I'm Ready- Blue OG, White Lavender, OG #18, and Sour Kush.

[mycomaster]

To start T.Y. for the compliment. To get into the ?s I would sacrifice quantity for quality first and foremost. What good is having a ton of smoke if you have to light a bon fire to get an effect off of it. I can smoke quite a bit in a day cause I have to smoke before and after I eat all day, so a potent med is important to me. I have quite a tolerance. The reason I like to l.s.t. and train my plants is, I like an even canopy and I like to be able to space out my flowers and give them room to breath. I also like the fact when I'm using just a couple of nodes, the same amount of nutrition is going into alot of my flowers somewhat equally providing a more uniform smoke I think. It most definitely will increase veg time, but I'm not concerned about that considering how little the plant needs then in terms of space, light, and nutrition. I can keep alot of plants in veg just topping and training them to keep them manageable until I flower, thus increasing my overall yield by keeping my flower room packed with healthy properly vegged plants all the time. If a girl start getting to big, just cut her back a couple of nodes and when she recovers she'll have twice as many heads. Alot of people get scared of having too many plants vegging and not being able to flower all of them on time, I don't. I like to plan things out of course, but there are always ways to fix a time crunch instaed of going without. As far as airy buds go genetics play a role, but so do environmental factors like heat, hot soil, and dry conditions, among other things. Alot of the time there isn't a large difference in quality as long as it's still flowered to term. If I was outside and I could grow trees till new years I would never top my plants that's a fact. It's something the indoor grower came up with I'm sure. If you can take a plant that is 12 inches tall and flower it and also take a plant that is 12 inches tall but has 2 tops from 5 inches up, who would yield more, and if completely healthy would the one with 2 tops be any less potent? Something to think about. Peace out everybody.

 

[prosperian]

I agree with you on several points. Quality is important and I know personally grown can be better than what I have found on the street.

LST-ing could come in real handy when I limit myself to just one or two plants per grow and I can maximize the spread. My five gal buckets will be touching each other. Do you think there is advantage for me to two or four top these plants or will it just be too bushy for the space?

Thanks for your perspective on these topics, it's been helpful.

 

[mycomaster]

I only do what works for me, I only want to advise what would work for you. That said it all depends on the time you want to stick into your veg really. With one to two plants I'm sure you could yield about the same as 4 plants untopped. I would crack the seeds asap and start vegging those girls, and at the 5th node I would top and train them to come out to the sides. Top the 2 branches coming out of the 4th node and pull them to the middle, now top and train and every 2-3 days bend them over and pinch the stalks being careful not to destroy just squish a tiny bit each time and when she bounces back from it you will be able to see that she's stronger everytime. Sometimes I'll just go in my room and bend them all over to let them pick themselves back up, makes em stronger. You'll notice where you pinch and bend sometimes she will discolor just a touch and turn a little purple, this is normal. I also add silicate during the veg to strengthen them up as well. I also try and keep some K in their diet during veg also to help keep them as strong as can be. I will tie a plant down with whatever's at hand I've used paper clips, twist ties, and wire among other things. You just want to make sure the plant won't be strangled by it if you might forget about it for a while. I hope some of this helps. If I forgot a question just pm me or something. Peace out.

 

[prosperian]

Organics are cheaper for sure, if you do your own composting and collection of natural soil amendments. Or buy them in bulk like I've started doing, can be up to 50-60% cheaper to buy soil amendments in bulk. I half a shit ton of storage bins and garbage cans full of soil cooking in my basement labeled with dates and ingredient lists and their percentages. I have 3 different soils I'll make up, a higher nitrogen one for veg, a higher phosphorus and potassium mix for bloom, and a general lower nute formula for mixing and seedlings. I have a kiddie pool I mix it all up in and then put it in the tubs and trash cans to mellow or cook. I've really picked up alot over the last couple of years with Subcools Super Soil and other good reading about composting and organics and such.

I would like to get to where you are eventually. I made a container to hold my soil for the transplants. It's Root Organics Potting Soil that has the following ingredients...

Coco fiber, peat moss, perlite, pumice, premium worm castings, bat guano, kelp, fish bone meal, soy bean meal, feather meal, greensand, leonardite and alfalfa meal.

