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hi mark. like the site and service. I'm having trouble getting some fast pine to germinate. I'm using a zip lock container with mineral water moistening it when needed. i have the container sealed, covered from light and have a heating pad on low beneath it. out of 6 seeds, 1 germinated in a 4 day period. any solutions? and would u recommend growing some of the more expensive strains (nyc diesel, bubblegum, ak47) outdoor? i am in the Ottawa valley area. thanks for your time peace
WEBMASTER: ..I would either have the heating mat and NO cover for the container or use the cover but do NOT use the heating mat... the heating mat essentially bakes the seeds inside the zip lock container with the cover ON.... all the Amsterdam seeds are ok for outdoor, but none will be as resilient as "our" seeds because our seeds have been bread both indoor and outdoor.... in other words the Amsterdam verities will do better indoor then outdoor..... yield wise...
Hey Marek i was in to see u and got some seeds (a variety mixture of 5 wwxbuddha,5 blueberry skunk,5 northern lights x Buddha and u gave me 5 skunk 69)well they all germinated but 3 of the skunk 69 for sum odd reason. They are all above ground but the stems are like 2 to 3 inch long before the top of the plant is this normal? They are about 5 days old i have a 400w HPS about 3 feet away should i move it closer at this point? also my room is 6 by 5 i am using a 400w for now, when do u think i should add another light? do u think i could get away another month at that time i can get possibly another 400w or just get a 1000w. DO U RECOMMEND A 1000w setup for this type of room or will 800w do. OR AM I FINE NOW WITH JUST THE 400w> THNX A MILL I HOPE U UNDERSTAND IT.
WEBMASTER: ..the initial stretching is fairly normal.. next time plant them half an inch deeper, for now you can support them with a stick .... try moving the light down to 2 feet away from the plants.... and make sure the oscillating fan makes wind... both of these actions should make the stem stronger and healthier... and the plant bushier... you can either have 1 x 1000W in this space or a combination of 2 x 400W or 1 x 400W and 1 x 600W... in all cases its ok... its only the costs that should be of issue... I am a firm believer in 1000W lights but adding a 400W to your 400W would be just as good.... make sure you have the ventilation to maintain the temperatures below 30C.....
hey bud, how are u. hoping to come down this week, Friday haha. finally i will meet the man hopefully. using a room approx 5 deep 6 wide 5.5 hi and a 1000w how many little ladies can i run for some yield but more important quality and what's available in them?. thanx have a great day.
WEBMASTER: ..because you have limit on height... I would like to have 7 feet.... I would do 20 plants ...... with 7 foot ceilings i could do 10 plants vegged to 2 feet tall but with this limit I would do 20 vegged to 1 foot tall before bloom.... if your plants get too tall you would have no way of raising the light....
using a ozone proportioner, how many ounces will you need to get 400 ppm? The fertilizer is 20-20-20. Using a 5 gallon stock tank.
WEBMASTER: ..i do not fully understand the question... 400 ppm you can get from plain water since salts are present even in clean water...
as my plant grows from seed is it normal for sum of the leafs to go yellow the first ones which cum through as my plant gets a little older i mean thanks
WEBMASTER: ..they need to be fed a low dosage of nutrients ..... no nutrients or no light causes yellowing....
i have a fish pond in my garden is it ok to feed my plants the water from the fish pond and the silty stuff in my filter or is this just a really silly idea like thanks for urhelp
WEBMASTER: ..ground water yes, rain water from the fish pond is most likely not good....
my leafs on my plants are starting to curl up the new leafs are cuming out curly and the end of some leaves look burnt but only at tip of leafs what would be causing this im using a 400 watt light and feeding my plants miracle grow but im really not sure why this is happing any advice would be really helpful
WEBMASTER: ..the end of the leafs being burned would indicate over feeding or nutrient lock.... over feeding would mean that you give them too much miracle grow ..... if its nutrient lock it means that in between feedings you give them plain water.... in either case I would decrease the nutrient levels in the water to 1 ml for 3 liters of tap water but never give the plants just plain water..... in other words you want to feed them constantly with a low level of nutrients.....
Hello Mark. I just purchased some Liquid Kool Bloom. It says to use 1 - 2 tsp per gallon of water. How much should I be using with a 400W MH. Also, I am using Pure Blend Pro, do I mix my normal nutrients and then just add the Kool Bloom to that mixture? (yes) Thanks for all the help!
WEBMASTER: ..you should read this lable as 0.5 - 1 ml per gallon for 400W lights.... you should add this on top of the regular dose of pure blend pro in the 5th and 6th week of bloom only.... I know the lable says you can add KB all through out the bloom cycle, don't bother.... pure blend pro is very good nutrient already so add Kool Bloom in week 5 and 6 only.....
HEY DO U have ne suggestions on keeping my cats away from my plants as they are curious and always hanging out around the room and i find myself always putting the run on them several times a day as i am scared of what they will do to the plants and if i come haome one day and theres nottin left (GOD HELP THOSE CATS)thnx a TUNN
WEBMASTER: ..I had two cats which loved the lights... they never touched the plants... they can bring mites from outdoors if they are outdoors cats.... indoor cats are of no harm......
Hi Mark how are you. great I hope. I was trying to find out if I should be exhausting during the dark period in the flower cycle.(yes) Also what PH level should be used in hyroponic pot system. I have been using 5.60 ,should I be adding CAL MAX when the leaves start going yellow in the 3rd to 4th week of flower and if so do I lower the EC of the DNF or just add to the total EC. Example if using ec of 2000 with DNF. when adding cal max the ec rises to about 2200 Should I allow the EC to rise or keep at 2000. this is the same for adding DNF fortifier the ec rises even higher to about 2400 should I add these items first then add DNF till I hit 2000 EC or let rise to 2400. I want to thank you for your help on on all these questions. P.S I really want to make my weed taste better, with your help I think I can. THANX AGAIN.
WEBMASTER: ..in veg PH should be anywhere between 6 and 6.8 (EC well below 2000 i.e. normal feeding)....PH at 1st week of bloom should be 6.0, 2nd week 5.8, 3rd 5.6, 4th week 5.4...5 to 7 week should be 5.2 (you increase the EC as you decrease the PH, so you may start at 1800 EC at the beginning of bloom but you should be at 2200 or 2400 in the 5th and 6th week of bloom, week 7th and 8th is for gradual step down from EC down to 500 in the last few days before harvest, but PH can be any where around 5.5).... during the first 4 weeks of bloom and for all of veg period this statement is correct "I add these items first then add DNF till I hit 2000 EC" ...during the heavy bloom cycle during week 5 and 6 you can increase the EC up to 2400 .... be careful and watch them ... slight overfeeding is expected but heavy burns are not....
Hi Mark its me again. when should I cease using co2 injection in the flower cycle. is there any way to make the weed taste better when using hydroponics. could you explain leeching of the nutrients in the last 2 weeks of flower.
WEBMASTER: ....stop CO2 in the last week of bloom but you can run it until the end if you want.... leaching means depriving the plant of food without triggering a nutrient lock .... leeching removes the nitrogen from the bud (the green colour)... nitrogen burns like burned rubber or not at all.... so when you leech the plants and they get all yellow at the very end its a good thing ..... how not to leech: if you feed at normal level of nutrinets and then suddenly you remove all nutrients (plain water) you can trigger nutrient lock... the plant does not want to give up any food, stem darkens, leafs burn.... i.e. she knows she is going to die. just kidding...... hot to leech: the best way is to step down from full feeding down to 25% of normal nutrient intake.... this way the plant simply feeds less..... without "holding: the nutrients or locking.....
my weed does not taste very good, is there any method of making it taste better. I am growing hydroponically, using DNF nutrients, should I be lowering the EC near the end of flowering (PH at 1st week of bloom should be 6.0, 2nd week 5.8, 3rd 5.6, 4th week 5.4...5 to 7 week should be 5.2). I also thought that after nutrient change you should run straight water every week (no, please tell me where you red this, I am curious) or so to prevent toxicity build up. should I not be running straight water PH adjusted before changing nutrients in reservoir. I have heard that you said you should not run straight water during flower cycle. thanks MARK
WEBMASTER: .....my answer to this question applies ONLY to hydroponics tables and not to promix or my grow guide....1st: I never run plain water unless its at the very end (last 4 days or so before harvest) OR you are trying to rescue the plants from severe over feeding ...... you should lower and increase the nutrient levels but do not remove the nutrients completely... in fact if you want to remove nutrients from the plant give them 25% of normal nutrient level... this is the best way to remove the nutrients from the plant... plain water removes nutrients from the roots.....
Is there any way of doing hydroponics organically. Tanx Mark
WEBMASTER: .....if you use organic nutrients like Pure Blend Pro or Flora Nova and never spray with pesticides.... you can.... they will dirty the pumps and you have to clean more but its been done....
I was wondering when I should shut off the co2 injection, how many weeks or days before the end of flowering.
WEBMASTER: ..generally I would run the CO2 until one week before harvest, leaching time does not require any CO2...
I have a question with regards to humidity levels in my grow room i am finding during the off hours the humidity is around 50-60% and continuing into 3-4 hrs of the light on cycle, right now i am in week 5 of bloom, plants doing well, i want to get the most crystals going as possible and was wondering if i should dehumidify the air at all times down below 35% to help in crystal production as well as giving bud booster's, my light on temps are 80f with 40% humidity and off temps at 68f with 55-60%humidity any suggestions?
WEBMASTER: ..I do believe lower humidity around 40% would be better but I have no personal experience... I am usually at easy when its at your levels.... your temperatures and humidity would be ok with me ....
hey there mark, i bought some xxx white widow from you awhile back, i stored the seeds in a plastic bag inside the crisper like what was mentioned somewhere on this site. Just recently I started to germinate the seeds as mentioned on here with the wet tissues. All appeared to sprout, but 4 of the 10 did not come up from the soil. Any thoughts on this, and perhaps I can grab some more of these seeds off you if you still have them?
WEBMASTER: ....I do not know it happens and you can get some replacements... may be the soil wasn't wet enough, may be it will take more time, may be , may be, may be :-)
Hey Marek great site very informative. I am a first time grower was wondering if i had a room that was 6 feet wide 5 feet long, using 400w HPS Hortilux and was planning on having 20 plants, Would i need more light i have 160 watts total in floros i can use. Do u think i should put them in there (IF AND WHEN DO U THINK) would be a decent time. (during vegetative growth or flowering?) TYVM :D
WEBMASTER: ..if this is the only place you have then I would put in both the 400W and the fluorescent lights together for veg and bloom... it never hurts to have more power.... if you have an additional place (2 x 2 and 4 feet tall) you can put the fluorescent lights there and use that for veg... the 400W should then be only for bloom in your 6 x 5...
>>>I have a slight problem force flowering my cannabis plants. >>I am growing white widow x ak47 organically in coco-coir, worm castings, dolomite lime. >I have began force flowering my clones using bat guano and botanicare flower formula and the buds have begun to take shape but unfortunately they are quite small in size and they also significantly lack pistils (white-hairs). >>I am quite frustrated by this problem for it is re-occurring more often and it is significantly decreasing my yields as well as odour, potency and flavour. >Finally I mix my nutrient solution in 10l jugs using 4 tbsp of flower formula and 4 drops of pH down. > I never directly fertilize (with the solution) my plants for it would burn them so i mix it 50/50 with water also pH adjusted with 4 drops of water. >> i would greatly appreciate some feedback on my serious dilemma. >>I purchased blueberry x skunk from toronto420 seeds and am very pleased to say that vegetative growth and cloning was a complete success and i solely hope that flowering; with the proper guidelines, will be just as bountiful and fruitful. > Thank you
WEBMASTER: ..there is some things coming to mind... how old is your bulb.. older then 1 year?... do you have ANY, and I mean ANY light leaking inside when the plants are sleeping???.... in addition, dolomite lime and PH down may be counter acting, I am not fully sure on this... what is the PH of the water leaching from the plants???... growing with coco is easy as long as you remember that you CAN NOT give the plants ANY plain water..... it has to contain some nutrients always, like 25% of recommended..... and finally switch to promix or similar....
Hey Marek how r u ? i was wondering how many plants would be sufficient for a 400w i have 19 on the go now was wondering when in full bloom will i have enough light for them to prosper fully
WEBMASTER: ..I would do 10 plants... 19 may be a bit much.... chances are that some plants will get very little light or they will get overcrowded... over crowding means stress, stress makes yield lower....
Hi Mark, do you run out of Fast Pine seeds? I'm hoping to pick some up in May-June, would I be wise to get them as soon as possible or do you have lots usually? also, your g13xbuddha is pure happiness in my little room and it does indeed have almost no odour when blooming but reeks like heaven in the bag. I even managed to get some curing for about a month and (perhaps for the first time) could really notice the difference compared to street weed. I wonder if I ever bought a bag that was actually cured not just dry (ish). Right oh, many thanks...
WEBMASTER: ..I have plenty of fast pine ..... enough to last till next year....
Hi Mark, can I SWITCH A&B formula after veg to another a&b formula for bloom. I want to start using pure blend pro and I need to aquire A&B for bloom, but have just used another A&B for veg........will this "screw" things up? And i want to buy some outdoor seeds from You.....for a $100 what would you suggest, I have NL/B and WWXXX but I understand that my yields will be Half of what I could get with outdoor seeds....Thanks BUD.
WEBMASTER: ..switching between hydroponics nutrients is not a big deal... you should be ok... wwxxx will do better outdoor... NL/B is great and all but the wwxx will yield more.... fast pine is good and cheap....
how are u we havent met yet but i am a mmar cardholder for possession only but fuck medicine is expensive and the gov has kife so 2 weeks into bloom i have yellowing, is it ok to give a shot of all purpose or what?.
WEBMASTER: ..yellowing means underfeeding ... all purpose is better then nothing so its ok.... as a mmar card holder you an buy clones from me....
to 420lyfer, thanks a lot for your input it was very informative. i had no idea of the effects of ozone before hand, unfortunately it seems i have bought into some form of deceiving marketing again >:0
WEBMASTER: ..ozone generators suck... carbon filters rule....
lmao lyfer...surely that musta been sativa induced...
To 420lyfer, Wow!!!!!!!My BRAIN is hurting!
sorry mark i was bored lol
WEBMASTER: ..no worries, I like sharing...
to justsomedude... if your still in the first week or 2 in flower mode this still can be done* !!! Topping the plant means to remove its primary growing shoot. The plant then redirects its energy to the next two closest shoots which become primary shoots. This may be done as many times as the grower desires. Note, however, that the resulting buds will be smaller than if the plant had been left untopped. The real issue becomes "Does the mass of the two new buds exceed the mass of the otherwise untopped cola?" The answer to this question varies from strain to strain, perhaps even, from plant to plant. When topped, frequently the two central growth tips will stop growing for a period, while the plant directs its energies to repairing the damage central shoot. A collateral effect of topping is that the plant bushes out, that is, all of the lower branches continue to grow when the growth of the central shoots pauses. This can be useful in a propagation technique like SCroG, in which it is desirable for all of the bud sites to be on an even plane. The slowdown in growth may be avoided by pinching, rather than cutting, the growth tip. This does not cause the resulting bushiness in the lower growth, but does cause the two secondary tips to become primary. How, when and where to top are also matters of ongoing debate. Ultimately, it becomes a personal decision of the grower, based upon his own experiences and goals.. however if you are further in the flowering stage.... you may experience Dormant buds at each node (auxiliary buds) are kept dormant by the level of auxins traveling down the stem from the shoot tip (apical dominance). The farther away a node is the less auxin it experiences, and at some certain level the bud begins to grow. We remove the growing tip to induce the formation of lateral branches by removing the source of auxin, which is mainly produced in young expanding leaves. If enough young EXPANDING leaves are left on the plant when the tip is cut out, apical dominance will not be broken until the leaves stop expanding and auxin levels drop. So, don't skimp when you pinch and cut back to mature leaves. ***Auxins are a class of plant growth substance (often called phytohormones or plant hormones). Auxins play an essential role in coordination of many growth and behavioral processes in the plant life cycle*** ***Dormant-in a state of minimal metabolic activity with cessation of growth, either as a reaction to adverse conditions or as part of an organism's normal annual rhythm.***
WEBMASTER: .. * I would strongly NOT recommend topping the plant when in bloom, in veg YES, not in bloom.... the plant has already re-directed its energy into flowering and the branching will not really happen as well as it should in veg.....
to the guy interested in ozone generators lol ... just get a reg dayton blower with a carbon filter much safer and more trust worthy lol Some indoor “air purifiers” or air cleaners emit ozone, a major component of outdoor smog, either intentionally or as a by-product of their design. Those that intentionally emit ozone are often called “ozone generators,”. Manufacturers sometimes inappropriately refer to ozone as “activated oxygen,” “super oxygenated” or “energized oxygen,” implying that ozone is a healthy kind of oxygen. Because ozone reacts with some other molecules, manufacturers claim that the ozone produced by these devices can purify the air and remove airborne particles, chemicals, mold, viruses, bacteria, and odors. However, ozone is not effective at cleaning the air except at extremely high, unsafe ozone levels, and then it is only partially effective. Some devices are marketed with advertising claims that they will kill viruses, bacteria, mold and other biological contaminants, and remove chemical contaminants and odors. However, studies have shown that, when ozone concentrations are below the health standards, it does not effectively remove biological contaminants. Ozone also does not remove particles (e.g. dust and pollen) from the air, including the particles responsible for most allergies. Research also shows that ozone generated by air purifiers does little to remove chemical pollutants. In fact, ozone has been found to react with existing chemicals in the air to create other toxic pollutants, most notably formaldehyde and ultra fine particles. Some consumers purchase air purifiers to eradicate odors. Evidence shows that ozone concentrations below the health standards are not effective in removing many odor-causing chemicals. Ozone is also known to deaden one’s sense of smell. Not only does this disguise rather than eliminate odors, it can also have the dangerous effect of decreasing a person’s ability to detect high ozone levels. Unlike the situation in air, ozone can be used successfully to purify water in some applications. This is so because high levels of ozone can be used in the water, most of the ozone reacts in the water, and people typically are not present when the ozone is used.
When the plant is receiving adequate nutrients, water and light, air circulation ,and temps it responds to levels of CO2 above 350 ppm. The photosynthetic rate increases in a linear ratio to the gaseous enrichment. This results in the production of more tissue-building material and fuel, supporting faster growth. This increase in growth rate and yield can be initiated almost any time during the plant's life, either during vegetative growth or flowering. As soon as the enriched air gets to the leaves, production increases. Cannabis does not use CO2 during the dark period. Hence, when you master your lighting, nutrients, air circulation, temps, humidity elements it is then adequate to introduce co2 into the grow room otherwise it is useless and a waste also.. gas and kerosene generators work by burning hydrocarbons that release heat and create carbon dioxide and water. Each pound of fuel burned produces about 3 pounds of CO2, 1½ pounds of water, and about 19,800 BTUs (British Thermal Units) of heat. Hence, more air circulation is needed for gas and kerosene generators to troubleshoot heat and moisture bottled co2 or co2 pucks seem to be the best alternative to introducing co2
WEBMASTER: ..sounds correct.. I did read this somewhere.... but I would like to add that the pucks make no difference that I can tell...
my next crop I'm looking into CO2, any recommended reading material? (kind of like your grow guide, easy to follow) thanks.
WEBMASTER: ..I am not aware of any guides... sorry... you have to be advanced level grower before CO2 makes any difference... example,. if you can get 2 lbs from 1000W per grow cycle you are advanced.....with CO2 you need to make it a perfect setup OR its just a waste of CO2....
High Mark! I would like to know what you think about Ozone generators? more specifically an ozone generator that would be good for a 600w hps grow? the ozone generator I'm looking at says it puts out more than 30 milligrams of ozone per hour but it does not say what area it covers.....its much cheaper than a carbon filter as i cannot afford one. if you need more specifics about my grow let me know! thanks a lot
WEBMASTER: ..do not get an ozone generator, save up for a carbon filter... first: it gives me a headache, chances are it will give you a headache too, two: it kills plants... so it can be used on THE OUTSIDE of the grow room never on the inside, three: it works 80% of the time meaning that there is still some smell that can be detected by people like myself....
how long should the tap root be before potting?
WEBMASTER: ..as long as there is a root it can be potted... length does not matter, I pot them as soon as I see a roots...
Hey mark. I have some questions and I may have made a mistake.....Alright so here is goes I am currently growing 10 of your NLxSkunk and 10 G13xBudda and 1 Hindu Kush. They Look great!, But I might have let them get too big I vegged them for a month... they didn't look like they were really filling out the space for a while...and then Boom My 4x4 flood table is packed and I just switched to flowering. So when I cull the males I might have 14-16 Females And I am afraid of how much they are going to stretch I only have maybe 3 more feet up that wont be too close to the light how can i make them shorter I have a 1000w HPS with a 4x4 flood table and I am using General Hydroponics nutes. I don't really understand the bending thing....Also 2 of the g13's look to be getting a slight nute burn but all the other plants look better than any plants from the previous 4 grows (I just switched to hydro this time and I LOVE it) should adjust the nutes or just let it ride and hope those two plants just suck it up or turn out to be males (that would be sweet) Thanks alot dude...also I know this is kind of of a stupid question but...my last soil grow I ended up with 12 oz do you think I will beat that mark this time?
WEBMASTER: ..I am not sure what you can do other then remove some plants... this is Catch 22... if you do not remove some plants they all get stressed from over crowding (and you get more males) but if you remove some plants now you may be removing the females and leaving the males.... regarding to PH of the water .. you should be at 6.0 and below and have it come down by 0.2 every week so by week 4 of bloom you are around 5.2, 5.4 PH.... G13/Buddha prefers moderate feeding where NL SK likes high levels of nutrients so there is not much you can do other then find a middle ground for both... may be the G will be males... but next time do not put an indica and sativa together on a hydroponics table.. its hard to find the correct levels of nutrients for both... 12oz from 1000W is low.. should be closer to 16 oz. and up.... I get 20 oz per 1000W from soil....
mark, you mentioned in a post farther down the list that freezing bud causes the trichomes to fall off and hence its a bad idea. like most of us I tend to be lazy and forgetful when it comes to my bud after the harvest. I like the flavour of bud the best when it is just barely dry enough to burn problem free...and very susceptible to mold. if Im unlikely to remember to open the bag every day for air...is refrigeration still the best method for long term storage? will I still need to worry about mold? thanks...
WEBMASTER: ..when the pot is completely dry (i.e. when you pick up your crop and the stem on which the bud is located (crisply) breaks instead of bending) .... it can be in the fridge and it will not mold .... if the stem on the bud bends the bud still has to be ventilated for a few days even if its in the fridge ..... in other words if you forget, the mold may still affect the bud ......
when making my hash with my cuttings do i dry out the cuttings first before they go in freezer or just put straight in freezer
WEBMASTER: .. by cuttings I hope you mean the trimmed off leaf, left over from the mature bud you just harvested.... dry it bone dry but do not crush it.... then freeze it for 24 hours....
is it a good idea to spray my plants with just rainwater (tap water is better unless you know your rain water is pollution free) like once every couple of days and if so when should i stop this process can i carry it on in bloom
WEBMASTER: .. spray daily when in Veg cycle but do not spray in bloom at all....when in bloom you can spray only when fighting mites or if you use some particular bud boosters made from Fulvic acid and only in the 4th to 6th week of bloom...
Hey Marek, I was in to see u about 2 weeks ago (GIVE OR TAKE A DAY OR 2) and u set me up with a nice little variety pack i have started the germination process for all the seeds its now 2 days into it and i got 8/20 sprouted. I have just planted some sprouted seeds was just wondering if pure blend pro (for vegetative growth) and also i have pure blend pro for flowering also i have some bat guano. I was wondering if this will be enough nutrients for the duration of the entire mission, if not what else do u recommend i get? I have a bunch of other chems like shultz and miracle grow but imma staying away from them as i am using organics throut.
WEBMASTER: .. this is all the nutrients you need... you should not need bat guano unless...clet me know what the bad guano lable say as its NPK number (1-2-7 or 20-20-20 etc.) ... you may or may not need more of them but you should not have the need to get any other brands... please stay away from the Shultz and miracle grow as they are nasty tasting when smoked....
so if i cut sum bottom branches off this is ok yea but what bot the big leaves people tell me if u cut them leaves u know the big ones they will sprout more is this true
WEBMASTER: ..no, cutting the fan leafs is an incorrect interpretation of trimming..... you can trim off branches but cutting off leafs without cutting off branches accomplishes nothing.... when you cut a branch plant hormones transfer from the cut branch into another branch thus re-focusing the plants energy on the un cut branches,... when you cut a leaf you simply damage the plant and she is forced to re-grow it....
hello mark, I read on your grow guide that in the first stages of the plant's life the room does not have to be completely dark when the plants are sleeping. In what stage of the plant's life does it become necessary to block out ALL light when the plants are sleeping?
WEBMASTER: ..when you start the bloom cycle and you set your timer to 12 hours light ON and 12 hours light OFF (i.e. sleep time).... at that point when the plants are sleeping the darkness has to be ABSOLUTE....
Thanks for your imput on the Aeroflow system! A buddy of mine said I could borrow his EZ Clone 60, can you please give me any hints or pointers for using the EZ Clone system? I'll be using an 60 site Aeroflow so the EZ Clone 60 site sounds like it should fit perfectly into the cycle? What's the best method I should use to place a cutting in this type of machine? I read about how to do it in rockwool (best and easiest) and soil (not good) ...but not this machine (very advanced method). Are the nuts that are supplied with this system good to use or should I buy others? (the nutrients are of no issue.. they are all good) Again, THANKS BIG TIME!
WEBMASTER: ..I think you do not need a "medium" with this system... this system (I think) works with plastic insert foam that holds the clone upright and exposes the bottom of the cone to a mister which spray the roots with water vapor every 4 minutes I think..... same principle as this system which is a step down from the EZ Clone 60..... problem with this system is that if the pumps breaks down, the clones die, if the PH of water is outside of 6 to 6.5, the clones with get stunted (stop growing for a week)..... I do not recommend this system to anyone since in the same foot print I can grow 120 clones with a basic fluorescent light, some rockwool cubes a tray and a dome.....
Hi Mark, how soon can you lower your lights, after spraying Neem oil, (with good ventilation 6 hours after spraying I would have the lights back down) and how often should I spray Neem oil.....every 3-4 days? do I continue to mist plants with water the day after spraying Neem oil? (once a day only is ok)....Thanks, BUD... ....1000w, pro-mix, good ventilation.
WEBMASTER: .. I would spray twice a week before going into bloom.... example if I spray today I would repeat in 3 days... I would again spray in 3 days if I feel paranoid or I still see mites.... I would continue doing this until I DO NOT SEE any mites.... usually after the 3rd spray I am satisfied.... I may give a precautionary spray 2 week in bloom, just in case, but with soap only....
Hey Mark, I was at your store in the last also had a quick convo over the phone. By the way U R THE FUCKING MAN lol. quick ? in regards to co2 and ventilation i can only vent by opening a window while lights r on using a 400w Hortilux HPS but i think that should do also i have a few fans blowing around.1 fan blowing the air from the window towards the grow room another fan blowing it into the room and a fan at the top of the door blowing hot air out. My ? i guess would be do u think its necessary to introduce homemade co2 into the grow room (can only afford homemade co2) also what method do u recommend for making the co2 if indeed i will use it. THNX A MILLION U DA MAN
WEBMASTER: .. I like the idea of fan placed in strategic places to enhance the ventilation.... but forget about any sort of CO2 setup.. it will prove completely useless... CO2 busting works only when you have a state of the art growing system/setup... anything short of that will be a waste of your time and money... I tried...
when my buds are dry enough to smoke how do i store larger quantities like an ounce or two to keep them from drying out any further? is vacume sealing in a mason jar an option? (pain in the butt but sure) mark thank you for all your help, my first crop turned out even better than expected. i followed your grow guide to a T and would recommend it to anyone. hope to send you pics when totally completed. THANKS AGAIN
WEBMASTER: .. a mason jar stored at the bottom of the fridge, i.e. crisper (in a dark bag, since light is bad) .... Thank You
hi mark; i was in your store today, and you spoke to my girlfriend who you mentioned about the cookies. do you have the recipe? we would love to try them they will be much better for me, rather than smoke pot. you have been very helpful in our little project.
WEBMASTER: ..the place to visit for cookies is here ..... the recipes are here.... Thank You
yea master haze i got that too ... for some reason after you click to post your comment if you remain on the page and by chance hit the refresh button youll post your posting again ... im not sure why but it has happened to me to lol
WEBMASTER: .....erhh... multiple people posting have strange effects but as long as the question is not lost its ok with me....
Sorry for the reposts...don't know how that happened, clicked only once.
WEBMASTER: ..no worries... when multiple people post the system gets confused...
im thinking bot growing sum plants out side this summer which is the best time of year to put them out and can i give them miracle grow outside many thanks
WEBMASTER: ..put them out mid May and harvest late September ... for outside only miracle grow is ok....
We would like to start a Medical Marijuana Compassion Club (ie Cannabis Commons) but don't have any idea on how to start one. The club would supply medicine in different forms for people who don't want to inhale and those that do. What is the first step? I'm guessing talk to a lawyer but what is after that and how do I find a lawyer who is willing to talk about this type of business? Thanks for your time and knowledge.
WEBMASTER: ..you have to read this article from cannabis culture..... and oh, my god, there is so much more...
ur advice is so good and ur videos are ace thanks for all ur help one question tho if i was to cut off the smaller steams cuming off my plants u know the one at the bottom of plant would it make my top buds bigger and how many would i cut off and also which stage in life should this be done
WEBMASTER: ..I cut them off a week before I decide to bloom them..... but I do recommend cutting even well into the 3rd week of bloom.... if you see that a branch is not getting any light and looks like a strain for the plant, cut it off... the energy from that branch will be diverted to the other more deserving branches..... I try to leave may be no more then 10 main branches and cut off the rest.... this depends on how much space i have and how many plants I have.... I cut off more when I am in a restricted space and the plants are overcrowded....
Thanks Mark, you know your your stuff!! A few more questions if you don't mind about my hydro set up...I am considering the use of an Aeroflow2 aeroponics system. Can I start the clones in rockwool 1" cubes (pre-soaked for 24 hours) and transplant them into hydroton? (yes) Or should I transfer the 1" cubes into larger rockwool cubes and then place them in the baskets and avoid the hydroton all together? (either way its ok) Or, should I just dip my clones in the clone solution and place them directly into the hydroton? (no, the roots need more moisture then hydrotone can give them, use 1 inch cubes pre-soaked for 24 hours before cloning) Not sure if that will work with hydroton. What's best?? Should I be worried that the roots (when developed) will be exposed to light if I use the hydroton? I will cover the tops either way with poly for reflection to the plants and light protection to the roots, (yes) but at the same time, should I be worried about root rot if I use rockwool? (nooooo) (Poly should help cover the roots from light and protect the rockwool from mold....right? (yes) If you would use rockwool, would you want tall or short cubes that fit in the baskets? Do I want some empty room on the bottom of the baskets? (yes but it should be dark and the water should be dripping) If placing the clones directly into the system, I thought about getting some kind of tray top to cover the clones to keep humidity in while I spray the leaves with water and wait for the root system to develop (24 hrs of MH light?).(sorry but the roots on clones have to be already developed before you place them into this system, not that your way is impossible but the clones will struggle and get stressed if you depend on this system to keep them happy) Should I turn the system on even though there are no roots yet to feed?? I'm guessing no, but maybe the water will release some moisture to the clones or help it in any other way, maybe it will release some heat to the roots and help promote strong root growth? (these are may be's and I like proven ways of growing) Shall I turn the fans off (or lower) so that I can increase my temp and humidity levels for the clones? (you are thinking correctly) Say, 90 degrees until I see roots? (again you are thinking correctly but the problem is that this system is designed to be turned ON when the roots on clones are already developed so it will give you problems for sure if you try to start clone right off the bat in it) On my 2X 1000 watt HPS set up, can I replace the bulbs with those convertible MH bulbs and place the clones there and keep the lights on for 24 hrs (than switch to 12 hrs, and change bulbs back to HPS)? (of course) How far away shall I keep the 1000 watt MH lights from the plants (it's well vented and is always at at around 75-80 degrees (4 feet away when clones are small but as soon as you see some growth lower the lights to 18-24 inches away, keep PH from 6.5 to 6)...and obviously the MH is nowhere near as hot as the HPS bulbs. Sorry for several questions, I could not find these answers while searching. Sorry to throw em at you all at once. Any other tips you might have when using this type of system will be greatly appreciated. We all owe you a great deal....thanks!!!
WEBMASTER: ..ok I think this is the system you are talking about.... systems like that is why I started my own webpage (happygirl) , they are bitchy and finicky in nature, PH of the water HAS be monitored constantly .... this system is designed to work from clones only, i.e. not from seeds.... you have to develop clones separately from this system... when roots are well visible on the clones you can transfer them into a bigger rockwool cube which needs to soaked with water at most twice a day or into hydrotone cubes which need to be watered constantly (hence the water drippers).... some people make a combo... 1 inch cube goes into a bigger (3 or 4 inch cube) with hydrotone spread around and below the cube... the drippers are positioned over the hydrotone and there are separate drippers for the cube itself which is also constantly dripped ..... this system is great until a problem develops.... a single problem can be deadly to all plants... example... PH changes suddenly for whatever reason and all plants die off.... fungus gnats spread with this system like wild fire.... in many ways when using this system you either get an amazing crop or you fail completely.... I do not like those odds....
i have been thinking of growing with the Ecosystem and would like to know before I purchase it at around 3500.00 if it is wise.
WEBMASTER: ...unless you are an advanced grower this system is not a wise purchase.... for it to work you need clones .... not seeds... there is many other reasons but in essence you need to know how your plants behaves just by looking..... book knowledge is not enough.....
oh and i forgot im also using liquid karma and liquid humus and seaweed extract in conjunction to the guano nutrients
WEBMASTER: ....the nutrients you have are all ok but its now a question "How much" of each for whatever strain your growing... some strains (indica dominant) need more food and some less (sativa dominant).....
im using guano ... what can i use as a bud booster ... im using Mexican for veg 10-2-1 near 12/12 switch im using Peruvian seabird 10-10-2 then in first 3 weeks i use Jamaican 1-10-.2 then in last couple weeks i use Indonesian .5-12-.2 all in pro mix ... just wondering what i should use as a bud booster thanks preferably all organic
WEBMASTER: ....Jamaican 1-10-0.2 and Indonesian 0.5-12-0.2 are both bud boosters, ...as well as primary nutrients .... increase the dosage of this stuff in the 4th to 6th week of bloom as this is the best time to give them this type of nutrient..... I would use a different nutrient for the first 3 weeks of bloom.. your Peruvian contains too much nitrogen (first number) and not enough potassium (last number).......
For the person that responded to a question that I asked Mark, about SPIDER MITES......f'kn mites. What is SM-90?, where can one purchase it? (in Toronto here) and do or can you spray while in bloom?.........and thanks for taking your time to answer my question.
WEBMASTER: ....you can use it until the 4th week of bloom but afterwards you will damage the quality of the smoke...... i.e. it will smell like the product you spray them with which is not great..... its better to use it in veg as a prevention for mites rather as the cure.....
Hi, In the top reservoir of my Baby Bloomer system, the roots of the plants are growing out through the bottom of the pots and crawling all over. The roots are healthy and plentiful, but once they start growing, more and more roots are exposed to the 400 HPS light from above. Is this bad or not a problem? Should the roots be protected from any light? please let me know, ty.
WEBMASTER: ....roots should definitely be protected from any light... the light will damage the roots and they will rot or dry out eventually... the plant may or may not be affected but you either have to find a way for the roots to get cover, find space or just cut them off.......
Hello Mark. A couple of questions in regards to bloom. Generally speaking, during what weeks do buds put on the most size? (4 to 7 week of bloom) And when I add my bud boosters, I know that they are in addition to my regular feedings, but is it ok to just mix the bud booster in with the same water as the other nutrients? (generally yes but I like nutrients from a hydroponics store as I know they are "designed" to work together) And finally, at what point is it normal for the hairs to start turning brown? * Tomorrow will be the first day of my fourth week in bloom and there are a few hairs that have already turned brown, not many, but a few and I feel like maybe its a little too early for this, but I really don't know. Thanks for everything Mark! Keep up the good work!
WEBMASTER: ...* the change is sporadic and intermitted culminating with a complete colour change around the end of 8 week bloom.... NOT in all cases uniformly since some species like White Widow is known for staying white till the end... some changes happen because you over feed with nutrients and some happen because of over crowding or other stress .... which sounds bad but is not in cases when a plant yields better when overfed.. like white shark or skunk no.1 ..... in your case I would say it is normal and not worthy of concern.... in a fourth week the buds start looking like proper bud... it generally starts getting bigger until end of week 6 when it starts to only increase on the inside and it looks like its not going to get any bigger, some harvest at this point .... it gains weight but not looks..... the next two weeks should be spent on leeching..
