New grower
- Thread starter Mattcorr
- Start date
KingCloudy
New Member
Scientific
New Member
> How much light and water is required after I plant.
Light: Cannabis loves light. Give is as much light as it would be getting outdoors on a sunny summer day, 80,000 to 100,000 lux if you have a $20 lux meter and are using white(ish) light.
Water: New growers tend to overwater. "Cannabis doesn't like wet feet." Give it a soaking, but let it dry knuckle deep.
There is a lot to learn. Try reading the grow logs here, especially the ones for the strain and grow method you are using. Then start a log of your own!
Good luck and have fun!
Light: Cannabis loves light. Give is as much light as it would be getting outdoors on a sunny summer day, 80,000 to 100,000 lux if you have a $20 lux meter and are using white(ish) light.
Water: New growers tend to overwater. "Cannabis doesn't like wet feet." Give it a soaking, but let it dry knuckle deep.
There is a lot to learn. Try reading the grow logs here, especially the ones for the strain and grow method you are using. Then start a log of your own!
Good luck and have fun!
- Thread starter
- #4
- Thread starter
- #5
Re: New to growing
I already have it planted into a 3-4 inch pot
Was wondering if it needed 12 hours of light right away or darkness?
Or 24 hours of light?
I already have it planted into a 3-4 inch pot
Was wondering if it needed 12 hours of light right away or darkness?
Or 24 hours of light?
187budz
Well-Known Member
Re: New to growing
Has it sprouted yet? The second you see leaves she needs light. What kinda light you using?
Has it sprouted yet? The second you see leaves she needs light. What kinda light you using?
- Thread starter
- #7
GrEeNdAyZ
Well-Known Member
Hey Mattcorr,
I'm a relatively new member as well and don't claim to be a expert but I have been reading these forums for a few years so I think I can help you out a bit. As 187Budz said, if and when your seedling breaks out of the soil it will require light, the more the merrier but a sunny south facing window will work for a few days till you get your shit together.
I don't think a 100w flood light is going to work for you. It's going to generate more heat than light that is usable by any type of plant. Working on a budget, your better to look at Compact Floresent (CFL) or T5 Floresents. There are hundreds of lighting choices out there and all kinds of discussion on the forums about lights but not knowing your budget, I can't tell you what you need.
Don't worry about lighting schedules yet...just know that your seedling will want as much as possible once it sprouts...if it gets tall and skinny, then it's not enough or to far away...start there.
If your thinking of buying a wardrobe cabinet or something like that, purchase a white one. Don't bother with the tinfoil, it will absorb more light than it reflects, believe it or not. A flat white cabinet will reflect better.
Yes you will need ventilation and air movement via a fan or two.
In the beginning you need to be careful not to over water...a seedling may not need anything more than a tablespoon or two every couple of days...I could go on about watering but again, I don't know enough about what you are working with in regards to soil and container.
At the bottom of this post, my signature with a link to my grow journal using a light I made supper cheap with CFL's. My little plant is just 20 days old so it may help you some...here's a pic.
This link is a Micro Grow that I have been following. Katins is do a great job in a small space with great results so far.
Katins's First Bagseed Micro Grow - Soil & CFL's
Before I forget...Welcome to the 420forums...Awesome people and awesome info to be found here.
I'm a relatively new member as well and don't claim to be a expert but I have been reading these forums for a few years so I think I can help you out a bit. As 187Budz said, if and when your seedling breaks out of the soil it will require light, the more the merrier but a sunny south facing window will work for a few days till you get your shit together.
I don't think a 100w flood light is going to work for you. It's going to generate more heat than light that is usable by any type of plant. Working on a budget, your better to look at Compact Floresent (CFL) or T5 Floresents. There are hundreds of lighting choices out there and all kinds of discussion on the forums about lights but not knowing your budget, I can't tell you what you need.
Don't worry about lighting schedules yet...just know that your seedling will want as much as possible once it sprouts...if it gets tall and skinny, then it's not enough or to far away...start there.
If your thinking of buying a wardrobe cabinet or something like that, purchase a white one. Don't bother with the tinfoil, it will absorb more light than it reflects, believe it or not. A flat white cabinet will reflect better.
Yes you will need ventilation and air movement via a fan or two.
In the beginning you need to be careful not to over water...a seedling may not need anything more than a tablespoon or two every couple of days...I could go on about watering but again, I don't know enough about what you are working with in regards to soil and container.
At the bottom of this post, my signature with a link to my grow journal using a light I made supper cheap with CFL's. My little plant is just 20 days old so it may help you some...here's a pic.
This link is a Micro Grow that I have been following. Katins is do a great job in a small space with great results so far.
Katins's First Bagseed Micro Grow - Soil & CFL's
Before I forget...Welcome to the 420forums...Awesome people and awesome info to be found here.
- Thread starter
- #9
187budz
Well-Known Member
Greendayz if u cant get your hands on a good light CFL's are your best friend... doesnt need to be as complicated as the one he made (but it is pretty sick). When it comes to plants not any light will work you need one that produces the right spectrum (3000/6500 Kelvin for vegatative stage) goto ur local hardware store and look for "bright white" or "day light" cfls.
