No Green Thumb: First Grow

[midwestgrown]

This is my first journal for my very first grow. I am looking for help in anyway so don't be shy with input the more the better... I planted 3 seeds April 25th and out of the 3 only 1 seemed to actually grow. I kimd of just jumped in like I guess any newbie would. I do have the nutes but I can't say ive ever used anything other then maybe some plant food by miracle grow (hence why i can't even grow normal flowers) I am the lady who thinks she can have wonderful flowers but kills them within a week... I have the best intentions but just can't ever figure out what i did wrong. I have a tent coming as well but have just been using a spare bedroom. This is where she is now. I think i have water gnats but think maybe a bigger pot would help with any bad soil that may be in the current pot. I flipped on June 4th and feel like I should have kept it in veg for a week longer but I didnt want it getting to big.

 

[TheStonyRoller]

I’ll jump on board with ya first time is scary. You think you are always just about to kill em (sometimes you do) but chances are they will keep on trucking. You might have flipped a bit early, but I wouldn’t flip back. Can we see a full pic of your baby? Something in the frame for size reference helps too!

 

[TorturedSoul]

I remember those lights. Should be fine for three square feet (example, 1'x3') space, assuming the bulb doesn't have too many hours on it. With lower wattage / lower intensity lights like that, it's even more important than usual to confine its (light) output into a properly-sized grow space, because there isn't enough to waste any without "shorting" the plant(s).

I can't tell for sure from those pictures, but it looks like maybe your plant can use more light. How far away from the top of your plant is your light?

If the plant is not yet sexually mature, it won't flower until it is. So there is the possibility that it will grow more regardless of when you switched your light schedule. Plus, cannabis plants stretch for the first 40% or so of the flowering phase, anyway.

Might want to get into the habit of keeping your nutrient bottles clean (especially with "organic" stuff). That's like prime real estate for microbial life. From there, it becomes possible to contaminate the plant. Maybe not a high probability of doing so, but it only takes a moment or two to wipe the bottle off. You want to minimize the possibility for trouble and, if you do end up having an issue, to be able to narrow the possible cause(s) down as much as possible, in order to make diagnosing/treating the issue as easy as possible for you, those who end up trying to help you, and your plant(s).

Good luck with your grow! Here's an old journal that I just happened to have the link to. He used a 150-watt HPS. The space was about 50% larger than I'd recommend for the light, but he still managed to take a plant to harvest under it. Maybe it'll provide some encouragement.

150W HPS - 18 pics - 9 weeks flower

This bush is all one plant. Grow cab is 18inches by 36 inches with a 150 W HPS

www.420magazine.com

 

[TheStonyRoller]

Oh and go read the “how to water a potted plant” thread by Emilya and anything else she’s written! Emmie's Links

 

[TheStonyRoller]

Might want to get into the habit of keeping your nutrient bottles clean (especially with "organic" stuff). That's like prime real estate for microbial life. From there, it becomes possible to contaminate the plant. Maybe not a high probability of doing so, but it only takes a moment or two to wipe the bottle off.

150W HPS - 18 pics - 9 weeks flower

This bush is all one plant. Grow cab is 18inches by 36 inches with a 150 W HPS

www.420magazine.com

... I’m looking at my bottles now and feeling like I should have known that already

 

[midwestgrown]

I’ll jump on board with ya first time is scary. You think you are always just about to kill em (sometimes you do) but chances are they will keep on trucking. You might have flipped a bit early, but I wouldn’t flip back. Can we see a full pic of your baby? Something in the frame for size reference helps too!

Oh your amazimg thank you! As soon as i get home i will upload better pics.. Im on the way to the garden store for a ph thingy as well as anything else i see that would be valuable. Im thinking of changing the pot im gonna look

 

[TheStonyRoller]

Oh your amazimg thank you! As soon as i get home i will upload better pics.. Im on the way to the garden store for a ph thingy as well as anything else i see that would be valuable. Im thinking of changing the pot im gonna look

I’m a big fan of fabric pots...don’t go crazy! It’s easy to get carried away

 

[midwestgrown]

I remember those lights. Should be fine for three square feet (example, 1'x3') space, assuming the bulb doesn't have too many hours on it. With lower wattage / lower intensity lights like that, it's even more important than usual to confine its (light) output into a properly-sized grow space, because there isn't enough to waste any without "shorting" the plant(s).

I can't tell for sure from those pictures, but it looks like maybe your plant can use more light. How far away from the top of your plant is your light?

If the plant is not yet sexually mature, it won't flower until it is. So there is the possibility that it will grow more regardless of when you switched your light schedule. Plus, cannabis plants stretch for the first 40% or so of the flowering phase, anyway.

Might want to get into the habit of keeping your nutrient bottles clean (especially with "organic" stuff). That's like prime real estate for microbial life. From there, it becomes possible to contaminate the plant. Maybe not a high probability of doing so, but it only takes a moment or two to wipe the bottle off. You want to minimize the possibility for trouble and, if you do end up having an issue, to be able to narrow the possible cause(s) down as much as possible, in order to make diagnosing/treating the issue as easy as possible for you, those who end up trying to help you, and your plant(s).

