Koala - MicroGrow CFL - First Grow - Dream Queen - 2011

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KoalaSmoke

New Member
Cheers 420 Community! I've Been trolling the forums for a while, and was so inspired from several of the journals I decided to start my own Grow! So, a few basics, I live in an apartment - so size is a real big issue. I don't need to be as stealth as a PC grower, so I decided to build a custom Cabinet...its in very rough stages at the moment, but it is a definite starting point. Here are some of the details of the grow....

* Just Got the Babies on Monday, March 28, 2011 -

* Custom Box - 19"w x 23"h x 14.25" deep

* Lights - Currently (2) 26watt 6500k CFL's and (1) 26watt 2700k CFL (3 total lights, expandable to 5 lights for vegging as currently configured, or with an add-on i built, expandable up to (10) 26watt CFL's for flowering. I will be adding more lights once my babies start adapting to their new environment

* Soil : Fox Farms Ocean Forrest

* Nutes - Super Thrive, Big Bloom, Grow Big, tiger bloom.

* Water - Tap water, Ph Balanced Down to ~6.7

* For Now, I've transplanted the clones into their Pots for my micro - cabinet. They look to have a bit of white dusting on em, so I'm praying I didnt get duped into buying some with powdery white mildew....maybe just some dry spots or something from the little shock these babes have been through.
* They have been watered three times now over the past 36 hours....First time was just PH'd water upon transplant, 2nd and 3rd times were PH'd water with superthrive B1 compound.
* I have not added the Big Bloom into the watering diet yet, as I wasn't sure what they have already been eating on, so I'm going to flush the system for a few days with water and then implement the Fox Farms Nute feeding schedule...

Any and all feed back is greatly welcomed and appreciated! Thanks for stopping by, and hope to talk shop with some of ya!

~ Koala :reading420magazine:

Here's a shot of the Babies first time in their room...I'll post more shots of the babies and setup very soon!
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re: Koala / MicroGrow CFL / First Grow/ Dream Queen / 2011

OK, so here are some more pictures of my lil grow. Nothing very fancy, all very basic stuffs, feel free to ask what I did if anything is confusing (and I'm sure it all will be, lol) Because, for the most part I'm just winging it based on what I've read and studied. I read through Dahcwon's grow journal for his first plant a bunch of times (Sour-Bubba OG Growing under some CFL's:) - and that helped me get started with this super simple beginner setup i have going here...

Before I built the box top and lined the main chamber:

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Babies in their new beds -

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3 Light Configuration (2 6500k, 1 2700k)....will be adding 2 more 6500k bulbs shortly.

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re: Koala / MicroGrow CFL / First Grow/ Dream Queen / 2011

Little Close up of some of the LST action on the babies. They seemed a bit stretched out from the dispensary, so I'm trying to get the light nice and close to em so they can stop that stretchy stretch action!

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I got some whitish looking spots, so i think i might have some mildew, but IDK for sure...and got to work on ventilation very soon...CLose Up shots weren't coming out very well, so i will try to figure out a way to get a few enlarged shots of the girls one of these days..!! Hope someone visits soon! =)
 
re: Koala / MicroGrow CFL / First Grow/ Dream Queen / 2011

Hi Koala, I'm a rookie on my first grow too. So I can't offer too much advise, but to say, get those gals close to the lights, 1-2 inches with CFL's. A small computer fan to move a little air around and help beef-up the stems.

Think about adding a link to your page in the Control Panel - Edit Signature to make it easy for the real experts here to find you when you post to the FAQ's.
Its really helped me, and now I have some great people watching over me.

Good luck, and I'll be watching:welcome:
 
re: Koala / MicroGrow CFL / First Grow/ Dream Queen / 2011

Hey Guys! Thanks for stopping in, and thanks for the heads up...I'll be adding a fan soon...I got a little fan in their blowing for the stem strengthening and air circulation, but i will need to add an exhaust fan like you were saying Muggles...I just changed out the little boxes under my plants, so they are a bit closer to the lights now, too.

Good idea on the signature thing. I tried doing that just a few minutes ago, so I am hoping it worked out. =)

I'll be adding a diluted dosage of nutes tonight for the first time since I've had the plants...I might hold off until tomorrow morning for that though...I've been flushing out the lil babies with ph balanced tap water and superthrive since i got them home to get them ready for their new diet of T.L.C Koala Style!!!
 
re: Koala / MicroGrow CFL / First Grow/ Dream Queen / 2011

Little Update....So I've named my plants Greeny and Cracky based on certain physical traits each one had when i got them. Greeny seems to be doing well, Growing proportionately and quickly, Cracky is taking a bit of time overcoming her early stretching.

They were Getting a bit droopy, so I figured I had over watered them. The last few day's I've been letting them dry out the soil a bit. Today I started giving them some nutes with their water. I started with a quarter dosage to slowly work the nutes into their system.

