Operation Ivy

No, not the old skool punk band, my first ever grow project!
So, here's the back-story. My wonderful girlfriend took me to Amsterdam for my birthday just before Christmas, and while there I couldn't resist picking up some seeds from SensiSeeds, the most impressive looking seed bank i've ever seen. The best I could afford were SensiSkunk (15 of), but I was happy with that for a first time grow I could fuck up easily.
Since then i've read everything I could get hold of about cultivation of the 'erb, and I think i'm ready to begin...
Tomorrow, i'm putting my little babies in to germinate, using the paper towel method. Gonna use mineral water as i've heard rumours that pH can change sex chances from 50% to more males if it's off neutral. I'm going to the garden centre to buy a propagator which will fit on my window sill and one of those spray vaporisers too. I live in a very warm little room so I hope they'll like that when they've germinated. I thought i'd give em natural light when there is some (not that much where I am) and use an angle-poise lamp with hi lumen bulb when not. Sufficient for the first 2 weeks or so?
When they're a bit bigger (5 inches ish?) i'll transplant them to proper pots and I've got a 400w HPS light ready - still have to construct my grow chamber tho...
Well, that's it so far! I'm getting a new DSLR soon, so will be able to post beautiful pics soon enough.
By the way, they're all called Elizabeth II, after Elizabeth, my first plant which I was given (but then my friend killed her). I'm hoping the female name will help them get the right genes!
Cheers for reading, and as always, comments are more than welcome.
TTFN

I've thought of going to Amsterdam and bringing some back one day. Do you mind explaining how you stashed the seeds to pass customs? I was figuring that it would be hard for drug dogs to not alarm on EVERYTHING coming out of Amsterdam...but that's just a guess.

how much was the trip if you dont mind me asking. i would like to go one day and i was wandering how much it was.

I couldn't tell you how much the flights and accomodation were - it was a surprise present so I don't like to pry! Cost of living was about the same as northern france/england, so not cheap but not astronomical. The buds are amazing and cost less than from a dealer in the UK. I got the seeds thru customs sewn into the hem of my t-shirt. I tucked it into my trousers afterwards. Got frisked very carefully and everything, but he didn't get me!
I'd recommend a trip to Amsterdam to everyone - it was fantastic. We went for 3 nights, and in 4 days we got to see and do everything we wanted to do while there (well, I say that, but I wanted to go to a sex show with the missus - she was having none of it).
Cheers guys

If you are from england you needed have bothered hiding the seeds as seeds are legal. The only become illegal when they get germinated. You can buy seeds over the counter in england

ah really?! Shite, well, coulda saved myself some effort if i knew that. I put em in to germinate tonight...

Right, so i put them in a paper towel dampened with filtered water, in a pint glass, in a box on top of my amp under my desk, and... THEY'VE ALL GERMINATED! They've been in there for 48hrs, i've read that you leave em in for 3 days, so i'll do that unless someone advises me otherwise, then i'm gonna put them in those little peat 'puck' things that swell up to enclose them. That a good idea? Also I got my Hesi nutes in the post today, which is nice! When do people advise to start using nutes, like rooting complex? Cheers

you plant them in cubes when the root has grown out about 1/2 the size of the actual seed. be very gentle with the root. I think you can use peat pucks but I'm not an expert at that.

Don't know anything about Hesi nutes. But they should have a schedule of when to use what and at what ratios on their website.

Ok, so i planted them in their peaty new homes today (with the utmost care). To get the peat jiffies to expand I had to soak them in water, so obviously they're pretty moist. Is that cool? I won't water them for a while now, just keep an eye on them. I should have a propagator by now but it hasn't arrived (damn eBay), so they're in a clear plastic tub with cling film over the top to keep it humid, and on top of my amp to keep them warm. Any comments are of course much appreciated guys!

they do need some respiration under that cover. so may need to cut a few holes and mist the dome a few times a day.

i didnt get on with the jiffy pellets, tried them once but after that just went for rockwool cubes and havent looked back.

