PsyCLown

Heya! So as the title states, this is just another first grow. I'm sure you've all seen many of them. Lets start with some equipment and what I'll be growing and take it from there, obviously open to suggestions as I'm still learning. I don't have a grow tent unfortunately, growing in a storage room of sorts which I've painted flat white. Grow area is approx 110cm x 90cm at a push. I have 4x 288 Quantum Boards in 3000k setup in here, currently running 2 off an ELG-240-54A while I wait for my HLG-480-54A. No extraction or air intake at the moment. Trying to seal up and prevent light leaks and shall be trying to complete this tomorrow. Currently lights are off at night to prevent light leak issues. I have my humidity dome in here too and have a heating pad underneath it as it's very cold. I have added a heater to the grow area today and it seems to be making a decent difference in terms of temps, increased from 17C to 23C. I have a fan inside to circulate the air. RH is on the low side at 36-40% RH so might look at adding my humidifier into the area, not sure how to control the RH with it just yet as I don't have any electronics to assist at the moment. I'm using Freedom Farms soil, Biobizz nutes (fish mix & bloom) & have a mixture of pots but plan on using 20L fabric pots in the end. Currently have 2 bagseed seedlings in there with 13 seeds germinating as per the below: 3x Chocolope (Totemic Genetics) 3x Bruce Banner 3 (Dark Star Genetics) 3x Grandpa Banner (Dark Star Genetics) 3x Sticky Icky (Dark Star Genetics) 1x CBD Critical Mass (Seedsman) All are regular seeds except for the CBD strain which is feminised. I'm hoping not all 12 seeds are female as I don't have space, however I'd like at least 1 female from each. One of my bag seed seedlings might not make it, still busy monitoring it. Before my lights arrived I had to put them outside for some natural sun and my cat seems to really like the FF soil and dug up the seedling, twice. Prior to that she dug up my 3rd seedling and peed in that pot, the seedling died... Not sure if I can just flush the soil with water and reuse it? The stem of the dug up seedling is very thin in one area but still seems to be alive so hopefully it pulls through. Not much in terms of pics at the moment as I've been busy putting my room together and am still busy with that. Although here are the seeds in some rapid rooters and in the humidity dome. I broke off a piece of the rapid rooter and put it inside the hole to try keep the seeds dark and covered. The seeds were soaked for around 22 hours before being placed into the rapid rooters with the exception of the cbd strain which was soaked for closer to 28 hours and was only put into the rapid rooter today. So it's a day behind the rest. Really hoping the seeds germinate in the rapid rooters without issues. Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk

When I say vape, I mean vape the bud. So not turn it into to a liquid. I personally use a Vapor Genie and have a cheap Chinese herb vape. I'd love to get a PAX 3 though but they're not cheap. A vape heats the bud up enough to release the good stuff, the taste is more pure and the bud does not combust (burn). Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk

I like the idea, although it would limit entries as everyone grows differently and it would only be applicable to the people growing in that way. Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk

I'm too am new and I've already voiced I think the comp is amazing and was planning on entering just for the sake of it. It's part of what makes this forum more of a community. Competitions like these are fun, exciting and more interactive. I understand that entries are needed to keep it alive and going with the sponsors, although if you must stop it I think it needs to be looked at again in a few months time as the forum grows. I've personally notice, in the short time I've been a member here, that there are already a few more active members on this forum. It's growing for sure and shall continue to do so. Over the next 6 months I'm sure we'd be able to reach the 20 entries or more a month. If we stop potm, the new members won't know about it and are less likely to start grow diaries and stay active. They'd come for some info, and if not much new activity is had they'd / nothing bringing them back then they won't come back and will end up inactive. My 2c Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk

That makes more sense, especially option 2. Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk

What lights are you running? I assume LED's of some sort? Bar heaters are certainly not a great idea, although surely the heaters with an element and a fan would be alright? Due to the fan I do not think the element gets hot enough to glow, might differ a bit based on design as well I guess.

This is probably quite a n00b question, but how do the schedules work as it has week 1 to 9, but a grow will take longer than 9 weeks - even with autos they're generally 11 or 12 weeks. I know you generally do not feed until week 2 or 3, then if you want to veg for 2 months you have 5 weeks still which will take you to week 5 on the schedule. Then flowering can easily take 8 - 12 weeks on top of that, but the schedule only goes to week 9. So what am I not understanding regarding these schedules?

Congrats @Green Leaf Organics I am sure you'll do a great job of keeping everyone and this forum in check and assisting with the various comps and such!

I have 12 autoflower seeds laying around, so by all means cut it and let me learn from your mistakes haha I had planned on only doing LST on them. You'd only top an auto which is growing quickly though, otherwise it may be doing more harm than good I guess?

Isn't it quite risky to top on auto's? Growth on the CBD seems a bit quicker than the others, so will hopefully recover and increase yield?