Hi Mark. I was wondering, my grow room (6X9) with 2 1000 watters, is lined with 6m panda poly black/white. (good) Do you think I should put mylar inside as well? (no) Some say mylar causes hotspots and the panda poly does not. (this is not the issue, the real issue is that Mylar HAS TO be perfectly laid and kept in order to "work" .... if its even a little dusty or a little bent it loses its advantage) I know that the poly is easier to clean and maintain, but will I see a considerable difference in yield with the additional mylar? (no) Is it worth it? (no) Room is well vented and each light has 8" air ducts. Thanks!
WEBMASTER: ...do not bother with Mylar.. it is not better then black/white poly.... you will not see the difference.... I would put my money on just about anything else....
Hey mark i noticed in one of your pictures on the google forums which by the way are fantastic, that in your veg room the mothers are rite under the light but there are several clones way off to the side, can they grow well off to the side like that, and is that where i should be putting my clones in a 1000w veg when there freshly planted? (yes)
WEBMASTER: ...smaller plants do not require as much light so they can be 5 feet away from the bulb..... this only applies to clones and small plants..... 5 feet away from a 1000W light is the same as being 1 inch away from a fluorescent bulb..... also with good ventilation some of my mothers get less then 6 inches away from the bulb without burning.... don't try this at home... the plants are 1 year old and have roots as big as 2 x 2 feet space... they can tolerate a lot more then an average plant.....
I got pulled over one night and the cop smelled some weed in the vehicle ( I just smoked about 1/3 of a joint put it out and he pulled me over). He asked me what I was smoking and I told him, I knew he could smell it. He asked me if I had any more and told me he was gonna search the vehicle anyway. I gave him what I had (approx 12 grams and a pipe). He put me in the back of his cruiser and proceeded to go through my vehicle. He did a thorough job about 1/2 hr. After he found nothing else he gave me a notice to appear in court for "possession of a controlled substance". He said I would get a fine. ($50 to $150) Is it illegal to possess pot, and if not why am I being charged? Why wouldn't he just fine me on the spot? Do I need a lawyer? Any help on this matter as to what to do would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jim Lettau.
WEBMASTER: ...I can only tell you what I would do, not what you should do... what you should do is hire a lawyer.... I would not hire a lawyer and show up in court with a family member... before you appear in front of the judge the public prosecutor will talk to you, approach him if he does not .... tell him you had small amount and you agree to pay $100 fine, negotiate amount accordingly.... he may want to give you community service, decline, be polite, explain that the offence does not warrant the punishment, explain that criminal record for small amount is an unfair burned ... but chances are, they will drop the charges before the prosecutor even talks to you, because their real case load is heavy or because they know this is BS..... the worst case I saw is a 2 year probation, i.e. be a good boy for 2 years or we will fine you.... for a $1000 a lawyer will do the same but you won't have to speak to anyone and it will be less stressful...
Hello Mark, I would like to first say thanks for giving me great answers in a previous question but I have another to ask you. If I have just germinated my seeds and planted them in a watered pro-mix soil under a 1000 watt light, how much distance and light should I be giving them to start them off? The only information relevant to this situation I read in your grow guide mentioned to keep the light about 5 feet from the plants so they don't burn. Should I be giving them 12/12 of Light/Darkness and 5ft away from the light at this point?
WEBMASTER: ..the light should be ON for 18 hours a day..... keep 5 feet away when the plants are under 2 inches high, then lower the light down to 18 inches away form the top of the plants afterwards..... continue this until the plants reach 1.5 feet tall ....... when they finally reach 1.5 feet tall turn the lights ON for 12 hours and OFF for 12 thus beginning the bloom cycle for the next 8 weeks......
Mark, IM looking for an outdoor strain that finishes at the beginning of sept. do you sell or know of any, ive heard Durban poison.
WEBMASTER: ...Durban poison is good but its not only for outdoors... it does well indoors as well..... summertime Buddha finishes in September as does fat skunk and fast pine.....
For the person down below who's having problems with spider mites i personally got 100% results with thoroughly foliar spraying plants with SM-90, the citrus in it gets rid of them like nothing, I sprayed them 3 times in total spacing out each spraying by 3 days. The only thing to watch out for is burning ur plants so make sure you raise your light.
WEBMASTER: ...SM-90 is a brand name of a product which contains Canola Oil ..... essentially acts like a diluted mixture of Neem oil and water... the oil crusts up around the mite eggs and cracks them..... I used this product and it works well.... using dish soap and Neem oil is essentially the same thing..... it is true that SM-90 is already well mixed oil and is easy to use ... for the convenience it's a good product.... just like Neem Oil, Canola Oil (SM-90) can choke your plants if the temperature exceeds 25C so indeed raise those lights when applying.....
Hey Mark, can you use one brand of A&B formula for veg. and another brand A&B formula for bloom, I would like to switch to Pure Blend Pro from here on in.....I am growing in Pro-mix. Thanks
WEBMASTER: ...no problem what so ever, you can even switch mid way through the cycle.....
Hi Mark,.......Well it happened.....I have mites......f'kn mites.....! I have started my 3rd grow...the previous 2 you helped me with, on this forum. I read your instructions on how to "deal" with them. Today I sprayed them with Shultz, spider mite insecticide, scrubbed my floor with soap and bleach and reduced all clutter. I have 6 personal plants, one plant looked real bad, so I tossed it...ouch! one plant is showing white specs on the fan leaves and the other 4 look great. They are 10"-12" high. I do have Neem oil and have used it previously before going into bloom as a precaution. MY question is.....what would you do NOW, to prevent them from either coming back or how to keep them to a minimum. Temps. at 72-78 degrees, clones, 1000w,great ventilation, room is 5'x7'x6' high. Thanks man......I want to go to BLOOM in 7 days. P.S. it is 50/50 on which is best, WWXXX, NL/B, like you said it is all subject to taste.
WEBMASTER: ...I use a 5 liter hand pump sprayer (as pictured on this page) and 10 ml of dishwasher soap (regular cheap NOT the anti-bacterial stuff) per 1 liter of COLD tap water, always keep room very clean and spray with this mixture every couple of days for a week, repeat in 4 day, repeat in 5 days until the 4th week of bloom... mites are your friends and you have your own strain of mites you sleep with and your dog and cats have their own strain as well... you can "deal" with them but you can NEVER EVER kill all of them.... learn to use the soap solution and Neem oil as the first line of prevention..... in veg I often spray preventatively once a week, more if necessary and at least once a month even if I see no traces of mites (I only spray with either soap or Neem).... I find that if you use pesticides you have to keep alternating the brands as the mites "get used" to the brand and thrive!!... I gave up on pesticides all together......
How do sir; I was curious. Will your skunk69 be as forgiving as skunk no.1 ? I mean, minor screw ups. ie: temp - humidity - nutes? I mean, as compared too other harder to grow strains. .....theres nothing wrong with the world, its the politicians in it .....the weight of the alcoholic politicians greatly out weighs the weight of mans marjuauna.
WEBMASTER: ...feminized seeds by definition are weaker then a pure strain thus my Skunk 69 will be less robust and genetically "pure" then F1 strain as Skunk No.1 is..... I am not a big fan of feminized seeds and I carry only one......
hi Mark - how will fungus gnats (not adult flyers) affect the smell or taste of the buds? its at the last week and a half of bloom? also how come some pot makes some people paranoid? is it true medical mary jane has no paranoia side effects? thanks so much..........you do good work! (anxiety comes from being alone and having no support system ...someone like "you"....medical pot has no paranoid effect because once someone labels you "medical" they give you tacit approval of your usage and you are no longer "alone", thus magically the barrier of your outlook changes from anxious to non-anxious... in other words the anxiety was in your mind, because of the unauthorized nature of weed......there is also the question: If I smoke? am I sick? why do I smoke?....that could make you anxious as well....)
WEBMASTER: ...fungus gnats attacking plants planted in promix have not negative effect on bud... if you use rockwool, flood and drain systems, ebb and flow and such.. it could devastate the roots, destroy the yield and generally be a disaster..... I used Neem oil on roots to get rid of them but since I use promix I do not pay much attention to them... paranoia and pot: I can tell you a personal story about this... I though deeply whether pot makes one paranoid or is it the fact that its illegal and you could be caught (its a good reason to be paranoid if you are facing years in jail because of one joint).... I spend 3 months in an Indian village (Puri, India) where pot, hash and opium was legal and alcohol was illegal.... in fact we had to pay off a cop to get drunk.... This was the very first time that I felt completely myself and fully anxiety free... and I knew we are freaked out because cannabis is illegal ...... IMHO ....in other words if pot was legal you would not feel anxious.... I stopped being anxious when I understood that just because I'm a pothead I am not a bad person or a criminal or a loser or anything else someone else chose to lable me with...... judge me by my actions....
hi mark; thank you for the previous information, i have female clones under a t-12 light, they are 8 inches in height. i am not ready to put them outside until mid may. do you have any suggestions as what to do with them? thanks.
WEBMASTER: ...transplant in bigger pots, let them grow to 12 inches high, then cut half off including any side branches ... seems brutal but its absolutely necessary and she will re-grow..... repeat as necessary every 3 weeks....
Si: I am almost halfway through my first bloom, so I know your excitement well! I asked Mark a similar question, the answer was that once properly dried, buds can be stored in the fridge (not freezer) for pretty much as long as you want. Mark even stated that they will actually get better with age as they cure, so I don't think you have to worry about any of your crop going to waste.
WEBMASTER: .....like wine bud gets better with age at fridge (not freezer) temperature .....
What are your best Sativa's? I've already grown JF-NL-S and it is truly amazing, although the male to female ratio was a little high (2 females out of 6 plants)....I would like to add some variety but want to stick with Sativa crosses.
WEBMASTER: ...white widow Buddha is the strongest sativa i have .... Shiskaberry is the one most often overlooked strain (for some reason), and I love the smoke.....
Hi all, I have just begun my first crop. It's all very exiting, and I feel great that once my plants have grown, I'll not have to supply and criminal gang activity with any fundage! However I do have a question, Once my stock has grown, and I've picked it, there will be a bit too much to consume and I'd like to last it until the next batch. Simply, can I freeze the plants until I need them? (NO) Or will this render them useless? If anyone knows the answer, please tell... Lovingly, Si
WEBMASTER: ...never freeze the bud for long term storage, always keep it at fridge temperature (in dark).... when you freeze bud the trichomes (crystals) separate from the bud and fall on the bottom of the bag... this is hash in its purest form.... most people consider this fallen stuff, "shake" and i.e. weak... but its in fact the best stuff..... the bud in turn is weaker, by no means un-smokable or anything, still great but not as good as it could have been if it was left unfrozen.....
this question is regarding the gender of plants. at first when we looked at our plants they were obviously females, with the hairs and everything. then almost 2 weeks into flowering their are sites where the female pistals(?) [the hairs and female 'private area'], there have formed what look like to me... immature seed pods, and it looks like they are growing on a little female hair. that would be a hermaphrodite, right? i can show pictures if you want??? if any one can offer any help, or opinions, that would be greatly appreciated. thank you much..
WEBMASTER: .... you can send me pictures to my email at mark@toronto420.com or post them on this Google page here ... there is many ways about this... one way is to cut off the male sex with scissors and keep cutting as they appear, bit stressful but usually works .... or may be just take down the plant... hard to say, it would be easier to see from picture.....
can i give my plants miracle grow till the last weeks of flowing
WEBMASTER: ..you can but if you do, the taste will be bad and the weed will burn slow ... the smell will be rather odd.... last week or two of bloom should be dedicated to leaching with 25% nutrient mix....
Thanks for the response Mark. What is the best way to dry plant for the best taste...not as concerned with quantity as quality. Do you know where I can find a tutorial on how to dry for the best flavour? Does it matter if the jar is clear? (nope) Would a dark jar be better? (not really) Thanks again
WEBMASTER: ..the drying process is covered here... once you are done drying, simply storing bud in any jar in a fridge is fine... there is nothing additional you can do......
why are seeds stored in opaque bags?
WEBMASTER: ..light damages the seeds slowly.... very slowly, but still.....
Hey Mark...one plant made it through, Juicy Fruit/Northern Lights/Skunk. I have cut plant and hung to dry for 4 days. It seems pretty dry and is smokable. It has a bit of a chlorophyll flavour. Anything I can do to get rid of that? Chopped bud is very green in colour. Thanks for your help to make it through my first plant.
WEBMASTER: .. not much you can do at this point but cure the bud in a jar or in the fridge... in a jar in the fridge... open the jar once a day for 15 minutes... for as long as you feel like...
is it a good idea TO cUT OFF SUM shade leaves or a bad idea\
WEBMASTER: ..bad idea....
Hi Mark, my NL/b and wwxxx plants had seeds...all six. You replied that stress was the probable cause. My room temps. dropped to 68-74...lights on...and 55 -66 with lights off, this must have been the cause, you have since explained to me in this forum that with low temps the plants will not take in the appropriate amount of nutes for maximum growth.....Question...I cloned these seeded plants, (when they were in veg.) and now have 4 in bloom..... I should expect to see no seeds with optimum growing conditions?...pro-mix-1000hps
WEBMASTER: ....correct... unstressed plants should not produce seeds... I have seen a seed or two even in a perfectly grown bud.... they happen but it always depends on "How Many" seeds... 1 or 2 of small tine seeds in a otherwise good bud is ok... 20 or 30 is not.....
Good day Mark. Could you give me a rough idea of how much bud boosters increase yield, say as a percentage of weight or something? Thanks!
WEBMASTER: ....percentage ?.. I don't know... overall I know its the difference between 1 pound per 1000W and 1.5 pounds per 1000W... under a 400W it would be the difference between 4 to 6 ounces per cycle and 8-10 ounces per cycle..... the plants may not look bigger then not-bud-boosted plants but they fill-in from inside and the overall weight increases.... the bud-boosted bud is denser and fool.. weighs more.....
how long can my bulb last in a 400watt lamp
WEBMASTER: ..1 year....
I've just grown sum plants and in the last few weeks of flowing most leaves started going yellow and brown what would of caused this im using a 400watt lamp
WEBMASTER: ..in the last 2 weeks of flowering the plants should be flushed/leached with a low dosage of nutrients and water to remove the remaining traces of nutrients from the bud... it would be normal if the leafs went yellow since you are leaching the nutrients out.... the smoke burns clean and smells right....
how do i clone plants with out rock wool and which part the plant do i cut
WEBMASTER: ...I have a page on cloning including a video :-) ... instead of rockwool use jiffy peat's.. available everywhere..
can i use tomato food for food for my plants in flowing stage
WEBMASTER: ...in short yes but I would rather you use more appropriate nutrients ... see point 6
what's the best food i can give my plants in flowing stage and is there any thing in house hold shops i can by which is easy to use
WEBMASTER: .....see this page and scroll down to see POINT NO. 6 it talks about the nutrients....
Hey Mark, Just finished up 4 NL/B and a couple WWXXX. I have found seeds in all 6 plants. I noticed a few male flowers under the buds....(stress creates hermies, some stress is small some is big, like 25 seeds would be small, but it certainly could have been way worst, the way to fix this is to find the source of stress and stop it... temperatures, humidity, air...overcrowding.. etc ...etc...) Fuck. Regardless, one of the NL/B was exceptional in all aspects. I have "found" about 20-25 seeds in this plant......Question, will these seeds that I have found in this plant be feminized? (not really possible to know for sure.. they may be hermaphroditic or feminized depending where the pollen came from) Should I expect seeds in this plant again if I grow from the seeds? (VERY likely)...............My opinion, the WWXXX is some strong ass Indica, and is WAAAAAAY better than the NL/B. Thanks
WEBMASTER: ..the taste is subjective and some people on this forum said the very opposite....
HI MARK; IT'S ME AGAIN, I'M IN THE THIRD WEEK OF BLOOM, WHEN WOULD YOU START USING HEAVY BUD O-1-2.
WEBMASTER: .... start adding it early 4th week for two week... and stop.....
HI MARK; I BOUGHT SUMMERTIME AND NORTHERN LIGHTS FROM YOU. I DID WELL INDOORS, PLANNING ON TRYING THE SAME OUTDOORS, USING PRO-MIX. WHAT KIND OF NUTRIENTS WOULD YOU USE? WHEN WOULD YOU PUT THEM OUT AND WHEN WOULD THEY BE READY? THANK YOU AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON.
WEBMASTER: ..summertime should be a better yield and better smoke... I would germinate the seeds mid April and by mid may I would be taking them outdoors... for nutrients when the plants are indoors I like pure blend pro or flora nova or any A and B formula (brand not important).... but once outdoors I would switch 20-20-20 at 1 ml per liter until late June and switch to 15-30-15 until late august.... plain water until late September, harvest....
First of all, Thanks for the help. Now, you said until the end.....say I've been growing these as mothers for the outdoors, Have I done irreversible damage? For the summer? as in is this going to mess up my clones?
WEBMASTER: ..if the plants were in Veg then they would recover very quickly and after a week (or less) you could take new clones..... always remember to add a little bit of nutrients to plain water to prevent nutrient lock.....
Hello Mark, I was just reading up on your grow guide on how to water plants from sprouts to final stages of bloom and I encountered a few differing and confusing statements regarding how much % strength of solution to water the plants with according to the label's directions and how often in the watering cycle. suppose I used 1000w light and pure blend pro vegetative formula. On this label it has specific instructions on how to water for Seedlings, Mature/Vegetative, and Fruiting/Flowering stages of plants. At the bottom of the instructions it mentions "for best results use every watering". Should I follow that from seedling to final stage? (YES)
WEBMASTER: ...the Pure Blend Pro instructions are 100% correct only if you use 1000W of power and you should follow it.... if you have 400W (or 600W) then the instructions are NOT correct because the plants can not consume/process the nutrients given .... because the spectrum of light is weaker.... the best is to feed at 50% of recommended dosage.... you can of course increase this dosage up to 75% in heavy bloom (4 to 6 week of bloom)..... but you risk severe overfeeding if you feed as per instructions..... I like this particular formula because its very gentle when you make mistakes and it contains everything your plants need....
Hi mark. Me again, I was feeding them 5ml for every liter until about a week ago when I moved down to a quarter strength, I've been giving them just enough water to last a couple of days, but the last time I gave them just water ph at 6.0 Now, Did I just kill my plants? or is there anything I can do to fix this problem?
WEBMASTER: ...the only way to fix this is to keep adding some nutrients to the water (quarter strength) until the end, they are not dead, but they are experiencing "nutrient lock" ... when the plants get plain water at this stage of bloom they think that no more food is coming so they retain whatever remaining food they still have..... the stem is holding the last nutrients and it darkens....
Hi Mark, Im veging Fast pine under 1000w HPS in 3gallon pots of COCO COIR feeding them A and B gro. My problem started two weeks ago with a general yellowing of almost the entire plant with purple stems all over the place and they don't seem that healthy.???
WEBMASTER: ...its seems like nutrient lock or overfeeding.... did you add water to the plants without any nutrients??? OR how much are you feeding them and how often? ..in both cases the solution is somewhat the same... even when feeding with plain water you should add some nutrients, I add 25% of recommended dosage but you can go lower to 10%..... it could also be underfeeding but I need to know how you feed the plants... what is your mix ratio and how often do you water them.....
what is awesome blossoms 2-11-11 used for, is it a bud booster? i use pure blend pro 5 ml/L never more than 7 ml/L for flower can i add awesome blossoms to get bigger buds.. when would i start to use it, my plants finish in 42 days (6-weeks) 45 days MAX. would i use like says on label, or 1/2 strength under a 400watt HPS.. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME BUD!!!
WEBMASTER: ...its a bud booster to be added starting on week 4 (since my regular bloom is 8 weeks but in your case probably week 3), on top of the regular nutrients.... a week before harvest you should stop using this product..... its meant to fill in the buds from inside..... if you have 400W you can go as high as 75% of what the lable indicates but 50% is a safe bet.....
You'll want to plant your males at your local police station.
WEBMASTER: ...I concur....
what should i do with my male plants
WEBMASTER: ...kill them...
I am on day 40 in flower and some of the hairs on the buds are starting to curl like they are starting to show signs of finishing.. the strain is cotton candy (i was told) and i am using DNF bloom and just started giving them DNF bloom fortifier 0-50-30 i am growing in pro mix.. is this normal? thanks.. GREAT SITE
WEBMASTER: ...day 40 is late in bloom so its not too unusual to see weird curling and damaged leafs..... having said that you do not want to see this everywhere on every plant as this may indicate overfeeding..... the plants that are doing this may need less nutrients or at least less primary nutrients..... I would be looking out for burnt leaf tips more that curling leafs..... the solution may be to give them less DNF bloom but still add the fortifier..... FYI the fortifier should not be fed to the plant just by itself....
***PRODUCT REVIEW*** Well ive always wanted to enrich the garden with Co2 but was always confused with the regulators and when to turn it on and off and how long to keep it on and at what ppm to have it at , filling tanks up...blah blah blah .......well anyways thats the past !!! so i put this product to the test ... after a 2 week test run with the product ive noticed that my Co2 levels in a 4x4x6 room sky rocketed from about 350ppm to about 1400ppm just from using this product.. its a white puck which once put into a container with water it creates Co2.. also the beauty of this product is that it also eats up left over oxygen ... more Co2 ?? i love this product it takes away all the guess work and confusion out of adding Co2 into my garden also its more safe and easy then bottled Co2 product- Excellofizz made by SuperNatural
WEBMASTER: ...it is a fools gold because the cost per puck does not justify the increase in production.... I tried it and it does not work.... sorry
I purchased the Toronto 420 G13 seeds back when you were selling them. I am very happy with everything except for the fact that they all turned hermie on a few of the lower branches (I cloned it and every clone went hermie on the same branches). Also I am planning to come to Toronto in 1 week from the US and was wondering if it is safe to bring cookies baked with Canna-butter on the plane with me or would a dog likely smell that? If they can smell that, how difficult is it to get decent bud on the street?
WEBMASTER: ...I always bring cookies (and pot) with me on any flight and I never had a problem..... the bike couriers in downtown Toronto sell pot but its not as easy as it seems to be..... many Americans come to Toronto with impression that pot is legal, it is not.... you still have to be discreet.....
Mark, thanks for all the help. Killed my hermaphrodite plant...its pretty hard to kill something that you've put so much effort into, especially when there are a couple female flowers you can see, but better than ruining my crop. When I use sticks to support my buds what do you recommend using to tie them on with? Thanks. Really hoping to get some good bud soon. Hopefully I can bring you some so you can tell me how I did.
WEBMASTER: ...its always hard to kill a plant you developed but it has to be done.... you can use strings but garbage twist ties are probably best ....
Oh I forgot to say, the plants are no more than about 8" from the light. I'd like a 400 Watt in there but I doubt I could cool it.
WEBMASTER: ...fluorescent lights should be 2 to 3 inches away from the plant but 8 inches away from the HID lights is ok as long as the plants seem to "take it",, i.e. the leafs do not get discolored or bend up or down..... the CFL lights have 1 foot of penetration but are very cool thus you can bring them closer.... but I think that changing the nutrient would be the first step.....
I'll be in Amsterdam soon, do you need anything?
WEBMASTER: ...no thank You.... that would be illegal ..... anyways to me Amsterdam is here ..... :-)
Oh I forgot to say, the plants are no more than about 8" from the light. I'd like a 400 Watt in there but I doubt I could cool it. .........."A few questions (a) at what week in the bloom cycle, for indicas (week 5 bloom) do you expect to see crystals? (b) I bought a variety pack from you and have some sativas growing...but the buds are small (week 3 bloom)...how can I increase their size? 2 x 150 Watt HPS, 2 x 130 Watt CF, 4.6 sq. ft, 6" pots, Schultz 5-30-5 Bloom Builder. (this nutrient is meant for week 4 to 7 and is a "bud booster" for cannabis plants. if you are feeding it in week 1 to 4 your plants could use more nitrogen) "
WEBMASTER: ...if they are sativa you will not see as many crystals as on an indica..... if the sativa has 9 weeks bloom you may not see any crystals until week 7..... generally indica plants make more crystals sooner.... indicas finish sooner usually around week 6 or 7.... + 1 extra week which is for leaching.... the nutrient you have is for week 4 to 7 of bloom and you should really use something with a bit more nitrogen from week 1 to 4 in bloom..... I used Schulz only once on a crop so its hard for me to remember the right dosage, it was either 1/4 of recommended dosage or 1/3 ...
Hey man! I love whats goin on here. you're a most amazing trail blazer. kudos dude! if I may indulge you for a bit Mark, in all your day to day biz, passings, goings, comings, within this cool culture I was curious if you had ever come across someone who was given a lic to grow/poss for these ailments. Insomnia.. (yes, psychiatrists only) .fatigue. (psychiatrist again)..moodiness.. (that's under depression and anxiety, I have my license ) .short temper...lack of interest...don't eat right (can't)...obviously rather imbalanced. I am referring to a shift worker. In your pro opinion, how tough would it be to actually find a doc to recognize this shift stress disorder? This individual uses wacky tabacy to alleviate the said symptoms. I sure know it's much better than drowning in booze or downers. PS should the poor man even bother smoking the male plant?? or should he use it for air enhancement????????? keep kickin ass MX hope to one day join you.
WEBMASTER: ...my license is signed by a psychiatrist for depression and anxiety with all the symptoms you describe... I know others in this position... the problem is that some psychiatrists are afraid of Health Canada and some just do not believe pot helps so you need to "shop" around for the right one..... you signed "old hippie" so I assume you are men or woman of some age...... do you not have severe rheumatism? .... see .. severe rheumatism, common in "older" folks, is a type of problem (for Health Canada forms) that can be signed by a regular MD...
Hi Mark - say, you replied to my previous posting "...you seem to have the right idea what to do but your total wattage in your space is small.. very small... the plants will look like a miniature of what they could look like under a 400W or a 1000W ..... I am not sure how to advise you because they will look small ... because of total low wattage...." Well, it turns out, I think you were mistaken on this one. The total wattage in there is 2 x 150 HPS, 2 x 130 CF...that's 560 Watts total. And yeah, I do grow sort of 'dwarfs'. But they're chunky dwarfs. However, the more important thing is that now they're starting to get crystals AND the other sativas are rounding out nicely. Not as much yield as the indicas though. Just thought you'd like to know. Low watt bulbs do have their advantages - heat in a small closet being one of them. I've got a 100 CFM fan through a can filter inside a 4.6 SQ FT closet, so heat is a consideration. Bananaman
WEBMASTER: ...I am sorry, I did not add up all the wattage correctly... for whatever reason I though you had around 150 CFL lights.... 560W is respectable.... I do tend to belittle too much the fluorescent lights, and I use them for clones myself .... I am so used to 1000W that I forget that most people can not run that much power.... I learned 8 years ago that I need to bloom 2 x 1000W around the clock to sustain my smoking levels.... since then I gave up on anything below 1000W.... (side note: I used to spend so much money on pot that I bought a car from the money I saved by growing my own, instead of buying it on the streets)... this forum brings me back to earth... if you want .. make a documentary of your efforts for others to share here... I could make a new page for CFL users... with CFL lights you could teach me more then I can teach you... take some pics and make some helpful points and I will add the rest....
Hey Mark, had some questions for you man. We got 10 NLxSkunk 10 g13xbudda and 2 Hindu Kush sprouted. A total of 22 plants. They are 18 days from the day we got the seeds and seem to be doing good (about 3 to 5 inches 3 to 4 nodes) So from the ratios you describe we should get maybe 16 females. We are on a 4x4 hydro table with a 1000 watt HPS and I want to maximize my yield. how big should I let the little guys get before I change the lights on them. Should I bend the g13s to minimize their stretch? (you should if you don't make the cut I talk about below) is this something i should do during veg or flower? (you have to start bending in veg and continue during bloom) Will this improve yield? (for sativa dominant plants like G13/Buddha yes but for the other it may not be necessary although there is nothing wrong with supporting all plants)
WEBMASTER: ...the taller plants like G13/Buddha should be cut in half to bush them out....cut the main stem in half and allow the side branches to become dominant.... I would make the cut when they are around 10 inches high..... then wait until they all reach about 12 to 15 inches before changing the lights...
Mark, I need your help. It looks to me like one of my plants is a hermaphrodite. I am in my 8th day of blooming and it looks like there are balls everywhere except at the very top of the plant where there are white hairs. Would it be best to just kill this whole plant off? I don't want my good female to get pollinated. Thanks for your help!
WEBMASTER: ...it looks like its a male... or a hermie....in either case if the balls are everywhere.. you have to kill it....
is day 1 of cloning the day i take the clone or the day after i take it because on the third day ill need to remove the dome for 15 mins etc etc but im not sure when to do it, is it possible to mess up clones by doing it to late or to early??
WEBMASTER: ...the moment you take a clone is day zero... the next day its day 1..... but overall clones are very resilient so I would not really worry about this that much.... any mistakes in rooting them means they will take longer to root but... eventually they will root.... if you take the dome too early they may wilt a little, spray them with water and put the dome back on for another day... if they are under the dome too long they will wilt as well (but they would have to be under the dome for over a week or more)..... so it can be tricky ....
Hi Mark, I was just wondering if you got my order for 5 Summertime Buddha seeds. i put it in the mail with a money order a little over a week ago, and asked that you confirm to an email. I thought maybe my hand written note may be confusing, so I thought I'd check here. Thanks, ER
WEBMASTER: .....nope I receive all the notes hand written and I recall receiving the order and I believe it was shipped this Monday.....
When is the Next Festival in Toronto being held?
WEBMASTER: ..... MAY 5th DOWNTOWN TORONTO.... smoking blunts in da park.... everyone will be there... including 20,000 of my friends...
click here to see the event schedule
The march of the year where we all parade downtown Toronto,
proud of being cannabis smokers
TORONTO Downtown - CANADA - Saturday May 5.2007
In my 400W cabinet with 4 plants, should I make a bed of promix or use 4 single pots.
WEBMASTER: .....4 single pots ... if one develops a disease, molds, fungus, bugs or becomes weak you can always remove one or two but if they are all in one giant pot/bed, that would almost be impossible.....
hi what is your take on long term storage of seeds thanx
WEBMASTER: .....in the dark, in the crisper of the fridge is the best place ....(not freezer).. they should last for years..... place a glass with water inside the fridge.... leave over night and if the water does NOT freeze the fridge temperature is good.... if the water freezes you have to warm up the fridge.... the temperatures for seeds should be +1C to +3C ....
I am growing clones, I am told indica-heavy, they are 10" tall under a fluorescent 40w tubes. the stems for the leaves are VERY purple through most of the plant, I have read your grow guide, and am only feeding them fifty percent of what the label A and B indicate .....I am growing in pro-mix. Does the purple mean I need to feed these plants more food? I am going to repot them soon into 5 gal. pots....10 days.... and put them under some "real" light. ....second quest.....Should I let the roots establish themselves first, after re-potting, and then take away the lower branches, or should I do this all at once? Thank-You very much in advance.
WEBMASTER: ..... 50% of nutrients applies to 400W light and if your lights are less then 400W that may indicate overfeeding, in your case the colour change on the stem may indicate overfeeding..... transplant into better lights or decrease the nutrient levels...... the stem also changes colour when temperatures go too low or roots experience nutrient lock because of adding no nutrients (plain water).....
Is NL5 x Skunk1 basically what M39 is? I had a friend who grew M39, 9 weeks and a very good smoke, great yield also.
WEBMASTER: ....m39 implies Vietnamese pot which is bloomed in Ontario in 40 days and it sucks very much.... but yes you are correct the names have the same background..... my plant does not suck so I do not want to use the same names.....
Hi Mark, I'm growing N.L. Buddha and wwxxx. I am on day 51 of bloom. My yield looks like it is going to be O.K. If I waited another week will my bud size and density be bigger. I don't have a 30x mag. glass. I am growing with a 1000hps. You have said in the past that 1000w MH are better lights. I need to replace my light next grow can I use a MH in a HPS fixture and ballast?? (NO, unless its a type of ballast that has a switch clearly indicating that you can plug in another type of bulb... normally if you have HPS Ballast you MUST run HPS bulb.. no switching..) Thanks....bud..
WEBMASTER: ..bloom should be 8 weeks thus you still have to wait another week ...the hairs should be turning another colour.... this should be the leaching time for your plants.... they will not really get any bigger... the point now is to take the nutrients out of them by feeding the roots 25% of regular nutrient dosage....
basket has 100 boxes at 35ml how many litres of milk will be in basket
Ref: March 3rd Bloom smell question. Good afternoon Sir. To further elaborate on the earthy smelling girl. Her leaves are pretty much normal as per most literature I've read. Yesterday I snipped off 4 perhaps 5 fair sized fan leaves. They were pure yellow. Others are still yellowing but I take this as bloom stage, and lack of nitrogen? I added a few inches more of worm castings on top of the soil. I read this can help with fungus, mold, gnats whatever. Plus I guess the worm crap has nitro in it as well. I hope this is a bit more to go by. Again and again etc.....THX...........OGG.
WEBMASTER: ...worm castings work fairly slow (and its difficult to judge the right amount of nutrients) so I suspect the plant is lacking nutrients... not necessarily just nitrogen but all nutrients.. the fan leafs do tent to fall off but not all at once, when they all yellow or fall off its usually a sign (of some sort)... I resist saying "feed more" with a different nutrient because its late bloom and "earthy" smell does not sound negative to me..... I would probably move away from worm castings as its difficult to say how much of it is in the pot/container..... I am not trying to blame the nuts but I prefer this type of nutrients for more advanced growers.... to use them you need to have the ability to "look" at the plant and instantly "know" whether she is under or over fed.....
Hey Mark bought some seeds from you juicy fruit but they never took off. Wondering what your policy is on this. PS: LOVE YOUR SITE VERY INFORMATIVE AND HELPFUL keep smoking
WEBMASTER: ...my policy as copied from my site "Toronto420 Seeds are guaranteed to have 90% sprouting ratio and 70% female to male ratio. When you purchase 10 seeds or more and you get less then 7 females, we will replace your seeds with the same or another variety of your choice. We have a Grow Guide and a Forum setup for beginners. Please note that if you have ratios lower then those guaranteed here it means that you have grow rooms temperatures exceeding 30C (85F) and you are allowing the plants to touch excessively...i.e. do not let them touch. If you have temperatures at 27C (82F) and the plants have plenty of space, you should get 8 females from a batch of ten seeds. We also guarantee seeds from other companies but please note that IF you complain about those seeds we will replace them with one of Toronto 420 Seeds." ....send me or show up with the packaging of the failed seeds (proof of purchase) and you will get a replacement of your choice..... Thank You :-) ....
so having big pot are bad, cause i thought that the more space u give the roots the better the plants would be also i am going to switch on my 600w HPS today so i can let my plants veg for 3 more weeks i was just using the clfs to save money on the bills and to get a better light spectrum
WEBMASTER: ...big pots are good for big plants because of the space .... but big pots are bad if your plants are small and you need to make a recovery of some sorts.... i.e. it takes them a long time to dry out so whatever bad nutrient you may have given them lingers longer in the soil...... in practice I would start with small pots and upgrade the size when necessary.... smaller pots dry out quicker and its easier to manipulate the roots with various levels of nutrients.... then as the plants grow you give them a larger pot and so on and on..... you can always run both the cfls and the hps together....
high mark a question about plant/seed genetics...wrote u a while back about the hermie g13 /butt scotch haw.. chopped it butt some of the pollen had got to the other ladies.....now finding a fair quantity of seed in the B/S NL/B, and afghani that i harvested. r these seeds now a cross of b/s - g13/buttscotch hawiian??? (you should have created a feminized seed of a new variety, so far untested in yield and quality but it sounds interesting) .. the same with the other strains??? (yes) or will the female be the dominant strain...planning on putting some in next round and would like to know the POSSIBLE genetics of the new seeds???? if the prospects sound good, i should have some to share if u r interested....a small toke en 4 all your efforts at 420!!!!!!! many thanks again .....very niceeeeeeeeeee smoke 911
WEBMASTER: ....the seeds from the g13/butt is no good they are hermie, but the hermie male pollen pollinating the other females create true feminized seeds.... now you have to bloom the seeds and see what kind of bread you get....smoke, yield and such... I would be honored to try some :-)
rick i did the same as u the first 5 didn't sprout at all the second batch 3 sprouted when i planted them none came up this is a first 4 me.