Good luck with your grow! Here's an old journal that I just happened to have the link to. He used a 150-watt HPS. The space was about 50% larger than I'd recommend for the light, but he still managed to take a plant to harvest under it. Maybe it'll provide some encouragement.

150W HPS - 18 pics - 9 weeks flower

This bush is all one plant. Grow cab is 18inches by 36 inches with a 150 W HPS

www.420magazine.com

Awesome thank you! I got the nuts from a friend and so im very glad you told me that i will have them cleaned up shortly. I also have a tent coming i cant have the light directly above yet till tomorrow so ive been rotating it every 3 hours

 

[Stormblessed]

I’m a kitchen manager, I feel like I should have definitely Known that

 

[midwestgrown]

I’m a big fabric pot fan...don’t go crazy! It’s easy to get carried away

luckily my beautiful gf is supportive of my new endeavor.

 

[Stormblessed]

That makes it easier for sure

 

[midwestgrown]

Oh and go read the “how to water a potted plant” thread by Emilya and anything else she’s written! Emmie's Links

I have read a few of her things and im obsessed with her writing lol

 

[TheStonyRoller]

The potted plant watering article changed my entire approach to gardening!

 

[Southerncough]

Can you tell us more about the seeds. Any specific strain or breeder? Bag seeds? Etc.
My first few attempts sucked but i also intentionally used old bag seeds because I didn't want to kill expensive breeder seeds, etc. After a few tries i had an ounce or so of herb that smelled like a cheap cigar that was left in a hot car for a few months LOL but got better from there and i transitioned from brick weed seeds to breeder seeds and every day i learn something new!
I have learned through experience and this forum that often less is more.
I.e. I've had the best luck with the simplest regimen: quality, no fuss, stable breeder strains grown in coco using dyna gro nutes under a quantum board LED.
Surprisingly consistent results and quality without breaking the bank or getting carried away!
Sure, there's some investment up front BUT...I'm yielding a few oz every few weeks which would otherwise cost me $$$ i.e. 1/8 oz of legal flower here costs $50! That's $400/oz!

 

[TorturedSoul]

My first few attempts sucked but i also intentionally used old bag seeds

I once bought a lid of Mexibrick for the seeds. Well, the 5% or so of the seeds that hadn't been crushed, I mean - which was still considerably more than "several." The "wrapper" they came in sucked, but the plants they produced were pretty good. Made it worth the $50. You cannot get a plant that is greater than the potential within the seed. But, once in a while, you blow away the bud that seed came in.

 

[Southerncough]

True! My bagseed plants never lived up to the flower they came with, which was a bummer because it was pretty decent brickweed. Funny thing though, with limited access to only brick weed most of my smoking days, I thought that was what it was supposed to look like. So when I had my first harvest I thought there was something wrong with it because it was round and squishy instead of flat and flaky! Just assumed weed was supposed to look like that!

 

[midwestgrown]

Oh and go read the “how to water a potted plant” thread by Emilya and anything else she’s written! Emmie's Links

I have read a few of her things and im obsessed with her writing lol

 

[midwestgrown]

Ok guys here are a few pics im nervous because my ph is very low.... What recommendations do you have? As for what strain i have zero clue this was from a decent bag but it was probably 2 years ago... I honestly never thought i would ever plant i have a little jar that has about 7 or 8 seeds left that were from random scores. Where i live you have to rely on whatever hookup you can find. I generally only deal with 1 person every decade.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Those analog tester gizmos make decent back scratchers, IMHO. Not sure they're all that good for anything else. I don't suppose you have anything handy that has a known pH, that you can check the thing's calibration with? Like a pH 7.00 or 4.01 buffer/calibration solution, I mean. If not, doing a web-search for something like:

pH of common substances

...might be useful. I wouldn't count on them being exact, but if you see that ammonia is on the list with a certain pH, and you open a factory-sealed jug of the stuff, pour some into a clean cup, stick your tester in it, and the reading you get is markedly different, well... you could always keep it around to scratch your back with .


EDIT: Here is one. I haven't verified it, though. Probably a good idea to get two or three lists, and use the ones that agree with each other.

Periodic Table of the Elements - pH

If that plant is flexible enough, and you gently bend the top portion down so that it's below some of those other branches, they'll grow more (basic light-seeking behavior). Training (the plant) can also enable you to get your light source closer to all of the plant instead of just the top of it. Generally speaking, the more you do this kind of thing, the more branches you'll end up with. That's while the plant is still actively growing, of course. . . .

 

[midwestgrown]

I changed pots (scary shit man) and added some better (to me) soil then before. I had come back and ph level was normal but it looks so much better now and im happier with the number im at. I dont think my roots looked good I'm seriously regretting not changing pots and keeping it at veg for another week or two but honestly ill be happy with whatever lol and i will be teying again right away. I am gonna keep reading emilya's stuff on that she is pretty bad ass when it comes to that. I used the root nutes in hopes that i might help strengthen the root system. Next time i do this i plan to use the bio degradable seed starters and then move that to its larger pot. Im not very comfortable touching plants... I mean i love all plants but they usually come home to die very sad and im hoping that i can use this for all my stuff. Ive been trying ( very unsuccessful) to grow an avocado for 8 years.