First Time Growing - Advice Welcome

One of these days hopefully I find some post or thread that explains it properly. Everyone i have asked or thread I have found does not explain to my satisfaction the foundations. They just want to talk about the spray and the reaction. And the levels and how to measure it... I get all that. No where can I find a step by step how do do it on your own without subscribing to something. Also the only things I hear people say about it (which are all great and fantastic) are all the same things you get with a basic decent standard organic grow. The description of benefits above is exactly what you get when you avoid hydro or expensive fertilizer programs. he issues this is claiming to solve are for people with the issues because they don't make a decent soil.

Anyway Maybe you can post us a good link that actually explains what I need to cook in the soil to get started?

I just checked one of your journals and no where in the beginning did it describe the sol mix. All I can find is "I use the kit". I have been hunting and hunting and all I can find is "ask Doc". When I check his journal on this the first thing it says is "if you don't understand this go some where else to learn."

It sure would be nice with so many people doing it for a journal out there that actually explains it. I know one exists but I can not find it.

I have though of posting this question many times but since you keep bringing it up can you find time to splain to us simpletons or shot us a link?

I really wanted to try this on one of my next grows but I can't find enough info to get started. I PM'd a few people about it and got great responses and still have not enough info to get started.
 
VI,

Let me qualify what I want to say about "The Kit" by saying that I have never used it or, like you, do I know what it actually contains.

My life is not regimented enough to be successful with a 'do this on this day' way of growing. My record keeping consists of age, flower time, height into flower, final height, and trimmed weight.

I don't think anyone is questioning the results. I am actually fallowing along on a KK grow duggan is running now. And, I am subbed to Dock Bud's latest grow to get a better idea what he is doing.

The approach I took was to do a lot of reading about soil and add in a few things as I learned to my soil mixes. Recently I decided to put together a mix that would have a high (or higher) BRIX and I restarted brewing some teas. Three weeks after up potting a plant into it I can say I am happy with the results.

I never know
canyon
 
Look at how wine grapes are grown, that was the first high brix system. Lots of research on it in that realm. I've seen people get sick brewing tea's because they created bad bacterial. If you know what your doing and have the money to get correct equipment it's a good way to grow. Soil needs to be cooked to start growing bene bacteria that feeds your plant. Tea's feed bacteria. It's a great eco system but hard to maintain. I've seen a few HB grows show PH lockout due to under cooking or incorrect soil setup. It's when people try and cut corners to save a few bucks.

Cheers

Sent from my SPH-L720T using 420
 
Miller,

Good points. The batch I mixed had few ingredients that would breakdown rapidly, a half cup of high N guano in about 25 gallons is about all. I watched the temperature and PH for two weeks and decided to drop a plant in it. Another two weeks would have been better. It is just now getting stable.

My earlier attempts at teas were not well thought out. This time I am starting with a basic mix of castings, small amount of molasses, kelp, oat flower and rock dust. So far so good.

I see you are using FF. That is what I used for the first two years I was legal. It is a good product IMO.

Best
 
You can buy tea at your grow store, they come in a packet and ready to brew. It takes the guess work out of it. Good luck with new soil and system.

Cheers

Sent from my SPH-L720T using 420
 
right ...so since all that stuff you are saying is what I am doing and I get the same results why do I need the foliar spray? I make a decent compost soil and a cheater one. I use good teas for my nutrients and no fertilizers through the grow.

I have no need to worry about pH. I make a tea about once every 2-3 weeks and based on the part of the grow I modify it a bit. Maybe more phos in bloom sort of thing.

I have all the benefits I read about this method without having to do it. I can't find any decent info about anyone growing a proper compost soil who has run a side by side. Or at least a journal showing step by step.

Like in my journal as per the guidance on post one I explain the soil mix I am using. I understand you get the right stuff for the soil you are using by asking doc or getting it tested yourself but I want to see someones explanation that include how they did it. What is their base soil? I just want to see a plain old journal that shows what the process is that doesn't gloss it over and say just ask Doc.

I am an engineer and we have a saying... If you can't explain it you don't understand it.

I don't believe in starting a grow based on a method that I don't understand.
 
Looks like i will have to do a lot more reading if i'm going with that kind of grow guys.


UPDATE: 16 days left of my 67 day target.

The last few days I have really noticed the buds swell up and get fat. They hairs seemed to be receding the other day now it looks like new ones formed sticking straight out of the top.

I never really showed my complete set up and talked about it. Today seems like a good day as i just did a dwc water change. In this change out i went with 15ml of each bloom/micro/sili/cal-mag/kool bloom/diamond nector along with batch of molaeses at 3ml. This was all for 4.5 gallon dwc. That went into my AK-47 dwc.

