400Watt Closet

[FarmToTable]

Hello everyone-

A while back I started my closet with some bag-seed thinking I would just run a few plants through it and work out the bugs. Well..I had a little timer issue and absolutely cooked my plants one night when the light didn't shut off. MAN, was that a sad sight....all shriveled up and dead

Well, it turns out this was an opportunity for me to do things a little better without waiting on the junk seeds to finish out...and probably herm before finish at that. My closet needed ventilation and I needed seeds.

Now im off to a fresh start. My closet is 2x3x8 and Im using 400W. I added an inlet fan in the bottom corner of my closet (think its like 260 CFM) and an exhaust fan (400CFM) that I hardly ever use...yet, in the ceiling. There is a window in the small room that houses this closet, so there is always cool fresh air being supplied to the room. As summer comes on, Ill add an AC in the room and utilize the exhaust fan to pull cool air through the room. So...heat and ventilation issues solved.

I used Attitude for my seeds. Because of the size of my closet I decided to go with some Autos to start. Bought HBD, Easy Rider, Top69...and received 2 Fem White Widdow and 1 Fem Amnesia with the order.

I'm growing in roots organics, and feeding with bio bud and happy frog. I germinate (and slightly amend the roots organic) with a locally made organic all purpose compost based potting mix.

Anyway...here are my plants. First grow...watering and feeding are up in the air but I really believe that the plants will talk to you and tell you when their ready So far...so good. I think?

The auto on the left is the easy rider (4 weeks old exactly) and the White Widow on the right (3 weeks old exactly). I just topped it, and cut a clone off. I have never cloned before but I cut a lower branch that had 2 nodes...probably should have waited for 3 or 4? Used a rooting gel and planted it. It it doesn't take its ok, Ill try again when they are a little further along. This little white widow is crazy...so short but so much growth.

Also. The single strain that has the most meaning to me and has made me fall in love with the art of growing is Friezeland. Anyone who knows this strain will understand why. I grew up around Frieze grows and nothing compares in my mind. I have two Frieze seeds germinating (in soil) and am planning on putting them outside. This is my first indoor grow, but I had some Frieze outdoor last year...HOLY TREES! Reeeeallly want these genes.

Few little questions before I go and try to remember how to post pics.

How can I maximize this small space? I feel like those pots are a little too big, and that I may be able to comfortable grow 4 plants in here...providing I keep them small.

When can I clone this White Widow and...any suggestions or advice on doing so?

Also- how much are T5 fixtures and what would I need for this closet if I wanted to get away from HID. Can I get MORE lumens using less power with T5?


Thanks guys- good to be back on here. :icon_smile:

 

[getnasty]

You might consider using grow bags, or smart pots. I personally modified fabric grocery bags to grow in and they work amazingly. One thing you need to be aware of is the theory floating about that auto's grow better in tall pots, rather than short, wide pots. The further the taproot can bury itself, the larger you stand a chance of your plants having a larger yield. The moficiations I make to the fabric grocery bags have them in a cylindrical form, and would be perfect for growing auto's in, I imagine. They would also help you maximize your space. With my fabric smart pots, you would be able to fit 4 of those auto's in there easily.

Fluoro's, on average, cost about $100-$150. It really depends on what you're going to get. Judging by your space, you're probably going to want a 2ft fixture. I know nothing about how many lumens a fluoro provides, so someone else will have to step in there as to how many bulbs you should look into for your vegging in your grow space. I do know that fluoro's are designed to take heat out of the equation. I don't think you're going to get more lumen power per square foot out of a fluoro than you will an HID, but you will definitely take heat out of the equation.

Also, I'm not too sure cloning an auto is going to be very successful for you. I've read mixed reviews about cloning auto's. They're not very prone to throwing roots, and being that they grow so quickly, cloning them is not exactly a necessity. Good luck in that venture, though!

 

[FarmToTable]

Sorry nasty- the one I cloned was the White Widow...fem but not auto. hope it takes. Thanks a lot for your post, very helpful.

 

[FarmToTable]

Also- I agree with the pot sizing. Next time I'll go with a narrower taller pot...just to get that initial tap root growth as deep and unrestricted as possible.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

You can clone autos, however, it is a useless endeavor since they have a set life span and a clone is the same biological age as the plant it came from, they do not have time to finish.