And soft white (2700 k for flowering stage). You can use 1 or as many as you want (the more the better) and get them as close as you can
And soft white (2700 k for flowering stage). You can use 1 or as many as you want (the more the better) and get them as close as you can
187budz
Well-Known Member
Oops lol meant to say Greendays is on the right track
187budz
Well-Known Member
Tin foil only reflex i believe 25% of the light and its impossible to keep straight so its a complete waste. Flat white paint is the easiest and very effective. Emergency blankets are a decent choice to but id say go with the paint.
- Thread starter
- #13
Scientific
New Member
LOL, "tin foil" hasn't been around for decades. I assume what you mean is aluminum foil, and it has a reflectivity in the high 90% range.
Scientific
New Member
Try to grow cannabis under one CFL and you will get a very spindly little plant.
The photo below is of a dwarf cannabis plant only 14" tall. As small as it was, even it required 10 bulbs (and had a great yield). There is a huge difference between having enough light for a plant to stay alive and enough light to have decent yield.
Also, note how close you have to get CFLs to the plant for them to be effective: just inches away.
And by the way, household LED light bulbs look like a better choice now than the older CFL technology.
187budz
Well-Known Member
Lol i knew you'd pop in sooner or later, are you following me?! Apon a little research its actually 88%. Which is pretty good compared to what ive read before (from clearly missinformed individuals). Clearly i need to do my own research rather then go by what others say (i'd recommend everyone do the same). But the % would drop with every wrinkle as it would reflect in undesired directions (scientific will correct me if im wrong).
187budz
Well-Known Member
And yes we all know its aluminum foil but everyone calls it tin foil just like how everyone refers to all "auto injection pens" as epipens.
GrEeNdAyZ
Well-Known Member
Hey no worries,
Although 1 23w CFL will get you started, your going to be told that it's not enough. For instance, Katins's, the journal I linked you to, is using 4 for a Grow space with a 1' x 1' foot print with one plant...I'm trying to confine my one plant to a roughly 2' x 1' foot print and I'm using 8 bulbs. If you can start with 4 I think you'll be in good shape for a first try. Keep in mind you'll need to also figure out bulb holders and/or splitters so there is some further cost there.
I'm not sure where you are in the world but 23w CFL's are what you can easily find at Home Depot or Walmart etc. You can find greater wattage CFL's but not necessarily at the corner hardware store.
Also, when your looking for some CFL bulbs...your going to see different colours/temp's/spectrum...things like white, warm white or daylight. For the growth stage of the plant you'll want ones that say 6500k...you will see that number on the box and on the bulb base its self. You'll need something different if and when you get to flowering but don't worry about that for now.
One thing I want to caution you about, is the cost...CFL are easy to find as are bulb holders and splitters and their relatively cheap but it adds up...I'm in Canada and if I remember correctly, a 3 pack of bulbs is something like $20, splitters $6 and clamp type bulb holders are $10...so once you have a 4 CFL set up you could have spent $80 or more. With a little research, particularly with the 420Forum sponsors, I'm sure you can find a more efficient and simpler to use light for the same cost. That's why I mentioned a sunny window until you get your shit together...LOL. CFL's will get the job done for you but there are lots and lots of options to consider, even on a small budget.
Although 1 23w CFL will get you started, your going to be told that it's not enough. For instance, Katins's, the journal I linked you to, is using 4 for a Grow space with a 1' x 1' foot print with one plant...I'm trying to confine my one plant to a roughly 2' x 1' foot print and I'm using 8 bulbs. If you can start with 4 I think you'll be in good shape for a first try. Keep in mind you'll need to also figure out bulb holders and/or splitters so there is some further cost there.
I'm not sure where you are in the world but 23w CFL's are what you can easily find at Home Depot or Walmart etc. You can find greater wattage CFL's but not necessarily at the corner hardware store.
Also, when your looking for some CFL bulbs...your going to see different colours/temp's/spectrum...things like white, warm white or daylight. For the growth stage of the plant you'll want ones that say 6500k...you will see that number on the box and on the bulb base its self. You'll need something different if and when you get to flowering but don't worry about that for now.
One thing I want to caution you about, is the cost...CFL are easy to find as are bulb holders and splitters and their relatively cheap but it adds up...I'm in Canada and if I remember correctly, a 3 pack of bulbs is something like $20, splitters $6 and clamp type bulb holders are $10...so once you have a 4 CFL set up you could have spent $80 or more. With a little research, particularly with the 420Forum sponsors, I'm sure you can find a more efficient and simpler to use light for the same cost. That's why I mentioned a sunny window until you get your shit together...LOL. CFL's will get the job done for you but there are lots and lots of options to consider, even on a small budget.
187budz
Well-Known Member
Once again greendayz is spot on... if your going to keep growing then id recommend buying a good light asap as buying all these little lights will add up and you will eventually want ro upgrade so buying a good light from the get go will actually same you money
GrEeNdAyZ
Well-Known Member
Good stuff guy's...I was trying to not send him in the wrong direction...lol...I like CFL's too and we have all seen great Grow journals using them...and all the lighting info out there sure is overwhelming in the beginning.
