my first grow on a strict budget of $0

[prototype xvii]

:icon_smile:
hello im new to the scene ive been growing a plant since july and have moved it into flowering 4 days ago. all seems to be well aside from some nute burn since im using MG soil. ive had all the first default leaves yellow a little and die but my first 4 rows of 5 fingered fans seem to fine and uneffected. from what i can tell the plant is either a male or a herm. either way i dont care im growing for experiance since i dont have money to sink into the project. the plant is double potted ive been watering each pot with 200ml of water in the past but since flowering ive been giving it 300 ml since the roots absorb the water really fast. i know i should have transplanted but im not about to spend the money especially on a male. i have not used any nutes nor do i want to.i write this up in hope someone more experianced can tell me how my plant is coming along. i can post pics later tonight though my camera isnt great. my plant is under one 18 inch standard fluorescent light,with another 18 inch fluorescent under the plant (Added last night) with a lamp providing more light with a 15w bulb. i do not know the wattage of the fluorescents but so far its been growing fast,there is little air ventalation provided by an a/c on fan to suck in air from outside into the room,as well as a double propeller fan hung on the back of my closet to provide a light breeze.

 

[4u2sm0ke]

:lama:


take care and be safe

 

[getnasty]

Expect poor yield with inadequate lighting. Fluorescent lights give off a blue spectrum
Most of them, anyways. The flowering cycle likes the red spectrum and requires 5000 lumen's per square foot of grow area. Anything less than that is going to give you unsatisfactory results. Indoor grows with little to no financial backing rarely works. Good luck.

 

[prototype xvii]

sounds about right, i have more seeds but in between jobs i figured if i can get it to live all the way through like this then ill put money into it when i get a pay check, thank you for the informative response though it is apreciated

 

[HemperFi]

I'd like to see some pics of this 0$ grow. What you are doing goes against the grain of almost everything being taught in this forum. I don't mean to sound harsh, and I can understand being out of work and just seeing what you can do with a few bag seeds and on-hand lights, but I don't believe you are learning how to grow. I'm thinking your time would be better spent by reading everything in this forum about how to grow MJ. Going about it the way you are is going to get you a stringy, stretched, male plant (how do you know it's male) that will spew poor quality pollen all over the space (I presume) that you will eventually want to grow some quality weed in. Sorry, but I think you are wasting your time -- and ours.

Peace

 

[prototype xvii]

:holysheep: ive actually reading up alot countless videos,im sure nowhere near pro but my grow is pretty much its own thing (wich is crap as we both know) im doing that just to see the plant grow itself as i learn so i can recognize things that happen to it. im sorry if you think it is a waste of everyone's time, i hope you dont think im asking for people to direct my grow for me but i just asking there opinion and little tips. and my grow area getting spewed isnt a concern to me because there is other spots i can use that are better than the space i use now.ill take a pic in the after noon it is its dark period. and i assume male judged by the many pod shaped sacs growing on the nodes. and your description of my plant is true. but atleast i know how to not do it. either way my intention wasn't to wast time hempfi

 

[Hick]

wishing you luck proto, and here's a tip. Put the light you added "over" your plants as well. The underside of leaves don't have the ability to photosynthesise. It's wasted there..

 

[Rosebud]

Wouldn't it be so great if we didn't have to invest several paychecks to grow the kind of dank we want and expect.

I wish you the best of luck and yes, what you are doing is a learning curve and you are learning. We just don't want you to have a broken heart when it isn't all that you had hoped.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Unfortunately, this is a hobby that does take an investment of time, money, study, and love. If it were that easy everyone would be growing and it wouldn't be so expensive. You can often carry off an outdoor grow with little to no money--the sun provides light and you can make your own fertilizer from garbage. But indoors is another story.