WEBMASTER: ....like I said I need to see how the guy stores the seeds..... there could be many reasons.... only once, so far I had 3 returns before I killed of a whole wack of seeds of ww xxx (cross my fingers) and that cost me a few bucks.... its all here on this forum ..scroll below
In regards to N.L. Buddha. I bought 10 seeds off Mark and 9 seeds germinated and I got 5 females. I used a damp paper towel on a plate wrapped in a plastic shopping bag and put in the cupboard for 3 days. Just finishing off my 5 plants now ....day 50....! I would reccomend 35% more nutes than the label indicates if using pro-mix. I went 50% more nutes and it was too much for 4 of the plants but 1 plant seemed to love it....hmmmm!
WEBMASTER: ....I still prefer if at the beginning you stick to the "recommended" dosage since you can still pull off a nice crop and the next time you can experiment with "slight" adjustments..... but I do agree that overfeeding is the "answer" or the "secret" of large yields...... problem from my point of view... is not to tell you this info too quickly and you end up killing the plants..... this stuff is very "subjective" and it depends on an experienced eye to see the plants before saying something like "add more food"......
mark the replacements seeds were no good also .
WEBMASTER: ....i am going to see how he stores the seeds....
hey mark i have got 5 plants growing under 270 w cfl's the strain is nl x juicy fruit they are in they 5th week of veg they are about a foot give or take. I started to notice about a week and half ago that some of the plants stems where red and the some of the leafs looked deformed i was about a week late starting nuts i am feeding them 1/2 the recommended strength also i am growing them in really big buckets the ones u get from home depot so i can only water them once every 6 days
WEBMASTER: ....you should start bloom immediately or the plants will overgrow the fluorescent lights..... can you top them? or take clones? ... problem is that a fluorescent light is only good for about a foot away from the bulb so anything below a foot will start dying off.... you may need to give them even less nutrients, but never give them just plain water as that would make the problem of nutrient lock worst..... red stem may mean overfeeding or nutrient lock.... the pots are huge so there is not much you can do.... in smaller pots the water would dry off quicker allowing more manipulation with nutrients.....
Ive heard that too 420forlife...wonder if it takes a "special green" bulb....
WEBMASTER: ....I heard stories of people just painting a standard bulb in green or red... do NOT do that please... it costs $5 in a hydro store, but call them to confirm because I know its not a very popular item....
I have a cabinet 18"d x 32"w x 5ft h. I have a 400w MH w/sunmaster warm deluxe bulb. I am looking for maximum yield. I like indica dominate plants for smoking. What strains would you recommend and how many plants should I grow.
WEBMASTER: ..I would start with ten seeds but only keep 4 female plants vegged to reach 10 inches, cut in half and vegged for additional week before onset of 8 weeks of bloom.... fat skunk, wwxxx, nl x sk or nl x buddha...... I would expect 1.5 to 2.5 oz per plant....
i heard from a reliable source ... that u may enter the grow room in the dark while in bloom only under the condition that the light that comes in is from a GREEN bulb ???? i need to get some feedback on this.... said the green bulb does not emit anything the plants absorb or disrupt in any way P.S if it aint dry ... dont apply lol
WEBMASTER: ...I have seen red and green versions of this type of bulb.... you can come in and out of the room when they sleep, just remember that its a 40W bulb so its just barely good enough to see (by people)....the plants theoretically can not see this spectrum of light... if you get it from a hydro store I am generally ok with it... if you get it from a hardware store... I would not trust it..... the should be around $5 to $10 a piece....
Hey Mark, when you recommend supporting my plant with bamboo sticks is it OK to use the sticks to not just support but actually hold the side branches up (yes) higher so they're pointing more up then out and the plant isn't so wide? And where can I pick up some of these sticks? Thanks Mark.
WEBMASTER: ...yes, of course.... in Toronto China Town on Spadina Ave. north of Dundas below College on the west side.... it does not NEED to be a bamboo stick per se... any plastic or wooden stick should do..... the only reason I said bamboo is because bamboo will never rot so it won't endanger the plants roots..... you can also use strings and sticks and cages and whatever you got to support that bud......
Hey Mark I'm a first time grower and i am going to try my hand at some outdoor plants. I live in southern ontario (about an hour and a half south of Toronto) and i was wondering if you had any recommendations for a specific strain (one that is relatively easy to grow with a high, good quality yield.) Also, when is the ideal time to start my plants?
WEBMASTER: ...I would start my plants around late march.... by the time you can put this plant outdoors around mid may she should be a foot (or two) tall.... Summertime Buddha is very easy... people think she is price cheap so she sucks... the truth is she gets me a lot of seeds .. meaning its an easy and prolific plant to grow... on the other hand I had reports of all my strains doing very well outdoors, so take your pick..... in general stay away from heavy indica, exemption being the fat skunk....
Sativa/Indica (Grapefruit X N.L.#5 X Skunk#l) flower: 55-70 days yield: High, Indoor/Outdoor this is what its crossed with .radio active this make u grow lol.
WEBMASTER: ...this is the same strain like my Juicy Fruit x NL x SK.... like Grapefruit, Juicy Fruit is a sativa (mostly) that brings out flavor to a big yielder, the NL x SK.... in essence its a good yielder with some "fruity" aftertaste...... as a clone I have also a Hawaiian NL x SK .... which seems very similar to my Juicy Fruit... and probably your Grapefruit.... this type of plant likes steady feeding (i.e. no overfeeding please like with some other purer Indicas)...
hey mark sorry 4 asking u about that those seeds u are right they were giving by frank at the seed exchange my friend bought your seeds nl Buddha from him but they would not germinate so she went back and he gave her some more nl Buddha and threw in the radio active 4 free, can u tell me if anyone else had problems with the nl budda seeds .
WEBMASTER: ...this is the first time I hear problems with NL Skunk ..... wwxxx I had problems with but I replaced the entire batch.... how did the replacement seeds do????
I would like to thank Mark and Dan from Happygirl. They have made my girlfriends life much much better. My girlfriend has bad pains in her feet and hands because of her illnesses. Regular pain medicine doesn't work very well, unless used in big douses (bad for the Liver). We took a skunk 69 seed that you gave us and made it a mother plant, then grew out some of her offspring. The crop finished well because of your help and information on the happygirl website. We took the trimmings and made some Water Hash using Extraction Bags. Today we smoked some of the hash and for the first time in many years my girlfriend smiled and said.. I DON'T HURT ANYMORE.. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, for your help in making my girlfriend have a good pain free day.......
WEBMASTER: ...You are welcome.... this is exactly how I felt when I discovered cannabis ......
Hi Mark; It was good to meet you last Wed. over a cup of earl grey and 69 pick up. Anyway. Please, may I pick your brain? In regards to skunk no.1. What should the blooms smell like?? I have one that smells kind of earthy. The other one (smaller) still smells sourish skunkish. These 2 plants are only 4 weeks at 12/12. I just get a sense the earthy smelling girl has something wrong with her. (no pun intended here) I await your knowledge. Thx Bro.
WEBMASTER: ...4 weeks into bloom you get some smell but its not yet well developed so I would not necessarily start defining how it will be in the end..... "earthy" smell is a legitimate description .... un-leached plants do smell "industrial" or "earthy" and they do change when leached properly..... I can smell "mold" and high "humidity" , also "overfeeding" ..... I could help you more if you gave me a description of the leafs.... smell is a tricky thing to convey through text....
what are the current marijuana laws in ontario regarding growing and possession john
WEBMASTER: ...both are illegal for "regular" people... medical users (confirmed by a doctor) can grow and smoke legally.... either join a compassionate club or sign up for health canada program..... generally speaking the cops will not arrest you if you have 400W and under 10 plants... they may smash your bulb and cut the plants but generally in southern Ontario you won't be prosecuted.....
all this talk about radioactive plants has me thinking I should spend less time in my garden lol
WEBMASTER: ... cannabis does reclaim radioactive soil by sucking out the radioactive particles from the ground .... it then can be chopped down and disposed.. not smoked..... rather then soil being radioactive the cannabis becomes radioactive.... neat.....
TheGuy420 well u know frank at the store he gave them 2 me so maybe mark could ask him what's up .
WEBMASTER: ...frank as in Canadian Seed Exchange?? ....
To bear.. LOL.... TOMAKO is a episode on the simpsons when "Homer plants a variety of seeds (Tomato and Tobacco seeds) and uses RADIOACTIVE OOZE to feed them and thus he developed "TOMAKO" an edible Tomato Tobacco plant, hence the name "TOMAKO". So in other words.... that strain doesn't exist. I think Mark just gave you a funny answer to your silly question.
WEBMASTER: ...I love this episode :-).....
: :) what i want to know what its crossed with how many weeks needed to finish bud stuff like that .
WEBMASTER: ...my best is NL x SK .... male pollen from Northern Lights No.5 and Skunk No.1 female from Amsterdam..... 8 week bloom period... heavy prolonged high with industrial smell.....
bear. Its all personal taste what's the best strain. But asking "what strain is intensely radioactive" means nothing. Think about what you want to know and make it clear.
WEBMASTER: ...I though bear was kidding ..... radioactive strain means like "best" strain .... I am just not cool enough to 'stand the jive young people speak lol.....
Hi mark, Is it true that Indicas require 50% more of the recommended manufactures nutrients dosage. ESU says 1 oz. per gal. in flowering stage. Is 1.5 ozs. per gallon needed for my Shiskaberry and juicy fruits. I increased the nutrients 50% when I started flowering, but they just seemed to mature quicker and start dying quicker. The buds are all smaller than previous harvests also. I must add that they are in a hydro system (flood and drain). They get flooded 3 times a day. (I find that once a day is usually best and twice a day in the late period of bloom is at most they would need) T.Y Daisy
WEBMASTER: ...it is true but this ONLY applies to people growing with promix or soil and using the A and B nutrients or organics... NOT to the ebb and flow or flood and drain system..... it is true that you can feed some indicas with higher dosage of nutrients but it applies to certain strains and not by 50% ... I think EVER.... on top of this, both Shiskaberry and the juicy are not pure indicas thus they should not be overfed...
TheGuy420 that does not tell me what im looking 4 i hate the simpsons.
To "bear" Watch "THE SIMPSONS"
i was also wondering i seen the skunk69..99% feminized i believe.. does that mean some other seeds could be males? and when i went to click buy online it didn't have the skunk69 in stock
WEBMASTER: ...my bad... I forgot to add skunk 69 to the online store.... its is added now..... feminized seeds means that they will (should) be all females but the plants .. when stressed ... become hermaphroditic.... i.e. both male and female and pollinate themselves.....
hey mark tomako never heard of it can u tell me more about it like whats it crossed with and what is it indica or sativa thanks again .
WEBMASTER: ...I though you were kidding when you said radioactive.... tomako (read Simpson answer above) was a funny answer to your misunderstood question.. sorry...
Hey Mark - A few questions (a) at what week in the bloom cycle, for indicas (week 5 bloom) do you expect to see crystals? (b) I bought a variety pack from you and have some sativas growing...but the buds are small (week 3 bloom)...how can I increase their size? 2 x 150 Watt HPS, 2 x 130 Watt CF, 4.6 sq. ft, 6" pots, Schultz 5-30-5 Bloom Builder.
WEBMASTER: ...you seem to have the right idea what to do but your total wattage in your space is small.. very small... the plants will look like a miniature of what they could look like under a 400W or a 1000W ..... I am not sure how to advise you because they will look small ... because of total low wattage....
i was reading that i believe only medical users can buy seeds from this store i am not a medical user i was wondering am i still able to buy seeds from your store
WEBMASTER: ...seeds are legal in Canada as my lawyers keep telling me.... thus you do NOT need to be a medical user to purchase seeds.... if you want clones or cuttings you DO need to be a medical user......
hello again mark a question for you i have 1 juicy fruit growing right now just started it's 8th week now the plant looks awesome nice buds tons of crystal 1 flush done solar leaves are dieing from bottom up on daily bases which is normal but the hairs are still all white ?it is the last of my 10 and this is the only one like this worried that i don't want to let it go to long package says 8 to 9 weeks pull after 9 weeks? thanks mark nice smoke just starting n.l. now cant wait "k"
WEBMASTER: ...I would harvest her anyway.... this has to do with which parent this seed resembles most... like children some seeds will be more like mommy or like daddy... some more so and some less so..... this is the nature of F1 seeds....
How do I find a doctor in the Golden Horseshoe area that would prescribe medicinal marijuana ?
WEBMASTER: .....the million dollar question....
what strain is intensely radioactive,
WEBMASTER: ...tomako....
OK Mark, short & sweet. We in the Northeast of the USA can be severely limited by our choices for ferts. Are you a fan of Superthrive ? If so how much, how often & would you use it ? Plants look good but I have learned that they need their food. I'm OK with the ferts for flowering, but I will take your suggestions. Last bloom I used Bat Guano (good stuff for bloom, not so for veg) & the blue powder (petrochemical based product) & this seemed to do the trick. I guess that you would reccomend A & B Formula. You're the man & alot of growers have you to thank.
WEBMASTER: ....what I know about Superthrive is this... it is a B1 nutrient supplement... good for the early stages of veg, good as a root recovery nutrient and ok as a primary nutrient for small closets... below 250W.... generally you still need another nutrient to provide the bulk of primary food/nutrients.... I only recommend the A and B formula because they are fairly cheap and available everywhere....a lot of people like guano.. I just find it a bit hard myself but the end product is very good...... you would be surprised how many hydroponics stores EVERY city in USA has..... just email me your zip code and I will find you a hydro store with desired nutrients :-) ...... by brand I like, Flora Nova or Pure Blend Pro, both organics .....
Hello Mark. I second that point about your business. You are great and I will be a repeat customer, and if anyone I know needs seeds I will certainly be recommending you. My question is at what point is it OK to let the plants touch? I have been growing with my closet open for ventilation but will obviously have to close it for bloom during the dark times (starting this weekend). I have a really small space with 2 plants and one of them has become quite large. Its about 15 - 16 inches right now and really branched out, almost to the point where there isn't room for my other plant without touching. If they have to touch with the door closed is this going to stress them out or should they be OK now. As a side note, I am almost positive that I can see some tiny white hairs coming up on my big plant, which is pretty exciting, especially if that means it is for sure female as you said you have found in your experience! Thanks Mark.
WEBMASTER: ......you better start blooming like NOW... because these plant still grow for 2 weeks after on set of bloom.... which means there will be even less space..... I don't like when they touch too much, it is stressful, it can cause hermaphroditic behaviour... but with only two plants there is not much you can do... set them to bloom today and get some bamboo sticks to stake out the bigger stems.... I am betting they will be ok.... as to this male/female issue... I hope I'm right, I hope I'm right, I hope I'm right :-)
hey mark ,just want to say your a stand up business man . hope to see some girls soon . you got me thinking about the blue berry , gona order some soon . Stay in business, Canada needs ya !
WEBMASTER: ..Thank You...
Thanks, Dubes. Between Mark's & your advise, I should become somewhat smarter.
WEBMASTER: ..now that we confused you ... you're welcome :-)
To munchermon, I read in a grow book that if you see male gonads showing early the plant will be male, but that if you see female "hairs" the sex could be either male or female. hope this helps, Dubes.
WEBMASTER: .... my experience is opposite but I am open to being proven wrong....
How you doin', Mark ?? I've been a fan for a couple of years now & I've been reading this forum & I must say here's a new one on me. You recently told a grower about a 24 Hr. light period during the Veg period. It made sense to me, so I just made the change. After 10 days, give or take, one of my G13 X Buddha showed a couple sets of Cannabis Genitalia. Is this a sure sign of the sex of this plant ??? (if its a female sex genitals YES, if its a male sex I would not be as sure) Please share some of that knowledge. This could be a very useful tool in the weeding out of Male Plants. as always, thanks for your help.
WEBMASTER: ...(I should add that this is based on my experience and not on reading books).......the bottom line is that a strong female plant can easily show her female sex even in veg..... the two white hairs sticking out of every corner may be a sure sign of female to an experienced eye..... male will never do that... just because you did not see any signs of sex it does not mean it is a male .... or a female..... there is more to spotting a male then just the sex... its how tall it is compared to other plants and how skinny it is... based on all those criteria you can spot sex but cloning the plant and blooming the clone is the only sure way of telling their sex.....
Hi Mark, I jumped the gun on my last question, I just did my last full fertilizer to my plants......my next feeding I will start leaching at 25%nutes. When I checked out my plants today "some" of the 8 plants had the leaves curled right over so that the sides were almost touching each other....very strange....I am feeding the girls bud booster and 35% more nutes (A&B) than the label indicates.....it was 50% more but the tips started browning so I cut it back to just 35% more......have I "somehow" over fertilized them...my next feeding will be at 25%nutes as I am staring the 7th week....any help would be greatly appreciated......promix...1000w hps...indica dominant.
WEBMASTER: ..the curling at the end is somewhat normal and is not generally a concern... this is the end of life for her and its difficult to give her just right dosage of nutrients... as long as the leafs are not burning along the edges of the leafs (uniformly, everywhere, meaning massive overfeeding).... it seems ok... spend the next 2 last weeks leaching out the nutrients.....
Hi Mark, I am in my last 2 weeks of bloom, I am leaching with 25% nutes. My question... do the buds still grow in the last 2 weeks even though they are only receiving 25%nutes? I am keeping the conditions at optimum temps, how much bigger do the colas get in percentages in the last 2 weeks....25% bigger or 50 % bigger? ....NL/B and WWXXX....THANKS.
WEBMASTER: ....last two weeks of bloom is about removing excess nutrients and filling in the inside of the bud... the bud itself will not increase in size but in weight...... 25 nutrients is enough to dislodge old salts in the soil and still provide some nutrients without sending the plant into nutrient lock type of shock.....
my grow room is 6x6 i am using 1000 watts HPS how far away should the bulb be from the top of the plants also can i take cuttings and vegetate under 1000 HPS lights will they root ?
WEBMASTER: ....keep the light around 2 feet away from the plants but you can come closer to 1 foot with proper ventilation.... as long as you place the clones 5 or 6 feet away from the bulb you can root them under a 1000W light no problem..... 5 or 6 feet away from the 1000W is the same type of intensity as being 2 inches away from a fluorescent light.....
is there any way that u can make your plants grow more into females plants i heard there was a oil that u can spray onto your plants to make them female
WEBMASTER: ....I heard of it but I am skeptical and I would not use this myself..... I have yet to see a miracle product that actually does what it says....
If, like "Twisted" you like Woody's work in "the History of Marijuana" you really should buy a copy of "GRASS" a documentary film by Ron Mann of Toronto. The Clip that comes up when you Google is from this movie. The only ethical thing to do is, as this is Ron Mann's intellectual property is to purchase the DVD, besides it's worth it. This is a brilliant film, I have been showing it to my friends for years now. We all should own a copy. It's that good! Peace.
To watch a free viewing of "The History Of Marijuana" just goggle "Weed + Woody Harrelson". This is a very informative and entertaining film. For example did you know that marijuana laws were first introduced in Texas as a way of controlling Mexican immigrants. It shows that past U.S Presidents were not interested in the truth about marijuana. They were morally against marijuana and did all they could to distort the facts. Have a good smoke! Twisted.
WEBMASTER: ..the history of pot is one of distortion and discrimination.....
I have my mothers on 18hrs of light. can i root the cuttings on 12hrs of light to speed them into the flower stage. what are the advantages or disadvantages? thank you
WEBMASTER: ..if you make the cuttings and place them under 12 hours of light they will flower immediately, show sex within a week or two... and if you continue they will yield a horribly low yield.... the only reason I would do that would be to find out the sex of the mothers... if the mothers are female the clones will be female.. if male clone, plant will be male.... I would discard the male plants as well as all clones....
Hey Mark, if I purchase a small fluorescent light and sprout some new seeds how long can I keep them under that light and how much will they grow? I have 2 plants that I haven't put into bloom yet and was wondering how early i can start the next seeds so they can go straight into the closet when my current ones are done. Thanks.
WEBMASTER: ..under fluorescent light the plants can be a foot tall ... any taller and they will not get enough light below that 1 foot.... the leafs there will yellow and die off..... this is the limit of the light so a soon as the plants reach about a foot either transplant into a bigger light or bloom.....
what is shishkaberry kush selling for.. and would you recommend it
WEBMASTER: ...I would recommend Shiskaberry less so the Hindu kush...smoke is more refined on the Shiska..... I find kush a little bit too generic .. check prices here
Hey, I just had a few questions. I recently got 10 NLxSkunk 10 G13x budda, 10 Hindu Kush, and you threw in some white widow just to seed if we could get them to sprout. All ten NLxSkunk sprouted (now they are pretty little 1 inch seedlings) as did all 10 g13, but of the Hindu Kush only 2 sprouted and the white widow only 1 (you gave them to me for free so no biggie there) We started the paper towel method on the 19. Should it take longer, should I not give up on them or would have sprouted if they were going to , the NL and G13 Sprouted in about a day and came out of their rockwool cubes on day 2. Just wondering
WEBMASTER: ...the difference between my seeds (NL and G) and not my seeds (Kush and wwxxx).... in any case... I destroyed a large batch of wwxxx because they looked awful.... in any case ..... I do have a new batch and it looks good.... I would not give up on them quite yet but if you see nothing in a week, they are no good.... generally sprouting should happen with in the first 48 and 72 hours but it may take up to a week.... if longer the seeds are too old or too dry ....
yea i know the temps are kinda low with the light being on... but its been hard to keep them up with the coldness past couple days (its been very cold) should have the pics by the end of today
WEBMASTER: ...cool...
I have some Willy jack White widow pollen, will pollinating your G13 buddha with it be ok, (I do not have any G13 Buddha pollen)?
WEBMASTER: ...it is ok... in fact if you do this you will have F1 hybrid which is good.... if you take a male pollen from another G13 Buddha you would create F2 seeds..... not bad but F1 is better ....
Which would be your best Sativa....I just harvested a single JF-NL-S and am finishing the drying process. I would guess that in the end I will have approx 3 oz of dried buds. Grown in a 24 X 30 space with one 430 HPS hortilux and two 4 ft T5's. So far I've gotten 2 females from 6 seeds.
WEBMASTER: ...White Widow x Buddha is my strongest sativa, 80% sativa..... Summertime Buddha is also good but I find it better for outdoors.... 2 out of 6 females is a very low ratio.... contact me for some extra seeds...
I trying to get some clones to grow. The mother was about 18" or so when I took them. Planted them in rockwool. I sprayed them and kept the doom on and under a fluorescent lamp. After the first week they were still not ready to have the dome taken off completely. After about 12 days the roots were showing and I transplanted to larger pots. The problem I'm seeing is that the plants look to me like they are burnt as the leaves are yellow and some dried up to a crisp. Any tips are sure welcome. TIA
WEBMASTER: ...add a diluted nutrients at 10 or 25% level of what's recommended and place the plants 2 inches away from the fluorescent light.... never add just plain water.... this looks like a nutrient lock (if you did not add any nutrients) or overfeeding (when you add too much nutrients), in either case low level of nutrients fixes this problem.... when the cloning takes this long you have to start adding some nutrients after a week or so..... if you want send me a pic .....
nope no light leaks , always 73' temp lights on (too low, should be around 78 or 80, low temperatures slow plants down a lot, they can not take as much nutrients as normal) , 65' lights off , fan above the plants with mild light breeze (only when lights on), carbon filter with 265cfm blower to replenish the air (every hour for 30 mins), Mylar all around , 1000watter Hortilux HPS , humidity 25-40%... its in a hydro tent with Mylar all around so i made sure of no light leaks, before hand everything was cleaned with a mild bleach solution and dried to make sure no bacteria or viruses present ..using guano for fertz, water always aerated for 2 days then aerated 2 more days after guano is applied into mixture, water them with about 65'- 70' temp solution, pro mix 5 gallon buckets... so im pretty sure im doing everything correct .. i just don't see how i can get such abnormal plants .. i will send couple more pics
WEBMASTER: ... I do not think the low temperatures would make plants look weird... it would slow them down, they would not grow as fast and they would not be able to uptake the nutrients as fast... over feeding could be an issue with low temperatures..... send me the pics...
well , i must be a worry wart mark . its the day after and i noticed i have one seed popin through the pods .i'll wait and see what happens .they must take a little longer than most .
WEBMASTER: ... 7 days is fairly normal for a seed to pop through the soil... let me know
I'm setting up my new grow area. It is a 4x4, so 16sq/ft. The roof is also 8ft tall. A 600watt MH seems to be about the right about of lumens/watt, but could I fit a 1000watt light in the same space with enough room above the plants to prevent damage? Doesn't it average to about 66 lumens per sq/ft, which you label as too much? (its at the top of what's reasonable...but too much is a relative word) Also, do you keep your main mother plant in a 5 gallon? (yes, its big enough for 6 months, then you start another mother) Is that enough space to keep roots from running out of growth space for a long term mother plant? (after 6 months the plants need a bigger pot... but I'd rather start another fresh mother.... for your purposes you can extend this to 1 year, I clone my plants A LOT.... after 6 months or 1 year the plant is no longer strong enough to be cloned.... its easier to replace it)
WEBMASTER: ... for the area you have, 600W is just fine.... 1000W is only recommend for those who are a bit more experienced.... I have done 1000W on a 4x4 area but the plants have to be taller then usual in order to take advantage of this light, and personally its not worth it unless you have 5 x 5 area..... there is also more heat problems, so your ventilation has to be strong... 1000W divided by 16 square feet is 62.5 Watts per square foot.....lumens are measure by the type of bulb you have.. not by wattage..... which is at maximum of what I consider normal.... bottom line is that if you want a 1000W , go ahead but you will not yield as much as if you had 5 x 5 area but you will have more then a 600W....
Mark I have a couple questions on Promix. Does it way less than potting soil? Can it be reused? Please elaborate. Thank you.
WEBMASTER: ... it is as heavy as regular potting soil... looks the same as soil... but its technically a hydroponics medium because it has no dirt.... you can reuse it but you have to pull out the major roots first and supply at least 25% fresh promix..... you can recycle it only once....
yea mark i duno man ... seems like a branch with three leaves is growing out the spot where the primordia is suppose to be . i don't see a ball nor do i see a hair ... never had a problem like this im not sure whats going on not like this is my first time .. that's y im so confused right now i duno i can send some updated pics if u want ... day 12 bloom ... any ideas ?
WEBMASTER: ... it is usually that you can not definitely tell which is male and which is female after 12 days.... do you have any light leaks .... the strange leafs happen when the bloom cycle is interrupted by light coming though the cracks (when plants sleep)..... send me more pictures ....
hey mark , i seem to be having a problem with the white widow xxx . i soaked them in water for 24 hours and notice 4 of them went to the bottom within 12 hours .after 24 hours i put them in peat pods ,its been 4 days since they were put into peat pods and there is no sign of sprouting i dug one up today to make sure , ive never had to wait this long what is the problem ? im going to wait a week to see what happens. its getting close to the season and im starting to worry
WEBMASTER: ... I do not know why people soak their seeds before sprouting.... in any case I had a few complaints about the wwxxx seeds.... give them a few more days and hit me for a replacement..... I already tossed a batch of wwxxx seeds because of complaints....
how does g13xbuddha do in a scrog style grow? would a long veg increase yield?
WEBMASTER: ...G13 Buddha is mainly sativa thus it will do well in a scrog setup .... in order to maximize a yield form a sativa plant you have to clip her early on in veg and spend a month or so in veg before blooming....
OOOps. Hi Mark, do plants "fill out" in the last 2 weeks of bloom? I am growing WWXXX and N/L Buddha. The WWWXX do not seem to be as "Full" as the N/L/B, or as frosted. I have heard plants double the size of there buds in the last two weeks?????. Also I purchased the above seeds from you in the fall and cloned each female and numbered the clones and pots. There appears to be one plant that is extraordinary, big buds, loaded with frosting, and is the same height right across the plant....High Times front page quality.....The others look O.K......my second grow.....I bought ten seeds and 5 were female. Is this plant in particular just a better plant or could it be it always had the "right spot" in the garden. I want to make a mother it seems obvious that this should be the clone I use for a mom. I was just wondering why one plant would be so much nicer than the other. The WWXXX... has 2 plants growing in one 5 gal. pot, (this could be the problem as they may be heavily root bound) they don't look half as good as the N/L/B......I am wondering if I should make a mom out of the WWXXX how is the feed back with this strain? Thanks Mark, You have saved me a pile of money, cause i don't have to hit the streets anymore.
WEBMASTER: ....I find that each strain has her grower ..... you seem to do better with the NL Buddha thus you should continue with it.... every one has their own "way" of growing and I find some people prefer the very strain the next guy hates..... most people complaining about the wwxxx complain about the low germination rate, not about the smoke...(I had to discard the batch of seeds that was not up to standard)... to check for yield, no one put wwxxx against one of my strains so directly..... the problem is that you had 2 plants in one pot which is not really good.... both plants compete for space and thus yield less... stress = less yield..... if you have the veg space keep both mothers.... I think you will like the wwxxx, but next time give each plant its own pot..... as to the plant that was "superior"... the very characteristic of F1 seeds ... you have to pick the most robust female and clone her... I am more experienced and I could spot this "robust" female very early in veg cycle... but since you are just learning how to grow its hard for you to spot that one "gem" early enough ..... the bottom line ... this is the plant that should be the prized mother-plant you want to keep....
Hi Mark, my question is: will curing occur even after the dried bud is off the stem? What about ground pot rolled into a joint, will it cure if left in a jar?
WEBMASTER: ..pot cures best when in the dark, in an airtight container and very cold around +1 or 2 C..... so it will cure even off the stem in those conditions.... I guess once you roll it in a joint it should cure theoretically but not very well, its all ground up and in pieces .... it would take a month or two before any minute difference could be seen....
Hello Mark, I'm growing in soil (promix or similar?), I'm having a problem with my finished product. It looks fine but when it dries, it lacks density (no weight to it). Growing Big Bud and Hemp Star. I think it may be a fertilizing problem. using General Hydroponics. I'm worried that by the time i turn to 12+12 there is too much excess fertilizer or salts in the soil. I have been flushing every 2nd feed in flowering stage (always add a low dose of nutrients when flushing). How much water do you recommend i flush with, using 1gal pots. I've been running about 8L per. (50% more then necessary is the most I would use.. 2 liters may be) I always check the ph of the excess water running from the flush, can you tell me what to expect for a ph level. Mine 4.9 to 5.9. (seems ok.. 4.9 is too low but overall not lethal) Thanks man!!!
WEBMASTER: ..I have a feeling you have a 400W light ??..when flushing add some nutrients.. 10% to 25% of recommended is best... it removes the salts better...... when it comes to density of the bud it depends on two things... if you have 400W its ok .. 400W has less lumens , thus less buds, less dense.. same quality... if you have 1000W you should increase the nutrient dosage slowly from the onset of bloom culminating with 50% to 80% (depending on strain) more nutrients then recommended in the 6th week of bloom ...... hydroponics nutrients and soil need more food then what the nutrients recommend..... are you using a bud booster? ... like pk-13-14 or similar? ... added on the 5th and 6th week it fills in the bud making it dense....
Hi mark thanx for the prompt response. Yes I am using ProMix, I am Also using 5 gallon grow bags. I suspect there is overcrowding going on. My question to your response is: How can I keep my plants donkey dick style but make sure there is no over crowding? (less plants, not 16 but 12 may be) should I trim everything and leave just the mail cola? (do what you did before but with less plants) Should there be any leafs around the main cola in this growing style? (always) should I raise temps or something? (no) Thank you for your patience again mark.
WEBMASTER: ....I have to make this clear: it is not about removing the leafs but removing the branches.... I always caution about removing any leafs.... leafs should almost never be trimmed..... it is the branches that should be trimmed.... I often trim the branches that won't see light (too low on the plant or hiding in the darkness behind another plant) well into the 3rd week of bloom...... on the flip side no leaf should be removed unless its part of the branch being removed.... especially when in bloom.... removing leafs in bloom creates unwanted problems.... donkey dick style means that there is only one (main) stem on the plant and all side branches get chopped.... in many ways this is easier done when growing from clones then from seeds since clones tent to be very consistant... also read the post below about yield and stuff.... I also have to add that once a bulb is more then 9 moths old, its time for replacement....
Hi
Mark, you just answered a question from someone that asked why his
yield was so low. You mentioned to clip them, and develop 5-6 branches
and trim the rest.
You suggested "stake the branches so they are restricted" what does RESTRICTED mean?....stretched out to the sides so they
receive more light through the plant is that what you mean????
(yes... I stick 5 or 6 bamboo sticks in a 10 inch pot to support each branch and
expose the inside of the plant to light) I also have done a few grows with a 1000w
HPS and have been mildly disappointed with the yield.
(I like my MH light more)
Overcrowding was my first problem.....I am sure typical.....And then
cooler temps, this grow. Great smoke....N/L Buddha.... I'm going to
start another grow soon and want to maximize my yield. I will follow
your response to 2 questions ago...I cant remember his name i just
smoked a N/L,B rocket.....THANKS...I'm hungry.
WEBMASTER: ....the difference between you and me is that I bloom from female clones and never from seeds, yield is higher and the plants need less time to develop, ...starting from seeds is easier for beginners (and involves growing plants bigger then from clones) but its downright unacceptable and painful for a "professional"...in a perfect world I would be selling clones (like a garden shop), ..... the final step in being a "pro" and consistent with quantity of yield is to have a mother plant, get clones and find that "sweet spot" between the number of plants and the length of veg time in your particular space....sometimes 16 plants works better for some people but most find this "sweet spot" at around 10 plants per 1000W...... when veg time is too long the plants over crowd and you have to trim them back, ends up being stressful for the plants and affects the yield.... when veg time is too short they won't fill in the space and again less yield.... "restricted" (see pic) means that you want them to be growing up along a certain space, trying to keep them from falling outside of the diameter of the pot (more or less, I'm being general) and expose the inside of the plant to light..... this means that you may have to stake 5 or 6 stakes in one pot as each branch may have to be supported/restricted ..... the more support you give each stem/branch the more they concentrate on other aspects of growth .....
hey mark i just sent u an email ... its very important .. get back to me asap please and thank you
WEBMASTER: .....I replied to all my emails today.. let me know if you got my reply.....
I grew donkey dick style, 16 plants, only got 12 oz dry bud, 1000 watt, 4x4', no over watering, proper feeding a&b formula, DNF boost in week 8 twice, proper ventilation peak temps were 28.5 C, Complete darkness at rest periods no pests. seems like I did everything right, or did I? I chopped most branches leaving the main cola and four side leafs from each side before I put them into bloom (this is the second time I did this, once at veg) waited 1 week before I set bloom. Seems like the ladies still got really bushy, Should I have trimmed the f&^* out of the ladies after that first week once i set to bloom? or perhaps should I not leave any side leafs at all will I then kill her? I don't want to do that. Hmm one last thing I usually waited about 7-10 days between watering because they were still not dry. RRRRRR frustrated BTW I'm growing an indica dominant strain. thanx for your patience Mark. your brain is much appreciated.
WEBMASTER: .....it is unusual to wait 7 to 10 days between watering.... it implies that they either had gigantic pots or the roots were not as healthy as they are supposed to...how big are your pots and are you using promix??.. I would decrease the number of plants to 10 and clip them when they are 5 inches tall..... let them develop 5 strong branches each and trim off any other branches (at any point of grow or bloom)..... stake those branches in veg so they are always restricted..... veg until they are 2 feet tall... and bloom..... another easier method would be .... 10 plants untouched until they are 1.5 feet tall.... set to bloom ... without any trimming.... the problem may be that you simply have too many plants and the fact that neither is getting a reasonable amount of light coverage ... since they are all stressed from overcrowding they all yield far less then if there were less of them in the space.....
can i have a 400w light veging a 5x5 space, i have a 1000w in the 5x5 space now and growth rates are great if i downgraded to a 400 in the same space would my growth rates slow down because of less nutrient uptake??
WEBMASTER: .....yes... the plants would grow slower and take less nutrients... you could not feed your plants as much as under the 1000W....
Hey can you tell me the genetics of your blueberry skunk? Is it more on the blueberry side or skunky side and where did the blueberry originate from? Also can you tell me which one of your strains has the best smoke and that you find stands out more than the rest. Also I was wondering, during the final 1 or 2 weeks, what if I were to water ladies using flavored water? What effects would it have on them? Thanks.
WEBMASTER: .....blueberry skunk is a ... primarily a flavored skunk.. male skunk no.1 from Holland and blueberry from a female clone from a local grower in Toronto.... originally seeds were from Marc Emery in Vancouver.... personally I prefer proper leaching over any flavored add-ons... technically you would have to add it to the water 1.5 days before harvest in order for the plant to retain the flavors.... I would not try it....
