captbooyah
Active Member
So, you have decided to cultivate marijuana... Good for you! Now, do you have a plan?
Many issues arise for new growers because of lack of knowledge and experience... I think it's time we remedy this situation.
If you have taken it upon yourself to do any reading first (highly suggested), then you have already learned of the many many ways to go about growing. From where to grow, what in, what medium, what brands, lights, nutes, and so on... If this is your first go at it, don't start off with a complicated set up and materials. Just
Keep it Simple...
You don't have to go out and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars within the first week in order to have a successful grow. Truth is, seeds are pretty low maintenance at first. You just have to have a few key elements in place to start off.
Start Up Shopping list:
Seeds- can't grow without them. Whether you have some bag seed sitting around, or you ordered some... this is a pretty important starting point. LOL
Plastic cups - great for any newb to start with. If you can grow it in a cup with success... chances are you can grow in a bigger pot
*remember you can always transplant, and cups take up a lot less room*
Distilled water- if you can drink it, so can your plants... most have a ph level between 6.0 and 6.2
*no need to get a ph tester right off the bat... some people never test ph*
CFLs- you can get these at Wal-mart for $.92 -Lights of America (and they come in 6500k and 2700k spectrum, great for vegetative growth and flowering respectively) PLUS these lights can sit 1-2 inches from your plants without harm.
*you don't need to have 'grow lights'... and if you can get them eventually great, but we are trying to save some money here right?*
Soil- I would recommend for all newbs starting out to be a bit particular when it comes to this... I personally love Fox Farms Ocean Forest... It is ph balanced, and contains enough nutrients to feed your seedlings for up to four weeks. This is nice and hassle free 2 start.
*if you can grow in soil, you can grow in anything*
Perlite- (both perlite and Fox Farm) can be found at your local gardening center or on-line... Perlite helps to aerate your soil, and great to put in the bottom of your cup for drainage purposes.
Fan- you should have a small fan circulating the air and blowing over your plants. This promotes stem growth and strengthening.
Digital thermometer/ Humidity gauge- this is going to take the guess work out of the equation... Heat is good between about 67 to 85 (try not to let it get any higher than 85)
*colder temps should be at night 'lights off' and the higher with 'lights on'
Starting your set up...
Obviously you are going to want to find a place that you can keep a bit discreet. Closets and cabinets are great... so are storage totes and attics... But keep in mind, wherever you choose to grow, you are going to need to be able to control heat and humidity.
You want this space to be CLEAN!!! I mean bleach the walls if you have to. Flat white walls are the best for distributing light evenly, but mylar works just as good. Please stay away from Aluminum foil, as it can create hot spots and burns on your plants.
You have 100% free creative genius as to how you want your set up to be arranged... there is no specifics...
Germinating Seeds
There are many methods for this also...
Paper towel - put seeds on a paper towel, cover and wet (not soak)... place between 2 plates (make sure to re-moisten so it doesnt completely dry out)... check for splitting and for roots to sprout out... plant when there is about 1/4 inch tail (tail side down)
Shot Glass- drop the seeds in a shot glass full of water... wait for them to crack and plant
And my preferred method...
Planting right into soil from seed
Take your plastic cups, poke drainage holes in the bottom... *optional* add 1/2 inch of perlite*... continue to fill with soil. It is helpful to water your soil before you put in your seed that way it can settle. Look for a bit of run-off from your drainage hole... then proceed by poking a hole about 1/4 - 1/2 inch down (a pencil makes a great hole) Pop the seed in, and add a bit of water so the soil resettles over the top of the seed. Cover with plastic wrap and a rubber band. Usually takes 2-3 days for your seedling to sprout. Uncover and Voila!!!
this is four days from planted seed
this is day 19 from seed
*light cannot hurt your seed when first planted... in fact, it helps keep the soil warm and produces more moisture in the cup*
Let her grow...
Remember that you probably shouldn't start using nutes until your plants are about 4 weeks old... and only starting at 1/4 strength. This is also generally a good time to transplant from the cup into a bigger pot. And since you have had four weeks of easy growth, you have had plenty of time to find products that suit your needs... right?
All in all, just trying to help our first time growers to get up and running...
