SlowToke's First grow in Soil

[GoldenGraham84]

holy questions batman!

first, before you switch to 12/12, you want your plant to be sexually mature. this means either preflowers, or non-symmetrical nodes.

second, no. don't cut the leaves. leaves=energy for plant, even when damaged. 50%+ damage/yellowing means you can remove the leaf, but many growers never cut anything until harvest.

third, LST. Low Stress Training. train (tie) the top of the plant so its lower than other nodes. this will make the lower nodes compete to become the main cola. research it on here, you'll see.

fourth, blow the $7-$10 to buy Jack's Classic Bloom Booster (or similar bloom booster at your local greenhouse/gardening store). cheap and effective. wouldn't hurt to have a high-nitrogen veg nute either. bet you could get both for under $20 locally.

the leaf close up looks a bit heat stressed. if you've moved your lights already, good job.

read, read, read

stay safe
-GG84

[SlowToke]

Let me get this straight, the plant will either form the 2 hairs to indicate female, or the green thing w/ a ball on the tip (cant explain im a little medicated...:rastasmoke anyway the male thing.

And this will occur during veg? How long into Veg? (in nodes, or average nodes, and in time if you can please)

Also, you mentioned LST - then after that you mentioned tieing down the top node lower than another node. Would this not make the leaves face down as well? lowing light absorption?

And can the stem take a bend like that at this point in my grow?

I have fixed the heat issue - I had been experiencing problems with my lights and ventilation, but its been fixed.

Also I mentioned before the space I was using, 1'x2'x2' space. Will the bloom booster make me outgrow my confines? is there anyway to... keep the plant trimmed or something in some way to utilize the booster but not outgrow my area? I put some effort into making this area, its a shame if I had outgrown it that quickly!

But hey, I'll do what I gotta do, so let me think what you guys think and get back to me please.

Thanks!

[GoldenGraham84]

it might preflower. some do, some don't

yes it would lower light absorbtion i guess. on all my LSTs the plant turns its leaves to face the light within 2 hours.

i didn't mean snap the stem and there, you're done. LST can be done gradually. slowly tie it down further and further. a loop of string with a slipknot works well.

the bloom booster'll only aid with essential nutes for flowering, and give you bigger buds. trust me, its worth it. tie any "too-big-growth" down if needed.

[SlowToke]

Ill start to tie the top node down gradually, should help with height a whole bunch.

Also, will my plant eventually shoot off into two side-by-side nodes? Because earlier you mentioned non-symmetrical nodes, and I'm not sure exactly how you could tell that unless your talking about leaf count or something.. or maybe stem lengths.. please clarify

And if I do purchase the bloom booster - should I add it to the plants when I start 12/12 or once the first flowers begin?

I haven't researched too much on the flowering phase - seeing as how I need to make it through veg before I can worry about it flowering! So its very possible I will answer my own question before someone responds, but hey - its still help

Many thanks.

[GoldenGraham84]

ok look at pic 4 in post #9. see the way the side branches come out from the main stem at the same point? thats symmetrical nodes. when the node comes from only one side of the stem, then another from the other side at a different height, thats alternating nodes. i would start the bloom fert a few days after starting 12/12. the lst will cause your lower nodes to increase their growth rate, meaning you could have a bush instead of a tree.

[SlowToke]

Thanks for the help!

You made it much more clear about what to look for, this should help me out bunches.

So with lst, eventually my stem should look like.. an upside down "U" ? When the plant grows wouldn't it burry into the ground? or will it turn right side up and grow towards the light again?

[GoldenGraham84]

not a "u." a good way is to lst the top down (gradually) till its horizontal, let the lower nodes branch out and up, then repeat (if you are vegging for more than 3 weeks longer). basically, make a canopy with growth through training it.

[SlowToke]

I looked up lst last night, I managed to use the technique and its helped quite a bit already with height.

Also I picked up some new CFL's, 40watters - 2600 lumens vs. my 23watters.. :stoned:

Only replaced 2/6 of the lights with those though - my lowes was running low on stock.


Not much news other then watchin' the babies grow.

[GoldenGraham84]

cool cool. this thread should be moved to grow logs now, or you should maybe start a new thread in grow logs. i know magiccity just got some mazar sharif seeds. and he should be a little ahead of you grow-wise, but not by much. perhaps you guys could help eachother along the way.

this is just an opinion, but those 42 watters seem to give more heat per lumen than the 23/26 watters. keep an eye on those temps. best of luck slowtoke. :thumbsup:

[SlowToke]

I agree, this is not exactly a problem thread anymore - and if Stinky or someone with the power to move this could to the grow logs, that would be appreciated

Ill post new pictures of them in a few days, I'm currently germinating roughly 6-7 more plants at the time being, if this second batch seems overall better (better is subjective so what I truly mean is more compact, and more of an Indica than a Sativa) I will abandon these babes, give my thanks and gratitude to them for teaching me alot already, and continue to pamper my new ones :rastasmoke: