My first grow, any advise to give a beginner

[Chromophore]

By "train" I just mean any method of controlling growth and form. Bending, topping, tying, etc. Supercropping is the method I've used, but some people think its too harsh on the plant.

[CannaEnthusiast420]

I've topped and tied down, I'm going to start super cropping next weekend for maximum bud growth.

[CaptainOrganicsCO]

Next time Mix a bunch of perlite into your soil mix, u will enjoy the results. Perlite will improve drainage and reduce soil compacting.

[CannaEnthusiast420]

What is perlite and what does it do?

[Chromophore]

Perlite is a form of volcanic glass (like obsidian, but full of bubbles). It's formed from volcanic lava that literally solidifies as a glass foam. In soils it is used primarily to keep the other components from compacting, and it also traps air and water, so it's good for aeration and keeping water and nutes from draining straight. It's essentially a filler. Totally inert. I personally feel that many potting soils use way too much of it. Probably at the expense of more valuable components. Foxfarm's Ocean Forest has a very nice ratio.

[Shovelhandle]

perlite holds air, vermiculite holds water.