newby lost and needs help with cfls, anybody?

solarphlare · Mar 23, 2011

Recently I have decided to grow my own meds I have been growing outdoors here in Los Angeles but recently it has been cold and raining, Ny question is I have acquired two cfls at 27 watts each equals 100 watts of light butI have a clamp lamp that is 8.5" and i want to place both bulbs in with a y my problem is that when i put them in the bulbs aare touching the sides of the steel lamp is this a problem do i need a bigger lamp or the fact that the lights are touching the sides of the lamps will not affect it. Sorry for the newby questions this is my very first grow they are twelve days old now and i have not yet given them nothing but water.

Wild Bill · Mar 23, 2011

Should be fine. Might even act as a heat sink.

solarphlare · Mar 23, 2011

as for the photos what do you think how do they look are they fine or do I need to worry?

ColoradoLove · Mar 23, 2011

They look a little yellow man, I'd go to bigger pots and give them a light feeding

solarphlare · Mar 23, 2011

Sonds like somthing I will do lightn feeding with fertalizer or plant food i have some fertalizer i purchasedfrom some guy who owns a nursery said he mixed like three into one have no clue and the other thing I have right now is a plant fooe from epoma called garden tone 4-6-6 what do you think i sould use?

djruiner · Mar 23, 2011

solarphlare said:
Sonds like somthing I will do lightn feeding with fertalizer or plant food i have some fertalizer i purchasedfrom some guy who owns a nursery said he mixed like three into one have no clue and the other thing I have right now is a plant fooe from epoma called garden tone 4-6-6 what do you think i sould use?

those are too young to start feeding...my guess is that soil is too hot for seedlings.did your soil have ferts in it already?they should not need fed in most soils till they are at least 3 weeks old...most of mine are not fed till 3-4 weeks old if its in soil with nutes already in it....if you feed them your going to burn the hell out of them right now....they also need more soil...fill those cups up to the top with soil....and 2 cfl's for 4 plants isnt going to cut it...as for them touching the hood..i wouldnt advise it..you can bend those hoods a little bit to where its not touching the metal...if you move your hood the wrong way its going to bust the bulbs if they bang into it

djruiner · Mar 23, 2011

plant fooe from epoma called garden tone 4-6-6

this is more then likely a flowering nute...get something with a more balanced npk ratio...like a 20-20-20 or 2-2-2..same thing...the first number is the amount of nitrogen...they require more N during veg

solarphlare · Mar 23, 2011

sweet thanks as for the cfls i am only using them until this rain passes here in a day or two have no more dirt, however i do have these five gallon pots should i transplant them into this also I do have some miricle grow blood meal 15-0-0 will this work? heres a pic of the plant container

Thanks for all your input I do appreciate it.

djruiner · Mar 23, 2011

solarphlare said:
sweet thanks as for the cfls i am only using them until this rain passes here in a day or two have no more dirt, however i do have these five gallon pots should i transplant them into this also I do have some miricle grow blood meal 15-0-0 will this work? heres a pic of the plant containerView attachment 1509856
Thanks for all your input I do appreciate it.

blood meal is best used when mixed into the soil when you make up your soil mix...its slow release...wait untill you transplant it after it recovers from shock and use it in your soil then

solarphlare · Mar 23, 2011

sweet thanks I feel as if I can rest easy tonight. as far as the blood meal how do you apply it aftter transplant and recovery do i just sprinkle the required amount of course like three inches from steam or do i barry it n the soil? sorry bad speller.

djruiner · Mar 23, 2011

solarphlare said:
sweet thanks I feel as if I can rest easy tonight. as far as the blood meal how do you apply it aftter transplant and recovery do i just sprinkle the required amount of course like three inches from steam or do i barry it n the soil? sorry bad speller.

just mix it in with the soil...i would also get some perlite.that helps with drainage and provides more oxygen to the roots

solarphlare · Mar 23, 2011

Thanks so much for being so cool with a newby like myself, I will keep you posted as time goes on.

solarphlare · Mar 23, 2011

hook you u and rep you one thanks for your patience

djruiner · Mar 23, 2011

solarphlare said:
hook you u and rep you one thanks for your patience

no problem at all...im here to help when i can...and ill toss some rep your way also

ColoradoLove · Mar 24, 2011

Wait they're yellowing like that because you think they're overfed?

That soil looks like he dug it up in his backyard. Solar what kinda soil you got there?

solarphlare · Mar 25, 2011

Its some cheap as soil I got from my conner nursery you see iI live rght smake dead the ghetto of lo angeles theres no dam hydro shops around here and cant have anything shiped here because of people robbing the dam fex ex ups man so I have to use what i can use for right now especially because I am uper brooke but check it out now Figured it out needed fert and more light what u guys think loking better?

ColoradoLove · Mar 25, 2011

Yes, definitely more green. I figured that it was that kinda soil, recognized it from my girls house plants.

solarphlare · Mar 25, 2011

Sweet thanks so mauch for every thing I had also read A plant growing in a poor soil, low in nutrients will develop better than a plant growing in overfertilized soil. so seeing how this is my firsr grow I plan on taking it slow I have already burned one of my babies yesterday by given it too much fert by thank god I saw it in time and reconized the signs of being over fert and was able to remove the top two cm of soil ad flush it this morning and three hours later it is back to reaching up for light I feel like a proud father saving my baby.

Green Shark · Mar 25, 2011

They will outgrow the yellowing though. The brown spotting also tells me a little bit of over fertilizing maybe. A Ph meter would also be beneficial for the little ones for Ph the water your feeding them. But overall looking pretty good keep up the work it will pay off in the end!

solarphlare · Mar 25, 2011

Thank you Green shark like the name cause I know I sure can sark the hell out of some green yeah soil ph is 7.1 water is tap water is 6.9
will transplant it into 5 gal pot and let the babies recover than mix in some mirical grow blood meal 15-0-0 into the soil to bring the p.h down alittle more to hopefull a perfect 6.8
thanks boss

newby lost and needs help with cfls, anybody?

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