First Build/Grow

[Old Hopeful]

Hiya All,

After reading and researching this is what I came up with for my build.

I am going with a 2 part grow system.

The first part is the seed/clone/starter box.
It is 2x2x3, I am running 2-2 bulb(4 bulbs total) fixtures of T5's. I have a 4 inch fan for air movement inside the box. There was some light showing thru the corners but I took care of that today since I had to modify my box today. I origanaly did not have an intake and a exhuast port on the box but that was the modifcation I had to do today. As you will see in the pic's there is none. The plants in the box is bag seed, figured I'd start with that and hopefully learn from my mistake before I get some good seeds. After I had put the plants in the box after about 8 hours they pretty much curled up and withered. Hence the intake and exhaust. I didn't put a fan on the intake but I do have a 4 inch fan pushing the exhaust. The temp and hum before was 80f and 40% the temp after is 78f and 43% so the intake and exhaust did help. After our son heard of my killing spree he offered up what we was germinating. We are back to the starting gate again. I am going to be using farmfox with just a hint molasses.

My main box is 2x4x6, I got a 400w daul ballister and 2 bulbs. that should take care of the veg and flower stages. I have 2 intakes for air, 9 inch fans and I will be pulling the air from the kitchen, right above the corner of the basement that the box is in. For the exhaust I got an exhaust fan that can pull 85cfm (hopefully that will be enough). Which will be exhaust to the other end of the basement, ONA here we come. The lights are adjustable in both boxes. I don't have everything in place in the main box yet, will be working on finishing that up next.

Any insight as to what may of happen with the first trail and about my boxes will be greatly appreciated.

[6951A]

Originally Posted by Old

Hiya All,

After reading and researching this is what I came up with for my build.

I am going with a 2 part grow system.

The first part is the seed/clone/starter box.
It is 2x2x3, I am running 2-2 bulb(4 bulbs total) fixtures of T5's. I have a 4 inch fan for air movement inside the box. There was some light showing thru the corners but I took care of that today since I had to modify my box today. I origanaly did not have an intake and a exhuast port on the box but that was the modifcation I had to do today. As you will see in the pic's there is none. The plants in the box is bag seed, figured I'd start with that and hopefully learn from my mistake before I get some good seeds. After I had put the plants in the box after about 8 hours they pretty much curled up and withered. Hence the intake and exhaust. I didn't put a fan on the intake but I do have a 4 inch fan pushing the exhaust. The temp and hum before was 80f and 40% the temp after is 78f and 43% so the intake and exhaust did help. After our son heard of my killing spree he offered up what we was germinating. We are back to the starting gate again. I am going to be using farmfox with just a hint molasses.

My main box is 2x4x6, I got a 400w daul ballister and 2 bulbs. that should take care of the veg and flower stages. I have 2 intakes for air, 9 inch fans and I will be pulling the air from the kitchen, right above the corner of the basement that the box is in. For the exhaust I got an exhaust fan that can pull 85cfm (hopefully that will be enough). Which will be exhaust to the other end of the basement, ONA here we come. The lights are adjustable in both boxes. I don't have everything in place in the main box yet, will be working on finishing that up next.

Any insight as to what may of happen with the first trail and about my boxes will be greatly appreciated.

I would recommend you upgrade your intake/exhaust fans. move that 85 CFM to intake, and buy a 200+ CFM inline fan for your exhaust. make sure you get good inline fans, not booster fans.

[Old Hopeful]

Thanks for the reply. I'll start looking into what I need and adjust it. Thinking of going with 2 more of the exhaust type fans which will bring me to roughly 255 CFM. Will the 2-9 inch fans going with 6 inch duct be enough for the intake or will I need more?

[pine boy]

What brand of soil were the seedlings in?They resemble a miricle grow attempt.Make your own soil mix or find a mix without any nutes in it to start the young ones out on.When seedling get about 2 weeks I pot into something with food in it.
Good move on the added ventilation.

