Think I'm Cursed

Oh, I am in on my first grow for almost two months, and I originally pictured myself out in my humongous shed with 5’x5’ twin veg/flowering room, but health issues, broken down truck, lots of expenditures of various lights I will eventually use, and exhaust fans of two sizes, so far I am killing my plants, somewhat. One I likely overwatered after transpant to five gallon buckets, and I think I over nutriented plants too, and embarrassingly with the marijuana booster the first time I believe. I just took 36 clones, and I am unsure if I am doing those right, beginning to think I might only have clones left over of the one I damaged bad. Too little light, too much heat in a confined grow tent, bout the only think keeping me going is I finally got my medical marijuana card and went out and bought my first weed, accidently bought a half ounce of kush high thc, but the other was a higher cbd that I tried some that made some of my pains go away and made me get some sleep, unfortunately I smoked a hand rolled joint that sent my damaged sinuses into a sinus migraine attack for about five or six days, needless to say, I want to just have cbd white widow style oils or edibles made up someday to either ingest or rub on the headache or damaged areas, caused from military service poisoning(injuries in the military years ago), no retirement from them of course. Anyway, I may be lucky to have a grow setup properly set up this year the way things are looking, and I don’t think my mistakes could be corrected by a support ticket. I have two younger seed started plants barely holding their own to repair themselves, I nute burned them obviously, drying of the leaves, good thing for new growth! I think my original five larger two month old plants with large stems are just going to be “practice” and for use of making clones, I’ll continue to damage them, stunt their growth, kill their leaves, etc etc. I mean, jeese, I have a green thumb, so to speak, pain and suffering has slowed me down and muddled my thinking, and my ability to setup my shed as a decent legal grow area, really irks me real real bad. I am hoping the five oldest live in the five gallon buckets at least, would be nice to flower them later in a proper setup, and by that time their stems will be very large, errrr, if I don’t kill them. I went from six inch pots to five gallon buckets when they were extremely root bound. I have my plants in a 4x2 foot seedling tent in my own darned bedroom, where I check the tent numerous times per day, well, usually, not so much for five days recently after overwatering, was best several got real real dry after overwatering damage.

What I have learned is to slow down and think about what i’em going to do next.
Must have a plan first.
Go an check out my clones i’em all over te place in here.
I’ll be more than happy to share what I have with you.

Will

You know I think that what I’m sensing is that almost all new growers think that the more we feed and water the larger the plants will be. That just don’t work here. I mean I’m 62 years old, grew up on a farm and have raised everything from cotton to Whipporwill peas. I mean prepped the ground, threw down the fertilizer and the seed and then plowed with a horse or mule… You would think I could raise a weed given all the high tech, huh? And I’m no dummy I flew helicopters in the Army up to and including the Apache and retired as a Major (disability got me too). I have degenerative joint and disc disease; extensive osteoarthritis; osteoporosis and Fiber Myalgia; two compression fracture of the spine; and, Scoleosis front to back and to the left side. I’m already taking hydrocodone and have an interthecal Morphine pump. Thus my interest in weed. That is if I can get it to grow. Oh, well.

Any way i\I’m hoping that some of the good growers will weigh in on a possible best course of action for the couple of plants I have left. Whether to continue in soil now that they perked back up some or shift back to hydro. I mean what would probably be the best course of action to preserve the plants and make a little something out of them.

Thanks for the responses and best wishes to everyone and stay sane–get stoned. Peace.

Well if there coming back I would leave them along.
I grow up on a veg. farm did the same as you. I to am 62 yr.s old We grow weeds back then and had to weed them out and this is a weed and have all kinds of trouble growing the dam stuff…don’t figure…lol
I’em sorry to hear about your pain…I will send you the recipe for Rick Simspon Hash ol really great for meds.

