Newbie Setup Advice

[theCre8or]

HI everyone

I'm about to start a new small production (1-3 plants) grow. Seeds are due to arrive in a few days and I'm gathering my materials. I wanted to run my plan past you guys for any comments/advice.

I ordered a pack of 10 seeds. I plan on attempting to germinate 5 seeds. I hope at least 3 will germinate, and of those 3 at least 1 female. I don't want more than 3 plants because I want this to be a small production for personal use only.

To germinate I plan on using Scott's Seed starter mix in a plastic peatpot with drainage tray, covered in plastic, plenty of water and an incandescent bulb near the top (3-4 inches) just for warmth. When I see them sprout, I plan on xfering all plants to a single 5 gallon bucket with Scott's potting mix w/ Miracle Grow (fresh.)

I have a 150w CFL that says it will output 2600 lumens and a 75w that will output 840 lumens. I don't plan on using a grow box. I have a crawl space in our apartment. I plan on painting a corner of the crawl space with flat white paint. The 150cfl will hang above the plant on a chain so I can adjust height. The 74w cfl will hang above and to one side of the plant, directing the light to the plant. My hope is positioning the bulb this way will help distribute the light to the plant more evenly. Since the corner only makes two walls, I planned on positioning a cheap full length mirror (the kind that usually hang behind a door) on the side opposite of the 75 W Bulb. Do I need a 4th "wall"? Maybe just some plywood painted flat white? Will the mirror work, or should I just use two "walls" painted white? I already have the mirror and it's not in use so I figured...

24 hour light until the plant grows about 12 inches or so, then switching to 12/12 using a cheap timer from Target. Yanking the males as soon as I can tell.

At flowering I plan on finding a good liquid fertilizer to mix with each watering. Any recommendations?

Since the plant will be near our furnace (not too close to worry about it drying out) I also plan on using a True Air air cleaner to reduce the amount of bud smell going into the furnace and blowing throughout the apartment. Since the plant will be out in the open, will the True Air, positioned right next to it, cut the smell enough, or should I reconsider building a grow box?

Since I'm expecting at least 1 male, I figured 1 bucket will hold the plants. If I get more than 1 female, should I transplant them to their own bucket? I'm not sure I want two buckets. Will to plants grow strong in a single 5 gal bucket, or would I be better off killing the extra female and getting a single big strong girl?

I plan on drying in the same space. The crawl space is not very humid. Is curing in a glass jar better than in a plastic jar? I started saving empty glass jelly jars, but also have big plastic containers from my Whey Protein mix.

Thoughts anyone would like to share?

Thanks everyone

 

[fleshstain]

i'd say first and foremost don't drown your seeds when you plant them....keep the soil just lightly moist....if you keep the pots covered with plastic wrap you should only need to mist it once a day to keep it moist....and let them get a root system established before you move them into the 5ga bucket....if they don't have a good root system it will be very easy to drown them when watering a pot that size....

 

[theCre8or]

Good tip. Thanks.

I've grown plenty of other plants from seeds and have killed my share from over watering. I usually watch the soil and only water if its dry. Didn't think of misting, though. So I'll grab a spray bottle.

Other thoughts?

 

[Homemadegravity]

Im not sure about the scotts seedling mix or the MG. I would try to get some foxfarm soil from your local hydro store if you have one. But then again Ive never used scotts before so Im not sure how MJ would react to it. Miracle grow can be very tricky to deal with, I wouldnt recommend it for MJ unless you really know what you are doing.
Also I would leave your seedlings be in a small pot as fleshstain said. You want a stable root sytem before you start stressing them out from transfers. I always wait 30 days before transfering mine into their permanant home.
Your lights sound like they will be sufficent. But the mirror thing Im not to sure about. I have only heard bad things about using mirrors in grow rooms. They can create hot spots on your plants.
Remember your going to need to vent the hot air and bring fresh air in from some where. Also read about when to flower, 12in mite be just a tid bit to early.
Just some of my opinion but who an I to tell you how to grow. Hope it helps a lil bit. Good luck.

 

[theCre8or]

Mirror could create hot spots? Even with CFL? Ok, I'll just use plywood painted white. What about the 4th wall? Do I really need it, or if I position that lightbulb on that side, maybe I won't?

I'll give the seedlings time to get strong roots before transplanting.


Thanks for the tip.


Other thoughts?

 

[theCre8or]

oh,

and I grew one out doors on a whim whith the soil and seed starter I mentioned. It happend to be male and i didn't really tend to it. If it would have been female it would have been a decent size, but not what I think I'll yield with 24 hour light veg and 12/12 flowering. I haven't heard anything bad about MJ and this soil, but I haven't heard anything good. I just haven't heard anything. Can anyone else comment on it?

Thanks
D

 

[Homemadegravity]

Mirror could create hot spots? Even with CFL? Ok, I'll just use plywood painted white. What about the 4th wall? Do I really need it, or if I position that lightbulb on that side, maybe I won't?

I'll give the seedlings time to get strong roots before transplanting.


Thanks for the tip.


Other thoughts?

I dont know if it would get hot spots with cfl's but better safe than sorry. A 4th wall would help a little bit for more reflection, and could maybe just help with controlling your heat,cooling, and smell by keeping it in that area rather then just an open wall. I posted a thread in the DIY section on how to build your own homemade odor Neutralizing Machine which you mite be able to benefit from check it out.
As far as nutes go, Id spring for some GH nutes or AN nutes something Mj specific easier to deal with IMO.
Yes use glass for curing. Plastic will dry out your stash, I think. Your on the right track bout your lighting though. Some growers swear by the 18/6 schedule and some 24/7 is the way. I prefer 24/7 of light. More light=more energy for the plant to grow healthy and strong.
I would also stay away from plants mulitple plants in a single pot even if it is a 5g bucket, Im pretty sure the roots would get tangled and cause problems for you. Alot of people use 5g buckets for each plant which is a lot of room for your roots to grow and in return will reward you with nice big buds. I to for my grow I just started will be transplanting into 5g buckets hoping for some nice big plants. Dont kill any females at least give her a shot and let her grow 5g buckets are a dime a dozen jus get another one and grow both. If you love her she will love you back.