Information Overload

[docfishwrinkle]

IMO just run cool floros in ur veg period. no need for warm. that side of the spectrum is for flower. if u need proof run ur veg under MH. ;-}

 

[PencilHead]

Lowe's sells a 4'x8' sheet of flat white plastic that's maybe 1/32" or so thick. I used it over the bland tiles in my grow room and it works perfectly--water proof, plants slide easily on it, very cleanable. I used a mild pesticide on the floor under it, taped it down around the edges and so far the only bugs I've found in there are dead ones. Luck.

 

[naturalhi]

$300! I buy 48" t-5/w fixtures for $17 each X 4 mounted on a piece of white 2'X4' aluminum panel (for reflection) /w a 1X4" wood spine for support. Or just white painted piece of wood panel 2'X4' +- to fit tubes. All the rest that one gets with those complete units is just fluff!>)

 

[mr.greengenes]

Fluff...and a UL rating. Some folks like to buy stuff that's been tested and rated as safe. Maybe just the dummies that don't want their house to burn down. I've done my own wiring and I'm not an electrician. But still, a quick glance at what merchandise costs is in order. I'm told that one can buy stuff cheaper at electrical supply houses if one knows what one wants.

Granted, there's a market for selling to newbies and shrewd profiteers exploit naivetee and ignorance.

 

[astrobud]

you have the attitude to do well young grasshopper, keep it green:watchplant: i really have nothing to add other than that

 

[cubby]

And get rid of that classical music......go Bob Marly

 

[Johnnyrotten123]

:yeahthat: Grateful Dead once in awhile will make your weed more "heady"!! While reading all the advice on how to set up a indoor growroom and "need" and "best" ways-So happy summer is here, throw a few clones in with rest of my garden and watch a tree grow, water, fert. once in awhile-done!
Listen to these guys, and read as much as u can on here. Good luck

 

[wargasm123]

UPDATE:

Thankyou all for the tips you've provided

I've got a question for you guys if ya don't mind. I've read on here in some thread (I think it was from caretaker?) that you can start the 12/12 light cycle right after seedling. Producing less bud, but quicker to harvest.

This idea appealed to me, so I flipped the lights 12/12 on 6/03. They just seemed top explode outward and up. I had to transplant to 12" pots today lol.

Anyway, I was just reading about the alternating node thing (a plant showing alternating nodes is sexually mature and ready for flower), and I was wondering if I could get some elaboration on that please? Is 12/12 after 4weeks not so good? Did I miss-read Caretaker? Too late to go back to veg? Would I want to? etc lol

Oh and pics. First one is @ 3 1/2 weeks old. The other two is 10days of 12/12

edit: added a 4th pic for better look at fan leaf, indica ya reckon?

 

[wmmeyer]

OK, first off the bat, I'm a newbie also, in the middle of my first grow, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

First of all, your 3rd and 4th pix indicate a nice, tight internodal spacing, which is a good thing. Thats the distance on the main stem between the new side branches. If they're close like your's, you have the right vegging light set up. If they were shooting up quick with a large space between nodes, that would mean they're starved for light and are trying to grow higher to find some.

Secondly, your 4th pic does not show alternate nodes yet. You can tell alternate nodes by looking straight at the side of the main stem and looking at where the new branches are forming. On your's, the two new branches are coming out exactly opposite from each other. The altenating nodes would look like one branch on the left side on the main stem and then the next new branch on the right a little ways up the main stem. I've read that alternating nodes indcates plant maturity and ready to flower. I vegged my bagseed for 5 weeks and 24" of height and still didn't get alternate nodes, so I switched the lights over to 12/12 anyway. After a week of 12/12 the plant started the 'shoot up' and the alternating nodes appeared. I'm not sure I understand everything I know about the alternating nodes, but I'm thinking that maybe some strains are a little different in how they grow?

Third, I'm not gonna make any guess on your strain, other than to say your leaves look about like my bagseen plant. From looking at all the pix on the forum here, I think it would be safe to assume at least some Indica content.

BTW, great looking plants. Looks like you're doing a lot of things right. Good luck on your harvest.

 

[wargasm123]

Thanks Wmm

My first grow is quite a learning experience. Plants are still in MG so I've been timid to nute. Been using this Hawaiian Flower Magic stuff (half the recommended amount however) and have only watered twice since 12/12 (10days).

