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

[Kodiak]

Sounds good Nate, Best of luck with your grow man.

The MH/HPS combination is a perfect mix. Plants love the MH in veg. Remember to foliar feed. You can leave the MH bulb in for the first week or so of 12/12 in order to reduce the stretch, that's what I do. I'm glad that you found the information useful, there are a few pointers in there that I had to learn the hard way. Harvest the plant when she's ready, it might take a few weeks longer than what's promised on the pack so be patient.

I'm sure that your grow will be good one.

Keep it green

 

[basscadet]

Great guide Kodiak. I'm always heading back here when things go wrong in the garden.

This really should be a sticky, even if it's just so I don't have to cycle through pages lol

Rep'd ya!

 

[Kodiak]

Thanks basscadet. I really appreciate all the positive feedback and I'm glad that so many are finding the guide useful.

Growing weed is a neverending learning experience. Just when you think that you have seen it all, something new pops up. However, the more you know, the easier it gets.

It truly is an amazing plant.

Keep growing that golden herb

 

[dtremayne]

This is my only one that the tips are yellowing... i just transplanted out of seedling mix, been using only distilled water. new soil is 1pt. mushroom compost, 1pt. peet moss, 1 pt. foxfarm chunky perlite. with 1 and a half tbsp of cottonseed meal, bone and blood meal, kelp meal, and dolomite lime. Any ideas? the others are all healthy and green as hell!

 

[Kodiak]

Hi dtremayne. That soil mix sounds really good. The topmost leafs seem healthy so it might just be a minor problem. You could remove the two yellowing lower leafs so that the plant does not spend any more energy on them. Try removing the leafs and see if the rest of the plant stays healthy. Once it grows larger and has more roots it will be able to take up more nutrients and problems like this will buffer themselves out. The problem could be overwatering.

It is not unusual for the lower leafs to go yellow at some point or another. In this case I suspect that the plant simply does not have enough energy to support them since it's roots are still small. You could also foliar feed the healthy leafs just to make sure that the plant gets enough nutes at this early stage. Make a weak nutrient solution and spray it underneath and on top of the leafs, your other plants will benefit from this as well. The added nutes will make them grow faster and the high humidity will keep them nice and healthy. I always use a humidifier in veg in order to bumb up the RH or alternatively foliar feed them several times a day for the same effect. Plants love this.

If the problem persists and moves up along the stem you should probably post some pics in the infirmary in order to get help.

 

[Brodieman]

Yeah definitely gave ya some rep for this one. Just started growing after reading on this forum for a year. I still learned many things I didn't know from your guide. Thanks for all the great info.

 

[Kodiak]

Thanks Brodie, I'm glad that you found it useful.

 

[CaptainStoner]

cheers man, answered a question i'd been fuming over, great thread

 

[Kodiak]

No worries m8, I'm glad that you found the answer to your question.

Keep it green and enjoy

 

[Rooster449]

Thanks Kodiak, This Is A Great Way To Learn. Am Im So New It Takes All My Time Reading This Stuff To Get In My Thick Head. Thanks Again

Rooster449

 

[Rooster449]

Kodiak- Thanks for all the help with your Posts On Here

Kodiak- Thanks for all the help with your Posts On Here

This is my firt grow of any kind and its in Coco. I started from seeds i dont no what strain But Im having fun growing them. Im using a 150 HPS as of now and going to a 400 HPS in a week for my 12-12 I have got some clones started of my little girls. But im still reading and learning so let me no what you all thing so far.


Have a great day and a better one tomarrow

Rooster449

 

[Kodiak]

Everything is looking good there Rooster Looks like you have most of it dialed in already.

Your plants look like an indica/sativa mix, somewhat delicate stems but quite frequent nodes though, also thanks to the training. You will definitely have to provide some kind of support during flowering or the stems will break under the weight of the buds. You can use string or a scrog net for that purpose.

Your plants could probably also use a bit more light, that 400w HPS will do them good. Since this is your first grow don't worry too much about anything, just relax and watch the plants grow. You'll learn a whole lot during the first grow and as they say; practise makes perfect.

Seems like you have a green thumb and a knack for growing. Your plants are off to a good start so all I can say is good luck and have fun.

 

[dewroc6]

awesome thread

 

[chef]

Nice guide, just have some issues with your photoperiod info.