Well, for my problems, as a beginner, I just figured out one of my problems I figured before I even started would likely end up as a problem, is that my five gallon buckets, I only drilled five half inch drill bit holes on the bottoms, but those bottoms have a lip that when set down seals the bottom, seems I believe the soils stay wet 2/3rds the way down, only the tops seems dry, so I was giving them too much water. Later today I will I believe drill aeration holes on the bottom sides of the pots or up from the bottoms a ways, for aeration, ummm, not that the bottom holes were really a bad idea, the problem here is that the plants didn’t have that big of root systems yet, it would still be a problem of overwatering if a person didn’t dig down a few inches to see the soil is still moist. So far, I only have two seriously affected two month old plants, I think they will survive if I am careful. I took 38 clones and put them in clear plastic containers with a seedling/cloning light set up over them, several just with plastic zip lock bags over them rubber banded, to keep in humidity, etc, since most flopped over, except the younger smaller stem clones, a real lesson, to get clones started when they are thin and bout two to three inches long only, or at least for my ease of work.
I have a 600 watt ipower led light on the main five plus two smaller plants, don’t have the tent door closed, maintaining 77 to 78 degrees, I blame myself for laziness and injuring my left shoulder. I mean, cooling could be with a four inch vortex bringing in either fresh colder air and a six inch vortex exhausting out or just two four inch vortex fans as described for a small seedling tent, and my plants are no longer seedlings.
What I thought was over nutrient application of course, like I said, was over watering. I still believe in the five gallon bucket method, I know a lot of folks prefer smaller containers, but the five gallon bucket method in outdoor gardening for either vegetables or other, has always allowed plants to get large fast even if they either stay in a bucket or go into ground. For weed, should be just the way to go, the key here is aeration of the soil I believe if roots aren’t all through the bucket yet. Outside in spring through early fall, with wind, its a chore just to keep five gallon buckers hydrated, but technically when I overwatered I was drugged up with pain pills forgetting when I even did watering last.

I also notice some folks are using maybe five gallon mesh cloth like containers, likely great for aeration, unless it is too much aeration of course. That could be something I try out in the future, mesh “bags”, maybe. If I hadn’t strained/hurt my shoulder about almost a month and a half ago, I believe hauling in large 3.2 cu ft “wet” peat moss cubes to my back shed from the front driveway, like an idiot, I’d be just now starting flowering of five healthy large plants in five gallon buckets, in my shed, completely set up even with air conditioning and the dehumidifier setup I already own, I have practically everything on hand ready to start. I actually wished I had ordered the $450 1000 watt led ipower light, it has twin panels, twin switches, each panel would do 400 watts real power useage, oh well, cause 400 watt real power useage would get me likely 75 degrees heat in a small area. SO THOSE WHAT MY PROBLEMS, ASSOCIATED WITH MY POST UP PREVIOUS, in case that helps anyone and the original poster. My next step in screwing up will likely be “not enough moisture”, ha, I wouldn’t doubt. Right now I personally have outdoor gardening concerns, replacement strawberry plants(not pot) to replace those I destroyed last year with accidental over nutrienting with powdered fertilizer when I was ill a lot with my problems, and over medicated by the veterans administration, the folks whom I wished would in the future provide pot in a overmedication way to veterans who can’t grow their own, I mean, I believe it is easier to get overmedicated and screwed up with pills/narcotics instead of weed or weed products or even pot pills I’ve heard of. I mean, I’d pop some pain pills and headache pills and find myself on the couch for four or five hours at a time withiout moving.

Go with soil, a lot less problems has the plants are just has nice!

Now that you know what you didn’t know before about pH and root zone temps in hydro, you’ll probably do even better growing in soil, if that is what you decide to do. As well as having a better understanding of nutrient concentration, also known as EC or PPM. All these things can cause problems in soil also, maybe just not as readily, quickly or easily.

With a really “new to growing cannabis person”, I often see them have just as many problems regardless if they start in soil or DWC hydro.

Soil is usually easier for the beginner, because as long as you aren’t over doing things, soil kind of buffers and self regulates a lot of things on its own, as well as possibly supplying some nutrients your plant food might be missing, and growing in soil, you can sometimes have a plant tolerate a lot higher root-zone temps. A negative to soil is you can over water.

