My First Grow Ever! I'm Excited!

first-tymer said:
The temp in the room as of this minute is 72 degrees and as long as my A/C is working properly stays within a degree or two of that temp... I have an inline fan blowing air through the inclosed 600w HPS hood, it is taking air from inside the room (not tent) and pushing it directly through the hood and out the other side of the tent, that air doesn't make it into the plants atmosphere because it never leaves the hood or the duct work. I then have my A/C blowing cold air coming in from the top of the tent pushing the air down from the far upper right hand corner of the tent... Inside the tent I have a pivoting fan blowing toward the seedling which is about 14in from the light. I also have a small 6 inch walmart drum fan blowing air out of the tent from one of the 8 inch duct holes in the tent but I'm not sure that helps much. I have heard it would be better if I had the inline fan sucking air through hood rather than pushing it through and that it would be better if I could somehow create negative air pressure as opposed to positive air pressure within the tent, but not sure if that is correct or not.
Click to expand...

To create negative pressure there has to be a vaccum inside the tent. In order to do that air has to be drawn OUT.
I have a 4x8 tent. Inside that tent is a 6x24 carbon filter. attached to that a filter is a fan sucking the air IN through the filter. I have hose from the fan running to my 2 1000 watt lights and exits outside the tent and to my attic.
The air being sucked OUT of my tent draws air in.

Currently as it stands with everything in the room running, the INSIDE of my tents run 8 to 10 degrees HOTTER then the temp in the room itself. So if room temp was say 65 the temp inside my tent usually runs 73 to 75 degrees.

Check ouut my journal as I have some pretty good pictures of the setup. I hope this helps :thumb:
 
Alaskan1 said:
To create negative pressure there has to be a vaccum inside the tent. In order to do that air has to be drawn OUT.
I have a 4x8 tent. Inside that tent is a 6x24 carbon filter. attached to that a filter is a fan sucking the air IN through the filter. I have hose from the fan running to my 2 1000 watt lights and exits outside the tent and to my attic.
The air being sucked OUT of my tent draws air in.

Currently as it stands with everything in the room running, the INSIDE of my tents run 8 to 10 degrees HOTTER then the temp in the room itself. So if room temp was say 65 the temp inside my tent usually runs 73 to 75 degrees.

Check ouut my journal as I have some pretty good pictures of the setup. I hope this helps :thumb:
Click to expand...

I was going to mention this....

Good Call :thumb:
 
Alaskan1 said:
To create negative pressure there has to be a vaccum inside the tent. In order to do that air has to be drawn OUT.
I have a 4x8 tent. Inside that tent is a 6x24 carbon filter. attached to that a filter is a fan sucking the air IN through the filter. I have hose from the fan running to my 2 1000 watt lights and exits outside the tent and to my attic.
The air being sucked OUT of my tent draws air in.

Currently as it stands with everything in the room running, the INSIDE of my tents run 8 to 10 degrees HOTTER then the temp in the room itself. So if room temp was say 65 the temp inside my tent usually runs 73 to 75 degrees.

Check ouut my journal as I have some pretty good pictures of the setup. I hope this helps :thumb:
Click to expand...

