First Time Indoor Grow Closet - CFL - Herbies Lemon Kush Feminized Aiming For Organic

ShrubHub

ShrubHub

Well-Known Member
First actual planned out grow, Seeds are supposed to arrive tomorrow ordered from herbies. I wanted to have as much information as possible and start this correct right from the start. Moving to denver next year but now things have to be stealth so I chose least impact on the wallet and discrete. Heres the info and the things I have gathered so far.

Strain: Lemon Kush Feminized
Indica/Sativa:Both Indica Dominant
Veg or flower: Neither
Indoor/outdoor:Indoor
Soil/Hydro:Soil
Soil type: Fox Farms Ocean Forest
Pot Size: Not established
Aircooled: Not established
Lights: Currently 2x65watt CFL 2700k looking to add two more tomorrow

Im doing this purely at the hobby level in order to get a better understanding before I invest real money into it. Its ridiculous that growing a plant in the dirt is frowned upon in this country especially such a plant as this. Looking to get more in touch with the plant that had such a positive influence on my life.

So I have 8 seeds 4 are the Lemon Kush the others are mixed bag. Only looking to start 3-4 plants in this current setup 2 kush 1 random. Dimensions of grow space are as Follows
Hight 66"
Width 33"
Depth 24"

I made a rack for the CFL's from an old bike carrier rack, lined the walls with reflective mylar and and added false walls made of foam core also covered in mylar. Shaped the foam core into a half barrel shape to cover the lights and fit over the false walls. I rigged the lights the way I did to keep too much heat directly away from the foam core but these lights havent gotten very hot at all in testing setup.

Lighting questions: I have the 2 65 watt 2700k bulbs already setup. Looking to add two more CFL's with a better spectrum going to shoot for 6500k I think, what should the goal for wattage be for the other two lights?

Airflow: I haven't yet decided what type of cooling to put in. I would like a small rotating fan up higher to disperse heat and a small 12v style fan at pot level to keep airflow moving underneath them. any suggestions appreciated. shooting for low cost and effective.

I would like to try to keep everything as organic as possible. I grow my own herbs and vegetables without using fertilizer and pesticides and will keep the same standard here unless absolutely necessary.

Germinating: I would like to avoid the paper towel method, as chemicals are in most brands I buy as few of them as possible. Seeds naturally grow in soil so I would prefer to start them there. Suggestions on the best way to prep seeds to germinate in soil are greatly appreciated.

I wanted a total log of all of this grow to be able to look back at my original plan so I have a record of it later, Figured I might as well post it anyways even before I start growing so I can get maximum feedback ( I dont enjoy running blind). This whole design is based on my observations from this and other internet sources as well as the book Grow Great Marijuana. Nothing is set in stone yet so any suggestions on better configuration for this space would be awesome. Thank you in advance ShrubHub

IMG_20130729_231843.jpg


IMG_20130729_231810.jpg


IMG_20130729_234155.jpg


IMG_20130729_234208.jpg


IMG_20130729_231928.jpg
 
Re: First time indoor grow, closet , CFL, Herbies Lemon Kush Feminized aiming for org

Hey shrub-

subscribed and +reps for starting your first journal as well as moving to Denver! You can't go wrong with Colorado.

For your question about lighting: A general rule of thumb for wattage is that you want at least 40-50 watts per square foot. So for your 3ftx2ft area I would recommend having at least 240-300 watts for when the plants reach veg stage. You definitely are on the right track with the 6500k spectrum as well. 6500 is used mainly for veg while 2700k is normally used for flowering.

Airflow is a really important and often overlooked are of the grow space. Plants will use up all of the CO2 in the immediate area of their leaves, and it will stunt their growth if there isn't much airflow to replace what they need. Generally speaking, you want to exhaust the grow space in 3-5 minutes, but because your space is so small you could probably get away with just a couple small fans. Make sure the plants get a small breeze - as long as the leaves are moving slightly it should be fine. The breeze will also encourage the plant to grow a thicker and stronger stem which will hold your big buds later on!

As for germinating, many people let their seeds sit in a cup of tap water for 12-48 hours to let the shell soak up water. From there it is personal choice what to do with the seed. I respect your decision to avoid paper towels, so I would recommend just putting the seed directly into soil or similar medium (rapid rooter plugs, etc). Plant the seed about 1/4-1/2 of an inch down and make sure it is covered from light. The seeds need a damp environment in order to germinate, so if you put them into the soil make sure it is moist.

Good choice on the Lemon Kush. I can't wait to see how this turns out for you.RoorRip
 
Re: First time indoor grow, closet , CFL, Herbies Lemon Kush Feminized aiming for org

Seeds here today, have to run some errands and I'm going to go check out some more lighting and Fans etc. Will start germinating later today. Going to see if I can find another set of 65watt CFL's in the 6500k spectrum from a local retailer.
 