Hey I was not trying to say I was skeptic of buying seeds here in fact I am rather happy....I was just curious to whether I was going to totally mad or if it was the seeds.... :) 2 green thumbs up to this seedbank !
I going to grow a few plants outside this summer. I've got a place in mind although I'm not sure about the soil condition. I was going to cut the bottoms out of some 5 gallon buckets and use these as a liner. Going to dig down an extra foot or so and put a good base down before I put the buckets in. My question is what would be a good soil to use as I can't use Promix (I'd have to be there all of time to water them)? I looking for a good medium that would not need constant watering. I could stack leaves around the plants to help maintain the moisture. Thanks
WEBMASTER: ....you can still use promix and whatever medium you use.... you still have to be there once a week at first... may be after the first month you can be there every two weeks ..... you can add 20% extra vermiculate to promix to increase its retention of moisture....
hey mark i found some seeds i got from some good weed but they have been in a zip lock bag in my closet for almost a year can i still use them
WEBMASTER: ..I do not see why not... you may get a crappy germination rate but 1 out of 10 is still better then nothing....
Cube runoff i was wondering if you check your cube runoff... and how important it is? mine is off the chart.. so i stopped adding nutes to my res... even after 4 days with FINAL FLUSH... thanks
WEBMASTER: ....yes I do but once the water gets back to the reservoir and mix up with the rest of the water... stress makes the plants dump massive amounts of acidity back into water... stress can be many things.. from over to under feeding to temperatures problems ..... it may require (more then) daily attention as you stabilize the plants over time....
what's the Mexican strain tat growers like a xmas 3, can get very tall
WEBMASTER: ..don't know... sorry... plants from Mexico tent to be a blend of mostly sativa with some indica unlike what we grow here.. in N. America.. and especially Canada ....
Hi Mark, We have talked a few times. I was wondering what strain do you find works best for anxiety and mood swings. Thanks
WEBMASTER: ....very personal... but with mood swings and anxiety its the heavy indica that numbs the brain into a "consistent" emotional state... very numbing and comforting ... makes one very unproductive but emotionally stable... which is still better then a wild up and down mood swings can produce.... also the less anxiety I feel in general the more towards a mix of indica and sativa my smoking seems to drift....
Hi Mark. I have had a few (8) of my clones growing in a standard beer can sized pots under fluorescent 2x 54 watt lights for about 3 months now. They are a single cola and are about 1 foot long, they are root bound for sure, need watering every 2 days until water seeps from the bottom. My question is: Can I safely put them to serious veg now (using 400w HPS)? I want to know How they behave if I throw them in 5 gallon grow bag. Should I expect them to stretch? Actually I only have space for 4 to veg at a time, could I do four for a bit say a couple weeks , then the other four for a couple weeks wile I keep the other half under 100W to just wait it out? What should I expect to watch for if anything. I'm blooming donkey dicks in 4x4 1000 watt room so that's where these little guys are heading in about a month or so. Super Thank you in advance, as always wonderful job you're doing. bb.
WEBMASTER: ..you can always give them more light...and more lights means faster growth.... but for the first 24/36 hours after transfer keep the 400W light 4 feet away from the plants.... after that you can bring back the light closer to 2 feet.... they should grow tighter and bushier and taller... stretching would mean gaining height but NO bushiness and that should not happen..... pre-soak the medium (promix) with 50% of recommended dosage.... or less.... but not less then 25%..... if you end up keeping the plants this long under fluorescent lights clip them in half once they get 1 foot tall... either take a new clone or just toss the top half away... but this way you can get a bushier plant overall......
have you ever grown sativa spirit? If so what's the best way to grow it i.e. donkey dick or bush style?
WEBMASTER: ..bush style... as sativa dominant plants get too tall to yield well the "donkey dick" style.... I would clip her twice, and bloom at 2 feet tall....
I am currently using a 400 watt MH for veg and 1000 watt HPS for flowering. I have another 400 & 1000 that I would like to add to double output, But I only have 25 square feet in my veg room. (25 square feet is enough for a 1000W) Would this be enough space to run 800 watts? (yes) The flowering room is no problem as it is 220 square feet. Thanx: jimmyspaz.
WEBMASTER: ..I would add more lights in flower room but not necessarily in veg room,.... as you can always veg enough plants under a single 400W to bloom two 1000W lights .....
Hi Mark, When you did the "FRIDGE" where did you put your ballast? My friend has a teenage daughter so he wants the ballast inside the fridge. Would putting the ballast above the light by the exhaust fan work? Thanks
WEBMASTER: ..we put the ballast at the bottom where the original guts of the fridge were.... it fits if you take off the metallic box the ballast is in.... you have to either take it out of the box and place it at the bottom or .... leave it intact and outside ..... I think the temperature would be too high if you place it anywhere inside the grow space even with the fan near by....
If there is anyone skeptical about ordering from this site ,I will tell you from my own experience you will "not" be disappointed . quick delivery too .Thanx god for toronto 420 .
WEBMASTER: ...cool... Thank You....
hey mark, everything is "A OK" i received on the day you mentioned ,thanks for everything ,i'll recommend you to anyone i can ,will be doin more business with ya in the future
WEBMASTER: ...cool....
garden for health: just for your own interests, I posted earlier about having the same problem. I started with 5 wwxxx seeds and 2 sprouted using the wet towel method. One grower said I probably did something wrong (quite possible) and gave me other methods to try, so I tried 2 more seeds his way and neither sprouted. So in total I had 2 out of 7 sprout, both of which seem to be coming along nicely now. I hope you get some more but unfortunately I did not.
WEBMASTER: ...it seems its the batch and not you..... wwxxx seeds seem to be of low quality ..... feel free to claim warranty....
Mark, Hey :) I stopped up a month or so ago from the US and bought some seeds...a lot of seeds LOL...Anyhow my question is this....My WWXXX are having some trouble popping. I have gotten 1 out of 7 to germ. thus far. I am fairly experienced grower so a little bewildered. Are these seeds hard to germ? And a lot of them have been rather dark...but maybe that is normal? I have had no trouble with my others so just curious if they take longer to pop? I am using the wet cloth method.. have them in total darkness in temps. around 81F. They are staying nice a moist, snug as a bug.. any advise?? I am sort of scared to try the few I have left because I am hoping to get one nice mother out of the lot...Any advise I appreciate thanks so much.....AND btw saw the video was nice.....nice bow!!!! Thanks again.
WEBMASTER: ... you are not the only one having problems with this strain... this is the strain that came inside the little plastic container with a coloured cap.... I packaged 12 and sold them as 10's.... hoping the two extra would make up for the "apparent" lack of quality.... the strain itself is good but I did not realize the seeds from this batch were that bad.... sorry my bad.... I know exactly which batch it is..... feel free to claim warranty....
Hi Mark What's your opinion on LED grow lights? I'm considering using them for my next closet.
WEBMASTER: ...expensive and experimental... sounds promising but I would not spend the money....
as a general rule? when using DNF what would you reccomend juicing ur plants too? ppm? whats the very most u'll give your girls in flowering? As at the highest week for juicing.. some people tell me they juice their plants at 2000ppm.. for some reason every time i put my plants @ 2000ppm they burn.. whats up
WEBMASTER: .....I hope this does not get too complicated..... all strains have their particular ppm levels they like, some strains, like the sativa dominant G13 Buddha prefer steady feeding at 1600 and some like the indica dominant Hindu Kush like it at around 1800 and 2000 ... I juiced up my white shark up to 2200 and it was ok, but the bottom line is that not all strains can uniformly take heavy nutrients all the time..... growers who only concentrate on yield have one or two strains only, those strains they know personally and "understand" how much nutrients is maximum..... another reason is that when you are feeding at maximum around week 4, 5, 6 and 7 (bloom) you should drop PH down to 5.2, which allows the plants to absorb more food.... another reason is that under a 400W alone you can not ever feed at 2000 because the plants can not process the food you give them under this light.... if you had a 1000W you can.... with your setup a 400W + 600W can cover a larger area then a single 1000W but a single 1000W yields more per square foot, ... in your setup the plants still have to be fed as if they were under a 400W and 600W.. separately... so you can not treat your plants as if they were under a 1000W unless they are both in a 5 x 5 area....
hey mark, i was wondering how long compact fluorescents last? I have a 600hps a 400 MH warm bulb and 2 125watt compacts in my flowering room... I was wondering how long they last for... i had the compacts in my veg room for awhile. and i had great results, so i figured i would just throw them in my flowering room.. i was wondering if u think i should just get rid of all these fixtures and buy a 1000hps? thanks \
WEBMASTER: ...HID's like 600W, 400W and 1000W last 1 year ..... fluorescent should last longer and I have some that I had for 2 or 3 years.... BUT if you run them at 24 hours per day and use them for bloom I would still replace them once a year.... I keep my primarily for small clones so I do not need them to be brand new.... less power is ok with clones....
Hi Mark, I find your videos very entertaining! Keep up the good work! I think an OSCAR is in order. I think by promoting Toronto as a cannibus friendly city will attract thousands of tourists. The mayor should be thanking you for promoting Toronto and Canada. Keep up the GREAT work! SpLifF
WEBMASTER: ...Thank You..:-)
Hi Mark, I'm helping a friend build a grow room in a fridge. We have an 50 CFM exhaust fan and are about to purchase the rest. Could a fridge handle 400W with a 50 CFM exhaust fan? Thanks!
WEBMASTER: ...I built a setup like this once, a fridge and 400W inside and overall its a brilliant idea, I had a friend who had 250W in a fridge and all he needed was some computer fans (4 outtakes and 2 intakes).... My improvement on this setup was adding a 400W light.... I found that I had better temperature control when I had either an air cooled reflector which is a bit expensive .. or have 75 CFM outtake and a lot of small holes in the bottom of the fridge to make air flow go from bottom to the top where the outtake fan is..... with 50 CFM you may need a small fan as your intake as the fridge may either be to air tight or have holes in the wrong places.... The idea here is that where ever you place the outtake the intake has to be on the opposite end to have this cool air flow through the plants .....
To HarryJ, also try plantskydd deer repellant. Its basically blood that you spray onto the plants. i have found it to be very effective for deer and rabbits. Good luck, Dubes
Outdoors: What can we do to protect from deer?
WEBMASTER: ...I find that wolf or coyote (or any predator) urine spread around the grow area does the trick.... you can also (not as good) start peeing and taking a dump in the area.... not as good because most animals do not fear humans as much.....
can i clone my mother plant and grow the clone to a new mother without losing any quality? i had a nice mother but it went wild (stretched really bad) from lack of light, tried cutting in 1/2 but keeps stretching so i got more light ..so can i start over from cloning her ? thank you
WEBMASTER: ...what you are worried about is called genetic drift...... but do not worry, you can take a clone from a clone from a clone... etc... for many, many years before she looses her vigor.... in other words, yes you can take a clone a re-grow that into another mother... then take another clone from that to create another mother....and do that for the next 20 years.... BTW: I replace my mothers every 6 months but she can live a year or so...
Great site. Admin cool boy
hey mark i wanna do my first grow outdoors im coming to get my seeds from u i live on a top floor apartment i have a balkeny that can use i have a Propagation Tray & Humidome dome can i start my seeds in that and if so how what is a good way to do it and what ferts should i use and when should i start if i wanna plant them at my site 1 of may ?????????? thanks mark
WEBMASTER: ....sprout the seeds indoors, and get them into beer can size pots filled with promix.... for this keeping them on the window is ok.... start seeds late March and re-plant them into 5 Gallon pots (or bigger) in mid May outside..... read points 4, 5, 6, and 7 on this page, ..... its about nutrients and how to properly water the plants ......
heres the timetable I was talking about in the previous post Mark. it was 21.6hrs light on followed by 12hrs light off. It amounts to 5 nights every calendar week. imagine trying to plan your garden visits around this schedule.... "Day1" mon12:01am-mon9:37pm mon9:37pm-tues9:37am "Day2" tues9:37am-wed7:13am wed7:13am-wed7:13pm "Day3" wed7:13pm-thur4:49pm thur4:49pm-fri4:49am "Day4" fri4:49am-sat2:25am sat2:25am-sat2:25pm "Day5" sat2:25pm-sun12:01pm sun12:01pm-mon12:01am
WEBMASTER: ....c.r.a.z.E.... I have a problem waking up much less following a schedule like this....
Mark- I read somewhere once that plants only measure the number of consecutive hours of darkness to trigger bloom...not the consecutive number of daylight hours. The significance being they (apparently) only need 5 X 12hr nights per 7 calendar days for maximum flower production. It amounted to something like 16 hr days or something similar followed by 12 hr nights. This would totally screw up my access to the bloom room...which is why I never considered it for myself...but "apparently" it is a more productive way of flowering. Do you know anyone who has ever tried something similar to this and if so how did they make out? I guess I also figured if it works in nature, why f@#k with it...
WEBMASTER: ....are you sure you are not my brother, because you are way too technical for me???.. just kidding... I agree that if what you say is true we may have to switch... but every year some one somewhere comes up with a better idea of growing, with this bulb or this nutrient and this method.... I am sure they all work just fine but in order to prove they work (so I can in turn recommend this here and take blame for it if YOU fail) I would need two independent people (not cooperating or knowing each other) to tell me and show me (the bud especially) that the "new" way of growing works, please remember that if my grow fails I am out of medicine so with my own personal grow I do not (ever) experiment..... I would like nothing else but complete success for you if you wish to try this method and get back to me ..... I can tell you many, many, many other methods that all work just fine but are a complete mess when it comes to set-up and harvest and timing of work around the garden.... There are faster and better methods of farming out there but I only use the one that takes the least amount of my time and produces the most consistent results ...... I love weed but I feel that it should be free, and in a perfect world I would buy my smoke at 7/11 and move on with my life.... In other words I would rather smoke it then grow it :-) .....
hey mark in veg right now. light on 24hrs. can i go to 18/6 0R 20/4 on off or will this start budding process since already at 24hrs. using 6-4 foot fluorescents total 240w. Should i leave on 24hr? showing no signs of stress. Is a little darkness better than full light. Can I slowly transition them to 12/12 to not stress them when ready to bud. Say 20/4 for a day then 18/6 for a day then 12/12. hope this aint to confusing. thanx in advance w/any help.
WEBMASTER: ....I find that leaving the lights on for 24 ON is best for veg period, I have nothing against 18/6 but I prefer 24/0 and I have very good results.... when I want to begin the bloom cycle I simply switch the lights to 12 ON and 12 OFF.... any other time cycle accomplishes nothing ..... I read about this frequently but no one is able to persuade me that this simple switch from 24/0 to 12/12 is better then 20/4 or any other time cycle....
Mark, let me ask you a quick question about watering. As I mentioned in my last post, my Promix is still a little damp. Its not wet by any means but there is definitely some moisture in there and the pot still feels much heavier then a pot of fresh, dry Promix. Tomorrow will be 7 days since I last watered. Is there a point where I should just water anyway to get some nutrients in or is it a solid rule to wait until its completely dry and light no matter how long it takes? I'm trying to be independent here, but its my first grow and I just don't want to mess it up, especially since some of my leaves have sagged and/or curled under. As for my soap spray, I read your guide and answers and all I used was dollar store lemon sunlight, nothing fancy or special, basically as plain as it gets, and it didn't affect my smaller plant at all, only the bigger one, which is why I am worried that it is a watering/nutrient problem with the bigger plant. I want to feed her and hope she recovers faster, but I fully respect your knowledge and if you think that she (wishful thinking for a female) will be fine and I should wait it out a few more days until the Promix is totally dry then that is what I will do. Thanks again Mark. If I am becoming a nuisance then let me know and I will start posting under a different name (just kidding).
WEBMASTER: ....generally the smaller the plant (in a big pot) the longer it takes between watering and 7 days would tell me that either 1. just water the pots fully with 50% nutrients mix (the big plants) or 2. the temperatures are too low and this is simply as long as it takes for them...... Go ahead and water the bigger plants.........for my spray I get Presidents Choice Dishwashing Liquid (its green) but I generally use anything.... I have 26 strains and they all got an even spray with 50 ml per 5 Liter sprayer today, including clones and small plants.... all are ok..... no nuisance... they are all fair questions...
with g13xbuddah's indoors (1000) grown in the style of a donkeys dick lol what's the biggest i could grow her to and the most i could achieve, last time u sayd veg to 2.5 feet should yield an ounce of one big bud, but what if i let it veg to 3 feet or more??? In the future id like to be able to achieve 2 ounces per plant is this doable with g13xbuddah?
WEBMASTER: ....in order to achieve more then an ounce from a G13 x Buddha cross you need to read up on super cropping or pinching, same thing.... see this page and scroll down to Point No.9
Fine work
Hi Mark, my grow room has been with the lights on, about 70 degrees through the cold snap and about 58-64 degrees when the lights are off, I am growing your seeds NL/B and WWXXX. 1000w HPS, 6 plants, 3' high. They are in the 5th week of bloom and look O.K........NL/B>way more frosting than the WWXXX...Does these temps. hinder the overall yield? I like it cooler rather than warmer....no bugs.... But I also like "more" rather than "less". Also my room is 5'x7'x6' with the cooler temps. I am inclined to add another 1000w. Is the room to small? Thanks Mark
WEBMASTER: ....with these temperatures I would expect lower yield because the plants grow slower, the roots grow slower and uptake less nutrients, the pots dry out later, BUT the smoke will be just fine and the bugs will stay away .... some good some bad.... you do not really have enough space for another 1000W but may be a 400W or a 600W..... if not, you could always get a very cheap heater, the kind that has no fancy lights to tell its on or off.... the reason I say it has to be the cheapest kind of heater because you do not want any heating elements to emit light (when plants sleep no light should get to them of any sort) from its heating medium or the indicator lights..... if they have light cover them with duct tape.... ALSO you could run the heater only when the lights are ON, when lights are OFF I'm ok with low temperatures....
hi mark, im wondering if i should start worrying about an order i sent on the first of February express post ?should i call you ?
WEBMASTER: ....I received a single express post about a week ago, cashed it and mailed it two days after ..... you should be getting it this week..... if you don't get it by Friday, call me and I will fix it ....
how much weed is there on average on a plant?
WEBMASTER: .... with my grow guide you look at 1 to 3 ounces per plant .....
Mark, you have helped me choose my seeds and have helped me "learn" to grow indoors and cut the cost of my smoke....thank-you...I have checked out other discussion boards and the topic always comes up about trimming the plant in BLOOM. There seems to be a rather strong opinion that trimming fan leaves to let light in to the lower portions of the plant is the way to do it. Also to trim away all the "little" buds that are growing out of the direct light, as these are just sucking the juice out of the "big" colas. One of the reasons I ask is, I seem to have a canopy of leaves and buds and not much light getting through, some fan leaves from taller buds are covering some of the other buds...I am dying to trim these... I don't because you suggest not to trim after going to bloom. I will respect your advice on this, and do what you say as you have helped so much already. Any insight would be appreciated, THANKS 1000w hps-6 plants 3' high. crowded 5'x5'x 6'high
WEBMASTER: ....it is better (but not absolutely crucial) to trim off the excess foliage before you go into bloom but as novice you may not be able to know what "excess" means until you let it grow naturally first, that's the nature of being the beginner ...... as you gain more ability to tell which stem or branch is not going to yield well, you can trim the plants even up to 3 weeks into bloom but what I am trying to avoid is people removing one leaf here, one day ... and another leaf there another day, ... branch here and ... branch there .... this casual trimming does the most damage .... if you do any trimming at all, even in bloom, do it all at once in one day so the shock of this process is restricted to that day only.... every time you "damage" a blooming plant (by trimming) it may take a week (at worst) for her to recover if its done incorrectly (when you casually nit pick at her).... to me when I have a plant that gets too big or is too bushy I try to get some bamboo (or plastic) sticks and stake the side branches so they grow more outwards from the main stem.... more light falls inside the plants ... this does depend on how much extra space you have .... in general I would say that you should trim off one or two plants only and compare how much yield you will get compared to the plants you did not trim...... each grow room can be very individualistic...
I am going to leach my plants soon, do I have to wait until the soil drys out....every 5 days......or can I just give them 25% of nutes at the end of week 6 (no, wait 2 days more but then squeeze in leaching cycles closer together). The reason that I ask is my last watering with bud enhancers is 2 days before the end of week 6. Which means I will only be able to water with nutes 25% for 2-3 waterings....is that enough to leach these girls...personal... N/L buddha & ww xxx -1000w hps. Thanks Mark
WEBMASTER: ....when leaching I would add 25% nutrient mix to avoid the plants form locking in the nutrients.... but 2 or 3 times should be enough to remove the nutrients, and at the end you do not have to wait 5 days, wait 3 days or 4 day in order to fit in the 3 watering cycles....
Thanks shy guy, its good to know my plants aren't just slow. Mark, I sprayed my plants last night with a mix of 10ml regular dish soap to 1L cold water and almost immediately one set of fan leaves on my bigger plant began drooping. They are drooping even more today and some of the smaller leaves have curled under a bit. My smaller plant hasn't changed at all. Is this a bad thing for my bigger plant? Does this behaviour of the leaves have something to do with the soap or could it be something else? I thought maybe it needed more water but when I stick my finger in the Promix it is still a little damp so I didn't add any. Thanks for your help!
WEBMASTER: ....I use the regular, cheap, green dish soap.... stay away from anything that's antibacterial or "enhanced" or ivory or "fancy"..... I have never seen plants die from soap so I think they will recover.... decrease the dosage next time or change the soap and .. if you think the soap is affecting them negatively you can always re-spray them with plain water to wash off the soap..... apply the spray just before lights off and allow the promix to dry out before re-watering...when watering always mix at least 25% nutrients mix with water if not more as required.....
fear not rookie....youre right on track....your wwxxx seedlings are working on roots right now. pretty soon you will see aggressive growth above the soil :) Im working on a wwxxx mother at the moment. the seeds were started the beginning of nov and Im just starting to bloom the first real crop of cuttings now. it seems to take forever to sex them and then to get them bushy enough to be a productive mother. a question for mark....did you have any issues with your NL x skunk seeds and the germination ratio? I bought ten NLskunk seeds from you last fall. I tried to germinate 5 seeds but only 2 came up. I still wound up with a real nice mother so Im not in need of more seeds. Im just curious more than anything. by comparison I did the same with the wwxxx and had 100% germination rate. will it be long before we start to see some new (or new "old") toronto420 strains for sale? Im wondering what you've got in the works...
WEBMASTER: ....actually I had the opposite news... 2 people complained about wwxxx germinating less then others.... from time to time I do get reports of this strain germinating less then others but I do not have a rush of customers replacing their seeds so .. so far so good.... I just received "ultimate indica", but I only have 100 seeds .. I am planning to get more..... I am making a mother plant out of her and she will be crossed with (I do not know what yet) strain to make some feminized strains..... I am tired of Skunk(s) in general so I will probably try to get Jack Herer, in both feminized and unfeminized forms., I just love that smoke.... when you come and see me at the seed bank I always have some "try this" packages.... like feminized and un-feminized white widow or pure Skunk No.1 un-feminized.... or Shiskaberry feminized..... + some I have not even accounted for yet....
What's up Mark? This is more of a curiosity then anything. I was wondering when you begin counting for veg time. For the WWXXX it says to veg at least 2 - 4 weeks, but tomorrow will mark the 3rd week since my first plant poked its head out of the soil and it hasn't even reached 5 inches yet. It is starting to get bushier but not too tall, it seems like it will take months to reach 2 feet at this rate. Does this seem like a normal growth rate or might I be doing something wrong here? Obviously veg times are just guides and I will veg as long as I have to, I just wanted to know if I'm doing alright here because it would seem that I am not.
WEBMASTER: .....please remember that whatever is written on each seed is made with the best interest of the company that breeds the seeds, I try to avoid this with my seeds .... in this case the veg time is measured from the point when a rooted clone is transplanted into a 5 Gallon container .... for that you would already have to have a mother plant.... from seeds it takes ... 1 week for sprouting the seed.... 1 or 2 weeks for the seedling to reach the same height as a clone.... at that point you can start counting veg time.... I would advise everyone to have a mother plant under 80W of power and just take clones.... you are doing just fine so far...
To 420 for life, I definitely would avoid suffocating your plants - they take CO2 from the air through the leaves in order to grow. But hey - if they are healthy, then keep doing the same! Dubes
WEBMASTER: .....Neem can kill them when the temperatures go above 25C so be careful.... but the plants definitely love Neem oil....
mark i use about 50% of the Neem oil that is said to use on the bottle ... i spray them daily with that mixture ... is this ok? (no harm as long as the temperatures stay below 25C) i have pics if u would like to see (email them if you wish mark@toronto420.com ).. the plants look beautiful shiny and very dark green i use guano .. all organic nutes ... and if i don't use up my whole bottle of leaf spray will the mixture last ?? (about a week) or spoil ? oh and the other question is ... only reason I've been using Neem daily is because I've noticed that it seems to suffocate the plant from taking up air threw the leaves and in result i have a much faster ,more rooted , bigger plant .. can my hypothesis be true ? (they like Neem but it can suffocate them ....too much Neem at too high ambient temperatures, that's when its bad)
WEBMASTER: .....Neem is generally good for the plants so the benefit is there definitively.... I would not want to apply it every week, no harm but never when in bloom.... you do nothing wrong but just make sure when you spray the Neem the temperatures do not exceed 25C .... you can use the bottle for a week and I found no problems.... more then a week I do not know.....
Good site
Hi
is an ec of 1.o or 1000 too low for mother plants. What should be the correct ec for a mother plant grown promix bx?
WEBMASTER: .....how do you measure your EC ?.. I would keep the EC at above 1400 but we may be talking about two different things....
I want to grow some mother plants so that eventually take clones. I want to know if I can grow them in promix bx. I want to know how you keep the E.C. below 1.0. I have dnf 2 part gro formula. People say that the mixing instructions are way off. I want to know how much to feed them if they are in 3 gallon pots. I want them to grow up very happy and healthy. Do you have any really good tips or feeding schedules to keep them healthy? Do you have a proven feeding program for mothers? Any info would be appreciated.
WEBMASTER: ..why would you want to keep EC below 1.0 ???.....when I use A and B products like DNF I increase my nutrients by 40% under 1000W lights... I do not use EC measurements sorry..... if DNF says 15 ml per 1 liter I feed 21 ml per 1 liter.... under 400W you should feed your mother plants at 75% of what DNF suggests the plants should get...... you can add the nutrients every time you water the plants.... starting when they are about 1/2 a foot tall
Were can I purchase "Ethel" used for spraying plants in early growth stage to insure plants to be all female. A website maybe of were to find some Ethel. I live in USA-Pa.
WEBMASTER: ....no idea... I do not use any products to enhance female to male ratio and I get 80% female...
NYC PRICES well depends what u want ... haze goes for 400-500 per oz and haze x cannalope goes for 450-600 per oz... jack herrer goes from anywhere from 500-1000 bucks per oz (not always around tho that's y the price goes up n down BIG DEMAND) and the sour d goes from anywhere 300-400 per oz and the cali orange hair u can get from 275-350 per oz.... really depends who u kno and how well u kno em.. but u can also get any size bag u want like 20 bucks worth which is about .6-.7 grams or 10 bucks worth which is .3-.4 grams ... we really got a HUGE market for it here..i mean my doc smokes it ... my lawyer smokes it lol ... i kno alot of high stature people that smoke over here ... and lets not go into wall street or times square where we have all these stressed out gamblers lol (lawyers /stock brokers).. prices go even higher all those prices above are from well known people that know me and i know them ... so if u dont know em .. your gunna pay even more or unless u kno a person direct first hand then thats a different story
WEBMASTER: ....wow.... price in Toronto is from $200 to $240 ....per ounce
I just viewed your google discussion board and I was wondering "Are your really gonna cross your Hash Plant with a Jack Herer?" I'll be looking forward to it if you do. Also can you or will be getting any Big Buddha Cheese or Blue Cheese seeds in? I've heard so many things about these strains like being the Cannabis Cup 2006 Indica Cup winner and 3rd place in the Sativa Cup. Thanks.
WEBMASTER: ....I have a Jack Herer as female but no Hash Plant male.... I will probably create a feminized Hash x Jack strain first before a true F1 bread appears....you are still looking at 6 months away at best..... I've not heard of big cheese....
Hey Mark, I just wanted to be proactive on the whole insect thing but I wanted to clear something up first. You mentioned to me in a response earlier that I should spray my plants every few days with a mix of dish soap and water, but in your guide you said to spray with dish soap, peroxide, rubbing alcohol and water, so I was wondering which mix is better. And if I do this spraying and don't see any signs of mites before going into bloom is it still a good idea to spray with Neem Oil or would it not really be necessary? Thanks again!
WEBMASTER: ....I used both formula and they both work... these days, I find that 10 ml of dish soap per 1 liter of water does the trick as well as the other formulas..... soap is about prevention (when you have no mites) ... and the peroxide + alcohol mix is more about killing the mites (when you see them)..... You probably do not have to use Neem (it is a pain to use)... but I would suggest you spray the plants with some soap anyways....
Hi Mark, I'm looking for a potent strain to grow outdoors near Kingston (ave 1st frost Oct 10). I would prefer a sativa dominant variety, but only if if will finish in first week of Oct. I know Fast Pine is hardy, but I want some high quality bud. What do you recommend? JFxNLxSk appeals the most to me - will it be ready in time? When will Raspberry be available? or is that an old strain? That freezeland stuff sounds interesting too... thank you, Dubes
WEBMASTER: ....pretty much all of my sativa dominant strains do well outdoors... they should finish at worst at beginning of October.... at best end of September.... like ww Buddha, JF or Shiskaberry... G13 yields poorly outdoors..... raspberry is not coming back...lost contact with grower.... Fast Pine is actually 40% sativa, the seeds are cheap but the smoke and yield is great.....
im from nyc right here ... and all we have is (the highs) haze , haze x cannalope , sour d , jack herrer , and some (the lows) regular cali orange hair thats all u can get in the city .... nothin less nothin more.. get ready to pay top dollar lol
WEBMASTER: ....what's the street price of weed in ny?
Hey Mark. Entering week 5 of bloom on a juicy fruit. Some of the large fan leaves are turning brown (spots), drying up and curling. I know you have said that the plant goes through slow death when blooming, so I was not sure if this is what you meant?? Also, I have been using A & B fertilizer and was wondering what your opinion of the best bud enhancer fertilizer is to buy. And I add that on top of the other ferts right? Thanks again
WEBMASTER: ....if one plant out of many has this problem I would not be concerned, also if one leaf out of many shows this its not a problem... if all of the plants show this problem its a sign of malnutrition, if all the leafs on the plant show this problem then it may be a problem.... since you can not really bring back the dying leafs but you can still adjust the nutrients levels.... if you feel you want to do something you can always leach them with 25% strength nutrients for less then a week... then return to the regular feeding cycle.... I would prefer organic nutrients like flora nova or pure blend pro but A and B is good enough.... bud booster I like: Canna PK13-14 or Miracle Grow Ultra Bloom 10-52-10 .... but I do not care about brands so the other once are just as good.... you should add bud boosters on top of the regular dose of nutrients.....
Hi mark i wanted to ask you if you have heard of a strain called "Sour Diesel" I heard it is very good and sells on wall street for up to 1000$ an ounce
WEBMASTER: ....I have "New York Diesel" in seed form....and I have "Sour Diesel" as clones for medical people in Toronto..... The weed you describe as Sour Diesel sold in New York is actually "Freeze land" grown by bikers in Quebec..... good strain, better then the real sour diesel I have, but its not diesel.....
We have a Shiskaberry and a ww xxx. both are at 6 weeks in flower. They both are pretty little bushes with huge colas! problem is, the Shiskaberry is loaded with sugar crystals and the ww xxx is not. The WW has maybe 20% the amount of crystals the Shiskaberry has. Isn't the ww known for huge sugar formation? is there a problem i don't recognize?. or is the ww going to sugar up the last 2 weeks? ty
WEBMASTER: ....ww xxx is not a pure white widow....pure white widow would have even more crystals.... I drop my temperatures the last two weeks (when leaching) for even more crystals... 24C does the trick.... as to the Shiskaberry (my strain) having more crystals then ww xxx (NOT my strain).... may be my strain is just.. well.. better ....
Rick from the post below....I have used both Home Hardware and Canadian Tire's store brands of butane MANY times and they both produced excellent results....
anybody know where i can get feminized seeds and for how much??
WEBMASTER: .....skunk 69 is feminized..... see the menu
Hi mark , Can you tell me what sort of yield i would expect (in grams) from a well grown white widow XXX grown outdoors .Say for instance i started veg in march from clone.
WEBMASTER: .....ww xxx is not the best yielder outdoors thus I would expect 1/2 pound... well done plant like fat skunk or summertime buddha should yield a pound per plant.....
Hi Mark , I am growing N/L buddha and ww xxx. I asked you previously how much "more" nutrients I can feed them, your response was 50% more than the label indicated due to the dominant indica strain. I am now at day 26 of bloom under 1000w hps. My question is can I still give them BUD BOOSTERS through week 5-6 even though I am feeding the girls 50% more nutes????Just the tips of the leaves are are browning, I am a bit afraid of overfeeding them and killing them. Whatever you say I will do, you have been ACE so far. THANKS.... P.S. can you give me at least a "hint" on what kind of butane to use for making oil ????????
WEBMASTER: .....I would pull back on the nutrients when I see the leafs burning...... come down to regular feeding and then add the bud booster.... right after the week 6 or 7 of bud boosting go down to 25% nutrient mix.. i.e. start leaching the plants.... when you increase their food intake you have to still monitor for signs of overfeeding and you still may have to go back to regular feedings for a watering cycle or two..... this is tricky so when in doubt decrease the nutrients... I can not give you hints because I find butane dangerous....
Hello Mark, on one of my plants one of the little round leaves at the bottom (the ones that come up first) is turning yellow, but the other one and the rest of the plant look great to me. Is this a problem or should it be fine? (don't worry) It started a few days ago, and I just fed my plants for the first time yesterday. Also, on my food label (Pure Blend Pro) it has 3 different amounts recommended, one for seedlings, one for mid-size and one for mature...which of these should I be using and at what point does a plant go from seedling to mid-size (when you see well defined leafs, however small they are) and mid-size to mature? (once you can take the first clone off of the plant it becomes "mature") Thanks a lot for the help.
WEBMASTER: ......one bad leaf out of many good ones is not a problem unless it has bugs or mold... anything else is simply nature getting rid of the weaker leafs.. usually the oldest ones, or the one farthest from the light.... when I read nutrient labels I simply look at the full dosage (in this case "for mature") and for the first feeding I give plants half of that... I call this 50% nutrient level...(its ok to give less, like 10 or 20% but never more)... if you have 400W you can feed your plants at 50% every time you water them ... if you have 1000W you can add full dosage every time you water the plants.... but the first time the plants get nutrients they should get nutrients at 50% of the full dosage..... The benefit of Pure Blend Pro is that its an organic so you can not really overfeed your plants... at least not to the point of killing them.... so feel free to experiment by feeding one plant more then the other (by more I mean "not more often", but "more nutrients")... if this plant can tolerate the dosage and looks ok, apply the increase to the other plants, next time you water.....
Hi Mark, thanks for the quick response, in regards to the ph level, it is at 6.5, the light is about two feet away, it is on a drip system, I do not add any nutrients right away. Do you have any suggestions Mark?
WEBMASTER: ......place the light 4 feet away (assuming they are HID) ... young plants won't grow well if they get too much light, too much light and they wilt as if they needed water.... lower the light down to 2 feet after 1 or 2 weeks after they sprout... when you see any kind of a leaf sprouting add 1/4 strength nutrients immediately... and/or B1 is good at any time.... keep the ph at 6.5..... but anything in the range of 6 to 6.5 is ok.....
i have grown chronic form serious seeds in the past and had good luck with it. the yield is awesome and the high is very respectable. i am looking to buy more seeds but they are expensive. Do you sell a more local strain with the same characteristics as as chronic? thanx, lilman
WEBMASTER: .. my Shiskaberry is as good quality wise but gets 75% of what chronic can do.... juicy fruit x nl x sk is also one of them... ultimately it comes down to taste... fat skunk or ww xxx or Hindu kush can yield as much as chronic, to me properly done they are all as awesome as chronic....
Thanks for getting back Mark. [quote]BTW: are you blooming them?[/quote]. I was going to let them go into bloom next week as I just took some clones. I thought it would be good to let them recoup after the cuttings. I'm going to put them on a 400 watt MH tonight. When I use 10-15% nutrients when normal watering what should I be putting in? I was putting 30-10-10 for veg. They are so close to bloom should I change to 10-52-10?
