Beginner needs help

intopot

Active Member
Hey

Just a beginner grower asking questions that youve prob heard a million times, ive dont loads of research but im still finding gaps in my knowledge (due to my inexperience).

Ok the setup ive got is a HPS growlux 600watt light, floorspace of about 6ft by 3 and 5ft in hight, Ive got miracle grow potting soil, a small propagator to start off. The light is 3ft from the ground on chains so i can adjust.

Ok heres where im at, Ive just germinated 10 seeds (starting small looking to work up as i have the space) I had them sitting in a warm cupboard with some moist paper towels and i found they germinated a small sprout about 5-7mm in 2 days. Now ive put them in the soil about 5mm for the top and im unsure whether i should leave them in the dark until i get some leaf or to swich my light on on a 18-6 cycle. What about humidty it sits happily at 20% without the lid but i can get it to about 50 with the lid. Whats best? plus should i get the fan going to circulate the air?

i appreciate anyone who can offer some help to guide me on my way to my first harvest.
 

greenbeats

Active Member
hey i know that the first few weeks the ideal humidity is between 70%-80%
and should be gradually lowered throughout the vegging to about 45%. when flowering it should be dropped even lower to prevent mold on dense buds.
as far as air flow its always good, though young plants should not get the direct wind so there isnt added stress to the shoots. but ya the better the air flow the gas exchange the plant can make, which is good.
 

Fat Boy

Active Member
U CAN GO TO THE LIGHT IF YOU CHOOSE, i WOULD BUT MAKE SURE IT IS A VEG TYPE LITE SUCH AS A CFL OR MH BUT IF MONEY IS LOW GO WITH YOUR HPS JUST MAKE SURE HUMIDITY IS GOOD. I BOUGHT A LITTLE GREENHOUSE TYPE THING FROM WALMART AND IT WORKS PERFECTLY, IT CAME WITH A CLEAR TOP AND A BOTTOM TRAY PERFECT FOR CLONING. ALSO AS MY MAN STATED DONT GIVE THEM DIRECT WIND, TURN THE FAN FACING THE WALL THAT WAY IT HITS THE WALL AND CIRCLES ARROUND THE ROOM.
 

videoman40

Well-Known Member
Dude, since you are right at the very beginning and you obviously want all females, heres the best info I can come up with from dutch passion seed company in reference to sex.......

From literature and our own findings it appears that the growth of a male or female plant from seed, except for the predisposition in the gender chromosomes, also depends on various environmental factors. The environmental factors that influence gender are:

* a higher nitrogen concentration will give more females.
* a higher potassium concentration will give more males.
* a higher humidity will give more females.
* a lower temperature will give more females.
* more blue light will give more females.
* Fewer hours of light will give more females.

It is important to start these changes at the three-pairs-of-leaves stage and continue for two or three weeks, before reverting to standard conditions.
 

greenbeats

Active Member
plants need three things light water and air. once the seed is germinated you should have a fluorescent bulb about threeto four feet away. once good roots are established take it out of the propgation cover and move the light about 2 feet away. if it seems too close move it away some (leaves may seem to curl up at ends if too close).do you have mylar or any reflective material in your grow room? you probably want to invest in some if not. fluorescents should be good enough for vegging but if you want smoke later you want a hps lamp (high pressure sodium).
 

mogie

Well-Known Member
Humidity dome, 18/6 cfl light, keep about 70 degrees, mist only do not water. Just use white paint relfects almost as well as mylar and is cheaper and easier to clean. HID for flowering.

