New to this - trying what I can - need advice

laylaylom

laylaylom

Active Member
Hello stoners! I salute thee.
Thank you for reading this!
I love cannabis.
I just thought "why don't I finally start growing my own beautiful flower? I don't have much money and I can't keep paying for any smoke so let's start."
I bought the cheapest led grow lights that I could find and tried to prepare some things.
I tried to create a lamp out of led strips.
I germinated my seed and put in in a soil in a pringles box.
I covered a part of my wardrobe walls with foil.
Got a small fan too.
So I started I think 6 days ago with this setup.
Of course because I don't know almost anything about this subject, every morning I wake up with doubts about if I am doing things wrong.
Even though I check every day, the internet is full of both useful and useless information and so it's just making me confused.
That's why I came here and I wanted to ask for advices and opinions of amazing stoner grow gurus!

So every morning the first doubt I have is about this light. It's just pink. I don't know the watts and lumens or anything. I just checked the leds on the strip and there are no red and blue leds, just pink... Is this light gonna be enough for my gorgeous plant?
I upload the light picture and my lil 6 day old baby <3
Thank you in advance! Have a nice day!

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Hey good morning... So we can check the lights output of umol/ppf using the PHOTONE APP.... it uses your selfie camera to sense light, this will give you a round about what kind of power your looking at... I'm going to assume that they are not going to put out enough light...sorry.... But the little lady looks good so far... Are you considering starting a journal?
 
Hello again, good morning to you too.
I just tried that app and I had to pay to check led strip lights so I don't think I can measure my lights with it.
I can consider starting a journal if I can get over my doubts and have hope for succeeding
 
Your seedling looks like it's doing well. I think your limiting factor is going to be the light. What are the specs on the light (brand/wattage)? Might grow OK in veg, but it's not going to have the wattage needed in flower. I urge you to start saving for a better light. Give this light a try, see how it does, but you may not be happy with the results. For a small grow, 1-2 plants, you can get a decent light for a couple hundred bucks. There's been several posts since I started writing, so this may have already been covered.
 
The light will be okay for the first few weeks but will only give you a little fluffy harvest at the end.
But you're doing great so far!
#1 mistake new growers make is over watering. Be sure to give her only what she needs and then stop.
There are some things we'll need to know to further guide you like what kind of soil is she in? What are you feeding it? What strain is it and where did it come from?
Is it a specific strain you picked out? Mystery bag seed? Etc.
I.e. my first 3 grows were mystery bag seed; full of seeds, brittle, dry, and our hookup called it 'zona' which apparently is street slang for Mexican brick weed that came in through Arizona Lol.
I still have a bunch of those seeds laying around.
However, you are very lucky to start growing after the rise in popularity of LED grow lights and as the tech improves so does the available starter lights!
You can get something with enough power to maybe yield something for under $60!
Check out what's available at the hardware store and you can probably score up to 50 watts of LED that won't break your budget.
Beware of the big LED marketing SCAM of "equivalent watts". For LEDs what matters is actual watts consumed.
They're most efficient at about half power but companies will call a fixture with say 100 x five watt diodes a 500 watt light. But it's only set up to use 220 watts and will always be a 220 watt light.
Just passing my growing pains on to you because I fell for it when I started out.
Lastly is ventilation/filtration.
Your cute little one will hopefully grow up to be a big STINKY adult. Start saving up your pennies for a decent charcoal canister filter that hooks up to a fan. Anything that just hangs there claiming to purify the air wont cut it.
Otherwise everyone in a 200' radius will know you're growing weed, triple it on a windy day!!
 
Forgot to mention that ideally you'll want 40-50 watts per square foot. There are some lighting sponsors on the forum including mars hydro which has some smaller lights on the market but also watch for monthly contests and giveaway promotions!
But seriously just search the web for LED grow lights under $100 and you'll be surprised.
Again be wary of anyone selling over a watt per dollar.
 
Phytoplankton said:
Your seedling looks like it's doing well. I think your limiting factor is going to be the light. What are the specs on the light (brand/wattage)?
Click to expand...
Me and my seedling thank you so much!
Errr I don't know the wattage and there was no brand. ^_^ It is made in Chinese and that's the only info I got on them.
I am really, really new to this.
If there is a way to find out about the watts and the lumens, I can do it.

