Half-Ass First Grow

[trav42]

Ok so this is my first grow and I'm using a seed I picked out of a stash. I'm doing a closet grow in a box maybe twice the size of a large computer case width wise and a little taller. Right now I just have white paper and aluminum foil in there for light reflection and one cool 100 w equivalent cool cfl for light. I have another cfl for ready to pop in for when more leaves begin to develop.

First off, I know everyones going to yell when I tell you I have miracle grow seed starting potting mix in there. It's all I could really get my hands on. If anyone has advice on buying stuff and having it shipped let me know. I got all my set up stuff at home depot so I just have the one pot right now probably about 5 inches across.

What is the best way to manage this grow? Should I put a screen in there and turn it in to a scrog type of grow in box? How tall should I let them get? When do I have to put in fans (I haven't gotten around to buying them yet)?

Any advice is helpful. Like I said, kind of a half ass operation I have going here but I'll post pics so you can try and understand my situation haha.

Thanks guys!

 

[HempRocket]

You should put in a small fan (even a little computer fan) in there whenever you can get one. I would also LST your plant. Also since you don't have much room, I would think about going to 12/12 right away. Yield will be lower but you will manage the size. Just my 2 cents.

 

[HempRocket]

Oh yeah and if you decide to go with this soil again, I would mix it with perlite 50/50.

 

[HempRocket]

One more comment: Your soil looks really really wet. Make sure it drains properly and you let it dry before you water again.

 

[trav42]

How dry should dry be? Like cracking in the soil or dusty when you blow on it dry? Also, I put a little desk fan in with the box opened and the fan is blowing on the bulbs, upward. This creates a current of air in the box that keeps it all moving.

The plant has about 16 inches of room to grow in the box, and I can always take it out of the box and make a bigger container (this is all hidden in my closet btw, which is one of those double doors that swing open on a track type of closet). I was thinking about using a screen in there to scrog it.

 

[HempRocket]

The site has been down and up again for the past week or so. I don't know what's going on but sometimes it's down for a few hours, then it's up for a few, then down again.

You can totally scrog your girl. It's a good way to control the height. Regarding the soil, the top 2 or so inches should be dry before you water again. What a lot of growers do is lift the pot when it's wet and then when you see the top couple inches of soil dry, you lift it again. There should be quite a bit of difference in weight. That's when you water. You don't want it bone dry before you water again.

 

[HempRocket]

And I wouldn't let it sit in the runoff as it is in the picture. Dump it, or better yet water your houseplants with it.

 

[MadMardo]

Grats on the sprout

 

[trav42]

Here's a few pic updates. One with the fan

Here's one of the pot and soil. It's drying out more quickly because of the fan I think. Maybe I should move the fan?

ANd here's a close up of the soil and sprout. I watered it about 12 hours ago and all the excess water has dried off.

 

[Growing247]

Lookin good man. I don't see anything too half ass...seen worse, believe me. Best of luck on the bagseed grow. All the plants I grow from seed always tend to be stronger and more robust than plants I grow from clones.

 

[trav42]

I still only have the first leaf set but I think I see a little yellow tinge in the tips of the two leaves. Is this more likely a nutes problem or watering/close to light issue?

 

[MadMardo]

Should not be any need for nuts at this stage. I dont use any nutes until after the 2nd week. not sure about the yellow. I would make sure that the fan is blowing on the sprout and next time try to bring your soil up higher so that the plant isnt growing in a bowl like area, harder to get air on it.

Thats just my 2 cents for what its worth. Id keep an eye on it.

 

[HempRocket]

Well that's what's going to happen with MG soil. You're going to get nute burn. If you have an established plant, it might be able to use all those nutes MG soil releases, but for a little seedling, it's too hot!

 

[trav42]

MadMardo, yeah I realized this a little too late but this is how you learn right? Haha

HempRocket, yeah I knew I was taking a chance but is there anything I can do to help it along? More water maybe to flush the dirt? Just feel bad for the poor thing because I don't know what to do

 

[trav42]

Here's a few pictures of my situation. Those two first round leaves from the sprout, do they usually die off anyway?

 

[trailblazer]

ha ha nice one keep it going! i like the approach!

 

[Brett2theMax]

For future reference you should start your seedling in a Solo cup or maybe something even smaller. With a plant that size in that much soil it will take for ever to suck up the water, cannabis thrives off of a good wet/dry cycle. You can start in a pot that size but in my experience you will get better more rapid growth when you start in smaller containers. Transplanting also has its benefits, which you would be taking advantage of. So far so good though! Its nice little setup for your first grow. Also if you plan on flowering in that you need to make sure it is light tight otherwise you will end up with a hermi plant because of light leaking in during the dark cycle.

 

[trav42]

At the advice of a few of you I went out and bought some perlite. I mixed it 50/50 with the soil that I had already had going in the pot (after surgically removing the sprout and it's root growth) and put it in a Solo cup with some drainage holes added in on the bottom. I got the sprout in to this mix and evened it out a little bit. I also made sure to bring the dirt level higher up in the cup so the fan can blow on it directly.

The yellowing form the first leaves seems to be getting better. I think it may have been underwatered because of the tiny root system in the large planter (rookie mistake). The cotyledons are very yellow but I've read this is normal as they are there to provide food to the plant, right?

I'll let you know in a couple days if this transplant was a success, hoping not to shock the little bugger too much.

 

[HempRocket]

...so the fan can blow on it directly.

The cotyledons are very yellow but I've read this is normal as they are there to provide food to the plant, right?

I wouldn't have the fan blow directly on the seedling though. I would have the air move but not blow directly on it.

You are absolutely right that the cotyledons are there to provide food and then they die. It's a little fast from my experience, but I think your baby will be fine.

 

[gator1]

trjals and tribulations. Man are you going to go through a bunch of them. That being a bagseed means you have about a 50/50 chance of it being a female. Maybe you should start a couple more just to be sure you get a girl. You are not to far along to germinate two more seeds, they will catch up fast seeing how you had to transplant your seedling.