Schwer's First Grow Evah! Planning, Prep and Grow

[Lilolme]

Ha, I don't even know enough to like or not like answers yet, but I'm totally fine with lowering the lights back to 20" and then dropping the intensity per your comfort test. I certainly trust your judgement over my own at this point. I'll do those adjustments when I'm up there watering this morning. Care to point me towards any of that info you found on my light? I'm always up for an education.

I'm going pass on @AmokNewb 's suggestion of using a distance of 3-4 inches for now, even though I've seen him grow successfully with zero inches between his plants and the light.



That's the Grower's Choice ROI-E680. When I was stumbling around the Internet looking for lights I saw it come up pretty often in articles and on forums as a top 4x4 choice. Then I think right at that time I watched a Mr Canuuk's grow video and he was using one, and then I found a great deal and decided to get one.



Yes, and that's why I type so much. Its all the nervous energy exiting though my fingertips.

The usual generic Google fest, I also checked the manufacture web site not much happenin there, checked the usual grow sites. Just looking for comments and reviews. Didn’t find very much usable info other than it will quickly fry your plants if you don’t use it right and no mention of how to use it right

 

[Lilolme]

How are things lookin? Worried about ya

 

[Schwer]

I must be online too much - I didn't post an update for 12 hours and now @Lilolme thinks I'm dead.

Everything still seems fine for the moment. I set the lights at 20" above the highest center flowers and dropped my intensity. I did not use the light meter per your suggestion (psst, if anyone wants to know the numbers pm me ).

Yesterday I also mixed up and applied their last top dressing. I made a mixture for each pot that included a little under 2 Tbs of Fish Bone meal and 6 Tbs EWC per pot. I also added in 3 Tbs of pearlite in hopes of keeping the mixture less sludge-like than last time for watering purposes, but that may have been a waste of time for a top dress because the pearlite just seemed to float to the top anyway.

I also thinned some foliage where it seemed like a good idea to do so, and again that's mostly been larger fan leaves on the top and center fan leaves blocking airflow in the middle. What I really want to do is get in there and remove HALF of those leaves but I will refrain.

Here's the whole crew with a solo cup for reference.

I like this shot from above because you can see how crazy and all over the place everything really is. Not so pretty now, eh? lol

Here's a image of my crispiest GDP right in the middle of the tent. Hopefully that won't progress too much now that I've lowered the light intensity... again.

And a relatively happy BBK in the back left getting a wee bit frosty.

 

[GalaxysEdge]

I must be online too much - I didn't post an update for 12 hours and now @Lilolme thinks I'm dead.

Everything still seems fine for the moment. I set the lights at 20" above the highest center flowers and dropped my intensity. I did not use the light meter per your suggestion (psst, if anyone wants to know the numbers pm me ).

Yesterday I also mixed up and applied their last top dressing. I made a mixture for each pot that included a little under 2 Tbs of Fish Bone meal and 6 Tbs EWC per pot. I also added in 3 Tbs of pearlite in hopes of keeping the mixture less sludge-like than last time for watering purposes, but that may have been a waste of time for a top dress because the pearlite just seemed to float to the top anyway.

I also thinned some foliage where it seemed like a good idea to do so, and again that's mostly been larger fan leaves on the top and center fan leaves blocking airflow in the middle. What I really want to do is get in there and remove HALF of those leaves but I will refrain.

Here's the whole crew with a solo cup for reference.

View attachment 1163830

View attachment 1163831

I like this shot from above because you can see how crazy and all over the place everything really is. Not so pretty now, eh? lol

View attachment 1163832

Here's a image of my crispiest GDP right in the middle of the tent. Hopefully that won't progress too much now that I've lowered the light intensity... again.

View attachment 1163835

And a relatively happy BBK in the back left getting a wee bit frosty.

View attachment 1163836

Looks amazing man. How many days into flower?

 

[Schwer]

Looks amazing man. How many days into flower?

Thanks man, I'm pretty happy I haven't killed them yet. I think its been 4 weeks to the day since flip.

 

[Lilolme]

Thanks man, I'm pretty happy I haven't killed them yet. I think its been 4 weeks to the day since flip.

