ditch the dealer
TRANSCRIPT
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1|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
DitchTheDealerTheNiceNEasyWay(ToThe20Ounce)Index:Disclaimer.
(Page
2)
VersionsAndAuthorContact. (Page2)
Introduction:
Whywasthiswritten? (Page3)
Sourcesofinformationandcopyright. (Page4)
WillIunderstandthis? (Page4)
TheFirstRule! (Page5)
Planning:
Doingthemath. (Page6)
Buyingequipment. (Page6)
Setupcosts. (Page7)
Runningcosts. (Page8)
Generalpriceguide(RunningCosts). (Page9)
TheGrow:LightDistanceChart. (Page10)
Week0. (Page11)
Week1. (Page16)
Week2. (Page17)
Week3. (Page18)
Week4. (Page21)
Week5. (Page22)
Week6. (Page25)
Week7. (Page27)
Week8. (Page29)
Week9. (Page31)
Week10. (Page32)
Week11. (Page34)
Week12. (Page36)
Week13&14. (Page39)
Week15AndBeyond. (Page40)
PlantDeficienciesChart. (Page41)
SolutionsToNutrientDeficiencies. (Page43)
OtherThings. (Page46)
Harvesting,CuringAndStorage. (Page47)
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2|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
Disclaimer:
"Ihate toadvocatedrugs,alcohol,violence,or insanity toanyone,but they'vealwaysworkedforme." HunterS.Thompson
Since2009growingCannabisintheUKhasbeenregradedtoaClassBoffence,andproducingthe
plantcancostyouupto14yearsinprison. Iaminnowaytryingtogetanyonetobreakthelaw,no
matterhowstupidIpersonallyfeel it is. Idonotgroworcondonethegrowingofanything illegal.
All pictures here are widely available on the internet, and any information herein should not
constituteadviceorbeconsideredadvicetoassistinactivitiesthataredeemedillegal. Thistext is
forprivateconsumptiononly,andbyreadinganyfurtheryouagreethatyouknowthelawsinyour
countryandacceptliabilityofanyillegalactionsyoucommit.
Forthe
government
information
on
the
reclassification
of
Cannabis
see
below:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drugslaw/cannabisreclassification/
VersionsAndAuthorContact:DocumentVersion: 1.0(PostDraftProduction).Author
Contact:
SkunkForums.org
(https://skunkforums.org/skunkforums/member.php?u=1113)
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drugs-law/cannabis-reclassification/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drugs-law/cannabis-reclassification/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drugs-law/cannabis-reclassification/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drugs-law/cannabis-reclassification/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drugs-law/cannabis-reclassification/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drugs-law/cannabis-reclassification/https://skunkforums.org/skunkforums/member.php?u=1113https://skunkforums.org/skunkforums/member.php?u=1113http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drugs-law/cannabis-reclassification/ -
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3|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
Introduction:Whywasthiswritten?
I'vebeen
growing
cannabis
since
2005,
and
asmoker
for
more
than
two
decades.
Over
the
last
few
yearsI'vehaveseenasharpincreaseinthecostofstreetcannabis,andadeclineinitsalreadydodgy
quality. Ifyou'reluckyyoumaystillbeabletogetdecentproduce,butforthemostpartpeopleare
buying20bagsofwetuncuredCannabisthatweighsaslittleas2gramswhendriedout. Ifyou're
notthat luckyyoumaybefacedwiththe infamousGritWeed,ortheUKstapledietandCannabis
worldjokeSoapbar.
BothGritWeedandSoapbarareofthelowestquality,andworstofalltheyareactuallyharmfultoconsume.Eventhoughthegutterpresswouldlikeyoutothinkthat(andIhatetheterm)"Cannabisfactories"
arebeing
found
by
the
police
every
day
Ifind
it
difficult
to
purchase
any
sort
of
Cannabis,
and
the
older Iget theharder itgets. Ialso findthe factofgivingawaymyhardearnedcashwhen Ican
easilydoitmyselftobedistastefulatleast.Evenifitwasntabouttheexpense,theresalwaysyou
safetytothinkon. Thereareplentyofnutsonthestreetsjustwaitingtobotherpeople. Thenthere
isalwaystheloomingpossibilityofthepolicepickingyouup,anditscriminalrecordtime. Noneof
thesethingsappealtome.
Duetoalltheabove issuesIresearchedhowtogrowmyown. MyfirsttestrunwasinaPCtower
case. Then Igrew inconvertedwardrobes,andsomesmalloutdoorplants. Alloftheseproduced
Cannabisofafairgrade,butnotenoughtobeselfsufficient. AsselfsufficiencyisthegoalIlooked
into upgrading my space, and investigated "stealth kits" among other prefabricated rooms. With
thesekits
your
space
can
be
built
into
adisguised
cabinet,
chest
of
drawers,
or
even
just
asealed
blankunit. Ididn'thaveathousandpoundsburningaholeinmypockethowever,andhavefound
thecheaperversionsofthese itemstobeofpoorbuildquality,sothestealthoptionwasout. DIY
wasalsoanoption,but Ihavebeendownthisroutebeforewith filters,convertedwardrobesand
thelike. Althoughtheydowork,Ihavefoundtheirmaintenancecanoutweighthereducedstarting
cost, and you sometimes end up spending more than if you had bought a manufactured item
especiallyovertime. Ifyou'rereallygoodatDIYthenitmaybeanoptionforyou. Iambothclueless
and lazywhen it comes to things like that,and as thename implies I like a NiceNEasy way to do
things.
In the end I found the best option for cost, space and end product was the Grow Tent. It is a
cheaper,efficient
alternative
to
ahard
sided
box,
and
this
is
where
we
will
be
concentrating
our
efforts.
http://www.gritweed.co.uk/http://www.gritweed.co.uk/http://www.gritweed.co.uk/http://www.ukcia.org/activism/soapbar.phphttp://www.ukcia.org/activism/soapbar.phphttp://www.gritweed.co.uk/ -
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4|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
Introduction:Sourcesofinformationandcopyright:
The
majority,
if
not
all
the
information
supplied
in
this
document
can
be
found
on
the
internet
through Google searches. I have taken the things that work well, and put them together in this
documenttotryandhelpothersstartingoff.
These methods have been repeatedly used with good success, and while you shouldn't have any
greatdifficultyeachgrowandenvironmentaredifferentsoIoffernoguarantee.
