What is your biggest question about growing cannabis?

[ssf]

I’m a newbie, having completed 4 grows with largely underwhelming results. I grow indoors, 32”x32”x5.5’ tent, 1 spider farms 1000w light, and all autoflower strains (mainly due to height constraint). I use nature’s living soil with fox farm bush doctor coco loco. I therefore water only. My plants seem robust but i have never been able to achieve large, dense buds. I instead get many small buds. I have used a timer on the light with 12/12 cycles, and also left the light on all the time. These are autoflowers but i wanted to see if it made any difference. Not that much. So, i have three primary questions

1. what is a recommended light cycle for autoflower strains? I know it doesn't affect the flowering transition, but is there a recommendation?
2. Is the living soil + coco loco a good approach or is something else better?
3. What else do you recommend to see large dense buds?

thanks in advance for any guidance you can provide!

[hawg1944]

I have extra seeds that I will not plant until next spring. Is it best to store in freezer, refrigerator or simply in a drawer in air tight containers?

[Bluey]

If your seeds are fresh 12 months in a dry and cool and dark place will be fine. If they are a couple of years old seal them in a very dry container (very low RH) and freeze.

[hawg1944]

Thanks! That is good to know.

[BreezyGreens]

I have questions.

If I want to start weed the same way I do my veggies, is it possible to do that w photoperiods?

I see a ton of info on indoor growing setups and outdoor ones respectively, but there's virtually nothing on hybrid setups, like how gardeners in colder zones typically manage veggies and other tender annuals.

My veggie seed starting setup definitely doesn't generate as much light as is suggested for full indoor grows, and as my seedlings get bigger and the weather gradually warms, I harden them off outside on nice days starting in like April or May (bring them outdoors in the mornings, take them back inside in the evenings) before transplanting them permanently outdoors. It's haphazard, highly weather dependent (I live where snow in April is not unheard of, and our springs can have 7-10 consecutive days of chilly rain and drizzle); some days, they're out there the whole day, others, not at all. It's absolutely not the carefully engineered and controlled environments that indoor growers use. My chaotic "system" works great for veggies, but would it work for photoperiod weed?

Also, does an earlier start change photoperiods' veg-flowering cycle, or no matter what, outdoor grows are at the whim of the weather until October due to hours of daylight?

Finally, do things like hours of shade from shifting sun angle as the growing season progresses and nighttime light pollution (year round; unchanging) throw off photoperiods' veg-flower cycles? When grown outside, do they need more than 6-8 hours of full sun for a solid veg cycle and pitch blackness at night?

[Rootsruler]

I have questions.

My chaotic "system" works great for veggies, but would it work for photoperiod weed?

Yes

Also, does an earlier start change photoperiods' veg-flowering cycle, or no matter what, outdoor grows are at the whim of the weather until October due to hours of daylight?

An earlier start would allow more veg time before the season changes and naturally flips to flower. The hard part is knowing when to "early start" them. I've been stung too many times thinking that there was enough light in the day to keep them from flowering so here in the US the days get longer around May-June. That's probably when I would attempt to plant them. If you can supplement whatever light hours you need with lighting like in a greenhouse start time won't matter.

Finally, do things like hours of shade from shifting sun angle as the growing season progresses and nighttime light pollution (year round; unchanging) throw off photoperiods' veg-flower cycles? When grown outside, do they need more than 6-8 hours of full sun for a solid veg cycle and pitch blackness at night?

I would be more comfortable with 10 - 12 hour days of direct sunlight. Night time light allowance is no brigher than a full moon.

[BreezyGreens]

Thanks! This is all super helpful and confirms that I'd need to grow photoperiods indoors, so I'll be sticking to autos in pots outdoors for now.

[BreezyGreens]

Unsure if this is the right place to put this, but I have a question about flushing after reading the site's article about it.

If I plan on making an MCT oil infusion with my harvest, is flushing recommended?

(Growing in soil, feeding weekly.)

[Bluey]

I have read in a couple of recent studies the following.

1. Using hydro nutes in soil grows does not impact the micro organisms function or quantity. The salts in the hydro nutes do no harm to the soil.

2. Using molasses likely only increases the sugar weight in the flowers but more research required.

I love how we have a number of different approaches to producing the best weed we can. I am always on the lookout to make it the best experience for the end user, which is me.

[Rwise]

I dont see any dif using or not using molasses.
I also dont see any dif flushing or not.
There is an article here that says 3 days dark does increase THC content. I wonder IF that would go for pulling the plant and hanging it upside down in the dark while it uses the last of it's moisture.

[Rootsruler]

@midwestweednerd

I would agree with most of what you are saying other than the flushing part and living soil. Flushing will most definitely remove both nutrient and microbe from the soil. Will it remove all? No but it will remove enough to curtail any real meaningful effect the microbes have in delivering nutrient ions to the plant.

AFAIU, most people flush their media to remove nutrient from the media so that the roots don't have access to it to be able to replenish whatever they are using up in the phloem of the plant. This will trigger the plant to start using whatever sugars it has already produced during the photosynthetic process that it has stored in the leaves and branches. The reasoning behind this is that cutting off nutrients to the plant will get them to use up whatever they have in the plant itself hence having a cleaner flower at harvest. This is usually done a few weeks prior to the anticipated harvest window.

