For all new growers with questions... Tons of information and answers..

I have some plants I just started I was wondering if I needed to tie them down and how that works and also where u recommend getting 2 part nutrient systems

I have a newbie question regarding feeding schedule (for potted soil). If the feeding schedule calls for full feeding once a week does that mean 1 day of watering with full strength nutes and the other 6 days of just pure water? Granted of course watering is done on a daily basis.

I was just saying that the only affect on sexual traits that ph can cause is to make what would be a female and make it a hermie. I understand that the first problem of ph issues is nutrient uptake. I guess if I was starving i might put on a dress for dinner too. The University of Arizona did a study with the growstones on a 50 50 growstones/ coco in a hydroponic test with tomatoes and it took 30 hrs with out irrigation for them to show any signs of wilting, not that it helps anybody here but I thought it a fun tid bit.

Clevelandblazn5 said:

I have some plants I just started I was wondering if I needed to tie them down and how that works and also where u recommend getting 2 part nutrient systems

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you dont have to tie down your plant... you may choose to do it, in which case you are doing LST or low stress training to the plant..

with this method of growing you are tieing branches securely in place to something, usually the outside of the pot, to give maximum light penetration..

the easiest way to describe this so you get a mental picture is this;

normally an mj plant grow vertically with horizontal branches...

with lst you are tieing the main stalk down so it grow horizontally, which in turn makes the would be horizontal branches grow vertically... this gives much more vertical growth thats closer to the lights... which means more larger buds...

here is a link to a page of a grower i helped out... https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/196155-1st-grow-16.html if you scroll down there are pictures that will better show what im talking about..

http://www.wormsway.com/products.aspx?t=prod&cat=FERTH&AC=1
if you cant find a good 2 part nute system at a local hydro store, thats a link that will take you to a huge selection... general hydroponics, fox farms, advanced nutes (not carried by them.. just go to advancednutrients.com), or technaflora (bc line), are all great systems.. but any of the ones they carry will work...

R1Farmer said:

I have a newbie question regarding feeding schedule (for potted soil). If the feeding schedule calls for full feeding once a week does that mean 1 day of watering with full strength nutes and the other 6 days of just pure water? Granted of course watering is done on a daily basis.

Click to expand...

unless you are running hydro you should not need to water on a daily basis...

mj is a plant whose roots like to go from a wet to dry environment in soil... watering on a daily basis can cause some problems because of this...

1) root growth and all around growth can be slowed..
2) the moist environment can cause fungus, mold, or mildew growth
3) in some cases it can cause root rot which can lead to death

your soil should be balanced enough that it drains well, but still can retain enough water for a few days that you dont need to water daily..

if you are finding you do have to water daily, you may want to consider transplanting into new soil and a larger pot... or invest in a drip system which will eliminate the hassle and can be adjusted to keep the soil moist, but not wet....

now... to answer your original question..

most nutes will say weekly on them... on average thats how often plants get fed... or at least the average they go by... so if it says to feed weekly its the recommend dosage to use when you water...

now if you are having to water frequently you have a couple choices... you could feed on a regular basis with a 1/4 or half strength solution... this way everytime you water your plant will get new nutes.. but in a dosage they can handle.. if its an every day thing a 1/4 strength would be ideal... if you started seeing signs of a deficiency you could always boost the amount a little to find a balance they plants like.. not so much to burn them, but not enough to cause any defs.. this takes watching your plant for signs of either..

you could adopt an alternating feeding/watering schedule... this is where you feed with ph'd nute water 1 time, and plain ph'd water the next time... ph'd nute water, plain water.. and so on... this helps by allowing all the nutes in the soil to be absorbed before introducing new nutes to the environment.. which in turn cuts down on soil build up and helps sustain soil ph...

some growers say you dont need to ph your water with soil.. whether you do or not is your call.. my reasoning behind ph'ing the nute water and even the plain water when i would feed with it is this.. water is the vessel in which nutes are absorbed through the roots... if the ph of the water is off lockout can occur.. this causes some build up in the soil.. and over time can have its affect on soil ph.. in soil its much less of an issue than it is in a hydro environment.. but its good practice.. and can help eliminate possible issues you may have later down the road...