They look like they perked up quite a bit, how are you feelin about your adjustments? I know you wanted to avoid the raising and lowering I don’t know how easy it is in a tent probly not so much as it is for open space. I am considering a tent on the bigger side so I can get in there and do stuff like that with only a plant or two in there.

 

[Schwer]

They look like they perked up quite a bit, how are you feelin about your adjustments? I know you wanted to avoid the raising and lowering I don’t know how easy it is in a tent probly not so much as it is for open space. I am considering a tent on the bigger side so I can get in there and do stuff like that with only a plant or two in there.

I'm feeling good about the adjustments because some of those top leaves were clearly baked. My plants have preferred less light than what's been suggested on my chart since the get-go, so why it should it be any different now? heh. And yeah they seem happy enough but time will tell. I'll keep a close eye on the leaves and see if they tell me anything new.

Its been easy enough to raise and lower lights in the tent because I've given myself plenty of room to maneuver at all four corners. In fact I can just unzip the top part of the tent to make adjustments without having to open the whole tent. However, adjusting the top circulation fans is a pain in the ass because I have to rig them to oscillate with straps and tape and still have keep them oscillating with full range of motion while facing the right direction. A quality fan that mounts to the tent pole would be a welcome addition some day.

I kinda like the idea of a bigger tent too though, not for growing more but to make maneuvering and setup that much smoother.

 

[clinch]

Looking great man!

what’s the bloom time on these ladies, according to breeder?

 

[Lilolme]

I'm feeling good about the adjustments because some of those top leaves were clearly baked. My plants have preferred less light than what's been suggested on my chart since the get-go, so why it should it be any different now? heh. And yeah they seem happy enough but time will tell. I'll keep a close eye on the leaves and see if they tell me anything new.

Its been easy enough to raise and lower lights in the tent because I've given myself plenty of room to maneuver at all four corners. In fact I can just unzip the top part of the tent to make adjustments without having to open the whole tent. However, adjusting the top circulation fans is a pain in the ass because I have to rig them to oscillate with straps and tape and still have keep them oscillating with full range of motion while facing the right direction. A quality fan that mounts to the tent pole would be a welcome addition some day.

I kinda like the idea of a bigger tent too though, not for growing more but to make maneuvering and setup that much smoother.

Its the same with nutes as it is with lights, always start way weaker than is suggested, you can always add more in small increments

 

[Schwer]

Looking great man!

what’s the bloom time on these ladies, according to breeder?

Thanks man. Per the breeder its 8 and 9 weeks for the Blackberry Kush and the GDP respectively, though the experienced among us have told me to expect longer.

 

[Schwer]

Day 73 - Starting 5th week of flower

Just a watering today, in-and-out. Zero thinning, zero pictures, zero handling. It's probably the best thing I've done for my plants since the beginning

 

[Mothman]

The A/C is probably the main culprit so today I'm going to route it to a completely different circuit via an extension cord and then see how everything shapes up.

Window vent, window A/C, and now extension cords in the hallway? @Schwer, your wife must have the patience of a frickin’ saint! Mine? Not so much. Tolerance more than patience.

Hey, my 40x40x80 tent arrived this week so it’s up and airing out. (When one of the kids moves out, this is the upside. Bedroom becomes a botanical garden!

Also, tonight I finally overcame my severe analysis paralysis and pulled the trigger on a big fat 480 watt luminaire. It’s been 3-4 weeks of nonstop reading and research. I’m a slave to “good value.”

I have a week of vacation coming up and don’t want to leave things unattended, so I’m not planning to wet seeds until early November. Tomorrow I’ll order the fan and air filter from AC Infinity.

I really enjoy reading your posts and following your exploits. I still have some catching up to do, so no spoilers!

all the best, bro. —mm

 

[Schwer]

your wife must have the patience of a frickin’ saint!

Hey, my 40x40x80 tent arrived this week so it’s up and airing out. (When one of the kids moves out, this is the upside. Bedroom becomes a botanical garden!

Also, tonight I finally overcame my severe analysis paralysis and pulled the trigger on a big fat 480 watt luminaire. It’s been 3-4 weeks of nonstop reading and research. I’m a slave to “good value.”

I have a week of vacation coming up and don’t want to leave things unattended, so I’m not planning to wet seeds until early November. Tomorrow I’ll order the fan and air filter from AC Infinity.

