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AJs 2011 Season Start...

wordwiz said:
You're kidding, right?
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not kidding at all Mike...it was on the news yesterday...

Beaglestorm said:
Aj,

Those seeds you started already.... They are the ones you are planning to sell or are some for your personal garden? I think I my last freeze is about a week or two after yours. Thought you had said you start your personal plants a bit later. Oh pots and trays arrived safe... Plugs were backordered and supposed to ship monday.
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both...I will keep the strongest ones for myself out of each batch I start and sell the others...I definitely will have to expand my grow area...I want to be ready to sell plants by March 15th...I figure 10-11 week old chinense will be ready by then...

cool on the trays and pots...
 
I know a La Niña pattern for us means cold and wet, and cold and wet it has been. Ski resort here on Mt. Washington has a base of over 520cm, most in the world, and down below its been flooding with temps around 2-4 degrees C. It's been fun :)

Other than that, nice looking setup. I use a cardboard box with a lamp stuffed through the side. Temp in the box is around 80 to 85.
 
AJ,

December ranked #4 for the most snowfall in history and until the last three days were were on track for the fourth or fifth coldest December ever. It has been anything but warm and dry so far!

I wanted to harvest some of my horseradish since this was the second full year but figured I would wait until after the first hard freeze. The ground has not thawed since then.

Mike
 
it is cold here this morning but December was very dry...way effin' dry...finally got 1.5" rain the 30th and ended up with a 4" + deficit for last year...low temperature since October so far is 23F...mild winter here so far and a little rain on tap for the next 10 days...
 
Wow AJ. I guess I have to get my growlog started soon too. I was thinking of waiting about three more weeks so I guess I will be a month behind. :oops: Maybe I can get started a little sooner. I hope you have that fantastic year you are feelin in your bones. I'll be here watchin'! :hell:
 
Wow, time flies, seems like only yesterday I found this forum and now here we are a year later, ready to kick off another season. Hey AJ, what ever happened to those Peruvian White Habanero seeds I sent you? Never heard back from you on how they did or are you keeping them for private stock?

I would like to build a grow box like you have and sell alot of plants this year, but I am not sure I can keep it warm enough for seedlings. The new garage is finally built and usable, but it isnt insulated or heated. I dont know if I could keep enough temp from just the lights in the box being on, any suggestions?
 
Matt50680 said:
Wow, time flies, seems like only yesterday I found this forum and now here we are a year later, ready to kick off another season. Hey AJ, what ever happened to those Peruvian White Habanero seeds I sent you? Never heard back from you on how they did or are you keeping them for private stock?

I would like to build a grow box like you have and sell alot of plants this year, but I am not sure I can keep it warm enough for seedlings. The new garage is finally built and usable, but it isnt insulated or heated. I dont know if I could keep enough temp from just the lights in the box being on, any suggestions?
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didn't plant the PWHs last year but they are on the list this year...those things rock...

I assume you are talking about the germinator and not the grow box? or do you mean the grow box?...

if you are talking about the germinator, it is built out of 3/4" plywood and insulated on the back and sides with 5/8" foam insulation...inside each chamber are two shop fixtures and two 40 watt bulbs for light...bought a box of T-8s yesterday and will be changing the lamps out tomorrow...heck...40 Watt T-12 = 2300 lumens of 6500K light and 32 Watt T-8s = 2750 lumens of 6500K light...now, I'm no rocket scientist or anything but I think that means more light for less buck... ;)

for heat inside the germinator chambers, each chamber has two ceramic light fixtures with 100 Watt clear glass incandescent bulbs...when the temp gets low enough, the remote bulb thermostat turns them on....the incandescent bulbs are used for heat only...

on really cold days outside, the garage will get down to 40F...the germinator seems to like its spot because once the temperature gets stabalized, I can hold it between 80 and 86 pretty easily...if it gets any colder in the garage, I have a piece of 5/8" foam insulation cut that willcover the whole front..

the grow box, even though it is 4' square and 6' tall inside, can and will get pretty hot if I keep it closed up no matter what the temperature is outside/in the garage...I am running 18 42 watt CFLs in there...756 watts produces a lot of heat...I usually have to leave the door cracked with a fan running inside to keep the temp down...
 
Growbox reclamation and refitting complete...

my 4' X 4' X 6' grow box is lit with three 6 socket light bars like are used in bathrooms...until this morning, I had to get in the box, squeeze between the light bars, hot lights, wiring, chain, etc. to get to the adjustments...no more...I figured I had about another 5 days until it will be needed and remedied the situation...

I "scabbed" on some 1 X 4s with holes drilled in them, inserted three lengths of 1.5" ID PVC, used some cable that wraps around the PVC and I now no longer have to get in the box...they are adjustable using the "handles" up top...(standard 1.5" PVC Ts)...if you look closely, you can see the shade tree mechanic latches that hold the Ts in place

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and when I turn it on...wow...I am amazed at how much light there is in the box using 42 watt CFLS....756 watts giving me 48,600 lumens for 16 sq feet...it is bright in there...

