TheYokel
Well-Known Member
Maybe you've always wanted to grow your own weed...
Maybe you are fascinated with new breeds and strains and want to make your own...
Or maybe you are tired of getting ripped off for $350 a zip... Either way, you've decided to grow your own bud.
You've got your two 13w CFLs that you think are 300watts, 2 gallons of dirt you dug up from the backyard, and The Man be damned, you are planting some seeds. Your mom left you $20 for pizza, and you are on your way to the hydro shop... So you typed "growing weed" into your search bar, clicked on the first forum link that popped up, and came here to ask a question that has been answered 1,000 times in the last 48 hours.
So let me try to answer that question for you... What Nutrients Should You Use For Your First Grow?
First off, put the dirt back in the yard. You really don't want to use that. You could have the healthiest, most fertile soil on the planet, but put it back. Seriously. Batman himself could come lay a pile of golden guano in your flower bed and you think it's the most nutritious thing since Slim Jims... put it back.
Outside dirt contains fungus, mold, larvae, bugs, basically it contains the outdoors. And the point of you growing indoors... is to control you environment. So quit bringing the outdoors inside. If you can't stay out of the flower bed, plant some basil.
Go buy some Happy Frog. You are trying to keep this simple. It's your first grow. Quit trying to make a super soil, stop trying to dig up earthworms because you heard its healthy, just keep it simple. Buy a bag of Happy Frog, and use it straight out of the bag.
Now that you have your soil taken care of, let's look at your nutes.
You will need five... yes, five... bottles from the hydro store for your entire grow. Let's take a look at what those five bottles are...
You will need:
Botanicare PureBlendPro Bloom
Botanicare CalMag
Botanicare ph Up
Hi-Brix Molasses
ph Test Kit
I know, that's a hellaciously long list, huh?
And yes, I use liquid drops. And you can too. I ph my water between 6.2-7.0 and drop it in. Your plant needs a range of ph's to most effectively absorb different nutrients, so quit trying to get your ph perfect. And for the love of whatever entity you believe in, stop adding 10ml of ph up, overshooting, adding 5ml of down, going back up, etc... that is terrible for your plant. And it adds ppm's to your mix. What are ppm's? Don't worry about it, this is your first grow.
That means when you are ph'ing your water, add your ph Up 1ml at a time and ph it with every 1ml you add for the first couple of times you mix it up. Don't overshoot it. Write down how many ml it took to get to the right ph, and remember it.
And use RO or Distilled water. You are keeping it simple, start with pure water.
And I can already hear it... "But Yokel, you don't have any Grow formula!!"
For a grow like this? No, I don't. And you won't need it either. Why? Because you bought the Happy Frog we talked about earlier and it already has enough Nitrogen in it to last you until you flower.
"But Yokel, what happens if my plant is getting yellow leaves on the bottom??"
Transplant it into a pot that's the proper size. If your plant is running out of N before you flower it in Happy Frog, it's because you don't have enough fresh soil for the roots to work into and find. This is your first grow, you shouldn't be trying to grow Christmas trees.
So you have your six seeds ready to sprout. Why six seeds? Because this is your first grow and you are following directions.
One or two might not germinate, one or two might be a male, and let's face it... this is your first grow. You are probably going to screw the pooch on one or two. Start with six.
Rule #1 For The Simple Grow- Give your plants enough Happy Frog, and you won't have to worry about feeding your vegging plant.
What do you use to water during your veg?
3ml of CalMag... and 2 teaspoons of Hi-Brix molasses. That's it... ph it to 6.2-7.0 and let it rip. Use this every watering, and use this every time in flower when you use your "nute-less" water. More on that later.
So that takes us to when you flip your two 13w CFLs to 12/12... your plant has three leaves on it, and you are ready to grow a pound...
Stop.
Let it grow at least four sets of real leaves (you know, the ones you draw on your math book during detention?) before you try to flower it. You can let it grow a little larger, but don't flower it too early. Why? Because this is your first grow and you are following instructions.
So now your plants are at least 6" tall, have a few sets of leaves on them, and you are going into 12/12. Awesome! Now is when the fun starts to really happen.
Your nutrient schedule is very easy in flowering. You will be giving them water with nutrients every other time you water. When you aren't giving them nutes, you will be giving them your "nute-less" water of 3ml CalMag and 2 teaspoons of molasses. Why every other watering? Because this is your first grow and you should know why by now...
All of these measurements are per gallon. That is 3.8l for the non-'Muricans.
Week 1 + 2 of 12/12:
5ml of Bloom, 3ml of CalMag, 2 teaspoons of molasses. Ph and feed.
Week 2 - 4 of 12/12:
10ml of Bloom, 3ml of CalMag, 1 tablespoon of molasses. Ph and feed.
Week 4 - 7 of 12/12:
15ml of Bloom, 3ml of CalMag, 1 tablespoon of molasses. Ph and feed.
Week 8 of 12/12:
5ml of Bloom, 3ml of CalMag, 1 tablespoon of molasses. Ph and feed.
Week 9 - Finish:
3ml CalMag, and 2 teaspoons of molasses. Ph and feed.
Why are we cutting back at Week 8? Because you are growing an Indica strain, and you don't know if it will finish early. This will ensure you have time to flush the last week in case they finish in 9 weeks instead of 10. Why are you growing an Indica? Because this is your first grow and you are following directions.
So your buds are big and frosty. When do you harvest? Look at your trichomes. This image has been posted for years, and it's still a great reminder:
When you start seeing amber, you know it's ok to harvest. You can go a little longer if you'd like, but we'll leave that argument for when you get there.
And that is literally it. If you follow that schedule, you will have a successful yield.
After your first run... then you can worry about upping your nutes, adding sweeteners, playing Bon Jovi and making love to your plants, whatever.
Keep it simple, get through your first grow, and you will have much more success in your later runs. Learn the basics before you form bad habits. Stay safe, and have fun.
And for the love of everything remember...
THE FIRST RULE OF GROW CLUB IS YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT GROW CLUB!
And yes, you can expect good results. This isn't just a simple way for new growers, it's a successful way also.
Maybe you are fascinated with new breeds and strains and want to make your own...
Or maybe you are tired of getting ripped off for $350 a zip... Either way, you've decided to grow your own bud.
You've got your two 13w CFLs that you think are 300watts, 2 gallons of dirt you dug up from the backyard, and The Man be damned, you are planting some seeds. Your mom left you $20 for pizza, and you are on your way to the hydro shop... So you typed "growing weed" into your search bar, clicked on the first forum link that popped up, and came here to ask a question that has been answered 1,000 times in the last 48 hours.
So let me try to answer that question for you... What Nutrients Should You Use For Your First Grow?
First off, put the dirt back in the yard. You really don't want to use that. You could have the healthiest, most fertile soil on the planet, but put it back. Seriously. Batman himself could come lay a pile of golden guano in your flower bed and you think it's the most nutritious thing since Slim Jims... put it back.
Outside dirt contains fungus, mold, larvae, bugs, basically it contains the outdoors. And the point of you growing indoors... is to control you environment. So quit bringing the outdoors inside. If you can't stay out of the flower bed, plant some basil.
Go buy some Happy Frog. You are trying to keep this simple. It's your first grow. Quit trying to make a super soil, stop trying to dig up earthworms because you heard its healthy, just keep it simple. Buy a bag of Happy Frog, and use it straight out of the bag.
Now that you have your soil taken care of, let's look at your nutes.
You will need five... yes, five... bottles from the hydro store for your entire grow. Let's take a look at what those five bottles are...
You will need:
Botanicare PureBlendPro Bloom
Botanicare CalMag
Botanicare ph Up
Hi-Brix Molasses
ph Test Kit
I know, that's a hellaciously long list, huh?
And yes, I use liquid drops. And you can too. I ph my water between 6.2-7.0 and drop it in. Your plant needs a range of ph's to most effectively absorb different nutrients, so quit trying to get your ph perfect. And for the love of whatever entity you believe in, stop adding 10ml of ph up, overshooting, adding 5ml of down, going back up, etc... that is terrible for your plant. And it adds ppm's to your mix. What are ppm's? Don't worry about it, this is your first grow.
That means when you are ph'ing your water, add your ph Up 1ml at a time and ph it with every 1ml you add for the first couple of times you mix it up. Don't overshoot it. Write down how many ml it took to get to the right ph, and remember it.
And use RO or Distilled water. You are keeping it simple, start with pure water.
And I can already hear it... "But Yokel, you don't have any Grow formula!!"
For a grow like this? No, I don't. And you won't need it either. Why? Because you bought the Happy Frog we talked about earlier and it already has enough Nitrogen in it to last you until you flower.
"But Yokel, what happens if my plant is getting yellow leaves on the bottom??"
Transplant it into a pot that's the proper size. If your plant is running out of N before you flower it in Happy Frog, it's because you don't have enough fresh soil for the roots to work into and find. This is your first grow, you shouldn't be trying to grow Christmas trees.
So you have your six seeds ready to sprout. Why six seeds? Because this is your first grow and you are following directions.
One or two might not germinate, one or two might be a male, and let's face it... this is your first grow. You are probably going to screw the pooch on one or two. Start with six.
Rule #1 For The Simple Grow- Give your plants enough Happy Frog, and you won't have to worry about feeding your vegging plant.
What do you use to water during your veg?
3ml of CalMag... and 2 teaspoons of Hi-Brix molasses. That's it... ph it to 6.2-7.0 and let it rip. Use this every watering, and use this every time in flower when you use your "nute-less" water. More on that later.
So that takes us to when you flip your two 13w CFLs to 12/12... your plant has three leaves on it, and you are ready to grow a pound...
Stop.
Let it grow at least four sets of real leaves (you know, the ones you draw on your math book during detention?) before you try to flower it. You can let it grow a little larger, but don't flower it too early. Why? Because this is your first grow and you are following instructions.
So now your plants are at least 6" tall, have a few sets of leaves on them, and you are going into 12/12. Awesome! Now is when the fun starts to really happen.
Your nutrient schedule is very easy in flowering. You will be giving them water with nutrients every other time you water. When you aren't giving them nutes, you will be giving them your "nute-less" water of 3ml CalMag and 2 teaspoons of molasses. Why every other watering? Because this is your first grow and you should know why by now...
All of these measurements are per gallon. That is 3.8l for the non-'Muricans.
Week 1 + 2 of 12/12:
5ml of Bloom, 3ml of CalMag, 2 teaspoons of molasses. Ph and feed.
Week 2 - 4 of 12/12:
10ml of Bloom, 3ml of CalMag, 1 tablespoon of molasses. Ph and feed.
Week 4 - 7 of 12/12:
15ml of Bloom, 3ml of CalMag, 1 tablespoon of molasses. Ph and feed.
Week 8 of 12/12:
5ml of Bloom, 3ml of CalMag, 1 tablespoon of molasses. Ph and feed.
Week 9 - Finish:
3ml CalMag, and 2 teaspoons of molasses. Ph and feed.
Why are we cutting back at Week 8? Because you are growing an Indica strain, and you don't know if it will finish early. This will ensure you have time to flush the last week in case they finish in 9 weeks instead of 10. Why are you growing an Indica? Because this is your first grow and you are following directions.
So your buds are big and frosty. When do you harvest? Look at your trichomes. This image has been posted for years, and it's still a great reminder:
When you start seeing amber, you know it's ok to harvest. You can go a little longer if you'd like, but we'll leave that argument for when you get there.
And that is literally it. If you follow that schedule, you will have a successful yield.
After your first run... then you can worry about upping your nutes, adding sweeteners, playing Bon Jovi and making love to your plants, whatever.
Keep it simple, get through your first grow, and you will have much more success in your later runs. Learn the basics before you form bad habits. Stay safe, and have fun.
And for the love of everything remember...
THE FIRST RULE OF GROW CLUB IS YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT GROW CLUB!
And yes, you can expect good results. This isn't just a simple way for new growers, it's a successful way also.
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