Ihavetriedtousemyownwordsandcopyrightfreepictures,butincaseswherebetterdetailswere
found Ihaveused them. Inthosecases, Ihave triedtoprint thesourceofanymaterial. I'mnot
tryingtotakecreditforworkanyoneelsehasdone. Thecopyrightstayswiththeoriginalauthor.
Thisis
far
from
adefinitive
guide.
Nor
is
it
saying
this
is
the
only
or
the
best
way
to
grow
Cannabis
butitdoesworkwellinthissituation. Therearealotofdifferentwaystogrow,eachwiththeirown
plusandminuspoints. Theintenthereistoprovideapossiblestartingsolutionforyouto"Ditchthe
Dealer",nottogiveanotheroverviewonCannabisortoproduceaBible. Therearemanybooks
ongrowingCannabis,writtenbyprofessionalsthatgiveyouthewholehistory,culture,andallthe
basics. JustputasearchthroughGoogleandtakeyourpick.
The majority of books I have read only concentrate on people converting whole rooms, or larger
spacesforgrowing. Ifyou'reonlygrowingforyourselfchancesareyouwon'tneedtoknowhowto
convertaroom,atleastnotinthebeginning. Whatyoudoneedtoknowishowtoadoptasystem
that will fit into your lifestyle, be unobtrusive, and provide an end product that will satisfy your
needs.
Hopefullythis
text
will
at
least
point
you
in
the
right
direction.
WillIunderstandthis?
Somegrowingterminology isused,soIdoassumeyouwillhavetheknowledgetounderstandthe
basics. Other than that, this text is geared towards those who have a little growing experience,
those upgrading from a single plant or using CFL lighting. The techniques used would also be
beneficialtothosegrowinginconfinedspaces,oronabudget.
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TheFirstRule!Ofallthethingsthatgetasmallgrowercaught,thegreatestreasonispeopledroppingthemselves
init. Showingyourbuddyyourplants,andhetellssomeonenotsodecent. Maybehegetsbusted
himselfand
spills
everything.
Maybe
you
get
drunk
and
show
off
your
jars
of
weed,
talking
openly
aboutgrowinginfrontofpeople. Itmayseemlikecommonsense,butNEVERtalkaboutyourgrow
toanyonewhoyoudon'tcompletelytrust,and ImeanNEVER it'llgetyoucaughtguaranteed. I
cantstressthisenough,whichiswhyitgetsapageofitsown.
5|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
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6|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
Planning:DoingTheMath:
Whenstarting
out
there
are
two
different
roads
you
can
take.
The
first
is
buy
budget
at
the
start,
savetheextrapenniesyougetfromnotbuyingweed,andthenbuydecentequipment laterwhen
youve a couple of grows under your belt. The second is to buy decent from the start, saving
yourselfmoney inthe longtermasyoudonotneedtorebuyasoften. WhenIstartedIwentfor
thefirstoption,butinhindsightIwishIwentforthesecond. I'llletyoumakeupyourownmindon
whatwaytogo,butbuyingcheapwillmeanmorereplacementsdowntheline.
ForthepurposesofthistextIhavetakenthemiddleroadprices. Iknowforafactthatyoucanget
the same equipment cheaper than quoted here, as I've been quite generous price wise for
conveniencesakeandroundingup. Your initialoutlayforequipment,seedsandelectricityforthe
entiregrowisapproximately500. Thismayseemquitealot,butwhenyoutakeintoaccountthat
anounce
of
poor
street
weed
is
between
120
150
and
your
expected
first
crop
is
4ounces
(all
going well), then you should make your entire outlay back within the first 12 weeks (in savings).
Afterthefirstcrop,youwillhaveenoughseedsandknowhow,thateachouncethereafterwillonly
cost you 20 to produce (per crop). That 20 figure could be reduced further easily, but I'm not
goingtogetintohydroponicsandcloningetcinthisversion.
BuyingEquipment:
Thefirstandmost importantpieceofequipmentyouneed issomewhereyougrow. Irecommend
thatyougetpermissionfromanyoneelse inthehousebeforeyoustartoff,aseventuallytheywill
find
out
they
dont
call
it
Skunk
for
nothing
(I
use
Skunk
here
as
a
generic
street
name,
not
a
specific breed of Cannabis). I also recommend a room that you do not use a lot, like a spare
bedroomorutilityarea. Thefannoiseisnotextremelyloud,butitsloudenoughwhenyoureinthe
sameroom. PersonallyIcouldn'tsleepinthere,sodon'tbefooledbyadvertsforsilentfans. You'll
havetopayforrealsilence.
Theareaneedstobesecureenoughsopeopledonotstumbleinonyourgrow. Itneedstobedry,
flat,haveaccesstoelectricityandwater,andhavesomeairflow(apartiallyopendoororwindow
willdo foroursmallarea). Italsoneedstohaveastabletemperature (reportedlyCannabishasa
bestlightsongrowingtemperatureofaround68to78degreesFahrenheit).
Buyingyour
equipment
is
adifficult
point
when
you
first
set
off.
Not
only
is
it
alot
of
money
to
be
spendingonanewhobby,butthecurrentmediabashingCannabisgetsonadailybasisonlyserves
to make people more paranoid when making purchases and rightly so. When buying I would
recommend you go directly to a hydroponics shop, and leave eBay for selling unwanted birthday
presents. If you can, use cash and pick the goods up yourself. Also be aware when leaving the
shops,astherehavenowbeenreportsofundercoverPolicefollowingpeoplehomeafterbeingseen
buyingalotofequipment. Nomatterhowyoupurchasethough,youshouldalwaysuseadifferent
addressfordeliverythanyoudoforgrowing.
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7|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
Planning:SetupCosts:
Tent90(DR60SecretJardin60x60x140cm). Afterextensiveviewing,reviewing,andthenstarting
allover
again,
Isettled
on
the
Secret
Jardin
DR60.
There
are
alot
of
different
tents
out
there,
some
good,somenotsogood. ThemainreasonsIchosethisovertheotherswasitsslightlycheaperthan
theothersbutgoodbuildquality,thismodelhaspassiveventswhichallowair intothetent. It is
slightlylargerthantheBudBoxwhichisprettymuchitsclosestrival. Thereisalsoacheaperversion
oftheDRrange,theDRSor"Street". PersonallyIdidn'tratethese,andthoughtspendingtheextra
fewquidworthit.
Lights80(250wHPSHobbyKit). Forthesizegrowingspacewehave,the250wHPSlightisthebest
suited,andthelargestrecommended. Wewillbeusingthislightfortheentiregrow.
