Come Grow With Me: A Beginners Guide

[Buds Buddy]

Kind of perfect for this thread that you had to tackle the temperature issue. Shows people that just because you have a typical 'plug n play' starter kit doesn't mean you'll get the ideal environment without some extra components or modification. Great write up so far.

Thanks. Much appreciated.

 

[Buds Buddy]

I'd like to put my QB driver outside my tent also. And maybe be able to move it back in if I wanted more heat in the dead of winter. Did your light have enough loose wire from driver to the panels or did you have to replace or extend it somehow? That's the only reason I haven't done mine. I'd probably do something similar with a wooden shelf on top of the tent but I'd be inclined to put a few washers under the driver to make a bit of a an airspace for cooling /safety though it's probably not necessary. Just thought I would mention it.

The cords were long enough without modification. I have the Drivers attached with Velcro which keeps the drivers slightly off the boards; but not much. I've done this before with bigger tents without any issues so I think it's pretty safe.
Most likely place for a fire would be at the wall. I feel the wall plates every day or 2 just to make sure there is no warmth. I didn't worry as much in a real house; but this is a manufactured home. They burn fast !

 

[MochaBud]

Good write up Buds I do things a little different, but this gives noobs a good base line to work with

 

[Buds Buddy]

OK, Nutrient time. My nute of choice is Mega Crop (MC). I haven't found anything Cheaper or Better so far. I would like to try the Geo Flora nutrients; but I know what MC does already. So if they want my business they'll have to donate a Sample that's enough for a grow so I can compare it. Otherwise I'll stick with what I know works. Hear me at Geo Flora ?
I can probably grow at least 8 - 10 plants from seed to harvest on just MC for about $25 which is pretty cheap.
I've used expensive liquid nute lines Like AN. They are not worth it ! Better results & better weed with MC.
This is MC ....

Now I believe there's been 3 versions of MC so far. I have a little left of V-2 & this is a brownish color. I've used this for my past 4 grows with great results. I also have a full bag of V-3 which is a real light gray. I have not used this yet but probably will use this formula for this grow.
Here's some pics of the difference.

I don't feed any nutes until I see at least 1 set of leaves. Until then it's just water as the soil has enough nutrients for the seedling. Once I feed nutes I start small. .25 gr. in 1 qt. of water to start. Next qt. will be .5 gr. MC. Then I go to 2 gr. per gallon & then 4 gr. Takes about 2 weeks to get up to 4 gram. After that it's all about leaf color & leaf reaction to determine how much I feed. The leaves will do different things to let you know when to Feed, Lower or Raise your light, When to give less or more nutes, determine Toxicities & Deficiencies, etc.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Good write up Buds I do things a little different, but this gives noobs a good base line to work with

Thanks Mocha. It's exactly what I'm trying to do. Seems like there's been a ton of New Members lately so thought this might help.

 

[Buds Buddy]

These are a couple of the additives that the company that makes MC also makes.

This is Sweet Candy. This enhances the Terpenes in the Buds. Helps with Trichome production & aroma; which in turn is better weed. I have used this mixed with MC during the Bloom Stage. I add 2 gr. per gallon to however much MC I'm using at that stage & feed with that.
However, I got this jug of Terpinator as a prize & I've used it too. It does the same thing as Sweet Candy; But even better. I use about 5 ml. per gallon during Flower / Bloom mixed in with my MC. I think this stuff is really good.
A thing to mention is, You do not need to use any additives with MC. It will do fine all on it's own. Adding SC or Terpinator just enhances things. I like the enhancement so I'll be using the Terpinator this grow.

Another Product made by the makers of MC is Bud Explosion. I've tried to use this mixed with MC & SC and I started seeing a Toxicity right away so I quit using it. I have not tried it with just the MC. I will not be using it & I can't recommend it. I have to try a few different ways of using it before I'll recommend it & I doubt I'll ever get to that .... lol. Here's a pic or 3 of that stuff.

 

[Buds Buddy]

Here's some pics of the actual products. The Sweet Candy is Salt & Pepper Looking & the Bud Explosion is White.
To be perfectly honest I would recommend using the Mega Crop & Terpinator combo as it produces some killer weed.

 

[Buds Buddy]

I think it's time to put my mentor's & one great grower with more growing knowledge then her brain can hold @Emilya thread on Watering in here. I can't say it any better so please check this out if you have any watering questions.