I am also going to sound harsh (however, that is my nature but I truly have the best intentions and want to help you learn to grow great bud). I am with Hemper. Your time would be better spent learning how to grow correctly. And then, when you know what you need, start looking for bargains. They are out there. I bought a 400W MH for $20. I bought 2 150W HPS security lights for $2 each and turned them into flowering lights. Flat white paint is almost as good as Panda film in its reflectability. Etc.Etc

Using a poor medium, growing with virtually no lighting, the wrong kind of light, using no nutes, and inadequate ventilation IMO, is not really helping you learn to grow. It may be showing you what won't work, but there are easier ways to gain that knowledge. You need to know what WILL work. You are fighting an uphill battle that you are not going to win. There are basic minimum requirements that you are going to HAVE TO meet or your grow is not going to be a success.

Lighting--you absolutely are going to have to have more/better light to get any kind of yield. Read up on lighting needs for marijuana--spectrum, lumens per sq ft, etc.

Ventilation--Ventilation is for more than keeping your space cool. Your plants need a continual supply of fresh air all the time the lights are on for proper photosynthesis. This requires an exhaust fan to extract CO2 depleted air from your space and allow new air to be drawn in.

Soil Mixture and Nutrients--Like all living things, plants need to be fed or they will not thrive. And they need to be fed the correct things. Read up on nutrients and the needs of mj plants during the different periods in their lifecycle--seedlings, vegging, flowering. You soil mixture should not be pre-nuted or have those moisture crystal things in them. You need something that will provide good drainage. When your plants get rootbound, they need to be repotted.

I do hate to say that I believe that you are wasting your time, but I do really believe that. What has this grow taught you? Let's see if we can get you going on a limited budget with a real grow.

 

[Rosebud]

:yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat:

And that is why she is THE HEMP GODDESS!

 

[Harvest Moon]

I have been a lurker of this forum since 2008, and I dont like to post or ask ? just cause some fellow farmers wont give the time of day (no pun intended). Not that some dont have a point, if your in a unfriendly place and gonna take the risk do it right which I totally agree with but some arent able to set up a proper area but still want to learn like myself.

My set up
4x3x4 short and in unclimated garage very challenging
250w mh from fish tank change atnick bulb to mh free
150w mh/hps sun system used ebay (excellent used deals) 45
hydro farm cfl with both bulbs ebay 50
2ft 4 bulb t-8 yard sale 5
2 pc fans for exhaust/fresh which dont have enough cfm but make do by cracking door on hot days.
1 clip on fan for air movement

soil and nutes
peat moss, mushroom dirt, perlite, garden lime(crushed cause of time release becareful potent) reusable around 35 lowes,home de pot and southern states if in the south and is also my favorite cause they carry even guano,hi brix,bone and blood meal etc.

alaskan fish fertilizer 10 lowes for veg
earth juice bloom 15 ebay 3lbs for bloom
epsom salt free cal/mag

mix veg- 2 tbs alaskan 1tbs earth 1tsp salt
bloom- 2 tbs earth 1tbs alaskan 1tsp salt
seedlings when ready half the veg mix

Check the organic sect for cheaper non nute adding soil mixs, Thanks to the Nouvelle chef and others for there help and direction all these years.

Genetics- unknown bag seed and I KNOW Im wasting time and effort but im in unfreindly territory and bagseed comes from 120 quarter bags that Ive found maybe a dozen beans in over 7 yrs from the same place that are always dank just never know the names. No herms so far other than the ones I created from mistakes. Ready to order but nervous and CHEAP.

All in all you have the basics which I learned from here - Light-fans-soil so that tells a down to earth man like myself that youve learned and are not a waste of time AT ALL. This setup of mine is as close to $0 as I could get.
There is Mods on here and members that will be more than happy to help you on your VERY challenging quest for the 0$ garden.

HAPPY GREEN TRAILS TO YOU AND ALL

2HRS TIME IT TOOK TO POST THIS WITH XBOXS NEW EXPLORER BETA, TIME WELL SPENT!

DISCLAIMER- I IN NO SHAPE,FASHION OR FORM THINK THAT IM AN EXPERT AND HAVE AN EXTREMELY LONG WAY TO GO, THIS IS JUST WHAT HAS WORKED FOR ME AND MY TIGHT WAYS.

 

[Growdude]

Its only a waste of time if you grow a male, thats not going to teach you a thing about the flowering stage. Thats the most difficult and crucial.

