My First Grow: I Hope This Goes Well!

Hi rado, can you tell me what your WW was like, did it smoke well. I really wanted a WW however it never popped.

The Mars reflector LED192x3W looks the best value at:-$303.99
I have done a bit of investigation, looking at all the advice and watching a lot on YouTube I think the Mars will do the job

White Widows vary a lot. There are two seed breeders selling "real" white widow seeds (including Black Widow.)
There are a host of other strains called White Widow that may or may not be related to the original, legendary strain.
It's almost as confusing as forms of Tai Chi. Many articles and threads are written about this.
My breeder is not one of the "real" WW breeders, but this seems to be a parent for many of their other strains.

An outdoor grower of many, many seasons smelled my leaves and said it reminded him of the old White Widow he used to grow.
I gave him a clone but it failed to establish itself outdoors.

I'm not a weed expert. The White Widow I grew was extremely smooth, low on aroma, a robust grower, with few trichomes.
The low trichomes count may have been due to nutrient starvation and overwatering the final 6 weeks. The yield was good.

It has a cerebral couch lock high that included the occasional auditory hallucination of rushing cones of sound at both ears.
The body from shoulders up would fully relax. Not just me, others experienced this.

Not as strong as some of the modern medical we buy (girl scout cookies, granddaddy purp), the high hits show and builds.
It reminds me of a short brownies high. THC probably around 11%. GREAT for pain relief.

Not an energetic high, but you can focus and function as long as you remember to move.
Great for long walks in the woods and rambling stoner conversations.
Not recommended for chainsaw work, but fine for brush clearing and digging in the dirt.
 
Hi rado, can you tell me what your WW was like, did it smoke well. I really wanted a WW however it never popped.

The Mars reflector LED192x3W looks the best value at:-$303.99
I have done a bit of investigation, looking at all the advice and watching a lot on YouTube I think the Mars will do the job

Per the web page, the price and power consumption falls right between the newer Mars II 700w and 900w.
What attracts you to this light?
 
The size and light throw is what attracted my eye however I have just got back from the hydro shop and he has told me to stay clear (I know he wants me to buy his stock). I have done a bit of pricing and as soo as I mentioned to him that I have been checking online amazingly his prices started to drop, funny that.

I think I will go off his recommendations, the ease of having him 5 mins down the road is very convenient and in the end it may cost a little more but I build a relationship.

He has recommended the following:-

1 × 600w HPS light kit = $200
1 × 600w (cant read the light type) kit = $220
1 light for veg and the other for flower.

4 × tubs = $20
1 × resivour = $90
2 × tub liners = $10
1 × wand = $100
1 × hp pen = $80
1 × pump
1 × 10" centrifugal fan = $300
10" duct

He is going to throw in the nutrients, plumbing and coco, great bloke!

The good news is that I have just checked the babies and they have shot up a lot over night. The NL has worked hard during the night and is looking fine
 
Thanks monke.....I understand the reasoning however it concerns me that if I only cut the bottom of the pot away the roots will be still restricted.

Potting on - Very interested to see OMs's take on it. That's something I do in my regular garden - but only to restrict growth on vigourous plants and herbs like mint in the beds and borders! We all find our own way as cannabis growers though and what works for each of us in each of our particular environments. It's what makes this hobby so fascinating.

I have never been able to restrict growth through a "bottom cut out" pot. I restrict mint by planting with intact pot :)

In keeping with "one word is worth a thousand pictures" :biglaugh: here are a few that should put your concerns at rest Boppa:

Ex pot in pot in pot with pellets. :rofl:
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Pot in pot pellets removed. Amazing how much soil volume is eaten by the plants.
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Uprooted, tell me if you see any signs of root restriction :)
DSC_09529.JPG


Little pot removed. Not much root-bound syndrome here either?
DSC_09539.JPG
 
The size and light throw is what attracted my eye however I have just got back from the hydro shop and he has told me to stay clear (I know he wants me to buy his stock). I have done a bit of pricing and as soo as I mentioned to him that I have been checking online amazingly his prices started to drop, funny that.

I think I will go off his recommendations, the ease of having him 5 mins down the road is very convenient and in the end it may cost a little more but I build a relationship.

He has recommended the following:-

1 × 600w HPS light kit = $200
1 × 600w (cant read the light type) kit = $220
1 light for veg and the other for flower.

4 × tubs = $20
1 × resivour = $90
2 × tub liners = $10
1 × wand = $100
1 × hp pen = $80
1 × pump
1 × 10" centrifugal fan = $300
10" duct

He is going to throw in the nutrients, plumbing and coco, great bloke!

The good news is that I have just checked the babies and they have shot up a lot over night. The NL has worked hard during the night and is looking fine

A year ago I would have totally agreed with the 600w HPS recommendation for up to a 4ft x 4ft room. LED have gotten better both in quality and price this year.

A single HPS on 18 hrs per day uses about the same electricity as a two story house with a/c in the summer. I thought I had a photo of my annual electric bill, you can clearly see when each 600w HPS was switched on and off last grow.