After 30+yrs, I'm convinced that plants do absolutely nothing in the dark, except wait impatiently for the phukin light to come back on lol

The MAJOR wear on bulbs & ballasts is from firing the bulb, not heat or lack of cooling down periods.
The electric savings is negligible & you lose out on all the benefits of 24/0
I'm running 20on/4off on my HIDs only for summer midday heat issues, my T5's keep'em lit 24/0 still.
The upside to a 24/0 veg is...
It gives you an extra days growth for every 4 @18/6 or 6 @ 20/4. It adds up!
They flip in 1/2 the time when they hit 12/12 also. Its a blackout bitchslap, the hormones are raging overnight!
I bud at 13/11 & pick up 2-3 days extra growth in a 60 day flower cycle too.
Again, it all adds up. There ain't no silver bullets, although big pots are close.

The other thing was the 4 dark periods in your 20/4 method?
That is really asking for it IMHO, especially for a noob guide.
Just curious? Where'd you get the pic of the hemie female in your guide?

Like you said... there are artic regions where 24hr light periods are normal, NOWHERE in the history of our planet has plantlife ever been subjected to a 5on/1off photoperiod.
5on/1off is something I'd do if I wanted to try & stress herm some on purpose. Add a little heat stress & voila! Fem seeds lol

Hope ya don't take this the wrong way, its an age old debate that took me literally ages to get to the bottom of & I tend to come off a bit pissy sometimes. Not my intention ...

Thats a really nice guide otherwise! Hats off for all your hard work!

 

[habeeb]

The most important advice of all; remember to have fun growing your plants

nicely said man

 

[THE GENERAL]

nice job on the post, i like ur style..

 

[Kodiak]

Nice guide, just have some issues with your photoperiod info.

After 30+yrs, I'm convinced that plants do absolutely nothing in the dark, except wait impatiently for the phukin light to come back on lol

The MAJOR wear on bulbs & ballasts is from firing the bulb, not heat or lack of cooling down periods.
The electric savings is negligible & you lose out on all the benefits of 24/0
I'm running 20on/4off on my HIDs only for summer midday heat issues, my T5's keep'em lit 24/0 still.
The upside to a 24/0 veg is...
It gives you an extra days growth for every 4 @18/6 or 6 @ 20/4. It adds up!
They flip in 1/2 the time when they hit 12/12 also. Its a blackout bitchslap, the hormones are raging overnight!
I bud at 13/11 & pick up 2-3 days extra growth in a 60 day flower cycle too.
Again, it all adds up. There ain't no silver bullets, although big pots are close.

The other thing was the 4 dark periods in your 20/4 method?
That is really asking for it IMHO, especially for a noob guide.
Just curious? Where'd you get the pic of the hemie female in your guide?

Like you said... there are artic regions where 24hr light periods are normal, NOWHERE in the history of our planet has plantlife ever been subjected to a 5on/1off photoperiod.
5on/1off is something I'd do if I wanted to try & stress herm some on purpose. Add a little heat stress & voila! Fem seeds lol

Hope ya don't take this the wrong way, its an age old debate that took me literally ages to get to the bottom of & I tend to come off a bit pissy sometimes. Not my intention ...

Thats a really nice guide otherwise! Hats off for all your hard work!

No problem chef, there can be no progress without debate

The hermie in the picture was one of my own plants. I've seen a few hermie under stress. This particular plant came from a regular Nirvana Ice seed, the others that hermied on me were feminized strains from Dutch Passion.

About the four dark periods during 20/4, I chose to run the light on a 20/4 light schedule with four dark hours during one day (5on/1off) because I was worried about the heat inside the cab. I never noticed any adverse reactions to this time schedule, both mother plants and clones were quite happy. The cab was not entirely light proof though, so perhaps the photoperiod was 24/0 after all. I removed that part from the guide in order to avoid confusion.



Regarding the photoperiods, you are right. Cannabis is classified as a C-3 plant, which means that it will continue to photosynthesize as long as there is light present.


In the words of Ed Rosenthal:

"Cannabis under continuous light will grow 33% faster than the same plants on an 18-6 light regime."


It is easy to get confused when it comes to the dark reactions that take place in plants. They are called dark reactions because they are light-independent, but this does not mean that they only take place in darkness. As a matter of fact, the dark reactions occur regardless of the amount of light present as long as the proper substrate compounds are available. These compounds are created during photosynthesis which means that the dark reactions cannot function without light.


Although C-3 plants are capable of photosynthesizing 24/7, they still need some darkness in order to maintain a proper hormonal balance. At least according to the research.

There is something called the circadian rhythm or circadian clock, which can be found in animals, plants and fungi. This internal clock is an evolutionary response to light and darkness and is tightly linked with hormonal functions in the plant. The Time Keeping Protein or TOC is regulated by certain repressor proteins which are activated in response to information from shade detectors or phytochromes in plant cells, that measure light.

The repressor proteins are activated when light hits the plant and effectively suppress the formation of the TOC protein. At night when the repressor proteins are inactive, TOC levels rise and the protein is circulated throughout the plant, especially near meristematic tissue (undifferentiated cells) where all plant growth occurs. The plant then goes through rhythmical growth spurts just prior to dawn in response to the oscillation of the TOC protein.


