Sardonic's First Grow

[Sardonic]

I've been reading around here, and Mr Micro's thread made growing seem so easy and fun, I just had to give it a shot. So, I've ordered a computer case, and got the necessary parts (150w soft white (2600 lumens), Aluminum HVAC tape, lamp timer, and computer fan).

However, while waiting for the case to arrive, I came across some nice bud and the bag even had a few seeds ! I figured, what the hell, let's give it a shot. I planted 3 seeds in a large pot, using the soil I found in my backyard which was next to a tree, and intertwined with roots. I didn't really expect anything to grow, but it did

First Week:



I've been keeping the plant outside on my roof. It's getting plenty of sunlight, and I water it twice a day. Once around 11-12, I'll make sure the soil gets nice and wet, but not too wet as to though the water is oozing out the bottom; in contrast, there's usually just a tiny puddle. I then water it again around 4, but about 1/3 as much as the first watering. I do this because the dirt gets really dry, and the poor little baby looks like it's begging for a watering! I realize that the plant can't stay outdoors forever, so before it gets big enough to be noticeable, I'm going to bring it in and place it in the computer grow case (until I set up the closets).


I also have a few closets in my basement that are itching to house some plants . So, in the next few weeks, expect pictures of some fun adventures ^_^. I hope you guys won't hesitate to correct me if I'm going down the wrong path.

 

[Dr Dog]

well first welcome to Icmag firstly
I think you may be watering too much, MJ plants you water as you need too, not on a fixed schedule. You want to dry the soil out before watering again, this makes the roots go searching for food, and thus a better root base.

And secondly the pot for that seedling is much too big, the roots won't form properly they will just grow straight down, and that is not what you want

 

[HerbGlaze]

Dr Dog well said, we will see how it goes for him, i recommend for that size, rockwool, then transplanting into a bigger planter, then the final planter.

 

[Sardonic]

thanks for the tips guys. As I said, I didn't even think it would grow in that soil or I would've chosen a more fitting pot. It was a shot in the dark, and I guess I hit something ^_^.

I'll most likely just let that plant stay where it is, and grow there from start to finish (unless this is unwise).

The Closets


I have three closets sitting right next to each other. They are 7 feet tall, and 3 feet wide. I can do whatever I want to them. I was thinking I'd be using the same lights (150w soft white florescent), and I'd put two of them in each closet.
What do you guys think of this plan, as far as the lighting goes, that is?

 

[Dr Dog]

With that much closet space I would probably at least put a 150w hps in each, possibly a 400 depending on heat. 4 plants in each and grow the shit out of them

 

[Sardonic]

what exactly is a 150w hps? Can I get them at Home Depot? How much energy do they take (would there be a noticeable increase on my electricity bill?)

 

[Dr Dog]

Firstly yes you will notice it on your electric bill, but let me put it to you what I incur.
I run a 400 w Metal halide, a 95 w Cfl veg light, a 240 cfm exhaust fan, three or 4 desk fans, in my grow my average electric bill went up 30 dollars. I normally would spend oh probably close to 500 dollars a month on weed, so I save 470 dollars a month by growing it myself. So I guess you need to look at what you are smoking compared to what you are growing

A HPS is a high pressure sodium light, there is quite a bit of debate about which is better but I think HPS makes thicker buds.
You may be able to get it at home depot, depending where you live, but your best bet is a hydroponics store or online, but for privacy concerns the hydro shop is best.

But it is up to you my friend, it is your grow ,just saying what I would do

 

[Sardonic]

the closet hydro shop is about 30 minutes away. i'm a stoner, i'll just buy it online . I'd like to thank you for helping me, by the way.

So, could I grow some decent plants using 2 150w soft white fluorescent lights (are those what people refer to as CFL?) for each closet?

mind you, I will still purchase the HPS lights, and probably those you just mentioned; I plan on experimenting a lot (I'm really loving this stuff!) so I'll be buying tons of stuff.

oh yeah, and what's a good site to buy them from online?

also, what kind of temps are you getting with that fan?

