1st Grow, Nirvana Swiss Cheese Auto in soil with CFL, 5 gallon space bucket

Mean Gene

Mean Gene

Well-Known Member
Looking back on it now man that dresser was so bad haha. Not like the ones you see here sealed up and neat looking. I lined the interior with automotive windshield reflectors since they were cheaper than mylar.

You will see as the plant grows it will tell you what it needs you just have to know what to look for. Wilted limbs and leaves needs water, leaves appear to wilt and curl down into a C overwatering. Just things like that you will pick up on. Its exciting stuff.
 
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RedFoxGreenThumb

Member
Got the mylar wrap done, cut out the intake hole and wired the fan for it. Mylar wrap for the light lid, clean up and attach fan tomorrow night. Then just have to wire the lights and the exhaust and I'm ready to go.
 

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RedFoxGreenThumb

Member
Hey guys, today I would like advice with actually starting the germination. I'm hoping to at least have bucket #1 complete tonight, tomorrow at the latest and I want to be ready for the next step. So for my questions.

1 - I am using FFOF, is that soil ok to start with from seed, and if not how should I start and when do I transition?

2 - Water, I read somewhere that seeds have enough energy stored to grow for the first week. Does this mean no water for about a week, and does being an auto affect that in any way?

3 - Light, i got the 2700 and 5000k 100w CFL and I will have 5 sockets available. How much for how long and how far should my light be from the seedling?
 
Holisticfarmer

Holisticfarmer

Well-Known Member
RedFoxGreenThumb said:
Hey guys, today I would like advice with actually starting the germination. I'm hoping to at least have bucket #1 complete tonight, tomorrow at the latest and I want to be ready for the next step. So for my questions.

1 - I am using FFOF, is that soil ok to start with from seed, and if not how should I start and when do I transition?

2 - Water, I read somewhere that seeds have enough energy stored to grow for the first week. Does this mean no water for about a week, and does being an auto affect that in any way?

3 - Light, i got the 2700 and 5000k 100w CFL and I will have 5 sockets available. How much for how long and how far should my light be from the seedling?
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1. FFOF is just fine, I usually cut with 1:3 perlite. Can be to hot for seedlings. Also, you should germinate in paper towels, then transplant into small pots of FFOF. I've had more success rate with that than anything else. Google it if your not sure what that means.

2. You will maybe probably need to water depending on rh and temps soil dryness etc. keep it moist not sopping. And ONLY h20, especially since your using FFOF. Doesn't change for autos.

3. Don't need light until 2 true leaves are produced. So after you put your hatched seed in the dirt then sprouts. As for how far, I don't think your bulbs give off much heat, just put your hand above the plant, if it becomes uncomfortable, move the light up.


Hope this helps!
 
Holisticfarmer

Holisticfarmer

Well-Known Member
FFOF has a ph buffer, I water with straight tap and my ph has been where I need it. Water quality does matter, depending on where you live tap can be bad for the plant. You can usually find the Ppm/mineral content on your cities website. Or google it.
 
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RedFoxGreenThumb

Member
Picked up 2 small pots and wired my fans today. Just need to cut one more hole for the exhaust and finish wrapping the lid, wire the lights and I'm done. Probably gonna get the beans going tonight.
 
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RedFoxGreenThumb

Member
One day in the towels and no change, one of the beans looks quite white along the edge but I didn't take a close look at it before so I don't know if that's any change.

Also gave water a test with the pens. If I did it right it was 7.5 ph 135 ppm. That's not bad right? Maybe a little too high ph, but don't really matter because of FFOF ph buffer?
 
Mean Gene

Mean Gene

Well-Known Member
I would use ph down to get that under 7. Like 6.7 6.8 or so id fine. I grow in FFOF straight from seed no problems. My tap water is 7.0 around 115ppm or so. I would not want it above 7 though cause the ph of your soil could rise over time.
 
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RedFoxGreenThumb

Member
Mean Gene said:
I would use ph down to get that under 7. Like 6.7 6.8 or so id fine. I grow in FFOF straight from seed no problems. My tap water is 7.0 around 115ppm or so. I would not want it above 7 though cause the ph of your soil could rise over time.
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Thanks for the advice, I do have some ph up n down already. I was going to use holistics advice with the perlite but I haven't got any yet and it might be too late to worry about it because I peaked at the beans on my way to work this morning. The one that looked white on the edge popped and part of the root is out. I can also see the shell just barely open on the other... so I'm excited!
 
Mean Gene

Mean Gene

Well-Known Member
Enriched with miracle grow plant food. Read the back carefully. FFOF runs hot already added nutes from thenmiracle grow may be too much but ive never tried it i just stay away from it altogether. Most people that i see do a 50/50 mix soil perlite but you can really mix it however you like. Perlite increases drainage helps prevent overwatering and will help provide aeration to the roots.
 
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RedFoxGreenThumb

Member
Mean Gene said:
Enriched with miracle grow plant food. Read the back carefully. FFOF runs hot already added nutes from thenmiracle grow may be too much but ive never tried it i just stay away from it altogether. Most people that i see do a 50/50 mix soil perlite but you can really mix it however you like. Perlite increases drainage helps prevent overwatering and will help provide aeration to the roots.
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Glad you responded before I mixed that stuff in. I'll be returning that bag and I put the first bean straight in the FF and ph the water to 6.6.

The second bean is moving along a little more slowly and the root is going around the shell instead of straight out like the first one so far.
 
Mean Gene

Mean Gene

Well-Known Member
You can plant it any time you like really. I used to wait and let the root get long i dont care anymore. I plant usually when its 1/4 inch just takes a while in the soil to sprout anyway. The first 2 weeks drag by so slow its like murder. Cant wait to see this progress.

Also if you start them in red solo cups first then transplant to final pot you can always mix the perlite into the final pot soil and just leave the cup soil alone since the roots will grow so much more. Not having perlite in the cups wont hurt. Just dont overwater early. I used to be real bad about doing that.
 
srt8666

srt8666

Well-Known Member
RedFoxGreenThumb said:
That's exactly where I found the idea. I chose it because nothing in the description felt too difficult to get started with as well as it being practical for my current living situation. I hope to learn through this and maybe keep the buckets for autos since autos are smaller by nature based on my reading, but eventually move on to a tent and photos.
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i dont know where you read that autos are smaller by nature, but they arent. i have run 5 and wont run any ever again. the first was a bush, gave me 5oz. right now i'm about to pull 2 autos. they are 4ft and 5ft2in tall. IMO, autos are too unruly and are just shit. there may be some good ones out there, but i'm not wasting time, money, or space in my tent for an auto ever again. good luck
 
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RedFoxGreenThumb

Member
srt8666 said:
i dont know where you read that autos are smaller by nature, but they arent. i have run 5 and wont run any ever again. the first was a bush, gave me 5oz. right now i'm about to pull 2 autos. they are 4ft and 5ft2in tall. IMO, autos are too unruly and are just shit. there may be some good ones out there, but i'm not wasting time, money, or space in my tent for an auto ever again. good luck
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Thanks for your feedback man. What kind of autos are you growing and where did you get them?
 
srt8666

srt8666

Well-Known Member
It was

Sweet seeds black jack auto
Dinafem critical jack auto
Mephisto genetics auto triangle kush

Freebies from bonza. The idea of autos is cool to me, but it's not worth it. Wasted electricity, can't clone, have yet to have killer autoflower bud... Etc.
 
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