What are common mistakes made by first time growers?

[Gary000056]

Thank you Andy. That's what I need to learn. After rereading my comment I see what you mean. Can you suggest where to look for more pointed information on diferrent ways to use freash picked buds. I just wanted to make sure I didn't down grade the thc effects. I have a lung condition and smoking isn't my first choice. I also have a painfull bone disease and I'm about to legally use hopefully home grown. I mean no disrespect only looking for a little guidance in the do's and don'ts. Thank you for your help. Also maybe you could direct me to a section in this magazine that gets into this topic more in depth? Sincerely gary000056

 

[Dankafied]

chronicmass do urself a favor and buy a ready mix brand soil like foxfarm or roots organic or maybe even pro mix.

 

[Gary000056]

Thank you, it's all good advice. I've been in marijana for 5 minutes compaired to you fellow enthusist. Keep it simple stupid, thats what was driven into my (very hard) head as i was and apprentice along time ago. Most likely the first father told his children the same thing and it's still true. Stay small till you know what your doing. Marijuana is and herb treat your first seed as one. Please, if you can take the time to read this then take the time to look at seeds from attitude seedbank put up attitude seedbank and push enter, it's free to join and packed with info if you just relax and take it in. Carfully read about the diferrent types of seeds and growing times. They even get into how easy one seed over another would be to grow plus how much thc value & best propertys . Why waste your time when so many people want to help you if you will just slow down look and listen. Keep it simple stupid came from love so pay attention! Who knows you might be good at this. Keeping a journal will help. Date planted,soil mix,air temp, lighting,watering,as you read, you see that at least for the first one try justa good poting soil. Have holes in the bottom,plant the seed pointy side up, cover with no more then 1/4 " of poting soil, tamp down lightly, first time well water after that only when needed. Plenty of day light(southern exposure) choose easy, short, female seed ( 12"--24"height full grown). Again look at the pictures i personally think thier about some of the most beutifull plants i've ever seen like blue himalaya it smells like blueberries i think. There is even pinapple,lemon, and other flavors but stay short till you get it right. Some are higher maintenance then others but look for low maintenance. Well got to go, have fun and take your time. Gary000056

 

[TorturedSoul]

One thing I'm still not clear about though is freash bud use. Dose this mean I can not use BUDS freash or that it has to be dried for a chemical reaction.

Soon I will have my M. M. Card here in Michigan,U.S.A. THEN I will be LEGAL to grow my own.

So can freash buds be used without degrading the effects of the thc or not. I'm thinking a freash bud a glass of orange juice and a blender, some ice maybe even a shot of quality vodka. What about it? Don't worry I've been there and done that with the booze.My problem was job related not boose related but I'll be the first to say boose is a problem not and answer! I was a welder and handled toxic chemicals. It's kinda like when a spider bits a fly and what happens to the insides of the fly. I'm told I was lucky. So now can someone please answer my question? Thank you Sincerely,GARY000056

Cystic Fibrosis?

Buds could be used fresh but if you are going to be eating instead of smoking/vaporizing... The actives in cannabis are not water-soluble. This means that if you were to just eat a bud much (most?) of it would be wasted. You could dissolve it in alcohol but this is slow and of course requires the consumption of alcohol. See our cooking forum - the actives in cannabis ARE soluble in oil and fat. Cooking with it can be very "affective" (effective). The trick is to remember that it is oil-soluble and to keep the temperature below that at which the actives will vaporize.

I would use dried product if at all possible because it is easier to work with and because you would need approximately 4x the amount of dried product if using fresh (due to the extra water present in fresh plant material).

Dried product also keeps much better/longer than wet (which would, I think, be prone to mold - NOT healthy).

But there is dry and then there is dry. If you are not planning on smoking it then it would not have to be dry enough to become powder (which most of us would consider a little too dry in any case).

