kbc2007
Member
welcome back dude.
i followed your other two grows and used your experiences to learn from.
in fact, i built an exact copy of your cab, lol.
two plants on the go.
i'm using your soil recipe on my grow right now.
seems fine.
i'm just using a simple (no name) grow and bloom solution.
i think you also used epsom salt in there somewhere?
anything else you would recomend?
ez.
i followed your other two grows and used your experiences to learn from.
in fact, i built an exact copy of your cab, lol.
two plants on the go.
i'm using your soil recipe on my grow right now.
seems fine.
i'm just using a simple (no name) grow and bloom solution.
i think you also used epsom salt in there somewhere?
anything else you would recomend?
ez.
G
Guest
Hey I2Kangrow, good to see ya again.
Find a nice comfy chair and stay for a while!!!
I see some more Rubbermaiders are coming in for a visit too!
Yup I'm still doing soil using 2 part Promix, 1 part Vermiculite and 1 part Perlite for seedlings.
My two LUI's have popped out today and now they are in the growbox under CFL lighting. Hopefully the Thai-Lights will follow soon.
I keep the cups covered with Saran Wrap and some toothpics so it doesn't touch the seedlings. The seedlings need the humidity so keep them covered for a couple of days.
I tried to take some cloesups but they didn't turn out. Both seedlings have the seed casing still stuck on. I'm not touching them at all. Newbies have this thing to touch and pick at seedlings. If you just leave them alone they'll do fine.
One other thing, I prewatered and drained the soil before transferring the germinated seeds into the beercup. I am NOT going to water the seedlings for a long time. This little seedling is in a great big container that has 1000x it's weight in water. It will grow to get what it needs using it's roots.
Hey this nature stuff works pretty good if you let it work it's magic!!!
Find a nice comfy chair and stay for a while!!!
I see some more Rubbermaiders are coming in for a visit too!
Yup I'm still doing soil using 2 part Promix, 1 part Vermiculite and 1 part Perlite for seedlings.
My two LUI's have popped out today and now they are in the growbox under CFL lighting. Hopefully the Thai-Lights will follow soon.
I keep the cups covered with Saran Wrap and some toothpics so it doesn't touch the seedlings. The seedlings need the humidity so keep them covered for a couple of days.
I tried to take some cloesups but they didn't turn out. Both seedlings have the seed casing still stuck on. I'm not touching them at all. Newbies have this thing to touch and pick at seedlings. If you just leave them alone they'll do fine.
One other thing, I prewatered and drained the soil before transferring the germinated seeds into the beercup. I am NOT going to water the seedlings for a long time. This little seedling is in a great big container that has 1000x it's weight in water. It will grow to get what it needs using it's roots.
Hey this nature stuff works pretty good if you let it work it's magic!!!
G
Guest
Oh yes, I measure pH throughout the grow cycle. All I use is a $5 aquarium test kit that's good from 6.0 to 7.4
For soil the plant takes up nutrients best when the pH is 6.5 and should be maintained between 6.3 and 6.8.
The best way to start learning about pH is to get a test kit and measure your tap water and the pH of the run off water each time you water your plants.
You can learn alot by measuring the pH. It let's you take corrective action to keep your plant healthy before bad things happen. When the pH is out of range, the plant can't take certain minerals and will be stunted or grow with damaged leaves.
The first thing to do with pH is to test your tap water. Most city water is 7-8 which is slightly alkaline and will have some Calcium, Magnesium and Iron dissolved in it. The more minerals and stuff dissolved in the water will raise the pH. Some peoples water is too poor to drink and use on plants so they have to use bottled water. Also you should know if your water is treated with a water softnener. This is a chemical process that replaces Ca and Mg with Sodium. The water is good for washing but not for plants.
It's good to know as much as you can about your water before you make adjustments. You should also test your water after you add your nutrients. Most nutes pull down the pH.
Try not to add too many chemicals to the water as a high ppm of dissolved stuff in the water prevents the plant from taking up water. Make your pH adjustments last.
Also, get good quality hydro chemicals for pH. Don't use aquarium chemicals because they are sodium based. There's an idiot on the board that tells people to use stump remover and battery acid.
Dolomite Lime is a good soil additive, I used it on my last grow. Dolomite Lime will help buffer the soil to 7.0 and is a Ca and Mg source as well. You'll see organic growers using D-Lime cause a lot of the organic stuff like compost and teas are acidic. D-Lime works well if you have salt based fertilizers which leave an acidic salt residue as the nutrients are taken up.
