Erk202 - 1st Indoor Grow - Eartha

[Erk202]

What strain is it? Bagseed
Indoor or outdoor? Indoors
Soil or Hydro? Soil with white moss balls from outside (took from someones flower pot)
Size of light? 1 CFL 40w(150w) 2600 Lumens, 2700k color, 1 Floro. Tube with UVB/UVA 15w 18"(Will be using once leaves start showing)
PH of media or res? N/A
How often are you watering? everyday cuz it gets dry at the top by the next day.
Type and strength of ferts used? I think Perlite(was already in the soil when i got it)
Status of Eartha? Planted cracked seed as of yesterday Jan.3, 2009
Day Temps? Soil=78-82, Closet=80
Night Temps? Soil=75-80, closet=78
Closet Setup? Height=6ft, Width=2ft, Length=4ft(But will only be using half that space due to limitation and my clothes are on the opposite side of the closet)
Schedule? 24/0, when seed sprouts out of soil I will be going to 12/12 due to space limitation.
Fish Tank Setup? Length=24 1/2", Height=12", Width=12"
Methods for Humidity? I have 3 buckets of boiled water suroundng the pot so it can evaporate it.
Water type? Bottled water (Deer Park)
Reason for Plant name? Im using soil from outside that someone had in their beautiful flower pot.

I just got permission from the "householder" that i do have permission to grow as long as the plant doesn't create that much of a smell through out the Apt.

Im changing my CFL light bulb today for more Lumen's, ill post pics of the updated setup when i get back.[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[Erk202]

40w(150w) CFL, 2600 Lumens, 2700k color

Installing it now....
Since this only has 2700k color soon i will be geting another CFL but with a 6500k color.
So that means she will have best of both worlds at 1 time. 2700k for flowering and 6500k for veg. ( idk if i got veg or flowering in the right place, if not then vise versa. you guys know what i mean ;] )

Money is coming this week so this is on my buy list...
2 bulb socket
1 CFL with 6500k color
Nuts..(either 1 of the blooms idk which one yet)

Status on Eartha: Im checking time from time on the seed to see if it sprouting out more and more and the looks from it, the white stem is geting longer out the seed so, i guess that a good sign.

[Erk202]

UPDATED SETUP PICS:


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These are the 2 water pots i have for humidity/evaporation.


Thermometers: Left=monitoring left side of soil, Right=monitoring left side of soil, Middle=monitoring top of fish tank (by the light basically).


This is showing how far away the light is from the lamp. Since its uneven, the lamp starts at 3"inches. Long story short, its about 4-5"inches away from the 6"inch pot.


Just another pot of water siting by the pot.


Just showing the soil and the 2 thermometers throbs siting in the soil. (Seed is actually in between them).






Any Suggestions/Tips are always welcome here............

[Erk202]

Small Update:
Removed the lamp reflector (read some where that its best/recommend) and for some reason the light seems more brighter then usual :)

Also This Fri. I will be purchasing some regular MG-potting soil (Yes yes i know what you'll responses would be MG is plain shit, but this is my 1st grow and im just learning this 1st grow, if this 1 is successful my second one, i will get all the top flight items that you'll recommend intel then im working with what i can get atm.) And on that note, the Journal (1st man poor grow) he is using the same soil, and has gotten some good results so lets see what will happen for me.


After i purchase that, when some more money comes through ill be geting some MG Bloom booster for my nutes + for veg.

Updated buying list (in order):
1.MG-Potting soil
2.2 bulb socket
3.1 CFL with 6500k color (Maybe at the same time i get the sockets since the sockets is only $2.00/ea.)

[TxState]

Hey Erk202, im going to share are PM with everyone cause it may become as use to someone else as well...

Erk202: Couple of questions if you dont mind.....

1.What causes the pH ? tap water ?
2.How can i monitor the pH?
3.How long did it take for your plant to sprout out the soil?
4.What were the temps, before the plant had sprouted out the soil ?
5.How much did you water, before it sprouted out the soil...

Reason is why, i planted my seed 2 days ago, and it hast sprouted out yet, im just makin sure my temps are correct

TxState: wow thats a lot of questions but i guess i have some time...

1. It's caused by acidity and how alkaline the soil/water is. For soil the pH needs to be between 6.3-6.8
2. To check the ph of the water and soil, you need a ph meter, there like 20 bucks and on ebay.
3. only took my plants to sprout a day or two. only put the seed 1 cm below the soil.
4. i didnt check the temp... prob. 70-80F
5. The plant will tell you when it wants to be watered. you have to be able to read it. marijuana does not like to be over watered and you will kill it fast this way. best way is to let all the soil (at least 5 inches from the top) get completly dry, the roots are getting their much needed oxygen at that point.

If anyone thinks this is not correct feel free to speak up. BTW, just about all this info is in the growing FAQ.

[Erk202]

wow thanks Txstate...

oh and sorry for all the questions....

[Harry Red]

Originally Posted by Erk202

Also This Fri. I will be purchasing some regular MG-potting soil (Yes yes i know what you'll responses would be MG is plain shit, but this is my 1st grow and im just learning this 1st grow

Hi Erk202,

There's nothing wrong with using MG as your grow medium, as long as you choose the proper MG product. The item you have listed there has time release ferts, which is to be avoided at all costs. You'll never be able to control the nutrient levels with something like that and flushing is out of the question.

MG has a couple of other products that are much better and can be purchased pretty much a anywhere that sells MG products.

Miracle-Gro® Seed Starting Potting Mix contains sphagnum peat moss and perlite, with just a few starter nutes. There are no time released ferts in this.

Miracle-Gro® Seed Starting Potting Mix : The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company :

Miracle-Gro® Sphagnum Peat Moss or Miracle-Gro® Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss are very good products as well and are well suited for both vegging and flowering stages. Both contain only starter nutes with no time released ferts.

Miracle-Gro® Sphagnum Peat Moss : The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company :

I recommend you add a 25% ratio of perlite for improved drainage and some dolomite lime to keep your PH up. Worm castings would help out as well but even without worm castings, the MG products I listed above would be much better than the MG potting mix with time released nutes.

The MG bloom booster will be OK for the flowering phase as long as you don't start with full strength. You'll need to start with 1/4 strength or less and work up.

Good luck!



Harry

[Erk202]

Hey thanks harry for the info i appreciate it. ;]

But TxState also used the same product i posted and he got good results with it.

But i will take consider in geting some Miracle-Gro® Sphagnum Peat Mos like you said, if my store has it, if not im going with the one TxState used cuz i know for sure my store has it

[Erk202]

HAHA, YAY come to find out my store does have the one u posted and its only for $3.97

Lowe's:
Miracle-Gro at Lowe's: 8 Qt. Sphagnum Peat Moss

Thanks again Harry i will be geting that soon instead of the other product

**Adds to buying list
Updated buying list (in order):
1. MG-Sphagnum Peat Moss
2. 2 bulb socket
3. 1 CFL with 6500k color (Maybe at the same time i get the sockets since the sockets is only $2.00/ea.)
4.MG-Bloom Booster

[Harry Red]

Sounds good. Grab some perlite as well (same price at Lowes) and mix it 25%-30% with the sphagnum. You really need the extra drainage perlite provides.



Harry

[Harry Red]

Originally Posted by Erk202

But TxState also used the same product i posted and he got good results with it.

Well, sometimes you can "get by" with lots of different things but I'm certain that you'll have less problems if you avoid grow medium that contains time released nutes.

Again, good luck!!



Harry

[Erk202]

Alright, thanks man, im going to get some Perlite as well (Hope i have enough when i go get the soil.) If not ill have to get it the next go around....

My pot already drains really well, idk if its the pot or the perlite thats already in the soil....or maybe even the light.

[Erk202]

Got board and im so anxious for my girl to sprout so i took more pics plus i did some setup arrangement for my humidity method...

Status on Seedling Eartha:

She's moving a bit slow but ill give her another 1/2 cup of water tonight and about another 24/hr and she'll be sprouted out the soil.


Added a clean all white regular bed sheet to hang from all the way to the top of the closet to the bottom so she can have something to reflect on more when she gets bigger (Even tho my walls are all white)


My little humidity method i came up with is doin its job i see ;] 39%=The Humidity (its not showing in the pic but its a wet/damp towel siting on the bottom of the tanks floor in front of two water bowels shown in the pic)


Just removed the reflector from the light like i said i would, and if u can see in the other pictures, u can see i add 2 sheets of a soda can for reflection to the bottom of the plants flowers when she gets big enough and put it in the pot, both facing the opitsit side of each other.

If im posting too many pics (sorry) I just wanna show yall everything thing im putig into this girl little by little.

[Erk202]

NEW UPDATE:

Ive been paying very close attention to Eartha and as i was doing my daily rutien by diggin up the soil (softly to not hurt her) to she what shes doing..

She has broken out of her hard shell and now she's about to sprout. Im so excited.

I decided i thought I'd speed up the process for her to stretch out that damn soil by covering back some of the soil back on top of her but just a little, since she's out of her shell and now she can finally see the light and stretch for it.

Just to be on the safe side i, put the light up a little higher (so she can hurry and stretch for it, ill lower it once she's out) and gave her a cap full of fresh water just in the area she's planted at.

I put enough soil back on top of her enough so that, the light can shine through the cracks of the soil so she can go for it. Even tho i been paying allot of attention to her from germ. Ill be paying way more attention now that she's free from her shell. LOL

Im prolly the only person who payed that much attention to their 1st plant, to the point where i even collected the 2 hard seed shells that the plant breaks off to, before sprouting out the soil.

Sprouting pics SOON, maybe later on today (BTW its only morning atm) im sure she'll be showing then.



(Me just getting all the lights i have ready, for Eartha to see soon's she pops up).
Whew, with that new homemade reflector i made, makes the light look brighter as hell god damn...I had to sit in the dark for a min, my eyes were literally hurting...LOL

[McBudz]

Great advice from Harry. You def don't want to be chasing your tail around trying to figure out what's up with your plants. By the time you realize your time released ferts are hosing your grow its too late. Make sure you get the pulverized dolomite lime. huge bag at homedepot was like 3 bucks