# The progress of my current and first grow



## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

Well i started this about 3 weeks ago not knowing what the hell i was doing then i found this forum website and man all of you have been a great help. I now have my own grow cabinet from following everyones advice on here and have learned so much about lighting and tempature all the basic stuff. im still not sure if my plant will make it or if i have enough lighting the temp may be to high sitting at 82 degree's right now but i hear as long as you can keep it under 85 your will be ok.. anways just wanted to make a new thread to follow the progress of my plant in its new home all probably be posting new pics every 5-7 days , and i still need to know where i can get a good exhaust fan for my cabinet. 

 its just a wee baby but belive it or not its like 2 1/2 weeks old just about , in one of my other post i was told that my plant was waaaay to tall for how little it was it had streched out of the dirt about 7 inches. now it sits about 2-3 inches tall and is doing great im running 24/7 light in its veg stage and plan on moving to 12/12 once its mature enough for flowering. so keep checking back here for updates if your interested! thanks everyone once again for all your help in setting up my first grow set up!  again this is my very first grow


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

also , all i did when growing this plant was threw the seeds i got from some bud i had purchased from my normal guy into a one inch hole in some wet basic potting soil i had 2 sprouts one died and this one came after!

Also... here is my current set up and some pics 

Lighting: 1 GE 100 watt equivalent CFL that gives off 1750 lumens and 6500k color and a Greenlight Brand 75w equivalent CFL that gives off 1200 lumens thats 2700k color  and a 2' floro that gives another 1000 lumens and 13watt CFL that gives off another 800 and 4100k color

Grow Area: is a cabinet that ive turned into a grow box its about 3 feet tall and 1 1/2 feet wide i have a 6 inch circulation fan inside with venilation holes in the upper part of the box and 2 big holes on on the bottom for air intake and one on the top for exhaust the other ventilation holes i was talking about are just to keep the temp where i want it, the box is lined with tin foil ( i know it sux but its cheap)  mylon was no where to be found when i went to lowes , home depot , and H&E & anderson truevalue.  so this will have to do for now 

strain: i have no clue it was a seed from some reg's i bought.

the 3rd pic over of the wire and tape in the top part of my box is to show the 4-5 inch gap behind the top shelf , which i thought was great for ventilation as well as storage ive also started drilling 1" holes in the shelf and side of the cabinet at the top for maximum ventilation



NEW PICS PAGE 2!


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

added another CFL , its 1200 lumen 75w equivalent or 18w.  its probably not the right kinda CFL but it puts out alot of light so it cant hurt im guessing heres a pic . sitting at 3800 lumens for one plant in a 1 square foot area.


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## JerseyFreshB (Nov 24, 2007)

The CFL You have in the green and gold fixture is the correct light for veg. It appears to be the 6500k color temp. Thats what you want to go with for the veg stage. Then switch to the warm white (2700k) for flowering..

Peace, 
B


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

so is it pretty much pointless to have the new CFL i just put in?


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## Wise Man (Nov 24, 2007)

Nice start.Is that foil around your box? Foil creates hot spots,and WILL burn your plants.Mylar,panda film or a coat of flat white paint around the sides are much better options.


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## Wise Man (Nov 24, 2007)

Ganja_Greg said:
			
		

> so is it pretty much pointless to have the new CFL i just put in?


No,as you said more light the better.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

"in regards to the tin foil question , ya but the dull side is facing up , which should minimize the hot spots , i hate the tin foil to but i threw this box together in a day , im thinking ima get white paint cuz that seems to be what most ppl do , mylar was my first choice but its no where to be had.


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## thestandard (Nov 24, 2007)

lookin good, some more exhaust will help bring down your temperature, good to have circulation but gotta pull out the old air. Lose the tinfoil and paint it flat white, the foil maybe adds a little heat and isnt as good. The more mass filling your space, the harder to keep it cool. When you add more light, even just a few CFLs, you're going to bring up your temps a bit. check out my grow, even though I failed.. had a lot of trial and error with my temperature.

re: above post.. ebay $20ish


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

thestandard said:
			
		

> lookin good, some more exhaust will help bring down your temperature, good to have circulation but gotta pull out the old air. Lose the tinfoil and paint it flat white, the foil maybe adds a little heat and isnt as good. The more mass filling your space, the harder to keep it cool. When you add more light, even just a few CFLs, you're going to bring up your temps a bit. check out my grow, even though I failed.. had a lot of trial and error with my temperature.
> 
> re: above post.. ebay $20ish