Here is a direct link to our cooking forum:
420 Kitchen

 

[Gary000056]

thank you torchured soul i do apreciate your experiance in such things. i find this magazine very informative and am greatful for any support. i hope you live free and prosper in this down ecconomy. just for kicks and gigles have you seen ERI - Energy Recovery Inc. PX Pressure Exchanger for Seawater Desalination, and Reverse Osmosis my broker says it's the real deal. after site location go to 98+% efficient desalination, look at the information, this could solve world wide water problems and yet i read and hear very little about it? this maynot be the format for such talk but maybe then again if this is true, any format is geting the truth out there. i hope i'm not braking any rules in bringing this to your attention. sincerly, gary000056

 

[Gorilla buds]

Yo what's crackin smokey! Just thought I comment on this post it's awsome if you are a newbie in the mmj world..... Thanks for the tips. I to am a newbie to this post stuff but not in mmj world this is my first post I ever made in my life

 

[Stoned Redneck]

hang on Gary......summer is bound to happen.up here in Washington,"the evergreen state"(from mold i think).its also been raining here more than needed....but we will servive...right?!!gray days get us all down,hang on man....i wanted to clarify something about the carpenter ants.they never were a problem as far as messing with my plants.they are messing with the building i use,the gell stuff cut the population down to almost nothing.i just wanted to save the building from being destroyed by the carpenter ants.they eat the wood and leave hollow 4"x4"s and all that..as far as i know they don't damage my plants.and i fianlly realized that the spider mites i thought i had were something else. i started to use mushroom compost for all my plants and in that soil were mass bugs,they looked like small spiders but are something different.they might even be a "beneficial mites",they stay in the soil or just on the pot rim,never on any plants....and here i am trying everything to kill them and they might be good for me....oh the mistakes of a first timer....know your enemy before you start a war....i'll try and get a picture and post it. hang on,things could always be worse..c ya,todd

 

[SamTHorn]

dominican republic hotels​

First time growers frequently:

Overwater their medium based plants. When you pot your plant, judge its weight dry by hefting. Then, water the plant thoroughly, until water runs through the drain holes. Heft it again. When your pot feels as nearly as light as it did dry, its time to water again.

Overfeed their plants. As MrSoul says, beginners rarely under do anything. When all else fails, follow the directions on the fertilizer bottle. [Editor's note: dont follow GH's instructions! Use @ 1/4 their recommended strength, or follow recipes in the FAQ]

Overanalyze their grow. A first grow is like a first born child: you pay attention to every little thing that happens. Further, you worry at the first sign something may be wrong. Pay attention to what happens in your grow, but do not try and find a remedy for every yellow leaf. Frequently, the remedy of flushing your medium causes more problems than it solves. Be responsive when things go wrong, but be conservative in your remedies.

Overspend on grow supplies. New growers frequently commit themselves to unrealistic and expensive first grows. It is much more efficient to learn to grow and then invest in high end equipment rather than the other way around. Most experienced growers don't have room for all of the grow paraphernalia they aren't using. As you will see throughout this FAQ: K-I-S-S.

Overpost. Try the search engine first. Chances are good that any question you can think of has been asked and answered before.

Talk about their grow. Don't tell anybody that does not have to know. How can you expect anybody else to keep a secret that you cannot.

1. Don't Overwater
Overwatering kills marijuana plants. Water once the top few inches of the soil dries out.

Hydroponics is harder to over-water than soil, due to the abundance of water roots.

2. Don't Tell People
Why? They will only be jealous. People love to feel important and that is why they will tell other people; because others will listen to them.
Keep it to yourself.

3. Touch/kill Germinating Seeds
It can take up to 10 days for a seed to sprout. The paper towel method is not recommended because you must handle the seeds when transferring them from the paper towel to your growing medium.

4. Grow seeds from seeded marijuana (hermaphrodite seeds)
Unless you are prepared for possible disappointments don't use "unknown" seeds. This is why people buy seeds from seedbanks.

Self-seeding MJ is produced from hermaphrodite plants or a very stunted and late flowering male the grower did not notice. Flowered hermi seeds will produce tall late flowering females coupled with early flowering males.

5. Don't Over-fertilize
Fertilize after first 2 spiked leaves appear.

Start with 25% of recommended label strengths and work your way up. If the leaves suddenly twist or fold under, Leach and Spray with pure water for several days!

Don't fertilize your plants every time you water! (Soil)
A common watering schedule is to fertilize at full strength, then water at half or quarter strength. This prevents excess salt buildup, leaf and root burn. In addition, don't water at full strength if the medium is too dry — root burn can occur.

As a precaution, leach the plants with lots of pure water every 2-4 weeks.

6. Don't Under-fertilize
Under-fertilizing is less common. If you prefer to give the plant 'just enough nutrients', use a organic soil mixture with blood meal and bone meal or some slow release fertilizer with micro nutrients.

