heres a few tips for those starting out in the world of growing:

1. Don't Overwater
Overwatering kills marijuana plants. Water once the top few inches of the soil dries out.

Hydroponics is harder to over water than soil, due to the abundance of water roots.

2. Don't Tell People
Why? They will only be jealous. People love to feel important and that is why they will tell other people; because others will listen to them.
Keep it to yourself.

3. Touch/kill Germinating Seeds
It can take up to 10 days for a seed to sprout. The paper towel method is not recommended because you must handle the seeds when transferring them from the paper towel to your growing medium.

4. Grow seeds from seeded marijuana (hermaphrodite seeds)
Unless you are prepared for possible disappointments don’t use "unknown" seeds. This is why people buy seeds from seedbanks.

Self-seeding MJ is produced from hermaphrodite plants or a very stunted and late flowering male the grower did not notice. Flowered hermi seeds will produce tall late flowering females coupled with early flowering males.

5. Don't Over-fertilize
Fertilize after first 2 spiked leaves appear.

Start with 25% of recommended label strengths and work your way up. If the leaves suddenly twist or fold under, Leach and Spray with pure water for several days!

Don’t fertilize your plants every time you water! A common watering schedule is to fertilize at full strength, then water at half or quarter strength. This prevents excess salt buildup, leaf and root burn. In addition, don’t water at full strength if the medium is too dry – root burn can occur.

As a precaution, leach the plants with lots of pure water every 2-4 weeks.

6. Don't Under-fertilize
Under-fertilizing is less common. If you prefer to give the plant ‘just enough nutrients’, use a organic soil mixture with blood meal and bone meal or some slow release fertilizer with micro nutrients.

7. Don't Start with Clones
Start with seeds. Bugs are a pain, as are plant diseases. Many growers are able to grow indoors without pest problems for years. Another grower’s cuttings are almost guaranteed to have diseases &/or pests.

8. Don't Provide A Bad Environment
Always provide air circulation and fresh air even during the night cycle. All the air indoors should be replaced every 5-10 minutes.
Humidity between 30-70% temp aim for around 75-85' Even seedlings need a gentle fan to strengthen the stems.

9. Don't Harvest Too Early
25% of the weight will form in the last 2 weeks. Begin flushing with 100% pH’d water when the pistil are 25% brown. Harvest when the plants have totally stopped growing and the white pistils are at least 50-75% brown.

*NOTE: Outdoors if security is a factor make your own call on when to sacrifice the fields. Also take buds continuously in case of thieves.

Common questions:

Q. Can marijuana grow in a northern climate?
Marijuana plants can grow anywhere corn can grow. All it needs is three growing months - seed to harvest. 2 if started indoors!

Q. Why do I have to buy seeds? Why can't I use my own that I picked from my own stash?
Most people desire, and want to be guaranteed, certain characteristics in their mature female plants. The seeds from any weed will all grow into something different. This is unprofitable and inefficient. As opposed to knowing the single set of requirements for your entire crop, you must provide a different set of requirements for each of your plants.

Q. What is better for a new grower - hydroponics or soil?
I believe the all around "better", more convenient setup is soil. Hydroponic grows faster, yet does not produce extra potent buds. Hydro should be attempted after you have a few successful soil crops under your belt.

If you are starting from seed and growing for personal, soil is the practical growing medium. If the crop is started with clones and is commercial, a hydroponics setup is more practical.

Q. Why are my seedlings stretching?
Low light conditions. They also need a gentle wind. Plants will also stretch when subjected to conditions of high humidity.

Q. What kind of lights should I use?
Cheap 4 ft. cool white fluorescent tubes : for germination/seedlings

400 watt Metal halide/HPS : for personal home growers
1000 watt Metal halide/HPS : for some personal growers and commercial growers.
*Use at least 40 watts per sq. foot of grow space.

Q. How far should the lights be from the plants?

Fluorescent: tips of leaves almost touching bulbs
400 watt halide : two feet away from seedlings and one foot away from grown plants
1000 watt halide: four feet away from seedlings and two feet away from grown plants

Q. How often should you water?
Once a week or once every two week for soil and twice a day with a hydroponic flood and drain system.
*When top 2 inches of the soil dry out.* Occasionally provide periods of extra dry and wet soil.
*Allow 10% extra water to drain out of the bottom of the tray.* This will prevent toxic fertilizer build up.

Q. How long do your seeds last? What's the best way to keep them?
Seeds can last over 5 years if kept cool and dry. They may last up to 10 years if sealed and frozen, but fewer will germinate.

Don't start with clones? I imagine you will find mucho disagreemento on this one. (?)

I do both seed and clone and see benefits and drawbacks to both. I think a lot of it depends on your system too....

I think that the issue is with other grower's insect/plant disease issues that you coud be getting when starting with clones from them.

But if you know/and have visited the source...clones are fine IMO.

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Just started my first grow today een given some cuttings large enough to go straight under the light. Should i have drenched the mix before i put the babies in or just nice and damp????
I opted for damp but the top is drying out rather quick. Light is plenty of distance away fan is working in conjunction with ext fan pefectly, humidity is hovering around 30 temp top 87. Should i give them a good soaking with feed? or plain water? or just leave them be till top 2 inches of soil are dry? please advise and sorry to pester but you know how it is first grow giddy on and all that ;)

Damp not Soaked, What do you have them in soil/soilmix??
There might be enough nutes in the soil/soilmix to support them for a bit, Water should be fine..
But again what are you using for soil and what is the N.P.K?

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PEACE.
Never stop growing.
Seeds are the future.

Shaman is right we need to know what the soil mix is? Also good job on just dampening the soil. What kind of cuttings are they?

sorry dudes iam using the cocao natural plan stuff with some grow stuff mixed

dunno i was given them without question but may find out later? They were started off hydro and are in rockwool as we speak hopefully growing through into my cocao mix stuff. yey

I would start with just water.. What kind of food/fert do you plan on using?

__________________
PEACE.
Never stop growing.
Seeds are the future.

i have Greendream 1 part plant fert veg / guardian angel for roots / green dream 1 plant fert flower / budlink. What how and when please dudes

sorry guys iu will just read the instructions it dont look to complicated

Sorry I never used those products Check the label or make a new thread under "Indoor Growing" Some one will be able to help.

__________________
PEACE.
Never stop growing.
Seeds are the future.

thanks for the advice

Be sure to take it easy with the ferts cannabis usaly burn in my experince when applied as instucted on pack, like video sayd start at 25% strangth. Peace and good luck on the new garden.