zandor

[red662]

i have been readin ur posts with interest an noticed u seem 2 lean 2wards hydro, do u have any handy charts an tips 4 soil grows?
i just startde my first grow and although theres info 2 help everywhere im a bit unsure about the time frame from seed to veg to flowerin can u help......
tnxs man

red662 Reviewed by red662 on 07-23-2005. zandor i have been readin ur posts with interest an noticed u seem 2 lean 2wards hydro, do u have any handy charts an tips 4 soil grows? i just startde my first grow and although theres info 2 help everywhere im a bit unsure about the time frame from seed to veg to flowerin can u help...... tnxs man Rating: 5

[EmTpockets]

Im not zandor, but I think he would say the same thing....Times vary from strain to strain. also if its indoor grow, theres a difference in the times. Out doors you got to go with the season. He may have a helpful chart for you though. Peace-emtpockets

[red662]

nice1 4 the help its an indoor grow

[Zandor]

The Ph chart covers Hydro and dirt farming.

The best advice I can give is don't use Miracle Grow potting soil.
My personal preference is sterile soil mix with 50% Perlite for quick drainage.

Good soil with some nutrients
Ocean Forest Potting Soil from fox farm. This is 100% organic
Sunshine #1
This is a good soil mix with Canadian sphagnum pear moss and dolomite lime for Ph control.

No mater what you use add Perlite to improve drainage about 50/50 mix. The idea is when the soil is moist you should be able to take a handful of dirt and crush it in your hands. Hold your hands about 12â?� above the pot and release. When the soil falls back to the pot about 50% of the soil should fall apart. The remaining chunk from your hand should break up easily. That is how I test my soil and know if the mixture is right or not. You want the soil to hold water but not for a very long time. You want to water every 3-dayâ??s on average so the soil must drain quickly. If the soil is not dry by day-3 then donâ??t water. The chopstick method or a soil meter will tell you when itâ??s safe to water again.

Make sure you have plenty of drainage to remove the water and avoid nutrient build up that can turn toxic. Most people forget about the outer edges of the pots and only have a center hole for drainage. Thatâ??s not enough to me. When I grow in soil I drill extra holes in whatever pot I use. I drill around the edges lower sides and the whole bottom. I do use the double bucket method where the top bucket fits into the bottom bucket and the bottom bucket catches the run off. The roots can stick through because there is an air gap and thatâ??s a good thing. You do need to empty the bottom bucket every week but thatâ??s about it.

Grow bags are a good cheep way to grow, punch a few extra drainage holds in the very bottom but thatâ??s about it. I like the 3-gallon size but you need to have a way to catch the runoff and keep lights from reaching the roots that will stick out the bottom of the bag. Normally when the roots stick out the plant is big enough to have leaf coverage to block the light. A simple trash bag will cover the soil and block the roots from being hit by the light.

Most important thing about dirt farming is donâ??t over water. Fungal gnats suck and are hard to get rid of and most of the time the cause is over watering. They live in the dirt and feed on roots. I donâ??t know of anybody who lost a crop to fungal gnats but I guess it could be done. They are more of a pain in the ass then anything else. In a young plant I believe they would do damage because they live off the roots but in an older plant like mother or a flowering plant the root zone should be established.

Does that help?

[J DOG 6000]

Yes!!!

[red662]

thnxs zandor, the soil is similar to what you where sayin, i am using sensi grow once i start usin ferts and sensi bloom for flourin, i have the mix specs from a friend who succesfully grows so the mix is ok.he also told me our ph levels re always between 6.3-6.9, im gonna do a test in the morn 2 establish exactly what it is.they are under the flouros now @18/6 in incubators since sat, goin 2 pot them 2morrow r is that 2 early?
i have them bout 4-5 inch under 4 flouros how many times a day do i water at this stage?takin in account there bein potted 2morrow. ill get some pics with the phone 2 show u exactly the story.thxs 4 the help.

[arthurjob]

red if u goto the advanced nutrients website they have a handy chart which tells u what to mix for the size pot ya growing in or res as the case mayb. hope this helps.

[Zandor]

red...only water when they need it. Either by feeling the medium or using a test meter. Just monitor the temperature at the top of your canopy under the lights.

Sounds like you have everything under control and well on it's way. Nice job btw.

Good luck

[red662]

ill post some pics this ev show u what the set up is like.today is very hot so the humidity in the spot is very high but i have the fan on and they seem to have perked up since yesterdy.
my friends came back from the dam and brought back some skunk special, never heard of it but there germ as we speak and they will b added asap,remember the original ones only started 18/6 sat, so it shouldn b a prob,
it will b skunk special, california orange bud?,pepper j. sso hopefully some cross pollenation r what ever the term is(i dont know)is that a good thing?im thinkin it couldnt b bad as long as there all fem?i bought perlight today 4 the pottin process, mix 50/50 as u said zandor and 1/2 inch layer stones 4drainage.i dont wanna keep goin in and out suspicious neighbours,so ill post some pics when i check on them @ lights out.thnxs 4 all ur help zandor ur a libery off knolewdge and not afraid 2 share it
peace
ps just looked @ the card the seeds from the dam came in and overgrow is the web site r www.spliff.ni that link don workdoe?

[red662]

red if u goto the advanced nutrients website they have a handy chart which tells u what to mix for the size pot ya growing in or res as the case mayb. hope this helps.

nice1 man.