It never hurts to be prepared and informed.
Many issues arise for new growers because of lack of knowledge and experience... I think it's time we remedy this situation.
If you have taken it upon yourself to do any reading first (highly suggested), then you have already learned of the many many ways to go about growing. From where to grow, what in, what medium, what brands, lights, nutes, and so on... If this is your first go at it, don't start off with a complicated set up and materials. Just
Keep it Simple...
You don't have to go out and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars within the first week in order to have a successful grow. Truth is, seeds are pretty low maintenance at first. You just have to have a few key elements in place to start off.
Start Up Shopping list:
Seeds- can't grow without them. Whether you have some bag seed sitting around, or you ordered some... this is a pretty important starting point. LOL
Plastic cups - great for any newb to start with. If you can grow it in a cup with success... chances are you can grow in a bigger pot
*remember you can always transplant, and cups take up a lot less room*
Distilled water- if you can drink it, so can your plants... most have a ph level between 6.0 and 6.2
*no need to get a ph tester right off the bat... some people never test ph*
CFLs- you can get these at Wal-mart for $.92 -Lights of America (and they come in 6500k and 2700k spectrum, great for vegetative growth and flowering respectively) PLUS these lights can sit 1-2 inches from your plants without harm.
*you don't need to have 'grow lights'... and if you can get them eventually great, but we are trying to save some money here right?*
Soil- I would recommend for all newbs starting out to be a bit particular when it comes to this... I personally love Fox Farms Ocean Forest... It is ph balanced, and contains enough nutrients to feed your seedlings for up to four weeks. This is nice and hassle free 2 start.
*if you can grow in soil, you can grow in anything*
Perlite- (both perlite and Fox Farm) can be found at your local gardening center or on-line... Perlite helps to aerate your soil, and great to put in the bottom of your cup for drainage purposes.
Fan- you should have a small fan circulating the air and blowing over your plants. This promotes stem growth and strengthening.
Digital thermometer/ Humidity gauge- this is going to take the guess work out of the equation... Heat is good between about 67 to 85 (try not to let it get any higher than 85)
*colder temps should be at night 'lights off' and the higher with 'lights on'
Starting your set up...
Obviously you are going to want to find a place that you can keep a bit discreet. Closets and cabinets are great... so are storage totes and attics... But keep in mind, wherever you choose to grow, you are going to need to be able to control heat and humidity.
You want this space to be CLEAN!!! I mean bleach the walls if you have to. Flat white walls are the best for distributing light evenly, but mylar works just as good. Please stay away from Aluminum foil, as it can create hot spots and burns on your plants.
You have 100% free creative genius as to how you want your set up to be arranged... there is no specifics...
Germinating Seeds
There are many methods for this also...
Paper towel - put seeds on a paper towel, cover and wet (not soak)... place between 2 plates (make sure to re-moisten so it doesnt completely dry out)... check for splitting and for roots to sprout out... plant when there is about 1/4 inch tail (tail side down)
Shot Glass- drop the seeds in a shot glass full of water... wait for them to crack and plant
And my preferred method...
Planting right into soil from seed
Take your plastic cups, poke drainage holes in the bottom... *optional* add 1/2 inch of perlite*... continue to fill with soil. It is helpful to water your soil before you put in your seed that way it can settle. Look for a bit of run-off from your drainage hole... then proceed by poking a hole about 1/4 - 1/2 inch down (a pencil makes a great hole) Pop the seed in, and add a bit of water so the soil resettles over the top of the seed. Cover with plastic wrap and a rubber band. Usually takes 2-3 days for your seedling to sprout. Uncover and Voila!!!
this is four days from planted seedthis is day 19 from seed*light cannot hurt your seed when first planted... in fact, it helps keep the soil warm and produces more moisture in the cup*
Let her grow...
Remember that you probably shouldn't start using nutes until your plants are about 4 weeks old... and only starting at 1/4 strength. This is also generally a good time to transplant from the cup into a bigger pot. And since you have had four weeks of easy growth, you have had plenty of time to find products that suit your needs... right?
All in all, just trying to help our first time growers to get up and running...
It never hurts to be prepared and informed.
