first try at growing

[bakedbear]

Ok so I have used weed for several years and now want to grow my own, sorta. Actually I am paralyzed so I have someone else doing the grow, but they have never grown before either. So we are all trying to learn as much as we can. I also live in a state where it is not legal yet so have to be inconspicuous. I bought a superstar box from super closet to grow in and using hydroponics and led for light. So our plants are one month from seed. They are both supposed to be northern lights, but I think I have two different strains. Also my question is what does it look like is going on with the leaves on the one plant?

[Rick Sanchez]

Hmm, I'm not sure about the leaf but it seems to only be one so I think your ok, I have a few weird leaves too. How are you planning on growing them? I don't know if you've read it yet but low-stress training and topping are good ideas, look them up on growweedeasy.com. topping is just cutting the main cola, or main stem, and letting the growth tips below it become two new stems, doing this actually increases yield. You chose the perfect strains as a stealth grower, northern lights is known as a low odor strain, but know its still going to smell unless you have a carbon scrubber, no way around it. The two plants do look pretty different, you can't tell strain until the final product though, and even then it's hard.

[oldjarhead100]

hey bakedbear welcome, I had a budda Tahoe hermie on me tso I saved seeds and germinated 6 of them not one plant looks the same as its sisters. if their were only 2 seeds chances are they were hermies but thats ok they may not look the same but they will smoke the same. most hermie seeds are female but I would keep an eye on them. as far as that leaf it looks like one of the first so if it had a little nute burn on it then it would grow bigger and look like that

[Jeg]

Welcome! I'm new too but a couple months farther along. Your plants look ok to me kinda like mine at that age. I didn't do any of the training techniques on mine and it's ok. But if I could go back I would definitely do it. Question for everyone, are his leaves reaching up?

[bakedbear]

Yes I was looking at the manifold technique and going to try that next time. Since this is our first time we are just going to do the low stress technique this time. I got the northern lights strain because they say it is a good strong plant for the first timer. The box does have filters and all built into it and so far doing good on the smell part.

This is what I am looking for to see male or female, right?

[bakedbear]

Just over a month old from seed. Found out that one of my northern lights seeds turned out to be a sativa plant.

[alltatup]

Welcome to the forum BB!! Neither one of those looks like a sativa dominant plant to me, although there may be sativa genetics in it. They are both too bushy; they look really good and healthy!!

[Minoo96]

Hi Bakedbear!
Are you sure the one in the back is sativa? To me the one in the front seem to have thinner and longer leafs?

[Tika]

Great graphic!

[bakedbear]

Ya it's kind of hard to tell in these pictures, but yeah I'm pretty sure the one of the back is brighter than the one in the front. I was not aware of the color differences and leaf shape/feel between the different strains until just the other day. So still learning obviously. Either way glad to know now that there is a way to tell at least a little something between the two plants.

[Minoo96]

I'm growing my first crop right now, first month. So experience is none. But personally I'd avoid judging the type of mary jane by leaf color (they can change easily, for X number of reasons. Now a healthy plant shouldn't change color of course. But it might also be a difference in light distance, a genetic trait from a parent showing etc...) The leaf type is somewhat a similar problem, but I trust the shape more than the colour, not sure if I make myself clear...
I might be wrong though, and would love some advice on that from other experienced growers.

[bakedbear]

I'm not sure either. My grower was in Colorado last weekend and they're the ones that told us about the different colors and leaves. At this point it's irrelevant cause what is growing is growing. Now debating on clipping just the very top top of the plants.

[Minoo96]

Like you say "what's growing is growing"
Topping will make them more bushy, flat canopy, but you know that already. Why is it a topic of debate? What's the goal or problem?

[bakedbear]

Just need to make sure and do it the right way. Just did a clean up of the lower 1/3 of the plants and now to top it and let them recover then turn to flower. I hope.

[CCisme]

Pretty bushy girls!

[bakedbear]

So I am getting ready to turn to flower and have a question. My pump for the top feaders is getting the roots caught up in it. Do I really need to use the top feaders anymore? Also is there a way to keep a clone a short clone till I am ready to move it to the box? The two plants I have growing i would like to clone both of them, but don't have the space to keep them except in the top of my super closet. I have read that I can clone in flower stage, but it is risky.

[bakedbear]

What is the smallest container you could grow a plant in using hydroponics?

[alltatup]

Bear, it depends: there are 2 inch net pots and much bigger ones. It would depend on your setup...

[bakedbear]

So one week into flower. Do I need to do some more trimming of leaves? Or just leave it alone?

[bakedbear]

Thanks. I have looked over the GWE site alot during all this and it has helped me quite a bit. Of course one of the things it says under reasons for not to defoliate is if you're new to growing. Which I am. I know that it says that so you don't go in there all willy nilly cutting parts off the plants you shouldn't. That's why I asked here just to have some backup. So thank you.

[alltatup]

Bear, I definitely see defoliation as an art--that I am trying to master. As I just posted on another thread, sometimes I have to sit there and look at the plants for a while, let my sight adjust to what's going on, and then start to snip where bud sites are being blocked from the light. Sometimes I need to snip on a daily basis, depending on how vigorously the plants are growing.

[Jeg]

I agree completely with atu. My next defol will be better because of her recommendations.

[4barrel]

Just over a month old from seed. Found out that one of my northern lights seeds turned out to be a sativa plant.

Im with tat on this.
those have indica written all over them.
I have 1 N.L. in my room close to picking, and like mentioned above.
Northern Light's is very easy ta grow.
they can handle lots of nutes before showing overdose/ They can handle strong lights 1000w + before showing burn. under waTer/ over water they ARe tuff. Even when I took clones, I cut them, stuck em in rpaid rooter , and I honestly think that the plant dint even realize it was cut. just kept grow like nothing happened.
And like I said mine is ready to crop soon big fat buds just loaded with trich's and you can stick a hole bud up your nose and they don't smell at all.
and a couple of spots and dicolouration on the odd leaf no big deal. check make sure your ph is right and your messur in your nutes properly, should be fine cuz they look great

NORTHEN LIGHT,
a very good choice for your first time grow.
Keep in mind if you diside to grow something els your next grow, things may not go as easy as it did with your N.L.

[alltatup]

4b, Don't stick buds up your nose!!! It might get stuck and you'd have to go to the hospital to have it removed, and how the heck would you explain that???!!! ;-}