I should tell you about my lawn. It's been a disaster for as long as I owned my house. There's been a number of poor summers, the year before last was a drought. Everyone around me has a yellow brown weedpatch for a lawn too. Every year I get a bag of premium salt based weed 'n feed, scatter some seeds and pull dandelions with about the same result. I found out online that the dandelions are from low pH caused by the salt fertilizer and that my poor lawn was suffering from Ca and Mg deficiency. Long story short, I used D-Lime and a Organic fertilizer and my lawn was green, heathy and weed free!!! Everyone around me still had the yellow brown weed patch.
For soil the plant takes up nutrients best when the pH is 6.5 and should be maintained between 6.3 and 6.8.
The best way to start learning about pH is to get a test kit and measure your tap water and the pH of the run off water each time you water your plants.
You can learn alot by measuring the pH. It let's you take corrective action to keep your plant healthy before bad things happen. When the pH is out of range, the plant can't take certain minerals and will be stunted or grow with damaged leaves.
The first thing to do with pH is to test your tap water. Most city water is 7-8 which is slightly alkaline and will have some Calcium, Magnesium and Iron dissolved in it. The more minerals and stuff dissolved in the water will raise the pH. Some peoples water is too poor to drink and use on plants so they have to use bottled water. Also you should know if your water is treated with a water softnener. This is a chemical process that replaces Ca and Mg with Sodium. The water is good for washing but not for plants.
It's good to know as much as you can about your water before you make adjustments. You should also test your water after you add your nutrients. Most nutes pull down the pH.
Try not to add too many chemicals to the water as a high ppm of dissolved stuff in the water prevents the plant from taking up water. Make your pH adjustments last.
Also, get good quality hydro chemicals for pH. Don't use aquarium chemicals because they are sodium based. There's an idiot on the board that tells people to use stump remover and battery acid.
Dolomite Lime is a good soil additive, I used it on my last grow. Dolomite Lime will help buffer the soil to 7.0 and is a Ca and Mg source as well. You'll see organic growers using D-Lime cause a lot of the organic stuff like compost and teas are acidic. D-Lime works well if you have salt based fertilizers which leave an acidic salt residue as the nutrients are taken up.
I should tell you about my lawn. It's been a disaster for as long as I owned my house. There's been a number of poor summers, the year before last was a drought. Everyone around me has a yellow brown weedpatch for a lawn too. Every year I get a bag of premium salt based weed 'n feed, scatter some seeds and pull dandelions with about the same result. I found out online that the dandelions are from low pH caused by the salt fertilizer and that my poor lawn was suffering from Ca and Mg deficiency. Long story short, I used D-Lime and a Organic fertilizer and my lawn was green, heathy and weed free!!! Everyone around me still had the yellow brown weed patch.
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kbc2007
Member
cool.
i think i have the same kit, $5 from walmart, lol.
i find it a pain though, the nutes i add are blue so it throws off the colour.
and the runoff is muddy at first so i have to keep watering.
i'm thinking about just getting a digital to make things easier.
question though, if i test the runoff and it's high what do i do, add some ph down to my mix and re-water right then?
thanks.
i think i have the same kit, $5 from walmart, lol.
i find it a pain though, the nutes i add are blue so it throws off the colour.
and the runoff is muddy at first so i have to keep watering.
i'm thinking about just getting a digital to make things easier.
question though, if i test the runoff and it's high what do i do, add some ph down to my mix and re-water right then?
thanks.
G
Guest
I really should be asking you what your readings are before telling you what to do. If you've just watered and want to make a correction, just water again with the corrected mixture. Flushing out the soil is also a tool you can use if you see the pH has gone out of whack or there is a buildup of nutes and salts in the soil.
*********************************************************
This is a more advanced topic but it really illustrates how good a tool measuring the pH really is.
I use the pH as a way of telling if the plant is taking up nutes or water and whether I should be increasing or decreasing the nute mixute.
You have to know what your base water pH is. Whenever you add nutes to the water the pH drops. You should keep track of the pH of your mix.
When the plant is taking up nutes and water evenly the pH will be similar to your nute mixture. This is your happy place when growing plants.
When the plant is taking up more water than nutes, the pH will fall because the concentration of nutes and or salts is increasing. The reason I say salts is because salt based fertilizers leave a salt residue in the soil that lowers the pH.
When the plant is taking up more nutes than water, the pH will rise to the source water. This is an indication to feed more often or increase nute strength.
