New grower with a few quick questions

Hey guys, just started looking into growing a few weeks ago.

I know this is all EXTREMELY repetitive to probably 95% of you, but this is my first time and I would like to thank anyone who can help me before hand.

I probably wouldn't of started but i got a sick deal on all the gear.

what i have:
400 watt HPS set up - brand new Hortilux Super HPS and Hortilux Conversion HPS to MH 400 w bulbs
2' x 4' x 5.5' gorilla grow tent
full BMO product line
fox farm HF grow mix

i ordered


SO, questions:

• I should not have to add any nutes the first 3 weeks, correct?
• Can i still foliar feed with the BMO foliar feed included during veg?
• How often should I flush 3 gallon pots?
• How much water do I flush with?
• Is a better schedule 1 week feek, 1 week water, 1 week feed, 1 week water and so on OR 1 week feed, 2 weeks water and so on?
• Is it better to bubble all the mixed nutes for a few hours?
• Should I bubble after I've set PH with ph up/down before adding nutes
• Should I apply a little water and run a small flush before nute feeds?

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Droy87 said:

Hey guys, just started looking into growing a few weeks ago.

I know this is all EXTREMELY repetitive to probably 95% of you, but this is my first time and I would like to thank anyone who can help me before hand.

I probably wouldn't of started but i got a sick deal on all the gear.

what i have:
400 watt HPS set up - brand new Hortilux Super HPS and Hortilux Conversion HPS to MH 400 w bulbs
2' x 4' x 5.5' gorilla grow tent
full BMO product line
fox farm HF grow mix

i ordered

Iced Widow	female-seeds-Iced-widow1064	4	$25.67
FREE - Sleetstack x Skunk 1 Reg (x2)	free1	1	$0.00
FREE - White Widow x Amnesia Fem (x1)	free3	1	$0.00
FREE - Auto Blackberry Fem (x2)	free5	1	$0.00
FREE - Black Domina x G13 Fem (x1)

SO, questions:

• I should not have to add any nutes the first 3 weeks, correct?
• Can i still foliar feed with the BMO foliar feed included during veg?
• How often should I flush 3 gallon pots?
• How much water do I flush with?
• Is a better schedule 1 week feek, 1 week water, 1 week feed, 1 week water and so on OR 1 week feed, 2 weeks water and so on?
• Is it better to bubble all the mixed nutes for a few hours?
• Should I bubble after I've set PH with ph up/down before adding nutes
• Should I apply a little water and run a small flush before nute feeds?

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Click to expand...

1. First month.
2. Don't bother.
3. Get 5 gallon pots at least flush 2 weeks before harvest
4. I usually do about 2 gallons
5. Feed every other watering.
6. No
7. PH up/down is a waste of money, use vinegar and baking soda. Check your PH after adding nutes
8. No.

GOD HERE said:

1. First month.
2. Don't bother.
3. Get 5 gallon pots at least flush 2 weeks before harvest
4. I usually do about 2 gallons
5. Feed every other watering.
6. No
7. PH up/down is a waste of money, use vinegar and baking soda. Check your PH after adding nutes
8. No.

Click to expand...

Awesome man, I appreciate it.
You said to use 5 gallon pots, I honestly just didn't have enough space in a 2'x4'x5.5' including the reflector + the Ice widow I'm starting with should get a good 3.5' tall.
Vinegar and baking soda huh, cool thanks.
Regular distilled vinegar?

But I'd like to add that BMO doesn't register properly on a PPM/PH tester so really I think I just have to wing it.

This is right off BMO's ebay page, "Note: Our organic fertilizers do not register on a TDS / EC meter like chemical fertilizers do, because of the way they are bound. Our fertilizers are less conductive because we do not use pH stablizers, dyes, or hard mineral salts"

Does that mean just on a electronic reader or can I still use a PH kit like in Biology class when I was 13 lol?

Droy87 said:

Awesome man, I appreciate it.
You said to use 5 gallon pots, I honestly just didn't have enough space in a 2'x4'x5.5' including the reflector + the Ice widow I'm starting with should get a good 3.5' tall.
Vinegar and baking soda huh, cool thanks.
Regular distilled vinegar?

But I'd like to add that BMO doesn't register properly on a PPM/PH tester so really I think I just have to wing it.

This is right off BMO's ebay page, "Note: Our organic fertilizers do not register on a TDS / EC meter like chemical fertilizers do, because of the way they are bound. Our fertilizers are less conductive because we do not use pH stablizers, dyes, or hard mineral salts"

Does that mean just on a electronic reader or can I still use a PH kit like in Biology class when I was 13 lol?

Click to expand...

Yeah space can be tough, just take into account that the plants will double or even triple in size when you flip to flower. And yeah, just use any average store bought vinegar.

