First grow, need advice.

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technoHippieGuy

Member
Hey all. So I've started my first grow. Today is day 19 since transferring the germed seed to the soil.

I'm using an organic potting soil (Miracle Grow Nature's Care, I was on a budget and these were $25 bags on sale for $3.50 each, gardening supplies are scarce this time of year in my area) and have just been feeding with pure water from a reverse osmosis system. I've been using 12x 45 true watt CFL bulbs mounted in 3x photography studio box light fixtures that I've hung using a PVC frame. It's an auto flower strain, so I've just been blasting with light 24/7. The strain is Free Rider, but I'm not sure which seed bank it's from. A friend gave it to me.

I'm planning on starting nutrients tomorrow. I picked up Dr. Earth Home Grown 4-6-2 tomato, vegetable, and herb organic liquid fertilizer. Planning to start with 1/4 strength, every other day or so to see how it responds. My friend will be giving me some extra FoxFarm nutes for flower left from his grow.

I'm just cooling the cabinet, which is approx. 15x22x39 inches for the grow area, with a bottom cabinet underneath, by having the door open a crack and two fans directing cold air from a window inside. I'm working on an airflow and scent scrubber system, which should be finished in a day or two. I'm only now just started to smell a hint of it, so I have some time. But the system will use 2x 80mm fans blowing air in, 2x blower fans mounted on the ceiling blowing air through 1" PVC down to the lower section of the cabinet, where I'll have 2x 80mm high cfm fans in a push/pull setup drawing air through activated carbon.

The problem I'm having is height. The plant has a ton of growth, it looks like a little bush, but it's only 4 inches tall! I've reduced the amount of lights to 2 and raised the lights up, but I'm worried I won't be able to make up for vertical growth before harvest.

From what I've read about this strain, it's related to low rider, so it's meant to be short, but it can be ready to harvest in as little as 60 days.

I'll try to include some pics, but first time posting here. Not quite sure how.
 

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Bose

Bose

Well-Known Member
When she starts to flower she will stretch. So she will get tall. I would keep the lights where you had them the plant looks like she is doing well.
 
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technoHippieGuy

Member
That's wonderful news. Thanks so much! I'll keep the thread updated on how things are going. The container has a lid that I wired 4x 12v modules holding 3x high intensity LEDs that I wanted to put on. Once it grows taller, I wanted to scrog it and use the LEDs to light the under canopy, see if that had a helpful effect.

My other option, if it doesn't grow in a way to allow for a scrog, is wiring up 2 cold cathode tube salvaged from some thrifts tone scanners. They typically run at 470v, but most of the time they're attached to a module that takes a 12v input. Could run those along the sides with some mild diffusers to prevent burn. Though, I don't think those get too hot. I've seen a guy that strung up 7 of them over his workspace to get a shadowless work area. I think he was a model designer or something, but says they've been lighting his desk for over a decade and haven't burned out yet.
 
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technoHippieGuy

Member
Hey all,

Sorry it's been so long. Here's an update. Flower began late dec/early jan, and it's looking nice. I'm just not sure how long til harvest. There are a lot of buds, but they're still really small. I had a bunch of lights, but heat started to be an issue. Right now, I'm running:

3x 30 watt 5500k cfl
1x 26 watt 5500k cfl
1x 68 watt 2700k cfl
4x 45 watt 6500k cfl
7x 9 watt 2700k led

I was using 11 of the 45watt, but those were source of excess heat.

I also noticed a lot of the hairs are starting to turn orange. Is this an indicator of readiness? I have a 60-100x scope, but it's difficult to get a good look as I'm fairly shaky.

Based on pics, and in-soil date of Dec 4th, and strain of Short Rider Auto from Nirvana, when do you guys estimate I might be ready for harvest? . I think I said free rider before, but I was wrong.
 

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irish grower

irish grower

Well-Known Member
technoHippieGuy said:
Hey all. So I've started my first grow. Today is day 19 since transferring the germed seed to the soil.

I'm using an organic potting soil (Miracle Grow Nature's Care, I was on a budget and these were $25 bags on sale for $3.50 each, gardening supplies are scarce this time of year in my area) and have just been feeding with pure water from a reverse osmosis system. I've been using 12x 45 true watt CFL bulbs mounted in 3x photography studio box light fixtures that I've hung using a PVC frame. It's an auto flower strain, so I've just been blasting with light 24/7. The strain is Free Rider, but I'm not sure which seed bank it's from. A friend gave it to me.

I'm planning on starting nutrients tomorrow. I picked up Dr. Earth Home Grown 4-6-2 tomato, vegetable, and herb organic liquid fertilizer. Planning to start with 1/4 strength, every other day or so to see how it responds. My friend will be giving me some extra FoxFarm nutes for flower left from his grow.

I'm just cooling the cabinet, which is approx. 15x22x39 inches for the grow area, with a bottom cabinet underneath, by having the door open a crack and two fans directing cold air from a window inside. I'm working on an airflow and scent scrubber system, which should be finished in a day or two. I'm only now just started to smell a hint of it, so I have some time. But the system will use 2x 80mm fans blowing air in, 2x blower fans mounted on the ceiling blowing air through 1" PVC down to the lower section of the cabinet, where I'll have 2x 80mm high cfm fans in a push/pull setup drawing air through activated carbon.

The problem I'm having is height. The plant has a ton of growth, it looks like a little bush, but it's only 4 inches tall! I've reduced the amount of lights to 2 and raised the lights up, but I'm worried I won't be able to make up for vertical growth before harvest.

From what I've read about this strain, it's related to low rider, so it's meant to be short, but it can be ready to harvest in as little as 60 days.

I'll try to include some pics, but first time posting here. Not quite sure how.
Click to expand...
1410 light cycle will do,plants will boom with dark period
 
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technoHippieGuy

Member
Awesome, that's great to hear. Yeah, if it's ready on Feb 4th or around there, that'll be about 60 days from soil to harvest, which kinda lines up with some reports for this strain, though others were sooner (45 days) and others were later (75-80 days).

As for light cycle, I've had the lights on 24/7 until a few days ago and switched to a 20/4 cycle. Since it's an auto, would 14/10 be wise? Or are you saying that due to the auto genetics, a 14/10 will boost bud growth?
 
irish grower

irish grower

Well-Known Member
yea all my autos are on a 1311 they need the dark period,i have a theory that like solar panels plants became full of energy and the dark period,lets the plant use some of its stored energy and sinces its not the sun the plant will always have light to power it,try it n see,i have pulled 5 dry oz off autos on 1212 cycle,in soil aswell,find a high yield plant,auto blue mango will boom high plant tho 6ft my 7.
 
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