Off to a shakey start

[oldsman]

I decided to try some indoor girls this winter.I built a 4x2 box in my shed hung a 600w light and threw the girls(3) in.It's not that easy as I am finding out.First I faced an electrical issue(not enough juice to run everything)which left me without a heater.Second,I over watered the girls that day before they went in the box.That night temps dipped to the low 30's and for a couple nights following which helped the girls start locking out nutrients.I have since then got a good heater in there for them,raised them off the floor a little so they aren't just sitting on the cold wood floor.They are slowly recovering from all I've put them through.I usually grow outdoors and it is completely different as I've already learned.The 3 girls are Swazi Skunk from Seedsman seeds. I have been running from clone all year long outside,but with that season ending I needed to set up inside to keep some going for next spring.Like I am finding out though it is a whole different game doing things inside.I still have a couple girls outside that had ice on them the other morning,getting close to harvest I think.

 

[4u2sm0ke]

sorry for your issues....allways best to test run rooms prior to use...Have ya got it fixed now?


take care and be safe

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Hope you have your issues taken care of. It can be a challenge to grow in a space like a shed. Is the shed well insulated?

 

[oldsman]

I am still working on some things but for the most part I can maintain temps from about 68F on nights that are in low 30's,to about 80F in the daytime.Humidity seems to be in the 50-60% range fairly constant.I'm still getting the girls over their issues but things are seeming to maintain a fairly good level.THG,the shed isn't insulated but so far the heater I use can keep the whole shed warm without being pushed.That was my electrical issue that is temperarily remedied with another 12g cord(borrowed).I am now working on my ventilation or lack of really.I am thinking of passive intakes in the floor(drilling holes).For exhaust,I'm not real sure.I'm looking at a 100cfm,4" inline fan,but i'm also thinking about setting it up so it might exhaust the whole 8x8 shed which could maybe help with temps in the summer too.Right now though things are looking ok and I'm confortable trying to continue,with help from you's here.

 

[4u2sm0ke]

oldsman...I been growing in my Shed for some time now...insolation is cheap..I remember when I froze the girls in the Shed early on...now I run lights 24/0..I dont grow in Shed in Summer way too hot...I use a 1240cfm to exhaust the entire Shed its hooked to temp controller...I have the flowering room in the center...it has 2@ 440cfm also on temp controllers...I installed a cadet a few years ago but since I been running veg 24/7 havent had too use....only issue I had with drilling holes in floor was they would get clogged...too affraid to drill large holes due to light leaking....I use 6 in duct with an "S" in the line...window screen strapped on inside keep some crap out...

take care and be safe

 

[oldsman]

Thanks 4U,the shed is far from being sealed,but not so leaky that I am have trouble keeping it warm.I'm in N.FL,and though we can get cold temps it's not what I would call harsh.I'm only trying to keep some smoke growing along with my clones through our hopefully short winter.I'm an outdoor grower myself,not very good but not bad,and haven't bought any in over 2 years,so this shed grow is just supplimental to keep my strain going.Plus,it gives me something to do in my spare time.I'm kinda making due with what I can as my budget is minimal at best after getting the new light.

 

[7greeneyes]

awesome ride if that's yours in your avi

 

[oldsman]

7,how I wish I had that car.I might 1 day.I love Oldsmobiles.I've had a few in my past and long for 1 in my future.

 

[ifsixwasnin9]

4x2 box is very small. They need some room to branch out. That's like a $75 hit on your electric bill every month. Did you insulate the box, as well? And box gets good ventilation and CO2? What size is shed? No one can see the light from the outside? Insulate the box and shed and then the box will stay several degrees warmer than the shed and cut down on electric bills a little.

This is interesting article on temp effects (75-90 deg) on water, light and CO2 absorption:
http://www.growing420.com/cannabis-temperature.php

 

[oldsman]

Alrighty,got the girls through their overwatered/lock-out,problem.They are looking good but I think the extra time it took to correct the problems before I flipped them is going to cause me some height issues.I've only got about 8 more inches i can raise my light and I don't think it will be enough.They are only 10 days into 12/12,what would it do to them if I was to bend them over at this stage of the game?How tall do most of you get them before flipping?I just put 3 more in to start 12/12 that are between 17-20" tall which is probaly going to work out just right.I can get my light up to about 80" which would be about 10" from the tops with a bit more growing left,I just don't think I can make it work without doing something to the girls.Any advice?





"

 

[7greeneyes]

mayhaps lst'em to the side a bit? like make the tops even w/ each other if that makes any sense by bending them over a bit.

 

[oldsman]

Here are my girls.Also my little cloning get-up.Sorry for the light being on.

 

[Hushpuppy]

Supercrop them puppies. That is what I have to do with mine if I let them get too tall before putting them into flower. Don't woirry, it won't hurt them and if the genetics are good you won't have any problerms with stress herming. Go from the tops down the stem about 10"(if the stem is too woody to crush between your fingers, then move back up till you find soft enough to crush) With the forefinger and thumb, gently crush the stem so that it softens up enough for the stem to bend over horizontal.

