Growing made easy

[pushit]

Ok what im attempting to do is to break down the whole growing process of how i do things from start to finish. Nothing on here is set in stone considering there's probably a hundred different ways to grow. This is just how I do things.

First off we will be popping some seeds using the paper towel method. For this process i use 2 Styrofoam plates, a paper towel, spray bottle with water, and of course the seeds. The main thing i consider with this process is temp control. I usually keep the temps around 80-85 degrees. If this is being done in a cooler part of the house, a heat mat will come in handy.

Step 1) I will usually fold a paper towel and mist it with water. I normally will use distilled water at this time. Then place your seeds onto the paper towel. If you are growing multiple strains its better to have each strain on different plates and properly label them. Trust me on this one. [attachment=o279406]

Step 2) I then fold the moist paper towel over the seeds then remist. I try to have it real moist, not dripping wet. Now it's time to place the second plate on top. The reason i do this is cause it acts just like a dome. After this is completed, I place them in a warm dark place. Now its a waiting game. Usually they will take anywhere from 24hrs to a week. Most of the time im looking at around 1-3 days. DO NOT LET THE PAPER TOWEL DRY OUT. If you are using a heat mat make sure you check them on a more regular basis. [attachment=o279407]

Now that the seeds have popped, it's time to transplant. [attachment=o279408]

For this process i use tweezers, sharpie pen, party cup, phd tap water (6-6.3), seed starter medium, digital ph pen, and a single small T5 light.

Step 1) First thing i do is mix up the seed starter while it is in the bag. It seems by doing this it will uptake water better. I then use a thumb tack to pop a bunch of holes in the bottom of the cup for drainage. Fill the cup with the seed starter mix and water with 6ish phd water. I personally use Fox Farm Light Warrior but MG seed starter works just as good IMO.

Step 2) After the medium is all wet I will then use my sharpie pen to make a shallow hole in the middle of the cup. Usually just deep enough so that the seed is barely covered. [attachment=o279409]

Step 3) While using the tweezers, I gently grab the seed and place it into the hole with the taproot pointed down. Never touch the taproot just the shell of the seed. After that is completed its time to gently fill in the hole. I also use my tweezers for this. After the seed is covered, I slowly water. The reason i go slow is cause if you just pour water onto the cup you have a good chance of pushing the seed further down into to soil. Or you might just wash away the medium on top of the seed. Either way its better to water slowly or mist.

Step 4) Now that everything is completed they are placed under the T5. I still personally like the temp to be around 80 degrees. Once again its now time for the waiting game. You should see the little ones pop up within a weeks time. Sometimes sooner, sometimes longer. I usually average around 2-3 days for this to happen.[attachment=o279402]

I will usually keep them under the T5 til i start seeing a little stretch to them then i will place them under some 6500k cfls. I run the lights 24/7 while they are in the party cups. This will be their home for the next week to two weeks until they are ready to be transplanted into 1gal pots. From here on out i will use Fox Farm Ocean Forrest. By far the best soil that i have used to date. All i use is 6.5 phd water til about 3 or 4 weeks into flower. No nutes.

I will add a pic tutorial to this thread involving transplanting, topping, cloning, and harvesting/curing later down the road. If anyone has questions or if you see something i missed, feel free to speak up.

pushit Reviewed by pushit on 10-22-2011. Growing made easy Ok what im attempting to do is to break down the whole growing process of how i do things from start to finish. Nothing on here is set in stone considering there's probably a hundred different ways to grow. This is just how I do things. First off we will be popping some seeds using the paper towel method. For this process i use 2 Styrofoam plates, a paper towel, spray bottle with water, and of course the seeds. The main thing i consider with this process is temp control. I usually keep the Rating: 5

[NHAinWV]

How often do you usually have to add moisture to keep your paper towels from drying out? I'm currently doing research for my first grow so I'll be following this thread closely for tips

[pushit]

How often do you usually have to add moisture to keep your paper towels from drying out? I'm currently doing research for my first grow so I'll be following this thread closely for tips

Depends really. i usually keep mine in a dark cabinet and doing the 2 plates i will usually have taproots before the paper towel dries out. Ive been averaging around 3 days for germination. Now if you use a heating pad it will dry out faster so its always a good idea to check daily no matter the circumstance. The main thing is to keep them in a warmer part of the house. Dont let them get cold and dont let the paper towl dry out. I use a spray bottle to moisten the towel when needed.

