Journalin' and a Loggin' (with pics)

MicroGro

Well-Known Member
Not my first grow but hopefully my first grow where I can actually harvest. Previous attempt had pork problems.
Got some seeds from good isht growin with cfls in dirt in a home-made shit cab (see pics). Getting my cab just how I want is a constant work in progress. Originally it was a veg on one side and flower on the other but I had heat issues and my original idea for a light baffle was wholly inadequate for cooling (even with cfls). Cut a 4" hole between the two chambers for an extra exhaust and cut a 4" hole in the other side for intake. Light leaks are still a major problem. See the ugly ass ducting hanging off the side very unstealth. Got 2 computer fans both pushing 70 cfms but both are 14 dbs super quite I mostly hear the air moving through the ducting.
 

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Changed out the ugly ass ducting with a product I found called "darkroom breather".
Darkroom Breather: Porter's Camera Store: digital cameras, film camera and photography accessories
Looks promising. Here are pics of the install. I'll post temps after a 24 hr run. With ug dugt temps were 77-82 degrees. Hopefully temps remain reasonable. Light still leaks out one way (to the outside) through the luvers though. Not much can only notice it when all the lights are out. Put aluminum tape around outside to keep light from leaking out around the breather.
 

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Heres my lil sprouts had to do some early transplanting as two sprouted in the same pot. Poor seed sowing on my part:cry:. But now they're looking good. Also I'm pretty much following the SeeMoreBuds book buds for less as my guide but all the help on the forums is awesome!! I got a lot to learn and a lot to grow (ha! pun intended).
Oh yeah they're 3 days old now pushed up on the 16th.
 

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If anyone has better ideas for light baffles I'm all ears or eyes or whatever. I have to live in the same room as my cab so noise is also a concern. I've searched these forums a bit but I'm sure that there's something I missed. Being a hobby photographer I used to have a lil black and white darkroom in my bathroom at one of my old apartments so I thought I'd try some photo forums on how to build a home darkroom for hints on light tightness that were I found the darkroom breather and this thingy too
Air-No-Lite Model A1212 Darkroom Exhaust Fan: Porter's Camera Store: digital cameras, film camera and photography accessories.
All you veteran cab growers lay your knowledge on me. I'd be most appreciative.
 
Okay the darkroom breather was more like a darkroom wheezer. Temps went up pretty fast in a couple of hours so I made another change to a black L piece of tubing with a black "cut-to-fit" type filter attatched. Workin okay so far. The darkroom breather might of worked if I had like 2 or 3 maybe but 1 not cuttin it.
 

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Here they are day six. Temps in the cab are around 77 but at soil level they max at 90. This has me worried. As you can see in the pic I got a fan pretty much blowing on them but it is weak weak weak sauce. Replacement on payday for better fan. There are now 2 4" intake hole and 2 4" exhaust holes. The exhaust vents have 70 cfm computer fans blowing out and the intake currently has an unknown cfm fan I harvested from a display case. I'll most likely get another 70 cfm fan for the intake I found one that runs a 10 dbs.
 

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Got problems, brown spots....so early and already a bumpy road damn! Well nothing worth it is ever easy right. Changed the ventilation (again!), attatched a fan to the lighting fixture to help lower soil level temps to reasonable level. Soil was drying out over night, can't be good.
So far only two ladies got spots but unfortunately the biggest one is among them.
 
Problems persist on day 8. I started a thread in the plant problem section and got some responses. The general consensis is nute burn. Some say the Miracle Grow is too hot for sprouts. I transplanted the sprouts to Jiffy Pots (rockwool cubes would've taken too long to get here from internet site) and the put the Jiffy Pots in the Miracle Grow.
All the sprouts are yellowing and have brown spots on the first set of true leaves. The tallest one seems to still be trying to grow but the brown spots have worsened. If any one has any ideas of what this is or how to correct it please please let me know. Post on this thread, pm me, what ever.
Despite everything I will soldier on, I will harvest and enjoy the fruits of my own labor (maybe just not this crop). Shit, watchin' BrownDirtWarriors vids gets me juiced up to keep tryin no matter what. Enough Boo-hooin' heres some pics.

Oh yeah it's really day 9 not day 8. Can't count.
 

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They pierced through the soil on the 16th today is 27th and what started promising is heart breaking. The lil ladies look pretty damn sickly. I'll give em a few more days to recover then it'll just be time to restart. Oh well trial and error chalk it up to lack of experience. Learn and grow ya know. Any more whinning and I'll need some cheese and crackers. Heres some pics.
 
I lost one of the ladies to the nute burn. The other two seem to be pullin through. I started another seed to replace the fallen angel. Heres the pics...
 

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Ok and sorry I hadn't viewed this thread before. seedlings don't need any additional nutes for the first two weeks and then you would start giving them 1/4 strength nute solution, gradually getting to full strength. I am suprised no one suggested flushing those plants.
I used the Jiffy pellets to start with, left them in pots just big enough for the pellets, and then you cut the netting off before transplanting it, preferrably into an interim size container. This will aid in early root development because they don't have as big a pot to fill and you will get better above soil growth early. This is the first time I use any nutes, 1/4 strength about 300-400ppm. Three days later, when I water them again (ANd if you have to water more often that is a problem) if they have recovered from the transplant shock and look healthy I will bump up the nutes to 600-800ppm. Now wait to water again until they just start to show a little droop. A moisture meter (Costs about $15.00) will help to determine when you need to water until you get a 'feel' for it. Second and third watering, I will be at 900ppm if everything 'looks right' and getting ready to transplant to final pot size, around three-three and a half gallon size.
I do this to promote early root development, not because I like to do the work.
Now back to the heat issue. You have to get the plant or 'canopy level' temps down below 80 degrees or the plants are not going to grow well. They sell Inline fans at Menards which are exactly the same as the ones sold at my hydro shop. I have one that is on 24/7 and you can not hear it running. I do have it in insulated ducting, and I did have to wire it, its also a 500cfm fan. Costs $26.00. VV
 
VV thanks for the info! I've only given the ladies water so far no nutes yet. Thats part of the reason why I was confused. Think the MG was too hot for the little ones. Still strugglin with the temps though next paycheck is going to upgrading the venting for sure. I got an inline fan it's only 80 cfm but it's loud like a mini turbine engine, I'll try the insulated ducting see if that cuts the noise. Solid advice my friend thanks again!!
 
Here they are today. One of em has recovered fairly well so I've rearranged the lights to focus more on it.
 
Should I trim the brown tipped leaves at the bottom?
 

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Here are some pictures from today. One of the original three and the reseed are doing mucho mucho better. Thanks to everyone who helped in diagnosing the nute burn.
 

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Here is the bushy one. She's still kinda skinny with lil leaves but internode space is very tight.
 

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Here is the sprout that pulled through. It started showing some vigorous growth with larger leaves and a thicker stalk. I had it on some books to get her closer to the light but she got a lil to hot:cry:. I removed the books and you can see them as they are now.
 

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