Fan&Extractor110(125mmRuckwithCarbonFilter). Anytimeyoureadaboutanotherhouseof
plantsbeing
raided,
its
usually
because
they
can
be
smelt
streets
away.
A
fan
and
filter
not
only
keepsyourgrowroomtemperaturesdown,andprovidesyourplantswithnewair(byforcingnew
airinthroughthepassivevents),butwillalsoremovethesmellofyourplants. Buyingacheapfan
and filter will maybe do you for one or two grows before it packs in, maybe. but of all your
equipmentIthinkthisistheoneyouneedtobuywellatthestart. ForthisIrecommendtheRuck
125fanandmatchingRhino(previouslyPhat)Filter. Theseareusuallysoldasacompletekit,and
canbequiteabitcheaperthanbuyingseparately. Again,Icannotstressenoughtheimpactagood
carbonfilterandfanwillbringtoyourgrow. MosttypesofdecentCannabiswillreallystink. Even1
plant inbloomwillbesmelteverywhere inyourhomewithoutdecentextraction. Asasidenote,
ensureyoubuynobiggerthan125mmasthisisthelargestsizeofductingtheDR60cantake.
Pots5
(8lt
black
standard
pots).
These
can
be
bought
anywhere.
Personally
Ibought
ahalf
dozen
fromthelocalsupermarketata1.
Soil10(JohnInnesNo2). Youcanget3x20ltbagsofthisfromyour localgardencentrefor10.
Getallno2soil,not1or3. Don'tskimponthesoileither,noTescodirtorB&Qdryfibre. Havinga
decentsoilwillreallypayyoubackinthelongrun.
Seeds30(AutomaticWhiteRussian/AK47). Mostpeoplewhohavemorethanapassinginterestin
Cannabis have heardof the Indicaand Sativa types. Over the last few years a third genus in the
Cannabisfamilyhasbeenbroughtintoplay theRuderalis. Thisstrainhasbeenignoredtilllate,due
to its lowpotency,but ithasthetraitoffloweringautomaticallyandnotbeingdependenton light
cyclesfor
flowering
(regular
Cannabis
needs
a12/12
light
cycle
to
flower).
Now
it
has
been
crossed
withstrongerregularstrainssuchastheAK47orNewYorkDiesel, it isbecomingarealoptionfor
thesmallgrower.
Nutrients20(IonicsGrow/Bloom,Cannazym,FinalPhase). Thesecanbeboughtfromprettymuch
anyhydroshopastheyarethebogstandardnutrient. WiththeIonicsensureyoubuythecorrect
watertype.
Fan5(6"ClipFan). B&Q,campingandcaravanningshops,Amazon. Loadsofplacessellthese.
=350(SetupCost).
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8|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
Planning:RunningCosts:
Pricestaken
from:
http://www.ukpower.co.uk/price+updates.asp
Takingtheaverageunitpriceat20pence.
Lights(12weeksx7days=(84Days)@20hrs/day)=1680Hours
1680x5pencep/h=84.00(Pergrow).
Fan&Extractor(12weeksx7days=(84Days)@24hrs/day)=2016Hours
2016x1pencep/h=20.16(Pergrow).
Fan(12weeksx7days=(84Days)@24hrs/day)=2016Hours
2016x0.5pencep/h=10.08(Pergrow).
=114.24(120)(RunningCost).
General Items:
Scope5,Syringes5,Cookerhoodfilter9,Ducttape2,Cord2,Rootriots4,Perlite3=30.
=350+120+30=500(TotalCost1stCrop)=DealerFreein12weeks.
http://www.ukpower.co.uk/price+updates.asphttp://www.ukpower.co.uk/price+updates.asphttp://www.ukpower.co.uk/price+updates.asp -
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Planning:Generalpriceguide(RunningCosts):
Thisguidetakesthepriceperunitat10pence. Forthepurposesofthistextwehavetakentheunit
priceat
the
more
realistic
20pence
for
2009.
(Source: SkunkForums.org)
9|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
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TheGrow:Ifyou'vefollowedthissofar,thenI'mgoingtoassumethatyoucanfollowtheinstructionswiththe
equipmentandgetitsafelyworking. Bythisstageyou'llprobablybedyingtogetstarted,sowewill.
Thefollowingpartofthetext issplit into12growingweeks. There isalsoapregrowingweekwe
willcall0forcontinuity,andthena2weekcropdryingperiodcalled13and14.
Lightdistancechart: (Source: SkunkForums.org)For the purposes of this text we will only be concerned with the 250w line. As you can see the
optimaldistancebetweentheplanttopsandthebulbis516inches. Iusuallykeepminebetween8
and 12 inches, apart from when the plants are seedlings when I keep them at approximately 20
inches.
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TheGrow:Week0.
Splittingtheseeds. ByfartheeasiestmethodIhavefoundtostartyourseeds isthe"papertowel
method". (ImagescourtesyofSkunkForums.org)Takealunchboxorplasticcontainer,andplacesometissuesatthebottom. Wetthetissuessothey
aremoist,butnotsoaking. Forthisgrowwewillbeusingall10seedsthatcameinthepack.
Usingyourtweezerscarefullyplacetheseedsinthecontainer,leavingspacebetweeneach.
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Week0.
Placeanother layerortwooftissueoverthetopoftheseeds,andagainmoisten. Makesurethe
towelsarenotsoaking. Iftheyarethencarefullydrainofftheexcesswater. Toomuchwatercould
rotyour
seeds
before
they
sprout.
Placethetopbackon,andthenwrapinakitchentowelorsomethingsimilar. Thenplaceinacool,
darkplace. Thequickeryouwishthemtosprout,thewarmertheplaceyoushouldputthem.
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Week0.
Afteracoupleofdayscarefullypullbackthetowelandseeiftheseedshavebrokenthrough. Ifso,
thengetarootriotcubeandusingyourtweezerscarefullyplaceitinwiththetaprootdownward.
Dontworry
if
you
have
to
break
the
cube
open
slightly
to
get
the
seed
in
without
damaging
it.
Once
youhaveplaceditbackintheplasticcoverforit,itwillholdtogether.
Ifyouhaveapropagator,thenplacetheminthat. OtherwiseIuseaclearlunchboxandcoverthe
topwithclingfilm. Ensurethecubesarekeptmoist,butnotsoaking.
Onceyouseesome lifecomingupthroughthecubes,thenturnthe lightson,yourextraction,and
other fan. Ifyouhaveaseedling light,thenuse itnow,otherwisewe'llkeepwithour250wHPS.
