I'm trying to drop it down to 70 to 60 with the lights off it's been a little warmer than that though. The humidity has ranged between 40% and 60% if it gets a little too humid I pump and fresh air from outside.

Any feed back would be great.
Griff

Sorry about All the double posting it's evident I need practice uploading photos.
Griff

Griff79 said:

Sorry about All the double posting it's evident I need practice uploading photos.
Griff

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Looks great, what medium are you in again?

Thanks, I'm growing in soil. Used Happy Frog in 7 gallon smart pots