Need Your Grow Questions Answered? Come On In!

it can be hard for a new grower to find help. a lot of the "old school" growers are either too busy with their own grows, or too timid to share their experiences. some people just don't want to see others succeed. whatever the case may be, i have tried to make this a one-stop place for a newer grower to find all kinds of great info. if you are an MMJ patient, and you want to grow your own meds, YOU WILL. we will be sure of it.

if you don't see it, don't be afraid to ask. and with that................

LET'S START AT THE BEGINNING

Cannabis cultivation is not rocket science, but many over-zealous growers treat it as such. First, lets assume you are a new grower if you are reading this. As a new grower, your #1 tool is your ability to read. Ingest everything you can and take notes when necessary. The #1 thing for a new grower to remember is to keep it simple. Whether you grow in soil or hydro, get yourself a simple nutrient program with feed charts and stick to it. Obtain a hardy strain that finishes quick and is not too difficult/finicky. Keep your first few cycles as easy as possible. There will be plenty of time to play around with nutrients/strains ect. after you learn how to grow/harvest your own medicine. Take a lot of pictures. Start a grow journal. Pictures are your best friend. They archive what you can’t remember.

Cannabis has 2 basic stages of life. The vegetative period and the flowering period. In nature, the spring/summer sun shines for 14-18 hours per day. This is the beginning stage of life for cannabis. Indoors, we mimic the long days of summer by giving our plants 18-24 hours of light per day. In nature, as autumn approaches, the sun goes into a natural cycle of 12 hours of light/12 hours of dark. Indoors we mimic this by attaching our grow lights to electrical timers and make them run for 12 hours and then shut off for 12 hours. This triggers flowering, or budding. Indoors, our vegetative stage normally last anywhere from 2-6weeks depending on your strain/lights/grow method. Our flower period is 6-14 weeks depending on the needs of the particular strain. As a beginner, you should be looking for a 6-8 week indica dominant strain. Indica plants tend to be shorter in nature and are easier to handle. Likewise, they tend to finish their flowering period quicker than sativa strains. Common sense says the faster you get your plant from beginning to end, the less chance for problems

Plants talk……. So listen. If they are happy or stressed, they will show signs. It is your job to “hear” and react. Cannabis grows naturally outdoors. When we attempt that feat indoors, we become mother nature. We are the sun, rain, clouds, wind ect. As with any plant, cannabis has basic needs to survive. Light, water, air, and food are essential.

Nothing grows cannabis better than the sun. indoors we do our best to mimic the sun with man-made grow lights. There are basically 2 kinds of grow lights. High Intensity Discharge (HID) or fluorescent. HID lamps are more intense than fluorescent lights, but cost more to operate and create more heat. HID lamps can be broken down into 2 categories. High Pressure Sodium (hps) and Metal Halide(mh). Normal wattages for either mh or hps light are 400, 600, or 1000 watts although there are smaller and larger available. Metal halide lighting is in the blue end of the spectrum and therefore closer to the natural color of the summertime sun. HPS lighting is in the red end of the spectrum and mimics the sun during the fall/harvest months. For this reason, most growers use a MH lamp for the vegetative stage of cannabis growth, and then switch to a HPS lamp for flowering. Fluorescent lighting can also be broken down into 2 categories. Compact fluorecent bulbs, and T5’s. many growers use these for seedlings, clones, and mother plants because the light is less intense and they are cheaper to operate. Some growers choose to vegetate under fluorescents completely. That is up to you.

Well, let’s get started here. The first thing you will need to do is obtain genetics. If you have friends who grow, ask them for clones. Compassion clubs are also a great place to find them. You can find your local compassion club here: http://michiganmedic...nclubs/local-cc

If all else fails, you will need to start from seed. Seeds can be obtained right here in michigan through local breeders, or online from world-wide seedbanks/breeders. I can personally vouch for:

The Attitude seeds: http://www.cannabis-seeds-bank.co.uk/

Nirvana’s Seed Boutique: https://www.seedboutique.com/store/

If you start with clones, they will probably be soil or in rockwool. If you start with seeds, you will need to germinate them and get them started yourself.

My Seed Germination 101 Tutorial: http://michiganmedic...ermination-101/

90% of the cannabis i grow is hydroponically as most of my pics will show, but most of the basics are the same regardless of your grow method. i have grown cannabis for many years and have tried just about every method out there. i will only grow in soil/soilmix or in bubblebuckets/totes:

2 plant bubbletote build: My link

bubblebucket build: My link

Nutrients

Plant foods are measured in an N-P-K format.

