First grow - need advice!

[Kadaver]

Hey all,

This year is my first time growing. I started a little too late because I didn't have time to get the seeds in Amsterdam (greenhouse). My two pure kush plants are now in their 4th week, but should I be worried about the fact I started a little late? I'm using Biobizz biogrow and root juice right now. For later I have their fish-mix (for the soil), biobloom and leaf coat. I guess they are doing alright at the moment. I don't have a picture from this week yet since they are over at someone else's house, I'll take one today or tomorrow. 

Does anyone have any advice or things I should keep in mind?

Thanks in advance,

- B

[Cannabissapean]

Hey Kadaver,

It's a bit difficult to offer advice regarding your questions because we don't have enough information yet.  Are the plants indoor or outdoors?  Which medium/method are you using, soil or coco or rockwool, hydroponics, drip or ebb-n-flow or dwc?  Pure Kush in 4th week, but how tall? And how developed?  Pictures needed here.

I can only assume that they are outdoors since you are concerned about the timing of the germination (If indoor where you can control temperature and lighting, the timing of germination is a non-issue.)  You should be alright with the timing to get a modicum of harvest, but you won't have enough time to grow a big plant and you will need to become the plant's Lord of the Lighting.  Your biggest enemies outdoor are deer, slugs, lack of sun's intensity when you want to be growing, and the oncoming cool days during which you want the plant to live to finish the maturation of the flowers.  That means that in the next 4 weeks you will want to push her to grow with greater light intensity day and/or night, but thereafter, you will need too trick her to quickly go into flower, followed by strictly controlling her lighting to keep her in flower until the daily daylight hours decreases to less than 13 hours, all the while praying that a cold snap doesn't kill the plant.

Peak sun-time (21 June) is just now, so from here on, the daylight hours will begin to wane.  If it is possible, you could hang some supplemental lighting over the plant to encourage a bit more growth.  If you cannot light at night, then light it during the day to give it more intensity.  If you can, cover it with a light-proof plant-tent each evening, then light it also at night to encourage growth.  But at some time (when the plant is about 50 to 80 cm tall or by the end of July, whichever comes first), you will need to force it to flower in order that it has enough time to produce and mature its flowers before the cold weather sets in.  For that you will definitely need a light-proof covering or tent to give it about a 48 hour period of light deprivation; this will force the plant to produce its pre-flowers.  After that you will need to limit its daily lighting to only 12-hours of daylight per day.  Be careful that the tent is big enough that it doesn't touch the plant or allow the sun's heat to scorch it.

You mentioned soil, but no explanation of the make-up of the soil.  A picture of the soil would help here.

I can readily offer this advice if you are in soil in the ground and outdoors.  Watch out for deer and slugs.  Both love to eat/destroy cannabis plants.  Against the deer, use a store-bought deer repellent or dog-poo, dog-urine, and dog-hair from a neighboring dog-groomer spread around the plants, but the urine best not directly onto the rootballs.  Against slugs, use slug-pellets around the plants, but again, not directly on the rootballs.  Another trick against slugs is a shallow bowl filled with beer placed somewhere around the plant.  Slugs cannot resist beer, they go for a swim and drown.

Careful with that Fish-Mix.  It is very high in N.  Too much can lead quickly to N-toxicity.

With Bio-Bizz in soil, I have found that the recommended dosage is a bit strong.  For 3-to-4 plants, I normally mix 14 liters per the instructions, but then feed only the first time at that strength using up only the first 3-to-4 liters or so.  Thereafter, follow-on feedings (every 2 or 3 days), I thin-out the pre-mixed half-n-half with rainwater and feed that.  Then I alternate my feedings (pure rainwater one feeding day, the half-half mix the next feeding day).  It works well for me. 

Just before or after the time you perform the light deprivation trick, switch your nutrients over to the flowering mix.  Do the same thing:  Mix a batch at full strength and feed that way for the first couple feedings, but then start thinning it out with succesive feedings.  At 3 to 4 weeks before harvest, stop adding nutrients at all and feed with just rainwater to help the plant rid itself of nutrients and salts.  The more nutes and salts that the plant can expel during its last weeks of life, the better will be the smoke.

