cougar

Hi everybody!
First off I wanna ask a few questions on lighting:
-my grow room is 4ft wide, 2ft deep, and 6ft high
1) I mainly use 2 4ft 40W flouros, is this good enough for vegitative state, or do I need to bring in the HID lights right away, or should I just use them anyway?
2) Can I use 1 HPS and 1 MH light at the same time? would this be better or worse than using just one type?
3) I have read several posts claiming that if you have some wiring skill (and I do) that you can make your own ballast for much cheaper than buying one, anybody know how, or have link to a how to?(actully im not even sure what a ballast is though...)
Other questions:
1) my plants i started from seed have seemed to stop growing (been about 4-6 weeks since planted and they are still very small, only one has first set of 5 section leaves) is this pot size(pots seem large enough, maybe half gallon) or are my lights just not good enough?
2) The plant I just transplanted (i think its a sativa, about 9inch tall, it ahs been flowering for sometime, brought in due to frost)(now only 1 day inside) its largest sun leaves have really wilted, I ran out of good potting mix so used soil that was around the place it was growing , but I now have bought more good mix, should I re-transplant into good soil a.s.a.p., or wait till it comes back from its shock or something else, please help!

oh, one more quick thing, where can I buy mylar(same place buy lights at?), or what else can be used for reflection( would mirrors work)?

sorry for so many questions, thanks for any help,
-Cougar-

Romulis

PATIENCE;
What it is, and , what it AINT'
Patience is not a virtue; you heard me, patience is NOT a virtue. Patience, in our little (or big) hobby is no more a virtue than a ph or ppm meter, or nutes. Patience IS a tool, a tool that must be kept sharp and used often.

Let's consider a newbies journey into growing.

The newbie starts by talking with his friends about the price of local weed and it's nasty taste. The newbie then considers growing. The newbies first step is to type "cannabis" in a search engine, where he finds his way to multiple cannabis related boards. This is were the newbie first starts to use his Patience tool. There are a lot of things to read, what seeds to pick and why, what medium to use (hydro or soil) and their pro's and con's, what space to use (closet, homemade grow box, or a whole basement). And, what about lights? There are fluros, mh, hps, 250's, 430's, 1000's and, this leads to another search for cheap lights on a certain auction site that we all know of.

At this point the newbies Patience tool is becoming dull. He has spent, perhaps a month, doing nothing but reading about all of the great harvest's by other board memebers, he has sifted through endless grow advice, he has searched out the best seeds, he has found cheap lights, he has a fully remodeled basement just for growing (leave me alone about 2x8 closests; this is my story). The newbie's Patience tool is very dull, so dull in fact that, after reading all availble grow advice he is now MORE CONFUSED THAN EVER.

So, with this dull tool the newbie just starts posting question after question, NOT because the newbie is stupid, quite the contrary, the newbie is VERY well informed at this point, he has just allowed his Patience tool to get dull and now he needs IMMEDIATE ANSWERS.

At this point I suggest that the newbie turn off his internet connection; really; do it; NOW. Turn off your internet and open wordpad, now, write down all that you have learned up to this point. Write the reasons that you are going to use 5 gallon pails to grow your plants and what you expect of this type of grow, include the problems that might be expected in a hydro grow. Write down what kind of lights you are going to be using and the reasons, for example, 430 hps sun agro lighting system; you are using this because you can't afford to buy a 1000 watter and the spectrum of the agro lends itself to both veg and flower. Write what you have learned about different types and strains of cannabis(I would suggest NOT including the outrageous prices some seed companys charge, this will only dull your patience again).

At the end of this, the newbie will have sharpened his Patience tool again. Once the newbie has a sharp tool again, he is now willing to search out the basic questions he has for himself, this will lead to an even sharper tool. As the newbie finds confidence in his new found knowledge of growing aspects, he quickly becomes adept at burrowing through the BS and finding that which is relevant.

