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First time grow; 1 sqft, 136 Watt CFL, 12/12 from seed

Intro:
First grow, so go easy. I'll be using a custom grow box.

Goal:
Small size, cheap, low power consumption, no smell, stealthy, an ounce total and dry, ~70 days from seed to harvest

Strains:
(A)
AK-48 feminized from Nirvana
(B) Blue Mystic feminized from Nirvana
(C) Northern Lights Auto feminized from Nirvana (didn't mean to order the auto but whatever)

Cab size:
Less than 1 square foot and ~31 inches tall

Lights:
Two 26 Watt 6500K CFLs and two 42 Watt 2700K CFLs

Method:
More or less 12/12 from seed

Medium:
Walmart Lawn and Garden Organic Soil Mix in a 2 Gal SmartPot

Nutrients:
General Hydroponics Flora Series and pH control

Soaked for 24 hours:


Planted; the cardboard didn't last like I hoped


Day 2; 24/0 Lighting


Day 4; 24/0 Lighting


Day 5; 18/6 Lighting, heat/light burned the leaves


Continued on next post...
 
Day 7; 12/12 Lighting from here on


Day 15; Clipped the dead part of the leaves off and noticed pre-flowers


Thoughts or comments? I'd like to get some suggestions on nutrients, not so much the schedule as much as the concentration per gallon, I haven't been going over 2.25ml/gal of any one nutrient solution out of fear of burning them but I don't want to starve them either.
 
2 weeks from seed popping to 12/12, and already ferts?? Hey if it works for ya, but seems a wee bit rushed to me. Give it more time, and if you are using store bought potting soil no need to go crazy at this point. If you just got to use fertilizer so soon, use 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. Too much too soon will cause more problems than too little. and..... Figure four weeks veg and eight weeks flower. Then again, 1sqf, and three or four plants.... Take some pictures.
 
2 weeks from seed popping to 12/12, and already ferts?? Hey if it works for ya, but seems a wee bit rushed to me. Give it more time, and if you are using store bought potting soil no need to go crazy at this point. If you just got to use fertilizer so soon, use 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. Too much too soon will cause more problems than too little. and..... Figure four weeks veg and eight weeks flower. Then again, 1sqf, and three or four plants.... Take some pictures.

Thanks

I'm not sure what works for me yet, but the soil I'm using is a mixture of peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, and a wetting agent, so there's nothing else in there for the plants.

I mixed the soil with 0.5ml/gal Boom, 1ml/gal Micro, and 0.5ml/gal Gro when I moved them all to the big pot.

Sorry about the pictures not working, I think I got it fixed.
 

smilley

Well-known member
Veteran
Hello Mike. I'm not a micro grower but I love the concept and think you've done a wonderful job on the initial set up. Now, run it and keep notes. After the first run, you'll probably make some modifications to enhance yield, airflow and odor control. Good luck and have fun and enjoy your first harvest.....
 
Hello Mike. I'm not a micro grower but I love the concept and think you've done a wonderful job on the initial set up. Now, run it and keep notes. After the first run, you'll probably make some modifications to enhance yield, airflow and odor control. Good luck and have fun and enjoy your first harvest.....

Thanks! I'm looking forward to see how it turns out. I'm sure there will be changes in the next round, but I wanted to keep it simple and develop a baseline so to speak.
 
Thanks

I'm not sure what works for me yet, but the soil I'm using is a mixture of peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, and a wetting agent, so there's nothing else in there for the plants.

I mixed the soil with 0.5ml/gal Boom, 1ml/gal Micro, and 0.5ml/gal Gro when I moved them all to the big pot.

Sorry about the pictures not working, I think I got it fixed.

Yeah, looking good. Start at 1/4tsp per gallon so you don't burn them, and after you run through a gallon, bump it to 1/2tsp. Watch your plants. If they start getting mega green, back off and just use water, and if the edges of the leaves get yellowish, increase. Oh damn... LOL I use teaspoon/tablespoon as I'm an old fart. Either/or, things are looking healthy so far.
 
