Grow update with multiple questions.

[Reg Dixon]

So I've been growing my plants now for almost 1 month.
Here is an update with pics. Please could you evaluate my grow and my plants. I'm growing under CFL's (16/8) using soil. It is a perlite,potting soil,coco chip mix. I've just started to feed the smaller ones liquid nutes with their water (every other watering) and started to experiment with using 16/16/16 solid nutes on top before watering.
All the nutes I use are bought locally as none of the specialist stuff is available and shipping online is not an option my location.

The biggest is the oldest (TD) About a month now maybe 25 days. 1st pic before I topped it.


Next one after topping...


I'll move onto the other 3 plants in another post as avoid being too long winded. My questions here are did I top correctly and at the right time and can anyone show me a link to a way to make a DIY co2 increaser using a couple of water bottles a straw some tape and yeast and baking powder.
Many thanks for your attention.

 

[exploziv]

first of all, your plants seem to look healthy. you did not specified the power of the cfls used, so I no ideea if the size is good compared to the bulbs used (wattage).

about the co2 thing, small plants under not so intense lighting will find enaugh co2 in the air if you have good ventilation.

you have 2 options for adding co2 DIY style:

vinegar + baking soda .. fast reaction, much co2 but released over minutes. (mix them in any recipient and you got co2)
yeast + sugar + water .. slower reaction, much co2, released over days/weeks.

I'd use the second one.
To do it you need a container (plastic bottle/jug) with a hole in the cap and some tubing inside it. (the end of tubing is over fluid level)
then, the tubing goes to a bubble counter/ or another bottle having the other end of the tubing under water (just tap water in the bottle, this way you can see it works and the amount of co2 it gives).
then, you need another stretch of tubing from the cap (over water level, same as the first bottle) to the grow area. co2 will flow through it.

the more sugar you put the more co2 will have over a longer period. the more yeast you add from the start, the more co2 gets produced, but over a shorter period. (beacuse of the fast growing colony of yeast)
when no gas is produced you just pour the contents of the jugs out, rinse them, and prepare them again.

no link a.t.m., but I hope you got the ideea.
good luck with your grow.

 

[Green Sky]

They look fine so far, but you should keep them in 20/4 for veg.
It can help keep them more compact. If you were looking to slowly move into 12/12 flowering time, then 16/8 is a gentle switch if you plan it that way.
More dark/grow time between light cycles can cause stretching. ( as well as the distance from lights, temps/ humidity etc.), but you should squeeze every photon into those plants before flowering.
* also, maybe back off on the nutes... I know it's hard not to dabble, but it looks like you have a fortified soil. The potting soil is probably "hot" as it is. Why chance burning those babies?
GL

 

[Reg Dixon]

first of all, your plants seem to look healthy. you did not specified the power of the cfls used, so I no ideea if the size is good compared to the bulbs used (wattage).

about the co2 thing, small plants under not so intense lighting will find enaugh co2 in the air if you have good ventilation.

you have 2 options for adding co2 DIY style:

vinegar + baking soda .. fast reaction, much co2 but released over minutes. (mix them in any recipient and you got co2)
yeast + sugar + water .. slower reaction, much co2, released over days/weeks.

I'd use the second one.
To do it you need a container (plastic bottle/jug) with a hole in the cap and some tubing inside it. (the end of tubing is over fluid level)
then, the tubing goes to a bubble counter/ or another bottle having the other end of the tubing under water (just tap water in the bottle, this way you can see it works and the amount of co2 it gives).
then, you need another stretch of tubing from the cap (over water level, same as the first bottle) to the grow area. co2 will flow through it.

the more sugar you put the more co2 will have over a longer period. the more yeast you add from the start, the more co2 gets produced, but over a shorter period. (beacuse of the fast growing colony of yeast)
when no gas is produced you just pour the contents of the jugs out, rinse them, and prepare them again.

no link a.t.m., but I hope you got the ideea.
good luck with your grow.

Have put this into operation using yeast,sugare and water. Have been putting too much yeast into the mix so not been lasting long enough.

They look fine so far, but you should keep them in 20/4 for veg.
It can help keep them more compact. If you were looking to slowly move into 12/12 flowering time, then 16/8 is a gentle switch if you plan it that way.
More dark/grow time between light cycles can cause stretching. ( as well as the distance from lights, temps/ humidity etc.), but you should squeeze every photon into those plants before flowering.
* also, maybe back off on the nutes... I know it's hard not to dabble, but it looks like you have a fortified soil. The potting soil is probably "hot" as it is. Why chance burning those babies?
GL

I burned them all right. Learning that 'less is more' when it comes to nutes!

 

[paladin420]

lookin good Reg.real good .gotta agree with green sky..be real careful with adding that 16/16/16...and stop well before u flower...

 

[jm420]

I personally would'nt bother with a DIY co2 set up,Before even think of adding co2 you have to have your room dialed in.The fact that your expermenting with nutes gives me the impression you are probably not.Another thin to point out is most growers using co2 are using HID'sand besides that most of the DIY rigs will not release enough co2 to actually make a diffrence.

if you have a hard timefinding the right nutes to use .check out the growing in soil forum there a good thread on using MG potting soil its available just about everywher and you will be able to avoid alot of trial and error,or you could try to go with organic teas if any of those ingrediants are available to you.
As far as topping your fine, but remeber some strains do not like it .I personally prefer to scrog or LST.
good luck
JM