Spray Neem Oil (natural extract from a tree that repels insects) all over the plant and underside of leaves during Vegg as a prophylaxis against mites, allow ladybugs to crawl, they are good against mites.  Stop using the sprays when the flowers appear.

As long as the plant is producing new pistils (white hairs), then it is still producing flowers and THC.  When you notice that the pistils have stopped appearing new on the main cola (they may still be showing new on the lower buds), then start the pure rainwater, and look forward to performing the harvest in 2 or 3 weeks after the plant has cleaned itself out.  The plants fan-leaves should be showing pretty colors now.  If the pistils all over the plant turn colors or the trichomes have turned milky, then harvest immediately.  If you missed the right time too begin your flush with pure rainwater, then tough luck.  you'll be hacking some harsh smoke.  It's a learning process, and you'll do it better next time.

If you would post pictures of your plants and grow area, you might get more responses.

[Kadaver]

Hi Cannabissapean,

first of all, thanks for your response! I really appreciate it.

Today I went to see my plants and took some pictures. They are at my dad's house and I live with both my mom and dad so I can't always be around them. But my dad helps me take care of them. I was really shocked, there is this bug called Agromyzidae and they leave strange marks on the leafs. They really seemed to get into it. I have been told it's not harmful, but I think the plants are now less able to absorb light.

they are indeed outdoors. Now in their 5th week and I think above 10cm tall. This month has been really shitty so far.. Lots of rain and clouds. Today is one of the first sunny days. I'm really bummed out about this. The smaller plant is as you can see a little behind. Also one leaf look like it's dehydrated? I really hope this doesn't mean I screwed up.

I use regular soil. The bag says it's universal potted soil (I hope you understand what I mean) with nutrients for about two months, sadly they didn't have soil without nutrients added. By the way, I remove the little weeds growing besides them. I just didn't do it before I took the pictures. 

If the weather keeps acting up like this, I will buy a lamp and see if I can manage tricking them into the flowering phase. 

Thanks again for your advice!

- B

[RIX]

your ph is fucking up your plants.

you need a ph pen with ph up or down and ph your water as these look healthy but also asif they have had nute lock out.

remove or trim thos fan leaves that are ruined and ph balance your water.

they look good. if you late id pull them indoors with light for now then wen its time put out or get better lights for indoor.

shouldnt of used out side dirt. should of got them grow bags and a bag of coco with perlite.

yea id take these in and put under a flourescent light with 7000k kelvins which will be cheap, then wait for weather or make decision to buy hps lights.

I would re pot them too, with fresh soil or go get coco and grow bags and transfer.

PH!! order a cheap ph pen off ebay and some calibration fluid then work out if you have hi or low ph then buy ph up or down. id be quick as this stage theyl be ok on any water but next stage you wil kill these.

ahh over watering too and under water. be careful but i recon your problems the ph and over water or even under watering.

[Kadaver]

16 hours ago, RIX said:

your ph is fucking up your plants.

you need a ph pen with ph up or down and ph your water as these look healthy but also asif they have had nute lock out.

remove or trim thos fan leaves that are ruined and ph balance your water.

they look good. if you late id pull them indoors with light for now then wen its time put out or get better lights for indoor.

shouldnt of used out side dirt. should of got them grow bags and a bag of coco with perlite.

yea id take these in and put under a flourescent light with 7000k kelvins which will be cheap, then wait for weather or make decision to buy hps lights.

I would re pot them too, with fresh soil or go get coco and grow bags and transfer.

PH!! order a cheap ph pen off ebay and some calibration fluid then work out if you have hi or low ph then buy ph up or down. id be quick as this stage theyl be ok on any water but next stage you wil kill these.

ahh over watering too and under water. be careful but i recon your problems the ph and over water or even under watering.

Thanks! I'll go look for it.

I also got some further info on the screwed up leaves. The fly that caused this lays its eggs just right underneath the surface. The larvae then eat their way out basically, creating small corridors inside of the leaves. When they eat too much of the leaves they end up like that one that looks dehydrated. I removed the leaves (2 or 3) that still contained a larva and the most damaged one, I kept the leaves with some damage but that didn't contain any larvae anymore.

I put some lavender around my plants since the smell of that plant scares off flies and also leaf mites. I hope it works.

- B