complete walkthrough for outdoor grow (day 1- harvest)

hi ive decided to post this thread to show exactly how i grow cannabis outdoors. i started off by putting my seeds directly into paper towels and adding water that is exactly 25 deg celcius or 77 deg f for those in northern hemisphere and then i turn my hot water cylinder up to 85 degress c or 185 deg f and then place them on the top shelf in my hot water cupboard which stays at a warm 24 - 26 deg c for 4 days or until the tap root is 2 cm long then i transplant them into 6cm square jiffy pots (size doesnt matter its just what i prefer to use) i use nutrient free seed raising mix as i dont like to use any potting mix or soil that contains slow release fertilizers and then they go into my propagation dome with a 24w t5 aqua one light system on top with a digital thermometer to ensure exact temps are kept and stay between 22.6 - 23.9 degress celcius. i keep the soil moist but not damp or soaked and ph my water to between 6.2 ph and then next watering 6.5 ph. stay tuned as i will be posting updates weekend on progress over the next 2 weeks. if you are growing different strains make sure to always mark seeds to identify and never germinate them together as they may get mixed up been there before. next update is transplanting and nutrients guide on the 10th september. its still august here and still winter in nz and these will be grown indoors at night and outside during the day until going outside to there final grow site for summer in late november so will be in vege 3.5 months before going outdoors if you follow my guide you will end up with big as plants like the one in the picture below and yes before you ask at harvest i pulled 1.18 pound off it and last years summer harvest i got 45.5 pound growing outdoors for as little as $250 all up not a bad return i say.

In my opinion that's too long to germinate your seeds, you are letting them use up their small stores of energy to put out roots into nutrientless cloth. I have always had better luck planting seeds as SOON as they split open so they are into the soil right away.

Infurnoman said:

In my opinion that's too long to germinate your seeds, you are letting them use up their small stores of energy to put out roots into nutrientless cloth. I have always had better luck planting seeds as SOON as they split open so they are into the soil right away.

Click to expand...

true i agree but this is how a old master taught me and never had a problem 100% germination depending on how good the seeds i order are babies are pumping and yes i do agree as soon as that pop is a little better way this i just how i do it cheers for your input infurnoman. there is method to the madness and ill show why in the next update when i transplant and move them to the transplant area of my grow

well today i transplanted my seedling into bigger containers so the roots could take off and shoot down. filled cups up with seed raising mix (slow release fertilizer free and gave them a drink with water (6.5ph) they are growing amazing and must say special queen #1 from seedsman are really good (and there cheap as) and im impressed 25 pounds for 20 seeds cant go wrong. they have been put into my 88 litre propagation bin brought from the warehouse nz for $18 nzd so was a bargain. my t5 light that i use is a aqua one 24w x 2 fluro light system for aquariums and they work great well transplanting done and have including the pics of my setup for you enjoy and happy growing



instructions of how i transplant below

Cannabis seedlings need to be treated delicately. Mind your marijuana like babies. If seedlings need support, prop them up with a toothpick or a cocktail stick and some soft gardening wire.

An 18-6 or 24/0 light schedule is considered the sweet spot by most growers. White light is preferred. The source of light should be CFL, MH, or LED. If you have a sunny windowsill, it can work in a pinch.

Roots grow in the dark. That’s why we advocate 18-6 or 20-4 over a nonstop 24-hour light cycle. High humidity, ideally around 70% RH, and temperatures in the 20–24°C range make for a perfect seedling habitat. A propagator, thermo-hygrometer, and a spray bottle of water are the tools to help you dial it in.

Stretchy or floppy seedling growth can be due to genetics. Often, it’s an indication the grow lamp is positioned too far away from the canopy. A cool white 250W CFL can comfortably hang 15cm above a dozen or more seedlings without scorching leaves.

