Feedback/Constructive Criticism Please..

sebbay

Member
Yoo
I was at a party about a week ago now and a guy there gave me a few seeds, I've wanted to grow for ages so i started germinating them the next morning..
This is my first grow so i was just looking for some feedback or comments on how im doing everything and if im doing it right..
I'm pretty sure they were from a mixed bag, I've planted them into just general-use compost and using CLF's.
Cheers!
 

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catnips

Well-Known Member
general use compost? You need soil for your plant to thrive and preferrably something other than Miracle Grow potting soil; Fox Farm Ocean Forest is what I've used in the past. Others I talk to prefer Promix-brand soil. You'll probably want to add more light. If that silver stuff is tin foil, you might think twice about using that (I've heard experienced growers say don't use it).

I'm relatively new to growing so I'm not able to provide too much in the way of an informed opinion. Good luck!
 

robert 14617

Well-Known Member
this is what catnips was refering to good luck ...rob
Aluminum Foil:
Aluminum foil is no more than 55% reflective - if used, make sure that the dull side is the one that is used to reflect the light. When it becomes creased its reflectivity is even lower (around 35%.) It is also very dangerous to use because it creates hotspots easily, is electrically conductive, and is a fire hazard when it is in close contact with HID lighting. Attaching this to walls is a pain and usually using aluminum tape or glue is the best way. This should only be used as a last resort, and even then its usefulness is questionable.
 

sebbay

Member
Thanks for the heads up on the aluminum foil.. its actually one of those emergency blankets that keep you nice and warm, but i guess it works the same way. Actually its a lot more reflective than foil so I'll change that.
I'll also mix the compost with some regular soil..
Here are a few more pictures, two of the plants are coming along nicely but one of them has stayed quite small and its leaves are slightly yellower than the other two. i guess this is because my friend thought it would be cool if the plant tasted of nag champa incense so he sprinkled some in, not so cool.. i changed the top of the soil but is there anything else i can do?
im also using 3 11-18 watt bulbs which seem to be doing fine.. plants are growing very fast but i will swap them with this big 400w orangey light that gets very hot.. (cant remember what they are called lol)
i also keep accidentally burning them which is what you can see on the pictures...
anyways yeah thanks for the feedback.
 

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sebbay

Member
i forgot to say one of the plants has gone a bit droopy.. is there anything i can do for this?
 

blahblahblah123

Active Member
Hey dude, kind of a side note, nothing against your friends or anything.. but if that friend wouldn't bury a body with you, don't tell them about your grow.. loose lips sink ships!
 

StreetRider

Active Member
ERmgency blankets are mylar. You have the right stuff. Alot of people use rolls of it, but the blankets are a cheap alternative.
 

DannyGreenEyes

Well-Known Member
Droopy leaves usually means either underwatering or overwatering. Mine always droop a little when I water them, but then they perk up. I wait till I start to see them droop a little to tell me they need water, then I give em another 24 hours hoping the roots will expand out searching for more water, then I give them more water. I'm just trying that technique for the first time and not sure if it's effective, just trying to help you figure out under/over watering.

Do you have anything in the soil for airation? If not I'd suggest a 1/3 perlite 2/3 soil mix when you get ready to transplant them to a bigger pot. It helps with water regulation and getting air to the roots which they need.

Mylar is the best reflective surface to use. If you have a grow store near by, a huge roll will run you about $25. If you have no grow stores near by, go to a dollar store and get some Mylar baloons. Cut them open and use the reflective side inside.

I also think I might see some nute burns, are you using fertilizer? If you are you might want to skip a feeding every now and then till you see the burns stop. If you overfeed too much bad things will happen. Eventually you're plants will get nute block and wont be able to absorb nutes anymore. In worst case senerio they'll even stop absorbing water. Then you're looking at flushing, possibly replanting. It's a real headache. If you're not using fertilizer I'd suggest trying a different soil when you transplant. Some soils are too hot (too many nutes in the dirt) for some strains, especially when the plants are young.

