Well, I've done my best... Now I'm asking for your help

[CFL_Grow]

Yes you want daylight cfl's. 5000+ K for veg.

The less you move the better i reckon, less moves = less chances of a mess up. But, if you are decent at the transplant i dont notice much stunted growth at all.

I'd repot soon just to bury them in soil up to the leaves.

 

[Emph]

Thanks CFL... Guess my next question would be is it worth downgrading from 300watt CFL equiv bulbs of 2700K to 150w equiv bulbs of 5000K+... Home Depot only had 150W equivelant CFLs that were 5000K+ Temp. Not sure if I'm saying that right... In a higher state of mind right now and it makes sense to me haha.

 

[Incognegro]

Quick rundown..

Quick rundown..

Okay I will try to help as much as possible without bringing in too many variables.

1. 5000K is great for vegging, but not a necessity...you can veg just fine with 4200 or 4500K, just stay above 3000K

The above in itself will solve a couple problems... you're plants are stretching due to the light spectrum.

2. I suggest getting some cheap cone reflectors too to put around those lights, you're losing a lot of valuable light due to non-reflEction, and with cfl's you need as much light as possible. With the reflectors you'd hand the light vertical.

3. For venting, you can get a rather cheap "booster fan" they're basically ducting connectors with a pc fan in the middle, lol. They're fairly inexpensive, and would work wonders for your tent.

4. You will definitely need the booster fan at the least, for the 400HPS. I'd personally recommend a Dayton fan, or equivalent to move the air out, and somewhere else..as you said either out the attic, or at least into the bedroom, hell even out the window if it's close enough.

5. I've used Scotts Potting mix before...it's actually not too bad of a mix (I've seen, and used worse) just add more Perlite to it.. for better drainage.

6. Make sure you let your dirt get somewhat dry b4 watering again, ESPECIALLY at the seedling stage... wait til the top of the dirt look dry, and check with your finger... the cups should be fairly light (weight wise) b4 you water again. These dry cycles will encourage your roots to grow.

7. Don't transplant too soon, but i WOULD recommend a t-plant now though...

8. Here's how to do a quick transplant. (and best way in my opinion, ESP for newbies and soil growers)

A. Cut 2 or 3 holes in Solo cups for drainage
B. Cover bottom inside of cup with Perlite, about 1/4inch (really just enough to not see bottom of cup)
C. Fill about 2 inches from the top with soil mix
D. Simply place your 4 fingers on top of the dirt, (with plant in between middle and ring finger)
E. Flip cup upside down
F. Gently with free hand, GENTLY break loose some of the dirt from around roots, (in your case, this probably isn't necessary)
G. Plop rooted plant into the prepared cup (in your case, you may have to shake loos dirt into cup, and then place plant on top)
H. Flip remainder of cup with soil mix.

EASY.

In your case, i would suggest putting some more of that tap stem further into the mix... so they won't be so lanky... if you can also point that fan to give them a gentle breeze, if it isn't already...

Okay, it's late I'm done...

Night :

 

[InNvBoarder]

Emph i just read through here and I think your biggest problem so far is patients. Chill for a bit and give those little sprouts some love and they will be fine. You asked so many questions up to this point i might miss some but here we go
First your watering too much im sure, thats every new growers problem! When the cups are light like there dry then only splash them till a tiny bit runs off the bottom. In dirt you can over water and kill your babies easy!!!!
No the heli's cant see your 400 wt hps. I live in a city, those birds buzz over all the time and were all good to go. Gotta have some real heat in the house to get attension.
Read through this site as much as possible. Anything you could ever have a problem with, the solution is here.

 

[Emph]

So based off of what everyones said so far and what all I've read from people's sits and etc... I was definitely overwatering. I was watering once every other day or so. I'll definitely correct that.

Ordered two 85watt cfls with a color temp of 6500k last night, they should be by the end of the week. I'll be heading to home depot shortly to get new containers and that foci farm stuff if they have it.

Inny, it's definitely patience... I need to work on it, but it's hard to when I look sound on the forums and other first time towers have plants five times my size and three days younger... Haha.

Incognegro, I picked up two pc fans, one is going to be an exhaust and the other will be a nice, gently breeze on the girls. Just gotta do some research and figure out how to run a pc fan outside of a computer haha.

 

[Incognegro]

Hey Emph,

Since you're going to HDepot, I assume you're in the US..

