NHTeatimes Indoor Attempt

[nhteatime]

What strain is it? 1 each of Afghan Kush, turbo jack, and Sweet Skunk Feminized/Autos
Is it Indica, Sativa or Hybrid? Hybrid
Is it in Veg or Flower stage? Veg state
If in Veg... For how long? 1 week
Indoor or outdoor? Indoor
Soil or Hydro? Soil
If soil... what is in your mix? Perlite, vermiculite, bat quano, worm casings
If soil... What size pot? 3 1/2 gallon
Size of light? 400 watt
Is it aircooled? fan cooled

Started two seeds in a wet paper towel on a window sill Sweet Skunk and Turbo. Both seeds started right away, maybe two / three days so i put them in starter pots but the turbo seed got a bit damaged. needless to say Turbo did absolutely nothing but skunk poked up quick. I Waited a couple days and turbo still did nothing so I stuck an afghan seed right in the soil in the same pot and it sprouted within three days. Two days after putting the afghan in, Turbo poked her little head out so now im growing three instead of the two i planned on. I have them in the cellar with the grow light on them overnights and I shut it off during the day. I keep them under the light from 5:30 pm to 6:30 am then natural light during the day.

Away we go!!

 

[nhteatime]

Sweet Skunk

afghan kush

baby Turbo

 

[nhteatime]

Okay just figured out my first mistake. They are reaching too far for the light and stretching way too much. Going home after work and lowering the light. Its amazing how many little tidbits of info you find here that you didnt know you needed.

 

[Radogast]

I don't worry about stretch in the seedlings.
It is easy to just plant them one or two inches deeper in the soil when you move them to larger pots.
Like tomato plants, mj plants don't mind replanting deeper, they just add more roots higher on the stem.

 

[Radogast]

Have you considered a cheap oscillating fan? (the less floor space, the better.)
Your girls might like a gentle breeze.

The wind from the fan helps strengthen the stalks, blows away some small flying insects, and improves the freshness of the air next to the leaves.

 

[nhteatime]

You will probably laugh when I post the picture of my "grow area" I had every intention of making some spectacular space for this but of course I got busy with other things. Right now I have put up some mylar in a small area in a corner of a bedroom with the light hanging over head about 8 inches above the 3 plants. I am using a regular window fan for circulation. I actually transplanted the skunk and the kush into their forever pots tonight and I did put them lower in the soil (thanks for the tip) The turbo is slowly catching up. Ill probably transplant her in a couple days. Im debating trying one of those air pots.. have you tried the Rado?

 

[colorfuldayze]

Hiya nhteatime! Thanks for sharing your journey and looking forward to following. Great variety selection on the strains - especially interested that sweet skunk auto! And the Afghan...ok I'm interested in all of them Are they all feminized autos? Is your light an HPS?

It's amazing how cannabis adapts to get what it needs. I would echo what Radogast (great username by the way IMO) said.

I also have a couple of observations as well that I'd like to share with you and I hope it will be useful. I'm new to the 420 community but I have grown a few times and have mostly grown autos in soil mixes. I encourage anyone to please disagree with me in the event my recommendation is not in nh's best interest!
1. I'd recommend an immediate change in your vegetative light cycle to either 24 hours on or maybe 20 on/4 off (you could even go 18/6 or 16/8 if electric bill and/or light pollution is an issue but I recommend 24 or 20/4) instead of the 13 on/11 off you are currently implementing - especially for the autos in the garden. I run my autos 24hrs on from seed through to sex expression. After sex expression, I start tapering down the light on time and giving it more darkness. I can share more on that later if you are interested.
2. In the northeast (US I'm assuming), I can't imagine that even on a good day that the natural light through a window this time of year is going to be adequate. This is likely a main part of the reason your little girls (we are hoping!) stretched. I don't recommend ever using window light - but that is just me. With the # of plants you are growing, a small fluorescent light right up close to but not touching the plants should be enough to get their first leaves up, out, elongated and set and to fill that cup/germ pot with lotz and lotz of roots so you can transplant. You could go ahead and fill the pot to the rim now if the plants are going to stay there for more than 3 days. After transplanting, let them stabilize about 3-5 days under the fl. after transpl. and then move them under the 400W.
3. It appears their is a sizeable space between the top of the soil and the top of the germ pot. This can also contribute to stretching (and looking at yours I think it did) and even most importantly you are losing potential root growth AND water nutrient uptake ability. Managing this closely and maximizing root growth as your grow progresses is key! ROOTZ ROOTZ ROOTZ - just keep saying that every day while you



whenever you greet your garden and they'll reward you! Hope this is useful, and hope it wasn't too much - if it was then please kick me out

Cheers and thanks again for sharing!