It is important to keep the Patience tool sharp; considering the endless research the newbie has engaged in and the endless decision making processes, he has yet to have any of his equipment shipped to him yet. This is where the patience tool is, yet again, dulled. It may help the newbie to remember that the U.S. postal service is about the best delivery system in the world and IT STILL SUCKSSSS!!!! I tell the newbie, don't BE patient, EXCERSICE your patience, feel it getting sharper, stronger and more adept.

The final step's and the greatest challenge,to the newbies, Patience tool is the GROW. After excersicing his patience for at least 2 months ( researching HOW to grow, Ways to grow, lights to use, seeds to use, fans, buckets, nutes, ph meters etc, etc, etc.) the newbie is in for the most disasterous time for his Patience tool.

Growing, from a seed to a full harvest, may take TWICE AS LONG as all of the previous research and waiting for equipment to arrive. After the long wait the newbie leaves his Patience tool right next to the boxes his equipment came in, no longer being considered as important, maybe even being considered irrelevant now, the newbie forgets his MOST IMPORTANT TOOL.

Again the newbie should be encouraged to pick up his Patience tool and sharpen it; it will leave him in good stead as his grow progresses.

So, to end my endless diatribe, newbies, take note, your best tool is PATIENCE. Because, no matter what you have done to get ready, up to this point, patience is the key to growing fine cannabis.

Have no fear, my newbie friends, we have, each one of us (experienced growers) been through the scary process of keeping our Patience tool sharp and we are willing to help you keep your's sharp as well. We understand the impatience that can grip ones heart when, upon seeing a wilted leaf on our beautiful new seedling, we panic and instead of USING OUR PATIENCE tool, we run to the grow board and quickly ask what is wrong.

I am not suggesting that newbies don't post questions, quite the contrary, post away, we will answer all. But, before you post, use your Patience tool, calm down, check the things that, we know, that you already know; the ph, the water, the temps, the ppm's, air flow.

When you do this you are benefiting yourself, you have searched the most relevant reasons for your wilted leaf, you have more information at this point and can give this information to us so we can help you the first time, and YOU HAVE SHARPENED YOUR MOST IMPORTANT TOOL;
YOUR PATIENCE.

In conclusion, Most of your questions have been asked before. ( Many many times)
Read the Grow Guides... Read, Read, Read..... ( I know you dont want to hear this)
Use the Search Button......
Then, Post away....................

Good Growing.

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Mendrel

Other than general agreement with everything above.

Yeah, you need a bit more light. If the plant is already in shock, you really can't do too much worse. Might as well put your baby into the best recovery conditions as you can. Mylar can be purchased as an emergency blanket (the shiny silver ones) in most sporting good, hunting or camping sections in just about any store. Heavy duty mylar by the roll is usually found at most hydro shops. Mirrors are heavy and expensive, mylar or flat white paint will work great.

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I came. I grew. I....uhhh...I forgot.
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“You never really leave a place or person you love, part of them you take with you, leaving a part of yourself behind.”

El1t3dirk

1. You need more lights buy a couple flourex from home depot they do wonders they are 65watts and produce over 5k lumens

2 Adding HPS will do a little bit of good but from my experiences the HPS doesnt do much during vegging but the MH will help out alot

using them at the same sure u can but the HPS wont help that much during veg i like to use both during the first couple of weeks during flowering to help out with the strethching then i just go to str8 HPS but the 4ft 40 watters u have sux either get more of them or get MH or Fluorex or envirolite

3 yes u can wire a ballast urself u can pick up a kit at homedepot also but if u dont know how and need instructions i suggest just buying one u can get cheap ones on ebay

