newbies increase your yields with these tips

[applepoop1984]

i posted somethings someone could do to improve their grow. i thought it was good enough to devote its own thread to. these tips are designed to help increase your yield and reduce problems in the grow room:

• 1.keep temps in the 70-80 range, and try to keep them from deviating more than 10 degrees in range.keeping night temperatures and day temperatures the same will greatly increase thc vs a wide variation. 75 day and night is optimal. source: mel franks cannabis grow guide by mel frank & ED ROSENTHAL, High Times' 2006 Seed Guide.
  
  2.keep humidity always above 50% and always below 70%. for veg 55-65% is optimal, for flower, 50-55% is optimal.rh below 48% will cause wilting and excess transpiration of the leaves sources:
  http://www.bu.edu/ehs/plans/management-plans/safety-and-health/mold/
  http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2436465?uid=3739864&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21102321767711
  
  
  3. improved ventilation will help increase co2 getting to the plants.get a fan with a fan speed controller and you can fine tune the temps as well.keep the exhaust fans mounted high as possible with the intake mounted low as possible and on the side opposite the exhaust. this way there is an updraft blowing co2 rich air through the leaves while making it harder for any pests to lay eggs on the undersides of the leaves. i didnt see the need to source
  
  4. dont flush right before harvest. its best to flush 2 weeks before and at least 2 days before cutting so they dry out better. wont exactly help yield but will reduce the chances of mold which actually could help yield. MEL FRANK recommends the following:"A good idea is to flush each pot once after two months of growth, again after four months." he also states: "Flood each pot with plain water so that it runs out the drainage holes. Continue flooding the pots until a couple of gallons of water have run through the pot.Don't fertilise for at least a week."
  source: MEL FRANK cannabis grow guide.
  
  5. blue spectrum isnt beneficial to flowering. it wont hurt but youd do better to have all 2700k lights in there as red light increase bud production. also red light in veg is counter productive as it causes stretch. however red light improves root growth and a combination of red and blue is very beneficial in the seedling stage but start to switch out the red so that after 1-2 weeks of veg it is mostly if not all blue light.
  source:http://www.plantcell.org/content/14/suppl_1/S207.full
  
  6. it has been noted that talking to your plants is good, this is because of the co2 you breathe out not exactly the sound. although there have been studies of music in the grow room improving yield vs control group. breathing slash talking to your plants whenever you can will yield higher co2 for about a couple seconds. if i breathe on my co2 meter it goes up 600 ppm.
  source:http://www.ertinc.com/c02.php, my co2 meter
  
  7. for the first 2-3 waterings use molasses to boost the microbe population. this will help break down nutrients for your plants to use. after the 3rd watering with molasses dont do it again, normally microbes feed on the sugar from the roots and when you introduce outside sugar they eat that instead. youre just trying to boost their population not help them graze lol. keeping microbe feeding on your roots will help the plant uptake nutes even faster.source:
  https://portal.utpa.edu/portal/page/portal/utpa_main/dba_home/sustainability_home/images_files_page/Benefits of Compost Tea UTPA Nov 16 2011.pdf
  
  8. before flowering give your plants 2 days of absolute darkness. this kicks the flowering hormones into overdrive. likewise before harvest give it 2 days of darkness as well to help leach nutrients out of your bud.source:
  Marijuana Grower's Handbook: Your Complete Guide for Medical and Personal Marijuana Cultivation
  
  9.phing your water isnt necessary with organics put 1-2 tbsp of dolomite lime or similar buffer in your soil as a top dressing would greatly benefit your plants. if you choose to ph your water however the acceptable range for soil is 5.9-6.5. lemon juice or distilled vinegar is acceptable for lowering, as well as baking soda for raising the ph. these are used in soil only and will complicate hydroponics systems.source:
  Marijuana Grower's Handbook: Your Complete Guide for Medical and Personal Marijuana Cultivation
  
  
  10. aerate your water with an airpump before watering. this will keep it oxygenated and help the plants recover from the watering quicker. likewise adding one capful of hydrogen peroxide to 1 gallon of water will do the same. do both. Source:
  http://hos.ufl.edu/sites/default/files/faculty/gdliu/O2Basil.pdf
  
  11. when watering, water completely. you cannot over water at one time this is why flushing works(it is possible to water too much but only if you let it pool in the tray). you want at least 10% runoff in your trays after words but get rid of the run off , the tray should have little to no water in it to prevent root rot. also do not water until the top 3 inches of soil is dry. you basically want to get it completely wet leaving no dry pockets(this removes stale air from the soil) and let it dry 3 inches deep from the top. if the soil starts shrinking away from the sides of the planter its time to water.source : could not find a single study,Marijuana Grower's Handbook: Your Complete Guide for Medical and Personal Marijuana Cultivation
  
  
  12. if you water with nutrients make sure you give it 2-3 waterings with nutes and 1 without and repeat. also balancing your nutrients is important. in organics this isnt much of a problem but if you have been using 7-1-1 or similar nute during veg you want to use a 0-6-7 or similar nute during flower. too much of one nute will lockout the uptake of another.
  