[Esteban1]

Bro:

Very nice article for someone starting out. Excellent methodology & pointers as well. Cannot give you enough credit/props concerning ur comprehensive writing skills. Should have been a teacher but who knows, you may hold a degree in this field? There are NOT too many folks out there with the patience, guidance as well as an excellent knowledge base. The world needs more open balanced thinkers cuz as it stands we as a people are transforming into sheeple. Btw, I took down a cola that had been drying (a tad early obviously) & it wasn't too shabby.... the taste wasn't as expected but gave me a nice heady/body blast. The girls are still going strong with the "double harvest" & a good freind from Oregon tells me that there is approx. 60-70g hanging & he was obviously taking an educated guess extrapolating from her own empirical mj growing knowledge.


:abduct:

[bigsby]

Hey pushit, nice write up. You startin' a book?

I use the same starter method except I put the paper towel in a ziplock bag. That way there is no way for the moisture to escape so no way for the towel or seed to dry out. Also, I wait until the tap is between 1/4 and 1/2 inch long before I plant. Finally, it is important that the seed / paper towel be in a dark place. No light please!

[pushit]

Thanks Esteban and Bigsby. I shouldve had this whole thing done by now but have been busy as hell with work and other stuff. Hey bigsby, not so much as a book but maybe a long short story haha. The main reason im doing this is so that i can put it in my signature so when someone asks how do i do something i can tell them to click on it instead of typing the same things over and over. Now if only i can finish it. Im pretty much waiting on my girls so i can take some detailed pics. I just topped some not too long ago and honestly i forgot i started this thread so no pics were taken. Hopefully within a month or so ill have it all finished.

[bigsby]

I used to have a bunch of stickies in my signature. A while back I was POed at cancom and removed them. Perhaps I should put them back. They were damn useful. OK... I'll put them back.

[Esteban1]

Used the same type of method, used a "baby wipe" (rinsed off all of the chemical crap) & it worked quite well.... Germinated in my gas oven for 2 days. Quite easy & effective.


Attachment 279967Attachment 279968


:abduct:

[pushit]

Now that the seedlings have been in the cups for a week or so, it's time for the transplant. For this process you will need 1 gal pot, good soil, and 6.5 ph'd water. For soil I use Fox Farm Ocean Forrest and for the pot i use grow bags.

Choosing a pot: There are alot of different types of pots out there. Grow bags, plastic pots, square pots, smart pots, etc. Any of these will work great. The main thing to remember is to never use ceramic pots. The roots will attach themselves to the sides of the pot making it difficult to transplant. Plus thin flexible pots are alot easier to work with. The best thing to do is to make transplanting as stress free as possible to yourself and the plant.

Before transplanting I will let the medium dry out to the point of needing water. MJ plants like a wet/ dry cycle. Basically what that means is after you water you let the soil mostly dry out before you water again. I will touch more on this later on.

1) The first thing i do is grab the cup and place the plant in between my middle and ring finger.

2) Turn it upside down and gently squeeze the sides and bottom of the cup.

3) It should be easy to lift the cup off the plant and soil. It should look a little like this.
Attachment 280094

4) Now its time to place it into your container and soil of choice. Be sure you use as much of your container as possible. I will usually fill mine up to an inch from the top. The main reason i do this is because if your soil tends to repel water at first, the water will stay in the pot instead of on the floor. All that is left is watering. I use 6.5 phd water. Once again if you are doing multiple strains, Be sure to properly label everything so there is no confusion. The end result should look like this.
Attachment 280095

That's pretty much it on transplanting. From here i will place my plants into the veg room. I run my lights on 18/6 cycle. I use 6500k cfls and they are about 2-4in. above my plants. My temps are usually around 80 with lights on and around 70 with lights off. Also there is an osculating fan that runs 24/7. I place containers of water in the area as well to keep my humidity around 50-60%. Here's a pic of my ghetto grow bar and my little veg closet.
Attachment 280096

Some other key factors in growing:

1) Use room temp. phd water. Cold water can shock the plant causing unwanted stress.
For ph monitoring i use a Milwaukee digital ph pen (20 dollars on ebay) and advance ph up and down.

2) Make sure your grow area is light proof. No light leaks during the dark time. Plants like total darkness.

3) Keep your temps under 85 degrees and over 60 degrees. Mid 70's work great IMO.

4) Make sure you have proper air ventilation.

5) Make sure you keep your area as clean as possible. Mold and unwanted pest can and will destroy your crop.

Most important thing to have is patience. Let the little ones do their thing.

If i missed anything or you dont agree with something feel free to speak up. Since Im about to take cuttings tonight, cloning will be next on the agenda.

[GaGrown]

I used to have a bunch of stickies in my signature. A while back I was POed at cancom and removed them. Perhaps I should put them back. They were damn useful. OK... I'll put them back.

Who ain't been PO'ed at them? At least once!

Ga.