--- Noob's First Indoor Grow GLOG ---

READY2BURN · Apr 17, 2015

Seedlings are growing FAST. Starting to stretch a lot though. Need more lumens asap...
http://imgur.com/KTaKjkj[img]
http://imgur.com/KTaKjkj
Seedlings are growing FAST. Starting to stretch a lot though. Need more lumens asap...
[img]http://imgur.com/KTaKjkj[img]
[URL="http://imgur.com/KTaKjkj"]http://imgur.com/KTaKjkj[/URL]

Can't manage to post a pic correctly. Any help would be appreciated.

KrakenPeppers · Apr 17, 2015

Just need to put something under those pots to get them closer to the lights in the meantime ..

Sorry I use photo bucket , easy to forum site link

READY2BURN · Apr 17, 2015

KrakenPeppers said:
Just need to put something under those pots to get them closer to the lights in the meantime ..

Sorry I use photo bucket , easy to forum site link

I can move my t8s lower but I started getting some singe on the cotys. Gonna drop the lights another inch in the am.
More pics to come once I get a handle on posting pix.
One of my 3 star of turkey has a hard core dry helmet head. Only option for now is to bury the little guy again and douse him with water.
Let's see if photo bucket works any better.

Pow!

KrakenPeppers · Apr 17, 2015

lol good to see you worked it out =) ... I don't mind if my initial seedlings stretch a bit.. I transplant at first leaves and bury them up to cotys...

READY2BURN · Apr 17, 2015

lol good to see you worked it out =) ... I don't mind if my initial seedlings stretch a bit.. I transplant at first leaves and bury them up to cotys...

Funny you say that...Since I had leggy seedlings I was looking into stretching seedlings to promote more nodes after topping. I always trans my tomatoes buried up to the first leaves. Was worried about doing that with indoor peppers given mold issues on stems.
I also read a cool article where a guy leaves his plants on their side in pots for a few days before transplanting. After the plant bends toward the sun (up 90°), he buries the root bulb and the short leg of the L formed by letting the plant grow up from a prone position. This creates an instant massive root network. Can't wait to try it with some tomatoes back to back.
I know it's out of order but now that I have the pix figured out here is some of my little setup.

2x2 t8s alternating k.

I have a homemade tent around it now.

Sleepy cotys -_-

Not sure how much closer I can get those bulbs. Gonna add some cfls for side fill soon.

READY2BURN · Apr 19, 2015

Hopefully when I part these curtains in the morning I'll see some hooks from my Peach Nagas.

Considering they seem to germ and sprout more slowly than many other peppers, do they also take extra time to grow and pod?

Scorched · Apr 19, 2015

Hmm, I don't recall my peach nagas taking any more time than any of the others. I could be wrong, they were in a 72 cell tray with a bunch of other supers. One of my shelving units is that exact one but I keep a 48" heat mat on the bottom rack to germ seedlings. Really speeds up the process. My first batches of seeds that I germ'd I didn't have a heat mat and they took quite a bit longer.

READY2BURN · Apr 19, 2015

Hmm, I don't recall my peach nagas taking any more time than any of the others. I could be wrong, they were in a 72 cell tray with a bunch of other supers. One of my shelving units is that exact one but I keep a 48" heat mat on the bottom rack to germ seedlings. Really speeds up the process. My first batches of seeds that I germ'd I didn't have a heat mat and they took quite a bit longer.

I use a heat mat during germ and until the first transplant at true leaves.... Just weird. 4 extra days to drop tap roots now planted 4 days and not 1 hook.... Walking down to take a look after breakfast.

Scorched · Apr 19, 2015

Strange. Guess it's just one of those things. I got my seeds from Judy and soaked em for 24 hrs in chamomile like I did with all my other seeds. Also just using Pro Mix BX for seed starting medium. Hope they pop soon for you

READY2BURN · Apr 19, 2015

Strange. Guess it's just one of those things. I got my seeds from Judy and soaked em for 24 hrs in chamomile like I did with all my other seeds. Also just using Pro Mix BX for seed starting medium. Hope they pop soon for you

Went downstairs to find an emerged seedling and 2 hooks. Signs of life... I'll take it!!!!

