420's Fish4Fun420 - Grab Bag Seeds - Out/Indoor Grow Journal - 2013

[Spimp]

Heres lighting for noob's, Spimp style----

Blueish lights make them grow. (5000k-6500k)
Redish lights make them flower. (2000k-3000k)

More than 12 hours of lights make them grow.
More than 12 hour dark makes them flower.

For now, that is all you need to know sir.

 

[Fish4Fun420]

I want to get them about a foot tall and then switch them over to flowering. I figure with stretch that roughly 2ft tall plants would be perfect where I'm keeping them. You have 12lights for just two plants.. damn, I'm in trouble. Do you think tube lights would be better? I mean they are $$$ and big and bulky.. but I can't just plug in 100 bulbs in my closet lol I'll look into the CFL lights for now but man I dunno what to do.. are there lights I can use for both stages?

+rep for putting the light spectrum into a nutshell for me! <3

EDIT for after thoughts.... since it's really based on a light cycle can't I use a little of both (blue and red) for flowering? That way I can get a few lights now and just add to it when I swap over the light cycle... I dunno just spit balling here, trying to figure it out haha

 

[danklover79]

Yes you can mix the spectrum if you wish. If you do, go with 1 6500k, 3 2700K for flower, and the opposite for veg. I used 1 42 watt 2700K cfl to veg the first grow, since I didn't know any better, and the plants grew just fine. The 42 watt cfl I have puts out 2700 lumens, which is plenty to veg a plant with.

 

[Fish4Fun420]

heya dank! welcome back my friend! I will probably do that, I have 19 pots that need light how many bulbs you think would make a closet into daylight?

 

[danklover79]

For veg I would say 30 watt per plant should do it, then you can add bulbs as the plants grow. When you switch to 12/12, swap the 6500k bulbs for the 2700k, and you will need side lighting with cfls, since they don't penetrate as well as HID lighting does. Do you know how you're going to hang the lights, what type of fixture will you use? You can pick up an aluminum baking pan, then make a diy reflector, if you have some sockets you can use in there.

 

[ShrubHub]

I would say your best bet is to buy power strips and light socket plugs that plug directly into them. I can't seem to find the post on here that shows people making these maybe someone else knows what I'm talking about. Very cheap and DIY. I have 340 watts from 7 plants 125 from 6500k and the remaining watts from 4 2400k in a tight grow space. All homemade and fairly cheap. Check out my link in my signature. I'll see if I can find that power strip hood setup for you.

 

[Fish4Fun420]

Dank- I am going to have to run power into the closet, I have clothing racks I can hang... well anything from that I will need. There is one that will be directly over the plants on the one side of the closet I'm storing them in. 30w/plant eh? *crunches numbers* 19 30w bulbs... good sir I don't think NASA has that many lights in one space at one time.

HAHAHAAAA man I'm on Pluto, I literally did 19pots x 30w (to get the max amount of watts 570, then divided it by 30w per bulb =19 bulbs (one bulb per plant just as you stated and I read no less than a minute before I did the math) I need to put down this bubbler for a few minutes while I collect myself.

Oooook so looking around on the interwebs I am seeing a lot of this " 6-Watt (30W) Bright White (3000K)" maybe it's late maybe I'm just reading to much into it but if they have the watts what does the watts in parenthesis mean?

Shrub I been following you for a few weeks now and taking notes, I love what you've done with the closet! I plan on using safety blankets to wall off the area to bounce the light all over the place. I believe I have seen the light strip ordeal in Spimps ghetto grow journal. Like this?

I do believe this is the direction I am going to take it but a trip to the store will help me sort out my thoughts.

Thanks for all the input guys it is greatly appreciated!

 

[danklover79]

The 3000K is the spectrum of the bulb, and yes something like Spimp has there is kinda what I was suggesting. I took a piece of plywood, and mounted the reflector to it, so it would fit the closet better, then put chains on it to serve as a light mover. I have some tract lighting fixtures with 4 sockets in each one, but only wired with 2 cords apiece. I've never used them, because my space is so small, but you might be able to use something like that to diy a reflector of sorts.

 

[ShrubHub]

That is exactly what I was talking about. His is installed in a cabinet but I have seen schematics for making a hanging hood out of them using less than 15$ in plywood and metal flashing. With this you can start with the minimum bulbs and literally just plug more in as needed. I grow as cheap as possible now because experience is priceless, every step you take is learning some thing. Better to learn on the cheap stuff in order to better appreciate this artisan craft when you have the fancy tools later. Its like motorcycles , don't by a 1000cc bike until you master the 250cc 500cc 600cc........etc etc etc. You won't know how much better a HPS OR MH really is unless you have used the alternative methods first. I'm still new @MJ but have lots of other plant experience. In all honesty mj is way more fun. As for my closet I wrapped the best blankets around foam core boards, its not that cheap but if you know anyone in college or who works at a craft supply store you can get old project ones or dents/shushed ones from craft stores really discounted. Some art supply stores throw them away weekly. I'm keeping tabs on your grow hit me up anytime.

 

[danklover79]

Here's a pic of my setup, if it will help at all, I know you don't have a reflector, but maybe you can drill holes, and slip the sockets through the holes, or something.

I know there are straps in that pic, I've since replaced those with chains, much easier, just move to the next link to lower or raise. I've organized it much better since that pic as well.

 

[Spimp]

I would say your best bet is to buy power strips and light socket plugs that plug directly into them. I can't seem to find the post on here that shows people making these maybe someone else knows what I'm talking about. Very cheap and DIY. I have 340 watts from 7 plants 125 from 6500k and the remaining watts from 4 2400k in a tight grow space. All homemade and fairly cheap. Check out my link in my signature. I'll see if I can find that power strip hood setup for you.

Heres my little plug and play rig. I got all the stuff at wally's store.

 

[Fish4Fun420]

You guys are amazing! I love how everyone collectively was on the same page, now I know exactly what I'm looking for! I made my little list and will be venturing out to the homedepot to do some investigating! I brought them inside and boy what a differenece it has made even only after 24hours! Brought them in, set the heat to 70 last night let the room get up to temp and I now have 17 plants that have their second set of leaves! I have a few late bloomers that were really not pleased by the last frost but I can say they are all pointing to the sky and the stems look strong and healthy. I hope they will survive but with 17 of 19 plants standing strong with a lush green leaves I'm happy so far. I did notice that the ones that looked hung over the cotlydon leaves have dwindled away and are whitish near the stem. Would some water in a spray bottle help at all? mist those leaves down... or are they bound to fall off at this point? I soaked all the plants before I brought them inside so I could get a feel for dry weight vs wet weight so they have plenty of water in the soil right now..

 

[ShrubHub]

Misting the leaves produces water droplets that act as little magnifying glasses and will produce burn marks on the plants. I would say avoid this form of watering. I mist clones very lightly only to keep humidity up in their domes because they dont yet have a root system to draw in moisture from the soil. Other than that I just water the soil directly.

 

[KingJohnC]

when you are looking at Compact Florescent Light bulb the number in parenthesis mean what it would correlate to in incandescent watts. you want Compact Florescent Light bulbs that are at least 26 real watt power.

 

[FrkAK]

Sub'd! Can't wait to read more

Fly high, stay safe

 

[Fish4Fun420]

Sorry for such a delayed response gang. My crop ended up dieing on me. A few days after bringing them inside after a frost I noticed the bottom of the stems were very scaly and within a week or so of tlc the crop keeled over. I will revive this thread once I start up again but I've hit some hard times so until I move and get settled in I won't be gardening. Thank you all for the support, again I'm sorry I went off the grid for a while but there is a silver lining, I learned a lot, made some new contacts and brains to pick which is something money can't buy. Much love to you all!

 

[Fish4Fun420]

Here's an update on myself to fill in everyone, chat it up here

Thread: I'm tired of dodging cops... (sort of a rant)

 

[KingJohnC]

disappointing end to your journal.

 

[Fish4Fun420]

Yes indeed, but I thank you for the support KingJohn! I was able to bring 20 plus plants into this world if there had not been a frost I feel I may of had a chance, unfortunately I was out of town the night the frost happened. The roots looked shriveled up almost like the plant stopped rooting after the frost, I don't know if it shocked the plants. There were no nasty root balls or anything just a lot of scaling on the bottom of the stem I'd say an inch or so up from the dirt.

 

[Happy Kitty]

Thank you for the update. yet so sorry to hear about how it ended.

I'm going to move this to Completed Journals now.

Best wishes with any new Journals in Progress, and hope all is well in your world.

Love and respect from all of us here at 420 Magazine!