My First Setup - Tips and Advice Appreciated!

[SpikedCola]

So, after doing some research and watching the J Cervantes Growing Guide that a friend gave me, this is what Ive come up with in our apartment closet.

The hanging light is a 180w sodium lamp, and the white stuff on top of the soil is diatomaceous earth (to kill the goddamn fungus gnats that decided to take over). Everything in the room is meant to be collapsable and reversable in the event that we move. The legs are detachable from the light holder, and longer legs can be added to raise the light up when the plants grow.

The plan over the next week or so is to move from the closet to our washroom (a spare washroom off the master bedroom) so it is less obvious, and because there is water and a vent in the bathroom (each apartment unit has its own outside exhaust).

We are currently in the midst of setting up a better ventilation system in the bathroom, and once that is done, and we pick up a pair of metal halide lights, we will move to the washroom.

Just as a little sidenote, I grew up on a farm, so i have a bit of experience with plants and stuff, but not on this small of a scale, and not nearly this controlled. Im also looking at setting up a drip irrigation system.

If you have any comments or suggestions or constructive criticism, Id love to hear it, as Im sure my setup can be improved. Thanks for taking the time to read this!

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Your plants are stretching really bad because the light is way too far away. You also need to get a fan blowing on your plants. Exactly what kind of light do you have? Is it a high pressure sodium (I have newer seen a 180W HPS)? How many lumens is it putting out? You should have some kind of reflective enclosure around your plants so that the light is reflected back rather than being disbursed throughout the entire room.

 

[stevetosh]

as above, whats all the black stuff stuck to the fly "trap" sticky thing?
as you say you are a farmer, I suspect cattle not vegtables! If I am honest your plants look bad, as said they have satreched to find light, your best to get rid and start again, if you can , if not your going to do a lot and I mean a lot of bending because when you go to flower they will be enormous, start again lower the light get more watts! IMHO.

 

[stevetosh]

the book by Cervantes is excellent, i know that book, and no where does it say to "and the white stuff on top of the soil is diatomaceous earth (to kill the goddamn fungus gnats that decided to take over)" do that, what ever they are, if your environment is good you will have no issues, period!
IMHO

 

[SpikedCola]

Your plants are stretching really bad because the light is way too far away. You also need to get a fan blowing on your plants. Exactly what kind of light do you have? Is it a high pressure sodium (I have newer seen a 180W HPS)? How many lumens is it putting out? You should have some kind of reflective enclosure around your plants so that the light is reflected back rather than being disbursed throughout the entire room.

Attached is a picture of the plate on the side of the lamp. Its very hard to make out, but (the important stuff - stuff thats not just serial numbers) says:
Volts: 120v
Cycles: 60Hz
Amp: 3.2A
Watt: 170w
Max Lamp Watts: 180w

I cant make out what "lamp type" says, but it appears to be a model number.

Good to know about the light height! I will definately bring it down (but not so close as to burn the plants). Im not sure how many lumens that is. It has a metal reflector inside the case to reflect light downwards, but I plan on getting a Metal Halide lamp with a parabolic reflector, so Im not too concerned about trying to fix this light. Im also working on getting a fan for the room, and possibly two for when we move them.

as above, whats all the black stuff stuck to the fly "trap" sticky thing?
as you say you are a farmer, I suspect cattle not vegtables! If I am honest your plants look bad, as said they have satreched to find light, your best to get rid and start again, if you can , if not your going to do a lot and I mean a lot of bending because when you go to flower they will be enormous, start again lower the light get more watts! IMHO.
--SNIP--
the book by Cervantes is excellent, i know that book, and no where does it say to "and the white stuff on top of the soil is diatomaceous earth (to kill the goddamn fungus gnats that decided to take over)" do that, what ever they are, if your environment is good you will have no issues, period!
IMHO

The "black stuff" stuck to the fly tape is a mass of fungus gnats. This is the second time Ive grown anything in store-bought soil, and the second time I have had them. After doing some research, I learned that they can come from overwatering the soil. Both times I purchased different kinds of soil, and I have eliminated every other place they could have come from.