Also, nute burns can cause thin & underdeveloped roots which will stunt growth. If the soil's too hot you may want to replant that small one now into a more mild soil, she seems to be having more of a problem than the rest. Don't forget the perlite.

That's all I can think of. You're plants basically look good, but this might help them look even better.

Scratch the Mylar suggestion, didn't know the blankets had Mylar on them.
 

sebbay

Member
Sweet so I'll whack the emergency blanket back up.. it worked a lot better than my sketchbooks

Droopy leaves usually means either underwatering or overwatering. Mine always droop a little when I water them, but then they perk up. I wait till I start to see them droop a little to tell me they need water, then I give em another 24 hours hoping the roots will expand out searching for more water, then I give them more water. I'm just trying that technique for the first time and not sure if it's effective, just trying to help you figure out under/over watering.

Do you have anything in the soil for airation? If not I'd suggest a 1/3 perlite 2/3 soil mix when you get ready to transplant them to a bigger pot. It helps with water regulation and getting air to the roots which they need.

Mylar is the best reflective surface to use. If you have a grow store near by, a huge roll will run you about $25. If you have no grow stores near by, go to a dollar store and get some Mylar baloons. Cut them open and use the reflective side inside.

I also think I might see some nute burns, are you using fertilizer? If you are you might want to skip a feeding every now and then till you see the burns stop. If you overfeed too much bad things will happen. Eventually you're plants will get nute block and wont be able to absorb nutes anymore. In worst case senerio they'll even stop absorbing water. Then you're looking at flushing, possibly replanting. It's a real headache. If you're not using fertilizer I'd suggest trying a different soil when you transplant. Some soils are too hot (too many nutes in the dirt) for some strains, especially when the plants are young.

Also, nute burns can cause thin & underdeveloped roots which will stunt growth. If the soil's too hot you may want to replant that small one now into a more mild soil, she seems to be having more of a problem than the rest. Don't forget the perlite.

That's all I can think of. You're plants basically look good, but this might help them look even better.

Scratch the Mylar suggestion, didn't know the blankets had Mylar on them.

The droopy leaves seem to have sorted them selves out, the underwatering or overwatering thing makes sense- nice one.

and nope, i dont have anything else in the soil, its just dirt and compost- about 50/50 and some stones here and there.. do you reckon those tiny polystyrene balls would work? and can i leave this till i transplant?

The burns you see I'm 80% sure all of them are burns from the lights im using- i kept accidentally letting them slip down. But i am using nutrients- Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food (15-30-15) and the recommended amount for household plants lol
Im also experimenting with mixing bonsai and cactus fertilizer and feeding that to one plant and Maxicrop Original Seaweed Extract- organic plant growth stimulant to another..

One last question out of curiosity.. how big would a plant grow if you just left it in the veg cycle? could you grow a tree??

Thanks for all the help!
 

catnips

Well-Known Member
Hey dude, kind of a side note, nothing against your friends or anything.. but if that friend wouldn't bury a body with you, don't tell them about your grow.. loose lips sink ships!
This bears repeating. Why make the same mistakes others have made in the past when you are able to avoid those same mistakes by exercising reason? None of my friends knows anything about what I'm doing with plants. I listened to the guy who told me how he got burned by someone he trusted more than anyone. If it happened to him, it could happen to me. Remember: SAFETY FIRST! Best to keep all info about your grow to yourself. This requires you to be able to grow without the need for having others (in meatspace at least) give you kudos.

Take the time to ask yourself: Why am I growing? What are the risks involved, if any? Am I willing to suffer the consequences should the worse imaginable scenario occur? Am I growing for fun, for profit or to impress my friends? These sorts of questions are important ones to answer honestly for yourself so as to increase your own awareness.
 

DannyGreenEyes

Well-Known Member
Sweet so I'll whack the emergency blanket back up.. it worked a lot better than my sketchbooks




The droopy leaves seem to have sorted them selves out, the underwatering or overwatering thing makes sense- nice one.

and nope, i dont have anything else in the soil, its just dirt and compost- about 50/50 and some stones here and there.. do you reckon those tiny polystyrene balls would work? and can i leave this till i transplant?