7. Don't Start with Clones
Start with seeds. Bugs are a pain, as are plant diseases. Many growers are able to grow indoors without pest problems for years. Another grower's cuttings are almost guaranteed to have diseases &/or pests.

8. Don't Provide A Bad Environment
Always provide air circulation and fresh air even during the night cycle. All the air indoors should be replaced every 5-10 minutes.
Humidity between 30-70% temp aim for around 75-85' Even seedlings need a gentle fan to strengthen the stems.

9. Don't Harvest Too Early
25% of the weight will form in the last 2 weeks. Begin flushing with 100% pH'd water when the pistil are 25% brown. Harvest when the plants have totally stopped growing and the white pistils are at least 50-75% brown.

*NOTE: Outdoors if security is a factor make your own call on when to sacrifice the fields. Also take buds continuously in case of thieves.

Common questions:
Q. Can marijuana grow in a northern climate?
Marijuana plants can grow anywhere corn can grow. All it needs is three growing months - seed to harvest. 2 if started indoors!

Q. Why do I have to buy seeds? Why can't I use my own that I picked from my own stash?
Most people desire, and want to be guaranteed, certain characteristics in their mature female plants. The seeds from any weed will all grow into something different. This is unprofitable and inefficient. As opposed to knowing the single set of requirements for your entire crop, you must provide a different set of requirements for each of your plants.

Q. What is better for a new grower - hydroponics or soil?
I believe the all around "better", more convenient setup is soil. Hydro makes plants grow faster, but won't make your buds more potent than soil. Hydro should be attempted after you have a few successful soil crops under your belt.

If you are starting from seed and growing for personal, soil is the practical growing medium. If the crop is started with clones and is commercial, a hydroponics setup is more practical.

Q. Why are my seedlings stretching?
Low light conditions. They also need a gentle wind. Plants will also stretch when subjected to conditions of high humidity.

Q. What kind of lights should I use?
Cheap 4 ft. cool white fluorescent tubes : for germination/seedlings

400 watt Metal halide/HPS : for personal home growers
1000 watt Metal halide/HPS : for some personal growers and commercial growers.
*Use at least 40 watts per sq. foot of grow space.

Q. How far should the lights be from the plants?

Fluorescent: tips of leaves almost touching bulbs
400 watt halide : two feet away from seedlings and one foot away from grown plants
1000 watt halide: four feet away from seedlings and two feet away from grown plants

Q. How often should you water?
Once a week or once every two week for soil and twice a day with a hydroponic flood and drain system.
*When top 2 inches of the soil dry out.* Occasionally provide periods of extra dry and wet soil.
*Allow 10% extra water to drain out of the bottom of the tray.* This will prevent toxic fertilizer build up.

Q. How long do your seeds last? What's the best way to keep them?
Seeds can last over 5 years if kept cool and dry. They may last up to 10 years if sealed and frozen, but fewer will germinate.

Authors: Bush_Grower and Bongaloid

Now that's what I was looking for. Thanks a bunch for posting this.

Cheers.

Sam.

 

[SamTHorn]

Good tips, great read, I do however follow after 30+ years the same sprout method of seeds between Paper towels. Seeds are duarable and can handle being touched, even the cotyledons.

Thanks a bunch for the links in your signature. Those are so helpful. I am in the process of starting a grow op.


Cheers.

Sam

 

[Odin]

I didn't see this mentioned but I also did not read every page... in case it hasn't been covered.

For outdoor growers, paying attention to the weather is vital. Especially as the year progresses. Properly staking and tying your plants down and reinforcing it when a storm is heading in will save you from a lot of mud bud.

Every year a rogue storm seems to hit my area mere weeks before harvest. A couple years ago the weather man fucked a lot of people over by saying a storm that was coming through was not going to rain. It ended up raining bullets, literally. People who saw the storm and prepared anyway suffered minimal losses. However everyone else lost tons of herb to mud because they were not as prepared as they could be.

Last year I thought my plants were rain proof. Despite all my efforts, a mean wind/rain storm came through. Dozens of branches snapped, but thankfully I had tied everything up so well only 2 or 3 branches hit the ground. I was able to rinse them off and save everything.

Really watch the weather and over prepare as the year winds down. It will pay off to spend a couple days going overboard on stakes and ties.

