My First Grow - Tag Along Please

Hi everyone,

This is my first post on this forum, I have been visiting RIU a lot for advice and guidance on how to get started.

I have not yet started with my grow, I'm still building my setup. This journal is purely for learning as this is my first grow. I hope in the future it can help others to get started as well. Will really appreciate it if anyone experienced can tag along.

I will post pictures daily, so that the gurus can help me spot problems early on.

What I have :

--- 5 x Female NL seed's (Auto Flower)
--- 2 x 400w Light setup (I have HPS and MH bulb's)
--- 2 x Homemade Canopy's with 150mm ducting flange.
--- Inline fan with ducting.
--- 4 x 5L per minute air pumps (With lots of silicon hose)
--- 4 x Pots that I build myself. (13L Buckets with modified swimming pool filters)
--- 5 x Rock-wool cubes
--- Enough Leca (6-12mm round clay ball's)
--- Nutrient's (Flora Grow, Flora Micro, Flora Bloom, syrup type molasses)
--- Lots of plumbing parts
--- 1 x Wall mount oscillating fan (300mm dia)

Where :

I have a room that is 4m x 5m, in the one corner I built a box out of hard board.
The footprint is 2m x 2.2m and its more than 2.2m high.
I took silicon sealer and sealed the whole box so that it is air and light tight. (I still need to cut holes for the vent's/duckting). I took matte white spray paint and sprayed the entire box white on the inside. (This is what I have done so far.)

Will start posting pictures tomorrow.

My Plan : (HELP IF MY PLAN IS SHIT)

I want to grow 4 plant's under 400w while they are small and when they get larger start the other 400w for a 800w setup. Bubble phonics as I call it is the method I want to use, with 24h lighting for veg and 12/12 for flowering. I am still very new to growing indoors, so bear with me please. The 2 canopy's will be in line with one side open sucking hot air inside the box in and blowing it out into atmosphere. the oscillating fan will blow over the 4 plants to keep the air moving. On the bottom corner I want to install 3 120mm fans for blowing fresh cool air in the whole time. I have the plumbing parts to build a drain system for easy nutrient switching.

My Questions :

--- Should I complete my WHOLE setup before germinating? (I'm very exited and want to finish things up this weekend. Thought the seeds can germinate while I finish my setup)

--- Do I need rooting hormone if I am growing from seeds?


For now this is it, will update again tomorrow. Please shout if you see anything that will not work. And ask questions so that I can learn.

Thank you in advance.

I'll pop in from to time. The set up sounds good, and yes you should finish it before starting and no you don't need rooting hormone for seeds, that stuff is only for encouraging cuttings to grow roots from the stem.

Thank you for answering my questions, I will finish building everything before germinating my seeds.

Here is some pictures of what I have so far.


My grow pots with swimming pool filters and flower bucket.



This is the inside of my bucket with lid off, sillicon tube with tiny holes (like airstone) fixed to the bottom with cable ties. Drain pipe for switching nutrients also there.



My air pumps.



Some heat removal stuff.



Inside of the box, not yet painted with vent in the corner into atmosphere (Covered so rain cant get in.)



The box from outside, when I post more pictures later, you will get a better understanding of the orientation.



My grow medium.


Next I am going to install the osilating fan and the cold air vent fans, leaving the lights and ducting for last.


Shout if anyone spots any problems! I enjoy posting here and will post more updates daily.

Keep on Going! Looking good so far! Maybe look into "bubble wands" or "bubble curtains" for your buckets I started my (soil) grow on 400 watts in a 2'x3' closet with 6 plants and am flowering on 800 watts.... check it out some time

I checked out the bubble wands and curtains, my silicon pipe with holes in works just as well.

It's been a while, I finished up my grow box, bought all the nute's (its a 3 part story) and got my hands on a carbon air purifier/filter.

Canopies sent in for welding today so hopefully germinating this weekend.

How do I post a video of the bubbling so that you can check if it is sufficient?