4 ur plants could stop growing for many reasons lights, soil, container size, nutes, lack of nutes, ph lock out, temperature, humidity and the list goes on u need to read
is ur plants showing signs of nute Def.? spots? yellow? are the plants stretching if they are stretching then i would say ur lights arent good enough or maybe ur giving them to much light
think about the vegging stage as ur chance to design ur plant the way u want it if u want it taller raise the lights make it stretch want it short and stubby then keep the lights low
i had a problem with mine not growing it was b/c i was giving it to much light plus it was a couple of HPS's i got a flourex and it was just enough i also had to add a little bit of nutes to help it out if u havent given ur plants nutes yet try a little bit not to much to burn them

if u think ur soil is bad then go ahead and transplant why not ur going to have to sooner or later to a bigger pot so go ahead and get it all over with now

u can buy mylar sheet for $2 at walmart they are called emergency blankets they are in the camping/spoting goods section of u can order the really good stuff off line and no mirrors dont work they creat hot spots and burn ur plants and the same goes for foil dont use it, its better to just paint everything flat white then to use foil or mirrors
hope that helps
i know im not suppose to feed the trolls but o well
DiRk

cougar

ok im gonna start a journal and gather myself as Romulis suggests
What I know i need now is more lights, mylar, and a pH tester (how did i ever go without this stuff ) and im just gonna buy a ballast.

I have done much much reading and try to find answers before i post but:
What are flourex lights, do i need a special fixture? and what are nutes? i hear talk of them but not sure what they are or how to use em...

ok, gotta start sharpening my tool.....

thanks
Cougar

MoSnazzy

Flourex - I think the main difference between flourex lights and flourescent lights is the fact the the ballast is not magnetic core but a circuit board. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong about this.)

Nutes = Nutrients or food. I bet you feel dumb now. Don't worry I said it too.


I think the other guys may have over looked your flowering plant that you brought in from outside. One thing that the HPS can provide for the flowering plant is the correct spectrum of light. Of course like Romulis said you probably already know this.

__________________
I like to spend most of my time on this in the woods on a 12" wide, twisty, bumpy, jumpy trail going 20 mph...and thats where I'll be when I fire up the green that I grow.


HEY...yeah you. Is that weed?? You shouldn't be smoking that stuff. Here, give it to me...I'll take care of it.

Must have patience to grow a nice plant; Elevated you shall be (yoda)

Ever notice that when you concentrate on a solution for a problem, the problem goes away?? But when you concentrate on the problem people start to place blame.

Check out what people are saying about this place

Milagro's Bike

El1t3dirk

flourex is just a flouro that is higher in lumens its just a yard light that u buy at homedepot nothing fancy just very good blue spectrum its comes with its own ballast built in lookit up on ebay they will have pictures
DiRk

cougar

Are fluorex lights used for veg growth only? So I wouls still need a MH/HPS to go with it right? My problem now is I cannot find any place in my area that sells this kind of stuff, I can't even find a place to buy a pH tester, my best bet is order online i guess. One little question thoiugh: Is it ok to spray plants with chemical fertilizer? at least for veg period..

thanks again
Cougar

Disciple

Go with your 40w shoplights for veg just get 2 of them or (4) 40w bulbs if your ona budget . all tho if u bud with them u will be lucky to get a 3 -10 grams dried weight per plant.so get a HID from sponsor link Inside sun for 80.00 if u can it will pay for itself in one harvest more 3 X if u get a 400w

MoSnazzy

You can use enviroligths to grow all the way through but you get what you pay for just remember that. The more you spend the more you get (if everything is done properly). Yes the HPS will pay for itself but so will the envirolights.

__________________
I like to spend most of my time on this in the woods on a 12" wide, twisty, bumpy, jumpy trail going 20 mph...and thats where I'll be when I fire up the green that I grow.


HEY...yeah you. Is that weed?? You shouldn't be smoking that stuff. Here, give it to me...I'll take care of it.

Must have patience to grow a nice plant; Elevated you shall be (yoda)

Ever notice that when you concentrate on a solution for a problem, the problem goes away?? But when you concentrate on the problem people start to place blame.

Check out what people are saying about this place

Milagro's Bike