[MEGA] Every Year's Community Growing advice, tips, tricks, & experiences

[Artificial Emotion]

Artificial Emotion: When you say over a gram per watt, is this the total wattage of your entire system including fans, de-humidifiers, and temp control? Also, what amount of time is this over?

Hiya.

The convention is to quote the number of grams per watt of light power. So if you get a gram per watt with a 1kw light you get 1000g dry weight.

I veg over about 6-7 weeks.

What would be better is grams per kwh but that would go against the grain for most people.

 

[Greenstar420]

Ganja man

Thanks for starting a new thread prelude

Greenstar, is it just me or is your light a little to far away from the plants? ..this is coming from someone who has burned many tops....

Question:

When "grams per watt" is mentioned, is this over a certain amount of time? IE a 24" plant that vegged for a few weeks will yield more than a 12'' plant that vegged for half the time.

Artificial Emotion: When you say over a gram per watt, is this the total wattage of your entire system including fans, de-humidifiers, and temp control? Also, what amount of time is this over?

Thanks for the help!!!

Hey man, Yea light is def high above the plants, just had it raised up for the pic so the color came thru better. It is all set up perfect now, when zipped shut the tent stays between 71-78 degrees and 48-58% humidity. Oh yea the medium is Grodan rockwool croutons.

 

[Artificial Emotion]

^ Although not essential you might want to increase the relative humidity to closer to 70-80% in veg. This is closer to the ideal conditions and you'll find your plants will be healthier. You could use an ultrasonic fogger or in the meantime, hang up a wet towel and direct a fan at it to encourage evaporation.

 

[Artificial Emotion]

Hey guys!

So, I gave my boyfriend a little cactus for Valentine's Day this year - romantic, alive and low-maintenance. As a joke, we sometimes put some MJ seeds in the pot with the cactus while we were mulling. Ben decided that he couldn't take care of it in his room (in residence at our university) so he gave it to me to look after, because my room gets sun and his doesn't.

Anyway, I went on holiday and decided to leave the cactus outside my 60-year-old warden's house for her to water until I got back. As you might have guessed, when I got back I was incredibly lucky that she was old and probably has no idea what a little seedling looks like, because I had a little one growing right next to my cactus. I whisked it away to my bedroom and repotted it into a cut-out water bottle and in some soil I found (because after a few weeks of it living in such close quarters with the cactus, I was kind of disturbed to find the cactus trying to strangle it one day when I got back from a weekend away).

Basically, I don't know the first thing about taking care of this baby and what I should be doing. I will be moving into a flat with a garden in December, so I can plant it outside or inside... What the hell do I do with this little one?

tl;dr I accidentally grew weed and have no idea what to do with it now. Lay your wisdom on me!

NSFW:

EDIT: If you couldn't tell already, I know jack-shit about nothing. It's like getting pregnant by accident. Damn responsibility!

I don't know much about the growing seasons in South Africa but if I were you I would seriously take advantage of the natural sunlight. You'll get far better results than any artificial light! In the UK it would be too late to plant out now but I'm not so sure about South Africa, what with your rainy season etc. Not only will the plants be bigger under the sun (far bigger) but they'll give a better high in all likelihood.

 

[Artificial Emotion]

^ growing weed's fun aint it?

Looks good mr muncheeze!

Are you planning to give it a good cure after you've dried it? Are you going to trim by hand? If so, you should consider making one of those DIY trimmers since trimming tops the list of shitty jobs to do when growing weed.

 

[Artificial Emotion]

^ definitely. I think curing can make the difference between mediocre weed and absolutely amazing weed.

I also use the paper bag trick. It definitely works.

 

[Assassin of Youth]

I don't know much about the growing seasons in South Africa but if I were you I would seriously take advantage of the natural sunlight. You'll get far better results than any artificial light! In the UK it would be too late to plant out now but I'm not so sure about South Africa, what with your rainy season etc. Not only will the plants be bigger under the sun (far bigger) but they'll give a better high in all likelihood.

Definitely sounds like the best idea! Mmmm, I can't wait to go plant it in our garden in December (the peak of our beautiful, wet, sunny summer). I hope it came from a nice batch we had and not an awful one... Crap. Luck of the draw, eh?

 

[Artificial Emotion]

I think doing a guerilla grow as a beginner (weather and season permitting) is the best idea since it really isn't very difficult to fuck up compared to indoor growing. You don't need any special equipment and you'll get ounces off each plant with very little effort. Granted, pests/diseases can be more of an issue, but apart from this it's dead easy.

