first indoor grow

[samandwendy]

I would'nt start any more if you still only have 16in x 4ft grow space.
And you will want some kind of ventilation going.
Even little computer fan would work.
I would'nt use any nutes yet-FFOF has plenty. I use it and I did'nt give any nutes till mine were in flower stage. Looks Indica Dominant to me-nice and green.

Gb

I should have put in more of an update on the grow area.
We decided to go against making a box and instead, we are using a small side of our closet to grow. It's about 2' x 4' x 6'.
I plan on using the other side of the closet for a flowering area.
As far as nutes go, I figured I shouldn't use any until I started flowering. I was going to
go with FF big bloom (I think that's what it's called).

I do have a fan running off and on in there for ventilation, keeping gnats away, and to help build the strength of the stem.

 

[GeezerBudd]

Is the fan bringing fresh air in?

 

[samandwendy]

Is the fan bringing fresh air in?

yeah, it seems to be. i keep one door to my closet open and the window in my room open to try keep things circulating.

 

[GeezerBudd]

yeah, it seems to be. i keep one door to my closet open and the window in my room open to try keep things circulating.

You will need to have some light-proof ventilation.
Unless you are growing auto type.
Can't remember the size space you got but set it up with one fan bringing air in and another exhausting.
The one bringing in air usually toward bottom and exhaust up close to top.
Then you can have a small circulator inside the closet.
The fans don't necessarily have to run 24/7 either-I found that out.
Use some ducting or baffles to hold out light.
That way you can open the window when you want to and keep the closet closed.
Hope this helps.
Keep it green.

Gb

 

[samandwendy]

I'll definitely have to look into that. +rep added.
I was thinking about moving the plant to a fully enclosed closet that gets absolutely no light when I start flowering. Would moving it everyday stress it out or cause harm?
Otherwise, I'm going to have to figure something out with the light issue. (keeping light out)

 

[Hick]

go with FF big bloom (I think that's what it's called).

"TIGER" bloom is FF flowering nutrient, Big bud is only a supplement. If you are only going to use one, I recommend TB.
Flowering requires 12 hours of total darkness, and plants will have to be moved 'precisely' daily for 8+ weeks. A more difficult chore than you might expect.
You're better off with a light proof area and a timer, believe me.

 

[maineharvest]

Looks very healthy to me but not very much growth for being a month old. Maybe the transplant stunted her a little bit. What will you be using for lights during flower stage?

 

[GeezerBudd]

Yes I forgot about timers, another very important aspect.



Gb

 

[samandwendy]

All great ideas. I will have to rig up something that's light proof. I would rather not move them, but it seemed to be the simplest thing to do. I'm going all CFL on this one. 2700k for flowering. A timer is a def must have as well.
I thought about getting an hps system, but I just don't have the funds for that.
I'm also trying to decide on FF big bloom or tiger bloom. Any recommendations on which works better?
Updated pictures of "beatrix" and 3 more I started from bagseed.
wow. My wife just showed me that beatrix has doubled in growth in the past 5 days!

 

[samandwendy]

getting a little impatient (I might kick myself in the *** for this one), but I'm going to start flowering next week.

 

[dirtyolsouth]

Hi,

I think your plant looks VERY healthy... You've got great soil and it's only going to take a gentle nudge from the nute bottle to get the best results. Ideally, if you can afford it you should get the Tiger Bloom for the base nute and also Big Bloom... Like the wise Hick said, TB is the base nute and if you have to go with only one or the other go with TB only... NOT BB... Big Bloom works well with TB and acts as a catalyst and gives the plant some PK boost + micronutrients...

Since your soil is rich in organic amendments like worm castings and bat guano you should be fine giving her only water until flowering and then only feed nutes every third watering... feed, water, water, feed, water, water, etc... I'd also suggest going with 1/4 to 1/2 strength nutes and slowly increase if you don't see any nute burn on the new leaf tips.

Your most limiting factor right now is the CFLs... But it will be good for you to go through a bloom cycle and see what it's capable of. If you live in a med mj state you could check Craigslist for used HID lighting or if you're near a hydro store they often have store demo models with low use that they sell for a big discount.

Even though you're buggin' to start flowering I'd let it grow another 3-4" and remove some of the lower branches to allow more air movement around the soil and through the canopy. You could also take a clone from the plant from the lower branches if you clear them out too.... Waste not, want not! Why not let it grow another week, do some pruning/take clones and then give it 5-7 days to bounce back from the pruning and then put it into 12/12... Patience... Patience.... Or, you could put into 12/12, then do your pruning around a week into 12/12 and the pruning stress will slow down the plants s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g during week 2. Pruning can be a very useful tool...

Good luck!

Peace!

 

[samandwendy]

Hi,

I think your plant looks VERY healthy... You've got great soil and it's only going to take a gentle nudge from the nute bottle to get the best results. Ideally, if you can afford it you should get the Tiger Bloom for the base nute and also Big Bloom... Like the wise Hick said, TB is the base nute and if you have to go with only one or the other go with TB only... NOT BB... Big Bloom works well with TB and acts as a catalyst and gives the plant some PK boost + micronutrients...

