I never realized growing was so complicated

[privatepile]

I have to hand it to you people.Growing is a lot harder than i taugt.

But it mastered on this site.

I would love to grow a small amount form myself but i dont know where to begin.

I always taught i could just get a few seeds put them in a pot and leave nature take its course.

What is the best way to start.

I dont mind what plant it is.What equipment would i need?

I have read a lot of the posts but they seem to be geared towards people with some experience.

I live in Ireland so it would have to be grown indoors.

Thanks in advance

privatepile Reviewed by privatepile on 09-14-2007. I never realized growing was so complicated I have to hand it to you people.Growing is a lot harder than i taugt. But it mastered on this site. I would love to grow a small amount form myself but i dont know where to begin. I always taught i could just get a few seeds put them in a pot and leave nature take its course. What is the best way to start. Rating: 5

[ismokealldaylong420]

you need to read everything you can get your hands on i read for a good 6 months before planning on growing indoors

[privatepile]

Thanks for the help.Just started researching

[growwatcher]

6 months of reading? Seriously?

You can get started fairly simply & cheaply with just a few of seeds, some pots & soil, some fertilizer, a fan & some lights. CFLs are cheap enough, and will certainly do for a first grow. Learn as you grow :thumbsup:

Yes, there are some things to consider. Is it safe for you to grow these plants? Is the odor going to be a problem, and if so, can you afford to get a carbon filter & exhaust fan (or some other odor control)?

I think that a lot of the information that you find on these boards, and elsewhere, is geared toward maximizing the grow. But honestly, cannabis is just a plant. If you can keep any other houseplants in good condition then growing cannabis isn't any different. The specificity of nutrient amounts and additives and all the tips and tricks add to your final yield and potency, but it isn't rocket science. Take good care of the plant and you'll do fine.

Just my :twocents:

Grow

[Opie Yutts]

You do need to plan, but for 6 days, not 6 months in my humble opinion. Especially if you are just starting out. I see you just want enough for yourself, but plan for a few friends occassionally. Plus, you always seem to be running out. So here's what I would do if I wanted to avoid complication while maximizing the potential of the situation.

If you can get a clone that is by far the way to go. You could eliminate several steps this way, but you said from seed so here goes.

1) Get some good potting soil (not with ferts in it), some gallon size or less pots, 2 fluorescent lights that are supposed to have a 200 watt output but only take up 40 real watts (100 watters will be fine for the beginning, and a PH meter (about $25) and a small bottle each of PH up and down (until you know), and a cheap timer.
2) Keep the potting soil warm and moist. Flood it once with water only, that is adjusted to PH 6.8 or so. 2 or 3 tenths here or there won't matter, but don't get carried away.
3) Put a little hole in the middle of the pot, about 1/2" deep, drop the seed in and cover it up, packing it very gently. You may not have to water much or at all for a few weeks, depending. Keep the soil warm and moist.
4) When the seedling emerges (a few days to a few weeks), keep the light and the fertilizers away from it. Keep the light back for a couple days, and move it closer and closer each day until it is a few inches from the plant, which by that point should be big enough to experiment wich the closest possible distance. Lights on 18 hours. Keep the ferts out for at least to weeks, then 1/4 strength for a couple weeks, then 1/2, then full.
5) After a few weeks stop keeping the soil moist and let it dry almost completly out. Watch your plant carefully though. Then water with 1/4 strength hydroponic nutrients, even though you are using dirt. You will need 2 kinds of nutrients, veg now and bloom for later.
6) We are looking for females only, so after 6 or 7 weeks go to flower mode. Lights on 12 hours, flower nutrients.
7) Search this forum for any questions along the way, including how to tell the differnce between male and female. When you see a male immeadiatly kill it, or get it away from the others if you plan on wanting seeds at some point.
8) Keep lights as close as possible through the duration of the grow.
9) Search how to harvest and enjoy.
10) Keep one or two plants after harvest for revegging so you can keep a mother plant for clones (much more bettererish). Learn this. Live it.
12) Switch to hydro the amazing yet simple way... An Emily's Garden - type settup. Search this, its DWC type hydro which truely is amzing and simple. You will be astounded at the results compared to what you will be used to in soil.