I built this to hold the soil but I think I need something much bigger in the future or two or three of these. Would also like a worm bin soon.

I would crack the seeds asap and start vegging those girls,

I might experiment with this grow just because I'm not in a hurry and I would like to try something new. Plus you guys get watch me crash and burn if I screw it up!

 

[mycomaster]

I definitely DON'T want to see you crash and burn! I hat to watch healthy plants go to pot.(ha ha) I have to use 2 garbage cans and 3 big ass bins to keep enough soil with cooked amendments, but I use it for more than just my MJ. I have the Bloom, Veg, and reg amended soil. I like to keep the three because it just makes it easier on me in the long run is all. It sounds like extra work and money having the 3, but I figured out I was actually saving $ by not having to buy bottle nutes and bloom boosters for my girls in flower. I don't care about the labor I put in cause I enjoy doing it. I've also had to step up the amount of water I was storing and de-chlorinating as well to keep up with their needs.I find that 3 5gal buckets for flower and 2 5gal buckets for veg work really well for me. I like to experiment with my plants as well, trying out different formulas for flower or veg and see what comes of it. Doing such things in small controlled situations is how you keep your game tight & right. If I had this all figured out I sure as heck wouldn't be online trying to learn more, I think anyone that says "I got this on lock down" or whatever is just a really insecure person inside having to prove something. Albert Einstein had a chalk board full of math problems trying to get them right until the day he died, nobody ever stops learning until they die. Or until massive head trauma, whatever comes first. Peace out everyone.

 

[Slipon]

myco covered most, but for me LST or any kind of training, is just a nice way to keep the plant small and bushy, Im sure a plant have a limit/potential and I see the logic in "two half glasses of water" but if one of them glasses is to fare from the light, it wont get the light to reach its potential

out doors I wouldn't LST or top either (Sun will reach the lower Bud`s) unless for security reasons, much more easy for thieves/Cops to spot a full size MJ plant at distance then a small bush that is hidden closer to the ground and don't look like a MJ plant (don't have its familiar profile)

and nice to see you got yourself in to organic soil`s Rep for that

 

[prosperian]

Good info guys. And thanks for the rep bump Slip.

What's going to happen when the auto starts flowering and the other plants are still vegging? Will it be ok in the 18/6 light? Can it be moved outside if I get to tight in the grow closet?

Also, I've never used the plastic cups before for seedlings. Let me know when to transplant to the one gal.

Check back in with you guys later! Pic to leave you with...

Pineapple Express from last grow.

 

[mycomaster]

Look when your flowers are coming out like that, you're not having regular rookie problems. I think you're having problems like "damn I ran out of curing jars for all this potent ass bud" That's usually not the kind of problems rookies have bro. I think you'll be just fine no matter how you decide to go. Peace out.

 

[lykarckstar420]

I think topping any grow is key to a bigger yield. I am LST my outdoor right now and expect to yield more per plant than my last grow and not LST or Top

 

[Bakatare666]

I would like to get to where you are eventually. I made a container to hold my soil for the transplants. It's Root Organics Potting Soil that has the following ingredients...

Coco fiber, peat moss, perlite, pumice, premium worm castings, bat guano, kelp, fish bone meal, soy bean meal, feather meal, greensand, leonardite and alfalfa meal.

I built this to hold the soil but I think I need something much bigger in the future or two or three of these. Would also like a worm bin soon.

I might experiment with this grow just because I'm not in a hurry and I would like to try something new. Plus you guys get watch me crash and burn if I screw it up!

You're not gonna crash n burn man. LOL
Suggestion though, drill your drainage holes in the side of the raised lip on the bottom, you know.........
90 degrees from where you have them now.

 

[GandalfdaGreen]

Myco deserves a huge rep bump too. He is very helpful to everyone. I cant bump him up until I spread it around some. Your mixture looks great Pros. I was just getting my hands dirty too. Bakatare is right on. More holes.

