1st grow - Growing to keep sane

[USMC0420grow]

I started a thread in the F&A not meaning to do so FNG. O well I'm 4 weeks in my plants are struggling a bit VEG box is 5' x 3' x 3' i have 6 seedlings right now. 2 of them are struggling to to i had to replant them deeper, slow growth due to shallow planting. I learned from my mistakes with 2 seedlings and have them planted in a cut milk jugs. here are my pics to date. Again first time grow don't judge too harshly.

 

[ShrubHub]

I'm all for doing the best you can with what you got, I'm gonna try to help pinpoint some issues here to help you out.

First, those milk jugs are a good start to getting these guys in pots. With holes in the bottom of the for drainage and some black electrical tape around the outside of them to protect the roots from light penitration. Light will damage roots just as much as having too much water. But a roll of electrical tape costs 2$ and for that you could by 2 1 gallon pots..... Beer cups also work very well for the beginning stages.

The plants that look like they are in soil on top if black plastic will most likely not survive. Too much moisture and no drainage at all also it will make them very difficult to transplant if they do get larger.

Sorry if I missed it but that light doesn't look to be sufficient either. If it is a light from a cop car I believe it would be a halogen which should produce the correct spectrum but the light penitration will be very low, just because light projects from it a far distance doesn't mean this light is usable from a plant prospective. I would say at the very least both home depot and Lowes sell 2400k 64w cfl's. These are the wrong spectrum but they are cheap (12-16$) and use a standard light bulb socket. I have seen a few growers using these spectrum CFL's for seedlings which is the stage you are in.

Bottom line plants in pots (or pot shaped containers) will work best, preferably a not size that allows the plant to use up the moisture around it between waterings so the soil doesn't stay moist. Also if you fill the same size container with dry soil so you can judge when watering is needed.

Just like construction the final product can only be as strong as the foundation.

 

[Spimp]

I apoligize for the allbeit funny, rather coarse joke I made.
36 hours is way too soon to water again. 5 days minimum. 5 days. The have tiny little roots that we want stretching to find the water. We like long roots. They cant drink hardly anything yet either. Sometimes my sprouts go a week with not a drop.


Too little water= fixable in 20 mins.
Too much water =


P.S. I just posted this to the other thread too sir.

 

[AutoFlowering Seeds Bank]

i think too much water i made the same mistake my first grow and i learned the lesson now i give them water when the soil is dry and look like they love it

 

[Jimmy6000]

Welcome US420.I think with some more info on your setup,lights,temps,water quality,and such,we will be able to help guide you in the direction you are want to head down.Although I consider myself a nubee,I have had my feet wet for awhile and will help out whenever possibly can.Thank you Jimmy6K

 

[USMC0420grow]

i do have drainage the black bag u see in the pic is to keep wood from rotting on my veg box. i can agree i'm over watering them. i didn't relize mj is basicly a tropic plant. duct tape will work for my milk jugs right? as far as the lighting i bought these bulbs at a green house its an enclosed green house that plants produce in winter months. i can go to home depot and get the work lights they're 5000k halogens some bright bitches.

jimmy i'm using distilled water, the area i live has acid rain which the farmers here have a hell of a time growing produce. and my tap water has a chlorine additive. thats why im using distilled it seemed like the safest bet as to not haveing unwanted chems in my plants. my temp is now 75 degrees f,

 

[USMC0420grow]

fyi guys i'm not a sir i'm 25 years old.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

I'm a noob here, but just an observation based on the pictures. The soil has a green tint to it that looks familiar to me, mine was algae because I was waaaayyyy overwatering my seedlings. Is that green color just a camera effect somehow? Just curious.
And I totally agree with adding some perlite to the soil! Perlite will retain the water and kind of reserve it there for the plants to use as needed.

BTW, Spimp calls everyone sir or Ma'am. Military thing....LOL

 

[ShrubHub]

In the military you only call officers sir or ma'am enlisted people will usually say " I'm not a sir I work for a living" lol

As for the duct tape that may work, I would advise against a halogen light as I haven't seen them used for growing.