Yeh I know I don't have alternating nodes yet, that was kinda my question tho. Did I jump the gun going 12/12 so early? Guess I'll find out lol

I love this new hobby I've stumbled on out of necessity, but I can't wait for my 2nd grow just so I can start correctly.

 

[mr.greengenes]

Wargasm,

Looking good. I just harvested today. Hung the budly branches in the closet upside down waiting to dry. Yours looks idica, mine's sativa I' pretty sure. I have granted myself forgiveness for all my mistakes on this maiden voyage. I'm gonna try hydro for my next grow. If I were you, I would hold off on the nutes just yet based on what I've read here. But you have a great looking start. And remember, patience is a virtue.

 

[wargasm123]

Thanks Greengenes

Only fed half dose nutes twice thus far, i can totally stop for sure. when do you reckon I should pick it back up? When they actually start to flower?

ty

 

[RCCIZMe]

if you dont mind i'll sit in on your grow atempt
and welcome

 

[wargasm123]

lol totally don't mind. thanks !

 

[mistisrising]

They look pretty dense considering the lighting.

You can buy t5 fixtures at home depot and lowes. Some types come prewired, so that it already has a plug on it. They also sell stuff you can use to make a reflector if the ballast doesn't have one. You can also mount more fixtures on the sides to increase light penetration, which will also help with flower density.

 

[dirtyolsouth]

UPDATE:

Thankyou all for the tips you've provided

I've got a question for you guys if ya don't mind. I've read on here in some thread (I think it was from caretaker?) that you can start the 12/12 light cycle right after seedling. Producing less bud, but quicker to harvest.

This idea appealed to me, so I flipped the lights 12/12 on 6/03. They just seemed top explode outward and up. I had to transplant to 12" pots today lol.

Anyway, I was just reading about the alternating node thing (a plant showing alternating nodes is sexually mature and ready for flower), and I was wondering if I could get some elaboration on that please? Is 12/12 after 4weeks not so good? Did I miss-read Caretaker? Too late to go back to veg? Would I want to? etc lol

Oh and pics. First one is @ 3 1/2 weeks old. The other two is 10days of 12/12

edit: added a 4th pic for better look at fan leaf, indica ya reckon?

Sounds like you've been reading a lot... more info overload! While you can put your plants into 12/12 at any time, whether or not they are ready to flower depends on the strain and maturity. Alternating nodes do note maturity as plants typically start showing them about 4-5 weeks into growth. If you had clones from a mature mother they would go directly into flowering after about 10 days exposure to a 12/12 photoperiod regardless of how big or small they are which is great if you're dealing with a very short grow space.

One other note... Now is a good time if you want to root some clones to hold and keep for use as potential mothers for harvesting clones for flowering in the future. If you wait much more and decide you want to take a clone from that plant that is turning out to be kick a*s it will be a major P I T A if you try to take clones once they are producing flowers. If you take them later into flowering they may root but will take a long time to revert to veg growth. You can re veg a plant after flowering to take future clones from but once again it will take a long time for what's remaining of the plant to go back into vegetative stage.

I think you should just go ahead and flower them if you've been switched to 12/12 this long. If you go back to long light now, you'll only confuse the poor plants and they won't know what they're supposed to do. They do look like Indica dominant plants. They look about a foot tall so they'll more than likely end up 26" - 30". Just keep the lights close to control the stretch and keep your nodes tight. Do you have a fan on your plants? I notice a string helping out one of the mainstems... If you keep a fan on medium blowing on your plants they will get much stronger and be able to support the buds better when flowering. A fan moving air also helps keep the surface of your soil dry and this helps prevent problems with fungus gnats and it also makes your grow room inhospitable to bugs. Oscillating fans work great in a garden as they don't alway blow in just one direction.

Rock ON!

 

[LassChance]

Good call on the heat in the attic. In the summer it's gonna get mighty hot up there. Looks like I'll have to move them. I have one other room that is feasible; My beloved music studio in the basement

The walls are all sound proofed and the floor is carpeted so reflective surface will be hard to come by.

Ozzy recommends enclosing the grow area. I have a few mylar blankets in some first aid kits kickin around, you reckon I can fashion something out of that?

I have the day off today so I'm gonna go start building now

Mylar is perfect. You may need to build a grow box, then put the mylar on it's walls. A perfect thing to build a box from is the 1/2 inch styrofoam insulation panels you can get at Home Depot or Lowes. It comes in four X eight foot sheets, just like plywood, but it's cheaper, lighter and all you need to connext the sides of the box is duct tape! Plus, the mylar can be glued or just taped on, too.