 

so flat white not semi gloss white? the shiney paint sounds like it would be better but what do i know about relective materials hehe also , where can i get an exhaust fan most ppl tell me to use an old computer fan and use a light dimmer to control it? im not electrician anyone got a step by step guide to doing this? im a computer technician by day so i should know how do but i dont wanna burn my house down


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## mastersativa (Nov 24, 2007)

Your off to a good start. I have to concure with the others, get the foil out and paint it flat white. You'll nmotice a diff in temps if you do, from what i have seen, when others have posted about temps and were using foil peeps told them to ditch the foil and paint and of course add ventilation. But some only swapped out the foil for paint and dropped temp. Also when shopping for lights go to wally world and get the g.e. 26w three packs, they are the 2700k ones. Add them in with your lights you have now and you wont regret it. I didn't. Good luck with your grow and we are always here to help ya out.


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## thestandard (Nov 24, 2007)

Ganja_Greg said:
			
		

> so flat white not semi gloss white? the shiney paint sounds like it would be better but what do i know about relective materials hehe also , where can i get an exhaust fan most ppl tell me to use an old computer fan and use a light dimmer to control it? im not electrician anyone got a step by step guide to doing this? im a computer technician by day so i should know how do but i dont wanna burn my house down



defintiley *flat white *:headbang2:


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## eyeslikedonuts (Nov 24, 2007)

*'Sup dude :ciao: Looks like your off to a good start. I agree with the others but use what you have until you can change it out. Mylar or flat white is best. Keep light a few inches from plant, Cfls dont generate alot of heat. Im pullin up a beanbag. peace, e :bong2:*


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

mastersativa said:
			
		

> Your off to a good start. I have to concure with the others, get the foil out and paint it flat white. You'll nmotice a diff in temps if you do, from what i have seen, when others have posted about temps and were using foil peeps told them to ditch the foil and paint and of course add ventilation. But some only swapped out the foil for paint and dropped temp. Also when shopping for lights go to wally world and get the g.e. 26w three packs, they are the 2700k ones. Add them in with your lights you have now and you wont regret it. I didn't. Good luck with your grow and we are always here to help ya out.


 
ya i got one of the G.E. 26w CFL with 2700k color , if you look at the top of this post there is a ton of info on everything im using. the other 2 lights im using etc...


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

main G.E. 2700k color 100w equivalent CFL light is exactly 3 inches from the top of the plant and the other 2 lights are backups for extra light which are still positioned within inches of the plant , the 2' bar style floro was given to me from a buddy of mine that grows im not exactly sure what kinda light it is but it looks like warm white...  i think i will go to lowes tomorrow and get a quart of flat white and 1 more 2700k color 26w CFL for veg,, thanks guys


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

also , the help guide on this page under indoor grows says to use aluminum foil but face the dull side out to eliminate hot spots and be most reflective which is around 30-55%.  thats why i chose foil ...


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## mastersativa (Nov 24, 2007)

Yeah i saw that, i was just givin ya my opinion on what to use, not as though you hafta listen to what i say,lol. IME, from what i have studied and from the cfl grow i got goin now, I used a wally worl 2ft floro and two cfl's to start with, one of each spectrum. I then added two more the next week, one of each. Then the next week i added two more 2700k, and the week after that, the first week of flower, i added another two 2700k bulbs for a total of eight bulbs. I have removed the 2ft floro tube and bought another to use in my seedling box. Anyway enough rambling, IMO i justthink that adding more of the 2700k bulbs along with the veg bulbs you start with is the better way to go with the cfl's. But remember this is only my opinion from my grow, i am sure others have had different and similar experiences. What i do know as gospel though is that your plant will tell you what it wants if you listen.


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## mastersativa (Nov 24, 2007)

And the lowdown on these cfl's, 5500k to 7500k for vegging, 2700k to 3000k for flowering.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

all opinions WELCOME here! im a total newb so for you to help me at all is great IMO


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## mastersativa (Nov 24, 2007)

Check out my grow bro, that was done with all cfl's, topping out at the eight bulbs i have now. You can see the fixtures and the setup in some of the pics.


The method of adding the lights along the way was done with this grow.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

woops i made a mistake. the main light that is in the green fixture above the plant is a GE daylight 6500k color 26w CFL, the other 2 are the 2700k


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

Myrtle is one hot momma ,  so mastersativa i have a question for ya.. what kinda stuff should i put in the soil i hear salt/bloom boost? all sorts of scientific stuff im lost...