Yeah, looking good. Start at 1/4tsp per gallon so you don't burn them, and after you run through a gallon, bump it to 1/2tsp. Watch your plants. If they start getting mega green, back off and just use water, and if the edges of the leaves get yellowish, increase. Oh damn... LOL I use teaspoon/tablespoon as I'm an old fart. Either/or, things are looking healthy so far.

Seems like we're on the same page. There's just under 5ml to a tsp :dance013:
 

hush

Señor Member
Veteran
Hey Mike. You're doing fine so far, so just keep up the good work. The best advice I can give you is to ALWAYS err on the side of caution. It's better to feed not enough than to feed too much, for instance. Here are some thoughts that come to mind:

1) That picture where you said you noticed pre-flowers... I don't see a pre-flower there. I think you are seeing the beginnings of what will eventually become a branch. Female pre-flowers look like 2 white-colored "hairs" that come up from the node in a kind of "v" shape. Male preflowers look kind of like "clubs" on a deck of cards. Plus, your plants are simply too young to be showing their sex yet.

2) About your nutes... you might consider looking into "Lucas formula" if you want to keep using the GH Flora series. That's what I use, by the way, and it is amazing!! But, I only say this after using the Lucas formula. When I used to use all 3 bottles, I experienced lots of fail. Many other people feel this way too. That is precisely why the lucas formula exists in the first place. I highly recommend looking that up.

3) That last picture there... I assume you are pointing out the beginnings of algae growth? If so, good job noticing it quickly! That definitely indicates the possibility that the soil is staying too damp. I would back off from watering for a minute, until that takes care of itself. If it continues on, your soil mix may simply not be porous enough, and you might need to re-transplant into a mix that has better drainage.

Other than those thoughts that came to mind, you are doing good so far. :)
 
@hush

Wow, thanks! Your micro grows have definitely been an inspiration and I really appreciate your insight.

1) I guess I was confused as to the definition of pre-flowers. I thought pre-flowers and showing sex were to different things but I guess not. I thought those 2 small sprouts were pre-flowers and then what you described is what it means to be showing sex. Here's a closer crop and arrow of what I was looking at anyway.



When should I expect to see pre-flowers/flowers?

2) I looked it up and can definitely do that. Should I start the 0-8-16 of G-M-B already? Too bad I bought all 3 bottles already. I was roughly going off of the schedule I found here at growweedeasy.com for download.

3) Yes! and it's strange because the top of the soil is mostly dry and it's been 3 days since the last watering, but obviously something isn't right. Should I still hold off watering a couple more days?

Thanks for your input!
 

hush

Señor Member
Veteran
No problem, and I'm honored my micro grows have been inspirational to you. :tiphat:

Preflowers are definitely synonymous with showing sex. Preflowers are specifically related to the actual flowers that will be forming on the plant when flowering is initiated. What you are seeing on your plant is vegetative growth, called "stipules." Here is a picture of female preflowers:

The_Early_Female_Preflower.jpg




And here's a pic of male preflowers:

MPre1.JPG




As you can see, stipules exist on both sexes.

And yes, I would probably hold off on watering unless and until you see the plant showing signs of underwatering. If the algal growth doesn't dissipate by then, AND the plant is demonstrating underwatering symptoms, I would say that this soil mix is probably too compacted and not porous enough. That's generally why I recommend going with a tried-and-true potting soil mix for people who are new to growing. The guesswork is taken out of the equation if you go with a good mix like, sunshine advanced, or something like that.

:)
 
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hush

Señor Member
Veteran
Oh yeah you asked about when you would start seeing preflowers, and I didn't answer... usually that coincides with when the plant begins alternating the internodes. What this means is that instead of there being 2 growth tips at each node, there will only be one, then the next one comes up above that, and the next one above that. At first, they appear directly opposite the stem of each other, on the same node. I don't know if that makes sense?

But the other answer is, if you force flowering at a younger age before the vegetative plant naturally begins alternating its internodes, you'll see preflowers usually within a week or so of initiating flowering (12/12).
 
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