Things you wished you'd known before first grow

Oregon Gardener

Well-Known Member
Hmm, mine:
  • The difference between photoperiod and autoflowering
  • That autoflowering plants should only be transferred once
  • How big a difference proper nutrients made for cannabis can make
  • How big a difference proper temperature and humidity can make
  • That my grow space was only really big enough for 3 plants, not 4
What are yours?
My fingers would fall off listing those things. My first indoor try was in the late 70s. We had nothing to grow on. There was no Ask Ed,No Jorge Cervantes, and certainly nothing like this website! I've posted this old add in another part of the forum. I'ts a small example of some of the things we didn't know. I wanted the incandescent because it sounded soooo technical.
 

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THE KONASSURE

Well-Known Member
My fingers would fall off listing those things. My first indoor try was in the late 70s. We had nothing to grow on. There was no Ask Ed,No Jorge Cervantes, and certainly nothing like this website! I've posted this old add in another part of the forum. I'ts a small example of some of the things we didn't know. I wanted the incandescent because it sounded soooo technical.

So when did you start steeling lights from the street ? lol
 

Igotthe6

Well-Known Member
My fingers would fall off listing those things. My first indoor try was in the late 70s. We had nothing to grow on. There was no Ask Ed,No Jorge Cervantes, and certainly nothing like this website! I've posted this old add in another part of the forum. I'ts a small example of some of the things we didn't know. I wanted the incandescent because it sounded soooo technical.
I remember them days! I had hightimes cannibis growers guide,we used 4 foot flouros.No such thing as a seed bank. You got real lucky to find something that finished outdoors before the first frost.I'm in upstate NY so not Like Cal. where you could get a good indica back then. I remember thinking yea I got this down,harvesting a few buds that dried fluffy and as big as your thumb.We've come a long way baby!
 

IndoorSolar

Member
Well there is nothing i wish i knew from the start because learning from your first few grows is not only fun its real life and experience. Things i am glad i have learned are:
1. This forum. Having access to the knowledge and experience of all the other to come before you and a one stop location to learn all the basics is something we should all be greatful for. We did not always have the internet and the ease of online access as we do today.
2. Should have gotten a mh/hps from the start. I have had good results with t5ho but i think a hid light will be a new addition soon.
3. Training, topping and lst.
4. Deal with pests early and hard. Take no prisioners when a pest does show up because it will happen sooner or later. If you get clones your risk increases greatly. Think defense, your grow area is a castle under siege, put up pest traps, check all new clones, keep it clean and dry.
 

Oregon Gardener

Well-Known Member
Well there is nothing i wish i knew from the start because learning from your first few grows is not only fun its real life and experience. Things i am glad i have learned are:
1. This forum. Having access to the knowledge and experience of all the other to come before you and a one stop location to learn all the basics is something we should all be greatful for. We did not always have the internet and the ease of online access as we do today.
2. Should have gotten a mh/hps from the start. I have had good results with t5ho but i think a hid light will be a new addition soon.
3. Training, topping and lst.
4. Deal with pests early and hard. Take no prisioners when a pest does show up because it will happen sooner or later. If you get clones your risk increases greatly. Think defense, your grow area is a castle under siege, put up pest traps, check all new clones, keep it clean and dry.
What he said pluss... Anybody who comes near your grow room, even the O'l Lady!
 

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mmjmon

Well-Known Member
My fingers would fall off listing those things. My first indoor try was in the late 70s. We had nothing to grow on. There was no Ask Ed,No Jorge Cervantes, and certainly nothing like this website! I've posted this old add in another part of the forum. I'ts a small example of some of the things we didn't know. I wanted the incandescent because it sounded soooo technical.

Love the slider ad. They were awesome.... I've since mentioned them to people and they have no idea what I'm talking about. :peace:
 

Igotthe6

Well-Known Member

bird mcbride

Well-Known Member
.
So when did you start steeling lights from the street ? lol
You don't gotta steal them. The lamps get busted off in ice storms and sometimes just simply replaced. I was in a metal scrap yard a few days ago and there was a whole heap of street lamps 150 hps.

Growing weed is more of a scientific hobby for me.

After every asteemed gardener I knew failed at cloning a potplant I suggested a mini-greenhouse...some of that stuff that looked like fibre glass home insulation but isn't fibreglass, for suspension and a #2 rooting harmone. I chose the #2 stimroot powder because at a certain point a potplant will have wood and bark much like a young maple tree. Amazingly this worked and a girl in BC first succeeded with this as I was unavailable.

TBO practically everything I needed to know I figured it from prior experiments. Light cycles, tube spectrums and light durations etc. I got one tidbit for free when someone informed me that 5.8ph is best for hydro when I was running 6ph.

My first indoor grow was done in an old metal milk can with a 100 watt incandesant lightbulb. My uncle had said that weed prefers sandy soil:) The plant was small and spindly and didn't amount to much:) The thing was, all my buddies thought it was cool.
 

caveman117

Well-Known Member
rhe only thing I really wish I had understood better was radiant heat from lights. I started with too much light (for what I could handle) in too small of a space. and then because I wasnt getting cupped leaves I didnt think it was heat stress, and it was small enough that the stress wasnt limited to just tge tops. dealt with a few harvests that had all the leaves burned dry by week 5 flower, took me quite a while to realise what was going on (after a long time of messing with nutes getting discouraged haha).
 

Blueberries

Well-Known Member
rhe only thing I really wish I had understood better was radiant heat from lights. I started with too much light (for what I could handle) in too small of a space. and then because I wasnt getting cupped leaves I didnt think it was heat stress, and it was small enough that the stress wasnt limited to just tge tops. dealt with a few harvests that had all the leaves burned dry by week 5 flower, took me quite a while to realise what was going on (after a long time of messing with nutes getting discouraged haha).
What was the strength of your lights for how small of a space? Just curious as to I have a few burnt tips but I am running a cool tube mh that is 16 inches away but they still look a lil toasty and my hand does not get hot where the plants are
 

tyke1973

Well-Known Member
rhe only thing I really wish I had understood better was radiant heat from lights. I started with too much light (for what I could handle) in too small of a space. and then because I wasnt getting cupped leaves I didnt think it was heat stress, and it was small enough that the stress wasnt limited to just tge tops. dealt with a few harvests that had all the leaves burned dry by week 5 flower, took me quite a while to realise what was going on (after a long time of messing with nutes getting discouraged haha).
It was not the amount of lights that was the problem dude it was a new grower error,the exhaust fan was too small ,go over kill with it i use a 12" on 2 x 600 and a 8" inlet.also cool hood's are a key part of most small grow's i think the glass effects the amount of light been emitted,i take the glass out winter when temps out side are lower,out side temps play a massive part of indoor growing.
 

Blueberries

Well-Known Member
It was not the amount of lights that was the problem dude it was a new grower error,the exhaust fan was too small ,go over kill with it i use a 12" on 2 x 600 and a 8" inlet.also cool hood's are a key part of most small grow's i think the glass effects the amount of light been emitted,i take the glass out winter when temps out side are lower,out side temps play a massive part of indoor growing.
Is there no such thing as to much light no matter how cool it is over your plants?

Edit: But I also agree that the no glass actually works better. The side of my females that have a bare 600w hps is doing phenomenal. Better than any other side of my plants with cool tubes
 

tyke1973

Well-Known Member
What was the strength of your lights for how small of a space? Just curious as to I have a few burnt tips but I am running a cool tube mh that is 16 inches away but they still look a lil toasty and my hand does not get hot where the plants are
Add a larger out let and you will find that this will sort this out
 
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