Hello to any new growers,i am here to help on any questions U may have?
Please feel free to post anything,you will never be judged,don't be shy,,;)
Remember i have 4 Decades knowledge all things cannabis,an i like helping!
Op
Post by hitting the black button that says Publish,hit the cam to add pics,easy!
:)
HELLO AGAIN FOLKS,,,any takers on questions,,go right ahead and ask me!
Anything at all about cannabis i will surely help you with,,please join my site,
you may get free seeds 1 day for doing it,,and feel safe to post pics and ask??
Thats what i am here for ok...
;)
OP
WELP,it is smoking HOT outdoors now,and i have more time to post info!
Here is 1 of the printable magazines i did also,thats my pic on the front cover!!!!!
This was the other printable magazine i was in,front story about me!!!!!
Now a whole 4 decades experience friends,,,,been a while since i did'em..
Maybe you will recognize my next classic pic,lots know me from it folks ok!
Ever seen a bigger pile of weed friends,id say this is about it hahahaha!
My home made wine too!!
Op
The new growers need to know a few aspects of cannabis plant growths!
The type of growth of even the same clone plant grown over and over can be,
very different each time you grow that exact same clone plant,the reasons are,
PLANT EXPRESSIONS!!!
These plant expressions happen with each and every different type conditions,
meaning what type soils,or mediums used will change that clone a bit,weather,
plays a big part in a plants expressions,even the type foods that are used on it.
Lighting is another area that can and will change a plants expressions totally!
Plant expressions are observed by the breeders mostly,but growers need info,
about how a plant performs in these different growing conditions....
;)
The trick about this,is knowing just what that certain clone plant can do best!
What it likes best will bring out the best in that clone plant,and we call this a,
dialing in of the type plants growth potential for best results for that type.
Some plants like it outdoors,and some like it indoors for a better growth.....
The ones that like the indoors,usually are the strains bread for the indoors,
same for the ones that like it better outdoors,breeding was done outdoors!!
Outdoor breeding will result in much stronger type plants,as they record lots,
as they grow plants can record climate conditions and strenthen defences...
Plants that are grown outdoors need more defences against insects an mold.
Their are less needed defences for the indoor plant,but they do get the molds,
and a dry type insect called spider mites,these are probably the very worst....
So when choosing the type seeds,consider where they were bread,in or out?
Choose outdoor seed for growing outdoor!
Outdoor seeds are also good for indoor,with more strenght and vigor really!
Indoor plants grown outdoors can seem very runty and small sometimes ok...
Knowing the gene pool of the strain helps to know lots of things about them,
this comes from growing out hundreds of 1 type of seeds,and seeing them all.
Growing out a large amount of seeds,will let you know just what that strain is,
in many many different family members cannabis is much like humans...........
Very individual,each and every cannabis plant will be slightly different,or lots!
Breeding cannabis is much different than breeding corn,that is a selfed seed.
Meaning that cannabis will always have way more variations than corn, corn is,
a hermaphrodite type plant that seeds itself ok,cannabis is NOT a selfed seed!!
Although that can be done,mainly cannabis needs a male plant and a female...
The point is that,corn will be a perfect copy of it's parent plant,cannabis varies.
Even the growth of corn will be almost the same every time,cannabis changes.
So,if you are observing your growing being a different grow each time,thats ok!
Each time you grow the temps may be different,wetness,dryness,type foods,
weather outdoors,indoor light power differences will all make cannabis grow,
different each time you grow even the very samy type,it's all in conditions......
Op
;)
Speaking of seeds,,,,i may be offering them if trump does not go HARD on pot?
A gift for the new members,or members here is a plan,just for joining my site!!!!!
More older pics of starting out at the seedling stages,and what ever i can find...
The babies here are my G13 hazes,those ones that i showed in shallow tray....
That massive germination tight together,gets spread out to grow like this pic!
Same planted babies of the G13 hazes a few weeks later here in this pic ok!
AS a reference for the beginners that never heard of me,i have done articles here in these 3 good cannabis magazines,with whole 2 page spread in that,
High Times Magazine of December 2006,,,with the Purple Kush on cover!!!!!