Do this to all of the tallest branches, then wait about 5 days or until the other branches shoot up by the ones you bent then do it again to those who are now the taller ones. Don't be surprised if within the 5 days, the bent over branches have either stood up or have turned up on the ends.

WARNING; if you do this and the first one "snaps" the branch, breaking the outer skin then it is too woody to SC at that point. You don't want to break the branch, only bend it. If it crimps a little, thats ok as it will heal itself.

When to flip; 17-20" is too tall for anything other than short and stubby growing indicas. Any Sativas or sativa dom hybrids, I wouldn't let go any higher than 15". I have Pineapple chunk from Barney's Farm and it is very "leggy". If I let it go taller than 10-12" before flipping then they end up in my lights and I have about the same 80" height.

 

[oldsman]

I had these bent over at one time then released them.These are Swazi Skunk from Seedsman and it's really good smoke.I will pinch them tomorrow and hopefully slow them down a little.The other ones that are around 20" have been pinched,but only the main stem so far,I'm not too worried about the little ones as I got time to deal with those.Only being 10 days into 12/12 I still have a ways to go on the big girls so I know I'm going to have to try something and pinching sounds like a good place to start.I've run this strain outdoors this past season and done pretty good with them.I decided to try to keep some clones going so I can run it again next season so I set up in my shed for a "small" winter grow.Now the biggest one is just 2" shy of 4 foot.I'm not complaining much though.I'll pinch the big girls in the morning.And you say to keep pinching the stems so they are about equal in height?Would tying them back over as before and as 7 suggests work as well at this stage?Will these things delay my harvest date by alot?

 

[Hushpuppy]

Yeah you can definitely tie them over to prevent them from standing back up. It shouldn't delay the harvest much if at all. At least to my experience, I haven't had any decernable delays.

My tents are almost comical from having garden wire strung everywhere. When I first put them in flower, I am having to tie them down, then toward the end I am having to tie them up because the buds are so heavy that they are breaking over the stems. Every time I say I am going to put a screen over them "next time", and for various reasons I don't do it and end up with garden wire everywhere :doh:

 

[oldsman]

I went out this morning and started pinching my girls.I don't think any broke just kinda crimped where they bent.How many times can I do this to them.Like when the ones I done today stand back up can I pinch them again if needed?I've done this on a few of my outside plants but usually only the main stem.This is the first time I've done side branches as well.This is my first run at inside and was thinking I could do 10-12 plants at a time.I can now see that it would be very very crowded.I'm thinking that 6-8 is going to be about my max with these Swazis.I'll know shortly as I have 6 in there now.I can also see that I'm going to have to use some kind of training to manage them.When you say "put a screen over them",you mean scrog?I was very tempted to do this to these about 2 weeks ago but having never done it and not really having a good understanding of exactly how,I didn't do it.I'm researching it to get a better idea of it and may try it on my next set.Some pics of what I done so far.

 

[Hushpuppy]

Yeah those look good. I wouldn't do it more than a couple times as it could overstress them if done too many times. I actually went and got a bunch of 1oz fishing sinkers from walmart and used the garden wire to tie the fishing sinker to the bent branches to hold them over so that they don't stand right back up. I have seen some stand up in 6hrs after bending over.

In my case the screen was more fore support than for scrog. Scrog is quite simple though. Go to the hardware store and ask for "hog fence" or "dog fence". What they will show you is a wire fence that has either 2"x4" openings or 4"x4" openings. Either will work, and it comes in 3',4',and 5' tall by 20' long (in rolls). Or you can get the string trellis net which is basically the same as the dog fence, just done in nylon string(the wire fense holds better as it doesn't give). then just build a table frame that sits just above where you want your plants to stop, and attach the "fence" or netting to that and set it over the plants. In you and my case now its too late, but on the next run you can figure for your plants to get about 2' high before coming into contact with the fence(screen) and then as the branches start to grow up through the screen you push them back under it so that they grow under the screen horizontally.

Some people have their screen ready but don't put it on them until they get a little over 2', then they supercrop(pinch and bend) the branches and set the screen at that point. that way the branches are already there and bent over, and the screen holds them bent as they recover. While the plants are stretching in flower, you have to continually push them back under the screen as they will try to turn up through it. Once they stop stretching and start flowering in earnest then you can let them come up through the screen.

 

[oldsman]

Thanks Hush! So you are saying that I shouldn't let these stand back up?It makes sense now that I think about it,if they stand back up then I'll have the same height issue(insert slap to the forehead here).Pinch and tie.Gotcha!

 

[Hushpuppy]

yep. Not only will you have the same problem if they get stood up, they will be tougher to bend over again as they will have repaired the damage and made the branch that much more stiff

 

[oldsman]

Amazing,Amazing plants they are.