 

[Sardonic]

Well, I bought 3 175w CFLs.




I just noticed it says 'Use in existing fixtures-no wiring. operates with existing 175watt mercury vapor magnetic ballast'

my plan was to just buy a socket for the light, is that not possible with these?

anyway, on the back of the light it says

Total Energy Used: 75 watts
Instant-Start Restrike: yes
Brightness Lummens: 6,825
Photopic Lumens: 4,550
Light Quality: 80

I hope these are alright.

 

[bounty29]

You can plug that in just like any other bulb, and it's not really 175w, it's 65w. It looks as bright as a 175w incandescent light. If you buy a socket, wire it to a plug, and plug it in the wall, that light will work fine.

Two of those lights would be 130w of CFL lights. A 150w HPS could probably get you twice as much weight if you train correctly.

Red_Greenery uses 252w of CFLs, and gets about 3oz. So figure you're using half that, you might be able to get 1.5oz. That'd be a lot easier achieved with a 150w HPS (In the closets, not the PC, that'd be too hot.)

I've got a 150w HPS in a closet, mines only 2' wide and 1' deep, so it's a smaller space, but my temps are perfect. Check out my latest grow for some pics and information, might help with your setup.

 

[green_grow]

take those bulbs back for a refund ... they are not clf's , they are mercury vapour, which, if i recall correctly, are the wrong spectrum for growing.

if you DO go with cfl's, use the lower wattage when referring to them, as bounty said.

you dont say how deep those closets are from front to back. you need to know this when calculating how much light you need. you can grow just fine in them, by the way; you just need enough light and enough air exchange.

do a bunch of reading here, it really helps. you sound exactly like i did when i started out ... hehehe .

 

[Sardonic]

haha. thanks guys, I'll take those bulbs back tomorrow.

again, are there any online shops for buying those 150w HPS (I didn't come across any at Home Depot)?

I will measure how deep they go later tonight/tomorrow, thanks again guys

 

[bounty29]

They're definitely CFLs, but they are mercury vapor replacement, which makes them probably the same color. But after looking more closely, it looks like there's no ballast built in to the bulb, so it has to be used in conjunction with the MV ballast.

Check out 1000bulbs.com, it's got everything you'd ever need for lighting, with good prices and fast shipping. I've had multiple orders from there, definitely one of my favorite online stores to deal with now. Are you looking for something all put together, or can you do a little wiring to save some money and customize your light?

 

[Sardonic]

I'm willing to learn how to wire it myself.

Okay, I just want to double check before ordering. I was thinking I'd order http://www.1000bulbs.com/product.php?product=921 this one or
http://www.1000bulbs.com/product.php?product=510 this one

although, i don't see the difference besides one costing an extra dollar. these are even cheaper than the lights i bought from Home Depot, nice!

will I only need 1 per closet, or is that not known until I do more measurements?

[edit]
The closet is 7 feet tall, 3 feet wide, and 18" deep.

 

[Random99]

i'm pretty sure for a HPS bulb you also need the whole HPS setup (ballast, etc)

I got mine at
http://www.htgsupply.com/growlighttypes.asp?categoryID=1&subcategoryID=155
for a pretty good deal. but i also got the one with the MH conversion bulb + timer.
their prices seem pretty reasonable for almost everything you'll need.

the best lighting for vegetative stage is MH
and then for the flowering stage HPS.

so the switchable one is the best choice imo

the better lighting you have, the better your buds will be, and the more plants you can grow at once.

If you're only planning on growing 1-3 plants one 150w hps would probably be fine, although they won't grow to their fullest potential. if you're planning on continuing growing, or wanting to do more than a couple in the future, you might as well get the 400w now since it's almost exactly the same price. if you're able to spend the money it's worth it.