 

[Radogast]

You will probably laugh when I post the picture of my "grow area" I had every intention of making some spectacular space for this but of course I got busy with other things. Right now I have put up some mylar in a small area in a corner of a bedroom with the light hanging over head about 8 inches above the 3 plants. I am using a regular window fan for circulation. I actually transplanted the skunk and the kush into their forever pots tonight and I did put them lower in the soil (thanks for the tip) The turbo is slowly catching up. Ill probably transplant her in a couple days. Im debating trying one of those air pots.. have you tried the Rado?

Why would I laugh at your grow area? I have a lockable, dedicated flowering room because that keeps us within the letter of state law. I sunk about $2000 into the room and lights and (rather luckily) made back my investment on the first grow. I like being lucky. MOST people start out with a balcony or bedroom grow. I started out with a medical recommendation letter and a doctor who handed a magazine and said "you need to start growing." I, and others here, would like to see your grow area.

I haven't tried air pots. Personally, I don't mix and match types of pots. It's a lot easier when your girls are on the same watering schedule.

I agree with Colorfuldayze (nice imagery in that name), which is smart of me, since dayze has more growing experience
I might nit pick on filling the pot to the rim, I prefer water to spill out the bottom of the pot rather than spill over the sides. It all depends on how your soil compacts after watering.

I'd like to echo a couple of Colorful's questions.
Autoflower or photoperiod ?
Feminized or undetermined sex?
What kind of 400 watts?
Is fluorescent an option?

 

[colorfuldayze]

Hi Radogast, this was my first post jumping in and giving advice before being asked and admit I was nervous.




I've already seen a number of starter journals where their grow failed but maybe wouldn't have if they made a couple of adjustments - but then again I do realize that it is only failure if you give up! Love this community!

Also, just as a clarification, I definitely agree with you re: the pots/containers to not flow over the top. When I pot, I fill to the rim, and then the first two or three watering events generally compact the top of the soil about a cm - just perfect for filling to the rim during watering.

heading over to see your journal! can't wait to see you dedicated room! Cheers brothers!

 

[nhteatime]

I'd like to echo a couple of Colorful's questions.
Autoflower or photoperiod ? All three are autos (thought was I wanted to keep it on the simpler side for the 1st time indoors)
Feminized or undetermined sex? 3 Feminized
What kind of 400 watts? The light is a 400 HPS. It hooks up through this black ballast thingy that can be turned down so I have it on half power right now.
Is fluorescent an option? *shrugs shoulders* I dunno

 

[Beateo]

nhteatime, Great start! I agree with all that Radogast has said about the stretching in the seedlings... except be careful for one thing that happened to me.... mine started to stretch so much that they fell over and laid flat on the soil! I thought my new plants were finished but found that all I had to do was prop them up with a pipe cleaner bent "just so" That info came from this site by the way You're lookin'
good!

 

[nhteatime]

HI Dayze, Thanks for joining in. Thanks for the advice on lighting. I have decided to leave the lights on over night every night and throughout the day while im at work. I get home about 5:30pm so Ill turn them off then and turn them back on about 10:30 before heading to bed? That will give them 5 hours of darkness? Im a little worried about the electric bill since its automatically going up this month at least $50 a household already but a growers gotta do what a growers gotta do Your correct as far as natural light here in the north east. Especially this time of year. I hate it. Another good thing about growing indoors, you walk into the room and its like the sun is out in the middle of July - I love that!

I transplanted two of them already - too soon?

Rado, my grow area consists of a 3 by 3 space between a bed and a bureau. I put mylar around the area with a corner open for the floor fan. My Light is hanging off another stand up light - and just slightly tilted so the two do not touch. Its looking pretty redneckish <<is that even a word? But anyways - for the time being this is what ive come up with.
In the words of you my friend on my old journal "What do you need? SOIL- WATER - AIR -LIGHT- SPACE" I have it all although space is a little lacking at the moment but its okay for now. Grow area

Sweet Skunk, I buried her some and think Im going to add some more soil

Turbo has some catching up to do. I think she got confused when she first came out of her shell

and finally Afghan

Well just want to thank you Rado and dayze for your help - its awesome having help along the way

 

[nhteatime]

Hey BEATEO Welcome! I subbed your journal also. I also almost knocked my sweet skunk over but I buried her deeper. Hope it helps. That's the great thing about this site, you can follow others along and get all kinds of info you never even knew you needed. Great people here and really laid back atmosphere Ya Gotta love it!