  13. no nutes the last 2 weeks of flower. helps more with bud quality than anything. this applies to inorganic ferts. there has been debate about nutrients getting into bud and it is well none that heavy metals from inorganic phosphate fertilizers are notorious for this mainly lead cadium etc. source:http://www.academia.edu/2721257/Phosphate_mineral_fertilizers_trace_metals_and_human_health
  
  14. never interrupt the dark cycle with light of any kind except green. source:http://www.crec.ifas.ufl.edu/academics/faculty/spann/PDF/5.pdf
  
  15. cut a 2 liter in half invert the top into the bottom to make a funnel and fill with vinegar. this will be a trap for almost all pests and they will be more interested in the vinegar than your plants. keep it 10 ft from the grow box. if you are using ph down in the form of vinegar this trap is of the utmost importance. 2 or 3 are cheap and easy to make and will keep your plants away from pests.source: make this put it outside and prove it too yourself.
  
  16. use a negative ion generator. negative ions have been shown to improve plant growth and half another benefit of reducing odors. this is not a co2 generator! you can buy them at walmart. make sure it generates negative ions it shoudl say somethign like 10,000 cubic centimeters per second or something like that. source:
  https://sbs.arizona.edu/project/consciousness/report_poster_detail.php?abs=1618
  
  17. go to radio shack and get the strongest magnifying glass. use this to look at your trichs before harvest. you want mostly cloudy trichs when there are over 10% amber trichs its harvest time
  
  18. use a small amount of clay in your soil. clay has a negative charge and improves nutrient absorbtion. too much though can cause clumpy undesireable soil with much less air. the key is to mix it thoroughly with your regular soil. no more than 1 cup per gallon.
  source: http://classes.css.wsu.edu/soils201/Presentations/Lab 4 Clay Minerals.pdf
  
  19. add supercoarse perlite(preferred) or fine perlite(still good) too your soil. even soils containing perlite can still benefit from extra perlite added. a study on different soil types concluded that 100% perlite in a hempy bucket is the preferred way to grow. it yielded 1.5 grams more on average than the other soils tested in a series of control groups etc. since this is in the beginner section i would not recommend a hempy setup. or even 100% perlite. the reason being it drains so well and is so airy that the plants will dry out quicker and even though alot of new growers tend to over water, i still feel there should be some dirt in your soil mix. 50% perlite 50% dirt is a good middle ground. also a layer of newspaper on the bottom of your planter with 1-2 inches of perlite will help prevent root rot.
  
  19b. add vermiculite or moisture control crystals to your soil. these will help with over watering and slowly deliver water to your plants. moisture control crystals are not organic they are poly acrylates. use 2 tbsps of crystals per gallon of soil and mix thoroughly.30% vermiculite is a good ratio to have.
  
  20. resist the urge to touch fondle the buds during flower. trichomes can break off and you will reduce the quality.
  
  21. heat the roots.. use an aquarium thermometer to heat the water to 72 degrees farenheit. adding a seedling mat or even an aquarium heater to the soil near the edge of the planter will improve growth as well. keeping the plants roots a stable 72 degrees without fluctuation will help more than you can imagine.source:
  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs308
  
  22.foliar feeding. during veg foliar feeding can help plant growth immensely. if temps humidity and light intensity are optimal, foliar feeding becomes even more powerful due to the stomata being opened fully. ph the water to 6.2 then add a high nitrogen fert but in a small dose. foliar feeding is 90% more effective at getting water and nutes to the plants compared to the roots ability of transporting water and nutes. too much will burn. molasses can be used during the last week of veg as well. as soon as youre done foliar feeding make another solution of 6.2 ph water and spray all the leaves with the clean water. this will unclog any stomatas. you should only do this during veg and never during flower. this will increase growth and reduce veg time and can be done almost everyday. advanced growers can use a silica additive during flower but it is risky. it can develop mold very easily the flowers have alot of nooks and crannies. even when this is done it is only done for the first month of flower.
  
  23. underneath reflection. cut a piece of reflective material (mylar, posterboard etc) the exact dimensions as your grow box. this will go on the top of your planters to reflect light up through the bottoms of the leaves. cut small lines in the reflective sheet so that the stems of your plants slide through it yet it rests on the top of the plantar right on top of the soil. this is very effective with cfls.
  
