Calling All Noob Growers

This thread should be a sticky?

  • Yes, it was very helpful

    Votes: 610 89.1%
  • No, this info is already covered

    Votes: 75 10.9%

  • Total voters
    685

riddleme

Well-Known Member
I read this in another thread and wanted to copy it here as this is really good info from our friend Iam5toned as it relates to light leaks causing hermies (if you have read my threads you know how I feel about this)

here it is,,,,,,,,,,,,,

let me decide it for you man, not trying to be a smart ass about it either...

look out your window at night. is it pitch black? no.
lets pretend you can blame the fact its not pitch black on artificial light pollution (streetlamps, etc etc)
so lets head out into the wilderness... far far into the wilderness. is it pitch black at night? no.
lets head south to some of the tropical lattitudes... youll find that the closer you get to the equator, the brighter the night sky gets. this is really noticeable at sea. not like youd be growing on a ship, but just for examples sake. you will find that in most of cannabis' natural habitat, the starlight combined with the moonlight is bright enough to read by.
hmmmmmm..... makes you wonder why you dont have hermies in nature occurring on a more regular basis, doesnt it....

hermies caused by light leaks is kind of a myth. but it does happen.
let me explain a little further... bear with me on my layman's terms as well, its just easier for me to explain things in laymans terms to avoid confusion or misinterpretation.
if your growing indoors, its not natural. the normal limiting factors that are present in nature are simply not there in your indoor op. weaker plants that would normally die off in the wild thrive, because you do your best to provide the perfect enviroment. more often than not, the 'perfect enviroment' is too much for the plants, its not natural. theres no times of drought or shitty light or extreme temp swings to harden them up. you could compare it to raising a retarded pig and a normal pig, side by side in a closet. both will thrive, because you provide everything for them. however in the wild, its obvious the retarded pig wouldnt make it very far at all... for various reasons.
what this means, is that your prize plant that looks so nice and smells so nice might have the weakest genetics in your entire crop... but you would never know, untill something affects your 'perfect enviroment'... like a light leak... then, and only then, do the weaker genetics become apparent.

its not rocket science folks... its jr high level botany.

Thank you Iam5toned for putting it in an easy to understand post, good stuff
 

riddleme

Well-Known Member
Everyday here at RIU some one ask should I trim the leaves? here lately it seems more and more members are getting it and telling the new growers NO, which is a good thing!

What would you say if I said that those shaded leaves are actually more productive for the plant?

Before I explain, let me say that we tend to call the leaves of our beloved MJ plant FAN leaves cause they are shaped like a fan. But in reality there are two types of leaves SUN leaves (the ones in the light) and SHADE leaves (the ones in the shade). Also please understand that it is the leaves that make the bud, the buds do not use light the same way that the leaves do and a plant without it's leaves will not yield big buds, period!

Getting back to my statement about leaf production, here is a quote from a texas aggie site,,,,,,,

Research done in Florida in the late 1970's revealed an interesting phenomenon. Tropical plants grown in full sun have leaves (so called sun leaves) which are structurally different from the leaves of plants grown in shade (shade leaves). Sun leaves have fewer chloroplasts and thus less chlorophyll. Their chloroplasts are located deep inside the leaves and the leaves are thick, small and large in number. Shade leaves have greater numbers of chloroplasts and thus more chlorophyll, are thin, large and few in number. When plants are grown in strong light they develop sun leaves which are photosynthetically very inefficient. If these same plants are placed in low light, they must either remake existing sun leaves or drop their sun leaves and grow a new set of shade leaves which are photosynthetically more efficient.
Now armed with these two terms we can do a simple google for the term sun leaves versus shade leaves and get a whole bunch of great info

this quote is about trees but carries very important info with regard to how the different types of leaves help the plant,,,,,