Part 1 Contributed by: Bongaloid
Part 2 : Bush_Grower

First time growers frequently:
Overwater their medium based plants. When you pot your plant, judge its weight dry by hefting. Then, water the plant thoroughly, until water runs through the drain holes. Heft it again. When your pot feels as nearly as light as it did dry, its time to water again. Overfeed their plants. As MrSoul says, beginners rarely under do anything. When all else fails, follow the directions on the fertilizer bottle. [Editor's note: dont follow GH's instructions! Use @ 1/4 their recommended strength, or follow recipes in the FAQ]
Overanalyze their grow. A first grow is like a first born child: you pay attention to every little thing that happens. Further, you worry at the first sign something may be wrong. Pay attention to what happens in your grow, but do not try and find a remedy for every yellow leaf. Frequently, the remedy of flushing your medium causes more problems than it solves. Be responsive when things go wrong, but be conservative in your remedies.
Overspend on grow supplies. New growers frequently commit themselves to unrealistic and expensive first grows. It is much more efficient to learn to grow and then invest in high end equipment rather than the other way around. Most experienced growers don't have room for all of the grow paraphernalia they aren't using. As you will see throughout this FAQ: K-I-S-S.
Overpost. Try the search engine first. Chances are good that any question you can think of has been asked and answered before.
Talk about their grow. Don't tell anybody that does not have to know. How can you expect anybody else to keep a secret that you cannot.
Part 2:
Contributed by: Bush_Grower
1. Don't Overwater
Overwatering kills marijuana plants. Water once the top few inches of the soil dries out.
Hydroponics is harder to over-water than soil, due to the abundance of water roots.
2. Don't Tell People
Why? They will only be jealous. People love to feel important and that is why they will tell other people; because others will listen to them.
Keep it to yourself.
3. Touch/kill Germinating Seeds
It can take up to 10 days for a seed to sprout. The paper towel method is not recommended because you must handle the seeds when transferring them from the paper towel to your growing medium.
4. Grow seeds from seeded marijuana (hermaphrodite seeds)
Unless you are prepared for possible disappointments don’t use "unknown" seeds. This is why people buy seeds from seedbanks.
Self-seeding MJ is produced from hermaphrodite plants or a very stunted and late flowering male the grower did not notice. Flowered hermi seeds will produce tall late flowering females coupled with early flowering males.
5. Don't Over-fertilize
Fertilize after first 2 spiked leaves appear.
Start with 25% of recommended label strengths and work your way up. If the leaves suddenly twist or fold under, Leach and Spray with pure water for several days!
Don’t fertilize your plants every time you water! (Soil)
A common watering schedule is to fertilize at full strength, then water at half or quarter strength. This prevents excess salt buildup, leaf and root burn. In addition, don’t water at full strength if the medium is too dry – root burn can occur.
As a precaution, leach the plants with lots of pure water every 2-4 weeks.
6. Don't Under-fertilize
Under-fertilizing is less common. If you prefer to give the plant ‘just enough nutrients’, use a organic soil mixture with blood meal and bone meal or some slow release fertilizer with micro nutrients.
7. Don't Start with Clones
Start with seeds. Bugs are a pain, as are plant diseases. Many growers are able to grow indoors without pest problems for years. Another grower’s cuttings are almost guaranteed to have diseases &/or pests.
8. Don't Provide A Bad Environment
Always provide air circulation and fresh air even during the night cycle. All the air indoors should be replaced every 5-10 minutes.
Humidity between 30-70% temp aim for around 75-85' Even seedlings need a gentle fan to strengthen the stems.
9. Don't Harvest Too Early
25% of the weight will form in the last 2 weeks. Begin flushing with 100% pH’d water when the pistil are 25% brown. Harvest when the plants have totally stopped growing and the white pistils are at least 50-75% brown.
*NOTE: Outdoors if security is a factor make your own call on when to sacrifice the fields. Also take buds continuously in case of thieves.

Common questions:
Q. Can marijuana grow in a northern climate?
Marijuana plants can grow anywhere corn can grow. All it needs is three growing months - seed to harvest. 2 if started indoors!

Q. Why do I have to buy seeds? Why can't I use my own that I picked from my own stash?
Most people desire, and want to be guaranteed, certain characteristics in their mature female plants. The seeds from any weed will all grow into something different. This is unprofitable and inefficient. As opposed to knowing the single set of requirements for your entire crop, you must provide a different set of requirements for each of your plants.

Q. What is better for a new grower - hydroponics or soil?
I believe the all around "better", more convenient setup is soil. Hydro makes plants grow faster, but won't make your buds more potent than soil. Hydro should be attempted after you have a few successful soil crops under your belt.
If you are starting from seed and growing for personal, soil is the practical growing medium. If the crop is started with clones and is commercial, a hydroponics setup is more practical.

Q. Why are my seedlings stretching?
Low light conditions. They also need a gentle wind. Plants will also stretch when subjected to conditions of high humidity.

Q. What kind of lights should I use?
Cheap 4 ft. cool white fluorescent tubes : for germination/seedlings
400 watt Metal halide/HPS : for personal home growers
1000 watt Metal halide/HPS : for some personal growers and commercial growers.
*Use at least 40 watts per sq. foot of grow space.

Q. How far should the lights be from the plants?
Fluorescent: tips of leaves almost touching bulbs
400 watt halide : two feet away from seedlings and one foot away from grown plants
1000 watt halide: four feet away from seedlings and two feet away from grown plants
 
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