cardboard box blue mystic CFL grow

alantor

Member
So this is my second grow. I was pretty happy with my first grow albeit that it was done with tin foil, miracle grow, and seeds I found on the ground. I got a sort of decent yield and never had a consistent light cycle so I am hoping to improve on a lot of things this time around.

I am using a small portion of a large HDTV box that is lined with mylar and hanging my CFLs from the pipes above the box.
I was thinking of only using two or 3 of these large 42watt CFL bulbs for one plant.
My starting medium is 2 parts Fox Farms Light Warrior and 1 part Fox Farms Ocean Forest.
I am eventually going to buy a PC fan and install it on one of the sides for ventilation.

I germinated in a damp paper towel wrapped with tin foil and the root emerged after 2 days.

These pictures are from the second day after breaking ground

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DumpsterKeeper

Well-Known Member
The bottom leaves are looking sickly. I would back off on any nutrients you're giving it and just feed it distilled water for about a week or so. It's still kind of young to start eating, but otherwise you're off to a good start
 

alantor

Member
Thanks. I don't really know what happened to make the bottom leaves die since I haven't been feeding them. Maybe it was because I waited too long to repot them in FFOF. It's looking a lot better now though.
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alantor

Member
I think I'm just going to keep feeding it water for the time being. The plant is looking nice and perky now.
I currently have two 6500K 42-watt CFLs in my grow box. I also have two 2700K 42-watt CFLs I could throw in there. Would that be too much light?

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DumpsterKeeper

Well-Known Member
There's not really such a thing as too much from my experience with CFL. What you have is just fine. Don't be afraid to add more as you go. The sun makes about 50,000 lumens/square foot, so if you can make that much in the box and keemp the temp under control, you'll still be ok.
 

alantor

Member
I feel like my plant has gotten big enough to start some LST. My container is kind of flimsy and I didn't have and twine so I used a filmmaker's best friend, gaffer's tape. I folded the tape over itself then stuck it on the sides of my container.

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DumpsterKeeper

Well-Known Member
I'd recommend throwing it into flower now if you're gonna keep it under that amount of light. It'll stretch more, but the nodes should stay nice and tightly spaced. If you've ever read Buds For Less, he throws his into flower at 15 days (a little smaller than yours) and pulls a few ounces off of 3 little plants. Short, dense plants are the name of the game with CFL.
 

alantor

Member
I am going to switch the two 6500K lights to two 23-watt 2700K CFLs and start 12/12 tomorrow.
I also did a little bit more LST just now.

Any idea what kind of yield I can expect from just one plant this small? An ounce?

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coonword

Active Member
what is the ph of the water you are using? are you keeping it in the party cup for the whole grow if not id deff transplant asap!
 

chillwills

Well-Known Member
not to be a downer but if you flower now youd be lucky to get 3/4 of an ounce.

What kind of soil are you using? It seems as if you are already having problems. If that soil has time release fertilizer id change it. If you cant, then just water w/ straight water until it recovers. also let the soil dry out between waterings. make sure its getting enough airflow
 

DumpsterKeeper

Well-Known Member
I am going to switch the two 6500K lights to two 23-watt 2700K CFLs and start 12/12 tomorrow.
I also did a little bit more LST just now.

Any idea what kind of yield I can expect from just one plant this small? An ounce?

Day 23:View attachment 1457223View attachment 1457222
One little plant will probably yield about 1/2-3/4 oz. It's not a whole lot, but we all need to start somewhere. I managed to grow a plant that weighed out to about 1 1/2 oz under CFL, but I used a lot of lights and a couple tricks to increase yield (namely LST and topping). The best you can do is expect to harvest nothing and be surprised when you get something.
 

alantor

Member
I figure that I kind of have to flower now because I move out of my house at the end of april.
I'm using Fox Farms Ocean Forest. I am currently having no problems and my plant is happy. I just had a slight bump where my first two leaves died off because of a lack of nutrients

I don't have a pH meter so I don't know about my water. I transplanted out of a party cup a while ago. I'll throw something in for reference next time.
 

DumpsterKeeper

Well-Known Member
If you can find one at your local garden shop, buy a soil pH test kit. I got one that measures pH as well as N-P-k levels by using a sample of dry soil. It's pretty accurate from my experience and it only cost about $10.
 

alantor

Member
The plant is looking pretty happy. I have been flowering for ten days now and I have a confirmed female :-P

Day 33:
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