Trees need tremendous amounts of water on a daily basis. Even though it may not rain every day, a trees' roots spread through the ground absorbing water. A mature oak tree needs 40-60 gallons of water every day. Trees have ways of conserving water, because water is very precious to a tree. One way in which a tree helps to conserve water is to develop two kinds of leaves. There are sun leaves and shade leaves. Sun leaves are small, with less surface area, which reduces the amount of exposure to the sun and wind. A shade leaf is large, with greater surface area, which increases the amount of area exposed to the sun. Remember, it is important for a tree to have its leaves exposed to the sun so that photosynthesis (food making) can take place, but not so much that it loses too much water.
And from the same site a bit of explanation,,,,,,,,

Every tree or plant has a daily need for water. The cell, as the basic unit of life, is 75% water. Therefore, if a tree is to live, its cells must have enough water. A tree loses water by a process known as evapo-transpiration. Evaporation of water is increased by heat and wind. Transpiration is the movement of water from the roots through the stem to the leaves where evaporational losses can be high. The leaves must have a continuous supply of water to avoid dehydration and to carry out photosynthesis.

The effect of heat and wind on leaf water loss is greatest at the top of the tree. A tree, or any other plant, has several strategies to reduce the inevitable loss of water. There is a waxy covering (cuticle) on the leaf to reduce desiccation. Stomata (leaf openings which are necessary for gaseous exchange, but do enhance evaporation) are concentrated on the underside of the leaf so as not to be directly exposed to the sun. Stomata guard cells close when evaporation conditions are most intense.
Shade leaves and sun leaves are different. Surface area is a key consideration in reducing water loss. The less surface area that is in contact with wind or heat, the less water is lost. In other words, small is good when in direct contact with the sun. When considering the entire set of leaves on the tree, one notices that some of the leaves receive direct exposure to the sun, and other leaves receive indirect sun because of shading by other leaves. Sun leaves are found on the top part of the crown. Shade leaves are found on the bottom part of the crown especially on the north side, and have a larger surface area. Determining a ratio between shade leaves and sun leaves on a tree helps a forester or arboriculturist determine its tolerance or intolerance to shade. A tree that has a high ratio of shade leaves to sun leaves indicates it is tolerant to shade. In other words, the tree does not mind growing in the shade and is a species that is able to grow as a sapling under a dense forest canopy.
There will be a few folks that will hollor that this info is not about MJ but it relates to all plants and is based in simle botany that applies to all plants

which leads us to my favorite quote,,,,,,,,,

Abstract.Light gradients were measured and correlated with chlorophyll concentration and anatomy of leaves in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). Light gradients were measured at 450, 550 and 680 nm within thin (455 μm) and thick (630 μm) leaves of spinach grown under sun and shade conditions. The light gradients were relatively steep in both types of leaves and 90% of the light at 450 and 680 nm was absorbed by the initial 140 μm of the palisade. In general, blue light was depleted faster than red light which, in turn was depleted faster than green light. Light penetrated further into the thicker palisade of sun leaves in comparison to the shade leaves. The distance that blue light at 450 nm travelled before it became 90% depleted was 120 μm in sun leaves versus 76 μm in shade leaves. Red light at 680 nm and green light at 550 nm travelled further but the trends were similar to that measured at 450nm. The steeper light gradients within the palisade-of shade leaves were caused by increased scattering of light within the intercellular air spaces and/or cells which were less compact than those in sun leaves. The decline in the amount of light within the leaf appeared to be balanced by a gradient in chlorophyll concentration measured in paradermal sections. Progressing from the adaxial epidermis, chlorophyll content increased through the palisade and then declined through the spongy mesophyll. Chlorophyll content was similar in the palisade of both sun and shade leaves. Chloroplast distribution within both sun and shade leaves was relatively uniform so that the chlorophyll gradient appeared to be caused by greater amounts of chlorophyll within chloroplasts located deeper within the leaf. These results indicate that the anatomy of the palisade may be of special importance for controlling the penetration of photo-synthetically active radiation into the leaf. Changing the structural characteristics of individual palisade cells or their arrangement may be an adaptation that maximizes the absorption of light in leaves with varying mesophyll thickness due to different ambient light regimes.
Seems like every day I tell some one that plants do not see/react to light the same way we do, I hope that I have better explained for everyone now. Why it is so important to give your plants the proper spectrum of light as opposed to tons of lumens :bigjoint:
 

