D.W.A.I.
Member
Well, here I am, back at it again. After 2 failed runs using a homemade Rubbermaid setup (for various reasons...too numerous to mention), I've decided to just let 'er rip with the materials that I have on hand. If someone was to happen upon the rubbermaid, they certainly would have known what was up...so I've decided to dedicate room #2 of my three room apartment into the grow room. I have a lock on the door, so unwanted visitors are not welcome. My landlord is very hands-off and always gives notice before stopping by (which has happened once in two years), so he is a very minor concern.
My goal here is to stay simple. Right now the babies are under 150W of CFL lighting across 2 grow stations for a total of 300W (there's some heavy math). I am going with an 18/6 light schedule as I believe in the benefit of having a dark period to promote and simulate the various naturally occuring events that happen in nature during the evening hours. I will be adding another 3 sockets to each grow station for flower that will bump me to at least 450W total.
Soil mix and pH were a huge problem for me on my first growing attempts, and I have finally found an organic mix that my plants are happy with. I'm using 60% black gold Cocoblend, 30% perlite, and 10% EWC. I added to this mix (per gallon) 2 T dolomite lime, and 1 T each of blood meal, bone meal, and kelp meal. All of these ingredients were mixed (daily) and "composted" inside a sterlite container for at least 2 weeks prior to seed introduction. I am also currently feeding with a soil "livining" tea that consists of molasses (blackstrap of course), EWC, Kelp meal, and alfalfa meal. All of the above are realatively low in N-P-K, but are providing a ton of food and microbes for the soil life to feed on. Eventually, I'll be adding PSG (seabird Guano) to this mix for late-veg and early flower, with high P bat guano for later in flower. I've also been using the tea as a wetting agent for my composting soil mix to try and get things going on a microbial level in there. I have a Hanna pH pen that I use just to make sure that my tea isn't way out of wack (trying to keep it under 7 and above 6).
I have an oscillating fan moving air over the young'uns, and temps are steady between 70-75...dipping down to about 65 in the dark. I bought a 4" vortex to vent the rubbermaid (and I think this contributed to my problems...having too much air), and am using it to bring in fresh air, and exhausting out a window. Using the incense-smoke method, I concluded that the room is negatively pressurized. Eventually I'll be pulling air through a scrubber, which will cut down on my airflow, but I don't anticipate a loss of negative pressurization (need to build the scrubber first).
As for the plants: I have 6 strains in the soil with most peeking their seed leaves out. 5 plants have a head start, and are between 6 and 10 days old. I am growing the following strains:
Jock Horror (Nirvana) (2 plants)
Cali-Orange (Nirvana) (3)
Papaya (Nirvana) (3)
Durban Poison (Nirvana) (3)
Mexican Sativa (Sensi) (4)
The Pure (Flying Dutchman) (3)
One of my Jock's didn't pop, and I accidentially threw in an extra Mexi Sativa...so that gives me at most 18 seedlings to work with. My plan is to flower no more than 6 at once. If I happen to get more than 6 females, I may take clones and run those after the first 6 finish.
Regardless of that, I finally have a setup that I feel confident in...and am excited to finally be on track to provide myself, some friends, and ideally a medical patient(s) with some much needed high quality herbs.
Here are 3 pictures of the (very basic) setup:
Questions, comments, concerns, as always, are more than welcome. Enjoy the show!
My goal here is to stay simple. Right now the babies are under 150W of CFL lighting across 2 grow stations for a total of 300W (there's some heavy math). I am going with an 18/6 light schedule as I believe in the benefit of having a dark period to promote and simulate the various naturally occuring events that happen in nature during the evening hours. I will be adding another 3 sockets to each grow station for flower that will bump me to at least 450W total.
Soil mix and pH were a huge problem for me on my first growing attempts, and I have finally found an organic mix that my plants are happy with. I'm using 60% black gold Cocoblend, 30% perlite, and 10% EWC. I added to this mix (per gallon) 2 T dolomite lime, and 1 T each of blood meal, bone meal, and kelp meal. All of these ingredients were mixed (daily) and "composted" inside a sterlite container for at least 2 weeks prior to seed introduction. I am also currently feeding with a soil "livining" tea that consists of molasses (blackstrap of course), EWC, Kelp meal, and alfalfa meal. All of the above are realatively low in N-P-K, but are providing a ton of food and microbes for the soil life to feed on. Eventually, I'll be adding PSG (seabird Guano) to this mix for late-veg and early flower, with high P bat guano for later in flower. I've also been using the tea as a wetting agent for my composting soil mix to try and get things going on a microbial level in there. I have a Hanna pH pen that I use just to make sure that my tea isn't way out of wack (trying to keep it under 7 and above 6).
I have an oscillating fan moving air over the young'uns, and temps are steady between 70-75...dipping down to about 65 in the dark. I bought a 4" vortex to vent the rubbermaid (and I think this contributed to my problems...having too much air), and am using it to bring in fresh air, and exhausting out a window. Using the incense-smoke method, I concluded that the room is negatively pressurized. Eventually I'll be pulling air through a scrubber, which will cut down on my airflow, but I don't anticipate a loss of negative pressurization (need to build the scrubber first).
As for the plants: I have 6 strains in the soil with most peeking their seed leaves out. 5 plants have a head start, and are between 6 and 10 days old. I am growing the following strains:
Jock Horror (Nirvana) (2 plants)
Cali-Orange (Nirvana) (3)
Papaya (Nirvana) (3)
Durban Poison (Nirvana) (3)
Mexican Sativa (Sensi) (4)
The Pure (Flying Dutchman) (3)
One of my Jock's didn't pop, and I accidentially threw in an extra Mexi Sativa...so that gives me at most 18 seedlings to work with. My plan is to flower no more than 6 at once. If I happen to get more than 6 females, I may take clones and run those after the first 6 finish.
Regardless of that, I finally have a setup that I feel confident in...and am excited to finally be on track to provide myself, some friends, and ideally a medical patient(s) with some much needed high quality herbs.
Here are 3 pictures of the (very basic) setup:
Questions, comments, concerns, as always, are more than welcome. Enjoy the show!