They seem to be responding well to the LST...I was told there is no such thing as "too early to start LSTing", but I'm not sure, I think it would have been good to let them get a little taller first because, as you can see I don't have much clearance from where my main stem is bending...But I guess that's o.k. in this grow since its going to be staying small!

1. Here are the girls catching some sun on my kitchen counter while I was working on their bedroom. Greeny is the one on the left, and as you can see she is definitely taking off...I'm hoping her sister (cracky) is just a bit of a late bloomer... She is still growing, and has some nice greenage, but she doesnt seem to be sprouting out the shoots like lil Greeny....

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2. Here's Greeny with her Counter weight and first LST point. You can see how much she grew since placing the first point in, and I think its really cool to see the new growth bending upwards towards the light!

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3. Here's a close up of Greeny. There is a Little brownish spot on one of Greeny's tips....it ended up getting kinda brittle, so i snipped it off, within about a half hour, that entire leaf started feeling much healthier to the touch.

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re: Koala / MicroGrow CFL / First Grow/ Dream Queen / 2011

Also, someone asked me how I did my lights, so here are some more photos of that! Hope it helps.. =)

1. The Bulbs and Parts....

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2: The Bulbs attached to a power-strip....this will be turned upside down with a reflective roof/hood.

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re: Koala / MicroGrow CFL / First Grow/ Dream Queen / 2011

*The girls seem to be responding very well to the nutes, i think I might up the dosage to 1/2 strength at the next feeding.
*I have added 2 more 6500k 26w CFL's, giving me a total of (4) 6500k bulbs and (1) 2700k 26w bulb over the girls. Cant wait to see how they like that!

Here are some better shots of my Grow box.. I think it will give a better idea of how my grow is. (Keep In mind, this is just for Veggie State......I'm working on the exhaust/filter/light proofing atm for flowering)

1. This is a full shot of the outside of my box when its closed up. there are Four Panels. 2 Panels are attached Vertically and open and close inwards. The two horizontal panels are (re)movable being attached by paper clips =). The reflective material is just some cut up automotive Vizor material.
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2. Close up of the panels. You can see how I've used the top to naturally ventilate out, then splitting the panels near the upwards facing fan as an assisted intake.
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3. Upshot into the box - One Horizontal panel removed.
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4. Horizontal Panels removed (seen on bottom) and Vertical Panels Pushed Open....And thats my Box =)
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re: Koala / MicroGrow CFL / First Grow/ Dream Queen / 2011

Hi! Thanks for the check in guys :high-five: Suckafr33 - thanks so much for the comments!!!

...More Pics of the girls!!!!

Greeny - Doing well, and getting lush...and full!
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Heres Cracky - She's doing much better! Starting to grow more leaves and fill out a bit! YAY! Hopefully they stay healthy!
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Heres a shot of the Exhaust fan i just installed....and a chance to see the scale of my girls! The top shots make them look much bigger then they actually are!
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I had some rusty spots popping up, and I started freaking out. But in the few hours it took me to look up what it was and finally start taking pictures, the rusty spots seemed to get smaller, and in some instances disappear...Anyone else experience that? Oh well...maybe my girls are building up some immunity! HOORAY! Until next time!
 
re: Koala / MicroGrow CFL / First Grow/ Dream Queen / 2011

One week update....Both Babies are looking fairly strong...I've put them through a little stress this week as I've been learning to take care of them and getting construction done on their little room.

Hopefully somebody out there is actually checking in on my grow sometimes because now I do have a small problem. There are these nagging rust mark things happening to my girls. I've see it before in journals, but I don't know what to do about it, any advice or a direction to start following would be great....been 4 days and I can't get it to go away completely...they seem to enlarge, then go away then enlarge...not sure what the cause is....Thanks!

Crackies 'burn'marks
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Greeny 'burn' marks
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Other then that, girls are lookin pretty happy! ( i think!)
 
re: Koala / MicroGrow CFL / First Grow/ Dream Queen / 2011

Update on box Progress....

Ditched the phone book and build a shelf with a slot in the back for the passive intake. Also built two adjustable shelves on both sides of the fan to house babies of different ages/sizes in addition to my two main girls, utilizing my limited space.

Outside look of the current State of my Grow Box - Passive Intake, 4 Exhaust fans for heat. 3 are wired to only come on with the lights, and out with them as well...and one is wired to go at all times for circulation. I'll rotate which fan stays on every week or so to share the load....(until i get lazy and/or forget)

Cheers all....The girls are doing well, New Growth, great coloring, nothing too exciting, will post more soon.
 
re: Koala / MicroGrow CFL / First Grow/ Dream Queen / 2011

Btw if you don't mind divulging your technology, what size are those fans your running, and are you pleased with the circulation.

I'm in the process of building my box, roughly 4' tall, 30" wide, 22" deep, and I'm ready to start buying my add ons.

Thanks & much appreciated!
 

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