Your plants are looking great. Nice compact growth with close internodal spacing. When you can, take another clone of the WW. When the auto is done flowering, the WW and her clones can be put into 12/12. If you take clones from photoperiod plants, you can have about the same turnaround as autos have, but better yield and quality.

 

[FarmToTable]

You can clone autos, however, it is a useless endeavor since they have a set life span and a clone is the same biological age as the plant it came from, they do not have time to finish.

Your plants are looking great. Nice compact growth with close internodal spacing. When you can, take another clone of the WW. When the auto is done flowering, the WW and her clones can be put into 12/12. If you take clones from photoperiod plants, you can have about the same turnaround as autos have, but better yield and quality.

Think I can flower that White Widow in here? Is it possible to keep her as a mother under less powerful light and just flower a few clones off of her?

That auto has about 5 more weeks...that will be 8 weeks of Veg for the WW...problem?

 

[FarmToTable]

Also, when I clone her- am I just looking for lower branches that have 3 or 4 nodes...with plenty of room to be planted a couple inches in the soil? I cut the branch...dipped it in my "ez-clone rooting compound" and planted it in some warmed up and wet soil?

 

[getnasty]

Think I can flower that White Widow in here? Is it possible to keep her as a mother under less powerful light and just flower a few clones off of her?

That auto has about 5 more weeks...that will be 8 weeks of Veg for the WW...problem?

Consider LST'ing (tying her down) so she doesnt get too large. I also recommend supercropping as much as you can, and topping and/or fimming to make her bush out rather than grow up and away. You can keep her as a mother under less powerful light, no problem.

As far as cloning, you pretty much have it spot on. A lot of people don't like throwing straight into soil. Some prefer to use rapid rooters or peat pucks under a humidity dome. Clones need humidity to survive. Like 90%.

 

[FarmToTable]

Consider LST'ing (tying her down) so she doesnt get too large. I also recommend supercropping as much as you can, and topping and/or fimming to make her bush out rather than grow up and away. You can keep her as a mother under less powerful light, no problem.

As far as cloning, you pretty much have it spot on. A lot of people don't like throwing straight into soil. Some prefer to use rapid rooters or peat pucks under a humidity dome. Clones need humidity to survive. Like 90%.

I topped her for the first time yesterday. Now I just wait for the 2 new tops to grow for a while and top those correct? What is fimming?

As for tying her down I definitely want to do that, I think she may be a bit short now but then again...never to early to start training her right ? Gradually?

I will have to buy a little greenhouse dome...with summer not being in full effect yet where I am, my humidity is around 15- 20%. The clone I cut didn't take but it was my first attempt. Will let her grow a little more and take another one or two.

Still waiting on the frieze to pop... I'm most excited about this strain. :icon_smile: :48:

 

[getnasty]

I topped her for the first time yesterday. Now I just wait for the 2 new tops to grow for a while and top those correct? What is fimming?

As for tying her down I definitely want to do that, I think she may be a bit short now but then again...never to early to start training her right ? Gradually?

I will have to buy a little greenhouse dome...with summer not being in full effect yet where I am, my humidity is around 15- 20%. The clone I cut didn't take but it was my first attempt. Will let her grow a little more and take another one or two.

Still waiting on the frieze to pop... I'm most excited about this strain. :icon_smile: :48:

How big is she? I dont' see a picture of her posted above. You'll want to start tying down at about 4-5 true nodes. Once it gets that large, bend the stem to the side, and tie it in place with pipe cleaner. Not too tight, stem needs to be able to move. As the top growths keep coming, keep tying them down next to the right. Eventually you'll complete the ring before throwing her into flower. Also, make sure she's in her final pot if you plan on transplanting, before you tie her down. It'll save the headache.

You can Top and FIM as much as you want. Topping is cutting the new growth off of the plant, causing it to throw 2 cola's instead of continuing with the one. FIM stands for "F--k I Missed". Once upon a time, someone was topping a plant and didnt get all of it. Rather than take another cut at it, they let it continue to grow, and noticed that more than 2 cola's sprang forth when the plant recovered. You basically take 80% of the top growth off by pinching out the nub opf new growth in the middle and leave the outside growth. It really bushes your plants out and stops vertical growth somewhat... atleast slows it down significantly.