riddleme

Well-Known Member
I get PM'd questions every day and I wanted to share something someone said in relation to this thread for everyone

in reguards to the wicking action after a heavy watering/flush. When i first came here a couple months ago, i was surprised to see all the warnings about overwatering. After all, I had been watering pretty heavily all along, and had excellent results. Like you said, you'll get some massive growth if you do it during veg, which explained why my plants were 10X as big as alot of other noob's plants that were the same age. Anyway, thanks for the links. It's always good to hear confirmation from growers more experienced than myself(I started in July of last year)
who said it is not important simply wanted to share with you that others have seen the benefit of what I am trying to tell ya :bigjoint:
 

riddleme

Well-Known Member
I recently mentioned in one of my post that I will be using silica in my next grow with the reason being that I have seen several things that indicate that the CMH light causes extreme growth (cell division) that is hard for the plant to keep up with, even the place where I got the CMH from suggest adding silica when using it.

In one of the many PM's I get some one suggested that a thread on the benefits of silica would be a good idea (there is one currently in the advanced forum https://www.rollitup.org/advanced-marijuana-cultivation/314764-silica-cannabis-2.html ) so I thought I would simply add my research results here.

I will be using DynaGro Pro Tekt (no surprise there as I love DynaGro)
I want to point out one thing that stands out above all the rest,
An increase in dry wieght of 6 to 80%

