New Grow

Like most on this site I got tired of buying, so I decided to get growing since I've been recently laid off and have a bit of money.

Here's my second grow actually, first was in college 10+ years ago. Didn't amount to much but I kept the experience in mind with the thought that I'd one day return to glory and be my own dealer.

No problems yet. Just wanted to get some feedback from more experienced growers.

All seeds are a strain of some killer blueberry shit I got from my dealer ironically. The smoke was great, but the seeds were from a hermaphrodite?? and he gave me a bunch.

I found a great deal on ebay. I bought the ballast with a 400w hps & 400w mh bulb, a lumatek(completely silent, I've got nosy kids) and the batwing reflector all for $219 including shipping. The hydro system cost me about $185, which I realized after I got it I could have built the same shit for far less, but was inexperienced and wanted something I could trust and learn from.

I've got six in the bubbleponics tub and three in soil mix (two parts organic soil, two parts cow manure compost and one part perlite and some gravel mixed in). I decided to germinate the seeds to see if they were any good and the three I had germinated sprouted, so I decided to put them into soil.

Once I got the bubbleponics I put six seeds in but one wouldn't sprout so that's why one cube is empty, for now anyway. I replaced it with another seed. I know the foil setup is kinda bunk, but I had a $500 budget and concentrated on getting good lights and the hydro box. I didn't have much money left to purchase mylar or anything fancy like that. The hydro system suggested I put a little bit of nutes in it for now, which I did and it seems to working for now. The soil mix I've been watering everyday with a teaspoon of nutes to one gallon of water and they seem to love. The nutes for the hydro I bought from them along with everything else, ph kit, six months of nutes. For the soil I'm using Better Grow Orchid plus (20-14-13) and Better Grow bloom booster 11-35-15.

Here's kind of an problem I just thought of. All growth is one week old today, but as you can see the ones in soil are a lot taller than the hydro.

WILL THIS DIFFERENCE IN SIZE BE AN ISSUE?

I also noticed that when the closet door is shut the temp goes up to almost 90 deg, but if keep the door opened it stays at about 85 deg the humidity is also steady at about 50-60%.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated. I just realized how much I've written and thought, damn, that's a lot. I guess I'm just wanting to tell someone all about it but can't except for here! Hah hah ha.


Thanks and I love the site.

Well...let's see here:

Aluminum foil may (but not necessarily) heat up from the lamp and burn your plants. I have only read about this and have never experienced it myself in my older grows.

That soil has a bit too much nutes in it. If you start to notice nute burn, you can be sure it's because of the soil.

Different plant, different metabolism. Plus, plants really really like soil. I'd guess it's because of the microorganisms that live in soil and that interact with the plant.

Those temps are way too hot for your gals. Get a fan, or maybe 2 (1, smaller for outtake, 1 bigger for intake). Keep the temps under 80F.

Your humidity is still pretty low for seedlings... leave a bowl of water in the closet to raise humidity. Don't mist water, because the slightest drop of water on on a leaf will heat up and spot burn your plant. Lower humidity over time, so that it's around 50% when you switch to flowering and under 45% during the whole flowering phase.

You may have seeds from a hermie, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the seeds will grow to be hermies. But if they will, don't panic, just pluck the balls before they release the pollen, making sure not to damage the stem.

PS: size is not that important to yeald. Many other factors have a more decisive role regarding final yeald.

Thanks doc,
I thought about taking the foil down since it makes noise when the fan blows agains it. The walls are white anyway. I do have a fan, an oscilating fan, but that's it. I keep the closet door open to keep the temp down. The bedroom door stays shut to keep out my kids, but the bdrm also has a sliding door which goes outside. During the day(because of the bright ass light) I do open the sliding door to let in cooler air now that it's summer and I notice the temp may get down to 80 degrees. Other than that I don't have much control over it. I don't have much flexibility in installing an intake fan or outtake fan. The closet walls are on the other side of a bathroom and to the concrete walls. What other options do I have besides buying a small ac unit for which I don't have any cash left. I do have an ac vent over the closet. Maybe I can rig something to direct the cold air into the closet when the ac kicks on.

You could get some air ducts, they're not that expensive.

And the white paint is way better then aluminum foil when it comes to reflectiveness.

I was finally able to add my pics.






stealth hydro tub.




closet door opened for air otherwise it gets way too hot. The lumatek ballast is located outside of the closet.

As doc suggested I'm going to take down the foil. My kids keep asking what that funny sound is!

Looks like a fancy setup you got there, all hidden away.

Here are some pics from my second week or growing. I've made some improvements. I took down the foil, I added a vicks vaporizer humidifier: it's increased humidity by at least 10%, now at about 60-75%.

That's lookin really nice. Keep us posted on your hidden grow!

Will do doc. Thanks.

it looking good bro keep up the good work!!

Nothing new to post yet, but will have new pics on Friday. Will be four weeks. Close to veg time.

Well fellas, here are my babies at three weeks.







Let me know what you think.

Looks great but the leaf curl is usually too close on the lights or too hot in the room. Where you set with the lights and room temp? Still very great!

MostlyCrazy said:

Looks great but the leaf curl is usually too close on the lights or too hot in the room. Where you set with the lights and room temp? Still very great!

Click to expand...

^ Agreed, that looks like a temp problem.

" I do open the sliding door to let in cooler air now that it's summer"

Are you in the southern hemisphere?

temp ranges from about 78-80 during the first part of the day and ends up at about 85-90 at night before shutdown. I think the issue is the lights being too close. I've only moved them a little bit since I brought them down. Here's why I think that. Only the top leaves are curling the bottom ones aren't. so I think it's the lights being too close. I moved them up about six inches this morning. I'll see in a few days.

blueybong said:

Have you thought about cutting a hole in the top & bottom of your closet door? Replacement doors aren't that expensive and you'll be able to help lower the temps within. Add a fan to both openings(one exhausting & the another bringing in fresh air).

Lowes/HD sell Louvers that would fit nicely mounted on the outside of the door, keeping light out once you go 12/12.

Plus heat can mess up your flower phase.

Just a thought bro!

Click to expand...

The sliding doors are mirrors. There isn't much cutting going on there. I wish I could. Thanks for the feedback bro.