Who Needs Help?Ask Here..

Snow Crash said:

Ringa ding ding ding!!!!

Soo.... What do you think now?

Hydroponics requires the measurement of pH. Coco fiber can be a bit more forgiving but peat is just too temperamental a media when it comes to acidity. Get back to basics and things will be fine. You can fix this problem fast.

I might suggest you mix 1 tsp epsom salt with 1 gallon water and a drop of dish soap and give the under side of your leaves a quick misting just as the lights come on in the morning. This should slow the Mg issue while you try and get the pH under control.

1 tsp per gallon of your nutrients should actually be more than enough food for this stage of life, IMO. I also think the ratio is a bit off, with so little Phosphorus to nitrogen. Also, there's not much Nitrogen to Calcium or Magnesium as well. As I look at it, it's an ass load of N... I think a more balanced nutrient running closer to 3-2-4 with 1.5% calcium and 0.5% Magnesium. You can still have a 21-14-28 with 10.5% calcium and 3.5% magnesium, because the ratio is the same. You'll need to use less of a higher concentration of course, but I think you could maybe invest in some different nutrients. An $8 bottle of Botanicare CNS 17 Grow Hydro would solve any nutrient imbalance problem for sure.

Click to expand...

Is my soil type making me be a hydro setup then? I thought it was regular soil when I bought it. I noticed how light it was right away though, that and the fact that is dries out way faster than my ff or mg soils I have used. The damn store was out of ff and sold me this shit. They told me it is as good as ff. Man they are gonna hear it from me 2morrow!! Risking killing my clones to make a sale is bad business. They told me that was a good fertilizer too. I opened it up and it is rock hard and I had to stab the hell out of it to get some out. It seems like it was wet? I will buy new soil and new fert from a different store, along with a ph meter 2morrow.

Wow! You need to go back there and pitch a fucking fit.

Sunshine Mix #4 is Sphagnum Peat moss, Coarse Perlite, Dolomite lime, and some Gypsum with a little "starter" fertilizer... whatever that means. Of all the things it is, it is not "soil" in any sense. The amount of biological material in the media is the primary determiner there.

But peat moss is an inert media. As I've never used it I cannot be 100% certain here... but I think you're supposed to feed it like hydro. Just like Coco fiber.

The nutrients are definitely not quality. Hard as a rock means that moisture got in there, and those nutrients are dry for a reason. When you add water a little chemistry goes down. Who knows what happened in the bag before you got it. Return all that crap. Try to be a little more informed. I'm pretty sure it says what Sunshine Mix is right there on the package. You should have also done a google search on the stuff before using it. That's just common sense stuff.

Snow Crash said:

Wow! You need to go back there and pitch a fucking fit.

Sunshine Mix #4 is Sphagnum Peat moss, Coarse Perlite, Dolomite lime, and some Gypsum with a little "starter" fertilizer... whatever that means. Of all the things it is, it is not "soil" in any sense. The amount of biological material in the media is the primary determiner there.

But peat moss is an inert media. As I've never used it I cannot be 100% certain here... but I think you're supposed to feed it like hydro. Just like Coco fiber.

The nutrients are definitely not quality. Hard as a rock means that moisture got in there, and those nutrients are dry for a reason. When you add water a little chemistry goes down. Who knows what happened in the bag before you got it. Return all that crap. Try to be a little more informed. I'm pretty sure it says what Sunshine Mix is right there on the package. You should have also done a google search on the stuff before using it. That's just common sense stuff.

Click to expand...

you are right....Can I take these clones out of this stuff and re-pot them still?
The bag just says aggregate mix or something on it. I will buy some ff 2mor. The plant I grew in mg organic grew really well too.
The fert smells like chlorine really strong, made me feel sick when I smelled it.

+rep for all your help...thanx

bassman999 said:

you are right....Can I take these clones out of this stuff and re-pot them still?
The bag just says aggregate mix or something on it. I will buy some ff 2mor. The plant I grew in mg organic grew really well too.
The fert smells like chlorine really strong, made me feel sick when I smelled it.

+rep for all your help...thanx

Click to expand...

You should be able to. Just be careful removing the excess Sunshine mix from the roots. Might stunt them a little bit, so be prepared for a good week of recovery, but they should recover fine.

A lot of people grow in Sunshine Mix though most peat growers are more into Promix BX. You can simply get yourself the right nutrients and stay in the media. It isn't necessarily bad stuff, just different than soil, and it needs to be treated as such. If you're just not interested in fucking with it though, yeah, some organic soil will be the solution.