N is Nitrogen

P is Phosphorus

K is Potassium

Here is a very simple and easy to use nutrient formula for hydroponics.

The Lucas Formula. http://michiganmedic...post__p__163809

there are also many threads on this site dedicated to the various nutrients/schedules available.

An all purpose hydroponic nutrient solution with secondary elements like calcium, sulfur and magnesium and trace elements boron, copper, molybdenum, zinc, iron, and manganese will get you through all stages of growth.

But depending on the stage of growth, you can adjust different nutrient levels needed at different times to optimize growth.

Do not over fertilize your plants. Too much fertilizer will kill your plants. If you under fertilize, plants will take longer to grow but will not die. Follow the mixing instructions on your nutrient package, if you aren't sure, use less rather than more.

Growing Hydroponically -- Introduction

I personally prefer growing hydroponically in a "deep water culture" (DWC) method also known simply as "bubbles". This may appear difficult at first, but if you dedicate yourself to reading this thread you will have no hesitations at all. Instead of roots growing in soil, the roots actually grow in a buckets of water/nutrients that are constantly aerated via air pumps and air stones..... much like aquariums, but on a much larger level.

Water Quality

Initial water quality is key with indoor gardening. Reverse Osmosis water is the best water for your plants. It allows for maximum nutrient uptake, and contains no other dissolved solids to interact with your nutes and possibility create a "lock-out". R.O. filters can be purchased from your local grow store. Tap water can be used, assuming the parts per million of the total dissolved solids (ppm's) are not too nuclear. A TDS or EC (electrical conductivity) meter may be necessary to judge if your tap water is usable or not, and it is also a very handy meter to have around the grow room daily as well. Especially if you are growing hydroponically.

Parts ------------- and more parts

A grow room is not a cheap investment. The largest part of your bankroll will more than likely be spent on lighting and exhaust. Cannabis, like any plant, needs air. Indoors, air flow becomes even more important because of the extreme heat omitted by grow lights. Also, depending on your location, you may wish to look into a carbon filter system to hide some of the smell coming from your grow. We may be legal, but there is no need to advertise your grow location. You will also need timers for your lights so you can set your own surise and sunset times.

Besides your grow bulbs, ballasts, reflectors, timers, exhaust fans, oscillating fans, and carbon filter, you will need "the basics". They consist of your grow media, pots, containers, nutrients, water filter, pest control, ph meter, thermometers, hrgyometers (measure relative humidity in the air), and probably another 50 things i forgot

Cannabis cultivation is very expensive and time consuming.......... but the reward is undeniable.

x-ceptional · April 21, 2010

thanks for the offer!

The site could use more positive friendly and helpful people!

budpuffer · April 21, 2010

thanks for the offer,i grow in hempy buckets,are you familiar with them?...zb

Grow Thread · April 21, 2010

thanks for the offer,i grow in hempy buckets,are you familiar with them?...zb

hi there!!

oh yeah..... hempy's. great method you chose there!! as with any method, it has its pros and cons...... but definitely more "pros" with those!!

......... hehe... just gave me a trip down memory lane with that one although the "hempy bucket" is a fairly new method, i can remember a very long time ago (not even sure if the word "hydroponic" was in the dictionary yet) my first shot at a "dirtless" grow was something similar to what a hempy is today. only back then we used vermiculite and creek bed pebbles for medium instead of perilite..... my oh my how things have changed in 15 years!!!

nice to meet ya'!!

LIVERPOOL LASS · April 25, 2010

HELP

I HAVE A MOTHER PLANT IN A TENT UNDER A 600 WATT ML LITE I THINK IT IS IN A VEG STAGE

AM GOING TO MAKE CLONES FROM HER IF I CAN

CAN THE MOTHER PLANT AND THE CLONES BE IN THE SAME TENT AT THE SAME TIME UNDER THE SAME LITE

WHEN I CLONE DO I NEED A DOME TO PUT THE CLONES IN OR IS THE TENT OK BY IT;S SELF

PLEASE WRITE TO ME WITH THE INFORMATION I NEED AND DO IT STEP BY STEP AM NEW NEW AT THIS AND NEED HELP BADLY

THANK YOU.

