How long have you been growing & other questions?

[hps4891]

How long have you been growing? Whose the top person you look up to grow wise? Better yet whose your mentor if u have one, and have you been given good grow advice from anyone well known and if so what was the advice? Who would you consider the top grower in yoir opinion? Were all going to have different opinions so lets keep this civil and respect what others have learned and their opinions. We can all learn something from everyone even if it's just to not be like them!

 

[Edinburgh]

Been growing for 40 years outdoors, 20 years indoors under first mh and now led, for the last 8 years have been growing only autoflowers, this is because cultivation is illegal here and autoflowers tend to smell less or if they do stink its for a lot less time, this sux as i like doing decient photo grows but this is impossible as i live in a large apt complex in the middle of a city, so 8 years ago i started running autos on an assembly line basis so i most allways have my own weed, i allso quickly found out autoflowers are not photos and i had to figure them out with little or no help, on the upside i myself bealive that i me has a hell of allot of experience growing autos and i am probably in the top 5 on this site with this knowledge as most people dissmis autoflowers as a fad, or worse, well friends there here to stay and over the last 8 years some strains have improved dramatically to the point where in my opinion they are now legitimate, or rather we have some very inovative auto breeders, i was taught to grow outdoors by my first cousin a nam vet, he taught me everything, when i started under lights i allready had the knowledge to grow outdoors, but had to figure out for myself how lights work, and all that, thats when i met a guy who owns a hydro store, this guy can take one look and tell whats wrong, he helped me out a great deal with his advice and it has allways been spot on, has to be if he wants return buisness, so on this site i am nowhere near the best grower by a long shot, but i do okay i dont ask for advice beacuse i dont need it, however like i said i do have allot of knowledge on how to grow autoflowers self taught and have grown 100s of different stains by different breeders, i know who has good beans and who does not, i know the stuff you need to have to grow autos and in what quantity, yea i can help trouble shoot and all that, so yea i do think i am one of the most experienced autoflower growers on this site, but no way am i the best grower, not by a longshot, but i do ok! enough not to have to ask for help.

 

[BigCube]

How long have you been growing? Whose the top person you look up to grow wise? Better yet whose your mentor if u have one, and have you been given good grow advice from anyone well known and if so what was the advice? Who would you consider the top grower in yoir opinion? Were all going to have different opinions so lets keep this civil and respect what others have learned and their opinions. We can all learn something from everyone even if it's just to not be like them!

Been growing for about 20 years. Give or take a couple years. I dont "look up" to anyone. Of all the growers I know personally, I am probably the most proficient. Not saying I know it all or that I'm better than everyone, just that of the people I personally know I grow the best and most consistent. Over the years I've always been the one they call to troubleshoot issues or for advice.

As for "famous" growers. I couldn't care less. The fastest way for me to not like a thing is to make it popular. I dont watch cannabis related content at all.

 

[oldskol4evr]

my mentors were ecompost and gt21,great guys in the field of all around gardening,from weed to trees,yep great guys and patience,only been growing a minute,each day is a learning lesson,buddies have long been banned but we still chat on other site.
my joy is spreading the word,living a foot print for others is the real deal

 

[Padrepuff]

Been growing for 40 years outdoors, 20 years indoors under first mh and now led, for the last 8 years have been growing only autoflowers, this is because cultivation is illegal here and autoflowers tend to smell less or if they do stink its for a lot less time, this sux as i like doing decient photo grows but this is impossible as i live in a large apt complex in the middle of a city, so 8 years ago i started running autos on an assembly line basis so i most allways have my own weed, i allso quickly found out autoflowers are not photos and i had to figure them out with little or no help, on the upside i myself bealive that i me has a hell of allot of experience growing autos and i am probably in the top 5 on this site with this knowledge as most people dissmis autoflowers as a fad, or worse, well friends there here to stay and over the last 8 years some strains have improved dramatically to the point where in my opinion they are now legitimate, or rather we have some very inovative auto breeders, i was taught to grow outdoors by my first cousin a nam vet, he taught me everything, when i started under lights i allready had the knowledge to grow outdoors, but had to figure out for myself how lights work, and all that, thats when i met a guy who owns a hydro store, this guy can take one look and tell whats wrong, he helped me out a great deal with his advice and it has allways been spot on, has to be if he wants return buisness, so on this site i am nowhere near the best grower by a long shot, but i do okay i dont ask for advice beacuse i dont need it, however like i said i do have allot of knowledge on how to grow autoflowers self taught and have grown 100s of different stains by different breeders, i know who has good beans and who does not, i know the stuff you need to have to grow autos and in what quantity, yea i can help trouble shoot and all that, so yea i do think i am one of the most experienced autoflower growers on this site, but no way am i the best grower, not by a longshot, but i do ok! enough not to have to ask for help.

I'm a MMJ advocate. That being said trying to finish getting what I need for a first grow.

