squ1rrely
Well-Known Member
Growing organically takes space to do it right. This is an article for you growers with very limited space and who just want to grow some herbs indoors; like just using a 4'x2' closet or whatever, and you couldn't care less about if it's synthetics or organics.
All you need are some containers - just like the ones you would use for soil growing - and if you are using the 4'x2' standard closet exabple like I mentioned above, then get yourself a nice 400-watt grow lamp. You can flower up 6 nice sized plants in a closet like this with one of these lamps and a 400-watt lamp will not potentially cause you the same issues, like heat for example, that a 1000-watt could. As far as container size goes, three stages; 4" countainers, 6" containers and then 4 gallon containers. Also recommended is a switchable ballast, preferably not made in China. With this you can run your metal halide (MH) bulb for vegetative (veg) growth, and switch to the high pressure sodium (HPS) bulb for flower, otherwise two seperate ballasts are required to run the seperate bulbs. The switchable ballast has a toggle switch on it to choose between MH and HPS.
Choosing Your Nutrients
If you just use a complete nutrient like those listed below, you don't need to be adding all kinds of stuff on the side for great results. These formulas are already well balanced by skilled scientists and contain everything cannabis needs to grow big, healthy and green.
A good The 3-part General Hydroponics Flora Series is a good "keep it simple stupid" approach, but make sure to flush well for the last couple of weeks before harvest using just plain water and allowing a lot of run-off from the drainage holes every time. It's good to flush along the way during the course of your grow with synthetics about once every 10-14 days as well. These are high quality "classic" complete nutrients that cannabis loves as long as you don't overdose them. If you have to use "hard water", check out General Hydroponics Flora Series for hard water.
You have many options for quality synthetic nutrients. Just make sure you use a complete nutrient formula that includes everything the plants need to grow and flower, not just N, P and K.
You could also opt to go with liquid organic nutrients as well with this dynamic. brands like Earth Juice and Pure Blend Pro by Botanicare are both great and complete nutrients that should work well. When using organic nutrients like this, far less flushing is needed compared to using synthetic nutrients.
The Grow Medium
If you wanted to use something like rockwool as your medium and you wanted to go with organic nutrients, try the Earth Juice line due to its tendency to run the pH lower, which is a good thing when you grow in rockwool. Otherwise your synthetic nutrients should all run good and low pH around 5.5 - 5.8 where you want it, using rockwool, Vermiculite/Perlite, Hydroton, or whatever.
Setting Up Your Grow
Just treat the Vermiculite/Perlite mis as you would a soil-mix. Mix your nutrients just like you would for hydroponics growing-because that's what this is technically-and you need to feed them every time you water. Using something like a bedroom closet you just need to make sure the plants have COMPLETE DARKNESS during their lights-off period during flowering; or else hermaphrodites will appear and ruin everything. You will also need some type of venting. This can be as simple as an oscillating fan and open door(s) during lights-on, or you can go with a true venting fan with ducting if things like temps and humidity pose potential problems. Fresh air (or CO2 input) and air circulation is, along with humidity control, is very important. If smell is a concern, then carbon air filtration systems are available for such issues.
Most city/tap/municipal water sources will work fine with this dynamic, but with water sources lower in TDS (total dissolved solids) like reverse osmosis (R/O) or water lower than 70 PPM you will more than likely want to add some additional magnesium and calcium (Mg and Ca). Botanicare makes a great Cal-Mag liquid formula that works well in these applications. You simply dial in whatever ratios you need per watering; start low and add more only if you experience Mg and Ca needs. Make sure to cease all additions of this about two weeks prior to harvest. Magnesium is the worst element to have left over in the plant, it even rivals nitrogen for harshness of the smoke. For your last couple of weeks before harvest you should be using just plain water anyways to flush out excessive nutrients and synthetic nutrient salts.
This article is out of SKUNK magazine, Volume 5, Issue 4
original article by The Rev
All you need are some containers - just like the ones you would use for soil growing - and if you are using the 4'x2' standard closet exabple like I mentioned above, then get yourself a nice 400-watt grow lamp. You can flower up 6 nice sized plants in a closet like this with one of these lamps and a 400-watt lamp will not potentially cause you the same issues, like heat for example, that a 1000-watt could. As far as container size goes, three stages; 4" countainers, 6" containers and then 4 gallon containers. Also recommended is a switchable ballast, preferably not made in China. With this you can run your metal halide (MH) bulb for vegetative (veg) growth, and switch to the high pressure sodium (HPS) bulb for flower, otherwise two seperate ballasts are required to run the seperate bulbs. The switchable ballast has a toggle switch on it to choose between MH and HPS.
Choosing Your Nutrients
If you just use a complete nutrient like those listed below, you don't need to be adding all kinds of stuff on the side for great results. These formulas are already well balanced by skilled scientists and contain everything cannabis needs to grow big, healthy and green.
A good The 3-part General Hydroponics Flora Series is a good "keep it simple stupid" approach, but make sure to flush well for the last couple of weeks before harvest using just plain water and allowing a lot of run-off from the drainage holes every time. It's good to flush along the way during the course of your grow with synthetics about once every 10-14 days as well. These are high quality "classic" complete nutrients that cannabis loves as long as you don't overdose them. If you have to use "hard water", check out General Hydroponics Flora Series for hard water.
You have many options for quality synthetic nutrients. Just make sure you use a complete nutrient formula that includes everything the plants need to grow and flower, not just N, P and K.
You could also opt to go with liquid organic nutrients as well with this dynamic. brands like Earth Juice and Pure Blend Pro by Botanicare are both great and complete nutrients that should work well. When using organic nutrients like this, far less flushing is needed compared to using synthetic nutrients.
The Grow Medium
- 3 parts medium/large nugget Vermiculite
- 1 part Perlite
If you wanted to use something like rockwool as your medium and you wanted to go with organic nutrients, try the Earth Juice line due to its tendency to run the pH lower, which is a good thing when you grow in rockwool. Otherwise your synthetic nutrients should all run good and low pH around 5.5 - 5.8 where you want it, using rockwool, Vermiculite/Perlite, Hydroton, or whatever.
Setting Up Your Grow
Just treat the Vermiculite/Perlite mis as you would a soil-mix. Mix your nutrients just like you would for hydroponics growing-because that's what this is technically-and you need to feed them every time you water. Using something like a bedroom closet you just need to make sure the plants have COMPLETE DARKNESS during their lights-off period during flowering; or else hermaphrodites will appear and ruin everything. You will also need some type of venting. This can be as simple as an oscillating fan and open door(s) during lights-on, or you can go with a true venting fan with ducting if things like temps and humidity pose potential problems. Fresh air (or CO2 input) and air circulation is, along with humidity control, is very important. If smell is a concern, then carbon air filtration systems are available for such issues.
Most city/tap/municipal water sources will work fine with this dynamic, but with water sources lower in TDS (total dissolved solids) like reverse osmosis (R/O) or water lower than 70 PPM you will more than likely want to add some additional magnesium and calcium (Mg and Ca). Botanicare makes a great Cal-Mag liquid formula that works well in these applications. You simply dial in whatever ratios you need per watering; start low and add more only if you experience Mg and Ca needs. Make sure to cease all additions of this about two weeks prior to harvest. Magnesium is the worst element to have left over in the plant, it even rivals nitrogen for harshness of the smoke. For your last couple of weeks before harvest you should be using just plain water anyways to flush out excessive nutrients and synthetic nutrient salts.
This article is out of SKUNK magazine, Volume 5, Issue 4
original article by The Rev