Since your soil is rich in organic amendments like worm castings and bat guano you should be fine giving her only water until flowering and then only feed nutes every third watering... feed, water, water, feed, water, water, etc... I'd also suggest going with 1/4 to 1/2 strength nutes and slowly increase if you don't see any nute burn on the new leaf tips.

Your most limiting factor right now is the CFLs... But it will be good for you to go through a bloom cycle and see what it's capable of. If you live in a med mj state you could check Craigslist for used HID lighting or if you're near a hydro store they often have store demo models with low use that they sell for a big discount.

Even though you're buggin' to start flowering I'd let it grow another 3-4" and remove some of the lower branches to allow more air movement around the soil and through the canopy. You could also take a clone from the plant from the lower branches if you clear them out too.... Waste not, want not! Why not let it grow another week, do some pruning/take clones and then give it 5-7 days to bounce back from the pruning and then put it into 12/12... Patience... Patience.... Or, you could put into 12/12, then do your pruning around a week into 12/12 and the pruning stress will slow down the plants s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g during week 2. Pruning can be a very useful tool...

Good luck!

Peace!

+rep

It never ceases to amaze me the wealth of knowledge I find on here. MUCH better than that "other" forum.
I planned on doing exactly what you said about the nute schedule. Most likely going with TB.
I have been to the hydro store and looked on craigslist for hps systems, but they are all a little out of my price range. Maybe in the future that would be something to invest in.
I thought about cloning in the past, but I was unsure of my knowledge and capabilities to do so. I think I will give it a try if you suggest pruning some lower branches. One thing I am a little concerned about is, when I look at the plant, some of the lower branches have what look like pre-flowers starting and I'm afraid of snipping them and losing bud. Although, from the reading I've done, what I take off will then transfer to the top cola or nugs.
Now to start studying the stickies on cloning and pruning. :hubba:

 

[dirtyolsouth]

Now to start studying the stickies on cloning and pruning. :hubba:

wow... You ARE going to be some good growers samandwendy! I'll rep THAT statement! What a rarity...


HEY EVERYONE! Did you SEE what samandwendy said? WOW!

People around here LOVE to help growers who really want to up their game. Marijuana Passion indeed. If you're willing to do a little work yourself we'll be more than happy to try to fill the gaps in your knowledge as they come up... What goes around comes around and if you aren't helping anyone in this world even in some small way... what ARE you doing, right?

Happy Growing!

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

+rep

It never ceases to amaze me the wealth of knowledge I find on here. MUCH better than that "other" forum.
I planned on doing exactly what you said about the nute schedule. Most likely going with TB.
I have been to the hydro store and looked on craigslist for hps systems, but they are all a little out of my price range. Maybe in the future that would be something to invest in.
I thought about cloning in the past, but I was unsure of my knowledge and capabilities to do so. I think I will give it a try if you suggest pruning some lower branches. One thing I am a little concerned about is, when I look at the plant, some of the lower branches have what look like pre-flowers starting and I'm afraid of snipping them and losing bud. Although, from the reading I've done, what I take off will then transfer to the top cola or nugs.
Now to start studying the stickies on cloning and pruning. :hubba:

I don't think that your plant is nearly old enough to have preflowers--you are probably seeing new growth. But, yes, when you start snipping branches, you will be taking away bud sites--however, that is the plan :hubba:. CFLs have little penetrating power and the lower buds will not really get enough light to develop well. A plant is basically going to produce x number of grams based on things like light, nutes, and other growing conditions. It can either grow these grams as a larger top cola or a lot of smaller popcorn buds. I would follow the schedule that DOS laid out.

 

[samandwendy]

I don't think that your plant is nearly old enough to have preflowers--you are probably seeing new growth. But, yes, when you start snipping branches, you will be taking away bud sites--however, that is the plan :hubba:. CFLs have little penetrating power and the lower buds will not really get enough light to develop well. A plant is basically going to produce x number of grams based on things like light, nutes, and other growing conditions. It can either grow these grams as a larger top cola or a lot of smaller popcorn buds. I would follow the schedule that DOS laid out.

Will do. In all honesty, I'm nervous about pruning and cloning. Afraid I might screw something up.
But, it's a learning process right?

 

[dirtyolsouth]

HI,

Yeah I understand... the thought of chopping off a branch is giving you WAY more stress than it will ever give your baby! Marijuana as well as most plants in the world are amazingly resilient. If you only remove a small percentage of the growth the plant will not have any visible effect other than the removed vegetation. It may slow down growth for a few days or so and then it picks up right where it left off. I don't like to prune in weeks 3 & 4 which studies have shown is when plants are most prone to stress producing more males from seedlings so I wait until I'm well into week 5 or so before pruning.

