spliffbuddy
Active Member
So to clarify for us newbies, a quick summary, you experienced growers all agree these are the top tips? Which I think is the point of this thread! 
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. I grow with constant 36% RH from seed. Had no problems whatsoever. tried raising it, did not notice any difference. So you all agree humidity does not make that much difference, just don't have it too high in flowering?
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. 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. source: MEL FRANK cannabis grow guide.
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.
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/...016%202011.pdf
8. 2 days of absolute darkness is just a hype. it does not make plant flower faster, it causes additional stress to the plant.
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. hydrogen peroxide kills bacteria in soil. if should be used when plant is overwatered so provide extra oxygen for the roots because peroxide kills bacteria, 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.
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. 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.
14. never interrupt the dark cycle with light of any kind except green. source:http://www.crec.ifas.ufl.edu/academi...pann/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/cons...l.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/...20Minerals.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. 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.
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$
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. I grow with constant 36% RH from seed. Had no problems whatsoever. tried raising it, did not notice any difference. So you all agree humidity does not make that much difference, just don't have it too high in flowering?
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. 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. source: MEL FRANK cannabis grow guide.
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.
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/...016%202011.pdf
8. 2 days of absolute darkness is just a hype. it does not make plant flower faster, it causes additional stress to the plant.
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. hydrogen peroxide kills bacteria in soil. if should be used when plant is overwatered so provide extra oxygen for the roots because peroxide kills bacteria, 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.
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. 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.
14. never interrupt the dark cycle with light of any kind except green. source:http://www.crec.ifas.ufl.edu/academi...pann/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/cons...l.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/...20Minerals.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. 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.
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$