NEXT 2 also,i did a whole 3 page spread in that WEED WORLD one to right,
also a whole 4 page full spread in the middle one,Treating Yourself magazine!
Plus 2 of the onlinne printable type magazines at ic mag.
Amoung the 4 non stop decades of breeding,growing,smoking and producing!
Just so you know,i do not call myself a PRO for nothing huh ok...
:)
Great pics in them,with composting information that i will do here some day..
Living soils are BEST for growing CANNABIS!!!
OP
it all starts with a seed and as you can see here i used the wet paper towel method...;)
using a cup or a dish and rapping it with a plastic bag this works great usually folks!
More random pics to show good growing conditions for seedlings,the lights used,
types of pots and i always use soils!
Some very happy babies that were grown from seed under those 23 watt CFL bulbs!
Massive germinations in a very shallow tray work very well and would be transplanted fast with in a few days.....;)
Same babies a few weeks later!!!
G13 hazes....;)
C99 Diesels starting to flower from a dozen years ago,,,;)
ALL STARTS WITH SEEDS PEOPLE!!!!!!
Op
These 3 gallon pots work very good for seedlings planting up to a dozen per pot until,
they show sex and get transplanted with these pots 1 plant up to 4 per pot works great!
That pic was a dozen years ago.......
My fist dogs tail showing to the left,i miss him very much he was the best guard dog.....
Op
ALL WELCOME TO BE A MEMBER AND POST QUESTIONS,,,please do so!
Lets talk about babying your babies today....;)
Many new growers fail at the first part of growing cannabis with seedlings.
A good policy to have is to be very patient with your baby seedlings they die easy,
to much water,to much heat,not enough light power,to much food the first few days,
can kill seedlings easily...the cooler the temps the better,minimal watering is best!!
All these things can kill a baby plant fast,so be very careful in this first part of growing!
Seedlings take their time to get going and it is not good to try and speed things up......
Never give a seedling any real strong types of fertilizers for about 2 and a half to 3 weeks they only need good soil and water as they can burn very easily.
When you burn a baby seedling they stall or maybe never get going the right ways?
After a while of doing seedlings over and over you will get use to how they grow......
Taking their time,as you should at the begining,another good policy,less is better!!!!
When it comes to feeding even a big plant,less is better for a clean tasting product.
Seedlings need to be watched daily and the depth of their pots needs to be good,
when you have the seedlings in their pots,try to get use to the weight of it with water,
or after they dry out a bit as the weight will tell you how much water they really have!
This is a good trick i always use even on a big plant because the top may be dry not,
the bottom though and your roots will end up being more healthy not soaking wet.....
Drying the pots a bit helps roots strengthen by getting them air way down to their foot.
Watering is best done a little a day for seedlings as they will stay moist but not to wet,
try to water away from the stem unless very dry this way the root base stays healthy!
This is an exciting part for a beginner and you can easily rush things and mess it up....
Generally seedlings grow to a height of about 4 inches in a few days and stay their a bit,
you want them to stay at the shortest heights when very young so they do not fall to the side if they get very tall,and if that happens lower the light and pile soils around stem,
when a seedling falls to the side the stem can fold killing it,or thin out and dry fast.....
A few things that cause this is not enough light power and to much heat mainly......
watering to many times as a very young seedling is a sure way to kill them,you can tell,
when they need water and if they wilt then they need it fast or may die in hours ok.
Any new growers that need a helping hand i am here for your needs so ask away!
Ok,,,;)
After a few weeks they should look like the pic above!
Op
Beginner growers these days are lucky to have the new,and better LED lights!
Cannabis seedlings love the bright but cool light,as you can have the bulbs low,
placed a few inched over the babies,i have made a few simple racks for bulbs...doing many many test grows with tiny bulbs folks....
;)
Thes bulbs are the small 23 watt CFL's however,these were the new bulbs a dozen years ago that also work well bringing up seedlings,but now the LED's are better!!!
Taking an old antenna frame,and light frames i made this easy rack that works well,
adjusts in the middle,and i can slide the bulbs sideways on those rails.....,
a small ladder will work the same,just use wire to hold them on the frames!
You can make a frame easy out of anything,and just using the home style bulbs here,FOR THE WHOLE GROW....,point here is the cost and heat are,
not like grow lights that costs hundreds of dollars,also easy to find at most stores!!
