First Grow - Journal

Hey Guys!

Well, I'm into my first grow, and figured I'd post some pics and show you all how it is going I have 12 plants, 4 Blue Dream, 4 Jack The Ripper, and 4 Medibud. I got them as clones, and because it was my first time getting clones, I got some pretty unhealthy clones. Live and learn, I suppose. With the help of a member here at RIU, I was able to bring all of them back to health, and they are doing great right now. 2 of them are quite a bit smaller than the rest, but they are alive and seem to be starting to grow much better now. On to my setup!

Veg Tent:

• Growlab CloneLab - 4x2x4ish
• Lights:
  • Sunblaze 4' 8 tube T5 flourescent
  • 125W CFL (for clones)
• Fans:
  • Cheapo 6" wal-mart fan - exhaust (passive intake)
  • 2 Desk Fans for circulating air inside (usually only need 1 on)
• Atmosphere:
  • Usually stays between 74-79 degrees and my humidifier keeps it at 50%

Flower Tent:

• Growlab 120L - 8x4x7ish
• Lights:
  • 2x600W HPS with air cooled hoods
  • Lumatek Digital Balasts
• Fans:
  • 450CFM inline fan (forget the brand, have to look at that)
  • 4 Desk fans pointed inwards from the corners of the tent
• Filter:
  • Can Filter 50 with prefilter
• Atmosphere:
  • Cool Mist humidifier - keeps the room at 45-50%
  • Temps stay between 75-80 with the fan going and the lights on.

I wasn't really keeping a picture log for before I transplanted them into 1 gallon pots, because honestly I wasn't sure they would make it. But since then, I've been keeping pictures as time allows.

I am interested to hear what anyone thinks. I'm also starting a blog to keep track of my thoughts and the progress, but I wasn't sure if you can post blog links and such here, so I didn't

04/21 - The day of the transplant to 1gal pots: http://imgur.com/a/1nX9L#0
04/25 - My camera stopped working, so had to take some phone shots: http://imgur.com/a/PFdL2#0
04/27 - Initial LST Pics: http://imgur.com/a/MqatK#0
05/04 - Progress Pictures: http://imgur.com/a/touU6#0
05/07 - More progress pics: http://imgur.com/a/aK5Ki#0
05/17 - More progress pics: http://imgur.com/a/ffFG2#0 (These are ready to be transplanted, they have outgrown these pots )
5/20 - Transplant done, and plants moved into the big tent for the remaining month of veg till I move. http://imgur.com/a/Qqsbj#0

Big pimpin'!
Subscribed.
Seems like you know what you're doing! I could gain a some knowledge from you.

Good luck mate ill be watchin

J and J said:

Big pimpin'!
Subscribed.
Seems like you know what you're doing! I could gain a some knowledge from you.

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Not so sure I know what I'm doing, but it is more like I have friends who are helping me learn along the way, so I can't take all the credit

BTW, anyone is allowed to post comments/etc here, I don't know if I made that clear in the initial post

Added new pics to the original post, but I'll put them here too

http://imgur.com/a/Qqsbj#0

Just FYI, I'm aware that the tent is a bit cluttered with wires and such, I'll be cleaning that up later today and moving the balasts outside, etc.

Here are some more pics. Just LST'd them for this first time in the 5 gallon pots. Before and after pics for each. ignore my feet http://imgur.com/a/RaNsP#0

Dang man, you got some bushy plants.
Lookin' real good though.

We have a similar set up, or will have when mine is done......
GL145 veg with a SunBlaze T5 8 bulb and T5 4 bulb for veg with a 4" fan and thermostat.....connected to a GL240 with 2 Yieldmaster 6" Supremes and 2 600 watt MH for the first two weeks of flower followed by 2 Hortilux 600 watt with Lumatek LK600 ballasts to finish, 2 250 watt Feliz and reflectors for continued veg, a 6" HO CanFan with filter sucking thru the reflectors and out the tent, and a Danby 13,000 BTU A/c in the tent. I'm guessing that I'll max out at 8-10 plants...I think. I'll sub Good luck!

J and J said:

Dang man, you got some bushy plants.
Lookin' real good though.

Click to expand...

Hey Man! I appreciate it. I had some problems keeping my humidity in the big tent above 30% there for a while once the plants were in, and they weren't real happy with that, so I made some adjustments to my exhaust fans and now things are dialed in pretty good. When I set up my tents, I just wasn't really trying to get the humidity in my flower tent above 30% because its for flowering, and I understand that 30% is about perfect for flowering.

They are pretty bushy...I'm very Happy! And honestly in a normal situation, I'd likely have started flowering already. Unfortunatly, my apartment complex has decided to raise the rent a ridiculous amount, so they will be vegging for 4 more weeks (till June 25).

What is going to be interesting is getting them moved across town when I do move. 12 5-gallon buckets with big plants in them. I am legal here, but I'm going to try and figure out how to do it so that:

#1: I don't have to deal with the police, even though I'm legal, and
#2: I don't kill the plants on the drive over

We'll have to see how that goes, but regardless, this isn't really how you want your first grow to go, as far as the transporting goes I'm adjusting, though. And learning a ton every single day!

