Snafu1236
Well-Known Member
Hey Guys,
Snafu here. I've had about 5 successful grows in my past and have just recently moved things indoors into a more serious situation. During my first experience of indoor growing, I have had a lot of ups and a couple of downs. I'd like to give a general indoor growing guide here, with nothing too in-depth or complicated, for the new beginner. After all, its the "Total Noob Guide", and Noobs are meant to learn, and especially learn from their mistakes. This is for fun and knowledge---its NOT SUPPOSED TO INCITE FLAMES. Please, if something is wrong, please kindly tell meand I will correct it.
However, this guide should highlight some of the stronger points that I have learned over the years, and more specifically, from my first indoor grow. I hope more experienced growers will also add some mroe sub-sections and comments to this thread if they would like, and thus making the guide more comprehensive. Noobs, feel free to post questions here, and hopefully the mroe experienced community will be able to answer them. If youa sk me directly, I will try and asnwer it to the best of my knowedlge as possible.
My knowledge has come predominantly from a drive to learn everything I can about cannabis, plants in general, and a passion for cannabis freedom. Ed Rosenthal's books, Jorge Cervantes' books (and DVDs), High Times Magazine, Rollitup.org's more experienced subscribers, general website information, knowledge from friends, as well as from my previous experiences with growing outdoors and witnessing other friends' indoor grows are all references that I have gathered knowledge from. I am a new rollitup.org member, and have finally worked up the courage to post.
So, here goes.
________________TOTAL______NOOB_________GUIDE_________________________
---------From One Noob to Another ------------
Whatup noob; Noobs here. Let's make it simple. This reference guide will show you how to generally grow plants indoors, without much in-depth or confusing things. Stickt o the plan, and you should have no prob. This guide is layed out in the same process in which to grow your plants.
dolomitic/powdered lime to your soil mixture at a rate of one tablespoon per
gallon of pot/soil. If you already soiled your pots, top dress the lime and water
into the dirt. If soil is too alkaline (above 7.0), add sphagnum peat moss
(3.0-4.5 Ph) in small amounts, and let sit in soil for about 1-2 weeks before
adjusting soil. Sometimes peat moss can be too intense, so use it
sparingly. Check Ph runoff, target 6.5, and when balanced, plant your
sprouts.
7. Grow under fluorescents for seedling stage (T Series of Fluoros are great), and
keep em close to the fluoro. The closer the better, as long as they don't get
too hot (over 85F). You are looking to start with about 400-500 lumens per
square foot. Then when you veg you want close to 2,500 lumens per sq. foot
When you start to bud during flowering shoot for 10,000 lumens per sq. ft. More
light=bigger, fatter, more compact buds with less internode stretch, and bigger y
yields. There is a direct relation to: ample light = ample yields(though it is not
the only determining factor).
8. Determing factors before setting up grow room, important to note; without or
with only little of any of the following elements, plant growth is stunted, slowed
or stopped:
greenhouse. Either way, your grow area must be able to:
environment. Less is more; never overdo your nutes. In general, do 25% of
the nutes that the directions say on the bottle. Feed every other day, and
water with distilled water in between feedings.
11. Water 200 mL every other day, and between 300-400 mL during flowering.
These are general amounts and vary depending on straing, plant size, plant
growth, growing environemtn, growing medium/texture, lighting and more.
However, a good rule of thumb is to stick your finger in the soil. If you feel
moisture two inches below or by your second knuckle, you're good. Water
within the next 12-18 hours, and youll be fine. Plants enjoy drying out a little
bit, but still holding a little moisture...it helps root growth and makes the plant
more stable. DO NOT LET THE SOIL DRY OUT more than 2" below the surface,
however, only the first 1-1/1/2" of soil should be dry. Letting soil run
completely dry kills roots and stresses plants, slowing growth. Plants will be
wilted and thirsty looking if they get too dry, youll instictively know what they
need when you see them wilting like that.
12. According to the strain, begin LSTing, topping/FIMming after 5-6 internodes is
shown. To get four colas in one pinch, which I think is the best way to top, cut
the stem just above the 2nd true node(the cotelydons don't count as an
internode). Four colas will grow. However, this is dependent on strain(read #1) again, ya noob), as sometimes multiple colas mean four small colas instead of
one large one). I prefer 4-top and LSTing. LSTing is by far the best for me,
but I love the traditional look of a single or multiple cola plant...sometimes LST
looks too bushy for me. Meh, personal opinons.