As for the Sour Diesel she got double what is above as her reservoir is 8 gallons but hold 10. If you recall i was running both in the 10g dwc til i noticed id run into a root tangling issue. Plus i rather have two different kinds separate as it narrows down diagnostic issues.




Below is the intake on the bottom of the tent. I keep that open 24/7 light off and on.

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As you hear yes its correct to hang CO2 bags as its heavier then air and will pool on lower elevations. I'll explain later why its on the floor.


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See the lil clones in the blue solo soaking up some of the LED for the first time.


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Now that's the DIY CO2 generator i been using since flowering. I figured to add the bloom bag to just boost the CO2. The mix i use and like the best is 2 cups of sugar mixed well in a 2l bottle with 1/3 of the bottle filled. Then 14g of yeast thats mixed in a cup with warm water. then added to the sugar water and fill bottle to the 2/3 mark shake and set aside. I get about 7-12 days per batch.


The top is where the exhaust is coming out from and it leads to a carbon filer which i feel dont exactly scrub the air 100%.

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So the reason why I have the CO2 bag on the floor right near the vent is bc of my exhaust. Im running my air out take from the top of the tent. Now i have two Co lines in use from my DIY that are over both plants. So the idea is that since im pulling all my air out of the top of the tent my air flow comes in from the bottom (right past the CO bag) via the open window. So now that creates an air flow from the bottom to the top where it exits. I know that people say that CO is a waste if you vent yada yada but this is my first time growing and i wanted to try and do all i can while keeping a handle on things. I think im doing good with the help from the board. Anyone like my idea or think its f*cking a waste lol.









Small tower fan fixed to tent set on low speed sent on oscillating to sweep the top of the canopy. Thought behind that (keep a good supply of air sweeping the buds to help combat mold and moisture issues while flowering). She runs 24/7 im too worried to have her just run when lights on. This fan is actually pretty cool no pun intended because its a bi level and both oscillate.





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Here is a Picture Of the SOur Diesel. So did i get a lollipop effect i was hoping for? Or would some of you more experienced guys have trimmed off more of the undergrowth? I cant believe how thick this trunk is and even more perplexed that its about 10x the thickness of the AK47. I see the Sativa traits in this strain are strong.



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More of the Sour Diesel (Canopy Shot)



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Here is the AK-47 who suffered some heat stress last week. I trimmed off all the damaged and dried out leafs that where more then 50% damaged.



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Here Are some of the Sour Diesel Buds



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Now lastly i was totally shocked when i saw this whole squared root system. Glad i was informed that doing two in that small dwc wont work in a few weeks. Oh that's a 10g dwc btw.


thanks guys



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=)


Anyone see something or think that would help please let me know im always open to help and criticism
 
right ...so since all that stuff you are saying is what I am doing and I get the same results why do I need the foliar spray? I make a decent compost soil and a cheater one. I use good teas for my nutrients and no fertilizers through the grow.

I have no need to worry about pH. I make a tea about once every 2-3 weeks and based on the part of the grow I modify it a bit. Maybe more phos in bloom sort of thing.

I have all the benefits I read about this method without having to do it. I can't find any decent info about anyone growing a proper compost soil who has run a side by side. Or at least a journal showing step by step.

Like in my journal as per the guidance on post one I explain the soil mix I am using. I understand you get the right stuff for the soil you are using by asking doc or getting it tested yourself but I want to see someones explanation that include how they did it. What is their base soil? I just want to see a plain old journal that shows what the process is that doesn't gloss it over and say just ask Doc.

I am an engineer and we have a saying... If you can't explain it you don't understand it.

I don't believe in starting a grow based on a method that I don't understand.

cmay and others, Good Evening and Salutations!! :)
cmay please excuse my tardiness..

- here is a link to within one of Doc Buds threads, its in his signature. "How To Use The Hi-Brix Kit"
In The Lab With Doc Bud - Page 103
post #1541

- please read the instructions and if you have any questions, please refer them to either one of my threads or Docbuds so we dont hijack cmars first(and successful grow :high-five:)

Basically, the 'Kit' is composed of carefully formulated ingredients utilizing minerals, rocks, mycos, biochar, soft rock phosphate, carbonized limestone, etc just to name a few. Doc Bud created the kit to grow awesome cannabis. It is a natural growing system able to grow amazing produce, and is able to be reproduced on a regular and consistent basis.
I will repeat that...it is able to be reproduced on a regular and consistent basis.
As duggan has posted, its a simple and low maintenance growing system.


cmar, congratulations on your 1st of many grows & good luck w/ your harvest!

