many questions on new indoor grow

[crow]

I'm about to embark on an indoor grow and am keen to get a harvest asap.

 

I will be using regular seeds from Southern Star Seeds and have read so much info my head is swimming with the best way to go about it.

 

I was thinking of planting 15 or so seeds and veging for minimum time [say 2 weeks] before going 12/12 but was reading Cervantes' Marijuana Horticulture and he says that inducing flowering before plants show pre-flowers can cause hermaphrodites.   Which way to go?  Should I sex them by reducing the light period very early, weed out the males and then increase photoperiod again for a while before inducing flowering [seemed like it would take too long for my liking]?

 

I've got the Phillips 80W CFL to start them off and 400W HPS after that until the days warm up early September and I'll stick 'em outside for flowering.  Should I get 1mx1m tent or could I stretch it out to 1.2mx1.2m [i will have quite a few pots until males show themselves and need room for them all]?

 

Being a cheapskate, I'm wondering if I can get away with not using extractor fans and just use an oscillating fan - the room I will have the tent in is quite cold at the moment - daytime temp around 12 degrees - no idea how cold it gets at night but guess around 10 degrees.    Will the 80W CFL provide enough heat for the plants or will I need to get them under HPS asap to warm them up?  [i have a Bunnings heated propagation unit to germinate].

 

I've also read that yield and potency are better from plants that are allowed sufficient vegging time to mature - how significant is that?  Also I want to take clones - again is the quality of the clones reduced by not taking from a mature plant?  Am I just in too much of a hurry??  

 

Also has anyone ever looked into pot material - plastics of varying quality - do plants absorb toxins from the plastic? - you know how they say that BPA drinking bottles are better for you. 

 

Any advice from you experienced growers would be much appreciated.  As you can see, I think I've over-researched and confused myself.  Last time I grew there was no internet and very little information available on growing so it seemed much easier!

 

PS/  Just got my Bonza order in the mail so I also have 7 feminised seeds to play with - same question - if I plant to clone from them am I better waiting until Spring and do an outdoor grow where they can grow to maturity and I can get mature clones?

Edited June 28, 2013 by crowsange

[D.R.S.D]

Hey crow , good luck with it all , plenty of the questions I have an opinion on.Most of the questions u ask are ones that only u can answer by deciding on what works going to work for u in your situation best . There's plenty of info in ozstoners amongst all the forums , perhaps have a read around on similar set ups and get an idea from that ?

 

Again I have an opinion on most of your questions but my limited experience don't justify a educated answer for you . In saying that I'm sure a far more experienced member will be along over time to guide you in the right direction , most are willing to advise or point you in the right direction .

 

Have a read and enjoy your hobbie , people are great around here

Good karma and peace you deserve

[Badseed77]

I did a southern star seed grow this year and my diary is in the diary section .

 

 I just vegged until they started to show pre flowers , i think week 5 or 6 from seed they started to show . A magnifying glass and a bit of googling  to get some pics of early pre flowers worked very well . With out a magnifying glass it would be very hard to see early emerging pistils .

 

I dont see the need to reduce light to show sex and then start to veg again . A plant goes through alot changes going into flower and basically you starting that then stopping it . Not good for the plant imo .  Patience goes a along way they will show sex without changing the light period .

 

 I would also maybe start the seedling under the 400 hps just to add some heat , the cfl will add little .

 

You will need a centrifugal fan to draw air . To Grow healthy plants you need a few key things imo and 1 is a supply of fresh air . Air movement and exchange are both very important .

  You could get away with it for awhile but once the plants are to a size they will need it ! Plant release co2 and need fresh air .

Edited June 28, 2013 by Badseed77

[Sir PsychoHashy]

Hey Crow, welcome aboard and good luck with your grow. 

 

Simple answer is keep it simple, and stick to the basics, at least initially.  You might get away without an exhaust fan under the CFL, but even there I would tend to at least put a computer extractor fan in.  But under the 400w in a tent (theres a growroom calculator in Cannaversity, but 1x1 for 400w from stoner memory) you will absolutely need a good extractor fan, and a carbon filter if smell could be an issue.

 

As for veg time, my understanding is that it is best to wait until they reach sexual maturity, usually around 5-6 internodes, before flipping to 12/12.  They may or may not have preflowers by this stage, but another good indicator is that the internodes can start coming out separately instead of directly opposite, if that makes sense.  I would tend to believe that this puts a lot less stress on the plant, minimising potential problems, but as for the affect on potency, no idea.  The only problem with waiting till after putting them into flower to sex is that it is preferable to put them into their final pots before they start flowering as stress is best avoided whilst flowering, but in a small tent they might not all fit.  You could probably get away with a repot early in flowering though????   I will be doing an early 12/12 to sex my outdoor plants and put them back into veg as soon as they show, but I don't see any sense in doing it indoors.  The longer the veg period, the bigger the yield, you just need to take stretch into consideration when figuring out the timing.

 

As for taking clones, you want to do it with a plant that is not in flower.  I don't think sexual maturity really comes into it, but you want to cut a reasonably sturdy stem, I think the minimum thickness is 3-4mm, but probably best to wait for more experienced advice on that.  You do want to be sure that the plant you are cloning is female, and has the qualities you are looking for though.

 

Happy gardening

[DoctorWho]

If you have plants that go hermie after sexing and revegging throw them in the bin.  Normal plants will handle that treatment no problems.  Personally I'd just vege until you are ready to turn, take cuts of everything and flower like normal.  As males appear  ut them down and bin their cuttings.

 

Get the 1.2m tent, the extra space will definitely come in handy.

 

You MUST have an extraction fan.  Don't cheap out on it either,  get a damn good one.

 

Potency is determined by maturation, not age or size.  If you have 2 cuttings of the same strain and give one a month of vege and the other none they'll produce exactly the same quality end product if you flower them for the same period of time.

 

Don't worry about bpa or anything else like that.  There are probably 10000 bits of plastic in your house and if you smoke your buds combustion will get you long before anything like bpa.

[Gonza]

Hi there.

 

I tell you my experien. From Uruguay .

In 1.2 by 1.2 don,t put more than 9 plants . The handling it's gonna be imposible.

I'm allways start with 24 hrs light 250 for flora. Depends (sativa no more than 25 cm ,and indica 40 cm , 4 to 6 nodes) then independient of the pre-flor and if the seed is femenized. Change for 400. Cooltube or extra ventilation cause the temperture. 12/12 ( it's very importante that night time was really dark. ) sativa it's gonna be more and less 1,8 mtrs and indica 1,2 . Check the temperature no more than 25/27 no less than 13/15 humidity bet. 40/70 %. Use the ph at 6,8 . And that's all i did. Was greate for me.

 

Really sorry by english .