I bought two sheets of the styro, cut each in half and made a lightweight reflective screen four feet tall right on my grow table in the garage. Man...that mylar does wonders for light.

Lass

 

[mr.greengenes]

I'm not an expert on nutes, there are plenty on board here and plenty of threads on the topic. FYI...I bought Coleman Emergency Blankets from Kmart which is a large sheet of mylar for about $4.

 

[wargasm123]

Sounds like you've been reading a lot... more info overload! While you can put your plants into 12/12 at any time, whether or not they are ready to flower depends on the strain and maturity. Alternating nodes do note maturity as plants typically start showing them about 4-5 weeks into growth. If you had clones from a mature mother they would go directly into flowering after about 10 days exposure to a 12/12 photoperiod regardless of how big or small they are which is great if you're dealing with a very short grow space.

One other note... Now is a good time if you want to root some clones to hold and keep for use as potential mothers for harvesting clones for flowering in the future. If you wait much more and decide you want to take a clone from that plant that is turning out to be kick a*s it will be a major P I T A if you try to take clones once they are producing flowers. If you take them later into flowering they may root but will take a long time to revert to veg growth. You can re veg a plant after flowering to take future clones from but once again it will take a long time for what's remaining of the plant to go back into vegetative stage.

I think you should just go ahead and flower them if you've been switched to 12/12 this long. If you go back to long light now, you'll only confuse the poor plants and they won't know what they're supposed to do. They do look like Indica dominant plants. They look about a foot tall so they'll more than likely end up 26" - 30". Just keep the lights close to control the stretch and keep your nodes tight. I Do you have a fan on your plants? notice a string helping out one of the mainstems... If you keep a fan on medium blowing on your plants they will get much stronger and be able to support the buds better when flowering. A fan moving air also helps keep the surface of your soil dry and this helps prevent problems with fungus gnats and it also makes your grow room inhospitable to bugs. Oscillating fans work great in a garden as they don't alway blow in just one direction.

Rock ON!

Thanks Dirty!

Now is a good time if you want to root some clones to hold and keep for use as potential mothers for harvesting clones for flowering in the future.

Ahhhh I finally understand a few things with this statement ( I think!). I had asked in another post why take clones from plants if you don't know if they're female (no one answered ) Now I understand, you take clones from 'potential' females in order to make a mother. So I should probably label my plants, snip my clones, and label the clones accordingly. Should one or more of the plants I snipped from turn out to be female and looking to be a good producer, that's the clone I keep for a mother to make more clones etc etc? Something like that? I hope so anyway, cause it makes so much sense to me for some reason lol.

Do you have a fan on your plants? I notice a string helping out one of the mainstems...

Yeh the pic was taken yesterday, literally about 10 minutes after transplanting. That particular plant was leaning slighty after the xplant so I helped it out a little. Straight as an arrow this morning
I do have a small oscillating desk fan offset to the right that can't be seen in the pictures. It does need to be raised however as the plants are in bigger pots now.

 

[dirtyolsouth]

Thanks Dirty! Ahhhh I finally understand a few things with this statement ( I think!). I had asked in another post why take clones from plants if you don't know if they're female (no one answered ) Now I understand, you take clones from 'potential' females in order to make a mother. So I should probably label my plants, snip my clones, and label the clones accordingly. Should one or more of the plants I snipped from turn out to be female and looking to be a good producer, that's the clone I keep for a mother to make more clones etc etc? Something like that? I hope so anyway, cause it makes so much sense to me for some reason lol.

The fan sounds great and yup... you got it totally with the cloning... I'm growing four of the same strain from seed and I sure didn't know that the one I have labelled "D" was going to be the ONE that looks heads above the other three when I put it into 12/12 in my bloom space. Carefully label your babies... you can be more creative than me using letters of the alphabet... call one Betty or Samantha! And the more organized you are the better... label the clones and be careful not to mix things up. Oh... I just rememberer that you don't imbibe but are doing this for the wifey, right? That's a good thing because stoned gardners are the most likely to mess it up on the labelling... lol...

I'm already keeping a close eye on D's "Daughter - Mama" and it's going to make a great mother. Good luck and get on those clones!

Peace!