Southerncough said:
The light will be okay for the first few weeks but will only give you a little fluffy harvest at the end.
But you're doing great so far!
#1 mistake new growers make is over watering. Be sure to give her only what she needs and then stop.
There are some things we'll need to know to further guide you like what kind of soil is she in? What are you feeding it? What strain is it and where did it come from?
Is it a specific strain you picked out? Mystery bag seed? Etc.
I.e. my first 3 grows were mystery bag seed; full of seeds, brittle, dry, and our hookup called it 'zona' which apparently is street slang for Mexican brick weed that came in through Arizona Lol.
I still have a bunch of those seeds laying around.
However, you are very lucky to start growing after the rise in popularity of LED grow lights and as the tech improves so does the available starter lights!
You can get something with enough power to maybe yield something for under $60!
Check out what's available at the hardware store and you can probably score up to 50 watts of LED that won't break your budget.
Beware of the big LED marketing SCAM of "equivalent watts". For LEDs what matters is actual watts consumed.
They're most efficient at about half power but companies will call a fixture with say 100 x five watt diodes a 500 watt light. But it's only set up to use 220 watts and will always be a 220 watt light.
Just passing my growing pains on to you because I fell for it when I started out.
Lastly is ventilation/filtration.
Your cute little one will hopefully grow up to be a big STINKY adult. Start saving up your pennies for a decent charcoal canister filter that hooks up to a fan. Anything that just hangs there claiming to purify the air wont cut it.
Otherwise everyone in a 200' radius will know you're growing weed, triple it on a windy day!!
Click to expand...

Thank you!
About the soil. I am using a local brand which says "natural with torf and stuff" in it. I guess it is not that bad, may even be okay.
I guess it is a "mystery bag seed", if that means "I don't know where it came from and what it is".
I don't give water unless the soil is dry and light.
Growing inside my house, I think the neighbours won't notice that I am growing, I hope ^_^.
And yeah, I should start saving some money for a decent light but even if I save, I don't have the proper knowledge and sources to find a suitable light. Where I live, everyone is trying to sell cheap and useless things on the internet and to buy them from abroad is very, very expensive. I am just a student trying to grow with DIY kinda stuff.

And thank you for your advice about the sponsors and giveaways! Appreaciate it, will be on the lookout!
 
Oh and I am still really curious about this one thing.
My led strips are pink.
Does that mean they are blue/red?
Is there any blue in there?
Is it a full/broad spectrum light?
What kind of a light is that?
 
laylaylom said:
Oh and I am still really curious about this one thing.
My led strips are pink.
Does that mean they are blue/red?
Is there any blue in there?
Is it a full/broad spectrum light?
What kind of a light is that?
Click to expand...
For a while they were sold as a blue red mix that you'll hear described as blurple or spiderman lights. Even the big brands were selling $1500 blurple lights until the natural daylight spectrums became available
 
Southerncough said:
For a while they were sold as a blue red mix that you'll hear described as blurple or spiderman lights. Even the big brands were selling $1500 blurple lights until the natural daylight spectrums became available
Click to expand...
Thank you very much for this info! <3
I have been doing research about this and I couldn't be sure. Now I am relieved.
 
laylaylom said:
No, I live in Middle East.
Click to expand...
Please be careful especially if your area has super strict laws.
But you're already doing great! The first week is the hardest even for experienced growers because the seedlings are so delicate that one tiny mistake can hurt them.
You will learn a lot, make a few mistakes, and have a very rewarding harvest at the end. Every new thing she does is exciting! Every new leaf set, every branch, every time she grows bigger overnight, etc. If you really want to have some fun interacting with your plant, research all of the fun training methods like topping, super cropping, low stress straining, bonsai, SCROG (or screen of green/trellacing) etc etc.
You will eventually learn to communicate with your plants! They have a subtle way of telling you when they are happy or unhappy and with time and experience you will learn to interpret what they are saying and how to answer.
From I'm thirsty or something is wrong with my roots to "you're feeding me too much nitrogen" to "I'm too hot" to look how happy I am right now, everything is great!
And actually talking to them is good too because they LOVE CO2.
 
Welcome! First, take a breath and remember that it is called weed for a reason. You have your first true leaves so you are ahead of the curve and heading into the stable part of the grow.

