The Fairy Godmother showed up yesterday and so begins my first garden!

[Crow]

Unexpectedly (about 2 weeks early) I received delivery yesterday of 3 young plants - A Green Crack, a Liberty Haze, and a 1024. I am in the process of building a real grow closet - outside under my porch. Though I am highly motivated it won't be ready to house plants for at least 4, maybe 6 weeks - just weekends and evening efforts after a regular work day. I didn't have grow lights, soil/compost, anything really, as I thought I had at least a few more weeks to gather supplies.

Still - yesterday happened . My friend - tells me - "you should up pot these very soon" and "they are just coming from a 24 hour light cycle which you should take down to 18 hours". No time like the present being Memorial Day and a day off (kind of) so I got right into it. Fortunately I have a cabinet shop and the tools and skill and stuff laying about that I could be useful. No room in the house but I managed to move stuff around in the shop to make a grow closet under a bench - TEMPORARY. Bought some soils/compost at the garden center, cleaned out my spot, sliced up some reflector insulation panel, gathered up a few pitiful CFLs and some old plastic pots and created a garden.

An important question please - How can I stifle the growth for a few weeks so that I don't get these into the flowering stage too soon before they can really be under proper lights?

I did order a 400 watt wing reflector and gear this morning but that is only the beginning. The temps in my little closet is hovering around 60° F and the only lighting are 3 CFLs. Will that by itself be enough to keep the plants under control or will they now just get leggy and be wasted? There is only about 36" of height overall under the bench. Is it worth adding a section of regular shop style fluorescent bulbs to the mix in the short term or is that a waste of effort and electricity (and add to my concerns about getting these to the flowering stage too soon)?

Here is my humble setup.

Thanks for looking and any advice. I spent lots of time on the Grow Easy site last night. A bit overwhelming really - but very cool too! Happy to be here.

Crow

 

[Potted]

Just keep under cfl's at the same light and length of time,after u repot in permenent homes if your worried about the hight ( I would top and tie them down) to keep from comming up to the bench and beyond.My.02$

 

[Crow]

OK thanks Potted - so steady as she goes and I should be able to choose when to get to flowering? I did add an incandescent bulb in there to add a bit of heat. Took the temperature up to near 70° F which sounds like what is really needed. I'm thinking I will need to "table top" them - get them to grow more horizontally - but I'm guessing it will be best to wait at least a week for them to settle in before threatening abusing them with my amateur bending. Should I wait 3 weeks?

Crow

 

[Beach_Town_Brit]

Hi Crow, as Potted says no need to worry about flowering as long as they're getting 18 hours of light a day (assuming they're photo-period plants not autos).

To be honest you're a little late to top and start training these but I'd do it as soon as you think they've settled into their new environment. I'd be tempted to start their training regime this week.

And feel free to add as much light as you can, it's hours of dark that tells photo-period weed plants to start flowering.
Once they get a full 12 hours of total dark a night then the flowers will start to develop.

 

[Crow]

Lights on it will be then. Thanks. I also took your advice and gave them each a lean today. Without breaking the skin I was able to ease them over to one, side held in place with a flexible hoop of fiberglass rod (very thin) stuck into the soil on either side. This is all I dare to do until they are better acclimated ( i only transplanted them 2 days ago). The tallest one is about 12" and the shortest about 7". I need to study more about how and when to prune and/or pinch and bend. Thanks for the advice.

Crow

 

[Beach_Town_Brit]

I think some LST is exactly the right approach.
You've got three plants for this first run, maybe you could be a bit conservative training two of them, and go a bit more 'mad scientist' on the third

 

[alltatup]

They look great Crow, and so does your setup!!!

 

[Crow]

I think I'll save the "mad scientist" action for the next effort. :smile: These guys will be lucky, just TLC from me. And regarding acronyms - what does LST mean?
Thanks.

Crow

 

[AlphaPhoenix]

LST = Low Stress Training

Take a look on the GWE site (http://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabis-plant-training) for a bunch if good info. LST is definitely for your babies since it is kinda late for other training without affecting yield too much.

Good job so far and keep up the awesomeness.

 

[Crow]

YUP - I was just doing that. Found the answer myself. Should have researched a bit more before I asked. Thank you.
Now I need to reread that tutorial.

Cr.

 

[Crow]

Went a bit MAD SCIENTIST after all . Reading your comments and more from the web site I nipped off the tops of 2 of the 3 and bent them all down using some yarn tied through some holes in the sides of the pots. I'm thinking that they will likely live in my little cave through this grow period. My outdoor grow closet will end up being used as I start my 2nd grow.

My new light will be here Tuesday. More photos then after I'm all re- set up. These 3 seem pretty content at the moment. I think the new light will be like dessert to them.

Thanks again. Crow

 

[Crow]

DAY 8 update. Received my new Yield Lab 400 Watt reflector set today - HPS & MH bulbs, timer and dimmable ballast control all included. Had to install it of course and remove my 3 pitiful single hanging CFLs.

I haven't needed to add water to these guys since transplanting which has me a bit concerned. The top 1" of soil seems only slightly damp but my moisture meter says there is plenty of wet in those pots. I'm thinking that a day or 2 under this hotter light and watering will be essential. In the meantime I feel that I've got to trust the meter. Sure don't want soggy roots.

Read my posts above and you will see that I have trimmed a bit and gave them some bends to keep them squat. This shows up pretty well in the photos and they seem to be quite happy. I love the fragrance emitting from my little tent. :laugh:

Here is my happy new garden - Real yellow under the HPS.

Thanks for your interest.

Crow

Does anyone have any advice as to what level the dimmer on this light fixture should be set to? The lights sits 10" to 13" above the plants. No instructions came with the light.
It has 4 settings. The first 3 when advanced show a definite perceptible brightening or dimming of the light. I can't see any effect on the final setting - the turbo mode. I have it set on # 2 - 75%.

Thanks again.

 

[Crow]

After all - I decided to remix their soil. Thought that adding perlite would enhance the porosity of the soil and that it was worth the disruption to improve the conditions before they are fully settled in. They seem to be perfectly happy. Well lit now, with a fan, good draining and nutritious soil at the right PH. Now I need to study up on when & how to take them into the flowering stage. The MH bulb that was to come with my set arrived destroyed but a new one is on the way. Won't move to flowering without it - so a good reason to wait. More as it happens.

Crow

 

[Crow]

Here is my 4 week update - fun to share even if no one is watching .

I have gone mad scientist after all. Have been trimming leaves pretty intently and bending branches regularly. Trying to keep a squat and spread out little garden. I have bored holes all around the perimeter of the pots so that I can thread yarn through them as hold down for my branches. Discovered that with this thick fuzzy yarn I can just do one slip knot around a bare section of branch and with the super cropping technique of crushing the stem in order to bend it - or without - I simply pull the stem down with the yarn - I can tie these downs through the holes in the pot. I only have so much room to grow these up so a wide base will be best. I have raised the "roof" of my closet 3-1/2" but that's as far as I can go.

2 more weeks - the first week of July - I think I will take these into flowering. Here's what I have today.

You can see some of the yarn tie downs here.

Not too exciting photo group but does show the comparison to the new plants.

OK - That's it for now.

Crow

 

[Crow]

Hey - anyone know how to edit a thread title on this forum? Mine could use an update. Thanks very much.

Crow

 

[OzBud]

I don't think you can change the title once a thread is started. If you message NebulaHaze she might be able to do it for you if you ask nicely.

 

[Crow]

OK - Thanks OB