Thanks alaskan, that is exactly what I figured I would have to do... You only have the one inline fan, is that correct? I just wasn't sure if negative pressure was better for the plants than positive air pressure is... I'm assuming based on your answer that negative is in fact better... I read that one is better than the other a few weeks ago but I can't remember where I read it or which one it said was better.
These are my autoflowering questions... Can I veg a normal strain in the same tent as the auto's if I leave the light cycle around 18/6, or will that create problems at some point?
If I have the autos going on a 12/12 light cycle is it possible to put them back on a 18/6 if I infact did want to put a regular veg plant in the tent at a later date, or could this create issues as well (ex: cause the autos to revert back to veg, or put stress them)?
The last question is a bit of a grey area as far as I am concerned and I was hoping someone could clear this up for me a bit, but that may not be possible... I realize it is probably way too early to begin thinking about the size of my harvest given the fact that this is my first grow, and I just transplanted my first seedling, but we have a lot of money and time invested into this setup and I am hoping to get the money that was invested back as soon as possible. This leads me to wonder if the sight I bought these seeds on was accurate about their yield potential, or if they exagerated and to what extent? They claim this strain can produce ~450grams per square meter which is the same as about 10 square feet... I would obviously have to assume this is pending on the equipment being used and how it is being put to use... Whether you are growing indoors or outdoors should typically effect the yield as well due, but that may not be the case with autoflowering strains as much, givin the fact that they are smaller in size than many outdoor strains therfore in theory grow space would be less of a factor when determining yield. They should also veg for a short period of time reguardless of whether it is being grown indoor or outdoor, possibly eliminating that as a factor as well. So my big question is.... Does anyone think given the tools I have at my diposal, that I will be able to get anywhere near the 450g per sq. meter ratio by the end of this harvest? If not, why don't you think so, and how much do you predict I will end up with?
Here is a little info that you may want/need to make an accurate prediction...
1)I bought 10 Auto-pounder seeds created by some very experienced Autoflowering growers out of Spain, who's focus is strictly Autoflowering genetics. Auto pounder is a cross between their own Auto #1 strain, Big Bud, and Power Plant. Which combined is supposed to create a heavy yielding strain that doesn't compromise it's potency and grows very quickly from seed to harvest in ~60 days according to the producer... So far I have successfully germinated 4 of 7, and have 3 left that I haven't touched but will start in a day or two. Given what I learned from the first batch I am confident I will successfully germinate the remaining 3 with little complication.

2)I am using a 600watt air cooled HPS lamp for both veg and flowering. (I wish I had Metal Hylite for veg)

3)No supplimental co2 at this time... May invest in a co2 Boost Bucket if anyone has had any luck with them I'd like to hear it. I've heard good and bad, but those that didn't like it may not have had them set up correctly... I heard it is vital to place the hose that slowly releases the co2 about an inch or two directly above each plant which allows the weight of the co2 to slowly drop out of the hose and then fall onto the plants... I heard that is the most common mistake because although the bucket is supposed to add some co2 to the system it doesn't create as much as a tank with a regulator would so if you were to simply release the co2 from the boost bucket just anywhere throughout the tent it won't be concentrated enough to significantly raise the ppm evenly throughout the tent. But I have also heard from a few people that the boost buckets are a ripoff/scam. This includes the gentleman that owns the hydro store where I bought my equipment. He said he had them for a short period of time, but that he stopped carrying them because he had way too many complaints... Only reason I was looking at them was because I can't afford a tank and regulator package or the meter quite yet.

4) I'm growing in a 4x4x7 (~15 sq. ft.) growlab tent in a third story, 2 bedroom apt. near a very large highway (constant traffic from highway may increase the ammount a co2 in the air). Atleast that's my friends theory. I'm not sure if the co2 makes up for all the other bs in the exhaust though...

5) I have one 6" inline fan, one good size pivoting fan going back n forth, a small 6" drum fan that i have temporarily put in an excess air duct access where it is pushing air out the bottom of the tent opposite the upper corner that the A/C flowing in from. I am doing this to temporarily eliminate some of the positive air pressure that builds inside the tent due to the relatively inaffective way I am currently using my inline fan. I will fix this problem shortly and have it setup very similar to the way Alaskan has his set up. I will then use the small drum fan to help create more airflow inside the tent.
I have a six inch walmart clip fan blowing the air out from above the 600w hood at the moment as well.

6)Will use the General Hydroponics flora series nutrients provided with the Waterfarm 8 pack for two of the plants and Botanicare Organic grow and bloom for the others because I purchased two large one gallon jugs of it... May regret the decision of attempting to grow organic in a hydroponic setup though. I have heard from a few people that it is hard to do because the organic nutes make the ph harder to control, but have also heard that it's not as hard as people make it out to be and that if I can pull it off it will provide a much cleaner taste than non organic would... I have smoked organic bud before, but it was grown in soil and had a somewhat earthy taste to it. I'm curious as to whether it will be the same in hydro... Anyone have any input here?

6)Like I mentioned before, at the moment I plan on separating the DWC/drip ring 8 pack waterfarm system into 7 individual units because some of the plants are at different stages of growth and this will make it easy to manipulate each systems water and nutrient levels accordingly as well as adjust each plants distance from the light... Also heard there are a few issues with the way the 8 pack sytem circulates water and nutrients and that the ph has a tendency to vary from unit to unit withen the system making it harder on certain plants and harder to control. Doing them all individually may end up being a little more time consuming and tedious at times, but should hopefully allow me to create more optimal conditions for each plants needs.

