1st time grow|Northern Lights|Bubblegum|Big Bud|Afghan

GreenPrincess · Jul 12, 2013

Hello, all.

New to the site, and new to growing. Not new to loving marijuana.

So...I recently moved from a major city to a very rural coastal town. Very much by choice, however the logistics to obtain my marijuana have changed. And so I attempt this grow.

Please be gentle, folks. I am researching tons to try and do the best I can, but with next to no budget, I am limited with how to proceed.

Here's what I am working with:

1 x Northern Lights
2 x Bubblegum
4 x Big Bud
1 x Afghan

They are not sexed and currently in vegetation on 24 hour light. I began germination from seed (NOT feminized) on June 24th.

I then started them in potting soil. I used and am using Miracle Gro. I think I might get assaulted for this, but my ears are definitely open.
I am not giving nutrients, can't afford them. I am not testing ph, have no means at this time. The plants are currently located in an outdoor, but nice and dry, shed. Ventilation, exhaust, you ask? Nothing official, but I enter and exit often throughout the day. Often, I open and shut the door rapidly to help with air exchange.

6 of them are now in those biodegradable peat type pots. 2 are in plastic. All of the pots have drainage.

I currently have them under 8 lights total.
1 23 watt cfl
1 18 watt cfl
2 13 watt cfl
2 overhead flourescents(white)
2 60 watt regular old soft white bulbs

The overhead lights I adjust. All the cfls I also adjust daily. I also turn the plants if their tops are tilting.

I wait until they are dry to water. I water with room temp water.

And here is where I need the help, what now?

My tentative plan:

1. Wait for the fifth set of leaves.
2. Top
3. Clone the tops. (Thinking of buying a cloning machine before then.)
4. Veg a couple more weeks.
5. Flip to 12-12
6. Sex!!!

My questions at this point:

Pull the males, and??? Keep them in a separate area for seeds this first time??

And then what? Not sure if I should be trying SCROG, or LST or just let them go and trim as necessary?

Also, I am not sure if this lighting will carry me through to the end?

Also, I am guessing I am going to need to repot them one more time? And, if so to what size?

I will post photos from today so you can see what I am working with.

Comments and advice are definitely welcome. :cathug:

GP

GreenPrincess · Jul 12, 2013

Pictures!

Pictures!

AzGrOw-N-sMoKe · Jul 12, 2013

Ill address several points here, those lights are carrying you now.. the plants are streching like crazy, if you plan on running em with that you'll need to seriously condense your foot print, ie a grow box of somekind... if your serious about growing buy some serious lighting...

Those pots are a lil big for seedlings, 16oz party cups will suffice, but yes you'll repot at least 1 more time...

Trash the males an learn how to clone, if your growing for nug don't play breeder...

Other then that id suggest combing the forums for grow threads ab find 1 that pertains to your growing dreams an copy it, easiest way to yeild out the gate is too minic someone who already is....

Az

GreenPrincess · Jul 12, 2013

Ahhh, thank you for posting. They are stretching. But I have been watching them like crazy and the lights on the tallest are w/in 2 inches.

Thx for the advice on the pots. I'll try solo cups next time.

Regarding the lighting, couple of things. I am not sure how many plants I will actually end up with. Like, after I pull the males, I may not have many left.

For someone like me who will most likely only ever be flowering 10 or less at a time, what lights would you use?

This grow is purely personal and because after recently moving I am flat broke and can't afford to go out of town. It was either $40 spent on an eighth and $60 gas to get it or some $100 seeds and a dream.

So yeah, I'd love to do what I can here, as it is all I got!

Oh, and regarding trashing the males....wouldn't even try to breed. But wouldn't the seeds I get from the males be regular seeds ie: male and female? I was just thinking I would keep them back in case I royally screwed up cloning. Are you telling me the seeds I would get would all be male? If that's true, feeling pretty unsmart.

GP

BasementGrower · Jul 12, 2013

ok.. 1 thing.. go run to the store.. and get the highest watt CFLS no incandescent bulbs .. ive grown some very sick bud with CFLS .. as long as u keep them close.. and make sure u have a bunch of CFLS 8 CFLS will do good .. wen u go to flower. do like 14-18. and ull get decent buds .