WEBMASTER: ...you are correct to let them veg for a week after cloning..... I prefer real hydroponics nutrients but they are not always available..... when I used 30-10-10 I mixed 1 ml per liter of water, roughly once a week... in between I would mix 1 ml per 4 liters of water .... sometimes 5 or 6 liters.. depends on how well they take up the nutrients.... switch to 10-52-10 only when you switch the timer to 12/12.... not before..
Hi Mark, I have a few questions for you. I have a hydro system, I am having a problem getting the plants started, once I germinate the seeds, I place them in the cube, they start growing then they die. I am getting frustrated with this, I hope you can help me with this problem, seeds are to expensive to waste. Regards Steve
WEBMASTER: ...do you PH the cubes?.. what is your water PH level... how far is your light from the top of plants... how often do they get water and how much nutrients do you mix?....
hi Mark, In your opinion, what are the top 2 400 watt h.p s bulbs used for flowering? if you only had the chance to buy 1 bulb, which one would YOU purchase? the same goes for a M.H bulb. What are the best?. T.Y in advance, Willy
WEBMASTER: ....for HPS I would get Hortilux brand (has both red and blue spectrums unlike a regular HPS) and for MH I would get the SunMaster Warm Deluxe ..... MH with additional red spectrum...... if I had to chose between only 1 of those two mentioned I would always go for a MH spectrum...
Goodday sir. One question. I've got 3 plants growing. They're about 18" tall. One of plants leaves will turn around upside down. Just wondering what would cause this. They look healthy and feed them every 3rd watering.
WEBMASTER: ....if they are in tight space them may turn the leafs upside down... when underfed I see them do weird things like that.... if the lights are too far.. or they are in the shadow .... the leafs may try to turn towards the lights... try to rotate them every day so all sides of the plant are exposed to light... BTW: are you blooming them? they are tall enough for bloom.... ALSO: when you water with plain water it is better to add 10 or 20% nutrient mix (every time)... I find better results with 15% nutrient mix then plain water.... prevents a lot of problems in small gardens like yours.... you still add a proper nutrient mix every 3rd time you water....
to the guy on growing with milk! ...Not sure about plants but I know Baby cows grow really big on milk! :)
WEBMASTER: ...fatties from milk eh...
Hey Mark, I have noticed that one of my potted clones has some kind of grayish/very-dull-green misty mold or something, It literally looks like you sprinkled some cement on the soil (I mean promix) I also have seen this on top in my bloom room. It doesn't seem to do any harm to the plants. Any info or advice on this? What causes this? is this bad! Thank you in advance as always Mark! Peace! bb
WEBMASTER: .1st step is to scoop it out ..whatever mold it is.....if the mold is white or grey in colour then its a problem, this mold will eat the roots and eventually kill the plant, not immediately but within a month... if the colour is green or dark green, its not a problem, it just grows but the plants are ok .... both are caused by excessive watering... in other words allow the pots to get dryer before re-watering..... molds thrive on humidity and water... instead of watering every 2nd day water every 3rd day... as example.... as a remedy I mix Hydrogen Peroxide (99%) 1 to 5 ml per 1 liter of tap water ..... and/or 30ml/G of Neem and soak the soil.... both may stunt the plant for up to a week so make sure to do it when you know this mold is actually affecting your plants.... unfortunately molds suck and sometimes you may have to kill the plant anyways... when/if she no longer grows...
Does a plant grow bigger if watered with milk or water
WEBMASTER: ...definitely, positively NO MILK ....
I'VE JUST TRIED A RUDIMENTARY SHOT AT MAKING BUBBLE HASH, & I must say that I'm intrigued. Can you give me any tips ??? Bubbleator, Isolator ect. Live & learn, I never knew that the leaves could be so useful. Thanks for your help.
WEBMASTER: ...this is description for the method I use... using bubble bags... the cheapest and easiest way to get hash... in Toronto get the bags here...
I'm growing in a 12' x 12' space in the attic. It's a fully insulated room with 5/8" mold resistant drywall, 6" bats of insulation and a 2" space between the insulation and the roof for ventilation. I'm growing 10 plants with 1, 1000w HPS bulb and the temp of the room is constantly 78 during the day and 70 at night. The attic space is usually between 30 and 40. The room is vented ,with a carbon filter and a 450cfm fan, into the house. I'm just worried that the extra heat in the room and the heat that the bulb puts off, may be detectable by the cops thermal detection crap that they have in the chopper. Is there anything to be worried about? I've herd of heat shield but wonder if the cops are looking down and just see a big black spot if that would raise suspicion? And also, do you think it would be a wise idea to vent into the chimney? Thanks Paranoid
WEBMASTER: ... yes it is visible to the choppers, but I know from speaking with the pilots that they do not spend $1000 per hour of police time to bust a guy with what could look like a second kitchen or a laundry room or a spare bedroom from the air.... it becomes a grow room when you ventilate the hot air outside (like the chimney) which looks like a hot white jet of air from the point of view of the chopper (regular air flow from the chimney is very slow where yours would be fast .. like a jet).... because you are venting hot air back inside the house you are safe.... in any case you can always purchase insulated/woven Mylar and line the entire room with that, cops can not see through it if you double the lining.... its available in (pretty much) every hydroponics store... expensive but totally worth it....
Don't know how my named changed on the forum page, but I was asking why my leaves are curling. I am using a 400 watt bulb, with a fan and good ventilation. I am using DNF a and b. I am using 50% of the recommended dosage. I waited till the second set of leaves began and am using promix, to try to avoid the ph issue. I use tap water but after watering I refill my container and let it sit so there isn't an issue with chlorine. I also have two watering containers, one with nutrients and one without. I alternate between the two so not to over feed them. I checked out the area on your site where you show healthy leaves, ones being over fed and ones under fed and the colouring on the leaves are good. Some have browned slightly at the tips, but other than that the colour is good, they are just curling under. One more thing. I have had an issue with bugs in the past. When I saw you, we talked about it, and you suggested that I could spray regularly with dish soap and water, weak solution, to avoid bugs altogether. I only do that when the light is going to go out to avoid burning the leaves. Hope this helps.
WEBMASTER: ...I have a few of you (forum users) describing different (yet small) problems that are caused by nutrient lock out...in most cases the problems are very small and generally not too concerning but because of this I changed the grow guide .. I am starting to realise that when I add a little bit of nutrients into my water (i.e. instead of just plain water) I seem to get better results (and no nutrient lockout, which sometimes looks like stem discoloration or sometimes as leaf curling).... the curling may not be a big issue if its only few leafs that are curling, BUT if its the whole plant curling their leafs I would be puzzled.... my bet here is that there is no problem with the plant... 400W is not a 1000W so the plant behaves slightly different (so your plant has a few leafs off, its fairly normal)..... having bugs is more of a concern for me... I am now starting to change my grow guide to reflect that I would rather give the plants a little bit of nutrient mix then just plain water ..... sooooo from now on when I say leach the plants it really means put 10 to 25% of nutrient mix.... otherwise you may experience a nutrient lock out .... this happens rarely but I had a few of you experience it... the solution is always the same, mix in 10 to 25% of nutrients and never give just plain water.... when it comes to fighting bugs I find that its not the product used but the consistency of its use that is more important... in a small place like yours I would spray them weekly with some form of Neem or soap or pesticides... until they are 2 weeks into bloom ......
Hi Mark, Plants are doing well, but I am noticing the leaves are curling under. It hasn't seemed to have affected their growth yet, but I am obviously doing something wrong. How do I fix?
WEBMASTER: ... this is the first thing that comes to my mind... when watering mix in at least 10% nutrient mix (10 to 25% of what is considered a full feeding).... try never to give them just plain water .... this appears to be a minor water ph issue.... a little bit of nutrients in the water balances the ph of water just enough..... but I would need to know the light you have and how often you feed the plants to make a better diagnosis...
Can i veg plants under HPS in order to reap enough clones ?
WEBMASTER: ... I guess they will be ok but the plants will not grow as quick and healthy as under an MH.... they will survive and be ok just they will not be as robust ...
hi do you have or know of anywhere i could purchase a 4" inline fan at a reasonable price? even used in good condition would be nice..
WEBMASTER: ...if you know the model you want call electrical suppliers (yellow pages).. they are cheaper but less helpful... or someone here may have one for sale ....
Hi Mark, I was just looking at your pictures on Google...420 discussion board....they look great!!!!My question, there looks to be a lot of light in a small space. My room is 6'high 5' wide and 7' long. I am growing "personal" with a 1000w HPS. Can I add another 600w or 1000w I use a can filter and can keep the temps down...winter...!Another question, how much money a month does it cost to run 1000w and 1 oscillating fan and 2 inline fans for a room this size, ball park figure....with you experience. Our hydro bill just came in for the month of January and it was WAAAAAY high. I am a bit afraid to call them up and ask them why......... Thanks for all the questions that you have answered in the past.
WEBMASTER: ... single 1000W light should be around $50 to $60 per month (that's raw electricity cost, not the add-ons and taxes), add $10 for the other stuff... a person (you) living in a space also consumes around $50 to $60 dollars per month, so if you live with another person (+ your light) its like burning 3000W...
mark I've noticed u posted a new price sheet with international orders in the main index sheet .. do u ship to usa now?? .. and i also wanna purchase one of those shirts ... do u have navy blue or black in large ?
WEBMASTER: ...sorry I still can not ship to usa.. I can ship t-shirts but not seeds..... sorry right now only white, red and dark green t-shirts are available (large and extra large)
I have a question with regards to my plants leaves, the edges of the leaves are turning up and kind of look like horns on the top of the leaves do you know why this is???? its mostly the new ones on the tops of the plant the plants are about 3-4 weeks into veg, from a seed...they are 8 inches tall growing hydroponically in rockwool with ph levels around 5.6 and TDS at 1400ppm and water temp in 75 degree range air temperature is steady around 78 F. Thanks Ganja Man....
WEBMASTER: ...your PH is too low, you should be around 6 and up.. say in the 6 to 6.4 range ..... I would increase the ppm (if I had 1000W) to about 1800ppm but given that they had been stressed a bit I can not be sure.... you should change the water once a week and 75 degree for water is too high...
When is the latest i can still transplant, could i transplant 1 or 2 weeks into bloom?
WEBMASTER: ... yes if the plant is root bound (say she is more then two times bigger then the pot) ... optimally these plants can never have enough roots..... it is not the best thing to transplant when the plants are in bloom but if you have to you have to.....
Mark, with strains that don't need to be topped like kali mist, chronic, g13xbuddah, is that just for blooming purposes in other words id like to get a kali mist, g13xbuddah and chronic mother plant growing which could supply with with multiple clones is this doable or will it stress the plants to try to make them into mothers because they are not meant to be topped?
WEBMASTER: ... you can clone all these plants as much as you want because when I talk about clipping or not clipping I only refer to the Bloom cycle... i.e. plants that go to bloom... mother plants do not go into bloom so this does not apply to them..... in bloom some plants provide better yield when you chop them and some when you do not chop them, quality is unaffected..... this never applies to clones or mother plants.... I could write another grow guide about mother plants.... for example, some species you can clone for years (90% of species like my white shark which is 25 years old).. and some die after a couple of clonings (5% of plants I dealt with).... bottom line is you have nothing to worry about....
Hi Mark, I'm thinking about doing some outdoor growing this summer in my backyard. I would like to plant between the flowers so it would look like a normal flower garden. I don't have a fence so the plants can't grow more than a foot. Should I bloom them first indoors for two or three weeks before transplanting outdoors? Thanks again!
WEBMASTER: ... I do not know if this is possible.. given your level of knowledge .... if you want to bloom indoors for the first week or two, you have to bloom from when the plant is 4 or 5 inches high, in order for her to end up no more then 12 inches high... if you take her outdoors when she is 12 inches high after 2 weeks in the house, you would have to do it around early July and or after..... the problem is that outdoors the smallest possible space still requires that the plants can be at least 5 feet tall including the pot/container
thanks for the info on the white widow, greatly appreciate it .could you recommend a good producing outdoor strain that's leaning more towards the sativa end , i don't want to deal with anyone else. could you recommend a seed you carry. Yours truly beetle .
WEBMASTER: ...this is easier then you think because when it comes to outdoors, the Sativa dominant strains do much better the Indica dominant strains. This is directly opposite when it comes to indoor growing where Indica wins hands down..... all the seeds marked as 80% Sativa are good for outdoors... white widow buddha, or summertime buddha, or g13 buddha ..... these do better outdoors.... yield wise
Hi Mark, my question is about post-harvest buds. The fresh buds (g13xbuddha, covered in crystal) have some discolored, brown spot near the stem. I have a minor gnat problem in the veg box, nothing that's preventing growth, but i have to pick them off the sticky buds in the bloom box. Are the gnats causing the discoloration and do i have to worry about smoking these buds? Thanks.
WEBMASTER: ... smoking bugs does no harm to us ... thus smoking the gnats is no problem... the discoloration so long as its not mold is ok to smoke... I can smell mold but I can not see it... so when smelling the bud I could tell you.... I know that when growing with promix the plants simply ignore gnats but if you have a hydroponics water table they are a disaster (another benefit of promix :-) ..... I set up a forum on Google to allow people to post pictures ..... if you wish post it there and let me know here...
HI Mark, my question is, is it practical to grow the "white widow XXX" outdoors ?and if so could you tell me what sort of yield i would expect from clone. also do cuttings need to be rooted in order to determine sex. YOURS TRULY BEETLE.
WEBMASTER: ... ww xxx is not primarily outdoor strain which means the smoke will be great but the yield will be may be half of what an outdoor plant can do (fat skunk and ww xxx are equal indoors but the fat skunk will double its yield outdoors, ww xxx will not).... thus if a clone is 4 feet tall by end of June the final yield should be around half p..... a full p for fat skunk .... the cuttings do not need to be rooted to determine sex... I switch the timer to 12/12 as soon as I cut the clone...
i have a 10x10 bloom room with a 1000w HPS light and a 4x4 veg room with a 4' fluorescent light, what are the best temps for light on and off.. Thanks.. great work..
WEBMASTER: ...the usable space for your bloom is 5 x 5 and at best 6 x 6.... the temperatures should be 26-28C (83F?) when awake and around 15-24C (72F?) when sleeping....
Mark, I just read the previous post and what I gather, my yield will be less if I veg 6-8 plants under 4,40w fluorescent tubes, then go into Bloom with a 1000w HPS. Can you explain this please?
WEBMASTER: ...you misunderstand.... 6 to 8 plants under your conditions would need around 1.5 to 2 months veg period to be big enough to transfer into bloom under the 1000W (if you want to have a perpetual harvest)... it would take 3 weeks if you had 400W HID.... it takes you longer during veg because you have fluorescent lights (less power then HID lights) but the yield from the 1000W will be the same..... when you bloom under a 1000W or any other bulb you have 2 months generally speaking to finish the bloom cycle... during this period you can work on the vegetating plants... with your fluorescent power it means that as soon as you bloom the 1000W you have to start veging the small seedlings..... but if you had a 400W (for example), your plants would get so big so quickly that you could wait a month into bloom before starting the next batch of veging plants.... I try to work with whatever people tell me they have, but for convenience you can always use more power.... if its still not clear, keep asking...
question for you i have fluorescent lights for veg state, is there any advantage to make it worth using a HID lamp as to a HPS during the veg state? I currently already have the HPS bulb and ballast...
WEBMASTER: ... it depends... in veg plants grow faster then in bloom, thus you need around 4 times more Watts in bloom then in veg.... in you have 40W to 80W fluorescent lights in veg the most you can bloom is 400W to 600W.... to bloom 1000W you could use a 400W HID or equivalent in fluorescent lights .... but I have seen people use 100W fluorescent lights to 1000W HID bloom.....
First of all, I like everyone to know about your business and the services; I bought seeds from you for friend of mine in Nova Scotia about a month ago. One of the seed didn’t sprout so when I saw you and asked you about it; to my surprise you gave me seeds for free and also gave me advice about the seeding, growing and etc. WOW; I was expecting no seed (like other businesses) or maybe only one seed in return. Thanks, Not just for the free seeds but because you were and are really who you say you are. I whish every businessman would be as knowledge about their business as you are and I whish they would honor their words like you do. Second, is it ok to top NL for more buds or should be left alone for bigger colas.
WEBMASTER: ....NL can go either way when it comes to clipping in half.... I did her both ways and I had no problem ..... + Thank You...
I am growing with a 1000hps, in bloom 4th week, 5 gallon pails. Do I feed with nutrients every watering? I am currently feeding these girls 50% more food than what is on the label, I am growing an Indica dominant strain. Should I give them straight water for 1 feeding? I go to straight water for week 9&10 as this is personal smoke. I am growing WW XXX and plan on going the full distance....10 weeks as per instructions in your seed catalogue. Thanks.
WEBMASTER: .... the proper blooming cycle of this strain is still 8 weeks... thus the leaching should start after the 6th week and for sure at week 7.... when it says ten weeks it means that the last 2 weeks are for the type of curing you want with lights off so it does not count as a blooming period .... leaching still happens after week 6.... I would continuously feed as you are already until the end of week 6 or so and then switch to 25% nutrient mix for the last two weeks....
how much water should i be feeding plants im using a soiless mix my plants are 3 weeks old and its the whitewillow strain.
WEBMASTER: ....water until the pot leaks out from the bottom... wait till it dries... usually 3 to 4 days and repeat....
Quick question. Are there any pros or cons to reusing the promix from one plant to the next. I pulled two males that were in buckets and don't know whether the "dirt" is still good. Any ideas on how to get rid of the roots? Will it matter? thx
WEBMASTER: ....in your position the promix is recyclable... you can pull out as many roots as you can, the more the better, mix in some fresh promix (like 10 or 20%) and you are good to go.... I would not recycle promix from fully bloomed plants .....
How long should i flush using rockwool cubes and is regular tap water ok to use?
WEBMASTER: ..with rockwool 3 days of flushing is usually ok...... tap water has to be ph'd down to 5.2....
How do you know when your crop is at its best for picking? And what is the best way to cure? I've heard hanging the buds I've heard of putting them in paper bags. How long does curing take?
WEBMASTER: ..read this section first....
I have a few questions, - With top feeding hydroponics systems which is the one i have i am sure, i have a six
bucket system with reservoir which pumps the water to the
plants via quarter inch lines, do you leave the pump running 24 hrs a
day? or should you have it on and off at intervals??? Second- my plants
are about 2 weeks old and about 5-6 inches tall should i leave the
fluorescent bulbs going on them or should i switch to my 1000 watt HPS
bulb and keep it about 30 inches away from the plants? Third- do you
know of any oxygenators that are quit as the dual one i have makes the
most noise out of anything in my room, its a lot of buzzing...
Fourth,,, What should the water temperature be at, right now I'm
averaging 72 degrees and if it is important to lower it how can you
without using ice....
WEBMASTER: ...this is called a dripper system (if the medium looks like the one on the picture), then the water has to flow slowly all the time..... I would always go with more power so fire up the 1000W... the plants will be bigger and healthier... I do not like these systems because of issues like yours... noise and water and problems.... the younger the plants are the higher the temperature the plants want.... now they want to be at 80F or even 83F (ambient temperature, not the water) .... as they get older they want to be at around 78F.... the only way to bring down the temperature of water is to put a pump that constantly moves the water around.. the bigger the pump the quicker the temperature drop... other then ice...
Does anyone know what kind of Butane to use, that still works, for making WEED OIL. The last couple batches i tried did not work like it used too. Have they put something in the butane so WE cant make oil anymore??? if so what is the best to use. Thank-YOU for your time and energy.
WEBMASTER: ... some butane is better then others....
Is it true that it is legal to have MJ seeds in Canada? Is there a link somewhere on this. Thanks
WEBMASTER: ...there is no law that say seeds are illegal, thus they are legal.... no export or import of seeds either...
what is the best way to keep plants from growing too big before flowering. I am growing 16 plants in 1/2 gallon pails under 3 fluorescent light fixtures.....4' tubes 40w each. I understand that I can clip them, but they don't grow bushy and healthy under the "tubes" .....less fertilizer? maybe, then they will just look underfed. Your the man Mark, what do you say? They will be put to bloom under 1000w HPS in 6 weeks and they are only 4" tall now. Thanks Dude
WEBMASTER: ...you have fluorescent light thus these plant can get 1 foot tall max before you have to either clip them (in half) or "put-up" with the lack of bushiness.... generally you want to fully feed them every second time you water or 50% every time.... your lights should be 1 or 2 inches away from the plant, that's what makes them bushier.....
Hey mark , my buddies told me about how you are amazing at the whole 420 business and i would like to see if you can check out this batch i have been growing lately , also if you could check out some of the stuff i have if i bring it in only thing is im not legal yet so i don't know if that is a problem if you check them out Best wishes -- Ferz
WEBMASTER: ... you can always bring me "samples".... please bring me samples :-)
Mark, im wondering if you heard about the most recent chain of busts all of which were in the GTA?. What becomes a target in this day and age and should i be concerned? i live in a 5 bedroom house and have a 2000w bloom room and a 1000w veg room. I grow lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, pea's, herbs etc. and also have several exotic cactuses and plants. Its my indoor garden, its not a criminal organization, and its not thriving with mold and fire hazards, Its well kept, clean and a place of meditation. Anyway i grow a little cannabis also to relieve me and a couple of my friends of anxiety. And that's my story, do i have any need to be worried about being busted?
WEBMASTER: ... the bust you mention is about an organized Asian gang .... they do not investigate single grow rooms unless the landlord or the supervisor suspects something in which case you are put on a list and they (police) eventually may come over, if you do not answer the door they issue a warrant and bust the place the next day... I would open the door and have a pleasant chat.. I would also use carbon filter.... I would still be more afraid of the super then the police.... this bust was the usual PR stunt the cops do to "raise" awareness.. i.e. maintain high budget for themselves.... I am not aware of any new developments in Ontario on the drug front... this was just the usual "biggest" ever bust we get every 6 months for the last 25 years...
Hi Mark I have 4 N/L Buddha and 2 W.W.XXX in bloom......19 days.....3' tall My question is, with your experience, how much can I "overfeed" these two strains? And how many days did they take before they were at there peak for harvesting........1000hps..................Thanks in advance Ant "tips" you might have on these two strains would be appreciated.
WEBMASTER: ...in either case I would add 50% more nutrients every time I water ..... using A and B nutrients or organics.... indica can take a lot more nutrients then the labels indicate....
hello again mark i have transplanted my seedlings a week ago in 5 gal pots pro mix put the seedling in (which had a few levels of branches and leaves already) watered with a gallon of water or just under and now i notice after a day they are starting to show some purple in the stem and solar leaves what should i do to fix this. using 400wattmh fan inline and osc. temps 80% humidity 40 to 60% the pails are of floor on a grille with fan blowing underneath will this help there are 8 in total 6" tall n.l. any help would be great thanks........
WEBMASTER: ...start adding some nutrients at 25% of recommended dosage ..... this (stem colour change) happens for 3 reasons..1 overfeeding (no), 2 too cold (I don't think so) and 3. root lock where the roots don't want to take up nutrients... solution is to add 25% mix of hydroponics nutrients ...then 50%... then see how they are.... in other words start feeding them with some food....
Hi Mark, You have answered some of our questions online as well as spoken to my husband on the phone about our being allowed to use mj for medical purposes. We have an appointment on Monday with a doctor that he had seen years ago. This doctor had told him that if he could legalize it he would. Now, our question is what category would we use under the forms? I understand that you went on for anxiety which is also part of his problems. Also from my reading, am I understanding that if he is category three he would need more than one doctor to sign? Thanks
WEBMASTER: ...there is no category three, there is only 1 and 2.... anxiety and depression falls under category two where you only need one signature from a specialist... once the specialist signs the forms you do NOT need another doctor.... Health Canada forms are tricky and they suggest you do.... if your doctor is a GP (General Practitioner) he either A. signs the forms himself and he needs to provide a name of the specialist he consulted OR B. you just get referred to a specialist who then signs your forms...... your GP has to call a specialist and "consult" him/her... and put his/her name on the Health Canada forms... it is better to go directly to the specialist.... if you need clarification please free to call me.....
Hey Mark, I am in 16th day of bloom....6 plants. I would like to know if it is to my advantage if i clip off the lower branches of my plants to get more nutrients and light power to the "tops" of the plants. I know that you say to only clip the branches 1 week before bloom. Can you give me some insight on this please. Thank-you. 4 N/L Buddha and 2 WWXXX. 1000w HPS. Also i am cloning the females after 7 days of bloom and the clones don't look so great, was I to late? Thanks
WEBMASTER: ... it is too late to trim... the trimming should have been done a week before the bloom period, the plant has no ability to recover so whatever cuts you make now will be considered "damage" and in no way beneficial.... at this point not much can be done... the plants can be theoretically 2 weeks into bloom when you take clones but they take a long time to root and beginners find it difficult... all I can say, don't give up on them , they may take 2 weeks easily to root and recover....
Hello Mark. The two seeds that I got to germinate have both come up now, one is almost 3 inches, the other is about 1 inch. I am thinking that I should move my light closer very soon (400W MH) and start feeding. My question is how fast do the plants typically grow? I ask because I will be going away for like 4 - 5 days next week and I don't want to move my light 1.5 feet away and then come back to find my plants have grown too close to it and become damaged. Should I maybe put the light a little farther away, or will they not grow fast enough to get too close in that amount of time. The strain is WWXXX if that makes any difference. I realize every plant probably grows at a different rate, so a general-case answer would be perfect. Thanks for the help!
WEBMASTER: ... at this point if you leave the plants 3 feet away from the light its ok, after you come back you can lower it to 1.5 feet... they will grow an inch every couple of days but it depends on how well the roots establish themselves....
Hi, Wanted to thank you for the expertise. We came and saw you about 3 weeks ago. Purchased northern lights and skunk cross. Had a success rate of 100%. Your site is amazing! Had a problem with the seeds drying out, but did the plate thing and it worked great. Thanks again Mark!
WEBMASTER: ...cool, Thank You...
Hello Mark, I called you on or about the 1st of the year regarding the hermie problem. Just wanted to let you know I saw the entry in the forum from someone else regarding the same problem. I have now finished up and all I can say is HUUUGE. the ones that remained (2ww x buda and 2 blue x sk) put out in excess of 10 ozs. (very few seeds). Nice seeds, in all, I thank you for the good genes. If you haven't sent out new seeds don't: I am all good with what I have. I may be stopping into the cafe soon hope to see ya. Can I bring something to share? Oh ya my problem must of been from heat, My thermostat was off by 10 deg.F. I now have a new one. Thanx again
WEBMASTER: ...anyone is ALWAYS welcome to bring me weed... I want to make this clear... You CAN bring ME weed, but I can never give you weed even as a swap...... (this is my lawyer talking :-) ..... this way I can never get in trouble .... please bring mark weed :-) .... PLEASE anyone out there DO NOT feel like you must bring weed or my service will suck .... I have plenty of pot, I just love variety...
Thanks for your advise about when to harvest. Before I found your site I got some seeds from the Netherlands. While I was happy with the end result, I lost track of what I had ordered & never got any E-Mail confirmation saying what I had. I learned my lesson & am trying out your G-13 X Buddha, which were clearly marked. Any info on this strain would be appreciated. Thanks again !!!
WEBMASTER: ... I consider G-13 cross a nicer smoke then its yield... its for medical patients with HIV and Crohn's so its very specialized for pain control.... the plant what's to be taller and is best yielding when grown with big buckets and lots of space.... for good yield I would clip her twice and veg for a month, and only then I would get 1.3 lbs per 1000W light.... if you do tables bloom straight from clone and allow 2 feet at the end.... the finish plant looks to me like a lollipop with a big cola at the end of a stick... that is the sativa gene... like any sativa it prefers steady nutrition and no big spikes in food (up or down)....
Thanks for the reply below Mark. If I hold the plants that I think might be male (based on the "pods") what should I look for to determine if they are in fact female. The pods look like the male pre-flowers that you show in your grow guide. How will I know when I should call it and yank them from the room? If they are male, are they good for anything? Can you grind them up and use them to make weed butter or are they best thrown away and start over? How much would you expect to yield off of a single juicy fruit cross about 3ft tall? (430w HPS) Sorry for all of the questions, but appreciate your expertise. Thanks
WEBMASTER: ... at some point they look more and more like males with balls hanging everywhere, as long as they do not open their flowers (week 4 and after) you can cut them at any point before week 4 .... and later depending on breed.... males are not really good for anything, unless you want seeds, there is some THC there but not enough to make it worthwhile.. she should yield about 2 ounces of fine bud and and ounce of shake..... no problem..
My plants are just developing there leaves and I am looking to purchase food for them. I am using a 400 watt bulb in a closet. What is recommended? Also, my plants are shooting up. I keep adding more pro mix but am concerned I will run out of pot and the stems will be weak and unable to sustain themselves as they grow. Any recommendations?
WEBMASTER: ... the plants will get healthier as you start feeding them, make sure the fan is gently rocking them back and forth... depending how easy it is for you to get hydroponics nutrients but I like Pure Blend PRO (1 bottle for veg and 1 bottle for bloom) or any brand that comes as an A and B nutrient... I do not like anything from the hardware store but when pushed 20-20-20 for veg and 15-30-15 for bloom mixed at 1 ml per liter (only once a week)....
rookie i apologize if u took things the wrong way ... i just hate to see mark put the effort into answering questions that have been answered ... although he does a great job at it .. i duno how we can answer the same questions weekly lol ( must be that good pot holdin u on ) heehhe but anyways ... mark has really great seeds and if u do have problems i recommend that u do research on germinating seeds if thats the problem your having ... for starters with germinating seeds its a must u keep them warm otherwise it will be a failure. and they must remain moist (not soaked) another thing is to use clean water either spring water or aerated water (especially if using tap water, must be aerated because of all the chloride and such in it) if u dont have a air pump and air stone to aerate water then just let it sit out for couple days (using aerated water jsut makes that big of difference).. roots love as much air as u can give them u can always use the old paper towel method by placing couple damp towels on a plate then put couple seeds in and covering it with another damp towel ... that's a good method but i don't like it because if u are a rookie you might disturb the plants roots while pulling it from the towel which might create a mild shock to the plant ... so the second method which i use all the time is to get some loop warm water and a little cup .. place the seed in,, pour a little bit or water not much just the height of the seed and let it sit over night (sometimes 2 nights) in a nice warm spot preferably anywhere temps are over 75F ive noticed they germinated beautifully with temps 80-85F until it cracks and the little root starts to show ... which means its ready to be planted in either a small cup with soil or peat pellet or rockwool .. or whateva media your going to use .. the second method is a little more tricky then the paper towel but the performance youll see and notice is big difference well rookie hope this helps ... most of the time its not the seeds its the grower .... and all u need to do to change that is to READ lol cuz tell u the truth ... with knowledge and experience i could take almost any bunk seed and over 6 months have a top quality seeds in the end threw the process of sexing plants ... so basically its the skill involved (although quality seeds at the beginning help =P ) once again rookie i didn't wanna get off on the wrong foot so i apologize if things were said in the wrong manner
WEBMASTER: ... we are all in this for the same reason .... 420 FOR LIFE INDEED YOOOOOOO
Hey Mark. I purchased 10 N/L Buddha seeds and 5 W.W.XXX from you in the fall. 5 female from the N/L Buddha and 2 female from the W.W.XXX when I switched to bloom. I am in the 14th day of bloom and have removed the males. Yesterday I noticed that one of the N/L Buddha "females" had what looked like a few male flowers....small balls....while the rest of the plant looked like it was a female. The small male flowers were at the top of the plant and I just cut of the top of the plant where i saw them, I don't see anymore, but am concerned I might have missed some and my "personal" garden while be pollinated and my buds wont be as potent.....I am an experienced outdoor grower and I know that I can still get high from seeded bud, but it is "second" best and unacceptable. Sooooooo, my question is should I kill and remove the plant to be 100% sure that no seeds will show up, or just removing the tops with the male flowers is good enough? I am growing with 1000 HPS.. 5x7x7 room.. 76 degrees.. well ventilated. Plants are 3' tall ....it would suck to lose it!!!!!!!! Thanks...BUD.
WEBMASTER: ... personally I would watch this plant closely for any other signs of male sex and clip it off as soon as it shows (if its shows)... from my experience the worst that happens is that a part of the plant produces some seeds or at worst this plant produces a lot of seeds but generally I find that the rest of the plants will be fairly clean of seeds.... I would keep her but I would look out for male sex.... if she goes "crazy hermie" then I would kill her but chances are she is just a slightly confused female ..... also I must add that pot with seeds is just as good as any seedless plant but you (of course) lose some quantity....
420...you don't need to be an ass. I am not taking advantage of Mark's return policy. Did I ever ask for a return? No. I am simply asking what I may be doing wrong. I have been reading up for months, I didn't just go by seeds and "pop them in" expecting amazing results. Everyone has to start somewhere, we're not all born pros like you, so lighten up. This is a forum to ask questions and learn, and that is all that I am doing.
WEBMASTER: ... no worries .... I replace seeds even if its "your" mistake, bad batch or shipping "accident" .... as I said you are the second person who mentioned this.... out of 300 seeds sold its not bad but may its your turn to have a bad luck.....
~*APPLAUD*~ ...shyguys remark lol Don't take advantage of marks return policy... he's only being a good guy with it... in order to grow u must first know minor details on how to proceed properly then purchase seeds ... don't think u just pop em in and get 5 mouth watering ounces per plants with just water ... lmao... Rookies..
WEBMASTER: ... I really do not have a problem with the return policy, ..... first I am not selling "tons" of seeds because I hardly advertise... second I think I had to return so far 5 packages.... not because they were bad but because I was nice and it (so far) is not being abused by any one.... people make all kinds of mistakes and some are worst then other.... some are dumb some are not..... in no way I felt "pressured" to give back free seeds but it is true that its easier for me to replace a batch of seeds then try to determine what went wrong..... there may be a million reasons ...... no worries guys...
I echo the below comments! Patience is a virtue!!
WEBMASTER: ...ditto
to the guy thats sampling JF X NL X skunk after only 4 weeks...noooooooo don't do it. lol. it will be sooooo much better in another month. every joint you sample now is 4+ you wont get a month from now. remember patience is a virtue
WEBMASTER: ... but when you need a smoke, you need a smoke eh.... :-)
Rookie....I got 10 wwwxx seeds last fall...germinated half with 100% survival...and its looks like 3 of 5 are females...
WEBMASTER: ... they are stored in bathes so I may hear from some that it germination sucks and may be I can track it down to a bad batch, the guarantee is there for a reason, I would rather you complain to me and get new seeds then bad mouth me on line.....
Hello Mark. The strain that I am having poor germination with is WWXXX. Have there been any other problems with this strain or am I just doing something wrong?
WEBMASTER: ...you are the second one to notice .... and I do not have a problem replacing the seeds but I would hope you pick another strain .... one of mine.... wwxxx is not bred by me but it is a good smoke and good quantity as well, even if the germination ratio sucks.....
Comments I have some Juicy XNLXskunk which is in its fourth week of flowering. I have tried a little and it is very uplifting and terrific! My question is will it continue to improve in potency and or quantity? WEBMASTER: ....taste is determined by genetics so the "quality" will not change, the "quantity" should increase in time.... So let me get this straight......I could harvest now and the quality would be the same as if I waited another 4 weeks? Only the quantity would be less? (in short yes, but its not that black and white)
WEBMASTER: ... I would define quality as the inherent strength or longevity of a bud when smoked.... in the 4th week the high is actually as "profound" and "deep" as any bud but it lasts a fraction of the time a ripe properly cured bud would have.... IMHO, has none of the smell and feel of the good stuff..... there is a point at which the THC rises and peaks, this peak happens around week 4, some 5,others 6, its the time when you add bud fillers (i.e. bud boosters) to bring out the quantity.... in theory the stuff does not get "stronger" it just gets longer (i.e. you are stoned longer).... I'll bet your buzz lasted 1/2 hour, the proper buzz should be around an hour, bud harvested late puts you to sleep..... in any case all of it is your own personal perception and its hard to argue with perception....
Good Morning Mark, I marked my calendar when I started the 12 / 12 cycle. I'm now looking at week 10 this week. Is this the proper way to time these girls or should I start counting when the flowering starts ???? They look real good but like they needed more time, ( 2 weeks ). When is the best time to start counting for the 8 or 10 weeks, whatever the strain. By the way, my Indica dominate plants have matured early & have given some fine smoke from the mature buds, ( mature tops only ) Don't worry, I'm a daily reader of your forum & I know your rules of thumb for when the buds are ready. Thanks, as always, for your help.
