Ok i am on my 1st grow and so far i have made a few mistakes.If it was not for the people on this forum i would have no plant. I am not experienced far from it.My 1st grow is only a month old.Im not trying to be a know it all. I just want to let new growers know the common mistakes that are made and try and help them not to make the same mistakes. This forum has some amazing members.They have gone out of there way to help me so much and i would like to give something back. Research Sounds boring really but if you read through the forums you will find a wealth of information. If you are serious about growing your own weed you will find all this information a pleasure to read. Design and Planning Think of where you are going to grow and ask yourselves a few questions Will there be enough room? Can i control the environment(Light,Heat,Air Circulation)? Is it secure?Cats and dogs love to get at MJ plants? Can other see the grow and report it to the Police? Its also best to get everything BEFORE you start. Have your lights,Mylar,Ferts,Fans,Water Source,Thermometer etc.. The internet is great to buy stuff but if you need something today your plant wont like waiting for the item in the mail. LIGHTS Put a lot of taught in to your lights.CFLs are great for beginners and very cheap they also give off very little heat. Just make sure you get the wright spectrum.6500k for veg and 2300K for flower. If you look around on the internet you can get great deals on CFLs WATER Its something a lot of people over look.I certainly did.I just bought some Bottled Mineral Water and taught it would be fine. When my plants started having problems i checked the PH of my water and found out it was 7.5 which was way to high.It also had a high sodium content. Tap water can be used but leave it at air for 24 hours to remove the chlorine.ALWAYS check the PH. PH LEVELS Your plant need to have a soil Ph of 6 to 7.Remember adding ferts will change the PH of your soil.You can but PH testers in Pet Shops and Hydro stores.Dont use aquarium PH up PH down.Its bad for your plant. In the short term you can use lemon juice or vinegar to lower Ph and Baking soda to increase Ph.I dont know what there long term effects will be. CO2 It easy to add CO2 to your plant. You can use Sugar,Yeast and Luke warm water. Or you can use Vinegar and baking soda.REMEMBER in a sealed environment they will explode as they are producing CO2.If you can have a few drips of Vinegar every min landing on your Baking Soda it will create CO2 Overwatering It happens i did it.I worried about my plants and kept watering them. MJ doesnt need to be watered every day.Its best to let the soil dry out between waterings. This will allow the roots to absorb oxygen. Over watering can also cause stem rot.Which will cause your plant to fall over and not be able to support them sleves. Its best to wait until your leaves just start to wilther and then water. It also helps promote a healthy root system as the roots will go and look for water. Nutrients Fertilizer A young plant does not need any Nuts.If it is given to the plant it will only cause nute burn. This is not good for your plants. MJ does not need food for the first 3,4 weeks of its life.Strain dependent. When you do start to feed start with a 1/4 strength solution then1/2 3/4 and then full strength. Going straight to full strenght can cause nute burn even if the plant needs ferts. Strains Pick your strain 1st time that is easy to grow.There is not much point getting a strain that is difficult to grow,Your plant may die and put you off growing. Norther Lights is an easy strain to start with. Some strains stay small and bushy others grow tall.Make sure you have the room to grow. POTS Make sure you have the correct size pots.Start with a small pot and finish with a big pot, If the pot you are using is too small the roots will start to grow out of the pot and be exposed to light this is bad for roots. They have to be able to stretch themselves. ASkING THE PROS The time will come when most people have to ask a question to get help.There are a few things to do to get a better respones. (1)Check the forums and see if the question is all ready asked.If the same basic question is being asked over and over growers will not bother to answer. (2)Include as much information as possible. Pics if possible Strain Age of plant Soil,Hydro Lights used Temp Humidity Ferts used How often watered. The more information you can add the better. (3) Phrase the question properly.Dont just say "Help Needed" say something like. 4 weeks in to flowering and no sign of flowers. (4) Be patient If you ask a queation dont come along a half hour later and "Bump" the thread or demanding an answer this will get you nowhere. Well like i said i am not trying to be a know it all.Im just trying to give something back to this community. If anyone wants to add feel free and correct me in anything i have said I hope this help
Good read, nice pick up on the information and great job at putting it all together in one piece. I'd also add a section on germinating, as that seems to be an important step as well for beginners.
I'm new to this forum, however I have posted on a sister forum...so I'm not new to the forum ring. You did good...an excellent post I must say. I too am new to the growing game...just had my first somwhat successful outdoor grow and I made alot of mistakes, simple ones that could have been avoided if I had come across your advice earlier.You hit the bong hard and right when you said research is the key. I've been reading and researching for about 5 years and never got any of it...until, I started exploring the forum pages and linked up with the lingo and SHAZAM...it all finally sank in, once you get that...you will not be able to get enough reading...seriously, the "more you know the better you grow"! I am starting my indoor grow about mid Nov to mid Dec. But the first thing I've done is research my budget... I've sourced out where I will be buying all my equipment, lights, everything I need to start...complete list and prices, so when I'm ready, I just have to press a button. That includes all materials for both inside and out soil, nutrs, building equipment, tools...everything...get a total so you know just how much you are looking at and whether it fits your budget and room size. I've found out for the price of an ounce of primo/dro/kind bud I can build my own room. I'm totally excited and will let y'all know when the adventure begins! Good luck to you all and don't forget...research!
One thing I wish I had know before I started growing: If you're going to buy seeds, buy them before you purchase any other equipment. It can take a loooooong time to get your seeds.
I just wanted to say I found your info very insightful and I look forward to your other tips etc. Ima keep an eye on this thread and comeback for reference...Im in as you say "the research phase"