Another thing that has probably been covered but I'll toss it in here for outdoor growers is as follows. Start your seeds/clones inside at least a month before you plan to put them outdoors. Invest in a decent 400 watt metal halide or something similar. You really don't need anything fancy. The amount of light you go with is up to you. I run it 24 hours for a couple weeks until they get well established, then cut the light down according to what they will be getting when I put them outside. It goes along with the weather thing, more chances for left over winter storms to come through and hammer your poor little girls. Once I have them to a desired size, I start to put them outside in the sun for several hours a day, increasing the amount of time spent outside over the span of about a week. Then I transplant them to their new home. Most plants are okay with a direct swap, but I like to get them acclimated. I have seen plants take a beating and or die from going directly from indoor to outdoor. Typically it appears to be from heat stress in my experience.

 

[Gary000056]

Great info I will put that in my journel and stay tuned in for other good stuff. I was having a problem with new seed germination. I'll try to locate a 400 watt metal halide and see if that makes a dirrerence. My first grow went so good I almost thought throw and go was easy. Then I tryed second grow, it was a disaster especially with a seed called doggie nuts. The most expensive seed I had bought, not one of them germinated. They just sat there, after a three weeks I dug them up and they looked like old pop corn seeds. All the other seeds started with in the first few days, some like sharks breath was only three days max, but not them. I guess I'm going to write a thank you note to the seller for wasting my time and extra money. It's a good thing I tryed several different name brand seeds on my first grow or my first would have been my last! No dought there is and art in good growing. I'm just a newbe, so info like yours is all good. Keep it coming. The starts were my toughest, but once I got out of the ground the tention eased up a bit. I still can't figure out how to make clones. I tryed and fryed that's all I got to say about that. It's truly and art, so good luck and I'll keep reading and trying to do my best. Greenest Regards to you and all of yours. Sincerely, Gary PS/ How is your garden doing Todd?

 

[TorturedSoul]

You don't need a metal halide lamp to germinate seeds.

 

[Odin]

Invest in a decent 400 watt metal halide or something similar. You really don't need anything fancy.

You don't need a metal halide lamp to germinate seeds.

Its what I use, but like I said, not necessary.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Its what I use, but like I said, not necessary.

Yeah, I was always fond of a 400-watt MH, myself, lol. But I just didn't want the person to get the idea that it was an absolute requirement for vegetative growth (and definitely not one just to sprout seeds).

 

[What is sober]

good looking

 

[Stoned Redneck]

hey Gary,in the past i always used a wet paper towel to sprout my seeds.just put the seeds in a damp paper towel on a plate and watch and wait. then after they sprout move them into soil.i have read lots of ways to sprout but i like wet paper towels best. and as far a starting some starts, on my first try i got a "full pull" 5 out of 5 lived.i bought some stuff you dip the start into right after you cut it off the "mother plant". then i used a thin pencil thing 1/8" thick to punch hole into the "plant start soil".them gently slide the new start into the hole2-3 inches.then and i think this helped alot i used a butter knife and gently pushed it into the soil parrelel to the start and pushed it over as to make sure the start had soil touching it all over.does that make sence?it makes sence that the new start needs soil touching it to get roots started.i was told you don't want any "air pockets"along the start. as far as my "gang"the new kids are doing great.the "old hens"are ready to "pluck" i am watching the trichs (i think that is the term),they are still clear and your sposed to wait till they get cloudy ar even better amber for a "couch lock high".i'll try and add some pictures.c ya ,todd. P.S.did you enjoy the movie "its complacated"

 

[Brody]

That read really help a grower feel like when its all going to crap go back to the BASICS.

Thank you for putting that great read up.

 

[herbsnbuds]

Definitely helps. Thanks

 

[Hogley]

Sure wish I had read this before my first grow...

 

[Diegomunoz001]

Im in Colombia South America and Im very excited about my decision to harvest. I am buying things on ebay and so far i have the lights 400Wmh/hps and getting ready to buy the ballast that goes both ways! LOL Anyway... I am looking to buy all the nutrients that I will need for the next year and really need some advise as to which ones i need and what brands to buy. I bought Superthrive Plant Vitamins Hormones, CLONEX CLONE ROOTING GEL SOLUTION , and dont want to go nuts buying I wont need or getting them and killing the plants, what others should i get for the whole process...?

The seeds I bought were from attitude seed bank(feminized and advanced seeds) and got a couple of strains. I have set up a small closet 2ft x 2ft x 5.5ft. I would really appreciate any feedback and advise! This is one goal im very serious about!

Thank you in advance !!!