7)I'm using hydroton clay pellets for a growing medium, and plan on raising and lowering the hydroponic units individually to adjust their distance from the light rather than raising and lowering the light itself, and have purchased 2 inexpensive yet sturdy sets of floor shelving units that i can add and subtract shelves from quickly and easily in order to adjust the height. I feel this will be easier than raising and lowering the light because the hood's cord that leads to the ballast is short and may be rather troublesome during adjusting, I would also have to adjust the duct work accordingly as well each time I would adjust. The way it is setup right now the ducting is lined up directly with the 6" hole on the hood and the 8" adjustable hole at the top side of the tent, so that there are no extreme bends in the duct work, this should create the strongest airflow possible and therefore should also run very efficiently.

If you need anymore info let me know! Thanks guys.
 
Almost forgot, I'm germinating between wet paper towels and then immediately when they pop I am rooting them in rapid rooter plugs and from there putting them directly in the hydro units (one per unit) rapid rooter and all...
 
anybody out there? I have another problem! My central air unit is blowing air, but it isn't cold air anymore....I would say it is out of free-on, but the apt people were just here about a week ago to fill it... wtf!?!
 
first-tymer said:
anybody out there? I have another problem! My central air unit is blowing air, but it isn't cold air anymore....I would say it is out of free-on, but the apt people were just here about a week ago to fill it... wtf!?!
Click to expand...

Best I can tell you is look to see if you froze it up. Otherwise....
Look at the main cooling coil if you can, if iced over there is the problem. Let that thaw, and it will work again. That can happen when air flow is insufficient over the coil.

Hope it not a major issue..
 
It may or may not be, I don't have a thermometer for water so it's really anyones guess at this point... Everything I read says the temp in a DWC unit with no external reservior like mine should be near 68 or lower in order to get the plant oxygen and at the same time prevent common root deseases. I have stabilized the temp of the air near the reservior at ~77, but the air above the unit is a few degrees warmer. I read that if you drip feed your medium it will cool the root zone temperature and I have a drip system so I am wondering if that could be helping me a bit. When I stick my finger into the medium it seem cold once you get past the top layer of pellets, and when I feel the side of the bucket/reservior it feels relatively cool to the touch compared to the air temp, but I could just be slowly losing my mind as well. Guess I need to get my ass to the store for a thermometer asap so I have a better idea of what I'm dealing with here... Think the water could be cooler than the air? or am I dilusional???
 
As far as the A/C goes, I'm not exactly sure how to get on the roof of this building, but I may need to get up there and check it out before I run and alert the apartment staff... Damnit! They are gonna wonder why its f'd up again already if I have to tell em.
 
Finally! The moment we've all been waiting for...... Pictures of the ladies! I know at this point I can't positively identify them as either male nor female but I'm gonna think positive because up to this point almost everything that could go wrong has gone wrong... My central air unit in my apartment has f'd up for the third time in two weeks and is currently on the fritz a(was using it to cool the ambient temp in the room thus lowering the water temp, my test plants water was way too hot) and my ph refuses to stay below 6.5 for more than 10 minutes, as soon as I try upping the ph decrease dose it bottoms out to below 5.0. I am not has caught up with the ph as I was at first but this water temp thing has got me riled up. Bout to go up to the roof where my A/C unit is and pull one straight from Office Space n beat the thing to pieces... I wake up to a new issue every day it seems and can only afford to figure out some half ass way to fix it which typically isn't very efficient and usually ends up being rather time consuming... Seems like as soon as I get one thing somewhat under control something else turns to shit, but I won't give up without a f'n fight.
The largest of the four, AP #1, is growing very fast but has some troubling signs that I hope someone will recognize...

AP_1_2weeks_from_seed.jpg


This is AP#2... no visible deformities or discoloration, just a little behind AP#1.

AP_2_2weeks_from_seed.jpg


And here are the two just barely hangin on it seems... AP#3 & #4.

AP_3_4_2weeks_from_seed.jpg


Lets hear it from everybody this time...
 
