canadian1969
New Member
I inherited a slightly mistreated plant and this is a test of the mini-tote grow chamber idea. I dont have a closet that is not in use and I cant afford tents or larger more sophisticated setups, so instead of doing a cabinet grow (which would require I build a cabinet) I assembled a container/light/fan system that could support multiple indoor growing methods (hydro, soil, aero) that was also self contained and easy to clean and has some stealth/portability. This is a test of the environment and its suitability to grow and flower.
Apologies for the photo quality, I'm using a cell phone camera.
Strain:
Unknown, looks like 70-30 indica I guess. If I can find out I will post. The plant has been sitting in the corner of a guys closet for an unknown length of time, hasn't been performing well and has some stress/pest issues. Plant is approx 3" in height as of October 15th 2011. No idea what sex it is but I presume its a cutting from some female somewhere. Its a mystery at the moment.
Colour is mottled, probably a nutrient deficiency and pest damage, but if you can identify a specific issue please let me know. Its not the solid green I would like to see, but its not too far gone either (I hope).
Starting to train it right away.
Top is bent past 90 degrees and I plan on training it along the circumference of the pot as it grows. Looks like someone tried to top the plant; incorrectly. Not sure what to do about that, just a stump on the stem, it didn't split.
Tote:
Rubbermaid 79L Clever Store Blue Tote 17.5" wide, 18" high, 23" length (painted white interior, used a direct to plastic spray paint, but one should use a sanding sponge on the inside surfaces first to promote better bonding).
Pot:
10" wide, 9" deep. I will need to change to a shallower container at some future point, assuming the plant survives.
Lights:
4x Philips 23W (100W equivalent) EL/mDT 2BC 1600 Lumen 2700K. Peak output should be in the 550-650nm range and should be okay for flowering. I cant find a spectral output graph, but similar bulbs have peaks in the yellow/red and blue. I plan to mix in a couple Daylight (5000K) versions of the same bulb in the future to get some more intensity during veg. Going to see how the plant performs under the 4 soft whites first. 4 of these might be enough for veg and flower. Have it on a 18 hour veg cycle right now.
Soil:
Unknown, presumed standard potting soil from hardware store, no perlite that I can see. Water did drain out the bottom after I gave it about a litre of water. I am a bit concerned about oxygen availability for the roots. I have aerated the soil with a pencil for now. Will change soil composition a bit when I change pots later on.
Temperature/Humidity:
Unknown, need to install meters.
Cooling:
2x 9mm 37 CFM fans, one intake, one output running off a salvaged AC Adapter (12v .850 amp) fan wires soldered together with molex connectors for easy power disconnection. Air flow is enough to shake plant at the present.
pH:
Unknown, need to buy a test kit for the house water, I think its high though so I am letting the water sit out and adding a bit of vinegar for now.
Nutrients:
None at present, will likely buy some basic all in one nutrient for now.
(SCHULTZ Plant Food, 10-15-10 - 300g)
Watering:
Gave it a good soak today, with added air movement compared to its old environment I will have to gauge how often it needs to be watered over the next couple weeks. leaves do not appear wilted, but the plant is a bit weak.
Pests:
Spider mites of course, cleaned the web off as best I could with a sponge and wiped the underside of the larger fans. Will buy some sulphur powder soon, but will clean by hand for now. Only one plant so I should be able to manage this during training sessions.
The whole contraption:
Four lights, painted interior, 2 fans
The fixtures, wire boxes and wire all cost about $20, the lights where $10 for a 4 pack and the tote was $10. I would have bought a white tote if I could have found one, but they only had a semi-transparent one and thus is why I needed to paint the interior of this blue one.
$5 digital timer and power config above and you can see the electrical setup on the lid below. Didn't really need the 4th interconnection as was in series, but did it absent mindedly.
I am looking for feedback/suggestions on anything you see here so feel free to post. Particularly the plants health.
It's my first grow, so be gentle
Cheers
Apologies for the photo quality, I'm using a cell phone camera.
Strain:
Unknown, looks like 70-30 indica I guess. If I can find out I will post. The plant has been sitting in the corner of a guys closet for an unknown length of time, hasn't been performing well and has some stress/pest issues. Plant is approx 3" in height as of October 15th 2011. No idea what sex it is but I presume its a cutting from some female somewhere. Its a mystery at the moment.
Colour is mottled, probably a nutrient deficiency and pest damage, but if you can identify a specific issue please let me know. Its not the solid green I would like to see, but its not too far gone either (I hope).
Starting to train it right away.
Top is bent past 90 degrees and I plan on training it along the circumference of the pot as it grows. Looks like someone tried to top the plant; incorrectly. Not sure what to do about that, just a stump on the stem, it didn't split.
Tote:
Rubbermaid 79L Clever Store Blue Tote 17.5" wide, 18" high, 23" length (painted white interior, used a direct to plastic spray paint, but one should use a sanding sponge on the inside surfaces first to promote better bonding).
Pot:
10" wide, 9" deep. I will need to change to a shallower container at some future point, assuming the plant survives.
Lights:
4x Philips 23W (100W equivalent) EL/mDT 2BC 1600 Lumen 2700K. Peak output should be in the 550-650nm range and should be okay for flowering. I cant find a spectral output graph, but similar bulbs have peaks in the yellow/red and blue. I plan to mix in a couple Daylight (5000K) versions of the same bulb in the future to get some more intensity during veg. Going to see how the plant performs under the 4 soft whites first. 4 of these might be enough for veg and flower. Have it on a 18 hour veg cycle right now.
Soil:
Unknown, presumed standard potting soil from hardware store, no perlite that I can see. Water did drain out the bottom after I gave it about a litre of water. I am a bit concerned about oxygen availability for the roots. I have aerated the soil with a pencil for now. Will change soil composition a bit when I change pots later on.
Temperature/Humidity:
Unknown, need to install meters.
Cooling:
2x 9mm 37 CFM fans, one intake, one output running off a salvaged AC Adapter (12v .850 amp) fan wires soldered together with molex connectors for easy power disconnection. Air flow is enough to shake plant at the present.
pH:
Unknown, need to buy a test kit for the house water, I think its high though so I am letting the water sit out and adding a bit of vinegar for now.
Nutrients:
None at present, will likely buy some basic all in one nutrient for now.
(SCHULTZ Plant Food, 10-15-10 - 300g)
Watering:
Gave it a good soak today, with added air movement compared to its old environment I will have to gauge how often it needs to be watered over the next couple weeks. leaves do not appear wilted, but the plant is a bit weak.
Pests:
Spider mites of course, cleaned the web off as best I could with a sponge and wiped the underside of the larger fans. Will buy some sulphur powder soon, but will clean by hand for now. Only one plant so I should be able to manage this during training sessions.
The whole contraption:
Four lights, painted interior, 2 fans
The fixtures, wire boxes and wire all cost about $20, the lights where $10 for a 4 pack and the tote was $10. I would have bought a white tote if I could have found one, but they only had a semi-transparent one and thus is why I needed to paint the interior of this blue one.
$5 digital timer and power config above and you can see the electrical setup on the lid below. Didn't really need the 4th interconnection as was in series, but did it absent mindedly.
I am looking for feedback/suggestions on anything you see here so feel free to post. Particularly the plants health.
It's my first grow, so be gentle
Cheers
