How Many Plants Do I REALLY Need To Grow?

ISO2BWELL

Hi All,

I am doing some posting to another site that is strictly MMJ for the NW, and since they are a new site I am wanting to help some folks get good info on growing MMJ.

I wrote the below post today, and would appreciate any critique you could pass along, or other info that should be there and isn't. I didn't want to get too "deep" this first article, but instead give a basic idea of how many a person could grow, and what we, as MMJ patients, truly need (with some margin for error) vs. how much we woud like to grow.

ISO


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How many plants do I need to grow?

BIG Question!

So many new medical growers growers have to face this issue that it seems worthwhile to spend a little time on it.

Were you planning on Outdoors, or Indoors?

Obviously, in the Pac. NW,outdoor growing is limited to that few months of weather in the Spring, Summer and early Fall. Outdoor strains typically will grow larger, and as a result often yield greater harvests, BUT, there are issues outdoor as well as in. Pests (spider mites, etc.) can be a real issue in outdoor growing, and you are less likely to be able to react to a sick or infested plant in the time needed to save it. In addition, you also open yourself up to having your grow stolen by thieves, or worse yet found by LEO.

For most medical users, a small indoor grow is sufficient to provide all the medicine needed, so let's concentrate on strictly indoor.

First question that comes to mind is: HOW MUCH do I need? How much am I using now to maintain my health, and is that amount likely to get larger as time progresses?

Addressing the above question, I can only speak for myself and the few other medical users I know, however you could adjust these numbers to suit your own needs.

For example, many patients use in the area of 2 1/2 to 3 oz. monthly, meaning, a 60 day supply would be 6 oz. of dried and cured bud. If you grow carefully, your plants should yield 1 oz. min per plant if allowed to grow to their average height. Smaller plants, placed into flower early in order to avoid growing too tall for a particular growing space, can yield 1/4 to 1 oz...No, it's not an exacting science, but we can take accurate guesses and be relatively close. Always err on the side of excess (grow 1 more plant than you think is needed), if given an option. It will take some practice to learn how large the plant must be to provide the 1 oz. (or whatever you factor it at) and that can also vary by strain and growing method)

Based on the figures used above (3 oz.s monthly), you would need to have space for 6 flowering plants and 3 in the veg stage. If you vegged the plants for 20 days, took clones for your next grow, and after 10 more days placed the vegging plants (3) into flower, and assuming 3 of your flowering plants are ready for harvest, you maintan a constant 6 in flower and 3 in veg, providing you with about 3 oz.s monthly. Depending on how large you let the plants get, you can grow this amount (9 total) in a relatively small area, however you will need to be very effecient with your gardening skills to be sure of maintaining your steady supply if growing in a small spaces.

6 flowering plants would need an area of about 3'X3'X3' (minimum), and 4'X4' by 48" tall would be far better (keep in mind your light fixture must sit above the plants, and if an HID light you can't get it too close (12" is about as close as you want to get with an air-cooled fixture). 3 Vegging plants do not require as much space, and you could likely raise them in an area as small as 2' X 2', providing you prune carefully and do not allow them to get too large. TIMING is a key factor, in that if you start your vegging plants too early, the 3 flowering plants may not be fully mature yet, and cause all kinds of back-up's in your rotation.

By taking your starts 10 days before you put the plants into veg, you can pretty much plan they will be ready to plant by the time the 10 days are up, meaning you can then safely transfer your vegging plants to flower, and plant the new clones in your veg area.

Many strains require a 8-9 week flower time while others might need 9-12 weeks, it rarely gets shorter but it can take longer if you do not have sufficient light available for the flowering plants so they mature on time. Be sure you DO NOT HARVEST until that plant is ready! You need quality medicine, not schwag, and harvesting early is likely to get you a less than satisfactory result from your grow!!

Basic schedule you can follow (based on 56 day flowering to maturity):

Day 1: Plant your new clones (or 3-4" plants grown from seed)

Day 20: Take your first clones (need 3, I would take 5 to be safe)

Day 30: Move the first 3 plants to flower, start the next 3 clones in veg.

Day 50: Take clones (5) for your next 3 vegging plants (destroy 2 if needed)

Day 60: Place the next 3 plants into flower, Start 3 rooted clones in Vegging phase

Day 80: Take clones from vegging plants for the next grow

Day 90: FIRST HARVEST of 3!! Start 3 clones in Vegging phase

Day 110: Take clones from vegging plants for the next grow

Day 120: Second harvest, and plant 3 more clones....