Here is the details on DynaGro,,,,,,,,,,,

DYNA-GRO'S unique Pro-TeKt® formula is an easy to use liquid concentrate that provides
supplemental potassium (3.7%) and silicon (7.8%). The latest research proves that plants benefit in
many important ways from supplemental soluble silicon. These benefits include greater tolerance of
environmental stresses such as cold, heat, drought, salinity, mineral toxicity or deficiency, improved
growth rates, accelerated root development on cuttings and improved resistance to insects and
fungi. Soluble silicon promotes natural fungal defense mechanisms in plants, significantly reducing,
and in many cases eliminating entirely, the need to use fungicides. Silicon deposited in epidermal
cell walls enhances plants' resistance to small sucking insects. The resulting increased mechanical
strength in epidermal cell walls enhances leaf presentation to light and improved stem strength.
Soluble silicon enhances metabolic functions and plant growth rates by balancing nutrient uptake,
distribution and transport and increasing chlorophyll concentration in leaves resulting in improved
pollen fertility, fruit and flower count.
Silicon deposition in the plant's epidermal cell layer acts as a barrier against penetration of fungal
hyphae from powdery mildew, black spot, Pythium and Phytophthora, etc. Silicon is selectively
transported to the site of fungal infection and is utilized by the plant metabolically to combat the
growth of fungi. Silicon is also incorporated into cell walls improving heat, drought and cold
tolerance by reducing transpiration. The added mechanical strength makes the plant less dependent
upon osmotic pressure for leaf and stem turgidity. Silicon, selectively transported to the site of
fungal infection, plays an active metabolic role in combating fungal growth by the production of
polyphenolic compounds, part of a plant's natural defenses against fungi and insects. Silicon is
rapidly bound in leaf tissue and deposited in a non-translocatable form within 24 hours of uptake.
Therefore a continuous source of soluble silicon is very important to combat pathogens. This can be
from constant feeding in hydroponics or from retention in the growing medium.
In some plants, foliar applications appear to lead to even lower rates of disease. Silicon, taken up by
the plant via the roots, is moved to old leaves first, whereas fungal infections tend to attack the new
growth first. Foliar application to the new growth Pro-TeKts the tender new leaves. Foliar sprays of
soluble silicon have also been shown to be effective for the control of aphids and other sucking
insects on many plants. Epidermal cell walls containing silicon deposits act as a mechanical barrier
to insects. In addition to the silicate deposits in the leaves, the intracellular content of silicic acid
also acts as an effective sap sucking inhibitor for many insects.
™
The Nutrition Solution®
Product Data
Discover the Benefits of Silicon Nutrition in Your Plants!
Pro-TeKt ®
“The Silicon Solution“®
Silicon Increases Resistance to Pathogens
In growth tests at the University of Florida dry weight in Dendrobium nobile, Aeschmea fasciata,
Spathiphyllum and Anthurium scherzerianum provided 49 ppm soluble silicon increased from 18% to
80% over the dry weight of control plants grown without supplemental silicon. 32 of the 39 species
evaluated in this test took up additional silicon when it was provided. Those plants are considered
Si-responsive and had greater leaf thickness as well as greater dry weight.
Silicon Increases Metabolic Rates and Stress Resistance
Soil and Soilless Mixes: Apply Pro-TeKt® at a rate of 1:1500 to 1:3000 (1/2 tsp to 1/4 tsp/gal)
depending upon the plants' requirements.
Hydroponics: Continuously feed Pro-TeKt® at a rate of 1:750 (1 tsp/gal).
Research has shown that silicon benefits plants in the following ways: improved resistance to wilt,
resistance to water stress (heat and drought), enhanced leaf presentation resulting in improved
light interception, enhanced reproductive growth, and increased tolerance of zinc deficiencies, cold
temperatures, excessive phosphorus, manganese, sodium and aluminum concentrations. Silicon,
deposited in the cell walls, forms a protective layer reducing transpiration through the outer cells.
Silicon deposits in the cell walls of xylem vessels prevent compression of the vessels under
conditions of high transpiration caused by drought or heat stress. Temperatures
much above 90° F cause plants to virtually cease their metabolic functions
because water is lost through transpiration faster than it can be replaced
via the plant's root system. This results in harmful increases in intracellular
mineral concentrations that inhibit plant functions. Increased levels of
silicon in cell walls reduce transpiration loss caused by higher temperatures
and the low humidity of typical interior growing conditions thus allowing
continued metabolic functions at higher temperatures. Plants wilt less, resist
sunburn and are generally more tolerant of heat stresses. Cuttings and plugs are more
tolerant of the stresses encountered during root formation and potting up as a result of decreased
transpiration. Studies at the Universities of Florida and Minnesota have shown significantly
increased success rates in propagation of cuttings when silicon is applied foliarly through a misting
system, or as a drench or soak prior to sticking. The surfactant characteristics of Pro-TeKt® result
in better uptake of water and the minerals dissolved in it for better nutrition and growth.
Silicon has also been shown to result in higher concentrations of chlorophyll per unit area of leaf
tissue. This means that a plant is able to tolerate both lower and higher light levels by using more
of the available light. Moreover, supplemental levels of soluble silicon have been shown to produce
higher concentrations of the enzyme RUBP carboxylase in leaf tissue. This enzyme regulates the
metabolism of carbon dioxide and enables the plant to make more efficient use of available levels
of CO2.
Silicon deficiencies often are indicated by malformation of young leaves and a failure of
pollination and fruit formation in many cases. Plants with silicon added to the nutrient formula
also show delayed leaf and flower senescence. The shelf life of cut flowers, specialty pot crops and
plugs is also extended. Leaves are thicker and darker green compared to those grown without
soluble silicon.
AWARD WINNINGFORMULAS
LIQUID PLANT FOOD
PRO-SERIES

Not to be stuck on DynaGro here is a link to yet another product that has a lot of good info about adding silica,,,
http://www.basementlighting.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=1&Product_Code=BLSS

Here is a link that explains how it helps with certain micro nute uptake and lockouts
http://www.fngla.org/reports/75/finalreport.pdf

Here is a quote from an article at Maximum Yield (one of my new favorite sites, see sig link),,,,,,,,,

Silica – the missing macro element

Silica is much more than a trace element in many plant species. In fact silica is considered to be a beneficial macro element for many crops with a wide range of benefits for hydroponic crop production. Several plants need silica for growth including rice, sugar cane and tomatoes. Silica is transported from the roots and travels up to the shoot in the xylem vessels and is deposited mainly as hydrated silica dioxide or as polysilicic acids. Once silica has been incorporated into plant issue in this form, it can’t be redistributed throughout the plant, so it needs to be in constant supply if the entire plant is to contain a useful amount.
The use of soluble forms of silica as an additive in hydroponics is not new; many cucumber and rose growers are aware of the benefits of adding silica to the nutrient solution, whether it is in an organic or non organic form. Silica in cucumbers, for example, reduces the incidence and severity of powdery mildew and other fungi. Silica contributes to the strength and thickness of cell walls, helping to keep leaves in a good position for good light interception and to resist attacks by fungi and insects. Silica also assists with the absorption and translocation of several macro and micro nutrients and plays a role in allowing plants to survive and thrive in adverse growing conditions such as high salinity or excess elements in the solution or soil. Silica in solution should, however, not be considered a micro element; levels as high as 140 ppm have been shown to have the most significant results since silica is naturally found in many plant tissues at up to 10 per cent or higher (dry weight).
In the past silica has been a difficult element to supply at high rates in hydroponic nutrient solutions. Chemical forms such as potassium metasilicate not only have a very high pH, but tend to form a glassy like substance, which blocks drippers and emitters when the enriched nutrient solution comes into contact with the air. These days more forms of silica are available on the hydroponic market and nutrient products and supplements containing silica as a macro element are readily available and easy to use.
And finally a link to Diatomite a silica based medium
http://www.diatomitecanada.com/hort_de_benefits.php

and a real good explanation of various mediums and additives including silica rocks,,,,,,,,,,,
http://www.progressivegardening.com/pottingmixalternatives.html

This should be enough to help explain the benefits of adding silica to your garden, oh yeah I should also let you know that silica is the second most common mineral found in the earths soil :bigjoint:
 

riddleme

Well-Known Member
ah if we could only just convince the noobs to do a little legwork...

+rep if i can
Well I do this research for myself and see no harm in sharing it, then all the noob's have to do is read my threads :bigjoint:

My next ditty will be on far infrared light/heat I think everyone will enjoy what I have found and what I'm gonna do with it in my next grow
 

gumball

Well-Known Member
so when are you gonna start your next grow riddle, any idea yet? I know you were looking for the house, did y'all find one? great info riddle, thanks!
 

EdGreyfox

Well-Known Member
Riddle,

Are you running CO2 as part of your grow now? I can see the need for a CO2 monitor if your using something to supplement CO2 levels, but if your relying on open windows or an air intake I can't see the need for one. It's not like your going to be able to raise the level much by opening the window farther or increasing the intakes fans speed, after all. I'm going to have to look into the silica myself. Seems like it might be worth using, and I'm all for anything that will make it harder for nasties to grow/chew on my plants.

Couple questions about making it rain. First, how soon after rooting (i start from approx 5' clones) do you start doing the flush? And do you continue to make it rain all the way through flowering? If so, I'm assuming that you stop using the shower once they start budding and use a watering can instead. I've been sort of haphazard about the whole rain/flush thing because this last grow threw me so many curveballs, but I'm trying to make it a regular thing for the blueberries I'm running now.
 

riddleme

Well-Known Member
Riddle,

Are you running CO2 as part of your grow now? I can see the need for a CO2 monitor if your using something to supplement CO2 levels, but if your relying on open windows or an air intake I can't see the need for one. It's not like your going to be able to raise the level much by opening the window farther or increasing the intakes fans speed, after all. I'm going to have to look into the silica myself. Seems like it might be worth using, and I'm all for anything that will make it harder for nasties to grow/chew on my plants.

Couple questions about making it rain. First, how soon after rooting (i start from approx 5' clones) do you start doing the flush? And do you continue to make it rain all the way through flowering? If so, I'm assuming that you stop using the shower once they start budding and use a watering can instead. I've been sort of haphazard about the whole rain/flush thing because this last grow threw me so many curveballs, but I'm trying to make it a regular thing for the blueberries I'm running now.
Currently I am not running CO2 hell currently I'm not growing, waiting for this new house. But my intention is to try that folier co2 spray as well as a few other experiments and I thought that having a CO2 meter would show me how much if any improvement comes from various different methods which would then be something I could share with others here.

As for the make it rain thing, I would not do it to a young seedling or clone, if I was going to do it during veg would wait till the 4th or 5th week, and yes all the way thru flower, though you could wait until after the stretch depending on how big you want em. Other thing is I don't do a full flush but rather double the pot size (so 2 gallon pot I do 3 or 4 gallons). Only did the actual shower thing that once and that was to was the dust and grime off the plant and best time to do that would early flower (halfway mark of the grow kinda thin). I would add one full flush (3 times water voume) like the 5th week of flower, just to wash out the soil a bit better

Hope that helps
 

gumball

Well-Known Member
Hey riddle, ed made me remember I had a question on the making it rain. So are you implying to water during lights out, maybe about an hour or 2 before the lights come on? Then watch the plant and when the plant show she's ready to water with nutes at that time? The whole part about it being nIght and make it rain when they sleep threw me.
 

theSinned

Active Member
Yeah I'm curious about your watering/feeding practice as well. So you water very heavily which will actually help to plant to dry out the soil faster. Once its mostly dry you water it with nutes. Do you use enough nuted water for it to start draining out the bottom, or just a little bit? And then how long do you wait after feeding the plant before you make it rain again? Since you're basically over-watering it, how do you prevent that from being a problem?
 

EdGreyfox

Well-Known Member
Ok, that clarifies a few things for me.

Sinned- One of the things I've noticed since I've started making it rain regularly is that the plants are sucking up the water a lot faster then they did on my last grow. I'm needing to water at most every couple of days this time around, and there have been a few times where they were ready for more water after a day. I think whats going is this- your plants adapt to the environment to their natural limits, and if you get a plant used to getting plenty of water it is going to respond by sucking it up faster and growing to large then average size. Remember, your dealing with a plant that can handle growing ranges from desert to tropical, so as long as you give it time to get used to the bounty of moisture and make sure it has the nutes it needs it will respond by growing as fast as it possibly can.

Riddle, heres a thought that occured to me. Cannabis grows naturally in pretty much everywhere, but the really big plants tend to come out of places that are wetter then average. Let's assume you start with a small plant (say 12") and you gradually start increasing the amount of water you give it until you start making it rain around week 4 of veg (my plants are around 20" by then). Now, logic would tell me that if you build up gradually the plant should respond by maximizing its ability to take in the water, which will translate to serious roots and rapid growth, and that by the time you get into flowering you're going to have a plant thats used to taking in and making use of far more water then is considered normal. As long as you continue to give it the water it's become accustomed to as well as all the nutes it can handle without burning you should end up with a plant thats much bigger then one that was watered "normally". I know this is basically what you are doing, but I'm thinking by starting earlier and building up to that first rainfall that you could make your system work even better.
 

riddleme

Well-Known Member
Hey riddle, ed made me remember I had a question on the making it rain. So are you implying to water during lights out, maybe about an hour or 2 before the lights come on? Then watch the plant and when the plant show she's ready to water with nutes at that time? The whole part about it being nIght and make it rain when they sleep threw me.
I don't ever remember saying to rain at night (dark time) I always do it one hour after lights come on cause I want it to start wicking right away
 

riddleme

Well-Known Member
Yeah I'm curious about your watering/feeding practice as well. So you water very heavily which will actually help to plant to dry out the soil faster. Once its mostly dry you water it with nutes. Do you use enough nuted water for it to start draining out the bottom, or just a little bit? And then how long do you wait after feeding the plant before you make it rain again? Since you're basically over-watering it, how do you prevent that from being a problem?

First let me say that overwatering is not the amount of water you use it is how often you water, so basically water to often (before the soil dries out) is overwatering

So you water a lot with plenty of run off and yes the plant will go into overdrive, then you wait till the top 3 to 4 inches has dried out (stick your finger into the soil) and feed only till you get a drip of runoff, then you wait till the soil dries out and repeat. with a healthy vigorous plant you can do this 3 times aweek easy and the plant will just grow and grow so fast you can see it
 

riddleme

Well-Known Member
Ok, that clarifies a few things for me.

