First Grow - Advice Welcome [Autoflower Feminized Lemon Haze]

darkwizardlol

darkwizardlol

New Member
Hello RollItUp! I'm darkwizardlol or DW. I am starting my first ever grow room in one of my closets.

I am very inexperienced and have probobly made some mistakes. The closet is "L" shaped with a angular roof. (It's the porch closet, so weather could be an issue as well).

Lights
150 Watt HPS "Mini Sunburst" light + ballast. This is hooked to the ceiling with ratcheting pulleys.
2 T5 Flourescent lights rated at 5000 lumens each ran off a single ballast (This is for side-lighting)
A horrible job with the mylar-coating. Money is tight!

Ventilation
4in. 80 CFM inline duct fan. This will have a homemade activated charcoal filter on it.

Soil / Nutrients / Seeds
FoxFarm Ocean Forest Floor soil
FoxFarm "Grow Big" 6-4-4 plant foot.
Auto-Flower & Feminized Super Lemon Haze


So here is a video of the grow room.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUuyIn7-LxU



Any tips and advice is welcome.

Currently I'm unsure about the watering schedule, as well as fertilizer schedule, and also light schedule.
 
GOD HERE

GOD HERE

Well-Known Member
Get a 400 watt HPS, water every three days or when the leaves begin to droop, follow the FoxFarm feeding schedule from their website, and keep your plants at 18/6. The 24/0 myth has basically at this point been completely discredited so do your plants a favor and give them some time off the light each day.

Last, I hope to god that's not you in your avatar.
 
S

spek9

Well-Known Member
Lights? 18 hours on, and 18 hours off per day for veg stage... lights should be off for the hottest part of the day (12pm - 6pm here). When you turn to flower, you'll go to 12 hours on and 12 off, same thing, run your lights at the coolest time of day. In lights off (particularly in flower), it needs to be 100% dark, with NO light leaks. As far as when to flip to flower (12/12), your plants will stretch 2-3 times their size within the first 21-23 days of flower, so if you have five feet of space, grow to 12", and flip. That will leave you enough room for the pot, the light and the plant even if it/they grow to three times their size. You might have to research Low Stress Training (LST) if they do over grow a bit. There is no set limit on when to flip. In fact, I'm just setting up my next grow, which I'm going to go 12/12 directly from seed. My last indoor run I went 7 weeks into veg.

You'll want to keep the lamp as close as possible as to prevent stretching, but if you don't have a cooltube, you'll just have to put your hand, palm down at the top of your plant, and lower the light until the heat is uncomfortable after 10 seconds, then raise it an inch or two.

Your 80 CFM blower is likely going to be too weak if you put a home made filter on it, but test it out... it might be ok. Realize though, that you won't need the filter until you're a couple to three weeks into flowering (at least).

Regarding nutes, I use a three-stage mix, and I generally started 1/4 strength per the directions until my plants got used to it and much larger, then I gave full dose. I played it by sight, essentially reading my plants, and paid attention to how I thought they felt. Generally though, it was like this:

- for the first few weeks, water sparingly (easy for a n00b to overwater). Fill pot until water comes out the drain holes, then let dry out completely (3-4 days or so). Lift the pots up and get used to feeling the difference between wet and dry. It'll take time, but it is the most important technique to learn imho
- for the remainder of veg, 1/4 nutes every second water slowly increasing to full-dose
- for flower, full dose 2 out of every three waterings, mostly having to water every 2-3 days

Hope this helps,

-spek

ps. Oh, and the MOST important part, buy a pH tester, and ensure you pH your water for soil to between about 6.3-6.8 (I ensure 6.4-6.5 and it worked perfectly). Such a tester can be purchased online or at your grow shop for about $7, and about the same for the calibration liquid.
 
GOD HERE

GOD HERE

Well-Known Member
spek9 said:
Lights? 18 hours on, and 18 hours off per day for veg stage... lights should be off for the hottest part of the day (12pm - 6pm here). When you turn to flower, you'll go to 12 hours on and 12 off, same thing, run your lights at the coolest time of day. In lights off (particularly in flower), it needs to be 100% dark, with NO light leaks. As far as when to flip to flower (12/12), your plants will stretch 2-3 times their size within the first 21-23 days of flower, so if you have five feet of space, grow to 12", and flip. That will leave you enough room for the pot, the light and the plant even if it/they grow to three times their size. You might have to research Low Stress Training (LST) if they do over grow a bit. There is no set limit on when to flip. In fact, I'm just setting up my next grow, which I'm going to go 12/12 directly from seed. My last indoor run I went 7 weeks into veg.

You'll want to keep the lamp as close as possible as to prevent stretching, but if you don't have a cooltube, you'll just have to put your hand, palm down at the top of your plant, and lower the light until the heat is uncomfortable after 10 seconds, then raise it an inch or two.

Your 80 CFM blower is likely going to be too weak if you put a home made filter on it, but test it out... it might be ok. Realize though, that you won't need the filter until you're a couple to three weeks into flowering (at least).