NEED MY PAIN GONE SOON

THINGS I HAVE

600 ML LITE

600 HPS LITE

2 FANS

1 TENT

1 PLANT

CJM · April 25, 2010

hi there!!

thanks for the kind words!!

i have been a member of both "grasscity" and "420" for quite some time as well. my #1 source of satisfaction in life is my grow room...... my 2nd is helping others with theirs

I am doing some research on prefered methods old school was always dirt ,can you tell me the basic pros and cons of dirt vs no dirt what is your preferance . My wife suffers from complications of diabetes an i am hopeing to start a room soon and have been out of touch with all the new methods would appreciate any advice . thanks and have great day.

Grow Thread · April 28, 2010

HELP

I HAVE A MOTHER PLANT IN A TENT UNDER A 600 WATT ML LITE I THINK IT IS IN A VEG STAGE

AM GOING TO MAKE CLONES FROM HER IF I CAN

CAN THE MOTHER PLANT AND THE CLONES BE IN THE SAME TENT AT THE SAME TIME UNDER THE SAME LITE

WHEN I CLONE DO I NEED A DOME TO PUT THE CLONES IN OR IS THE TENT OK BY IT;S SELF

PLEASE WRITE TO ME WITH THE INFORMATION I NEED AND DO IT STEP BY STEP AM NEW NEW AT THIS AND NEED HELP BADLY

THANK YOU.

NEED MY PAIN GONE SOON

THINGS I HAVE

600 ML LITE

600 HPS LITE

2 FANS

1 TENT

1 PLANT

hi there!! so sorry it took so long to get back with you.... i'm in the process of moving right now.

well, you have the light part covered, thats for sure!! cannabis is in the "veg state" when it has light for more than 12 hours a day. for us growers, that usually means 18 to 24 hours of light per day. i leave mine on 24hours/day in veg. yes, you can have both the mother and any clones under the same tent. after the clones have matured enough, then you would want to move them to a place where you can have the light set at 12/12 to induce flowering. for as long as you wish to keep your mother plant for taking clones, you should keep her in the veg. state.

hope this helps!!

Grow Thread · April 28, 2010

I am doing some research on prefered methods old school was always dirt ,can you tell me the basic pros and cons of dirt vs no dirt what is your preference . My wife suffers from complications of diabetes an i am hopeing to start a room soon and have been out of touch with all the new methods would appreciate any advice . thanks and have great day.

well, i could go on for hours on the differences of hydro/dirt. it truly can be deduced to a matter of opinion. i grow hydro, in bubbles obviously. things happen faster in hydro. sometimes this is good, and sometimes it isn't, but it's how i grow. plants in soil are generally easier to manage, and may be better for a newbie grower. just to get the basic feel for growing, and what the plants do at certain stages. it has been so long since i have grown in dirt, things have changed so much. (nutes/meters/ect.) GENERALLY speaking, plants in dirt can be left unattended for a few days at a time, whereas GENERALLY speaking, plants in hydro need tending daily. if not multiple times daily. as i said, in hydro, things happen much quicker. yes, this can mean plant growth, but it also can mean fatal ph changes in a matter of hours, it can mean a hose slipping off a pump and destroying a room at most, and suffocating a plant at least.

thats one of those million dollar questions that only the grower can answer for themselves.

TajMahal · April 28, 2010

Hi BG,

How critical is keeping reservoir temps under 70f....

or...safe temp range?

Thanks n,

Good Day!

Grow Thread · April 28, 2010

Hi BG,

How critical is keeping reservoir temps under 70f....

or...safe temp range?

Thanks n,

Good Day!

i strive for 68-70 myself. i know that too hot/cold will slow growth drastically. too warm invites root rot and algae growth. too cold stops root growth and locks out nutrients. i have been in discussions on this topic over the years, and some say otherwise. personally, i have ALWAYS kept them at 68-70 and never had any problems...... so i never changed

TajMahal · April 28, 2010

i strive for 68-70 myself. i know that too hot/cold will slow growth drastically. too warm invites root rot and algae growth. too cold stops root growth and locks out nutrients. i have been in discussions on this topic over the years, and some say otherwise. personally, i have ALWAYS kept them at 68-70 and never had any problems...... so i never changed

Thanks, been thinking about trying 1 or 2 individual stations, being upstairs that would be max amount of water carrying would care to do. Small Capacity res, 5 gal. figure res change about every 10 days?