Comptine · Apr 20, 2015

I've got some orange Naga's growing, and I think they did take a few more days both getting germinated and popping up. They did however have a 100% germ rate (I just accidentally killed one myself). I'm sure they'll catch up, Naga's seem to become monsters later in the season.

READY2BURN · May 4, 2015

So I noticed something strange while potting up the last of my seedlings to solo cups.
As part of my watering regimen I let the soil and starting cups thoroughly dry between watering. About 1 to 3 days. When I do water them... I WATER THEM! I drench the soil as well as the fibrous cups I use (side note, I'm not sure I'll continue to use them going forward.) I discovered that if I didn't drench the cups, much of the water in the soil would be quickly absorbed and evaporated by the cup wall.
Well in the soil, against one of those cup walls I noticed this.

Notice the fuzzy white balls. They appear to my untrained eye to be mold spores or some type of insect egg/cocoon.
So my question is do I destroy the questionable plant, even though I only have 3 seedings and this is the second healthiest? Do I keep it seperate from the rest of the kids? Or do I loosen up and have a beer?
Lemme know friends.

Comptine · May 5, 2015

READY2BURN said:
So I noticed something strange while potting up the last of my seedlings to solo cups. As part of my watering regimen I let the soil and starting cups thoroughly dry between watering. About 1 to 3 days. When I do water them... I WATER THEM! I drench the soil as well as the fibrous cups I use (side note, I'm not sure I'll continue to use them going forward.) I discovered that if I didn't drench the cups, much of the water in the soil would be quickly absorbed and evaporated by the cup wall. Well in the soil, against one of those cup walls I noticed this.

I instead had a problem with my plastic starting pots, I used to water with a spray bottle (so that it wouldn't be too much), and water would quickly run through and you'd see it come out at the bottom. Then three of my seedling started drying out despite the sail looking wet from the top. I took the plant out of the pot and noticed that the sail was actually nearly bone dry. And this is how I learnt to bottom water, lol.

I heard that you also need to be careful with the fiber cups, because if you don't bury it completely when transplanting it dries out causing some damage to the roots. I have however not really used them myself and could be wrong, but I'd look into it if I was you.

I'm afraid I know nothing about those white balls though.

READY2BURN · May 5, 2015

I'm using a spray bottle as well, but no watering problems yet. I peeled the fiber cups off and replanted in Solo cups so I won't have to worry about root/water issues.
Hopefully I'll start hardening them off in the next few days and be able to plant outside by Preakness!

READY2BURN · May 11, 2015

My favorite pepper plant.

READY2BURN · May 19, 2015

So I'm pretty happy with my plants. I began hardening about a week ago. This is the fourth session of indirect (but pretty substantial) light.
After gathering the solo cups from beneath my fluorescents, I noticed some yellowing.

I know over watering isn't the problem. I make them beg for water... About 10-15 pumps of DW from a spray bottle every 3 days at most.
I'm thinking either the weaker leaves are shedding due to stress of hardening off, or it's a canopy penetration issue.
I can't imagine it being a lumen issue since I keep t8 bulbs essentially touching the top leaves. It only seems to be affecting the cotys and first set or two or true leaves.
Now I'm noticing the beginning of yellowing at the tips of the younger leaves on some plants...

Thoughts?

READY2BURN · Aug 11, 2015

Got a little overwhelmed with some unexpected, yet welcomed, additional travel this summer. Didn't leave much time to blog and barely enough time to keep my troopers alive.
Even through the neglect, finally showing some stacked pods!

Giant Orange Habs are popping. Just harvested about 15 Biker Billy jalapeno with great flavor but zero heat.... Lots of rain and 70s-80s this summer.

I'll try to post more as the season winds down and I have some more pod porn to show off.