The advantage to DWC hydro is it is pretty much impossible to over water and it is a little harder to get some pests as they don’t have soil to lay their eggs in. The bad thing about hydro is you don’t have the soil to regulate and buffer things that you might not have tuned just quite perfect. The other advantage, and why I myself find DWC hydro easier than soil is because the reservoir is the root-zone and this means that you know exactly what is going on in the root zone, all those previous parameters, with one quick measurement. For me this is much easier to control and adjust than trying to correct a pH or severe nutrient imbalance in soil. And lastly it is very hard to duplicate the explosive growth of DWC in soil.

And BTW, here is an example of the good microbes I found on e-bay, but you don have to get this brand or these types, shop around:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/121456797096?lpid=82&chn=ps

I can see that once I get about three soil grows, maybe more, I might start planning on hydro after those myself, cause other than the usual precautions, and the figuring out of setup, seems way easier to maintain than soils, apart from the faster crops.

Thanks for replying folks.

Budbd, I definitely hear you. I’ve got the same same with the VA. I do see a civilian Pain Specialist who manages my narcotics prescriptions He has helped keep me out of some nasty interaction problems with the meds the VA gives me for bi-polar depression and PTSD. I sleep walk bad. Short of lashing me to the bed there’s just sleep meds that will keep me from it. There’s nothing , and I do mean nothing, I can’t and won’t get out of. What usually ensues is that I wake up falling down. And so far the falls have led to 80+ stitches/staples and 1 Super Glue wound closures on scalp and face; 6 broken ribs; countless broken fingers and toes; and, a shattered right hip. The hip alone comprised 3 surgeries and incision that took 134 staples to close in the final surgery alone. I already had a right knee replacement so everything (ball, joint and femur) hipwise except for 3 inches of bone between the replacement knee and hip is titanium. And, flat out, weed does more good for me than most all of the prescriptions together.

That said. I am going to leave the two survivor plants in soil and further we’ve moved them outdoors and given a couple of rains and warm nights I really believe they are going to make. I’ve ordered seed from the site here earlier, which it doesn’t look like are going to come in (I ordered on 3/11/'15 and haven’t received anything yet). Other seeds of strains the shop here doesn’t carry will be in soon too, I hope. I’ll go back to hydro with them now that I’ve managed a proper environment in the grow tent. Hydro was really great and to me much easier than soil indoors or outdoors.I just didn’t have a right atmosphere.

MacGyver Stoner, thanks for the microbe info I really appreciate it and all your great advice. Soon as I can some Mycor in here I lay it on these plants let 'er rip. I’ve really good feelings about that being the answer to many problems.

Later dudes and as a friend says, “Keep the red end out of your mouth,”

Speaking of the va, I have had some “differences” with them, and I am an agitator now, and getting back into va care, but I stay on the latest news, and I attend some newer local town hall meetings, and one of their bigwigs is now saying they plan on cutting down on medications to veterans, cause they feel they have been getting a bad reputation, etc etc, meaning they in the future won’t likely give the same medication someone might get from a civilian doctor, I know how they think with only two years of association with them, but understanding government bs like what concerns other main issues. Last year, I don’t remember much of it, I was in a fog, I think one of those times they started me on a newer pain med, I pretty much found myself all the time bout ready to bust loose on pro government or folks who needed to be yelled at, but not in a civil society. I mean, they were handing me a medicine I told them I was having problems with and I received a threat and blood tests to make sure I was still taking it, not for ptsd I don’t have they would like to have me on to shut me up on, but for my migraines/headaches they don’t want to recognize from my two skull fractures in the military, I mean, if skull fractures and concussions don’t give headaches then all the hub bub concerning AMA already recognizing such can happen to the younger veterans who have had a lot of concussive injuries.
Amyway, I was having an interaction with a medicine, like I said, I mean, I am older and weaker, but without even thinking bout it I was looking for arguments on various issues, even luring in con artists and thieves at various places to engage in some “conversation”, ha, the cowards, I was lucky I left the va in a rage over their mouth, temporarily, and trying to get back in soon, just for the medical care and cheap meds, cause the one medicines I went into withdrawals like I was on some sort of bad drug. I suppose they will drug test me when I get called back in with a new primary care provider and try to make a big deal out of me maybe testing positive for cannabis, unless it is like when I was in the military, I once smoked the most hash a friend had ever seen who grew up smoking pot, and two days later I accidently ended up in the barracks while on vacation, and I tested negative, then they wanted to test me again watching me closely. Later on I smoked some a week prior and I tested negative while another feller who had smoked two weeks prior tested positive for pot. It scares me in a way if my body might not process cannabis right, or it is no longer the case, I mean, I need that alternative medicine.