 

[ShrubHub]

Hydrogen peroxide can also be used to control algea/mold/fungus and insect eggs. Cheap and in small doses its good for the plants roots as well.

 

[ShrubHub]

I agree with uncle puff as well that your best bet is CFL or tube florescent if you're not going for HID. all other lighting simply does not have the light penetration, in all honesty CFL'S have about the lowest light penetration that's usable for plants.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

perlite does not hold water. it has a large surface area and that is what water will cling to, otherwise perlite is completely inert and is used for the sole purpose to provide additional drainage and air space within the root zone.

Well, thank you for the correction. I have been misinformed. Was told it soaks up water. I understand the air circulation, but wasn't told correctly on the moisture retention in them.
Apologies to the thread!

 

[Spimp]

perlite does not hold water. it has a large surface area and that is what water will cling to, otherwise perlite is completely inert and is used for the sole purpose to provide additional drainage and air space within the root zone.

Not all Perlite sir. Be careful because companies now adays are 'loading' perlite with small amounts of nutes and calling it slow release. I fell victim to this. Just make sure you get good Perlite and not the sneaking MG or Scotts stuff.

 

[USMC0420grow]

i'm using zero fertilizer right now. my distilled water has remover almost all minerals. like i said its to remove chems to have a general base. there isn't any green in my soil it's black... with perlite white added. a few tiny nitrogen balls that release when watered. other than that plain potters soil. no top soil or ground dirt. my drainage... i have an old stand up shower floor as my base which drains out of my shed via plumbing i ran.
I took out my dying plants... the whole rotten apple idea
i'm a sgt in the us marine corps reserves i understand the whole sir or ma'am thing but i'm enlisted and try to avoid the sir mentality.

Any how back to topic. i'll check out lighting arrangements tomorrow. money is't a major problem i try to use materials left over from my construction jobs. btw i didn't water the plants today letting them drink and dry up their beds. they stretched another 1/2 an inch when i took a look at them. 3 of them are thriving. by getting rid of the 2 dying plants it made tons of room for my good ones.

some asked about my setup ie humidity, temp, ph, lighting, floor, drainage.
tem still 75 degrees f and holding, RH 58%, PH 6.3, lighting adjusting it tomorrow, floor/drainage, an old stand up shower floor for drainage, bottom insulated with tar paper(moisture barrier) r19 inso, and all joining edges and walls are sealed with subfloor adhesive to prevent bugs. i have a 2 ft x 3 ft double hinged door for access. top is removable for bulb changes and any additional maintenance. designing a carbon filter to remove the smell once it starts. it's a fan with reversed polarity to pull air out of the box and it'l filer it via a carbon and hepa filter. if anyone has any ideas of what else i should prepare for or design let me know.

 

[danklover79]

Subscribed, glad the babies are bouncing back, and thank you for your service in the MC.

 

[USMC0420grow]

thanks guys putting my plants in separate pots tonight. time is sometimes a pain to me my wife hate mj... if you get my drift. i've been using growing as a self med for ptsd. it helps i dunno how but it has.

 

[Spimp]

Heres a whole Thread regarding MJ and PTSD.
And one on how it helps. PTSD SCIENTIFIC DATA
Good Weed sir.

 

[Rockforce]

thanks guys putting my plants in separate pots tonight. time is sometimes a pain to me my wife hate mj... if you get my drift. i've been using growing as a self med for ptsd. it helps i dunno how but it has.

I'm with you on this, definitely helps me too. Army OEF 2011-2012

 

[ShrubHub]

thanks guys putting my plants in separate pots tonight. time is sometimes a pain to me my wife hate mj... if you get my drift. i've been using growing as a self med for ptsd. it helps i dunno how but it has.

And me as well. Navy active duty 2004-2009

 

[USMC0420grow]

US Marines active duty 2006-2010 reserve 2010-present