Roo's (very first) Glog!

Tex · Mar 16, 2015

Good luck and watch them deer I have to put up a wire fince to keep them out of mine

hogleg · Mar 16, 2015

Niiice Roo, glog it up!

moruga welder · Mar 16, 2015

good luck with your my friend ! :onfire:

Babysas · Mar 16, 2015

Hey Roo! I think I had some of your powder...it was really good! got it in a seed train....thanks!

Peter S · Mar 16, 2015

Good luck with your grow Roo!

Runescape · Mar 16, 2015

Roo said:
we have a plan to combat the deer...

so whats the plan?

mpicante · Mar 16, 2015

Good luck with your grow!deer?what's the plan?

Roo · Mar 17, 2015

Runescape said:
so whats the plan?

We found plans online for a 10+ foot tall fence - posts, wire, and fishing line. Hopefully this'll do the trick... My idea was to build a frame out of 4x4s and attach chicken wire or that metal fencing with the little rectangles (not sure what it's called) and build a door, but I was overruled as that structure would be more or less permanent and block the view from the house to the woods.

As of last night, I have 7 sprouts (dragon cayenne and cherry hot)! Four of them are about to unfurl their first little leaves (the name of which escapes me at the moment). I'm rigging up lights tonight for the next part of the process (I'll post a pic when I get it figured out...). I tried the lights last night but my idea sadly didn't work. They're supposed to stay about 2-4" above the seedlings, correct? I read so many different things - some say 2", some say 4", some say the light just has to be in the room...It's all very confusing.

Babysas said:
Hey Roo! I think I had some of your powder...it was really good! got it in a seed train....thanks!

Wasn't my powder - I've never made powder! I want to, though. Maybe this year...

Runescape · Mar 17, 2015

Roo said:
I read so many different things - some say 2", some say 4", some say the light just has to be in the room...It's all very confusing.

Yeah, you might just have to do it by trial and error (i.e., plants getting too leggy, lower the lights...plants gettin burned, raise the lights...)

Roo · Mar 18, 2015

Let there be light!

It's kind of makeshift right now... I wanted to buy a fluorescent tube light but the only one I could find that came with a plug wasn't strong enough. I'm no electrician, so I didn't want to get one I'd have to wire myself - I'd prefer to live through this process, unscathed and not electrocuted! So for now, I borrowed a couple light hoods from work and bought a pair of fluorescent bulbs (the squiggly ones) that matched as many of the specifications as possible. They seem to be doing alright so far, but I'm going to spend some time this afternoon trying to streamline the setup - right now it's on the top shelf of a baker's rack, which is not at all convenient for watering (I'm not short, but I'm not tall either!).

I have three more hooks sprouting up! I'm so pleased.

Any suggestions for combating gnats? I bought a plant for my mom for Valentine's Day and it seems to have given birth. It's been moved outside, but I fear the damage has been done as we now have gnats flying all over the house. It's driving me a bit crazy, but I'm especially worried for my plants. They don't seem to be in the soil with my sprouts yet, so I'm fairly certain they came from the Walmart tulip.

Roo · Mar 20, 2015

I finally got my lights the way I want them! I don't need a lot - I don't expect all of these guys to make it (the leaves on a couple aren't separating, and one is missing the tips of its leaves - the seed got stuck and I foolishly tried to pull it off...we'll see if it survives!), and I'd be surprised if every seed of every other one I planted actually sprouted. If my operation grows, though, I'll have to invest in more :lol:

Found the 3 shelf unit at Target for $25 - adjustable shelves, so even though my lights can't change position, my shelves can! The "reflectors" are cookie trays from the Dollar Store held on with pipe cleaners (which I already had).

"Borrowed" the lights from work (was told they weren't being used and to take them...ha!) and bought spiral bulbs. The trays are Dollar Store cupcake trays (they came with lids that I'm not using) which are the perfect size for my little pots... (It doesn't look it, but the light is actually fairly even once the front "reflectors" are up, though I am rotating the plants around so the same ones aren't always directly under the light... Maybe that's too involved, but eh.)

