First time grower and first post! - Critique my first setup please!

I have the lights higher up than normal as I didn't know if the neem oil I'm using could possibly burn the leafs, maybe not with cfls?

Evening everyone!

Recently moved to So Cal and I am starting my first grow! (and a new patient!)

I've constructed a 4x4x2.5ft box in a spare walk in closet. For now I've set up 2 hanging fixtures with 4 cfl's on each fixture. I plan on getting some y's for the sockets and doubling the bulbs if necessary. I also in the near future would like to make some LED panels between the CFL's and maybe on the sides of the walls closer to the flowering phase.

I currently have 4 5 gallon buckets with a mix of perlite base, potting soil, and topped with Foxfarm's Ocean mix. My next phase I would to install a fan, and put in the appropriate ventilation.

I was considering mounting some computer fans for intakes and a small fan or two for exhaust into some home made carbon filters(https://www.rollitup.org/do-yourself/58871-2-minute-cheap-easy-carbon.html) I would love recommendations for inexpensive pH testing solutions, and really any other input would be greatly appreciated!

I was also considering a odor control bucket as well.
http://www.420magazine.com/forums/do-yourself/110496-diy-odor-control-bucket.html

I don't want to go to over the top, but i'm willing to put the time and effort on a budget if possible. Although this is something I've always wanted to do so screw it every guy needs a project.

Last but least, I recent had a clone given to me by a local friend in an effort to help me get started. Problem being was I didn't have a box up and ready and had to wait for the funds to get it built. So it was on a balcony and with as little light as it was getting it started to flower already. To top it off the damn thing got covered with thrips to the best of my knowledge. I've been spraying it with neem oil and it's been slowly recovering.

Once again any tips or tricks or hell anything would be helpful.

Thanks again,
- Shides

in any hardware store you can get a lacmus paper, which can detect ph level. its very cheap- very unreliable. for a few more bucks you can get a home ph tester. don't know what it coast in the states but down here its about 5-6$...

my advice is get a 6 hundo watt and do it up right
ladybugs eat bad shit off ur plants if u leave them in ur cab right?

and post pics

Edited and put the pics on the main page!

i like the cab...you need some intake and exhaust though bad...i think

Does anyone have an idea of would kinda of fans would be adaquate for the space? How much fresh air do you need for CFLs?

You need some ventilation. Just figure to replace all the air in there once every 3 minutes or so. I would think about fixing light leaks as well. Also looks like spider mites. Spray neem oil as the lights go out for the night if your worried about burning em. You may want some better lighting for flowering. Not bad for a first set up though.

i think little coputer fans should do the trick...

Hey thanks for the info guys, i'll give ya a update soon! Neem oil and a fan are really doing the trick!

Ok new update!













Ok a week and a half later and I'd argue shes doing better!

I've been applying neemo oil and she seems to be doing a ton better. I doubled the light and for now have a fan just blowing through the box. I'm adding two 140mm fans tomorrow and mounting an oscillating fan tomorrow as well if everything goes right.

I've got 2 more identical pots ready and one smart pot to see the difference in growth. Worth noting that I'm using 5 gallon buckets and the smart pot is only 3, but it looked plenty big.

I also picked up some Pure Blend Pro Grow from the local hydro shop (http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Blend-Pro-Grow-Botanicare/dp/B000BSFEF2), although i'm afraid to use it as I dont know if the fox farms nuts have run their course.

Thanks for the read and please any suggestions!

- Shides

What are your temps and humidity? They look stressed. I have used those nutes for two grow cycles now, and they both went well. Unfortunantly i have nothing else to compare them to as those were my first two tries. And for what its worth, I have never fed them more than half what the bottle recommended.

My friend I want to help you as it wasnt that long ago that i was just starting out. I have read thread after thread after thead and by far no expert but a few things you are going to want to do is first off go with smaller pots! 5 gallon buckets are if you want to grow nice size plants and if you are running cfl's then its going to be over kill. You really should think about changing your bulbs to be horizontal as that is where you would be getting most of your light. Get your electricals off the ground and attached to the wall, if you slip with the water it could be dangerous (safety first) Optimal air exchange is the entire room 2X per minute. You are going to want to make sure you address the light leakage issues as well. If you want more I am willing to help you. Looking good friend and remember it take a while to grow quality buds and i myself am still working one it

get the bulbs closer, 1-2 inches away from the plant, check out the cfl sub forum great info,

Ok so here we are a few weeks later!

I grabbed some new clones and figured out a few more things for the box, I can't believe I still haven't worked out the air but the box stays cool with a box fan still for now. Totally would have been done had a order not been backordered and I missed the email.

Its Bubba Og, Platinum Og, Chem Dog and Grape Og. (In that order)



















My real question how tall do I let them go before I go 12 / 12? I know its not strictly at 4 weeks, but its quickly approaching. I know don't know how much more height to expect out of the particular strands.

Oh yea, to answer an earlier question, the humidity is about 40%, and they have been staying around 82-88 degrees depending.

cool man. My only advice, dsnuts nailed it, is the light leakage. If you have light leakage during 12/12 the whole time, they will never stop growing (or so it seems). And the other thing I was thinking, is they look pretty sativa dominant from the leaves, and they usually triple in size at most after flipping the light schedule. So you gotta do the math with however much space you have left above the canopy. Good luck man!

I am going to say you are going to want to switch them sooner more than later as Anotherdaymusic said you are going to run out of room quick with those strains. I also would suggest that you drill a few holes around the rim of your bucket and tie the tops of your girls down (LST) it will encourage the undergrowth to poke out. Do that for about a week and flip them.

You sure you want peoples critisim(cause thers alot of problems you got goin there?????)


Let me know if you realy want to grow somethin that compares to AAA bud that you would pay 400 a zip for???????????????

dsnutts said:

I am going to say you are going to want to switch them sooner more than later as Anotherdaymusic said you are going to run out of room quick with those strains. I also would suggest that you drill a few holes around the rim of your bucket and tie the tops of your girls down (LST) it will encourage the undergrowth to poke out. Do that for about a week and flip them.

Click to expand...

Yeah dude, have you not flipped the light sched yet? I thought maybe you had?

Like said above hurry and flip to 12/12 or they will be too big. Get a real exhaust fan to pull air out and not just blow it around. And id recommend getting atleast a 250w /400w hps or cmh (much lower heat). Ur not gonna be happy wth that many plants under few cfls.

U will also need to have every light leak sealed up.

Good start but definetly should of got ur set up all worked out before u put plants in there.

If u wanna check out what a 330w Ceramic Metal Halide bulb can do in a 2x4 space?

Just posted pics of beggining of havest of my platinum bubba kush. Pics in my grow thread. Links in my signature.