you can always feed nutes once a week and then just water as needed the rest of the time... the risk here is nute burn from hitting your plant with a strong solution... i wouldnt recommend this.. but its not a "for sure" thing that you'd get nute burn.. so you may want to try, if you havent already...

but again, you may want to address the reason why you are feeding/watering so often..

captain insaneo said:

I was just saying that the only affect on sexual traits that ph can cause is to make what would be a female and make it a hermie. I understand that the first problem of ph issues is nutrient uptake. I guess if I was starving i might put on a dress for dinner too. The University of Arizona did a study with the growstones on a 50 50 growstones/ coco in a hydroponic test with tomatoes and it took 30 hrs with out irrigation for them to show any signs of wilting, not that it helps anybody here but I thought it a fun tid bit.

Click to expand...

ahh i got ya.. i guess i misread it... but yes.. that is true...

i need to get a new airstone or air pump for my reservoir... my aerator took a shit on my a few weeks ago... i need to get a new one sometime soon..

I had a seedling in a small pot the stem was about 4 inches tall, I transplanted it about an inch down, keeping a small ball of earth, i't s been a week since then, stem still growing, and leaves a bit bigger, 2 round ones, and 2 pointy ones.
I saw previous post with well water, so I know now, I probably should avoid nutes, since also using miracle grow, I do have a big block of peat moss, but I read here as well, that's very acidic and could potentially cause rotting, so I didn't take out of wrapper, I bought it initally to save on earth. I read someone else say after a month that they have a good size plant, I find it's taking a long tiem,guess I'm not patient enough, but anyways, I'm keen on getting ph meter, and moisture meter , and will try to stay on top using all of your advice, tks for your inputs, looking forward to continued reading, good time waster and has caused me to make swift changes to my indoor soil grow closet.

peteyp said:

I had a seedling in a small pot the stem was about 4 inches tall, I transplanted it about an inch down, keeping a small ball of earth, i't s been a week since then, stem still growing, and leaves a bit bigger, 2 round ones, and 2 pointy ones.
I saw previous post with well water, so I know now, I probably should avoid nutes, since also using miracle grow, I do have a big block of peat moss, but I read here as well, that's very acidic and could potentially cause rotting, so I didn't take out of wrapper, I bought it initally to save on earth. I read someone else say after a month that they have a good size plant, I find it's taking a long tiem,guess I'm not patient enough, but anyways, I'm keen on getting ph meter, and moisture meter , and will try to stay on top using all of your advice, tks for your inputs, looking forward to continued reading, good time waster and has caused me to make swift changes to my indoor soil grow closet.

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Forgot to ask my questions, is this a normal growth rate?

Should I avoid well water? Although I know it is high in calcium, I also heard that rainwater is good because of high nitrates in it...

hey petey.. glad you found some good reads within this thread..

based on what you said about your grow i will venture to guess the biggest issue for growth being slow is lack of light... light is the key to photosynthesis.. which is the beginning of most all plant functions.. without it, or with a weak amount of it, your plant will show signs of slow growth... the stem getting longer without my foliage being grown leads me to further believe thats the issue... what kind of lights are you using??

there are only a couple other thing it could be... the seed could be a premature seed.. they will sprout but grow very little, grow oddly, or not grow at all.. or it could be a lack of root development... without root growth there is no plant growth..

i can try to help you out more.. just give me as much detail about your setup as possible..

i wouldnt use well water.. its got a lot of dissolved "stuff" in it.. which means a high ppm (parts per million)... since not everything will be used by the plant there is a good chance of getting build up in the soil.. this can raise ph and cause other issues down the road..

depending on where you live, rain water can be good or bad.. if you live in an area with a lot of factories or pollution you can end up with acid rain.. this is not good... the best way to tell if your rain water is usable is to collect it like your going to use it.. and then check both the ph and ppm of it.. if the ppm of it is under 200 then its very usable.. you just have to adjust the ph to proper range... same with the well water.. if by some chance the well water is below 200 ppm it is usable.. you may just have to adjust the ph...

qty 2 - 40watts, fluorescent aquatic/grow (bluish)

qty 1 - 150watts Incandescent grow light (blue)

