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A Cannabis Growing Guide - All that you need to know to get started

V

Vampire

I'm not a new grower but I picked up lots of useful info here. Bookmarked and thanks.
 
great post! I have a quick question about cooling. i have an 1000w hps/mh and i was going to install i 4" inline fan with scrubber. I am setting up my grow room right now and i was wondering if that will be enough to cool down my 7x6x6 grow tent. i live in the pacific north west and my basement is 60 degrees so i was planning on the light warming the tent up a bit, i just dont want to burn my house down.
 

Kodiak

Mad Scientist
Veteran
I would say that bigger is always better when it comes to duct fans and cooling solutions for the hot bulbs, unless noise is an issue.

You can always hook up the fan to a speed controller, in order to adjust the air flow. Get something a little bit more advanced because the cheap fan speed controllers tend to create a loud buzzing sound and they can also kill the motor on the fan.

I'm sure that the relatively cool ambient temperature in your basement will keep the temps in the tent slightly lower but not by much. That 1000w bulb is going to get really hot.

Keep in mind that the benefits from a stronger light will be negated, if you cannot keep the temps within an acceptable range (77F-86F). You don't want to burn your plants. Everything will be fine as long as you can keep the temps inside the grow tent at around 80 degrees F. That should be measured at the topmost shoots.

Use the smaller fan if you already got it but if you still have a choice, go with something a bit larger. Perhaps you should also check out what other growers here on the forum use with their 1000w lights. They can probably tell you what works and what does not. You should also find out how far away they keep the light from the plants, as that can help you determine the correct time to start flowering the plants.

It's difficult to give you definite advice on this matter because there are too many factors at play, but I hope that I at least gave you some new ideas.
 

airplane

Active member
great information

great information

That information pesented is the best I have ever read, believe me there are a lot on line , any way easy reading/understabding

Any good picture of plants just before harvest, alway find them helpfull:tumbleweed:
 
SHOT FOR THE ARTICLE: Could you please assist with the following question. What are the effects of putting young (2 week)plants from the veg room in to the flowering room. Will this result in unsuccessful flowering or a reduced and undeveloped bud? What is the ideal time to move from clone to flowering room.
Thanks
 

Kodiak

Mad Scientist
Veteran
Yeah, I should probably have put that in the article but I can no longer change the text because the guide contains more pictures than the current limit. In order to change the text, I would have to break it up over several posts, so I won't. I like having it all in one place and it's more clear that way.

To answer your question, putting young plants into flowering might have some of the following effects:

- Shorter veg time equals smaller plants, with smaller roots, which results in less bud. The plants might spend some time growing in size before they start flowering.

- Shorter veg times means less nodes and a longer stretch, which is counterproductive in terms of bud mass. In other words, you will get small plants with long internodes. They will build more stem than budding nodes because they won't have enough leaves to capture the light efficiently, so the plants will reach for it.

- Young plants have to reach sexual maturity before they will flower. That means that it will take them longer to begin flowering if they are put under 12/12 early. Plants can be flowered as soon as they show preflowers, but they will benefit from longer veg times, as that gives them time to put on more weight, form more bud nodes, establish their roots and grow a thicker main stem, which aids in the uptake of water and nutrients.

Putting them into flowering early will, however, not result in incomplete or unsuccessful flowering but you might end up with less bud and not actually save a lot of time. The plants will largely stop growing in size when they are put under 12/12. I don't think that stress is a factor here, the plants will just be small.

You could go with 18/6 for 2 more weeks, in order to make up for the shorter veg time. They will flower sooner that way, because the shorter days might also shorten the transitional stage between vegging and flowering. If you have access to both Metal Halide and HPS lights, you could leave the MH bulb in place for the first 2 weeks of 12/12, until you see real flowers, after which, you change to the HPS bulb. That will encourage vegetative growth during those 2 weeks and it might reduce the stretch.
 

