Smoky's Grow - 1st Timer - Need All The Advice I Can Get

[Skybound]

I'm subbed too. Saw your comment on 5-midnight's journal and will share what I learned like the rest of'em. In my house, there are still a lot of the old knob and tube circuits that terminate at new breaker panels and as best I can tell, knob and tube wires are just as good as those used in romex (newer wires). The grounding leg used in modern times is definitely an advance in residential power safety, but from what I can tell, just grounds the neutral leg in a panel by grounding that leg to incoming plumbing pipes or burying a grounding rod. I know this probably makes little sense, but if your panel or fuse box has been grounded, then one of the two receptacle prongs at the outlet has been grounded rendering your 2 prong outlets with the same capabilities as 3 prong outlets.

On another note, I think if I would have ran into this thread a year ago, you could've saved me about a grand in electronics with that thermocube thing. I have since got programmable micro controllers, relays and sensors etc etc etc.

 

[MrMiracleGro]

dope one man!

keep it up

 

[Smoky da bear]

So, I went to work last night (my lights run at night) and left my exhaust fan on with a box fan at the bottom. Came home at 0630 and it was 67° in there. I'm stoked. #1 is 2" tall and #2 is good now and is 1" tall. When I installed the exhaust I brought them out of the closet and sat them in a darker room (this was their light time) and #2 sprouted while I was working on the install. I thought I had hurt her and I forced the leaves open (stupid I know) and it broke one. She seems to have taken it well.

 

[Smoky da bear]

Should I buy the fox farm trio?

 

[Smoky da bear]

And how often am I supposed to be watering them? Everyone has me shook saying "be sure to not over water" lol. I'm not seeing in the instructional page any definitive answers on how much exactly.

 

[D250]

That's what I'm using for my current grow. I'm new too so I can't say that it will turn out the best because I have yet to finish a grow with it but if you want to check out how mine are going right now check out my thread. The plants seem to love it, just be careful and dont make the same mistakes as me haha. The first bottle is purely organic material and naturally requires more concentration per gallon. I was a fool and didn't realize that when i switched stages the ratio went to 2 tea spoons/gal. instead of 2 tables spoons/ gal. the plants actually took it ok and only had a few burnt fan leafs.

 

[Smoky da bear]

Oh damn bro. Careful haha.

 

[Smoky da bear]

Awesome grow you've got going man. I think I may try scrog next time. I could easily turn the closet into a scrog box lol

 

[Emilya Green]

And how often am I supposed to be watering them? Everyone has me shook saying "be sure to not over water" lol. I'm not seeing in the instructional page any definitive answers on how much exactly.

Let me try to answer this for you.
The most common mistake for new growers of weeds to make is to over water... by watering too often.

When you water, water with the intent of using your soil like a sponge, to soak up and absorb as much water as possible, until it saturates the soil and can't hold even a drop more... and it starts to run off out of the bottom.

After you water properly, you must wait for the plant to use ALL of that water, all the way down to the bottom of that container. If you come back after a day or two and water again, thinking that the surface looks dry, but without drying out the very bottom roots, you can easily stunt your plants. We have a thing called the lift method that helps to determine when this has happened.

If you fill another container, just like the one you are using, with fresh dry soil just like what you are using, and lift it... you will see that it is as light as a feather. You want your container with your young plant in it to feel exactly the same when you lift it up... if you feel ANY water weight at all, it is not time to water yet. Your plant will not be wilting... trust the lift method and wait if you feel weight.

We call this the wet/dry cycle... and at first it may be 3-5 days between waterings. As your roots develop, this time that it takes for the plant to use all the water will steadily decrease, and soon you will find that the roots become so robust that your plant is able to drain that water, so that your container feels light as a feather, in nearly a 24 hour period. This is when it will be time to up-pot to the next sized container so you can once again get to a 3-5 day wet/dry cycle and repeat the process.

Grow your roots. Pay the most attention to your roots. The plant above them will respond in amazing ways.

 

[Smoky da bear]

Ty so much. You may have just saved me a lot of grief. I was worrying and just giving them a splash of water here and there. You seen my pics I posted recently? You're telling me to water those until the water starts coming out of the bottom?

 

[Smoky da bear]

Also when is the ideal time to water? My lights go out in 30 mins for 6hours.

 

[Emilya Green]

Ty so much. You may have just saved me a lot of grief. I was worrying and just giving them a splash of water here and there. You seen my pics I posted recently? You're telling me to water those until the water starts coming out of the bottom?

yes, absolutely... water to runoff each time. The trick to this is the waiting... dry all the way down to the bottom is the key. You can't tell if it needs watering by looking at the surface of the soil. You can't tell if it needs watering by sticking your finger in the surface down to your second knuckle. The lift method or a good wet/moist meter however, are both valuable tools in the garden of weeds. You MUST dry out the entire container each time. Growing weed is all about patience. If you find that you are doing something to your plants every day, you are doing too much.

 

[Emilya Green]

Also when is the ideal time to water? My lights go out in 30 mins for 6hours.

Good questions Smoky...

The very best time to water is right at sun up... The plants anticipate the dawn and rise up their leaves in full transpiration (maximum suction from the roots) every day to greet the sun. This is the very best time to water. It is that simply because during that very special time each day, you can actually water using slightly more than the soil can even hold... because the plants are capable of sucking up another 10% while you are standing there watering them. More water... more food... more plant...

 

[Smoky da bear]

Thanks so much. This is invaluable info

 

[D250]

Thanks, can't wait to see how yours turns out. I bought a full spectrum LED but im afraid to abandon the good old HPS. The scrog method is a great way to use the most of your energy your lights are emitting. Plus i think keeping all your plant in the prime light range is beneficial. My first grow with only CFL lighting, i grew the plants 4 feet tall and huge but what i didnt realize was that only the top few inches of the plant was getting enough light to really do anything so basically i grew a hug leafy plant with a tiny fluffy bud on top haha it was sad.

 

[Emilya Green]

Thanks so much. This is invaluable info

Glad to help Smoky... just payin forward what was given to me.

 

[Skybound]

+REPs to Emilya. That was the best watering explanation I've ever read!

 

[Smoky da bear]

So, what's your thoughts on the fox farm nutes? Should I get those? Any you suggest?

 

[Tead]

I used the FF line for many years with great success. Loved them. Been using the DynaGro line lately... they're a bit easier and cheaper. I'm both lazy and cheap.

 

[Smoky da bear]

The results mostly the same?