I was reading
@Dabeast09 and he was talking about how much he learned on his first grow. That really is the best part I think. The knowledge from the first grow, at least I think, should make your second much much better. I made a TON of rookie errors on my first grow. And I kept my first grow journal on paper - I have a nice notebook on it. One of the pages (actually, it took two pages) is a list I made at the end, and since then, as I realized all the mistakes I could identify that I made on Grow one. As I am realizing there are more newbie growers like me on here than I previously had thought, I was thinking it might be helpful for some less experienced growers to see a list of mistakes another less experienced grower made and identified from grow one, and the solution that has been implemented for this grow two.
So here we go, and this is the oversimplified version:
Mistake: I tried to cram 6 8-gallon pots into a 5x5. This is WAY WAY too much. There may be someone who could make this work, but that someone is not a first time grower. The tent quickly got overgrown like a jungle.
Fix: This time I am using 5 5-gallon pots in the same space and trying a SCROG grow.
Mistake: I started my seeds in the final 8 gallon pots. This is problematic for anyone except maybe Emilya could make it work. My understanding now is to never do this. The poor seedlings have no idea what to do in all that space.
Fix: I am starting my seeds in Dixie cups and transplanting when they have an established rootball.
Mistake: Not only did I start the seeds in the final pots, I also had them live their first two weeks of life in my closet until I moved them to the tent, because I was overeager and started my seeds before my lights arrived. Their first two weeks of life took place under a regular light bulb and one 22 watt bar led. LMAO. By the time I moved them into the tent they were ten inches tall and only had their first two sets of leaves. I did all I could to recover from that stretch, but the plants were basically permanently stretched at that point.
Fix: I started the seedlings in the tent, under the real light. They LOVE it. I figure seeds pop out in nature into full sunlight and do just fine. This "seedlings should only have a little bit of light" thing I hear over and over mystifies me. Why? It makes no sense to me. As long as you don't go over say 600 ppfd your seedlings should be fine. If you see a brown tip or discoloration, simply raise your lights.
Mistake: I used PLASTIC pots with drainage only at the bottom. This is basically the worst choice I could have made. Choked the roots. Compromised my drainage. Etc.
Fix: I am using cloth pots this time so that my roots get the air they need. Toss up between cloth and air pots.
Mistake: I had no idea how to water so basically I just watered when I felt the plant needed water. That's bad enough to do it with no system. But then I compounded my ignorance by simply dumping a gallon at a time right on top of the soil whenever I watered. I also didn't begin watering to runoff until halfway through veg. My watering was so bad it's absolutely astounding that I got any bud at all, much less that it came out pretty well.
Fix: I am watering with a system and a tiny understanding of HOW to water. I read Emilya's How to Water a Potted Plant and use it as my bible. I will be watering to runoff every time post seedling as well.
Mistake: I had no idea about nutes and used only Tiger Bloom for budding and blackstrap molasses for the last month or so. I did it willy nilly, adding the TB when I "felt" it was time. Lol. What a maroon. This is next to useless and basically was a waste of money.
Fix: I studied my ass off and this time am using, for this run, the Fox Farms nutrient trio, and will follow their feeding schedule with the tweaks as I have learned them. It may not be the best but it's plenty good, and since I'm using FF soil I figured I'd stay with FF nutes. Regardless, the important part is that I will do it with a system and using a three part integrated nutrient package. I also have CalMag Plus if necessary, Great White, and a couple other things I may or may not use. There will be no guesswork this time, or minimal at least. I know to start at at least half of what they recommend if not less. I know FF will burn my plants if I use too much. And with a natural looking light this time I should be able to more readily recognize a problem.
Mistake: Defoliation - I had no clue. We can argue defoliation all day long, but in my mess of a tent it was absolutely necessary the thing was so overgrown. But I kept hearing "don't take off any leaves." So I didn't for a long time. I got a jungle. Completely unmanageable. And the predictable outcome. Good colas, and a ton of flarf. Minimal yield (10 1/2 ounces of real bud from six plants in a 5x5 is terrible, let's be honest). Etc.
Fix: Again, I studied. Learned a lot here. Made a philosophical and behavioral decision and will do targeted defoliation per the suggestions of some folks I believe have it down. Absolutely will not allow my tent to be overgrown and out of control, with compromised air flow and all that.
Mistake: some would not consider this a mistake, but I grew bagseeds from the dispensary the first time. Lots of folks do this, I guess it's personal preference. But now I know a bagseed, while likely female, is also way more likely to become a hermie. It wouldn't exist if it weren't a hermie itself. I won't do bagseeds again.
Fix: I went with good genetics. I went this time with all Humboldt Seed Company seeds. Dependable genetics for sure. So that won't be an excuse. I know I'm at a good starting point.
Mistake: I never thought a lick about humidity the first time, only temperature. I can't imagine how badly I compromised my yield due to that. It's vital. Last time the plants just got whatever that day held for them. No control.
Fix: Learned of the importance of controlling humidity. Have several ways to do so now. AC, adjustable fans, humidifier, open or closed doors, etc., and I have a dependable gauge with which to measure rh. The goal is to control it every step of the grow start to finish.
That's a very partial list that includes some good "lowlights." LOL. I'll see if I can dig up a few pics of the jungle. Anyway, if any newbie growers made or are making any of these rather common mistakes (I now know), here's what I did to fix them for what it's worth. We'll see how these remedies take.
Will post a pic or three after the humidifier arrives today and I get that thing going. Very excited to give my girls 70% instead of the 45-50% they have gotten so far. Hope the damn thing works.