The wattages you want are,anything over 20 watts of the older CFL's,or 14 watts an up,
of the new home style LED's,let me get a few pics of the new LED's hung on that rack..with the test being how will they do,in the flowering stage!!!
(answer=GREAT,at only 14 watt home style LED bulbs below)
:)
These are the new type home LED's at only 14 watts energy use,they do plants good in all areas,so any beginner can do a small set up like this and get buds!!!
Seedlings and also flowering,in my testings of both vegitive stages and flowering stage,these small home type LED's crank out happy healthy seedlings and all the way to great frosty done buds friends,get some bulbs!
Up to you what bulbs,light that you use,just a helping tip,for the new growers ok...;)
Seedlings were very comfortable,these were clones however that were placed under,
with no real vegitive time, meaning they were placed under with branches and, just flowering them was the test, and they did very good for only 14 watt LED's!!
So,as a new grower you can get these at anyplace that sells bulbs for the home ok,plus these new LED's last a very very long time,so once U have them,
your GOOD to go....................can be done in any closet,small room,garage too!
Peace,and green to U beginners out there..
;)
Op
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS,or make your own new threads,
become a member of this cannabis site and post some of your grow pics!!
A public mesaage...
;)
op
How to cut the clones,from their branches is easy!
Just take from the end a good 6 inches and cut it off the plant,at the point of cut,
that area of the stem should be firm,a soft stem will just rot,so the acual thickness,
will be less that a pencil thickness,but not less than say a small nail in thickness....
You will get use to the sizes and thicknesses of the branches good for cloning fast!
Growing your plants up first before you take clones with a fast healthy growth,matters,
slow growing,or a weak growing plants will not clone well, as a good healthy plant ok...;)
After taking the branch cuttings off,i make an angle cut again at bottom,and slightly scrape the stem with my scissors to allow the rooting powder to enter stems a bit..
Rooting powder is not needed in the cloning machines,or the bubbler method cloning,
but is better used in the tub cloning method,just get at any garden shop,dip stems into it,
then using the peat pellets/plugs they root in,just make a tiny hole in them and place cut in squeezing slightly to stablize the clone in the plug and set them in the tubs with the wet perilite as above a few posts back!!
Few more pics of that set up also to show how easy it really is to clone...
the prefered type of plastic tubs with the clear tops!
Fill the bottom an inch or so thick with the wet perilite,and a small light above thats it!!!
Rooting plugs and a rooting powder of your choice....;)
Size of the plastic TUB,compared to the normal cloning domes,those domes are to small.
The light is just to keep the plants awake,not to provide energy to grow,above 20 watts,
is best as a smaller bulb weakens them to much....but again room temps matter most...
ROOTS ahoey,,,,,a good clone will throw roots in about 5 to 7 days,anything longer,
their may be something wrong,,,,and sometimes the type of plant may take longer?
Some root faster than others,,,,but a clone that takes more then 3 weeks,is not good.
Beginners have a hard time at cloning,so i hope that i have helped some folks out!!!
Op
Cloning can be a life saver!!!
You are keeping the exact genetics as said last posts,plus the fact that knowing,
is better in how it grows,what it can take,how it reacts in a grow room condition...
Or if grown outside also,keeping exact genetics is a must for your favorite types!
Although many may not want to keep clones as mother plants,and just grow seed.
The difference between a seed plant,and a clone is the seed plant has a tap root!
This root shoots strait down fast as it intakes water,but anchors the plant firmly....
Clones will not have this tap root,they only have side roots called feeders mainly.
They will need stakes unlike a seed plant because they have no tap root to hold,
on to soil wether in the ground or in pots it is better to stake and tie clone plants.
The clone size can be anywhere from 3 to 6 inches tall,it must be semi stiff,usually,
just cutting off that 6 inches from any branch will be just right,the cuttings can be cut,
or left whole meaning the leaf tips usually half the leaves are cut off,or left on the clones,
cutting the leaves off at half way lets the clone relax,and not transpire moister away,
while it changes it's energy from leaf growth to producing chemicals so it can root.....we are very lucky cannabis roots in these ways!!!
