Sgt.Sly
Well-Known Member
Dear Noobs, first timers, and those researching ideas for your first grow PLEASE READ.
First of all welcome to a place where you can fine free knowledge from some serious reputable people.
Second, I was a Noob once myself. I remember the crazy anticipation, and virtually being so "on top of things" that I was literally watching the damn things grow. I'm here today because I've read so many threads since I've been back, and people are stressing out, screwing up, and seriously going for the gusto before even learning SIMPLE 101 PROVEN methods. A few pieces of advice for you all to never forget and to start implementing right away.
- If you've never grown before, grow in DIRT. And finish out a few grows before you start getting crazy ideas. Learn the SIMPLE process FIRST and ENJOY a SUCCESSFUL yield.
- DIRT Lots of you out there fussing over dirt too. its crazy and dirt should be cheap. Fox farm and all that crazy stuff is a bit of a rip and certainly a shit tonne of hype. Your best investment for dirt is a nice long tote with a lid to keep and mix your own dirt. Grab quality local potting soil, manures and/or composts without special additives or moisture control crap. grab one of each and mix if you like. Also good to have your own bags of pearlite and vermiculite on hand. I like to add a cup or 2 of these into everything I mix. keeps heavier soils light and air around the roots promoting easy strong roots.
- STOP trying to JACK UP YOUR PLANTS. Seriously just stop it. You don't know what your doing yet, there's no sense. At your stage, aim to keep the soil healthy and nutrified in later stages. coming back from minor deficiencies is much easier than a toxicity from over fertilization.
- WATERING. you people stress out so much about this. Garrr....water them of course. but don't keep em soaked, they are not constantly thirsty and more doesn't make em grow faster. Let that soil dry out some periodically almost to the point your plants wilt a little. DON'T WORRY>>>> its gunna be OK!!! they bounce right back withing MINUTES! The drying of the soil draws oxygen that is much needed around the roots. Find a good balance between wet and dry. Doing this prevents root rot and promotes strong healthy roots. Keeping things constantly wet limits available oxygen and slows growth. A plant that is water starved from time to time, accelerates with growth spurts when watered.
- GERMINATING. Watching you impatient paper towel princesses makes me shake my head. These extra steps are somewhat foolish for noobs and should be avoided. Plant in little dirt cells, peat pucks or little pots. I understand most of you are working with a limited amount of beans that may have cost you. But here's the paper towel setback. you have to handle a single root. and its damn fragile. they have fine hairs u cant see that grow into the paper towel and you can rip em off. you have to handle them in general causing risk. in the end you plant them in the dirt anyways. Silly steps all because you wanna SEE them germinated. And then you try to act like a micro surgeon planting the twisty little things. As i said Plant in little dirt cells, peat pucks or little pots. This is more natural and more guaranteed for the NOOB. It eliminates shell shedding problems, and working with a solid root ball when transplanting is much easier than a single root.
Plant that bean 1/4 - 1/2" in the dirt knot side up. Water well, cover and put somewhere warm with some light so they can start photosynthesis the moment they emerge, and your off. If its not gunna germinate like this, no paper towel is gunna help you. This is simple and no stress.
-TRANSPLANTING. Again....its NOT SURGERY. And all you sterility freaks ...... ITS DIRT!!! Full of microbes and bacteria. skip the process, a simple hand washing is fine. When transplanting to bigger pots....your new pot should accommodate 2" of new dirt on all sides of the root ball as a minimum. Water well, and DON"T fertilize. Let it take from the new dirt first. Expect a short growth delay as it adjusts. ( No you didn't screw up your plant its normal) Also expect growth spurt once roots expand out and grab up those fresh dirt nutrients. About 5 days to a week.
-SINGLE YELLOW LEAVES OR OPPOSING PAIRS. OMG. cut off your head or find a new career, you failed! (Kidding ITS FINE!)
*In veg this happens MOSTLY because 1. You're over watering and nitrogen uptake is inhibited or 2. You need a repot, or need to add nutrients to your dirt, nitrogen is just on the start of being used up. You're a noob. use HALF the recommended amount on anything until you understand and SEE the effects it has. Being modest is not gunna get you shitty buds. A simply healthy plant will give you AMAZING SMOKE!
*In Flower. You all freak when you flip the switch and start seeing yellow. THIS IS NORMAL. Your plants by now have likely used up all the nitrogen in your pot since your repot and its time to add blooming nutrients with reduced nitrogen. Start MODEST I cant stress that enough.
IN CLOSING - Over care is the #1 mistake and plant killer for noobs. You do not need to pine over and coddle these things. You don't. Its super exciting to be doing, and everyone wants to make it to the finish line as fast as possible, but exercising a little patience will give you much better results. I promise.
Just aim for healthy, and to finish the grow. Don't clutter your first experience with all the what if's and could be's. You'll grow again next time with more knowledge.
I hope these points help some of you stress bags out. STOP WORRYING SO MUCH AND ENJOY YOUR GROW.
First of all welcome to a place where you can fine free knowledge from some serious reputable people.
