What I’ve Learned in the First 4 Weeks of Growing

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Dothraki

Dothraki

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I started my first grow in a 3x3 tent under full spec LED in 70/30 coco/expanded clay balls with solo cups. I am growing 5 plants, 3 strains, from seed.
4 weeks later...here is what I’d say so far

1) Transplanting from coco/clay is a bitch...just use perlite. Make sure it’s wet, but not soaked. Certainly not dry. I had two fall apart from being too dry and to top it off those stupid clay balls fell out even with the moist ones.

2) Check your cups for drain holes before filling lol. At transplant I realized I forgot to put them in the sour power cup. Strangely enough it’s been the best and biggest growing of the bunch (Heres my current journal if you wanna check it out https://www.thcfarmer.com/threads/f...r-power-with-the-spider-farmer-se5000.133884/ and https://www.thcfarmer.com/threads/f...wer-pt-2-spider-farmer-se5000-journal.134885/ )

3) LEDs require higher temps and plants commonly require a little more calcium and magnesium when growing under them...and coco likes to absorb magnesium too so think about precharging it with cal/mag.

4) No one likes a scared Nancy, so stop freaking out over every little leaf blemish. This becomes apparent once you start to understand how the blemish got there ie: leaf was accidentally wetted by the nutrient solution...of course it’s gonna look like it has Gonorrhea after sitting under your powerful radioactive grow lights while soaked in a solution of powerful nutrient molecules. Look to new growth for your answers, and watch for changes in both.

5) Pay attention to the guy saying “hey bro you might want a bigger tent”! A 3x3 is pretty effin small when you realize you have to get in there and water, trim leaves, adjust the light, move the clip on fan to a different spot etc. Forget about putting a heater or humidifier in there. It’s tight as hell and I’m not even in flower yet. I take them out of the tent for maintenance every time.

6) Sometimes you’ll think “man growth is slow. Those leaves are exactly the same size they were yesterday” then you realize those are two new leaves and the other ones have already grown bigger than your head.

7) Most of the process I’ve found that doing NOTHING is better than doing anything at all. Many times I thought I should probably try to fix something but just left it alone and everything went fine, got better, and is rocking into a beautiful little miniature tropical rainforest.

8) Watering with a pump spray takes fooooorever. Like 1.5 - 2 hours is my total routine. But I enjoy it. I’m sure you can do it faster but I like to take my time and I think the plants dig it. But dang it takes forever lol.

9) I forget what number 9 is

10) Enjoy the process! 90% of the time I have to remind myself that in the end there will be clumps of dank bud hangin from those branches and that’s because once I got going, all the fun is watching this alien creature literally grow into existence from what appears to be nothing...that tiny mouse poop sized seed. It’s wild.


Hope this helps someone just getting started. Stick around and meet some good people here at “The Farm”.

What are some curve balls or oversights you’ve experienced first starting out? Drop it down below. Come check out my first grow in the links above. Who knows, maybe it’ll be a trainwreck (pun intended) haha

What ive learned in the first 4 weeks of growing
 
tobh

tobh

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Man.. thank you for posting this. I've been on more forums than I can count, and been growing for more than half my life at this point, and to see a newish member be vulnerable and lay out "this has been my experience" so concisely is refreshing. You've got this.

I'll drop some terrible shit from my early days.

1) A 400W HPS is hot as fuck. You absolutely need ventilation to run it, and by god do NOT touch the bulb while it's on. I still have a scar from that one.

2) Fire ants don't fuck around. These assholes will burrow out the centers of your plant and bite the fuck out of you when you realize they're killing your shit.

3) Soil belongs outside. That shit your mom keeps in the shed is for houseplants, and it doesn't even do a great job of keeping those low maintenance beings content. Find another media.

4) READ. The adage "there are no dumb questions" does not apply on a forum. The older the forum, the more likely the question you're about to ask has already been asked and answered 10k different ways. You're not special, your question isn't either. Do research before you start a thread, and provide all the details (and possible solutions you've tried/don't apply).

5) Be patient. This doesn't mean over mother your plants, nor does it mean ignore them. It simply means they're living and breathing just like you, so hold fast and enjoy the pace they offer. In this world, everything moves fast. Your plants can be a check on your perceptions, so don't try to make them pick up the pace.

6) Don't be a dick. I'm still working on this. Many here know I'm liable to pop off for seemingly no reason and when it happens, I dig in. Don't be like me.

7) Flip to flower earlier than you think you need to. Seriously.