Brother Numsi said:

We have a similar set up, or will have when mine is done......
GL145 veg with a SunBlaze T5 8 bulb and T5 4 bulb for veg with a 4" fan and thermostat.....connected to a GL240 with 2 Yieldmaster 6" Supremes and 2 600 watt MH for the first two weeks of flower followed by 2 Hortilux 600 watt with Lumatek LK600 ballasts to finish, 2 250 watt Feliz and reflectors for continued veg, a 6" HO CanFan with filter sucking thru the reflectors and out the tent, and a Danby 13,000 BTU A/c in the tent. I'm guessing that I'll max out at 8-10 plants...I think. I'll sub Good luck!

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Sounds like you have a plan! And depending on how big you plan on getting those plants in veg, you can get more than 8-10 plants in that veg tent. My 4x2 was big enough for 12 all the way till they maxed out their 1 gallon pots (I've been LST them pretty well the whole time). Also, I don't know where you live, but if you need a humidifier, buy one that has a wick filter instead of the deionozing ones. I've tried 8 different humidifiers since I started this, and the 4 with wick filters ranged between a 5%-30% boost, and the deionizing ones ranged from 2%-6% boost to RH. That may not be a problem for you, but the one I've found works best (in the cheapo range, at least) is: http://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-Cool-Mist-Humidifier/10261753

Like I said, you might not need the humidifier, but just passing on something I've learned since I started this.

Edit: One other thing, make sure you have calculated the footprints of the lights in that bigger tent, from what I understand, at 12" from the canopy, a 600W HPS/MH will have a 4ftx4ft footprint. Just something to think about when you are setting everything up in there

bsmoke83 said:

Edit: One other thing, make sure you have calculated the footprints of the lights in that bigger tent, from what I understand, at 12" from the canopy, a 600W HPS/MH will have a 4ftx4ft footprint. Just something to think about when you are setting everything up in there

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That's prolly why I'm limiting myself to the number of plants I can do in dirt. I think at 12' we'd lose a lot of effectiveness of the grow light. I was told (at the hydro store) the penetration of a 600w bulb is about 6' with about a 4x4 footprint and all of them will be on ratchet doodahs...even the side lighting 250w CFLs. I live in a high humidity area and the Danby is a dual hose A/C and will dehumidify as well as cool and heat.

I just looked at your pix!!! Fine job! I am going to try to keep the ballasts outside of the tent with a fan blowing on them...it's hot May to Oct where I live. I still have a few things to buy...more ratchets, some protection for the tent floor, pots, organics, etc. I have enough timers for everything as well as a nice meter to check all the important stuff

BTW, this will be my 1st grow (in prolly more years than you've been around LOL) and I'm also trying to get it right with minimal avoidable mistakes.
Right now the plan is to veg for at least a month depending on how big they get. I'll top at 9" and again at 20". I haven't decided what seeds we will use...need to look at the strains again to keep similar times. Some of our seeds take a lot longer.
What are you growing...or did I miss that? We have choices and will likely start with 6-8 plants.
Choices are Maui, Haze, GrapeGod, Purple Trainwreck, Malawi Gold, Space Dawg, Critical+, Kali Mist, and an assortment of others. Tough choice LOL. I suppose we should try to keep like strains together in terms of growing periods.

Thanks! Yeah, I'm kind of proud of them since its my first grow, ever They were on the captions of the pics, but I have 4x Blue Dream, 4x Jack the Ripper, and 4x Medibud

My girls started to grow up again today, and they are looking pretty good! They will be ready for water/food in about 2 days, I think. Still worried about the little sickly one, but I've been told they come back from worse, I'm just paying special attention to that one. Figured you guys might like to see the +24hrs from LST pics!

Hey Guys, just a quick picture update! The girls were ready for feeding, so I gave them some nutes (still at 900ppm total). This is 2 days later. My sick one is even starting to look better, new green growth and the sick yellow leaves are starting to turn green again. I had almost given up hope on that one, but maybe it will still make it.

I just overfed/over-fertilized my plants and now they're curling downward. I hope mine can recover like yours did. I'm 3 weeks into flowering so they got some time to heal.
Hope the buds/colas still come out nice and juicy.
Your stuff is looking awesome. Time goes by so fast.
I remember when your plants were just a baby, lol.

bsmoke83 said:

Hey Guys, just a quick picture update! The girls were ready for feeding, so I gave them some nutes (still at 900ppm total). This is 2 days later. My sick one is even starting to look better, new green growth and the sick yellow leaves are starting to turn green again. I had almost given up hope on that one, but maybe it will still make it.

View attachment 2199721

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Man you are doing a great job, too. I think the 3 of us should combine resources LOL

bsmoke83 said:

Like I said, you might not need the humidifier, but just passing on something I've learned since I started this.

Edit: One other thing, make sure you have calculated the footprints of the lights in that bigger tent, from what I understand, at 12" from the canopy, a 600W HPS/MH will have a 4ftx4ft footprint. Just something to think about when you are setting everything up in there

Click to expand...

I misread 12" as 12' LOL. I just ordered a Hercules set up for the 240. If I need to add another light I can buy another reflector and ballast and use an MH...I think. Don't want to buy another HPS yet.

Hey guys,

A few picture updates. They are about ready for some water/nutes now, so I'm going to be feeding and LSTing them again tomorrow!

Just FYI: The pic with my hand is showing the new growth on the sick little one, I guess all she needed was a little bit of love!