Gibgezr's First Grow - Northern Lights Feminized Auto - 2017

Gibgezr

Active Member
Hi folks!
I'm off on a journey: my first grow.
I'll be using Crop King feminized autoflowering Northern Lights.
My grow closet so far:
growCloset.jpg

The light is just a 50-watt led panel; I've ordered a 300 watt LED panel, and have dug up a couple of 2ft fluorescents that I will toss grow bulbs into an mount as well (likely on the side walls). I'm thinking the 50W panel will work for seedling, then move it aside and main the 300W.
Got the lights on a timer, plan to run 18/6.
Put the fan up on a bucket to match my plant height, plan to run it 24/7 in oscillating mode on low.
Tested the room out with the current light (which throws very little heat) and the little heater, have it dialed in at 81F atm. It's cool in the house, and will be colder as the winter goes on, so the heater is a must. In the summer I probably will build another grow room in the basement, and should be fine without A/C.
I used a computer case fan to draw in fresh air from another room, that's the dark blob on the right. I stretched a cut-off nylon over it to act as a cheapy filter :rolleyes3
Here's my output vent, mounted high over the closet door:
ClosetVent.jpg

For my first grow, I'm doing one plant in a 5 gallon red "milk bones" bucket. I was going to use 100% coco and a 4" rockwool cube, but my cubes haven't arrived, and I might need to leave the plant alone for 3 days after xmas, so I decided to do the first plant in soil. I have 3 bags of topsoil leftover from fixing up the lawn, but it was too dense, so I've mixed it 50/50 with the coco; it seems to be nice and fluffy now, and hopefully will retain the water and nutrients more like potting soil. I'm cautiously optimistic.
The RH is low in the closet, around 21%. Maybe too much air movement combined with the heater drying it out? We'll see. The rest of the house is at 40-45% currently.
I have J.R. Peters nutes, 5-12-26 Hydro and the 15-0-0 Calcium Nitrate (and some Walmart-sourced 10-10-10 stuff that I'm not sure about, so probably won't use for smoke). Not planning on running any bloom nutes, but y'all might change my mind on that as the grow goes on. Figuring on the classic Jack's 3-2-1 mixture, but diluted (because autos). I like to keep things simple; less opportunities to mess things up that way.
Thanks for listening! I'll be adding photos frequently as I go, hoping for observations from the wonderful folks here. Currently have one seed sitting in the dark in damp paper towel after a good soaking, more seeds waiting in the wings if I need another.
 
Added two more pots to the closet, in the name of science: one has 1:1 topsoil and coco for most of it, then 100% coco for the top few inches. The other is 100% coco. Popped two more NL fem auto seeds in to soak, and hung a couple of super-craptastic fluorescents whilst I was screwing around. The fluorescents are garbage, I'm sad to discover: some sort of disposable, sealed units. So much for my grand plan of popping grow bulbs in 'em.
Keeping the paper towel moist by checking on it every 6-8 hours, otherwise leaving the first seed in the warm dark and hoping for germination.
 
Karma sent. Baby steps friend. Always a good idea. Cheers
 
First seed germinated with a little over 1/4 inch root, so into the pot it goes! Got the light down low and a piece of saran wrap tented over it for now. Wetted the soil just a bit prior to inserting it, I'll wait until it's either really dry or the sprout shows before wetting any more I guess.
 
Pre moisten the soil, excellent idea, and a key to successfull planting and cloning. Well done. Moisten and stir up the soil a good inch and a half deep. And as long as you mixed down deep enough, no more water need be added till you see the youngun, but i like to spray the top daily just to keep the soil moist. Remember, the tap root is heading straight down and there is not much moisture down there, yet, so will require watering soon after popping up. I like to water from the bottom a bit too, putting the little pot in a quarter inch of water and soak it up,, that way I know the bottom has water. Cheers fer now friend,,
 
Other two seeds have germinated (much faster this time!). All potted, light raised to cover 'em all, now I need my 300 watter to get here! I have a line on a pair of halogen "shop lights" that should work a charm as well, gonna pick those up tomorrow.
 
Added a 500W T3 halogen to the closet...actually added 2, but currently only running one because DAMN they are hot. Still waiting on the 300W blurple LED panel.
Day249.jpg

Here's plant #2, it is in a layer of coco a few inches deep, over a 1:1 coco/topsoil mix. It still has the seed cap on; should I try and remove it yet?
Day2_21.jpg

Here's plant #3, in 100% coco. It was first to sprout, and is ahead of the other so far.
Day2_31.jpg

No movement for plant #1, in 1:1 coco/topsoil. It was first to be germinated, but is slowest to sprout. I placed it a little deeper than the others, maybe almost 1/2".
 
Day 9

OK, day 9, plants seem healthy to me.

First, plant#1 and plant #2, both small/low.
Day9_11.jpg
Day9_21.jpg


Now, plant #3 grew tall at the first, and seems to be stretching a lot more than the other two. Same light, but #3 is in 100% coco, and getting daily watering with 1/4 nutrients.
Day9_3.jpg

Is #3 too tall for 9 days? It's about maybe 6".
 
Day 20, some topping done

Day 20

First plant looks....bad. But it's started to grow and perk up. Not very hopeful, but maybe it will take off?
Day20_12.jpg


Topped second plant tonight. It is looking good, staying low and growing well.
Day20_21.jpg
Day20_2_closeup.jpg


Topped third plant yesterday, it is a little tall still, but growing really well.
Day20_31.jpg
Day20_3_closeup.jpg
 
Day 28

It's day 28. I was away for 4 days, had someone water the plants on Tuesday. Came home and they had taken over! Did some more super-cropping, broke #3, applied a twist-tie to bandage it up. It all seems OK. I think I have a 2-plant closet, not a 3-plant one XD
Day288.jpg
 
Venting to the room is a huge downside: my family doesn't like the smell, which has spiked in the last week or so. Next grow will have to be in the basement, with a hookup to an unused drier vent sending the odor outside. It will give me more space to grow, just means I'm going to have to build some sort of a room.
 
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