:circle-of-love:
 
Hey cmay everything is looking really good

The only thing I would say is that the plants look like they are getting too much nitrogen as indicated by the very dark hooking leaves and the very beginning stages of nute burn based on the slightly burned leaf tips, maybe back up on the nutrients a little :)

Keep up the good work


GreenFingers
 
Thank you for the link to the info. I think VI might be looking for something like that. I burnt her bc i let the water level go down and forgot to replace it. The nute levels had to have caused that. I had 8 gallons of water in it and when i noticed she drank so much it had to be down 2-3g tops. Thats a lot of nutes to soak up in only 3-4 gallons. Know I always check levels every lights on, no questions asked.


Dr Zig thank you for showing up and winning last month. Are you trying to win MAY as well hahah. I'm going to be looking into that soil for my next one.

Im a little worried that something might be up with my AK47. A few hours after changing her dwc i took some lights out shots and she looked "pale" to me. Mind you she is sitting next to the Sour who as you said looked so green. I also burnt her with the led when changing the water out. Top coals hit glass and a few hours later shit started to crisp up and turn yellow.

This yellow or "pale" folage has me thinking she didn't like the nutes this time around. I'll have to wait a few hours to see what she looks like now after settling in the new mix for 24hrs.

Im not going to ask well if the leaves are pale and yellow is it from the nutes or the natural life cycle since i been in flower for 50 days, i will wait til the lights come on.
 
Looking good. Looks like you are on target for a decent harvest! The nitrogen ovrdose is not going to be a big deal at this point. You are at the point where it is hands off. You spend a few months getting the plant prepped for bloom and then near the end there is little you can do but watch.

If the plant is properly feed and acting normal there will be yellowing and lightening of leaves near the end. If that is not happening then there are way too many nutes. So don't worry too much about that.

This plant went from full green to practically now leaves left from them all wilting away near the end.
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So in the end it had practically no leaves left because they had all yellowed wilted away and that is normal.
 
Thanks DrZ, for the link, I will see if it has any more info than previous links of his I have read through. Still though seems like what you have described he is using all the same stuff that is in a basic grow that people have been using since like forever. Like I was laughed at back in the early 90's for not using all that stuff. So what is he mixing and why wont someone post it so we can make our own. So far I still can not find any info to suggest that there is anything other than what I would call a normal grow. There are many incorrect ways to growing in soil and lots of those get posted this website daily. But not using those ingredients listed above in your soil is implying you have done little research and don't understand soil.

I am still looking for what is different about this system then what a normal grow does...


Sorry Cmayy to hijack...Just the HB guys do this all the time. They jump on a thread (including DWC) and say "just use Docs HB" and never explain or give a link and it is some supper secret Illuminati thing that everyone knows about but no one can join. I have been trying for months to get someone to show me a journal that followed the guidelines and explains the grow and can not find someone who did it and explains anything other than a normal grow. They either explain basic normal stuff or say nothing and just say I bought it from Doc.

I have half a mind to give up on ever trying HB.



Sorry CMAY ... I am dropping it for now but if anyone is willing to show this idiot how to do HB please PM me as I am fairly sure I want to try it as long as I can make all the stuff in my garage like I do now. The closest I ever got to a straight answer was someone telling me I have to buy the stuff from Doc which is a violation of the site policy.

:Namaste:
 
Thanks DrZ, for the link, I will see if it has any more info than previous links of his I have read through. Still though seems like what you have described he is using all the same stuff that is in a basic grow that people have been using since like forever. Like I was laughed at back in the early 90's for not using all that stuff. So what is he mixing and why wont someone post it so we can make our own. So far I still can not find any info to suggest that there is anything other than what I would call a normal grow. There are many incorrect ways to growing in soil and lots of those get posted this website daily. But not using those ingredients listed above in your soil is implying you have done little research and don't understand soil.

I am still looking for what is different about this system then what a normal grow does...


Sorry Cmayy to hijack...Just the HB guys do this all the time. They jump on a thread (including DWC) and say "just use Docs HB" and never explain or give a link and it is some supper secret Illuminati thing that everyone knows about but no one can join. I have been trying for months to get someone to show me a journal that followed the guidelines and explains the grow and can not find someone who did it and explains anything other than a normal grow. They either explain basic normal stuff or say nothing and just say I bought it from Doc.

I have half a mind to give up on ever trying HB.



Sorry CMAY ... I am dropping it for now but if anyone is willing to show this idiot how to do HB please PM me as I am fairly sure I want to try it as long as I can make all the stuff in my garage like I do now. The closest I ever got to a straight answer was someone telling me I have to buy the stuff from Doc which is a violation of the site policy.

