CannaDad
Well-Known Member
Hello fellow cannabis connoisseurs! My very first grow is currently underway. Mistakes have already been made, but for the most part things seem to be going pretty well. Feel free to chime in any time with advice to make this or my next grow better. Huge shout out to doc bud for putting together the High Brix Kit and working tirelessly to try to answer the seemingly endless questions that arise during a grow, you sir are a true gentleman and a scholar. Also want to give a shout out to Graytail and major pita for taking the time to add a sample feeding schedule, and to darkscotia for the awesome grow journal that has been a great go to for questions. You guys all kick ass! Also a thanks in advance for any advice in the coming weeks! So let’s get the grow journal going!
—equipment
Doc buds High Brix Kit
3x3 flower tent with 400 watt COB Vero timber grow light
2x5? Rolling veg tent with 225 watts from 3 CXM22 COB
——strains
Purple orange kush(POK) bag seed from neighbor, being grown as test subject unless showing high potential
Skunk Diesel(SKD) planted days after POK
Amnesia Lemon(AML) planted weeks later as insurance plan, will veg longer or take clones or flower with SKD. We will have to see how it goes
Plan is to grow perpetual with harvest about every 2-3 months.
Again this grow is currently in progress, almost 3 weeks in. My goal with this journal is to lay it all out for other new growers to have a good source of information like I luckily just found in darkscotia’s grow journal. I figure since I am a new grower I can detail the mistakes I make so others can avoid them and make docs kit easier for a new small scale grower to understand. So without further ado I will kick this off with some backlog of what happened up to Jan 20th. So let’s go way way back to nov 25, cooking the soil and preparing the “pot pod”
The preparation
—-Soil
1 bale(3.8cf) of ProMix BX(No HP near)
1 bag(30 lbs) wiggle worm castings
1 bag(1cf I think?) vigro perlite
1 bag doc buds amendment
5 gallons of water
Mixed all dry ingredients thoroughly in three 30 gal bins(holes in lid). Add water to bins evenly. Mix thoroughly. Check for clumps.
Let sit for 35 days. This brings us to Jan 1
Soil was kept above 60 degrees to cook.
Condensation occurred from a cold window nearby. Mixed moisture back in. Any problems with that?
Soil was moved to basement after 40 days. Temps around 40-60. Any problems with storing cooked soil in cooler temps? I always bring needed amount of soil into the grow room a day or two before using it to let it acclimatize first.
——Setting up the “Pot Pod”
My wife often helps me work through a lot of DIY planning with excellent ideas. Setting up my first grow room was no exception. She found a great deal for a storage unit to be delivered for only $500.
The “Pod” is 8x5 feet and 7 feet tall. We barely fit it into the basement garage, but it is in now and works great.
—-Equipment for Pod
Finnhomy 3x3 tent
Rolling veg tent(metro rack)
Timber grow lights 4vs (veros) 400 watt
4 inch online fan
4 inch carbon filter
Radiator style heater
Adjustable humidifier
3 CXM22 light engines at 75 watts each
Reverse osmosis system
1 gal fabric transplanter pots (eh...)
7 gal fabric pots (hope I like these better)
—-Putting the pod together
I started with putting fan fold insulation around the entire inside(was it worth it? Temps hold nicely, but never tried without it either). The roof had to be removed to fit in the basement, was replaced with rigid insulation. The electric is temporary for my first grow, two extension cords from different circuits. Heater is never set above it’s lowest setting(500watts?) only the rheostat is adjusted. If everything is running at peak it is 500 for heater 400 for flower lights 225 for veg lights and whatever chump change for humidifier, circulation fan, and whatever exhaust fan pulls(been on lowest setting unless heat gets too high). That split over two circuits should be good for now right?
The rolling veg tent is perfect for my small climate controlled space, roll them out if they are needing anything, roll them back so I have space to work when I am done. Made from an old shitty tent that the corners ripped out on. Going to re-purpose the frame as a scrog frame, but more on that when it is actually done.
The pod itself has no direct ventilation, hope that doesn’t present problems for veg in the future. Temp and humidity in the flower tent can be easily kept at 78 and 50-60%. The rolling veg tent will be at the mercy of the climate in the pod though... big room humidifier maybe? Small room one did nothing, had to put it directly in the tent. Any problems with that? Thanks again for any and all feedback/critiques!
Reverse osmosis water is held in a 30 gal bin that I put a spigot on. No air bubbler yet, is that quintessential for storing RO water? I use my pressurized sprayer pump to pump some air in before every use. Water is also brought inside the pod at least hours before use to warm slightly.
I think that about does it for the prep for the grow/room. Let me know if you have any questions or critiques! I want to learn as much as possible before my next cycle!