Yourlightsshouldbesettocomeonfor20hours,andthenofffor4hours. Youwillusethiscycle
throughoutyourgrow. NonAutofloweringCannabisusesdifferentcycles,butthisseemstobethe
bestforourneeds.
Atthemomentyourseedlingsneedonlya little light. Aswe'reusing the250wHPS light,wecan
keepitatadistancefurtherthanitwouldnormallybe. AtthisstageIwouldkeepitaround2feet.
Aftera coupleofdaysyourseedlingshouldhavedevelopedasetof leaves (as above), and ifyou
takethecubeoutofitsplasticyoumayseethetap(starting)rootpeekingoutfromthebottom. If
thisisthecase,thenitistimetoputyourplantsintheirfirstpots. Sometimesyoumayneedtohelp
thecasingofftheseedling. Normallyitwillcomeoffbyitself,butifnotyouneedtobeverycareful
asnottodamagethecotyledon(seed)leafs.
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Week0.
InthefirstfewweeksforvegetativegrowthCannabisputsa lotof itsenergy into itsrootsystem.
WithAutofloweringCannabisyouonlyhaveavegetativestateof3weeks,nomatterwhat lighting
regime
you
use
(normal
cannabis
requires
a
12/12
lighting
system
to
change
from
vegetative
to
floweringstate)youneedalargerstartingpotthannormal,andthedeeperthebetter.
Ihavefoundthata2.5ltorgreaterplasticbottleofdrink isagoodsizeforanAutoflowerpot. Cut
thetopoff,andputafewholesinthebottomfordrainage.
14|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
Tomakethingseasierforus inweek3,whenwewillneedtorepottheplantsforthefinaltime,I
cutthebottomoffthepotandthentapeitbacktogether. Ialsocutdownthesideofthebottleuntil
itmeetstherestuckbottomsection. AsImstickingthesidedown,Iputalengthofcordthewhole
wayupfromtoptobottom,andleaveatailhangingoutatthebottom.
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Week0.
Thenwrapacutupblackplasticbinbagorthe likearoundthebottlesonolightgetstotheroots,
andfillwithJohnInnes2andPerlite(3/1ratio). Apotlikethiscandoyourplantforupto3weeks
withoutany
added
nutrients.
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Week1.
Once youre plants have some roots coming out the bottom of the Root Riot cube, then transfer
them to the pop bottles. Ensure when you fill the bottles with soil that you have mixed a little
Perlitein.
This
greatly
aids
drainage,
and
can
prevent
root
problems.
Theres
also
nothing
more
boringthanwaiting1015minutesforwatertoslowlyfilterthroughcompactedsoil. Ifyoudont
useitthenbepreparedforalotofwaiting,possiblerotandotherissues.
Yourplantsstillonlyneedalittlelightatthispoint,sokeepitaround1.5feet. Nonutrientfeeding
required as there is more than enough already in the soil, but you can use a light solution of
Cannazymat1ml/litrewitheveryotherwateringtohelptherootsystem.
AlittleonwateringCannabis.
(InformationcourtesyofSkunkForums.org)Use a good qualitysoil mix that is lightand providesgood air retention. Pack the soil firmly and
water immediately. Leavesoila few inchesbelow thetopofthecontainer toholdwaterwhile it
soaksin
during
watering.
Do
not
water
too
often.
Its
good
to
let
the
media
dry
out
alittle
and
then
watercompletely. Feeltheweightofthepotitsagreatindicatorofhowmuchwaterisinthesoil.
Water lightlyoncetowetthesubstrateandbreakthesoiltension,thencomebackafteraminute
andsaturate. Letsomewaterrunoutthebottomto leachoutoldcontaminants. Ifyouusetrays
underyourpotsdonotleavestandingwater. Kickthebucket,orliftitabittojudgeweight. Thisisa
good indicator of water content. Too frequent watering and over fertilizing is one of the most
commonmistakesnewgrowersmake. Anoldsayingforsoilgrowingisfertilizeweaklyweeklyand
thereissometruthtothat.
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Week2.
Your plants should now have a few leaf sets, and growing quite quickly. I would leave the light
heightatthesameposition,andlettheplantsgrowintoittillabout1foot. Nonutrientfeedingstill.
AlternateCannazymfeedswiththewaterat2ml/lt.
FromtheendofWeek2,beginningofWeek3,youneedtokeepaneyeforthesexofyourplants.
Allyourplantswillshowsexbetween14and21days. Maleplantsusuallyshowfirst.
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Week3.
Thisisabusyweekasyouwillneedtoensureyourplantsaresexed,andrepotthemintheirfinal
pots. Ihaveplacedacoupleof imagesbelowtoshowyouwhatyouneedtobe lookingforwhen
sexingyourplants.
(Imagecourtesyofwww.gardenscure.com)
(ImagecourtesyofRollitup.org)
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Week3.
Withany luckyou will haveanumberof females tochoose from. Outofyour 10plantsyouwill
needtochoose4females,and1male. Althoughyoucannotpredictthemaletofemaleratio,this4
and1shouldeasilybeachievablefrom10seeds.
Your plants will have filled out nicely in their bottles, but now you need to transplant the 4 best
females. Youcannowunwraptheblackplasticfromthebottles,andtakethetapeoffthebottom.
Becarefulnottoripanyroots.
Placethe
plant
in
its
new
container,
and
fill
with
soil.
Do
not
pat
the
soil
down
at
the
moment.
Slowlypullupthestring& itwillputthetapeoffwith it.Theremainsofthebottlewillthenopen.
Workthebottleoutslowlyout, leavingthenewlyplantedundamagedauto. Youcanthen fill the
restofthepotout.
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Week3.
Your4newlyrepottedplantswillfitnicely intotheDR60. Ifyouwishyoucankeepyourselected
male inthepopbottleforaweekorso inoneofthecorners. Afterthatyoullneedawindowor
somewhereoutsidetokeepit.
Asyouhavepotteduptherewillbeenoughnutrients inthesoil,buttohelpwithstretchyoucan
occasionallyfeeda lowstrengthgrownutrientsuntilaroundDay28,andCannazymfeedsat2ml
bothoftheseonalternatewatering.
Lightheightshouldalwaysnowbebetween8" 12"fromthetopoftheplantsuntilyouchop.
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Week4.
Youwillbenoticingasharpincreaseingrowththisweek,andyourfemaleplantswillbedeveloping
morepistils. Yourmaleshouldalsobegrowingitsownflowers. Itistimetoremovethemalefrom
thetentandputitoutsideoronawindowinadifferentroom.