I need help fast guys! Where u at??? The tips of my leaves have turned yellow and are wilting fast... Could this be due to hard water? I don't have a ppm meter so I can't even tesy my flippin theory. Bought a thermometer for the reserviour last night and I don't think 75 degree water temp would create this issue. What about my ph? It seems to want to stay around 6.8 which is a little high. Could that be the culprit? I need to act fast before it's too late... This is exactly what happened to my fucking test plant. Grrrrr
 
HaHa first-tymer I've been watching your grow just haven't really gone through all the pages yet and i'd have to do that along with checking out the charts here about your babies sad situation before I can give any input but no your not alone dude.
 
Well then by all means Vamp read away. Not sure what charts you are refering to? I started them on a 18/6 light cycle and the lights went off bout half an hr ago, around noon. I figure maybe she just needs a little beauty sleep each day rather than round the clock light. I'm kinda just grasping at straws here until someone can steer me in the right direction. Sooner the better though folks, if I lose another baby my girl is gonna be on my ass like flies on shit...?!
 
Sorry I cant be around all the time. Lets review so we are on track. It is rather difficult to reread your thread. Your writing style is a bit jumbled. But we will try to help. Lets start with some data...

What is your current feed if any?
What is your water routine?
What is the makeup of your water?
How much light and what type?
How close is it to the plant?
current air temp and humidity?
res temp?
 
Deege420 said:
Can u just freshen up. There are a lot of problems that can be going wrong, don't overwater! Firstoff. And next what oh at? What kinda soil? Keep lighting schedule a little lighter at young age and no nutes till they get big enough has always worked for me
Click to expand...

I'm not growing in soil, im using a hydroponic continuous drip ring system so it should be impossible for me to overwater while using a hydroton(clay pellet) medium. What are you refering to when you say oh? Also confused by what you mean by little lighter, please specify as this could be taken a couple different ways. How big is big enough, that's pretty vague. I appreciate the help, but I'm new at this so you may have to be kinda specific. Thanks.
 
SmokzAlot said:
Sorry I cant be around all the time. Lets review so we are on track. It is rather difficult to reread your thread. Your writing style is a bit jumbled. But we will try to help. Lets start with some data...

What is your current feed if any?
What is your water routine?
What is the makeup of your water?
How much light and what type?
How close is it to the plant?
current air temp and humidity?
res temp?
Click to expand...

Yeah, well unfortunitely my writing reflects my frustration, but I will try to clean it up a bit for you... First day n a half it was in the waterfarm hydro unit it looked great, then it just turned for lack of a better term.

Nutrients:
Using 1/4tspn per gallon of the GH Flora series Gro, Micro, and Bloom, this is the suggested amount on the bottle and i am using the same ratio of each solution... What do you suggest when the plant is this size? Should I back it off nutes all together or do I need to increase to the suggested amounts for veg?

Water:
Not sure what you mean by routine, but I'll answer this the best I can. I first let my tap water sit out for at least 48 hrs or more, I then add my nutrients to the water check the ph and adjust the best I can before letting it sit for bout an hr and pouring it over the medium, into the unit/Reserviour.
If you were refering to how often the plant gets watered, then the answer is continuously. It is in a hydroponic continuous drip ring sytem, therefore I have been led to believe that I can't overwater. I am going to stop adding water to the system by pouring it over the nutrients and am going to instead pour it straight into the reserviour.

Makeup of Water:
I really can't provide you with too much info the makeup of the water, but I will tell you what I know. The temp is typically between 70-75 while running the system. The ph is typically between 5.6 and 6.7, but I have to adjust about three times a day to keep it on the low end of that scale. I have no ppm meter so I can't tell you how hard the water is, but I suspect this may be part of the problem. Lack of further funding has prevented the purchase of this item, not sure when that will change. Is there anything else I need to know about the makeup?

Lighting:
I'm using a SunSystem Blockbuster 6" 600watt air cooled hood/bulb. I have been running the light on a 24/7 schedule once it sprouted, but I read that the plant needs to rest at night so I just changed to an 18 on and 6 off schedule until they begin to flower. That sound about right?

Distance from light: ~1.5 ft, it is about 82 degrees at the top of the plant and the humidity varies between 40 and 48 percent, and rez temp is between 70 and 75.

That pretty much cover it?
 

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