Anyone see anything I'm doing horribly wrong?

NeedsWork · Mar 20, 2015

Roo said:
It's kind of makeshift right now... I wanted to buy a fluorescent tube light but the only one I could find that came with a plug wasn't strong enough.

Any suggestions for combating gnats? I bought a plant for my mom for Valentine's Day and it seems to have given birth. It's been moved outside, but I fear the damage has been done as we now have gnats flying all over the house. It's driving me a bit crazy, but I'm especially worried for my plants. They don't seem to be in the soil with my sprouts yet, so I'm fairly certain they came from the Walmart tulip.

Nice setup!

What do you mean the plug wasn't strong enough? Most big box home improvement stores stock T-12 and T-8 fluorescent shop lights with a standard three prong grounded plug. I have links in my glog.

I treat my plants regularly with a diluted 3% hydrogen peroxide and water solution. I mix 1 tablespoon with ~32 oz of water in a spray bottle and store it in a dark place so the hydrogen peroxide doesn't break down. You can get hydrogen peroxide at big box stores for a few bucks. There is a lot of info on the net regarding how strong to mix it.

Roo · Mar 20, 2015

Not that the plugs weren't strong enough - the fixtures that came with plugs already wired in were either too big for my space (I don't have the room for a 4' shop light :rolleyes:

) or the bulbs wouldn't emit enough lumens/K/what have you for it to be effective (at least, according to the light guide on here...). I spent an hour in Home Depot, then went home and made my dad go back with me because I was so stumped. The employees couldn't even help! I figured I'd go with the option that was easiest and cheapest. Plus, I know nothing about wiring light fixtures and I'd hate to electrocute myself - would kind of put a damper on the whole seed starting excitement :lol:

Hydrogen peroxide is a staple in my house for treating wounds, so I'll give that a try. Thanks!

Spotted my first sign of post-sprout growth peeking out... (I think...right?)

socalgardengal · Mar 21, 2015

Great start...Good Luck!

PaulG · Mar 21, 2015

Not a bad ghetto grow set-up, Roo!
Should produce great results.

Good luck going forward with your grow!

Roo · Mar 24, 2015

I started my last group of seeds yesterday (seeds from my Park Seed order). I would have preferred to do everyone at once, but didn't have the space. Alas, everything's working now and I'm only a little afraid of what I've gotten myself into! I don't think I'll have the room for everything if everything I planted sprouts up... Guess I'll have to thin the herd a bit later on.

Found my first hooks for my seeds from pepperlover.com on Sunday, and two were standing up and ready to meet the grow lights this morning. Yay! I'm especially excited about these because they're peppers I'd never heard of before I browsed the site. Can't wait to taste them...

I need to do a little work on the light setup - it was working wonderfully, but now I have too many pots for those little cupcake holders so I have to figure something else out. Pictures once I do...

Roo · Mar 26, 2015

So I've seen mentions of an oscillating fan... Should I use one? And if so, when? When there just tiny baby plants, or should I wait till they have a couple sets of true leaves?

NeedsWork · Mar 26, 2015

Roo said:
So I've seen mentions of an oscillating fan... Should I use one? And if so, when? When there just tiny baby plants, or should I wait till they have a couple sets of true leaves?

I've had a 4" version of this going for a few hours a day in the grow box since the cotys were out. My setup is fairly sealed and I am paranoid about damping off. I have a foam/foil cover for the hole when not in use.

Roo · Apr 13, 2015

I potted up to 4" pots yesterday. They really needed it - I hadn't done a very good job the first time around! Some were starting to wilt and just look really pathetic because the soil was all packed down and it didn't hold any water. This time, I used a new soil that I baked first, then mixed with some perlite. I also put a layer of perlite on top - I've seen gnats flying around and I want to keep them out! Hopefully it'll work... Some plants were looking pretty wilty and sad and when I checked on them this morning, they looked great and perky and happy. Apparently the new soil is a hit...

They also have a new neighbor - a 6" clay pot of chive seeds! I'm hoping the chives will sprout and I'll get herbs. Mmmmm