The Proper Way To Water A Potted Plant

The Proper Way to Water a Potted Plant Also covered: the importance of pH and why we successively up-pot How to Water Over the last several years I have put a lot of study into this, and I feel that I can now define the proper way to water a potted plant. Keep in mind that this discussion...

www.420magazine.com

Next I'll be getting into some of the Grow Tools I use. Once again, they are helpful but not required to grow.
Be back soon with that.

 

[Justin Goody]

Here's some pics of the actual products. The Sweet Candy is Salt & Pepper Looking & the Bud Explosion is White.
To be perfectly honest I would recommend using the Mega Crop & Terpinator combo as it produces some killer weed.

Haven't used bud explosion because I keep hearing that same thing from people. Love that SC and terpinator though (in their proper quantities)

 

[Buds Buddy]

OK ... Tools of the Trade.

When using Powdered nutrients it's best to have a Scale to weigh out the proper amount. Some Scoops & small cups help to weigh it out. Also best to have at least a 5 ml. Eye Dropper to measure liquid nutes.

pH is something that's debatable. Some say there's No Need to pH when using a buffered soil like Fox Farms Ocean Forrest (what I use). Other's say it's best to pH. Like I said before, I do a lot of things the Old School Way. I do it because I know these ways are tried & proven for many, many years.
I don't know the exact science or if it's just Bro-Science being passed around about not pH-ing your nutes. I know it doesn't hurt to do it so why not be on the Safe Side & pH. Only takes a few minutes.
So I do pH my nutrients. They say 6.4 - 6.5 is the best pH for soil grown plants. If it were Hydro or Coco, yes .... you must pH those grows to a pH of 5.8. I've grown all 3 ways.
I shoot for any pH between 6.2 - 6.6 & call it good enough.
Most of the time you will need pH down should you choose to pH. If you don't have pH down you can use Lemon Juice to lower your pH.
You rarely use pH up. Most of the time when you use it it's because you used to much pH down & have to raise it back up. If you don't have pH down you can use Baking Soda to lower your pH.
Another thing that can be used is Epsom salt, should you get a Magnesium deficiency.
There's lots of Home Remedies for things. If anyone has got one please feel free to share it. This thread is to give New Growers all the knowledge they can handle so they can start growing comfortably.
Dish Soap & Water for Powder Mildew & using Molasses at the end of the grow to enhance Terpenes are a few others.

 

[Buds Buddy]

More Tools ....

1st pic is a Tool Group shot. 2nd pic : A pH Meter & a PPM Meter. You will need a Ph Meter if you choose to pH & it will be required if you grow in Coco or Hydro. A PPM Meter (Parts Per Million) or EC Meter (Electrical Conductivity) will be needed if you want to be accurate & not guessing whether your nutes are too weak or too strong. I highly recommend a PPM Meter.
The 3rd & 4th pic show the Lux Light Meter. From what I'm told these do not work well with Blurple LED's & you have to buy an expensive PAR Meter for those lights. Blurples are becoming a thing of the past so why spend the money on one ?
A Lux Meter runs about $25 - $30 & works fine on White Lights.
I shoot for about 40,000 - 50,000 lux to start out & increase the light intensity little by little as the plant grows. By time it's 4 weeks old I'm at 60,000 - 70,000 Lux at the Canopy. Rule of thumb is do not go over 75,000 Lux so I stop at 70,000. Sometimes I use this, Sometimes I don't. I'll use it a couple times during this grow to show how it works; even if I don't use it the entire grow.
In the 5th & 6th pics you see a Infrared Laser Thermometer ($15). This can be used to measure the leaf temp at the canopy. This is if you want to be 100% on target during your grow.
You may have heard that 77 F is the perfect temp for growing weed. That is semi - correct. They aren't talking about the Tent or Grow Room Area. They are talking about the leaf temp at the canopy. So you use the Laser Thermometer to measure the leaf temp. Your grow area may need to be 81 F to get a 77 F leaf temp. So that's why I don't worry about temps reaching 81 - 82 F. If it gets over that I have to either cool the area better or supplement with Co2.
So these are a couple handy things to add to your arsenal as you get the extra cash to buy them. But there's not a big need for anything more then the pH & PPM Meters to get growing.