The burns you see I'm 80% sure all of them are burns from the lights im using- i kept accidentally letting them slip down. But i am using nutrients- Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food (15-30-15) and the recommended amount for household plants lol
Im also experimenting with mixing bonsai and cactus fertilizer and feeding that to one plant and Maxicrop Original Seaweed Extract- organic plant growth stimulant to another..

One last question out of curiosity.. how big would a plant grow if you just left it in the veg cycle? could you grow a tree??

Thanks for all the help!
If polystyrene are those little balls used in packing, then I've heard of people using them before, but you'll want to find a way to sterile them first. Any eggs or mold spores that have gotten on them will cause problems down the road. Perlite is really a better idea, and it's cheap. I bought a 3 foot tall bag for $18 at the nursery. But don't use any that include nutes, I think miracle grow has 1 with nutes, avoid it.

That's also a lot of compost to use, depending on how hot it is of course. Not bad if it's weaker, like a 8-8-8 rating. But if it's 20-20-20 then it's way to hot to use that much. You should get them in new soil ASAP anyway, miracle grow is known to cause major headaches. Sometimes it's fine and other times it can kill your plants, you can never tell so it's better to avoid Miracle Grow all together. If they ever come out with a soil designed especially for MJ then I might try it. But the dirt they make now really isn't made for MJ.

If you want to use something that comes premixed with some good stuff so you don't have to add nutes for the first month or so, get yourself some Fox Farm Ocean Forrest. That stuff was designed for this type of plant. If you mix it with perlite (1/3 perlite, 2/3 soil) you can make three 5 gallon pots with 2 small bags that cost under $10 each. As long as you don't fertilize you're burns should go away, but if you're using all that fertilizer, then those are nute burns, no question.

For future reference, Foxfarm is a little too hot for seedlings or clippings. For getting seedlings or clippings established you'll want to start with something weaker in a cup (don't use see through cups, light damages roots). Once the roots are established (a few weeks) you can then transplant them into you're 3 or 5 gallon pot with Foxfarm. Best thing to do is to go to a nursery and ask the horticulturist what he/she would use for fern clippings or seedlings.

CFLs shouldn't burn plants. The only thing you might have to worry about is heat. Not on bulbs 32w or less, but I don't know how strong those new bulbs are. A good general rule for heat, if you put your hand under the bulb by the plant and the heat isn't uncomforable for your hand, then it's ok for the plant. You might also want to get a thermometer, the optimum temp for photosynthesis is 72 to 80 degrees. Plants will grow fastest in that range.

You have to seriously stop using so many nutes though, remember this is a weed. It can survive in some pretty harsh conditions if it needs to. All you want to do is to try to make the conditions as comfortable as possible so it can grow with as little limiting conditions as possible. If you transplant into Foxfarm, don't fertilize till your girls tell you they're hungry. They'll even tell you what they're hungry for. When you see some discoloration on the leaves just look up which deficiency your looking at, then add some nutes that include that nutrient. Here are a few good links to use to figure out which deficiency it is. It also has pics of other problems, it's good to try to familiarize yourself with what different problems look like.
https://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-plant-problems/157345-have-plant-problem-check-here.html
https://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-plant-problems/216537-self-diagnose-your-plants.html
http://www.ganjaguerrilla.net/Album3.htm

Plants can get pretty huge, depending on the strain, growing conditions, room for roots & ceiling space. Because of room for roots & ceiling space outdoor grows have produced the biggest plants (see pic 1). Plants like this aren't a good idea though, it takes too many seasons to grow it that big. Every season the plant goes into flower and then back into veg, this is called regenerating, and you loose potency every time you regenerate. That plant is probably a "Meixan Schwag" tree.

The next two are indoor grows, the first one is still in veg and the second is ready to be harvested. This is about the best you're going to do indoors in 4 months (2 mo. veg & 2 mo. flower). A technique called FIM was used on it, you'll only get 1 main cola if you grow without any growing techniques.
 