Second, I was a Noob once myself. I remember the crazy anticipation, and virtually being so "on top of things" that I was literally watching the damn things grow. I'm here today because I've read so many threads since I've been back, and people are stressing out, screwing up, and seriously going for the gusto before even learning SIMPLE 101 PROVEN methods. A few pieces of advice for you all to never forget and to start implementing right away.
- If you've never grown before, grow in DIRT. And finish out a few grows before you start getting crazy ideas. Learn the SIMPLE process FIRST and ENJOY a SUCCESSFUL yield.
- DIRT Lots of you out there fussing over dirt too. its crazy and dirt should be cheap. Fox farm and all that crazy stuff is a bit of a rip and certainly a shit tonne of hype. Your best investment for dirt is a nice long tote with a lid to keep and mix your own dirt. Grab quality local potting soil, manures and/or composts without special additives or moisture control crap. grab one of each and mix if you like. Also good to have your own bags of pearlite and vermiculite on hand. I like to add a cup or 2 of these into everything I mix. keeps heavier soils light and air around the roots promoting easy strong roots.
- STOP trying to JACK UP YOUR PLANTS. Seriously just stop it. You don't know what your doing yet, there's no sense. At your stage, aim to keep the soil healthy and nutrified in later stages. coming back from minor deficiencies is much easier than a toxicity from over fertilization.
- WATERING. you people stress out so much about this. Garrr....water them of course. but don't keep em soaked, they are not constantly thirsty and more doesn't make em grow faster. Let that soil dry out some periodically almost to the point your plants wilt a little. DON'T WORRY>>>> its gunna be OK!!! they bounce right back withing MINUTES! The drying of the soil draws oxygen that is much needed around the roots. Find a good balance between wet and dry. Doing this prevents root rot and promotes strong healthy roots. Keeping things constantly wet limits available oxygen and slows growth. A plant that is water starved from time to time, accelerates with growth spurts when watered.
- GERMINATING. Watching you impatient paper towel princesses makes me shake my head. These extra steps are somewhat foolish for noobs and should be avoided. Plant in little dirt cells, peat pucks or little pots. I understand most of you are working with a limited amount of beans that may have cost you. But here's the paper towel setback. you have to handle a single root. and its damn fragile. they have fine hairs u cant see that grow into the paper towel and you can rip em off. you have to handle them in general causing risk. in the end you plant them in the dirt anyways. Silly steps all because you wanna SEE them germinated. And then you try to act like a micro surgeon planting the twisty little things. As i said Plant in little dirt cells, peat pucks or little pots. This is more natural and more guaranteed for the NOOB. It eliminates shell shedding problems, and working with a solid root ball when transplanting is much easier than a single root.
Plant that bean 1/4 - 1/2" in the dirt knot side up. Water well, cover and put somewhere warm with some light so they can start photosynthesis the moment they emerge, and your off. If its not gunna germinate like this, no paper towel is gunna help you. This is simple and no stress.
-TRANSPLANTING. Again....its NOT SURGERY. And all you sterility freaks ...... ITS DIRT!!! Full of microbes and bacteria. skip the process, a simple hand washing is fine. When transplanting to bigger pots....your new pot should accommodate 2" of new dirt on all sides of the root ball as a minimum. Water well, and DON"T fertilize. Let it take from the new dirt first. Expect a short growth delay as it adjusts. ( No you didn't screw up your plant its normal) Also expect growth spurt once roots expand out and grab up those fresh dirt nutrients. About 5 days to a week.
-SINGLE YELLOW LEAVES OR OPPOSING PAIRS. OMG. cut off your head or find a new career, you failed! (Kidding ITS FINE!)
*In veg this happens MOSTLY because 1. You're over watering and nitrogen uptake is inhibited or 2. You need a repot, or need to add nutrients to your dirt, nitrogen is just on the start of being used up. You're a noob. use HALF the recommended amount on anything until you understand and SEE the effects it has. Being modest is not gunna get you shitty buds. A simply healthy plant will give you AMAZING SMOKE!
*In Flower. You all freak when you flip the switch and start seeing yellow. THIS IS NORMAL. Your plants by now have likely used up all the nitrogen in your pot since your repot and its time to add blooming nutrients with reduced nitrogen. Start MODEST I cant stress that enough.
IN CLOSING - Over care is the #1 mistake and plant killer for noobs. You do not need to pine over and coddle these things. You don't. Its super exciting to be doing, and everyone wants to make it to the finish line as fast as possible, but exercising a little patience will give you much better results. I promise.
Just aim for healthy, and to finish the grow. Don't clutter your first experience with all the what if's and could be's. You'll grow again next time with more knowledge.
I hope these points help some of you stress bags out. STOP WORRYING SO MUCH AND ENJOY YOUR GROW.
,i was fortunate to be able to live in places where there was always a Hippie Store (as we called them,hehe)..So to find stuff to read to help wasn't too much of a problem..Lights were crappy(my budget) Florescent grow lights 
it all was part of a learning experience...I remember growing 2 plants while i was going to Chef Training School in Los Angeles 1976 in my closet 
....Bag seed you cannot go wrong with it in helping you along...Why waste your money on good genetics if you don't have a clue what you're doing out the gate...I know time,money,space etc;etc...Bag seed has it's place in the scheme of things....