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will be using it full time in about 5 or 6 days...
 
it gets the job done Chris...

first set of trays (576 seeds) out of germinator and in the growbox...got a little over 300 seedlings in 12 days...

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second planting complete...another 576 seeds into germinator...

01-12-11growlog.jpg
 
awesome setup! I can't wait to start my seeds. what lights are you using in the grow box and how long do they need to get before you move them out of those cell trays? and do the trinidad scorpions take longer to germinate? lol sorry for all the questions
 
The only problem AJ is you need to take the decimal point out to 4 digits for more preciseness. I'm worried your operation is getting sloppy. LMAO.
 
aram said:
awesome setup! I can't wait to start my seeds. what lights are you using in the grow box and how long do they need to get before you move them out of those cell trays? and do the trinidad scorpions take longer to germinate? lol sorry for all the questions
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thanks...lights are 42 watt CFLS, 18 of them, half 2700K and half 6500K color temp...will move them out of the starter trays when the roots start to come out of the bottom...usually 3-4 weeks depending on the variety...maybe a couple of days difference for the T Scorps and 7 Pots...got some T Congos and Black Congos I put in so we will see if it is the trinidad varieties or what...

cmpman1974 said:
The only problem AJ is you need to take the decimal point out to 4 digits for more preciseness. I'm worried your operation is getting sloppy. LMAO.
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you're killin' me here Chris...you know, once an engineer, always an enginner...
 
You do it large scale !!

I have some questions because I was considering planting a forest myself next season. Out of 1152 seeds roughly how many make it to the stage where they are sold or planted for yourself? and... How much space do the ones you keep take up in your yard?
 
megamoo said:
You do it large scale !!

I have some questions because I was considering planting a forest myself next season. Out of 1152 seeds roughly how many make it to the stage where they are sold or planted for yourself? and... How much space do the ones you keep take up in your yard?
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I am just trying to make a little money supporting my habit...

Probably 400-450 make it to transplant...not a large percent at all...but...when I transplant to 3" containers, I only transplant the strongest and best looking seedlings...I will then keep the best/strongest for my own plantout (striving for 400 this year) and sell the rest...doesn't really cost me that much since I have my own seedstock...just time and I got plenty of that...

space is another thing...I have to be very careful with how many I plant because I have limited space...that's why I have a kind of "system" worked out...I don't know whether you have seen my videos on youtube or not (posted here too), but my whole yard is full of plants...I have a small residentual lot (~1/5th acre) but it is pie shaped and has a pretty big back yard considering where I live...

I only have room for 480 seedlings in my "slow grow" area, after that, they go to the front living room picture window and I can fit about 600 there...by the time I get 600 they will be ready for sale or transplant to 5 gallon containers...I have an area outside (10' X 10') I made out of what was left of my greenhouse after it collapsed from 12" snow last January that can be made into a makeshift greenhouse (cover it with 6 mil visquene) and is where I usually do my final transplant....

probably more info than you wanted/needed, but I sometimes, well, actually most of the time I ramble a bit... :)
 
AlabamaJack said:
Probably 400-450 make it to transplant...not a large percent at all...but...when I transplant to 3" containers, I only transplant the strongest and best looking seedlings...I will then keep the best/strongest for my own plantout (striving for 400 this year) and sell the rest...doesn't really cost me that much since I have my own seedstock...just time and I got plenty of that...
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I AM KIND OF (oops caps) supprised to read this, seems like a ton of plants to cull off. Though i guess if you have space and means to start that many you can ensure you only get quality plants. Looking forward to watching this thread thoughout the year.
 
I suppose I could be a little more careful planting and not as strict when culling and if I had to buy seedstock, I would be a lot less "selective"...just depends...

I will start somewhere in the neighborhood of 2500-3000 seeds this year depending on how many I cull...
 
I got the "slow-grow" area cleaned and sanitized and ready for plants...will be about 10 days before it will be used...

3 shelves 8 feet long and about 20" wide...wide enough for a tray for 20 3" containers will fit...each shelf has 6 shop lights producing about 1800 lumens/ft[sup]2[/sup]...I call this my slowgrow area because I am decreasing the light from the 3000 lumens/ft2 in the growbox

this is where the plants go after they come out of growbox bootcamp...

011311a002.jpg


old shade down...I used an old white bamboo shade for closing this in at night...this one is only 6' long and last year, the open end was covered at night with a piece of plywood with mylar on the inside...will upgrade to an 8 foot one this year...

011311a003.jpg


OK...I am ready for the next phase...
 
you water these by hand? that must take forever! why don't you install an automated mister? i did that with my seedlings last year. same idea as a EZ cloner but I had the PVC tubes (with holes drilled for the misters) hanging above the plants. I love automating everything lol
 
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