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sebbay

Member
If polystyrene are those little balls used in packing, then I've heard of people using them before, but you'll want to find a way to sterile them first. Any eggs or mold spores that have gotten on them will cause problems down the road. Perlite is really a better idea, and it's cheap. I bought a 3 foot tall bag for $18 at the nursery. But don't use any that include nutes, I think miracle grow has 1 with nutes, avoid it.

That's also a lot of compost to use, depending on how hot it is of course. Not bad if it's weaker, like a 8-8-8 rating. But if it's 20-20-20 then it's way to hot to use that much. You should get them in new soil ASAP anyway, miracle grow is known to cause major headaches. Sometimes it's fine and other times it can kill your plants, you can never tell so it's better to avoid Miracle Grow all together. If they ever come out with a soil designed especially for MJ then I might try it. But the dirt they make now really isn't made for MJ.

If you want to use something that comes premixed with some good stuff so you don't have to add nutes for the first month or so, get yourself some Fox Farm Ocean Forrest. That stuff was designed for this type of plant. If you mix it with perlite (1/3 perlite, 2/3 soil) you can make three 5 gallon pots with 2 small bags that cost under $10 each. As long as you don't fertilize you're burns should go away, but if you're using all that fertilizer, then those are nute burns, no question.

For future reference, Foxfarm is a little too hot for seedlings or clippings. For getting seedlings or clippings established you'll want to start with something weaker in a cup (don't use see through cups, light damages roots). Once the roots are established (a few weeks) you can then transplant them into you're 3 or 5 gallon pot with Foxfarm. Best thing to do is to go to a nursery and ask the horticulturist what he/she would use for fern clippings or seedlings.

CFLs shouldn't burn plants. The only thing you might have to worry about is heat. Not on bulbs 32w or less, but I don't know how strong those new bulbs are. A good general rule for heat, if you put your hand under the bulb by the plant and the heat isn't uncomforable for your hand, then it's ok for the plant. You might also want to get a thermometer, the optimum temp for photosynthesis is 72 to 80 degrees. Plants will grow fastest in that range.

You have to seriously stop using so many nutes though, remember this is a weed. It can survive in some pretty harsh conditions if it needs to. All you want to do is to try to make the conditions as comfortable as possible so it can grow with as little limiting conditions as possible. If you transplant into Foxfarm, don't fertilize till your girls tell you they're hungry. They'll even tell you what they're hungry for. When you see some discoloration on the leaves just look up which deficiency your looking at, then add some nutes that include that nutrient. Here are a few good links to use to figure out which deficiency it is. It also has pics of other problems, it's good to try to familiarize yourself with what different problems look like.
https://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-plant-problems/157345-have-plant-problem-check-here.html
https://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-plant-problems/216537-self-diagnose-your-plants.html
http://www.ganjaguerrilla.net/Album3.htm

Plants can get pretty huge, depending on the strain, growing conditions, room for roots & ceiling space. Because of room for roots & ceiling space outdoor grows have produced the biggest plants (see pic 1). Plants like this aren't a good idea though, it takes too many seasons to grow it that big. Every season the plant goes into flower and then back into veg, this is called regenerating, and you loose potency every time you regenerate. That plant is probably a "Meixan Schwag" tree.

The next two are indoor grows, the first one is still in veg and the second is ready to be harvested. This is about the best you're going to do indoors in 4 months (2 mo. veg & 2 mo. flower). A technique called FIM was used on it, you'll only get 1 main cola if you grow without any growing techniques.

duly noted.. i've stopped feeding..
about Foxfarm- do you know if you can buy in england? im gunner go up to this garden store and see what i can find soon anyway.
silly question.. whats a cola?
and also here a a couple of photos i just took, should i re-pot? you can see the roots coming out of the bottom.
thanks a lot!
 

DannyGreenEyes

Well-Known Member
duly noted.. i've stopped feeding..
about Foxfarm- do you know if you can buy in england? im gunner go up to this garden store and see what i can find soon anyway.
silly question.. whats a cola?
and also here a a couple of photos i just took, should i re-pot? you can see the roots coming out of the bottom.
thanks a lot!