Add in a little perlite to the mix though, you'll want some extra drainage because the majority of the root ball will still be in the peat moss mixture.

Snow Crash said:

You should be able to. Just be careful removing the excess Sunshine mix from the roots. Might stunt them a little bit, so be prepared for a good week of recovery, but they should recover fine.

A lot of people grow in Sunshine Mix though most peat growers are more into Promix BX. You can simply get yourself the right nutrients and stay in the media. It isn't necessarily bad stuff, just different than soil, and it needs to be treated as such. If you're just not interested in fucking with it though, yeah, some organic soil will be the solution.

Add in a little perlite to the mix though, you'll want some extra drainage because the majority of the root ball will still be in the peat moss mixture.

Click to expand...

Maybe I will jus make him exchange the wet crap for the CNS.

If I buy a big size cns to save money can I still use it next round with soil?

n/m I see where it says soil or coco

Snow Crash you are the man! I wish i had to standing next to my closet at all times!!! lol your very helpful

I have some OG kush seedlings that are 12 days old and they are doing really well but one of them has a little brown dot right in the middle of both cotyledon leaves in the exact same place. Does this indicate some kind of a problem?

Also, i have a jack the ripper that is 10 days old and it seems really healthy and everything is going well but it has had a somewhat purple stem ever since it broke the ground. I looked it up and a lot of people say this is a problem and a lot say its not a big deal. Should i be worried about this? What, if anything, should I do to correct it?

my first seed just sprouted it is in a 16oz cup with a sandwich bag over it under 1 t5 6500k. Now I'm stuck what should I do next and should I take the bag off? PLEASE HELP!

hey this is my first time growing and i chose my attic for security and space reasons. I know its probably not the best place but its all I got. I have a box up there 2.5 feet wide 6 feet long and 4 feet tall. It is currently winter here in texas and need to figure out how to keep it at a healthy temp for my plants. If you have any solutions for me I would realy appreciate it.

Alex17 said:

I have some OG kush seedlings that are 12 days old and they are doing really well but one of them has a little brown dot right in the middle of both cotyledon leaves in the exact same place. Does this indicate some kind of a problem?

Also, i have a jack the ripper that is 10 days old and it seems really healthy and everything is going well but it has had a somewhat purple stem ever since it broke the ground. I looked it up and a lot of people say this is a problem and a lot say its not a big deal. Should i be worried about this? What, if anything, should I do to correct it?

Click to expand...

Sounds like you are tripping dude. I doesn't sound like a problem. Wait until they are larger before freaking out. A dot here or there isn't really anything to get scared about. Those early leaves really mean nothing to the finished product.

alallen said:

my first seed just sprouted it is in a 16oz cup with a sandwich bag over it under 1 t5 6500k. Now I'm stuck what should I do next and should I take the bag off? PLEASE HELP!

Click to expand...

Um... Grow it? Take the bag off, yes. You don't need to "do" much of anything other than keep the plant happy. Temperature, humidity, moisture, pH, light, etc, etc. Maybe take it upon yourself to become educated. Asking questions is not "taking it upon yourself." Read a book. Read a tutorial. Don't depend on other people who have done the work to grow your plants for you.

atticgrow420 said:

hey this is my first time growing and i chose my attic for security and space reasons. I know its probably not the best place but its all I got. I have a box up there 2.5 feet wide 6 feet long and 4 feet tall. It is currently winter here in texas and need to figure out how to keep it at a healthy temp for my plants. If you have any solutions for me I would realy appreciate it.

Click to expand...

My common sense says: "A space heater with a thermostat?"

Snow Crash said:

Wow! You need to go back there and pitch a fucking fit.

Sunshine Mix #4 is Sphagnum Peat moss, Coarse Perlite, Dolomite lime, and some Gypsum with a little "starter" fertilizer... whatever that means. Of all the things it is, it is not "soil" in any sense. The amount of biological material in the media is the primary determiner there.

But peat moss is an inert media. As I've never used it I cannot be 100% certain here... but I think you're supposed to feed it like hydro. Just like Coco fiber.

The nutrients are definitely not quality. Hard as a rock means that moisture got in there, and those nutrients are dry for a reason. When you add water a little chemistry goes down. Who knows what happened in the bag before you got it. Return all that crap. Try to be a little more informed. I'm pretty sure it says what Sunshine Mix is right there on the package. You should have also done a google search on the stuff before using it. That's just common sense stuff.

Click to expand...

