Orange's 1st (Micro)grow 2010

[Orange]

Hey guys new to the site!

This is my first grow. Here is a little info about it:

-Soil- Miracle Grow potting mix
-Bagseed
-(2) 24" Fluorescent tubes, cool white (Just Added on Feb 13th)
-(2) 18" Fluorescent tubes, cool white
-on 18/6 for veg
-2 weeks in
-now in a cabinet about 15" deep X 29" wide and 31" tall

My Game Plan: Grow these from seed to about 10-12 inches tall. Then I will sex and flower them. I will get rid of the males and fully flower the females and also take 2 or 3 clones and do a small scrog grow with them.

So I just started my micro grow 2 weeks ago and it is going pretty well. It all started with a little stoned idea and is still holding my attention.

I tried two methods at germinating the seeds. One was using a paper towel, and the other was soaking them in a cup of water. Well, the cup of water didn't produce any seedlings.

Once little taproots formed, I put them in the soil in my mini green house and under 2 flourescent tubes. I kept them near my heater under my piano. After 2 or three days they popped up out of the soil. A few had some trouble with getting the seed casing off. One is still struggling with it.

After week one I decided I needed a better home for these guys so I built a more suitable, stealthier location. I used a small old dresser!

(I have to get my tools out of my car to cut the zip ties)


After after about 12 days(after germinated) I moved them into their new home. I added two fans for air movement and 2 24" fluoro tubes to more than double the lumens. After about 2 days under the new light they look like they are doing much better and much happier under all of that light.

Temps have been staying right around 78

Here is what they look like

I will try to update as much as possible and take as many pictures as possible too. Let me know if you see anything I should change. I am trying to keep this as cheap as possible.

Thanks for stopping by guys!

 

[PitViper]

welcome to 420!!
the last plant looks leggy...need more light. CFL's are inexpensive

 

[Orange]

Thanks!

Yeah I've only done a little research on them. I went out and bought these tubes before I knew about them. I will have cfl's for sure for my next grow though.

 

[PitViper]

welcome to 420!!
in the the last pic the plant looks leggy...I sure your going to transplant them and when you do sink the plants deeper...the roots will grow in fine.

 

[Orange]

yeah I'm going to transplant them. I couldn't find pots the right size to fit 4 or 5 plants in this space. Spring gardening supplies should be in my lowe's very soon though.

And the one in the last one was growing at a 45 degree angle so I put the stake down just to hold him straight up.

 

[Orange]

This is the light they are getting right now. 4 tubes

Should be enough right?

 

[Orange]

I'm at work just found so much asbestos. Shits nasty. How's everybodys day? I'll let you
guys now how the plants are doin. Later today

 

[Orange]

Just got home. A lot of new growth. They're responding so well to all the new light. Lots of new leaf formation

 

[PitViper]

excellent..keep us updated

 

[Orange]

Does anyone know how to
use a point and shoot digital camera? I realized that I have never used one, only slr's. What do I put it on to get well focused close ups. I set it to macro, but it still didn't do all that well. Thanks

 

[Orange]

Just checked. Leaves look a little droopy. Lights just a bit
too close?

 

[DroJo]

is it possible for you to take a pic and upload it?
My digital camera has a zooming option and several different shutter options, have you tried playing around with them to see which one you like more? A last option would be to look up trouble shooting on your particular model online

The before pics of your ladies did seem like they were doing good, whats ur feeding regimen like orange?

 

[Orange]

I water them when dry. Was only giving them a small amount of water earlier, but I had to water them every other day b/c soil would dry up so fast. Last time i watered (sat) I gave them more than they're used to, but didn't drench the cup. Has anyone heard of Miracle Grow potting mix not being all that good at draining?

 

[DroJo]

Yea but a few ppl like norcaliwood have used MG w/great results. But I would add perlite to it if drainage is an issue. Is MG the only soil around ya bro? Pro-Mix is good too.

 

[Orange]

At the time I started this project it was all that they had. In a day or 2 I,m going to get some perlite and re- pot all of them into 1 gallon containers that I grabbed from work. The plan is to keep them in these containers until I sex them, then put them into 2 or 3 gallon pots for flowering. I just don't have enough space for all of them to be in that big of pots. Also, the one seedling that was still covered in the shell has been removed. I am now just going to be taking care of the four plants that are doing well.


The leaves straightened up and the soil dried up a little bit so I guess it was just over watered.

 

[DroJo]

If you can get some dolomite lime. My experience with MG is that as long as your ladies are older than 2 weeks old they can handle MG. If they are introduced to MG before they are 14-21 days, they never seem to be able to handle the time release. As a matter of fact, if you starve your ladies before transplanting them into MG you'll really like the soil. Put about 1-2 tbl of Dolomite lime per 2 gallon of soil to keep the ph stable.
MG is managable, but if the oppertunity ever rose, i would get better soil. But you should still do just fine

 

[AmGrowR]

If you can get some dolomite lime. My experience with MG is that as long as your ladies are older than 2 weeks old they can handle MG. If they are introduced to MG before they are 14-21 weeks, they never seem to be able to handle the time release. As a matter of fact, if you starve your ladies before transplanting them into MG you'll really like the soil. Put about 1-2 tbl of Dolomite lime per 2 gallon of soil to keep the ph stable.
MG is managable, but if the oppertunity ever rose, i would get better soil. But you should still do just fine

I've also heard of people flushing the time release MG soil before using it in order to rid the soil of most the nutes. I plan on doing the same once I start my next journal since I can't find anything else. Soooo anxious to start it up again!!!

 

[Orange]

Good luck with your next grow! Would it be very stressful to the plant to transplant it into a perlite foxfarm mix? I would still keep that small amount of mg that is in the solo cup.

 

[AmGrowR]

I definitely wouldn't think twice about. I'd say that's probably the best thing you could do!!

 

[Orange]

Thanks for the confirmation on that. I will have an update either today or tomorrow. All depends on if I get the soil today