Container / soil / fertilizer / strain - Trying to gather info in one place

dark farmer

dark farmer

Member
I don't know the 'key' words. I know they're out there. I have looked. I have read and researched. I just can't put it together. Maybe its easy info for everyone else. I just can't seem to find the correct words to find what I need. I'm looking to gather all of this info in one place.

I've been trying to figure out the importance of using different sized containers and the corresponding soil/fertilizer mixes at the different stages of germination, seedling, vegetative, and flowering.

I've also been trying to figure out the importance of the container/soil/fertilizer for the different strains such as sativa dominant, indica dominant, hybrid, and auto flower.


Main questions:

1. A seedling in a small pot with a "seedling mix" or "starting mix"
- What is beneficial about a seedling/starting mix?
- What are 3 good brands/Why?

2. Transplant to a larger pot with... ?
- What kind of soil?
- Why not use a bigger pot to begin with. (why not 'this' pot with 'that' mix?)
- What is the difference between seedling/starting mix and potting soil?


3. Fuck! What next, where now?! (sativa/indica/auto/indoor/outdoor)
 
CaNNaBiZ CaNucK

CaNNaBiZ CaNucK

Well-Known Member
Hey Dark, I'll answer one of your many questions:

The reason for starting in a smaller container is to establish a nice root ball and strong compact root system. When you transplant into a larger container there are now many many shoots ready to expand in all directions, completely utilizing the container space.

:peace:
 
CaNNaBiZ CaNucK

CaNNaBiZ CaNucK

Well-Known Member
And for your 'seedling' mix, I don't think it's necessary IMO. Just use the same soil you'll be transplanting into. Make sure you get an organic potting soil (richer), not top soil, with no added nutes (if your planning to add nutes yourself, that is..). Get one with perlite or vermiculite for good drainage. Or if you find a great soil without any you can grab a bag and mix it yourself. Hell, you can even throw in clay chips into the bottom for your pots. The soil I use is by Hortibec. It's got Peat moss, humus,veg compost and perlite. My ladies seem to love it.
 
indyman

indyman

Active Member
This is for newbies fox farms has a chart for feeding lighting ect.the chart is for hydro on the top and soil on the bottom, i have chart but cant get good pics i believe this will help most of u with alot of ?'s u are lookin for and help u grow great weed,good luck guys!!!!this is step by step chart.
 
R

RMM

Well-Known Member
Make your own organic soil mix. You can go really simple or go just nuts with it. Try searching google, RIU is not the only place to find info.
 
Freda Felcher

Freda Felcher

Well-Known Member
I like using the same soil as the bigger pot. I start them in small pots to establish a good root ball and it saves a lot of space not having them in big containers when they are small. You can put more plants under a single veg light that way as well.
 
DoeEyed

DoeEyed

Well-Known Member
dark farmer said:
I don't know the 'key' words. I know they're out there. I have looked. I have read and researched. I just can't put it together. Maybe its easy info for everyone else. I just can't seem to find the correct words to find what I need. I'm looking to gather all of this info in one place.

I've been trying to figure out the importance of using different sized containers and the corresponding soil/fertilizer mixes at the different stages of germination, seedling, vegetative, and flowering.

I've also been trying to figure out the importance of the container/soil/fertilizer for the different strains such as sativa dominant, indica dominant, hybrid, and auto flower.


Main questions:

1. A seedling in a small pot with a "seedling mix" or "starting mix"
- What is beneficial about a seedling/starting mix?
- What are 3 good brands/Why?

2. Transplant to a larger pot with... ?
- What kind of soil?
- Why not use a bigger pot to begin with. (why not 'this' pot with 'that' mix?)
- What is the difference between seedling/starting mix and potting soil?


3. Fuck! What next, where now?! (sativa/indica/auto/indoor/outdoor)
Click to expand...
The importance of the container size, is so your roots have enough room for the size plant you intend to grow.
I don't care for transplanting a lot, it just causes undue stress to your plant. You can plant her the first time, right into the pot you're going to finish in. Consider this - in nature, plants outdoors begin in the earth - and there is certainly no bigger container than that! You don't need a special seedling starter mix, either - it's less stressful to your plant to use the same medium all the way through.

