Some people just don't have 'it'

B

Brux013

Well-Known Member
I might have to actually stop this hobby I've grown fond of. I hate quitting but, I think sometimes its better to stop before getting involved with more projects that fail and more money wasted. Patiently I've tried 3 attempts to grow in a stealth cabinet I made myself, It's a standard wooden cabinet, two 60CFM fans on the bottom for intake, 1 60CFM fan on the top for the outtake. Anywho, I first tried using mylar and the box got in the 90's and mid 80's if I decided to keep the door open so it wasn't very stealthy at all.

Second and third time I tried white paint since ya know, the heat isn't as constant, I changed the cycle so its on at night and off in the afternoon. Still same things happen.

After a week of sprout, maybe two, my plant will slowly dwindle, leaves pointing upward and turning crisp and break off to the touch. Slightly yellow leaves follow and I'm fucked. I really don't know what to do. I have a fan blowing on the CFL's I'm using, I was using 8 to start off, but since the heat was overwhelming I cut it down to 4. THey are all daylight 27w. Temperatures are fine, I didn't water every day, I watered every 3 days. I even ignored the fact that the soil was bone dry. I just waited on the 3 day due date and then watered until water seeped out of my drainage holes. Still, over/under or anything between the plant becomes droopy and same thing happens. I know this most recent attempt wasn't due to overwatering and yet the plant still droops.

My self-asteem for this hobby is at 0. I call for a last and utmost helpful advice or tip to set something straight. Maybe I"m doing something wrong, or maybe the box I made just doesn't pump out enough humidity and adequate fresh air since the intake and outtake are basically one on top of the other separated by a couple of feet... Here is the additional information

Fox Farm Soil
Neutral Water
No Nutrients
Sytrofoam cup to start out
Germinated bag seed (seeds are reliable)
CFL lighting (Daylight) x4
Osculating fan that blows on high on Lights
 
superskunkxnl

superskunkxnl

Well-Known Member
i feel for you bro try rigging an exhaust fresh air is your friend and theres loads of good diy carbon scrubbers/filters around that will help with stealth other than exhausting from the top and in let at the bottom i cant see whats wrong hook up an exhaust n drill some inlets good luck man hope you can growin this beautiful plant we all love peace and pot!
 
daisy2687

daisy2687

Well-Known Member
Have you tried starting the seed outside of the box for a week or so? I know it's not as stealthy but this may help them be strong plants before you put them in a confined space.

I really cant see where you'd be going wrong other than genetics of the plant.

Are you sure your soil has no nutes in it?
 
S

s.c.mtn.hillbilly

Well-Known Member
Brux013 said:
I might have to actually stop this hobby I've grown fond of. I hate quitting but, I think sometimes its better to stop before getting involved with more projects that fail and more money wasted. Patiently I've tried 3 attempts to grow in a stealth cabinet I made myself, It's a standard wooden cabinet, two 60CFM fans on the bottom for intake, 1 60CFM fan on the top for the outtake. Anywho, I first tried using mylar and the box got in the 90's and mid 80's if I decided to keep the door open so it wasn't very stealthy at all.

Second and third time I tried white paint since ya know, the heat isn't as constant, I changed the cycle so its on at night and off in the afternoon. Still same things happen.

After a week of sprout, maybe two, my plant will slowly dwindle, leaves pointing upward and turning crisp and break off to the touch. Slightly yellow leaves follow and I'm fucked. I really don't know what to do. I have a fan blowing on the CFL's I'm using, I was using 8 to start off, but since the heat was overwhelming I cut it down to 4. THey are all daylight 27w. Temperatures are fine, I didn't water every day, I watered every 3 days. I even ignored the fact that the soil was bone dry. I just waited on the 3 day due date and then watered until water seeped out of my drainage holes. Still, over/under or anything between the plant becomes droopy and same thing happens. I know this most recent attempt wasn't due to overwatering and yet the plant still droops.

My self-asteem for this hobby is at 0. I call for a last and utmost helpful advice or tip to set something straight. Maybe I"m doing something wrong, or maybe the box I made just doesn't pump out enough humidity and adequate fresh air since the intake and outtake are basically one on top of the other separated by a couple of feet... Here is the additional information

Fox Farm Soil
Neutral Water
No Nutrients
Sytrofoam cup to start out
Germinated bag seed (seeds are reliable)
CFL lighting (Daylight) x4
Osculating fan that blows on high on Lights
Click to expand...
sounds like a bigtime nutrient problem. if they're still alive, I'd foliar spray with organic liquid ferts. I use earth juice, but there are other good brands...just avoid any that have amonium nitrate or other chems...they'll burn your plants(like foxfarms 'grow'). my plants grow in the 90's...though they do much better cooler. maybe your heat problem is a hot home, or some source of heat near your closet. read my blog, for more info on soil. the plants need a balance of water, not feast and famine.
 
sTOKEd

sTOKEd

Well-Known Member
Also, do you have a means of PH testing your water and soil?