While this may in fact be what is occurring one of the negatives I see in doing this is you aren't providing the same levels of food the plant has been using missing out on the last few weeks where your flowers can fatten up along with the curtailing the full production of cannabanoids, terpenes and other VOC's that help with the entourage effect.

In other words I see it as starving your plants along with heavily stressing them when the volume of water used to flush gets run through the soil media.

One of the goals I always try and achieve when I'm growing is to provide as stress free an environment as I can for the plants to be able to max out their performance. Any time used to recover, or worse stunt, is wasted time and energy and decreases the performance the plant is capable of.

BTW, the way I understand it, flushing came about from soil growers using salt based fertilizers over fertilizing their media toxing the plant.

[Ckbrew]

Cross breeding question. If I cross with pollen from a feminized photo that has been forced to male with a feminized auto, what will the seeds be? Feminized presumably, but photo, auto, or something else?

[Rwise]

For me what I get when pollinating an auto with pollen from a photo is mostly autos, maybe I just got lucky.

[Slyvie]

Anyone try amended coco? I read PH is less maintenance with soil and dry amendments - would the PH be similar if using coco with dry amendments?

[Rootsruler]

Coco tends to pH on the acidic side. I would stick with soil if you're looking for media buffers.

[FurnaceBoi]

Simple question. I have collected a nice bunch of gear to make my small 2x4 grow be very productive.
Well, now I would like to upgrade my lighting in my flower tent.
I'm using a 200w quantum board now. Very interested in any suggestions that would give the full 2x4 coverage.

I am on disability so I don't have an unlimited budget. I do know you get what you pay for too, so not afraid of the investment.

I would love to move the quantum board to my new 2x4 propagation room so I can set up a 2 week sog.

[Bluey]

I too am using a 200w quantum board in a 4x2 space, but it's only for veg.

If I wanted to use it for flower I'd be using a bar light minimum wattage of 240w and shaped like the space.

So Mars Hydro FC4000 320w or Spider Farmer SE4500/G4500

Both a bit of overkill and there are other solutions but those are probably easiest, and when on sale quite cheap.

Wait for the sales if you can

[FurnaceBoi]

Always watch the sales. Clone machine $100. Clonex, last bottle $37 lol

[FurnaceBoi]

BTW, I am a fire alarm and low volt tech. I could assemble my own parts but I wouldn't know what to use. Plus labor etc

[FurnaceBoi]

Right on Bluey I am looking at reasonable bar lights. And ya if you track the prices you can score. I don't mind having overhead on the drivers to keep heat down.

[Rootsruler]

I would start with figuring out what wattage would be appropriate to take my plants to harvest. The general rule is between 35 - 55 watts per square foot. You have a 2 x 4 so you have 8 sq/ft. 8 x 35 = 280w minimum/ 8 x 55 = 440w maximum.

Any light within those parameters should fulfill your power needs. Most grow lights fall within acceptable light spectrums so I wouldn't be too picky about what brand and focus on build quality and reliability.

Personally, I've used Bestva lights through most of my indoor growing having tried out most of the popular brands like Mars, Spider Farmer, HLG, etc. and not seeing any bump in dry weight production from using those lights. I've also experienced a high rate of reliability with Bestva lights. I still have one of their original Blurple lights from around 10 years ago. All diodes and exhaust fans are working. Build quality is also acceptable but I have seen others with better like from Gavita but certainly acceptable for the home grower.

My opinion would be to go with BAT-W400 from Bestva. 400w bar light. If you're in the continental US you can get it for $289.90. That comes out to .73 per watt. I haven't found another grow light that is that economical and perform the way it does. It's not the fanciest but it gets the job done without a hiccup.

[FurnaceBoi]

I get it on the brand name vs value lights. My phlizon lights have worked fine. Thanks for the calculation. That's helpful.

[FurnaceBoi]

FYI. my friend just gave me this old style 300w. I'm an electronic technician so I'll disassemble it to 6 panels and ditch the box. Add a dimmer and better cooling. That'll work. And I like the free price.

[Rootsruler]

Free is always good.

[FurnaceBoi]

FYI. My friend just gave me this old school 300w. I'm an electronic technician. I'll ditch the box. Rearrange the panels, add a dimmer etc. Better cooling. That'll work.

[FurnaceBoi]

Rootsruler there you go. Friend quit growing. All free. 300w old school light. 4 inch fan with humidity controller unit. Timers etc lol. Problem solved. Thanks Cory. 😊

[Rootsruler]

Since your an electrotech any way for you to rearrange the panels more like a bar light? You'll get better light spread if you can.

[FurnaceBoi]

Exactly my plan. That old type of panel cools better out of the box too. So I can reduce the fans by simply improving the air flow

[FurnaceBoi]

I just threw it in to analyze but here it is next to the quantum board as is. It's super hot in the box.

[FurnaceBoi]

Both lights in 2x4

[FurnaceBoi]

Rootsruler this came in his care package also. Old school but it will do some work for me.