First grow......Question??????????

[James666]

Just getting stuck into my first grow and going very well.....just reached a stage where I'd come on and ask abit of advice.....
I've got two lights in separate cabs.....a 400w hps in one and a floro in the other ....I was planning on using the floro in the day and the 400w at night just for the old safty issue and to save cash......is this cool?????.....I got abit nervous thinking that the changes in lighting might flower them....any ideas???
Anyhow question two.......How long should I grow until starting to flower????
and last but not least.....I'm having shit loads of trouble making the cab light proof round the doors....any ideas on how to cut it down???
Anyway thought I'd run it by the experts see what the forum comes up with.
cheers lads
James

 

[James666]

I was gonna go all out in the flowering stage but for the veg still use the floro

 

[LEGI0N]

Hmmm... I don't know about the light and flower but... I would say just run one for 18 hours on and 6 hours off. 18/6 is a general veg setting. I along with others feel that plants like everything else in the world needs some darktime.

Now you say you have two areas with one light in each.. do you move the plants form one area to the next?

Anyhow question two.......How long should I grow until starting to flower????

Most of the time people will wait untill the plant shows its sex. This can be a few weeks to a little over a month.. I haven't grown from seeds in years...

and last but not least.....I'm having shit loads of trouble making the cab light proof round the doors....any ideas on how to cut it down???

You're right it's a pain the ass... Weather stripping, black and white film can help here and there too. I have a closet so I don't have the same problems..

 

[Tunefull]

Hi m8 and good luck*grins*
I am not to hot on lights(pardon the pun)
But like my learned friend said above"Stick with the hps"

About the saving money
DEpending on where u are of course
But a 400 watt set up(Fans and all)Should only hike your Leccy bill up by maybe £5-£10 a month?
U only be saving a few quid messing about with the florus
You would probs save more money useing a lighting schedule that was as low as poss...So instead of going say 24/0
Try 16/8
16 hours on is enough to keep it happily in veg(i would even bet 14/10 would still keep it in veg)
So anyway that is one way to save money(check the it out first tho)



About light proofing....I am guessing u mean u can see the light thru your colsed doors?(Not light in when u r in your cab?)

Assuming it is light coming out u are seeing,I think aslong as no light gets in you will be ok
When the lights are on they shine thru any small crack,but as long as no light gets IN when lights r off your in good shape



Mmm u asked about how long before u flower
well it is totally up to u really
Have seen some who have flowered from seed(Hell think they have strains now which offer this as a selling point!!!)
Myself i think 4-6 weeks in a good veg time tho(Should deff make sex out by 6 weeks(and often in 4 weeks)



Anyway enough from me
What sort of set up u got?Meaning grow area(size/height)

 

[James666]

thanks for that guys all helpful. can really say the exact size of the set up not very good with the old tape measure but it's a big wardrobe.....good size....I've got ten plants on the go at the min and they've been from seed going for about 3 weeks......looking really nice too.....just got the cab set up with the hps in the last few days so the start of the little fella's life was under floro lights.
The reason I'm abit jittery about the 400w hps goijng full blast is I've just moved into my first place 3 weeks back.....lol.....couldn't wait to get growing, and I haven't had any bills in yet.....cash is a big issue....the second reason I'm not to keen on having the hps on full blast is the balast gets very hot.......anyone got any ideas on how to keep it cool???????
cheers lads
james

 

[James666]

just one more thing too....sorry for being a pain in the arse........
I thought you didn't sex the plants until after flowering has started?????????

 

[Tunefull]

Ahh i like a wardrobe set up(i have one out in shed)Nice and easy to get started with...

Mm i am not sure about the ballast really
I think it is there role to get hot tho(they are built to work that way i guess)

I would just make sure it is not near somit that could fall onto it(Thinking a coat or a towel from a radiator or somit)

And of course i would not have it on say my carpet(Would make a base out of two bricks or somit)


If your really worried then u could have a fan just blowing on the ballast,but then u got to worry about that fan burning out and causeing a fire!!!!!
*SMileS*

 

[LEGI0N]

just one more thing too....sorry for being a pain in the arse........
I thought you didn't sex the plants until after flowering has started?????????

Mostly true but if you veg a plant long enough it will show 'preflowers'.

I did this with a 400 hps in 2x2 area.

 

[Tunefull]

Nope they dont need to be in flower to sex them,but as say looking at anywhere from 4-6 weeks before u can.
Also i dont think u can force flower a plant to show sex before it is ready anyway
Meaning a 2 week old plant(That has been in flower all the two weeks)Still wont show sex for another few weeks(2-3 week old plants no matter what the cycle,wont show sex)
That is what i think(i could very well be wrong)

Tbh i dont see the point in force flowering to show sex

 

[James666]

thanks everyone....I've started to flower them now.....there looking good so far......I'll get some pics when I can.

 

[Tunefull]

Ahh look forward to seeing the pics

 

[Guest]

Sounds good James. Sounds like you have figured a few things out. What strains are you growing? Or is it bagseed?

 

[highasakite]

they say what ever size the plant is it will grow 3 times that size when completed. my plant was 8 inches when i began flowering. and that was 3 weeks ago now it is 23 inches high here are some pictures below. the first one is the veg state before i put it up for flowering. and the second is as of today. so you can get a aprox idea.

 

[James666]

Sounds good James. Sounds like you have figured a few things out. What strains are you growing? Or is it bagseed?

I've gone for the northern lights x big bud........I't going canny at the min......