Cutting half the leaves back in lenght,and taking a off a few bottom branch nodes,
close to the rooting plugs helps a bit,but not a nessesary need in cloning branches!
Branches can be left whole,some plants will do just fine with no leaf cuts,up to you,
and the type plants,as all plants differ from each other in sensitivity....
Using cloning machines are a good example of clones that need no leaf cutting....trimmings!
Just leave a good inch of stem or more that sticks down into the cloning machine,
and set n forget it for a week or 2,as said they do work fine in cooler temparate zones!
Some people use the Rock wool cubes to root in,others just sand,their are many ways,
like another very simple method using a shallow speghetti pot and 2 long air stones.....
The bubbler method also works well with no leaf cutting,i will show you all the very easy,
and very cheap ways to clone at home!
1.TUB cloning=using domes or taller plastic tubs,storage tubs and the wet perilite,rooting plugs,and a small light!
2.Cloning Machines=using water sprayed up at stems that sit in plugs above water.
(no top,or cover needed)just a small light over them!
3.The Bubbler cloning method!
(using a shallow sheghetti pot,water,and 2 air stones,a piece of tin foil)
Lets get into the Bubbler cloning method,this is a rig of my own using home things,
assuming you have an old fish tank air pump,and a few air stones,small light your set!
This is an easy way,the fish tank air stones provide bubbles in the water,the tin foil,
is the top just placed over the pot,water is added to 3/4 the way up or an inch from top.
Simply cut the branch tips to size,strip off the branch nodes that will stick into water,
below,making sure the stems are touching the water a bit,by poking tiny holes in the tin.
Just drop that stems threw the holes,with the small light just over the pot about a foot,
the lights do not have to be anything with lots of power,just small LED's,CFL's,shoplight,
around 20 to 40 watts is all they need as the plants are adjusting the energies to root...
Pics of the bubbler and air stones,with the tin and cuttings,to show how i set it all up!!
Here you can see the sizes of the stems,the bubbles in the water below,simple as can be it just takes a week or 2 to get roots,but your room temps must be below 70 degrees,
anything above the 70 mark,and the stems will just rot and never grow good roots at all.
The water must be poured out every 3 to 4 days and can not be chlorinated,clones are,
then taken out by ripping the tin open a bit and pulling them up not breaking roots off....
Planted into soils and kept in a cool spot for a day or so,before going into lights,or sun.
The air stones i used were 4 inch ones,2 on a dual air pump got at any pet stores!
Thats 1 very easy way to make clones,the tubs are also easy as posted before,temps,
are what matters most and must be kept lower than 70 degrees for best cloning rate!
Op
:)
Try to get the tubs with a clear top so the light goes threw it better,a simple shop tube,
can be used,the T12 bulbs,the T8's,and the T5's are used to stretch light out wide 3 feet,
or 4 feet long using the shop tube types,also small CFL's can be used,and LED's........
Details next...Op
A few pics of the TUB method first!!
Regular big plastic tubs are used,the rooting plugs,and a bag of Perilite for the moister!
Rooting plugs can be the peatmoss type,compressed plugs,or the rapid rooter types.....
Op
Cloning is a way to save a plants genetics as long as you want,cloning can insure same,
exact type of genetics grown over and over,crops being all the same type of product....
A breeder or grower does this by cutting branches from plants,at about 6 inches long.
Cuttings will root,by using a few methods known,some like the TUB method,others not.
Cloning can be done many ways,TUB methods,or domes use a plastic top basically,
to trap moister in and around the plant cutting so it will not dry out while rooting........
Other methods,are the cloning machines,they use a sprayer from under the plants stem.
Spraying water up at the stems,the stems(cuttings) are placed in plugs that fit a frame,
no top cover on these type cloners,the cuttings are open to air above the frames.
Simple they are,just cut a branch and place it in the plugs,with a small light over them!
They work well in cooler temps,but in a hot climate they are not a good idea because,
the water pump in it sits down in the water,heating up the water,and anything warm rots.
Their is a threshold of heat,where things rot much faster,then under the temp threshold.
70 degrees is that area,anything over 70 will end up rotting faster,than under 70...
Lower temps are better as roots grow much more healthy and fuller,65 is optimal.
Temprature is the whole trick to cloning success,living in a temparate zone helps much!