Nice man iam also growing 5 northen lights auto iam doing a very simple setup compared to yours ive got 1 inch sedlings atm was reading ur light schedule for auto u want nothing under 18/6 u dont need 12/12 for budding from everything ive been reading just run at 18/6 iam watch this thead be interested to see what method get better results iam running 400w mh till buds start then ill use 440w hps cause my digital ballast has a 440 option

link to the video for the bubbles, someone please have a look and tell me if it is sufficient.

should be alright, the deal with air stones or bubble curtains is that they have MUCH smaller holes and an "air filter"..... the oxygen is supposed to "diffuse" into the water.... I'd imagine that what you are doing should work, but I know my fish can't easily pull oxygen out of the water in their tank without these bullshit as air stones, and you'd really be surprised to find out how much tank dwelling fish and cannabis have in common!

I have been out of town for a while sadly! Got a bit of work done on the box.

My cannopies! Home built! Tenpered glass with bulb perfectly in the centre and 150mm vent holes to act as cool tube.


http://postimage.org/

I got me a large or it looks quite large activated carbon air filter, contains 6kg of carbon. Kindly advise how often to change the carbon out.


http://postimage.org/

My 2 lights and first coat of signal white paint, this is very very white and reflects allot better than expected, painting the second coat tomorrow morning. Then installing the last stuff and hopefully I can germinate soon.

Also smoked my first proper indoor this weekend. OMF. That is all I can say. I'd make a deoderant from that smell. Regards.

Sorry for the double post but how importent is the ph of the water? Should I get ph up and ph down and a ph monitor?

This is the nutrient I ordered, I have never used nutrients before. Kindly help with the amounts of each I should add from the start?
Seeds is now wet dark and warm so hopefully they will be germinating soon and ill start.

Got the last of my electronics sorted.



Also, is it necessary to switch my bubbles on and off? like 7 mins on 21 mins off or something like that. I have access to very good electronic equipment for free.

GROW ROOM COMPLETE!! I have been working 2 hours every night on my grow room.

My grow plans have changed a little, I bought 5 seeds and germinated them, but only 2 of the plants looks strong.
My first plan was to have 4 grow pots, but with only to strong seedlings I decided I'm going to buy 10 clones.

I then built a 8 pot aerophonics bin for the clones. now I have 12 grow pots.

I also had to chuck out the 4 little fish tank air pumps because they could not supply enough air.

Here is a video of my newest system.

All the lights is working perfect.

Clones is coming this weekend so ill be reporting back with pictures on Monday.

Here is another vid of my system as it is now.

I don't know if anyone is actually following my grow journal but I need to find out how long to keep the clones in veg before starting 12/12

Regards

Hey Butter, I am also on my first grow. But i have done an enormous amount of research and I have a 40 grow veteran at my leisure. The gist is, it depends on a couple things, whats the genes of your plant. Sativas tend to grow tall so if you have a mostly sativa strian then you wouldn't want them to get very tall because they will double maybe triple in height.
Also, it really depends on how much room you have to give.
I personally have GSC which is a mix, i think i will turn them to 12/12 when they are about 1 1/2.
Watched the video and nice hydro set up. Leave the bubbles going 24/7.
I don't know if you put nutrients on the seeds but if you did…..Don't. The seeds have enough food for at least a week.
You should be able to google your nutrient brand and feeding schedule to get the amounts, remember start with a 1/4 for a week then move to 1/2 for a week then full strength, you don't want to shock you plants.
Look up what the plants look like if over watered and nutrient burn etc…
Grow it up bro good luck!!

Ok this is my northern lights 3weeks old in aerophonics. Under metal halide 400w 10inch from the plants. Help please i dont have a fan on the plants, if that can help??

yes it helps the base grow thicker/stronger and air flow helps deliver co2 to your plants

So if i get a fan the yellow wil go away?

butterbudface said:

So if i get a fan the yellow wil go away?

Click to expand...

no the yellowing has nothing to do with air flow

Then why would u say they are yellowing up?

There is so much info out there about things like this, even try googling it. But I am certain what you have here is a nutrient deffinciency.
Look at your roots if you can they should be white not brown. The reason I say this is because you may have root rot.
The fan will help with the strength and move fresh air to it.
I can't remember right now but there is a specific nutrient deficiency that causes lower leaves to yellow then fall off. If not treated it will spread.
Id say for now check the PH make sure it's in between 5.5-6.3. Get rid of all the water your currently using. Put fresh ph'd water in. Let that run for a day. Then slowly add nutes. Start at a low ppm like 300-400. Keep at that level until week 5 then move up every couple days if it has bounced back.