My goodness gracious

[WashougalWonder]

Wow, reading all the issues of folks growing. Step back folks and look at what problems you have.

1. TOO MUCH FERTILIZER.
2. TOO MUCH WATER.
3. NOT GOOD LIGHTING.
4. Not letting nature take it's course.

The first three are abundant in all the threads related to grow issues. This is getting made way too complicated and expensive.

REMEMBER before the 60's it was only a WEED Weeds grow naturally without much water, much tending, no fertilizer unless the crop they infest gets some.....

I will be offing an E-book in the future on this topic, but for now, folks, just let your plant grow and leave it alone.

My basics are:
1. Good soil such as Fox Farm products....not miracle grow or some other super grow crap from HD...the fertilizers are not consistently mixed and burn the plants.
2. Moist soil, not wet. FEEL how heavy the pot is and LEARN what a dry pot feels like. Tend the top soil to also monitor the moisture, bottom can be soaked and the top dry.
3. Minimums of 400w MH and 600 HPS (1000 better).
4. Keep air flowing through the rooms if the lights are on.

I only give a little lawn fertilizer when they go to the flower room. I am told I grow the best stuff my friends have ever enjoyed. I can't tell I use so much butter, I forgot what it is like to get the buzz.

What I am trying to say is, and I know how hard it is for a first timer, but let the plants grow. They only need light and water and a comfortable temperature.

[killerweed420]

All good advice. Don't start getting fancy with nutes till you've got a few positive grows under your belt and know what you're doing.

[killerweed420]

I would add one more thing. STay away from hydro till you know what you're doing and have the proper equipment to do it correctly.

[redtails]

Completely agree, looking back on all the mistakes I've made it's always been from trying to baby the plants too much (besides spider mites killing an outdoor grow :().

[WashougalWonder]

Spider mites get indoor stuff too. I had them one time and learned a real hard lesson.

Now, I spray outside the house, the intakes for the grow room air, the floor in the grow room, the air ducts to the grow room. I didn't get them this year and they were so bad they were killing my neighbors boxwood shrubs!!!!!

Oh, I also sprayed with Neem weekly during the spider mite season.

Yep, me too, I mess with trying to improve production and stress plants. Nature and good soil.

[Rusty Trichome]

REMEMBER before the 60's it was only a WEEDI will be offing an E-book in the future on this topic, but for now, folks, just let your plant grow and leave it alone.
Is this book going to be posted in the near future, or are you still gathering facts...? Good luck with the book, but you might want to keep in mind...your content will obviously be scrutinized by the membership, so it's like ly a good idea to have a firm understanding of the techniques and statements you'll be defending.

For instance...would love to see your ladies, and your reasoning behind the biased and unfounded Miracle Grow slam. Especially with your "grow it and leave it alone" approach. What problems did you have in using the MG? Have you even tried the stuff? We have this MG discussion quite often in here, and there's plenty of members that, to date, have continued success with MG products. Were it not for the local mix I use being cheaper, I'd still be using the MG potting soil.

Sure, keeping it simple is a fine goal...but there is a point where increasing yield and overall effects is dependant on a grower knowing what the ladies need and why they need it. One of the first steps in the process should be a good soil and nutrient regimin. "lawn nutes...?"

[redtails]

Off topic: Would love to know the local soil mix you're using Rusty, that is if it's available up in the Phx area...I'm using Happy Frog & have no complaints other than the price.

[Rusty Trichome]

Dr. Q's Filthy Rich (http://www.starnursery.com/show_details.php?root=9&sub1=103&product=592) :thumbsup: (Star Nurseries)

Add some extra perlite during the winter though.

[redtails]

Thanks, that's a great price (if doing quantity b/c of shipping) Will try a bag and see what's up with it.

[hillbillyjim]

why?are you a snob? works for a lot of folks,i have no problems w/mg,enen using mg tomato fert on mine!:D

[GetThisOrDie]

Whats up guys... Just wanted to say I have had a couple of good grows using MG potting mix. Ive even used the MG nutes when I first started trying indoors. Used the veg nutes and flower nutes...worked good. My current grow is even in MG soil and shes looking great so far.

Plus its easy to find in stores. Making me able to spread out my hobbys buying needs even better. :jointsmile:

[WashougalWonder]

Well, I was not bashing MG. I was pointing out that the highly commercialized potting soils have uneven mixtures of nutrients and can (and have in my instance) burned the plants.

I use Fox Farm products, which have been consistent ever since I began using it.

You don't have to use my knowledge. I have 15 years of experience and mistakes to base my statements upon.

I also speak only from a medical use standpoint. I do not grow for recreational purposes or for financial gain. If you want to make money selling this stuff you need to do the high end route and go hydro.......but that is totally different than what I am speaking upon. I have no experience in that field.

Quite rude to call me a snob don't you think? I am trying to share 15 years of knowledge. You don't like it, don't make negative comments about me please.

[Rusty Trichome]

Most of us at CanCom are growing for personal meds. Placing yourself on that pedestal as if you were a lone wolf...is folly. ;)

[WashougalWonder]

Rusty,
"Lawn nutes" Well lets approach from this angle. If you just give a certain fertilizer you change the osmolality of the water that is contained in the soil. By giving a fully balanced fertilizer the plant is able to not have lockout and pickup what it needs and wants.

I have used just about every sweet and flowering and veg and whatever nutrients you can buy. I think in hydro that stuff is great if well balanced. The only nutrient I noticed any difference with was pure carbohydrates (sugars) without any NPK. Even then this can mess with the osmolality and the plant gets what is commonly known as lockout. (Actually some of the stuff sold to flush is pure surgars.)

I am not saying don't do anything. What I see across the board here is overuse of nutrients first, and overwatering second. Of course you have to have good soil to start with. I have used MG in the past, I like Fox Farm better. I get moisture retention that works right for me in my environment and pot size and grow room, etc.

The last thing folks do is skimp on lighting. Folks need to chill, especially new growers, and let the plant show them what it needs. Sure sometimes the plants need a nutrient. Experience teaches you what it needs. Again often we lock out stuff by over doing things.

Yep, sounds really unsophisticated to use simple ole 16-16-16. It has taken me lots of years to learn that, but it just flat works the best for me.

And I appreciate your educated approach to questioning my statements, thanks for the respect.

[purplekush989]

i have to agree with this approach. i grew a plant from bagseed for a month indoors only using the local garden center soil and a couple CFLs, then transplanted to the outdoors. I added a little bit of all purpose fertilizer, sprayed with neem once in a while, and ended up with a 7 foot plant with good buds at the end of the season. (only problem was the seed i used came from jamaican buds, and since I grew it in VT the season was disappointingly short. given another month, the buds would have been massive.)