The MY FIRST / MOST COMMON MISTAKES Thread

[KushKrew]

I decided to create a thread about our first and most common mistakes we made with growing. I figured a LOT of them are pretty much universal to all growers, so a thread like this can really help a lot of newcomers out seeing as for once it approaches it from a 'dunce' angle haw haw haw...

Well here's my list:

1- BEING A HELICOPTER-PARENT * Plants are plants, love them and treat them well but fretting is asking for trouble

2- OVERWATERING * Stems from above. If unsure, the investment in a moisture probe is worth every penny far as peace of mind goes. And over-watering looks like soooo many other problems it sends many a newbie running around like a headless chicken dosing calmag boosting EC etc... I know I fell in that trap right on...

3-OVER WATERING THE LEAVES * Yup, you try foliar feed too much or just mist 'em because you like it, you actually dry them out

4-PLANTING TOO EARLY OR VEGGING TOO LONG * Bigger plants don't always mean bigger yields, but definitely bigger headaches. They're competetive for room in every way, and indoor plants vegged too long are the biggest heartbreaker you can imagine...

5- MY EYES! MY EYES! BURNING PLANTS WITH LIGHTS * Oh yeah I was thinking the more the better, but you CAN EASILY give a plant TOO much light and just yellow it out, burning it with extra nitrogen and whatnot trying to fix your problem when all you needed was a spreader, or maybe a 600w instead of that 1000w over only 1 sq meter...

6- STRETCHING SEEDLINGS WITH TOO LITTLE LIGHT * Plant them too early outdoors, keep your lamp a bit too far away, and you get those floppy stems that just fall over and the poor things choke themselves or get damping off...

Each one of those deserves a dunce cap, really but hey nothing teaches like a good solid cock-up.

There we go, those were my first mistakes, my biggest ones too...

Chime in with yours even if it's the same, good to see what we all get wrong at first I reckon.

 

[LetsGetCritical]

Buy a ph and ec meter BEFORE you start growing...

 

[Yodazherb]

^^^This^^
And.
Add what you think is the right amount of perlite.. Then add more !!
And with ferts, a good rule is.. Dilution is the Solution.

 

[GrowinDad]

Aaah, it's only a couple of plants, it won't really stink up the house, I don't need one of those carbon thingees...

I go with that one and thinking PHing wasn't all that important.

Of course, my first test grow was started with one Incandecent "grow" light

 

[kinetic]

Aaah, it's only a couple of plants, it won't really stink up the house, I don't need one of those carbon thingees...

THat's my number one pet peevesI see right there. Odor control is paramount.

Don't tell anyone! Nope not even that guy. Unless you share a residence, then all parties under the roof need to be aware and be cool with it.

 

[MYOB]

I would say that attempting to grow without even a basic understanding of plant biology is common and inexcusable.

Also, not even attempting to research and learn for yourself, just posting "how do I do this/whats wrong?" threads without so much as a google search.

One of my biggest pet peeves is the posting of "advice" from people who clearly are just making random guesses with zero basis for their diagnosis. Being wrong is fine as long as you provided an educated guess but if you have no idea, dont post. I love the "I have no idea, looks like nute burn" replies.

avoid cannabis specific websites when learning/researching. They are filled with misinformation and absurd claims with no scientific basis or data. This problem seems to be limited to cannabis grow forums. Other garden forums seem to have less of this.

And lastly, postings that contain "lists" that insinuate they contain undisputed facts.

 

[dlftmyers]

Don't go bragging about your grow

 

[spek9]

Just an addition to #4... plants grow 2-3 times their height in the first three weeks of flower, so plan carefully whether that means you have the height to accommodate the plants, or the horizontal space to do some LST.

- yes, it MUST be 100% dark in lights-off in flower
- do not feed nutes to plants until at least 2-3 weeks of veg, and start at 1/4 or 1/2 dose until you see how the plants react
- for CFL, 6500k for veg, 2700k for flower
- 6.4-7.0 pH for soil and 5.5-6.1 pH for hydro
- MH for veg, HPS for flower

-spek

 

[jerseyetr]

I am on my first grow as of now and #6 was my problem. I was soo damn eager to start the grow that i just planted the germed seeds and had two 14 watt cfls on two seedlings and one stretched out too far and is still (2 weeks in) bent and doesnt seem as if it will return. Ive learned that patience is one thing I need when growing.

 

[skunkd0c]

I have been lucky, not really had any problems with my hydro system its just seems to work
but i have had problems with bugs once or twice (spider mites)
Powdery Mildew once that was not good at all
and i have burnt a few crops in the early days by not having decent ventilation and grow room temps of over 90f
but you live and learn

peace

 

[cancer survivor]

dont take free clones from other growers that arnt your freinds! they are giving you plants infected with mites to ruin your grow!!

