Galgrows
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I totally agree with your post, i've felt that way for years but i've never said it.
Thatoneguyyouknow_
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theres no one way to grow a plant and get flowers "right"All I can say is WOW! No wonder I could never get a good grow in the past. There is so much more than planting a seed and watching it grow.
I am getting ready for my first grow and going a better route. I made a small investment in the tools. Purchased some seeds. On my next day off I am heading to ACE to get some soil, pots and nutrients (provided they carry what I have been reading are good).
Unlike other things I buy tools for and jump in... mistakes here are time consuming. An entire grow period can be wasted on lack of knowledge. Where I am not expecting a professional grade grow, I am realistic, I would like to have a successful 1st grow. For example.... I purchased seeds with higher THC levels fully expecting to get less until I get more experienced. I have a very high tolerance as I am a daily smoker so I hope that I can at least grow a crop that will have some affect on me.
Where I am getting confused is there are so many different responses to a situation. It can be hard to find an answer at times. The whole chemical thing still has me baffled. LOL.
If anyone here would be willing to help me I can trade services. I am a semi retired graphic designer including photo and video editing. I also program in PHP and more recently, 3D animation and modeling.
I am starting with 3 seeds (if they all sprout lol I have 2 extra in case) Different strains all with very similar climates and grow periods. I hope that nutrients will also be similar, this area is my most problematic. I have also seen nutrients that will boost the flavor. ( I wanna say also add flavor? if I read correctly).
My goals are:
A fair yieldDecent THC levelNot have to rely on someone else to get my supply.Most important - Does not taste homegrown!!!
Thanks in advance to anyone willing to help
One key here, is to not treat differing options as conflicting information, just exactly what they are, different options :)
A lot of newer growers take two conflicting statements from veteran growers as conflicting information, when often, the truth is, these veteran growers just grow differently then one another lol.
PH is chemically one of the single most important parameters you can monitor with plants being cultivated in non organic grow methods.
If you have hard well water, i generally just recommend investing in an RO filter and cal-mag supplements. My well water is full of heavy metals, and smells like boiled eggs lol. Its drilled through an old capped off land fill form the 60s. I dont even give it to my dogs. I keep an RO filter around, potassium bicarbonate, and cal mag.
If your water is hard enough with the right gasses and minerals in it, and you grow in containers, it will kill your plants even if you stabilize the PH before using it. Even if growing organically in a container. This water tends to be fine for plants planted in ground with a locally heathy soil ecosystem though, as there are microorganisms usually present capable of processing most of these minerals into plant usable forms.
Often if you PH adjust very hard well water, and dont let it sit to precipitate the hydrochloric salts you end up creating out of solution, it will end up depositing those as salts into the soil. IIRC Calcium in hard water as an acetate loves to precipitate in soil as useless to plants calcium hydrochloride salt build up when the PH of the water is dropped below neutral. Only certain soil bacterias and fungi can even process calcium HCL at all.
When root zones go acididc in hydro growing methods, the reason calcium deficiency pops up in leaves so fast, is because its an immobile nutrient, and you can actually chance the calcium acetate within the structure of the leaf itself to calcium HCL, which is useless to the plant. The nutrient is immobile, so once damage is done you cant undue it either. Cannabis prefers an acidic leaning PH, even more so in hydro, and this is why calcium/magnesium lockout through acidic PH can be so common with newer synthetic fert growers, and is often misdiagnosed as cal-mag deficiency, further compounding problems.
The reason a lot of growers prefer using all this information to their advantage,. and grow entirely using synthetic feeds is entirely because the result can vastly eclipse anything organic grow methods can even begin to approach.
That doesnt say its better though, just that some people are indeed more concerned with quantity over quality.
Ph isnt that important in most contexts of soil growing, but in the rest of them, it is absolutely 1000000% mission critical. Crucial. You will not achieve results like this without monitoring it, and keeping it exactly where it needs to be, at all times.
All that being said, most growers dont need to pull colas like this, and it would quickly become old weed that never got smoked before it was just kinda old and lame if you were chasing yields over quality. But the quality of runs like this are nothing to shake a stick at themselves.
Some living soil grown organic buds full of that sweet sweet nectar that is organically grown cannabis resin though, you're not going to get that being all scientist about your cannabis. Not at all. It's not even possible growing like this. But you'll prob never see colas the size of a baseball bat testing at 36% doing that either.
