Watering during flowering

Hiya. I am new to growing and to this forum. I have spent a ton of time reading posts. You guys really have your s**t together.

I am attempting a first grow. I am using an old phototron unit and tring to use some of the methods I have read about here. Just trying to get my first batch under my belt and learn from the experience.

I am growing in the spaghnum moss that comes with a phototron germination kit. I started out using phototron nutients as well. After reading here I decided to give the fox farm nutes a try.

I am also using a phototron feed-a-tron for watering purposes. ALthough I have read numerous references to phototrons and their limitations here, I didn't see any mentions of the feed-a-tron for watering. Anyone ever use this and have any feedback?

My plants have been in 12-12 light mode now for 60 days. They have been given Beastie Bloom and Cha Ching. My buds are ok, but not fantastic. Probably due to the phototron lighting and lack of a mh light. The hairs on many of the buds have turned brown, but I still have many buds where the hairs are still 100% white. I read Widow Maker's great growing guide and want to be sure I don't wait too long to harvest. Unfortunately this was bag seed so I don't know what strain I have. Is it safe to assume that buds getting the least light will be slow to have their hairs turn brown?

My biggest concern at the moment is the fact that the plants have stopped using much water. When I started the flowering process they were using close to a gallon a day. Now at day 60 of flowering, they are using almost no water, most of the shade leaves have yellowed and then browned. I don't know if this is normal or is caused by nute lock or something else.

Sorry, don't have pix at the moment. I will try and take a couple of the buds and post them.

Like I said, this is my first grow after finding this forum. I intend to build a grow room, but as a beginner want to experiment with what I have first.

Any feedback on the watering issue and also using the feed-a-tron would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks to everyone who spends time here helping everyone else out. THis is an awesome forum and I wish I had found it a long time ago!

Welcome to RIU...

First you gotta change lights, your plant won't grow to its full potential if you don't. You don't wanna flower with mh, you want hps. Usually the lights that steer more toward the blue spectrum are geared for vegging and more red and orange spectrum for flowering. Also don't go by the color of the hairs on your plant, that has NOTHING to do with harvest time. You want to go to radio shack and get one of those microscopes and look at the resin glands up close, you want to harvest when they are an amber color. They will go from clear to amber to Dark amber. If you get to where they are dark amber you outta chop cause they are getting overly ripe. You will learn with time. and get some good genitics cause bagseed seeds usually suck and are unstable, but you can always find a diamond in the rough if thats all that is available to you.....peace

and the leaves dying is a natural process the plant goes through at the end of it's life because most of the energy and food goes toward the flowers.... o those beautiful flowers

Thanks for the feedback Maximus!

What lights are you useing,Sounds like you have given growing alot of thought this is what everyone should do.Try sensi plus or vitalink i use vitalink i have used most nutrients in my growing but vitalink and sensi pro are the best two in my oppinion.The best thing is vitalink veg comes in two parts and b same has bloom but it is only a tenner£10 for both veg and the same for bloom.I feed once a week once the plants have a good root system going there is no need for any more.I put the plants in the bath i only grow a max of 4 these give me 2 and harf pound dry.Back to watering i like to flush once aweek this means the plants are in tip top condition all the way through the grow till the end my plants are lovely green.What ever size tub you use i use 18ltr tubs so i flush in the bath till the water runs clear then i leave them there for about 4 hours then i make up a new batch of nutrients and add this to the plants still in the bath leav for a couple of hours and then back in the grow room.Make sure that you put something under the plants i use the trays that cats have litter in to catch any water that is left then emty the next day.Always add buddy to the nutrients or a extra bloom fert during week 2 i also add 50 ml of mallassess during the second week 40 ml to 18 ltr of water.But i only use mallassess every second feed but be warned too much can cause seriouse damage to the plants.I like to use mallassess during the winter months because over the years i have found but useing it in the summer it attracts alot of insects knats.So when useing this always have fly papper hanging around.If you flush and water in the same day you know that the ph will be bang on and you will only need to water once a week up till around week 5/6 then you may need just to add a little more feed because the roots will have got that big that your plants will need a tad more feed.You don't have to worry about the ph of the soil has long has you know the ph of the feed that is going in.The ph is 5.5 during veg and 6.0/6/5 during flowering.You will use a full ltr of feed on a 8week grow on 4 plants this is adding 4 ml per ltr of a and b of bloom.The veg will last a few grows because for the first 2 week of a plants life[clone or seed] i only feed multithrive till the roots show then feed plant start for a week then vitalink a and b veg.

gots to agree i use AN sensi parts a and b

Great stuff tyke! Thanks!