Oolong83 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Hey guys, i just recently started my first indoor growth, so stoked, but im on a tight budget. so i built a basic setup in my garage, see pics below. Im using CFL lights with 4k spectrum and each bulb giving 90lumen per watt. using potting soil as grow medium mixed in bone meal and some organic fertilizer pellets. Also added some kelpak and grow boosters to water mix, which i only started to ph balance since yesterday. Some of my babies arent doing so well, please help plc of a sick baby attached below 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oolong83 Posted June 20, 2019 Author Share Posted June 20, 2019 Since ive taken the oic of my setup, i have added another light board, so i now have 8 bulbs on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaskar09 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 I’m no expert but if things go wrong at that stage (ie that early) I would venture a guess and say it has something to do with your medium (potting soil). Don’t ask me what though. I would recommend you get a proper growing medium, Freedom Farms or Organic Matters or mix Coco, Worm castings and Perlite in a 1:1:1 ratio. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailblazer420 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Few things can be wrong here, soil being one...How often are you watering?Have you added any nutrients?Your lights concern me somewhat, they look like normal store bought lights you would normally use at home. The strip lights you have up there may not be enough, I have similar 12v strips in my tent, but they are purely backup lights in case of power failure.Incorrect PH can also cause lockout/stunned growth. Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oolong83 Posted June 20, 2019 Author Share Posted June 20, 2019 The lights are store bought, as mentioned, tight budget. Was looking to get a few 20w cfl’s to boost lumens? I water them with a spray bottle every day a few squirts. Did add nutes, yes I use the same growing medium in all my pots, but only a few are struggling. I do think PH may be a factor, but i havent been able to buy a soil ph tester yet. How would you flush regular potting soil? Wouldnt it just drown the plant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailblazer420 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 @Oolong83 Ill try respond to these in point form. Lighting: I love this topic, always makes for interesting, perhaps even emotional debates. Let me start off by saying it as it is, your lighting will not see those plants through their life-cycle, the plants will die eventually. I read in your post you said 90 Lumens per W. Although this may be true, at what distance and what coverage? 20W CFL's will be wasting money even further. I suggest, instead of throwing additional low wattage globes in there, save up a little and get a bigger one. 50W CFLs were around R120 last time i checked, but even with 50W, do not expect great results. I recommend a bare minimum of 100W for vegging and 200W for flowering. (Single globe naturally) A watt is not a watt: Think of it this way, we both have 100W torches, mine, a single chip, yours 20x5W chips. (Same goes for any other type of lighting) Now what happens when we're standing somewhere "as dark as night" :):), we turn the torches on and point them in opposite directions. Will the light travel the same distance? The answer here of course is no, because the single unit has much more penetrations power. Exactly the same in your grow area, sure the lights are enough to tell the plants whether its day or night, but not enough for effective photosynthesis. Much like that 20x5W torch in the distance. I've included an Image that explains this nicely. Nutrients: Your seeds can sustain themselves for about 3 weeks, without the need for any nutrients. Remember, your potting soil will also have nutrients in them, organic perhaps, but nutirents nevertheless. I would suggest you dont add anything to your soil and perhaps even flush the soil before use, which is what i normally do. Be careful of pelleted nutrients, cannabis has a very specific requirement plus those pellets will create hot spots in your soil. Buy something like seagrow, which works quite well and being organic, you wont get nute burn or lockout due to mixture. Bonemeal will burn the seedlings. I suggest you repot urgently. Soil: Get some vermiculite into that mixture. If your roots dont have enough air, ie. soil does not dry quick enough, youre making your plant sad and inviting all kinds of pests. just read though your initial post again, your soil is hotter than a R200 desert eagle. Take the plants out, rinse roots and plant into freshly rinsed soil. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkunkPharm Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Get proper soil. That organic fertilizer pellets killed your plants. I only add 1-2 cups on a 100l mix of soil. Then you need to let that mixture stand for 2-3 months. My advise is to fine a decent store bought soul like the guys suggested above.Sent from my VTR-L09 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oolong83 Posted June 20, 2019 Author Share Posted June 20, 2019 Thanx this is very help-full, looks like i got a few things to sort out. I haven't planted my new skunk seedlings yet, they still in humid dome. Still time to rectify before i plant them. How much perlite would i add to a 25 lt bucket of potting soil? And what else would be good to add? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oolong83 Posted June 20, 2019 Author Share Posted June 20, 2019 I want to try with coco peat and perlite, but I'm not experienced enough yet. Maybe next grow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oolong83 Posted June 20, 2019 Author Share Posted June 20, 2019 7 minutes ago, SkunkPharm said: Get proper soil. That organic fertilizer pellets killed your plants. I only add 1-2 cups on a 100l mix of soil. Then you need to let that mixture stand for 2-3 months. My advise is to fine a decent store bought soul like the guys suggested above. Sent from my VTR-L09 using Tapatalk So all that soil i mixed i should throw out and replace? Or can i just dump it a bucket and leave it for a few months? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkunkPharm Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 You can keep the soil as a base to use in a couple of months. Easiest thing is to buy a bag of freedom farms soil or organic matters soil. What part of the country do you live?Sent from my VTR-L09 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oolong83 Posted June 20, 2019 Author Share Posted June 20, 2019 Blouberg, Parklands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oolong83 Posted June 20, 2019 Author Share Posted June 20, 2019 Can i mix perlite into organic mix? Is there anything else i should put on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkunkPharm Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Just get decent soil don't worry about perlite and Coco right now. Worry about where to get Freedom Farms Soil.Sent from my VTR-L09 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oolong83 Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 Im gonna try to go to hydroponics in Kraaifontein, on Saturday morning 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcidAlice Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 11 hours ago, SkunkPharm said: Just get decent soil don't worry about perlite and Coco right now. Worry about where to get Freedom Farms Soil. Sent from my VTR-L09 using Tapatalk Agreed, just get some FF soil and leave nutes alone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat999 Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Get FF soil and get BioGrow and a small bag of calmag. You have to feed FF soilSent from my G3312 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcidAlice Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 7 minutes ago, Pat999 said: You have to feed FF soil Do you start feeding once you start flowering? That's what I read somewhere. 8 minutes ago, Pat999 said: Get FF soil and get BioGrow and a small bag of calmag. Do yourself a favor and get a bag of seedling soil as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat999 Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 Do yourself a favor and get a bag of seedling soil as well. Feed through out the veg and flowering cycle. I'm not bothered with seedling soil, I've been planting straight into the classic with no problemsSent from my G3312 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcidAlice Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 2 minutes ago, Pat999 said: I'm not bothered with seedling soil I mean for Oolong83 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oolong83 Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 My new seedlings in the humid done are starting to pop i will put them straight into ff organic mix as is? i am also gonna buy 2 or 3 100+ watt CFL’s will this be sufficient for a (L)2x(W)1x(H)1m grow space? i will move to different area with same space, only 2m high instead. Once the get too big for first area. PS. Does any of you stay close to Tableview? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oolong83 Posted June 23, 2019 Author Share Posted June 23, 2019 Hey guys. This one still struggling, but the other have bounced back, any advise? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dank Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 (edited) @Oolong83 could be that its roots are struggling, perhaps the start of rootrot, try not to overwater would be my advice. Weed loves going through a wet to dry cycle. Of course not bone dry, most new growers kill plants simply by overwatering. When the soil is constantly wet it creates a nice environment for anaerobic bacteria, while the aerobic bacteria loves n bit dryer soil. The trick is to have both sets of bacteria happy through a simple wet dry watering cycle. Please note I don't mean bone dry, microbes need moisture to live. Edited June 23, 2019 by Dank 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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