 

[Sardonic]

i'm pretty sure for a HPS bulb you also need the whole HPS setup (ballast, etc)

can anyone confirm this (no offense, of course, just want to double check before spending more money ^_^)

and I plan on growing as many plants as I can with the space I have. I haven't a clue as to how many that will be yet.

I plan on using the 12/12 method start to finish so I can fit a good few in (I'm more interesting in many different varieties than a few big plants).

as far as the 400w, you're absolutely right. i'll be ordering three

 

[Dr Dog]

I can confirm that, you do need a ballast to run a HID light(High Intensity Discharge)
Sorry should have mentioned that too. They are normally the expensive part of this. But you really buy one per bulb and you are done for a while

So mainly you but a kit with bulb and ballast, with a reflector.

It is a one time hit, but the quality of bud is far worth it

 

[bounty29]

If you're interested in wiring, then here's what you'll need.

150w HPS Ballast
Medium Base 150w HPS Bulb
HID Socket
Ballast Box

Buy a bag of wire screws at Home Depot, a couple extension cords, some wire strippers, and you're good to go. Make sure if you get a medium size bulb, you get a medium base, same goes if you want to use the mogul size, get the same base and bulb so they fit. I used a mogul sized bulb the first grow, but switched to medium, because they put out the same light, and the medium is about half the size of the mogul, so it's easier to fit in my aircooled hood.

I got a 6"x6"x4" electrical box at Home Depot to put my ballast in, and I have a PC fan resting on top of the open metal box blowing into it, keeping the ballast at room temperature. The ballast will get quite hot, and there will be some vibration, so you'll want a way to have some air moving over it so it doesn't become a fire hazard, and some kind of vibration buffer. I've got mine resting on a few pieces of rockwool, none of the vibrations travel through to the cabinet.

That's what the wiring should look like. The before and after is for a security light like you were looking at, if you want to get one of those instead of the individual pieces.

A note: The ballast I linked to on 1000bulbs is a multitap, which means it can be wired for 120v, 208v, 240v, 277v.

I'm not sure where 208v and 277v would be used, but 120v is what the electrical sockets in the USA are.

There's a wiring guide printed on the ballast, I used that with the help of a few pictures like the one above, and had mine put together in like 20 minutes.

 

[Random99]

as far as the 400w, you're absolutely right. i'll be ordering three

cool. i'd say 3 can do 25 adult plants at least. if you do get 3, then you'll also need a cooling system in your closet. even with 1 you would. You might want to check out cooltubes (they basically suck the hot air right from the bulb/reflector part before it spreads everywhere in the room).
other wise you'll have to have some good fans/ducts.

I have one 400w and it gets my room pretty hot if I don't open the door daily and have the fans ventilating it.

Also, if you're planning on growing more than a couple plants, I highly suggest you either buy or build a carbon scrubber. I think they charge 100-150 for them, but you can build one with stuff from home depot for pretty cheap (~$50) that will last just as long and be replaceable. there is a link in my grow diary with the guide on how to build it/what parts to get/etc. if you want.

if you don't do that then anyone that lives around you will definitely be able to tell - especially if you have 3+ plants.

any questions feel free to ask

 

[Sardonic]

Bounty29, eep! Looks like I'll barely[/b] be able to afford one of these setups for right now ^_^.

Random99, when you say "anyone that lives around you will definitely be able to tell", do you mean neighbors too ? The plants will be growing in the garage where there is one window. If it managed to reek in the lower part of the house, that wouldn't mind me one bit. but if my neighbors can smell it, then i'll definitely be taking your advice ^_^


thanks again everyone for helping me through this. I love this place


so, as far as the closets go, those won't be made until those parts are shipped.

I went to Home Depot, bought some pots of various sizes. I found a seed in some weed I had, checked if it was still alive by dropping it in water and seeing if it floated (if the seed floats when dropped in water, it's alive. If not, dead.). I planted the little feller last night.

My other little buddy is about an inch high now. looks like he/she is coming along nicely.

lovely California sun

I'll be working on my computer case later and taking pictures of everything later, so stay tuned for updates