Dhrone's first grow - 600w hps

[Lard Bernard]

Ok after months and months of reading this forum and a half assed 1 gallon pot window sill grow I think I am ready for the big leagues....

Some background info on the space... it is in a detached garage attic so temperature is going to be an issue. i am going to be insulating the roof but i am going to have to figure something else out in the summer. i am going to pull fresh air in from the garage because it will be cooler than outside.

for the winter aka NOW. i have a 150w ceramic heat bulb rigged to be sucked into the box. it might be better to just have the lamp inside without the air being sucked through it but i dont know yet. i will try both and see. the metal halide puts off decent heat so hopefully i wont have to run any sort of heater unless it gets in the 20s outside, which it rarely does.

Lighting:
-Veg: 150watt MH. 8 26w cool white CFLS
-flower: 600 watt hps - air cooled hood

Box:
- 4x4 DIY OSB

Strain:
- Bagseed @ seedling stage - 5 out of 8 germed(paper towel) and 3 out of the 5 are out and about. 2 more are slowly working their way out.
- i ordered some seeds but we are going to let the bagseeds grow out a little to kind of get the feel for it. the seeds we have are gigabud, strawberry blue, skunk #1, la woman, haze x hashplant

Medium:
- FFOF
- seedling we have neoprine pods in perlite

these pics are a couple of weeks old and we have since sealed it up and put reflective mylar up. do you guys think it is worth putting on the ceiling and floor of the space?

bagseed

already my favorite:

more pics in the coming days. ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

 

[gunjababy]

Nice space to work with, what do u mean put the ceiling and floor in. Good luck with your grow I'll be watching. I am currently growing the skunk #1 from seed now, its in flower stage now.

 

[Roseman]

I would love to offer a little advice.

Please get a good pesticide, my Vetanarian recommended Home Defense for being very safe. (we raise lizards that walk around the house)
You need to spray the perimeter and up the walls a little. Spray the floor all around the grow area. So often, I see a first grow destroyed by Gnats and, or Spider Mites.

Do not allow any pets, like a dog or cat in the grow area. And be very careful not to bring in outdoor things to the grow area. Tools, buckets, even animals etc can harbor insects, eggs, larvae and all kinds of harmful bugs that can destroy your grow.

 

[mcrog]

Nice space to work with, what do u mean put the ceiling and floor in. Good luck with your grow I'll be watching. I am currently growing the skunk #1 from seed now, its in flower stage now.

I think he's talking about the Mylar on the ceiling and floor.

 

[mcrog]

I don't know if I like the way you have those seedlings. Any of you pros want to comment or make recomendations?

 

[Lard Bernard]

I would love to offer a little advice.

Please get a good pesticide, my Vetanarian recommended Home Defense for being very safe. (we raise lizards that walk around the house)
You need to spray the perimeter and up the walls a little. Spray the floor all around the grow area. So often, I see a first grow destroyed by Gnats and, or Spider Mites.

Do not allow any pets, like a dog or cat in the grow area. And be very careful not to bring in outdoor things to the grow area. Tools, buckets, even animals etc can harbor insects, eggs, larvae and all kinds of harmful bugs that can destroy your grow.

thanks.

this is in a garage attic so there will be no welcome pets up there. but we do need to take measures to prevent pests nonetheless.

any other recommendations?

ps. - mcrog.... i hate you

 

[dfw-guy]

Looks like your doing alright. Is this going to be a soil or hydro grow?
EDIT: N/M i reread. the way you have the seedlings planted threw me off. Oh and just wondering, when are you going to transplant?

 

[Lard Bernard]

Looks like your doing alright. Is this going to be a soil or hydro grow?
EDIT: N/M i reread. the way you have the seedlings planted threw me off. Oh and just wondering, when are you going to transplant?

trying to figure that out. probably drop the pod in FFOF in the next couple of days. i am thinking i should wait until i see 4 real leaves.

 

[dfw-guy]

I would go ahead and transplant when you see the first true leafs, or when the root breaks threw the cube. The cubes & perlite don't have any kind of nutrient which the plant needs to survive. The soil has lots of micro nutrients that the plant can sustain itself on. And with FFOF, it has so much goodness that you don't need to give the girls anything but water for the first few weeks.

 

[Roseman]

thanks.

this is in a garage attic so there will be no welcome pets up there. but we do need to take measures to prevent pests nonetheless.

any other recommendations?

ps. - mcrog.... i hate you

get one of those digital minimum-maximum themometers at Walmart, about $5 each.

 

[Lard Bernard]

do i need to take the plants out of the cubes or just put the cubes in soil?

 

[gunjababy]

put the cubes in soil..... that's how i started with mine and it worked fine the seedlings love the FFOF they really thrive in it.

 

[HealingKronic]

im using FFOF too and i think it is great. check out the journal to see what i mean!

 

[Lard Bernard]

and then there were 4. one of the seeds cracked and the root started to come out but then thats all that happened.

2 of the seedlings are doing great and 2 are looking iffy with some wilt and leaf curling. i think they will be fine especially now they are in dirt. one is streching further than the rest but its probably just wanting more than that little cfl can offer.

 

[Lard Bernard]

also... there is a bigger fan than pictured blowing down on them to help stem strength. the little one is just to help with the heat.

 

[gunjababy]

temps are perfect, might want to up the RH through ?IMO

 

[dfw-guy]

For veg stage having humidity 40-60% is ideal, but nothing is perfect, chances are you'll be just dandy with the humidity where it's at.

 

[mrniceguy101]

I'm not sure if its worth the effort of moving them again but I have always heard its better to use cups that are not see through. I believe its to avoid lighting up the roots.

 

[dfw-guy]

I'm not sure if its worth the effort of moving them again but I have always heard its better to use cups that are not see through. I believe its to avoid lighting up the roots.

True that. You don't need to transplant (yet), just cover the cups with something. thick paper, tape, cloth, whatever.

 

[Lard Bernard]

thanks guys