A newbies rant

[PotChimp]

Every type of bulb is different as far as lumens per watt to my understanding. I have a lot of confusion with this issue myself. My 250 watt red spectrum (flowering) Feliz mogul-based CFL says it is a 600 watt equivalent. To what? It doesn't seem to do much better than my 250 watt HPS. I will look to see if there is a lumens per square foot formula and go with that in the future. I think that the HID you are looking at should do the job if your setup is the same size as mine. I use a 4" inline fan that moves 170 cubic feet of air per minute to keep things cool in the closet because the HPS I have gets a little hot. You multiply the width of your grow room times the depth (from front to back) times the height (cubic feet of grow room), then multiply that by 5 to get the amount of cubic feet per minute you need to move through the area for healthy plants. Look at DIY stuff on this website. I would strongly suggest a reflector and someone here has built an inexpensive one with sheet metal I can guarantee it.

 

[HigherDrifter]

Hey Sweets...

Your "newbie's rant" reads more like a "newbie's rave" to me.

Sounds like you're doin alright - usin your head rather than using money (what little money you may have available). I admire that A LOT. I'm pretty much doin the same thing myself.

 

[CannaVince]

Yup that's. Girl.... Finally a pic for us love....hold a piece of paper up to the leaves from behind and then snap your pic...like dizzle said...so I was ....Wait who are you ?...no I don't need to be watered?!!!!!....get those scissors away from my arms..!!!!!!...stop..No.. No...NOOOOOOOO..!!!!

THE END

 

[CannaVince]

Annnnnnddddd CUT...ok good take everyone...let's do 15 and take it back from the top.....

 

[fayn2madness]

It's a girl but if the light isn't right, it is stressed or suffering it may herm. The 23 watt cfl's are working well on my trial clones. I'm experimenting w/spidermite control but wanted to do it in a controlled environment.
Use this
E27 Light Lamp Bulb Adapter Converter Splitter - Free Shipping - DealExtreme
you can get at Lowes in the electrical dept. Those 23 watt cfl bulbs are cheap about 10 bucks for 4 or 5 and may be gotten cheaper at dollar stores and such.
I got some light plates for bulbs for a dollar or so, like you would use in a closet, and 2$ extention cords and wired 3 in a row and put a splitter on each one. each socket carries a 23 watt warm white bulb. I've got some seedlings going and I'm using the 23 watt cool white bulbs. Everything seems to be going really well so far.
And best of all my new Spidermite solution is working great, again so far it's a work in progress. I'm hoping this winter to replace the HID's w/these cfl's.

 

[SweetJane]

Don't feel too bad there, everyone. The first time I realized that my lighting situation was way below par in the excitement of being a noob I must have got like 12 CFL's, 4 tube fluoros, a big LED damn those poor little seedlings must have got stage fright or something I could imagine I was hearing the broadway song "New York New York" it was so bright and the little seedlings were in a chorus line kicking their legs up like Rockettes before they fried from the heat. I could have lit up a football field at night. I learned to tone it down a bit and leave them be since then thankfully.....

You made me LOL with this post! I did exactly the same thing to my poor little seedlings the first few times, and they all died.

I finally got a five plants to grow from (bag) seed and almost killed 'em from under watering. I finally seem to have gotten it together cultivation-wise, and now have 3 lovely ladies a month into flower. I worked up my nerve and took some clones just this week and they seem to be doing alright, they are standing at least. *whew*

This new hobby has done me world of good, gives me something to look forward to, I am learning a new skill to keep the old brain neurons firing, I get to garden in the winter and once I get this grow thing down I will be saving a load of cash not to mention I will have better quality control of the final product. *fingers crossed*

Also, not having to deal with the case of nerves I always got when I had to go to my guy to make a purchase. And the worse case of nerves I'd get when he was dry, lol.

Good growing to all of you

 

[QueenTokelove]

Wow just reread this. I have definitely come a long way. I am on my second and third grows now. I have improved the things in my growing environment which has contributed to better grows.

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[SweetJane]

Wow just reread this. I have definitely come a long way. I am on my second and third grows now. I have improved the things in my growing environment which has contributed to better grows.

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Thanks for the reply, I didn't notice I had bumped an older thread when I read it, but it was a good thread. I'm glad you replied that you have several successful grows under your belt, that gives me hope.

