Kairolodger
Member
Hello enthusiasts
Im embarking on my first grow op and am planting Royal queen seeds Easy Bud, and Barneys Pineapple Express.
Germination was done in starter cubes directly (Root Riot Root Riot? Organic Plant Starter Cubes)
and they are now under 2 65W CFLs 6400.
The video link below should give a good idea where i am at right now.
https://vimeo.com/42262643
The grow box i have now is just for the first few weeks till they get to be 8-10 inches. I will then be moving it over to another grow box which i am in the process of constructing.
The dimensions of that box is 4*4*8. The insides, like this box is covered in reflective sheeting (not foil or mylar) and for lighting i have a 600w Phillips Greenpower lamp.
Similar to the grow box you see in the video, that box will also have two exhaust fans. 6" Intake at the bottom and 8" outtake at the top. I am placing the box in a large room and have two 16" wall fans blowing air around the room at all times. I will also try to place a smaller rotating wall fan inside the box to further improve airflow and control temperature better. I believe simulating natural winds leads to stronger stalks and plants.
Now about the grow.
After starting them off in starter cubes (2 EB, 2 PE) the first one popped through within 36 hours and the others followed not too far behind. I might have been a bit rash with the young sprouts, as i helped take off two seed casings. They were dry and hanging off so i pinched them off. Hope the stress caused wont be problematic.
After leaving them under 1 65w cfl for 3 days,( about 4-5 inches away) and slightly watering the surface each day, i am now on day 5. Ive added one more cfl today for this early grow phase. The lights are on 24hrs a day. The temperature inside the box ranges from 76-82 degrees. Im thinking about cutting the light cycle to 20-4 right before flowering starts. Dont know if thats the best idea, so any direction in that regard would be helpful.
Regarding the soil
Im using part Biobizz all mix
BioBizz All-Mix Soil Growing Medium - BioBizz products from Growell
mixed with unfertilized soil from nearby nursery, construction sand, and small coconut husk shreds. The reason im not using the all mix is because i only had a 20l bag and want to spread the goodness amongst numerous plants. I have no idea about the soil mix, as to whether or not it will work. Any inputs?
Now for some queries.
1) Ive never setup lights before and was wondering how to go about the process for my larger box. I have the 600w lamp, a 600w ballast, and a contactor with timers. From what i gather, the lamp is connected directly to the ballast, which is inturn connected to the contactor which has two leads, the input(elec.) and timer. Is that right? i really dont want to blow the bulb, cause i will not be able to find it.
2)How often do the plants at this stage need water. I do feel ive been a bit to enthusiastic with my watering schedule and need to tone it down. Should i keep the surface moist, or let it dry out before watering.
3) Ive also planted 2 easy bud seeds in 5litre pots, covered it with cellophane and left it to germinate. Im planning on letting those two grow outside with minimal fuss. They are autoflowering strains and im wondering how they would do in natural sunlight and in natural conditions. The problem is that it is monsoon season here now and rain is going to be a big issue. The temperature is another concern. The temp during the day ranges from 80-95 and humidity is around 90%. I know these are not the ideal conditions at all so any ideas on how to ensure a crop from that lot, will be very much appreciated.
Any suggestions, advice is very welcome. Thanks for the interest.
Im embarking on my first grow op and am planting Royal queen seeds Easy Bud, and Barneys Pineapple Express.
Germination was done in starter cubes directly (Root Riot Root Riot? Organic Plant Starter Cubes)
and they are now under 2 65W CFLs 6400.
The video link below should give a good idea where i am at right now.
https://vimeo.com/42262643
The grow box i have now is just for the first few weeks till they get to be 8-10 inches. I will then be moving it over to another grow box which i am in the process of constructing.
The dimensions of that box is 4*4*8. The insides, like this box is covered in reflective sheeting (not foil or mylar) and for lighting i have a 600w Phillips Greenpower lamp.
Similar to the grow box you see in the video, that box will also have two exhaust fans. 6" Intake at the bottom and 8" outtake at the top. I am placing the box in a large room and have two 16" wall fans blowing air around the room at all times. I will also try to place a smaller rotating wall fan inside the box to further improve airflow and control temperature better. I believe simulating natural winds leads to stronger stalks and plants.
Now about the grow.
After starting them off in starter cubes (2 EB, 2 PE) the first one popped through within 36 hours and the others followed not too far behind. I might have been a bit rash with the young sprouts, as i helped take off two seed casings. They were dry and hanging off so i pinched them off. Hope the stress caused wont be problematic.
After leaving them under 1 65w cfl for 3 days,( about 4-5 inches away) and slightly watering the surface each day, i am now on day 5. Ive added one more cfl today for this early grow phase. The lights are on 24hrs a day. The temperature inside the box ranges from 76-82 degrees. Im thinking about cutting the light cycle to 20-4 right before flowering starts. Dont know if thats the best idea, so any direction in that regard would be helpful.
Regarding the soil
Im using part Biobizz all mix
BioBizz All-Mix Soil Growing Medium - BioBizz products from Growell
mixed with unfertilized soil from nearby nursery, construction sand, and small coconut husk shreds. The reason im not using the all mix is because i only had a 20l bag and want to spread the goodness amongst numerous plants. I have no idea about the soil mix, as to whether or not it will work. Any inputs?
Now for some queries.
1) Ive never setup lights before and was wondering how to go about the process for my larger box. I have the 600w lamp, a 600w ballast, and a contactor with timers. From what i gather, the lamp is connected directly to the ballast, which is inturn connected to the contactor which has two leads, the input(elec.) and timer. Is that right? i really dont want to blow the bulb, cause i will not be able to find it.
2)How often do the plants at this stage need water. I do feel ive been a bit to enthusiastic with my watering schedule and need to tone it down. Should i keep the surface moist, or let it dry out before watering.
3) Ive also planted 2 easy bud seeds in 5litre pots, covered it with cellophane and left it to germinate. Im planning on letting those two grow outside with minimal fuss. They are autoflowering strains and im wondering how they would do in natural sunlight and in natural conditions. The problem is that it is monsoon season here now and rain is going to be a big issue. The temperature is another concern. The temp during the day ranges from 80-95 and humidity is around 90%. I know these are not the ideal conditions at all so any ideas on how to ensure a crop from that lot, will be very much appreciated.
Any suggestions, advice is very welcome. Thanks for the interest.
