GingerGrower
New Member
Before I start I want to say a few thank you's.
First off to rollitup. Seriously, all you newbies out there wanting to ask questions, but are afraid of getting flamed, JUST ASK! I have made a handful of posts and even a thread asking for help and I never read anything but helpful and positive comments. Even browsing the forums to check other topics with similar questions, people were courteous and helpful (yes a few flames here and there, but welcome to the internet!). To everyone who posted in my thread and those contacting me through PMs, thanks for sharing your knowledge. Secondly, to patchwayraver and his great how-to hydroponic article HERE, I have it bookmarked and constantly referenced it throughout my grow. Finally, to Nirvana Shop, everyone is afraid to order because of their own risk, but no one thinks about the risk some seed banks take for us. Not only do they risk the shipment, but they take ours into consideration. From protecting your bank statements to even weighing the shipments down to the smallest gram to make sure, even if customs finds it, you are under the weight law for importing "illegal goods" and will not be prosecuted. These clever people sent me a damn greeting card, I thought it was some crazy Hallmark birthday card! So thanks Nirvana!
Now onto the things I have learned while growing. Some of this is probably posted 100 times all over, but this isn't a "How-To", this is more of a list of things I never thought of until it happened.
Shopping:
Back in late April I finished gathering all my supplies (in my signature) to start my first hydroponic grow in a closet. In early May I planted two germinated Snow White seeds from Nirvana. When I went onto the site I was overwhelmed looking at all the names, the types (indica, sativa, hybrid), and so on. I first just started skimming and looking for words that would translate to getting me "blitzed out of my mind", but then I took a breath, sat back, and looked at my supplies and my grow room.
PAY ATTENTION NEWBIES:
I realized I needed to be smart about this, I realized I needed something I could A) grow indoors, B) grow in a narrow space, C) grow in a short space, and D) handle the mistakes I knew I was going to make. Nirvana had everything laid out in the exact sections I needed to consider, so that's how I found Snow White. It is an indoor hybrid (favoring indica), meaning it has the short, thick stature of indica, and a combination high from an indica and sativa, and after doing more research on Snow White, a lot of reviews said this plant was forgiving and bounced back from mistakes. So make sure you know not only the buzz you want, but what you are actually equipped to grow!
Vegetation:
1) "Listen to the ladies"Early on I was very excited to grow, and did everything by the book, but then I learned "by the book" isn't meant to be a precise set of numbers, listen to your plants, they will tell you! If you go to my thread HERE, you will see my stems started turning purple. According to my research, a PH range of 6.5-6.7 was recommended and I was following a few guides for light-to-plant distance ratios so I couldn't figure out what was wrong. After really looking at my plants and matching symptoms with common causes (posted all over the internet) and following advice I was given form the community, I realized my plants actually preferred a lower PH level (5.6-5.8PH) and I wasn't keeping a good light distance, so they were getting stretched out. Later on when I was able to give them full on nutes, I followed a chart provided by the company I buy my nutrients from, they were doing great at first, they were green and strong. Still following the chart EXACTLY how it was directed, almost 2 months into my grow my leaves started to yellow around the edges, they started dropping, and just not as full as life as they were. It turns out it was nutrient "nute" burn. I followed every measurement precisely, but again the plants didn't want want that amount, my girls wanted less nutrients, so they told me by turning colors in their leaves.
2)"Hot flashes and thick thighs!"
I planted my girls in a closet right next to an AC unit, since it's the summer, we keep that baby cranked! So this keeps the temp down and that's that, right? WRONG! Your ladies need constant circulation, not just for the smell, but for their well-being. A steady room temperature isn't enough, it get's very hot under those light and just because it's 70F at the plants' base, doesn't mean the top of your plants won't be in the 80's or higher. Something else I never would have thought of until GrowinDad made the comment in my stem thread, circulation also helps strengthen the stems! My stems were weak and scrawny looking I through a fan on them and within 2 weeks my stems were thicker than my thumb!
3) "Stop drooling and think!"
My girls continued growing, so I figured 'MORE PLANT MEANS MORE BUD!' and that was a bad decision for two reasons. First off, and I was advised on this several times, I have limited space and after you switch to flowering, guess what? Your plants keep growing... Now the plants I chose because of their short stature, have started reaching into their sativa genes and are larger than I wanted. The morale here is when the pro's tell you to get your babies HALF the size you want them prior to changing to flowering, listen to them. The second reason letting my plants get bigger than they needed is because it will actually decrease your overall bud production, let me explain. With a shorter and bushier plant your light is able to bounce around and spread all over, keeping your plant healthy all the way around. Once you let your plants get taller and grow additional stems and fan leaves, you start blocking the light to the lower parts and potentially killing them. NOTE: Yes you will have some lower stems die off regardless, don't panic, that happens.