Grow Thread · April 28, 2010

Thanks, been thinking about trying 1 or 2 individual stations, being upstairs that would be max amount of water carrying would care to do. Small Capacity res, 5 gal. figure res change about every 10 days?

rez change is something you will have to discover for yourself really. a lot depends on what nutrients you use too. i use the Lucas Method for nutes and grow in 10 gallon containers with 2 plants/container. this means that each one will hold 7 gallons of nutes actually. i only do 2 REAL rez changes throughout the entire cycle. one at the switch from veg to flower stages, and another about a month into flower. but thats just me, my nutes, and how i do things. i just backfill with "full strength" nutes (of course the strength is different for each stage)and then do a 48 hour flush and full rez change when i flip to flower, and another 48 hour flush and full rez change a month into flower (this is normally when i start to add any flower supplementing nutes or flavorings too). but thats just what works for me..... i don't think you can rez change TOO OFTEN as long as you keep your ppm/ph proper.

TajMahal · April 28, 2010

AYE!!

Thanks much for the insight, most appreciated. Rep to ya!

Grow Thread · April 28, 2010

quick little note here too:

i didnt start this thread with the intention of it being MY ADVICE only that is given. if you know the answer to a question and get to it before i do, then by all means, please feel free to give your thoughts or input. this thread is meant to help those in need.

period.

i do not claim to be the Don Juan of growing, but i have learned tons in my time, and i love to share that with others. things can get REAL SCARY for newbies (come on old timers, you were new once) and sometimes the quicker the help the better. if you beat me to it ANSWER IT!! or if you see an answer of mine and have done it differently, CHIME IN AND TELL US ABOUT IT. my way isn't always the best way for every grower in every situation. let's grow together

keep it green everyone!!

CJM · April 28, 2010

well, i could go on for hours on the differences of hydro/dirt. it truly can be deduced to a matter of opinion. i grow hydro, in bubbles obviously. things happen faster in hydro. sometimes this is good, and sometimes it isn't, but it's how i grow. plants in soil are generally easier to manage, and may be better for a newbie grower. just to get the basic feel for growing, and what the plants do at certain stages. it has been so long since i have grown in dirt, things have changed so much. (nutes/meters/ect.) GENERALLY speaking, plants in dirt can be left unattended for a few days at a time, whereas GENERALLY speaking, plants in hydro need tending daily. if not multiple times daily. as i said, in hydro, things happen much quicker. yes, this can mean plant growth, but it also can mean fatal ph changes in a matter of hours, it can mean a hose slipping off a pump and destroying a room at most, and suffocating a plant at least.

thats one of those million dollar questions that only the grower can answer for themselves.

Thanks for the input, Can you recomed someone that can give me tips on dirt growing

Grow Thread · April 28, 2010

Thanks for the input, Can you recomed someone that can give me tips on dirt growing

what kind of tips are you looking for?? i'm not completely "dirt dumb" :blink: it just has been awhile, but the basics have never changed. here are some "pros" of growing in dirt:

stability. the plant itself is just more "stable". i dont mean standing up or leaning over i mean its life is much more stable. in hydro, changes can happen very quickly, whereas dirt is not like that. in hydro, something simple can be fatal basically overnight. in dirt, it would take something pretty drastic to kill a plant overnight.

less hassle. FAR LESS HASSLE..... no water pumps, air pumps, air/water lines running all over the place. plus there are no huge dangerous reservoirs holding tons of water to leak all over the place. no worrying about water-level, how much evaporated over night... how much did the plant drink.... adding water daily whereas in dirt its only every 3-4 days usually..... it's just less hassle all the way around.

taste. many will argue with me, and i don't care, but TO ME, a plant grown in dirt just has a certain taste to it that cannot be achieved with hydro. (yes, yes, i know there are tons of proud hydro folks out there to argue.... but it's MY opinion)

hope that helps!!

if you have more dirt questions i can answer, or i can get answers, but i don't really know anyone that i can "pass you off to".

CJM · April 28, 2010

what kind of tips are you looking for?? i'm not completely "dirt dumb" it just has been awhile, but the basics have never changed. here are some "pros" of growing in dirt:

stability. the plant itself is just more "stable". i dont mean standing up or leaning over i mean its life is much more stable. in hydro, changes can happen very quickly, whereas dirt is not like that. in hydro, something simple can be fatal basically overnight. in dirt, it would take something pretty drastic to kill a plant overnight.

less hassle. FAR LESS HASSLE..... no water pumps, air pumps, air/water lines running all over the place. plus there are no huge dangerous reservoirs holding tons of water to leak all over the place. no worrying about water-level, how much evaporated over night... how much did the plant drink.... adding water daily whereas in dirt its only every 3-4 days usually..... it's just less hassle all the way around.

taste. many will argue with me, and i don't care, but TO ME, a plant grown in dirt just has a certain taste to it that cannot be achieved with hydro. (yes, yes, i know there are tons of proud hydro folks out there to argue.... but it's MY opinion)

hope that helps!!

if you have more dirt questions i can answer, or i can get answers, but i don't really know anyone that i can "pass you off to".

