Alright this will be my first time growing and wanted to share my set-up with everyone and get some tips. I have 4 2 liter soda bottles under a 27watt fluorescent bulb. http://www.lightsofamerica.com/desk.htm scroll down to model 1147TR Im using potting soil with miracle grow in it. Thats about it i started the seeds in a damp paper towel and 4 days later one has burst through the soil, but im still waiting on the other 3. I know they all had about the same amount of root when i put them in the dirt but for some reason the other 3 are slackin Do male and female plants grow at the same rate?
i got realy anxious and decided to search for my seeds lol. I was happy to see the other 3 were just under the surface, i suspect that i barried them to deeply however they appear to be fine and i slightly uncovered them. btw i plan on having my light on 24/7 for at least a month, good idea?
Check out the Faq's bro. You have much to learn. Many of us also started of growing like that but it just doesnt work. http://www.growkind.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=37
Wait for the other 3. They will get there. And I know your anxious but growing bud is a very slow process and you have to be patient. Dont go searching for your buried seeds. Just wait for them to pop above the soil. Your light will be good enough for about the first 2-3 weeks, but I'd upgrade when you get into the veg stage. Also you will need to transplant into bigger pots eventually. As far as miracle grow goes, I'd go to your local hydro shop and get the correct nutrients for your plants. Just tell the guy your growing tomatoes in your house and he'll know what your talking about. I use a brand name called Ionic. And male plants a lot of the time, will grow faster than females but not neccessarily. PurePlaya, is right. The more you study about this, the more you will learn you don't know. I've been doing it for years, and learn new stuff all the time. Read this bible: http://www.scribd.com/doc/6542/Green-Greg-The-Cannabis-Grow-Bible-4th-edition-color
well i plan on keeping my setup because 6 flouro lamps and bulbs at $30 a piece is near $200 (i could get a much better light at that price). However i would consider getting this light http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100060145
mercury vapor lights have never been great for growing. check out the DIY section for tips on budget growing. hopefully other budget growers will chime in with advice.
Like Jimmy said, the MV lights will not work as well as a HPS or MH. I know some people who used them in the 1970's and got good results, but they needed a LOT of venting. Those MV's get even hotter than the HPS or MH. I would urge you to get a High Pressure Sodium. I got mine from here: http://www.htgsupply.com/growlighttypes.asp?categoryID=1&subcategoryID=155 I don't know how much space you are using, but to figure out how many watts you need, do your calculations based on 50 Watts per square foot. Hope that helps.
hmm i now have 4 experienced growers saying dont use the light so i guess i wont but whats frustrating is this damb growing bible says its good i was hoping i could get a good light for $30 http://www.scribd.com/doc/6542/Green-Greg-The-Cannabis-Grow-Bible-4th-edition-color page 155 well go figure
You'd just be burning power and maybe your plants... But think out side the box man. (I'm not referring to my sig in any way) ??? You don't have to spend that much at the very least you could get a couple of those clamp lights with the aluminum reflectors, the big ones rated for 300w with the ceramic sockets (I got mine @ lowes for $12x2=24) and a couple of Y spliters (again Lowes $2x2=$4) and a 4 pack of 23 watt 5000K CFL's look around and I'm sure you can find one for $15 - $20. Thats about $50 for a half-assed budget veg lighting. Or you could got to thrift stores and look for bathroom light fixtures that have 3 or 4 sockets in a row and put Y spliters in there and have 6 or 8 CFL's lined up close together. The bulbs won't be more than $5 each, but watch for the multi-packs to go on sale. Just look for Cool White, usually you can find the Kelvin rating on there some where.
well i feel foolish now lol, but at least i didnt make a terrible mistake thanks again guys ps im never going to walmart again
You should study everything you can about growing before you start planning it. I read for a year before starting.
To give you a little encouragement, here are a couple of pictures of a grow I did last spring in boxes that are smaller than yours. I also used 2-liter soda bottles (Hempy-style). The box on the right has four plants and used four 23 Watts CFLs and one 42 Watt CFL (Well...two 23's in the first pic and four in the second). The box on the left used two 23 Watts CFLs and one 42 Watt CFL (all warm white). I got the lights on sale at Home Depot.
wow great job http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=163705-337-0401030003&lpage=none my grow space is 3x2 and 4'tall how many of those should i try and cram in there? (20watts each)
Thanks. You are not listening! Do not use the tube-type fluorescent lights. You will be very disappointed in the yield. Instead, use the Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs). They screw into a standard light socket. Even better to use a HPS or MH, but since you don't want to, stick to the CFLs. The kind that look like this: You want "cool white" or "full spectrum" for vegging and "warm white" for flowering. Your area is 6 sq. ft., so you will need 300 watts worth of light. That is going to produce a lot of heat, so be sure to have enough ventilation. That would be 8 of those 40 watt lights, so at $10 each, you are looking at $80.00. Seriously, though, for just a little more money, you could get a MH or HPS and you would get better results and be much happier. So, quit trying to cheap-out and get the right equipment the first time. By the way, if you want to use those 20 watt 2-foot lights, you would need 15 of them. That is going to cost you $200.00 (with tax and all).
i got 4 of thoose exact lights that you posted pics of. one thing that concerns me is that the box says not to hang them upside down or sideways, pointing towards the cieling. i would think that would reduce the amount of light that the plants get, should i disregard the warning? what will happen if they hang upside down?
is it best to veg under cfl, then flower under hps? i would use hps all the time.. but it makes more sense to veg under cfl if it will save me more money on my energy bill
well its been a week since the seeds hit the paper towel and about 4 days in dirt and the are all about 2 1/2" - 3" with 4 - 6 leaves, hows my progress?
Well.....lol..... You have a long way to go..... We do well with pictures, in fact, kindof need them to help sometimes....but it sounds like they have the right amount of leaves and height for a week old..... You're going to hear it a few more times, so I'll say it too....read the FAQ's, study EVERYTHING there is to know, search archives of old posts....there is a massive amount of info that you will need to know or this may be a dissapointment for you....The best advice I can give you. Did you figure out your light problem? :icon_confused: Does it seriously say on the box to not hang them sideways....? I'm just thinking of all the light fixtures in my house...some are hanging, some are on the wall.....I honestly don't think it would matter much with the CFL's .....as long as you're not trying to hang them UNDER the plant, which would be pretty useless. I used some of the clamps (I got mine at wallyworld, $6.74 apeice) :qbluewacko: Hey, but I have to thank Grat, I never thought of the splitters...Excellent! Thanks, Gratitude! Madhadder...:qbluewacko: CFL's work great for veg IMO, and sometimes even used for budding, with good results....:icon_confused: BUT this is a highly controversial subject...everyone has a differing POV....MH is preferred for veg, and HPS for flower.
