Free or on a budget growing tips?

[Propz]

I would think this would be an appropriate spot to post this thread but this question is not just for me but I want it to be something that can help everyone.

Im sure there are many repeated threads with alot of the basic questions and what not for the first time grower like myself. I have tried a couple times in the past and my grows never worked out with my lack of information and budget at the time I still have issues with a budget working part time so here it goes!

If anyone and everyone could throw in some free tips on how to grow that has been successful for you please share! Indoor or outdoor me personally Im growing outdoors what is good advise that I could use without making a trip to the store to have a successful grow?

 

[LyryC]

Start a compost pile - save all that organic waste and make it into something.

Get help from your community. People who work with plants are thee nicest! We love to share and help some one else be more green.

Outdoors would be 1000000000 times cheaper - free light for starters. Depending on location - outdoors increases risk.

It all depends on your variables buddy.

Right now is the time to get outside and plant. Hopefully you have something going or if popping from seed - their going to be smaller.

If you had compost - you would only need to have water and nutrients - a bucket - 5$ home depot 5 gallon w/ lid and some nutes - say Advanced Nutrients Sensi bloom - was 24$ for me at the Hydro shop here in southern california. All you would need is the two part for some awesome buds.

List off your variables - growing successfully on a budget requires scrutiny and details.

Would love to help more - but specifics to your situation would be very helpful

 

[frankenstein2]

Don't throw anything out ever!!!! Recycle everything you use that can be used again. Invest in a lot of peroxide, it's cheap and the best thing to use to clean with. Any old plastic container can be a plant dish, all they need is holes in the bottom. Jacks professional water soluable food. It's relatively cheap and goes a long way. It's like miracle grow but better. Home depot and lowes sell outdoor lights that are 100 watt mh and 70 watt hps. They cost less than $75 each. Or buy a real cheap set-up on ebay for around $200. If I was you that's what I would do. Save a little money each week and order a light on ebay. I have a lot more info than that, just don't feel like typing right now. Pm me if you have any more specific questions.
EDIT: Just saw you wanna do it outside. That's perfect to do for just about nothing. If you need containers, hit up walmart bakery, or any other stores like that. They get supplies in 3 and 5 gallon pails. If your looking for free good dirt, just stop by a farm and ask if they have any soil you could buy for cheap that is good(they always have the best dirt trust me). If you don't do that you could always go in the woods and find an area that has lots of dead leaves and what not on the ground, the dirt under it should be good. For next year you could start a compost pile this year and have all the awesome dirt you want for free next year. When all else fails miracle grow garden soil always works when im short on money for happy frog or can't get "good' dirt anywhere. I have a lot more info pm me if your interested.

 

[coldcanna]

For outdoors the choice of location is pretty important, you'll want to choose a spot that gets plenty of direct sunlight everyday. If your in the northern hemisphere choose a location facing south, as the sun moves from east to west along the equator. Going to a farmer is a good idea because you could prob score some manure at a low price. As far as fertilizers I bought the $5 dollar box at Walmart to hold me over until I got some cannabis specific products, just make sure you dilute the cheap chemical stuff because it WILL burn your plants at full strength. If you can find any type of old plastic container it'd be better to grow in that than directly in the ground, you'll have much more control over the feeding and watering and any bugs that might exist in your native soil. And finally, $20 spent now on good potting soil will pay for itself 10 fold when you harvest and have much better and more nugget.

 

[DevilWeedSeeds]

Have an ice cream shop in your neighborhood? Empty ice cream containers make excellent pots when you drill a bunch of holes in the bottom and sides. They will most of the time give them to your for nothing you just need to wash them out with soap and water.

 

[foomar]

Cant think of much to save on outdoors here with good native soil and a wet climate , but for nutes would look at the generics sold in bulk sacks to small holders and allotment societies rather than anything aimed at the canna market.

For indoor vegging there is not a huge leap in performance in going from T8 to T5 , older T8 shoplights in the correct length/wattage to take current quality tubes offer a considerable saveing.

An hps/halide lowbay lighting unit with mag ballast sold into the warehouse industrial sector is a cheap lighting option , the one in my garage would make a perfectly serviceable growlight .

Yield useing commercial tomato nutes and mollasses will compare favourably with useing much more expensive chems and additives sold as canna specific in decent compost.

Cheapest efficient cloneing option is probably a diy bubbler with a small fish tank diagthram pump , with no consumables like rockwool or rootriots to buy ongoing.

 

[chazz michaels]

Really you can grow decent plants for little to no cost, by using the above mentioned tips.

If you have minimal to average knowledge, like myself, you can buy plain potting mix and just use generic fertiliser as it says on the label.

So for $10 you can grow a couple of medium sized plants.

Of course you will benefit from learning more as you go, but for ease and covenience you can do fine with what i suggested.

And for cloning, you can simply put cuttings in a glass of water.
It is a bit slower but they should start to show roots within 2-3 weeks and it doesn't cost anything.

 

[Biosynthesis]

The cheapest way I grow is with poo. Any animal poo will do and if you live near or around farming it should be free. Sometimes they charge ya 10 bucks to fire up the tractor and dump it in your truck or trailer. The good stuff is the stuff that has been taken out of the barns and piled up and left to rot for several years. Im serious when I say this, you can literally plant right in it. Just add something to aerate it such as perlite, pumice, lava rock. Make sure the poo is well composted. It should look like dark super rich soil. Some of the largest yielding cannabis plants I have seen have been plants popped in on of these composted manure piles. No cheaper than this method. Cant steal soil for cheaper.

 

[FirstTracks]

Walk farther than anyone else to find the hardest to reach spots with the best light.
Plant smart. Spread out your plants to increase odds for a successful harvest.
Use the natural cover to hide your plants.
Dig big holes. Focus on width. You're usually wasting time digging below 18" unless for water retention.
Bringing in a tarp or some cheap painters cloth (clear plastic) can be nice to throw dirt on as you're digging without creating telltale piles.
Osmocote is nice for full season plants. Compact to haul in and very effective.(osmocote is a time release fertilizer)
Water crystals (the gel ones) are cheap enough. They'll save you dried out plants, watering trips, and basically pay for themselves the first time you get a dry week.
Plan to lose 2/3 of your harvest (another good reason to spread your plants out. Animals, thieves, pests, and mother nature).

All the advice about using organics such as composted manure and compost as cheap and free sources of nutrients and soil structure development is right on. Only reason I stray from that is that those are bulkier and heavier to haul into a spot than a compact fertilizer.

 

[frankenstein2]

The best spot is one that even you don't wanna go to. If you really don't wanna go thru briars, or what not, then who else is gonna especially if there is no gurantee, of finding anything.