Hiya, Im a newbie and this is my first grow room i would appriciate any comments or advice about my setup, I have chosen a cupboard because this is all i have room for! The measurements for the cupboard are 57cm W X 49cm D X 53cm inhight this is from the base of the cupbard till touching the light. The lamp i have chosen is the (E40 200W 6400K 8U CFL) for the veg stage and the (E40 250W 2700K 8U CFL) for the flowering stage. I have a 12V PC FAN for pulling air into the the grow room which is at the bottom of the cupboard on the left side and a 12V PC FAN extracting air which is situated at the top of the cupboard on the right side these fans will come on with the light which will be on a 7 DAY ELECTRONIC TIMER timer. The cupboard is going to be sealed around the edges inside with white builders caulk sealant and sponge weatherstripping around the door. I have selected some seeds these are Feminised Lowryder 1 which is a Auto-Flowering hybrid with flowering of 6 week harvest in 8 week from seed. I will be using fishtank water to spray the leaves and water the plant.
QUESTIONS???
What nutrians should i buy that will work best with my setup and plants?
Do i water the plant and spray leaves everyday?
Do i feed nutrians in veg stage?
Should i use the 200w 6400k CFL from seeds or germinate with some low watt flourecent fittings or can u put on windowsill till they pop through the soil then but in grow room with 200W CFL?
Will this setup cost a lot of money to run for the buds i would get out of it?
hope this helps
CFLs come in 15, 26, 42, 65, 85 and 105 watts and recently last year, even larger wattages.
The 26s and smaller are not as efficient to me.
26s to 85s do not put out any noticable heat unless you use a lot of them.. The 105s do put out some heat, but not as much as HID lights.
I can touch and hold a burning 65 or 85 watt bulb.
The 42's are about $9 each.
65 watts are abut $17 to $20 each, 85s are $30 each, 105s are $39 to $42 each, average is $40 each for 105s.
A CFL needs a reflector, like a hood. I like the $10 heavy duty clamp reflectors at Lowes, Home Depot or Walmart. They also offer a cheaper $8 reflector but it is smaller and flimsey.
With CFLs, you need the DUAL SPECTRUM, red and blue spectrums. That does not refer to the color of the bulb that you see. It refers to the kind of rays, like UVA or UVB, or the color temp, called kevins.
CFLS come in 2700 kevins, 3000, 4100, 5100, and 6500.
2700k is for BLOOM OR FLOWERING , 6500k is the VEG Spectrum. The others are "MID" spectrums or in between.
IF you use the MID-range bulbs (4100) then also use the 6500 and 2700s.
In outdoors, the sun produces different rays in the spring (VEG Rays called Blue) and late summer for Bloom spectrum, the RED spectrum. The sun also produces green, and orange rays, but plants do not use them. (see more below)
CFLs are new on the scene, in 2006 the biggest made was 65 watts. When we talk about CFL watts, we are talking about the actually electricity used, NOT the equivalant. For example, a 15 watt CFL bulb puts out 60 watts.
Spiral and Tube type CLFS emit LIGHT FROM THE SIDES, NOT THE ENDS OR TIPS.
YOU CAN GET SPIRAL CFLS (15, 26, 42, 65, 85) AND TUBE TYPE CFLS 105s.
Nutrient (or fertilizer) is food for plants.
marijuana plants need a certain amount of food in order to grow properly. The primary nutrients in plant foods are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K).
In addition to nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium,
marijuana plants require a lesser amount of secondary nutrients and trace quantities of other elements.
Secondary nutrients are calcium, sulphur, and magnesium. Trace elements are small quantities of boron, copper, molybdenum, zinc, iron, and manganese.
Plant foods are measured in an N-P-K format
N is Nitrogen
P is Phosphorus
K is Potassium
A 15-15-15 plant food contains:
15% Nitrogen
15% Phosphorus
15% Potassium
A 20-10-10 plant food contains:
20% Nitrogen
10% Phosphorus
10% Potassium
The percentage of the solution not used by nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium is secondary nutrients, trace elements, and inert material.
An all purpose nutrient with secondary elements like calcium, sulphur and magnesium and trace elements boron, copper, molybdenum, zinc, iron, and manganese will get you through all stages of growth. But during different stages of life, you can adjust the different nutrient levels needed at different times to optimize growth.
Regardless of the nutrient you choose, during the first two weeks of life and the first two weeks of flowering growth, use half the amount (or less) of nutrient solution the manufacturer recommends for adult growth.
That is, if the nutrient package says to mix one tablespoon of nutrient to every gallon of water, you should add less than half a tablespoon of nutrient to every gallon of water for the first two weeks after sprouting and flowering.
This is not essential when flowering but it is for seeds and clones. Some
marijuana growers don't add any nutrients to the water for the first two weeks. They then use a 50% solution for two weeks, then go to a 100% solution.
During vegetative growth the plants need lots of N (nitrogen). They also need a fair amount of P (phosphorus) and K (potassium), 20-10-10, or 30-15-15, or something similar, with trace elements should do it.