If you're growing in soil don't bother with the PPM meter, that's more for hydro set ups. You don't need a soil PH tester, just adjust the PH of your nuted water before you water the plants using a PH pen and you'll be fine. No need to waste a whole bunch of money when you're growing in soil

GOD HERE said:

Yeah space can be tough, just take into account that the plants will double or even triple in size when you flip to flower. And yeah, just use any average store bought vinegar.

If you're growing in soil don't bother with the PPM meter, that's more for hydro set ups. You don't need a soil PH tester, just adjust the PH of your nuted water before you water the plants using a PH pen and you'll be fine. No need to waste a whole bunch of money when you're growing in soil

Click to expand...

Awesome man, thanks! Unfortunately the nutes I bought (BMO) are not able to be read by a PH meter or drops.

Note: Our organic fertilizers do not register on a TDS / EC meter like chemical fertilizers do, because of the way they are bound.Our fertilizers are less conductive because we do not use pH stablizers, dyes, or hard mineral salts


Any suggestions?? I guess I should just go light at first then work my way up?

ALSO one thing i forgot to mention. I don't have a CO2 setup. Will those 20$ CO2 bags work?? Or could I use a nute as a replacement?

Droy87 said:

Awesome man, thanks! Unfortunately the nutes I bought (BMO) are not able to be read by a PH meter or drops.

Note: Our organic fertilizers do not register on a TDS / EC meter like chemical fertilizers do, because of the way they are bound.Our fertilizers are less conductive because we do not use pH stablizers, dyes, or hard mineral salts


Any suggestions?? I guess I should just go light at first then work my way up?

ALSO one thing i forgot to mention. I don't have a CO2 setup. Will those 20$ CO2 bags work?? Or could I use a nute as a replacement?

Click to expand...

As long as your water/nutrient solution is PH balanced at 6.2-6.8 you will be fine. It sounds like the company is referring to the solution itself. If the PH is within that range, the nutrients will be optimally available to the plant. Always start at at least 1/2 strength and work your way up.

As for CO2 production, here's what I use:

[video=youtube;SERsKOQXUzQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SERsKOQXUzQ[/video]

Cheap and easy.

If you have any questions in the future after this thread dies out, feel free to PM me.

Ah yes the forever pHing in soil thing......

DON'T bother with Ph in soil as it self adjusts!!!!!
Cross ref this thread....
https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/714679-quality-ph-meter-pen.html
Your going Organic too eh? Really no need to pH!!!
I suppose I should "duck" now from all the illiterate pHing soil jibber jabber this is going to start.....

GOD HERE said:

As long as your water/nutrient solution is PH balanced at 6.2-6.8 you will be fine. It sounds like the company is referring to the solution itself. If the PH is within that range, the nutrients will be optimally available to the plant. Always start at at least 1/2 strength and work your way up.

As for CO2 production, here's what I use:

[video=youtube;SERsKOQXUzQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SERsKOQXUzQ[/video]

Cheap and easy.

If you have any questions in the future after this thread dies out, feel free to PM me.

Click to expand...

Kick ass, thanks! I'll get the supplies tomorrow When should I start applying it?

Dr. Who said:

Ah yes the forever pHing in soil thing......

DON'T bother with Ph in soil as it self adjusts!!!!!
Cross ref this thread....
https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/714679-quality-ph-meter-pen.html
Your going Organic to eh? Really no need to pH!!!
I suppose I should "duck" now from all the illiterate pHing soil jibber jabber this is going to start.....

Click to expand...

I know you said you don't need to ph in soil but you still need to check the ph to make sure it close, so anything between 6.3-7.0 you should ok but if your ph is too far out you will get a lot of problems

the soil does self adjusts the ph to a point but if you start adding a ph of 5.6 every water you will mess the plant up and cause lock out in a few weeks

Droy87 said:

Kick ass, thanks! I'll get the supplies tomorrow When should I start applying it?

Click to expand...

If you're talking about the CO2, I start it 2 weeks after I start flowering with sativas, maybe 1 week with an indica strain.

Dr. Who said:

Ah yes the forever pHing in soil thing......

DON'T bother with Ph in soil as it self adjusts!!!!!
Cross ref this thread....
https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/714679-quality-ph-meter-pen.html
Your going Organic to eh? Really no need to pH!!!
I suppose I should "duck" now from all the illiterate pHing soil jibber jabber this is going to start.....

Click to expand...

