First microgrow

[microgrow3r]

Heres a look at my first microgrow setup. Still needs work! Using 1x18w cfl, 1x23w cfl both 6500k...plan on adding a strong 2700k cfl when i begin the flowering process. Have 2 fans, not sure what strength they are but the intake one is about the size of a bowl in diameter and the exhaust is the size of a party cup. No temp, but I live where the temp is 81 inside. The container is a 4inch. The strain is random from a collection ive kept over the past few months from regs...For the starting of it I am using the jiffy seedling starting mix organic. Im using bottled water from the local grocery store atm to water. These three pots have been under 24h light for 3 days. My reflective material(not sure if it really is reflective) is mechanicl tape from homedepot. Some minor light leaks. the 4th day in because I didnt germinate I was going to scrap the project so I was emptying the pots when I found a seeding with a 1 inch white root sticking out, So i repotted it in the same medium and water. Since then which has almost been 24 hours it has grown roughly an inch with the seed shell almost completly off exposing its first set of leaves. Going to upload pics in a few minutes.........After I upload pics I have a few questions if anyone wouldent mind helping me with.


This is all fictional......nothing here is true.........just writing a story............

 

[microgrow3r]

Here are the pictures....

 

[microgrow3r]

My questions are.....how long should I leave it in the jiffy seedling organic starting mix....Im only letting it get to be 12 inch max with flowering, when should I take it off the 24hr cycle, Im using normal water atm, I have tomatoe MG fertilizer which I added a tablespoon of to a gallon of water which is sitting at room, should i add a lil bit of that to it? I cant really tell if the soil is dry or not since its starting mix or will this stuff dry out just like soil does? AM I missing anything that I should do, try.etc etc I know its early in the process but this is my experimentation to work out kinks of the grow system it self, before I go ahead and drop money on quality seeds. I dont really care if I get bud off of it or not, wouldent mind a bowls worth but Id take it just getting to 12 inchs. Thanks everyone or anyone who wouldent mind contributing...

This is fictional.........nothing I am writing or pictures shown are true, I am following someone else and using their pictures......................

 

[micro420guy]

cant see the pics???

 

[microgrow3r]

k I guess cause I had the album set to private, I set it to public hopfully that fixes it..if u cant stil see them let me know, because they appear in the post to me.

 

[yesum]

No nutes for a couple weeks or so. Get the lights close, like and inch or 2 away, or the little guy will stretch.

I put my seedlings in ffof or regular soil without added nutes. I do not see needing to put seedlings in special mixes. No idea about your jiffy mix, sorry.

I would flower at 6 inches and if it stretches too much, just tie it down to get your 1 foot height. Another 60 or so watts will give you a nice little plant. Microgrow section has blynx grows, shows what cfl and soil can do.

 

[microgrow3r]

thanks yesum, yea i didnt acctually mean to buy the medium i originally bought, was ina rush and then realized what it was when I got home I put the seeds in it..im going to have to repot when the baby gets a lil larger into good soil

 

[microgrow3r]

Bought 2 23w cfl 2700k today, going to be putting those in shortly. Plant grew another 1/2 inch. SO I will have a total of 4 cfl 1x 18w 1 x 23w cfl 6500k, and adding 2 x 23w cfl 2700k. Still have it under 24hr light, will be changing to 12/12 in a few more days to begin flowering process. I also bought african violet MG soil, which instantly feeds, but is not time released for the medium when I repot. It says needs feeding after 30 days. At this point its 6 days into growing from seed.

 

[microgrow3r]

heres a pic 10 days from seed..


its now on a 12/12 light schedule

 

[messn'n'gommin']

Looks good man! It'll get there!

The best thing you can do for it now, is to read, read, read! And when your eyes start to roll back in your head...read some more! There are lots of good people here that have a wealth of knowledge and experience, which is key to growing good weed. Reading will serve as a guide to follow to get that experience!

Good luck man!

 

[Supernatural]

Ah, you got a triploid. Hope she's female.

Regarding germination you don't really expect anything to pop before the 4th day. 4th day is quite typical but apparently they can go longer than this. Compared to many other plants this is a quick germination.

Good luck!

 

[Marathanman]

My main advice would be to get a lot more light on them. Maybe a 125w envirolite minimum.