You need to buy a garden fork, a shovel and possibly a mattock (looks like a pick axe) to cut through heavy soil. Basically, all you need to do is loosen the ground up with your garden fork and add as much organic matter as you can. Some soil such as clay or silty soil contains every nutrient a plant could ever possibly need and won't need fertilizers, but sandy soils would benefit from natural fertilizers and organic matter even more. I would recommend using fish, blood and bone fertilizer (fully organic, not organic-based) but most of the time this isn't needed. You could also add some rockdust and dolomite lime (the latter if it's acidic). Plant your plant in it and let it grow (don't forget to water it).

The organic matter is the most important as this will fix any issues with drainage, low nutrient levels and other issues. The best type of organic matter to use is composted farmyard manure, since it adds nutrients as well, unlike peat or peat moss or coir.

A good digging technique is 'double digging'. You can find info on Google.

I could add more but I need to go to the toilet and eat.

 

[Assassin of Youth]

Mmmm, thank you. That plan makes me happy.

 

[Assassin of Youth]

Mmmm. That looks great! I'll keep you guys up to date.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Mehm]

Thanks for the clarification AE. I know that 'grams per watt' is the standard measurement. As you pointed out, that measurement is a completely inaccurate guide to yield....

Great pics everyone!

 

[cashmunny]

I saw in the previous thread that is redirected here, that one guy has turned conventional wisdom on it's head regarding flushing. He feeds all the way to harvest (almost). Then he dials back the phosphorus and the nutes generally until the last few days when he feeds pure water.

It's a controversial subject I know but how do people feel about this? I'm two weeks away from chop and am thinking about doing it this way.

 

[Artificial Emotion]

^ you mean what I posted? I know it works, I've tried it and heard nothing but positive reports about it. It's certainly no crackpot idea - I mean it makes perfect sense.

The question on flushing keeps arising on the boards and although each individual has their own way i thought i'd give you my thoughts on it

I used to be under the impression that a two week flush was needed at the end in hydro but have since changed my mind completely.My way of thinking is that starving a plant for any amount of time is detrimental to its progress so for me two weeks is a definate no no

What i now do whether in a hydro system or hand watering in coco is 2 weeks from cropping i start to reduce the phosphorus.I cease using any boost/pk13/14 seeing as these have a large amount in and i start to reduce the ec too seeing as plants dont need as many nutes late on.

I run at an ec of 1.8 max no matter how i grow in hydro so i'll drop my ec to 1.4 with the food being made up of 50/50 grow/bloom for 3-4 days,then i'll drop that to 1.0ec till theres only a week left.

The final week i just feed 1ml/grow up until the last 2 days which i'll use just tap water.

What ive found with me not feeding excessively is that if i feed just water i get yellow leaves after just two days,and if this is a fortnight from the end your plant is stressing for 2 weeks and not reaching its potential.The early yellowing leaves also tells me that if my plants are yellowing after just 2 days they have no excess of nutrient in them and my feeding throughout has been pretty much ideal

Ive tried all different methods over the years and thought i'd try and take a leaf out of the organic pot growers book and reduce phosporous towards the end and just use grow in the make up

Less phosporus means a better burn and smoother smoke,and my bud using this method is as smooth as ive ever had it

Plus I believe that it helps with yield seeing as the plant has a little food to keep going throughout its life

I also believe that folk that insist on using high ec's can address the flushing issue earlier and start to drop their ec's 3 weeks before chop.This will help reduce nutrient levels in the plant without affecting its growth because as i said earlier the plant doesnt need as much food towards the end

And as a final word,if you do use plain water for however long dont ph down it cos all you are doing is putting in exactly what we are trying to get out

Also if I find a better way that suits me i'll have to update this

 

[w01fg4ng]

For me, I flush starting the last 3 weeks, I use Humboldt Honey (pure cane sugar, basically like molasses) until the 2nd week from harvest, then it's just plain water til harvest. I know nothing about what AE posted, but wouldn't dismiss it. Maybe next time I will try that kinda of flush, not sure. What I can tell you, is that I just flushed w/ 12 gallons of water, I put a 6" square pot under each pot that the plant is in and watered until it came draining out the bottom into the trays. You want the pot raised because you dont want it sitting in the flush water. I measured the water after flushing and the ppms were in the 700 range, so I definitely removed salt build-up (this number would have been lower if I didn't just give them tap water 4 days prior, I just didn't have any purified water and they really needed a drink, my tap water is 443 ppm's in each gallon) If I added grow to it, I would just be adding to the soil rather than taking away.

The above method of flushing by AE takes into consideration the stress of starving the plant for the last two weeks, but then why would someone cut the stalk and stick a wooden stake into it so it stresses and produces more resin? (This method was also posted in the other Thread). Either you worry about stressing it at the end or you don't..you can't have both. I think using plain water ensures that you will be leaching everything out of the soil and the plant, it is only drinking plain water. When the leaves leach out and turn yellow at the end..THAT IS A GOOD SIGN from everything I have been told.