If I could give you negative rep I would. This idiotic myth has gotten way out of control. Familiarize yourself with nutrient availability.

jacksthc said:

I know you said you don't need to ph in soil but you still need to check the ph to make sure it close, so anything between 6.3-7.0 you should ok but if your ph is too far out you will get a lot of problems

the soil does self adjusts the ph to a point but if you start adding a ph of 5.6 every water you will mess the plant up and cause lock out in a few weeks

Click to expand...

That is correct, to a point!,,,,BUT the best thing to start would be a pH soil tester or a quality combo that works in all types of media.
The soil you start with is a major factor down the road.
With using a QUALITY amended soil and not POUNDING it with overly high NPK ratio's from synthetic's I have yet to see the pH swing outside of 6.3 to 6.7 !

GOD HERE said:

If I could give you negative rep I would. This idiotic myth has gotten way out of control. Familiarize yourself with nutrient availability.

Click to expand...

OK...Here we go.
THE SOIL IS LIVING,,,all sorts of microbes/fungus's and bacteria LIVE in it. When you grow in soil, you are in a sense "feeding" the soil and the plant is a byproduct of the interaction between the living things in the soil! This is because those living things adjust the nutrients in the soil to be MORE available/useful to and by the plant !!! (there are even microbes that live on the ROOTS of the plant that help bolth the plant AND the soil).
Synthetics try to "short cut" the symbiotic relationship between the soil - microbes - plant by providing a "plant ready" nutrient formula...Yes that works and it still self pH's by the nutrient added being "neutral". Yet synthetics "harm" the microbes in that soil making the self pHing less effective, BUT still it self adjusts to plant needs!

If you would read the book I listed - Teaming with Microbes, ALL of your questions will be answered.
I'll qualify my statements by saying this.
I have a BA, an MA and I'm Going to be writing my Doctoral thesis by the end of the College year, all from Michigan State University AND all are in horticulture!!
I work in the field as a Horticulturist for a Drug manufacturer in cancer drugs from plants (Yews).
I have grown MM for longer then many here have been alive.

SO then,,,,for you,,,the pH of the soil is the factor your looking for......GET a SOIL pH tester and go from there.....OR better yet,,,get the HANNA muli meter I suggested just to be safe...Hell then you can see the pH of the water in/out AND the soil....you'll soon see that if you do that,,,,,,,the soil self pH's!!!!!!

Here are the meters
http://www.labdepotinc.com/Product_D...~pid~6284.aspx
IF you only want one for soil applications that is easy to use and carry , , then look at this one.
http://4hydroponics.com/bluelab-soil-ph-pen

Now then to all you NAYSAYERS on soil not needing pH.....The water going in will be x.y pH and coming out it will be y.z and all the while your soil WILL be right about 6.5 give or take a factor of as much as only.2.
If you need to understand how and why soil self pH's then you ALL need to read this (and for sure if you don't believe me)!!!! THIS is the book I would say is a must read for anyone wanting to grow organic....
http://www.amazon.com/Teaming-Microb...+Soil+Food+Web.

As far as this being an "Idiotic myth",,,,The only thing I find "idiotic" is YOUR total lack of factual knowledge!
By the way,,,I'll be filling in for the prof in Lab and lecture hall. once a week for bolth as part of my doctorate....
As last year I will ENJOY shooting down the "pH myth" in soil to all the "self taught" MM growing "experts" that take the classes in organics!

you may now go back to "thoughts of smooth young boys, and their creamy thighs"
Negative rep that!

GOD HERE said:

If you're talking about the CO2, I start it 2 weeks after I start flowering with sativas, maybe 1 week with an indica strain.



If I could give you negative rep I would. This idiotic myth has gotten way out of control. Familiarize yourself with nutrient availability.

Click to expand...

Thanks for all the quick and good information man, I'll keep everyone updated once i get this started.
Thanks again - Dave

Dr. Who said:

That is correct, to a point!,,,,BUT the best thing to start would be a pH soil tester or a quality combo that works in all types of media.
The soil you start with is a major factor down the road.
With using a QUALITY amended soil and not POUNDING it with overly high NPK ratio's from synthetic's I have yet to see the pH swing outside of 6.3 to 6.7 !

Click to expand...

PH

pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity. The water quality regulations specify that the pH of tap water should be between 6.5 and 9.5. Water leaving our treatment works typically has a pH between 7 and 8, but this can change as it passes through the network of reservoirs and water mains.

http://www.unitedutilities.com/About-your-water.aspx

and bottle water you need to see for your self

http://muscle-h2o.com/?page_id=9

so I have no ideal where you get 6.3 to 6.7 as nutes will only change the ph a little when you need them
the first few weeks with "QUALITY amended soil" you don't need nutes so the ph can be a lot out

rember this is advice needed by a newbie not someone than knows how to grow

they could be using bottle water or tap water and get loads of problems and have no ideal the waters ph is 5 or 9