WHEN DO I TRANSPLANT SEEDLINGS

The right time to transplant your seedlings is just before they outgrow their current container. With cubes, you can see roots poking out telling you it’s time to pot up. When you start with a cup or small pot, you are relying on above-ground cues. Typically, when the set or sets of true leaves of the seedling have spread out to cover the circumference of the container, it’s time. Also, vertical growth will be an obvious indicator.
Don’t wait too long to transplant. Rootbound plants will take time to recover and may be permanently stunted. In general, it takes 7–10 days for a seedling to take root and outgrow small starter pots of 1l or less.

HOW TRANSPLANT SEEDLINGS

Cubes are the easiest to work with. Either cut a hole to size in a bigger block, or burrow a hole into the medium with your fingers and insert for a snug fit. Potting up takes a little more finesse. First, don’t fill your large container all the way to the top. Leave room so you can water properly later. If you pack the pot all the way to the top, water will mostly run off and not reach the roots.
Next, make an impression in your large container with another small pot, or the one with the plant in it if you don’t have any others. Make this impression in the medium after you have watered it. This creates a perfect imprint for the transplant.

image a: cup filled with seed raising mix (USE THE MEDIUM YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH)
image b: hole pressed in seed raising mix for seedling to go into
image c: seedling in and hole filled in then lightly watered



and remember never ever use anything with slow release fertilizer in it in the next update we will cover nutrients does and donts and a guide to my babies getting there first dose of nutrients remember 1/4 recommended dosage or as i was taught use 1ml/litre

start feeding your cannabis plants fertilizer

When seedlings are first planted, they have enough stored energy to unfurl their first set of leaves (cotyledons) and begin driving a tap root down through the soil.

Marijuana seeds are dicotyledonous. The seedlings will acquire energy through a process that breaks down food material stored in the endosperm of the seed. Here, the seedlings have plenty of energy and don’t need any addition of nutrients from fertilizers right away. The role of creating energy is assumed by its cotyledons or baby leaves.

Once your seedlings have used up all their energy, they will require nutrients from an outside source. This is where the grower comes in and gives the plant its first feeding of nutrients.

Lets talk about when is the right time to start feeding your cannabis plants and how to give them their first dose of nutrients.

How to feed your plants nutrients
Mixing fertilizer with water and feeding your plants is a simple process with a product like Reefertilizer. First, you will want to know how much water you will need for your pots. 2 liter of water per plant in a 5 gallon planter is a good place to start.

You want to give them just enough liquid that you get runoff from the bottom of the planter after watering. This ensures that the soil is completely saturated and nutrients aren’t being wasted.

In this demonstration, we will be feeding 1 plant its first low dose of nutrients.

Let’s take a look at the Reefertilizer feeding schedule to find out how much nutrients I need to mix to feed my plants.

I have one plant in a 5 gallon fabric pot and I want to feed it 2L of nutrient water. According to the chart, I will need to mix 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon) into 2L of water.

Fill a jug with 2L of water.

In a small cup, add 2.5ml of Reefertilizer Grow.

Use some water from the jug and mix it with the powder. This will help the powder dissolve quickly. By using a small jar with a lid and warm water, you can shake it up so the powder dissolves even faster.

Pour this liquid back into your jug and give it a good stir.

If you have more than one plant, you will need to make a larger batch using the same nutrient to water ratio. Best to do a big batch and adjust the pH when done.

At this point, you should pH your solution with a pH pen. We have one available in our store.
Cannabis grown in soil likes a pH in the range of 6 and 6.5. This makes sure that the nutrients are chemically available to the root system.

You may need to use a product like pH up or down to adjust the pH (Amazon link). Natural products like citric acid (lowers pH) and sodium bicarbonate (raises pH) can also be used to adjust the pH as well.

You’re now ready to feed your plants!

Water around the base of your plant and move outwards.

Don’t just pour water into one spot. If you do the water will make a hole through your soil and your pot won’t be evenly saturated.

I like to use a watering can with a long neck for more control. Avoid getting water on the leaves, they are young and easily damaged.

That’s it for your first feeding. In about 24 hours you will see a lot more growth from your plant. This means the nutrients are working.