2 Noobie Questions

[randy_spangler990]

Hey,

I'v searched the internet and could find much really about these things, so....

 

Firstly.

I'v been paranoid that when starting to grow, that the weather is going to be to wet and not sunny enough as we are going into winter in Australia (doesn't snow here) . Is this a problem? or should I wait out for the end of winter??

and also what is the recommended time to start growing?

 

Secondly.

I'v been looking for soil (i'll be growing in a pot).

So what would be the most beneficial I should get from a regular greeny.

Should I just get some soil with a pH level of around 6.5?

 

Remembering that this is my virgin ride on this trip.

So, any extra info and description would be very helpful.

 

 

Please help

thanks

[need4weed3]

Firstly......Fathers day September for outside

Second.... If your using a pot get a GOOD quality potting mix..

Don"t stress life is full of little adventures

[randy_spangler990]

So, right now is a no go to start??

[Frazz]

heya randy .. take note of need4weed's wise advice, also keep in mind that in the wild cannabis is an annual plant which sprouts seed in the springtime when the the danger of frosts have passed and days are getting longer ... and continues to grow until the late summer when the days are getting shorter and signals flower time for the plant ...

 

 

all the best with 'em

[marching band]

outdoors i would start sowing sees between jan and may. spread em out so you get a perpetual harvest as i have done with my cannabis grow tent featured in todays new post. if you plant after winter in late spring. you should finish bloom in october outdoors.

If your palnts are outdoors where they will be subject to rain a nutreal ph of 7 will be fine.

[GIY]

Outside is a no go at the moment ill second the fathers day sept advice.

 

Here is some advice i have given about soil before

 

All potting mix is pretty dodgy it is made mainly from composted pine bark and sometimes has some other beneficial additives.

The reason they are dodgy is because pine bark is hydrophobic, however, it is used because it is cheap and can be purchased in the correct aggregate size to achieve drainage objectives. Premium potting mixes no diff but have beneficial additives such as wetting agents (counter the hydrophobicity) and usually use more expensive forms of fert. For example a person mentioned amgrow before well - the diff between Amgrow regular pot mix and premium is the extra wetting agent. Another way potting mixes can differ is in the fertiliser they use. Premium potting mixes tend to use a complete fert that has a polymer coating around the pellets which controls the release of the ferts over 3 or six month periods.

 

If pot mix is dodgy why is it so popular???

The reason potting mix exists is because u cannot use soil in pots for water drainage reasons. Water will not flow from soil to air because the pores are so small in soil that water must be sucked out of soil or conducted, and for water to flow from a pot it must flow into air out of holes in the bottom. However, potting mix is so course that water freely flows from the bottom of the pot without the need for conduction. A reason potting mix is pretty bad is because they are so free draining that they tend to have very small water holding capacities. But this creates another problem they are so free draining that they tend to leach out important cations and this inturn decreases pH

 

NOTE - soil is way better than potting mix particularly a well structured clay high in organic matter. And soil can be used in pots BUT the pot must be watered very very very carefully in a way to avoid water logging at the bottom of the pot which will turn leaves an iron and N deficient yellow quicker than anything.

 

My advice is to make your own potting mix its very easy very cheap and better then the most expensive stuff u can get-

 

Go to your local garden supplies yard and buy 1/4 a meter cubed of 7mm screened pine bark, compost mix (just very degraded pine bark - looks black also known as black magic) and a quarter of sandy loam. The total cost of the 3/4m should be no more than $40.

Buy a small bag of gypsum a some osmocote and thrive and wetting agent.

 

Mix the soil ingrediants till u get a nice lite soil mix resembling pot mix (aim for very free draining mix)

 

Add about 8g of thrive - this is completely soluable and will leach easily but give plants a early kick of avail nutes.

Add osmocote - contains polymer slow release granuals for longer lasting mix

Add wetting agent to counter the hydrophobicity of pot mix.

 

The total cost should work out to be about 50-80c a bag (30lt) and would be better than most premium pot mix

 

 

Having said all that if i was u i would use rockwool and just water with a ph adjusted hydro nute running to waste. Very simple, cheap, fail safe way to grow. Rockwool is superior cause it holds amazing amounts of water yet impossible to water log.

[Frazz]

outdoors i would start sowing sees between jan and may. spread em out so you get a perpetual harvest as i have done with my cannabis grow tent featured in todays new post. if you plant after winter in late spring. you should finish bloom in october outdoors.

If your palnts are outdoors where they will be subject to rain a nutreal ph of 7 will be fine.

 

these timelines quoted are suitable for Northern Hemisphere only!