My first grow...tips, tricks, and any info! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Hello,

I am growing my First Lady and wanted to know if any information could be provided. I will be starting off small I have read and researched a LOT!!! After my research I have chosen to go the hydroponic route rather then soil. The nutrients I have is…Foxfarm soil trio, Neptunes Harvest Seaweed Plant Food is an organic, Fiber Grow Coconut Coir Pellet, Advanced Nutrients B-52 Fertilizer Booster, and real growers recharge.

For the equipment I have… 2x2x4 grow tent w/ MarsHydro Mars600 Led, CO2, and 3.5 gallons hydroponic DWC buckets. I have fans and dehumidifier but wanted to know is it best as well to have a regular humidifier?

Is it anything I’m missing or should have to be successful at this grow or any information with tips that could be provided?

Any would be AMAZING!!!

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Hi and welcome!

Do you have a PH meter? #1 thing to have IMO :slight_smile:

A humidifier and dehumidifier are only needed if the room humidity is not in the range it should be, you might be lucky.

Good luck!

Yes, I have HDE Hydroponic Fruit Vegetable Grow Kit- 3-in-1 Soil Light Sensor + TDS ppm Test Pen + pH Meter Digital Monitor. I bought it off Amazon it was a cheap pack.

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Right on! Good stuff to have.

I feel excited and motivated now:grin:grin:

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Looks like you have what you’ll need in material supplies. The only things you really need now are: a scientific mind, and patience.

Check your ladies regularly. If something goes wrong in hydro it can be brutal and fast. Check your pH and then check it again, and then check it some more. Proper pH is vital (5.5-6.0 w/ 5.8 being the “sweet spot” in hydro), and it will fluctuate on you.

Go slow on the nutrients. This plant is designed to use the most of the littlest available. I recommend half doses of recommended until you are 100% positive that your ladies can take it without burning. When you increase, do it slowly.

In fact, slow incremental changes are the way to go all the way through this new relationship you will be cultivating. Take your time. Let your plants take their time. Share with each other the time in the experience.

You’ve come to the right place coming here. There is a vast universe of knowledge in this motley crew.

Grow big. Grow healthy. But most of all… GROW PATIENTLY!

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Right on!!! This is the best place and I’m glad I did my research to get here…Thanks so much!!!

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I will post pictures the whole process.

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I’m excited to see them!

@Matthew420 @DissidentPriest I have a question. If I start out in solo cups for seedling stage with soil then switch too hydroponic buckets would that be a good idea? Or should I stick just with the hydroponic bucket from jump? I’m not sure if that would over stress the plant or even the soil would affect the hydroponic system I have.

I will start in the coco coir pellets rather then rock wool, then top it with a home made mix soil. I kind of want to baby my lady by starting in solo cups to give enough attention and nutrition to her roots. Any information would be helpful thanks!!!

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I won’t pretend to know about hydroponics. However, coco is not considered soil so maybe if your mix is heavier in coco it would make the transition better?

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I start in coco, then. once roots show a spiraling at the bottom of my humidity dome, transfer them to split rockwool and into the hydroponic system.

You have to be mindful of getting the roots very clean before transferring them to the rockwool/hydro system. No dirt!! Just lay them across the palm of my hand and srpray them with room temperature water from a misting bottle until they are clean.

Hope this helps!

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For some reason, I have never been successful starting a seed in rockwool. I have a bunch of friends that do it. I’ve seen 100s of videos showing it successfully done. I experience epic failure every time. I guess my green thumb just doesn’t work that way.

The other piece of advice I have about transferring to rockwool is this:

I wait, as I said, until I see a good long root spiraling around the bottom of my humidity dome. Once I clean the seedling, I tear my rockwool in half and place the seedling in it with the colored part of the stem flush with the top of the rockwool cube. This usually means I have 1-2" of root hanging out of the rockwool bottom. I gingerly place this into my net pot with a single layer of hydroton clay pellets on the bottom of the net. I then fill in around the sides and over the top of the rockwool with pellets. It is IMPORTANT to NOT press down on the rockwool while doing this. Young roots can be easily damaged. I do however, squeeze the sides of my cube firmly, and then let the pellets hold it in place. Using this method I have consistently had 5-6" of roots through the net pots and in the water within 3 days.

Good luck!

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Do you think that method could be applied to coco coir pucks? I’ve read reviews and people have had better results then the rockwool. Also I haven’t received my seeds just yet I’m just mapping out my growing plans as best as possible but I have ordered Blue Dream, Lemon Amnesia, Girl Scout Cookies Auto, Pineapple Express Auto, West Coast OG Auto, Angel’s Breathe, Brain’s Choice, Cinderella 99, northern light, and blueberry. Which should I start with first? And am I overwhelming myself for my first time?

I apologize for having so many questions!!!

I’ve never used the “pucks”. I use the pellets: add 10-20 ml of water and they expand filling a standard size egg carton receptacle. Technically, although I’ve never done it, you can transfer coco straight to a hydro system. I prefer to transfer to rockwool because the way I do it the seedling is supported at root and base a little better; thus, eliminating any need to stake them. I know this doesn’t really answer your question outright, but, coco is coco is coco. What works for my pellet starts should work for your puck starts.

Great gravey! That is quite a list of ladies you have coming. Over my years of growing, I have grown just about all of them. But, seeing as you are on your first time, I would recommend the Blue Dream. It is very easy, and forgiving. It responds well to LST and HST, and it has a good yield. Remember, while cannabis is cannabis, each strain has its own personality, so to speak. Until you familiarize yourself with how the strains grow in your environment, I recommend taking it slow, and scientific. Changes can work great on one plant, and shock another. While one plant seems to be excelling in the environment, a different strain may struggle in comparison. Go slow. Be exact. Write down observations, and measure then compare.

Back in my co-op days we got some Starfighter going (best freaking weed I’ve ever smoked, btw). We placed it in the same conditions as some God Bud and some Girl Scout Cookie. We were using a RDWC system. After 4 weeks, it was clear to us that we had a problem; as, the GB and GSC were humming right along, but the SF was struggling. We isolated it to nutrient load variance. Once we got the SF on its own system and changed the nutrients it worked out. The moral of the story: like people, cannabis in all its shades have similarities to each other, but, the differences are what make them stand apart as individuals.

Never ever, ever, apologize for asking questions. That is why we are here!

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I will take your advice and see how the coco works for me…Thanks so much!!! Some time I find myself over thinking things thus my questions but I completely understand…Grateful for this site!!!

Very helpful!

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In the relationship with the cannabis plant, “over thinking” is not a bad thing. In fact, all my failures, and many of the failures of others can probably be chalked up to not thinking enough. Mental downtime comes after harvest! :ok_hand:t2:

just to point out… remember to use PH’d water and not straight from the sink to clean the roots. Maybe goes without saying but just in case :slight_smile:

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