I use a single 8" fan for two HPS lights and hoods. Last summer, it had no problem keeping up in my basement (62°F year round.)
 
The size and light throw is what attracted my eye however I have just got back from the hydro shop and he has told me to stay clear (I know he wants me to buy his stock). I have done a bit of pricing and as soo as I mentioned to him that I have been checking online amazingly his prices started to drop, funny that.

I think I will go off his recommendations, the ease of having him 5 mins down the road is very convenient and in the end it may cost a little more but I build a relationship.

He has recommended the following:-

1 × 600w HPS light kit = $200
1 × 600w (cant read the light type) kit = $220
1 light for veg and the other for flower.

4 × tubs = $20
1 × resivour = $90
2 × tub liners = $10
1 × wand = $100
1 × hp pen = $80
1 × pump
1 × 10" centrifugal fan = $300
10" duct

He is going to throw in the nutrients, plumbing and coco, great bloke!

The good news is that I have just checked the babies and they have shot up a lot over night. The NL has worked hard during the night and is looking fine

Hey Boppa!! I am very happy that you have been making so much progress on your grow! Things look like they are stating to pick up speed in your grow room!

I am concerned however on the prices and recommendations the man at your local Hydro store has offered you.

First off, have you decided to grow in a Hydro system, or is the reservoir just to store water near your plants? Because obviously a reservoir of water (and that watering wand, which is why I am assuming it is a reservoir for watering soil) would be super handy although you could save big just using old milk jugs for watering. If you are growing Hydro (and excuse me if I missed it in previous posts) then forget this paragraph as I have no experience with Hydro.

Secondly, is he trying to get you too buy 1 full HID System (Hood, Ballast, Bulb, etc.) with an HPS bulb AND a whole different HID system with an MH bulb? Because unless you are growing 10 plants you wont need anything near 1200 HID watts... If he meant one $200 system and two different bulbs for you to alternate depending on the phase of your grow, then that makes sense. 600 watts of HID would grow 4 beautiful plants, and I can send you a link to a full HIS system for $160. Let me know if you want it.

On the light (and obviously this is just my opinion and research talking) I was originally pretty convinced on the Mars Reflector series, as the price is right and they look nice.. not to mention the Flower/Veg switches! However after doin some research I quickly learned that the Reflector Series is rather old LED technology and there are better options for the price.... After learning that I then was pretty convinced on the 600watt HPS system, but after more research I learned that the Mars II is well worth the money. You should go take a look at the Mars II line vs. the Reflector series.. Pretty interesting.

Other than that I am glad you are making such good progress, keep it green Boppa!
 
I advised Zed (the hydro guy) what I was planting, what I currently had and what I was planning to do. Zed then told me that it wasnt what he would do and explained that if I was looking for quality with dense buds he recommend the above. He went on to advise that I should have 2 lights set up, the more light per plant the better the yield and the buds become really dense.

Just quickly, the reason for my grow is that im sick of unscrupulous people that constantly rip people off. I basically want good quality bud at an affordable price and I want to know what im smoking! It is only for personal (my brother inlaw will most probably get the most benefit! ) use. I am really sick of the crap out there, here in Australia the sellers dont give a stuff about quality! Its all about turning a dollar! I completed a test the other month, I asked a few sellers (I purchase form a few) if they had any idea what strain they had, would you believe not 1 of them had any idea and didn't care, all 5 of them. My brother inlaw has been somking most of his life and that is just something he is not interested in?

Anyway, back to it.

Zed has suggested a full hydro system, what else would you expect. There would be one light system for veg and the other for flower. He advised that every couple of days I swap the lights around so the plants get exposure to the two spectrums. Listening to him in relation to the full hydro system (for quality) made sense. The most important thing is I want quality and some quantity. Setup price is fairly expensive, I only want to do it once and I want a good system that will last me for years. I am happy to spend $1500 on the setup (obviously Zed doesnt know that). Thats why the light system is really important to me, the ongoing cost will be a lot less with the LED system however, Zed has me worried about quantity, not so much the quality.

I will read a bit more, take in your advice (it has helped a lot so far, thank you all) and stew over it of the next week. I will need to make a decision in the next week or so.
 
I advised Zed (the hydro guy) what I was planting, what I currently had and what I was planning to do. Zed then told me that it wasnt what he would do and explained that if I was looking for quality with dense buds he recommend the above. He went on to advise that I should have 2 lights set up, the more light per plant the better the yield and the buds become really dense.

Just quickly, the reason for my grow is that im sick of unscrupulous people that constantly rip people off. I basically want good quality bud at an affordable price and I want to know what im smoking! It is only for personal (my brother inlaw will most probably get the most benefit! ) use. I am really sick of the crap out there, here in Australia the sellers dont give a stuff about quality! Its all about turning a dollar! I completed a test the other month, I asked a few sellers (I purchase form a few) if they had any idea what strain they had, would you believe not 1 of them had any idea and didn't care, all 5 of them. My brother inlaw has been somking most of his life and that is just something he is not interested in?