  24. buy a zero water pitcher from walmart. it is around 30$ and guarantees you will have a ppm of less than 10 in your water. it will also lower the ph slightly even as low as 5.4 after being exposed to air for too long. water with this within 2-3 hours to avoid an excessively low ph
  
  25. by a ph meter from your local hydro shop and 7.0 calibrating solution. online you can get these for 10-15$
  
  i hope these tips will help all new growers improve over their first harvest or help a newbie apply some ideas to their first grow​
  
  

iv sourced as many tips as i could a handful are from ed rosenthals latest revision of the cannabis grow guide but as expected there wont be many studies on marijuana until its legal.

 

[mrblu]

nice post lots of info in there. im sure some will disagree with alot of it but looks like you put some work into this.

 

[applepoop1984]

nice post lots of info in there. im sure some will disagree with alot of it but looks like you put some work into this.

yes please let me know what you find disagreeable. iv done my research and have alot of experience with this and alot of data/ studies to back up my claims.

 

[Nizza]

maybe add in something at 3 about fresh air intake and night time increased co2 levels? and how co2 sinks if you use bottles be sure to know how it works

 

[applepoop1984]

maybe add in something at 3 about fresh air intake and night time increased co2 levels? and how co2 sinks if you use bottles be sure to know how it works

yes fresh air is important but only in a closet, if growing in a box in a room thats over 5'x5' such as a small bedroom chances are you will just need to open the door to enter your grow room to add more co2 to keep it above atmospheric 380 ppm or so. co2 is not generally used during the night mostly o2 is used at night time. notice in 3 how i state installing the intake fan at the bottom with the exhaust fan up top. this setup is for beginners and pushes dense co2 through the leaves. im not going to get into the nuances of a sealed co2 enriched room in the beginner section but im relying on the fact that constantly pushign air through the box will improve co2 ppm above 380. thanks for your input though

 

[simisimis]

well for niewbies ion generators and extra co2 feeding might be a bit.. u know..

I some points are good, some are a bit not. some still could have more info. anyway, you cannot expect to put all the knowledge in one post. people read tons of books before they get to understand everything.

here's what I disagree with or have something to add.

2. I grow with constant 36% RH from seed. Had no problems whatsoever. tried raising it, did not notice any difference.

4. flushing is BAD. Cannot emphasize it enough. It can be used only as a last resort, i.e. serious overfeeding. It highly stresses the plant that results in reduced yield.

5. during the plants life it needs full spectrum of light. warm white 2700K-3000K and 6000K-6500K are the most beneficial colors. best use 3:1 ratio with 3 being 6500K in veg and 3 being 2700K in flower. You could go with 3K from start to finish with some additional 6500K and would not notice a big difference in yield.

7. I've read some growers did not see benefits from molasses, but if you have them, it does not hurt for you to use it.

8. 2 days of absolute darkness is just a hype. it does not make plant flower faster, it causes additional stress to the plant.

10. hydrogen peroxide kills bacteria in soil. if should be used when plant is overwared so provide extra oxygen for the roots because peroxide kills bacterias, make new molecules releasing oxygen. When flushing you plant this could help for it to survive cause it would produce oxygen which flushing/overwatering pushed out of soil, but when watering properly this should not be used. unless you experience some mold or fungi.

12. feeding of 3-1-2 NPK with Ca-Mg supplement for healthy growth and S containing nutes from 4th week of flowering to increase thc production. No high P food in indoor grows as it locks out some micro elements and deficiency of P is very rare in indoor grows.

13. Do not stop feeding last two weeks as it does not remove anything from buds and it does not make them any better, proper drying and curing does. The only thing it does it extremely stresses the plant and result in yield. Drying the buds till their stems are snapping and then curring them in constant 62% RH releases chlorophyll and this is where the taste and potency are maximized not flushing or feeding.

22. Foliage feeding not always helps a plant. On flowering stages it causes buds to mold/rot. In veg under stronger lighting like hps drops can form magnifying lenses and burn the leaves. I do not spray plants anymore as it only worsen the things for me.

23. reflecting the light from the bottom is not worth the effort IMO. bottom of the leaves contain 1/3rd of chlorophyll and therefore photosynthesize less, also light distance increases and with light source as cfl because of the poor penetration you would hardly benefit at all. cfls should be 1-3" from plant to benefit best.

great work man, but quite a lot misleading information.

for newbies I would advise to read Uncle Bens tweaks and pointers with all of the commnets. so many things are answered in there. Also Mel Franks book - Marijuana Grower's Insider's Guide. 1993, or another Mel Franks book Marijuana Grower's Guide Deluxe: Revised Color Edition 1997 by red eye press. And only then start reading forums so you would get your knowledge from scientifically proven facts rather from those bs hypes floating in these forums/snake oil sellers/grow bibles writers.