:Namaste:

Hey VI, hope your day is going well. With the "Kit" , i feel i have to clarify a few things for you. It's clear to me you've done a fair amount of research on it but are having difficulty seeing how this method is "special" or different than other soil recipes.
As far as what Exactly is different ...if you ask Doc for a list , he will give it to you. There are many differences with this DBHBB soil...one of which is it's high brix , so right away "K' or potassium is nearly non existent, so all that K rich stuff in most SS recipe's isn't in it and Calcium Magnesium ratios have to be within a range for it . NPK as we were all used to satisfying...no longer applies as we keep the soil alive and balanced to achieve high brix requirements. Doc, didn't just come up with this himself....he worked for many months with AG Labs in the US to formulate a broadcast schedule for achieving high brix produce. After much testing and work with the Lab, a formula was achieved for his DBHBB amendment, Drenches and foliars. We , the "gang" have been testing , and tweaking it for the past three- four yrs. and Doc has made improvements and additions to it during that time. He is also front and center to answer any questions or discuss concerns with whomever. This method takes ALL the guess work Stress and worrying out of your grow....unlike SS recipe's where' your always wondering if what you just gave your plants was correct!! The results with his "kit" are consistent, reliable and affordable with all those other concerns gone. Hope i've helped somewhat VI. Have an awesome day !:circle-of-love:
 
VI, DR, & DUG I dont care and you didn't hijack my thread. You made a contribution to it my man. It's all about learning and making the best medicine you can for yourself while not worrying how it was grown. So if you get your answer to your question from being around here awesome more power to you and im happier to have help in some way.


VI this is for you :blunt:

and yours DR:bong:

DUG RoorRip



So is it best to harvest whole plant or in stages as buds rippen? I seen this talked about on how some have done it but not sure which is best to do. Anyone have tips of harvest time and if it should be done in stages or just as a whole plant?


PS: whenever i see VI tent pics i get all Excited.
 
I'll start culling fan leaves as they start yellowing. As I Remove them buds mature down the plant. As VI stated your plants tell you when to flush. My cheese started to yellow in week 6 of flower (7 week strain). I then start 2 weeks of water. Your plants will now start swelling too.

Cheers

Sent from my SPH-L720T using 420
 
Thanks DrZ, for the link, I will see if it has any more info than previous links of his I have read through. Still though seems like what you have described he is using all the same stuff that is in a basic grow that people have been using since like forever. Like I was laughed at back in the early 90's for not using all that stuff. So what is he mixing and why wont someone post it so we can make our own. So far I still can not find any info to suggest that there is anything other than what I would call a normal grow. There are many incorrect ways to growing in soil and lots of those get posted this website daily. But not using those ingredients listed above in your soil is implying you have done little research and don't understand soil.

I am still looking for what is different about this system then what a normal grow does...


Sorry Cmayy to hijack...Just the HB guys do this all the time. They jump on a thread (including DWC) and say "just use Docs HB" and never explain or give a link and it is some supper secret Illuminati thing that everyone knows about but no one can join. I have been trying for months to get someone to show me a journal that followed the guidelines and explains the grow and can not find someone who did it and explains anything other than a normal grow. They either explain basic normal stuff or say nothing and just say I bought it from Doc.

I have half a mind to give up on ever trying HB.



Sorry CMAY ... I am dropping it for now but if anyone is willing to show this idiot how to do HB please PM me as I am fairly sure I want to try it as long as I can make all the stuff in my garage like I do now. The closest I ever got to a straight answer was someone telling me I have to buy the stuff from Doc which is a violation of the site policy.

:Namaste:

I totally understand where you are coming from VI. I bought the kit. I have it upstairs with all of my other grow stuff. I started reading Docs journals and I just got so freaking frustrated with the kit changing throughout his journal. I finally found the updated page where it vaguely explains how to use the kit. I started a Word document to put all of the stuff from Doc's journals in one place to make it easier to follow. That document is 42 pages long with 4 different updates on how to use the kit. From what I can gather it's more of a feel thing instead of concrete instructions. I believe it is designed to be used my a more experienced grower with a host of help from HB growers to help dial it in. You can't argue with the results though, that's for sure.
 
Cmay,
Your grow is something to be proud of. Keep it simple and go with what works for you. Sometimes these sideshows have merit and sometimes they are disruptive. Remember, it is your thread.

VI,
I am about halfway through your journal and will probably have more to say when I catch up.

The link to DB's journal post is one that I had read before. What he is advocating is not that different than what you and I are moving towards on our own. Or, more correctly, researching and seeking input from other members. I suspect that you are further along than I am.

The proprietary nature of what DB has going does bother me. If I buy a bag of soil mix, it is going to have an ingredient list.

What I do think is that it is not a bad way to go if someone wants a proven regiment for growing above average cannabis. I also think that there is more to be gained by getting a better understanding of what goes on in the soil and its' needs.

I will pop up on your thread soon.

Best
canyon
 
So is it best to harvest whole plant or in stages as buds rippen? I seen this talked about on how some have done it but not sure which is best to do. Anyone have tips of harvest time and if it should be done in stages or just as a whole plant?

It depends on the plant and how it is grown. Most times I will take a plant down in stages. I suspect that I am in the minority though.

canyon
 
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