 

[microgrow3r]

i think i have plenty of lights for the size grow im doing. Its about 80w's of cfl lights with mixed spectrum. Its only 1 plant and I have all 4 bulbs in a small place about an inch away from the plant. The soil I am using is african violet MG, it feeds instantly and says no feeding needed for 30 days. Its been about 10 since I potted them in it. I have a gallon of distilled water with MG tomato fert, should I dilute the fert some more, and then water, she hasnt been watered in about 3 days, dont plan on doing it untill after the dark period tonight which is in 5 hours or so my time. I try to feed them about 30 minutes to an hour after they been woken up by the lights, heard they liked being watered early plus i think it keeps them cooler under the sun as well as lets them soak it up all day rather then at night. But I havent read that deep into the botany of the roots and when they really like to soak up the water the best. Sorry rambling a bit first time smoking in about 3 weeks. Well unsure of what I should do about giving it some extra nutes. Dont need a nute burn, prab overthinking it a bit. Need some advice on what ya think.

 

[messn'n'gommin']

The soil you're using already has nutes in it, so I suggest waiting before adding any more until the plants let you know when they are getting hungry. Just give them plain water. Most people will let the water sit out for 24-48 hours to evaporate the chlorine before watering and some will bubble the water for a few or several hours before watering.

Watering early is a good idea. Yeah, it does help to keep them a bit cooler for the rest of the "day," but mostly, watering late in the day, also encourages mold overnight. It takes a bit of self-discipline to keep from watering too much. Best to wait until the soil is just starting to get dried out. Be patient!

The Soil/Organic Soil forums is a great place to learn more about the different soils and their mixes!

You're doing good for a first timer! Keep it up!

Peace

 

[microgrow3r]

yea I have been just using reg water from a gallen jug store bought brand,i just have the fert water sitting for when I am ready to use it. Wasnt sure if I should start implamenting them now to get maybe for nutes in the soil since its been watered down a few times with reg water. I figured no just wanted to see if someone thought it was a good idea or not. Thank you for the adivce, ill post more pics when its been a while.

 

[Supernatural]

You may not need veg ferts at all and just start feeding when flowering. Especially since this is a microgrow you don't want them getting too big.

 

[guest 77721]

You shouldn't need to feed the seedling for a few weeks. That's a big pot for that little seedling to grow roots into to find something to eat. There's plenty of nutrition in the compost in most potting soils to grow 3-4 nodes and several leaves.

Just be careful that you don't cook the tender little seedling with the lights. Use your hand to determine a safe spacing from the lights. I keep mine 3-4 inches away and only use 30 w/sqft cfls max for seedlings and small plants.

yea I have been just using reg water from a gallen jug store bought brand,i just have the fert water sitting for when I am ready to use it. Wasnt sure if I should start implamenting them now to get maybe for nutes in the soil since its been watered down a few times with reg water. I figured no just wanted to see if someone thought it was a good idea or not. Thank you for the adivce, ill post more pics when its been a while.

 

[microgrow3r]

redgreenery thank you for the information.I was keeping em at 1 1/2 inches away but now I moved them to about 3 thinking it would get better light underneath. I am worried about the droopiness of the leaves right now. Im unsure about the watering, I am watering every 3 days untill i see runoff at the bottem, maybe 1/5th cup of runoff water. Is that to much, to little. It seems like after 3 days the soil is dried out but I am a noobie in this aspect the soil feels dry to my finger least the top soil but im not sure dow n by the roots. I wasnt having a fan constantly on the plant, but i recently reposition my fan to be blowing on the plant not sure if I will keep it constantly focused on the plant might le ave it for half of the 12/12 then off for the 12/12. Since it being a microgrow in a cramped case, I tend to talk to it for 20 minute intervals 3 times a day. But yea, interested in anyones https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=29435&pictureid=667050 take on the droopiness of its leaves at this point. I figure the small stem is due to lack of wind on it. Still havent added any nutes dont plan on it for at least 3 weeks. I have the 4 bu lbs on it, the inner two right over the plant are the 2700k, and the outer 2 are the 6700k. Again thank you for any information helping me along with my project...........................


Any information posted or images taken are all fictional, I am folloing along with someone elses grow documenting them from my perspective..........

 

[guest 77721]

I'd pull 3 of the lights out and only run one little one until the plant gets bigger.

If you are watering every 3 days, it's more likely that the clay pot is drying out the soil than the seedling.

The best way to figure out watering is to get a similar pot and fill it with dry soil and compare the weight to the planted one.

I keep a spray bottle handy (recycled windex) and mist the seedlings occaisionally.

When you overwater, the roots are kept too wet and they don't grow to find water. The leaves grow big and droopy with very tightly spaced nodes.

 

[microgrow3r]

Ive kept the wind blowing on her for the majoirty of the 24hour period and have noticed the leaves perk up and the stem thickening a little bit. Hopfully thats all it needed to stop the drooping.