Regarding nutes, I use a three-stage mix, and I generally started 1/4 strength per the directions until my plants got used to it and much larger, then I gave full dose. I played it by sight, essentially reading my plants, and paid attention to how I thought they felt. Generally though, it was like this:

- for the first few weeks, water sparingly (easy for a n00b to overwater). Fill pot until water comes out the drain holes, then let dry out completely (3-4 days or so). Lift the pots up and get used to feeling the difference between wet and dry. It'll take time, but it is the most important technique to learn imho
- for the remainder of veg, 1/4 nutes every second water slowly increasing to full-dose
- for flower, full dose 2 out of every three waterings, mostly having to water every 2-3 days

Hope this helps,

-spek

ps. Oh, and the MOST important part, buy a pH tester, and ensure you pH your water for soil to between about 6.3-6.8 (I ensure 6.4-6.5 and it worked perfectly). Such a tester can be purchased online or at your grow shop for about $7, and about the same for the calibration liquid.
Click to expand...
In soil the PH should be 6.0-6.5
 
lolikun

lolikun

Active Member
spek9 said:
Lights? 18 hours on, and 18 hours off per day for veg stage... lights should be off for the hottest part of the day (12pm - 6pm here). When you turn to flower, you'll go to 12 hours on and 12 off, same thing, run your lights at the coolest time of day. In lights off (particularly in flower), it needs to be 100% dark, with NO light leaks. As far as when to flip to flower (12/12), your plants will stretch 2-3 times their size within the first 21-23 days of flower, so if you have five feet of space, grow to 12", and flip. That will leave you enough room for the pot, the light and the plant even if it/they grow to three times their size. You might have to research Low Stress Training (LST) if they do over grow a bit. There is no set limit on when to flip. In fact, I'm just setting up my next grow, which I'm going to go 12/12 directly from seed. My last indoor run I went 7 weeks into veg.

You'll want to keep the lamp as close as possible as to prevent stretching, but if you don't have a cooltube, you'll just have to put your hand, palm down at the top of your plant, and lower the light until the heat is uncomfortable after 10 seconds, then raise it an inch or two.

Your 80 CFM blower is likely going to be too weak if you put a home made filter on it, but test it out... it might be ok. Realize though, that you won't need the filter until you're a couple to three weeks into flowering (at least).

Regarding nutes, I use a three-stage mix, and I generally started 1/4 strength per the directions until my plants got used to it and much larger, then I gave full dose. I played it by sight, essentially reading my plants, and paid attention to how I thought they felt. Generally though, it was like this:

- for the first few weeks, water sparingly (easy for a n00b to overwater). Fill pot until water comes out the drain holes, then let dry out completely (3-4 days or so). Lift the pots up and get used to feeling the difference between wet and dry. It'll take time, but it is the most important technique to learn imho
- for the remainder of veg, 1/4 nutes every second water slowly increasing to full-dose
- for flower, full dose 2 out of every three waterings, mostly having to water every 2-3 days

Hope this helps,

-spek

ps. Oh, and the MOST important part, buy a pH tester, and ensure you pH your water for soil to between about 6.3-6.8 (I ensure 6.4-6.5 and it worked perfectly). Such a tester can be purchased online or at your grow shop for about $7, and about the same for the calibration liquid.
Click to expand...
He said he had an autoflower strain-- I don't think he has to do all that with the lights. ^^; keeping it on 18/6 should be fine for that strain. Great advice otherwise though!
 
darkwizardlol

darkwizardlol

New Member
GOD HERE said:
In soil the PH should be 6.0-6.5
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tips. I am using an auto-flower strain from marijuana-seeds.nl

From my memories of high school chemistry, distilled water should have a neutral pH of 7, and a very small ammount of household vinegar (1-2 drops / litre) should get it down to about 6.0-6.5?

No that is not me in the picture.
 
GOD HERE

GOD HERE

Well-Known Member
darkwizardlol said:
Thanks for the tips. I am using an auto-flower strain from marijuana-seeds.nl

From my memories of high school chemistry, distilled water should have a neutral pH of 7, and a very small ammount of household vinegar (1-2 drops / litre) should get it down to about 6.0-6.5?

No that is not me in the picture.
Click to expand...
Exactly. In a 2 quart pitcher, probably more like half a cap of vinegar, but invest in that PH Pen. It's essential.
 
B

Barrazaburnz

Active Member
I agree with the above but I use 20/4 on auto's. (soil) I switched from fox farm to aurora organics. You will need more light. Budget? You can get a cheap 400w digi ballast, wing hood, & both bulbs for $102 if you hunt gaybay. also they sell a super cheap yellow PH stick meter for $10 free shipping. Neither one is the "best" but they both will work til you get your money up. PH up and PH down are also cheap $10-20 would last you forever.... well depending on your water. Auto's are the best to learn with. If it was me I'd use the blocked off part for Veg with the 150w and CFL's and get myself a cheap 400w or 600w for the larger part and maybe even a light mover.
 
darkwizardlol

darkwizardlol

New Member
Barrazaburnz said:
I agree with the above but I use 20/4 on auto's. (soil) I switched from fox farm to aurora organics. You will need more light. Budget? You can get a cheap 400w digi ballast, wing hood, & both bulbs for $102 if you hunt gaybay. also they sell a super cheap yellow PH stick meter for $10 free shipping. Neither one is the "best" but they both will work til you get your money up. PH up and PH down are also cheap $10-20 would last you forever.... well depending on your water. Auto's are the best to learn with. If it was me I'd use the blocked off part for Veg with the 150w and CFL's and get myself a cheap 400w or 600w for the larger part and maybe even a light mover.
Click to expand...
I know I'm not able to use a bigger wattage bulb in my current ballast and I did just buy it so I'm not going to upgrade the light until I get some more money. I do have another cfl ballast identical to the one in the video, I could add it on the opposite wall for another side light.


what about LST or FIM, useful for autflowers?
 
hbbum

hbbum

Well-Known Member
Do not FIM, not an auto, but do LST which will be very important since you are using a smaller light. I shoot for 6.5 PH but FFOF does a good job buffering the water so anything in the 6-7 range is fine. If you are doing distilled water you might want to amend your soil with dolomite to avoid any cal/mag issues, a lite top dressing every month is all that is needed, but you will want to add it before you have a problem. This also has the added benefit of buffering the pH even further.
 
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