13. Use 400,600,or 1000watts of light(depending on size of grow room--i always
say 400W for cabinet grows, 600W for small closet, and 1000W for bigger
gardens, and multiples thereof)), preferably a combo HPS/Metal Halide for veg,
and a straight HPS for flower. Do your research on lumens per sq. foot, or read
above again one mroe time for general lumen guidelines. Dependent on
strain(see #1) and preference, you may wanna do an on/off shced of 24/0 or
18/6. When flowering, straight 12/12 until last two weeks, one weeks before
go 11/13 on/off to initiate maturation, and then for last 3 days do 10/14
on/off. This will help speed up the curing process, because, as we know, all
noobs dont have the patience to properly wait to cure their buds. This allows
quicker ripening on this schedule, although it is a little aggressive.
14. Put light on timer; switch to flowering when you want the plant in fonrt of you to be 2-3x bigger when you chop it down. Take into consideration the size of your area.
15. Monitor your therm/hygrometers, exhaust intake/outtakes, electrical cords and other hazards. Monitor the plants, water them, and feed them when they show you signs.
16. Everytime you check your plants, you should:
last two weeks; this promotes an improved taste and burn with your finished
product. Do not water for last 2-3 days before harvest, depending on
preference and drying procedure(doing this speeds up maturation and curing).
Plants are easy to grow with proper knowledge. There is a lot fo misinofrmation out there, and can get confusing with different opinions, mediums, strains and more. Howerver, it prefers to be generall left alone, as long as it is checked upon every day or two by a knowedgeable and responsible person. With some proper care, knowledge and interest, indoor horticulture can be quite rewarding with minimal effort. Learn the signs of how plants show contentment and stress, the remedies to fix an issue if it arises, and have a fun time with it--its a learning process. Start small, don;t let it get too complicated for your first few times, and enjoy your time spent with your new little dependents. It's pretty damned rewarding.
***This is for fun and knowledge---its NOT SUPPOSED TO INCITE FLAMES. Please, if something is wrong, please kindly tell me and I will correct it. I had a lot fo fun learning and writing this guide, and was just to hopefully help some others out there. Please dont hate on me if something seems amiss, I will correct it if told.****
Snafu here. I've had about 5 successful grows in my past and have just recently moved things indoors into a more serious situation. During my first experience of indoor growing, I have had a lot of ups and a couple of downs. I'd like to give a general indoor growing guide here, with nothing too in-depth or complicated, for the new beginner. After all, its the "Total Noob Guide", and Noobs are meant to learn, and especially learn from their mistakes. This is for fun and knowledge---its NOT SUPPOSED TO INCITE FLAMES. Please, if something is wrong, please kindly tell meand I will correct it.
However, this guide should highlight some of the stronger points that I have learned over the years, and more specifically, from my first indoor grow. I hope more experienced growers will also add some mroe sub-sections and comments to this thread if they would like, and thus making the guide more comprehensive. Noobs, feel free to post questions here, and hopefully the mroe experienced community will be able to answer them. If youa sk me directly, I will try and asnwer it to the best of my knowedlge as possible.
My knowledge has come predominantly from a drive to learn everything I can about cannabis, plants in general, and a passion for cannabis freedom. Ed Rosenthal's books, Jorge Cervantes' books (and DVDs), High Times Magazine, Rollitup.org's more experienced subscribers, general website information, knowledge from friends, as well as from my previous experiences with growing outdoors and witnessing other friends' indoor grows are all references that I have gathered knowledge from. I am a new rollitup.org member, and have finally worked up the courage to post.
So, here goes.
________________TOTAL______NOOB_________GUIDE_________________________
---------From One Noob to Another ------------
Whatup noob; Noobs here. Let's make it simple. This reference guide will show you how to generally grow plants indoors, without much in-depth or confusing things. Stickt o the plan, and you should have no prob. This guide is layed out in the same process in which to grow your plants.
- Get good seed/lineage genetics; understand your strain and its preferred growing conditions/environment and plan accordingly(i.e., don't buy a stretchy sativa if you have space limitations)
- Germinate seeds using distilled water. Soil is natural but without as much success rates as other ways(paper towel method, germ cubes/trays, etc.). Personally I start em in a small cup, makes it easier.