If the PH is off, depending on how much by, it can affect your plant's ability to uptake nutrients.

But yeah, if the leaves are yellowing and shrivelling and you're sure it wasn't heat the 2nd time round then it's gotta be nutes.

Don't give up just yet man - give it one more go and feel free to post pics if you encounter any problems - there's plenty of gurus on here that will be able to set you straight.
 
Ellehcim

Ellehcim

Well-Known Member
Brux013 said:
I might have to actually stop this hobby I've grown fond of. I hate quitting but, I think sometimes its better to stop before getting involved with more projects that fail and more money wasted. Patiently I've tried 3 attempts to grow in a stealth cabinet I made myself, It's a standard wooden cabinet, two 60CFM fans on the bottom for intake, 1 60CFM fan on the top for the outtake. Anywho, I first tried using mylar and the box got in the 90's and mid 80's if I decided to keep the door open so it wasn't very stealthy at all.

Second and third time I tried white paint since ya know, the heat isn't as constant, I changed the cycle so its on at night and off in the afternoon. Still same things happen.

After a week of sprout, maybe two, my plant will slowly dwindle, leaves pointing upward and turning crisp and break off to the touch. Slightly yellow leaves follow and I'm fucked. I really don't know what to do. I have a fan blowing on the CFL's I'm using, I was using 8 to start off, but since the heat was overwhelming I cut it down to 4. THey are all daylight 27w. Temperatures are fine, I didn't water every day, I watered every 3 days. I even ignored the fact that the soil was bone dry. I just waited on the 3 day due date and then watered until water seeped out of my drainage holes. Still, over/under or anything between the plant becomes droopy and same thing happens. I know this most recent attempt wasn't due to overwatering and yet the plant still droops.

My self-asteem for this hobby is at 0. I call for a last and utmost helpful advice or tip to set something straight. Maybe I"m doing something wrong, or maybe the box I made just doesn't pump out enough humidity and adequate fresh air since the intake and outtake are basically one on top of the other separated by a couple of feet... Here is the additional information

Fox Farm Soil
Neutral Water
No Nutrients
Sytrofoam cup to start out
Germinated bag seed (seeds are reliable)
CFL lighting (Daylight) x4
Osculating fan that blows on high on Lights
Click to expand...
Is there a shelf separating the intake from the outputs? And if so, when the door is closed does that shelf separate them? You may need to provide for more airflow between the inner areas. 120CFM seems like pretty good ventilation unless it is blocked so other people may have a good take on the possible nutrient problems.
 
Twistyman

Twistyman

Well-Known Member
Ya, you have to keep trying..Stupid shit can be responsible. Once when I was younger, I was growing a plant in my room and noticed that it was starting to droop...Fuck I tried everything, water, no water, nutes....etc. Nothing was working. So I broke down and asked my old man. He was a farmer in England years ago..Shit the British Gov. used to send P.O.W's to work his farm...but I digress. So pappy comes into my room.......Hmmmmm !! move that he says..
I look over at what he's talking about.....What I say ?....scanning room and seeing nothing I consider a problem. That, he says pointing at my Glade air fresh thing...the cone shaped jelly thing.. So I did.....3 days later alls well...
The old man told me check the small shit 1st...then move on...it can be small stupid shit or major shit.........seek and you will find grasshopper...or pothopper.
Good Luck
 
S

SYNN3R

Well-Known Member
Perhaps you just have "bad room syndrome." That sucks.

May I ask why you have two input fans and only one output? Usually from what I've read on here, the norm is having fans for exhaust and having no fans for intake. You may be bringing more air in than you let out and it may be causing bad circulation and your issues. Just a guess.
 
sTOKEd

sTOKEd

Well-Known Member
SYNN3R said:
Perhaps you just have "bad room syndrome." That sucks.

