10 commandments of grow.

420penguin said:

I've been personally living commandment 8 for a week now. It seems like a really contentious area. Worst of all there are not a lot of good pics to explain the different states of the trichomes. I won't say you're wrong because I don't know what's right. I'll jusy say that I've read a lot of people who disagree...but those fuckers don't agree with one another so what do they know?

Listening to: Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze(surprisingly NOT a bud song)

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diagnostic said:

*****THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF GROW.*****
...........taken from HIGH TIMES "the best of" issue #27,..................

1-thou shalt keep bugs outside, whare they belong.
any infestation that occurs during flowering will have an effect on your crop that ranges from detrimental to devistating. All growrooms, evan if there located in an attic or basement,can be pest free. Most infestations could have been avoided by following these rules. Never enter your garden ofter walking through grass or woods without changing your shoes and cloths. Most bugh are transplanted unwittingly into your garden, by you or your pets.Also, pets cause accidents, allong with accumulating dog and cat hair on your flowwers. Keep them out. Avoid using fresh air intakes thatt are close to the ground, like basement windows. Before begining any work, clean the grow space and all equipment so thay are free from any residue from previous crops. Never reuse any grow medium of any kind. And NEVER mix indoor and outdoor gardening activities. This is a recipe for disaster.

2-THOU SHALT TAKE LIGHT POISING SERIOUSLY
This means being absolutly sure when its suppost to be dark, there are no leaks of light. the only way to be sure, is to close yourself inside, and shut off the lights. Allow yourself a fiew minuts to adjust your eyes to the dark, then youl easily be able to see the smallest leaks. cover them all. Evan the little bulbs that are buring in small timers, and power strips. Theoreticly, if daylight cant get in, then your HID lights shouldent get out to allers outsiders.

3-THOU SHALT BE PREPARED
Get all materials necissary to get through harvest before you start sprouting. This will give you the best chance for everything to go smoothly, as well as keeping stress to a minimum. Most important is to locate specialty items like imported organic ammendments. Evan a commun item like Pro-Mix may be out of stock just when you need it. And dont me cheap, remember how hard it is to find kind buds sometimes.

4-FLOWER THY PLANTS EARLY
In all but a fiew sittuations, I sugest flowering plants grown from seeds at one foot or less. High wattage (1000W+) gardens may flower at 18 inches. Simply, the earlier you flower, the faster you harvest. Waiting to flower directly increases the wait to harvest. Smaller plants are easer to take care of and easier to conceal, and the shorter time they spend growing means there is less chance for something to go wrong. Thing like a bonsai farmer, think super-croping.

5-THOU SHALT NOT OVERWATER OR OVERFERTILIZE
This is the most commun way new growers slow down production ar kill there plants. You must excersize patients. After your plants are established, try and go through complete wet/dry cycles. This will prevent many future problems, like stem rot and the buildup of salts, and nutrients which lead to neytrient lockup.( in hydroponic gardent, the lac of growing medum makes it necissary to water more frequently )As for neutrients when watering, alwys start with half the reccomded dosage. Give the plants a couple days and see if they like it. adjust as necesary. if you find signs of curling, or burning leavs, dilute you watering mixture.

6-KEEP THEY PLANTS SHORT
topping and training allows you to minipulate your plants into growing the maximum ammount of bud, while requiring the least ammount of vertical space. Keeping your plants smaller helps you maintain light intensity by allowing lights to be lower. This will promote thicker colas and more budding sites. to top your plants, simply snip the top of the main stem above the forth or sixth node(set of leavs). this allows seccondary branches to grow, bringing them closer to the light. the plant will respond, bu splitting into a "v" whare you toped it. Now you have 2 main branches, growing 2 colas.
Training can be done by bending the main stem of the plant, without breaking it, so that the plant is leaning on a horizontal incline. this lets the plant grow out sideways, making it fuller, or bushyer.

7-THOUGHT SHALT KEEP RECORDS OF THEY FERTILIZING SCHEDUALS
Especialy what you feed them and how much.
If you are adjusting PH, make note of what you decided to water at. a week latter, it may be impossible for you to remember all the specifics, and that makes it difficult to make accurate adjustments. being sure of what you did today, makes it possible to know what to do if something goes wrong tomorow. moniter the temperature at the grow medium level, and at the tops of the plants level.

8-THOU SHALT WAIT FOR PEAK RIPENESS
Its not that difficult. The hardest part is resisting the temptation to cut them early. 2 weeks early, will mean less that full potency, and a harsh smoke with a green taste. As little as one week early will affect flavour. Just wait untll 65%-75% of the hairs have turned color. This indicator works well for all canabis variaties when grown indoors, and insures that you dont over ripen. Looking at the THC filled glands with a magnifier(x30) will alow you to take it right to the point whare the THC begins to degrade. At first the glands will appear as clear, swolen stalks. when they grow a little cap that makes them look kinda like mushrooms, they are ready. If they turntranslucent, or grey, thay have begun to degrade.

9-THOU SHALT EXCHANGE THINE AIR
Airflow technologis is what it takes to keep gardens all sizes cool and healthy without additional co2. proper placement and utilization of all types of fans is a good way. Hot air rises, therefor exhause fans are better put to use in the upper part of the space. Industrial squirrel-cage (turbine) fans work best, but are pricey. oscilating fans should be used as well to circulate fresh air in the room.

10-THOU SHALT REMEMBER TO FLUSH
Flush you plants clean of risiduel nutrients befpre harvesting. If you use high levels of chemical fertilizers and dont flush, the burning properties of your dried buds may be affected. Evan when using low level organic fertilizers, the taste of your smoke can be enhanced bu flushiong before harvest. when your plants are neerly done, replace sheduald feedings with plain water. no more ferts for a couple days when growing in soil, and a week or evan two when growing hydroponicly.

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