- Sprout in germ chamber with 60-80% humidity, periodically opening chamber. Plant has enough internal nutes for up to two weeks, do not nute seedlings/sprouts.
- When watering, leave tap water sitting out 24 hours to evaporate chlorine and other chems; Check the PH of your water using an instrument (I prefer Hannah Combo), and adjust the water's PH level between 6.3-6.8. At 6.5, there is no nutrient lockout and cannabis can absorb all the nutrients in a soil grow(https://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-plant-problems/133385-ph-lockout-guide.html)
- Use good soil, preferably organic. Do not overlook this step, and do not buy Miracle Gro. Couple of points about soil:
- Texture is most important
- Good drainage critical
- Moisture holding control preferable
- Balanced PH preferred(6.5-6.8 runoff with distilled water)
- Aeration with perlite/vermiculite is helpful to add into existing soil mixes(1 part verm/perlite to every 3 part soil is a general guide for mixing)
- If organic, look into Mychorrizhae, it helps alot and is needed if you're going organic. However, remember organic means 100% organic...not using organic soila nd then feeding with chem nutes.
- Rocks/pebbles on the bottom of each pot(underneath the soil) is a nice way to provide proper drainage and minor air pruning of the roots
- DO NOT OVERLOOK THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY SOIL. It can be your best friend or your worst nightmare during your grow.
dolomitic/powdered lime to your soil mixture at a rate of one tablespoon per
gallon of pot/soil. If you already soiled your pots, top dress the lime and water
into the dirt. If soil is too alkaline (above 7.0), add sphagnum peat moss
(3.0-4.5 Ph) in small amounts, and let sit in soil for about 1-2 weeks before
adjusting soil. Sometimes peat moss can be too intense, so use it
sparingly. Check Ph runoff, target 6.5, and when balanced, plant your
sprouts.
7. Grow under fluorescents for seedling stage (T Series of Fluoros are great), and
keep em close to the fluoro. The closer the better, as long as they don't get
too hot (over 85F). You are looking to start with about 400-500 lumens per
square foot. Then when you veg you want close to 2,500 lumens per sq. foot
When you start to bud during flowering shoot for 10,000 lumens per sq. ft. More
light=bigger, fatter, more compact buds with less internode stretch, and bigger y
yields. There is a direct relation to: ample light = ample yields(though it is not
the only determining factor).
8. Determing factors before setting up grow room, important to note; without or
with only little of any of the following elements, plant growth is stunted, slowed
or stopped:
- Temperature/Humidity; Min Low: 60F Max High: 85F (Ideally with only a 15F temp. shift with lights on/off. Peak performance temperature is 78F.) Humidity: 60-80% for seedlings; 40-60% for veg; 30-50% for flower(I prefer 35% for flower, it increases resin gland production bc shes trying to get sticky to attract pollen). Careful of humidity during flowering, it can create bud rot if exceeds 50%.
- Light; Preferably 500 lumens for seedlings, 2500 for veg, 7500+for flower)
- Co2; Pref 750-1000PPM for seedlings; 1200PPM for veg; 1200-1500 PPM for flower(with Co2 supplmentation you can run at higher temps, not exceeding 90F)
- Water; Adjusted Ph to 6.5
- Nutrients; Schedules/amounts all depend on chem/organic grow mixtures and soil combinations.
- Wind resistance; Though not as critical, important for essential stem supportive structure and plant integrity
greenhouse. Either way, your grow area must be able to:
- Bring air in through the bottom, either passively or actively intake'd
- Vent air through the opposite side of the intake, above the light(or you can seal the room, and put in a heat exchanger/air conditioner, dehumidifier, CO2 system, heater, ionizer and fans to create its own environment without the need for exhaust)
- Be clean, insulated(to control temp swings) and reflective (mylar or white FLAT paint(not reflective or shiny), pref not tin foil, ya noob).
- It must be setup with internal monitoring systems such as a thermo/hygrometer to maintain optimum conditions and to "dial in" your room perfectly before plants are living in there.
- A well thought out, researched and executed growing area is a must, and you should not even germinate seeds until your box is in perfect working order for all three phases, or two if you germ/flower sperately)
environment. Less is more; never overdo your nutes. In general, do 25% of
the nutes that the directions say on the bottle. Feed every other day, and
water with distilled water in between feedings.