Do you use Fox Farms Ocean soil for the autos? Also should I plant the seeds directly in the soil of germinate in coco coir? Also would go with Mars Hydro LED or what LED's do you use.
Thanks for the help.

 

[hps4891]

I'm a MMJ advocate. That being said trying to finish getting what I need for a first grow.

Do you use Fox Farms Ocean soil for the autos? Also should I plant the seeds directly in the soil of germinate in coco coir? Also would go with Mars Hydro LED or what LED's do you use.
Thanks for the help.

Congratulations on starting your 1st grow bruh! I use ffof soil but for seedlings I use peat/perlite for the 1st week or so after they pop. The ocean forest tends to be a little hot for seedlings. I have always grown photos, so not sure about autos but I dont think the general things (other than the obvious) would be much different than photos. I dont have any experience with coco, ive always been a soil person. That being said, i use the paper towel/ziploc baggie method to germinate. As far as led's, someone else maybe better to answer that for ya, as ive always been a mh/hps person too. I put seedlings & clones under mh (600) right after they pop but always make sure to tune into how theyre feeling and always make sure to give them enough distance under a light that strong. Good luck & never be afraid to ask questions its how we all learn & there's no dumb questions when it comes to keepin the girls happy!

 

[Beachwalker]

86 to 95 ..hydro

16 to now ..soil

Jorge Cervantes

 

[Jimster]

I tried growing in 69 outdoors, but it was a dismal failure. I was pretty young and there was nobody around to give advice for growing the Mexican crap of the time.It was in the later 70s that I was shown how to grow indoors, which was 1000X more successful than any outdoor grows I had. The fellow who showed me the way had a very simple setup which I still use today with very little variation... mostly some added amendments and better HID light bulbs.
I don't really consider anyone as an ultimate grower as there aren't many in my area that have grown for as long. On this forum, this isn't the case as there are many knowledgeable growers. I'm fortunate because I have found a growing style and method that works great for me, without needing too much attention or having any real problems. I grow exclusively in Promix, but there are as many ways to grow as there are members here, so be prepared to look at a bunch of different methods from different areas and types of growing.
The whole growing issue has changed greatly over the last few years, with the main goal nowadays seeming to be profit oriented instead of just providing some decent buds for use by yourself and a few close friends. For decades, growing was a taboo subject and it is hard to divorce those old paranoid feelings. It is just now that some of the old guys are coming out of the grow closet!

 

[hps4891]

I tried growing in 69 outdoors, but it was a dismal failure. I was pretty young and there was nobody around to give advice for growing the Mexican crap of the time.It was in the later 70s that I was shown how to grow indoors, which was 1000X more successful than any outdoor grows I had. The fellow who showed me the way had a very simple setup which I still use today with very little variation... mostly some added amendments and better HID light bulbs.
I don't really consider anyone as an ultimate grower as there aren't many in my area that have grown for as long. On this forum, this isn't the case as there are many knowledgeable growers. I'm fortunate because I have found a growing style and method that works great for me, without needing too much attention or having any real problems. I grow exclusively in Promix, but there are as many ways to grow as there are members here, so be prepared to look at a bunch of different methods from different areas and types of growing.
The whole growing issue has changed greatly over the last few years, with the main goal nowadays seeming to be profit oriented instead of just providing some decent buds for use by yourself and a few close friends. For decades, growing was a taboo subject and it is hard to divorce those old paranoid feelings. It is just now that some of the old guys are coming out of the grow closet!

Thats awesome I wish I had some OG's around to show me tips & tricks! I only have my own/close families experience so yes this board has been awesome to browse and to see such a variety of what works for so many. I've been growing bout 20 years but by no means do I consider myself experienced, ive only found what works for ME. Now somebody whose grown 40 or 50+ years inna variety of circumstances, thats what I would call experienced. I completely agree with your view on there being a shift from quality towards profit. I STILL (not intentionally) aggravate people with my 3 or 4 month plus veg times and 1 month plus cure times. But nobody complains after cures finished haha! Glad to hear from ya bruh (and everyone else whose posted) thank you 4 yer post!

 

[Curly1]

I’ve only been growing three years. I think I’m very good but I know I’m still green when compared to other growers who have been doing it longer. I had/have a mentor who saved me a decade of frustration by systematically teaching me his procedures over two years. Without him I could not have the operation I have now. I hope to pay this kindness forward at some point but not until I get a better grasp on deficiencies, etc. anyone can pretend, I don’t want to be that guy. I suppose this is why I’m here now. I’m ready to clean up some areas of my grow and I needed a trusted forum.

 

[One drop]

I’ve been growing from the age of 15 I’m originally from Nimbin I’m 58 I accredit my Father & Mother for the knowledge I have both of them to thank both were Horticulturist and ran a great nursery for many years , they Aquarian’s people that first went to Nimbin to live in nature , I have finished my 3 year horticulture cert years ago looking into going back to cert 4 plant science and do my papers all on cannabis .