 

[applepoop1984]

well for niewbies ion generators and extra co2 feeding might be a bit.. u know..

I some points are good, some are a bit not. some still could have more info. anyway, you cannot expect to put all the knowledge in one post. people read tons of books before they get to understand everything.

here's what I disagree with or have something to add.

2. I grow with constant 36% RH from seed. Had no problems whatsoever. tried raising it, did not notice any difference.

4. flushing is BAD. Cannot emphasize it enough. It can be used only as a last resort, i.e. serious overfeeding. It highly stresses the plant that results in reduced yield.

5. during the plants life it needs full spectrum of light. warm white 2700K-3000K and 6000K-6500K are the most beneficial colors. best use 3:1 ratio with 3 being 6500K in veg and 3 being 2700K in flower. You could go with 3K from start to finish with some additional 6500K and would not notice a big difference in yield.

7. I've read some growers did not see benefits from molasses, but if you have them, it does not hurt for you to use it.

8. 2 days of absolute darkness is just a hype. it does not make plant flower faster, it causes additional stress to the plant.

10. hydrogen peroxide kills bacteria in soil. if should be used when plant is overwared so provide extra oxygen for the roots because peroxide kills bacterias, make new molecules releasing oxygen. When flushing you plant this could help for it to survive cause it would produce oxygen which flushing/overwatering pushed out of soil, but when watering properly this should not be used. unless you experience some mold or fungi.

12. feeding of 3-1-2 NPK with Ca-Mg supplement for healthy growth and S containing nutes from 4th week of flowering to increase thc production. No high P food in indoor grows as it locks out some micro elements and deficiency of P is very rare in indoor grows.

13. Do not stop feeding last two weeks as it does not remove anything from buds and it does not make them any better, proper drying and curing does. The only thing it does it extremely stresses the plant and result in yield. Drying the buds till their stems are snapping and then curring them in constant 62% RH releases chlorophyll and this is where the taste and potency are maximized not flushing or feeding.

22. Foliage feeding not always helps a plant. On flowering stages it causes buds to mold/rot. In veg under stronger lighting like hps drops can form magnifying lenses and burn the leaves. I do not spray plants anymore as it only worsen the things for me.

23. reflecting the light from the bottom is not worth the effort IMO. bottom of the leaves contain 1/3rd of chlorophyll and therefore photosynthesize less, also light distance increases and with light source as cfl because of the poor penetration you would hardly benefit at all. cfls should be 1-3" from plant to benefit best.

great work man, but quite a lot misleading information.

for newbies I would advise to read Uncle Bens tweaks and pointers with all of the commnets. so many things are answered in there. Also Mel Franks book - Marijuana Grower's Insider's Guide. 1993, or another Mel Franks book Marijuana Grower's Guide Deluxe: Revised Color Edition 1997 by red eye press. And only then start reading forums so you would get your knowledge from scientifically proven facts rather from those bs hypes floating in these forums/snake oil sellers/grow bibles writers.

we can agree to disagree:

negative ion generators cost 20-50$ and help control odor

also im talking mostly about enriching co2 through proper ventilation.

studies have shown at below 50% rh the stomata will close, reducing co2 uptake

flushing is not bad. albeit with organics flushing is not really necessary it does not hurt if you do it right ie using an airstone and pump to aerate your water before doing it as well as hydrogen peroxide

hydrogen peroxide does in fact kill bacteria. however it kills anaerobic bacteria only, the kind that thrives in an oxygen deprived environment. the way h2o2 works is it cleaves any bacteria in t wane that does not contain enzyme catalase. enzyme catalase is developed by almost all of aerobic bacteria( the good kind) while anerobic bacteria almost never contain enzyme catalase. its killing a few for the greater good is a good analogy

im not going to dispute the 3-1-2 however that is a very balanced solution. it sounds like youre referring to a fish emulsion seaweed combo from neptune's. i will however state that a high potassium/ phosphorus fertilizer is in fact necessary for flowering. i try to use as little p and k during veg but tend to use very little n during flower. thats not to say all my leaves are yellow at harvest. around half are. as long as you dont run out of green by harvest youre fine. this makes the curing process much easier.

i would disagree again here. it is not necessary to feed after the last 2 weeks. if using inorganic this is a must that you dont feed. if using organic compost tea etc it wont matter as the organic matter is part of the soil. point being if theyre almost dark green by the time you switch to 12/12, they should have more than enough chloroplasts in the leaves to last until harvest. also drying the buds to just before they feel like they will snap is preferred, as well as keeping the rh below 65% and gradually lowering it til it reaches the level of 50-55%.

the magnifying glass effect usually only happens with foliar if you dont use a fine mist. also keeping the light 18" away shoudl prevent this. after foliar feeding with temps at 75-80 i find the tiny droplets evaporate i have yet to have found burn marks in any of my plants.