[doughboy]

Nice Box, I tried post a message and an e mail said I had 48 hrs. to post so I'll try here ! Like to post a picture too, my box is a little bigger ! Have a great day ! doughboy

[Old Hopeful]

Thanks for the replies. I am using Premier Pro-Mix. Components are: Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss(75-85% by volume); Perlite; Limestone (for ph adjustment); Wetting Agent. We know the owrners of the nursey we want to and mention that I need some soil that didn't have any nutes and was sterilized, this is what they reccomended. When we put them in the box we did water with nutes 100ml per plant,am wondering if that didn't do the number on them. We are using foxfarm and the going by their feeding schedule. I had remember reading that you hould cut the recommened dosage in half, I had mention this to my wife when she made up the nutes. Just asked her how she made them up and she said she followed the instruction. Am thinking it was to much nutes when she made them up ( throws wife under the bus, not my oops). Not realizzing what was going on I drenched them in plain water (we have a well). The 2 biggest look like they are trying to make it, so we are going try and baby them back.

[DieAbetic]

looking good. yes the foxfarm needs to be put at 1/4-1/3 strength for new vegging plants, working up to half strength for end of veg and all of bloom. Pro-Mix is good. Watch your pH, especially going into flower. FoxFarm's TigerBloom can drop pH severely, BigBloom doesnt help much. make sure to have ph-up with you! (unless your water pH is high enough that the addition will make pH come down to 6.3-6.5)

[Old Hopeful]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Sorry it has taken awhile to reply back been out of town. Just got back, did grab my laptop and have an app on my blackberry that allows me to connect to internet as long as I have a cell singal. But am fining out that some sites don't like the ip address or something. it's no biggie I can work with.

Dieabetic, you mentioned that tigerbloom can drop pH severely and bigbloom doesnt help much. Is this into refence the PH or the plant in general?

Another quick question, my temp is around 77-80 and my humd is around 44-45. Should I try and get the temp down more and the humd up?

My son has been watching our babies while we was gone, in the next day or 2. I'll post some new pics, the one my wife trimmed back to saved are looking good and healthly. Got 5 blade leafs going on them.

[Old Hopeful]

Hiya GP,

So far everything is going good as far as I can tell. I picked up one of those moisture meters thingy and tried it out and is showed dry, below the number 1 (if that is possible). So this morning I watered with 1/4 strength grow big. I had read or seen a video on how much water/nutes to apply when needed, so I watered each one a 100ml. After I had watered them I measured again and this time it showed the needle between 1 & 2, which to me is still dry but am afraid of over watering so I left it. Then out of curiosity I put the probe into straigh water and the needle was between 2 & 3. Wondering how much wetter does it have to be to show the needle at 4 for wet. The range is 1 to 4 on the meter part, did i get one that is to cheap? I only paid 6 dollars for it.

Here are some pictures after we transplanted the seedlings into 4 inch pots. They were 10 days old when we did that. Also when we did that my temp was around 78-80 and my hum was around 45%. Now that they are in the pots my temps are 79-80 and my hum is around 50%. Don't think I need the humidifier that I brought now.

Also am putting in the pics from the first attemp and we ended up doing some emergency trimming and was able to save to of the frist trail, they are about 3 weeks old. Going to try and get the other one caught up and put them in the flowering box at the same time.

Again and info and insight is greatly appreciated.

[I8ntLucky_UR]

Hi there Old they are coming along. When you water them or feed/water you can give them enough so some trickles out the bottom. Then let them be for a few days maybe longer to dry out some then repeat. Watch the nutes you might still have some residual in the mix. Good luck with your grow.

[Old Hopeful]

Thanks, I'll do that. I also add some of grandma's molassas today as well.

Got a queation to throw out there.
Does it matter when you water? Say when the lights ... first comes on or when they go off. I been water about an half hour before they go off. The reason is because that is when I get home from work. I have the timer set so it is on before i leave and turns off just after I get home.

