Cruizer Grows Spaceballs 2014 Journal

[Cruizer]

Hi, this is my first real grow, I live in Mexico so my choices of what I can use will be slightly different because of the lack of availability here. Here's my el cheapo setup. My cabinet is 12Lx12.5Wx13H (free) with 4x23w(5000k); 1x32w(5000k) CFL's. I have the cabinet lined with tin-foil for reflection. It has a removable top with a butter tub size hole in the center for air flow, this is my starter cabinet. Would like cheap suggestions for something bigger once they take off. I do live near a Home Depot and Wal-Mart. Here's my cabinet and lights:

The seeds I'm using I got from a friend who called them Spaceballs, I have researched online and found very little information on it, she also told me it's a Sativa strain (% unknown).

My growing method is Indoors with cfl's and also sunlight on the window sill. The growing medium I'm using is Nutrigarden Tierra Negra, that says " Black Land Nutrigarden Mountain is selected, disinfected, and enriched with minerals balanced allowing proper attachment of root development of the plants," Made in Mexico. Basically, Natural Black soil.

I currently have no fan, but need one.

The temperature of the cabinet is 80-85F with RH at 40-45% using Acurite Digital Humidity gauge.

I water now when the soil is dry down to the bottom of the recycled cardboard grow containers I bought at home depot. I have made the mistake of over watering AND adding nutes to early.

When i added nutes early i ruined 3 plants and saved 2 buy pulling them out of the soil, rinse the roots in clean water, replanted in soil, and trimmed off the dead leaves (cutting at angles to keep shape of leaves).

Plant 1 & 2 are nute burn victims that are 11 days old, I replanted #1 in soil with a SMALL amount of beach sand that i rinsed, rinsed, rinsed, and rinsed then let to dried out. #2 is in black soil, 3-7 in black soil, and #8 in half soil and half sand.

#1 With sand, 11 days old

#2 Black soil, 11 days old

#3-7 All in black soil, 7 days old

#8 Is growing in 1/2 soil, 1/2 rinsed beach sand, 2 days old.

This is my grow journal and all advice, comments good/bad will be appreciated, I am growing for the sole reason that the weed here in Mexico is cheap ditch weed and i want something better.

Thanks,
Cruizer

 

[Cruizer]

I finally got the PH test kit i ordered today and took some soil readings.

#1 is at 6.0 ph and is one of the Nute burn plants that i added some beach sand to, today i added more soil and will recheck. (tested)
#2 is at 6.5-7.0 and is the second Nute burn plant that i rinsed the roots and replanted in soil, with nothing added. (tested)
#3 is at 7.0 (tested)
#'s 4,5,6,and 7 are between 6.5-7.0
#8 is at 7.0 and is my experiment with 1/2 soil and 1/2 beach sand. Because i live 2 blocks from the beach.

I bought a fan today and am happy to get the cabinet temperature at the bottom to 86F with humidity at 46%. The temps will drop later into the morning, should i run the fan all night?

 

[Cruizer]

Also is there a way to turn all those pics into thumbnails or links?

 

[Cruizer]

I also flipped the tin foil in the grow cabinet to the dull side, after reading about shiny side hotspots.

 

[PositiveGrape]

hey buddy.. subbed up.. i can't say i know what i'm doing but i can maybe lend a helping hand at times.. Mexico eh.. thats pretty bad ass.. at least you got the nice hot like me here in .......... just joking.. hahaha

SO the nute burn in the beginning.. sounds much like what happened to me.. it's a super newbie fail.. but it's ok, cause you learned.. also keep in mind that the soil might have nutes in it too.. check the bag to see what your working with.. it's that 0-0-0 number..

What i've learned is that foil is good, but flat white is better.. if you can paint that box it's gonna be more reflective..
also with that small of a box, i hope you have a super shallow pot.. something wide would be best.. that and when the plants start to grow do all the LST you can to keep it low.. i'm working with 3 times the space you have and i'm worried about space.. haha

other then that the temps seem high.. less the 80 i think is the general rule.. if you need to add more ventilation i would do so cause heat stress can really be tough on a plant..

anything else just ask man.. there really is SOOOO much knowledge here it's gross... also add a link in your signature.. it's good advertising to get ppl to read you journal.. and it woulda made it alot easier to find.. just an FYI..

