Low Budget First Grow--Need Feedback

Mr. Weash

Mr. Weash

Member
Through trial and error I think that I have set my grow room up to sustain the life of Marijuana. I don't know exactly how old they are but I'm assuming they are about 4-5 weeks old. I know that I should know things like that but I started growing these plants just as a hobby. Seeing all of them sprouting up and growing made me attached to them in a way that I couldn't kill them. So I started setting up my grow room.

I am a stay at home father with my 7 month old and I drive almost an hour to my grow room. I see my plants once or twice a week. I don't have the money to drive up there everyday. Needless to say, my plants get neglected.


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Growing Marijuana is not only a great hobby and a way to release stress, but it is also a great investment. I would like to yeild as much as I can so I can make a little profit to pay my bills and get better equipment for my setup.

I have put about $200 dollars into my setup. I think my pump cost the most. $40. I obviously didn't have the money to buy a Metal Halide bulb, let alone the ballast to support it. I found a CFL that is 60 watt but emits 300 watts. Now I was very sceptical but I didn't have a choice. It was $20

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It may not be exactly 300 watts but it does get bright and it stays very cool. Perfect for my size of grow room. I plan on getting more of them soon.

Average Temperature- 77 degrees
Average Humidity- 58%
I mixed Osmocote 19-6-12Indoor plant food into the soil, but only a small portion. They seem to be doing really well now that I did that.
Soil Mixture- 2 part Miracle Grow spagnum peat moss, One part Miracle Grow Seed starter (promote better root growth) One part Perlite


My plants sit on a window screen that hovers over a half filled bathtub with just water. This is perfect for when I'm gone all the time. By the time I come back, it needs to be cleaned and refreshed.
My stack fan osciltates in two parts, circulating the air.
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My watering system waters three times in a 24 hour period for thirty minutes on a drip system.


I have some questions:

Is my grow room able to sustain a reasonable environment for my mother plants and eventually clones?

What is wrong with my plants. The pictures of the burned, yellow tips are pretty much on all of my plant's lower growth. I went through a rough period with them but they seem to be doing better.

Is the plant food that I'm using ok?

Any tips are appreciated.

Thank you for your time.


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dyzel

dyzel

Well-Known Member
You drive an hour to see your plants, meaning they live somewhere else? If you are hard up for cash, why spend extra on rent somewhere else?
For a grow of your size (5 plants, by the looks of it), I would suggest getting a rubbermaid tote, and setting up a DWC system. One of these units, using 6 inch net pots can easily hold 5 plants (the pics have 6 holes. One of the openings is covered by a lid, so you can easily access the reservoir contents to check pH, add nutes etc.

Keep truckin with the CFLs. Add a few more if possible.
I suggest saving up for a HPS. You can buy a nice complete kit such as this one. It has everything you need for a basic small grow, in terms of lighting, and costs less than $150.

The whole setup would fit comfortably in a closet.
 
Mr. Weash

Mr. Weash

Member
Thanks for the tip.

I wish I would have looked more into the design options. It would have cost the same and I would probably be further along if I would have initially went this way.
Thank you again
 
D

Drifter126

Active Member
It looks like nute burn.Flush the soil with as much ph ajusted water as posible.You can`t ajust MG Soil.You might even want to transplant into some different soil.That`s just me runnin off at the mouth.Anyhow,Stay Happy,Healthy,and High!!
 
redi jedi

redi jedi

Well-Known Member
Don't use comparative watts, go by actual watts. A single 60 watt CFL is adequate for seedlings or clones. If you plan to use CFL's through the entire grow, I recommend at least 200 watts actual. Set them up so they surround the plants. Maybe have a couple 60 watters on top then use some 42's for side lighting. Also need to keep them as close as possible. Like an inch or two away. Also remember to use the proper spectrums....6300K and 2700K....now I can't remember which is which.....anyways one appears blue the other orange(when lit). Blue for veg and orange for bloom.

Just a thought...you could turn that tub into a DWC res. Build a sturdy lid that covers the entire tub, pitch the MG soil in the bush and get some netpots, air stones and a good pump......

Forgot to say...miracle grow usually has nutrients already added. I wouldn't add more nutes until the plants have consumed whats in the soil.
 
