The #1 tool every cultivatior needs in his arsenal!

Through all my trials and errors I've definitely come across a lot of information, a lot of it very useful some not so much. I've never had the best green thumb, the most resources or the most knowledge. One thing I keep seeing though is newbies and novice growers that just love to ask tons of closed ended questions, looking for simple, straightforward answers. Then you have growers that want to know what nutrient regiment you have, what soil, lights, & water you use thinking that if they replicate that it'll be all good. Really, with time and experience you figure whats good for what strains and why, so that's not a problem.

The only thing all GREAT cultivators of any plant have in common is being observative & analytical. With that I don't care how many resources you have, you'll find a way. Whatever your environment or situation you can find out what the problems and benefits are when you just pay attention. There is no such thing as being a passive cultivator. Out of 1000 seeds some plants will grow fine on their own, so just putting a seed in the ground and watering doesn't make you a grower. You should really question everything... even the nutrient line you use. As the case with molasses, alot of nutrient companies are giving you shit you can easily acquire on your own without spending really any money at all.

But for those who like to be passive "growers" you'll get something out of it most definitely. It's a great thing watching plants grow. But for those who are obsessed with getting this thing right, all you have to do is pay attention(observe) and question why you are doing things(analyze) and the rest will come. When you see people with literally no resources and just seeds and land to grow, as it is many places overseas(I'm in US), getting it done then you realize that it's not all this extra bullshit and genie n a box products that are going to get your seed to grow. All you have to do is just pay close attention and the rest will come.

So are you saying that molasses is a good thing or bad thing? Molasses isn't for plants directly; it's for the bacteria that break compounds down to a molecular level that can be taken up by roots.
Are you also trying to say that a grower's #1 tool is their brain? Well, duh! But you know what? A smart person realizes that they don't know everything and analyzing what the can't understand won't help. You know what will help? Getting good help! Doing some reading, not the junk on the web, but the good stuff, the stuff that's compiled by Ph.D.'s and that sorta folk. The number 1 tool is to realize that just because people are here talking about this plant doesn't mean the info is good. What if a grower analyzes as you say, their own grow. What will they gain? How about this... learn how to do things properly and get it right the first time, then just repeat that process. After all, this is what nature does. People are able to grow in third world countries because nature works for them too. I suspect that the more the average person tried to "observe and analyze," the greater the likelihood they will screw things up. That's the way things used to be here. There were people here that were good at observing and analyzing. The only problem was... their conclusions were all wrong. Rather than let nature do its thing, there was advice to flush, feed, flush, feed, change this or that. By the time a thread was finished the poor grower didn't know what to do. So hopefully it's easy to see that sometimes the best thing is to sit back and let a process run its course. There's the #1 tool (or if you asked Shovelhandle he'd say that his #1 tool is an appendage. After all, he's not Shovelhandle for nothing).

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Originally Posted by polishpollack

So are you saying that molasses is a good thing or bad thing? Molasses isn't for plants directly; it's for the bacteria that break compounds down to a molecular level that can be taken up by roots.
Are you also trying to say that a grower's #1 tool is their brain? Well, duh! But you know what? A smart person realizes that they don't know everything and analyzing what the can't understand won't help. You know what will help? Getting good help! Doing some reading, not the junk on the web, but the good stuff, the stuff that's compiled by Ph.D.'s and that sorta folk. The number 1 tool is to realize that just because people are here talking about this plant doesn't mean the info is good. What if a grower analyzes as you say, their own grow. What will they gain? How about this... learn how to do things properly and get it right the first time, then just repeat that process. After all, this is what nature does. People are able to grow in third world countries because nature works for them too. I suspect that the more the average person tried to "observe and analyze," the greater the likelihood they will screw things up. That's the way things used to be here. There were people here that were good at observing and analyzing. The only problem was... their conclusions were all wrong. Rather than let nature do its thing, there was advice to flush, feed, flush, feed, change this or that. By the time a thread was finished the poor grower didn't know what to do. So hopefully it's easy to see that sometimes the best thing is to sit back and let a process run its course. There's the #1 tool (or if you asked Shovelhandle he'd say that his #1 tool is an appendage. After all, he's not Shovelhandle for nothing).

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When did I say molasses was bad or when did I say plants "eat" molasses. Plants synthesize their own sugars they don't eat them. To understand microbiology somebody way before you and I had to be OBSERVATIVE and ANALYTICAL. So that goes right back to what I was saying. Everyone needs help never said anyone could do everything by themselves. If more people were analytical they'd see that some bloom and flowering sweeteners were mostly molasses and water. If people were more analytical they'd start to look around them and see all the minerals, nutrients, and microbiology that exists right around us, everywhere we look.. and we don't have to be buying product after product trying to improve the grow. I guess I'm wrongly assuming that most growers aren't just the average person and are interested in science and learning. If you don't know something, you don't know something.

I was going to add that not being intimidated to learn the sciences would also help a lot. Understanding microbiology, biochemistry, chemistry, etc. definitely gives you a better understanding of what you're observing. But if you aren't obesrvative or analytical what you "learn" won't really mean much. I would argue that if you aren't analyzing all information that you're given or you acquire then you aren't even learning anything.

There are observations that were made before modern science that offer much beneficial insight. Sometimes just careful observation can help get you ahead.