Seed is Safari mix (mandala)

temperature is 80 , i think that's high, since you guys post 70 range in most ops, I'm thinking I might just get a 75 watt light, or just loose the incandescent altogether and go with some cfl's I noticed people using day light , and softwhite for flowering...

the 40 watts are fluo, 48" , so to long to hang in the closet so just standing it up in the corner , the leaves are getting bigger, so maybe there's hope yet

Nutrients??? Help please
permalink
So I just set everything up in my closet I have a 600w hps and mh lights everything is ready to go seeds are being germinated I need to buy some nutrients I wanted a 2 part system but can't seem to find them on htgsupply so I was leaning towards Bcuzz root plant and growth stimulators any knowledge or advice would be greatly appreciated

what house hold iteams can i use to lower or raise my Ph in soil , vinegar , bakeing soda , anything ?and how much would i add per gallon please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

my baby is about 15 days into flowering and on one of the stems right below a bud is a little round green ball??? is this a seed ??? GOOD BAD???? i've been watching it the last three days ....

peteyp said:

qty 2 - 40watts, fluorescent aquatic/grow (bluish)

qty 1 - 150watts Incandescent grow light (blue)

Seed is Safari mix (mandala)

temperature is 80 , i think that's high, since you guys post 70 range in most ops, I'm thinking I might just get a 75 watt light, or just loose the incandescent altogether and go with some cfl's I noticed people using day light , and softwhite for flowering...

Click to expand...

the problem is the incandescent light.. you are really only growing with a 40w cfl.. the incandescent light does not put off enough light or the proper spectrum to grow with...

you need to ditch that bulb and get some more cfls... or floro shop lights like you have already... the more you can get the better.. or if you can afford to get an hps system or something that would be good also... but you definitely need to change the type of light you are using..

temps are ok.. 80 is a little high.. but that is the least of the problem right now..

Clevelandblazn5 said:

Nutrients??? Help please
permalink
So I just set everything up in my closet I have a 600w hps and mh lights everything is ready to go seeds are being germinated I need to buy some nutrients I wanted a 2 part system but can't seem to find them on htgsupply so I was leaning towards Bcuzz root plant and growth stimulators any knowledge or advice would be greatly appreciated

Click to expand...

http://www.wormsway.com/products.aspx?t=prod&cat=FERTH&AC=1 this has a ton of different brands you can choose from.. maybe 7+ pages...

i personally have had experience with the BC line (technaflora) and the general hydroponics line (flora)...

the GH 2 part system is floranova gro and bloom... GH is a great line with very reliable results... it will contain both the macro and micro nutes your plant will need for growth or flowering..

technaflora doesnt have a 2 part... but they do have a kit that contains the full line of products they carry... and its very resonable...

fox farms has a great 2 part system... as does advanced nutes... although i havent used either of these personally.. the reviews i have read have always been positive.. and both are on my "to try" list...

if you want anything more specific i am more than happy to give you a complete line up... if you want an example here is my list of what i use..

FOR GROWTH
- flora gro
- flora micro
- diamon nectar
- flora nectar
- floralicious grow
- subculture B

FOR FLOWERING
- flora bloom
- flora micro
- flora nectar
- kool bloom liquid
- floralicious bloom

all of these are GH products...

mondo99 said:

what house hold iteams can i use to lower or raise my Ph in soil , vinegar , bakeing soda , anything ?and how much would i add per gallon please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click to expand...

you cant raise and lower the soils ph with anything from home... to raise soil ph you need to use hydrated limestone... it will tell on the pack how much to use.. its ph'd at 7.0.. so over time your soil will level out at or close to 7.0....

to lower your soils ph you can use sulfur or peat moss.. the amount of sulfur to use will be on the pack... peat moss amounts will vary...

its always better to adjust slowly.. to much of a swing can cause osmotic shock.. and over doing it will cause you to have to readjust...

if you are wanting to adjust the ph of your water/nute solution you can use the things you were saying.. vinegar or lemon juice will lower... baking soda will raise it...

lemondrop said:

my baby is about 15 days into flowering and on one of the stems right below a bud is a little round green ball??? is this a seed ??? GOOD BAD???? i've been watching it the last three days ....

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if you see little green sacs that resemble grapes, those are male pollen sacs... i hate to be the barer of bad news.. but it sounds like you have a male...

