First CFL Grow In Soil - OG Kush - Wiw!

[Vick074]

What strain is it? OG Kush
Is it Indica, Sativa or Hybrid? What percentages?Indica Hybrid
Is it in Veg or Flower stage? vegatative
If in Veg... For how long? 1 week
If in Flower stage... For how long? NA
Indoor or outdoor? indoor
Soil or Hydro? Soil
If soil... what is in your mix? Sunshine mix
If soil... What size pot? 3.5 litre
Size of light? 10- 42 watt 6500k CFL's
Is it aircooled? for now
Temp of Room/cab? 80 degrees F, 30 degrees C
RH of Room/cab? 23%
PH of media or res? 6.0
Any Pests ? not yet
How often are you watering? every other day
Type and strength of ferts used? 4ml of 20-20-20 & 1/2 teaspoon Epson salts per 1 litre of water

High everyone.
A good friend recently gave me 5 clones that I intended to grow on the back deck this summer. But since we're having the worst start to the summer, I decided to dedicate a closet we have into a little grow.
I've been following this CFL Light Tutorial---> CFL Light Tutorial over the past week or so, and felt compelled to build a CFL fixture of my own. I pretty much copied FryingPanFlyer's 8 CFL fixture (who Matagrowa originally came up with, Thanks guys!!)
But I decided to add 2 more lights and go with 10, 42 watt 6500k CFL's to get me started. And plan to change my bulbs up with 6 2700k and 4 6500k bulbs when I go to flowering. Plus going to add 1- 42 watt clamp on light on either side.
I'm not a complete noobie with growing, but this will be my first indoor CFL grow.
I have access to HPS and MH's but I don't want to deal with a huge elec bill, and have to worry too much about heat, venting, AC, burning down my house, yadda yadda yadda..All the main reasons we all opt for CFL's
So Here I am.
I've been searching around for a good CFL forum to post in here, (since the one I was reading is now closed) but haven't had much luck. This forum is so large, I probably just have to smoke more and do some more searching.. I decided to start a grow journal in order to keep track of everything, to help me for next time. Plus of course to show my trials and tribulations for everyone else to learn for their grow. Aint that what it's all about?
So thank you 420 magazine in advance! There are so many gifted growers in this forum and I can't wait to learn from you guys. Glad to finally become a part of the brotherhood here.

here's what I built last week:

day 1 under lights, (I have since built a aluminum hood reflector):

day 4 under lights using CO2 fermentation bubblers ( plants seem to be loving it)

day 7 under lights:

 

[JB42]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

Looking good,
Nice homemade cfl hood. If you could get a reflector for the top of the lights it would increase the light a lot!

 

[Vick074]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

Thanks,
Since that photo was taken I've made an aluminum hood reflector that works great. That photo was taken on day 1 under lights and I was eager to get the poor little girls lit as it was a torrential downpour outside. Waited until the lights went out, then whipped one up in the shop. I'll post photos of it next time.

 

[Vick074]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

these girls are goin bananas, switched their nutes to a full GH feeding schedule, I think they like it..

 

[JB42]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

Looking nice and healthy bruv, you planning on topping them??

 

[Vick074]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

Thanks,
I think I'm going to top them tonight. Do you think I can get a way with waiting a little bit longer? Or do they look like they're due? They're about a foot tall now. I know they about double in size from when you 12/12 them, but they'll also need some recovery time after topping. Can someone give me some advice on when I should top? I've read the thread on fimming and topping, plus watched the youtube video. So I know how, just when?

 

[JB42]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

Most people will say wait until it has 4-5 nodes so its strong enough to take the stress. I top any time after the 4th node. Yours are easy big enough to top!

Yeah top them if thats what your thinking. Cut the new growth off at the top just below the new leaves at the stem. Don't do a 45degree cut, thats only for clones, you want the wound closing asap really. Yeah after topping veg for another week for recovery then put them into flower.

Not all strains double in size in flower, some do only 25% stretch. You'l have to re-search your strain a bit and someone will know the answer to that.

Love the hood man +Rep

 

[Vick074]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

Thanks JBC, I'll try that tonight.

 

[Vick074]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

Think I'm safe to switch into 3rd week nutes? I'm 1/4 way into week 2 and they're not showing any sign of fert burn. Maybe one more feed with week 2 then bump to week three?