For cloning, you're definitely going to want a dome. It doesnt have to be a big one, for your closet. I'd consider like 4-5 starter cubes. Might even get away with some sort of clear tupperware container. I used one to get started... the key with clones is that they need to be kept in a humid environment moreso than they need light, so obstructing the light feed to the plant with a translucent humidity dome, rather than a transparent one, wont give you any issues. My humidity was the same as yours, and under the dome, my humidity was 90%.

 

[Locked]

Plants look good...green mojo bro.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I don't think that just having an open window in the adjacent room is going to be enough fresh air. You actually need to exchange air--out with the old and in with the new. You are going to need to use an exhaust fan to get air exchange.

 

[FarmToTable]

I agree. I have a 400CFM in the ceiling.

 

[HomieDaGrower]

I agree. I have a 400CFM in the ceiling.

Yes, but instead of your intake fan being on, you should run the exhaust fan, and let the intake be passive.

HomieHogleg

 

[FarmToTable]

Agreed. That's the idea. Just haven't started using it. There's a pretty strong coastal breeze in the window all day long which has really worked well. Going to start using the fan very soon.

Thanks all

 

[FarmToTable]

At this point shouldn't the Easy Rider smell pretty strongly? Also..what can I do to ensure bud density and growth ( other than feeding)?

 

[FarmToTable]

How big is she? I dont' see a picture of her posted above. You'll want to start tying down at about 4-5 true nodes. Once it gets that large, bend the stem to the side, and tie it in place with pipe cleaner. Not too tight, stem needs to be able to move. As the top growths keep coming, keep tying them down next to the right. Eventually you'll complete the ring before throwing her into flower. Also, make sure she's in her final pot if you plan on transplanting, before you tie her down. It'll save the headache.

You can Top and FIM as much as you want. Topping is cutting the new growth off of the plant, causing it to throw 2 cola's instead of continuing with the one. FIM stands for "F--k I Missed". Once upon a time, someone was topping a plant and didnt get all of it. Rather than take another cut at it, they let it continue to grow, and noticed that more than 2 cola's sprang forth when the plant recovered. You basically take 80% of the top growth off by pinching out the nub opf new growth in the middle and leave the outside growth. It really bushes your plants out and stops vertical growth somewhat... atleast slows it down significantly.

For cloning, you're definitely going to want a dome. It doesnt have to be a big one, for your closet. I'd consider like 4-5 starter cubes. Might even get away with some sort of clear tupperware container. I used one to get started... the key with clones is that they need to be kept in a humid environment moreso than they need light, so obstructing the light feed to the plant with a translucent humidity dome, rather than a transparent one, wont give you any issues. My humidity was the same as yours, and under the dome, my humidity was 90%.

When I take this next clone or two...any branch with 3-4 nodes? And with the FIM. ... Is it like topping but a little more aggressive ? Pretty sure I see where to FIM. It would basically be the whole top including the two new tops from when I topped her (WW) a few days ago.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

FIM is like topping, but far LESS aggressive--more like a mini topping. I suggest that you google FIM and topping to see the difference before you do anything. I would also let her recover from her topping before I did anything else to her.

There is little you can do to better yield from an auto other than keep her as stress free as possible her whole life. Any time she is stressed, she quits producing and repairs herself. Since they live only x number of days, you want no non-productive time.

I have some strains that don't smell much at all. I have never grown LR, so I don't know about her odor level. However, using your exhaust fan instead of a window will create negative pressure and keep the smells from escaping.

 

[FarmToTable]

Thank you THG..definitely losing a lot of odor through the exhaust fan. We will see how she turns out I guess...seems a little slow and not very potent, then again she's only 30 days old.

As far as the topping and fiming goes...definitely going to allow her to recover from the recent topping as you advise. Think the next thing I'll do is attempt to get a few clones...successfully. Think I finally have the right idea of how to do it.

Also, ordered a T5 yesterday for a separate closet which I'm pretty happy about. I really want to flip some WW...killing me tying up all of my space under 24hr lt because of this auto. It may be my last. I have like 15 more auto fem seeds...will be doing them in trash cans outside.

Thanks for all your advice

 

[Skool]

I hope there are going to be lots of pictures