First ever grow

what's up guys! im new here and I just wanted opinions from more experienced growers, tips, etc. i just started up my first ever grow indoors in a closet. i have 8 fluorescents on the walls and have some type of grow bulbs hanging, not sure what they are but they put off necessary heat and decent lumens. Using a 24/0 light regimen, at first i used 20/4 but then read up and apparently 24/0 is the way to go? tell me what you guys think. She's only about a week old but i was wondering if any of you have ever made some good homemade fertilizers and have had good results. if so please post some recipes for them, i've been using regular water. ill post some pictures of her and the grow room itself, feel free to comment on anything you see wrong or anything that could be improved. thanks!

Your babies look good, not sure what kind of florescents you have but I doubt they are the right spectrum, you say the other lights you don't know what they are but you're sure they're the right lumens, how do you know that? you're better off with T5 HO florescents or cfl's, also I'm a firm believer of 18/6 cycle, plants need rest as we all do....good luck with your grow.

The floros look like possibly the right color.

I just got into growing, and I went the floro route too dude, but I would suggest not using side lighting until they are bigger. While they are developing and during most of the early veg stage all you really need is a CFL over the top. I would strongly suggest changing the light layout for now (possibly put it back that way in late veg or flower) because it'll cause the plant to twist and contort, and you get some funky results, you can see my posts if you want an idea of what will happen.

AWood - very interesting light setup. Plants look good to start. What kind of seeds you growing? What kind of soil? Is it your recipe?? GL on your grow.

Just some bag seeds, it is my first grow I didn't want to buy some good seeds and then have something go wrong. And as for soil I'm just using a miracle grow mix that's why I asked for some good fertilizer recipes

The hanging lights are 2, 60w sylvania grow bulbs giving off 650 lumens each

Sylvania grow bulbs? the blue conical spotlights?

Yup that's them, why are they bad?

They aren't effective.

I'm pretty sure they are incandescent or halogens with a filament, and 60w for 600 lumens is 10 lumens per watt
my 25 watt CFLs put off 1850 lumens... 72 lumens per watt

They aren't bad, but those overhead lights are probably putting out 1 /20th of the light your side lighting is, and since plants are phototropic (grow towards light) you're going to have some very twisty contorted plants. I know because i had this issue early on and had to change it because it was stunting growth.

it could work, i have never tried that before, but generally it's a betetr idea to put the stronger lights overhead because the plant will produce mroe surface area exposed in that direction.

You are going to be doing some very off the beaten path training and care here, it may work out for you, but I'm pretty sure you're going to experience alot of things people won't know how to help with.

In short, it's not going to be an easy first grow by any means.

What kind of bulb would you recommend? Could you send me a link to it if possible

For overhead? Do you have any way of adjusting the distance the overhead lighting is? (raising / lowering it)

Yes I have a chain hanging I can raise it and lower it

For right now I would put a 42W 6500k CFL in one of those sockets and center your plant under it, put the cfl about 4-6 inches above the seedling. As t gets bigger I would suggest getting some Y-splitters for light socket (turns 1 into 2_ from a local hardware store, and using 4 CFLs over. But it's unnecessary right now.

I like sylvannia alot, their 6500k CFLs are my favorite CFLs. Wherever you bought the plant spotlights they probably sell the cfls too.

Thanks for the advice

Anytime man. You're setup is -really- similar to what I started with,.

Mine were t5 CFLs though (aquarium lighting) and I am growing an indica.

You're using miracle grow though, right? If you have nutrients in the soil be REALLY careful about overwatering or adding additional nutrients. Time release (nuterient bombs) are designed so with normal watering they slowly dissolve and release into the soil for the plant. But if you overwater you catalyze te speed they dissolve, and you can shock the shit out of your plant. Also make sure the pots you use have adequate drainage. Water stagnating in the pot can cause nute burns or promote the wrong kind of fungal growth in an anaerobic environment.

I would suggest getting the Miracle Growth "Organic Choice" soil. The potting soil has a perilite blend in it already, and the garden soil isn't blended yet (both are called organic choice). Lowes and home depots usually sell these.

You're gonna need to repot it in about a week or so (if it grows right).

You shouldn't need nutes for a plant until about week 3-4, with the organic nutes in the organic soil you may nit even need nutes til week 5-6

Gotcha, and when I looked up some cfl's the part that actually screws into the socket looks a lot smaller than the sockets on my fixture, do I need an adapter or something?

Most cfls use a standard lightbulb socket.

They have smaller cfls for fan lights and specialty applications, and they also have pinned moguls for strip lighting.

Is the screw on the grow lights you bought a standard light bulb size? or is it a larger mogul?

Standard, most other lights in my house fit into it

then you should be able to find a 6500k Sylvannia CFL at a hardware store or online to fit it.

Not sure why you're only finding smaller socket cfls, they come primarily in standard socket sizes.

I just got into increasing, and I went the floro path too guy, but I would recommend not using part lighting style until they are larger. While they are creating and during most of the beginning veg level all you really need is a CFL over the top. I would recommend modifying the mild structure for now (possibly put it returning that way in delayed veg or flower) because it'll cause the flower to perspective and contort, and you get some trendy outcomes, you can see my content if you want an concept of what will occur.