maine MMJ genetics talk

Thanks as usual Tet and MDanforth I have the Clonex at the ready, along with 2" Collars that will go into my DIY Aero Cloner. These will then go under a 2 foot fluoro and then we will begin the Hydro aspect of growth on the 2nd set of girls.

I must admit that growing in soil is kind of fun. The only drawback that I encountered was the lack of space in my closet for bigger containers. When I received the clones on November 25th, I would have placed them in their smart pots (5 gallon size) and just moved them once as far as the transplanting of them goes. Outside of that, I can see some pluses that this method of grow has.

Thanks again,
MaineYankee

Yank - be very alert if you stick with that feeding schedule. It's really easy to chemically bind your phosphorus/calcium/magnesium leaving these elements unavailable to the plant. Cannabis is a weed. Treat it as such. Feed when the plant gives you a reason (generally the first sign will be leaves starting to turn yellow, how it is turning yellow (top or bottom of plant, the whole leaf turning or just parts of it, etc) will help you diagnose the deficiency.

So I take it not to adhere to a strict watering schedule of every 4 days ( 3 full days without water ) ? Kind of lost me here MB, especially since I was planning on Hydro in which the root system is in water 24/7. Before I fed the girls this last time, the individual containers were light, and not heavy as compared to receiving water.

So that leaves the nutrients aspect, in which I think you are more in line saying to watch out for. I thought from my reading, that one did not want to see the leaves starting to turn yellow, or how it was turning etc. So in a wrap, do not feed them the "Moxie Mix" of nutrients that I have scheduled, but rather see which ones are needed and then mix with the water only those needed ?

Thanks for the warning, and will always render to the ones that know
MaineYankee

use the lift test to know when to water. fill a pot of the same size with your soil, all dry. lift it, see how much it weighs. now when you think its time to water your plants you can lift the pot to gage a refference of water held in the soil.. obviously the plant will add weight. over watering is a huge rookie move.

feeding is going to be YOUR science. we could all debate all day about how to feed, I feed every watering. how much I feed varies on what I see the plant doing, how long into the grow it is, how fas it drank and fed last watering, ect.. the point being everyone has their own little science about feeding.. good luck

Yep feeding can be tricky business, especially with soil. I know that for at least the first year I was growing, I underfed. My plants were yellowing by the 4th week of bud, and stuff I read suggested that this was normal.

Wrong. My plants now only begin to yellow and die toward harvest. I happen to use the FoxFarm nutes, 3 liquid and 3 soluable. And I now follow their schedule of every other watering. And I measure the volume I give the plants, whether it is plain water or nutes. This is working a lot better for me, I have green healthy plants right up until harvest.

I mentioned the FF not to suggest it is better than any other specific brand. I am sure there are better ones. But, it works well for me. I may try another line at some point if I see or hear exceptional things.

If you use Dyna-Gro I would be surprised if you ever went back to anything else........

and if you started using canna I bet you would never go back to anything else..

I actually use canna's base nutes, some H&G additives, and one or two others depending on the time of the grow.. no one co has the lock down on a good grow BUT AN does have a lock down on taking your money as does UGC.. :/

I like the guys at HTG a lot better than UGC. Only good thing about UGC is they are open on Sunday in a pinch.

Thanks as always for all of the info ... and everyone is right to some extent as for we all do not like to eat spinach. I agree also that it will be MY "Expertise" as I grow older in growing that I will "fine tune" the nutrients, and the watering, and all of the ills and tribulations in between.

By chance scanning the internet, I found a closer Hydroponic store located closer to me in Augusta. Since the wife has Sundays and Mondays off, we were kind of forced to just use UGC in Topsham, usually on way south to Portland to get my meds. My caregiver showed me a location in South Portland by the Mall called Horticultural Supply, and they were open on Mondays, although the store was pretty much empty as far as I could see. (Perhaps all of the Good stuff was out back or something). HTG in Portland last I knew was closed on Sundays as well as Mondays, so the only game was UGC. Now I have the Grass Root Grower in Augusta

Does anyone know if the Auburn dispensary carry edibles?

and if you started using canna I bet you would never go back to anything else..