Can't think of ten so you get seven. either way, thank you. Stoked to see you get to harvest and continue contributing around here.
 
mysticepipedon

mysticepipedon

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I love this one:

7) Most of the process I’ve found that doing NOTHING is better than doing anything at all. Many times I thought I should probably try to fix something but just left it alone and everything went fine, got better, and is rocking into a beautiful little miniature tropical rainforest.

Years ago, I'd get in trouble when looking at perfectly healthy plants (usually young) and thinking there must be something I can do to help, then doing it.
 
tobh

tobh

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Disagree. Name another medium that accepts tap water as is
not sure what your point is.

regardless the medium, either you're going to have to add nutrients from the start or at some point in the plant's life. don't try to counter with "you can use no till living soil organics" either, a new grower isn't going to be playing to that level yet and even if they are, you can't use most tap water "as is" because of the chlorine concentration's negative impact on beneficial microbes in the living soil.

I'm not here to argue all the reasons soil is arguably the worst medium for a new grower to use, but my opinion still stands -- dirt belongs outside.
 
tobh

tobh

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INDOOR SOIL GROWS ARE KING ................. FACT .
so why you quote me and not say anything? there's nothing factual about what you said, especially if you haven't tried anything different.

In nearly 20 years of growing, I've used damn near every medium there is and soil has historically, and repeatedly, proven to be subpar to promix, coco, and hydro (of different methods). The easiest by far has proven to be rockwool, only seconded by recirculating dutch buckets. Let me explain why my opinion is what it is.

In soil:

You are lucky to see veg rates even half as fast as in a soilless medium. FACT.

You're more likely to have bugs and general filth around your grow area. FACT.

You can't rapidly resolve fuck ups because it retains water like a chick on her period. FACT.

You're more likely to overwater and completely fuck up because nothing changes quickly in soil. FACT.

You have new growers with maybe a couple harvests under their belts and that buddy that "grows organic trees outdoors" that think they know their shit, when IN FACT they don't.

Now, in soilless/hydro:

You have full control over whatever is going on in the media. FACT.

You can quickly address lockouts, deficiencies, and other common issues with visible results within days, not weeks. FACT

You have almost zero chance of overwatering. FACT.

You stand a better than not chance of having pests introduced to your environment by a subpar, money hungry organization hustling basically different kinds of animal shit with some compost, peat and bark mixed in. FACT.

You get exponential growth rates cutting down seed-to-harvest. FACT.

You end up with a cleaner burning, higher quality product. FACT.

Now if you can change my mind on any of the above with valid proof aside from shouting an opinion with no backing other than cognitive dissonance and an insistance on being a childish troll, I'm all ears. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut and don't @ me. I'm working on not being a dick and rather drop you on ignore than deal with a keyboard warrior that hasn't added any value to this forum at this point.
 
Bluntsmoke

Bluntsmoke

289
63
so why you quote me and not say anything? there's nothing factual about what you said, especially if you haven't tried anything different.

In nearly 20 years of growing, I've used damn near every medium there is and soil has historically, and repeatedly, proven to be subpar to promix, coco, and hydro (of different methods). The easiest by far has proven to be rockwool, only seconded by recirculating dutch buckets. Let me explain why my opinion is what it is.

In soil:

You are lucky to see veg rates even half as fast as in a soilless medium. FACT.

You're more likely to have bugs and general filth around your grow area. FACT.

You can't rapidly resolve fuck ups because it retains water like a chick on her period. FACT.

You're more likely to overwater and completely fuck up because nothing changes quickly in soil. FACT.

You have new growers with maybe a couple harvests under their belts and that buddy that "grows organic trees outdoors" that think they know their shit, when IN FACT they don't.

Now, in soilless/hydro:

You have full control over whatever is going on in the media. FACT.

You can quickly address lockouts, deficiencies, and other common issues with visible results within days, not weeks. FACT

You have almost zero chance of overwatering. FACT.

You stand a better than not chance of having pests introduced to your environment by a subpar, money hungry organization hustling basically different kinds of animal shit with some compost, peat and bark mixed in. FACT.

You get exponential growth rates cutting down seed-to-harvest. FACT.

You end up with a cleaner burning, higher quality product. FACT.

Now if you can change my mind on any of the above with valid proof aside from shouting an opinion with no backing other than cognitive dissonance and an insistance on being a childish troll, I'm all ears. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut and don't @ me. I'm working on not being a dick and rather drop you on ignore than deal with a keyboard warrior that hasn't added any value to this forum at this point.
😂 None of these are facts
 

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