WEBMASTER: ... I need to know the strain's name... in general its 8 weeks but this is in general.... some of my strains are marked as 9 weeks bloom... sativa strains bloom longer and the bigger the sativa ratio the longer (in general) this period is.... I start count at the time when the timer switches to 12/12 and often harvest at the end of week 8 , sometimes at beginning of week 9.... but I harvest all of them at once... some are less ready and some are more ready... it will balance itself in the bag :-) ... some people prefer to harvest the tops first and bottoms a week later, but I do not care for this method since it only wastes time... and for that week I can have new plants veging for the next cycle....
Hi Mark, what's your opinion on water curing, have you ever done this?
WEBMASTER: ...I am always wary of "new" stuff so I never did it myself.... but tasted it and did not like it.... just like a vaporizer ..... the water curing was developed for those buds that were not leached properly and still contain too many nutrients to burn properly.... its a method developed as a rescue for bad pot ... at least this is what I know...
2x1000's on a light mover in a 10x10 space.. when you say the yield will go down a bit how much could i expect to get per plant, is an ounce feezable or would it only be around a h.o because of the numbers??
WEBMASTER: ...I do not measure yield per plant because it is not relevant, the yield is measured as a total (dry and bagged) bud PER LIGHT.... 2 x 1000's in a 10 x 10 space (5 x 10 can have plants), should yield from 2 to 4 lbs, personally I aim for 3 (this is a total number for 2 lights, no matter how many plants you have, ask me if you do not understand) ..... sooooo 2 x 1000's with a light mover in a 10 x 10 place should yield 3 to 6 lbs (50% more), again I would aim for 4 lbs .... I would do around 10 plants per light vegged for 3 weeks (not counting germination or sexing)..... the plants individually would yield 2.24 ounces per plant without the light mover... so 10 plants times 2.25 ounces per plant gets me 1.5 lbs from a single 1000W light.... when I get a light mover the yield per plant is now 1.8 ounces but times 20 plants equals 2.25 lbs. from a single 1000W light.... these calculations were done when high so they are off by small a margin :-)
Hello Mark. I was wondering if you could tell me what a good germination rate is? I started germinating 5 seeds on the 15th and added a 6th maybe 3 days ago. Only 2 of the original 5 sprouted and the rest don't seem to be doing much. I planted the two that sprouted and only one has come up so far. I am concerned because if the other one doesn't come up or the other seeds don't sprout I will be stuck with only one plant (a disaster if it turns out to be male). The plant is already almost 2 inches tall. Is there a chance that the other seeds will still come, or should I give up on them and accept that I may have only 1 plant this round. At what point should I just move the light closer and start feeding my one plant? Please help! Thanks!
WEBMASTER: ...which strains did not germinate?..... I need to know to see if others complained..... I guarantee 90% germination because the seeds I breed germinated 90% for me... and I do nothing special.... when they do not germinate for me it usually means I forgot to add water and the they got too dry.... another reason may be that they are exposed to light and when germinating they need darkness..... I wait 7 to 8 days for seeds to germinate...
Hey Mark. Just entering 2nd week of bloom. One of my plants is showing the tell tale white hairs. However the other two have not developed these "hairs". Right in the crotch of the branch there appears to be a couple little pods but no hairs coming out of them. Is it possible that they will develop a little later than the other? The Juicy is showing sex but the other are white widow and something from a mixed bag I bought from you. How long is safe to leave them together to determine sex? I have a 430hps on 12/12. Temperature is around 76 during day and 69 at night. 51% humidity. Thanks for the advice.
WEBMASTER: ...the plants can show the female sex very early, I can tell often even in the veg stage, so the one that shows "hairs" is probably female... but the male sex is very elusive... i.e. it does not really show until the 3rd week of bloom or so..... "pods" you describe seem like males but I would wait another week at least...
Mark, i use a 1000w HPS in a 5x5 space, but i just recently bought a light mover that moves along on a rail, how many square feet can i now have to grow, in a grow book i have it said 2 1000's can cover 10x10 feet on a light mover but i felt that was too much..
WEBMASTER: ... 2 x 1000W with a light mover can do 10 x 10 feet if you move both 1000's at the same time .... the plants individually will yield less but the number of plants will make up for that..... with a light mover you can improve quantity by 50% more ..... quality does not change ....
Mark, Hi, I stumbled across your site a few weeks ago and I am quite impressed with your site. I am an experienced outdoor grower and I'm looking to discover a new outdoor strain to develop into a mother. Growing in S. Ontario finishing in late Sept/ early Oct is crucial. Yield is also at the top of my priority list. I've read of Fast Pine& Summertime Buddha. Although not intended for outdoor, I'm also interested in NL X Skunk & Blueberry Skunk. When could I expect Fast Pine & S. Buddha to finish and would and is it possible to finish the two indoor varieties mentioned outdoors in Sept/ early October. Thanks very much
WEBMASTER: ...fast pine comes from southern ontario and is meant for southern ontario... its a indica/sativa breed that gets big fast... way too big for indoors.... the summertime Buddha is my own version of a good outdoor plant but it yields a little less... 1/4 p less ..... finishing time should be late September, early October, but if we get as much rain as last year it will suck no matter what .....
430 watt HPS light kit and 150 CFM Ellicent inline for only $400 never used. i purchased but changed my mind on growing 905 849- 0816
how many times should i spray my plants with Neem oil before they bloom and when is it ok to start using this product
WEBMASTER: ...if you have temperatures below 24C you can use this product as soon as you see some foliage... it generally is very helpful to plants but people generally screw up when they forget that Neem oil is OIL, so when the temperatures reach over 24C the oil will dry, crust and destroy the leafs.... on the other hand if you have a big infestation of mites and 50% of a leaf is "eaten" by mites, that leafs will die after a Neem treatment... Neem is best used before you have a big infestation, i.e. as a prevention and not necessarily as a cure.....
Hi Mark, I posted back in December about getting my husband medically allowed to use MJ. We planted seeds we bought on December 21. We had germinated them prior to this. About six seeds germinated (we did the whole process) and we planted them. Only two have come out of the soil, any ideas on why this happened. Another question, when can we tell when the plants are ready for the bloom stage? Your guide says between one and two feet. Does this include the part of the plant that is in the soil? (NO, measure the plant only, not the pot) Let me know. Thanks
WEBMASTER: ....usually when the seeds not germinate it means they could have used more water.... send me an email and I will replace them...
I have some Juicy XNLXskunk which is in its fourth week of flowering. I have tried a little and it is very uplifting and terrific! My question is will it continue to improve in potency and or quantity?
WEBMASTER: ....taste is determined by genetics so the "quality" will not change, the "quantity" should increase in time....
Can anyone recommend a seed choice that is easy to grow indoors that is a nice, euphoric high, sweet taste? I tend to like a sativa/indica blend. One that gets your mind going, but mellow.
WEBMASTER: .... juicy fruit x nl x sk, or the Shiskaberry x Buddha has these characteristics ......
Hello Mark or anyone else who knows. My seeds are just beginning to sprout and I will be putting them into pots tomorrow, what I would like to know is when I first plant the seeds how much water is necessary? Do I water the Promix fully (about 1 liter of water per gallon) or do I need to put less since its only a sprout? I just don't want to put the full amount of water if it is going to over water my young sprouts. Thanks.
WEBMASTER: .... when they are young it is not necessary to pour the full amount, however keeping it always wet is better then dry... once the plant is a few inches high that is when you begin the cycle of wet-dry-wet-dry......
mark- I think you may have misunderstood my post below...I don't care if my garden stinks. I rather enjoy it lol. I actually want to vent the smaller fan directly into the living space of my home. Heat and a little humidity are welcome there during the cold heating months...this way I help ventilate the garden with warm dry indoor air without creating as much negative pressure indoors. The smaller fan wont ever need to be my only source of ventilation...just reduce the amount I use the 650 fan. I want to recycle some of the heat/moisture I create without any detectable odour in my living space. does it matter whether you draw or push air through a filter? is one better than the other?
WEBMASTER: ....theoretically it should not matter if you push or pull but I find that pulling from the filter is better and more efficient..... I trust this brand (can-filter) of filter but this one (Dutch) is ok as well..... they really clean the air....
Hey Mark/All, After my next harvest I am going to have to shut down production for a few months. It will be much more practical for me to pollinate and store seeds as opposed to keeping a single mother plant going until I can start the grow-op again. Due to the incredible quality of the ten G13/Buddha seeds which I purchased from you - all of my plants are ladies. Could anyone spare some pollen? Thanks
WEBMASTER: .... I rarely have this particular problem...
I am curious on how to keep a continual garden. My girlfriend and I do not smoke that often, and this is only for personal use. I purchased plenty of seeds, but a year or two from now I am wondering what the best method will be to keep my garden alive. Should I keep some males in the first crop and harvest numerous seeds? Should I keep a clone growing in the window, and keep cutting it down (but then there is a question about root growth?) I have been looking through forums, and I have not seen anything on long term growing. Thanks, J.
WEBMASTER: ....the only cheap and easy way is to have a space in your place (living room if you feel comfortable) that has a place for a large 5 gallon pot, a female plant in it and a small fluorescent (not the growing type, just some cheap bulb), that is on a timer for 18 hours a day..... do not give her any nutrients but some B1 once a week... 18 hours ensure the plant never blooms, no (or low) food intake ensures she grows slowly and the bulb is not really giving her much in lumens so this plants should survive for couple of years in this stage... you can always take a clone from her and bloom from clones.... the problem is that if you start feeding her more nutrients and actually expose it to some decent light she will become root bound within 6 months.... if she gets too big gets some scissors and cut... other than this method, it's to keep a male, get some seeds from 1 pollinated female and seeds can be safely stores for decades.....
my question is about carbon filters "true" effectiveness. I have a basement "perpetual" garden with a stinky 2400W for bloom (800W veg) and 650cfm exhaust vented outdoors and up high for all stages of growth. this fan creates significant negative pressure in my basement which causes issues with my gas furnace and water heater (only if I turn the fan speed up). I would prefer to be able to "cycle" this fan only occasionally on "low" while the lights are on. if I had a separate 200+ cfm fan with a carbon filter vented INDOORS running 24/7 would there be any telltale odour in my home? I also like the idea of the heat not going to waste. bringing outdoor air in really isn't a option due to COLD ontario winter temps...when the weather is warmer outside I have no negative pressure issues due to open windows...I need to find a solution but am unwilling to tolerate ANY telltale odour indoors...if carbon filters really are 99% effective how big a filter do I need?
WEBMASTER: ....to me a carbon filter is 100% effective and is an essential part of any garden, you have to replace the filter once a year if you run it continuously.... carbon filters are rated by their CFM so matching them with fans is easy.... I think that a 200 CFM fan mated to a carbon filter is too small... for your set up I would go for something in the 400CFM range.... in you case I would place the outtake of this fan on the opposite end of the room (hang it off the ceiling) and the actual filter on the other... this way you will move the air from one side to the other thus cleaning the smell better...... I fully trust carbon filters... just remember that you are also venting the air to maintains the right temperature so do not completely shut off the 650 cfm fan.... I think you know but I'm just saying...
mark , every time i water my plants, when i come back later that day all the fan leaves are pointed straight upwards, but by the next day there back to normal, any thoughts??
WEBMASTER: ....do you water them daily?.... you shouldn't.... if you follow the proper watering cycle... then its just normal.... but if you water daily it means the plants experience both under and over watering... strange but true...
HI, I have your Shiskaberry, Juicy Fruit and White Widow XXX, all of them beginning thier sixth week of bloom. All looks great and I am very pleased with your seeds especially when we were able to get a female out of each FIVE seed pack. Very Cool. Here is the Question....All the plants look on schedule except the WW fan leaves have turned yellow and dying! 90% of the leaves are yellow and dying. Is this normal? The Shis. and JF have only 25% yellow fan leaves. Does the WW reach maturation quicker than the others? I have to add that all the plants are in the same hydro system so they are all being fed and treated the same way. TY
WEBMASTER: ....1 female per package of 5... that is not too good.... what you are describing is under feeding and you simply need to mix in more nutrients.... start at 10% more.. next day add 10% more if necessary and continue for a week... the yellow leafs happen for 2 reasons, either the leafs are not receiving enough light or they need more nutrients.... the problem with a table system and multiple varieties is that some varieties may need more nutrients then others and the white widow seems to need a higher dosage then the juicy fruit or Shiskaberry.... on a table you can give them 1 dosage so some may be under fed and some may be over fed....
You guys are a great help, thanks a lot. Moisture seems to be staying in now. Again, thanks for helping me out. I hope I didn't already kill my seeds!
Shy guy's point is good.. or put them on a small plate (in moist Paper towel), then flip another plate ontop to make an airtight seal... make sure to trim away the excess paper towel on the sides as the moisture will be wicked/drawn away and evaporate... I've watered seeds once and had them sprout after 3 days using this method. Hope it helps
WEBMASTER: .... makes sense .... good idea ...
rookie...put the paper towel (folded up) in a plastic sandwich bag...the moisture will last for days....
GBW: Thanks for the tip, but what can I do to solve my problem? I can't really wet them every 6 hours when I have to work. I'd feel a little silly bringing seeds to work with me to keep them moist. Please help.
Rookie; Keeping the paper towels moist (not soaking wet) is CRITICAL... don't let the seeds dry out! ***GBW***
WEBMASTER: ...makes sense .... good idea ....
Twisted; No worries. I'll still send the plans to Mark... maybe this can be the beginning of a new part of the site where "DIY" plans are hosted for aspiring green thumbs. Good luck with your white rhino..... my doublegum stinks right now and I can't wait to hack them down :) Cheers, ***GBW***
WEBMASTER: ...I will post it as a new section ..... any good ideas can be posted here....
Hello Mark. How important is it to keep seeds wet at all times when sprouting them? I wet them last night and when I got up this morning they were nearly dry, so I wet them again, but when I got home from work they were dry again. Is this going to affect them or will I be fine as long as I water them again every time that I wake up and come home? Thanks.
WEBMASTER: ... good answer from GWB ... above...
To Mark and **GBW**,just to let you know I used the link and made myself a carbon filter for my 80 CFM exhaust fan. I've got seven White Rhino in the grow room in the 9th week of bloom under 600 HPS. I could not wait for your PDF Files **GBW** as odour was huge concern. Thanks for the great idea! Cheers Twisted.
Hi, If running a hydro system, when should the feedings be set on a 24 hr, timer? Should the plants be fed during the dark period, (no) or should the feedings be only during the light cycle? (yes) Right now the get fed 3 times for 20 minutes a time (flood and drain) all during the light cycle. Also, will increasing the duration of the feeding time increase the size of the flowers? (no, over watering is as bad as under watering) ty Zorro
WEBMASTER: ... I find that 3 times a day is too much ..... most growers wet the cubes once a day at the beginning of the light cycle.... sometimes around week 4 of bloom you may have to feed them twice a day because by then the roots are huge....but in general once a day should be sufficient .... I would never feed them during the dark period.... time of the day may not matter much but you want to feed them closer to when they wake up and never just before they go to sleep...
How many seeds could i expect to yield per gram of bud off a plant that was properly pollinated.
WEBMASTER: ...from a gram of bud I can get 5 seeds, may be more....
as to shyguy... probably are recorded. (not by me, I disabled that option). but it doesn't really matter because u don't have to log in and provide password (exactly)... sure they know SOMEONE <--keyword.. sent a message but they cant really prove it was u because of no username n password, account needed. (exactly)..... so who cares lol.... anyone can come to this website and leave a comment or message... and as for talking about growing i believe i have the freedom of speech to do so?? unless that's probable cause now a days lol
WEBMASTER: ...that is why we have no registration (but we can not post pictures either).... and it is legal to talk about growing.... in Canada it was made possible by Marc Emery in Ontario, in 1995.....
mark what about 5 gallon regular plastic pails with holes drilled out the bottom with promix and these nutes for a organic type http://77hydro-store.stores.yahoo.net/nut199.html <<--for grow,,, http://77hydro-store.stores.yahoo.net/nut198.html <<--for bloom ,,, would this work ??and to only use these 2 types of nutes or would i need more? ?
WEBMASTER: ...theoretically they are both ok.... I never used these particular brands but they should be ok.... you should not need any more nutrients....
how could i become a legal seed breeder/distributor??
WEBMASTER: ...learn to grow first... ask me later
Mark- Im currently growing a commercial-type unknown indica that works quite well. I bought some seeds from you in the fall with the intention of experimenting a little. is it normal for your ww xxx to appear quite leggy when vegged beside your NL skunk? in your seed catalogue you recommend 2-4 weeks veg time in promix for the ww xxx...typically I just give my rooted clones (unknown indica) 2 weeks (sometimes less) maximum to acclimatize to the promix and veg before I bloom them...will this be fine with the ww xxx? I prefer my plants not get much over 20" when fully mature. I seem to be averaging 20oz per 1000W with my unknown indica...also Im curious as to the anonymity of this message board...are our IP's recorded when we post? thanks in advance....
WEBMASTER: ...it should really be the opposite... NL SK should be taller... also ww xxx comes from OSB so if you find any complaints please let me know and I will nix this strain... if you start from clones the veg time is different then when you start from seeds.... the 2 to 4 weeks is over simplified advertisement... I would love all people to clone first, before blooming, but it depends on how good you are at it.... some simply want to plant a seed and collect... simple in a short term but bad in a long term.... the IP is not recorded, the down side of this is that you can not post pictures, the good is that it does not record the IP address....
Hello Mark. So I have everything that I need to start my plants out, but I might have to go away for 5 days in a couple of weeks. Would it be a bad idea to start my seeds tomorrow or will my plants be fine for the time I'd be away. Just wanted to check with you, I am very eager to get to going here (impatient) but if its a very bad idea to leave plants alone at that stage of growth then I will reluctantly hold out until I return. Thanks!
WEBMASTER: ...it is probably better if you do it now, then later... when they are young they do not need to be watered as often as when they are big..... example... when they are 1 inch tall you can leave them for 5 days as long as you have at least 2 gallon pot and you watered it thoroughly... if they are bigger you would have to water them every 3 or 4 days so a 5 day trip is not really possible...
Hi Mark, You should get some sort of board software where people can post their photos results anonymously without having their ip recorded. I'm sure there are hundreds of people who would LLLLove to show pictures of their home setup as well as strains, and yields. You've taught us to grow, now we want to show it off to the world! (anonymously of course) Thank you Mark! hey how much hits are you getting on this site anyways? This has got to be one of the best sites online! three thumbs up! Keep it up!
WEBMASTER: ... there is simply no way of posting pictures and not have the IP recorded, I tried many times and I can not figure it out, at this point you do not need to "register" to post but if I allow the pictures you will need to register and your IP is recorded....... on top of all this I seem to keep breaking the freaking servers because its the 3rd time I have to move this whole page... so I need to keep it simple ..... I would love to post any pictures, but you have to email it .... and I will post it "manually" .... I really keep a low profile, its all word of mouth (or search engine :-) .... Thank You....
hey marek..... whats up... not much in this end ... i just have couple questions if u don't mind answering ... thanks in advance #1- what base nutrients do u use ?(if pure blend pro how do u only maintain with an additive?) #2- (if using anything other then advanced nutrients) why not advanced nutes ? #3- also i seen that in couple posts u recommended to use MH for both grow stages rather then HPS why is that ? #4- also out of 2 gallon pots i had 4-5ft plants but very fluffy bud ... meaning not dense as i prefer, could this be result in root bound before harvest ? (600wt hps horti/4x4x7 white poly 265cfm im just a little (ALOT lol) confused here with all these options available to my polacy... thanks marek
WEBMASTER: ...#1 pure blend pro or flora nova + Canna PK 13-14 in the 4 ,5 and 6 week of bloom at 2 ml per L., the secret is that I also severely overfeed the plants giving them up to 36 ml per Gallon when 30 ml is recommended ( I routinely overfeed by 25%)..... this "overfeeding" is the real secret to yield.... plant food manufactures do not want you to kill your crop (because you're new to this) so they underrate the nutrients.... I DO NOT recommend the beginners do this but I encourage experimentation with (lets say) one plant only to learn how much food is too much..... #2 before I "recommend" the nutrients I must use them myself and it takes 3 months to evaluate the nutrients... if the advanced nutrients people want to send me some free samples... I will give it an honest try.... I really only recommend stuff that worked for me .... so this way I can make sure people succeed... BTW I wish the pure blend people paid me for all this free advertising...hint, hint... #3 The bottom line is yield.. I get more yield from either a 1000W MH with run of the mill bulb OR a 1000W HPS with a Hortilux bulb (or Plantstar)... but yield from a 1000W HPS with run of the mill bulb sucks... same goes for 400W and 600W .... #4 I would say underfeeding (read above) and not enough bud boosters in the 4, 5 and 6 week of bloom.... they should not be root bound at that height... fellow Polak, cool :-)
in a room 12ft.by 8ft.and 10ft.tall. I'm thinking of putting in 3 tables, 2 1000w lights, hor. reflectors. The setup is for cloning. My plan is to veg. to 6 to 8 in. then trip to flower to get short yields. The questions I have are, do I have too much light? (I'm putting in 2 fans and 2 cf vents)?, do i have enough light to add another table?, can i put the lights on tracks?, is 6-8 in. long enough?, can i shorten the flower period?, can this setup work and how much could i expect to yield?
WEBMASTER: ...if a table is 4 x 8 (feet), then you can put 1000W + light mover OR 2 x 1000W OR 2 x 600W on this table (when you veg them to 8 inches tall).... it will be hard to fit 4 x 8 tables in your space... can you get back to me with the size of the tables? .... also, each 1000W light need 125 CFM of air movement (CFM is a rating of the fan).... thus 3 x 1000W lights would need close to 400 CFM of air movement... check the rating of your fan....
when clipping for clones how easy is it to get air bubbles in stem?
WEBMASTER: ...never happened to me... in general its not a big deal...
will quality from 400w be the same as 1000w and if not what's the difference....(properly done there is no difference in quality) i know quantity wont be the same. also if i start plants inside for 1 month and bloom to get males out. then switch back to 24hr light for lets say another month. put outside June 1st. would plant have time to adjust and bud on schedule or would it start to bud later. thanks for any help (it would bloom but it would be a mutant .. less yield, crappy smoke)
WEBMASTER: ...theoretically it takes up to 2 months for a plant to fully recover after getting into bloom .... it is better if you take a clone and bloom this clone... if the clone is male then the plant is male if the clone is female the plant is female.... all you need is a 2 x 2 space and any kind of light... regular bulbs or fluorescents are all good....
Hi Mark, One quick ,but important question. I have one Sativa dominant female that is about 3 weeks from harvest. Top leaves are turning and discoloring and looks like this sativa strain is sensitive to over fertilization. My other plants are fine with the same feedings. Is there a way to remedy this by just not watering because the soil doesn't need water at this point? If I flush them will this help or hurt because of how late it is in the cycle? My fear is over watering and ruining this plant at this stage. What is the best thing to do? Thanks for your help...
WEBMASTER: ...in emergency I would bring her to the bathtub and pour a lot of tap water through the pot, if you want to do a better job, mix in 25% of nutrients into the water (it will leach the plant better).... even if she is wet... this would immediately get rid of the nutrients and the plant should then be left to dry.... the only other option is to wait until she dries and then leach her.... it really depends on how badly burned she is... at this point in the cycle there is not much you can do other then leach her very well for the next 2 weeks.. i.e. no more nutrients, water only...
hi mark i was truly more worried about the OTHER remaining ladies...still 6 in a nice sog ....if they were pollinated just how much seed can i expect in the buds of the others?? i did panic and chopped her chittt!! lol thought the risk to others was to great...those seeds would have been sweet to share with ya ..maybe next round lol learn the hard way at times hahaha
WEBMASTER: ...its possible that one plant will have lots of seeds.... but the rest may have some... something like a 100 seeds a plant which is nothing really.... if you do get seeds though, keep them because they are feminized now....
Hello... just wondering about the stability of Fast Pine. Is it an IBL, stabilized hybrid, ??? Just curious, thanks a ton.
WEBMASTER: ...its F2.. thus its stabilized..... its for outdoors because it gets too big indoors.... "Ontario's Best" is a reputable company
Mark & Twisted; The plans are on my old pc, so I'm going to have to re-write and photograph my setup. Give me a few, but it will be worth the weight. I'm a week away from harvesting a cab. full of "Doublegum", so once that's done and hung I'll get to snapping some shots. Cheers, **GBW**
WEBMASTER: ....cool, Thanx
hi mark 911 call>>>>> 3rd week of bloom, and i noticed friggin POLLEN on a HAIRY smelly G13/ butterscotch hawiian .....a female hermaphrodite ??????? under the hairs was small balling, thought they were new bud sites GRRRRRR...assuming that nothing can now be done and entire crop is ruined???? ANY sign of balls SNIP THE BASTRADS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!! had planted 4 blueBer/skunk and 4 NL/B purchased from u....2 of each went male on me.. hopefully 4 us both we have seen our share of male plants lol... KEEP UP THE AWESOME WORK...i continue to learn daily for your efforts
WEBMASTER: ....it is not ruined, a hermie plant may have some seeds in them but the smoke will be great anyways.... yes its good to snip the balls off but I would not panic.... just because you see a male flower it does not mean they yield is ruined... some actually prefer to pollinate parts of the plant because (they claim) the smoke is better... whatever... in any case if you have seeds they will be 99% female....
single blade: I found that when I trimmed most of the leafs at the bottom (this is so I can grow a donkey dick) the plant must have gone apeshit for a while, and any new foliage was single leafs only. I'm happy to report that it finally started growing regular leafs, that took about 2 weeks or so. weird
WEBMASTER: ....some plants grow only 3 blades ... i call them mutants... some yield well, some suck... it really depends... stress comes in many Flavours ...
I have a weird question, I hope I can explain it well. What would cause Skunk69 clones to start growing One Blade Leaves? Normally one sees between 3 and 7 blades per leaf, what would cause a plant to start growing only one blade leaves? Will the plant start growing regular leaves again? Do you need more information? Thanks for your time!!!! HappyGirl is the Best!!!!!
WEBMASTER: ....stress does it, cloning is stressful and even more so if its the skunk 69.... they should get back to the proper number of blades eventually... i do not really recommend cloning any feminized seeds... because they get stressed out very easily... and go hermie...
To **GBW**,I don't feel comfortable giving my e-mail address on the public forum. I'll e-mail Mark with my address and hopefully he will forward your PDF file to me. Thanks again **GBW** and MARK.
WEBMASTER: ..it looks like the link is here.... I have not received any PDF files ... just the link...
Twisted; I'm going to need an email to send it to. If you're more comfortable dealing with MarkX (master of all things happy and girl) I can send him the plans, and then he can forward them onto whatever email you chose to supply to him. Let me know... Cheers, **GBW**
WEBMASTER: ..it looks like the link is here.... I have not received any PDF files ... just the link...
Hey mark is it possible for you to post those carbon filter plans on your website? Thanx in advance! Cheers!
WEBMASTER: ..it looks like the link is here....... it is not a bad idea and its cheap.... this will not really work for any light bigger then 400W.....
hello mark what is an ideal humidity level in a room 4x8x8 with 1000 watt MH. with an inline fan and a oscillating fan running avg. temp of 78* if there is such a guide line? thanks again.........
WEBMASTER: ..I prefer if my humidity stays below 60% ... 50% would be ok with me.... when it gets too low I do not really care but when it gets above 60% I generally try to cool down the room or increase outtake ventilation.... I would like to point out that if my temperatures are at below 80F I do not really care about humidity....
if the buckets im using have rust stains in them would that matter i tried scrubbing them out but you still see the stains in them i didn't know if that would hurt the plant or not
WEBMASTER: .....I am not completely sure on this but steal buckets/pots would not be good.... with or without rust... metal reacts with moisture from the roots and soil and continues rusting.. I think rust will damage the roots...
To **GBW**,I am very interested in your homemade carbon filter plans. Thanks in advance for the PDF file.
WEBMASTER: ...can I have it?.. mark@toront420.com
To Twisted I have plans for a 30$ homemade charcoal filter that has served my setup well for close to 2 years (100+CFM Squirrel fan). Reply back on the board if you're interested and i can send you the PDF file. Cheers, **GBW**
Hello Mark, hopefully some of my final questions before I get going. Just to clear up some things in the guide. Is it really recommended to spray plants daily? I read that in one section and in another it says this can lead to bud rot so I was wondering if it was better to spray or not to spray. Also, is it necessary to put seeds in smaller pots and then transplant them or is it ok to just put them straight into the larger pots from the beginning? Also, should the promix be fully watered and or fed when the germinated seed is first placed into it? (not really, you add nutrients to the water when you see some kind of a leaf) On a side note...what is the shelf life of the bud once it is dried out. (if stored in the fridge, not freezer and completely dry it will just get better and better like wine, ) Will it last for weeks, months, or as long as you want? (as long as you want, think Wine) Thanks again for the help Mark, I hope to have a success story for you in a few months.
WEBMASTER: ... spraying depends on many issues like ambient humidity and air flow in the room.... but for the sake of simplicity........ when the plants are in the veg cycle I would spray my plants every second day with cold, cold water... once I am in the bloom cycle I would NOT spray (unless I need to because I have bugs or mold or such) .... In veg I would also spray with 5 ml per 1 liter of water of dishwashing soap (not the anti bacterial stuff, but regular standard brand like Palmolive), spray this once a week to keep bugs away.... sometimes I mist the leafs with Fulvic acid mix, when plants are in the 4, 5 and 6th week of bloom... but only if my humidity is stable and the air flow is good.... second issue: you can go straight to big pots, its more about the convenience then anything else...
Mark, i have a couple questions first of all i seem to remember hearing something about putting plants in complete darkness for the last 2 weeks of bloom to increase resin is this true and if i did it would it affect my yield at all compared to if i left the plants under the light for the last 2 weeks?? And my second question is how much sativa/indica do u think the g13xbuddah is around cause although it says 75% sativa on the package it grows and handles like an indica??
WEBMASTER: ... the 2 weeks of darkness will cure the buds better but it will not increase the yield .... if you leave them under the lights for 2 extra weeks (after the original date of harvest) the bud will become very sleepy... very, very sleepy.... you do not want this unless you grow them for insomnia.. but this is also how you change sativa dominant plant into indica-like smoke ... but you can not change indica to sativa, no matter how you manipulate her.... F1 seeds like G13/Buddha are meant to be made into mothers first and then cloned... because F1 seeds show their parentage much more distinctively then F2 seeds .... you can actually pick the one plant that looks more like the (father) G13 (indica) or the one that looks like (mother) Buddha (sativa).... when you bloom from seeds you will get some plants more indica and some more sativa... but overall you should get 75% sativa ..... "grows and handles" like an indica is a little too marketing .... its a sativa dominant plant and it will never be an indica... but compared to other breeds in this type of a sativa/indica ratio it is better I think.. i.e. shorter and bushier .... like an indica ... I hope you're not too confused...
is there any job in the Canadian government for growing cannabis if so how would i contact them
WEBMASTER: ... none I am aware of .....
Hello Mark. For feeding, would it be good to use Pure Blend Pro Grow (3-1.5-4) (yes of course...) for veg and Flora Nova Bloom (4-8-7) for bloom? (yes) And this might be stupid, but how do you measure feedings? Does the food come with a syringe of something to measure out ml's or is there something that I should be getting for that? Thanks.
WEBMASTER: ....I go to pharmacies and look for a syringe... people with diabetes need them so most pharmacies stock some sort of a syringe..... when you get a syringe 1 cc equals to 1 ml..... another method is to go to hardware store or sears or .... a place where your mom gets her baking and cooking stuff... get measuring cups, which are normally used for baking ....
can you use 15-30-15 for all the weeks of bloom
WEBMASTER: ....yes
what makes your buds start to rot
WEBMASTER: ....too much moisture
is 10-54-10 too high to use during bloom
WEBMASTER: ....its mean to be used starting on week 4 of bloom, however I used it before and it was ok... mix no more then 1 ml per 1 liter....
if i dont use any plant foods at all just when the buds come on will that harm anything. im using 5-50-17
WEBMASTER: .... ???? yes... this food is meant for the 2nd part of bloom...
Hi Mark, I have an 80 CFM exhaust fan for my grow room. Do they make carbon filters for such a small exhaust fan? Would the CAN 33 work? Thanks again.
WEBMASTER: ..... CAN 33 can handle at minimum 100CFM thus you would need a bigger fan.... this company has a PDF catalogue, download it and see the small filters..... I know they make smaller filters, I just never used them my self.... this company makes good small filters but I do not know if they have ones with smaller air flow....
what's a better choice miracle-gro 15-30-15 or osmocote times release plant food
WEBMASTER: ..... time release plant food is NOT good... better use the 15-30-15
Mark, Plant is looking good and only have a couple days left in bloom...the buds still have white hairs...should i let them go past 8 weeks...thanks for your help
WEBMASTER: ..... hard to tell.... take a bud, dry it and smoke it... if the buzz lasts for an hours its ready and I would harvest... however if the buzz lasts less then half hour I would let bloom for another week ........ light leaking in during their sleep would delay harvest....
is Alaska fish fertilizer 5-1-1 its organic can that be used just for the buds when they form
WEBMASTER: ...no, this is a nutrient for the vegetative period of life.... its good up to the point when you switch the lights to 12 on and 12 off.... after that you need to get a flowering formula...
mark, is a 1000w medal halide in a 4x4 space to much for a veg room consisting of mothers, clones, seedlings etc.??
WEBMASTER: ... not at all... but it means that the heat will be of issue and you will have a bit of a problem with it unless you ventilate this space well..... in a smaller space like yours you can allow the plants to get a little taller ...... you will have a problem keeping the mother and clones together because the clones need to be 5 feet away from this bulb and the mother prefers to be 2 feet away from the light... so this may be a problem....
when i grow i don't use any plant foods till the buds start i used 24-8-16 but the top bud was starting to rot i want to switch to an organic plant food but i don't know what a good name brand is they have miracle-gro blood meal but you cant use it in containers its just for in the ground use if you could tell me a name brand to buy it would help me out a lot
WEBMASTER: ... IF YOU do not have access to a hydroponics store you should get 20-20-20 for the vegetative period, for bloom use 15-30-15, the brand is not important but these numbers should be on the bag... you can at most mix in 1 ml of fertilizer per 1 liter of water...... and read the post below for other hydroponics brands of fertilizer...
could you tell me a good name brand plant food to use and what formulas
WEBMASTER: ... I my lifetime I used the following brands (and I liked them) ..... for the Vegetative Period. (these are organics and so-called 1 part.. i.e. easy) .. Pure Blend Pro Veg, or Flora Nova Grow ..... for the Bloom Period (also organic, 1 part) I used Pure Blend Pro Bloom, or Flora Nova Bloom, ... as the 5th week supplement of bloom I used, PK-13-14, or KoolBloom, ........ I also like any brand that is designated as a A and B formula (I do not care about the brands because these formulas are ALL THE SAME, so feel free to shop based on price)... they come as 2 bottles for the Vegetative period and 2 bottles for the Bloom period.... they have a generic name like A and B Formula... this includes brands like DNF or this or this or this .... they are a bit pain in the ass to mix but they work and are generally cheaper then the organics mentioned above... if you have a 400W light use 50% of recommended dosage for your plants... if you have a 1000W of lights use their recommended dosages ....
when plants are nearing the last few weeks of flowering, will the leafs turn yellow? what signs should i look for? do fan leafs change at all?
WEBMASTER: ... after the 5th week of bloom leafs start to get discolored and generally some may die off.... this is natural because the bloom process means DEATH, at week 8 you cut them and consume them, in nature they die and leave seeds behind...... she is sacrificing her life to produce seeds .... but since you "fooled" her into not producing the seeds she is still "dieing" to produce the buds.... in any case, around the week 5 and 6 you are supposed to feed the plants a lot of food which may create slight overfeeding (i.e. burnt leaf tips).... the leafs may get all weird, not all of them but some... the plants then yields more bud... but may look like "shit".... the better you get at growing the less this becomes a problem.... on or around week 7 the white hairs sticking out of the bud, start turning into a different colour, this is the first sign that harvest is imminent... at that point you stop adding nutrients to the water and begin leaching out the remaining nutrients with plain water... at this point its is very good if the leafs start turning yellow, this means the nutrients are leaving the leafs, making the smoke better for you..... end of week 8 you harvest and dry...
Hey Mark, I want to build a small closet, about 6'x6'. I will use a 400W MH for veg (in a separate room then the 430 I hope or at least separated) and 430W for Bloom. I will have a vent in the room so that there can be heat in the winter or cool in the summer. In your opinion which would be better for odour control, seeing as I do not want the smell everywhere in the house traveling through the duct work. Should I get a carbon filter to go on my 150CFM fan or should I get an OZIUM dispenser. I just don't need any visitors to the house questioning if there are any odours. Thanks for your opinion.
