KJ's T5/CFL 1st Time Grow

Hey ther K, man I'm bummed for you on your hid issue, them plants be thirsty for one about now! Dunno if its an option for you, but I live in a small town, and ways I got HIDs in the past(as well as one im currently using), was go to the town maintenence yard, and ask for any old/un-used street lamps or building lights they got layin around. Good chance is they'll have at the least extra ballast sets laying around. I got a 1000w HPS street lamp for free one time, just had to rewire it and make reflector.
Other than that your lookin great man, them are some pretty ladies!
 
Thanks!
The clones were in the machine for 2 weeks to the day! I never made clones before and I'm wondering if the short ones will made shorter plants, or if where you take your cuts makes any difference at all. I took a video of the clones as I was cutting them, so I'll know which plant they came from.

I thought that the taller plants would automatically produce taller clones, but these all seem to be going short and wide from the start. I ran clear PH'd water and today is the 1st taste of soil, so they've been without food for 2 weeks! Not sure how that will affect things.

@Confederation, thanks! yea it's not making me happy, that's for sure!

Update on the lights: I just got an email from LowBaller [Amazon seller] he said the cool tube might have a short and he's shipping a new one. I emailed him back and said the ballast shorts now and did smoke so it'll probably need replacement. It shorts with or without a bulb connected to it.

I fear this process will take a while if he ships only the cool tube. I really can't even TEST the cool tube, because I have a smoked ballast.

He's been nice and I've been understanding, but I REALLY need a ballast and might need a cool tube too, but if he ships ONLY a cool tube, I'm stuck without a chance of getting lights for at least another week!

I do plan on running 2 600s, so I might see if I can find a local shop to sell me a Lumitek at prices close to what Amazon sells them for.

The shop downtown did mention they match prices.

I'm going to see if LowBaller responds to my email response to him shipping the cool tube.
 
If anyone knows more than me about electrical connections, here's what I did to test the connection:

Check continuity from each of the three connections points.

The plug that goes from the light to the ballast has 3 prongs, exactly 2 of the 3 prongs have continuity between them.

That means that those two wires are touching each other at some point.

I guess that means there IS a short!

This is WITHOUT the bulb in the socket.

It's the flat one and the one furthest from the flat one.

I'll take out the socket and check that too.
 
KarlJay said:
Thanks!
The clones were in the machine for 2 weeks to the day! I never made clones before and I'm wondering if the short ones will made shorter plants, or if where you take your cuts makes any difference at all. I took a video of the clones as I was cutting them, so I'll know which plant they came from.

I thought that the taller plants would automatically produce taller clones, but these all seem to be going short and wide from the start. I ran clear PH'd water and today is the 1st taste of soil, so they've been without food for 2 weeks! Not sure how that will affect things.

@confederation, thanks! yea it's not making me happy, that's for sure!

Update on the lights: I just got an email from LowBaller [Amazon seller] he said the cool tube might have a short and he's shipping a new one. I emailed him back and said the ballast shorts now and did smoke so it'll probably need replacement. It shorts with or without a bulb connected to it.

I fear this process will take a while if he ships only the cool tube. I really can't even TEST the cool tube, because I have a smoked ballast.

He's been nice and I've been understanding, but I REALLY need a ballast and might need a cool tube too, but if he ships ONLY a cool tube, I'm stuck without a chance of getting lights for at least another week!

I do plan on running 2 600s, so I might see if I can find a local shop to sell me a Lumitek at prices close to what Amazon sells them for.

The shop downtown did mention they match prices.

I'm going to see if LowBaller responds to my email response to him shipping the cool tube.
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Gooood idea, try ta bargain with em, they want your money and they DO have to compete with online deals, if they can't figure out how to compete maybe they shoudl try something else they're better at..LOL...Since I found out how much welfare our farming industry gets I have little sympathy for businesses that can't operate and make a profit.
 
Well I got no response from by reply to the email. I was trying to get Low Baller to send a replacement ballast, but it's not looking like he did. The FedEx ship tracking is different than before, so it might have been pulled and reworked. It shows it's due Wednesday, so I'll find out pretty soon.

It might have been best to have him reship the whole thing.

Found a bug on one of the plant leaves. it was about 3/8" long and had a 'dual stub' head on a worm type body about. It fell off the leaf and I couldn't find it after that. Didn't see if it went into the soil or on the table, but no sign of it now.

No clue what it was, but I'm due for a watering and I'll be checking everything real close.