a sheet of poster board costs little over a dollar. for a new grower any improvements with light is worthwhile. the combination of many tiny improvements will yield a greater end result. at the cost of a little over a dollar it is worth it.

i have that book by mel green as well as: jorge cervantes grow guide. ed rosenthals marijuana grow bible, greg greens marijuana guide, see more buds volume 1-3, ready set grow 1-2. jorge cervantes high times dvds 1-3, some vhs tapes from the 90's on sea of green. even the obscure jorge cervantez book from the early 90s where he talks about running strobe lights in the grow room lol. point being, iv read alot of books over the years. i have a subscription to scribd, anythign you woudl care to hav clarified i have the studies to prove all the points i made in this thread. thank you for your criticisms and interest in my thread

 

[simisimis]

we can agree to disagree:

negative ion generators cost 20-50$ and help control odor

also im talking mostly about enriching co2 through proper ventilation.

well I agree with constant ventilation to provide co2, I was referring co2 generators which has to be used in a fully controlled sealed environment to benefit the grow.

studies have shown at below 50% rh the stomata will close, reducing co2 uptake

rh does influence it, just for me the difference was to little to make big deal out of it. Also saw a lot of great results of people who grows in 20-40%.

flushing is not bad. albeit with organics flushing is not really necessary it does not hurt if you do it right ie using an airstone and pump to aerate your water before doing it as well as hydrogen peroxide

I agree with this except for the flushing part. flushing messes with the elemens, it pushes out oxygen, tightens soil, as somebody said in RIU - flushing is only for toilets.

hydrogen peroxide does in fact kill bacteria. however it kills anaerobic bacteria only, the kind that thrives in an oxygen deprived environment. the way h2o2 works is it cleaves any bacteria in t wane that does not contain enzyme catalase. enzyme catalase is developed by almost all of aerobic bacteria( the good kind) while anerobic bacteria almost never contain enzyme catalase. its killing a few for the greater good is a good analogy

can't say I did enough studies on this to agree or disagree, disagreement mainly came from the common sense that we use h2o2 for sterilization, in order to kill bacterias, also did not see people adding this constantly to their water.

im not going to dispute the 3-1-2 however that is a very balanced solution. it sounds like youre referring to a fish emulsion seaweed combo from neptune's. i will however state that a high potassium/ phosphorus fertilizer is in fact necessary for flowering. i try to use as little p and k during veg but tend to use very little n during flower. thats not to say all my leaves are yellow at harvest. around half are. as long as you dont run out of green by harvest youre fine. this makes the curing process much easier.

plants uses K all the time, it works together with Ca as a building material to produce stronger and fatter stems and it is needed throughout the grow. Fatter stems means bigger uptake. Too much of K of course will cause lockout of very much needed elements like N, Ca, Mg. Plants do use more P in flower BUT usually soil is plenty of P, and growing indoors is very rare to be a deficiency. Plants has to be green till the day you harvest them and you have to keep as much fan leaves as possible cause chlorophyll is vital in photosynthesis, and photosynthesis is for converting light to energy therefore bigger growth and bigger yields.

i would disagree again here. it is not necessary to feed after the last 2 weeks. if using inorganic this is a must that you dont feed. if using organic compost tea etc it wont matter as the organic matter is part of the soil. point being if theyre almost dark green by the time you switch to 12/12, they should have more than enough chloroplasts in the leaves to last until harvest. also drying the buds to just before they feel like they will snap is preferred, as well as keeping the rh below 65% and gradually lowering it til it reaches the level of 50-55%.

when you stop feeding them plants have to use stored energy from fan leaves, fan leaves yellow, fall therefore do not photosynthesize from light, that stops you from getting extra weight on your buds. If however you manage to go to the end of harvest without extra feeding and keeping all of the fan leaves, hooray to you. I personally lose 70% of foliage in those two weeks. And while curring after you put buds in the jars you need to keep constant 62% for them to keep on curing. At 57% RH curring stops, over 69% you'll be getting mold.

the magnifying glass effect usually only happens with foliar if you dont use a fine mist. also keeping the light 18" away shoudl prevent this. after foliar feeding with temps at 75-80 i find the tiny droplets evaporate i have yet to have found burn marks in any of my plants.

I can bet a lot of people will use/overuse any spray bottle they will find at home instead of getting proper fine misting one and will mist untill leaves will be cuvered with big drops. lightly misting is good, but with the fan blowing at them water goes into the air within few minutes.. Also there is a big difference if you are using 150W hps or 1000W. So those 18" cannot be used as a static measure.

a sheet of poster board costs little over a dollar. for a new grower any improvements with light is worthwhile. the combination of many tiny improvements will yield a greater end result. at the cost of a little over a dollar it is worth it.