WEBMASTER: ...always go for the carbon filter if you need 100% of clean air, make sure the filter can handle 150 CFM of air movement....I like this size filter CAN 33 or similar... OZIUM works may be 80% of the time, that's why its a cheap way clearing air.... the truth is that you do not need 400W for veg if you have 430 for bloom.... you need may be 80W of veg power to 430W of bloom.... with your set up it means that your veg closet will always have too many plants then your bloom can handle....
I would like to know your opinion, of all the different strains you know of. I'm looking for a great fruity taste, and smell. (summertime/buddha, shiskaberry or juicy fruit) With a strong high of indica and the up sensation of sativa. That is a great yielder. (Hindu Kush or Fat Skunk or the WW XXX) In your opinion what strain would you consider the top of the line. When it comes to appearance smell taste and high. (summertime Buddha) THE BEST.... WHEN IT COMES TO QUALITY AND QUANTITY?
WEBMASTER: ...you are asking me the wrong thing because what I like is not what you will like, pot is VERY personal.... I like any plant that is generally 60% Indica and 40% sativa.... blueberry skunk, sativa spirit, hash master, white shark, nl/Buddha, Shiskaberry, ...... any of my strains that have Buddha mixed in are my favourite because what i did was take high Indica female plants and pollinate them with Buddha male pollen... so this way I get my best chance at getting a 60/40 split..... summertime Buddha received the best reaction from my friends.... best smell and best high.... the only issue here is that this plant likes a particular method of bloom if you want the best yield... with other methods she yields poorly ...... in theory I can yield the same amount with every single strain I have BUT each one may need a different method..... its better to grow a heavy yielder (heavy Indica like 80% and more) and a personal smoke (your choice)... 2 strains maximize the space best....
Hi Mark. What is the shelf life for a gallon of ESU grow juice(1 gallon) its 7 years old and was used once 7 years ago. I don't want to harm them in their veg stage, but i would hate to throw it out because it cost 39 dollars! ty
WEBMASTER: ..nutrients are good for 1 year, unless they are petrochemical based, I do not think ESU is ......7 years is WAY too long to even hope its still good..... if you want to try, do it on one plant only .... but I would not....
I'm using a 250hps bulb with a vertical screen (like a chicken wire cylinder) and your own g13xbuddha seeds, how close do I want the bud tops to a 250 bulb at the beginning of the bloom. I think I may have them positioned too far away. How many inches towards the light is the plant likely to grow? Also considering "towards" isn't up in this case, is that going to effect growth? Thanks again.
WEBMASTER: ...I know that 2 feet away is recommended but in this case the plant should be 1 foot away from this light...... this type of light has a maximum range of 3 feet.... so with in 3 feet away from the bulb the plant will grow well... anything outside will go yellow and may die.... the only way to distribute light evenly is to rotate the plants as often as its comfortable, once a day would be ok.... Place an oscillating fan between the bulb and the top of the plants to move the heat away from the tops.... when you place the plants too far a way form the light the stem will stretch, plant will become bigger, waste its time on this pointless maneuver rather then grow properly..... the only way to stop the grow is to bloom it immediately or to clip it down to half its size, wait couple of weeks and then bloom..... it depends if it stretched too much....
when the buds start i use miracle-gro 15-30-15 is that good to use if not can you tell me a good brand to use
WEBMASTER: ...if you have access to a hydroponics store, get a organic formula like Pure Blend PRO Vegetative (for Veg period) and Pure Blend PRO Flowering (for Bloom)....... also any A and B formula is good as well.... if you can not find a hydroponics store look up a Gardening store and call them and ask for a hydroponics nutrients... you will find the owner often has the stuff in the back if you ask....
when the buds start is miracle-gro 15-30-15 good to use
WEBMASTER: ...if you have absolutely no other choice, yes it is, but mixed at 1 ml per 1 liter of water... generally if you have 400W you would feed your plant this formula once a week, if you have 1000W you would do it, may be twice a week....
hello again mark 1 more dilemma 1 have 2 juicy fruit in there eight weeks of bloom have been flushing for a week now one plant the hairs are about 90%red the other plant maybe only 50% red but the other 50%of hairs are more of a grayer color buds are a lot bigger and firmer what does this mean i worried that i might let this one grow to long? both started exact same time i thought maybe awhile back i had a light leak but i locked myself in room after lights of and there is no light what so ever there are lots of nice crystals on both plants. is it possible not the same strain both were started from seeds. i have read some things that cause this can it have anything to do with stress? how long should it take for leaves to start dying after you start flushing thanks again mark sorry to be a pain in the butt..........
WEBMASTER: ...F1 seeds (all bred by me) show the traits of their parents more then F2 (Amsterdam seeds) or feminized seeds (which I don't like at all)..... its more likely that you have one plant showing more the traits of the Northern Lights or Skunk and the other more of the Juicy and/or some blend of NL or Skunk.... in any case this is better explainable if you want to create clones but all it means for you that one bud will be slightly different from the other..... the idea behind the F1 seeds is to create a mother plants where the clones of that plant go into bloom..... thus you first have to pick a type of plant you want to keep as a cloning mother.... since you went into bloom from seeds, the bud may be slightly different..... in any case this is so confusing sometime I am going to have to write a page about the genetics of pot.....
Hi Mark, hope I'm not a bother with all my questions, but you're the guy with all the answers and you've been a great help. I was wondering how much of a problem odour can be during the flowering period. For example, I am in an apartment building, so if I didn't use odour control and grew in my closet, does that just mean that my room is going to smell like weed (I can live with that) or is it worse, like people in the hall and neighbors will smell it too and know what's going on? Thanks for all the help Mark...looking to start growing in a week or two. I am excited to get going and will surely have many more questions for you once the plants are growing!
WEBMASTER: ...if you have a 400W light the smell should not be worst then smoking a joint in that room, i.e. opening the window will ventilate the room enough to make the smell go away.... I also never hear of a 400W closet bothering the neighbors with smell...... a 1000W on the other hand is a different problem..... there is enough power to grow plenty of smelly weed...... a carbon filter is highly recommended but if you ventilate the closet well (i.e. plenty of negative pressure)... the neighbors will not notice.... if you have a 1000W and NO ventilation, the neighbors will know with in a month.....
hello mark its me again i asked about a problem on my plants, i have noticed that solar leaves stems are getting some purple in them you explained what can be the problem or problems i took some Pics. today and was going to show you but i cant seem to find the link to submit photos? the solar leaf stems are brittle on 1 the rest of my plants have a small trace of discoloring. i am not sure but i think i might have either over fertilized or watered and if i over fertilized will flushing help (yes, take it to the bathtub and run a lot of water through the pot) but i don't know what to do if it was a over watering problem. (wait till it dries out completely before re-watering) i am really starting to get concerned with this problem because i don't want to waste a month of growing for nothing i know this is hard sometimes to figure out from just reading but you have really helpful so far with just the reading part much appreciated again thanks mark.....the one plant has just been put to bloom cycle yesterday and seems to be growing okay dark green and getting taller and bushier each day the others are only on second week of veg these ones only have a little discoloring .thanks
WEBMASTER: .....the discoloring comes from many reasons... one may involve watering with plain water too much and the plant has a nutrient lock.... solution is to no longer water just with plain water, mix 25% of nutrients level into the water (use hydroponics nutrients, not 20-20-20), second reason may be that you water too often, wait for the plant to suck up the water before re-watering... it should be 2 or 3 days at least before water cycles... and often longer... when using 400W feed at 50% of nutrient recommended and when using 1000W feed 100% of recommended dosage... all the time.... you can always send me email with pictures to mark@toronto420.com ....
Hi, What is the drying temperature supposed to be? My attic ranges from 73 to 80 degrees. They are hanging on a clothes line with a fan for great air circulation and movement. It is nearly dark in the attic also. How long before they are dry? Also, have you ever microwave a bud, and if so, what is the length and power setting for that? ty.
WEBMASTER: ...at these temperatures you should have something to smoke within 2 or 3 days.... afterwards you can still keep curing the bud but you should be able to smoke it as well... curing means ... slow drying... place the bud in a plastic container and place at the bottom of the fridge... once a day open the container and let it vent out for half hour.... do this for a week or so ... you can microwave the bud however all the flavor will be gone, i.e. no good smell, no good smoke (feels bland and icky).... the high should be ok though... cover the bud in a paper towel and microwave for 2 minutes, remove it and let it cool down, nuke it for another 2 minutes or less and let it cool off for a few minutes.... repeat this cycle until the bud is completely dry..... 4 or 5 cycles like that and its dry.... the other method is to find a incandescent bulb (like a regular 60W bulb) and put the bud an inch away from the bulb... will be dry within 2 to 4 hours...
Im growing 10 blueberry plants from seeds with miracle grow potting mix and the leaves curled and yellowed what happened and is there anything else to consider about this strain
WEBMASTER: ...miracle grow potting soil is not recommended for cannabis ...... with miracle grow you are supposed to PH the water before you water the plants .... unless you use promix or sunshine mix no.4 you have to PH the water.... it looks like you either did not feed the plants with nutrients or it looks like a PH problem..... the problem is that curling happens because of PH issues OR overfeeding and yellowing happens because you underfed them .... when both occur at the same time its a somewhat different issue, I would say it may be nutrient lock up.... when they do not need full feeding and you want to feed them plain water, feed them with 25% nutrient mix (25% of what is considered full feeding) instead... this will fix the nutrient lock up...
Happy new year Mark, and everyone else. I read somewhere that complete darkness isn't 100% necessary until the flowering period, is this true? For example, if I am growing in a closet in my bedroom, is it ok to leave the door open all the time (for better ventilation), even during the 6 hours of darkness (assuming the lights are still off and no huge amounts of light are getting in the room) or will this cause stretching or other bad effects? Thanks
WEBMASTER: ...plants in the vegetative cycle do NOT need any darkness as such..... in fact for the veg cycle I do not even install a timer and I keep my lights ON for 24 hours... so if your lights are on for 18 hours then you can keep the closet open, look in and do whatever you wish.... when the plants go into bloom (lights ON for 12 hours and OFF for 12 hours), then you need 100% darkness, meaning plug all key holes as well as the space under the door.....
thanks mark on response on the Grotek i should of said using a 400watt MH for veg and a 1000watt MH. for bloom how much should i alter there spec? they don't call it a &b but they call it grow formula & bloom formula or is that considered an a&b. they say use for 3 weeks for veg and 5 weeks for bloom. when in grow room usually plants only get watered once a week twice when in 1000watt room so should i just use straight water in between the nutes? (mix in 25% of recommended nutrient dosage between the feedings) thanks again mark happy new year...............one more question is the juicy fruit strain a strain that the solar leaves show signs of a purple color none of the other leaves or stem? or maybe to much water?? i haven't really used much for nutes and have only used powders to date every 2nd or 3rd watering? thanks again
WEBMASTER: ...when under the 1000W the plants should receive as much as the lable indicates..... when under the 400W you want to decrease the amount of nutrients you mix in ... decrease it by 50%........ One thing I want to be clear about....there is only 2 stages in the life of cannabis, 1 is VEG and its of infinite length thus 3 weeks for veg sounds strange to me.... and 2 is bloom which is a definitive 8 weeks ..... when lights are ON for 18 hours or more then you use the vegetative formula and ONLY when you decide to switch to 12 ON and 12 OFF do you switch to the blooming formula and no sooner.... ... when the stem changes colour and looks underfed... i.e. stem is dark, leafs look less green and somewhat yellowing.... it means that the plant is experiencing a nutrient lock out..... the way to solve it is to ALWAYS mix some nutrients with the water (like 25% of normal) even if you think they do not need nutrients..... the plants lock nutrients out because when you water them for a while with plain water the plant "thinks" there is a sever nutrient shortage.... thus it starts to hold remaining nutrients it still has in the stems and the leafs (this "accumulation" is the changed stem/leaf colour)...... the way to fix that is to reintroduce some nutrients (even at low dosages) at constant levels so the plant does not think its a "shortage".....
ok but if there is not the option of starting them indoors is there nothing i can do that will beter there chances of sucsess and growth? and when should i plant them? after last frost?
WEBMASTER: ...if you spend 100 bucks on seeds, planting them outdoors and hoping for the best is almost like throwing your money away.... if you are even half serious about it you would start indoors... however if you can not... you have to plant the seeds late May, well after the frosts are over, plant it not too far from some body of water so the seeds won't get too dry..... you could still use promix, to give them that extra push..... make a small hope , fill with promix, saturate with water and place the seed couple of inches below the surface.....
Hi, My husband and I planted four seeds. So far, only one has come out of the soil. Is there a reason why the others have taken so long? We planted them the Thursday before Christmas? Thanks for all your other input and Happy New Year.
WEBMASTER: ...you used the old fashion method for sprouting seeds (place in soil and wait) ..... which works 90% of the time but it takes long .. it works on cheap seeds when germination ratio is not too important (like cabbage and stuff)...... the problem with $100 seeds (like pot seeds) is that you have to sprout them first and then transplant them into the next medium (like promix) ...... otherwise it is not really known if the soil dried out too quickly or the seeds were no good..... I would say wait another week but keep the medium very wet.... if nothing happens give me a call/email and I will replace the seeds..... it is not the optimum method but I had people try your method before and it worked.... just took 3 weeks.... as oppose to 2 or 3 days by this method .....
Hi mark I recently purchased 5 ww xxx seeds and 10 Northern Lights Buddha they are in the 3rd week since germination and everything is going well. What is my best way to trim the two different strains for maximum yield....1000w HPS, 72-76 degrees. good temp. I want to just bloom them and then kill the males I have already pinched the top off, at the fourth node. Now they have 2 main colas growing up, the side branches are really growing at a fast rate. I assume i will be left with 7 or 8 plants when I find out which ones are males. Any tips would be appreciated my grow area is 5'x7' 7'high.....5 gallon pails.....Thanx
WEBMASTER: ...at this point the only thing I can say is do not let them get bigger then 2 feet tall before blooming...... remove any branches that are covered from light from the branches above so some lower branches should be cut, but do not go crazy the first time around... if you do that, do it all at once, one week before bloom, no leaf picking or branch cutting from that point onwards...... otherwise both strains are easy ..... keep them dark green by feeding properly and good luck...
Just had my first harvest and all I can say is "THIS IS SOME DANK BUD WITH SMOOTH, SWEET TASTE" It has sort of a strong/sweet citrus smell to it but I am unsure what strain it is because I had the variety pack and I was wondering if you know what it is by the smell characteristic of my harvest. Thanks for the everything Mark.
WEBMASTER: ...Thank You.... sorry but the (very enthusiastic) description is too vague to determine the particular strain... mail me some and I'll tell you lol :-)
hello mark asked you about sending nutrients out in winter well my wife sent me to the local feed store for wildlife and loan and behold they are also a hydroponics store also he has a Grotek nutrients and supplements. this is a 2 part organic based nutrient system it has a grow formula 5-0-3 and a bloom formula 0-4-5 which is mixed in two separate containers then mixed together. this is done over a 10 week period with each week a little stronger dose. it also has a option at different points to add a bud fuel at 3&4th week 5&6th heavy bud & a bud booster. What do you think of this stuff. week 1 3.4ml/per liter water (grow form) 1m/perlite water week 2 5.5 grow form and 1.5 bud form, week 3 6.0 grow form and 1.5bloom form and so on. Any input on this would be grateful thanks
WEBMASTER: ....I like Grotek and I think you have an A and B formula.... stick with it but remember that I believe their lable may be assuming you have a 1000W light so if you have something smaller (like 600W or 400W) you can not stick exactly to the schedule they want you to follow on the lable.... if you have 400W I would use half as much as lable indicates, if you have 600W use 1/3 less.... I do not use bud fuel on the 3rd or 4th week because the plants never need it but I know some people do so you may as well stick to their indications........ but I support heavy feeding around week 5 and 6 so this brand of food seems ok with me.... Important: ......when mixing your nutrients ... do the following: Mix bottle A first into the water container and stir with your hand. Measure bottle B and add to the water container and stir. DO NOT put bottle A directly to unmixed bottle B before mixing into water. This will cause strange chemical reaction and make the nutrients useless (not dangerous in any way, just useless)...... I should also point out that 10 weeks feeding formula is only a suggestion..... bloom once started is 8 weeks but vegetative period is as long as you want it to be..... this means that when the formula say its week 3 it may not be for you since you want to be in vegetative mode .... so ask me more if you do not understand....
thanx for the advice... but i do not have the option of starting them indoors. Will this greatly effect how the plants DO outside (growth, yield, size..)? also it would be much easier to just use lake water! but i could use well water but i would taka lot more work to get it to the plants, would it be worth doing? thanks again!!!
WEBMASTER: ....if you start them indoors they have better chances of developing well.... outdoors is cruel to young plants ...... and the yield depends on the size of the plant when it passes June 20th solstice.... that's when they stop growing and start blooming.... until that point they increase in size, after they produce buds... so the bigger the plant the bigger the yield..... re: water... it is not about better but about convenience and doing the right thing ... if you have access to well water you do not need any special soil... well water + good (any type of) soil is good for them.... however if you use TAP WATER.. you need to PH it before you feed the plants OR you have to get the right type of soil that does it for you (like promix or Sunshine mix No.4 or find a hydroponics store and they stock the "right" type of spoil for sure) ...... if you use (not the right type of) soil and tap water the plants will be stressed out and will not develop well thus your yield will suck... you still will get bud but not as much as you could have... remember that once you go outdoors and replant them into the ground you can use lake water of well water and even tap water ... its less relevant then....
hi i am going to grow 3 or 4 plants this summer and i was wondering what type you think i would get the best yield from (keep in mind i have never done it before) but i plane on doing lots of research and putting lots of time into it. i was thinking summertime Buddha or fast pine. i would really appreciate your opinion thanks!
WEBMASTER: ..these are the only two strains that do well outdoors..... you can actually grow any strain outdoors but some strains are better the others .....summertime Buddha should be easier at the start, i.e. germination and initial development, but the fast pine is easier at the end ... i.e. it withstands temperature changes better.... summertime is better smoke (by far I think), but fast pine is a better yielder..... fast pine yields 25% more then summertime .... start the seeds indoors at the end of march and let them grow indoors on the window until early may...... if you use tap water use promix as your potting medium but if you have access to well water, you can use whatever soil you like..... good luck
Hi again. when should sweeteners be added? I am using 1 teaspoon per gallon of molasses (hydro). Should I have started the sweetener for the whole 8 weeks of flower or only the last 2 weeks? Also, i have a white Widow in its 2nd week of flowering, white hairs have emerged telling me its a female, but what looks strange is that it has what looks like ONLY ONE large seed pod below the hairs, and 1 at every internode. is it a hermie or is that the way the White Widow flowers look? I hope i described it well enough, ty
WEBMASTER: ....I never used molasses however the theory is that you should start adding it on week 4, slowly increasing the dosage so it peaks at week 6 and 7.... last week should be left for leaching and some people start leaching starting at the beginning of week 7 to make sure the nutrients are gone... its a preference... FIRST, at worst you will have some good weed with few seeds.... from what you describe it seems that it will not be a big deal and should not affect the yield, however technically I would say it is a hermie, but unless you are the same person who called me this morning you are the 2nd person telling me this.... I thing I may have had a batch of White Widow Buddha seeds which for some reason were bad.... why ????? .... 2 complaints out of 100 WW x B sold is not bad but it is rare that a seed (especially F1) will go hermie (if its not severely stressed out).... I owe you some free seeds provided you did not have temperatures above 85F constantly and/or placed the plants so close they were touching excessively..... 2 complaints from the same batch of seeds is worrying....
hell i would to come to you're shop. do you have to have a passport to enter Canada im in the USA thank you
WEBMASTER: ....I believe that as of January 9, 2007 you need a passport if you travel by Air..... if you travel via Boat or Car you do not need a passport until sometimes in 2009..... If in doubt I would call your closest travel agent and ask....
My question is two part. We planted sprouted seeds about a week ago. So far only one plant has come up, is that normal? Is there anything we can do to get the other four plants to come up? The second part of my question is about being allowed to use it for medical purposes. My husband has tourettee syndrome. He suffers daily from physical and vocal ticks. He also suffers from quite severe anxiety and depression at times. In the past, any time of stress, change in routine or unexpected event caused massive amounts of stress and at times anger. We have a seven year old autistic son which only leads to the stress and strain in our lives He has been on ODSP for ten years and unable to hold down a job due to his inability to cope with everyday life The only thing that has ever worked to take away his ticks is smoking up. He smokes three times a day and is a different man. He is calm, relaxed and tick free. I have given my okay because who am I to say what does not work to take away the physical ticks. I do not know what it would be like to have to move my head a certain way all day. Medical studies have shown that smoking up takes away the need to tick Is smoking up now being recognized as a relief to anxiety? Do you have any idea of his chances? We have made an appointment with his doctor to see a specialist. Any input would be great. Thanks and Happy New Year
WEBMASTER: ...... my permit is based on anxiety.... (and my wife does not smoke)... I would suggest you call me and I can explain the issues involved..... the bottom line is that you need a specialist who will agree to sign the documents Health Canada requires of you...... I can easily help you fill out the documents and all the doctor has to do is sign twice..... one signature goes on the application and one on the back of your passport photo..... My suggestion is that the day you have your appointment with the specialist, a psychiatrist or a doctor specializing in tourettees..... you and your spouse go together to see the doctor.... this shows the family is behind the patient .....explain that you learned of this Health Canada program and you want to participate for TWO reasons, one is that of course pot helps but the second reason is that you are afraid of being seen as criminals (i.e. we are all afraid of the cops, and when you have a child....etc) ........ The problem may be that a specialist may be either against cannabis or just scared of Health Canada... in that case you have to look for another specialist and this is where it gets complicated .... I had to see 5 different psychiatrists just to have one agree to sign my documents.... but it was worth it.... I feel that your case is actually very strong... comparably my case is very weak and anecdotal... your husband is on ODSP and tourettees is fairly easily diagnosed.... anxiety on the other hand is not easily diagnosed.... you will have to explain to the doctor how you see cannabis is helping your husband.... good luck...
Hey all... I made a batch of Bhang (clarified THC butter), and in turn made a whack of chocolates (semi-sweet chocolate, honey, bhang, and some peanuts on top). Wondering if anyone is interested in some baked goods, possibly in trade or ??? Reply via here with a method of contact if interested. Cheers & a Happy and safe 2007 to the GTA community of green thumbs. ***GBW***
greenhorn: its normal. The plant is using what's left of the Nitrogen in the root system and soil, so the fan leaves will turn yellow before harvest.
WEBMASTER: ...cool.. Thank You
i am about three days away from my first harvest with a 6 footer (which i vegged far to long) covered in large buds full of white snow like crystals, and blazen orange hairs. no idea what strain got them in a bag of dope! any how i need to know if in is ok to dry this bud in a garage at this time of year be it that we are in southern ontario (if you absolutely have to I guess its ok, but it will take a long time), i was thinking a drying screen about 4x8 hung above the garage door (as long as they are up-side-down and in darkness) out of sight out of mind? i also have a nice un used carbon filter and fan so would i be better to build a drying box inside? (good idea) thanks......
WEBMASTER: .....its BEST to place the plant up side down in a dark place... in a place above zero... just like wine the longer it takes to dry the better the bud... in a garage in Southern Ontario NOW it would take weeks to dry so if that is ok go ahead.... somewhere where temperature is around +20C it would take 4 days to dry..... carbon filter is recommended if smell is a big issue... and it should smell bad (I mean good)....
I am in the 8th week of flowering and have been leaching for the past 7 days with straight tap water, i am now starting to notice my large fan leaves closer to the bottom of my plant are yellowing and a few up towards the top have some dark spot on them also, i have check for mites meticulously so any suggestions or is this normal close to harvest when using only water no nutrients?
WEBMASTER: ..... the yellowing means that nutrients are gone from the roots and she has nothing to consume... which is good because otherwise you would be smoking the nutrients ..... it would be even better if more leafs got yellow..... the strange spots are normal as that this is the end of her life so all kinds of weird spots and discolorations appear... its all good.... you should probably harvest at the end of week 8....
Hi Mark, I have a 400 watt hps Hortilux HPS which is on 12 hrs a day, 7 days a week. I also have a 400 watt MH which is on 20 hrs a day, 7 days a week. Can you tell me when it is time to buy new bulbs? t.y and happy holidays!
WEBMASTER: ...I replace my veg (MH) bulbs 8 months after I turn them ON and the bloom bulbs (HPS) after the 3rd yield... approximately 6 months....
if i were to grow marijuana outdoors is it better to grow in pots or right in the ground? Why?
WEBMASTER: ...its just a choice... but the ground gives them more space for the roots to get bigger and the bigger the roots the bigger the yield....
hey mark i just wanted to ask a question im growing two plant and sent them both in to bloom at the same time and only one is ready and the other has not even started to change colour so if you could answer that would be good thanks
WEBMASTER: ...two different strains with two different behaviour pattern... one finihses quicker then the other.... or you have a light leak where a tiny light is leaking through when they are sleeping... this would essentially retard one (the one closer to the light)....
I was just wondering how much light is needed per plant in the flowering stage?
WEBMASTER: ...any light switched to 12 ON and 12 OFF is enough to get you a blooming plant.... in general 250W is minimum, 400W is what most people out there use and 1000W for me and anybody who smokes daily......
Is it possible to pollinate only certain buds on a plant?
WEBMASTER: ... yes, of course... you can try to sprinkle some pollen on a side branch and only the side branch will produce seeds.... problem is that the cleaner you are the less chances of pollinating the rest of the plant you have..... and IT IS VERY EASY because the pollen can be carried by the strength of your breath and it tends to fly around a lot....
mark forgot to ask do you send a&b formulas in the winter or does cold not matter? thanks
WEBMASTER: ... unless its the worst winter of the season, I would not care much.... most cargo is in fact 1 or 2 C above zero so that is actually pretty good... that is the temperature most nutrients (and seeds) gets preserved for a long time....
hello mark i have a question if you find out at about the 5th to 6th week that you have a couple hermie plants in the room and if you put new plants that are ready to start bloom cycle will these plants also turn hermie NO...but they may pollinate the rest of the (young) plants and thus create feminized seeds..... .the 2 in there have not many at all seeds maybe half dozen only? the temps dropped to cold on me 2 nights in a row did that do it under 60* other than noticing i think seeds the plant looks just fine..... thanks again mark merry xmas
WEBMASTER: ... plants can become hermie for few reasons but not because they are next to another hermie... one reason may be when temperatures rise above 30C (85F), another is when they are placed very close together (so I generally tell everyone not to let them touch which is easier then explaining how close it can be safely... ), another reason is that they are stressed out.... too little light or too much nutrients or too little nutrients.... the point is that steress has the worst effect and if the cold was stressful it may have be the reason why they are hermie..... but in general I find that cannabis plants withstand cold way better then heat... also few seeds here and there is ok... its when there is more then bud, it gets a bit annoying..
is it ok to spray the plants with water during the flowering stage
WEBMASTER: ... no, for beginners and even medium levels it generally adds to promotion of molds and potential problems ....... if you are advanced enough at the start of week 4 in bloom, you could mist the bottoms of the leafs with some Fulvic acid may be every 3 days or so..... light mist with Fulvic has the same effect as bud boosters .... but be careful to make sure the humidity is stable or controlled....
Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year Everyone!!!
WEBMASTER: ... Thank you and same to You and Yours....
I am very interested in grow marijuana and i have been doing a lot of research, and talking to tones of ppl that have done it, but i have never done it before. I am going to grow outdoors and i already have 2 plots picked out that are roughly 25x25 feet each. I want to get the maximum yield possible out of this space. I was thinking of getting summertime Buddha (bcz i am a beginner) and or fast pine. i also do not have the option of starting to plants indoors so i have to start from scratch out side some time in may. Any and all information that you can give me will be greatly appreciated. IM SURE I WILL BE COMING DOWN TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS ALSO WHEN I GET THE SEEDS. THANX!
WEBMASTER: ... I specialize in small closets for personal growers only... there is plenty of websites out there teaching about outdoor grows for profit.... good luck ...
if i was to come down and buy seeds this week how would i store them and for how long can i store them before i plant them and and for summertime Buddha and fast pine how much bud will i get per plant outdoors and what soil is good for a outdoor garden and how do Wick systems work don't they over water the plant? thanks
WEBMASTER: ... place them in dark bag/container at the bottom of your fridge... place a cup of water next to your package and check if it does NOT freeze.... if it freezes turn down the temperature in your fridge.... they can stay there for decades.... Summertime will yield 25% less then Fast Pine but the smoke will be much better (I think).... you should expect a pound for an average Fast Pine... more, if you know what you're doing.... 2 lbs if you get everything perfect.... The absolute maximum for summertime I ever got outdoors was 1.5 lbs from one plant.... I do not like the wick system because you will never be sure when the roots are completely dry or wet.... some will be dry sometimes and some will get water all the time.... the very idea of growing indoors is to have the wet-dry-wet-dry cycle and the wick is pretty difficult to control..... wick is better for house plants...
Hello Mark, first I'd like to say that your advice is amazing, you're like a walking encyclopedia. I was wondering if it would be possible to build a grow box with a wooden frame and cardboard walls, properly lined of course. Is this the worst idea ever or would it actually work? Thanks and happy holidays.
WEBMASTER: ....in fact this is the best idea.... I have people building these boxes in their bedrooms so they can sleep ... and the plants can grow properly.... I prefer if this box was in the basement .... just more space... but its up to you... as long as you understand the space needed for whatever light you choose, I would say BUILD IT.... Thank You and Happy Holidays...
it says that Summertime Buddha has a medium yield, i was wondering what that would be in grams if i were to grow it outdoors in the GTA this summer?
WEBMASTER: ....if you start it in early April and take her out early May, properly done should yield a pound per plant by end of September.... the pot/container should be minimum 20 Gallon in size...
hey mark, marry xmas.. i have 2 plants in about the 3rd week of flowering...how could i harvest them and use the same plant to harvest again.. i need to know the fastest way to gain new yield.. thank u
WEBMASTER: .it is too late to take clones........ it takes about 2 months to recover a plants after harvest, take off the buds with scissors and leave the plant under 24 hours of light.... its easier to start new seeds .....
how do i order clones?
WEBMASTER: ..if you qualify just call me....
could you explain to my what to look for in the case of light poisoning?, i don't mean being burnt by the light. and also what to look for if a plant is root bound? thank you, you've been a big help
WEBMASTER: ...never had that problem... light poisoning?....too much light can be fixed with increased nutrient levels.. i.e. feed more...... root bound means that the plants is loosing its colour even when you feed her fully..... she stops growing and keeps losing the dark green colour... the problem is that this is the same symptoms if you have bad case of fungus knats... OR too much salts in the soil... OR overheating.... I have root bound problems when the plants gets 4 times bigger/taller then the pot itself.....
Sorry to post again, I forgot to ask about your other comment on WW. You said that it takes a lot of seeds to make a proper garden. Could you please explain what you meant by that? Does that mean I wont get much out of 5 seeds? I want you to remember that I try to teach the method THAT WORKS for everyone.... there is a billion different ways to grow pot.... but the start is promix and some seeds.... this will not yield you THE MOST but you will not fail to succeed... every other method , like flood and drain and water tables and vapor systems, WILL destroy the entire crop IF you make the slightest mistake.... I would not even bother with them...
WEBMASTER: ...in a perfect world we would all have one mother plant, take 50 clones and bloom them immediately without any veg..... this is the most speedy, best yielding method... a lot of plants (like 150 per 1000W), no veg, all bloom.... you can not do that with seeds because they will naturally get bigger before being able to bloom.... and 150 seeds is pretty expensive... the "professional" do this all with clones.... a 2 inch tall clone can yield 2 to 4 grams but times 150 clones translates into a good yield..... also there is no way to veg 150 plants from seeds and turn them to bloom... too much logistics and hassle and space needed..... a proper garden has 1 mother plant under 80W of power and space for 50 clones... and a 1000W for blooming purposes... this is the perpetual cycle method... you start with seeds (mine of course) but the next time around you take clones..... so you technically need 1 seed to hopefully be a female and then you learn to clone.... in your case the method changes because you have to wait for the plants to get bigger before being able to bloom and you do not know how to cone that is why you method of growing will be different from mine.... but both our yields will be the same... yours however will take 1 month longer.....
Hello Mark, your advice has been great and very appreciated so far, I just have a few more questions before I start the ball rolling. As I mentioned before, I have a small closet (2 x 2 x 8) and you mentioned that it could be ventilated by leaving the door open. The set-up I was thinking was a 400W MH light kit, leaving the door open while the light is on with an oscillating fan running. The door will have to be closed for at most the first and last hour of lighting each day, the fan will only be running while the door is open. Do you think that this is a good setup and will the door being closed for those short periods cause temperatures to rise too high? I am hoping that this will work out well, but if you foresee any problems I would love to know. One last question, you recommended that I veg WW XXX to 2 feet before flowering, but then told someone else in a later post that it should only be vegged to 1 foot and that its best to grow a single cola.....(no a bad idea, best is relative word since all the methods are meant to yield the same amount, its what's best for the type of space...... ). I just wanted to make sure that 2 feet is indeed OK before I make them too big and would like to know if I should trim side branches or let them be. Thanks again for all your great help, hope you enjoy the holidays.
WEBMASTER: ...my advise is always to bloom plants from 1 to 2 feet high... generally speaking if I do not know much about a closet I say 1.5 feet (the middle)... if a closet has more height then space (like you) the plants should be bigger to compensate for the lack of space (like you found out from another post).. and yes growing them taller and strip off the side branches would be better then not doing it.... in general I thing you will see that if you close the door for a few hours and you have no ventilation (actually half hour is enough), the temperature will skyrocket to 35C and the plants will stretch ... i.e. grow tall and stringy (this is bad)... the humidity will increase and the plant MAY die... if they survive ... as I think they will.... the yield will be greatly compromised... heat really screws things up when these plants are blooming...... What I am saying is that you will have some bud from this place but there will always be some problems with the yield, or bugs or mold or .... I would be looking at 1/3 less yield then what I would expect form a 400W light....
is it true that the thermal scanning helicopters can always see the 1000w bulbs, and if this is true can they still see 600's or 400's?
WEBMASTER: .the only way to protect a grow room is to use a double layer of insulated (interwoven) Mylar... usually its the most expensive Mylar the hydroponics store have ......those places that are not insulated with (interwoven) Mylar the cops can see them and they do not care......... I speak to cops who work there and THEY tell me that they see whatever they want but the problem is that if you have a 1000W they can not clearly tell if its the dryer or the pot light .... same for 400W and 600W.... if you can not distinguish between the dryer and the grow light you can not get a warrant... and they do not bother because the MOMENT they turn on the scanner they bust a 20,000W grow house, EACH and EVERY STREET in Toronto contains a major grow house and you are not the target because there is too many of those..... The worst that happens when the cops find a suspicious activity (i.e. you growing 5 plants under a small light), they knock on the door and WARN you they will come in a week and .... and they never come back..... this is based on my experience... so do not take that as gospel but in any case... if ALL you do is grow some weed for yourself there is little danger ....
is it possible to harvest 16oz's off 16, 2 foot plants grown under a 600w HPS HORTILUX in a 4x4 space, with a basic no co2 set up?
WEBMASTER: ...it is possible if the plants are stripped off of the side branches (only main cola remains), the containers/pots are 5 gallon in size at least (8 or 10 inches wide) and the plants are largely indica, vegged to 2 feet high and then bloomed, they will end up 4 feet tall or so so you need a bit more then 6 feet in height in this closet....... I am not sure if 4x4 is not too little but it should suffice.... the biggest problem will be mites and molds because the plants that are in the back will never be inspected by you because it will not be convenient..... IF you look at each plant ONCE a week to make sure no mites or molds occur you should be fine..... if you miss a bunch of mite or mold that bunch will eat the crop with in 2 weeks... that is why you have to religiously look and comb through the foliage and see.... not just trust that everything is ok..... a mite infested crop will yield 50% less.....
What is the best way you have found to stress a female plant so that it will go herm. As far as I know it is the only way to produce feminized seeds. I had a plant change on me by accident and nothing but females come from its seeds.
WEBMASTER: ....if you take pollen from a hermie plant and use that pollen to pollinate another (true) female, then the new female will produce feminized seeds... if a hermie pollinates itself those seeds are hermie by default.... nothing wrong with that for you but for me it would be "cheating" ..... I stress out the plants by placing them in a small, tall and tight box on a heating mat..... the cramped space and the rise in temperature gets me some male flowers which I then use to pollinate another unstressed females.....
can i use vinegar to lower the PH in a hydro system?
