my messy growing...

[Pistil]

Hello gardeners!
Well, just to make an experiment i planted 5 seeds that i found in two different bags… i thrown them in a big vase together with some other kind of flowers because i was expecting nothing from them… but 4 of them are born and this is quite strange considered i'm on the Alps!

So i gently moved them in separate vases with a good soil with an unknown PH… but the description of the soil seems to fit what you expert uses for your jaw breaking cultivations.

Then i made a little light system with what i had available at home… i'm using this and the natural sun to give to the plants 24/7 of light. You have to know that my wife does not want me to order strange items in internet… it's some kind of a deal we have so, for the moment, i can't buy a decent lamp and the specific fertilizers.

Anyway, the babies are growing in the way that you can see from the photos.

So, in your opinion, are these plant suffering? May i expect a little product from them? It would be so appealing!

Thanks in advance and sorry for me treating so badly those little creatures, i can't choose atm.

 

[Roddy]

How do you plan to do the 12 hrs of darkness when they're mature. And yeah, they should grow and even produce, good luck!

 

[drfting07]

What kind of bulb is that 100 watt in the center? Metal Halide, High Pressure Sodium, CFL and LED are the only lighting suitable for marijuana cultivation.

 

[CasualGrower]

Check out my thread, the picsof whats in my closet.... (If ya want a link, just let me know, but it is in this same forum).... I am currently in a one plant grow using only CFL's... and she is doing VERY well atm...

You can use those for a grow and you can get any Nutes locally at just about any nursery or local gardening store.... Timers you can get cheaply at any Department/hardware/big box store. ( wont handle big stuff, but fine for what you got goin)

Just starting out is a GREAT thing... You WILL make mistakes, but that is part of the learning curve... Read everything here and then read it again LOL... Lots of talent on this site and will make that curve a lot easier...

Anyway... Good luck and the green mojo to ya.

 

[Pistil]

@Roddy:
I use to build small robots for hobby with cheap micro controllers as Arduino, i thought it could be interesting to build something as a timer but that also check for the luminosity of the environment… so that it will be able to turn on/off the lights even if the day is too cloudy. But, if i'll do this, i'll do just for fun because i use to spend a lot of time in that room, so i can manually manage all the thing without too many problems.

@drfting07:
That bulb was a normal bulb that i used to substitute a broken lamp^^' The other two lights, anyway, was "warm white" but i finally found (today) 3 new "cool white" lights as you can see in the new photo. The lights color seems way better than yesterday but maybe they are not powerful enough?

@CasualGrower:
I seen your thread, very cool and encouraging results there!!!


To all of you…
So, considered that seems possible to go on in this cheap way, how many of these lights i would have to use to give to those 4 plant the necessary lighting for the vegetative phase? My 3 lights are ok or i'll have to add some more of them? How many?

And i have another doubt… it's ok if i go on with 24/7 of light for all the vegetative phase?

Btw, another thing…. i noticed that these lights does not produce any heating at all, is it ok for the plants or they also need an higher temperature from the lights?

Anyway, many many thanks for all the advices and for the "good luck" you wished to me! I'm freaking happy with these plants, the two bigger ones already have a very good scent and i simply can't stop looking, fascinated, at them.

 

[drfting07]

Its all about light output, Lumens to be exact. You need a minimum of 3000 lumens per sq/ft for veg and over 5000 per sq/ft for flower. Im thinking you are way off looking at the stretch and lack of secondary growth. how many ACTUAL watts are these bulbs? We are not looking for the watt equivalent. That information is useless to us.

Look into making this area into an actual "room" with white sides to better use your light source, and most importantly, get some lights worth buying!

 

[pcduck]

So, considered that seems possible to go on in this cheap way, how many of these lights i would have to use to give to those 4 plant the necessary lighting for the vegetative phase? My 3 lights are ok or i'll have to add some more of them? How many?

Most of us growers go by the amount of lumens a bulb produces, not wattage.
You should be able to find this information of the box they came in. Once knowing the lumens it is quite easy is to figure out how many lights you need.
I give my girls a minimum of 3000 lumens/sqft when in veg and 5000 lumens/sqft in flower.
Before we can answer your question on lights we need to know your square footage of your grow room. Square footage is measured length x width = square footage.
The amount needed lumens is calculated by taking the amount of needed lumens and multiplying it by the square footage of grow room, this tells you the amount of lumens necessary to grow in that stage.
lumens(3000/5000)x square footage=needed lumens.

And i have another doubt… it's ok if i go on with 24/7 of light for all the vegetative phase?

Yes, that is how I do it.

i noticed that these lights does not produce any heating at all, is it ok for the plants or they also need an higher temperature from the lights?

I run mine from 72 to 84 with no problems.
If not enough heat, in your case, I would add more lights.

 

[Pistil]

These new lamps are:
- 3 x (18W -> 85W) = 255 actual Watts
- 3 x 1140 lumens = 3420

...and they have to cover an area of an half square meter, so you're right, seems i'm way off atm

I would need 3 of these lights for every plant at least, 12 in total, like CasualGrower... jesus christ, my wife will eat my neck if i'll arrive at home with 12 lamps to be turned on 24/7 :roll eyes:


EDIT:
I posted before reading pcduck's answer, let me see what's new

 

[Pistil]

OK, i read everything now, about the square footage... i don't have a square footage yet because my plants are just lying on the ground in an open room.

I'm planning to make a white containment box as drfting07 suggested and i think it will turn out to be 1 square meter.

Sincerly, i thought to continuously move the plants in the garden when the real sun is strong enough and to move them back under the artificial lights when the sun is over or is not powerful... that's the reason i did not planned a real grow box, because, in these days, i moving them in and out a couple of times x day.

But i'll build a decent, white, grow box the next week-end... it's a promise!

 

[4u2sm0ke]

your in the right place...you will have this down quik...fallow the directions of these great growers and you will be happy....heres what I see that needs addressed..

Room...need to create som smallwer room that will help ..when we say lumans per sq ft...meens the area the plants are in...3 plants I would build a 3x3 box

lights....cfl are good for veg but not for flower..and with your "robot" building experiance...look for some High Presure sodium fixtures...useually from parking lots or exterior lights...

intake/exhaust....fresh air/co2 is needed..and heat and stale air needs removed..

water...be sure to get a good PH meter...PH ALL waterings to the right levelst starter points....will need top know the soil you use as well as what Nutrients you are useing..

take care and be safe

Now these are ju

CasualGrower...you should place a link to the grow you want people to come visit in your signature:aok:

 

[4u2sm0ke]

moveing plants from inside to out will create a stretch as well as issue down the road...why not just keep them outside?

 

[Pistil]

@4u2sm0ke:
I can't check the PH actually
Also for the air/CO2 i'm using an opened window for this

I'm scared to live the plants outside for a number of reasons:
- this place is very windy
- this place is very cold when the sun go out
- this place have a too short day light time

But i'm also confused... how all this PH and lightening things are compatible with the fact that these plants can even grow outdoor drinking the normal rain?

I mean, apart the fact that i live in the wrong place for an outdoor cultivation, it's not correct to think that i'm just trying to perfectioning an outdoor-like cultivation adding some artificial lights when the sun go to sleep?

I hope i have explained myself in a clear manner, sorry for my english!

 

[Pistil]

look for some High Presure sodium fixtures...useually from parking lots or exterior lights...

Hum, i have something in my garden... it's powerful but i don't know it's chemical, could you please check the attached photos to see if you can recognize witch kind of lamp it is?


EDIT:
No, sorry, i just understood that this is an halogen lamp and so, as i read, it sucks...
Going to check another store right now... later guys, and thanks again for all these invaluable advices!

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

These new lamps are:
- 3 x (18W -> 85W) = 255 actual Watts
- 3 x 1140 lumens = 3420

...and they have to cover an area of an half square meter, so you're right, seems i'm way off atm

I would need 3 of these lights for every plant at least, 12 in total, like CasualGrower... jesus christ, my wife will eat my neck if i'll arrive at home with 12 lamps to be turned on 24/7 :roll eyes:


EDIT:
I posted before reading pcduck's answer, let me see what's new

You have things backwards on your watts. You have 3 x 18W = 54W. The equivalent wattage (the 85W) is immaterial for growing purposes and IS NOT the actual wattage. You are going to need even more than 12 lamps to have enough light.

You are up against some hard odds here. I don't want to burst your bubble, but marijuana has certain minimum requirement that are going to have to be met if you want to grow inside.