4) "Hates cats"
I know this is really out there but I figured I'd share, it sucks and is also kind of humorous. Marijuana HATE'S cat piss! A friend of mine was staying with us until he could get on his feet and his cat decided it was going to mark one of my girls as his own. A day later, fresh water and nutes, she passed. -Rip Snowy #2-. Not only did I learn that about Marijuana, I also learned something about cats: If you put enough effort into your throw, a cat will not always land on it's feet.
Flowering:
I'm almost done with the flowering now and about to begin harvesting, so I wanted to share something I've learned/tried during this period.
5) "The bigger buds, the worse the back problems"
As your plants grow and develop, you start noticing your stems are really long, and her buds are starting to really fill out. I assumed that since plants can be grown outside, they can support themselves, so let them do their thing! Again, I was wrong and should have listened to the other seasoned growers, I should have made a scrog. A scrog helps direct your stems straight up, instead of out to the side, but it also helps support plants like mine who are shorter with big buds. Because of my laziness, I've lost a few potentially full stems, they ended up slowly bending away from the light and dying off. Not all strains really need this, and there are other ways for providing support, just make sure you understand how your plants are expected to grow and work with that.
6) "She'll let you try new things"
Don't be afraid to try things you've seen others do, or even somethings you are curious about, just do it in small moderation's so you don't shock her. Throughout, I was curious about a few things: Is clipping lower stems that beneficial, how important is fully drying and curing bud prior to partaking, and how significant is "burping" bud while curing due to mold? As for clipping, I have seen "popsicle" pop up a lot. Well reading up on it, I thought it was way too advanced for a beginner grower, I tried clipping small amounts of the lower portions to learn what to look for and see what actually happens. I won't share my results, because you need to experiment too! While trimming my plant, I notice some stems started to develop flowers with some THC on them, but they were very underdeveloped and needed to go. Well I was always taught to recycle, so I did just that and I put my other two questions to the test. I tried clipping away leaves and stems, backed my bowl, and sparked up. I did get a little bit of a buzz, but it didn't burn or taste smooth, instead it was kind of harsh and I needed to use more than you would normally need if the bud was developed. Again, you can get a little buzz going, but time and patience will go a long way. As for the burping, I took some underdeveloped flowers and threw them in a ziploc bag that I felt was nice and air tight. Mold can't form now! Again, I was wrong. I didn't let the flowers dry out and I didn't burp the bag at all. After a day and a half, it mas moldy and unusable. I'm glad I tried these experiments out now, instead on my fully developed bud, now I know what I'll need to do and what to expect once I harvest!
Hopefully this was a useful post and that it will help spark some thoughts during your grow, whether you are new or even a seasoned grower!
First off to rollitup. Seriously, all you newbies out there wanting to ask questions, but are afraid of getting flamed, JUST ASK! I have made a handful of posts and even a thread asking for help and I never read anything but helpful and positive comments. Even browsing the forums to check other topics with similar questions, people were courteous and helpful (yes a few flames here and there, but welcome to the internet!). To everyone who posted in my thread and those contacting me through PMs, thanks for sharing your knowledge. Secondly, to patchwayraver and his great how-to hydroponic article HERE, I have it bookmarked and constantly referenced it throughout my grow. Finally, to Nirvana Shop, everyone is afraid to order because of their own risk, but no one thinks about the risk some seed banks take for us. Not only do they risk the shipment, but they take ours into consideration. From protecting your bank statements to even weighing the shipments down to the smallest gram to make sure, even if customs finds it, you are under the weight law for importing "illegal goods" and will not be prosecuted. These clever people sent me a damn greeting card, I thought it was some crazy Hallmark birthday card! So thanks Nirvana!
Now onto the things I have learned while growing. Some of this is probably posted 100 times all over, but this isn't a "How-To", this is more of a list of things I never thought of until it happened.
Shopping:
Back in late April I finished gathering all my supplies (in my signature) to start my first hydroponic grow in a closet. In early May I planted two germinated Snow White seeds from Nirvana. When I went onto the site I was overwhelmed looking at all the names, the types (indica, sativa, hybrid), and so on. I first just started skimming and looking for words that would translate to getting me "blitzed out of my mind", but then I took a breath, sat back, and looked at my supplies and my grow room.
PAY ATTENTION NEWBIES:
I realized I needed to be smart about this, I realized I needed something I could A) grow indoors, B) grow in a narrow space, C) grow in a short space, and D) handle the mistakes I knew I was going to make. Nirvana had everything laid out in the exact sections I needed to consider, so that's how I found Snow White. It is an indoor hybrid (favoring indica), meaning it has the short, thick stature of indica, and a combination high from an indica and sativa, and after doing more research on Snow White, a lot of reviews said this plant was forgiving and bounced back from mistakes. So make sure you know not only the buzz you want, but what you are actually equipped to grow!
Vegetation:
1) "Listen to the ladies"Early on I was very excited to grow, and did everything by the book, but then I learned "by the book" isn't meant to be a precise set of numbers, listen to your plants, they will tell you! If you go to my thread HERE, you will see my stems started turning purple. According to my research, a PH range of 6.5-6.7 was recommended and I was following a few guides for light-to-plant distance ratios so I couldn't figure out what was wrong. After really looking at my plants and matching symptoms with common causes (posted all over the internet) and following advice I was given form the community, I realized my plants actually preferred a lower PH level (5.6-5.8PH) and I wasn't keeping a good light distance, so they were getting stretched out. Later on when I was able to give them full on nutes, I followed a chart provided by the company I buy my nutrients from, they were doing great at first, they were green and strong. Still following the chart EXACTLY how it was directed, almost 2 months into my grow my leaves started to yellow around the edges, they started dropping, and just not as full as life as they were. It turns out it was nutrient "nute" burn. I followed every measurement precisely, but again the plants didn't want want that amount, my girls wanted less nutrients, so they told me by turning colors in their leaves.
2)"Hot flashes and thick thighs!"
I planted my girls in a closet right next to an AC unit, since it's the summer, we keep that baby cranked! So this keeps the temp down and that's that, right? WRONG! Your ladies need constant circulation, not just for the smell, but for their well-being. A steady room temperature isn't enough, it get's very hot under those light and just because it's 70F at the plants' base, doesn't mean the top of your plants won't be in the 80's or higher. Something else I never would have thought of until GrowinDad made the comment in my stem thread, circulation also helps strengthen the stems! My stems were weak and scrawny looking I through a fan on them and within 2 weeks my stems were thicker than my thumb!
3) "Stop drooling and think!"
My girls continued growing, so I figured 'MORE PLANT MEANS MORE BUD!' and that was a bad decision for two reasons. First off, and I was advised on this several times, I have limited space and after you switch to flowering, guess what? Your plants keep growing... Now the plants I chose because of their short stature, have started reaching into their sativa genes and are larger than I wanted. The morale here is when the pro's tell you to get your babies HALF the size you want them prior to changing to flowering, listen to them. The second reason letting my plants get bigger than they needed is because it will actually decrease your overall bud production, let me explain. With a shorter and bushier plant your light is able to bounce around and spread all over, keeping your plant healthy all the way around. Once you let your plants get taller and grow additional stems and fan leaves, you start blocking the light to the lower parts and potentially killing them. NOTE: Yes you will have some lower stems die off regardless, don't panic, that happens.
4) "Hates cats"
I know this is really out there but I figured I'd share, it sucks and is also kind of humorous. Marijuana HATE'S cat piss! A friend of mine was staying with us until he could get on his feet and his cat decided it was going to mark one of my girls as his own. A day later, fresh water and nutes, she passed. -Rip Snowy #2-. Not only did I learn that about Marijuana, I also learned something about cats: If you put enough effort into your throw, a cat will not always land on it's feet.
Flowering:
I'm almost done with the flowering now and about to begin harvesting, so I wanted to share something I've learned/tried during this period.
5) "The bigger buds, the worse the back problems"
As your plants grow and develop, you start noticing your stems are really long, and her buds are starting to really fill out. I assumed that since plants can be grown outside, they can support themselves, so let them do their thing! Again, I was wrong and should have listened to the other seasoned growers, I should have made a scrog. A scrog helps direct your stems straight up, instead of out to the side, but it also helps support plants like mine who are shorter with big buds. Because of my laziness, I've lost a few potentially full stems, they ended up slowly bending away from the light and dying off. Not all strains really need this, and there are other ways for providing support, just make sure you understand how your plants are expected to grow and work with that.
6) "She'll let you try new things"
Don't be afraid to try things you've seen others do, or even somethings you are curious about, just do it in small moderation's so you don't shock her. Throughout, I was curious about a few things: Is clipping lower stems that beneficial, how important is fully drying and curing bud prior to partaking, and how significant is "burping" bud while curing due to mold? As for clipping, I have seen "popsicle" pop up a lot. Well reading up on it, I thought it was way too advanced for a beginner grower, I tried clipping small amounts of the lower portions to learn what to look for and see what actually happens. I won't share my results, because you need to experiment too! While trimming my plant, I notice some stems started to develop flowers with some THC on them, but they were very underdeveloped and needed to go. Well I was always taught to recycle, so I did just that and I put my other two questions to the test. I tried clipping away leaves and stems, backed my bowl, and sparked up. I did get a little bit of a buzz, but it didn't burn or taste smooth, instead it was kind of harsh and I needed to use more than you would normally need if the bud was developed. Again, you can get a little buzz going, but time and patience will go a long way. As for the burping, I took some underdeveloped flowers and threw them in a ziploc bag that I felt was nice and air tight. Mold can't form now! Again, I was wrong. I didn't let the flowers dry out and I didn't burp the bag at all. After a day and a half, it mas moldy and unusable. I'm glad I tried these experiments out now, instead on my fully developed bud, now I know what I'll need to do and what to expect once I harvest!
Hopefully this was a useful post and that it will help spark some thoughts during your grow, whether you are new or even a seasoned grower!
Patients is a virtue.