First Time Grower, need tips!

Hello all! I have a garden of various types of sativa skunk outdoors. They are planted among veggies, and receive approx. 12 hrs of sun light (8 hrs being direct). Three were purchased from a dispensary, and were about 1 1/2 ft tall when I put them outdoors, with approx, 5-7 nodes/branches. I was wondering if anyone may have any advice on:
1) How often to water?
2) Can I start using fertilizer?
3) What type of commercial fertilizer I can use/how often?
4) Do I trim them/"top" them while in vegetative state?

Someone stated that I should use 20-20-20 fertilizer. I was only able to find 18-18-18, can I use that??

Any advice is appreciated! Happy growing :)

...but I'd probably never use a 'regular' nute on the lil' darlins... if there is a halfway decent hydro store near you, you should be able to pick up some proper nutrition for yer ladies that won't set you back a huge amount.

As far as what 'brand' to use, I use Dutch Nutrient Formula (DNF), here with some good success. I like it because it is also cost-effective, as well as locally made. Many here use Fox Farms, Advanced Nutrients, Dutch Master, etc. I use a couple of the AN products to help 'round out' my girls' diet.

About topping / supercropping / FIMming / LSTing, I am all in favour of it. Instead of the more 'high stress' topping and/or supercropping, I prefer to do LST, and am about to try the SCRoG technique. If your girls aren't that tall yet, the better time to start. Just be gentle.... (heh heh heh... plant bondage!)

There are some great threads on this board about outdoor growing... and many here with massive experience who are only to glad to help out someone who is eager to learn...

I'm not one of those (yet) with massive experience. I just strive to be hep'ful, to give back the hep that was gie'n to me. Welcome!

I have grown a plant or two outside. Here are my answers to your questions.


1) Watering. Overwatering is a common mistake. Your plants water needs will vary due to weather. To see if your plants need water, just dig down a couple of inches deep next to your plant. If the soil is still damp, you will be fine for another day.

2) Ferts. When I plant, I also fertilize a handfull with 14-14-14 time release. It will not burn your plants and will last for about 3 months. By the time your girls start to flower, the time release will be spent. Then you can switch over to Big Bloom or Alaska Morebloom (0-10-10) or other flower fattening ferts. The last few weeks use just water. This purges any ferts left behind and makes your buds taste better.

Stay away from commercial garbage. If you make a mistake (not hard to do)you can easily burn your plants. Best to use marijuana specific products.

3) Topping. Depends on the space you are working with. Clones will grow smaller than seeds. They also have a less hardy root system. And they tend to have nice branches too. Since you already have 5-7 branches I would not top them. If you need to keep them short, and have the space, I recomend LST.

I hope this helped.

Good Luck.

Thank you for all of the info. I just realized that there is a hydro store near me, so I will make a visit today.

One more question that I posted on another board, that hasn't received any answers:

Should I post my medical marijuana info near my garden?
I am afraid that if I don't and law enforcement comes, they will pull my beautiful crop... I am told that where I live in Cali, as long as you have a doc's recommendation they can't touch the stuff. Any opinions/advice is appreciated. :)

Yes, I sure would. I do not know Calif's MMJ rules. But in case they visit, and you are not home, CYA.

I have my MMJ numbers painted on big boards, put right next to the girls. You can only see them from the air. By Hawaii law I do not have to do that. But it makes the Green Harvest crews job easier. And my plants do not get pulled due to a mistake. :wtf:

Like CA, HI police are not suppose to pull plants. They take pictures and then ask the Dept of Public Safety if you are legal. But why take chances? Give them all the info they need. Now GO AWAY. A chopper making slow circles over your property is a good way to tell rip-offs that you have plants. So I want to make it as easy as I can for the cops to know I'm legal. ASAP.

...my notice (the full-sized 8½"x14" one) is stapled to the inside of my 'locking closet' as listed in my Heath Canada app. As soon as I have the livingroom garden finished, I will be posting it conspicuously inside/next to the thing, so that any would-be gestapo (or peace officer, there have to be a few good ones left!) has to go past it on the way to the garden.

Should have some pix of the new digs up in a bit, but here's one of my permission slip :) Note the über-swanky tinfoil fraying around the edges that I framed it with :D

OK, so I had the info laminated, and it is now posted around my garden. I posted it in a very obvious place, so law enforcement will leave them alone. I started a grow log in the Outdoor Growing forum of the Growing section. I have also posted some pics so you can check them out. Let me know what you think. Thanks for the advice!! :)