Best threads-tips for a new Grower

[Guest]

I though it may be a good idea to ask the pro's & mentors that reside here / to post their idea of the best threads & tips @ IC for a new grower /


Please add only / your best Tips & Threads / as to not have un-nessasary posts to wade through / thank you for your co-operation

Good Blessings

 

[Guest]

Well, some of my best tips are:

-Dont love your plants to death. Pay attention to them, enjoy being around them, but dont attempt to adjust the plants environment every time you step foot in the room.

-Soil growers, get a moisture meter until you know how to just feel when your planter is dry enough for watering.

-Dont skimp on the lights. You can cheap out your grow in almost every other way from soil to fans to ferts, but the lights do not lie when it comes to yield.

-Make sure you maintain vegetative ferts for the first week after you switch to 12/12. Gradually introduce your full flowering fert after that. Don't just drop a giant P bomb on them when you switch or the plants will prematurely yellow

-Keep your mouth shut and your grow to yourself. Become the benevolent benefactor with the kickass hookup, but never be so prideful as to let others in on your secret.

 

[truecannabliss]

-Keep your mouth shut and your grow to yourself. Become the benevolent benefactor with the kickass hookup, but never be so prideful as to let others in on your secret.

Just thought id 2nd that one. Pride comes before a fall!

 

[valk]

I think BOG's organic soil guide is fantastic:

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=4986

 

[Sinfuldreams]

Don't Over use the Superthrive!
Sin

 

[Guest]

Overwatering and over fertilising are the 2 biggest n00b mistakes i think..from when i was a noob in soil i remeber that much!

 

[Guest]

Your next crop is only as healthy as your mothers. Keep them up and nice.

 

[Bleek]

Guys i ain't no pro or mentor or anything, but may i suggest a couple things?

1. BUY GOOD SEEDS!!!
2. READ A GOOD GROW BOOK!!!
3. K.I.S.S.

Just a little something! :wink:

 

[sunnyside]

Don't know if this has been mentioned yet???

Don't know if this has been mentioned yet???

Keep your mouth shut and your grow to yourself. Become the benevolent benefactor with the kickass hookup, but never be so prideful as to let others in on your secret.

 

[Guest]

(Ask your wifes permission)

 

[Einsteinguy]

Safety First. Do not use cheap electrical cords,splitters. Know how much power you are using and that all circuits can provide safely. Keep power cables organized and off the floor where they could get wet or stepped on. Use wirenuts on all splices not just black tape. Check all power connections often .

Einstein

PS: I use a temp controller that turns off all lights if temp reaches 100 degrees. (I hope it never has to work but it is a failsafe). Also have smoke detecter that will turn off lights if smoke or heat is detected.

 

[$niffy]

PS: I use a temp controller that turns off all lights if temp reaches 100 degrees. (I hope it never has to work but it is a failsafe). Also have smoke detecter that will turn off lights if smoke or heat is detected.

Very cool. Do those items have a specific name?

 

[Guest]

-check your pH
-Don't try to overdue it when you see a problem. Usually new growers add to the problem instead of resolving it.
-You need light! [no, one four foot shoplite won't do the trick!]

 

[Guest]

Go to Wal-Mart & look in the paint section then look for the paint buckets / you will find 1 Qt clear plastic buckets for .58 / cut your own drain holes & they make great starter pots / the clear plastic allows light to reach the roots
helping keep the soil warm & also lets you to see the water & O2 content.

 

[Guest]

well, not very modestly I can contribute my own Method for Curing and Vapour's CD Germing Method used at Seeds Direct to check seed stock viability as well as new test beans :wink:

 

[Guest]

Q: How do you recommend I germinate my seeds?

A: We recommend using good bottled water (filtered or spring) with a mineral content of no more that 150ppm. Soak the seeds in cups of water overnight or for 12 hours somewhere warm and dark ideally 70-80 degrees F, do not go over 85 degrees F. Above a water heater is usually a good spot. The seeds will sink when they have absorbed water. This is the beginning of their life. At this point you can transfer the seeds to moist paper towel sandwiches. To do this fold a paper towel once in half, place the seeds on one half of the paper towel and fold in half again. Lift the paper towel to let the excess water drip out and place the paper towel flat into a sandwich size ziplock baggie. Puff the baggie up with a bit of air and zip it shut. Place the ziplock in a warm and dark place, again 70-80 degrees F. Change the papertowels and ziplock baggies at least once a day, ideally twice a day. Transplant the seeds into a disease free medium when the length of the root that emerges is one to two times the length of the seed. Place the seeds a few inches under fluorescents or at least 3 feet away from HID (High Intensity Discharge) bulbs. If you are using fluorescents they can get very close to the bulbs, in fact they will be stronger plants if they are allowed to get really close to the fluorescents but try not to let them touch the fluorescents. Do not let the seeds dry out at any stage of this process.
__________________________

 

[Guvnor]

Dont run before you can walk, see too many threads with people wanting to start a 10k grow on their first run. Learn to grow a few plants before you grow a forest of them.

I think a brilliant thread-Althou over at Og- is by the member MynameStitch : The complete guide to sick plants, ph and pest troubles.
Cracking thread for the first year grower and Im sure still a help to some of the pro's.

Guvnor

 

[Guest]

How much increase percentage-wise does Mylar reflector plastic (mirror silver) add to yield?

It depends on the size and setup of your garden and the kind of reflector you are using. As a general rule, the smaller the garden, the more light misses the target and instead illuminates the walls or surrounding area. In a larger garden, side light reaches additional plants. Reflectors also differ in the way they direct light. Some create a more concentrated beam while others diffuse it over a larger area. Reflectors that diffuse it lose more light in small gardens.

In a single-light garden, reflective surfaces can increase the light getting to the garden by 50 percent or more. In a four-light garden, I tested light with and without reflectors made of Mylar stretched on a scaffold. The amount of light reaching the garden increased by more than 30 percent

1 of many sites that sell what we want

http://www.altgarden.com/site/mylar/page1.html

 

[Guest]

the exetreme importance of maintaining proper PH even in soil....this is a very overlooked part of growing in soil....you need to check the ph of the runoff AND the soil...

 

[Guest]

Don't keep fighting the pH of your soil with a pH up-down solution in your nuets; / buy a pH soil meter & get the soil to 6.5 before you ever add a seed / then also buy a pH solution tester & then use the pH up-down to level out the solution.

Many organic growers will mix their soil to a proper pH & let it 'Cook' for a few weeks - then test it again before use /