 

[MIMedGrower]

Been growing 6 years this month. Was in the industry as a “sales rep” since 1983. I have known quite a few growers over the years. I Started because when i moved to michigan i couldnt find decent weed reliably and eventually got my medical weed card and was disapointed by local medical caregivers. So I bought some books and started reading...

And here we are.

 

[Dirtbag]

Started growing in about 97 or 98 outdoors, and been growing indoors half seriously since early 2000's. Known a lot of commercial cash croppers in BC and worked for quite a few over the years from about '05-15... That's probably where I picked up most of my bad habits.

Cant say I know too many "famous" growers but I'm good friends with some very successful ones who trickle info down to me from time to time.
Inspiration, That would have to be Franco Loja. That guy had a passion for cannabis that was palpable. When you watch the strain hunter series you could see his excitement anytime he found a new field.. cannabis was his life. RIP.

 

[PipeCarver]

Started growing in about 97 or 98 outdoors, and been growing indoors half seriously since early 2000's. Known a lot of commercial cash croppers in BC and worked for quite a few over the years from about '05-15... That's probably where I picked up most of my bad habits.

Cant say I know too many "famous" growers but I'm good friends with some very successful ones who trickle info down to me from time to time.
Inspiration, That would have to be Franco Loja. That guy had a passion for cannabis that was palpable. When you watch the strain hunter series you could see his excitement anytime he found a new field.. cannabis was his life. RIP.

i guess I started growing in 1968 with seeds from Mexican dirt weed. plants got to be about 10" tall with 6 or 8 leaves lol. that was it couldn't wait any longer, dried overnight on register and smoked 1 joint of shit cough grass almost puked. Took a few more years then We grew some outdoor stuff that got pretty big 6-7' but still shit leaf (what's bud ).

A few years later 1977 I was in Hawaii with guys that grew awesome weed but i just watched and smoked as they grew.
I was in California in 78 where I met guys that were growing in the hills, I got too see their operation, I was asked if I wanted in but I was too paranoid, I kick my self for that, they came out with monster buds like I'd never seen before the size of my fist, I was used to smoking Red Sensimilla at the time and it came with small buds nothing like what came out of the hills. It was my first look at Indica plants. Short stalky big buds.

I didn't grow anything until around 2000 when I bought a 1000 w hps I vegged and flowered under it until I learned better. I fumbled along inside for years until my hips took me out for 3 years until they were replaced and I've been back at it since 4 years steady now,

I was really a shit grower until I found this site and invested more time and effort into learning and reading others posts seeing how they're growing and succeeding. I didn't have much in the way of tools or equipment either. I was afraid of attracting attention just driving into a grow shop. No way would I get Amazon deliveries with anything to do with pot.

Now that we're semi legal the cats out of the bag, I'm retired,my hairs halfway down my back and I haven't shaved in 10 years and I don't give a rats ass any more.

 

[tobh]

On and off for the past 17 years. Maybe a little before. Smoked my first time at an unreasonably young age and popped seeds within a couple weeks (who remembers Mexican brick? ).

There used to be a handful of people on here that I look up to pretty significantly. papapayne, SeaMaiden, Tnelz, Junk, G (don't remember his handle) just to name a few. SeaMaiden taught me a ton about organic growing. Junk, papapayne, and tnelz taught me about scale. G and his ol lady taught me everything I know about coco. They all taught me the details of calculating NPKs, the effects of pH, EC, and VPD.

At this point, I highly admire Dragons Flame Genetics. Dude has always been humble (used to go by another handle here). His abilities are beyond phenomenal, and he grows absolutely monstrous trees. Just ordered some of his genetics, in fact. Some day, I'd love to fall into his type lifestyle, good and bad.

As for G, I really resonate with our first conversations now. Software engineer turned grower. Expanded to a point he was able to make more than his annual salary growing, and he quit torturing himself to go full time. Any other software engineers will understand this -- if you're not working for yourself, you're building shit you couldn't care less about, and answering to people that have no clue the mental tax you pay to do what you do, even if you love doing it. All that against impossible timelines, and for someone else to get rich while you make peanuts in comparison.

As for a top grower, I can't definitively say that. I know a handful of other growers personally, and of course the dispensaries have some real fire. A couple of the local shops I'd consider to be my go-to are House of Cultivar and DawgStar Farms. Otherwise, that last bit is all up to the eye of the beholder. At the end of the day, the best growers are the ones that smoke what they grow.

A lot of people never make it to the finish line for countless reasons; those that do know their weed smokes better than anything money can buy.

 

[mancorn]

I was afraid of attracting attention just driving into a grow shop. No way would I get Amazon deliveries with anything to do with pot.

I had to laugh as the other day after buying something on Amazon, after checking out they show you items you might be interested in. There was Dennis Peron on a High Times cover. His multistory dispensary in the City back in the 90’s was by far the coolest I've seen in 30 years. (Even had live bands.)

Anyway, pretty sure Amazon is on to me!