May I ask why you have two input fans and only one output? Usually from what I've read on here, the norm is having fans for exhaust and having no fans for intake. You may be bringing more air in than you let out and it may be causing bad circulation and your issues. Just a guess.
Click to expand...
that's my understanding too - far better pulling more hot air out than more cool air in, cos the cool air can only come in as fast as the hot air can leave...if that makes sense.

mount one of the intake fans as an exhaust with the other one you already have - this might solve your problem....then again it may not :)
 
G

gangjababy

Well-Known Member
try starting in a soil that has no nutes at first, water when the soil is dry there is no need to stick to a definite schedule for watering. Just grow some tomatoes as well, maybe you just need to develop a green thumb and get a feel for growing plants in general. I've been lucky and have only killed 1 plant, I'm about to harvest my first crop in week, I'm looking at about 2.5 ounces of sticky, stinky bud!!!
 
regrets

regrets

Well-Known Member
I'ld say don't wait three days between watering at that age, you can wait that long later on, but I would suggest watering a lot less every day or every other. just water when the surface seems dry. switch your exhaust so that you have either 2 exhaust and 1 intake or all three exhausting. Keep them nute free for the first 2-3 weeks, and keep it at 4 lights until then as well and then you can move up to the 8 light set up, with all of that extra exhaust you should be fine on temps. I never quite caught how big of a space you are working with, maybe I just missed it but that info would help as well. You don't need to have your bulbs terribly close that early as well if you are having burn problems get them about 2 in away or slightly more, then you can slowly bring them closer as they begin to grow healthy you can bring them in to just 1 in. or less away. Goodluck and don't give up. It just seems like a few very small problems that have snowballed on you, a small tweek of your set up and you should be ready to go.
 
D

DR. VonDankenstine

Well-Known Member
1. since your using RO water you should start off with 2.5 ml/gal---CAL MAG plus for the first two weeks(this is half strengh) no other nutes!!!. this should give you about 50-85ppm cal wich is fine for the first two weeks.

2. Change your cups to solo 9z's--the light can reach the roots way to easy in styro's--they do work but at a cost(slow small growth comp to dark covered roots).

3. Don't let the soil dry out(the root hairs are very del. and small for the first couple of weeks--you can let the very top soil dry 1/4 to 1/2 thats it---time to water( a good tip is to mist the top off the soil---walk away for 5-10 mins then come back and water till 1/3rd of the water runs out of the cup. note: if you use a good big chunk perlite it's hard to overwater

4.The FoxFarm ocean forest is a great soil but a little hot(heavy natural nuts) in the first two weeks of use---save the ocean for later transp and flowering use---get the Light Warrior from FF or make your own----1/2 peat with 1/2 perlite--this mix will get you to your first transplant. hope this helps:mrgreen:
 
email468

email468

Well-Known Member
Failure the first three times, especially under less-than-ideal conditions is not unusual. My first dozen attempts were mostly failures and i still fuck things up today. It takes years to get decent at something and we can devote lifetimes to things and still not be masters.

Having said that, I will say the worse growing experiences I have ever had were attempting a small and stealthy grow - nothing but discouragement and a huge pain in the ass. It may be time to rethink your grow box. If you can - dedicate a closet so you can get some decent lighting and adequate ventilation to your plants.
 
Erysichthon

Erysichthon

Well-Known Member
well people have pointed pretty much all the possible problems i coulda saw... biggest thing i was thinkin was a water problem. either bad ph. or more likely as someone said earlier "starved then flooded". with temps that high you should definatly not wait 3 days to water. shit you may have to water every day. if its dry a couple inches down, or they look really droopy water them. good luck with this one. and dont feel bad my first attempt was a complete disaster. i was using nothing but an incandescnet flood light and a blue 15 watt incandescent party light. my plants struggled, streteched, struggled some more, then i found this site. got stuff fairly straight and now im doing pretty good.
i advise fresh air intake to the box as well, i ran into some heat problems too, before i turned my AC on. now with AC and a box fan circulating air through my "box" they dont get much over 80. whats your humidity in there btw? just thought about that, it was like 15% in my room when i was having my problems, which was quite low.

Ery
 
BigBudBalls

BigBudBalls

Well-Known Member
sTOKEd said:
that's my understanding too - far better pulling more hot air out than more cool air in, cos the cool air can only come in as fast as the hot air can leave...if that makes sense.

mount one of the intake fans as an exhaust with the other one you already have - this might solve your problem....then again it may not :)
Click to expand...
Well sort of. Cold air naturally moves towards warm air. Warmer air is also less dense.
But still better to suck then blow if there is only one choice.
 
kochab

kochab

New Member
hmmm sounds like you just need to get a closet and a 4ft shop light toveg and a 400watt hps to flower with. Your stealth box is your problem not your growign skills.
Im using a pc with 3 cfls in it to keep seedlings and small plants alive in. There is one pc fan venting it now (i had 2 but it was too loud). Work with it and make it work maen.
 
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