This is your first grow. I think it's good for many growers to go through a 'natural' grow and flower the plant as it naturally develops into a small 'Christmas tree' shape. You can see that the buds on the top of the plant will be the most developed and the lower and more shaded the buds are on the plant the lower the quality and bud development. Since you are only using CFL's if you let it go natural you won't get much quality yield. The CFL's can only do so much... If you want to take leap of faith and give a couple techniques a try... We can suggest canopy management strategies that you can get the best possible results with your CFL setup....

Imho... your best option is to use a three step approach: Top, Lollipop and SCROG that plant... You can 'top' the plant to limit vertical growth on the mainstem and then you pick 4-6 of the best developing branches on the plant to let grow and remove the rest of the branches. SCROG means using a 'SCReen Of Green' technique where you put a screen made of i.e. chicken/rabbit wire with 1/5 - 2" holes. You veg the plant until the screen is just about full and then switch to 12/12 and all the bud sites will get equal access to the light and you can keep the light within and inch or two of your developing canopy.

Your plant is a really nice dense indica dom plant. It looks like you may have I'm guessing 6-8 developing branches and the growing tip. Just above the 7th or 8th branch/node I would 'pinch' or "Top" the mainstem on the plant. I'd remove the lower 2-4 branches and use those as clones and then let the remaing 4-6 branches grow to become the new mainstems. You'd then put a screen of wire attached to a i.e. 2' x 2' frame made out of 1" x 1" wood and hang it or support it so it sits over your plant and then you'll train the growth so it fills up the screen...

Or just let it go as is and see what happens! Either way is cool but at least you're aware of the options and the probable results.

Happy Growing!

 

[samandwendy]

HI,

Yeah I understand... the thought of chopping off a branch is giving you WAY more stress than it will ever give your baby! Marijuana as well as most plants in the world are amazingly resilient. If you only remove a small percentage of the growth the plant will not have any visible effect other than the removed vegetation. It may slow down growth for a few days or so and then it picks up right where it left off. I don't like to prune in weeks 3 & 4 which studies have shown is when plants are most prone to stress producing more males from seedlings so I wait until I'm well into week 5 or so before pruning.

This is your first grow. I think it's good for many growers to go through a 'natural' grow and flower the plant as it naturally develops into a small 'Christmas tree' shape. You can see that the buds on the top of the plant will be the most developed and the lower and more shaded the buds are on the plant the lower the quality and bud development. Since you are only using CFL's if you let it go natural you won't get much quality yield. The CFL's can only do so much... If you want to take leap of faith and give a couple techniques a try... We can suggest canopy management strategies that you can get the best possible results with your CFL setup....

Imho... your best option is to use a three step approach: Top, Lollipop and SCROG that plant... You can 'top' the plant to limit vertical growth on the mainstem and then you pick 4-6 of the best developing branches on the plant to let grow and remove the rest of the branches. SCROG means using a 'SCReen Of Green' technique where you put a screen made of i.e. chicken/rabbit wire with 1/5 - 2" holes. You veg the plant until the screen is just about full and then switch to 12/12 and all the bud sites will get equal access to the light and you can keep the light within and inch or two of your developing canopy.

Your plant is a really nice dense indica dom plant. It looks like you may have I'm guessing 6-8 developing branches and the growing tip. Just above the 7th or 8th branch/node I would 'pinch' or "Top" the mainstem on the plant. I'd remove the lower 2-4 branches and use those as clones and then let the remaing 4-6 branches grow to become the new mainstems. You'd then put a screen of wire attached to a i.e. 2' x 2' frame made out of 1" x 1" wood and hang it or support it so it sits over your plant and then you'll train the growth so it fills up the screen...

Or just let it go as is and see what happens! Either way is cool but at least you're aware of the options and the probable results.

Happy Growing!

You freakin' rock, dude. thanks a bunch.

 

[GeezerBudd]

I'm also trying to decide on FF big bloom or tiger bloom. Any recommendations on which works better?

You can use both.
You use Big Bloom from cutting stage on.
Use tiger bloom after transition to flowering stage.
There is a feeding schedule on the Fox Farm website I beleive.

Hope this helps.

Gb

 

[samandwendy]

It's been about a week or so since my last update and so far everything is going smoothly. Still contemplating topping and cloning, but I'm still not sure if I will or not. Most likely, since this is our first grow, I'll let it go on its own just for the experience.
These are all from bagseed and it appears that the new ones are sativa dominant. It would be cool to have 2 different strains going.
I haven't changed anything up on this grow. Still have it on a 24hr schedule, still in the same soil, and under the same lights. Don't fix it if it ain't broken, right?

Also, if you look closely at the seedlings, there seems to be some yellow spotting on the leaves. Thinking this might be from the soil, but I'm not sure. More reading.
Any thoughts?

 

[frankcos]

nice looking plants.give topping a try on one of em it is neat to see the results.I went topping crazy on one plant looks pretty cool.