White Widow 1st Grow (Many Questions)

This is my first grow and my first post on these forums. I have a lot of questions so bare with me.

I'm growing in my bedroom closet with a 400w hps light. I think I just might start off with 2 plants and seed them into 2 large pots. So first question is, is it ok to just plant the seed (after germinating) into a large ceramic pot or is it necessary to plant the seed into a plastic cup first?

Now I'm on a budget, so I'll be growing my White Widow seeds with a 400w hps throughout the vegetative and flowering stages. Second question is, if anyone grew white widow, what is the ideal length of the vegetative stage (weeks) and how many hours should the lights be turned on, ideally. 24/0, 20/4, 18/6?

Last question is..on the seed info, it says to flower for 8 - 10 weeks (12/12 light) but turn the lights off completely for the last 2 weeks for really good crystals. anyone know if this is true? I mean did anyone try to keep the plant in complete darkness for 2 entire weeks? Any differneces?

Hopefully I can get all these questions answered because it would help greatly.

O yea, one more thing. How strong is the smell? Like how far away can you be able to smell it from?

You dont have to use a plastic cup but planting in small containers and transplanting later is the best way to do it.

Ive never heard of lights off for 2 weeks. The most ive heard is 3-5 days and from what ive read it really helps. Im getting close to finish on my current grow and im going to try it.

The smell... First of all do you have exhaust or a carbon filter? You need exhaust for that light otherwise it will get too hot. If you dont have some type of odor control like a filter or ozone then you will probably be able to smell those plants throughout your home.

1. Germinating in small pots & transplanting into larger pots, later is better...germinate twice as many seeds...half will be male...usually.

2. The HPS will be OK for vegging..the plants might stretch a little more, than with a MH bulb. A HPS bulb with blue added will reduce that some.

3. 18/6 - 20/4 - 24/0 ...all work fine...your choice

4. Flower the plants until the trichomes are at the level you want to harvest at...8 weeks?...12 weeks?...whatever you chose
...I like 5% amber...about 11 weeks for WW

5. Lights off before harvest ...is usually...1-3 days for most growers

:postgood: 's (DP and GTOD)

Don't let them sit in the same soil for more than 6 weeks, otherwise you'll have ph problems. Start small and transplant often, at least 4 times.

And you will need some kind of ventilation for that 400w hps, and a carbon filter will get rid of the smell. Or, you could do like I did my first grow, and stink up the entire apartment building :jointsmile: Without ventilation I had to keep the closet door open at all times because of the heat, but at least I didn't need to use any other lights in the room.

Some say 20/4 is the best, but they will all work just fine. 24/0 is OK, but that never happens in nature, and I personally think it's a little unnatural for the plants. They should get some dark time, which will help develop the roots.

As for veg times, really depends on your space limitations. The longer you veg, the more you will harvest. Best would be maybe 6-8 weeks of veg, but you can also do 3-4 if you are in a hurry. There are really too many factors to give a straight answer on this.

Happy growing :jointsmile:

well said ...BigTop...:thumbsup:...jesus!...growing is so easy & complicated at the same time...:wtf:

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Originally Posted by Dutch Pimp

well said ...BigTop...:thumbsup:...jesus!...growing is so easy & complicated at the same time...:wtf:

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No matter how much you know and prepare, Murphy's Law is always right around the corner :jointsmile:

wow I didn't know you had to transplant them so much or if it was even necessary. thanks for the detailed responses. any more opinions are welcomed

Part of the frequency is so you don't get salt buildups and the new soil is like fertilizer.

Do you have a high quality version of the trichomes picture? I have been looking for a good picture like that for my book. If I ever publish I will give you credit. I really, really would like a hi res version if you would be so kind.

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Originally Posted by WashougalWonder

Do you have a high quality version of the trichomes picture? I have been looking for a good picture like that for my book. If I ever publish I will give you credit. I really, really would like a hi res version if you would be so kind.

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hi...WashougalWonder...:thumbsup:

I really don't have any high quality pics of trichs...sorry...I think that one I posted (above) came from Overgrow?...the best pics of trichs, online are found at ICMag. There's no credit, due me...:D...all the pros are there.

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Originally Posted by madseason

wow I didn't know you had to transplant them so much or if it was even necessary. thanks for the detailed responses. any more opinions are welcomed

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I'd like to add to this...
One of my favorite things about doing a few transplants during a grow is that a smaller pot allows a plant to become root-locked...I luv takin' a root-locked plant and transplanting it into a bigger pot with a bog(multi-tier) transplant...I'm talkin' Little Shop Of Horrors and Born Free when it gets room to run,lol...It's also easier to water/feed evenly when plant size is proportionate to pot size...
I talked to the breeder of CH9 about multi-tier transplanting and besides the roots having more RTG(room to grow),he seemed to think it would give the roots more oxygen as well...

I've seen more than a couple of growers do their whole grow in one large pot...First they stretched and then they got root-locked early into flower which decreased harvest yield...

Another reason for doing a few transplants is being able to doctor up your soil/medium according to what stage of the grow your in...As an example,I like to add bloodmeal during veg for extra Nitrogen and bat guano,seabird guano,and bonemeal during flowering...

To someone that wants to transplant as stress free as possible,the best advice I can give is-

1.Always use round pots.You can roll the pot in your hands which will help release any root mass which cling to the side of the pot...Then you just press on the bottom of the pot(making sure you have the trunk in between 2 fingers and palming the base)

2.Always water the day before transplanting...This will make it easier to keep the rootball together...

3.Always have the medium that you're transplanting into ready to go,mixed and moist but not too wet...If you ammend your medium as I do(bat guano for example),mix it a couple of days before you're transplanting to give it a chance to "cook"...You can always make it a little wetter right befor transplant if need be...

High...Rave...:thumbsup:

yep...transplant when rootbound

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Originally Posted by bigtopsfinn

No matter how much you know and prepare, Murphy's Law is always right around the corner :jointsmile:

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a truer quote i have never read :thumbsup: