Newbie Grow: Closet CFL Painkiller

[Gulfcoastjoker]

This is my first grow, though I've done gardening for some time, I've never jumped in on Mary Jane.



Painkiller (xl)?
Indica sativa hybrid 75/25 from my understanding.
3rd week in veg
Indoor
Main soil base is 50/50 potting soil and homemade compost, cut with perlite with 2 inches of garden rocks at the bottom to help my poor soil drain, in 3.5 gal pot (don't need a monster plant)
Currently 4 23 watt cfl (plan on adding more as I have the funds)
Closet door stays cracked with a ceiling fan running at all times currently.
Watering every 3-4 days with a mix of general organic products and store bought fert at half strength.


The one picture is the weekend before new year's Eve, the second is today, after cleaning up a bunch of bushy limbs and attempting LST.

Now my roots are at the bottom of the pot, through the rocks, it sits in the bottom part of an old "self watering" planter I had laying around. Should those roots be allowed to dry out? Or should I keep water level even with the rocks in the pot?

Thoughts? Opinions? Insults?

Thanks guys!

GC Joker

 

[Emilya Green]

 

[Gulfcoastjoker]

One question about my watering situation, since I've got myself stuck keeping the water in the reservoir at the level if the rocks and roots, should I be adding water at the bottom, or top watering every time to soak the soil? And I've been adding nutes every other watering, do I need to add every watering now? Sorry for the barage of questions.

 

[Emilya Green]

One question about my watering situation, since I've got myself stuck keeping the water in the reservoir at the level if the rocks and roots, should I be adding water at the bottom, or top watering every time to soak the soil? And I've been adding nutes every other watering, do I need to add every watering now? Sorry for the barage of questions.

The only reason that any roots will survive under water down there is that a FEW of them will specialize to do so. The bulk of your roots will stay above that level, in the soil that you allow to dry out. You should never try to keep the bottom underwater normally, nor in this situation... those autowatering containers are death to a weed. So yes, follow all other normal rules of growing in a container, and water from the top. You have a separate set of roots up there that needs a regular wet/dry cycle too. There is also no good reason to now act like you are running a hydro system and water with nutes every time. Continue to treat this as a soil grow, and know that only half of the nutes you give on any application will be used by the plant, and this is why we come along a second time with only pH adjusted water, to give those leftover nutes a second shot at being used by the roots.

 

[Gulfcoastjoker]

Okay, from here on out no more rocks in the bottom. Should of went straight soil like my buddy, lesson learned.

 

[Emilya Green]

Okay, from here on out no more rocks in the bottom. Should of went straight soil like my buddy, lesson learned.

It is a common mistake from a common myth... don't beat yourself up. growing a weed is not like anything the typical gardener has tried to do... different rules apply, and then the rules change in midstream. Weeds are strange critters.

 

[Growingasmile]

This is my first grow, though I've done gardening for some time, I've never jumped in on Mary Jane.



Painkiller (xl)?
Indica sativa hybrid 75/25 from my understanding.
3rd week in veg
Indoor
Main soil base is 50/50 potting soil and homemade compost, cut with perlite with 2 inches of garden rocks at the bottom to help my poor soil drain, in 3.5 gal pot (don't need a monster plant)
Currently 4 23 watt cfl (plan on adding more as I have the funds)
Closet door stays cracked with a ceiling fan running at all times currently.
Watering every 3-4 days with a mix of general organic products and store bought fert at half strength.


The one picture is the weekend before new year's Eve, the second is today, after cleaning up a bunch of bushy limbs and attempting LST.

Now my roots are at the bottom of the pot, through the rocks, it sits in the bottom part of an old "self watering" planter I had laying around. Should those roots be allowed to dry out? Or should I keep water level even with the rocks in the pot?

Thoughts? Opinions? Insults?

Thanks guys!