 

[JB42]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

If your only on a 1/4 strength then they should be ok to raise it to half. Do you have a way of checking your pH? I've found Veg is the easy part as the medium is new and there isnt old food in there. As you get a few week into flowering your best to check the pH as you dont want it fluctuating at this point with over fert as it will affect the yield.

My Soil pH tested got dropped by the wife and now in flower one of her plants is showing a K deff from too much N I think , so I need to know the exact pH of my feeds to sort it but can't until I get a new digital pen.

pH is the KEY!!

 

[Vick074]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

Ok, watering PH I've kept between 6.2-6.5. I'll check the soil tonight when I get home.

 

[JB42]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

Should all be good then, nice setup, looking healthy anyway!!

 

[Vick074]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

Checked the soil PH tonight and it told me, 5.2
Got bored, drank some wine, and made a BIG Co2 fermenter dispenser.
tripled the batch I usually make, sealed er all up, and it was bubblin nice juicy CO2 Bubbles into the h/m airlock.
tmrw I wanna build a hose clamp system, so I can weave the big daddy hose all around the tops of the plants so delicious CO2 showers them as they grow.
Decided to wait one more day before topping them. If they look healthy tomorrow I'm gunna start week 3 nutes after I snip em..

 

[donpaul.p]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

subd, great journal, loving the cfl work,

 

[JB42]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

Nice co2 dispenser man, Might have to look into that a bit more. what exactly are the ingredients for the co2 besides yeast.

O yeah and just seen the top of your soil, when its dry it really looks like coco, is it??

 

[Vick074]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

Nice co2 dispenser man, Might have to look into that a bit more. what exactly are the ingredients for the co2 besides yeast.

O yeah and just seen the top of your soil, when its dry it really looks like coco, is it??

I got the idea from another forum, but I expanded on it a bit. I use that same recipe. 15ml yeast (I just got a bunch of champagne yeast packets and it seems to be the best yeast to use, as well as 4.5 gallon carboy at a wine supply shop.) It's really important to have a thermometer to make sure the water isn't too warm. If its too warm it will kill the yeast, then it's all a waste. I just got some mini porous sprinkler hoses and a "T" connector. So I can make a loop around the canapy, and the CO2 will just cascade down through the leaves. I'll post photos of it later.
Oh yeah it's not coco, it's just dry Sunshine mix just before I gave them a good drink.

Here's his recipe and directions to "Khordes"post on --------org:
Stuff that you need...
- 2L pop bottle +2caps
- 3" of 1 1/4" Clear Vinyl Tubing (something with a bit of stretch)
- 1.5m of 5mm tubing
- 15ml Yeast (I used dry baker’s yeast but apparently Champaign yeast is the best)/ 480ml Sugar/ 2L Water
- drill with bits
- epoxy (waterproof)

To make the Bubbler on top:
-cut the 1 1/4" tubing to about 2.5" in length.
-Drill 5-6 super tiny holes (1/32" - 1/16") through one cap and one 5mm or 7/32" hole through the other, clean them all out and set aside.
-Soak the Tube in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, so it will have a little stretch to fit around the bottle caps.
-Push the bottle caps into the tube and stretch the tube around until flush with the bottom of the base of the cap.
-Let harden for couple hrs...
-Fin. Set aside...

To Make the Fermentation Mixture:
-Warm the 2l in a pot on the stove and dissolve the 480ml sugar, stirring constantly, as soon as all of the sugar is dissolved take it off the heat. Stick a thermometer in the sugar-water solution and let it cool to 38° C, this is the optimal temperature for yeast to activate, too hot will kill the yeast!
-Add the 15ml of yeast, stirring constantly, until it mostly looks dissolved.
-Let the mixture activate for half-hour to an hour before poured into the bottle.

Clean up a pop bottle with soap and water, bleach if you really want and make sure it is really well rinsed out. Add the fermentation solution to your newly cleaned out pop bottle almost to the top, probably 1.8L total, fill the bubbler from the bigger holed side and quickly screw it on to the top of the 2L without squeezing the bottle (it will suck all of the water out of your bubbler) you should notice small bubbles start to come through, that is the CO2, stick your 5mm hose through the hole, not into the water, just above the surface of the water; and wrap the other end (poked with small holes) around your plants. Now you have CO2! CHEAP!
***This Solution will last about 1week at optimal production, after that you can choose to either add more sugar to keep the yeast going or replace the fermentation mixture; if no more bubbles appear after the sugar has been added a second time then the yeast has been killed by the by-product of the co2 production, alcohol.
***THE FIRST MIXTURE does not need to be re-warmed for the addition of extra sugar!