With this I strongly agree. A 100 minor improvements will make one bigger one.

i have that book by mel green as well as: jorge cervantes grow guide. ed rosenthals marijuana grow bible, greg greens marijuana guide, see more buds volume 1-3, ready set grow 1-2. jorge cervantes high times dvds 1-3, some vhs tapes from the 90's on sea of green. even the obscure jorge cervantez book from the early 90s where he talks about running strobe lights in the grow room lol. point being, iv read alot of books over the years. i have a subscription to scribd, anythign you woudl care to hav clarified i have the studies to prove all the points i made in this thread. thank you for your criticisms and interest in my thread

well people with 30-40 years of growing experience highly recommend avoid these authors: jorge cervantes, ed rosenthals, greg greens

I'm not trying to deny your guide or disagree with you, I just wanted to add what I've learned in a hard way. In the end the only thing that matters is to keep them green and happy throughout the grow and you'll be greatly rewarded and if you're getting there, just keep on doing it your way.

 

[NoBarriers]

#11 - You can overwater a plant watering once. Take a clone from a 1 gallon pot, transplant to a five or seven and saturate it. It won't dry out for over a week because the plant won't use all that water and the roots don't get the oxygen they need which leads to an over watering situation. I grow in 10 gallon pots now and overwatering transplants is a concern and easy to do.

 

[chuck estevez]

Got to agree with everything simisimis has posted. WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER,lol

 

[dlftmyers]

Great thread very interesting

 

[Nullis]

Hydrogen peroxide will kill most microbes at the right concentration. Even human skin cells tend to be damaged by it (not recommended for cleaning wounds anymore for this reason, as it can lead to scarring). Aerobes can break down low concentration of H2O2, it is a by-product of cellular respiration. Also in the presence of light, heat and certain substances\conditions it will decompose rather quickly.

Instead of clay, which could be difficult to source and work with, I would recommend using fresh compost, forest humus, or earthworm castings. These are considerably better amendments for a potting soil and also contain great organic matter, nutrients, humic substances and microbes. Clay and humus particles are both very fine, finer in general than silt particles (which are finer than sand particles) and more densely packed. This gives clay\humus a characteristic referred to as Cation Exchange Capacity or CEC. Cations are positively charged ions that include minerals needed by the plant (NH4+, K+, Ca++, Mg++, Na+, etc.), and these cations are attracted to the negatively charged sites on the humus\clay particles, which loosely hold onto them. CEC prevents these mineral cations from leaching or washing away. Sphagnum and coco coir also have CEC to a lesser extent.
Humus is of organic origin, and is essentially the thoroughly decayed remains of plants and soil-dwelling organisms. It is spongy, retains moisture and possess a complex nature (humic substances; humic and fulvic acids). The humic substances can aid in nutrient uptake.

I wouldn't recommend adding anything like 50% perlite to soil... and if it is 100% perlite then it simply isn't soil. But anyways, that amount of perlite and you're sure to have to increase watering\nutrients and could end up with dry spots (where roots wont grow).

Foliar feeding can be very helpful for the plant, especially AACT's. I use a pump-sprayer and spray thoroughly in veg. I use air-cooled reflectors with glass lenses and never had problems burning plant leaves. It is also beneficial during bloom but you do need to be careful. The best time would be just after lights on, and lightly if at all in the final few weeks. It shouldn't be done nearer harvest.

 

[Trousers]

i posted somethings someone could do to improve their grow. i thought it was good enough to devote its own thread to. these tips are designed to help increase your yield and reduce problems in the grow room:

• 1.keep temps in the 70-80 range, and try to keep them from deviating more than 10 degrees in range. if you are enriching with co2 this range jumps 85-90 with co2 saturation being at 1100 ppm. most people dont know this but most c3 plants(cannabis) have a co2 saturation point of 1200. after that more ethylene is built up and you dont want that
  
  2.keep humidity always above 50% and always below 70% for veg 55-65% is optimal for flower, 50-55% is optimal. for co2 enriching humidity stays at those values​

• 
  
  Humidity is not that important. My rh is around 15-30%. I have gotten mold in rh near 50%. I prefer lower rh. There are other things for noobs to worry about that are much more important.
  
  

  3. improved ventilation will help increase co2 getting to the plants.get a fan with a fan speed controller and you can fine tune the temps as well.keep the exhaust fans mounted high as possible with the intake mounted low as possible and on the side opposite the exhaust. this way there is an updraft blowing co2 rich air through the leaves while making it harder for any pests to lay eggs on the undersides of the leaves
  
  4. dont flush right before harvest. its best to flush 2 weeks before and at least 2 days before cutting so they dry out better. wont exactly help yield but will reduce the chances of mold which actually could help yield.
  