 

[Slipon]

yea agree, but I cant rep him either

and about the Auto, 18/6 is perfect for it, why its nice to have one in there, it will finish no mater what light cycle you trow at it, move it out side I dunno ? up to you, if you can have it around with out any problems and the texan sun don't burn it

and about when to repot seedling`s, atleast a week more I would say, once you have nice small plants about to go in to Veg (3 set`s of leaves and about to set there fist real once) or when you see root´s sticking out the bottom of the cup`s

 

[mycomaster]

All you guys are really nice. All your kindness really is payment enough don't worry about all that rep stuff, I don't. Like Slipon said your auto will be fine in with your vegging plants if you have room for her. It will give the plants in veg something to get jealous and worked up about. I use to pop autos in with my vegging plants all the time, and even came up with my own strains and all kinds of crap practicing my breeding techniques with them and such. I hate paying $10-$18 for a seed that will only yield an ounce or two if lucky. So I just started to make all kinds of crosses and started testing growing techniques on them to spare my real grow. I since moved into a smaller house and had to limit my grow areas so I no longer have any room for them in my veg. You can do some lst on them but I would not top or supercrop or any crap like that, it will slow them down to the point of being completely anti-productive. That's how mine would work out, I just let them do their thing as if you haven't grown them you're not sure of their life expectancy and don't know how long it will take it to recover and begin vertical growth again. Autos are all about fast meds anyways just let it go as fast as possible without any stress and she will yield better for you I.M.O. I have always used party cups for seedlings, my dad always said if god wanted you to put them in paper towels, there would have been something in Genesis about the quicker picker upper. I like to just wait till I can see roots on the bottom and then I know when I Xplant they will just shoot up. My Blue O.G. was in the exact same 16oz cups and it popped on 4-24 and I didn't Xplant until 5-12. It was pretty root bound by then though, I would say I could have done it at 4 days faster though. I know people like to use the paper towel method to see how many germ and all that stuff, but if you plant it and it don't come up you know as well. I just don't care how easy you are with it why put it through all the extra steps to get the same results. I have little clear plastic cups that fit perfect on top of the party cups , they are about 2-3 inches tall and make a nice greenhouse for them until they are an inch tall or so and they love it. I take off the top clear lid use it as a saucer for the cup and it all works out perfect. If I can't see roots out the bottom and I think there should be I'll pull one of the cuts I made for drainage back and check, who cares if it gets ruined they're very inexpensive. I save $ where I can and don't worry about the small stuff. I also try to re=purpose things to make them work for me. If you have 5gal buckets for a res you can get a pump they use for kerosene heaters to put fuel in and use it to get your water out without having to bail it with a cup. I have an old sub pump for a hydro setup that I just plug in and it turns it on and I get water pumped out in a black hydro line. I really like the way you used those shelves in your closet, that was slick. Thinking it thru and getting the ones air could flow through was really smart as well. When someone shows me a $1,500 setup and has a buch of sick looking plants, I try to help. When people show me a $15,000 grow setup and have really nice plants, I'm impressed. When somebody shows me a $500 grow setup and have alot less plants but they are almost better quality or they are better, I Get a chubby. I just think doing more with less is more impressive. Now that I've babbled and probably didn't help with anything I'll let you good people go. Peace out everybody.

 

[prosperian]

You're not gonna crash n burn man. LOL
Suggestion though, drill your drainage holes in the side of the raised lip on the bottom, you know.........
90 degrees from where you have them now.

Thanks Bak for the advice, that's an easy fix. Just got back from a morning of AK47 and Hangover 3 movie followed by a martini drink-a-thon at local pub with my smoking buddy. It's a good Friday so far...

Myco deserves a huge rep bump too. He is very helpful to everyone. I cant bump him up until I spread it around some. Your mixture looks great Pros. I was just getting my hands dirty too. Bakatare is right on. More holes.

I agree, Myco has a wealth of knowledge and I'm glad he spends the time to share it with us! I rep bump everyone every chance I get, for what it's worth.

the Auto, 18/6 is perfect for it, why its nice to have one in there, it will finish no mater what light cycle you trow at it, move it out side I dunno ? up to you, if you can have it around with out any problems and the texan sun don't burn it and about when to repot seedling`s, atleast a week more I would say, once you have nice small plants about to go in to Veg (3 set`s of leaves and about to set there fist real once) or when you see root´s sticking out the bottom of the cup`s

Ok thanks Slip. I keep backing the light off because the leaves appear bleached - at 40" now. Soil moisture looks good and plants are doing what they're suppose too, growing! I will look for the signs to transplant and I guess my next decision will be to top and when to do that (except for the auto, I will leave it alone). Thanks for the help.