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## mastersativa (Nov 24, 2007)

Right now i am using a mix of my own creation, lol. I had some MG potting soil to start with. Themi bought a big bag of organic soil and a small bag of vermiculite and mixed all three together in a big rubbermaid. I like the little nutes i get from the MG to start with and then when the plants start to show deficiancy i can add my nutes when i water. Thats why i use the little bag of MG, i think three pound, same with the vermiculite, then add 10 pounds of organic to it all. Seems to be working for me. I would suggest to get some soil that is better suited for mj though, like some foxfarm or something from your local hydro shop. Most people say MG is the worst thing to do, but i have had good luck with it and i believe Stoney only uses MG, but i may be wrong about that. I say go with what you can get easily, Theback forty dirt will work if its all you can get, lol, that what my outdoor grows get, good ole mother nature.



Oh yeah, Myrtle is quite the looker isn't she?


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## mastersativa (Nov 24, 2007)

Greg, topping is when you cut or pinch the new growth coming from the top of your plant. When you have good fan leaves growing an you see the next set coming in, wait till they seperate and start to grow there seperate ways thentake a razor knife and cut the stalk , being careful not to nick the other parts of the plant. Or just pinch it off there, that the method i used was just pinching the new growth off.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

mastersativa said:
			
		

> Greg, topping is when you cut or pinch the new growth coming from the top of your plant. When you have good fan leaves growing an you see the next set coming in, wait till they seperate and start to grow there seperate ways thentake a razor knife and cut the stalk , being careful not to nick the other parts of the plant. Or just pinch it off there, that the method i used was just pinching the new growth off.


 
im to scared to even touch my plant lol let alone cut it up.. why do ppl use this topping method whats it for?


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## Wise Man (Nov 24, 2007)

Topping cause a main branch to split into,2 main branches.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

i just took a gander at my plant and under the leafs on the stem and branches that are starting to grow its starting to turn kinda a rust color or redish? whats up with dat?


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## mastersativa (Nov 24, 2007)

yeah, what hesaid, lol. topping in my case started to keep the plant short but with the same yield as if it was tall. So topping it will make it grow two colas from the onesingle cola every time you top it. Thats why i vegged this so long, i topped it, man i am thinking four times, but when i think about it it had to be six cause i have eight big colas and two little ones. I only have four branches growing from her, i think because i did all the topping, but if ya think about it, how much bud do ya get from the side growth compared to the colas.


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## mastersativa (Nov 24, 2007)

I am not sure what the color changing means. Mine did the same thing then turned purple. I didn't do anything about it or ask cause i wanted to wait and see if it was gonna hurt her, it hasn't seemed to cause they are still purple and she looks great.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 24, 2007)

was at 89 degree's im turning the big 2' bar floro off till i get a correct exhaust fan , dont wanna cook my baby over night, also i see in your set up you have bulb splitters i didnt even think about this i could be runnign 4 26w 6500k CFL instead of 2. that would be 6400 lumens in a square foot.


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## mastersativa (Nov 25, 2007)

You canrun even more than that bro, you can take one splitter, then screw a splitter into each end of that. Then you get four bulbs for one socket. i will be doing that when i add more bulbs to mine.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 25, 2007)

wouldnt that be a fire hazard? or do the splitters regulate the Wattage?


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## mastersativa (Nov 25, 2007)

Depends on what you use as a fixture, my fixtures are rated to 250w. If you have a fixture rated for 100w and plug in four 26w bulbs, you are at 104 watts, a little over the limit but will probly still work, but like i said, my fixtures are rated for a 250w bulb. Also you should ALWAYS have your lights and fans plugged into a surge protector with gfci.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 25, 2007)

heres some updated better pictures of my current grow.


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## Wise Man (Nov 25, 2007)

Looking good GG.

The red/purple stems are due to low temps,not a problem though.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 25, 2007)

GROW FASTER! the MJ grow bug has me by the throat now..


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## THE BROTHER'S GRUNT (Nov 25, 2007)

*Your babies are looking good. Here's some GREEN MOJO to give them a boost.  *


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 25, 2007)

plant didnt grow any over night , more  lighting!


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 25, 2007)

ok so i went and bought a splitter for one of my fixtures , and bought a little cheap buld to go with it, its nothing special plan on sticking another GE 26w CFL 6500k in there but for now this was 1.50$ its a westpointe 13w 4100k CFL. that puts out another 800 lum , so with all my lights im now at 4100 lumens for 1 square ft , and colors all through the spectrum from 2700k - 6500k , once done vegging i will switch to 12/12 like i said once before and go for 4, Soft white 2700k CFL's in the 1200-1750 lumen area.  here are some pictures of the new set up , 

if you look closely you can see the two "daylight" or "natural" bulbs are directly 3" over the top of my plant , those two bulds are 6500k % 4100k

the other two to the right of the the daylight bulds  are 2700k one in bar floro form(which i keep off now till i get my exhaust fans cuz it gets to hot) one in CFL spiral form..


