Dear Newbies

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benamucc

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Dear Newbies,

I have been growing for about 4 months now, and have LOTS to learn. I just wanted to try and share some insight from somone who is going thru the process of getting setup and growing. The following are some things I've learned along the way...

1) Do your homework! Research grow rooms design, venting, air polishing, grow mediums, fertilizers and lighting setup BEFORE any thing ever goes into the dirt/water. This will keep you from abusing, or wondering if you're abusing your little babies. When you're 100% confident you've got your lighting, and temps under control THEN start. Also, if you're picking a strain from a seedbank, pay attention to the difficulty of the strain. They rate them for a reason!!

2) Don't be too confident. Alot of good advice from experienced growers is to be had here. UTILIZE your resources!! Don't have your feelings hurt if someone tells you you're doing something wrong. They're most likely just trying to help.

3) Keep a calander. It's great to follow fertilizer schedules, but if you smoked a couple fatties with your homies the night before, was it REALLY yesterday, or the day BEFORE?? :stoned:

4) Measure twice, cut once. I would consider this a handyman's hobby, and if you're new to using a tape measure, figure out how it works. You'll save yourself alot of headaches if you go in with a plan. (you should have seen what happened when I built a custom cabinet that ALMOST didn't fit thru the door) ALSO, same goes for NUTES. Just check out my SP / Haze grow to see what happens when you mix nutes after some bong rips...

5) Spend some now, save some later. Good equipment will give you good results. Lighting is PARAMOUNT!! Venting the heat from the lights is also VERY IMPORTANT! Get stuff that works together and you'll save yourself time and money trying to cobble something together. I'm sure it's even more important in hydro setups.


6) Have fun. It's a great little hobby, and if you plan properly I'm sure you'll have a great start to a nice little garden.


"Stay small. Stay secret. Stay safe." ~Puffinafatty
 
and be PATIENT..

you get all this equipment/dirt/seeds and all gun ho about growing.
thats fine, with the above..

BUT NOT WITH YOUR NUTES. people get all anxious with fertilizing and
end up burning their grow.
 
Good stuff guys. I agree with you, especially with the saving money now to get the right eqiupment rather than half arse it. And the nutes advice is good "less is better". Also if you ever have a problem pH or nute problem FLUSH. I think flushing is very important and also buys you some time as a new grower while seeking answers.

And just use some common sense when it comes to the plant...think about it and ask yourself what does MJ do in the "wild". I see guys asking questions sometimes and some of the questions are easy if they approached it like that rather hurting themselves by thinking too hard. Don't think too much, it hurts and violates Benamuccs most important point HAVE FUN. Just let the plants be, they will do their thing. And don't pull your hair out if you mess some plants up, at least you learned from your mistake, right?

I almost forgot. I think it's the perfect time to do some learning, legal learning. Guys it's garden season, grow as many flowers, veggies, etc. as you can. You will learn almost as much from growing the veggies and flowers. Trust me and just do it, it's fun and it's a good way to really learn about plants....plus IMO it is just so darn fun and gratifying. Take cuttings from your plants, learn how they all have different nute needs, different water needs...etc.

Have a favorite Rose bush, take cuttings and make a hedge. Really love a certain plant but can only afford one, clone it. Impress the neighbors, impress the wife, impress mom and grandmom.
 
:yeah that: Yo Ho great thinking you guys,
Let us touch on a bit more, One might also take a careful look at the Legal end of it all too. For instance some states are different than others as far as the laws go if you get caught. I know that some states will allow up to five plants for personal consumption, and hold the charges down to being a misdemeanor, with the penalty being two years probation, and then you can get it off your record if you have kept it all clean. Not too bad if you get busted right ?
On the other hand anything over the five plants will turn into a felony count, and that ain't good period, so safety, keeping mouth shut, is a good idea.
Another questionable act would be growing indoors and you got clouds of smoke pouring out of your place and you definitly will attract attention if it is MJ burning ya know.

Just my $0.02 worth

smoke in peace
KingKahuuna
 
a lot of people say dont start out with hydro. my "dear newbie" would be if thats what you want to end up doing(hydro), then i wouldnt waste time,money,or efforts with soil. dont be scared of hydro...with a little research, and ability to follow directions, and mix nutes very lite at first you can be successful on your very first hydro grow.....i was
 
Good stuff, I was going to add to KK's security post.
Make sure your shoes are clean after exiting your house/growroom, and always check your clothing after exiting. I had a scare in my car, LOL, thank god it was the car cause I could have dropped it off at the local post office....don't be dumb like I was. Make sure you leave all your evidence in the grow room.
 
Know that you'll have to kill a plant at some point I'm just now starting to deal with it, and knew the day would come. Not ALL of your plants are going to be females, and until you get to an advanced knowledge, concentrate on the end result. SMOKABLE BUDS!! Toss the males/hermi's in the mulch pile. You'll know when it's time to try harvesting pollen. But it's not today...
 
as a newbie myself, with much good information I took out of the thread here so far, I just wanted to also add a few works. Patience really is key. Also, for better success at sowing your seeds, definitely look into germinating your seeds. There are a bunch of guides online, i think even on this site (although I'm new to this site myself)

Also keep it very secret. ya it might be cool to mention it to friends and everything, but really keep quiet about it. Alot can be said when you've got a key or two of a few cannabis cup winning strains.

just remember also that plants grow, which show you the health of the plant, if there are any nutrient defs, or even if they are thirsty. spending a few bucks on some good soil is definitely worth it. use common sense and treat it like a project. the time and energy you put into the plant will show and really help your first attempt be a sucess.
 
i love the thought proccess here i have not yet started my grow ive been researching for months while i build well mostly dig is heat from my furnace sufficient air supply im thinking of tapping one of my heat registers for air and heat
 
One or 2 Grows under your belt????? Think you are successful????? Sit down, plant yer butt and do some more reading. There is more knowlege here than one person can sort through in a years time... Next grow you have might have a few problems..... a lil advance reading might cure them before waiting for a response on a common issue....
 
dannyt70 said:
i love the thought proccess here i have not yet started my grow ive been researching for months while i build well mostly dig is heat from my furnace sufficient air supply im thinking of tapping one of my heat registers for air and heat

I know people that have done YEARS of research :holysheep: Brilliant people at that. I'd be willing to bet my next paycheck that they'll say "Darn" "Shucks" "Oops" "Sugarsmacks" and "MoneySucker" at least a couple of times before they get it figured out.

As far as your air supply, I think you're ok. Just remember return air will have a smell, and unless you have an in duct ozone machine you could circulate that smell into other rooms. One of the top reasons people get discovered!!
 
Speaking of being safe. How safe is it to be online posting grow pics? I'm not terribly worried about it but I do wonder why some of you guys with truly impressive growrooms seem to feel no fear whatsoever.
 
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