Why not start another seed or 2?

 

[tastyness]

:yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat:

And that is why she is THE HEMP GODDESS!

DOUBLE DITTO on that.

And way to go HemperFi for dishing out some tough :heart:

That's part of what makes this the awesome place that it is. So glad I get to hang out here.

HarvestMoon - very resourceful. Craigslist, freecycle and yard sales are all awesome places. Also if anyone lives near a ReStore (habitat for humanity related) another great place to find stuff. And of course ebay and the dollar store.

 

[OldDaddyFedder]

Proto,
I agree with everything everybodys told ya here. You've got to put some more into it.I did about the same thing you are doing 20 years ago. I grew a male. But you know what-I enjoyed doing it-my wife even helped me with it and she was a great gardener.She did a root trimming on it-didnt kill it-made it grow better.
But I didnt see it then and I dont see it now as wasting time-I did learn things and so will you if you stick with it.
Along with the expert advice from the above posters and the multitude of info on this site(theres alot)-you got a chance.

And I want to meet hemp goddess in illinois and we will go shopping!!!-jk

Keeo it green!!

:48:

ODF

 

[prototype xvii]

trust me i know growing a male would be a waste of time but understand i have a lot of free time so growing a male turns just for fun while i read up. im aware this is FAR FAR off from what id need to be doing don't get me wrong i wish i could spare the money for even a 400 hps or some ducting with a fan and just overall a better space. and i apreciate all the informative responses. my game plan is to bury the rest of my bag seed in this set up and happily waste my time but, once im working im going to spend the money on a new set up and better seeds. also i moved the light from under, to over as stated thank you for that.

 

[Hushpuppy]

In your initial post you said the plant is growing fast. Does it have a lot of space between the leaf nodes(more than 1inch)? if so then it is not growing fast, it is stretching because it isn't getting enough light energy to grow tighter nodes. What you can do to help this and work for you in the future is go to this online store and order 1 or 2 of these every time you get a little money. hXXp://www.hpsgrowlightstore.com/hp...-fluorescent-fixture-with-tube-48-inches.html

I have 9 of these single bulb fixtures in my veg cabinet that is 2'x4' and that gives me 45000lumens in that space for vegging. With those in a small enough space you could flower a few small plants and get some bud. It wouldn't be much but until you can afford better equipment, that would work, and if you do it a few times and get several oz of decent bud built up, you can sell it and use that money to buy a nice 600wHPS, then yer in business

This is just some info to help you going forward

 

[OldDaddyFedder]

:yeahthat:


:48:

ODF

 

[prototype xvii]

in that case it is growing slow, it doesn't help when i started i had the light rather far from the plant wich now i know it needed to be a lot closer. but im going to invest in some new lights. wich leads me to a question my friend has a Sunshine Systems LED GlowPanel 45 28w Plant Grow Light GP1-98567 and is willing to sell it to me for $50 would this be worth the buy? ive noticed alot of controversy when it comes to how effective the led panels are. or would i be better of getting a 1000w hps system?(found one on craigslist for around $60)

 

[OldDaddyFedder]

Lets see-a 25 watt led for 50.00-not bad
A working 1000 watt hps for 10 dollars more-yeeeeaaaahhhh!!!!
include tha ballast?

:48:

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

The difference between a 28W LED and a 100W HPS is like the difference between a go cart and a race car.

I personally would not go with the LED. First off, it is quite a small LED panel. The advertising says it is good for about 5 sq ft, so I would half that for a realistic estimate of what it would do. And they just seem to not really be too good for flowering, although you can veg with them if you are not letting your plants get too large. You would probably get better growth from 2 of the T5s that Hushpuppy linked. A 1000W system for $60 would be a very good buy as long as it is the whole set-up (know what you need and what you are buying) and what you need, want, and you can cool it. It is a light for a larger space and will require a larger centrifuge type exhaust fan to cool it. A 1000W light is for a space say 16 to 30 sq ft. Do some reading up on lights before you start shopping and decide on how large a space you have to work with. If you run stuff by us before you buy, we will give you the best advise we can to keep you from buying something that won't work for you.