Living in a very HOT zone like i am,will result in hard times trying to clone in summer...
Some folks have to use a small heating pad under the clone tubs,in the very Northern zones,the opossite of my climate.
So, climate and temperatures matter most for good cloning,keep the room cool........
Pics to show methods next...OP
1 last method for germinating seeds,using a wet paper towel and a dish,or cup!
The way lots of growers do the seed germinating is easy,and you will see them,
throw their tails out as you monitor the growth....
Just soak a paper towel,and then squeeze it out a bit so it is just damp,make a fold,
drop the seeds in the paper towel and fold it over them,place it in a dish with a plastic,
bag covering it,set in on a warm TV cable box for a few days,check in 2 days seedlings,
will have popped open if they were fresh,48 hours,if not fresh they may never open....
A seed that has been stored in room temps will only last about 4 to 5 years viable.
This is a good way to monitor the germinations,but soon as they have tails an inch long,
they must be transplanted into pots,you can use small pots,or a larger pot,up to you...;)
After the seeds have popped you must baby them,taking very good care of them at first,
will help the entire growth,seedlings must not be watered to much,a soaked soil will rot..
Rotting can happen very fast,so the less water the better at the start of things,a newbies,
first mistake,another mistake is to not have enough light power ok....
The stronger the light at first,will keep the seedlings short and strong,not enough light,
and the seedlings will stretch very tall,making them fall over to the side...fans help too!
Sunlight is best,after all the plants want nature right,what needs controlling is the temps!
75 to 85 is the optimal for most plants,cannabis is a weed,but seedlings can die fast......
To hot and they will over stretch fall over weaken and die by the stems drying out.
LED's provide a very comfortable setting for seedlings,as the heat stays cooler around,
the plant tops,CFL's work well also,23 watts,minimum,and LED's 14 watts minimum ok!
House hold LED's are very good these days,as they have a covering over the bulbs......
My latest tests indoors were very good using the 14 watt house hold LED's for seedlings,
you can make a small rack of them,or just use a few hung downwards over the plants..;)
High powered HPS lights work well also,but they have heat,so ventilate well using them.
Cloning next!!!
Op
Hello new growers!!!
Hope your having a good time with your new adventures in cannabis growing...;)
Today id like to speak about the seedling stage,this is a very important part of growth.
Seedlings that start good and healthy will grow very good,compared to bad starts.......
A stunted seedling will grow slower,and may never pick up speed as a healthy seedling.
The mistakes most new growers do,is to over water and over feed little seedlings mainly,
what a seedling needs is a good fluffy soil and not to much water for the first 3 weeks.
After the first few weeks of growth,then you can feed slightly,at about the fourth week,
they will show sex,but in the first few weeks is key to a happy and healthy growth........
SO,now food and little water at first,i try not to water more than a few times,lights,sun,
are needed for a good start,with more light power for a seedling they develope great!
Sun power is best,a natural setting outside because plants breath much better than inside by far.....;)
If not outside,then under some good lighting,lights can be low powered,not less than,
say a 14 watt LED bulb,or as high as 1000 watt grow lights even,the heat is another area,
you want kept on the cool side while germinating seeds.
A cooler germination will increase the female ratios,from the same type seeds,a hotter,
germination may result in more males,from same seeds.
The higher the power light,the shorter they will stay,as babies,temps should be around,
75 to 80 degrees threw out the seedling stage,and even thoughtout the whole grow....
Light hours can be kept at a regular 12 hours a day,or a full 24 hours of light a day.....
12 hours is a natural light setting,as in the outdoors,anything more than 16 hours will,
keep the plants in the vegitive stage until the light hours are cut down to 12,meaning,
12 hours of light,and 12 hours of darkness.
What triggers a plant to flower is,by the light hours lessening,from say 16 to 24 hours,
to the 12 or less hours,12 hours is the norm for an indoor grower for the flowering stage!
Outdoors this comes gradually,as summer days get shorter the plants go into flowering.
Indoors,we have the option of keeping the plants in a vegitive state,until we are ready,
to flower them.
Or,keep them in that vegitive state for good,never shortening the hours from the 16 an up to 24 hours of light a day,anything less than the 16 hours may trigger flowering.....