There does not exist a growing method of merit without a list of pros and cons lol
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Captspaulding
What’s the matter? Don’t like clowns? 🤡
Supporter
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Yeah I’m not sure it would be the best thing to fiddle with, how does your water smell at the spicket? If it’s normal I wouldn’t worry about that.Do you think it could help paint an overall picture? At first I wanted nothing to do with Ph and reading here it isn’t really necessary ( I know your opinion about it). Why im asking is i have a couple plants that are starting to show some signs of something lol and if I know the Ph maybe I could rule out couple things out the gate. Or is this just my lack of experience in what the plant is telling me?
Shoot me a message with some pics homie!
I’ll help you get it sorted
WickedMichelle
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Well this sucks, no pun intended!
So, it's better to blow filtered air out and not filter the air in? I would think it healthier for the plants to have the air in filtered and allow the bad air pushed out from the bottom. I was thinking of getting a 2nd filter... just for this situation. Filter it in and out.
Yes, in Minneapolis. I have been told about this place around 65th and Penn. Been told they know what they are talking about. Getting there is the issue. I use public transportation. I have a place closer to me, they sell the Vivosun grow tent and seeds but no grow supplies. Also much more expensive on their tents and parts. They had a 4x2 for 650.00 or so. Basic kit... I purchased so much more straight from MarsHydro for less than 100.00 more. Bigger tent and better lights. I would ranter buy local but I am too cheap to waste money LOL.
I am going to ACE today to see what they have... they are close. If they do not have what I need I'll just make an amazon order for supplies.
=================================================================
As far as nutrients, do I want dry to mix with soil? Or liquid that can be added when watering? Or both?
WickedMichelle
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I have been reading up on the drying and curing as well... a bit early but getting prepared. But this is good news. The additional light I purchased claims to help boost yields... it's my 1st grow so I will not know for sure unless I do one with and one without. I paid too much to not use them, even to test LOL.
D
DougV
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I can’t address organic. If you’re going chemical water soluble, excepting CalMag which is usually liquid. Avoid anything that says time release, like Osmocote. Water soluble/liquids are easier to flush out, if needed, and easier to time. For example, when I’m in soil, a week before I plan on flipping to flower, I hold the higher nitrogen veg chemicals to allow the nitrogen to be utilized before flowering. Three weeks before harvest I hold flowering chemicals.
On Ace, let your fingers do the walking. Their inventory is on line. You can see what they have. You might also try doitbest.com. They will do ship to store and carry a wide range of brands of soil and/or soil components. Everything looks to be short supply up there.
If it would help, and if you opt for chemical vs organic for this grow, PM me. I have plenty, you will need very little, I’ll be happy to mail you enough to get through this grow. I can even send 4” nursery pots, a 4 cell tray, and rockwool cubes for seed starting and initial transplant. It’ll get you through this grow and give you time to sort through everything for your growing future.
Tell Mall of America I said howdy.
PianoStan
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I mean, you can certainly go with 2 filters, but it's not necessary for a smell free grow.
The reason that you want to exhaust air from the top of the tent is twofold. Obviously, heat rises so the hot and stale air will get exhausted. But also Carbon Dioxide is heavier than oxygen so the room's CO2 levels will be fractionally higher near to the floor. And the current 400-430ppm CO2 in the atmosphere is already going to be the biggest limiting factor in (everybody's) your grow. Light, water, and nutrients are easy to manage, getting the CO2 up requires a LOT of effort.
For a cheap and easy filter on the intake, you can stretch the end of one leg of pantyhose over the opening. That will help filter dust, and provide a barrier to pests. Just clean it regularly to make sure that airflow isn't impeded. But you can also use a second carbon filter. Although, if you do, you might inhibit airflow, making a second fan necessary. I simply don't know how that will turn out.
There was a debate a couple weeks back in a different thread over using negative pressure (the sides of the tent suck in) vs. positive pressure (the sides of the tent blow out), and it was pretty much universally accepted that for a smell free grow, negative pressure is necessary. So if you go with a second filter, and potentially a second fan, the fan on the intake side will need to move LESS air than the fan on the exhaust side.
As far as nutrients go, it would seem to me that adding nutrients to the water would allow for easier distribution when necessary. However, I do NOT grow in soil, so I'm not the best source of information there. Hopefully a soil grower will point you in the right direction on that front.
Beachbumm
- 159
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Thanks all... So many to respond to...
Ok, here is the rundown.....
3x3 MarsHydro with the FC3000 light and the add-on lights, IR, UV and RB.
View attachment 2173374
No PH meter, I read they are not necessary. One person is using theirs as a table wedge LOL.
Thinking the Fish soil I have read the PH should stay good for a bit.
No clue to nutrients yet.
The blower is on a phone app... not sure I like that. I may see if I can order a thermometer from the company for my blower. I hope it's somewhat automated to come on when needed.