Diatomaceous earth is (long story short) made as an ant killer. It is very very dry, and you put it on the top of the soil. As the gnat larvae try to climb to the surface, the earth sucks the water from them and they die of dehydration. The presence of them is most likely caused by me overwatering the soil, so I have scaled back how much water I give them.

As per your farmer post, comment! I (my family) used to grow corn, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and cauliflower, among other things. However, there is a difference between seeding 300 acres of sweetcorn on plastic, using drip irrigation (with a 500 gallon tank of fertalizer), and letting the sun provide the light, and growing a plant in a very controlled, small-scale manner. I realize a lot of things may be ridiculously simple to you, and I may be making some very obvious errors, but keep in mind - Im new to this! Im not used to having to regulate light height, time, etc - the sun always did it for me!

--

Now, both of you have mentioned that the plants are stretching to find light. Instead of starting over, would it also be possible to prune the plants back, and lower the light? I would rather not start completely over if at all possible. One last question - what is the best amount of time to leave the light on during vegatative growth? Ive read that you can leave it on for anywhere from 16h to a full 24h. Which is the "best" and why? I know for flowering you need 12h of light and 12h of continuous dark.

 

[scatking]

You might be able to work with the shorter plants, but the two on the outside are going to be a challenge at best. I like 18/6 for vegetative light, you will hear many differing opinions here at MP. Many feel mj needs some down time to do whatever plants do in the dark. With that 180 watter, you should be able to get the light within 8 inches or so without burning - use your hand as a guide. If it feel uncomfortably warm raise it up a few inches. I can get my 400 watt HPS with a glass lens to within a foot very easily.

When you buy that new reflector, be sure it has a pebbled finish. The polished units can generate hat spots and don't do a great job of equally diffusing the light. Good luck and have FUN!!

 

[astrobud]

i see the lights have been coverd but what kind of light bulb is it, how many lumens? kelvin range. what kind of soil? that may have something to do with the nats or whatever they are.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

You really need to know what kind of light you are using. Your light has a whole lot to do with your yield. I like 24/7 for vegging. MJ will grow all the time that it has light--there is no need for a dark period.

 

[SpikedCola]

You might be able to work with the shorter plants, but the two on the outside are going to be a challenge at best. I like 18/6 for vegetative light, you will hear many differing opinions here at MP. Many feel mj needs some down time to do whatever plants do in the dark. With that 180 watter, you should be able to get the light within 8 inches or so without burning - use your hand as a guide. If it feel uncomfortably warm raise it up a few inches. I can get my 400 watt HPS with a glass lens to within a foot very easily.

When you buy that new reflector, be sure it has a pebbled finish. The polished units can generate hat spots and don't do a great job of equally diffusing the light. Good luck and have FUN!!

Thank you for the great tips! Ill drop the light down to where you suggested, and Ill keep an eye out for a pebbled reflector instead of a polished one when we pick one up!

You really need to know what kind of light you are using. Your light has a whole lot to do with your yield. I like 24/7 for vegging. MJ will grow all the time that it has light--there is no need for a dark period.

We shut down the light to lower it down so I will check the bulb and report back asap!

i see the lights have been coverd but what kind of light bulb is it, how many lumens? kelvin range. what kind of soil? that may have something to do with the nats or whatever they are.

Working on the bulb. Here is the soil we used:
(since Im not allowed to post links, type homedepot[dot]ca and add this after
/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=930213&Ntt=930213&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=0&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

 

[SpikedCola]

Strange! I looked on the bulb and there wasnt a single marking. Im sure its a sodium lamp, but other than what I posted, I dont know anything else. I have exams next week, and then I have a month and a half off school, so assuming they survive until next week, I will have lots more time to set up the new room properly.