Thefemaleplantsshouldstillnotneedanyfurthernutrientsatthemoment,althoughyoucanfeed
analternatewateringofCannazymathalfstrength.
Themalewillrequirealittlefeedingofbloomnutrientsasitisinitsoriginalsoil. Feedhalfstrength
onalternate
feedings.
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Week5.
It isnowtimetostartcollectingthepollenfromthemaleplant. Someoftheflowersshouldhave
startedtoopen. Insteadofusingthewholeplant,youcancutoffasectionandplacethisinafresh
cupofwaterinanareawhereitwillgetsomeSun. Thiswayyoucanhaveafewgoesatcollectionif
somethinggoes
wrong.
Placesomewhite paper under thecutplant tocatchany fallingpollen. Itwillshowupasyellow
againstthewhitebackground. Replacethewaterinthecupeveryfewdays,andthecutshouldbe
okforaroundaweekormore.
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Week5.
Asmoreflowersopen,thepollenwillfallontothewhitepaper. Youcantaptheplantgently,andif
anyflowersarereadytoburstthenthepollenwilldropdown. Itisbesttodothisinaroomwithno
breezeasthepollenisairborne. Thispollencollectioncanalsobeanissueforpeoplewithallergies.
23|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
Once you have collected enough pollen (and a little goes a long way) scrape it up, take out any
foreignobjectslikespentflowers,andifyourenotgoingtouseitwithinafewdays,youllneedto
storeit.
Moistureis
the
enemy
of
pollen,
and
it
will
kill
it
straight
away.
To
dry
your
pollen
for
storage,
just
keepitonthesheetforacoupleofdays inacool,dry,darkplace. Thenmakeanenvelopeoutof
paper,andputthepolleninwithsomeuncookedbasmatiricewhichwillactasadesiccantandkeep
thepollendry. Thenplacethisenvelopeinasmallcontainerandputitinthebackofthefridge. The
pollenshouldthenkeepforafewweeksormore.
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Week5.
At present I would be feeding strength bloom nutrients only on alternate feedings. Theplants
mayalsobenefitfromapurewaterflusheverycoupleofweeksfromthispoint,though it isnot
strictlynecessary. Thisinvolveswateringtheplantslowlyuntilabouthalfthewaterhasbledoutthe
bottom
again.
The
flush
can
release
locked
nutrients
which
will
slow
the
plant
growth
and
development. Itisadvisedtoonlydothissomewherewheretheexcesswatercandrainawayeasily.
AlittleonPlantDeficiencies.
Duringone
point
or
another
in
your
grow
you
will
be
faced
with
anutrient
deficiency,
over
or
under
watering,heatdamage,oranumberofotherissuesthatwillallshowthemselvesinthestateofyour
plant. Icouldspendpagesandpagestryingtoexplainresolutionstoyou,butithasbeencoveredin
detailsonmanywebsites. IdoprovideaPlantDeficienciesChartattheendofthistext,butfor
themostpartyouwouldbebestjoininganonlineforumandgoingtotheirHospitalpages. Other
growers will have had the same issues previously, or will have seen the condition and be able to
directyou. TogiveyouavisualstartingreferencetheGreenmanspage isanexcellentresource
thathasbeencopiedontomanyothersites.
http://www.greenmanspage.com/guides/plant_abuse.html
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Week6.
Itisnowtimetopollinateyourfemaleplant. NormallyIwouldchooseoneofthetwofrontplantsto
pollinate,just forthesakeofconvenience. Wepollinate inWeek6as itcantakebetween4to6
weeks for the seeds to mature. As this plant has a 12 week life, this gives us enough time for
everythingto
be
complete
before
chop
down
day.
25|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
Chooseabud
to
pollinate.
Normally
it
would
be
afew
of
the
side
buds,
and
leave
the
main
one
alone,but itsreallyuptoyou. A littlepollengoesa longway,soafewsidebudsshouldgetyou
enoughseedsforthenextfewgrows. Afterthattimeyoullprobablywanttoswitchitupanyway,
andgoforadifferentstrain. Therearealotofgoodonesoutthere,soitsapitynottotrysome.
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Week6.
Topollinatethebudfirstofallyouwillneedtoturnoffallthefans(owingtosmellandheatbuildup
youmayhavetokeepyourextractionon). Takethechosenfemaleoutofthetent,andthenwitha
cottonbud scoop a little of the pollen up and flick it over the buds (much like you would flick a
cigaretteash).
Do
this
acouple
of
centimetres
above
the
bud
and
let
the
pollen
float
down
to
land
onthepistils.
Keepthefansoffforthenext12hoursthenturnthembackonagain. Youwillneedtotimeitsothe
fansshouldbeturnedonagainahalfhourafterthelightsgoout. Assoonasthelightsgooutyou
needtomistalltheplantslightlywithwater. Thiswillkilloffanystraypollen. Donotmisttheplants
whenthelightsareonastheycouldburn.
There will be some cross pollination to the other plants in the tent using this method, but done
carefullyitisonlyafewstrayseedsanditshouldhavelittleeffect.
Nutrient
wise
I
would
still
keep
to
bloom
only
as
the
Autoflowers
usually
like
to
keep
light
feeding,buteachplantisdifferentsoyouwillagainneedtousetheforumshospitalsandthegreen
manspageifthereareanyproblems.
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Week7.
Nowweresettlinginforthewaitingperiod. Eventhoughitisonlyaweekafterpollination,youcan
stillsee the changes in the buds. Keep to the same levelsofnutrient feeding, and watch for the
startingsignsofanydeficiencies.
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Week7.
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Week8.
Week2afterpollination,andtheseedsshouldbedevelopingquiterapidlynow. Someofthepistils
ontheplantshouldhaveturnedtoanorangecolour.
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Week8.
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Week9.
Thingsshould reallybemovingquicklynow. Someofthepodsontheplantshouldbestarting to
open,andtheseedsshouldbevisible. Theseedsmaybestartingtochangecolouraswell. Asyour
seedsmaturetheywillchangefromgreentobrown incolour. Astheseedsdonotallfinishatthe
sametime,
you
will
get
seeds
of
differing
maturity.
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Week10.
Were in thehomestraightnow. Youseedsshouldbequitematureandclearlyvisible. Youmay
noticetheplantswateruptakedecreasing. Someofthe lower leafsmaybestartingtobrownand
dieoffasthenutrientsareusedup.
