First Grow; LED (Veg) CFL (Flower) Auto AK47

Hey all,

I have been reading this forum for a while now, and like many others, I've decided to delve deeper and set-up a grow myself. I will only grow one plant at a time and will opt for Lowlife's Automatic AK47 hybrid (10 seeds).

As this grow must be at least semi-stealth I gutted an old Powermac G4 which measures:43 cm (H), 22 cm (W), 46 cm (D). Although this seems small I intend to LST the plant to ensure maximum use of space, possibly installing some form of SCROG later if needed. Once all of the internal components were removed I lined the walls with bubblewrap and then Mylar to create the reflective surface. Currently the Mylar is held in place with staples and tape, when I have the time I will fit it more appropriately - for vegging it will suffice.

Next I placed the seedling, which was germinated using the paper towell method, in a starter cube and then put the cube under a temporary LED vegging lamp inside the case. At present the case is, for the most part, lightproof but I will perfect it as the grow continues.

To ensure a constant airflow and, hopefully, reduce odour a 100mm computer fan has been fitted to some Alumminium Ducting, which leads to an external Carbon Filter. I had originally intended the filter to be internal however made an error when placing the order. At the moment the intake is passive and the exhaust is controlled by the fan but when I have the time and odour control becomes neccessary I will add an intake fan as well. I am also considering some sort of valve to prevent airflow/odour passing the wrong way. The 100mm exhaust is powered by a 12v DC Adapter taken, and modified, from another household appliance.

The lamp and Fan cables are managed using a cheap cable tidy. When the plant matures I will be adding as many energy saving CFL bulbs as possible. All cables will be managed this way. At present I have three 9 watt (400 Lumen) bulbs, though they are not set-up.

I intend to transplant the plant twice as it grows to ensure maximum use of root space, I will also make any modifications neccesary at these times.

Pictures will follow and I intend to document this grow as well as possible.

Any input appreciated, I have probably forgotten to mention a lot

Take it easy and enjoy.

Here are the first of the pictures, I apologize for the quality of the images my current digital camera is not great. I will try and sort something else out for the next update.

It seems the seedling is doing well I can see the first leaves, though very small) I keep peeking at it every now and then to monitor its growth. So cool. Will add more pics later. Gonna use a different camera.

COMMENT AS YOU PLEASE. BUT BE AT LEAST CIVIL. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM WELCOME & SPARK UP WITH ME

I currently have (not set-up) the 3 x 9 watt Energy Efficient CFL bulbs that are 400 lums each. They were very cheap and an impulse buy. They will at least keep the plant in veg for the moment once set-up, as it is just a sprout. Due to limited space the energy efficient bulbs can be placed closer to the plants to prevent stretching. Currently the LED light is just mm away from the sprout...its looking really healthy and green It is under 24/0 light schedule at the moment to maximise the LED usefulness.

Thanks to HomeGrwn on a another thread two 27 watt daylight CFL lights sounds like my best bet so i'll look into it. I live in the UK and haven't found a sufficient wattage bulb yet. It is a small space however, so the current bulbs will suffice for now.

The 'temporary' 400 Lum CFL are 2700k. I got that right at least

As far as the growing environment is concerned it has Mylar lined walls and the humidity and temperature haven't been measured yet as I have just started my grow, and need to buy a few things

how many watts or many bulbs is the led? i've always been curious to use leds.

ill be checkin back for updates. GL

Got some new pics of the the sprout, the LED light and the carbon filter.

I have decided to list the products/materials I have used and where they were purchased.

Diamond Grow Reflective Sheeting:

http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk/details.asp?productid=855&subcat=331&cat=20
5m of Standard 100mm Aluminium Ducting:

http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk/details.asp?productid=113&subcat=110&cat=20

100mm Jubilee Clip:

http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk/details.asp?productid=108&subcat=110&cat=20


Budget (4 inch) 100mm Carbon Filter:

http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk/details.asp?productid=863&subcat=300&cat=20

Hey and thanks HydroBandits.

I did some research on this site and other similar forums and found that LED lights are good for Veg but not yet as good for flowering as others.

It is an 8-10w 90MIX Medium Mixed Colour 90 LED Grow Light Bulb from:

http://www.growforfree.co.uk/epages/es108873.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es108873_es120127304033/Products/90MIX

It emits light in the PURE BLUE 460-465nm region and the DEEP RED 650-660nm region, and will be used throughout the grow as a supplement after the CFL lights are installed. It uses a standard 27mm Edison screw fitting which means it works in a broad range of cheap lamps.

The LED's are built into the bulb body which is reflective and angles the beam downward to create a spotlight.

Apparently it should last for well over 50,000 hours which is always good to know.

