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EXTREME newbie needing guidance


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Hello fellow aussies.

 

I'm sorry to have to burden some of you with this, but iv been looking online for a simple explanation regarding nutrients and PH level testing, but all i seem to find is information on how to raise the PH or lower it, and the preferred PH levels, but no information in regards to what I'm testing....lol....

I wasn't kidding when i said extreme newby, and i feel like a real dumbass having to ask, but all well...we all gotta start somewhere don't we? I'm familiar with smoking weed, just not growing it lol.

 

So I'm just going to ask some questions in hopes someone could give me some starting info....

 

So regarding nutrients, I'm guessing this is the equivalent to a fertilizer?

How often will i be required to give nutrients to my plants?

When testing the PH, are we testing the PH of the plants themselves, or simply just the nutrients we feed them?

I plan on hand feeding my plants, so I'm not using a reservoir - does this mean i must test the PH of the nutrients with each "mix" i make?

If i used the exact same ratios of nutrients and water each time i make a mix to feed my plants, why must i test the PH each time?

What could make the PH different?

Does the planting matter (soil, coco etc) have any affect on PH?

What is the best planting matter for growing cannabis?

How soon should i start giving my seedlings nutrients?

Can anyone recommend a really good nutrient?

Should i sprout the seeds in the same place the plant will grow, or is it ok to move them once they start getting bigger?

How long can i store seeds?

Whats the best way to store the seeds?

 

Any information regarding the above would be extremely helpful,

Thank you so much for your time,

Cheers ;)

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Yeah, way too much to answer at once, and all available already.

 

If you want to start, try to keep it simple, and research and develop from there, but do a lot of reading first.

 

Stay away from cheap potting mixes as a growing medium.  If you want to go hydroponic and hand water, get some quality pre buffered coco and some coco specific nutrients, and you can sort of treat it like growing normally in pots with glorified water, just making sure to get good runoff every time you water.

 

PH is important as the plants can only uptake specified nutrients in the correct PH range, in hydroponic that's between 5.5-6.5, ideally around 5.8ish.  You measure the PH of the nutrient mix itself before feeding, and you need to check every batch as the water you use will fluctuate in PH from day to day, also worth checking your batches over time as occassionally the nutrient solution can change over time.

 

Start off feeding nutrients at 1/4 strength and build up as they grow.  Start off in smaller pots, and pot up as roots fill the space.

 

Spend a few hours or more reading cannaversity and grow journals etc.  If you do a grow, post a grow journal here and you will get help along the way.  Good luck, and welcome aboard

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Thank you so much for the responses, glad to hear my answers can be found within the forums already. I just assumed these forums were for experiened growers, therefor wouldnt have much info for a complete newby.

 

Sirpsychohashy thanks heaps for that info, its given me a good starting platform on what i need to look into. Iv spent ages reading about lighting and how the process of lighting the plants works, how active carbon filters work, lightmeters, feminizing seeds etc id completely overlooked the nutrient aspect, which is prob one of the most important lol.

 

My 1st grow will be from just some standard seeds from a friend, so i can get some practise, but while i had the money, i brought a few strains online.... do you think the seeds will hold out until after my practise run? Or is fresher better?

 

Iv definatley decided on LED lighting, got two 600W panels for my grow tent at 2.5 x 1.5 x 2 m. i figure two much LED light is better than not enough, so im also bidding on 4 250w panels to place around the sides of the growing tent.

 

Got 3 x 10" fans with ducts... proberbly a bit of overkill i know, but i guess more circulation of air, the better, especially with the extra lights,

 

Two stand fans for inner aie circulation.

 

So pretty much just aquiring my materials before going ahead. Im glad you mentioned the cheap potting mixes, as ebay had a few cheapy bags of coco i was going to buy, as i assumed they would all be the same, but oviously not. Is there a good brand of coco that is popular among the growing community? And do different strains thrive with different planting matter?

 

Anyways i best get reading hey....

 

Thanks so much for my starting pkatform, i really appreciate it, and cant thank you enough

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Hey Bl0nd3y,

great to see you out and about asking questions!

Also awesome to see you thinking about LED's.

 

Most will try to talk you out of that decision but stay firm and give it a crack.

Just bought a new Led light myself

Interested to see what light you go with and to see the results.

If I was you as a newbie and I am too.growing indoors....Have a look at Hempy buckets!

Very simple, soil and coco can be a pain in the ass.

Especially soil indoors!

Anyway Goodluck!

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Thank you all for the useful advise.

 

Wow, i was unaware users on ebay will dob you in, sounds like a form of entrapment really.

I best look into that aswell then, cheers for the headsup! If anyone comes round to investigate

Ill just do the usual and cry LMAO. Im only 5" so im tiny, and so far crying has gotten me out of lots of

Trouble....even if it is due to pity, i aint complaining haha.

 

Im hoping the negative grow reviews for LED are due to lack of lumins/Watt rather that anything else, as they are

Expensive not many people would over-do it with the lightin, so im keen to give it a try. I see so many bad reviews for

Them, but for me i need them, as summers coming up, we have 39 degree days, so anything thats goinh to give of aot of heat isnt

Good. Also theres the electricity, our bills are around $900 per bill already, so anything to save power.

 

As often as people say "dont get them" on most forums, i have actually seen a few grow diaries on a few different

Sites showing some pretty sweet results, so it will be interesting to attempt anyway. Sunsetcoastreefer thanks for the sugguestion

I have never heard of them but im keen to look into anything, after reading about coco and mixing nutrients its apparently not good.

 

 

Cheers again everyone, your all a bunch of legends :)

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I see a few people mix CFL with LED for some decent results. I have heaps of photography lights with E27 screws

Just had a look through what iv got, and i have 6x 55w 230v 5400k globes

And two flood lights, 2x ambiance par38 23W 1200lm 50Lm/W cool daylight 220-240v 50-60hz

Do you think these lights will come in handy?

post-54761-0-02780300-1408248055_thumb.jpg

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That could get you going I reckon blondey...but i reckon coco has got to be one of the easiest mediums to grow in myself :)  If you could fashin a reflector around the many eyed creature 

 

I think there would be enough light I don't know abut the floodlights though,  but if ya add the watts it might as well be  a small hid grow.  That is unless you are fixed on the led.  But those cfls should get you vegged nice and flowered albeit maybe not with the density of flower...dunno, but you can look at stoned jester's cfl grow and he got some respectable buds indeed.  good to see you keen :thumbsup: Its the best way. 

 

Peace and all good things

faith :sun:

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