And of course read and read and search and read.

[Opie Yutts]

and a fan to gently move air and strengthen the branches.

[privatepile]

Thanks all.The reason i was going to start with a seed is because i cant get my hands on a clonI dont even know that that is to be honest..

I was hoping to plant some seeds in a closet painted white.add the florescent light a fan and the correct soil along with water(ph balanced)

But again everyone thanks for the help.As its my 1st grow i wouldn't be to worried about maximizing the amounts yielded.

[privatepile]

I want to grow 2 white widow plants,Inside a cupboard.

I am not to sure of what i need but i have an idea.I will add what i will be getting and more experienced users can advise me.

6ftCupboard which is 2ft by 2ft.

I will then paint the inside of this white to help reflect the light.

For the light source i was thinking of using 250watt HPS bulb.

To water the plants i would use rain water at the correct PH level.

As its a tight space i was thinking of using a bathroom fan to suck in clean air(Does this air have to be from outside the house)

For the soil and plant food i would buy from my local gardening center.

Should this be enough i understand white widow is not to difficult to grow

[Opie Yutts]

I want to grow 2 white widow plants,Inside a cupboard. White widow is excellent smoke, good choice

I am not to sure of what i need but i have an idea.I will add what i will be getting and more experienced users can advise me.

6ftCupboard which is 2ft by 2ft. About the right size for 2 plants.

I will then paint the inside of this white to help reflect the light. Good. Flat white paint or mylar.

For the light source i was thinking of using 250watt HPS bulb. Everythig was going fine until here. Of course you can use HPS, and it is the prefered light source, but it complicates matters quite a bit. You mentioned fluorescents before, and perhaps you should stick with it, unless you are prepared to spend some serious money on ventilation, and some time installing it. With HID you will need to suck cool air into the cabinet, blow it directly over your light, and have a big fan to suck all that heat to the outdoors. Better yet (and you may have no choice in the matter) is to have a cool tube, where an enclosed light has a dedicated ventilation source, in addition to the cabinet ventilation. In the small space you mention, it will quickly heat up to unacceptable levels. If you use fluorescent you can get by with one oscilating fan and that's it. A whole different (and smaller) can of worms.

To water the plants i would use rain water at the correct PH level. Fine, good. Don't forget to feed your plants, preferably with each watering, and adjust the mixture to 6.8 PH. PH meters are about $25 on the low end.

As its a tight space i was thinking of using a bathroom fan to suck in clean air(Does this air have to be from outside the house) You would only have to do this if you use HID lighting, and it would not have to be from outdoors, just someplace cool, probably close to the floor (since heat rises). With fluoros, you could put a small fan in the back, and crack the cabinet door a little. I am using fluors for some mothers in a closet and have NO fans. I just leave the door open about 3 inches, and they are doing great.

For the soil and plant food i would buy from my local gardening center. Doesn't matter where you get it, just don't get the kind that have fertilizer added. You can't control feeding with that kind. Don't forget: no ferts the first 2 weeks after sprouting, and then only 1/4 strength to start.

Should this be enough i understand white widow is not to difficult to grow It's enough for a starting point. We've scratched the surface. We have not considered lots of stuff, such as odor control, if that's important. This changes ventilation plans considerably. The best thing you can do at the beginning is read the FAQs and any other grow guides you can get your hands on. Especially do this if have a question on basic stuff. The forum search engine is real handy too. Just type the subject of your question, and you often have a bunch of answers. Overall we're glad to help, but people are not going to want to answer the same beginner questions that have been asked hundreds of times, when the answer can very easily be found by 5 minutes of searching.

[Opie Yutts]

Thanks all.The reason i was going to start with a seed is because i cant get my hands on a clonI dont even know that that is to be honest..

Honesty, how refreshing. A clone is a branch or top that has been cut off a plant that is known to be female. The clones are then rooted via various techniques, and planted or put in hydro. With seeds, you don't know if you have males or not, and you don't want any males unless you are planning on wanting seeds in the future. Females make the smoking bud, not males. Not only is cloning faster, but it eliminates the need to cull out the males. Plus if you have one plant that seems to be better than the rest for one or more reasons, you can clone from that plant only, increasing the quality of your garden.