I'd like to play around with that and getting some fem seeds at some point, best I get some of those chems. How do you use the chemicals? Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk

How do breeders make feminised seeds then? Try get a mutant plant? Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk

Ok, so sacrifice two plants for seeds. One entirely and the other will have reduced harvest, but seeds. Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk

I see, so if you force a hermie and then have another female and use the hermie to pollinate the hermie will that reduce the chances of those seeds turning into hermes easily? Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk

Hmm, this is interesting. So the hermie won't produce seeds by itself? Cannot pollinate itself and create feminised seeds? Still need another female in flowering to be pollinated, although you're bound to get feminised seeds at least? I assume this would work with autoflowers as well? @CleanGreen you therefore end up cloning a clone and so it continues until you decide to stop? From what I have read it shouldn't be an issue and will fine as well, easier than having two tents - one for flowering and one for veg.

Does the Organics Matter living soil count as commercially available now? If so, perhaps let's add it to the polls?

Ok, so with organic / living soil (same thing, right?) the microbes in the soil will buffer the water pH so it is not as much of a concern with higher or lower pH levels? If the BioBizz lowers the pH that is great for when I start using the nutrients although in the first 2 - 3 weeks when it is just tap water, will the microbes just buffer the pH and therefore nothing I need to really worry about or even monitor? Will look into AACT, Activated Aerated Compost Tea? This is something I would make and add to the soil with a feed or alternate between the AACT and BioBizz nutrients? Should I use AACT during the first 3 weeks, so from seedling phase when you'd normally use just tap water, replace it with some AACT?

Hey all, So my equipment is slowly starting to arrive for my first grow and I'm still left with a few questions I'd like to get sorted before I start to try have a fantastic first grow! PH Level seems quite important, so hopefully my questions in this thread and the answers I get can assist other members too. I have a cheap pH pen which can be adjusted with a screw driver and comes with some oh buffer solutions. 4.00ph and 6.81ph (I think). Now I'll be using Freedom Farms Classic Organic soil which seems to be really good for cannabis from what I've read. On the packet it states its recommended to use a water with a pH level of around 5.1 which seems quite low? I assume its due to what's already in the soil and it will then sort itself out? I tested some tap water yesterday and it was 7.8 which is quite a bit higher - although I have yet to calibrate the pH pen, so once calibrated that may change. I also plan on using Bio Bizz nutrients and read that the Freedom Farms soil should be good for 2-3 weeks of growth? 1.Should I be using some pH down to bring the pH of my water down to around 5.1 before watering or what's the best practice in this regard? 2. Once I start using the biobizz nutrients, I assume the pH of the soil will change too. What sort of pH would I want my feeding mix (so water and nutrients combined) to be? 3. How important is it to test run off water and what do you want to try aim for regarding the pH level of the run off water? I believe this may change depending on the type of soil you use as a living soil may change over time or help buffer the pH? 4. I also got a chinese TDS & EC pen, it tells temp, ppm and us/cm. I read somewhere that it can be useful when feeding to help measure the strength of the nutrients. How would one use such a device, is it really needed? 5. Would you want different pH levels in different stages of the plants cycle / growth? Like during germination, seedling, veg and flower? Thanks, Psy Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk

Do you plan on changing the speed between high and low or just using either high all the time or just low all the time? From what I can tell, you need the Neutral and then you connect live to either LA for high speed or LB for low speed. Alternatively something which will allow you to switch between LA and LB to change the speed.

Good to know, thanks. What would be some good alternative methods for storing cannabis for long periods of time - once dried and cured - and what sort of duration would it be "ideal" for?

Vacuum seal and deep freeze, is this really ideal? Wouldn't there be moisture issues when it defrosts? Would it be recommended to put a boveda pack in the bag before vacuum sealing?

That is pretty cool, there is water inside so it can be filtered and cooled a bit too. Although isn't this in the wrong section, not really news? I am a vape guy, vape all the way... Dab on occasion and bong on a very rare occasion.

It's not a problem many people have, although I may be in a similar boat to you. I'll make a plan, like the idea of extracts. Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk

You looking at doing so on a commercial level? So growing and then exporting overseas to the companies which have issued you with a contract for a certain amount of cannabis? I have a friend who is busy with this process, although he has consultants to assist with the process and has a massive farm with lots of other things currently and just wants to look at adding cannabis too. Very pricey to go commercial and requires a couple of mil upfront and then waiting times and so forth. Approx R20k when you apply for the license and if you fail you need to pay and apply again. Also you need to meet the required figures of CBD and THC and so forth otherwise they will not take your yield and you're left out of pocket. You can check this article out too: https://www.businessinsider.co.za/how-to-get-a-dagga-licence-2019-4

When you refer to air flow, just air circulation in the grow area? So a running fan moving the air around? Sent from my Redmi Note 7 Pro using Tapatalk