Anyone know of a website that shows all or most of the plant bugs we might get?
 
Update Pics: not too much for news, just more pics. They really don't look too much different since flowering started. It's been about a week, I'll have to go back and check the posts for when I started flowering.

The nutes have changed, FloraGro is 1/4 of what it was before, the FloraBloom is up 25% And I'm running about 80% of the listed values.

Should have more info on the lights, If I can't get something going soon, I'm going to be forced to either buy T8's in the 2000~2700K light range. I thought I was running T5s but they are actually T8s but still overdriven. Saw a video about the T5 vs T8 and they aren't as different in terms of net output as I thought they were. Clearly the plants are liking things.

Also, I noticed a few leaves falling off while poking the water jug into the plant, and a few dead leaves in the soil, I assume that's normal.

no leaf cutting this round, the last leaf cutting was HUGE and they've recovered nicely.

I'm doing research on the value of leaves in flowering, one video says to save each one as they do have some THC value once they are in flowering, so I've got some more homework to do...

On to the pics...
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Hopefully I'll be posting my new WORKING HPS light this week !!!!
 
Update: I decided to go ahead and mount the CFLs bar on ropes and remove the table. I figured as soon as the HPS is working, I'll have the eyebolts in place for it.

Outermost light was move outward about 4" and the CLF bar was place in the middle. This give the plants some more room. I'm still limited from side to side because of the 4' long lights, but at least it's not as cramped. Also, no more lights resting on bricks and blocks of wood waiting to fall and kill my ladies...

Row 1...


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Row 2...


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Row 3 ...


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Much better spacing and added a Mylar sheet to the back wall

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I'm clearly going to need to go wider, I'd like about 1' width to give the plants some room to grab light.
 
mcloadie said:
LOL, I know karl, I can grow 50 just as easy as 12...LOL!
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With my luck the police will come and raid me :D

I'm in California and we have the medical use scripts here. One thing I don't like about the system is that you have to pay more for a script that allow you to grow more. In fact, the way the law is written, if you have a 12/6 script, you have to KILL all but 6 of your plants!

However, if you PAY more, you can get a script for up to 99 plants!

I don't understand this, a Dr can say yes to 12, 30, or 99, ONLY if you pay more? Why should a 99 script cost more than a 12 script?

Why would the law care if you have 12, 30, or 99, only based on the script and therefore, how much you've paid to a Dr?

I understand the whole 'legal/not legal' is in a state of flux, and with CO and other states making it legal for non-medical use, things are clearly changing.

I just hope the government has so many budget cuts that they have to be more selective about how they spend their time.

I could go on and on about the government, but nobody here will live long enough to hear me out :D
 
KarlJay said:
With my luck the police will come and raid me :D

I'm in California and we have the medical use scripts here. One thing I don't like about the system is that you have to pay more for a script that allow you to grow more. In fact, the way the law is written, if you have a 12/6 script, you have to KILL all but 6 of your plants!

However, if you PAY more, you can get a script for up to 99 plants!

I don't understand this, a Dr can say yes to 12, 30, or 99, ONLY if you pay more? Why should a 99 script cost more than a 12 script?

Why would the law care if you have 12, 30, or 99, only based on the script and therefore, how much you've paid to a Dr?

I understand the whole 'legal/not legal' is in a state of flux, and with CO and other states making it legal for non-medical use, things are clearly changing.

I just hope the government has so many budget cuts that they have to be more selective about how they spend their time.

I could go on and on about the government, but nobody here will live long enough to hear me out :D
Click to expand...

My sisters card is for 99 plants, she can have 19 lbs in posessiion.
 
Hey Karl, just checking in. Your plants are so beautiful man. Cant wait til mine get that big! Its like when yer inpatient they grow slower..keep up the updates, and not the governmental rants hehe:thumb:
 
mcloadie said:
My sisters card is for 99 plants, she can have 19 lbs in posessiion.
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WOW, 19Lbs! Almost need a MuscleMan for that kinda weight :D

The only problem is that you pay more for the 12 vs 99, doesn't seem right.

Maybe they figure you're selling, so you got the $$ to pay more?

Update on the light:
Local store has a XtraSun 600W Digi ballast for $145, might get it for $130...

The FedEx site list my package still down south, it'll likely be Friday... Near a full week just to get this and it's coming from the same state! If it's just the hood, I'm just as screwed as before.

If it's just the hood, I'll probably buy the local XtraSun and bring the hoods down to make sure they work, then keep it for a 2nd system.
 
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