I really enjoy reading your posts and following your exploits. I still have some catching up to do, so no spoilers!

all the best, bro. —mm

Ha, yes, I joked with my wife that this will be how I find about about her affairs. She can only be so cool about this before I become suspicious.

Congrats on the tent, the lights and you're upcoming filter/fan, but how soon can you get rid of a kid because I want see your in-home botanical garden.
The analysis paralysis is real but I bet you ended up making better decisions for all the work you put in.

And yeah, no spoilers, but I you're going to love how I ended up dealing with my indoor ground hog infestation.

 

[Aqua Man]

So I'm a believer in ask for forgiveness rather than permission..... one of the great skills I have acquired along with selective hearing and forgetting dates from time to time is to use my words...

These words work wonders for me. "I'm sorry, I'm just a stupid boy"

At first they try to correct you and say "no your not" but if stay true to these words they eventually convert arguments into a simple eye roll followed by leaving the room.

It's worked wonders for me. I can't count how many arguments we have avoided thanks to these words.

 

[Lilolme]

So I'm a believer in ask for forgiveness rather than permission..... one of the great skills I have acquired along with selective hearing and forgetting dates from time to time is to use my words...

These words work wonders for me. "I'm sorry, I'm just a stupid boy"

At first they try to correct you and say "no your not" but if stay true to these words they eventually convert arguments into a simple eye roll followed by leaving the room.

It's worked wonders for me. I can't count how many arguments we have avoided thanks to these words.

Life with a wife is easier if you adhere to one rule, leave the house carryin an empty gun case, when you come home and its no longer empty there are no pesky questions like how much did you spend or do you really need another one. At least till the bank statement comes

 

[Schwer]

Speaking of the wife, she woke up me up in the middle of night saying, "Hey hun, I wasn't sure if I should wake you but there's something beeping in your grow room." Fortunately it was dark and she couldn't see the look on my face that said, "Well of course you should!" and only heard the "Thank you."

While I was watering yesterday I must have bumped the fan console and switched it to temperature or humidity control, because it was giving the warning beep and blowing full blast. It was also colder than expected last night, and even with just the fan running on the A/C tent temps were 64 when I was in there fixing the beep.

 

[Schwer]

These words work wonders for me. "I'm sorry, I'm just a stupid boy"

Have you tested the limits of this phrase's effectiveness yet?

Cop: "Do you know why I pulled you over?"
Aqua Man: "I'm sorry, I'm just a stupid boy."
Cop:

Life with a wife is easier if you adhere to one rule, leave the house carryin an empty gun case, when you come home and its no longer empty there are no pesky questions like how much did you spend or do you really need another one. At least till the bank statement comes

That is some sneaky and brilliant stuff.

 

[Aqua Man]

Have you tested the limits of this phrase's effectiveness yet?

Cop: "Do you know why I pulled you over?"
Aqua Man: "I'm sorry, I'm just a stupid boy."
Cop:



That is some sneaky and brilliant stuff.

Decades of testing... truly magic.

 

[Mothman]

I joked with my wife that this will be how I find about about her affairs. She can only be so cool about this before I become suspicious.

My bride is largely uninterested in my new obsess— er, hobby. But a couple days ago she saw an ad on my laptop for a $700+ light. She asked with a tone of incredulity if I was planning to spend that much on a light. “No,” I told her with great self-righteousness. But I was quick to let her know that one of my buddies on this forum had spent at least that much and probably more on his first light.

At least I now know where the guardrail is. Sorry for throwing you under the bus.

 

[AmokNewb]

Ha, yes, I joked with my wife that this will be how I find about about her affairs. She can only be so cool about this before I become suspicious.

Congrats on the tent, the lights and you're upcoming filter/fan, but how soon can you get rid of a kid because I want see your in-home botanical garden.
The analysis paralysis is real but I bet you ended up making better decisions for all the work you put in.

And yeah, no spoilers, but I you're going to love how I ended up dealing with my indoor ground hog infestation.

My wife has been really cool about it so far. All she wanted was the numbers and telling her my half harvest already has paid for the equipment but also made us or more accurately saved us about 400 dollars in buying our medicine already she was content. Now as far as buying more equipment that is another story. I won’t push my luck any further for awhile.