PS: i have 3 threads about this and no one will answer me, What should i be putting in the soil ? in english plz im a beginer.


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## BizzyHigh (Nov 25, 2007)

Looking pretty good so far GG.. As for what kind of nutes you should be putting in your soil right now all depends on what kind of soil you are using.. If you used a soil with added nutrients i wouldn't worry about adding anything but water for the first 3 weeks to a month.. If you are using an organic soil without and additives you should start giving nutes about right under the three week mark.. I would recommend FoxFarm Grow Big.. it comes with a chart showing you just how much to add to your water and when to do it.. Since your plant is so little start the nutes off at about 1/4th or 1/2th strength and just see how the plants react to what you have given them.. This process will take some trail and error most likely but it will pay off   Good luck!


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 25, 2007)

if you had to guess how old does my plant look guys?  stem still floppy..


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## BizzyHigh (Nov 25, 2007)

Its hard to say because I have always used HPS lights for my grows and under the lights you are using the plant would develope differently than anything i have ever seen.. Also what are you considering as age (time when the seedling broke the surface or when you started to germinate the seed?) But if I had to guess i would say the plant is about 2 weeks old give or take a few days..


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## yungmune (Nov 25, 2007)

how old is your plant these days?


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 25, 2007)

well its about 2 and a half weeks old give or take a few days, i had alot of problems with it from the get go , i put it through alot of stress but it pulled through , it stretched 7 inches from having the incorrect lighting and to top it off the light was almost 9 inches away from the plant , i was really beginer at that point. 

Bizzyhigh: im using 3 CFL , one is a 26w 6500k 1600 lumen , another is 13w 4100k 800 lumen , the other one is a 24w 2700k 1200 lumen, and then i have a bar floro in the back of my box for added light that puts off another 500 lumen and is in the 2700k range i dont use it that much those it gets hot.. im trying a broad color spectrum for veg.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 26, 2007)

when is a good time to start flowering? how will i know when toi want the plant 1'-2' tops


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## Wise Man (Nov 26, 2007)

I would say,switch when your plant hits it's 4th-5th set.Remember,when plants are put into flowering they can nearly 3 in sise.

Increasin your tops-you could top,or LST.Both will produce more colas,and keep the plant much shorter(great in your case).

EDIT.If your plant starts leaning to one side,because its stem is weak,slit a straw vertically,and place it around the stem.


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## Ekoostik_Hookah (Nov 26, 2007)

move your lights closer, i would put the double light, right over the plant, with a light on each side of it.
 have it like 2-3 inches away.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 26, 2007)

some of the leaf's seem to be curling upward, is this normal? the two big leafs that first grew are fine but some of the new leafs are curled. i gave it a good watering yesterday and raised the lights up a bit , cuz the plant grew almost 3 CM since my lights original positioning.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 26, 2007)

Wise Man said:
			
		

> I would say,switch when your plant hits it's 4th-5th set.Remember,when plants are put into flowering they can nearly 3 in sise.
> 
> Increasin your tops-you could top,or LST.Both will produce more colas,and keep the plant much shorter(great in your case).
> 
> EDIT.If your plant starts leaning to one side,because its stem is weak,slit a straw vertically,and place it around the stem.


 

in english? lol im a newb remember!!


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 26, 2007)

HELP!!

This thing isnt growing as fast as it should imo,  is it cuz of all the stress i put it through from the start?  i want to get Foxfarm grow big for it , anyone have any input on this?


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## THE BROTHER'S GRUNT (Nov 26, 2007)

*OK the first thing ya need to do is be patient. Roam wasn't built in a day as they say.   So i don't have to read 3 pages i'm gonna ask a few questions. *

*What are the temps?*
*What are you using for lights?*
*What kind of soil?*
*How often do you water? *


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## THE BROTHER'S GRUNT (Nov 26, 2007)

*GG here is a link for ya. Click on and stroll down to Plant Training. It will show you how to LST and Top your plant if that's what ya wanna do.  http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9396*


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 26, 2007)

THE BROTHER'S GRUNT said:
			
		

> *OK the first thing ya need to do is be patient. Roam wasn't built in a day as they say.  So i don't have to read 3 pages i'm gonna ask a few questions. *
> 
> *What are the temps?*
> *What are you using for lights?*
> ...