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Week10.
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Week11.
Theseedswillallbefinishedbynow. Donotuseanymorenutrients,andstarttheplantoffonFinal
Phaseeveryotherwatering. Overthenextcoupleofweeksthe fan leafswillstarttodieoff,and
yourplant
will
start
to
look
abit
ill.
This
is
only
natural.
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Week11.
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Week12.
Attheendofthisweekyoullmostlikelywanttochopyourplants,butthisalldependsonthecolour
oftheTrichomes. Toseetheseclearlyyoullneedtousethescopeyouboughtatthestart.
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Week12.
StopusingtheFinalPhase4dayswateringbeforeyoucuttheplantsdown,useonlyplainwaterat
theend. Ilettheplantsdryoutalittlebeforethechop,andcutatthepointwhereIwouldbegiving
itanother
watering.
This
helps
alittle
with
the
drying
times.
Whentrimmingofftheexcessleafswithseededbudyoucannotgoascloseasyounormallywould.
Thisisbecausesomeoftheseedswillbeontheoutsideofthebud,andyoudonotwanttosnipany
ofthem. Justtrimthemainfanleafs,andsomeofthelargercrystalcoveredleafs.
Im not going to go into the fine details of drying and curing, you should already have a basic
knowledgeofthis. Ifindthatwhendryingoutyourseededbudbyhangingthem,itisadvisableto
keepthebudsasclosetothegroundaspossiblewithoutthemtouchingthe floor. Alsoplacea
newspaperunderneaththebuds. Asthebudsdrysomeseedswilljustdroptotheground. Ifyou
haveanewspaperinposition,youcanjustrolltheseedsintothepapercrease,andpourtheminto
yourseed
container.
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Week12.
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Week13&14.
7 to 10days later and yourbudsshould benicelydried. Again Imnotgoing togo into the finer
points,butyouneedtoensureyourbudsarefullydrybeforejarringthem. Nothingwillturnyour
seedsandbudtomushquickerthantherot. Iliketocutthebudsintotheirindividualcomponents,
aboutthumb
size
pieces,
and
then
put
them
in
the
curing
jars.
It
is
advisable
to
let
the
seeds
come
outofthebudsnaturally,ratherthantryingtoprisethemout. Youneedtoburpthejarsasusual. I
liketodoitforanhouradayforthefirstcoupleofweeks,thenanhoureveryotherdayorsofora
week. AfterthosethreeweeksIusuallyonlyopenthejarstotakebudsoutandsmokethem. You
willstillneedtokeepaneyeonyourpots,butforthemostpartyouregoodforthelonghaul.
PersonallyIonlytaketheseedsoutofthebudwhenImabouttogrindittosmoke,butitsuptoyou
afterthispart.
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40|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
Week15andbeyond.
SoWheresThis20AnOunceThen?
Youve survived 14 weeks of growingnow, and the things that youve learned over that time will
holdyou
in
good
stead
for
the
next
grow.
You
should
have
enough
seeds
to
see
you
through
until
yougetboredwiththem,soallyouneedtothinkaboutisbuyingsomebagsofsoil. Youwillhave
enoughnutrients toseeyouovera few times,andyourbulbwillalsoseeyouthrough thisgrow.
TheHPSbulbwill last longerthanthis,butwithtimethebulbdimsandwillcostyoumoretorun.
250wHPSbulbsarequitecheaptobuy. IboughtsomeonFleabayatafractionofthenormalprice,
andtheyarefine. Justensurethatyouuseasafeaddresstosendthemto. Youcanneverbetoo
carefulwithsecurity.
Withyour running costsbeing 120,andsayyoubuysomeequipmentat40 (newbulb fornext
time,soiletc),youwillstillonlyneedtogroweachplantat2ounceseachtotalling8ounces,tohit
the20figure. Ihaveseenmanyofmyplantsbeingoverthe3ouncemarkbyusingthismethod,so
thisfigure
is
more
than
achievable.
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41|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
PlantDeficienciesChart:
This isabasicdeficiencieschart,andbynowayshouldbeconsideredacomprehensiveguide. As
withtheinformationgiveninWeek5,IwouldfirstdirectyoutotheGreenMansPageasithassome
excellent pictures for a better diagnosis. You should be a member of a forum by now, and their
hospitalsection
can
be
agreat
source
of
information.
http://www.greenmanspage.com/guides/plant_abuse.html
1) a)Iftheproblemaffectsonlythebottomormiddleoftheplantgoto #2.
b)Ifitaffectsonlythetopoftheplantorthegrowingtips,skipto #10.
Iftheproblemseemstoaffecttheentireplantequally,skipto#6.
2) a) Leaves are a uniform yellow or light green; leaves die & drop; growth is slow. Leaf
marginsarenotcurledupnoticeably. >>Nitrogen(N)deficiency.
b)If
not,
go
to
#3.
3) a)Marginsofthe leavesareturnedup,andthetipsmaybe twisted.Leavesareyellowing
(and may turn brown), but the veins remain somewhat green. >> Magnesium (Mg)
deficiency.
b)Ifnot,goto#4.
4) a)Leavesarebrowningoryellowing. Yellow,brown,ornecrotic (dead)patches,especially
aroundtheedgesofthe leaf,whichmaybecurled.Plantmaybetootall.>>Potassium(K)
deficiency.
b)Ifnot,keepreading.
5) a)Leavesaredarkgreenorred/purple.Stemsandpetiolesmayhavepurple&redonthem.
Leavesmayturnyelloworcurlunder.Leafmaydropeasily.Growthmaybeslowandleaves
maybesmall. >> Phosphorous(P)deficiency.
b)Ifnot,goto#6.
6) a)Tipsofleavesareyellow,brown,ordead. Plantotherwiselookshealthy&green. Stems
maybesoft>>Overfertilization(especiallyN),overwatering,damagedroots,orinsufficient
soilaeration(usemoresandorPerlite. OccasionallyduetonotenoughN,P,orK.
b)Ifnot,goto#7.
7)
a)Leaves
are
curled
under
like
aram's
horn,
and
are
dark
green,
gray,
brown,
or
gold.
>>
Overfertilization(toomuchN).
b)Ifnot,goto#8.
8) a) The plant is wilted, even though the soil is moist. >> Overfertilization, soggy soil,
damagedroots,disease;copperdeficiency(veryunlikely).
b)Ifnot,goto#9.