11. Water 200 mL every other day, and between 300-400 mL during flowering.
These are general amounts and vary depending on straing, plant size, plant
growth, growing environemtn, growing medium/texture, lighting and more.
However, a good rule of thumb is to stick your finger in the soil. If you feel
moisture two inches below or by your second knuckle, you're good. Water
within the next 12-18 hours, and youll be fine. Plants enjoy drying out a little
bit, but still holding a little moisture...it helps root growth and makes the plant
more stable. DO NOT LET THE SOIL DRY OUT more than 2" below the surface,
however, only the first 1-1/1/2" of soil should be dry. Letting soil run
completely dry kills roots and stresses plants, slowing growth. Plants will be
wilted and thirsty looking if they get too dry, youll instictively know what they
need when you see them wilting like that.
12. According to the strain, begin LSTing, topping/FIMming after 5-6 internodes is
shown. To get four colas in one pinch, which I think is the best way to top, cut
the stem just above the 2nd true node(the cotelydons don't count as an
internode). Four colas will grow. However, this is dependent on strain(read #1) again, ya noob), as sometimes multiple colas mean four small colas instead of
one large one). I prefer 4-top and LSTing. LSTing is by far the best for me,
but I love the traditional look of a single or multiple cola plant...sometimes LST
looks too bushy for me. Meh, personal opinons.
13. Use 400,600,or 1000watts of light(depending on size of grow room--i always
say 400W for cabinet grows, 600W for small closet, and 1000W for bigger
gardens, and multiples thereof)), preferably a combo HPS/Metal Halide for veg,
and a straight HPS for flower. Do your research on lumens per sq. foot, or read
above again one mroe time for general lumen guidelines. Dependent on
strain(see #1) and preference, you may wanna do an on/off shced of 24/0 or
18/6. When flowering, straight 12/12 until last two weeks, one weeks before
go 11/13 on/off to initiate maturation, and then for last 3 days do 10/14
on/off. This will help speed up the curing process, because, as we know, all
noobs dont have the patience to properly wait to cure their buds. This allows
quicker ripening on this schedule, although it is a little aggressive.
14. Put light on timer; switch to flowering when you want the plant in fonrt of you to be 2-3x bigger when you chop it down. Take into consideration the size of your area.
15. Monitor your therm/hygrometers, exhaust intake/outtakes, electrical cords and other hazards. Monitor the plants, water them, and feed them when they show you signs.
16. Everytime you check your plants, you should:
- Visually inspect and physically inspect soil moisture
- Shake each plant lightly to promote stem growth
- Check general plant appearance and health; look for nute burn, chem burn, deficencies/lockouts, bugs, mildew, mold, males(during flowering), any signs of stress
- Check topside AND underside leaf health
- Check stem rigidity, color and general health
- Look for calyxes and white pistils( during intiation of flowering, to weed out males)
- Check the low/high on the thermo, record, adjust if necessary, and reset. Always reset for the next days monitoring and/or recording.
- Clean any dirt/soil/dust you may see in the growing area to eliminate the chances of infestations/mold
- Monitor safety hazards such as cords/plugs/fans, etc., and adjust accordingly(if you design your box well all of these things would have been planned out)
- Reset fan position to stimulate other parts of plants
last two weeks; this promotes an improved taste and burn with your finished
product. Do not water for last 2-3 days before harvest, depending on
preference and drying procedure(doing this speeds up maturation and curing).
Plants are easy to grow with proper knowledge. There is a lot fo misinofrmation out there, and can get confusing with different opinions, mediums, strains and more. Howerver, it prefers to be generall left alone, as long as it is checked upon every day or two by a knowedgeable and responsible person. With some proper care, knowledge and interest, indoor horticulture can be quite rewarding with minimal effort. Learn the signs of how plants show contentment and stress, the remedies to fix an issue if it arises, and have a fun time with it--its a learning process. Start small, don;t let it get too complicated for your first few times, and enjoy your time spent with your new little dependents. It's pretty damned rewarding.
***This is for fun and knowledge---its NOT SUPPOSED TO INCITE FLAMES. Please, if something is wrong, please kindly tell me and I will correct it. I had a lot fo fun learning and writing this guide, and was just to hopefully help some others out there. Please dont hate on me if something seems amiss, I will correct it if told.****
