Ritz5220
New Member
Grow help needed! T8 lighting - Low budget
Hello! I'm so excited for this to be happening. This project quite literally fell into my lap, by all means I accept the challenge that has been set before me. Where could I possibly begin? I simply request you don't laugh at me when you hear my sad story as to how my plants came to be what they are today. I will of course soon introduce you to my pretty little ladies, but late is the hour. Germination was my worst enemy... I ruined several of my finest bag-seeds. I'm talking some primo stuff for around here. All due to lack of materials( and let's face it, knowledge. But my friends one had survived, oh yes she fought. My beautiful Cynthia, went with the shot glass soak method, only managed to crack the seed and expose the tail. This along with two others I managed to pull a miracle out of them. Their names are, Angela, Belle, and of course Cynthia. They fought so hard for life to to my ignorance, again I do sincerely ask for little judgement on my lack of material, and again knowledge. I'll get right into and just tell you, I actually managed to grow these girls with... Wait for it. Drum roll please.... 200 watt incandescent light bulb.
I'm waiting for the crickets and the jaw drop stares. Yes. People I know. What an idiot, are you serious. If there is one thing you have read, it's that you can't do that. But despite my stupidity, and with a second 200 watt bulb, i grew the three with surprising results, although thin stems and weak rooting issues at the beginning. I transplanted them with more soil twice, each with better result from the girls. On my second transplant I moved belle, my shining star plant to a bigger "pot" if you will.( I'll get into that later) So adding to the addition are DiDi and Evette, which were both successfully germinated properly with the paper towel method( though I will not that I had wrapped my paper towel with a grocery bag and placed with my lights and plants, kept at 78-82 degrees).
Anyhow, they were added, 8 days after original batch. Now here is the silver lining folks, I know your waiting to yell at me about all the great alternatives for lighting and saving money, I get it. Shame on me. But fortune and blessing have smiled upon me and by happy circumstances through my job I came across several, yes several 4' x 2' 600 watt ballast fluorescent lights.( if that's correct, I'm going to double check tomorrow for 100% accuracy).
But cue the golden bells and the lights, I have literally been saved. Currently running them with the 4, 30 watt 3500k bulbs. My plants have instantly thanked me by starting their second, and third sets of leaves within 36 hours of being under their new lights. Will note i'm still experiencing issues with Angela, stunted growth, leaves are deformed and some very light yellow/browning on ends of leaves. I knew going into this I would soon run into nutrient deficiencies. Will note that Evette has yet to sprout its first set of leaves, have seen the first node though, nearly microscopic. I suspect my soil maybe to dense for it, maybe over watering. Decent soil if anyone has any feedback on it. It's called hyponex by Scotts. They certainly didn't seem to mind it once I transplanted.(Will be providing pictures of plants, lights, and set up tomorrow.)
So there it is everyone. I am the newbie who by dumb luck has come across some great equipment here. And I'm very excited to break into this world, I'm coming in throwing punches and my girls are amazing, I love them very much and am so appreciative of them and this whole experience. Words can't express my joy for wanting to train my green thumb! My oldest plants are 15 days old today, the others are 8 and 9. You will of course notice stunted growth when I upload my pictures, but bear with me and my new set up, and again, I would love all the feed back in the world!! I need advice like its no ones business. I want to treat my girls right so they treat me right. So with that I will close for tonight, marking the beginning of my very first grow , and grow journal. All questions and comments are very much obliged and will be gladly answered and appreciated. I'm splitting outta here every body, take it easy and light up!
-Ritz!
Hello! I'm so excited for this to be happening. This project quite literally fell into my lap, by all means I accept the challenge that has been set before me. Where could I possibly begin? I simply request you don't laugh at me when you hear my sad story as to how my plants came to be what they are today. I will of course soon introduce you to my pretty little ladies, but late is the hour. Germination was my worst enemy... I ruined several of my finest bag-seeds. I'm talking some primo stuff for around here. All due to lack of materials( and let's face it, knowledge. But my friends one had survived, oh yes she fought. My beautiful Cynthia, went with the shot glass soak method, only managed to crack the seed and expose the tail. This along with two others I managed to pull a miracle out of them. Their names are, Angela, Belle, and of course Cynthia. They fought so hard for life to to my ignorance, again I do sincerely ask for little judgement on my lack of material, and again knowledge. I'll get right into and just tell you, I actually managed to grow these girls with... Wait for it. Drum roll please.... 200 watt incandescent light bulb.
I'm waiting for the crickets and the jaw drop stares. Yes. People I know. What an idiot, are you serious. If there is one thing you have read, it's that you can't do that. But despite my stupidity, and with a second 200 watt bulb, i grew the three with surprising results, although thin stems and weak rooting issues at the beginning. I transplanted them with more soil twice, each with better result from the girls. On my second transplant I moved belle, my shining star plant to a bigger "pot" if you will.( I'll get into that later) So adding to the addition are DiDi and Evette, which were both successfully germinated properly with the paper towel method( though I will not that I had wrapped my paper towel with a grocery bag and placed with my lights and plants, kept at 78-82 degrees).
Anyhow, they were added, 8 days after original batch. Now here is the silver lining folks, I know your waiting to yell at me about all the great alternatives for lighting and saving money, I get it. Shame on me. But fortune and blessing have smiled upon me and by happy circumstances through my job I came across several, yes several 4' x 2' 600 watt ballast fluorescent lights.( if that's correct, I'm going to double check tomorrow for 100% accuracy).
But cue the golden bells and the lights, I have literally been saved. Currently running them with the 4, 30 watt 3500k bulbs. My plants have instantly thanked me by starting their second, and third sets of leaves within 36 hours of being under their new lights. Will note i'm still experiencing issues with Angela, stunted growth, leaves are deformed and some very light yellow/browning on ends of leaves. I knew going into this I would soon run into nutrient deficiencies. Will note that Evette has yet to sprout its first set of leaves, have seen the first node though, nearly microscopic. I suspect my soil maybe to dense for it, maybe over watering. Decent soil if anyone has any feedback on it. It's called hyponex by Scotts. They certainly didn't seem to mind it once I transplanted.(Will be providing pictures of plants, lights, and set up tomorrow.)
So there it is everyone. I am the newbie who by dumb luck has come across some great equipment here. And I'm very excited to break into this world, I'm coming in throwing punches and my girls are amazing, I love them very much and am so appreciative of them and this whole experience. Words can't express my joy for wanting to train my green thumb! My oldest plants are 15 days old today, the others are 8 and 9. You will of course notice stunted growth when I upload my pictures, but bear with me and my new set up, and again, I would love all the feed back in the world!! I need advice like its no ones business. I want to treat my girls right so they treat me right. So with that I will close for tonight, marking the beginning of my very first grow , and grow journal. All questions and comments are very much obliged and will be gladly answered and appreciated. I'm splitting outta here every body, take it easy and light up!
-Ritz!
