Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

[Legal At Last]

First, the info.

What strain is it? Aurora Indica, a Northern Lights x Afghani breed, from seed
Is it Indica, Sativa or Hybrid? Indica
Is it in Veg or Flower stage? Vegging now
If in Veg... For how long? Started late Feb, so just under two months
Indoor or outdoor? Indoor. To be legal in Colorado, grows must be indoors, out of public sight, and in a lockable space
Soil or Hydro? Soil
If soil... what is in your mix? Organic composted manure, peat, vermiculite. Base is usually Eko or Nature's Yield brand, and I sometimes toss some kelp and/or bloodmeal into my soil. I use the same mix in my regular garden.
If soil... What size pot? Start at 2-3" and move up to four or five gallon as they grow.
Size of light? Started with 125 watt round CFL in a winged reflector. Added two 60 watt CFLs in regular work lamp reflectors. 245 watts total, roughly 10k lumens
Is it aircooled? One small fan, bouncing off the wall. Not enclosed, since I don't have to hide it. Could use another fan.
Temp of Room/cab? We normally keep the house at 60 night/68 days, but the CFLs are definitely heating up my office several degrees more.
RH of Room/cab? no idea. Can measure if needed.
PH of media or res? no idea. Can measure if needed.
Any Pests? Not so far. I've never had spider mites here. We do get soil gnats sometimes, more of a nuisance than anything.
How often are you watering? I water by need, not by timing. I use my judgement, by feel, color, weight of pot.
Type and strength of ferts used? BioThrive Grow and BioThrive Bloom. Full spectrum organic mix with kelp and metals. Used 1/2 to full strength every two or three waterings. Again, same stuff I use on my houseplants and outdoor pots.

I've been a gardener my whole life, and I've grown MJ before. My goals are pretty low-key since I'm not a caregiver or a retailer. I want to grow some cannabis for myself, my husband, or to share with friends. Good stuff, but doesn't have to be the strongest or highest yield. I would like eventually play with other strains.

This will be the first MJ we've had in almost a decade (not counting occasional party hits).

 

[Legal At Last]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Many thanks to whoever sorted my first gallery out behind the scenes. I tried to upload them in order, but they were all mixed up when it finally loaded.

Anyway, as I noted the grow is roughly two months old, three plants in about three square feet on a shelf in my office. There's about four feet of growing height above that. I'm hoping one or two will pop up female. They are not feminized seeds. My next grow will be a grow to harvest seeds.

Two of the plants are up to six inch pots now, the last will go into a six-inch pot this weekend. I usually stem-train the main tip down to induce side sprouts when they're about nine inches tall. I don't go to a full SCROG though, mostly because I am too lazy.

I'll add for those not familiar with Colorado's Amendment 64 that home growers are limited to six plants total, only three of which can be in flowering stage at a time.

 

[Legal At Last]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Here they are when first sprouted. Yes, I started them in cream cheese containers. I find these are excellent seed starters, once you've poked drainage holes in the bottom.

I did not pre-sprout the seeds since they were fresh. I poked them into the soil, watered till it drained, then covered the pot with cling wrap held by a rubber band. I opened it to the air once a day and added a bit more water when the top of the soil was dry. They popped pretty fast, maybe four or five days.

Growing...

So cute. Early on the leaves on all three started showing necrosis. Still not sure why, but since this bag of compost had been sitting outside since fall I suspect it had acquired a bit of leaf fungus. More on that in the next post. (It wasn't serious.)

 

[Legal At Last]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Started moving them up to four inch pots when they were five inches tall or so.

This is Three with the necrosis still showing. I trimmed off the diseased leaves as fresh ones grew, and eventually all three plants outgrew whatever it was. They were getting fertilizer at this point so I don't believe they were lacking anything.

Blurry close-up.

All three in four inch pots. That's One to the left, Two at the back, and Three in front. That's the order they popped in, and you can see the difference in growing height even a couple days can make.

One is not really that pale, which might mean a nitrogen deficiency. It's an odd color because I added a 60 watt CFL over the tomato seeds at the left, and it was a distinctly different color. Actually looks a bit pinkish.

Three, again. Sturdy, and outgrowing the disease or whatever.

 

[Legal At Last]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Got to run make dinner. I'll come back tomorrow to show pics moving into six-inch pots and starting the stem training.

 

[Bud Grant]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

looking good. I haven pre-sprouted seeds in years. Seeds like dirt

 

[Legit Spam]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Subbed...

 

[Legal At Last]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Hey thanks, Bud. Nice to see you drop by.

