First Ever Grow

Derick Crane

Derick Crane

Well-Known Member
I'd like to outline the first of what I hope will be many grows. This will be a small, ultra low budget grow of one plant for personal use to start. I'll no doubt want to work toward a perpetual grow after I gain some experience.

Since I micro-dose at the rate of about a gram or so a week, if my first effort produces at least an ounce, I'll be satisfied. I'm going to try for 40-50 grams however, as I'd like to gift some to friends.

The specifics.......

Style: Indoor, Hempy in a Lowe's 2 gallon bucket

Media: Hydroton rez and top dressing with a 3-1 ratio perlite/vermiculite in the root zone

Strain: Nirvana Blue Mystic Auto, Feminized

Nutrients: Osmocote Plus CRFs for veg, Osmocote Flower and Vegetable CRFs for flowering


Lighting: Various CFLs of 42, 23 and 13 watts in 2700, 5000 and 6500 kelvins as many as I can cram into the grow space on an 18/6 schedule for the entire grow.

Grow Space: To be determined, possibly fabric garment closet sprayed with white Plasti-Dip on the inside or a converted dresser or armoire. I may also use windshield reflective sun screens I picked up at WalMart for $1.50 each

Water: Filtered tap or bottled with a PH of 6 + - .2

I purchased some worm castings and Jobe's Organic Tomato & Vegetable nutes very cheap on clearance at WalMart. I don't know if they would be of any use with the Osmocote products or not. If not, I'll use them for my vegetable garden.

The decisions I've made so far can ALL be attributed to the knowledge freely shared here and on other forums. For this I'm eternally grateful. This is what got me interested in hempies...... https://www.rollitup.org/t/a-real-k-i-s-s-growing-method-soilponics.850551/

Advice and constructive criticism is welcome.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ISK
MuckyDucky

MuckyDucky

Well-Known Member
I think you'd have problems being a brand new grower starting your first grow with a hempy bucket and osmocote. I have made a tea out of bear droppings and coffee grounds and got results but I wouldn't brag about it and suggest other try it.. I think you would do better with a tea and liquid fertilizer and lose the osmocote.
 
Derick Crane

Derick Crane

Well-Known Member
MuckyDucky said:
I think you'd have problems being a brand new grower starting your first grow with a hempy bucket and osmocote. I have made a tea out of bear droppings and coffee grounds and got results but I wouldn't brag about it and suggest other try it.. I think you would do better with a tea and liquid fertilizer and lose the osmocote.
Click to expand...
Have you had any experiences with hempy/osmocote you could share?
 
bravedave

bravedave

Well-Known Member
Derick Crane said:
Have you had any experiences with hempy/osmocote you could share?
Click to expand...
if not mistaken osmocote is even across the board with NPK and you can do just fine. What did you pay for that 8lbs. Growing one plant a harvest that will last you about 15 years, give or take. ;) I have found epson salt to be a necessary addition and also cheap and you should consider a flower and then bloom nute...albeit I have gone straight through with the Citrus in the past. This grow I have mixed things up a bit and am upping potassium at the end and things are looking sweet. Not sure I believed him but someone was just here saying he got 6 zips a plant with the Blue Mystic and a 400w. I generally get 3-4 zips per but started closer to 1. Good Luck.
 
Derick Crane

Derick Crane

Well-Known Member
That 8lb bag of Osmocote Plus was $9 and the 4.5lb Osmocote flower and veg 14-14-14 was $7 on clearance at my local WalMart. I also picked up a 1.5lb bag of Jobe's Organics Tomato & Vegetable 2-7-4 fertilizer for $2.50 but I don't know if it'll be of any use in the hempy. Thanks for the good luck.
 
Derick Crane

Derick Crane

Well-Known Member
I marked off 2 inches INSIDE the bucket last night and filled to the line with Hydroton. One quart of water just covered it perfectly! Simplicity is what I'm after. This way I can chase down problems one at a time. The CRFs are supposed to feed as the plant needs it, so overfeeding shouldn't be an issue. The hempy system takes the worry out of watering because any excess drains out of the hole. Hopefully that will eliminate a couple of common noob problems from the beginning. One modification I'm going to do is zip tie a PVC stand pipe that goes all the way to the bottom of the bucket opposite the overflow hole. This will allow me to bypass the nutes and send pure water to the bottom if I need to flush out the rez.
 
Derick Crane

Derick Crane

Well-Known Member
bravedave said:
if not mistaken osmocote is even across the board with NPK and you can do just fine. What did you pay for that 8lbs. Growing one plant a harvest that will last you about 15 years, give or take. ;) I have found epson salt to be a necessary addition and also cheap and you should consider a flower and then bloom nute. This grow I have mixed things up a bit and am upping potassium at the end and things are looking sweet. Good Luck.
Click to expand...
Any suggestions on the amount or brands for the epsom salts (also on clearance at WalMart but the thought adding salt to a plant scares me) and flower/bloom nutes? My local indoor gardening store carries Snow Storm and I've read that Terpinator is good also.
 
bravedave

bravedave

Well-Known Member
Derick Crane said:
Any suggestions on the amount or brands for the epsom salts (also on clearance at WalMart but the thought adding salt to a plant scares me) and flower/bloom nutes? My local indoor gardening store carries Snow Storm and I've read that Terpinator is good also.
Click to expand...
Nothing scented, otherwise walmart brand would be fine for the epson. Sorry, do not know the stats on the other items. Jack's has a bloom formula as well as one more MJ specific (aquagold).

Lots of different brands out there though...avoiding those with a cartoon on the label is probably good advice.
 
bravedave

bravedave

Well-Known Member
It was the 14-14-14 one that i was referring to. That is probably fine for veg. What is the NPK on the "Plus"?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top