VERY n00b caretaker here

Hello board. My wife got her NM card and Im currently in the process of getting a caretakers license. In my area of the state, there are no dispensaries within a couple hundred miles so I have the choice of dealing with the thugs and burn outs or growing myself since I just dont know any smokers that I can relate to. Im a semi professional gardener so I am hoping that will help me get started. I am hoping a couple of you can sell me on growing indoors in soil vs growing indoors with hydro. A question I also have is this. Is there any reason I wouldn't want to use the seeds that come from the swag that Ive picked up over the last couple months? Its really low quality compared to professionally grown medical grade stuff but high quality seeds have thus far been impossible to get because anybody Ive found wont sell any. I know Ill find some eventually.

Thanks in advance. Im sure Ill be asking many many more question in the coming months. This place has been really helpful to us thus far.

all the info you could ever possibly want is in the forum, the search box up top is a good way to start

Sorry to read you are in this situation! Being a n00b caretaker is a new position and important!:thumbsup: You have a fortunate wife, that you care enough to do this for her! Either I am loaded and don't quite understand your questions or my brain shut-off!
:jointsmile:
What did you mean outside in soil and inside in Hydro? There are many threads here. The benefit I find with outside is ease and Yield! But, the Hydro guys will say-potentcy and quality (I would add control).

You sure have alot of reading to do!

A few suggestions to get you on the right track! I would try to move caretaker questions to the New Mexcio Thread area if you need help with that? and get the attention of locals for you!

Then read as much as you can on growing in grow logs and Sticky :thumbsup:areas! Growing section!

Then decide what you want to do. Your budget, etc.

Then post what you've decided and ask the growers what they think and if you are on the correct path. Everyone, develops their own style. If your focus on the short term or long term and time! Too many things to consider.

Once, you read enough and get a feel for exactly what you want to do. Then ask away! I am sure the expert growers will help you! I am sure I read the answer to this question a few years ago! It is there, I think.

Once, you are tossed into the arena of caregiving there is a new since of urgency on growing good medical quality bud. If you feel you need some practice, you can grow bag weed seed. But, if you need some good quality stuff, it only costs extra for the seed. Some strains are more testy to grow than others! Good luck and I hope you find the threads that are helpful to you!:rasta: pr

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Originally Posted by Portzilla

I am hoping a couple of you can sell me on growing indoors in soil vs growing indoors with hydro.

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Why not do what you know? If your an experienced gardener the skills you've acquired this far will carry over to Indoor soil better than they will to a new foreign median. Although i would say hydroponics is easier for the beginner, since you have experience with soil you might as well stick to it. I personally prefer the smoke of soil grown herbs, some people prefer hydro-different strokes. Many people value hydro over soil b/c of yield, however if your just growing for your family this should be a negligible factor.

I must emphasize the ease of creating a custom soil mix, i'm sure this board has many different tried and true recipes in the sections the above posters redirected you towards (eg. 2 parts peat, 2 parts perlite, 1 parts compost). If you choose to go the soil route, remember high quality components are key, (especially earth worm castings), your soil can be remineralized and recycled for years- big $$ saver.

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Originally Posted by Portzilla

..... Is there any reason I wouldn't want to use the seeds that come from the swag that Ive picked up over the last couple months? Its really low quality compared to professionally grown medical grade ....

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Genetics determine the potency of herb, plants with 'bad' genes grown in a perfect environment will almost always be less potent than their more aggressively crossed counterparts grown in sub-optimal environments. Often times people are fortunate to grow out some bomb from bag seed that was due to a chance hermie on an inflorescence, i don't think this sounds like your case, however-i do know most of the 'swag' people smoke are actually really great genetics typically treated poorly and allowed to have the males pollinate the females-but it's not really worth the equipment, light money, and effort to grow out a poor crop indoors (IMO). Also, even if you cull the males, the plants you smoked probably have an affinity to hermie and will spray your room with pollen leaving your harvest with plants that neglected to properly develop their cannabinoids.
I would advice crossing state borders to one of the more friendly Medicinal MJ states near you and scooping some seeds or genetics from a cardholder in those states- if you find people that have serious ailments they are usually down to help other folk that they know are in need of medicine. I mean it takes your soil around a month to 'cook' before its ready for use anyways, maybe you and the wife need to get out for a hiking trip in south colorado in the meanwhile :) ?
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I realize i have very poor communication skills and most of those paragraphs are rather jumbled, but if you read through them a couple times you'll see what i'm saying. Peace, samkalpa.