I'm a little over half way thru my first grow, I am amazed my plants survived my clumsy n00be mistakes, but they seem to be doing just find now, just a little smaller than they probably should be, but that's alright.

It's been a fun experience, that's for sure. I don't think I ever studied up on anything like this, even when I was in school lol.

 

[QueenTokelove]

Hey thanks for bringing it back. I knew there would be atleast one person out there who could relate. You don't wanna talk about mistakes, i made plenty. I believe we all did in the beginning. To me there is two major things you need to grow....the right environment and how to understand what your plant is tellling you.

As someone told me, when you're new to growing, one tends to over love their plants. Which leads to overwatering and over feeding or sometimes under feeding.

If something goes wrong, just remember mj is a strong plant and usually can withstand about anything. Unless you fry her under lights or something. If you get a chance check out my journals. Or anyone's journals. Feel free to ask me questions, i will always respond even if i don't know the answer...lol...happy growing!!!

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[SweetJane]

Hey thanks for bringing it back. I knew there would be atleast one person out there who could relate. You don't wanna talk about mistakes, i made plenty. I believe we all did in the beginning. To me there is two major things you need to grow....the right environment and how to understand what your plant is tellling you.

As someone told me, when you're new to growing, one tends to over love their plants. Which leads to overwatering and over feeding or sometimes under feeding.

If something goes wrong, just remember mj is a strong plant and usually can withstand about anything. Unless you fry her under lights or something. If you get a chance check out my journals. Or anyone's journals. Feel free to ask me questions, i will always respond even if i don't know the answer...lol...happy growing!!!

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Hi QueenToke

Yes, when I first started I overloved and overwatered my poor lil seedlings to death :/ Then I underwatered the next batch to the point that they were only three inches tall after a month lol.

They survived, in spite of my best efforts to kill them, and now I am a month from chop. Like I said, they are much smaller than they should be, but at least they made it. I took some clones, I expect to have better luck with the next go-round now that (I think) I understand how to water/nute them.

It's not really that much different from growing tomatoes when you come down to it But it's hard not to get nervous about wasting seeds. I'm sure when I buy some beans from one of the seed sellers I'll be a basket case again. lol

 

[QueenTokelove]

Believe it or not, i was not a basketcase with my second grow. still have questions to this day. but it is almost time for harvest in a few days. even if the grow is disasterous in the beginning there is nothing like the feeling of completing it, ya know. hope you have a journal going or do one in the future. happy growing!

 

[Blue Sky]

I'm NO expert but it looks moor hermi to me. Witch could be a win-fall if you can separate it from the pack. I planted all my hermi seeds and they come back @ a 95% female!!!! Not sure that others have had the same experience? Don't get discouraged we all have to start at the beginning. And when you get it dialed in the meds are that much sweeter. You will learn moor from failure than success!

 

[QueenTokelove]

I'm NO expert but it looks moor hermi to me. Witch could be a win-fall if you can separate it from the pack. I planted all my hermi seeds and they come back @ a 95% female!!!! Not sure that others have had the same experience? Don't get discouraged we all have to start at the beginning. And when you get it dialed in the meds are that much sweeter. You will learn moor from failure than success!

Thanks for saying that, I am surprised you found this, it has been awhile. I am now on my 4th grow. I did have a plant my last grow hermie on me. I kept the seeds, sometime in the future I will try planting them. But even though the plant hermied, the smoke was still awesome. I am dialed in much better now than when I wrote this. I still have a few things I need to get for my grow but I have learned how to read my plants needs more. If you have time check out my journals. And read my sig line...lol

 

[MsMe]

It's very much a process Queen and you will learn as you grow. I started with CFL's that I bought at the local Huge-O-Rama store and bagseed. I think in some ways it's better to start small and with inexpensive (don't care if you mess them up) supplies because then your mistakes matter less. Imagine spending tons of money on a whole bunch of top notch crap and having all your plants die cause you didn't know what you were doing. Keep growing and learning and you'll get to the place that works for you...

 

[Nuggy Bear]

That`s how you start out mate,with some frustration and disappointment.Keep learning coz it`s a sharp learning curve with folks like this to help you out and as your hobby consumes you it will get easier the more knowledge you absorb...stick in mate and