During flowering the plants need more P (phosphorus) and more K (potassium) than they did during vegetative growth. They need some N (nitrogen) but not as much as they did during vegetative growth. They also need calcium.
If you used:
--- something like 20-10-10 for vegetative growth, then try using 10-20-20 (or similar) for flowering.
--- something like 30-15-15 for vegetative growth, then try using 15-30-30 (or similar) for flowering.
If you can't find nutrients containing the proper combination for your needs (or you are not sure what kind of nutrient to get), look for a hydroponic nutrient recommended for growth when the plant is in the first stages of life and look for a hydroponic nutrient recommended for blooming (or flowering) when the plant is in the flowering stage. Make sure the nutrients you use contain trace elements.
Two and three part hydroponic nutrient solutions, that allow you to custom blend the amount of the different components, are recommended. But they might be costly. Organic hydroponic nutrients are available but they can be hard to find, and expensive.
Do not give your plants extra nutrients thinking it will make them grow faster. Too much will kill your plants. If you under fertilize, plants will take longer to grow but will not die. Follow the mixing instructions on your hydroponic nutrient package, if you aren't sure, use less rather than more.
As water evaporates and is absorbed by the plants, your water reservoir level will drop. Add tap water that has been aged 3 days or longer to the reservoir. If you have a reverse osmosis filter or use distilled water, they don't have to be aged. I don't add nutrient solution to the water when I top up the reservoir tank, some people do.
Change the nutrient solution every 2 weeks. That is, discard the old solution and rinse off the reservoir, pumps, and other equipment that is used with hot water. After cleaning, add tap water that has been aged 3 days or longer to the reservoir then add nutrient solution.
You only need to clean the cups and tubing the plants are in before you start a new crop. The old solution that you are discarding can be used to water house or garden plants. This will at least double the growth rate if you usually water your plants with regular tap water.
Dry Powder vs Liquid Nutrients
If you are buying nutrients, get the dry powder kind that you mix with water. They are much cheaper over the long run when you compare with already mixed liquid solutions.
Already mixed liquid solutions are just as good, but many are primarily water and a good portion of the price you pay is to cover shipping water that you can add at home for free. There are some concentrated solutions that may be cost effective but I've always saved money using dry powder nutrients.
If you are using a hydroponic system that uses a pump to circulate water you will have to make sure the powdered solution dissolves fully before adding it to the reservoir. This is because any undissolved nutrient crystals can ruin a pump.
The best way to dissolve dry nutrients is to put some water in a cup, add the nutrient powder and stir. When you are sure that the powder has been fully dissolved, you can add it to the nutrient reservoir.
If there are any undissolved crystals left in the bottom of the glass you can add some hot water then stir and let it sit for a few hours. After a few hours, stir them up again and add to the reservoir, if there are still undissolved crystals in the glass, you can throw them out.
Whatever you do, don't add any solids that might damage a pump into the nutrient reservoir. Don't use any nutrients not specifically designed for hydroponic systems, that is, don't try to use nutrients designed for growing in soil.
Stop all plant food at least 7 days before harvesting when growing in a hydroponic garden. The last time you change the water in your reservoir, don't add any nutrients. You can repeat this water only 'feeding' several times in the week prior to harvest. When growing in soil, stop all plant food at least 14 days before harvest.
This is so N-P-K and other elements can be removed from the plants before harvesting. This will insure that your weed is easy to ignite, doesn't taste like plant food, and you are ingesting a minimal amount of N-P-K or trace elements.
FoxFarm Big Bloom 0.01-0.3-0.7
This microbial active, water soluble instant plant food specifically formulated to promote and emphasize the blooming characteristics of all flowering and fruiting plants. Big Bloom promotes extra large, multiple blooms while dramatically enhancing the flavor of fruits and vegetables. High PK content sweetens taste, fragrance and oil production. It is suitable for hydroponics, soil, and drip irrigation systems. Can be used for the whole cycle of plant and in conjunction with other FoxFarm nutrients.
FoxFarm Grow Big® 6-4-4
Grow Big® is a stable, highly concentrated, comprehensive blend of major, minor and micro nutrients formulated to promote spectacular balanced growth, instant green-up and color intensity of blossoms. Grow Big® will enhance plant size and structure of all plants. Grow Big® is great for roses, tomatoes and lawns. Perfect for use during the vegetative cycle, or Grow Big® can be used as the only houseplant fertilizer you will ever need. Expect exceptional results.
FoxFarm Tiger Bloom® 2-8-4
Tiger Bloom® is a low salt, 80% organic fertilizer with chelated minerals. To facilitate easy and immediate absorption this formula is biologically active. It creates a huge flower canopy, massive bud set, prolongs the flowering stage. Tiger Bloom® contains just the right amount of Nitrogen to ensure sturdy lush greenery, growth and vigor as well as producing intense color and blossoming, and dark, dense cell tissue. Perfect to use on any plant at the time of flowering.