I may need a de-humidifier, time will tell on that one. Minnesota can get really muggy.
My 1st grow will be (should be feminized and non-auto)
Buy Purple Queen Feminized Cannabis 👑 Cannabis Seeds - Royal Queen Seeds USA
Journey to the clouds from the couch with mystical mountain Kush. Purple Queen is the cool purple bud that will get you royally stoned.www.royalqueenseeds.com
Buy Sherbet Queen feminized cannabis seeds Cannabis Seeds - Royal Queen Seeds USA
Sherbet Queen steps out of the shadow of Girl Scout Cookies to deliver a sensory phenomenon. Gorge on her fruity flavors and rapturous high. Available now.
Buy Watermelon feminized cannabis seeds Cannabis Seeds - Royal Queen Seeds USA
In the mood for some rest and relaxation? The high THC levels and fruity terpenes found in Watermelon feminized will scratch that itch, and then some.
These 3 all have the same climate and around the same grow time frame. I think they will be ok together.
Should one not sprout... My backups are
https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/us/feminized-cannabis-seeds/149-og-kush.html
Buy Critical Kush Feminized Cannabis ⛰️ Cannabis Seeds - Royal Queen Seeds USA
Critical Kush mixes the high-yielding Critical together with legendary Kush genetics from the Hindu Kush mountain range. Explore her magnificence.
I'm on a budget and wanted more than one kind so I bought one seed of each. The OG Kush was a gift for my purchase. The datasheets can be found on those pages. I had written Royal Queen for nutrient suggestions. I figure they made the seeds, they would know what is best to grown them. Still waiting for their answer.
So this is where I am atm. Waiting on seeds, need to get soil, nutrients and a few pots. Thinking starting the seeds in soil using a tiny pot. So... when to transplant is the question. I do not want to get the too tall at first. So do I wait until the roots fill the pot before transplanting? Last time I grew (around 1990) I had 4, 6 foot skinny plants. Didn't top.... didn't know LOL, and I think I transplanted into a too large pot too early.
Anyway... that is all I can think of at the moment. Been a long day and need some food.Thanks again.
>No PH meter, I read they are not necessary
In
>No PH meter, I read they are not necessaryThanks all... So many to respond to...
Ok, here is the rundown.....
3x3 MarsHydro with the FC3000 light and the add-on lights, IR, UV and RB.
View attachment 2173374
No PH meter, I read they are not necessary. One person is using theirs as a table wedge LOL.
Thinking the Fish soil I have read the PH should stay good for a bit.
No clue to nutrients yet.
The blower is on a phone app... not sure I like that. I may see if I can order a thermometer from the company for my blower. I hope it's somewhat automated to come on when needed.
I may need a de-humidifier, time will tell on that one. Minnesota can get really muggy.
My 1st grow will be (should be feminized and non-auto)
Buy Purple Queen Feminized Cannabis 👑 Cannabis Seeds - Royal Queen Seeds USA
Journey to the clouds from the couch with mystical mountain Kush. Purple Queen is the cool purple bud that will get you royally stoned.Buy Sherbet Queen feminized cannabis seeds Cannabis Seeds - Royal Queen Seeds USA
Sherbet Queen steps out of the shadow of Girl Scout Cookies to deliver a sensory phenomenon. Gorge on her fruity flavors and rapturous high. Available now.Buy Watermelon feminized cannabis seeds Cannabis Seeds - Royal Queen Seeds USA
In the mood for some rest and relaxation? The high THC levels and fruity terpenes found in Watermelon feminized will scratch that itch, and then some.
These 3 all have the same climate and around the same grow time frame. I think they will be ok together.
Should one not sprout... My backups are
https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/us/feminized-cannabis-seeds/149-og-kush.htmlBuy Critical Kush Feminized Cannabis ⛰️ Cannabis Seeds - Royal Queen Seeds USA
Critical Kush mixes the high-yielding Critical together with legendary Kush genetics from the Hindu Kush mountain range. Explore her magnificence.
I'm on a budget and wanted more than one kind so I bought one seed of each. The OG Kush was a gift for my purchase. The datasheets can be found on those pages. I had written Royal Queen for nutrient suggestions. I figure they made the seeds, they would know what is best to grown them. Still waiting for their answer.
So this is where I am atm. Waiting on seeds, need to get soil, nutrients and a few pots. Thinking starting the seeds in soil using a tiny pot. So... when to transplant is the question. I do not want to get the too tall at first. So do I wait until the roots fill the pot before transplanting? Last time I grew (around 1990) I had 4, 6 foot skinny plants. Didn't top.... didn't know LOL, and I think I transplanted into a too large pot too early.