Madjag

Active member
Veteran
Your Work Will help Many

Your Work Will help Many

I thank you deeply as well. Though I've been a grower for 35 years, outdoors of course, I have recently dabbled in starting my friends under CFLs and have learned the hard way about setting them outside too early.

Your info has helped me refine the technique, along with other ICMag threadsters.

Gracias,

Madjag

 

Kodiak

Mad Scientist
Veteran
Very cool pics Madjag. I'm an outdoor grower myself, so I can appreciate the nice plants that you have. I started growing outdoors some years ago and now I can enjoy both worlds. Outdoor bud is my favourite though, as you can smell and taste the elements in the bud when you smoke it. You can taste the wind, the rain etc. It's more feral and not so delicate.

You also get HUGE plants outdoors, which is great. The thickness of the stem in the pic that you provided is what I also see. You basically need an axe or a saw to cut them down. I've seen trees break in hard wind, while the bud still stands tall.

You also learn about nature, which is fun. I got so good at walking around in the forest silently, that I was able to sneak up on deer. Got some really good nature pics too.

Yeah, you can't put them outside too soon or the critters will get them. Once they reach a certain size, they are mostly out of harm's way. Even if they get topped, they still survive. You can build small "cages" for the plants out of sticks, in order to protect the plants. That way it will blend into the surroundings, as long as you use stuff that you find in the forest. Camouflage plays a big part of outdoor growing. Picking the right spot etc. but I'm sure that you know all this already, being a veteran of outdoor growing.

I've noticed something else too. It seems as if the plants that are pre-grown inside, also get attacked more by insects and critters, than plants that have been planted into the ground as seeds. The way I reasoned that is that the soil carries a certain "scent" and when you bring out plants that have been growing in "foreign" soil, they stick out more because they "smell" different. Plants that have grown from seed in the ground, carry the same "scent" as the surrounding vegetation, thereby blending in more.

It could be a coincidence, but sort of makes sense to me.

Good luck with your plants. May you get grand harvests.
 
Excellent guide Kodiak. This is my first time growing cannabis and i have been following ur guide thoroughly. One thing i wished u would have elaborated more on is the drying and curing. To me this seems like most crucial state to get decent bud. I read couple others methods. And they seem to be more complezl. I.e. air dry then paper bag for cpl days then air dry then jar cure. Idk they really just confused the shit out of me. I didnt know if u had a more detailed way if ur thread was just cut short. Any response soon would be awesome, im only few weeks off from harvest. Thanks dude. Great guide.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2
 

Kodiak

Mad Scientist
Veteran
Hey Mattkilla. Yeah, there are different methods but the basics steps are the same every time.

This is what I do: First you need to slowly allow the buds to dry in the air, making sure that there is proper air exchange to prevent mold. When the bud almost dry, while still retaining some minute moisture, place them in the jars. Then keep curing them in the jars, while ventilating out the bud daily. This sort of makes the bud "sweat" a little bit, bringing out the scent and taste. You don't want to place the bud into the jars too early because then you won't get the same effect. If you wait too long, it won't stay nice as long and get really dry.

That keeps the buds really nice. The bud will be at its best sometime past one month in the jars. The remaining THC acid will have turned into fully realized THC, while the smoke gets smoother and the smell gets stronger.

Enjoy that bud
 
Thx dude. Sorry another? I kno youll help. I just found out my bagseed plant is full blown hermie. I cut few nanners few days ago and im looking today n thete everywhere. What are my options? Im on day 46 of flower. I have three othet plants in my closet.2 ssh which look very mildly pollinated and 1 ww tjat had few nanners but is also little pollinated. I don't want any further possible pollination so i wanna get it out of closet right. Could i finish it under 4 lamp 2ft t5 elsewhere. I really dont have an idea and i don't just wanna toss it. It smells super fruity. But i cant keep picking this many nanners everyday hard to spot. Any help be awesome View attachment 168269 View attachment 168268

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2
 
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