I'm not saying that people can just sit with plants and watch them and learn to be adept growers. That would take a lifetime if not longer. Sure you use all your resources, read books and go to people more knowledgeable than you... that should be common sense. But I don't care how much information you have if you don't question it and just accept it as its given to you, it means nothing. The one thing common among all great growers that I know is that they aren't passive, they are very involved with what they do and they question everything as they go along. So I see what you're saying.. but getting good help only goes so far especially when you are out in the field and have to do things then and there and practically based on what you have or can attain. There are plenty things I'm dealing with now that I'm getting through because I use my resources and I THINK.. "getting good help" ain't going to do much when there are no straightforward answers or solutions for your complex problems.

Why not? Why wouldn't getting good help provide answers to problems?
"There are observations that were made before modern science that offer much beneficial insight"
Oh? Like bleeding the sick? Please. My point is, don't make it any harder than it has to be. That's all.

The funny thing is you came in the post trying to make a point that means nothing.. while not even getting the point I'm trying to make. It's like some of yall just skim over peoples readings with the idea that your always going to shove your opinion right in the middle of it without trying to fully understand what's being said. I said getting good help wont do much.. I didn't say it wouldn't help at all. I've solved most of my problems by THINKING. Yea you use your resources around you but you still have to be able to think critically. Where in any of my post would you even get the damn idea that I'm making it harder than it has to be. You're making it harder than it has to be by posting irrelevant shit. Bleeding the sick? That's all they had to offer before modern science was hocus pocus approaches to health? You seem to be very dogmatic so I see this wont go very far.

Don't get sore. Let's look at this once again.
I can see that you're trying to be encouraging, but your first post is vague. You write that a grower pay close attention and the rest will come. So I guess in this what you're saying is, spend time learning from your mistakes and you'll get it right eventually. True enough, but my point is that it shouldn't take that long. People don't need to go by trial and error. It used to be that way. Web info was all trial and error, as in "try this and maybe...". Truth be told, a lot of info is still like that because problems develop that people here don't understand. So you're right on this - learning from problems has its place. It is quicker to learn from those that have studied how to grow indoors. Frankly, it's not hard, but what you're trying to do is create conditions indoors that mimic mother nature. I get the idea that you're making it harder than it has to be because it is harder to learn from one's own mistakes than from those that have already compiled info to solve those problems. I've said in these forums before that it is easier to let nature do its thing rather than attempt to control a grow. And yes, all people had before modern science was hocus pocus. What else did they have? Nothing. Did they have medicine? No. Surgery? No. It took a long time for modern medicine to develop to the point where we have chemistry and surgery and physical therapy, etc. It has taken the human race a very long time to develop this stuff. Growing a plant isn't nearly so hard, which is why I said "don't make it harder than it has to be." Learn from others. Do your own reading. Let good help be your analyzing. Then you're on your way. You and I actually agree, but you encourage trial and error based learning and I say that's not necessary.

I'll ignore that your thoughts on "modern" science are completely off. LMAO. What is modern to you? Medicine has been around for THOUSANDS of years, just not in the form we see them in today. Even chemistry didn't just show up out of nowhere and if it wasn't for simple observations that the ancients made, there wouldn't have been further analysis to see what conclusions we could draw from those original OBSERVATIONS. There wouldn't be modern science without the ancients.. something can't come from nothing and we didn't get to where we are today as a result of some random advancement in society. That's another story entirely.

Anyhow, you further proved that you didn't understand what I was trying to say in the first place, maybe it was vague.. I was trying to simplify my thoughts to get my point across. I'm NOT speaking in favor of trial and error. I'm just saying that you have to pay attention to everything that you come in contact with and question everything... whether its you having a hunch about something that would help improve your garden or if it's you reading a book written by someone with a PhD in Microbiology and Horticulture. You question EVERYTHING. You say you can learn from others mistakes, which you can. But just because somebody has done something 30 years doesn't mean you automatically accept everything they do. If people were more analytical they wouldn't need to be spoon fed so much. But hey, I don't need more experienced growers to hold me by the hand and walk me through situations because I know how to think. All the information is out there it's just up to the individual to find it, adapt it to their situation, and use it. If you can't analyze information you can't do that. You can ask all the questions you want, but at the end of the day YOU have to propagate YOUR seed in YOUR environment. Nobody else can do that for you. Right now I'm trying to grow in clay soil. I never got a straight forward answer on how to make it work, because there are no straight forward answers. Instead I learned about the physical and chemical properties of clay, and came up with ideas to amend my median. That's being ANALYTICAL. Not just trying random shit to see what works. Not just asking a whole bunch of questions hoping someone will come save the day. :rastasmoke: Good help can't be your analyzing. Good help is just information that points you in the right direction and sends on your way, but without analysis of that info you've been given you might never reach your destination

Being analytical is when some grower says this nutrient line works for him, you look at the ingredients in the said nutrients and you break it down to see what the hell is it really in the nutrients that you're supposed fork $ out for. Most growers will just go and buy the "genie n a box" nutrients and be so damn surprised when it actually benefits them.. and just leave it at that. Being analytical is what gives us modern science anyway. Not just asking the right questions trying to get blank answers. Seems like what I'm saying is more what modern science is based on, moreso than what you're saying. Really we are saying the same thing, I'm just a step ahead. You're saying ask questions to get your answers. I'm saying ask questions, and question even the answers that you're given no matter what the source.

Confused and paranoid, stay off the dope.

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