1st grow and I would really appreciate some advice - Sorry so lengthy

[1stCavApache]

Some info up front that might help
Strain: #1 Skunk bag seeds 3 Plants
Age: 7 weeks indoor under lights and 5 weeks prior growing outdoors
Medium: Soil-3 parts sterile soil,1 part peat and 1 part perlite
Size container: 5 Gallon
Lights: 5 weeks under 2 300 watt LED's and 2 weeks under 1200 watt Led 24/0 timing
Temp and RH: ranges from 70-78 degrees and 42%-55% humidity
Water Freq: two gallons at 6.2PH for 3 plants every other day, Plants are about 3 feet tall now
Nute's: Raw fertilizer's grow formula NPK of 7-4-5 added every other watering with Humic/Kelp 5:2 every 2 weeks
Tent: 4X4X7, 16 sq. ft.

Okay, that is probably way too much info but the guide said to give all info when asking for help. These have been in Veg for most likely way too long(about 3 months) but only indoors for the last 7 weeks. I have finally managed to get my 4X4 flowering tent set up with the 1200 watt LED and a 6" fan(420cfm) and filter setup. The first question I could really use some help with is how best to switch to flower. Should I just start the 12/12 timer or should I let them go dark for 24 hours before the switch. I have used the search function and done a lot of reading on it but I would like to get some advice from some real world experience. The second question or issue is that I have been using distilled water since I am on a private well and the water is very hard and I also have a softener that adds salt to the mix. I have what I can best guess to be a Cal/Mag deficiency and am adding Cal/Mag starting today. Based on the attached photo would you all agree that is what's going on or should I look into other areas. . If you stayed with this crazy long post this far and are willing to help I truly appreciate it. I will try to be way less wordy in future posts as I learn what is really needed to ask for advice. Thanks again.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Re: 1st grow and I would really appreciate some advice-Sorry So Lengthy

The first question I could really use some help with is how best to switch to flower. Should I just start the 12/12 timer

Yes. Don't drop the nitrogen right away, as the plants will stretch/grow for the first ~40% of the flowering period.

or should I let them go dark for 24 hours before the switch.

No.

I have what I can best guess to be a Cal/Mag deficiency and am adding Cal/Mag starting today. Based on the attached photo would you all agree that is what's going on

That's what I'd start with.

 

[1stCavApache]

Thanks for the help. I just need to decide now on when to start the 12/12 as far as time. I only sleep 3-4 hours a day and have to decide when I can leave them alone without peeking in on them every hour. I am guessing others have had withdrawal with their first grows having to just leave them alone for 12 hours a day. At least I can still over do the constant checking with the babies in the Veg tent for now. Only 9-12 weeks now before I can try some mountaintop home grown.....arghh

 

[Velk]

Thanks for the help. I just need to decide now on when to start the 12/12 as far as time. I only sleep 3-4 hours a day and have to decide when I can leave them alone without peeking in on them every hour. I am guessing others have had withdrawal with their first grows having to just leave them alone for 12 hours a day. At least I can still over do the constant checking with the babies in the Veg tent for now. Only 9-12 weeks now before I can try some mountaintop home grown.....arghh

if you made a journal you would have a lot more help threw out your grows and then have something to read back on on this big learning curve of growing ]

 

[Curly Beaver]

Copy and paste this first post over here:

Journals in Progress

From my experience I'd use well water, not distilled, and it will help if you can get it before it goes through the water conditioner. It looks like you have a handle on everything.... good job.

 

[1stCavApache]

Thank you guys so much. I am trying to get over the hump as far as not being worried about posting a grow journal. It's hard for me as I grew up with a father who was a Federal Judge, a bunch of family that are or were law enforcement and a lot of time in uniform for the Army. It is hard for me to accept the fact that even my dad who is in his 80's supports my decision to grow and use it as an aid in my physical issues. He gets excited every time he sees how they are growing and it is too funny to think back when he would have thrown a gasket at the idea of me smoking or growing. Oh how the tide has changed I will definitely have one once I get the auto grow going as I think that will be more challenging. Thanks for all the advice and help even though you all are flying blind without a journal.

 

[TorturedSoul]

peeking in on them every hour

At least I can still over do the constant checking with

I think far more newbies have killed their plants by over... caring than from lack of care.

worried about posting a grow journal. It's hard for me as I grew up with a father who was a Federal Judge, a bunch of family that are or were law enforcement and a lot of time in uniform for the Army.

All that past experience should show you that it's the dumb ones that get caught, lol.

As far as posting a journal goes... Don't post your real name, address, phone number, email address, or a picture of that one-of-a-kind sculpture you just spent five years chipping out of a block of granite and then held a press conference to introduce to the world. Err... You get the picture. Aside from all the "don't be one of the dumb ones" stuff... if they're going after your journal to use as evidence against you, well, it means they've already identified you and are just wanting to add logs to their courtroom fire. And it'd take warrants being served in two separate countries to get anything - and that anything being... anything would be somewhat unlikely unless they could stop time in between the two.

Mainly just don't post anything that'd cause someone in your area - however unlikely it is that a local (to you) LEO would randomly read your journal, IDFK but I'd guess it's somewhere in the neighborhood of you hitting the lottery whilst being struck by lightning - to look at the picture and/or read the text and say to himself/herself, "Hey, that's ol' Fred Bean's second floor bedroom closet!"

I'd be more worried about you doing something offline that got you nailed. Like making four trips back and forth to your vehicle lugging in bags of soil/etc. in broad daylight, yet never planting a vegetable garden. But, again, that's "dumb ones" territory, lol.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is 99,999 times out of 100,000, growing cannabis is a practical IQ test. Are ya stoopid, lol? No? Okay, then.

 

[1stCavApache]

Well if you ask me if I'm stupid I would say of course not.....my wife on the other hand I am with you on the overdoing things that hurt most new growers. I am guilty as charged on that one. My first grow is almost done I think, maybe 3 more weeks if I am reading it right. The flower tent is now full with 2 skunk plants almost done and 2 Borderline XTRM that 3 and 2 weeks into bloom. There is nothing better as a new grower than opening the tent and just seeing a see of buds and bud sites over the entire canopy. I never thought it would go as well as it did so far and without all the help and research info here I never would have made it through the great spider mite invasion of '17. Thanks for the reassurance on the journal, my logical side is convinced it's just that little whisper in the back of my head from being brain washed as a kid growing up. Catholic school to military school and then the Army is about as indoctrinating as it can get and it is hard to shake sometimes.