First thing I would suggest is since you are stealth growing is hide the tree in a forest. In other words put legal plants in your windows. That musty floral smell and horticulture supplies won't attract as much attention if the neighbors see you growing flowers in you windows. You need a fan to keep the air moving around the plant. It stops mold from forming and to develops healthy stems. Just place a tray of active carbon like used in fish filters in the air flow. It will reduce the smell some. Yes they do start to smell as they grow.

The led strips are not enough light. Even 120 wat equivalent LED light bulbs will work ok but you will need one every 20cm and keep them 10 to 15mm from the plant so not vary practical. Adding those will hold you over for a few weeks until you can get a better light. Viparspectra has some good budget lights.

These plants grow exponentially. In 3 weeks it could be growing 2.5cm a day. You need a liter of soil for every 8cm of plant roughly. They double in size during flower. So the hardest part of growing is keeping up with space.
 
Southerncough said:
But you're already doing great! The first week is the hardest even for experienced growers because the seedlings are so delicate that one tiny mistake can hurt them.
You will learn a lot, make a few mistakes, and have a very rewarding harvest at the end. Every new thing she does is exciting! Every new leaf set, every branch, every time she grows bigger overnight, etc. If you really want to have some fun interacting with your plant, research all of the fun training methods like topping, super cropping, low stress straining, bonsai, SCROG (or screen of green/trellacing) etc etc.
You will eventually learn to communicate with your plants! They have a subtle way of telling you when they are happy or unhappy and with time and experience you will learn to interpret what they are saying and how to answer.
From I'm thirsty or something is wrong with my roots to "you're feeding me too much nitrogen" to "I'm too hot" to look how happy I am right now, everything is great!
And actually talking to them is good too because they LOVE CO2.
Click to expand...
Thank you for this amazing reply! I am excited about getting to know what I have loved for a long time!

Sativa1970 said:
Welcome! First, take a breath and remember that it is called weed for a reason. You have your first true leaves so you are ahead of the curve and heading into the stable part of the grow.

First thing I would suggest is since you are stealth growing is hide the tree in a forest. In other words put legal plants in your windows. That musty floral smell and horticulture supplies won't attract as much attention if the neighbors see you growing flowers in you windows. You need a fan to keep the air moving around the plant. It stops mold from forming and to develops healthy stems. Just place a tray of active carbon like used in fish filters in the air flow. It will reduce the smell some. Yes they do start to smell as they grow.

The led strips are not enough light. Even 120 wat equivalent LED light bulbs will work ok but you will need one every 20cm and keep them 10 to 15mm from the plant so not vary practical. Adding those will hold you over for a few weeks until you can get a better light. Viparspectra has some good budget lights.

These plants grow exponentially. In 3 weeks it could be growing 2.5cm a day. You need a liter of soil for every 8cm of plant roughly. They double in size during flower. So the hardest part of growing is keeping up with space.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your interest and your warm welcome! And don't worry, I am a stay-home-all-day person and I live in an apartment and grow in my wardrobe so nobody can't see it. And I am excited about getting my apartment filled with that smell! And thank you for passing the information. And what is the reason they call it "weed"? ^_^

Thank you for your great feedbacks and interests! Appreciate it!

So I have done my research and I think these are the best lights I can find on my budget (actually they are very expensive for me but I will be able to save and buy it) and ones that are being shipped to where I live are these.
It says 300W but also says "actual power draw: 65W+-
Bozily 1000W Sunlike Led Grow Light and this one says 1000W but "actual power draw: 120W"

What are your opinions on those two, oh dear experienced stoner grow gurus of the miraculous plant which is the love of our lives?
 
Also I have found this homemade light which is 150 watts and 18000 lumen but it is blurple. Should I prefer daylights or blurples, I can't decide. I am confused again :)

150w-full-spectrum-cob-led-bitki-yetistirme-lambasi__1441043165477989.jpeg
 
Lighting is full of white lies. Fake reviews, using stock photos of spectrum, and photo shopped display pictures. One or two white lies to simplify the numbers is normal. I start to loos trust as they add more. This has a few.

Grow lights are like standard bulbs in that the technology changed and people needed a scale. House LED are sold listing the incandescent equivalent 17wat LED =100wat incandescent. Grow LED are sold with the High pressure lamp equivalence 100wat LED = 1000wat HPS light. Different tech will change the exact values but that is the ballpark. So by the equivalency scale

300-600 LED would be for seedlings-small plants 30x30 or 60x60cm actual power used, under 75wats
600-1000 LED would cover 60x60 or 60x 90cm actual power used, under 130wats

The contradictions;
full spectrum 300wats, 600-1000 wat equivalent, but actual usage is 185 wats. Only one of these statements can be true.
If it truly was equal to any grow light it would at least mention PAR. PAR is the scale grow lights are actually valued by.
They don't list the light beam footprint size but the distance from plant is farther than most LED.
The actual manufacturer sells this light for $16 US less than amazon.
Found one review for the light but it was just an unboxing. Only thing I learned was it is a blurple light where the add shows white light. Blurple is inefficient older tech and not vary stealth.

I have experiment with cheep lighting and have given away a lot of cheep lights to friends after I was done. Still have a pile in a corner. They are no better for growing than compact fluorescents.
Rather than $46usd light you looked at and since amazon is a shipping source for you, search

LED Grow Light, VIPARSPECTRA P600 LED​

It is on sale for$69 USD. That's $20USD more than the blurple light but far better quality
or

LED Grow Light, VIPARSPECTRA Newest P1000​

Twice the light vs 600 for $89usd
Not to mention it only uses a little over 100wats. A known manufacturer, and true grow light. Just trying to prevent you wasting the money we all did when we started on disposable lights.
 
I checked Amazon and Viparspectra official website and unfortunately there is no shipping to Middle East. I can't buy Viparspectra. I am checking the Amazon in my country and the only ones which seem legit and which I can buy are those that I mentioned in my post before. Also I mentioned one more, that is from a local manufacturer, which is three big led lamps of 50 watts each but it is blurple.
 
It is what it is. So I guess it is settled.

Couple years back I retired my HPS and MH lamps. I ran several off brand chinesium lights that I picked up cheap or got from friends to experiment with. Every single one did grow and bloom a plant so they do work. I built a DIY, 1 meter square panel with 9 120wat equivalent LED bulbs mounted on it, as a bench mark.6500kelvin to grow and 3200kelvin to flower, draws 117 wats from the wall. All of the sub$60 lights produced less yield at a lower quality than my home made$30 DIY light. I caught the Viparspectra p1000 on sale for $65 and it was the first to surpass my home built light. The only 2 grow journals I have done.

My profile pic is Thai grown under compact fluorescents. Just over 170 grams and two hits put you on the floor vs HPS 425grams and one hit. Almost any light can grow but better light can give better harvest.

Again, it's a weed.
 
Sativa1970 said:
It is what it is. So I guess it is settled.

Couple years back I retired my HPS and MH lamps. I ran several off brand chinesium lights that I picked up cheap or got from friends to experiment with. Every single one did grow and bloom a plant so they do work. I built a DIY, 1 meter square panel with 9 120wat equivalent LED bulbs mounted on it, as a bench mark.6500kelvin to grow and 3200kelvin to flower, draws 117 wats from the wall. All of the sub$60 lights produced less yield at a lower quality than my home made$30 DIY light. I caught the Viparspectra p1000 on sale for $65 and it was the first to surpass my home built light. The only 2 grow journals I have done.

My profile pic is Thai grown under compact fluorescents. Just over 170 grams and two hits put you on the floor vs HPS 425grams and one hit. Almost any light can grow but better light can give better harvest.

Again, it's a weed.
Click to expand...
I looked up HPS, MH and chinesium lights and they seem pretty legit, professional stuff. I just bought my first ever grow light a week ago. It's a pink led strip and even though it's not much, I am proud of it. I built a chandelier with it and I will keep using it until I buy something better. I don't know how much power it draws from the source but my seedling liked it and keeps feeding on it. I am just scared if my plant will give up halfway through growing. But like you said, it's a weed and it will give me signals before giving up I guess.

Also if what matters is how much watts the light is drawing from the wall, maybe the 130 watts I found will be okay.
Now I am just trying to decide if the daylights are better than blurples or if the ones I found are newer technology than the blurples.

Thanks for your interest and replies!
 
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