Anyway, back to it.

Zed has suggested a full hydro system, what else would you expect. There would be one light system for veg and the other for flower. He advised that every couple of days I swap the lights around so the plants get exposure to the two spectrums. Listening to him in relation to the full hydro system (for quality) made sense. The most important thing is I want quality and some quantity. Setup price is fairly expensive, I only want to do it once and I want a good system that will last me for years. I am happy to spend $1500 on the setup (obviously Zed doesnt know that). Thats why the light system is really important to me, the ongoing cost will be a lot less with the LED system however, Zed has me worried about quantity, not so much the quality.

I will read a bit more, take in your advice (it has helped a lot so far, thank you all) and stew over it of the next week. I will need to make a decision in the next week or so.
 
Boppa, if quality is more important than quantity, then you really shouldn't go with hydro. Soil will produce better quality at the expense of speed and quantity. Same with LED and HPS. Zed is thinking in terms of speed and yield, not quality.

:Namaste:
 
Boppa, if quality is more important than quantity, then you really shouldn't go with hydro. Soil will produce better quality at the expense of speed and quantity. Same with LED and HPS. Zed is thinking in terms of speed and yield, not quality.

:Namaste:

I have to agree, all the research I have ever done has produced evidence that Hydro, although decreases growth time, the end product doesn't taste or smoke anywhere near the quality that soil-grown flowers do... and the colors are much less vibrant.

Not to mention, Boppa, that Hydro Systems require constant care and attention, if something goes wrong and it isn't fixed fast enough all of your plants will suffer. Soil basically takes care of itself and offers much more room for mistakes and learning. Another thing to think about is the heat those lamps will be putting out, coupled with the already extremely high temperatures Australia can expect. In a Hydro system you will not only have to cool the room, but the water reservoirs as well so nothing grows in them.

I am not trying to sway you away from growing in a Hydro system or from HID lamp systems, but it does seem like Zed is either trying to make some money off you or is under the influence you are growing to sell. It might just be me but I don't know anyone who can smoke all of the flower that a perpetual 1200w 4 plant (8 plants if you have 4 in veg room and 4 in flower room) grow room would produce by themselves....

So far your ladies are lookin' great! They seem to be loving their caretaker, very good job Boppa! :high-five::bravo:
 
For example, I ran a 600W hps in a roughly 4x4 room (1.7 sqm) for a few harvests and got about a pound (450 grams). Actually, I run a perpetual like Zed was describing, with a separate veg area, so the harvests came every week or two at about 2 ounces per plant each harvest - about one ounce per sqft (300 grams/sqm).

That's about 4 times as much as I can smoke by myself - pretty much what you should expect from a 4x4 perpetual, so quantity probably isn't an issue. :cheesygrinsmiley:
 
One thing you might look into, Boppa, if you truly are looking for REALLY quality meds for personal and family use... is DocBuds High Brix kit. You seem as though you have the necessary knowledge funds and equipment to build a well controlled grow room with sound environmental conditions. That is all Doc require of anyone he sells his kit too.
 
Ok its been 52 days, just over 7 weeks.

There have been some issuse and some big wins. Firstly, the good news!

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The grow room was started!

It has come a long was since the pics above, it is almost finished. I have all the gear except for the light, as I said, it was going to be tne last item. I have told Zed that for all the benifits I was going with the 1600w Mars II LED. Now im just waiting for delivery and once it turns up ill be done!

The bad news was I went away and asked the kids to water the plants, nope it didnt happen. I got home and the PC was close to dead, I saved her just in time. Nearly all of her leave were dried up except for some new growth at top. So I trimmed everything else. I didnt wat the plant stugling with the damaged leave and to put all of the concentration into the new growth. A couple of days later she came back. The NLxBB didnt miss a beat, it actually thrived!

The PC is a very thirsty plant, it is always dry a day earlier than the NL. Shows the difference between the strains.

So, in the end I did purchase some stuff off ZED:-

$300 for the fan
$280 for the filter
$70 for the Coco x 2 bags
$50 for the nutrients
$45 for the perlite
Zed is a great bloke! He gave me some ducting and some new type of nutrients, pics below of the sample he gave me.

20150220_225845.jpg
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It was explained to use half the Mykos mixed with water and coat the roots in it before transplanting. The other half is tipped over the top of the soil after transplanting. It apparently is a fungi the encourages root growth and absorption.

Has anyone used it before?

I have a heap of pics to post and will give another update in the morning.

Boppa...........
 
In general, mycorrhizae (mycos) are fungi which form symbiotic (beneficial) relationship with plants.

Since fungi can't do photosynthesis, plants trade carbohydrates/sugars in exchange for the mycos "fetching" nutrients from the soil.
The fungi grows lovely white stringy pathways through soil that transport what the plant requests.
This benefits our cannabis by providing minerals that might not be otherwise bio-available.
Mycos can absorb excess nutrients that might otherwise "burn" leaves and roots and buffer against PH problems.


Mycorrhizae are the #1 species in a healthy soil food web. A good thing :)
 
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