GC Joker

Nice lst, doing pretty good for a new grower

 

[Gulfcoastjoker]

Nice lst, doing pretty good for a new grower

Thanks! I've been ghosting this forum and a few others trying to figure out the best way for maximum yield in a small space. Lucky for me, the wife is crafty and has spools of soft aluminum wire laying around the garage for me to use with this project. Eventually I'd like to shift to a SOG when I can get enough cuttings.

 

[PhobosAnomaly]

I'll be tossing out a beanbag chair, and relaxing.
Don't be shy with pics!

 

[Gulfcoastjoker]

I'll be tossing out a beanbag chair, and relaxing.
Don't be shy with pics!

I'm a SAHD with no social life, I will be around frequently with updates and pics. Lol. This is my socialization for the week. Haha

 

[TurboBucket]

I'm a SAHD with no social life, I will be around frequently with updates and pics. Lol. This is my socialization for the week. Haha

I do the stay at home Dad gig too. Most days, occasionally I get to take on a little work. Welcome to the site.

 

[Gulfcoastjoker]

I do the stay at home Dad gig too. Most days, occasionally I get to take on a little work. Welcome to the site.

Nice, glad to know I'm not the only one. I'm working on setting up an at home call center type job, till the baby's a bit bigger.

 

[JustJus]

I will follow along I’m down by the gulf coast as well. And like y’all I have no social life and spend most my time with the little one lol

 

[Gulfcoastjoker]

I will follow along I’m down by the gulf coast as well. And like y’all I have no social life and spend most my time with the little one lol

Thanks man! I'm hoping to expand a little this weekend. If I can get to my buddy's, I'll be adding two new clones, a Green Love Potion, and a Pineapple Chunk. I'll have to set up my ghetto veg box in the garage then to keep this beautiful girl on schedule to go into flower soon.

Thanks for all the support guys. Looking forward to growing forward with you all.

 

[Gulfcoastjoker]

One day after a heavy trim and LST, and everything is already aiming in the right direction. I had worried myself that I had done too much at once the past two days, but PK seems to be a trooper. Even had to raise the light a touch.

She was potted up from a solo cup as a twig on the 27 of December. I wish I had thought to join the forum and take a picture of her before I cleaned her up. She was a beautiful bush, but had no light penetration.

22 days old. Does she look her age? Or am I behind the curve?

Thanks again for any and all input.

 

[Gulfcoastjoker]

Day 23 in veg. I washed out the water pan at the bottom this morning and added fresh water, and I noticed some of the new growth looks lighter than what I've been seeing.

Should I be concerned I need to add more sulfer via Epsom salt? Or does she look okay to you guys? I might just be paranoid.

 

[CookieMonster420]

Day 23 in veg. I washed out the water pan at the bottom this morning and added fresh water, and I noticed some of the new growth looks lighter than what I've been seeing.

Should I be concerned I need to add more sulfer via Epsom salt? Or does she look okay to you guys? I might just be paranoid.

Hope you don't mind if I tag along for the grow. As far as I can see I think she looks alright. Sometimes when the growth rate picks up you can see the newer growth on a leaf will be a lighter green than the older parts of the leaf on the edge.

 

[Gulfcoastjoker]

Hope you don't mind if I tag along for the grow. As far as I can see I think she looks alright. Sometimes when the growth rate picks up you can see the newer growth on a leaf will be a lighter green than the older parts of the leaf on the edge.

Don't mind at all! As long as you guys don't mind my questions and fumbles along the way.

I'm glad that seems normal, I thought I was being paranoid.

 

[CookieMonster420]

Don't mind at all! As long as you guys don't mind my questions and fumbles along the way.

I'm glad that seems normal, I thought I was being paranoid.

Questions are what this place is all about, and I still have plenty of them myself. I've only been growing indoors for a few years and a good amount of what i know is from reading other peoples questions on 420mag threads. As far as I can see everything looks good so far brother, keep up the good work.

 

[Gulfcoastjoker]

Newest addition to the growing experiment. A green love potion clone. Was also able to get 3 fem power Africa seeds.