News from the home front. I believe that I’ve weathered the worst of the storm. All 3 of the plants we’ve been nursing are showing promise again. Yeah, all three! The pics from today show that good, new growth is happening. Even the one plant I had already had a hand on it ready to pull up and toss. Thursday AM showed it has some nice, new top growth coming along. And by the end of the day I literally could see how much the largest plant had grown.

So the question now becomes when and how much do I start feeding again. At first I thought to move these plants back into the grow enclosure but am changing my mind. They are doing so well outdoors I’m going to leave them out and start a new batch of 5 or so plants in hydro soon as I receive some seeds. I received the mycorrhiza MacGuyver put me onto Thursday and will add that today so we can see how much difference that will make. So I would welcome whatever thoughts I can get about feeding and watering at this Juncture. We moved them out in 2 gal soft pots and got about 4 inches of rain on them. Someone else can say for sure but my guess is that even the “Super Soil” the plants are in will have leech out quite a bit with that amount of rain. Who knows given some more great help I may get something to grow yet…

“Toke 'em if you’ve got 'em.” Maybe the all Volunteer Army can use can use that one.

The worst may be over. Unfortunately the small plant didn’t make it despite showing some promise. The 2 larger plants are starting to have noticeable growth over a days time. I could use some fresh advice on feeding though. I went 5 days between feeding and watering due to the amount of rain the plants received. The soil remained plenty moist up until today when a small amount of dry started to show against the side of the soft pots. So they got a nice drink and Grow Booster to the tune of 580 ppm. We’ve had 3 nights in a row with near frost temps so we’ve brought the plants into the house and put them back outside when the temps started rising in the AM.

So I’m hoping to hear from some of the old hand growers. Should I consider moving the plants to 5 gal. soft pots now and start increase the feedings or continue to go cautiously for a bit longer?

Would you believe that these 2 hombritas are the same 2 plants in the pictures of April 9th (post 19 in this thread)? A month can reallly mean some serious recouperation and growth. You can easily tell how the canopies of these plants are just exploding! Right or wrong depending on who you ask I went ahead and clipped all the little growth popping up on the stem below the primary fan leaves. My thought there was that the plant was putting energy into something that will never see light, literally, as I put these plants into a 12/12 light environment to force flowering.

But here is the real gist of this post: 1) The smaller plant is showing white nodules that I take to be roots trying to form on the 1 to 1-1/2 inches above the soil level in the 3 gal. soft pot. Could this be an indication that the plant is starting to get root bound? The plants were showing serious root rot when I yanked them out of hydro and transplanted them to soil. So as not to further damage the root systems I left them in the petty potsand clay balls there were in in hydro.

  1. I am about start using rain water now that I’ve got enough captured. As I sat about mixing water and nutrients this AM I ran into a couple of head scratchers. Ph Was just about what I wxpected at 7.1 but when I checked the TDS of the rain water it read 336 ppm. Would contamination cause such a reading? Still more perplexing was when I checked EC I got 7.6W. With that reading I’ve got to assume that some TMDE (Test, Measurement, and Diagnostic Equipment) in military terms h out of calibration. But I can’t tell for sure which.

I’m hoping to get a little well informed knowledge BEFORE 'using the rainwater. These plants have had enough traima without adding anything to it.

Good growing and great toking, dudes. Peace!