hey ben just wondering what you think of some of the stuff i've learned that are just some basic principles, maybe you have your own written down set of principles for sharing with others???
Like obvious things that you eventually learn after screwing yourself out of some money.
for instance that your fingers leave oil on your bulbs, it's important before turning on your new bulb not to just wipe it with a rag but to use rubbing alcohol. this will remove oils from the bulb and prevent damage
If you buy a ppm or ph meter, be sure to get the cleaner, cleaning tools and calibrations for them. always rinse after using and never ever let them dry out.
Don't buy the cheap timers or cheap power strips from home depot; theyre rated for a low wattage load. you should get a timer/power strip rated above what your lamp is to account for other things on your grow timer.
If possible use more than one outlet and multiple timers, this way your spreading your load (if your using a lot of electricity)
Don't "defoliate", only remove leaves when damaged 60% or more. They should pretty much just come off, but try not to let leaves die and rot in your soil, it'll attract bugs.
If you tie your plant down make sure there is wiggle room so when the plant grows it doesn't constrict the stem
Clean your grow room every chance you get. The cleaner it is the more reflective it is (if you have reflective growroom) to prevent things from getting dirty its a good idea to put a filter on your air intake; this will reduce amount of dust buildup on walls and also on the plant, making the leaves cleaner and less apt to getting their stomata clogged up. as intake filter clogs it will reduce CFMS so beware!! :X I dont use a filter on the exhaust just because it doesn't get dirty...
replace bulbs every 3-4 grows
and thats about it!
I'd really love to see a good list of stuff you've learned like secrets or whatever , not even really secrets just good info that you eventually learn as a grower
I've also heard its good to add cal-mag before other nutes because its alkaline and its better to bring the ph up then down, do you have any insight about this? I wasn't sure if you grew with bottled nutes or what.