 
Temps: are 78-85 degree's 

Lights: 1 GE 26w 6500k 1600 lumen CFL, 1 13w 4100k 800 lumen CFL , 1 24w 2700k 1200 lumen  CFL, and 1 bar flor that puts off another 500 lumen and 2700k color.  colors all threw the spectrum

soil: is just basic potting soil i had in the garage , i dont even have the bag anymore , 

water: whenever the soil on top is crusty and dry.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 26, 2007)

also i have some all purpose MG plant foot , its 24-8-16 , havnt used it yet just wondering if i should next watering im on a tight budget will this work or will it fry the plant?


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## Runbyhemp (Nov 26, 2007)

Nice 'n green Greg :aok:


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## THE BROTHER'S GRUNT (Nov 26, 2007)

*I wouldn't put any of that on her.   I use MG soil but stay away from the nutes. If ya can try and get some Fox Farm nutes. *


			
				Ganja_Greg said:
			
		

> also i have some all purpose MG plant foot , its 24-8-16 , havnt used it yet just wondering if i should next watering im on a tight budget will this work or will it fry the plant?


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 26, 2007)

TGB what do you think of my set up? lights , temp , soil etc?? grow box

Also, just started trying to germ 2 seeds ive had for awhile they have been in a pretty cold storage area. is there hope for them still?


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## PurpleSkunk (Nov 26, 2007)

EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD JUST REMEMBER BLUE AND RED SPECTRUM IS BETTER,I THINK PEOPLE SAY ONE FOR VEGG,ONE FOR FLOWER BUT IF U HAVE BOTH,I THINK ITS BETTER TO USE BOTH!!!!JUST KEEP THE LIGHT CLOSE MAKE SURE U GOT SOME GOOD SOIL DONT OVER WATER AND YOU SHOULD BE FINE.ps


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 27, 2007)

thanks everyone!


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 27, 2007)

Heres some update's of my plant its been about 3 weeks now since seed. and about a week & 5 days since she's been in her new grow cabinet i gave her 1 small 1/8th dose of MG , 24-8-16. Ive also started to germ some seed its been 2 days , still waiting anywho heres the pics\

anyway to determine what kinda plant it is? indica sativa etc??


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## THE BROTHER'S GRUNT (Nov 27, 2007)

*Everything looks and sounds fine but i wouldn't have given her those MG nutes. They can be the death of a plant real quick if not used right.  Yes there is still hope for those two beans. *


			
				Ganja_Greg said:
			
		

> TGB what do you think of my set up? lights , temp , soil etc?? grow box
> 
> Also, just started trying to germ 2 seeds ive had for awhile they have been in a pretty cold storage area. is there hope for them still?


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 27, 2007)

it was such a low dose it probably didnt even get to the roots heh ,


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## THE BROTHER'S GRUNT (Nov 27, 2007)

*If ya start seeing any strange signs and i hope ya don't give her a flush with plain water.  *


			
				Ganja_Greg said:
			
		

> it was such a low dose it probably didnt even get to the roots heh ,


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 27, 2007)

ya most def.


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 28, 2007)

Leafs seem droopy, soil was pretty crusty an inch down , and damp beneath that, i gave her a watering and backed out the nutes , think all wait another week. any suggestion's?


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 28, 2007)

have a feeling this might be over faster then it started , plant is turning a yellowish color and leafs are drooping downward , thought it might have a N def so i gave it some nutes , not gonna look at it anymore tonight let it do its thing. if its more yellow tomorrow then i think i might just call it quits to much time already spent on this little sprout might have to re-design my box as well. different soil etc... well see time will tell


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## Ganja_Greg (Nov 28, 2007)

bucket i was using didnt have proper irigation got some root rot, plant snapped off from roots today , im pretty sure that means its over for this plant ( i stuck the stem back in some soil to see if it would rego for shits),  good news is i have a new sprout and this time am alot for exp , hopefully all have a better plant this time around , gonna try 12/12 from the start probably wait till the leafs start showing , wish me luck this time around


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## sportcardiva (Nov 30, 2007)

the plants sure are looking good


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## Ganja_Greg (Dec 1, 2007)

sportcardiva said:
			
		

> the plants sure are looking good


 
hehe thanks but this journal is over atleast for now , i have a new one that all be updating with my new plant,  the plant i was covering in this one has passed away.


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