Back to the seedlings,seedlings have their own age trigger also,at the 4 week period,
they will show you the sex of the plant,at this time,you may either kill the males off....
Or use them to make seeds,if not making seeds just kill them off,they are not used.
(some strains will trigger flowering later,say 6 weeks before they show sex,sativa)
indica are the normal 3 to 4 week types,showing sex then,they are faster also!
Females can be kept for ever in the vegitive stage,thats how people keep genetics!
Cloning and then keeping that clone,will insure that you are not throwing genes away.
This is another area a beginner needs to learn,the saving of genetics in this way,cloning!
More on cloning next....
Op
Not in any ways shape or form,Conspiring here with anybody,helping info only ok...
Today,id like to show some old pics of seedlings,since this is a beginners place folks!
Feel free to post questions,or add to my info if you already have cannabis knowlege.
;)
Germinating seeds,can be done in many ways,but the easiest is get a medium pot,
about a 3 gallon one,this gives the baby seedlings plenty of room to stretch roots.....
The roots will grow downwards naturally,but to big of a pot and you will be breaking,
long roots that went to far down,at the transplant,so a medium,or small pot is best!!
Or,if just going with a big pot,simple just let it grow there the whole time ok!!
Depending on your climate,soil types,or if you mix your own soils, whats best is really,learned threw time.
Spending time in the garden is key to understanding the right times to plant seeds,
and how long your seasons are, will vary much in gardening,seasons,or season???
Temparate climates usually only have the 1 summer season,but in the deep south,
we get year round growing climates,3 in all as we never really get a winter here....not the southern states,i am talking very deep south, year round!!!!!
So,any place besides the very deep south will be a regular summer growing season,
how many months is needed usually 3 to 4,most plants are a 3 to 4 month type ok...cannabis is a weed,but the equatoral type can go 10 months until done.....
Unless your in the very deep south,or have a nice green house with heat,you may never grow a long flowering sativa type,100% sativa from the equator.....
Hybrids,and indica types are what most grow these days,easily done in that time.....3 to 4 months from seed germination until the finished product of bud!
As said before,a medium to small/shallow type pots can be used in the seedling stage,but if just leaving them in 1 pot for the entire life,go big pots!!
Let me show some pics of different ways i do my seedlings,some shallow trays also ok,some in the 3 gallon pots as i prefer best!
Here you have the 3 gallon method,i left them there as is until they show sex,kill males,
then leave them to grow up a few weeks more then tranplant them to about 2 to 4 each,
in the 3 gallon pots to finish.......this gives them a comfort to grow faster young,better than a very shallow pot,or tray method,as the females stay put!
Now other pics to show those trays,and smaller pots,and how they look,the grower skill,
matters also in how good seedlings will do,i have the strongest sun,so that also helps,,but the heat and water is the enemy,they like cooler starts!
;)
3 gallon pots here,and also 1 gallon pots,but those ones in the smaller pots will grow shorter and stress more as the pots dry out quicker,bigger is better,but not to big ok,unless you plan on just leaving the be in a big pot as said above...
;)
More different type germinations done differently next...
Here is a very shallow tray type germination method,but this is for monitoring seeds,
as they pop open with a clear view of them germinating under the food rap plastic......only to watch as they pop,an soon after to be planted into pots....
The soil is first wet very well, pat down,and sprayed again with water,small rows made,
using your fingers in the soil by pressing down a bit,just to keep seeds separate in it,tags at the top of each row marking the strains!
Seeds are never burried using this method,they are layed on top the wet soil in the rows,
the seeds will naturally soak up the moister from below,just as they would in nature........
Popping in just a day,or 2 they will then be transplanted into the better growing pots,
medium ones best for my type of growing!
Thats a way not many have even seen before,i can asure you this folks,i like keeping,things easy but fun!
More seedling maddness.......next explained for the newer growers!
This is not a recomended method ok,just some monitoring fun!!!!
More seedlings...
Simply scoop them out gently with a fork,and transplant into pots,from tray!
Pots are much better though,my recomendation for the new growers info!
A look at the skunk#1's as they grow to show sex,just one way to grow, cannabis here....;)
2003 was a good year,skunks#1's!
Op
:)