Thats for the insight and help...

[pine boy]

Hey Old,Its alot better to water when the lights first come on if you can swing it. If you water at lites out you are begging for trouble with mold.There is something about uptake and lights on too . I'm pretty sure when the lights come on your plants like to drink but i'm not a real botanist...I just play one for weed

[Old Hopeful]

Thanks pine, From this day forward the babies shall be water at sun up

Also how often should they get their salt dosage, once a week along with the malosses?

[Old Hopeful]

Hiya again am starting to think this thread should be in the grow journals instead of here..

Today, this afternoon after I woke up. Got thinking about the moisture tester and how it was acting. So I went and got a different kind and this one will also check the soil ph and light . Upon checking the moist it was up around 6-7 to wet I do believe , no more water for a couple of days. I guess the other one was just messed up and bad from the start. My soil ph is 7 a little to high i do believe, but is it something I should be real concerned about? Checked my water with the tester not sure on how accute it is but it showed ph at 7 as well. Waiting for the water tester to come in, figured what do I have to lose by trying it.

[jangel]

You can gradually raise the older ones up closer to the light. They look good sweetie. I would not feed those little ones yet at all. And only 1/4 strength for all of them. The temps and humidty are just fine. No worries !

[jangel]

I can move it if you like...just let me know. What salt are you talking about? I hope it is epsom salts. what kind of water are you using?

Peace

[Old Hopeful]

Thanks Jangel, the light is moveable, so I can lower it closer. Yes it is epsom salt and we are on well. There is a filter on it, but it is more for sand and junk like that. I did start feeding the little ones, but I'll stop. Give them another week or so, is that about right?

As for the move, where does this fit into? Newcomer question or journals?

I know I started out with a question/statement..lol, but now is it updates or still questions? A little of both if I think about it, so where ever you think it fits in the best is fine with me.

[theOMINOUS_BOTANIST]

Originally Posted by Old

Thanks Jangel, the light is moveable, so I can lower it closer. Yes it is epsom salt and we are on well. There is a filter on it, but it is more for sand and junk like that. I did start feeding the little ones, but I'll stop. Give them another week or so, is that about right?

As for the move, where does this fit into? Newcomer question or journals?

I know I started out with a question/statement..lol, but now is it updates or still questions? A little of both if I think about it, so where ever you think it fits in the best is fine with me.

yes the epsom salt is something i must learn about,, is it a flowering additive like mollasses?? keep us posted on the ladies,, peace..

[Hatch]

The Epsoms Salt Helps To Prevent Or To Get Rid Of Any Magnesium Deficiency, You Can Use It At Any Time Not Just In Flowering.


Old, look's Like Thing's Are Coming Along For Ya, Just A Thought, But Is This The Only Place You Could Have Your Box??, Being In This Picture The Box Is Right Beside That Fridge, & If Your Intake Is Sucking In The Ambient Air From Around This Area, It's Starting Out Hot, Fridges Put Off Alot Of Heat, If This Is The Only Place??,,Can You Duct Cooler Ambient Air In From Some Where Else??, It Would Lower Your Temp's In The Grow Box.
Is That Dual-400w. A Sealed Vented Hood??,,If So It Will Help If It Is Duct To Get Air From Outside The Grow Box & Then Exhausted Outside The Box As Well With It's Own Atleast 220cfm Fan.
Well, Best of Luck Wishes & Karma On Your Successful Grow!!!

[jangel]

Okay, you need to have the tops of the plant at the sweet spot where the light is just warm. Put your hand under the light, feel where it is just warm. not hot. Then move the tall ones there. Do this gradually. You can lower the light so it is just at that spot for the taller plants, then use something else to raise up the seedlings so their tops are at that spot. You can use anything for raising up the seedlings. I have used newspapers in tight fitting bags, about an inch or two thick, several of them. then as they grow taller, take some out. It is sturdy, and won't fall over on you. And recyclable.