  5. blue spectrum isnt beneficial to flowering. it wont hurt but youd do better to have all 2700k lights in there as red light increase bud production. also red light in veg is counter productive as it causes stretch. however red light improves root growth and a combination of red and blue is very beneficial in the seedling stage but start to switch out the red so that after 1-2 weeks of veg it is mostly if not all blue light.
  
  6. it has been noted that talking to your plants is good, this is because of the co2 you breathe out not exactly the sound. although there have been studies of music in the grow room improving yield vs control group. breathing slash talking to your plants whenever you can will yield higher co2 for about a couple seconds. if i breathe on my co2 meter it goes up 600 ppm.
  
  7. for the first 2-3 waterings use molasses to boost the microbe population. this will help break down nutrients for your plants to use. after the 3rd watering with molasses dont do it again, normally microbes feed on the sugar from the roots and when you introduce outside sugar they eat that instead. yure just trying to boost their population not help them graze lol. keeping microbe feeding on your roots will help the plant uptake nutes even faster.

  That is true for soil and not really true coco/hydro.
  
  

  8. before flowering give your plants 2 days of absolute darkness. this kicks the flowering hormones into overdrive. likewise before harvest give it 2 days of darkness as well to help leach nutrients out of your bud.

  Buds do not store nutrients. giving your plants more than 12 hours darkness will not improve yields or potency but it will help the plant get rid of starches.
  
  

  9.phing your water isnt necessary with organics put 1-2 tbsp of dolomite lime or similar buffer in your soil as a top dressing would greatly benefit your plants
  
  10. aerate your water with an airpump before watering. this will keep it oxygenated and help the plants recover from the watering quicker. likwise adding one capful of hydrogen peroxide to 1 gallon of water will do the same. do both.
  
  11. when watering, water completely. you cannot over water at one time this is why flushing works. you want at least 10% runoff in your trays after words but get rid of the run off , the tray should have little to no water in it to prevent root rot. also do not water until all the soil even the bottom is bone dry. you basically want to get it completely wet leaving no dry pockets(this removes stale air from the soil) and let it dry completely.

  If you let the soil dry out completely the microbes die.
  
  

  12. if you water with nutrients make sure you give it 2-3 waterings with nutes and 1 without and repeat. also balancing your nutrients is important. in organics this isnt much of a problem but if you have been using 7-1-1 or similar nute during veg you want to use a 0-6-7 or similar nute during flower. too much of one nute will lockout the uptake of another.

  Soil only.
  
  

  13. no nutes the last 2 weeks of flower. helps more with bud quality than anything

  This is not true. Nutes may not be necessary in soil the last two weeks. Buds do not store nutes. If you do not give hydro nutes for two weeks, you are stressing your plants big time.
  
  

  14. never interrupt the dark cycle with light of any kind except green.
  
  15. cut a 2 liter in half invert the top into the bottom to make a funnel and fill with vinegar. this will be a trap for almost all pests and they will be more interested in the vinegar than your plants. keep it 10 ft from the grow box
  
  16. use a negative ion generator. negative ions have been shown to improve plant growth and half another benefit of reducing odors.
  
  17. go to radio shack and get the strongest magnifying glass. use this to look at your trichs before harvest. you want mostly cloudy trichs when there are over 10% amber trichs its harvest time

  I want as few amber trichomes as possible. Amber trichomes is rotten THC that has turned to CBN.
  
  ​
  
  

 

[Popcorn900]

Very good thread for a greenhorn. This should be sticky'd. +rep.

 

[applepoop1984]

Humidity is not that important. My rh is around 15-30%. I have gotten mold in rh near 50%. I prefer lower rh. There are other things for noobs to worry about that are much more important.



That is true for soil and not really true coco/hydro.



Buds do not store nutrients. giving your plants more than 12 hours darkness will not improve yields or potency but it will help the plant get rid of starches.



If you let the soil dry out completely the microbes die.



Soil only.



This is not true. Nutes may not be necessary in soil the last two weeks. Buds do not store nutes. If you do not give hydro nutes for two weeks, you are stressing your plants big time.



I want as few amber trichomes as possible. Amber trichomes is rotten THC that has turned to CBN.