GreenPrincess · Jul 12, 2013

BasementGrower said:
ok.. 1 thing.. go run to the store.. and get the highest watt CFLS no incandescent bulbs .. ive grown some very sick bud with CFLS .. as long as u keep them close.. and make sure u have a bunch of CFLS 8 CFLS will do good .. wen u go to flower. do like 14-18. and ull get decent buds .

Hey Bg,

Thanks, I think I will do that Makes the most sense with my budget right now. Will be next Wednesday before I can buy them though.

Need to figure out some more fixtures...

Thanks again for the support and advice.

GP

OKD · Jul 12, 2013

GreenPrincess said:
...next to no budget...

Join the club, sis! But like Frank Zappa said, "Necessity is the mother of invention..."
Your plants look good! I'm no expert, but a few things I know about:

Have you started a compost pile? Compost teas are good cheap fertilizers.

Don't buy a cloning machine. Clones need light, warmth and humidty. My friend had great success with a cardboard Bud Light box covered with saran wrap and some fluorescents. I use rooting powder ($5 from WalMart) and a clear plastic storage box turned upside down. I have a heating pad but I have to unplug it during the evening to keep it about 80 degrees.

Get rid of your males. When flowered, they put out pollen. That pollen has to reach female buds to make seeds. So your males will just cause problems now, I think. I am screwing around with collecting pollen right now, but I don't have any girls flowering right now.

As far as getting new stuff to grow, I'm sure you will make friends in your new town. Last year I was wondering how I was going to get clones or seeds, and I finally made a seed order from the U.K. Spent about $60 and got over 20 seeds to keep growing with. Another option is to get selected as a test grower for one of the seed companies/breeders. For example, Alien Dawg House is a new seed company here and is looking for 35 testers, I believe!

But once you find a couple females and clone them, you'll have something for your next grow.

GreenPrincess · Jul 12, 2013

OKD said:
Join the club, sis! But like Frank Zappa said, "Necessity is the mother of invention..."
Your plants look good! I'm no expert, but a few things I know about:

Have you started a compost pile? Compost teas are good cheap fertilizers.

Don't buy a cloning machine. Clones need light, warmth and humidty. My friend had great success with a cardboard Bud Light box covered with saran wrap and some fluorescents. I use rooting powder ($5 from WalMart) and a clear plastic storage box turned upside down. I have a heating pad but I have to unplug it during the evening to keep it about 80 degrees.

Get rid of your males. When flowered, they put out pollen. That pollen has to reach female buds to make seeds. So your males will just cause problems now, I think. I am screwing around with collecting pollen right now, but I don't have any girls flowering right now.

As far as getting new stuff to grow, I'm sure you will make friends in your new town. Last year I was wondering how I was going to get clones or seeds, and I finally made a seed order from the U.K. Spent about $60 and got over 20 seeds to keep growing with. Another option is to get selected as a test grower for one of the seed companies/breeders. For example, Alien Dawg House is a new seed company here and is looking for 35 testers, I believe!

But once you find a couple females and clone them, you'll have something for your next grow.

Hey OKD, thanks for the comments. Compost tea is a great idea. And, I won't be overdoing it, even though I am using the Miracle Gro Potting Soil?

And regarding the clones....the reason I was considering a machine....

It is my first time, and I am so afraid I will screw it up and not get the tops to root....

Just thought a machine might make it idiot proof.

I'll think about an easy way/place to do it one of the ways you described...

GP

Neekz · Jul 12, 2013

Miracle Grow got some fertilizers pre-loaded, so id lay off any ferts for now. Basements right get rid o the old style Incandescent bulbs, their gonna stretch like armstrong from that. Making a sinple box or putting it in a closet shall help, right now all your light is travelling across the room getting a loss. With 4 walls a little closer, the light can bounce of them, and back onto the plant giving you more bud's/trich's. And for cloning, put your money towards rooting gel, makes cloning pretty foolproof, that and some little rockwool cubes (Their dirt cheap, and everywhere in cali...), a little tupperware humidity dome and your set! Welcom to the IC btw !

Neekz · Jul 12, 2013

Oh and check this out. That's the way to go for personal headstash, using cfl's! Years of useful info in there! Just filter only Dr.Bud's post's...