Measured ph and fert is 6.5, the run-off is closer to 5 though

Good day. As shown in the photograph, I am using a bathroom that has been gutted of everything but the tub, and is my first attempt at indoor grow. I am toying with the idea of "hedging" my plants. In other words, making them grow horizontally instead of vertically. In my mind, I would be able to get an eight foot plant to maintain a three foot height. My philosophy is that during the flowering stage, the lower areas of the plant would receive the same amount of light as the upper areas, as the plants are now growing horizontally. Any thoughts? Also, I do not have a means of refreshing air to the room and have opted to use a Co2 generator. opinions?

Heirloom Tomato plants are accompanying these starters until the weather warms.

rjl said:

Good day. As shown in the photograph, I am using a bathroom that has been gutted of everything but the tub, and is my first attempt at indoor grow. I am toying with the idea of "hedging" my plants. In other words, making them grow horizontally instead of vertically. In my mind, I would be able to get an eight foot plant to maintain a three foot height. My philosophy is that during the flowering stage, the lower areas of the plant would receive the same amount of light as the upper areas, as the plants are now growing horizontally. Any thoughts? Also, I do not have a means of refreshing air to the room and have opted to use a Co2 generator. opinions?
View attachment 1420979
Heirloom Tomato plants are accompanying these starters until the weather warms.

Click to expand...

"Hedging"... You are probably referring two a combination of two methods. Topping/Pruning and Low Stress Training.

Research both Topping and LST and you will get a wealth of experience and knowledge from those who have come before you. The idea you have is fantastic, but it is not novel or new (not that you said they were), and you can learn quite a bit about them as they relate to cannabis with a minimal amount of research.

You will still need to cool the room, and the CO2 generator is fine as long as you can monitor the concentration of CO2 ppm in the air. CO2 is usually the last thing to incorporate into a grow room, once temperature and humidity can be completely controlled. An environmental controller is a pretty important part of that system. With the cost of one versus the other, a complete CO2 system is $500 to $800 depending on how you do it. Water cooled CO2 burners can be even more.

Something you might want to consider is a portable AC system. You would need to make some modifications to the bathroom door. Actually, you can get a new door from the hardware store for under $30 that you can cut some holes in for the ducting. One way or another you will probably wind up needing to cool that room somehow and I think this might be the best option for the situation if you go with a CO2 system.

Also, I prefer day light spectrum CFL bulbs. The 2700K bulbs provide very little far red energy which the plant can use. Most of the light they produce is too "orange/yellow." They work okay, but you can get much more photosynthesis accomplished with 5000K to 6500K color temperature bulbs. At least have a mixture.

I see those two HPS systems, so you probably (hopefully) have some 2100K HPS bulbs in those (or even better: Phillips TruColor Ceramic Metal Halides). Being that you are already pushing so much red light I'd suggest adding a little blue to balance the spectrum. Also, most of your bulbs look to be 20ish wattages, and at that wattage the bulbs need to be within 3 inches from the plant (ideally within 2 inches) to get enough energy from the bulbs. To understand that better do a little research on the "Rule/Law of squares." As the distance increases the energy is spread over more and more space. At more than a few inches those lumens don't have the energy to power photosynthetic action.

Other than that it looks cool. I'm surprised your bathroom doesn't at least have a vent fan... Maybe you could install one... Panasonic makes a whisper quiet bathroom ventilation fan you can get at Home DePot for about $150 that pushes a couple hundred CFM. Probably worth it if you are having a difficult time controlling the environment in there.

Also... Just be mindful of mold. You might want to make sure you wash all the nooks and crannies in there with a mild bleach solution to remove and kill as many mold spores as you can from the room.

Good luck!

Snow Crash, this thread is great!! Thank you from all of us.

I have a question, I have sucessfully grown bagseed and I am choosing my first "paid for" genetics. My plan is to veg inside and then guerilla the clones in a few stealth and remote gardens.
I have the time and resources to visit the sites often if I need to. Which strains would you recommend for my experience level (newb) and my climate (north ontario).?

Ganymede said:

Snow Crash, this thread is great!! Thank you from all of us.

I have a question, I have sucessfully grown bagseed and I am choosing my first "paid for" genetics. My plan is to veg inside and then guerilla the clones in a few stealth and remote gardens.
I have the time and resources to visit the sites often if I need to. Which strains would you recommend for my experience level (newb) and my climate (north ontario).?

Click to expand...

The funny thing is, this is not my thread I hijacked the shit out of it!!!

There are a lot of people here who give good advice but I find it is just easier to stick to this thread because the Sick Plants forum can be a bummer to browse all the time. You are very welcome though. I'm not quite expert yet but as a reasonably intelligent, common sense, kind of grower with at least a few years of experience in both soil and hydro, with experience in methods... and having failed a few times in just about every way imaginable, I feel almost obligated to help people avoid my mistakes.