Forgot to mention that I also purchased 8 x 75mm Cultilene Rockwool cubes.
The sprout is in one at the moment. When it is ready the cube will be placed in a larger pot and buried in soil up to the first leaves, again to maximise space in the case and also root growth.

http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk/details.asp?productid=536&subcat=289&cat=198

First off, good luck with the grow. I am also looking to try the AK-47 auto, but the feminized pack of 5. I was wondering since you got the 10 pack and only growing 1 at a time how feasible it will be as your one and only could be a male. Would hate to see you waste(maybe not waste since experience is valuable) two weeks if that turns out to be the case. Either way i will be keeping up with this thread to see how this great breed does. Great job on the case and love that LED.

Hey Rebel1699,

Firstly thank-you. I got the AK-47 auto 10 pack and decided only to grow one at a time as this is my first grow, yes it could be a male but i'm not in a hurry. Experience is valuable and I consider this my practice grow. In two weeks if that turns out to be the case, I can just sprout another. I was also concerned about having enough space to flower two females. I can't wait to flower one of these, they are so nice looking.

Thanks again the case isn't finished yet I will be updating it throughout the grow, to ensure it is perfect for the start of the next

The LED is cool and seems to be doing a good job at the moment, i'm very happy with it. The extra blue and red should be useful when the CFL's go in.

Pull up a seat and thanks for the advice

so is this in a pc case? i was trying to figure out what your cabinet was?

Power Mac G4 case...
Apple's old desktop...

The setup looks great dude...
I'm gonna keep my eyes on it...

Thanks. Yeah its a Powermac G4 Digital Audio. I have one that still runs well, great machine. The easy access door is so useful.

Here are a few new images of the plant. You can clearly see the third and fourth leaves developing nicely. You may also notice a slight tear in one of the first leaves, I forget what they are called, I'm not sure how it happened but the plant seems to be growing just fine. I will add more info soon. Enjoy the pics



https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/136028-first-grow-led-veg-cfl.html

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Hey,

Just noticed today that the roots were starting to come through the bottom of the cultilene rockwool cube.

I have now transferred the plant, still in the cube, into a larger pot. Once the plant matures enough to exceed the space in this 1.4 litre pot I will transplant it one last time into a larger capacity pot, hopefully I can find a 5 L or so that will be wider than it is tall. More pics tomorrow

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Hey,

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I have been very busy. The grow is going well. Very impressed with the LED growth. I will be adding the CFL bulbs soon, and eventually perhaps a 150 watt bulb for flowering properly.

I accidentally singed one of the leaves several days ago while testing temporary bulbs in the grow-mac. The 100 watt standard house bulb was a foolish idea anyway. Nevertheless the plant seems to be growing strong in the new pot, despite previous stress.

I will be adding many more pictures later in the evening, after I have been shopping with my girlfriend. For the moment here are a few to enjoy

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Hey,

My apologies again but I haven't had time to upload any more photos of the plant, I will soon.

I have not mentioned previously that I have been using:

Miracle Gro Slow Release All Purpose Plant Food 1kg Jar.

The food has been mixed into the soil in the pot and a layer can be seen on the top of the soil as well.

The label boasts that the food is slow release and should provide for a 6 month grow period. The stated NPK ratio of the fertilizer is 18-9-11.

Today I purchased a soil testing kit and went about, for the first time, analysing the soil to check what, if any, adjustments I may need to make. According to these tests the soil has Surplus N, Negligible P and Negligible K at this stage of the grow.

As the pellets are designed to slowly release the food throughout a six month period I may have to buy a supplementary liquid fertilizer to compensate, during flowering, for the lack of P and K.

Further to testing the nutrient levels I performed a PH test on the soil and was quite surprised to find that the result was leaning heavily toward the alkaline. I believe, but could be wrong, that cannabis prefers slightly acidic conditions. This will be adjusted soon, though I don't know how yet.

Another useful purchase today was a thermometer, nothing fancy, just a simple device that was on offer in my local hardware store. When running with the CFL bulbs (Testing heat) the temperature inside the case remains around 23 C (74 F). With just the LED (Current Set-up) the temperature holds a several degrees cooler. I will add temperature details with each new update from now on.

I have not yet purchased a device for measuring the humidity, although my concern is that it will not be humid enough. I have several sachets of silica gel in the grow area to prevent condensation build-up around the electronics. The room that the grow is locate feels fairly humid however so for the moment I am content.

If anyone has suitable advice please feel free to advise me

I will be posting updates as frequently as I can so check back often.

Ok so now I am very worried. The leaves are all curling and I can see a few discoloured spot-like patches. I think it is a defficiency of P and K but I have no money for ferts atm. Will update as soon as I can. Any advise would be appreciated.

I have just flushed the plant and have decided to lay off watering for the next day or so as I have been watering every day. I added some vinegar and lemon juice to the water to increase acidity slightly. I will try and buy some cheap fertilizer tomorrow as a temporary solution to the lack of P and K. Could the high N be causing this?

I have also started to germinate another two seeds...just to be on the safe side.