Re: First time indoor grow, closet , CFL, Herbies Lemon Kush Feminized aiming for org

ok , so ran all over town today looking at a selection of lights from multiple places. Decided to add an additional 125w 6400k by vitalume. some questions here are how close can the actual lights be to each other? does it effect their performance if the are directly next to eachother? Fan system is still under further research.
Here is a picture of the new light



going to research the free seeds I got mazar x white rhino and white widow x skunk #1 to see which will grow best with the lemon kush. Any input on that is appreciated. After I get those started soaking Im going to work a bit on getting the new light mounted ,add some more mylar and go purchase the fans.
 
Re: First time indoor grow, closet , CFL, Herbies Lemon Kush Feminized aiming for org

when positioning 2 lights or more that are mounted next to each other within their own light footprint the areas of light coverage overlap would receive the highest amount of light.
 
Re: First time indoor grow, closet , CFL, Herbies Lemon Kush Feminized aiming for org

will take that in to account thank, Also I have heard that people chose to sterilize soil before planting seeds in it but as far as I know part of the reason fox farms is so effective is its high microbe content, by sterilizing it wont it kill the good stuff I want from it?
 
Re: First time indoor grow, closet , CFL, Herbies Lemon Kush Feminized aiming for org

Ok seeds are soaking, boiled tap water and let it cool to room temp, decided on going with 2 lemon kush 1 white widow x skunk#1 and 1 of the world of seeds mazar x white rhino. So three out of 4 are feminized. If i had the space I wold have loved to start off with more but small investment , learn lessons, then big investment. have to run out and grab a power strip more mylar and a fan.

IMG_20130730_174830.jpg
 
Re: First time indoor grow, closet , CFL, Herbies Lemon Kush Feminized aiming for org

ok added the new bulb into the build. I really wanted to do a horizontal mount for all three lights because I feel the light is directed for widely and evenly that way but. Cant drop any more cash right now and dont want to be too unconventional because I dont want to come home one day and find my lights have fallen on my babies. so heres the pics



seeds are still soaking, tomorrow is planting day.
 
Re: First time indoor grow, closet , CFL, Herbies Lemon Kush Feminized aiming for org

ok so planted the seeds today

decided not to sterilize the soil as I want the good microbes and none of my other plants using the same soil have had issues with pests or mold/infections

sprayed jiffy pots inside and out with water bottle and filled with soil after laying it out and spraying it as well so evenly moist


waited an hour and then lightly sprayed the outside of pots again. Cool/slightly moist to the touch and soil damp but not soaked


Poked holes in the soil with a wood skewer little less than half inch down. You can put a mark on the skewer after measuring it with a ruler so you dont have to guess as much. Places the seeds in with tweezers. couldnt take a picture of that as its hard to juggle the camera and focus on not squishing or dropping the seeds. See:one man show



placed the pots in the grow space and closed it off to lights. Will purchase a heat mat when cloning but for this time they will have to make do without it.


any thoughts on my methods so far I would love to hear them. also when they do sprout is the light distance good for when they pop? Closer /further?
 
Re: First time indoor grow, closet , CFL, Herbies Lemon Kush Feminized aiming for org

Your lights can be on or off according to personal preference before they are sprouted. As long as the seeds are covered by soil, they aren't getting the light either way. What is important is the soil temps as well as the moisture levels.

I personally left mine on because I was using a T5 which had very low heat & energy usage.
 
Re: First time indoor grow, closet , CFL, Herbies Lemon Kush Feminized aiming for org

your lights could be left on or turned off if they are below soil. I leave my lights on so when the seeds do break soil they will begin growing with the light.
 
Re: First time indoor grow, closet , CFL, Herbies Lemon Kush Feminized aiming for org

dually noted. I think on will be the best bet as I dont have time to check them 24/7 and i want the sprouts receiving light as soon as they pop. what is the target temp for seedlings?
 
Re: First time indoor grow, closet , CFL, Herbies Lemon Kush Feminized aiming for org

and we have lift off, seeds soaked then planted july 31, 3/4 seeds broke the surface of the soil by 9pm august 2.

Turned on the 2400k CFL's but have left the 6500K CFL off for now. It generates much more heat than the other 2 cfl's and is also closer to the plants so I think I will wait a day or to and see if the 4th sprouts before turning that on and adjusting the height of the bulbs. So we have 2 lemon kush feminized and the white widow x skunk #1 are all on their way up. still waiting on the feminized white rhino. put solo cups over the jiffy pots to increase humidity and have left the last one with the cup on top still. the last picture in this set is of my current light placement of the 2 65 watt 2400k cfl's these bulbs dont get hot enough even when you touch them but i realize that the actual light emitted from them can do more damage then the heat so if you think they should be moved further or closer feel free to let me know.

 
Back
Top Bottom