I've been lifting the cling film up every few hours and blowing on them to add some CO2 and remove a bit of moisture. Will mist in time

Ok, propagator arrived this morning, so they've been put in their proper place. Two have even already popped thru the surface of the peat pellets and are looking very green! Only 3 1/2 days after starting germination too, so i'm very happy with them. As yet I haven't rigged up my main light, but I do have a small but very bright energy saving light about 3in above them as an interim measure. Does light over those which have not broken the surface make a difference as far as anyone knows? It might sound silly but I was just wondering if their phototropism is affected at all before breeching or if it's just negative geotropism

I went to amsterdam 2 years ago and just stashed my seeds in an empty shampoo bottle inside a baggy, hey presto

I like to have the light above them so they know which way to head for

OK, so, 14 have popped up and are looking lovely. The 2 tallest are about 2in high. One has died, it was just weak from the start. It's now 6 days since starting germination. I have a problem however - there is some mold growing around the base of a few of the pucks. It looks kinda like spider webs but it's not, it's white and evil! I've had the lid on the propagator for 2 days straight, with occasional lifting, so I worry that it was ths that caused the mold to grow. I now have the lid off, and am going to leave it off overnight to see what happens. Does anyone know of a good anti mold product I can order?
Thanks

9 of them, 7 days old, seen from above in propagator. Substrate is 1 part vermiculite to 5 peat based matter. This is after emergency transplant from mould covered peat pucks! They survived it well, but there are a couple that are struggling
https://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-pics/file.php?n=2090&w=o
This is the 'top of the class' girly (hopefully )
https://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-pics/file.php?n=2089&w=o
My 'wind tunnel' setup. 12cm fan at one end with hole cut for it, running straight outta my computer.
https://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-pics/file.php?n=2087&w=o
A view down the tunnel
https://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-pics/file.php?n=2085&w=o

I haven't had any input from anyone in ages! Come on, I must be doing SOMETHING wrong!
Update:
day: 9?
alive: 13/15
thriving: 8/13
light: 18/6
fan: as light
medium: 1 part Vermiculite/5 parts peat based medium
watering: once per day
nutes: none
music: at present, Gorillaz


I'm thinking of starting Root Complex and PowerZyme tomorrow. I'm building my enclosure for when the babies grow up today, will post pics when I can. Please, somebody, say something
xXx

Long time no post.
Ok, well even if i'm talking to myself, i'm gonna keep going!
Day: 17
Alive: 12
Thriving: 10
Nutes: Hesi Powerzyme, Root Complex, TNT, all 1/4 strength

Well they've been on nutes for about 4 days now, and they're LOVING it. No sign of nute burn, just massive leaf growth considering they're only under 2 CFLs. I've made big progress in setting up the proper grow chamber too, it's nearly done. Can't wait to get them under HPS and see what it can do! I've had problems with burning the plants, and one just suddenly wilted and was dead. Bit crap but the majority are still going strong.
As always, any comments welcome...

OK, it's been a while and lots has changed.

The biggest change is that the grow chamber is finished and they moved up there yesterday, having been re potted in 3L pots from their seedling tray. They're looking pretty good, no wilting, but as far as I can see the yellowing on the leaves has not gone away (though it may have stopped progressing) . I found out that the medium I got has added nutes (d'oh, didn't think it did) so I reckon it was nute burn when I added some of my own on top - poor things. On pure water now. It's pretty much exclusively the lower leaves that are affected, like, the first true leaves. Don't know if this is significant or not. Lemme know if you know!

Got some pics to add:







So that's the grow chamber. It's got plastic walls, C3 lined on the inside, 400w HPS on 18/day, 2 120mm fans on the same, and 12 plants of Sensi Skunk. The fans are running off an AC/DC adaptor. If anyone in the UK wants to do the same, get 4 120mm fans from ebuyer for ~£5 and a variable DC adaptor from Co-Op for £4!

Comments are VERY welcome. This is my first time, so i'm playing it by ear!
Cheers

PS: Can anyone explain the strange lighting effect goin on in some of these pics? I guess it's to do with the HPS and my camera phone.