Anyway... that is all I can think of at the moment. Been a long day and need some food.
Not true, in soil, peat or cocoa you need one. you can get aquarium drops for $5 that's what I now use since I got sick of buying pricey PH meters that didn't last
If you want a link let me know, if you want to continue without adjusting pH, best wishes.
Captspaulding
What’s the matter? Don’t like clowns? 🤡
Supporter
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I haven’t needed one in years. There is an army of folks here who never do or don’t.
Need is a strong word here. bc in soil, it’s pointless.
Beachbumm
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What works for you isn't necessarily going to work for others, they don't have the same water as you, nor experience level. I would never recommend that to beginners, or even in general.
LoveGrowingIt
Supporter
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It's true that adjusting the pH is usually unnecessary for organic growing. I grow organically and I've checked mine, though, and I use the same type of pH tester that you do. So far, my tap water has tested the same (7.6) every time I've checked it. That is well within a safe range for organic growing. My thinking, however, is it's helpful to know what the pH is, but that is mostly useful for diagnosing problems. It's certainly possible to have lousy water.
I think it's misleading to say pH adjustment is unnecessary for soil. It can be necessary when using synthetic nutrients. That's why it's important to know what type of nutrients are being used.
Stokes
- 1,100
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Alot of people will be fine not ph’ing organic soil. But thats not the case for everyone, never ph’ing living soil is a myth thats slowly dying, ive seen it on numerous occasions of soil growers having issues until they start to ph.
Beachbumm
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Exactly, there's too many variables. It's a simple step that I recommend for all new growers.
Stokes
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Im not trying to step on anyones toes. It is true that for the vast majority of people the living soil environment will regulate itself, but if microbes self adjusted everything then you could plant a blueberry bush in alkaline soil and have amazing fruit every year without maintenance
Captspaulding
What’s the matter? Don’t like clowns? 🤡
Supporter
- 17,934
- 438
Bro, adding variables is never a good thing.
But alright, might as well spend money on more bs I guess.
I would never tell a soil grower new or advanced to go get ph stuff.
it’s not needed.
I know all about different water sources too,
I have helped hundreds of people here and you know how many times ph was actually the issue? Like 1!friggin time.
I will say it’s pointless, again, and be out.
I know there’s a million different ways to skin a cat, but I digress, ph the earth
LoveGrowingIt
Supporter
- 2,134
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Testing pH certainly can be informative. For the majority, however, it won't matter. It's about playing the odds. I don't advise testing until a problem is encountered that can't be resolved without a pH test. Those problems are rare.
Do you differentiate between living soil and organic growing? I do. That can be a source of confusion, I think.
We're not discussing blueberry bushes. The organic growing we do is specific to cannabis and in the OP's case, it's in a controlled environment. I imagine there could be beneficial microbes for blueberries, though.
LoveGrowingIt
Supporter
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Do we know what type of nutrients the OP is planning to use? (I don't recall seeing it.)
Stokes
- 1,100
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LoL what?
What do you think that youre adding for cannabis living soils that isnt there for blueberries? Theyre both acid loving plants
I have no idea why my text is bold, im not shouting
WickedMichelle
- 86
- 33
OMG, in the 11 years I have been here I only visited that place twice. Only because there is a Johnny Rockets in there
I would like to go as organic as possible. Time can be a factor so I would also like to be as simple as possible.
The Ocean Forest soils seems to get good reviews here and sounds like a good one for a newbie like me. I also see all the liquids out there... those would be the synthetic, correct? Would those be for Ph or for helping the vegetation and/or flower process?
That is really nice of you... I like to shop LOL.... This gives me something to do today besides sit in front of a screen on my day off. And I guess also re-setup my air flow UG! Move the lights... re-wire... and only 1 day off. hahahaha
Off to do some shopping.
LoveGrowingIt
Supporter
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LoL, IDK much about blueberries, except they draw bears.
I do know both plants like acidic soil. That's what we have in our yard. I've never known blueberries to be grown in tents under artificial light, though. (Maybe someone is doing it?) Organic growing means there are microbes in the soil that feed the plant, so it is the microbes that need care and feeding. That's why pH matters less in organic grows. Apparently, the microbes adapt to different pH levels. With synthetic nutrients, however, the plant is fed directly. No microbes are involved. That's why pH matters more with synthetic nutrients. The pH needs to be at the optimal level for the complete range of nutrients to be processed by the plant.
No worries. I've decided you're one of the good guys. Control + B turns bolding on and off in browsers. I've hit that by mistake a few times. Just highlight the text and hit Ctrl+b till it goes away. The same is true for Ctrl+i for Italics.
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