Hookin up PC fans is beyond easy..simply strip of 2 prong plug (part that connects to mobo) and strip wires bare about 1/2inch... then grab a wall-wart adapter (the little plugs that you usually see on small electronics, like cell phone chargers... On the fan itself there is usually a power rating of how much amps and current the fans draws.. get an adapter that matches; strip down it down to the bare wires as well, and connect using either butt connectors, or nuts, and then elec-tape together. Simple...

If you use a adapter that puts out a little more power than what the fan is rated for, it'll spin faster... if too powerful though, you'll burn out the coils... and the fan will die..lol. You can't really mess up the wiring, because the fans usually aren't polarized, so either way you connected it'll spin, it may just run reverse.

Also, you can run both fans on the same adapter...

HDepot doesn't carry Fox Farms.... it's only in hydro stores...

Told ya, the Scotts if fine for now, if you're on a budget...just add Perlite...

 

[EliTheBarrowBoy]

Sweet!

There you go bud!

Thanks Incognegro.

 

[Incognegro]

I think you're pushin it with the 6500K bulbs... I think that spectrum only has little usable light for the plants..

Yes, after some quick research...yes, 6500K is pushin it for terra-plants...we used it primarily for aquaculture... plants (under the water...)
5000K - 5600K is great... the 6500K is usable as I said, just pushing it..

I would mix it up..if you can, put 4 bulbs in there together, the 3700K?(right) and the 6500 together...or at least 1 of the 3700K for a better spectrum.

 

[Incognegro]

Anytime! I like to help when I can..

I was in Emph shoes about 8-9years ago... almost the exact same situation...I learned ALOT FAST, and quickly picked up... so I know the feeling...

Holla!

 

[statusquo]

Starting any grow without insuring that your environment (for all stages) is on lock down is a bad idea IMO. Also, growing, just like everything else in life, isn't all research. Not all suggestions, facts, guides etc apply to your situation. Experience is the most important thing in this field. MANY people completely fail their first time and don't get anywhere at all so don't feel badly. Just don't give up and keep reading the forums. Don't try the same method over and over if it's failing - try something new! Anyways good luck.

In terms of suggestions: I would much rather use my only fan as an exhaust than an intake. Pulling is MUCH more efficient than pushing air (which is what you are doing now with the intake). Also, try establish your green thumb and do things by feel. Know the science and know how things work but don't follow a bunch of super detailed guides - those details worked for that guys circumstances/supplies etc. You might have different variables.

 

[Emph]

Thanks guys, definitely gonna have to just bite the bullet and be patient... I'm just a very active person and always want to be doing something, haha.

I've t-planted the two from my first germ into bigger pots and separated all the little ones into their own solo cups.

Definitely disappointed with home depot and lowe's... closest garden store is like an hour away so I'll have to hold off on getting everything as I want it 100% for now.

Well good to know incognegro, haha. I'll be calling 1000bulbs tomorrow to try and cancel my order... But while I'm on that topic, would I be better off getting a single 100W CFL with a reflector than two like I've got now? Would definitely be easier to raise and lower... and it'd only be about $20 more expensive to get (at that local hydro shop they're $69.99 with a basic reflector). I've spent $35 on the two 2700K and $55 on the 6500K...

I guess my final question on this before I retire to just reading and figuring stuff out for myself is this... Would I be better off starting over? THese plants are light stretched... I planted them to just below their growth when I transplanted them to bigger pots, but I'm told that the stem will rot under the soil and I think it'd be wasting a lot of soil space that I could be using for roots. Thoughts? I'll add pics of how they look after the t-plant shortly

 

[Emph]

Hookin up PC fans is beyond easy..simply strip of 2 prong plug (part that connects to mobo) and strip wires bare about 1/2inch... then grab a wall-wart adapter (the little plugs that you usually see on small electronics, like cell phone chargers... On the fan itself there is usually a power rating of how much amps and current the fans draws.. get an adapter that matches; strip down it down to the bare wires as well, and connect using either butt connectors, or nuts, and then elec-tape together. Simple...

Hmmm so there are three wires coming from this pc fan.... A positive, a negative, and a yellow marked "fg"... Otherwise, I did what you said but no power to the fan.

Also, can I just twist the wires together and then electrical tape that?

 

[Incognegro]

Hey Emph..

First off...lol, I don't know who told you the stem will rot, but as long as you don't bog it down with water, it won't rot...If anything the stem may actually grow roots... mine have in the past, and I can take a pic of 1 now where the stem has grown roots... well.. when the lights come back on..