9) a)Plantswon'tflower,eventhoughtheyget12hoursofdarknessforover2weeks.>>The
nightperiodisnotcompletelydark.Toomuchnitrogen.Toomuchpruningorcloning.
b)Ifnot,goto#10...
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42|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
PlantDeficienciesChart:
10) a)Leavesareyelloworwhite,buttheveinsaremostlygreen.>>Iron(Fe)deficiency.
b)Ifnot,#11.
11) a) Leaves are light green or yellow beginning at the base, while the leaf margins remain
green.Necroticspots may bebetweenveins.Leaves arenot twisted.>> Manganese (Mn)
deficiency.
b)Ifnot,#12.
12) a)Leavesaretwisted.Otherwise,prettymuchlike#11.>>Zinc(Zn)deficiency.
b)Ifnot,#13.
13) a)Leavestwist,thenturnbrownordie.>>The lightsaretooclosetotheplant. Rarely,a
Calcium(Ca)orBoron(B)deficiency.
b)If
not.
You
may
just
have
aweak
plant.
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43|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
SolutionstoNutrientDeficiencies:
Thebelowinformationistakenfromtheinternet. Thesourceisnotknown,butifyouneedcrediting
fortheinformationthencontactmefromthedetailsatthebeginningofthetext.
Nitrogen (N)
PlantsneedlotsofNduringvegging,butit'seasytooverdoit.Addedtoomuch?Flushthesoilwith
plainwater.Solublenitrogen(especiallynitrate) istheformthat'sthemostquicklyavailabletothe
roots,whileinsolubleN(likeurea)firstneedstobebrokendownbymicrobesinthesoilbeforethe
rootscanabsorbit.Avoidexcessiveammoniumnitrogen,whichcan interferewithothernutrients.
ToomuchNdelaysflowering.PlantsshouldbeallowedtobecomeNdeficient late infloweringfor
bestflavour.
Magnesium
Mgdeficiency is pretty common since marijuana uses lots of it and many fertilizers don't have
enoughof
it.
Mg
deficiency
is
easily
fixed
with
teaspoon/gallon
of
Epsom
salts
(first
powdered
and
dissolved in some hot water) or foliar feed at teaspoon/quart. When mixing up soil, use 2
teaspoon dolomite lime per gallon of soil for Mg. Mg can get lockedup by too much Ca, Cl or
ammoniumnitrogen.Don'toverdoMgoryou'lllockupothernutrients.
Potassium
Toomuchsodium(Na)displacesK,causingaKdeficiency.Sourcesofhighsalinityare: bakingsoda
(sodium bicarbonate "pHup"), too much manure, and the use of watersoftening filters (which
shouldnotbeused). Iftheproblem isNa,flushthesoil.Kcanget lockedup fromtoomuchCaor
ammoniumnitrogen,andpossiblycoldweather.
Phosphorous
Somedeficiencyduringfloweringisnormal,buttoomuchshouldn'tbetolerated.Redpetiolesand
stemsareanormal,geneticcharacteristicformanyvarieties,plusitcanalsobeacosymptomofN,
KandMgdeficiencies,soredstemsarenotafoolproofsignofPdeficiency.ToomuchPcanleadto
irondeficiency.
Iron
FeisunavailabletoplantswhenthepHofthewaterorsoilistoohigh.Ifdeficient,lowerthepHto
about6.5(forRockwool,about5.7),andcheckthatyou'renotaddingtoomuchP,whichcanlockup
Fe. Use iron that's chelated for maximum availability. Read your fertilizer's ingredients chelated
ironmightreadsomething like"ironEDTA".ToomuchFewithoutaddingenoughPcancauseaP
deficiency.
Manganese
MngetslockedoutwhenthepHistoohigh,andwhenthere'stoomuchiron.UsechelatedMn.
Zinc
Also gets locked out due to high pH. Zn, Fe, and Mn deficiencies often occur together, and are
usuallyfromahighpH.Don'toverdothemicronutrients lowerthepHifthat'stheproblemsothe
nutrientsbecomeavailable.Foliarfeediftheplantlooksrealbad.Usechelatedzinc.
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44|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
SolutionstoNutrientDeficiencies:
OVERFERTILIZATION
Causesleaf
tips
to
appear
yellow
or
burnt.
To
correct
soil
should
be
flushed
with
three
gallons
of
waterperonegallonofsoil.
B BORON(B)
Growing shoots turn grey or die. Growing shoots appear burnt. Treat with one teaspoon of Boric
acid(soldaseyewash)pergallonofwater.
Ca CALCIUM(Ca)
Lackofcalciuminthesoilresultsinthesoilbecomingtooacid.ThisleadstoMgorFedeficiencyor
veryslow
stunted
growth.
Treat
by
foliar
feeding
with
one
teaspoon
of
Dolomatic
lime
per
quart
of
wateruntilconditionimproves.
CheckYourWater
Crustyfaucetsandshowerheadsmeanyourwateris"hard,"usuallyduetotoomanyminerals.Tap
water with a TDS (total dissolved solids) level of more than around 200ppm (parts per million) is
"hard"andshouldbe looked into,especially ifyourplantshaveachronicproblem.Askyourwater
companyforananalysislisting,whichwillusuallylistthepH,TDS,andminerallevels(aswellasthe
pollutants,carcinogens,etc)forthetapwater inyourarea.This isacommonrequest,especially in
thisdayandage,soitshouldn'traiseaneyebrow.
Regularwater
filters
will
not
reduce
ahigh
TDS
level,
but
the
costlier
reverse
osmosis
units,
distillers,
anddeionizerswill.AdigitalTDSmeter(orEC=electricalconductivitymeter)isanincrediblyuseful
toolformonitoringthenutrientlevelsofnutrientsolution,andwillpayforitselfbeforeyouknowit.
Theyrunabout$40andup.
GeneralFeedingTips
Pot plants are very adaptable, but a general rule of thumb is to use more nitrogen & less
phosphorousduringthevegetativeperiod,andtheexactoppositeduringthefloweringperiod.For
theveg.periodtryaN:P:Kratioofabout10:7:8(whichofcourseisthesameratioas20:14:16),and
forfloweringplants,4:8:8.CheckthepHafteraddingnutrients.
Ifyou
use
areservoir,
keep
it
circulating
and
change
it
every
2weeks.