 

[JesterDev]

Don't dig up your seeds to see if there is anything going on. Have patience - I have had some seeds take 2 weeks before I saw anything popping up. I can't tell you how many people I know have dug up their seeds because it had been X days since they planted them.

 

[stonamofs]

My input, and this ones a biggie: DO NOT underestimate the size of the pot you need during each stage of growth.

My plants became severely damaged before I realized that the roots were so dense they couldn't even absorb water.
I tugged gently on the stem and a block of roots the exact shape of the container came out.
The ball of roots was so dense it felt rock hard and i couldn't poke a finger in it if i tried.
LST-BOUND XMAS-TREE-BOUND
Signs your girls may be ROOT-BOUND:
- When you water, it sits on the top for a long time then finds its way down the sides of the pot. This means either dense roots or dense dirt.
- Needing to water abnormally often (eg. every day instead of every other)
- Sudden yellowing of the lower leaves, causing them to wilt and die off, working its way up to the next set of fan leaves of the plant.
- Browning, and wilting leaves with spots of necrosis that may appear as deficiencies and/or nutrient burn.
- Slowed or stunted growth, new growth appears small and deformed, green pigments darken or fade in new growth.
- The internal branches begin to stretch, yellow, and wilt, shown even in new growth of the branches.

Don't expect to be able to grow plants in party cups for an entire month of veg without experiencing adverse effects..
Plants weren't meant to grow in confined spaces, so when their roots bind there are many undesirable consequences.
Make a circle with your arms, that is probably a better size of planter you need to keep your cannabis plant happy.

Roots grow in search of water and nutrients, they use up all the dirt and eventually begin encircling the pot in search of fresh soil to grow into.
Luckily when you replant them into bigger pots, with new soil to devour, give them water and a few days, they spring right back to normal.

 

[KushKrew]

I have been lucky, not really had any problems with my hydro system its just seems to work
but i have had problems with bugs once or twice (spider mites)
Powdery Mildew once that was not good at all
and i have burnt a few crops in the early days by not having decent ventilation and grow room temps of over 90f
but you live and learn

peace

UK growers have it JACKED man, tight culture and hi-tech as fuk. Dude your FAK is looking unreal to me, can't wait to see the nugz

 

[KushKrew]

Man some things I did too that I left off my list... Oh it won't smell - YEAH then you end up paranoid as hell all the time because of course they STINK. Pots too small, yeah that's a heart-breaker too been there

A VERY important point somebody made is METERS. Should be your first expense, even when going organic get the pH meter and the moisture probe. Measuring is knowing!

 

[dlftmyers]

Don't go picking at your buds before its time harvest be patient let them finish all the way.......

 

[KushKrew]

Don't go picking at your buds before its time harvest be patient let them finish all the way.......

And don't taste it before it's CURED either... Learn to make Honey Oil or Bubble hash, at worst you can trim a bit soon (halfway through drying or so) and make some BHO or some bubble while you wait for the BUD Hey we all have those DRY times...

 

[Nullis]

A VERY important point somebody made is METERS. Should be your first expense, even when going organic get the pH meter and the moisture probe. Measuring is knowing!

I've been growing living organics for years without using any meters. To me, over-watering looks like over-watering... droopy stressed-out looking leaves. Not something I have experienced in quite some time. It is relatively easy to assess the moisture of any container up to about 5 gallons, by the feel of the soil and weight of the container. Containers that are lightened need to be watered, and should also feel dry at the soil surface. If soil is too dry, water will not absorb properly initially and will simply run down the sides of the container.

I would recommend providing your plants with some plain water at first, water slowly and then wait about 20 minutes before you water them thoroughly or fertigate.

 

[KushKrew]

I've been growing living organics for years without using any meters. To me, over-watering looks like over-watering... droopy stressed-out looking leaves. Not something I have experienced in quite some time. It is relatively easy to assess the moisture of any container up to about 5 gallons, by the feel of the soil and weight of the container. Containers that are lightened need to be watered, and should also feel dry at the soil surface. If soil is too dry, water will not absorb properly initially and will simply run down the sides of the container.

I would recommend providing your plants with some plain water at first, water slowly and then wait about 20 minutes before you water them thoroughly or fertigate.

Well I'm willing to bet you had some good gardening experience before, no? Man, when I moved out of the city I had no clue at all, and a cheap little moisture probe for what equals USD10 or so is what taught me how my soil should be in the end. Now it's easy by feeling, sure, but I also have a 100 percent organic permaculture garden now. It all started with those first few tools for me, the actual knowing...

 

[KushKrew]

You do make one EXCELLENT point about the soil getting too dry. One of my first big mistakes too actually, once it happens it's a huge problem... All I can say there is mulch mulch mulch if it's outside.