Sinned- One of the things I've noticed since I've started making it rain regularly is that the plants are sucking up the water a lot faster then they did on my last grow. I'm needing to water at most every couple of days this time around, and there have been a few times where they were ready for more water after a day. I think whats going is this- your plants adapt to the environment to their natural limits, and if you get a plant used to getting plenty of water it is going to respond by sucking it up faster and growing to large then average size. Remember, your dealing with a plant that can handle growing ranges from desert to tropical, so as long as you give it time to get used to the bounty of moisture and make sure it has the nutes it needs it will respond by growing as fast as it possibly can.

Riddle, heres a thought that occured to me. Cannabis grows naturally in pretty much everywhere, but the really big plants tend to come out of places that are wetter then average. Let's assume you start with a small plant (say 12") and you gradually start increasing the amount of water you give it until you start making it rain around week 4 of veg (my plants are around 20" by then). Now, logic would tell me that if you build up gradually the plant should respond by maximizing its ability to take in the water, which will translate to serious roots and rapid growth, and that by the time you get into flowering you're going to have a plant thats used to taking in and making use of far more water then is considered normal. As long as you continue to give it the water it's become accustomed to as well as all the nutes it can handle without burning you should end up with a plant thats much bigger then one that was watered "normally". I know this is basically what you are doing, but I'm thinking by starting earlier and building up to that first rainfall that you could make your system work even better.

This is pretty much what I do, though I guess not gradually, I baby em till week 4 and then hit em with rain, then pretty much make it rain every time after that. This last grow I experimented with different ph's of water and different temps. and the result of that was cold tap water ph'd to 5.8 got the best results as far as wicking time

It is so cool to watch em go into overdrive and the growth spurts are well incredible :bigjoint:
 

IAm5toned

Well-Known Member
i feed bottom up; then periodically make it rain to flush.
some of my plants drink a litre a day using this tech........
 

Beezhive

Member
Hey Riddleme whats gd, I hope ur growin well. But down to bizz, actually i skiped rite tru ur thread cuz im havin sum headache prob an its almost time for my ladies to hit the sack mane,...so i started to notice my ballast also is fkn up, i have to tap the damm bulb to turn on its not the bulb tho i switched it an checked so it has to be the whole damm think..i guess u really get wat u pay for...but this mornin i woke to find all my damm fan leaves completely drooped down almost all except a few on the bud site oh yea i fogot to tell u im at the endin of my 5th wk of 12/12...i noticed lastnite the water looked a lil frotty so idk mane im bummed but im thinkin of just flushing and see but idk bro...looked a few books even my bible doesnt have shit..help me bro im loosin it....
 

Blazed Hippie

Active Member
Alot of this information was useful to me. Other parts of it dont make sense to me, I come from a family of botanists. I really dont wanna argue about it so I will leave it at that. Great info for newbs. As for the chemical thing I strongly disagree with using them. I condone the use of organics for your smoking pleasure. I have actually blind taste tested these two with my friends and organics won in a group of 30 people. :) To each his own tho. +rep for the help. Happy Growing
 

Beezhive

Member
day28 12/12....bag seed...2 lucky seed from sum real gd nugget...
400watt, 5 gal. res dwc,..well water....nute soup...
technaflora 1/2 strenght...b.c boost, b.c. bloom ,awesome blossoms,
thrive alive B-1, magical, Sugar daddy...
advance nutes..(bud blood 1st wk flwr)...vitaboost pro, sensizym,( tarantula, voodoo juice, paranha) only used tru 3rd wk of flower...(big bud 2nd-5th wk of flower)....carboload, overdrive and rhino skin...no ph tester...soo far...
so far they grew well not figuring i wouldve ended up this far but yes till today
the herb went way south to my eyes ha...also the day before i added a lil overdrive to adjust to the change before the res change an then..#3:eyesmoke:

I was lost when i seen this bongsmilieso i smoked sum purp to think about it, worst idea lol i passed out haha:eyesmoke: so i will see how they look later hey it my first go around but i learned alot next round will be better got some humbolt commin i think all of there stuff lol i think its better stickin to one line fosure...yea wat u think...#1

:eyesmoke:still....
 

Beezhive

Member
:joint:...Ok so i just read ru ur thread an found it to be soil my bad but not entirely cause i have 5 new babies that just poped out of soil i said what the hell an go with soil too i cant loose by tryin both....
 
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