I follow a weekly feeding schedule and normally have to water every 3-4 days so my schedule looks like Feed-Water-Feed-Water
If I see that the nutes are building up I'll reduce the nutes or do a Feed-Water-Water-Feed.
If I see the plant is hungry, I may increase the nutes or Feed-Feed-Water-Feed.
Here's some good reference material
*********************************************************
This is a more advanced topic but it really illustrates how good a tool measuring the pH really is.
I use the pH as a way of telling if the plant is taking up nutes or water and whether I should be increasing or decreasing the nute mixute.
You have to know what your base water pH is. Whenever you add nutes to the water the pH drops. You should keep track of the pH of your mix.
When the plant is taking up nutes and water evenly the pH will be similar to your nute mixture. This is your happy place when growing plants.
When the plant is taking up more water than nutes, the pH will fall because the concentration of nutes and or salts is increasing. The reason I say salts is because salt based fertilizers leave a salt residue in the soil that lowers the pH.
When the plant is taking up more nutes than water, the pH will rise to the source water. This is an indication to feed more often or increase nute strength.
I follow a weekly feeding schedule and normally have to water every 3-4 days so my schedule looks like Feed-Water-Feed-Water
If I see that the nutes are building up I'll reduce the nutes or do a Feed-Water-Water-Feed.
If I see the plant is hungry, I may increase the nutes or Feed-Feed-Water-Feed.
Here's some good reference material
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kbc2007
Member
thanks red, i'm learning.
i didn't realize growing indoors was so complicated.
makes me really appreciate the sun and earth.
outdoors is a three stop process for me.
stop one, plant seeds. stop two, pull males. stop three, cut down the buds.
anyway, here is where i'm at now.
one month old california girl (fast outdoor strain).
i didn't realize growing indoors was so complicated.
makes me really appreciate the sun and earth.
outdoors is a three stop process for me.
stop one, plant seeds. stop two, pull males. stop three, cut down the buds.
anyway, here is where i'm at now.
one month old california girl (fast outdoor strain).
G
Guest
Indoor organic is just like outside. Composts and teas are acidic and so is peat moss. Your water is alkaline and you can add some D-Lime for good luck. All the bugs and microbes have to live too so they keep the pH balanced.
You only have to be careful with pH when using chem ferts especially the lower quality salt based ones cause the salts build up in the soil.
edit
Your plant looks nice and healthy. It's a bit overwatered though.
Are you going to be indoor flowering or getting ready for another outdoor grow season? It will be a while up here in the great white north before we see lawn again.
You only have to be careful with pH when using chem ferts especially the lower quality salt based ones cause the salts build up in the soil.
edit
Your plant looks nice and healthy. It's a bit overwatered though.
Are you going to be indoor flowering or getting ready for another outdoor grow season? It will be a while up here in the great white north before we see lawn again.
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G
Guest
Wow kbc, I don't blame you for moving indoors. Getting a good water cycle is important. I let the pots go really light between watering. What are you using for ferts?
Hi RudieJ - a cheap $5 aquarium test kit is all you need.
My two LUI seedlings are doing fine and only one Thai-Light popped out yesterday. I'm still hoping for the other one to pop out cause it did germinate. I'm leaving them covered with saran wrap to keep the humidity up and not watering or molesting them in any way.
Hi RudieJ - a cheap $5 aquarium test kit is all you need.
My two LUI seedlings are doing fine and only one Thai-Light popped out yesterday. I'm still hoping for the other one to pop out cause it did germinate. I'm leaving them covered with saran wrap to keep the humidity up and not watering or molesting them in any way.
T
TheOneWill
Whats the tooth picks for?
G
Guest
I use the toothpicks to keep the saran wrap from touching the seedling.
JackOneill
Member
thanks to red and others on this site there are many good grows in progress using their techniques as a basis. What would we do without the internet to share knowledge in its unadulterated form. We are always appreciative and do our best to give back as much as we can to pay homage to people such as red for steering so many noobs in the right direction. My first real mentor for that matter was Falco on CannabisCulture.com and I also had the chance to converse with Marc Emery as well back then in 2002 when I first started my foray into horticulture as a hobby. I started out on the right foot that is for sure. Here is a shot of my first plant ever. Marc was quite impressed with a first timers go at it looking so good.
AinSophAur
Member
Can't wait to see what you're gonna get with the added cfls for flowering. Are you gonna LST them better this time or let them stretch like you did last time?