GreenPrincess · Jul 12, 2013

Neekz said:
Miracle Grow got some fertilizers pre-loaded, so id lay off any ferts for now. Basements right get rid o the old style Incandescent bulbs, their gonna stretch like armstrong from that. Making a sinple box or putting it in a closet shall help, right now all your light is travelling across the room getting a loss. With 4 walls a little closer, the light can bounce of them, and back onto the plant giving you more bud's/trich's. And for cloning, put your money towards rooting gel, makes cloning pretty foolproof, that and some little rockwool cubes (Their dirt cheap, and everywhere in cali...), a little tupperware humidity dome and your set! Welcom to the IC btw !

Hi Neekz, thanks....

Yeah, those incandescent bulbs got in there because I had two desk lamps that were flexible and clamped on, but for some reason cfl bulbs do not work in them. They are quite old. I'm just going to dump them and I think I'll get y sockets for the 2 cfl calamp lamps I have.

Yes, everyone is pretty much saying I need to condense my footprint. I'm trying to brainstorm this. Thing is, that shed is the only place I can guarantee 12 hours of darkness when I go to 12-12.

Hmmmm.... need to build an enclosure. For free.....hmmmm.

I'll brainstorm this for a bit and in the meantime, I'll dump the incandescents.

GP

tube dude · Jul 12, 2013

Be careful about your enclosure until you can properly ventilate the grow area. An enclosure will not only trap the light, It will also trap heat from the lights. It will do no good to give them more light if you cook them in the process.

If I were you I would even out the canopy so that all of the plants are the same height and the same distance from the lights. There are several ways to do this. The easiest way would be to raise the pots of the shorter plants to the level of the tallest plant. If they were mine I would bend the taller plants over to make them the same height as the lower plants. I say this because florescent lights are not much good more than a foot from the bulb so you need to keep the plants as short as possible.

latetothegame · Jul 12, 2013

I am anxious to follow your progress with this grow. I am on a tight budget too, so I am skimping on a few things, but my girls are still looking great to me

I am just a little ahead of you. I flipped my to flower on the same day you planted. Your babies look nice to me!

GreenPrincess · Jul 14, 2013

tube dude said:
Be careful about your enclosure until you can properly ventilate the grow area. An enclosure will not only trap the light, It will also trap heat from the lights. It will do no good to give them more light if you cook them in the process.

If I were you I would even out the canopy so that all of the plants are the same height and the same distance from the lights. There are several ways to do this. The easiest way would be to raise the pots of the shorter plants to the level of the tallest plant. If they were mine I would bend the taller plants over to make them the same height as the lower plants. I say this because florescent lights are not much good more than a foot from the bulb so you need to keep the plants as short as possible.

Hey Tube Dude, thanks for the suggestions. I am including pictures I just took this morning. I am going to do some work on the table and lights today. Incandescents lights are the ones you see the farthest away from the table, they are shut off now. I also replaced my smallest 13 watt cfl with a 29 watt cfl. I'll get new pis going once I have changed the set up a bit.

latetothegame said:
I am anxious to follow your progress with this grow. I am on a tight budget too, so I am skimping on a few things, but my girls are still looking great to me I am just a little ahead of you. I flipped my to flower on the same day you planted. Your babies look nice to me!

Hi LTTG,

Yes, I popped into your grow to look around. I'll check it out again. Interested to see how yours turns out as well. Or you going to post harvest and dry bud weights?

Thanks for the compliments on them.

New photos from today...Day 27 from seed.

The whole crew:

Northern Lights:

Bubble Gum:

GP

GreenPrincess · Jul 14, 2013

Afghan:

latetothegame · Jul 14, 2013

"Bubblegum" sounds awesome. I'll have to check out some reports on that. Have you ever tried it, and if so, from your experience does it smell/taste like bubblegum?

Yes, I will report on harvest if I... no... I have to be positive... WHEN I get there!

I still have about 7 weeks to go on one, and an unknown amount of time to go on the other (judging by the difference in maturity levels at 2.5 weeks in flower, I am guessing the other won't take as long).

Looking at your babies, Big Bud and Northern Lights seem stretchier than the others. Were they farther away from the light, or do those just grow taller in general?

GreenPrincess · Jul 14, 2013

tube dude said:
Be careful about your enclosure until you can properly ventilate the grow area. An enclosure will not only trap the light, It will also trap heat from the lights. It will do no good to give them more light if you cook them in the process.