Like Slipon said your auto will be fine in with your vegging plants if you have room for her. It will give the plants in veg something to get jealous and worked up about. I use to pop autos in with my vegging plants all the time, and even came up with my own strains and all kinds of crap practicing my breeding techniques with them and such....I would not top or supercrop or any crap like that, it will slow them down to the point of being completely anti-productive. ...I have always used party cups for seedlings, my dad always said if god wanted you to put them in paper towels, there would have been something in Genesis about the quicker picker upper. I like to just wait till I can see roots on the bottom and then I know when I Xplant they will just shoot up. I know people like to use the paper towel method to see how many germ and all that stuff, but if you plant it and it don't come up you know as well....I have little clear plastic cups that fit perfect on top of the party cups , they are about 2-3 inches tall and make a nice greenhouse for them until they are an inch tall or so and they love it...I really like the way you used those shelves in your closet, that was slick. Thinking it thru and getting the ones air could flow through was really smart as well. When someone shows me a $1,500 setup and has a buch of sick looking plants, I try to help. When people show me a $15,000 grow setup and have really nice plants, I'm impressed. When somebody shows me a $500 grow setup and have alot less plants but they are almost better quality or they are better, I Get a chubby. I just think doing more with less is more impressive. Now that I've babbled and probably didn't help with anything I'll let you good people go. Peace out everybody.

Myco, your posts are always a good read. I will try to keep the auto in the room as long as the space will accommodate. I heard autos don't like to be transplanted but you guys seem to have no issue as long as the procedure is done correctly.

Your Dad sounds like he knew what he was doing and I'm glad he passed that info on to you. Maybe one day I can do the same for my kids, for now it will be tomatoes, strawberries, and melons.

I have those same clear plastic cups I use for domes the last grow, they do keep the humidity and moisture at the proper levels. I think with experience the paper towel and water glass method is no longer needed. When you are new it's nice to have the knowledge of a visible tap root. I can see dropping the complicated extra steps as I get more practice with germinating.

The shelves just made sense to me when I was walking through the hardware store one day. I bet all of us do the same thing, "that we be great for..."

I have the same respect for growers that produce amazing harvests with minimal equipment investment. The real challenge is making something out of nothing. We have an annual Regatta fundraiser. The participants have to build a boat out of cardboard and race to the finish line. Every year I am amazed by the creations.

 

[Slipon]

IMO I would top em between 5-6 Nod, once transplanted and settled in the next pot


I like em to have some growth to support em, seems to bounce back faster if you have a nice small healthy veg plant with some growth on it

but don't Wait to long tho, its nice to have the "split" down low so the plant don't have to many inch`s of steam before it can "divide" the water/nutrients

 

[lykarckstar420]

^^^^^^ good advice

 

[prosperian]

IMO I would top em between 5-6 Nod, once transplanted and settled in the next pot

I like em to have some growth to support em, seems to bounce back faster if you have a nice small healthy veg plant with some growth on it

but don't Wait to long tho, its nice to have the "split" down low so the plant don't have to many inch`s of steam before it can "divide" the water/nutrients

Makes sense. Just kick back and wait. I can do that.

 

[MedicalGardens]

Nice setup+ rep

 

[prosperian]

Look when your flowers are coming out like that, you're not having regular rookie problems. I think you're having problems like "damn I ran out of curing jars for all this potent ass bud" That's usually not the kind of problems rookies have bro. I think you'll be just fine no matter how you decide to go. Peace out.

Hard for me to change what is working for me. But I like to experiment too. Thanks for the post.

I think topping any grow is key to a bigger yield. I am LST my outdoor right now and expect to yield more per plant than my last grow and not LST or Top

I'm going to have to watch my width because these 3-gal plants were pretty wide and touching each other on my last grow. I think I should keep going up and not out and to the sides.

Here are some more pics of the last grow. Lucked out and kept them short and bushy.

Nice setup+ rep

Thanks for the bump!

 

[mycomaster]

It looks like what you are doing is working and I wouldn't start to top and spread them out if you need to work upwards. How you ever looked into a vertical grow before? I think that may be your best bet my friend. I don't know though considering your successes I think I would just keep doing what you are doing. Hard to argue with success no matter how it's achieved. Peace out.