And Legit, you're in Colorado too, right? Thanks for dropping in. More pics tomorrow and as I carry on, I promise. I love the growing.

 

[Legit Spam]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Sure am, Pagosa Springs in fact!

 

[Legal At Last]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Cool. We live in Westminster. I've been in CO since 1990 and I really love it here.

Even more now

So, back to the babies.

Here they are, starting to grow up now. That's One in a six-inch pot, and the stem tied down for the first time. Two up close on the left, and more tomato sprouts beside that.

This is the main tip of One a few days later. Growing strong. I'm using ordinary garden twine to tie the stems, same stuff I use to tie up my tomatoes to support cages. As the stem stretches I pull down a bit more, until I have six or eight side sprouts long enough to train down as well. Then I'll ease up on the main stem a bit. I like to keep the canopy at 12-15 inches.

And a couple days later, the main stem is stretching. Growth is really vigorous.

A little jungle along the main stem as side shoots, no longer repressed by the dominant main growing tip, spring into action!

Main growing tip again.

And here's Two also in a six-inch pot, and the main stem tied. You can see the 60 watt CFL here and my baby tomato plants.

 

[Legal At Last]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Which brings us to today. I've added the second 60 watt CFL. The tomatoes are really crowding things a bit and will continue to for another month. Everyone's just going to have to deal!

I'll pot up Three into a six-inch pot today. One really would like to move to a ten inch pot already but I don't think I have space. I have four tomatoes who need larger pots as well. There will definitely be some juggling until the weather warms up and I can get the garden plants outside during the day.

I'll try to come back with some updated photos today or tomorrow.

 

[KingJohnC]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

subscribed

 

[Legal At Last]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Thanks for dropping by!

 

[Legal At Last]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Got Three into a six-inch pot today. I had kind of neglected Three behind the bigger plants and its leaves were pushed too close to the hanging CFL. Got a bit of leaf burn on the lower leaves.

Only the finest garden twine for my plants!

Sprouts off the main stem of One. Some are four to five inches now. Really need to get One into a bigger pot this week.

Leaf burn on Three.

Growing tip of Three is fine, and the root structure looked great when I transplanted. Three will be fine (unless Three is a boy, in which case Three is a goner )

 

[Legit Spam]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

I tie my plants with #20 Hemp Twine Figure I should use their cousin!

 

[high 420kwats]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

I'm subbed.I wish I was in Colorado! Welcome.

 

[Legal At Last]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Thanks, high!

Great idea about the hemp twine, Legit. That's very righteous.

 

[Legal At Last]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Moving Plant One into the ten-inch pot today. It's past time. I can tell because the plant is sucking up water fast so I know it's getting a bit rootbound. Unfortunately we had another four inches of snow this week so I couldn't get the tomato seedlings outside and so am really pressed for space. This should ease up as the weather grows warm this week.

Here's an overall picture of Plant One. One started training 15 days ago.

And the main growing tip.

And the side shoots. They are up to seven inches long and definitely need to be tied down as well now.

Here's Plant Two's main tip.

And the side shoots coming from the back. They're about two inches long. Two has been in training nine days.

Eight tomato seedlings and two eggplants. Two is getting crowded, and I'm stacking seedlings on the pots. And it's too soggy and cold to dig the new raised beds yet, so we're all trying to cope by juggling.

And here's Plant Three. Just started training yesterday. You can still see the lamp burn on the lower leaves. I'm thinking I need to pump up the fertilizer applications on Three. It's been a bit neglected with everything else happening on the shelf.

That's it for today! I'll be back this weekend with pics of sideshoot training in the ten-inch pot.

 

[Legal At Last]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Just a few pics of Plant One.

Here it's in the ten-inch pot. I've started tying down side shoots when they hit six to eight inches.

More shoots spring up from the stem, of course.

And the fan leaves are gorgeous. I know I'll have to trim them eventually but I hate to do it.

Plants Two and Three are still in six-inch pots with the main stem tied. Two has some side shoots hitting the six to eight inch range, but I won't move it up to a ten inch pot till next weekend.

Fortunately, almost all the tomatoes are outside in the day time now, so space on the shelf is easier. Although as all three get into ten-inch pots it'll get tight again.

No sign of pre-flowers, so I'm not sure who will move up to the biggest pots for blooming. No rush I guess.

 

[hank123]

re: Legal & Laid-Back in Colorado - Indoor Soil Grow With CFLs

Nice man! I am in Colorado too. Just north of you. We might have to exchange seeds or work on a breeding project some time!