Here is a picture of the pod with door open so you guys can see what I am workin with. Let me know if anything shoul change( I plan to move exhaust fan because of where I put my storage shelf) thanks for checking the journal out! Now for more on the plants in my next post! (This one got longer than I planned already...haha sorry for the rambling on. Check in tomorrow to see the girls! Good night for now fellow cannasseurs.
—equipment
Doc buds High Brix Kit
3x3 flower tent with 400 watt COB Vero timber grow light
2x5? Rolling veg tent with 225 watts from 3 CXM22 COB
——strains
Purple orange kush(POK) bag seed from neighbor, being grown as test subject unless showing high potential
Skunk Diesel(SKD) planted days after POK
Amnesia Lemon(AML) planted weeks later as insurance plan, will veg longer or take clones or flower with SKD. We will have to see how it goes
Plan is to grow perpetual with harvest about every 2-3 months.
Again this grow is currently in progress, almost 3 weeks in. My goal with this journal is to lay it all out for other new growers to have a good source of information like I luckily just found in darkscotia’s grow journal. I figure since I am a new grower I can detail the mistakes I make so others can avoid them and make docs kit easier for a new small scale grower to understand. So without further ado I will kick this off with some backlog of what happened up to Jan 20th. So let’s go way way back to nov 25, cooking the soil and preparing the “pot pod”
The preparation
—-Soil
1 bale(3.8cf) of ProMix BX(No HP near)
1 bag(30 lbs) wiggle worm castings
1 bag(1cf I think?) vigro perlite
1 bag doc buds amendment
5 gallons of water
Mixed all dry ingredients thoroughly in three 30 gal bins(holes in lid). Add water to bins evenly. Mix thoroughly. Check for clumps.
Let sit for 35 days. This brings us to Jan 1
Soil was kept above 60 degrees to cook.
Condensation occurred from a cold window nearby. Mixed moisture back in. Any problems with that?
Soil was moved to basement after 40 days. Temps around 40-60. Any problems with storing cooked soil in cooler temps? I always bring needed amount of soil into the grow room a day or two before using it to let it acclimatize first.
——Setting up the “Pot Pod”
My wife often helps me work through a lot of DIY planning with excellent ideas. Setting up my first grow room was no exception. She found a great deal for a storage unit to be delivered for only $500.
The “Pod” is 8x5 feet and 7 feet tall. We barely fit it into the basement garage, but it is in now and works great.
—-Equipment for Pod
Finnhomy 3x3 tent
Rolling veg tent(metro rack)
Timber grow lights 4vs (veros) 400 watt
4 inch online fan
4 inch carbon filter
Radiator style heater
Adjustable humidifier
3 CXM22 light engines at 75 watts each
Reverse osmosis system
1 gal fabric transplanter pots (eh...)
7 gal fabric pots (hope I like these better)
—-Putting the pod together
I started with putting fan fold insulation around the entire inside(was it worth it? Temps hold nicely, but never tried without it either). The roof had to be removed to fit in the basement, was replaced with rigid insulation. The electric is temporary for my first grow, two extension cords from different circuits. Heater is never set above it’s lowest setting(500watts?) only the rheostat is adjusted. If everything is running at peak it is 500 for heater 400 for flower lights 225 for veg lights and whatever chump change for humidifier, circulation fan, and whatever exhaust fan pulls(been on lowest setting unless heat gets too high). That split over two circuits should be good for now right?
The rolling veg tent is perfect for my small climate controlled space, roll them out if they are needing anything, roll them back so I have space to work when I am done. Made from an old shitty tent that the corners ripped out on. Going to re-purpose the frame as a scrog frame, but more on that when it is actually done.
The pod itself has no direct ventilation, hope that doesn’t present problems for veg in the future. Temp and humidity in the flower tent can be easily kept at 78 and 50-60%. The rolling veg tent will be at the mercy of the climate in the pod though... big room humidifier maybe? Small room one did nothing, had to put it directly in the tent. Any problems with that? Thanks again for any and all feedback/critiques!
Reverse osmosis water is held in a 30 gal bin that I put a spigot on. No air bubbler yet, is that quintessential for storing RO water? I use my pressurized sprayer pump to pump some air in before every use. Water is also brought inside the pod at least hours before use to warm slightly.
I think that about does it for the prep for the grow/room. Let me know if you have any questions or critiques! I want to learn as much as possible before my next cycle!
Here is a picture of the pod with door open so you guys can see what I am workin with. Let me know if anything shoul change( I plan to move exhaust fan because of where I put my storage shelf) thanks for checking the journal out! Now for more on the plants in my next post! (This one got longer than I planned already...haha sorry for the rambling on. Check in tomorrow to see the girls! Good night for now fellow cannasseurs.