"The scientists also discovered that most of the genes involved in this rhythmic predawn growth have a DNA sequence in common, a master controller that they dubbed the HUD element—for "Hormone Up at Dawn." This HUD element, they noted, must have a protein that attaches to it that regulates its function."

(From This Article)

The genes that control hormone biosynthesis, hormone signaling and hormone metabolism are all tightly correlated with the circadian clock and rhythmic plant growth.

So apparently, by keeping your plants under a 24/0 light regime, you are actually inhibiting the circulation of growth hormones that the plant needs in order to stay healthy and eventually prepare for flowering among other things.

It then stands to reason that if you veg your plants under a 24/0 light regime, you must also provide them with the appropriate growth hormones externally.

Keeping them on "steroids" will make up for the absence of internally produced growth hormones. Seaweed extract is rich in plant hormones so adding that to their diet might compensate for the lack of rest.



I think that plants grow stronger if they are allowed some darkness during veg. Components that are essential to health and growth are transported around the plant when it is not photosynthesizing. It would make sense as we already know that muscle tissue in humans actually grow when the person rests, not while he is exercising. So the real question is whether or not plants grow stronger when they are allowed to rest and thereby manage the energy that is created during the day.

I do not think that plants are idle in darkness. All living beings are opportunists and everything in nature is always pushed to the max, so it would make sense that plants have other important things to do when they are not photosynthesizing, namely harmonizing their energy.

Photosynthesis is the primary activity and energy management is the secondary. One occurs in light and the other in darkness.

Every mechanism in plants is an evolutionary response. I think that plants will grow stronger if they are allowed to rest. I also believe that some darkness is required for the plant to function properly. In the end this also translates into better bud further down the line.

Getting to the truth about these things is not always an easy task since there are many different mechanisms behind plant behavior. Some of them work together while others work independently.

Needless to say, there is more happening under the surface that what meets the eye.

That's my take on it.


If you stumble upon something in my guide that doesn't make sense, feel free to ask me questions, all topics are up for debate.

-Kodiak-

 

[chef]

Cool, looks like you'll be fun to talk shop with

I'm right with ya on the majority of that. I was just studying up on the plant photoreceptors last week. Cool how they sense shade & adjust their growth etc. Survival of the fittest.

Surprised on Nirvana, heard similar about DP. That's a spooky lookin one too

On the photoperiod: I've seen some cycle timers with wild presets & similar settings. Some equatorial, some had me scratchin my head? The thought makes me cringe tho & I'm pretty friggin adventurous lol For noobs, I'd say Ignorance of such subjects is bliss

My thoughts on the 24/0 simply come from my results, it goes against common sense & some studies I've seen similar to your info. I got there simply from years of nothing mattering but speed n yield. The excelerated growth & quik flip really are huge jump toward that finish line.

You're on the money with the Kelp, I use it start to flush, have since the 80's.

 

[Kodiak]

Yeah, plants have some pretty cool ways of making the most out of their environment.

That Ice plant was the only hermaphrodite that I got from Nirvana seeds, and I have grown out many of their strains. It was a spooky looking freak alright but easy to spot. The smoke was actually quite good though as the plant was very resinous, despite its dual sexuality. Nirvana plants are usually quite good, considering the price, but naturally not as good as some of the top shelf gear. I've also seen a lot of twin plants in Nirvana seeds. The feminized seeds from DP are garbage, very unstable, I would not recommend them to anyone.

I have also seen people run their timers on fairly odd schedules but I think it's best to stick to the proven and safe photoperiods.

Plants really like the kelp, it's very good for foliar feeding as well. Just don't use too much of it as some plant hormones are know to interfere with sexual development. Personally I think that high temps is the main reason why plants that are prone to hermafrodism turn hermie on ya.

The biological clock is pretty cool when you think about it. The mechanism is the same for both animals and plants. In humans it's located in the hypothalamus and receives information from the specific photoreceptors in the retina.

It seems that we are supposed to do certain things during the day and certain things during the night, like sleep. When we stray too far away from the programmed schedule, the body goes haywire.


When it comes to cannabis plants, auto flowering ruderalis plants spring to mind. They must have some sort of modified version of this rhythm in response to the extreme photoperiods in the arctic. Norwegian researches studying animals in the arctic have found that the circadian rhythms are only active during the parts of the year when there are daily sunrises and sunsets.

This mechanism must somehow affect the flowering properties of the cannabis ruderalis plant. I have not figured out yet exactly how it works, but it's certainly interesting.

 

[vatosummon]

Bump great post, lots of good info