You can generally continue this cycle as long as you wish. You can also add in new strains when you start the new vegging plants (Days when you start your 3 new clones..just make the new strain 1 of the 3)

Making sure the buds are mature is key to any harvest. That will be left another thread.

Feel free to ask questions...I'm not an expert, but glad to share what I have learned, and I am sure that there are others here with answers to most anything you need to learn about growing.

All the best,

ISO

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ISO2BWELL

Just to clarify, GreenPassion is my HOME page...I ain't going anywhere! Instead, this is a new site very dedicated to strictly MMJ, and the owner and mod's are too busy or too ill to do it all alone. I'm just trying to help out a bit with the new growers.

Site is CannaCare Forums - Powered by vBulletin, and is set aside for the NW Medical user.

ISO

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green_nobody

well i miss the curing of the harvest and wouldn't grow from clones/ start my grow with clones as this is always a gateway for pest to get into your grow. but besides this personal preferences here on clones this is great i would say.


...mmmh - do you just flower 3 plants/clones at once? is the a legal reason to this, am i getting it all wrong or what is it with that??

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Keep the gun oiled and the thumb green!

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ISO2BWELL

Thanks Green!

In WA State, you are allowed to have "60 days supply". There are no regs at this moment (they are on the way) as to how many plants you can have etc., the law only says that a legal MMJ user can raise their own, and have 60 days supply of smokable bud on hand.

I tend to take the conservative side of things when it comes to the law, and my freedom from jail for being sick.

For me, 3 plants harvested monthly (that would be 6 plants rotating through the flower room at any time) will provide all the medicine I can use, or need. Since I will not sell it, my options to stay 100% within the state law is to either smoke it all or destroy the extra.

Interesting though is that if I really wanted to grow some qty. in the space I have, I could still do it with just 3 plants flowering at a time. Just harvested a Sweet Willie last month that had vegged 60 days and flowered for close to 8 weeks (it was ready). That one plant gave 9 1/3 oz., 3 would give me likely over 25 oz., about 19 oz's more than I could/should smoke in a 60 day period.

Honestly, I am trying to have as much FUN as the law will allow me, while keeping my illness somewhat in check (today is not a good day) and also not becoming a target for LEO. I figure if I don't do anything to bother them or give them reason to come looking, that life will be much better, and I can relax and enjoy what I have.

I've been growing more strains as I wanted to find out if they were of a help to my illness, or not. For instance, the BlueBerry I just harvested is great...but a "body-pain killer" is not what I need...but still, I had to try. I'll keep the oz. that plant gave me and use it as a bedtime smoke, otherwise it may cure for many months before use.

ISO

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green_nobody

yeah, never to good of an idea to wrestle of a little bud with the feds if you gained full privileges, that is only left as an option if they cut you down to so little that you can't make it or planing to outlaw it again. would be dumb to lose it for nothing.

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Keep the gun oiled and the thumb green!

http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp...Canada-eng.MP3

Pappy

Hey ISO,

You are a great help, here. I'm glad to hear you are helping others. I have gained much knowledge from you and I'm sure the people on the other site will benefit from your experience.

Keep up the good work.

Pappy:halloween3::thanks:

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You can't believe anything I say, and only half of what you see me do.

Hobo

commendable! great post for here and there

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www.greenlightnin.com - The best in Hydroponic Nutrients.

My Current Grow Journal...
http://www.greenpassion.org/f24/hobo...-welcome-2641/


PS i am a pathological liar, and have illusions of grandeur. I post pictures of pot plants i found on the internet and i have never nor will i ever consider the cultivation of marijuana, as it is illegal.

Mogie

I make several donations throughout the year to my local compassion center to stay within legal limits. Rotate so I always have nice freshly cured meds.

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ISO2BWELL

Hi Mogie,

That is awesome! I only wish I could do the same here, but there are major legal hassles with that here. Sadly, I know of no such place here in WA to donate to, and where it wouldn't lead to me wearing those US Gov't "bracelets".

ISO

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greengreen

sick. many of us im sure will be practicing this rotation give or take 2-5 plants ;P

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i am a pathological liar, and have illusions of grandeur. I post pictures of pot plants i found on the internet and i have never nor will i ever consider the cultivation of marijuana, as it is illegal.