For now, Ive lowered the light as per the attached picture. We dont have anything to cut the old legs with at the moment so we used some old desk boards for temporary legs. They seem to work quite well, and keep the board around thigh-high. It looks farther in the pictures, but the light is exactly a foot from the canopies. I also trimmed the tall plants; hopefully they wont shoot up so fast and will bulk up. A fan is coming soon!

Im the kind of person who loves to learn, so keep the great suggestions coming!

 

[godspeedsuckah]

Are you flowering right now or vegging?

 

[godspeedsuckah]

As per your farmer post, comment! I (my family) used to grow corn, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and cauliflower, among other things. However, there is a difference between seeding 300 acres of sweetcorn on plastic, using drip irrigation (with a 500 gallon tank of fertalizer), and letting the sun provide the light, and growing a plant in a very controlled, small-scale manner. I realize a lot of things may be ridiculously simple to you, and I may be making some very obvious errors, but keep in mind - Im new to this! Im not used to having to regulate light height, time, etc - the sun always did it for me!

I was milking cow titties before I was getting laid so I completely get where you are coming from.

 

[SpikedCola]

Are you flowering right now or vegging?
--SNIP--
I was milking cow titties before I was getting laid so I completely get where you are coming from.

Vegging. I wish I could flower them but I dont even know if theyre male or female yet - I got the seeds from my parents' (they dont separate the males and females, so what they grow is aweful, leafy, and full of seeds!). I dont want to spend money on expensive seeds right off the bat - Id like to learn on something I have many chances with first.

And Im glad to hear theres someone whos been in the same sitchyation that Im in - much easier to relate that way!

 

[kalikisu]

Hey spike that is the way to learn. I would not recommend jumping in and buying alot of equipment if you have not done this before. But buy equipment as you grow on. My first was some bag seed and it came out great. I started with one hps and a bunch of cfl's, one fan and orchid food. so get your feet wet first and happy growing.

 

[chris1974]

Just curious..... have you ever seen another indoor opp, or do any of your buddys have one by chance ?

 

[dirtyolsouth]

Hi,

Welcome to MP spike! You've come to a great forum for learning. Make sure you do lots of reading and the 'stickies' in each section have a ton of very useful info. Take your time and learn as much as you can. Take baby steps... From what I can see you've got a decent setup for getting some dirt under your fingernails. The color of the light in the pics looks red like hps spectrum but I've never seen a 180w either... What is the lamp and fixture manufactured for? Did you get it at a home improvement store? When you move into your next space try as THC suggests to make the walls tighter around your plants for reflectivity and more efficient use of your avaiable light. Some growers have removable reflective panels that can be pulled out to allow easy access to their plants.

If you get a good sized oscillating fan, one should be plenty but the more fans the merrier. Stagnate air invites bugs and fungus into your grow room. Keeping strong air movement in the grow room will even out the grow room temps, strengthen the plants and improve their transpiration which also helps the surface of your soil to thoroughly dry out between waterings. With good air movement throughout and over your canopy you'll be able to keep your light closer to your plants.

There are lots of options for lighting. If you live anywhere near an indoor gardening/hydroponics store you could stop by sometime to do some window shopping but don't let the salesman talk you into getting a bunch of stuff you don't know if you'll need. The more wattage of lights you get the more heat they will produce and that will require decent ventilation as will odor control.

You can 'pinch' or 'top' your plants, there's no need to scrap everything imho. This will be a great learning situation and you can take clones from these plants just in case they turn out nice in flowering and in future grows you'll have the control to flower them shorter and realize their full potential. Bag seed is a great place to start and I've had many strains I've kept in my grow for years that were bag seed. It's a mystery in a very small package. To control height you can prune the plant's mainstem above the two shoots that you'd like to become to the new dominant stems and it should help them bush out more. You can also consider bending and tying down branches or mainstems to control height too. If your plants are stretched too much the top bud sites will get most of the light and the lower buds on the plant won't get a chance to develop as well.