If I were you I would even out the canopy so that all of the plants are the same height and the same distance from the lights. There are several ways to do this. The easiest way would be to raise the pots of the shorter plants to the level of the tallest plant. If they were mine I would bend the taller plants over to make them the same height as the lower plants. I say this because florescent lights are not much good more than a foot from the bulb so you need to keep the plants as short as possible.

Hey Tube Dude,

Also, yes, I get you on the ventilation. It's a problem I'm going to need to figure out. Right now, I am fortunate as temps are very mild on the coast where I live. For example it is 66 right now and and will drop at it's lowest to 53 to night. I need to get a temp/humidity gauge in there. I am in there all the time. Opening and shutting the door like I am flapping bird wings to bring a breeze and move the air. Can't do that once I flip though. And their in lies the problem. We have that shed totally sealed for darkness when we need it. Can't afford money wise or light wise to add exhaust.

GP

GreenPrincess · Jul 14, 2013

tube dude said:
Be careful about your enclosure until you can properly ventilate the grow area. An enclosure will not only trap the light, It will also trap heat from the lights. It will do no good to give them more light if you cook them in the process.

If I were you I would even out the canopy so that all of the plants are the same height and the same distance from the lights. There are several ways to do this. The easiest way would be to raise the pots of the shorter plants to the level of the tallest plant. If they were mine I would bend the taller plants over to make them the same height as the lower plants. I say this because florescent lights are not much good more than a foot from the bulb so you need to keep the plants as short as possible.

latetothegame said:
"Bubblegum" sounds awesome. I'll have to check out some reports on that. Have you ever tried it, and if so, from your experience does it smell/taste like bubblegum?

Yes, I will report on harvest if I... no... I have to be positive... WHEN I get there! I still have about 7 weeks to go on one, and an unknown amount of time to go on the other (judging by the difference in maturity levels at 2.5 weeks in flower, I am guessing the other won't take as long).

Looking at your babies, Big Bud and Northern Lights seem stretchier than the others. Were they farther away from the light, or do those just grow taller in general?

Bubble Gum does sound awesome and no, I have not tried it. I truly hope one of the two is female. Both of the plants are very similar in stature. Less, stretch and more bushy in nature. Thick stem. And they have had the fasted leaf production. They are starting to smell good.

And yes, the Northern Lights and The Big Bud have the most stretch right now. And no, those are closest to the lights. There are 4 Big Bud in total and only 1 Northern Lights.

I have my top light hanging at a slant and the Northern Lights is right under there at the highest point. Next are the Bubble Gum because they seem to like that spot and are not stretching really at all but growing pretty much straight up at a nice even pace. The Big Buds are next in line and are pretty close to the light as well. The Afghan has been a really slow grower.

I germinated 2 seeds of each variety from the beginning.

The reason I ended up with what I did is because One Northern Light popped right away. The Bubble Gum also did. But Nothing from The Big Bud seeds or the Afghan seeds by Day 4. So I threw 3 more Big Bud and 2 more Afghan seeds into Germination. Of those I got the 4 Big Bud popped and the 1 Afghan. So that's 1 Big Bud seed that never popped and 2 Afghan seeds that never popped. I did my germination with paper towels kept wet.

GP

latetothegame · Jul 14, 2013

If I don't decide to re-veg my girls after harvest, I may try seeds next time. I was too nervous to try from seed, but after doing all this research, it doesn't seem TOO bad, and I seem to be able to tell the sexes from photos now (that was my real concern).

Are Northern Lights and Atomic Northern Lights the same? I read some interesting reviews about the latter, and I am interested in trying it at some point.

GreenPrincess · Jul 14, 2013

This is what I got on the Northern Lights from where I got the seeds. I am not sure if it is the same or not...

Northern Lights is one of the world's most famous marijuana strains. Very popular for indoor growing and produces large crystalline buds. Has a high flower to leaf ratio. Northern Lights seeds won Indica cups in 88, 89 and 90 and is one of the most acclaimed strains of all time. Highly recommended for indoor growing. Northern Lights seeds can be grown outdoor too.

Indoor / Outdoor
TYPE Mostly Indica
PLANT HEIGHT Medium
FLOWERING TIME 7/10 Weeks
HARVEST Mid Sep if outdoor
YIELD 400 - 450 g/m2 (Indoors)
Up to 800g/plant (Outdoors)

GP

1st time grow|Northern Lights|Bubblegum|Big Bud|Afghan

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