The third wire is probably a controlled trigger, attach it to either wire, pos or neg... i'd say positive though...and yes, you can just tape them together..ELECTRICAL tape though... heat from the electricity will deteriorate regular Scotch Tape...

About the light... you know what, that's actually up to you..

I've vegged under reg high K CFL's I've bought from Walmart b4...

I've done lots of biz with 1000bulbs... hell they should know me by first name lol... BUT looking at a possible 6500K bulb from them... if you got the 6500K full spectrum, then don't worry about it..

If you got this http://www.1000bulbs.com/search/?q=...0..249&attrFilter=Compact+Fluorescents+(CFLs) one, then you're fine..

Yes i think the 5K would've been better but you'll be okay... 2 me, in a small area, 2 bulbs is always better than one... more even light distribution. Unless you you decide to go all out, (but actually cheaper) and get a 2foot flouro setup... it'll cost the same if not less to get one of these going versus the 2 CFLs... MUCH better light distribution and probably more lumens too...AND usually run cooler to boot! lol

 

[Pompey_Monkey]

The third wire is probably a controlled trigger, attach it to either wire, pos or neg... i'd say positive though...and yes, you can just tape them together..ELECTRICAL tape though... heat from the electricity will deteriorate regular Scotch Tape...

The yellow wire is more likely to be from a sensor that tells the computer how fast the fan is running. You won't have to connect it to anything.

ELECTRICAL tape is the correct type, hence it's name, but if there's enough heat from the current flowing through the wires to a PC fan to deteriorate Scotch tape, then you've got something wrong in the circuit!

 

[Emph]

Flouro's won't work, I'm confined to a 16x16 tent for this setup ;P

Just got off the phone with 1000bulbs, changed it to a 85watt, 400watt equiv 5000K, 5,500 lumens each... They'll be shipping them today, I'll have them by Friday.

Figured out why my PC fan didn't work last night... The DC converter only put out 100 mA and the fan required 180 mA, haha. But with that being said, I'll be picking up a larger DC converter and gettin' her hooked up tonight as an exhaust as well as a second PC fan inside the tent to ventilate on the plants themselves.

 

[Incognegro]

Elec tape is virtually insulated... it does not take much current to deteriorate Scotch Tape... it's not made for such applications.

Try to find an adapter that puts out 200mA... it'll make find fan spin faster, but not enough to burn it out... you could also attach a potentiometer to it (dimmer switch) to it to adjust fan speed.

Yes, if only 1 fan is available exhaust in much better of a choice.

Also, 16 x 15.. you can get 12inch flouros a 12 x 12light bay...you can find them in 2,3, and 4 bulb combos...

 

[ChardIr]

Hey there Emph,
Just wanted to stop in and wish you luck on your grow! I did want to ask what are the seeds you planted? Is it bag seeds or some kind of strain? Anyway, we have kind of the same systems going and I hope your does great!

 

[Incognegro]

Any updates? Lol, seeing your anxiousness, I know you've looked in on them at least 10 times in the last 2 days...lol!

 

[Emph]

I wanted to give it a couple of days before I posted again... To make sure there was some progress. Developing that whole patience thing ;P

Chard, they are bag seeds. I like your setup a lot, and it's making me rethink buying a HPS for my bigger tent, if I decide to get one still. Did you get that tent from HG Supply?

Incognegro, ask and you shall receive my friend!


This is what I transplanted them into... I moved my two oldest plants into 6" diameter bins and the rest into their own solo cups.

This is my oldest plant, she's doing well now I think. New growth for sure.


This is my second oldest... She's not doing so hot. I think it's because she's under the assembly for the bulb and not directly under the bulb... but no way to change that short of hanging my bulbs vertically to get even light distribution...



Are these yellow leaves healthy? Does this mean she needs more water? Nutrients? This soil is very shitty... I just picked up some FFOF from my local hydro store, going to transplant them in a couple of days to 5.5"x5.5" pots with FFOF.


This looks like bug damage... Should I be concerned? It's only on this one plant and I'm pretty sure it's from a few days ago, before I sprayed more vigorously to get the bugs to stay away.




I just started germinating another set of seeds, I plan on scrubbing any that don't show good growth by tomorrow in favor for this new batch... It's still all bag seed, but now that I have the right lights, I want to see if I can make any of them look as good as other people's first grows. ;P

 

[Incognegro]

Good... now you're learning! Patience is key my man!


Oh btw, this is the reflector i was referring too... it will help you concentrate all light downwards, instead of all over your tent.

They sell these are Walmart and HomeDepot as well..and there's have clamps on them to clamp onto to things.