And you'll discover the challenge of dealing with odor once you get into flowering too. Look into investing in a carbon filter if you want a truly stealth grow space. It doesn't matter how well it's hidden in your home if the scent of skunk bud hits your guests in the face when you open your door.

Good Luck!

 

[purplephazes]

Hi,

Welcome to MP spike! You've come to a great forum for learning. Make sure you do lots of reading and the 'stickies' in each section have a ton of very useful info. Take your time and learn as much as you can. Take baby steps... From what I can see you've got a decent setup for getting some dirt under your fingernails. The color of the light in the pics looks red like hps spectrum but I've never seen a 180w either... What is the lamp and fixture manufactured for? Did you get it at a home improvement store? When you move into your next space try as THC suggests to make the walls tighter around your plants for reflectivity and more efficient use of your avaiable light. Some growers have removable reflective panels that can be pulled out to allow easy access to their plants.

If you get a good sized oscillating fan, one should be plenty but the more fans the merrier. Stagnate air invites bugs and fungus into your grow room. Keeping strong air movement in the grow room will even out the grow room temps, strengthen the plants and improve their transpiration which also helps the surface of your soil to thoroughly dry out between waterings. With good air movement throughout and over your canopy you'll be able to keep your light closer to your plants.

There are lots of options for lighting. If you live anywhere near an indoor gardening/hydroponics store you could stop by sometime to do some window shopping but don't let the salesman talk you into getting a bunch of stuff you don't know if you'll need. The more wattage of lights you get the more heat they will produce and that will require decent ventilation as will odor control.

You can 'pinch' or 'top' your plants, there's no need to scrap everything imho. This will be a great learning situation and you can take clones from these plants just in case they turn out nice in flowering and in future grows you'll have the control to flower them shorter and realize their full potential. Bag seed is a great place to start and I've had many strains I've kept in my grow for years that were bag seed. It's a mystery in a very small package. To control height you can prune the plant's mainstem above the two shoots that you'd like to become to the new dominant stems and it should help them bush out more. You can also consider bending and tying down branches or mainstems to control height too. If your plants are stretched too much the top bud sites will get most of the light and the lower buds on the plant won't get a chance to develop as well.

And you'll discover the challenge of dealing with odor once you get into flowering too. Look into investing in a carbon filter if you want a truly stealth grow space. It doesn't matter how well it's hidden in your home if the scent of skunk bud hits your guests in the face when you open your door.

Good Luck!

Awesome Bro ! Wonderful post ! Hey all !..This Dude is RIGHT ! cheers Dirty much appreciated ! Respect to you Bro ! Peace and Take care !

 

[godspeedsuckah]

Me personally I would get rid of that light since you are vegging and use either cfl's or some shop lights that would fit in your space and keep them right above your plants at 24 hours light. You should see a big difference in the stretching problem you are having. I can't believe that light is an hps but I could be wrong.

In a month's time if you have the extra cash get yourself a 400w hps and switch them over to 12/12 light.

 

[SpikedCola]

chris, no, Ive never seen a real setup in person - only in pictures.

Im not sure if its a "high-pressure" sodium, but its definately a sodium lamp. It has the warmup time and orange glow that screams "sodium lamp". It was originally used to light up the loading dock in our barn, but its been sitting for awhile, unused, so I snatched it. Thanks for all the tips by the way!

 

[reefin]

chris, no, Ive never seen a real setup in person - only in pictures.

Im not sure if its a "high-pressure" sodium, but its definately a sodium lamp. It has the warmup time and orange glow that screams "sodium lamp". It was originally used to light up the loading dock in our barn, but its been sitting for awhile, unused, so I snatched it. Thanks for all the tips by the way!

I agree, the orange glow screams high pressure sodium. Maybe a newer bulb or some compact florescent alongside that light might make your babies happier. I also agree with the above post that your going to want a 400w to flower them out to full potential.