A
general
guideline
for
TDS
levelsisasfollows:seedlings=50150ppm;unrootedclones=100350ppm;smallplants=400800
ppm;largeplants=9001800ppm;lastweekofflowering=taperofftoplainwater.Thesenumbers
arejust a guideline, and many factors can change the actual level the plants will need. Certain
nutrientsare"invisible"toTDSmeters,especiallyorganics,souseTDS levelonlyasanestimateof
actual nutrient levels. When in doubt about a new fertilizer, follow the fertilizer's directions for
feedingtomatoes.Growafewtomatoorradishplantsnearbyforcomparison.
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45|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
SolutionstoNutrientDeficiencies:
PH
The pH of water after adding any nutrients should be around 5.96.5 (in Rockwool, 5.56.1).
Generallyspeaking,
the
micro
nutrients
(Fe,
Zn,
Mn,
Cu)
get
locked
out
at
ahigh
pH
(alkaline)
above
7.0,whilethemajornutrients(N,P,K,Mg)canbe lessavailableinacidicsoilorwater(below5.0).
Tapwaterisoftentooalkaline.Soilswithlotsofpeatorotherorganicmatterinthemtendtogettoo
acidic,whichsomedolomitelimewillhelpfix.Soiltestkitsvaryinaccuracy,andgenerallythemore
youpaythebettertheaccuracy.Forthewater,colourbasedpHtestkitsfromaquariumstoresare
inexpensive,butinaccurate.InvestinadigitalpHmeter($4080),preferablyawaterproofone.You
won'tregretit.
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46|P a g eD i t c h T h e D e a l e r T h e N i c e N E a s y W a y T o T h e 2 0 O u n c e .
OtherThings:
Thebelowinformationistakenfromtheinternet. Thesourceisnotknown,butifyouneedcreditingfor
the
information
then
contact
me
from
the
details
at
the
beginning
of
the
text.
Cold.
Cold weather (below 50F/10C) can lock up phosphorous. Some varieties, like equatorial Sativas,
don't take well to cold weather. If you can keep the roots warmer, the plant will be able to take
coolertempsthanitotherwisecould.
Heat.
If the lights are too close to the plant, the tops may be curled, dry, and look burnt, mimicking a
nutrientproblem.Yourhandshouldnotfeelhotafteraminutewhenyouhold itatthetopofthe
plants. Raise the lights and/or aim a fan at the hot zone. Room temps should be kept under 85F
(29C) or90F(33)ifyouaddadditionalCO2.
Humidity.
Thin,shrivelledleavescanbefromlowhumidity.4080%isusuallyfine.
Mouldandfungus.
Darkpatchyareasonleavesandbudscanbemould.Lowerthehumidityandincreasetheventilation
ifmouldisaproblem.Removeanydeadleaves,wherevertheyare.Keepyourgardenclean.
Insects.
Whitespotsonthetopsofleavescanmeanspidermitesunderneath.
Sprays.Foliarsprayscanhavea"magnifyingglass"effectunderbrightlights,causingsmallwhite,yellowor
burntspotswhichcanbeconfusedwithanutrientproblem.Somesprayscanalsocausechemical
reactions.
Insufficientlight.
Tall,stretchingplantsareusuallyfromusingthewrongkindoflight.Don'tuseregularincandescent
bulbs ("grow bulbs") or halogens to grow cannabis. Invest in fluorescent lighting (good) or HID
lighting(muchbetter)whichsupplythehighintensitylightthatcannabisneedsforgoodgrowthand
tightbuds.Evenbetter,growinsunlight.
Clones.
Yellowing leaves on unrooted clones can be from too much light, or the stem may not be firmly
touchingtherootingmedium.TurnoffanyCO2untiltheyroot.Toomuchfertilizercanshrivelorwilt
clones plaintapwaterisfine.
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Harvesting,CuringAndStorage:
(InformationTakenFromSkunkForums.org)Duringthelasttwoweeksofplants'floralcycle,suspendtheuseoffertilizersandapplyFinalPhase
onaone
day
on,
one
day
off
basis
for
aweek.
During
the
last
week
before
harvest,
only
provide
fresh water to plants. Leaves will turn uniformly yellow as plants use up their stored sugars and
nutrients.TheuseofFinalPhaseandcleanwaterduringthelasttwoweeksoffloralcycleensuresa
cleanertasting,easyburningmedicine.
Harvest marijuana near the end of its 12 hour lightson cycle using clean scissors while wearing
gloves. There are many theories and methods regarding how much of a plant to cut during
harvesting,whereontheplanttocut,etc.Somegrowerscuttheentireplantatthebottomofthe
stalkandhangthewholeplanttodry.Othersremoveonlythefloraltopsatthebaseofthelowest
developed flower on the stalk.They might fasten this to aclothesline or clothes hanger. Growers
often do a partial manicure of their buds at time of harvest, removing all the larger leaves and
trimming
most
of
the
midsized
and
smaller
leaves
except
those
that
are
coated
in
resin
glands.
Most growers dry their cannabis in darkened rooms with good air circulation and air exchange.
Theseroomsshouldbepathogenfree,about70F,witharelativehumidityofabout50%.Thereare
manymethodsofdeterminingwhenflowersareproperlydried,butoneofthemoreprecisewaysis
to weigh some sample buds at harvest, and then to continue weighing them as they lose water.
Whentheflowersweighapproximately25%asmuchastheydidwhenfirstcutfromtheplant,they
arereadytobetakenoutof thedryingroomandstored insterileglasscontainers.Most flowers,
except thosethataredryingaspartofanentirecutplant,willbedryand ready forstorageafter
approximately6to10days,dependingonlocalconditions.Dryingcannabisaspartofanentireplant
takeslongerthandryingindividuallycutfloralclusters.
Duringthefirsttwoweeksafterplacingflowers inglasscontainers,openthecontainer inasterile,
nonhumidenvironmentfortwohourseverytwodays.Thisallowslatebyproductsoffinalcuringto
evaporateandexitthestoragecontainer.
Cannabinoids contained in plant material are extremely volatile; they begin to undergo chemical
changes as soon as they are removed from direct connection with a living root system.
For maximum durability of Cannabinoids, and to ensure potency and flavour, store cannabis in a
freezer (preferably) or the lower part of a refrigerator. Avoid crushing, rough handling, or other
manipulationofthephysicalstructureofthebudsatanytime thisdegradesresinglandsandresults
in
lowered
potency.
Degraded
Cannabinoids
also
produce
degraded
euphoriant
and
medicinal
effects.Ingeneral,poorlyhandled,poorlystoredcannabisproducesmoresedativeeffectsthatlack
theclear,upliftinghighofproperlyharvested,properlycured,properlystoredcannabis.