 

[Buds Buddy]

A couple of other things I use are a 5 gallon bucket with a lid & spout. I bought the spout & put it in the bucket. Less than $5 to make one. I use this later to mix my nutes in. I don't like mixing every day so I mix up 4 gallons at a time.
Then just fill cups from the spout to feed my plants. I do add 10 ml. of Hydro Guard to my nute mix to keep it from going bad. If you choose you can also add an Aquarium Pump & Run an Air Stone in your nutrient mix to keep it oxygenated. It is a good thing to do although I'm not doing it this time. I only have 1 pump left since I sold my DWC set up so I plan to use it on my Bubble Cloner.
Here's the Bucket with Spout I made for nutrients & Hydro Guard.

The last thing I use is a Digital Microscope. These are only $20 - $30 & work great if you want to harvest at the perfect time. You don't need one till Harvest time & you can get away with using a Jewelers Loupe, but the Microscope is way better. You can Zoom in with it & take pictures of your Trichomes to know when your plants ready for the chop.
Clear Trich's : Don't Harvest. Milky Trich's : OK to Harvest (depending if you like a more uplifting high). I like my Trich's with about 20% Amber (gives you more of a couch lock high).
I'll post pics through the Microscope at the Harvest Stage.

 

[Buds Buddy]

I think we are getting down to the Nitty Gritty now. I'm going to take a look in my grow info folder to see what I can add & update this some more later.
Party On !

 

[Buds Buddy]

Haven't used bud explosion because I keep hearing that same thing from people. Love that SC and terpinator though (in their proper quantities)

Yeah, I think the Bud Explosion is for the 2 part Mega Crop Nutrient. Doesn't seem to work well with the 1 part.

 

[PK]

Hey buds, funny enough we run the same equipment and nutrients. Im subbed to see what you do with that sweet candy, pk booster and erphonador.

@corytheghost i think this would be a perfect journal for you to follow. Buds has done a great job on setup, neutrient, explanation. top right of this journal there is a follow button. That will notify you whenever buds buddy updates this journal

 

[Buds Buddy]

Hey buds, funny enough we run the same equipment and nutrients. Im subbed to see what you do with that sweet candy, pk booster and erphonador.

@corytheghost i think this would be a perfect journal for you to follow. Buds has done a great job on setup, neutrient, explanation. top right of this journal there is a follow button. That will notify you whenever buds buddy updates this journal

Hey PK, how ya doin ? Same equipment & nutes makes things easy as hell .... lol. As far as the Sweet Candy & the Terpinator goes, they do the same thing. I think the Terpinator does it better though so I'll be using it this time. Got Frostier Buds with Terpinator & the Smell in the jar of buds is way more intense.

 

[PK]

that is surprising buds, therponador only carries 0.0.4 while candy does 0.0.16 i thought it would do better. I know our local hydro store here carries that. I'll have a look into it for the following plants. Specially on the Des Si and AK47 that i am waiting on

 

[Buds Buddy]

I should be starting a 2nd journal in a 5 x 5 tent in 3 - 4 weeks. I'm waiting on a Mars Hydro SP 3000 but it wont be in stock for about 15 days. Once I get it & set everything up I'll be doing 5 Clones from this plant with that set up. I plan to grow this plant to the finish for the journal. I'll keep a Clone for a Mother just in case the stuff is "Kick Azz".

 

[PK]

I should be starting a 2nd journal in a 5 x 5 tent in 3 - 4 weeks. I'm waiting on a Mars Hydro SP 3000 but it wont be in stock for about 15 days. Once I get it & set everything up I'll be doing 5 Clones from this plant with that set up. I plan to grow this plant to the finish for the journal. I'll keep a Clone for a Mother just in case the stuff is "Kick Azz".

i just got notified that my FC3000 is out of stock until end of the month. so, mine got pushed back more.

 

[6thsense]

Here's some pics of the actual products. The Sweet Candy is Salt & Pepper Looking & the Bud Explosion is White.
To be perfectly honest I would recommend using the Mega Crop & Terpinator combo as it produces some killer weed.

I used mega crop , sweet candy and bud explosion last grow and the last 1/4 of flowering all my leaves started dying I thought it was a ph issue but maybe it was the bud explosion? I didnt know people were having problems with it