Suckrs first indoor grow

I'm just throwing this up here if anyone is interested and as kind of a backup copy of my log on my computer. This is my first indoor grow and while I believe I've done sufficient research, I may have a question or 2 along the way. Feel free to post whatever in this journal.

Grow is taking place in a closet in an unused utility/storage/spare bedroom (space is 2'x6'). I absolutely hate painting so I went with emergency blankets on the walls I opted for soil this time around. Ventilation is not complete yet but there will be a hole cut in the floor (passive intake from basement) and a hole cut in ceiling with whatever exhaust fan I pick up (exhaust into attic). Like many, there are no decent nurseries or grow shops around me so I tried to make due with what I could find.

I mixed a 40lb bag of Earthgro potting soil with a 40lb bag of Earthgro organic humus and manure. Also added to the mix was approx. 1.5 cups dolomite lime and an 8 quart bag of perlite. I'm not too happy about the perlite being miracle gro. I was really trying to avoid any of their products but after going to 5 different places I gave up. I'm hoping with it being such a low percentage of the soil it won't mess with me too bad. Soil ph is somewhere between 6.5-6.8 according to my junk meter so I'll fly with that. I honestly probably won't pick up a EC/PPM meter until I try a hydro (maybe another grow or 2).

Other equipment include:
seeds (I have Cole Train, Bubba Kush, Rock Lock, and LSD) (thank you Attitude)
4' 2 bulb T5 shop light (with 65k bulbs) - I had this around for germinating seeds for the garden.
12 26 watt 65k cfls
12 26 watt 27k cfls
2 9 inch fans
Dixie cups
baggies
5G. pots
Using Jacks Classic All Purpose and Blossom Booster
Accurite temp/hydrometer with high/low memory
any number of random timers, cords, adapters, splitters, cords, zip ties, etc..

Lets see how this looks if I just copy and paste my excel file... not good.. I'll summarize..

Avg. temps so far:
Low-77
High-85
RH-65

8/4
Placed 4 seeds in shotglasses with distilled water. (2 LSD, 1 Cole Train, 1 Bubba Kush)
8/5
All Seeds sunk in shotglass of distilled water (approx. 20 hour soak). No visible sprouting or cracking. Placed seed in 16oz. plastic cups with jiffy mix seed starter mix. Covered cups with plastic baggie and placed under floro tube lights.
8/6
3 seeds sprouted (2 LSD, 1 Bubba Kush). Misted inside of baggies with distilled water. Due to storm knocking out power for ~18 hours, sprouts were set on window sill to get what light they can.
8/7
Still only 3 sprouts. Power is still off and on so sprouts are still living on window sill in indirect sunlight. Sprouts shot up to ~2 inches though they are stretching pretty bad (possibly due to being in window sill). Baggies are still on cups and have visible condensation.
8/8
Still only 3 sprouts. Powers seems stable finally so sprouts moved back to closet under floro tubes. Removed baggies from 3 sprouts and misted lightly with distilled water. Baggie still covering the Cole Train.
8/10
Still only 3 sprouts. I have about given up on the Cole Train but its still under the light with a baggie. Put 1 more LSD seed in shotglass with distilled water. Growth on 3 sprouts are slow at best (possibly due to under so little light). Will probably keep the 3 sprouts under just the floro tubes untill the new LSD (or Cole Train) hatches so they don't get too much of a head start. Will transplant the 3 "head starts" deep to compensate for the stretch when the time comes.




Overall not too bad.. the power outage sucked in more ways than one but I'll live. It'll be a couple days before I can cut the intake and exhaust holes but I just put a window AC unit in the room that the closet is in to try to pull temps down a little. Kinda bummed about the CT bean.

I'm not really sure I'm happy with the amount of perlite in the mix. It was pretty damp when I mixed it and it seemed to stay kinda fluffy but I dunno... I'd really like to add more but I really don't wanna add more Miracle gro than I have to. Any way of being able to tell from the pics?

Also.. If you haven't read this thread you should check it out just FYI..

My dog ate my camera charger so I'm left with just a cell phone for pics at the moment.. I ran one of my pics through that website and while I thought it was funny that it pointed straight to my least liked neighbors house, its a little scary.

As of 8-15

Temps
Low:76
High:79
RH:65

8-13
4th sprout (newly planted LSD) came up. Given up on the Cole Train but leaving the cup with the others for now. Woke up to find the power off again. Apparently fixing some issues related to the storm. Moved sprouts to a spare room with a better view (more light). Power out for ~5 hours. When I moved sprouts back I realized that the spare room reaches over 90 degrees with no A/C - sprouts seem to have no ill effects from the heat though. Going to be gone all of the 14th and part of 15th - will put in most of the 65k CFLs when I get back as well as install new exhaust fan.

8-15
Fixed up grow room a little bit. Installed a 70cfm bathroom exhaust fan in upper corner. Added a 9"x12" intake vent in opposite lower corner. Placed a small fan outside of the room blowing cool air through vent. Fixed some mylar that was coming loose. Moved the floro tubes to the back wall due to it being in the way right now for using the CFLs.

I also got antsy and messed with my soil mixture some more. In addition to ingredients above I added:
1 (additional) 8qt bag of perlite
1 8qt bag vermiculite
1 8qt bag sphagnum peat moss
additional .5 cup dolomite lime

After all the sorting, picking out foreign materials, and mixing, it actually looks like pretty decent soil but I guess that will be seen in a few weeks. Ph reads just at 7 or a little below according to my shitty ph meter. I added the additional lime to counter the peat moss (I believe I read that the peat moss will lower ph as time goes on?) - can you actually add too much lime?

Just for future referance, all my CFLs are/will be 26w(100w equiv.) and my 2 tubes are 40w ea. - so I'm currently running:

156w 65k CFL
52w 27k CFL
and
80w 65k tubes