 

[nhteatime]

Hey, just a quick question. Should I put mylar under the plants too? Like a mylar carpet?

 

[colorfuldayze]

Mornin' nhteatime and thanks for the update! I'm a lookin' and I'm a likin'! Looks like your off to a good start. Thanks for answering my questions too! Looking forward to following your grow and seeing your plants perform! Thank you for sharing! I'm still learning and striving to improve and have plenty of both to do too I might say.

One recommendation I'd add if I may, is I would dampen your soil right around your seedlings just a tad - looks a little on the dry side - by dryer is better than overwater for sure. After dampening, fill the pot with moist (but not soaking) soil all the way - I mean all of the way to 0.0009 millimeter (lol) to the point in between the first node (first cotyledons or baby leaves) and the stem. That will fill with roots fast! Like Radogast said too, you want the water to flow down through the pot, but even if you end up adding soil to the very top of the rim (not compacted of course) the first waterings might be a little messy w/ some water flowing over the top but by the third one or so it will level off and compact that soil just perfectly and your lil guys will be rockin'!

Great info from Beato too I'd add - and cheers bro! Your lookin' good!

 

[colorfuldayze]

Hi nhteatime - sorry to repeat posts, but I forgot to mention the fluorescent lighting - especially important if you are concerned re: electric bill costs. With the 4 or so plants your growing and the pot sizes you have, there are a lot of small fluorescent light systems (i.e. two 40watt bulbs)which are fairly inexpensive which if placed and kept right down on the seedlings (just like 1/2-1 cm away), will do just fine to get them 6" tall (I use them until the plants are 12" from the soil to the top) and then move them to the 400W HPS once they are settled in their forever pots. This would cut your electric bill at least in half and up to 70-80% the first three-four weeks. Cheers and happy growing.

 

[Radogast]

GOOD CHOICES for a smallish space!

Autoflower - this eliminates 90% of potential lighting issues. You can pretty much just set a timer and forget about the time of day. (A cheap timer to handle turning lights on and off is often less than $10.)

400w HPS.- Any timer and any power outlet, will be able to handle your 400w HPS as it draws less than 5 amps. Your only real lighting question, as said above, is if you want to save on electricity for the first several weeks by running small CFL bulbs.

Feminized - you can breathe easy knowing all of your girls are keepers

I'd say you are in good shape.

You grow area looks well suited to the size of your plants. If you put anything on the floor, if suggest something to catch water spills rather than something reflective.

- -

It's too early to fertilize.
Can you tell us about the soil you chose, and any fertilizer plans you have made?

 

[nhteatime]

Oh damn, i meant to pick up one of those trays you told me Radogast in the garden store - talk about a blonde moment - I knew there was something missing in my set up - How could I not think of something like that You didnt laugh at my set up? I think It looks like messed up wrapping on a christmas present and my lighting "fixture" leaves alot to be desired but for now itll work.

I am using just a plain bagged soil from home depot. I wanted to stay away from MG this time so i could be more involved in what was going on. (although it did work great for outside) The stuff Im using doesnt have anything in it so I added some vermiculite, perlite, bat guano and worm casings. Not quite sure on the nutes yet - I have some stuff left over from outside so I guess Ill take stock and see what I need. I am definitely going to be using the cal/mag stuff - the outside plants loved it and Im going to buy some kelp spray because Ive heard good things about it. I have some studying to do that's for sure but itll be a labor of love.

 

[nhteatime]

Hi nhteatime - sorry to repeat posts, but I forgot to mention the fluorescent lighting - especially important if you are concerned re: electric bill costs. With the 4 or so plants your growing and the pot sizes you have, there are a lot of small fluorescent light systems (i.e. two 40watt bulbs)which are fairly inexpensive which if placed and kept right down on the seedlings (just like 1/2-1 cm away), will do just fine to get them 6" tall (I use them until the plants are 12" from the soil to the top) and then move them to the 400W HPS once they are settled in their forever pots. This would cut your electric bill at least in half and up to 70-80% the first three-four weeks. Cheers and happy growing.

So your saying i can just use the fluorescents for now? My kids had snakes and iguanas - and they had heat lamps and fluorescent lights to go with their tanks - Ill have to check it out and see if any of them are usable. Thanks for the info - My BF thanks you too

 

[Radogast]

The tray I am using for catching water runoff is a "plastic dropping tray" from Tractor Supply Company. Made for under pet cages. They come in square sizes like 24x24", 30x36" etc.

I have also used cookie sheets (too shallow) and cement mixing trays from home improvement stores.
And oh yeah, individual plant saucers from garden stores.

I prefer one big tray to several little ones, I tend to splash when watering