First time grow.

DANK PURPY

Well-Known Member
first time growing and need some tips. i want really short plants but bushy. how exactly do i do this?and i want to clone the plant i have because i dont have seeds. i dont really know how to do this either. i did give them nute burn just so were clear about that. havent given them any nutes since. its been about a week and a half, and my leaves on one of my plants is getting crinkly leaves and looks deformed at the top. i think i might be over watering or underwatering. i water them once per 2 days. the plants are almost 5 weeks old here some pics tell me what you think.
 
Last edited:

GrowinDad

Well-Known Member
You can top and LST to get the most tops and keep her short. LST works great to generate tops for clones. I would cut clones right before you send her into flower. Lots of easy ways to clone, here is mine:
Needed:
1.) Miracle Grow Seed Starter
2.) Plain perlite
3.) Keg cups with holes cut at the bottom
4.) Normal fold over baggies
5.) rooting gel
6.) scissors, razor blade, glass surface
7.) Rubbing alcohol
8.) PH 6.5 water
9.) spray bottle

Steps:
1.) Clean scissors, blade and glass with the alcohol
2.) Pull out enough seed starter to fill however many cups 1/2 way. Mix about 30% additional perlite in. Get damp - not wet - with the water. Throw some plain perlite at the bottom of the cup then fill 2/3 with lightly packed soil mix. Put a pencil hole about 1" into the center of the soil.
2.) put some water into a cup
3.) one at a time, cut the clone (I use a 2" or so long top) at a 90 degree angle to the stem and place immediately into water cup (so bottoms are in the water). Do for as many as want (cut a few more than you need the first time in case a couple die, I get almost 100% rate)
4.) pour some rooting gel into a ramekin or small dish
5.) one at a time, remove the cutting from the water. Cut off all but the top leaves if there are any. Then with the razor blade make a slice in the stem to open up as much surface as possible. So a deep angle cut.
6.) dip cutting into rotting gel and place into cup, Lightly pack down.
repeat #5&6 for each cutting
7.) spray a little water onto each around the base. Then take a baggie and cut a slit into the bottom. Mist into it and place over the cups.
8.) Place cups onto a warming mat with minimal light (one 24 W CFL works for 4-5 clones)
9.) every day or so, mist into the baggie at first, then reduce after a week. As they seem to be rooting, stop misting and start opening up the slit more, eventually removing the baggies after about two weeks.

You likely will not need to really water them until the baggies are gone. Maybe once in which case a total of a bout 2-3 oz is all.
 

DANK PURPY

Well-Known Member
You can top and LST to get the most tops and keep her short. LST works great to generate tops for clones. I would cut clones right before you send her into flower. Lots of easy ways to clone, here is mine:
Needed:
1.) Miracle Grow Seed Starter
2.) Plain perlite
3.) Keg cups with holes cut at the bottom
4.) Normal fold over baggies
5.) rooting gel
6.) scissors, razor blade, glass surface
7.) Rubbing alcohol
8.) PH 6.5 water
9.) spray bottle

Steps:
1.) Clean scissors, blade and glass with the alcohol
2.) Pull out enough seed starter to fill however many cups 1/2 way. Mix about 30% additional perlite in. Get damp - not wet - with the water. Throw some plain perlite at the bottom of the cup then fill 2/3 with lightly packed soil mix. Put a pencil hole about 1" into the center of the soil.
2.) put some water into a cup
3.) one at a time, cut the clone (I use a 2" or so long top) at a 90 degree angle to the stem and place immediately into water cup (so bottoms are in the water). Do for as many as want (cut a few more than you need the first time in case a couple die, I get almost 100% rate)
4.) pour some rooting gel into a ramekin or small dish
5.) one at a time, remove the cutting from the water. Cut off all but the top leaves if there are any. Then with the razor blade make a slice in the stem to open up as much surface as possible. So a deep angle cut.
6.) dip cutting into rotting gel and place into cup, Lightly pack down.
repeat #5&6 for each cutting
7.) spray a little water onto each around the base. Then take a baggie and cut a slit into the bottom. Mist into it and place over the cups.
8.) Place cups onto a warming mat with minimal light (one 24 W CFL works for 4-5 clones)
9.) every day or so, mist into the baggie at first, then reduce after a week. As they seem to be rooting, stop misting and start opening up the slit more, eventually removing the baggies after about two weeks.

You likely will not need to really water them until the baggies are gone. Maybe once in which case a total of a bout 2-3 oz is all.
wow your the shit bro! awesome information gonna follow your steps exactly....so do you know why my leaves are all riged and deformed ?
 