 

[Vick074]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

CO2 sprinkler system hooked up to the 6L big boy.

 

[donpaul.p]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

nice co2 bubbler, is the part you used by the plant an air bubble tube for a fish tank, the type thats not a stone but like a foam and used to give the fish tank loads of bubbles, is that what you are using, i was going to try one of these but wasnt sure the pressure would build up enough to force it out to make it work as it needs to, or did you just use a hose and poke holes in it, i think thats what im planning on doing, i just made a basic one for now, filled a 2ltr pop bottle with warm water, yeast and sugar, and shook it all up and its been bubbling away for 6 days now and is still bubbling away, i place the bottle with the lid on near to a fan, then i loosen the lid enough to let the gas escape without letting the air in, as long as you only undo the lid enough so you can hear it hiss out at first then you know its letting the gas out but nothing in, you can test this by letting all the gas out by taking the lid off then squeeze the bottle so you pushing the air out, then put the lid on and undo it slowly, you will then see how far it can be undone before it lets the air in, so its sort of a 1 way valve if undone so it only lets the co2 out under slight pressure this should keep the sugars from going moldy, as i imagine it would go bad pretty quick if air was getting in and im sure it would go off pretty quick, one thing i have noticed is that the pop bottle still feels warm to the touch, even when the light and fan has been off the bottle still feels warm, i open the lid and close it up and give it a shake twice a day and it builds up with loads of pressure then i undo the lid and let it work away again, my plants have got a nicer shade of green since using it, they seem to respond well to it

 

[Vick074]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

nice co2 bubbler, is the part you used by the plant an air bubble tube for a fish tank, the type thats not a stone but like a foam and used to give the fish tank loads of bubbles, is that what you are using, i was going to try one of these but wasnt sure the pressure would build up enough to force it out to make it work as it needs to, or did you just use a hose and poke holes in it, i think thats what im planning on doing, i just made a basic one for now, filled a 2ltr pop bottle with warm water, yeast and sugar, and shook it all up and its been bubbling away for 6 days now and is still bubbling away, i place the bottle with the lid on near to a fan, then i loosen the lid enough to let the gas escape without letting the air in, as long as you only undo the lid enough so you can hear it hiss out at first then you know its letting the gas out but nothing in, you can test this by letting all the gas out by taking the lid off then squeeze the bottle so you pushing the air out, then put the lid on and undo it slowly, you will then see how far it can be undone before it lets the air in, so its sort of a 1 way valve if undone so it only lets the co2 out under slight pressure this should keep the sugars from going moldy, as i imagine it would go bad pretty quick if air was getting in and im sure it would go off pretty quick, one thing i have noticed is that the pop bottle still feels warm to the touch, even when the light and fan has been off the bottle still feels warm, i open the lid and close it up and give it a shake twice a day and it builds up with loads of pressure then i undo the lid and let it work away again, my plants have got a nicer shade of green since using it, they seem to respond well to it

The hose I'm using is that super porous spongy hose. And it definitely builds up enough pressure to make its way through the tube, otherwise it would pop one of the seals somewhere. (but hasn't) the way you're talking about is all fine and good, and works, but the whole point of using the bubbler is because the CO2 has to pass through the water first which keeps everything sterilized and clean, then there is no yeasty gas coming out with it, just clean ol CO2. The thing you're going to want to watch for is fruit flies in your grow space. These setups are know for that. It's up to you how you distribute your gas, but for me, I want a super clean environment to grow in and the bubbler system is the cleanest next to using the bottle.
But yeah, I agree mine responded very well as soon as I introduced it into my room. No plants like dark green happy ones!

 

[GreeenFingers]

Re: First CFL grow in soil, with OG Kush, wiw!

Loving the look of your set up, Nice work

I love how elaborate your Co2 System is, It seems like it would be very effective. It's Very well thought out.

I'm doing a similar grow myself, I would have loved to use Co2 supplementation but my room needs to be exhausted very frequently so I don't think my plants would have the time to use any of it.

I'm really interested to see how this grow goes.

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