For nutrients - if grown in soil, you don't want to use any nutes for the first three weeks of life. Up to this point, the young seedling has everything it needs from the cotyledons (rounded starter leaves), and is more sensitive to nute burn. Your nutes have an NPK number on them. NPK stands for (N)Nitrogen, (P)Phosphorous, and (K)Potash. You want something with a higher N ratio for vegging, and a higher P ratio for flowering. What nute you choose isn't really dependant apon the strain you're growing, but more on what stage of growth you're at, and your personal preference. A good, inexpensive nute to try, is Jack's Classic. I use the All Purpose (20-20-20) for veg, mixed in with the Blossom Booster (10-30-20) for flower.
There are other things you can add as well, that are beneficial to your plant - such as unsulphered molasses (feeds the helpful micro-critters in your soil), or Superthrive (plant hormone, excellent for root growth and reducing transplant shock).

Lastly - where you go is up to you. A brief idea of each of the types of plants: indoor and outdoor is self explanatory - some strains do better grown indoors, some better outside. Autoflower just means, you don't have to switch the number of hours of light the plant recieves, to begin flowering - it will do it on it's own, when ready. The biggest choice is between Indica or Sativa dominant plants. Indicas tend to be a bit shorter and bushier, deal with cooler climates better, take around eight weeks to flower, and produce more of the "couchlock" type of stone. Sativas are a tropical type - thrive better in warmer climates, grow taller and lankier, take approximately twelve weeks to flower, and provide more of a head high. In my opinion, the best strains are a mix of the two.

Take your time, read a lot, and don't overthink. When you're ready to get started just keep it simple - much of what you learn makes so much more sense, when you're actually putting it to use. The biggest thing I wish someone had told me, when I started, was that there are very few hard and fast rules to growing mj - most of it, is the grower's personal preference.:leaf:
 
dariuswestcoast

dariuswestcoast

Member
DoeEyed said:
The importance of the container size, is so your roots have enough room for the size plant you intend to grow.
I don't care for transplanting a lot, it just causes undue stress to your plant. You can plant her the first time, right into the pot you're going to finish in. Consider this - in nature, plants outdoors begin in the earth - and there is certainly no bigger container than that! You don't need a special seedling starter mix, either - it's less stressful to your plant to use the same medium all the way through.

For nutrients - if grown in soil, you don't want to use any nutes for the first three weeks of life. Up to this point, the young seedling has everything it needs from the cotyledons (rounded starter leaves), and is more sensitive to nute burn. Your nutes have an NPK number on them. NPK stands for (N)Nitrogen, (P)Phosphorous, and (K)Potash. You want something with a higher N ratio for vegging, and a higher P ratio for flowering. What nute you choose isn't really dependant apon the strain you're growing, but more on what stage of growth you're at, and your personal preference. A good, inexpensive nute to try, is Jack's Classic. I use the All Purpose (20-20-20) for veg, mixed in with the Blossom Booster (10-30-20) for flower.
There are other things you can add as well, that are beneficial to your plant - such as unsulphered molasses (feeds the helpful micro-critters in your soil), or Superthrive (plant hormone, excellent for root growth and reducing transplant shock).

Lastly - where you go is up to you. A brief idea of each of the types of plants: indoor and outdoor is self explanatory - some strains do better grown indoors, some better outside. Autoflower just means, you don't have to switch the number of hours of light the plant recieves, to begin flowering - it will do it on it's own, when ready. The biggest choice is between Indica or Sativa dominant plants. Indicas tend to be a bit shorter and bushier, deal with cooler climates better, take around eight weeks to flower, and produce more of the "couchlock" type of stone. Sativas are a tropical type - thrive better in warmer climates, grow taller and lankier, take approximately twelve weeks to flower, and provide more of a head high. In my opinion, the best strains are a mix of the two.

Take your time, read a lot, and don't overthink. When you're ready to get started just keep it simple - much of what you learn makes so much more sense, when you're actually putting it to use. The biggest thing I wish someone had told me, when I started, was that there are very few hard and fast rules to growing mj - most of it, is the grower's personal preference.:leaf:
Click to expand...

Nice ! :-P
 
dark farmer

dark farmer

Member
RMM said:
Make your own organic soil mix. You can go really simple or go just nuts with it. Try searching google, RIU is not the only place to find info.
Click to expand...
I'm new to all gardening, so for now i'm just going to stick to pre-made soils and whatnot
 
DoeEyed

DoeEyed

Well-Known Member
dark farmer said:
How long do those usually last?
Click to expand...
You only use a quarter to half a tsp per gallon of water - so a long, long time. I went in with a friend, got the 4lb bucket of each (it comes prepackaged in two, two lb bags) and have hardly made a dent in it. Would depend on the number of plants you have I guess, but if I had to guess? I'd say probably a couple of years, bare minimum.
 
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