Yozhik
INTJ & Non-Violent Domestic Extremist
FOR NEW GROWERS LOOKING FOR "THE SECRET"
True story ...
I spent 2 years of research, mostly on this site, before putting a single seed in the ground.
Yes - you read that correctly.
Two years of study before putting a seed in the ground.
[Joined AFN May 20 2013. First indoor Grow Journal Oct 18 2015]
I read and read, and then read some more.
I read Grow Journals of fantastic growers, the likes of @seymour-buds and @TaNg, who were light years ahead of their time when Autos were first emerging.
And I would also read the Grow Journals of those who were serial killers of plants.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
I was looking for "the secret".
What made a grow successful?
What made them unsuccessful?
Was there a magic formula?
After two years of researching, studying and comparing, the most obvious "secret" hit me between the eyes.
Yes.
There IS a magic formula, and it is one that eludes many growers.
The grower who just wants to put a damn seed of their favourite smoke in the dirt, throw a light - any light - on top, and expect perfect bud to appear.
Here's the thing;
It's not the soil. Same soil has been used in good grows and bad grows.
It's not the seed genetics. Same seed has been used in good grows and bad grows.
It's not the pots, it's not the nutrients, it's not the type of light.
Great grows have been done in drink cups, using LED and/or HPS, with tap water.
The "secret" is the environment.
[See. Pic]
It sounds so simple and obvious, it's disappointing when you're told it, right?
But, go through grow journals, and see how many grows are done without the environment as the primary focus and fundamental building block for everything else that follows.
It's less than you think.
Some focus on what lights to use.
Others focus on a smorgasbord of nutes [been there, got the t-shirt]
None of that matters if you ignore environment control.
In specific, simple terms;
Get those right, your plants will grow, and grow well.
I apologise if you're reading this and are now thinking, "did that twat just tell me how to suck eggs?"
That is absolutely not my intent.
My hope is that someone who is just starting out, doing the research, looking for some practical advice to start growing with confidence, reads this and saves themselves two years of studying, or expensive and confidence breaking trial and error, with good grows and bad grows but without really knowing why.
Environment.
Environment.
Environment.
The most critical?
pH
Don't even have to think about it.
Hot/cold temps? Plant will recover when corrected.
High/Low humidity? Plant will recover when corrected.
Too much/too little air flow? Plant will recover when corrected.
Nothing you can do to your plant will kill a plant quicker, and more permanently than pH.
Grows undertaken without a good pH pen or accurate measurement, are a killing spree waiting to happen.
Invest in a good pH pen/probe.
For the cost for a few 1/8ths, you can get a good'un.
It will pay itself off in a single grow.
I'm not a great grower; there are many on this site alone, consistently better.
I tip my hat to you gentlemen and ladies - I learn every day from your invaluable contributions to the community.
However, I do pride myself on being a consistently above average grower.
... and if you were to ask my mother, she'd remember her little boy who was so inept at growing plants, he could kill a cactus.
Get the pH in the zone.
Take time to plan how you will keep the environment in the "zone", within your budget.
Build it; they will come.
Hope this helps someone save two years of their growing life.
True story ...
I spent 2 years of research, mostly on this site, before putting a single seed in the ground.
Yes - you read that correctly.
Two years of study before putting a seed in the ground.
[Joined AFN May 20 2013. First indoor Grow Journal Oct 18 2015]
I read and read, and then read some more.
I read Grow Journals of fantastic growers, the likes of @seymour-buds and @TaNg, who were light years ahead of their time when Autos were first emerging.
And I would also read the Grow Journals of those who were serial killers of plants.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
I was looking for "the secret".
What made a grow successful?
What made them unsuccessful?
Was there a magic formula?
After two years of researching, studying and comparing, the most obvious "secret" hit me between the eyes.
Yes.
There IS a magic formula, and it is one that eludes many growers.
The grower who just wants to put a damn seed of their favourite smoke in the dirt, throw a light - any light - on top, and expect perfect bud to appear.
Here's the thing;
It's not the soil. Same soil has been used in good grows and bad grows.
It's not the seed genetics. Same seed has been used in good grows and bad grows.
It's not the pots, it's not the nutrients, it's not the type of light.
Great grows have been done in drink cups, using LED and/or HPS, with tap water.
The "secret" is the environment.
[See. Pic]
It sounds so simple and obvious, it's disappointing when you're told it, right?
But, go through grow journals, and see how many grows are done without the environment as the primary focus and fundamental building block for everything else that follows.
It's less than you think.
Some focus on what lights to use.
Others focus on a smorgasbord of nutes [been there, got the t-shirt]
None of that matters if you ignore environment control.
In specific, simple terms;
- pH
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Air circulation
Get those right, your plants will grow, and grow well.
I apologise if you're reading this and are now thinking, "did that twat just tell me how to suck eggs?"
That is absolutely not my intent.
My hope is that someone who is just starting out, doing the research, looking for some practical advice to start growing with confidence, reads this and saves themselves two years of studying, or expensive and confidence breaking trial and error, with good grows and bad grows but without really knowing why.
Environment.
Environment.
Environment.
The most critical?
pH
Don't even have to think about it.
Hot/cold temps? Plant will recover when corrected.
High/Low humidity? Plant will recover when corrected.
Too much/too little air flow? Plant will recover when corrected.
Nothing you can do to your plant will kill a plant quicker, and more permanently than pH.
Grows undertaken without a good pH pen or accurate measurement, are a killing spree waiting to happen.
Invest in a good pH pen/probe.
For the cost for a few 1/8ths, you can get a good'un.
It will pay itself off in a single grow.
I'm not a great grower; there are many on this site alone, consistently better.
I tip my hat to you gentlemen and ladies - I learn every day from your invaluable contributions to the community.
However, I do pride myself on being a consistently above average grower.
... and if you were to ask my mother, she'd remember her little boy who was so inept at growing plants, he could kill a cactus.
Get the pH in the zone.
Take time to plan how you will keep the environment in the "zone", within your budget.
Build it; they will come.
Hope this helps someone save two years of their growing life.
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