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I spend a whole lot less on Dyna than I can for Canna.....hell a gallon of canna's boost is 5 bills.....

yeah, the boost is pricey, and i go back and forth on if i love it or not. but the base nutes arent that bad and the best organic bases around.
I don't use the boost.

I also see where some ppl use Blackstrap Molasses towards the end of flowering. Is this something to look into for my crop this time around? Keep in mind that this will prolly be my last soil grow for a bit.

I used to use molasses. It isn't just for flowering, or the end of flowering. I believe it is mainly used for its magnesium, and I use epsom salt for that now.

maineyankee said:

So I take it not to adhere to a strict watering schedule of every 4 days ( 3 full days without water ) ? Kind of lost me here MB, especially since I was planning on Hydro in which the root system is in water 24/7. Before I fed the girls this last time, the individual containers were light, and not heavy as compared to receiving water.

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Water as necessary. I water as necessary and every three days during vegs. What i don't do (and what i thought you said you were doing) is add nutes to the water for every feeding. Soil chemistry is far different that water chemistry - the fact that you are constantly feeding your plants in hydroponics doesn't mean you should constantly feeding your plants in soil.

now that we discussing grow shops may I recommend Maine Hydroponic Supply on root 17 between Augusta and Rockland... I went there for the first time last week and its (next to HTG) one if the best stocked stores I have gone to so far,check it out...its teus-sat though...

Maine Brookies said:

Water as necessary. I water as necessary and every three days during vegs. What i don't do (and what i thought you said you were doing) is add nutes to the water for every feeding. Soil chemistry is far different that water chemistry - the fact that you are constantly feeding your plants in hydroponics doesn't mean you should constantly feeding your plants in soil.

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You were correct MB. I WAS watering with the (3) nutes added. I know that I will now curtail "The Moxie Mix" and add as needed.

The thing that gets me ( and I know that I have the lower end of the spectrum of the nutrition line, Advanced Nutrients) ( They came with the package that I purchased from a former grower).... I went to AN website, as well as read each label, and they all state (The ones that I use) to add to every water feeding. This is bad, especially for newbies like myself.

I kind of like what Tet was saying about using Epsom Salt, rather than what is on the market such as Blackstrap Molasses. Are there any other "Homemade" substitutions that I should know about that will take care of Mag./Phosphorus/ etc. chemicals that you would use instead on the "Market Lines"?

Biological Graffity said:

now that we discussing grow shops may I recommend Maine Hydroponic Supply on root 17 between Augusta and Rockland... I went there for the first time last week and its (next to HTG) one if the best stocked stores I have gone to so far,check it out...its teus-sat though...

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LOL ... Is there a thing that Hydroponics store are, for the most part, closed on Sundays and Mondays? I think I will have to ask my wife's boss to change her days off so we can go a shopping (We call it Mahshougin). LMAO

Happy Holidays !!
MaineYankee

I've been told to be sure to use garden epsom salts, not grocery store epsom salts. Apparently they are not the same thing. Molasses does double duty in that it provides direct nutrients to the plant but also provides food for the beneficial bacteria (commonly called the microherd) present in the soil. It does have to be blackstrap molasses, the sulfured stuff is harmful. I know organic growers who swear by the stuff. If you are growing organically molasses is a crucial ingredient in aerated compost teas.

molasses has the same 'burn' type concern as nutes, not that it will nute burn your plants BUT it will encourage insect growth, root gnats, root aphids, ect.. If your dirt has any bad bacterria in it it will blow up that growth too.. Look into AACT's and they will talk a lot about sugars, o2, and time to figure out if you have good bact. or bad bact.

I have seen the molasses, bring out root gnats first hand..

it's good stuff but don't over use it.

and i have heard the same info about epsom salt, which makes since. you don't want to salt the earth in your pots right?