Each person has their own methods and if it works for ya, then stick with it. I know for sure that good flushings the last few weeks definitely leaves the bud clean and smooth burning, it also is much tastier because your not smoking any left over nutes....also the bud doesn't turn into charcoal after the first few hits.

Very well said.
* applause *


As for myself, I use Clearex in distilled water, starting anywhere from 1-3 weeks prior to harvest, depending on the strain. It leaves my bud tasting clean, fresh and burns white as a ghost.

 

[Artificial Emotion]

Well, as they say, 'don't till you've tried it! Like mr muncheez, who is open meinded sad, don't dismiss it.

The reason why I feel it works so well is because I've only had good experiences with the method myself. So if anyone is growing in pots, try the method on one plant as an experiment as it couldn't do any harm and see for yourself. That's what I love about mr muncheez's method of growing (container cultivation) since they're independent from each other and don't rely on one central reservoir.

 

[tweexican]

I've had some good experience using "bio buckets". The idea is to cultivate beneficial bacteria on hydroton or lava rock before placing your plants in your system. Just gotta make sure that you get plenty of aeration.

 

[Prelude2TragedyII]

NSFW:

Bushy Northern Lights(Topped today to slow down growth in height so other plants might be able to catch up a bit, really kinda mutilated the top with a razor. sadly I'm not too great at topping)

NSFW:

Northern Lights 2.(Topped today to slow down growth in height so other plants might be able to catch up a bit)

NSFW:

This Afghan Kush clone is AMAZING.
Its stem/stalk is already larger/thicker than the Northern Lights plants.
The leaves are HUGE. and its looking beautiful, I hope it puts out alot of branches and Im able to clone it again.

NSFW:

Top of the kush, leaves are the size of my hand, sorry I didn't put anything to compare size.

NSFW:

Really wish I knew what was wrong with this girl.(G13)

NSFW:

Purple kush finally starting to SLOWLY come alive....

NSFW:

Same with the sour diesel..

Im kind of curious, do sativas do better in warmer climates than indicas?
I've got my temp at 73 and these Indicas are just flourishing, but the others that are partly if not mostly sativa , aren't wanting to take off, they are all putting out new sets of leaves, all continue to have new stem growth , just not many leaves being produced.


Also, Im wanting to slow down my Northern lights from growing upwards, but I want it to continue to thicken its branches/stems etc, is there any way to do this or no?
My uncle Ive been working for lately says he has a spray that stops most growth on the plant for about a month, just made me wonder. Id like to slow mine down for a week or two, lol...

I dont know if its just growing first time under MH, but the side stems off the branch seem really thin, do they fatten up? I've 'super cropped' them and they've started to harden a little but, just wondering how the MH works on these plants, should I get some t8s or just put some CFLS on the lower part of the plant to stimulate growth?

-edit-
Oh yeah, Not a girl, Im a guy, lol. Why do you ask, ? lol
And Im not sure when Im gonna veg, I dnt know because these little clones wont grow up, and idk what to do.

 

[panic in paradise]

they are stressed, but give them a couple weeks and they'll be good enough. id start watching for hermies while flowering though.

it looks like youre having some potash problems, hence the odd upward growing slips/branches.

sativa strains take longer, much longer then indica strains to grow generaly.

 

[Greenstar420]

^ Although not essential you might want to increase the relative humidity to closer to 70-80% in veg. This is closer to the ideal conditions and you'll find your plants will be healthier. You could use an ultrasonic fogger or in the meantime, hang up a wet towel and direct a fan at it to encourage evaporation.

I find that having humidity that high in veg makes plants stretchy, 60% humidity is perfect for me, I try not to get higher than that..

 

[panic in paradise]

the warmer it is, the more humidity you want, especially flowering.
your microclimate, building materials, flooring, ceiling walls, a closet full clothes will all draw moisture from the air.

set out a quantity of loose perlite, i have very large bags of the stuff, and sometimes large chunks have poofed into dust when i went to grab it (heheh), i must of had fog rolling through the windows, but i watch the stuff now for changes.

i think for every 10°f over 75 you elevate from your norm, you want to add another 5% humidity.
flowering door for 50%, and remember that if your soil stays drier then then plant consistently, you start creating an environment for white mold.

if that ever happens, FYI, spray down with some 7.5-8 ph water, that will kill what has left the plant, and now accumulating on the less, releasing spores. feed them a 1-1.5L of the same water in a 3+ gallon pot. let it set for five ten minutes, then flush with a 7.2, 7-, wait for their next morning and then give them their normal ph, with some neem oil.
i got mold once, panicked, then did this one time, and it left the leafs, then once more and never had the problem again.