New Grower First grow - FastBuds Stardawg

[Manbearpig]

While the seeds haven't emerged yet, I've put them under a Hydrofarm Jump Start florescent seedling light at 24/0 in case it helps them know in which direction to grow.

I already had the light - it was a gift over a decade ago from when I grew culinary herbs and vegetables indoors - so that's a big savings on costs. It works great, slight hum and very cool so you can get it close to the soil. If I hadn't already had it, I might have skipped it and just gone w

ith a small cheap bulb.

I ordered my supplies and 400w MH/HPS system online and they should arrive this weekend. I've been skipping pH adjustment for the germination but that will have to change soon.

 

[Manbearpig]

Day 4.5 from planting and the Stardawg has emerged. Banner hasn't poked its way out yet.

I'll follow up with a post on the supplies I'm using for the grow and my startup costs for anyone interested in the economy aspect.

 

[420Forever]

Day 4.5 from planting and the Stardawg has emerged. Banner hasn't poked its way out yet.

I'll follow up with a post on the supplies I'm using for the grow and my startup costs for anyone interested in the economy aspect.

into the brave new world! ppp

 

[Sabelter O Adoob]

Day 4.5 from planting and the Stardawg has emerged. Banner hasn't poked its way out yet.

I'll follow up with a post on the supplies I'm using for the grow and my startup costs for anyone interested in the economy aspect.

oooooh there she is! Good luck bud, smash it

 

[Manbearpig]

My startup supply/equipment info with actual USD costs.

Necessities - about 220 USD

- 1.5 cu ft. Nectar #4 pH 6.4 soil - $24 pre-tax at my local hydro store
- 2 5 gallon fabric pots, 4-something apiece at local hydro store
- Hydroplanet 400w MH/HPS light kit (Chinese from Amazon, $116 plus tax). Kit included:
* 400w digital dimmable ballast, FCC-compliant
* Wing reflector
* One metal halide and one high pressure sodium bulb, their brand
* Adjustable ratcheting hanging cords
* Cheap mechanical timer
- iPower 2 pack HPS bulbs for spares, $18.59 on Amazon
- Pura Vida Bloom 1L organic fertilizer, $27 Amazon
- Weekstar general pocket pH meter, $12.99 on Amazon
- Habor digital hygrometer, $8.99 Amazon

Extras

- General Hydroponics CaliMagic quart, $16 on Amazon
- Dr Meter soil moisture meter, 8.49 Amazon
- Biopharm pH calibration and electrode storage solution kit, $19.99 on Amazon
- General Hydroponics pH +/- solution, $18.52 Amazon

I had an Amazon gift card so that's where I made the bulk of my purchases. I'm having buyer's remorse about the pH +/- kit.

As for the other extras, everyone seems to need CalMag at some point. While my pH meter came with calibration powder, it's a single use packet. I'm concerned about not screwing up pH on my first grow. Likewise, the moisture meter seems worth it for someone growing in soil and starting the beans directly in the final pot. It's hard to gauge moisture levels below the surface with the soil I bought.

 

[Manbearpig]

Bruce Banner is now out, a little more than a week after going into the soil, and Stardawg is stretching taller.

 

[420Forever]

My startup supply/equipment info with actual USD costs.

Necessities - about 220 USD

- 1.5 cu ft. Nectar #4 pH 6.4 soil - $24 pre-tax at my local hydro store
- 2 5 gallon fabric pots, 4-something apiece at local hydro store
- Hydroplanet 400w MH/HPS light kit (Chinese from Amazon, $116 plus tax). Kit included:
* 400w digital dimmable ballast, FCC-compliant
* Wing reflector
* One metal halide and one high pressure sodium bulb, their brand
* Adjustable ratcheting hanging cords
* Cheap mechanical timer
- iPower 2 pack HPS bulbs for spares, $18.59 on Amazon
- Pura Vida Bloom 1L organic fertilizer, $27 Amazon
- Weekstar general pocket pH meter, $12.99 on Amazon
- Habor digital hygrometer, $8.99 Amazon

Extras

- General Hydroponics CaliMagic quart, $16 on Amazon
- Dr Meter soil moisture meter, 8.49 Amazon
- Biopharm pH calibration and electrode storage solution kit, $19.99 on Amazon
- General Hydroponics pH +/- solution, $18.52 Amazon

I had an Amazon gift card so that's where I made the bulk of my purchases. I'm having buyer's remorse about the pH +/- kit.

As for the other extras, everyone seems to need CalMag at some point. While my pH meter came with calibration powder, it's a single use packet. I'm concerned about not screwing up pH on my first grow. Likewise, the moisture meter seems worth it for someone growing in soil and starting the beans directly in the final pot. It's hard to gauge moisture levels below the surface with the soil I bought.

just a tip, but in regard to the "single use" ph calibration powder, what u wanna do is mix it up in a nice, sealable glass container, like a mason jar, then once it'z mixed, jus seal it & it'll keep like that forever & the water will alwayz be the ph of whatever the powder was that got mixed in it, enabling it to be uzed multiple timez for pen calibration ppp

 

[Manbearpig]

It hasn't been a week yet but the Stardawg is doing well. I've moved the grow light up because it had stretched far enough upward that the tips of its leaves were showing that it had too much heat. I'm watering with just tap water left out overnight to dissipate chlorine.

Bruce Banner is a few days behind and still much smaller. It lost a cotyledon pushing itself out of the soil.

Pics

of my happy plants.

Reply

 

[Manbearpig]

It's past the week mark for Stardawg and a couple of days away for Banner. Stardawg is noticably bigger, even accounting for the time difference in sprouting.

I top dressed Stardawg with more soil since the soil had sunk a bit more. I'm watering with pH'd city tap water. The cloth pots and bagged soil dry out much more quickly than expected. I'm glad I skipped the extra perlite.

Both seedlings need to be rotated daily as they start bending toward the window and the bluer bulb. At this point, I'm going to need to do some searching to see when it's appropriate to switch to the metal halide light. I figured out a way to gerry rig it without drilling a hole in my ceiling to hang the reflector.

I've already needed the temp and rh meter, something I didn't expect to use until later in the process. Pics here.

 

[Manbearpig]

Update at 2 weeks for Stardawg, week 1.5 for Banner.

Stardawg is developing nodes and starting to show the beginnings of some branching. For a plant that could start flower at three weeks in, it seems slow to me, but from what I've seen in journals the veg growth accelerates. It looks healthy and is growing well.

Banner is still a bit of a runt. Growth is slower, leaves are tinier, it's tough to see the first node, and its leaves don't have the same rich green as its sibling. It's in the same pot, same soil, and in the same schedule as Stardawg, so whatever I'm doing, Stardawg just seems to like it better.

I ran into some drama already. I discovered that the pots were underwatered and not getting enough moisture in the lower levels of soil. So I increased the amount of water and deceased the frequency. Plants liked it. The next day I had fungus gnats.

I despise these ugly little fuckers with a passion and want to kill them with fire.

I was lucky enough to catch them early. I dusted the soil and the lower stems with diatomaceous earth. After the gnats weren't eradicated the next day, I added a Solo cup trap with some white wine and detergent. The resulting carnage was satisfying. I haven't seen one in the last day and a half.

Pics of happy Stardawg and a less-happy Banner. They're about ready to go under the MH light.

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