First, you are going to want some kind of enclosed space. There are several reasons for this, but mostly to make the best use of your light. Right now, your light is disbursing throughout the entire room and only a small fraction of it is being used by the plants. You are also going to need a space that can be kept 100% dark for 12 hours a day for about 2-3 months when they are flowering.

Next is your lighting. You are going to need a minimum of 3000 lumens per sq ft for flowering and 5000 for flowering. Lighting is not figured by the number of plants, but by the sq footage of the space your plants are in. While CFLs will grow plants, they are the most expensive of all the lights we use to grow.

You need ventilation when growing inside. You need to remove the heat produced by the lights and you need to supply your plants with a continual supply of fresh air--out with the old and in with the new. This requires an exhaust fan. You may also need a carbon filter as some strains smell quite a bit. In addition, your plants need a small fan that blows the air in the room around.

You will need pots, the correct kind of soil mixture, and nutrients for your plant.

If you cannot/will not buy things off the internet, I believe that you are going to have a hard time finding everything you may need, unless you can make a lot of stuff yourself. In addition, I am not sure that your wife is going to be into you doing all this. I believe that if you want to grow, you are going to need to do a lot more research on your own to find out the basic needs of the plant. Then you need to sit down with your wife and talk about this. Growing can be an involved thing and it can cost quite a bit of money. If it was simple, everyone would be doing it. It takes a lot of knowledge, work, money, and love (and 4 months or more) to take a plant from seed to harvest.

If you do not get better lighting and a space set up soon, I am afraid that your plants are going to stretch a lot. This is not good. You end up with tall, tall plants that do not produce very much at all. Most pot that grows wild outdoors is not good and will not get you high. Marijuana does not do well if left on its own to go feral. It does need care, even when grown outdoors.

 

[WeedHopper]

:yeahthat:

 

[getnasty]

What THG's basically saying above is that while ANYBODY can grow a marijuana plant from seed to harvest, it takes special attentive care to do it the right way, to get the product you want out of it. What THG has described above, is for optimal performance. If you're going to do something, do it right the first time, right?

 

[Growdude]

I would need 3 of these lights for every plant at least, 12 in total, like CasualGrower... jesus christ, my wife will eat my neck if i'll arrive at home with 12 lamps to be turned on 24/7 :roll eyes:

With this being said I have to say just forget it.
Its not going to produce anything close enough to pay for asprin it sounds like you will need.

 

[buddogmutt]

if im not mistaken...The Hemp Goddess has a great link on her DIY(do it yourself) 150w cool tube set-up...parts purchased at local homedepot or any electric supply store..a few of those and at least you can still grow'm out..

 

[4u2sm0ke]

Hum, i have something in my garden... it's powerful but i don't know it's chemical, could you please check the attached photos to see if you can recognize witch kind of lamp it is?


EDIT:
No, sorry, i just understood that this is an halogen lamp and so, as i read, it sucks...
Going to check another store right now... later guys, and thanks again for all these invaluable advices!

thats a hallogen(sp) light and is worthless for growing...like I said..you sound like a DIY fella and outdoor lights are cheap on craigslist...search"High Bay" lights:aok:..and if ya need help making it remote..shoot me a PM..ill hook ya up with some links...or Ill walk ya through...i have made many of these

take care and be safe

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

What THG's basically saying above is that while ANYBODY can grow a marijuana plant from seed to harvest, it takes special attentive care to do it the right way, to get the product you want out of it. What THG has described above, is for optimal performance. If you're going to do something, do it right the first time, right?

Not exactly. I truly do not believe that ANYBODY can grow a plant from seed to harvest. It is still going to take basic supplies--adequate light, some kind of air exchange and pots, medium, and nutrients and knowledge and care. I doubt that under the circumstances that Pistil is growing now that he will be able to end up with any kind of harvest, even with 12 18W CFLs. Also, what I have described is, IMO, more of a list of minimum requirements than being optimum. Everything is really necessary and I don't really see where you could go any less on any of it.

I think that I am with Growdude. Unless you can get your wife more into this, it doesn't sound like you will be able to set up what you are going to need to grow. Even 1/2 a sq meter is ultimately going to require about 24 of those 18W CFLs. You are going to have to have an enclosure for flowering. And you are going to have to have ventilation. When you get as much lighting into your space as you are going to need, it will be quite hot in there.