Thanks again for the input ,i am still learning the site . not all that good on the key board but getting better. will keep looking tips ,still have some time before i can start. paperwork in check not cashed yet.

Grow Thread · April 28, 2010

simonbloomfield · April 29, 2010

thanks for the offer!

The site could use more positive friendly and helpful people!

I agree. I tend to stay away from this site due to all of the bickering and negativity. The mods appear to have a much better grasp on things now compared to 6 months ago. Keep up the good work guys

Grow Thread · April 30, 2010

I agree. I tend to stay away from this site due to all of the bickering and negativity. The mods appear to have a much better grasp on things now compared to 6 months ago. Keep up the good work guys

i have been a member at both 420 and grasscity for quite awhile now. both of those sites are HUGE!! one GREAT thing about this site is the small size. unfortunately, smaller size means less people posting topics to chat about..... so people just get to bickering i think.... lack of something better to do. hopefully the arcade will help!!

cme1978 · April 30, 2010

I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CO2,DO YOU THINK ITS A BAD IDEIA TO BE FEEDING MY PLANTS CO2,WITH A LITTLE PROPANE TORCH?I BELEAVE I READ IT SOMEWERE SO I'VE JUST BEEN JUMPING THE PPM;S UP.THEN BRING A TORCH TO THE GROW FOR AROUND 10 MIN,HAVE YOU HERD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS OR AM I THE JUMP OFF THE BRIDGE GROWER?SEE WHAT WORKS AND DON'T?THANKS.

Grow Thread · April 30, 2010

I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CO2,DO YOU THINK ITS A BAD IDEIA TO BE FEEDING MY PLANTS CO2,WITH A LITTLE PROPANE TORCH?I BELEAVE I READ IT SOMEWERE SO I'VE JUST BEEN JUMPING THE PPM;S UP.THEN BRING A TORCH TO THE GROW FOR AROUND 10 MIN,HAVE YOU HERD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS OR AM I THE JUMP OFF THE BRIDGE GROWER?SEE WHAT WORKS AND DON'T?THANKS.

CO2 is basically worthless unless the levels can be raised to 1500+ and held there. normal "fresh air" is around 300. i have never heard of the torch thing, but there is no way you are gonna hit 1500 with it..... and if you do, i can't see it holding. i have read in MANY MANY forums that anything under 1500 is worthless and you may as well just be using fresh air.

Grow Thread · April 30, 2010

SELF DIAGNOSE YOUR PLANTS

just wanna stick this in here somewhere. its a superb link and i couldnt have done it better.

http://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-plant-problems/216537-self-diagnose-your-plants.html

Jipo · April 30, 2010

i have been a member at both 420 and grasscity for quite awhile now. both of those sites are HUGE!! one GREAT thing about this site is the small size. unfortunately, smaller size means less people posting topics to chat about..... so people just get to bickering i think.... lack of something better to do. hopefully the arcade will help!!

Were you ever on HG420? Also is your user name the same here as there? I've been a GC member for a while, and Migrated over to RIU after the downfall of HG. Unfortunately the abundance of misleading knowledge amongst RIU is rather disappointing, but there is a handful of hidden gems amongst there. And alot of my old HG friends are there as well. I don't have the same user name on any boards but I do think yours looks familliar, either way thanks for this thread. I've been trying to post tutorials and such for people who don't want to post or sign up for this wonderful site!

stonecrowe316 · April 30, 2010

hi there!! so sorry it took so long to get back with you.... i'm in the process of moving right now.

well, you have the light part covered, thats for sure!! cannabis is in the "veg state" when it has light for more than 12 hours a day. for us growers, that usually means 18 to 24 hours of light per day. i leave mine on 24hours/day in veg. yes, you can have both the mother and any clones under the same tent. after the clones have matured enough, then you would want to move them to a place where you can have the light set at 12/12 to induce flowering. for as long as you wish to keep your mother plant for taking clones, you should keep her in the veg. state.

hope this helps!!

if you need your clones to grow a little keep them i veg for a few weeks,i have a 400w so i go 18 inches high,then i flower,my light goes about 3 foot down from the top(pentration wise) hope it helps

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