Mr. Weash

Mr. Weash

Member
redi jedi said:
Don't use comparative watts, go by actual watts. A single 60 watt CFL is adequate for seedlings or clones. If you plan to use CFL's through the entire grow, I recommend at least 200 watts actual. Set them up so they surround the plants. Maybe have a couple 60 watters on top then use some 42's for side lighting. Also need to keep them as close as possible. Like an inch or two away. Also remember to use the proper spectrums....6300K and 2700K....now I can't remember which is which.....anyways one appears blue the other orange(when lit). Blue for veg and orange for bloom.

Just a thought...you could turn that tub into a DWC res. Build a sturdy lid that covers the entire tub, pitch the MG soil in the bush and get some netpots, air stones and a good pump......

Forgot to say...miracle grow usually has nutrients already added. I wouldn't add more nutes until the plants have consumed whats in the soil.
Click to expand...

How much do you think the nets and pots would run me. Again I am on an extremely low budget.

As for potting my mothers, are you saying that I can take the plants out of the pots and put in some hydrocorn? That would be great if I could do that and keep my plants. I don't want all this time accumulated to be wasted
 
redi jedi

redi jedi

Well-Known Member
The netpots are pretty cheap. I have seen people DIY they're own. Google "hydroponic supplies"...

And yes you could transplant your mothers into DWC but it would probably just be easier to keep them in soil. Grow your clones in DWC. But if you want you can remove the mothers from the soil, rinse the soil from the roots, then try to get a few roots through the netpot so they will dangle into the water and then fill the pot with clay pellets (hydroton) or that hydrocorn you mentioned...most likely the same thing.

It's a bit PITA but do-able if your careful. Your gonna lose a few roots in the process but not usually a big deal.
 
redi jedi

redi jedi

Well-Known Member
Got to thinkin here...If your budget is tight you should just stick to growing in soil for now. Tight budget and Hydroponics doesn't work very well, especially if your new to growing all together. Soil is cheap and easy..forgiving also. Getting a hydro system up and running is/can be pricey..but once its built, you got it and you won't have to go buy new soil every crop...or get rid of the old stuff.

Long story short...ride out the learning curve(and a tight budget) with soil, than make the switch to hydro. Bout the best advice I can give ya...
 
Mr. Weash

Mr. Weash

Member
I am now using the DWC setup for my flowering plants and I have my mothers in soil. I have pics but I can't post them for some reason, I'll try later. The conditions are fine.

I'm rushing my grow. I put my clones directly into soaked rockwool and into the netty pots and everything is running and set up fine. I put in 10 caps of nutes out of the recommended 30. They are now on a 12 on 12 off cycle.

My concern is if the clones will root without cloning gel. If so, when. They are still vigorous and healthy so far, but if they are going to end up dying I would like to know

Thank you
 
redi jedi

redi jedi

Well-Known Member
I have a hard time rooting clones in rockwool, there's a fine balance between too wet and not wet enough. Without cloning gel it could take up to two weeks...
 
Mr. Weash

Mr. Weash

Member
That's fine I guess. Im using Pure Blend Pro Grow on my flowering plants. I know that it isnt the right nutes but I don't think it will hurt them, other than yielding less
 
gunther360

gunther360

Member
U got some great advice. All I would add is never use mg it comes with pests more often than not. I use advance nuts sensi grow. It's 30 bucks to start but worth every cent! What strains r u growing? I ship high end clones to ligit growers.
Cyclones. 989 488 8358 call if you need more help
Dustin "Preacher" Hnilica
 
G

gobbly

Well-Known Member
imo you're biggest bottleneck is going to be light. I wouldn't put money into building a bubbler or anything else till you increase the light. You're budget will dictate whether you just get more CFL's, or can move to some hps/mh or t5's or whatever, but they will need more light as they get larger. If the bulb says it is 60w, then it is 60w. If it says it is 60w comparable to a 300w, it is still just 60w.
 
Mr. Weash

Mr. Weash

Member
They seem to be growing from the light at a rate that is great for me. Although a better light would be nice, it is expensive. Also, I would need a bigger space than what I have to control the heat. I'm just concerned with the rooting of the clones ( I dipped clones in rooting hormone) and can I flower using a Veg nute setup.
 
ta5rtdrp16in

ta5rtdrp16in

Active Member
I think you threw everyone off with the lack of a question mark.haha A flower nute setup will be the best, but if its a choice of no nutes to veg Nutes id say use them as it will help. Just my 2 cents. Hope I'm a help.
 
Bigol'Bong

Bigol'Bong

Well-Known Member
i can tell you already ur making way to many mistakes and going to far ahead for a novice, u deffinatly need more light, ive had success with cfl's but u just dont have enough to get any real bud from your grow
 
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