If only that was human nature. Progressive.

So to the grow... Northern Ontario... DAMN!!! I hope we're not talking Polar Bear Park... Still though, speaking about location on the planet you're not any further North than Amsterdam.

What you should be looking for is a plant that flowers quick. After the solstice the amount of day light you get will start to get cut quick. You guys dip into like 8 hours (and less) of day light by mid-Autumn so you need to be harvesting end of September. Also, things to consider are elevation and temperatures. Plants that grow well outdoors in the "Dam" should do well for you.

http://www.cannabis-seeds-bank.co.uk/ carries hundreds (if not thousands) of breeds from dozens of breeders. BC Bud Depot is a new addition there and they carry many strains that succeed well in the colder climates, and the longer/shorter days of Canada.

So look for an indica strain. Probably pure indica, but something like Swiss Cheese might work well for you as well. I'd avoid Afghani strains and instead look for more of the Dutch Outdoor strains, or possibly something from Southern China like Yunan. Sagamartha Seeds Matanuska Tundra would probably do well up there.

I can't pick a single best strain for you. Big Bud has been EXTREMELY easy to grow for me, with the fat indica leaves, giant nugs, and quick flowering time. Northern Lights (#5 I think) is suited to cool outdoor climates as well, so that is another option. Stick with an indica and you should be good. Spring might come a little later this year than Normal (La Nina) so prepare to vegetate those plants indoor until as late as the earlier side of May before moving them outside.

Awesome advice, I was leaning towards either Northern LIghts #5 (I have read it is very beginner friendly) or AK-47.
I am not THAT north, my lattitude is even with say Deluth MN and Portland, OR.
Could you throw a quick suggestion for an indoor/outdoor strain? I plan on growing my allowed number of Medicinal plants (when my app is approved) in my house under 2 X 600W HPS Bulbs.

View attachment 1421056View attachment 1421055

hey snowcrash, are the lights better now, this is a pic of the seedling yesterday, its a bit bigger now. it's 1-2 weeks old. Light issue is being fixed.what do you think

Hey I was about to chop a plant but I dont have a scope to check trics and there is still some white/yellow hairs, is it fine to cut now?View attachment 1421085

Ugg is this what i think it is?

Ganymede said:

Awesome advice, I was leaning towards either Northern LIghts #5 (I have read it is very beginner friendly) or AK-47.
I am not THAT north, my lattitude is even with say Deluth MN and Portland, OR.
Could you throw a quick suggestion for an indoor/outdoor strain? I plan on growing my allowed number of Medicinal plants (when my app is approved) in my house under 2 X 600W HPS Bulbs.

Click to expand...

Most strains are indoor/outdoor. I'm actually pretty much at the same latitude as you are (Portland) so I think most strains are going to work alright in that regard. Focus more on what you'd like to be smoking than what you "can" grow. Steer clear of Blue strains, and Haze crosses, but just about anything else is totally within your grasp, I think.

I prefer my smoke to have a nice, sweet, citrus-pine flavor. Greenhouse Seeds Lemon Skunk was very vigorous indoors and as I was growing it I could only imagine what'd it could accomplish under the sun. The smoke is like lemon pledge. Just insanely citrus. Of anything that I have grown that might be the best bet for you.

Lemon Skunk from GHS will do a bit of stretching on you, (and there is some variation in the phenotypes) so finding a keeper and topping the shit out of those plants is a really good idea when working with that strain.

lotusfeet420 said:

View attachment 1421056View attachment 1421055

hey snowcrash, are the lights better now, this is a pic of the seedling yesterday, its a bit bigger now. it's 1-2 weeks old. Light issue is being fixed.what do you think

Click to expand...

They lights look better. Closer is better, and they aren't too close yet.

Stop spraying the plant. There is more water just sitting on the leaves than that tiny little seedling will use in an entire day. Spraying them will not encourage the roots to search out moisture and could cause a lot of problems for you.

Foliar feeding is best applied much later in life when the plant will benefit from the attention. Also, spraying the plant with plain water isn't always the best idea. You want to include a surfactant (drop of dish soap) to make the water, wetter. Do a little more research into it. Cannabis isn't a big foliar feeder and you're doing more harm than good right now with all those water droplets on those young seed leaves.

Many new growers just pay too much attention to their plants. Air, Light, Water, Food.
Pampering... no.

Looking good now though. On your way at least.