Yeah, definately time to re-pot before they get root bound (can cause root rot)

When you re-pot be carefull of the light, light hurts roots. Indirect lighting would be best (a little light bleeding in from another room) and if you can you might want to take a quick look at the roots. The tips in the pic look pretty healthy, you want them to be thick like that & white. If you see any thin roots (underdeveloped) or dark roots (root rot) it will tell you alot about how healthy the plant is, and how good the techiniques that you've been using are.

I would imagine that they sell Fox Farm in England, but not sure. You can e-mail them & find out http://foxfarmfertilizer.com/contactfox.html
If they don't, look for a simple soil that has a moderate ammount of nutes at the most. You can always add nutes, getting them out of the soil is a different story. Or you can buy a soil with no nutes and mix in some compost. If you're unsure how strong the compost is I'd use a 1/10 compost 9/10 soil mix just to be safe.

You should use a 3gal or 5gal pot depending on how big you want them to get. 3gal is ok for most, 5gal if you want to go for broke.

A Cola is the main bud on the top of the main stem. I don't have any pics of plants with a single Cola, this one has 4.

Also you might want to pick up some nutes while you're at the garden store. The main 3 are N, P, & K. The rest are minor nutes and are also important to get the most out of our girls. You want to try to give them enough of each without too much of any 1, and what they end up needing depends on the strain mostly. There are no charts on the different strains, trial & error is the only way.

pHing the water & dirt is also important. If you don't have a pH probe to test the dirt you'll want to get one, try to keep the dirt between 6.5 & 7.

You can use aquarium pH testers to test the water. Water you'll want to keep between 6 & 7 and you'll want to test a bit to find the best pH for your girls. As you can see by the chart, the wrong pH can keep your girls from ingesting the nutes you feed them. But that chart is a general chart, you have to find the "prime" pH for your girls, mine seem to be 6.3 except the Durban Poisons who seem to like 6.5 better. But don't go by mine, just an example.

If you can afford an electronic pH tester, they're the most accurate and a good investment. They're usually not too expensive, but not as cheap as the probe & aquarium tester.

Last thing, no matter what the nute instructions say, always check the pH after you add nutes, and right before you feed. Just 1/3 teaspoon of the nutes I added last time to a gallon of water dropped the pH over 2 full points (from a 6.3 to below 4.3). Use pH Down or distilled white vinegar to lower pH in water and pH Up or Baking Soda to lower pH in water. If you can buy dirt with a correct pH (it's not listed on the packaging all the time). It's really not the best idea to raise or lower it, but if you have to lower it use Gypsum or Iron Sulphate. To raise it use Dolomite Lime or Hydrated Lime. But be warned, if you have to adjust it more than a total of .25 of a point, you're risking a chemical reaction in the dirt that will hurt your grow, that's why it's better if you don't need to adjust the dirt.

To test wet the dirt with Distilled Water and wait an hour, then test. Leave the probe in the dirt for a few minutes to give it time to callibrate itself.

If you add your own compost it will probably change the pH of the soil, best way is to mix a small ammount of the dirt and compost so you can test it before you make your pots. As long as it's between 6 & 7 you're good to go. Most are of the opinion that the upper 6s is the best range, but you should be safe between 6 & 7. (Fox Farm Ocean Forrest is right at 7).
 

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bloatedcraig

Well-Known Member
Bit of advice, if you are wanting these babies to come anything get spending. Nute's, ph monitoring equipment, ppm monitoring equipment, decent lighting, airflow system, odour control, timers, thermostat's that is a few thing's off the top of my head. Then when you think you have got everything, do it all again on bigger and better stuff, because once the bug gets you it takes over.

And second the bit of advice about tell no one, i told one person that i regarded as a v good friend and it turn's out that they couldn't hold water.
 

sebbay

Member
DannyGreenEyes your a bit of a nut at this growing malarkey. ill bare what you said in mind..

And about doing this grow properly- im moving house in a couple of months so im not putting a lot of effort into it.. just using it for experience for future when i grow in my new digs.. and for fun of course.
but i will definatly look back over this thread when i do move..

one other question- how safe is it posting info about growing on this website? cant police monitor stuff that goes on here?
thanks!
 
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