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i will agree i was wrong about soil beign bone dry, actually looked up a study if youd like to see it. i used to be on marijuana passion and they sweared by that method just a case of blind leading the blind. however there are thousands of studies on rh and keeping it above 50% and below 70% and that in that range the stomata is fully opened accepting the most co2 it can. and i shoudl have wrote this faq is for a soil beginners grow i wasnt expecting hydroponics to be involved. yes you want as few amber as possible but realistically you dotn want amber or clear, cloudy is in between and by the time amber = clear it is time to harvest. this usually is about 10% amber 10 % clear but it depends and is at best an estimate especially with the whole percentage thing. if buds do not store nutrients than why when people grow with miracle grow ferts does the end bud smell like carrots from the supermarket? i know that the carrot smell is a result of commercial farmers wanting the biggest carrots and using inorganic ferts and you can actually taste it in the carrot. the same applies to the bud. in organic this isnt a problem but alot of noobs use miracle gro soil

edited original post with community input thanks for criticism guys

 

[simisimis]

Actually THC peak potency is when clear capitate-stalked resin glands(trichomes) are swollen. Best is to harvest when 20-30% of resin glands are cloudy, the rest clear. The reason you are letting get them milky so the rest of trichomes could catch up. Amber is degraded THC into CBN. Here's an article on that. From High Times 2011, November edition by Mel Frank.

About the carrots I can say, I had this when I cut the feeding two weeks before the harvest, also flushed it. First 4 weeks of curing taste was terrible. Because I did not cure it properly and chlorophyl stayed. But my next grow I did not flush, I was feeding till the harvest and this time I bought boveda humidipak 62% (two way control of humidity) which keeps your jars at a constant 62% RH. After one week or curing with only two times opening the box taste was already amazing. Its all about proper curing man...

 

[MYOB]

Few things...

You do not understand how plants use nutrients.

RH only matters in reference to temperature. 30% RH means nothing by itself. You need to talk about how temperature fits into it. That is the relative part of RH.

The vast majority of people do not need to heat the roots/soil. An aquarium heater in the soil is a bad idea. Much more can go wrong heating soil than leaving it alone.

If temps, humidity, light and nutrition are optimal, foliar feeding will do nothing positive for plants. Foilar feeding is not "90% more efffective than roots" or the plants would do it that way. We are talking about millions of years of adaptation and evolution. Molasses on the leaves? What?

The reflective cover on you pot will not reflect light of any value to the plants. If light were able to reach the soil enough to reflect, you would be getting 100% penetration throughout the plant anyway.


I dont care if you want to post your opinions but please dont make a list and post it like it is some sort of factual guide.

This is only perpetuating misinformation. You may want to reconsider your non "newbie" status as well.

BTW I consider myself a new grower.

 

[Highlowazupkush]

I didn't understand number 15. could you provide a picture or diagram or something, please?

9.phing your water isnt necessary with organics put 1-2 tbsp of dolomite lime or similar buffer in your soil as a top dressing would greatly benefit your plants

Could you please elaborate on this, cuz I have no clue what dolomite lime is. .. I'v googled it but google returns 1.7m results.... any extra detail you could add in would be appreciated.

 

[MYOB]

I didn't understand number 15. could you provide a picture or diagram or something, please?



Could you please elaborate on this, cuz I have no clue what dolomite lime is. .. I'v googled it but google returns 1.7m results.... any extra detail you could add in would be appreciated.

Dolomite lime powdered limestone. It is a common soil amendment to increase the buffering ability of acidic soils and provide Ca, an essential macronutrient. Too much Ca can also cause problems so I wouldnt just add lime without knowing what is in the soil to being with. Most potting soils contain some source of Ca. Ground oyster shells are a common ingredient.

 

[Trousers]

i will agree i was wrong about soil beign bone dry, actually looked up a study if youd like to see it. i used to be on marijuana passion and they sweared by that method just a case of blind leading the blind. however there are thousands of studies on rh and keeping it above 50% and below 70% and that in that range the stomata is fully opened accepting the most co2 it can. and i shoudl have wrote this faq is for a soil beginners grow i wasnt expecting hydroponics to be involved. yes you want as few amber as possible but realistically you dotn want amber or clear, cloudy is in between and by the time amber = clear it is time to harvest. this usually is about 10% amber 10 % clear but it depends and is at best an estimate especially with the whole percentage thing. if buds do not store nutrients than why when people grow with miracle grow ferts does the end bud smell like carrots from the supermarket? i know that the carrot smell is a result of commercial farmers wanting the biggest carrots and using inorganic ferts and you can actually taste it in the carrot. the same applies to the bud. in organic this isnt a problem but alot of noobs use miracle gro soil

edited original post with community input thanks for criticism guys

If you think flushing is necessary, you probably should not be writing a growing guide.
Buds do not store fertilizer. Flushing is a waste of time and can stress your plant and lower your yield.
If you are dumping gallons of water through your pots you are stressing your plants.
Using just plain water the last two weeks is fine, depending on your set up.

Plants do not know the difference between Miracle Grow and General Hydroponics.

I have never heard of weed smelling like carrots. I have grown it organically and hydroponically with chemical nutes. I never had a problem with smell or taste using chemical nutes.