~GP

 

[Cruizer]

Thanks Grape! I will be getting a bigger cabinet, i went to the outdoor swap meet yesterday but found nothing decent, will keep looking. I have 8 plants going and don't know the sex yet so i want to pull clones asap, and I discovered yesterday that my friend who gave me the seeds said she had different kinds in the bag, so i thought i was growing all the same strain and type, but nope it's a potpourri. Should be fun...lol

 

[Cruizer]

Is this normal? Will it make it? The leaves look like a houseplant.

Before:

After:

 

[Cruizer]

Update: They seemed to stop growing/stretching so i went to bigger pots. I check on them this morning and they looking very happy with the new soil and grow space. I started freaking out yesterday because I realized I'm not growing a couple plants, what happened was the first set i started i gave nutes to soon and killed 4 out of 6 and in the meantime i was germinating seeds to replace them and thinking in my cloudy mind that i needed 6 more instead of 4. So on theory that 1/2 is male, I was going for at least 2 plants to grow to harvest. Now I have 8 going at once. I do have a large bedroom for flowering with 8 1/2 foot ceiling, I need to think ahead.
So any tips or comments on how to manage this would be great!

Here's their new home... i whited it out with thick paper i found at O.Depot...I have a 13w 70.6cfm air extractor exhausting hot air out a window. There's a 6" 18w fan blowing up from the bottom for fresh air. The bubs are 4x23w(5000k) 2x23w(6500k) and 2x32w(5000k) The rack measures 14"deep x 35" wide with adjustable racks. I was able to get 2x7" pots together.

 

[Cruizer]

 

[Cruizer]

Do i need to start nutes??? only bottled water thus far.

 

[Cruizer]

Okay my conclusion is I over watered, luckily my 3-1 soil moister, PH, and light meter arrived to today, the pots are still heavy as hell and the meter shows at the top side of moist, ph is a couple on the high side of 7 and the rest at 6.8-7.0

 

[Cruizer]

New picks...I noticed on 2 plants the tips look like claws, i'm guessing certain nutrients got locked out? Other plants I notice the tips look wilted and thinking its because i'm spraying to much on the leaves with the water bottle and they are getting water burned.

 

[Cruizer]

Update: I've been putting all of them in the sun, then back under fluorescent. They seem to be doing fine for working with a crappy ph meter. Going to invest in a digital one, also been wondering if the filtered "bottled" water is better or worse than the tap. The ph seems higher with the filtered water but i won't be sure until the new ph meter arrives. The girls are growing finally!

 

[jamtarts]

Just had a look mate basically when I put them in the Tom from start they looked like your better looking baby but never grew any more

 

[jamtarts]

That's why im trying coco because I know it shouldn't have anything to burn em

 

[Cruizer]

I don't have access to coco here in mehico, but i have someone who offered to bring from the States when / if i need it. Still early in my grow. Do the coco if you can and make a journal, because it's what i'm going to use next time

 

[jamtarts]

I will do, good luck

 

[Cruizer]

New addition to the family...Put into a pot with MJ plant that stopped growing

 

[Cruizer]

Update: I'm still here, lol. So to catch up...I'm now at 4 plants, the two I gave nutes early stopped growing, another I damaged while flushing the roots, and one went to the over watered graveyard. BUT 4 is much more manageable for me. I made changes to the grow box, trying lighting from the bottom of the cfls then changing back yesterday to the 45 deg. angle. To me the bottom of the bulb is where the plants like it, opposed to the side of the spiral. idk, so i went back to the 45 to see any changes.

Gave all of them 1/2 tsp. of some ferts. that at full strength lasts 2 months of feeding, I gave them less than 1/2 a full dose. They are perking up with new growth and their color is returning to the leaves. I think I had a PH problem because since i got the new digital one the plants look happier, must be the more accurate reading you get. Anyways here's some pics. Comments appreciated.

 

[Cruizer]

Update: Ph'd the water 3 of the plants to 6.0 for the soil I'm using, see if they like it. Started LST on the biggest plant and from what i have written down they are 7 1/2 weeks old. They look small to me and I'm guessing it was not enough cfl lumens from the beginning and now I'm at 4 plants with over 10,000 lumens i see them looking much better. One plant has stalled but next watering will get 6.0 ph'd water and see if that's the issue. I sure hope these are girls. Not much activity on my journal, but I'm figuring it out along the way.