Hey all i changed my set up. I got a 400w MH to use with my 1st grow hydro.. i had it in a small 2by2 8 foot closet. now the heat is hot like 90 so i decide to move it to a 2x5 7 feet tall. it is a bedroom closet the room has one A/C and one window. My questions are for ventilation, smell and steath any help. im making the move later once i get some help....PS how do u start a thread? Please help a newbeekiss-ass

mikerollup said:

Hey all i changed my set up. I got a 400w MH to use with my 1st grow hydro.. i had it in a small 2by2 8 foot closet. now the heat is hot like 90 so i decide to move it to a 2x5 7 feet tall. it is a bedroom closet the room has one A/C and one window. My questions are for ventilation, smell and steath any help. im making the move later once i get some help....PS how do u start a thread? Please help a newbeekiss-ass

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alright bro.. lets see what i can help you with...

first MH bulbs get hot.. real hot... a lot hotter than hps.. if you are having heat issues you may want to consider changing to an hps bulb for the grow.. they can be used to veg... and will keep things cooler.. or at least cooler than the mh bulb... just make sure you have a ballast that will work with hps...

the larger the room the more heat can dissipate... moving to a larger room was a good fix.. but you can still use the closet... the only thing you would need to take care of the heat, for the most part, is a strong exhaust fan.... if you place an exhaust fan in the top of the closet and exhaust the heat outside of the closet into another room (outside of where the closet is) you can easily take care of 10 degrees or more of heat this way...

if you do this you may want to check into a filter that attaches to the duct work such as this http://www.wormsway.com/detail.aspx?t=prod&sku=FMF604&AC=1 if you dont want to hassle with it, and the heat is ok where it is now, and your happy with where you grow is, you will just need to worry a little about smell... http://www.wormsway.com/products.aspx?t=prod&cat=ENVOD&AC=1 that has a few pages of different odor control devices... gels, canfans, misters... all work.. depending on how much you are growing your needs will change.. a simple ona gel can will take care of a closet.. but there are a lot of options.. just see what fits your grow and your budget...

in order to start a thread you have to click "new thread"... if you go into any of the sub forums, towards the top if will have the option... it should say it right above "thread in forum: (whatever forum it is)...

Simpson, I tried to take your advice about using sulpher to lower soil PH. All they had was General Hyroponics PH Down really meant for hydrponic setup not soil as I have. Should I try it anyway? Very small amounts very dilluted I'm assuming. Thanks!

Is it safe to use p.h up and p.h down chemicals bought at a fish store to help with p.h levels? Or will it burn roots or the plant?

bobbychuck67 said:

Simpson, I tried to take your advice about using sulpher to lower soil PH. All they had was General Hyroponics PH Down really meant for hydrponic setup not soil as I have. Should I try it anyway? Very small amounts very dilluted I'm assuming. Thanks!

Click to expand...

ph down will not actually lower the ph of the soil... it will work to lower the ph of the nute solution but thats it...

if you can order some of this http://www.planetnatural.com/site/chelated-iron.html it will work... and will work faster... it wont take much to get things lowered... so be careful...

there arent many other ideas i have... as long as your ph is about 7.0 or lower it will be ok... just on the border line of lock out on some secondary nutes... but using a supplement like calmag will take care of any possible deficiencies you have...

I Forgot said:

Is it safe to use p.h up and p.h down chemicals bought at a fish store to help with p.h levels? Or will it burn roots or the plant?

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i personally wouldnt use them myself... i dont know the make up of them, but i wouldnt imagine they are similar to hydroponic ph up or down...

http://www.wormsway.com/detail.aspx?t=prod&sku=PC500&AC=1 heres a cheap combo kit with hydroponic grade ph up and down... you may be able to find a very similar kit at a local gardening or hydroponics store.. or you can order it online... but i always recommend using additives that are made for growing purposes... its hard to say what products will do or how plants will react otherwise...

i do a small plea to all repeat posters..

due to the amount of people i help on a normal basis it is hard for me to always remember what specific thing i am helping who with.. if you need additional help, which i am more than happy to give, please try to either copy the original post(s) or briefly summarize the original problem... it would help me a lot so i dont have to comb back through multiple pages posts...


thanks
sampson