DANK PURPY

Well-Known Member
You can top and LST to get the most tops and keep her short. LST works great to generate tops for clones. I would cut clones right before you send her into flower. Lots of easy ways to clone, here is mine:
Needed:
1.) Miracle Grow Seed Starter
2.) Plain perlite
3.) Keg cups with holes cut at the bottom
4.) Normal fold over baggies
5.) rooting gel
6.) scissors, razor blade, glass surface
7.) Rubbing alcohol
8.) PH 6.5 water
9.) spray bottle

Steps:
1.) Clean scissors, blade and glass with the alcohol
2.) Pull out enough seed starter to fill however many cups 1/2 way. Mix about 30% additional perlite in. Get damp - not wet - with the water. Throw some plain perlite at the bottom of the cup then fill 2/3 with lightly packed soil mix. Put a pencil hole about 1" into the center of the soil.
2.) put some water into a cup
3.) one at a time, cut the clone (I use a 2" or so long top) at a 90 degree angle to the stem and place immediately into water cup (so bottoms are in the water). Do for as many as want (cut a few more than you need the first time in case a couple die, I get almost 100% rate)
4.) pour some rooting gel into a ramekin or small dish
5.) one at a time, remove the cutting from the water. Cut off all but the top leaves if there are any. Then with the razor blade make a slice in the stem to open up as much surface as possible. So a deep angle cut.
6.) dip cutting into rotting gel and place into cup, Lightly pack down.
repeat #5&6 for each cutting
7.) spray a little water onto each around the base. Then take a baggie and cut a slit into the bottom. Mist into it and place over the cups.
8.) Place cups onto a warming mat with minimal light (one 24 W CFL works for 4-5 clones)
9.) every day or so, mist into the baggie at first, then reduce after a week. As they seem to be rooting, stop misting and start opening up the slit more, eventually removing the baggies after about two weeks.

You likely will not need to really water them until the baggies are gone. Maybe once in which case a total of a bout 2-3 oz is all.
btw what is toping or lst? explain how i do this?
 

GrowinDad

Well-Known Member
It does look to me like you are overwatering some but I am not expert enough to say much. Share some more info on your soil, feeding and nute schedule, nutes used, etc.

Often times, it seems like if you are using a soil with time released nutes in it, over watering does a double whammy on you. One from the roots drowning and one from that extra water releasing too many nutes. Once I transplant the clones, I go into a nuteless soil mix so I can control everything. I hate MG but the seed starter works awesome for me.
 

GrowinDad

Well-Known Member
You gotta do your research man. Google first, then ask :-) Plus tons of info in the stickies....
 

DANK PURPY

Well-Known Member
It does look to me like you are overwatering some but I am not expert enough to say much. Share some more info on your soil, feeding and nute schedule, nutes used, etc.

Often times, it seems like if you are using a soil with time released nutes in it, over watering does a double whammy on you. One from the roots drowning and one from that extra water releasing too many nutes. Once I transplant the clones, I go into a nuteless soil mix so I can control everything. I hate MG but the seed starter works awesome for me.
soil mix is 50/50 of MG organic potting mix & MG organic garden soil.
nutes: MG all purpse plant food/organic garden lime (for ph)
lights: 2-24watt CFL bulbs. 2-32watt Fluro bulbs.
ph lvl: havent had ph balance and wont get it for awhile cant afford. was leaving tap water out for 24-48hours before using. just started using distilled water from grocery store past 2 waters.
 

Terry385

Well-Known Member
leaving tap water out for 24-48hours before using. just started using distilled water from grocery store past 2 waters.
distilled water is not good for plant i red somewhere on this site
 

DANK PURPY

Well-Known Member
leaving tap water out for 24-48hours before using. just started using distilled water from grocery store past 2 waters.
distilled water is not good for plant i red somewhere on this site
i heard same thing but people say its much better than tap water. its all i have to work with until i get my ph tester. what do you think i should use? anything or method?
 

Terry385

Well-Known Member
lack of calcium and magnesium if you go distilled water. Tap has both of them in ample supply (usually)
 

GrowinDad

Well-Known Member
I use filtered tap water. Pur faucet filter is nice and easy. But honestly not sure if does any good. I also let it sit out.

Do not add any nutes. That MGH soil has MORE than enough to last. Wait until you see the leaves getting a lighter green. And yes, be careful overwatering as water is what releases the nutes in the soil. Let them dry out between waterings. you can tell when the pot feels super light.
 

DANK PURPY

Well-Known Member
I use filtered tap water. Pur faucet filter is nice and easy. But honestly not sure if does any good. I also let it sit out.

Do not add any nutes. That MGH soil has MORE than enough to last. Wait until you see the leaves getting a lighter green. And yes, be careful overwatering as water is what releases the nutes in the soil. Let them dry out between waterings. you can tell when the pot feels super light.
yeah i was using the Brita ultra max to filter it. ill start using that instead and just using a filter. ill need to get a new one
and start checking ph balance
 

bigsteve

Well-Known Member
Short and Bushy:

* use indica strains, they are usually shorter than sats.
* use a MH bulb for vegging, encourages sideways growth
* jack plants up under the light, a lot of stretching is a result of the plant trying to get more light
* FIM or top the plant early in veg mode, you can FIM any/all the side branches to get even more bushy.

Good luck, BigSteve.
 
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