WEBMASTER: ....some old timers used it through the 60's and 70's but I have no personal experience with it...... if you are going to try this, use it on one plant just so you do not kill all of them....
i am interested in buying your seeds i would like to know how much the cost of shipping is to have them delivered to either London ontario or Richmond hill ontario. also; exactly how necessary is buying an inline fan for a 400w grow closet and is it mandatory i have one if i move up to 1000 or 1500 watts
WEBMASTER: ....the standard shipping charge is $4 for regular delivery which Canada Post says takes 7 business days but it really takes 2 weeks .....add $10 extra for a package with a tracking number and it takes about 3 business days ......and this way you track it yourself....... for a 400W closet the fan is not necessary since you can simply regulate the temperature by opening (and closing) the closet doors ..... when you have a 1000W light you absolutely positively NEED the fan as its almost impossible to maintain the temperatures manually...... By the way there should not be any 1500W light as they are unsafe for home use.... the only safe lights come in either 400W, 600W or 1000W.... you can get 400W + 1000W to get 1400W ..... or 1000W + 600W to get 1600W
hey mark, the white widow xxx has my interest, just wondering if this plant grows in a single cola pattern unless trained otherwise or more bushy with lots of side branching? also, are the strains listed on-line the only strains you carry, or is there more in-store selections available?
WEBMASTER: .....ww xxx (and Hindu kush) is like a small and tight Christmas tree, its better to chop off the side branches and let the main cola develop..... they will not get very stretchy and should be flowered before they reach 1 foot in height.... I would prefer to do clones with this plant as it takes a lot of seeds to do a proper garden...no good for outdoors..... this is all I got in stock, no hidden stash anywhere....
hey i just got a real quick question just cuz i never saw it specified anywhere else but exactly how much water do u add to the pro mix every time you water and one more ?... i have grown outdoor before but am not that experienced, im starting indoor and i am interested in your seeds im looking for large yield and good smoke but something fairy easy for a beginner to grow. im thinking blueberry skunk or the NL X Skunk, do u got any recommendations or tips for me?
WEBMASTER: .....if your pot/container is described as 5 Gallon it will need 5 Litters of water roughly every 3 or 4 days.... 1 Gallon container needs 1 Liter of water (1 Gallon pot volume needs 1 liter of water)..... however if you can not tell the size of your pot/container you have to pour so much water that it leaks down to the saucers placed below the pot.... every time you water... partial watering is very bad for indoor growing.... good choices, high Yielders, NL x Skunk is easier then blueberry but not that much..... stay away from dominant Sativa strains, they are difficult to grow for beginners... the real secret is to make sure that the entire pot is saturated with water every time you water the plants, BUT then you have to wait until the pot dries out, and the younger the plants the longer the cycle may be.... so 1 week old plant may have to be watered every 7 or 10 days, and a big 4 foot tall mother plant may need water every 2nd day.... but the point here is to maintain this WET-DRY-WET-DRY cycle in order to keep them never too wet and never too dry.....
mark, merry x-mas, i posted a post a couple days ago on getting 1.5lb dry cannabis under a 1000w with a basic op (no co2). Anyway you said the best way to achieve an oz/plant was to grow "donkey dicks".. single cola plants ..my first question is how tall should the plant be when i put it into bloom (considering its got a good amount of sativa in it) and second i have several g13xbuddah clones veging and id like to grow them as "donkey dicks", can this strain achieve an oz per plant growing this way and wats the ideal size it would have to be grown to be4 bloom to achieve an oz /plant?
WEBMASTER: .....anything Sativa will not do well if you do a regular "donkey dick", with the G13 you need to trim off all side branches as she grows, put her in a 2 or 3 gallon container (or bigger), veg until she is 2.5 feet tall, bloom and then you should get 2 ounces per plant.... G13 will be 5 or 6 feet tall with a single giant size bud on top, may be 1 foot tall..... big stick with bud on the end (20-25 plants per 1000W).... with a straight indica you could grow to 1 foot tall and bloom, save time on veging, and even then an ounce per plant can be achieved.... but not with a Sativa...
Can Clones be sent thru the Mail? What is the best way to send clones (In a stealthy manner)? Thanks and Merry Christmas!!!!!
WEBMASTER: .....Purolator overnight delivery, $50 per package and they will survive...... 50 clones per package max ..... drop off at 7 pm at depot and pick up at 830am next day anywhere in Canada...
I'm growing 4 Juicy fruit-NL-Skunk in a deep water system in a 3ft by 2 ft by 6 ft high closet. So far I'm veging the plants and am using a 250 watt MH. Shortly I will be going to be flowering the plants and will switch to a 430 watt sodium. Also on one wall I have 2 50 watt T5's with warm bulbs. My question is: Should I top these plants now and wait another week to switch to flowering? Or is this even necessary? My concern is on how tall these plants will get in my closet.
WEBMASTER: .....if your plants are 2 feet tall or taller I would cut them and wwait at least a week before flowering .... if they are anywhere from 1 foot to 1.5 foot tall I would flower immediately.... under 400W or smaller the plants can triple in size by the end of bloom.....
hello mark first merry xmas to you and family, my question is and was asked but i did not even realize this but i live in the country and have a drilled well and iam using promix and have been using this for watering my plants am i damaging my plants my water has been tested for iron and such and levels are fine, or should i or can i use the lake water in front of my house which is lake superior which is in a wide open bay also i have had this water tested and actually it came back cleaner than my well, does the chlorine in city water do something different to the water. i can get city water but i would have to get from a friends place by bucket, any help with this would be great or should i not worry to much plants seem to be fine so far this is my 3rd crop ive grown so i wont know if water is doing anything? growing juicy fruit with 1000watt MH. with temps at 78dergress constant and a couple degrees lower when lights are out this was a pain staking task but i have finally got a good handle on temps and ventilation finally and mites thanks for all the help so far mark .................just ordered some n.l.& Buddha seeds from you looking forward to this adventure.........
WEBMASTER: .....I would say no worries.... promix is meant to be used with tap water, but it does not mean that its bad when used with well water.... I think it means that you can stop buying promix and you can actually use any type of soil you wish.... IF you use tap water THEN you have to use promix .... IF you have well water THEN you can use whatever soil type you want (with restrain, cactus soil is still bad)..... for me the only measure is yield... if you get a pound per crop from a 1000W you are ok... if its less, then I would question everything.....
Hi, how much electricity can a person use each month before raising suspicion? A family of 3 in a 2 bedroom house in the suburbs for instance. ty in advance.
WEBMASTER: .....a single person living regular life consumes about 1000W a month or $40/month.... example for 1 bedroom apartment would be that 3 people can live in this place thus its ok to grow 3000W of lights..... houses can not exceed 6000W ..... family of 3 in a 2 bedroom apartment can only grow 1000W safely..... because a 2 bedroom apartment is meant for 4 people.....
hey just some dumb questions from a first timer ok im thinking of a first time grow back in the in a swamp bog there is lots of moose and the soil is always moist is and like 8 or more hours sun light is this a good spot and where can i find out more about summertime Buddha and fast pine one last question if i grow seedlings to 7 to 10 inches high can i cut off leafs and make clones from them and put them in and harvest them at the same time as my other ones and what's the best stuff for making clones like to make roots thank allot
WEBMASTER: .....it seems that a swamp is perfect but the plant can not be planted right into the swamp but rather it has to be about 1 meter (3 feet) up from the water (approximately)..... on the edge of the swamp would be better then inside the swamp..... too much water is just as bad as too little.... you can make you own clones from a plant ... see if this helps... but only when the plant is in a vegetative stage , outside this means until the end of June its ok to take clones and replant them everywhere, but after 20th of June you have to stop because she is blooming and cloning will damage her.... Fast Pine definitely gets bigger then the Summertime..... they are both easy to take care of .... Fast Pine is a bit easier... Fast Pine is more 50/50 indica/sativa ratio, and Summertime is more Sativa and it will get taller rather then bushier even though compared to pure indica they will be much bigger and need space... 3 feet by 3 feet for each plant..... 1" rockwool pre soaked for 24 hours are the best, fluorescent lights and a some is a must.....
hey, I'd like to know more about the G13xbuddha. I've read the description and i'm wondering, is it a bushy plant or will it need a lot of direct light. I'm thinking of placing one near the window where direct sunlight hits for about 5 hours only, what are your reactions? good or bad idea? should i also place a 50W fluro there in case? I mean obviously the more light the better, but is it necessary? Length wise how many feet is it? Any other information is very helpful, thank you very much ps. this public forum is awesome, i just keep reading through it
WEBMASTER: ....any plant you subject to 5 hours of direct sunlight will become stretched out and definitely not bushy.... it will have the look of a hemp plant..... unfortunately there is nothing you can do but keep clipping the tops off.... i.e. when it gets 1 foot tall cut her in half, when she gets 1.5 foot tall cut her in half....when it gets 2 feet tall cut her in half.... and continue..... this way you can keep her as bushy as possible given the circumstances...... and there is no species that will like the type of environment you give them.... another thing.... feed with nutrients only may be once a month..... she will not be able to process too much in nutrients..... the fluorescent light will help but not enough to make her look picture perfect.... G13 will be ok for what you want ..... but like I said she will stretch anyways... the cutting will allow her to get much bushier even if it takes longer...... because you will have to cut her in half many times.... if you start now by September you should have a plant able to produce couple of ounces if not more ......... if you start cutting this plant in half in mid June... she will end up 4 feet tall by mid September.... no cutting from mid June till harvest...
hey mark why are you not allowed to sell clones do they have THC on them? also nice collection of seeds you got here in the past month.
WEBMASTER: .....I sell clones only for medical patients.... and I do not think there is any THC in clones however it is just as illegal as bud.... seeds are not... Thank You...
Hi mark, One more question please, What should the feeding schedule be like in the 12 hr. flowering cycle. I have a baby bloomer (flood and drain). The timer is set for 4 feedings every 24 hours at 30 mins (flood) per feeding. 3 feedings are during the light cycle and 1 is during the dark cycle. t.y in advance.......
WEBMASTER: .....generally speaking I never flooded my table more than twice a day and never at night.... this of course depends on the air flow and how quicly the cubes/flats/slabs dry out.... a rockwool cube should be able to hold enough water for one day and only when they are mid way through bloom they may need an extra daily dosage.... I find that when you flood too often the chance of molds and over watering increases.... it shows itself by the plants no consuming as much nutrients as before.... they kind of get stunted....
Hi, I transferred my clones into the flower room but they were only 7" tall. How tall will they end up? I have White widow, Shiskaberry, juicy fruit. 400 watts. Ty Kman.
WEBMASTER: .....with 400W they could even triple in size.... with a 1000W they would double...
mark...i am trying to achieve 1.5lbs from my 1000w. My thought is 25 plants at 2.5 feet tall all in nice size pots with promix that will each produce an oz....is this do able???. MY second question is, if you wanted to achieve 1.5lbs from the 1000w how would you do it, with a basic op (no C02)??
WEBMASTER: ......you have the correct idea.... between 16 to 25 plants per 1000W in 5 Gallon or 10 inch containers...... the trick is to give them a trim at the right time just so the main stock remains but all the side branches are gone...(generally speaking) once when they are few inches high and once again 1 week before on set of bloom..... you would be growing so called "donkey dicks".... normally a plant develops generous side branches which makes an indica look like a Christmas tree... you want to trim all the side branches (up to certain point, you have to guess how much is enough) so as the end result is a single cola 2.5 feet tall and then set to bloom ....... the plant will not waste its energy producing the small side buds and give it all to the main bud... I would support the main stem with a bamboo stick as soon as I plant them....in veg I would go easy on feeding (i.e. full feeding every 3 or 4 days, water only every 3rd time to leach out unwanted nutrients)..... staring in the 2nd week of bloom I would gradually increase their nutrients levels.... from week 4 to week 6 I would be at 25% more then what the nutrient lable indicates.... stop at the end of week 6 and give them water only for the last two weeks.... I would also add bud boosters twice in week 6... on top of whatever nutrients I give them.... always be paranoid about any mites, flies and molds.... with the right strain you can get 2 lb dry and manicured (no co2) ... you want a strain that has some sativa in it since you actually want some height in your plants.... something 20 or 40 percent sativa.... they produce a giant single bud on top of this 4 or 5 feet tall plant..... properly trimmed of course....
Hey Mark. Consider using 4 x 4 tall rockwool cubes in a flood and drain system under 1000 watt hps lights. The concern is the limited space for the roots to grow within the rockwool cube. If I'm not mistaking, the root system has a significant impact on the overall strength of the plant as well as height and yeaild. is this true? Does the plant reach a point when it stops growing due to root limitations using rockwool cubes? I've seen much larger rockwool cubes 6 x 6 x 6 inch , would you suggest using these or are the 4 x 4 tall good enough? Thanks!
WEBMASTER: ...Theoretically the cube should be able to contain the entire root ball, but practically (and from experience) it just does not happen and you end up with a messy tangle of roots at the bottom of the table, which rots and dies, entangles with pumps etc..... it does not matter much matter if its a 6 inch cube or a 4 inch cube, although a 6 inch cube does help in a short term ....... some growers place slabs of rockwool as a liner or just place the 4 inch cubes on top of a rockwool slab to allow the roots to be free, this is a good method if you veg your plants for more then 1 week..... but if you use slabs you may as well skip the 4 inch cubes..... other growers cut the slabs (making them thinner) and lining the entire table bottom with rockwool, like a carper, then place the 4 inch cubes on top, you also have to cover the cubes from getting light because roots die when exposed to light..... IF you use small clones .... like 100 clones on 1000W, you need NOT veg at all thus you do not need any extra room for roots because the plants never get too big individually but what the loose individually in weight makes up for the sheet number of plants..... this is difficult to do (but its the fasted way), because you need a large number of clones all at once....
i had recently found out my plant is a male.. instead of trashing the plant can you still smoke the male plant? or what do i need to do to get my plant to produce seeds? i am new to the whole growing process and could use any advice from a pro. i only had a few seeds to start with so if my plant isn't worth smoking how can i make my plant useful. i would greatly appreciate any help you could give.. thanks mark for your time
WEBMASTER: ...I smoked a male and I got high but it was high school and I was young.... only females pollinated by males can produce seeds, so your male is not really good for much..... it does contain some low level of THC but generally its crappy.... From experience I can tell you that IF you live in a condo/apartments your male WILL pollinate someone's garden and they will wonder "what happened"..... just like smell, pollen from males can travel FAR.... I guesstimate that every building (EVERY ONE) has at least 5 growers.... chances are it would be more merciful to just kill the poor male..... to spare others in your building from getting seeds......
Thanks for your time in advanced, you make our lives better... 1) Why is Tap Water Good and Well Water Bad for ProMix? 2) What happens to Buds during week 7 and 8? 3) What would cause very little Stretch (No Growth, Straight to Big Buds) with "Skunk 69" plants grown in ProMix under 1000 watts?
WEBMASTER: ...1) promix contains minerals/salts/(whatever) to stabilize the PH of your water at around 5.5 and 6.... but only if your water is neutral in the first place..... neutral PH is 7.... tap water is 7.... so it is not that well water is bad, but you simply do not know what PH it has.... most well water has some acidity naturally and that is why you do not need promix if you have access to well water... regular soil will do just fine ....... because the well water is PH'ed for the plants at around 6 (and it varies of course) already.... 2) read this page... "On the 6th week of bloom you can add so called Bud-Boosters. A bud booster is a high Phosphorus nutrient with numbers like 10-52-15 or 1-12-13 (NPK number on every nutrient label). Phosphorus is the middle number of NPK. You can add this nutrient on top of your regular watering cycle, twice in one week, on the 6th week of the blooming cycle. This very specific nutrient adds weight to the plant. After the 6th week most plants are generally ready to consume, however if you spend additional week watering with the bud booster and spend another week watering with plain water, you can add a lot of weight to the plant. During the last week of bloom you should use only plain water in order to leach out any salts and nutrient build ups. This will greatly improve the taste after its dry. Some choose to spend up to 2 weeks leaching the plants. This makes the taste cleaner and the smoke lighter in colour."..... some commercial cannabis species like M39 grown by the Asian "community" finish on week 6.... that's why the smoke sucks.... when I grow M39 I always take her into week 8...... and I get amazing results.... if you grow for money you can always finish on week 6 .... if you smoke because you want the taste, smell and finish of cannabis you have to spend the extra time..... 3) the Skunk 69 is not really meant to be cloned... because feminized species tent to become hermie when stressed, and cloning is stressful..... so I would prefer that you chose another species for cloning..... if on the other hand you go from seed.... grow to 6 inches tall and bloomed... that would be optimal.... for Skunk 69.... I would be aiming at 1.2 lb dry at end from 15 plants... under 1000W....
I'm planning on growing in the spring outdoors, and i was wondering if you could tell me which seeds from your catalog are really good for outdoor growth. I want seeds meant for outdoor but i also want them to be powerful seeds and a commercial strain preferable.
WEBMASTER: ...the only one I have that is only meant for outdoors is the Fast Pine because it gets big and bushy.... very good yielder and it finishes in 7 weeks.... the only other is the Summertime x Buddha cross .... better smoke but lower yield than the Fast Pine.... Summertime is more of a Sativa and Fast Pine more of an Indica.....
Mark, I am very close to taking down my 4 plants, I have leached them for 2 weeks.. personal smoke....with all of your experience what is the best way to cure the plants for smooth tasty smoke, I will hang them in my growing room, I have 1-2 weeks before I plant 4 more. I have heard that drying them out to almost bone, then put them in mason jars works. any tips would be appreciated.
WEBMASTER: ...hang them upside down in a dark and cool place... your grow room is ok.... after 2 or 3 days I would take them down and trim the leaf (the colder the place, the better, but it takes longer to dry)..... all trimmed, place them in a carton box (24 can beer box) or paper bag ..... once or twice a day I would open the box for 15 or 20 minutes to vent out the box.... every hour I would give the box a gentle shake .... I would do this until the stem of the bud can break in half without any effort.....the bud may look and feel completely dry but if the stem is still moist i.e. it does not break in half easily, it means that the inside of the bud is still wet ... this may be a day or may take 4... again depending on how cold your place is... the colder it is, the longer drying will take but its better for the bud..... if you could do this in a basement it would be even better, because basement are generally cold...... once the stem is crispy dry, you can place them in jars.... I place my jars in the fridge, and open it for 10 minutes every day until there is not even a hint of moisture..... this may take a day or 5 days again depending how moist the bud was in the beginnings.....
will stimroot#3 work for cloning ..or should i have got #1 or #2 i cant remember what i used to use...i used to use woods rooting gel and stimroot had great success..im going to try straight stimroot this time round..in jiffy pellets johnkneefive
WEBMASTER: ...I mix stimroot 2 and 3 together but either 2 or 3 is OK.... I do not like stimroot because it has to be fresh.... once you open the container the substance that smells like alcohol tends to evaporate too quickly for my liking .... in any case I keep having better results with powders....
Thanks for the help Mark. When you say that 250W would be more appropriate, does that mean that a 400W light would be bad and possibly hurt the plants? I was planning on getting a 400W MH, especially if yields are higher as you mentioned, but is this going to be a bad choice that I will regret when I've killed all my plants? Thanks again.
WEBMASTER: ...it is not about killing the plants... actually I always want MORE power then less power... problem is that you may not fully understand the issue of ventilation ..... IF YOU WANT THIS CLOSET TO BE "Invisible" and by this I mean that you want the doors to this closet closed all the time........ a 400W in this small space needs an OUT-take fan at minimum 80 CFM (rating) and it MAY also need an IN-take.... this may be a fan with no more than 1/4 CFM power of the OUT-take fan (if your OUT is 80 CFM, your IN should be around 25 CFM).... the smaller the space the more elaborate ventilation you may need.... it may be that you do not need any ventilation if lets say.. it snows outside all the time and the temp is below 32F all the time. i.e. freezing.... but if this closet space is inside a living space that means the temperature will be at around 22C around the closet thus inside the closet with 400W light you will either have temperatures which are too high (above 32C) or you will have to manually open the doors when light is ON and closet it when light is OFF to keep the heat down...... OR you have to install proper ventilation..........OR you will have to keep the room colder by opening the windows, keep the grow-closet doors open and manually adjust the temperatures this way... this is all a bit much to explain... bottom line is that you can of course do it with a 400W light, but you may experience heat problems that can only be solved with ventilating the room where the closet is thus making it a bit less clandestine.... but if you can keep the doors of this grow closet open and make sure the temperatures stay below 30C its ok to proceed....
Hello Mark, have read a lot on your site. I am looking to become a first-time grower. I have a closet that I want to use, but it is only a 2 x 2 x 8. Is this going to be a large enough space or should I pick another spot. How many plants should I put in this closet (assuming it is big enough)? Also, I have been looking over the strains and think I have narrowed it down to 4 choices: Northern Lights x Buddha, Blueberry Skunk, Skunk 69, and White Widow XXX. Would any of these be recommended for a beginner, any easier/harder to grow than the others? Thanks for all your help Mark, it is very appreciated!
WEBMASTER: ...the most you can put into this space is a 400W light but a 250W would be more appropriate.... with 250W , I would grow 5 plants in 2 gallon pots, vegged to 2 feet tall and bloomed for 2 months.... 250W yields may be 2 or 3 ounces and a 400W should get 6..... this is a small space and if you need to grow more you will need more space.... the strain does not matter too much... I find Skunk 69 is too hard for beginners and Blueberry may be a bit too tall... NLxBuddha and WWXXX are both shorter and easier.....
also i forgot to ask.. is there anything useful i can do with the Male plants?? they look so nice it'll be a waste to just throw them out
WEBMASTER: ...not really unless you want to have seeds...... I developed a clear hatred of the males in order to put some emotional distance between me and the plants I need to kill after taking care of them for so long.... it hurts :-).... joking aside it sucks to kill the things you put so much faith in to....
i finally can see the sex of my plants ..sadly on 2 out of 10 became females ..this is disappointing, will i get more yield now that i only have 2 plants under a 400hps..yeild is more important for me at the moment...and how do i pick up my guarantee from you??
WEBMASTER: ....I assume you are in bloom? already or in veg still.... in veg you can let them veg longer.. but if you are blooming already there is not much you can do.... it is true that these 2 plants will produce more then if you were growing 10 plants.... because now they will have easier access to light and you can help them by rotating them every day so all sides get proper exposure to light..... get some bamboo sticks and start supporting individual stems now... spread out the side branches so they get more light...... bring/mail the package and you will get new seeds of your choice... did you have any issues with temperatures? or spacing?... these things stress the plants and they crate more males.... 2 out of 10 is very poor....
Mark I have just harvested one plant and was told that if you harvest the top two thirds of the plant and leave the remainder to grow that it will stress the plant into turning hermie and produce a high percentage of female seed .Is this true and could you provide any info that would be helpful thanks in advance.
WEBMASTER: ...possible, but this is cheating a bit... one thing I am sure about is that IF you do what you described this plant will produce hermie seeds, the kind of plant which will be 100% female and it will produce seeds 100% of the time... this is not that bad if you do not need to max out your space for yield ......since seeded plants make for pure yield (smoke is ok) ........ if you can make sure to only stress ONE female this way AND take the hermie male flower (from that stressed plant) to another un-stressed female plant, this female plant will produce 99% female seeds .. so called feminized seeds.... i hope this clears it.. it is a bit of work to do, that is why unless I SEE the grower do what I described I fear that most growers out there simply produce hermie plants which are ok but always disappoint on yield..... in fact I just found out one of the seed banks in Toronto sells so called feminized seeds but what they really are is hermie seeds...... when I talked to the grower I fund out he did not understand the breeding cycle of cannabis and it F%$#$N shocked me..... I can not name the seed bank because it would way too self serving....
mark, i seem to remember you saying that when using promix there is no need to pH , i usually pH the water that i water them with pH down until the nutrients are over 1000ppm's and don't need it, but is it possible that when using promix, even when the nutrients are only at 400ppm i can just add the nutrient and not the pH down?
WEBMASTER: ....I never PH my water.... promix keeps the PH stable at around 5.5 to 6 (test the ran offs of water yourself)..... depending on the natural salinity of your water.... promix was actually made for lawns of grass (house lawn), which is watered with tap water... since both legal grass and cannabis need the same PH the cannabis growers adopted this medium..... so the quick answer is you can stop caring about the PH of the water so long as you use tap water ... as oppose to well water.....
high mark just a quickie about your blueberry/skunk>>>>headliner in ad says 8/9 weeks flowering.....your write below it says finishing time 7 weeks?? hence the confusion....is the variance the wattage of light?? i am running 1000W if so your support is much appreciated ty ty
WEBMASTER: ....I get confused when I write these things.... the time a plant is supposed to finish is determined by many things but it is supposed be in this order: first - by when the trichomes become opaque (need 30X magnifying glass), second - when the bud hair turn colour, third - time (i.e. week 8).... 90% of cannabis plants can have an arbitrary time finish of 8 weeks..... when you overfeed them the bud hair will turn a different colour (so it can full you), some species do not turn a different colour at all (like pure White Widow... mostly) ..... the point is that all of these methods by themselves may not be reliable.... you are supposed to monitor the plant and determine at what point is the most optimal point of harvest...... if a normal plant will be ready at end of week 8... this same plant harvested at week 6 or 7 may Taste and Feel the same as if it was harvested on week 8 BUT in those last two weeks you can gain serious weight by properly adding phosphates..... so a plant may be ready to be harvested on week 6 , 7 or 8.... if you let the plant go longer then 8 weeks you are bringing out her natural Indica high (.... it becomes more sleepy the later you harvest) ...... I should have said "IT CAN be harvested on week 7" but I would recommend 8 weeks pretty much in all cases.....
Hi Mark, I've got you buddhaxG13 seeds and they are currently veging out quite happily (24H 2x4ft fluorescent), but i swear there are female hairs at the internodes on at least two of these babes. Is this a miracle? Needless to say I'll be taking clones soon...
WEBMASTER: ....miracle no, great advertisement YES!!, thank You....
Will you have more M39 x Freeze land seeds available in the future.
WEBMASTER: ....this strain is gone.... the source is gone.....
ok is there anyway to hook up easy self watering systems cause i wont see my plants for a week or two for outdoor plants and i want more info and Pics of fast pine and summertime Buddha and can anyone help me with good soil mixes
WEBMASTER: ....look up "Wick Buckets" or Wick systems, sold at home depot and such.... these are pots with wicks of material reaching to the bottom collecting water from a little reservoir below.... the way to improve this would be to get a bigger container below which could contain potentially a week or two worth of water..... as to soil mixes, commercially available: promix BX, promix HP, sunshine mix no.4......
Is there a significant yield difference using a 400w MH for flowering rather than a 400w HPS? Thanks.
WEBMASTER: ....not enough to make a big deal out of it.... plus I have grown few strains which yielded best under MH... MH is a Full Spectrum.... HPS is a limited spectrum which concentrates on the Red Shift..... if you have to have ONLY one light you ALWAYS pick the MH.....
scrap that last post i thought i could attach a pic but i cant, could you maybe let me know if there is some way for me to send you a pic possibly via email.. thanks alot
WEBMASTER: ....mark@toronto420.com
hey mark I'm hoping that you can view the picture I'm trying to post and diagnose the problem. The pic is of clones in my clone tray and the leaves are starting to take on a strange discolored look
WEBMASTER: ....email me the picture but you have to tell me how and what you did when you took the clone... mark@toronto420.com
i am trying to get started growing. i was trying to get some recommendations on where to get the seeds and what kind of soil would work best.
hey mark, i got a 400hps, could i set up 120w florescent beside it just to add more lumens, or should i not mix the 2...also i just started bloom, I'm using THE SHITZ as my blooming nutrient, but i also bought DNF bloom fortifier, how do i use the DNF? do i just add it with the already mixed water and nutrients?
WEBMASTER: ....more is better in this case so if you can fit in the extra 120W, go ahead.... you should be adding this nutrient (the shitz) to your water every second time you water the plants.... starting at the beginning of week 4 you should add the DNF together with shitz... and add it to the water even if you are not adding the shitz.... the problem is that I fear that you may overfeed the plants thus I would recommend adding half of recommended DNF dosage the first time you start it.... and if the plant is NOT leather dark green.. you can continue... if the plant gets really, really dark green (thus leather green)... just skip the DNF completely....... if you end up using the DNF stop adding it around week 6 and for the rest two weeks leach out the nutrients....
Hi Mark, first time grower. I finished the 6th week of bloom I am going to straight water for the next two weeks....personal smoke..... My regular feeding was every 3-4 days. I am flushing out the plants now as per your instructions, my question is do I continue the every 3-4 days or do I flush them with water everyday. 1000w HPS.....4 plants....5 gallon pots....it is a jungle!!!!!1 If i stay the regular course ....every 3-4 days I would have only sent water through them a few times is that enough?.....I want smooooooooth smoke, I smoke constantly for medical reasons. Thank-You
WEBMASTER: .....I think that for the first week you want to continue every 3 or 4 days.... if you see them losing their green colour on the leafs.... i.e. yellowing .... then you know you are ok and there is no need in increasing the cycle.... on the other hand if after a week you see that they are as green as they were before i.e. no yellowing .... then you want to pour more water through the roots... not more often, but more water.... I would bring each plant into the bathtub and pour a lot of water... like 3 times more than the volume of the pot.... it involves sitting there for an hour and slowly pouring water, which in turn leaches out the bottom to the drain......
hey what's going on mark im going into my 4th week of bloom and just wanted to know if it is ok to put the light on to a 10 on and 14 off or should this be done on the 5th week?
WEBMASTER: .....do NOT change the timer from 12 ON and 12 OFF... I personally do not even know one grower (and I know plenty) who change the light cycle at the end.... I know some growers who simply turn off the lights for 2 week after week 8 of bloom but even they maintain the 12/12 cycle till the end of week 8...... I understand the theory behind this time cycle (10/14) but I know no one who stuck to it after trying it once.... there is no difference in yield it seems.... may be some savings in electricity usage but that's it.......
how long can a weed plant survive in a small 300 ml plastic pot? (if you give her very little light and no nutrients...for a long time...months) I have four planted clones this way and can't plant them to bigger pots because my old man would kill me if he knew what I was up to. (be honest, stand up for what you believe and take the punishment like a man) What would I have to do to keep them small until April so I can get them outside. Is this even possible? (yes) I have a 60 watt light on them. (bare minimum anyways) I know this sounds crazy but is what I want to do possible? can I trim them like a bonsai? (trim ONLY once a month, but take off more then half of the plant at once...) they will probably get root bound (yes they will.....can you be honest with your parents????). Man these guys want to grow soo bad! Thanx.
WEBMASTER: ......April is sooooooo far away.... to keep them small I would place them under 18 hours of light but 3 or 4 feet away from your light.. making sure the light does not reach them too much..... and if you can maintain low temperatures.... below 20C if possible..... that would also slow down their growth.... do not feed them any nutrients unless they show yellowing leafs, in that case feed at 10% of recommended dosage...... you can also place something in between the plants and the light, something transparent that lets ambient light in but not the whole spectrum of the bulb.... your light is so small that as long as you place them 3 or 4 feet away you lose most of the power anyway... but April is sooooooo far away.......
can anyone tell me where i can find more about summertime budda and fast pine plants im a outdoor grower and i need a plants that can go 2 weeks with out care from me can u guy help me?
WEBMASTER: .....2 weeks without care means that you either have to plant them very close to water creek or pond (so roots can dig deep enough for their own supply of water) or river or you plant them in very big pots/containers, 10 gallon container (24 inches wide)..... the problem is that any plant can be left alone outdoors for 2 weeks but if they need water and there isn't any they will die.... either summertime or fast pine will get massive in size so the roots need a lot of space..... planting near water (like 10 feet away from the shore) is the only way to ensure that they water themselves.....
Hi, I am having trouble cloning. (its best to use 1 inch rockwool cube PRE-SOAKED for 24 hours before cloning) I have a cloning tray with air vents on the top. I had them under 4 fluorescent lights. how do I control the temp, humidity. (regular house temperature is OK although 2 or 3 degrees higher would not hurt, and humidity has to be controlled manually by taking the dome on and off) Is 4 too many lights? not enough lights?
WEBMASTER: ..you have plenty of lights..... for the first 2 or 3 days do not open the air vents... let them be in 100% humidity, you want to see accumulation of vapor on the dome.... keep them 1 inch away from the fluorescent lights (or away from the dome)..... after the 3rd day take the dome off for 15 minutes, next day for 1 hour, next day for 2 or 3 hours... next day take dome completely off.... you can choose to spray them once a day whether the dome is on or off...
Will it be a problem bringing 20 seeds back over the border have you heard any problems or any thing i should know
WEBMASTER: .....you are asking me the wrong question..... I am legally obliged to tell everybody that it is illegal to export seeds.... on the other hand I have never heard of a case where anyone would be hassled....
Hello i would love to come to Toronto Can you tell me some good hotels next to your seed bank thank you
WEBMASTER: .....we are right downtown.... it is best to book a hotel right downtown if you use www.Hotels.com or www.expedia.com ... a $10 taxi ride and you're here.... I can not think of a hotel friendly to our "kind" so I can not recommend...
try this website www.norml.org great website for the info your looking for
Hey.... Do you know of a site that clearly states cultivation penalties? For example number of plants and the penalty associated. I keep finding legal jargon!
WEBMASTER: ......because it depends on the jurisdiction, county, province and/or city..... I can only speak for Toronto.... 5 to 25 plants gets you a fine.... 25-35 gets you community service.... number of plant above 50 creates a problem in Toronto....
Hi Mark - I have a bunch of seeds that aren't germinating. I'm trying to keep the temperature down in my place. Could a low air temperature cause seeds to not germinate? I didn't get the seeds from you, rather, they came from a crop I had recently. Thanks.
WEBMASTER: ......do not try to bring down the temperatures.... seeds prefer higher temperatures... around 27C (84F)....
I'm growing using deep water culture.....since I've only got a few growing and my system is capable of growing 12 I'm growing lettuce, parsley and basil along with the grass. Everything is growing very well and I'm getting lots of very nice salads. My question is.....do the other plants interfere with the pots roots?
WEBMASTER: ......in theory as long as the roots have enough space they should be fine..... the problem is that I do not know how much space you have for roots to stretch out..... the good thing is that a water culture system is more forgiving when it comes to roots....
Hi Mark - I have a bunch of seeds that aren't germinating. I'm trying to keep the temperature down in my place. Could a low air temperature cause seeds to not germinate? I didn't get the seeds from you, rather, they came from a crop I had recently. Thanks.
WEBMASTER: ...room temperature is usually just fine... around 22C (72F?)...but in case of seeds slightly higher temperatures would help.... around 25C or so at least.... from my experience most people expose the seeds to light and they need complete darkness... they use too many layers of hand towel paper and the seeds have problems breaking through.... the easiest method is probably using a 1 inch rockwool cube pre-soaked for 24 hours, split in half with seed in between and placed in dark place.... 2 days and its usually showing a root..... another issue may be the seeds themselves are not mature enough to sprout or they dried out together with the weed, if they are Very light brown they may be too dried out..... sometimes placing the seeds in a glass of tap water for 24 hours helps ......
is a male plants pot smokable or is there no THC in it
WEBMASTER: ...a teenager can get high... me ? not really... there is some THC, just not as much as on a female....
hey mark, Just wanted to let u know, all the seeds i got from u germinated. THE juicy fruit, bbs, wwb, they are about 4 weeks veg, almost a foot tall, all look very bushy/healthy. I'm using a double 4 foot fluorescent shop light on 24/7 with a fan. I will keep u posted on how i do and i wanted to say Thanx.....also would u happen to have any MANGO (pure) seeds? if not, can u find some for me, i heard the pure MANGO is a very heavy yielder with a great taste, i would really like to try this strain.
WEBMASTER: ...Mango is a strain promoted by a guy from Toronto... but I have no personal knowledge of how good it is when smoked.... the only time this guy comes over (or appears) is during the annual Toronto Marijuana March... usually the first Saturday of May....
oh and i forgot to ask .. more or less how long can one of these tanks last ?? (full 20/oz of co2) one tank per day in a sense ?? to hold about 1000ppm - 1400ppm of co2 in a 4x4 room... or am i flying high with this idea ?? also im very limited with room so i figured these tanks are very small and would fit nice (although plenty trips to the store for co2 but im not worried about that) im not adding any co2 at this time .. but i think any co2 would be helpful right ? i read somewhere that reg air has about 400-600 ppm of co2 ? what do u think mark ... for someone that doesn't use co2 would this be helpful ?
WEBMASTER: ...stay away from anything to do with Co2.... in order to properly use Co2 you would need to separate the ventilation for the bulb and for the room.... 2 fans, 2 exhausts, 1 extra humidity detector ...... if you do not do this the Co2 will simply vent out with your regular ventilation... thus waste of money... generally I would go through a Tank (I do not know the size but its a monster weighing at 40 lb?, valued at $129) .. to re-fill the tank costs $20 or $30 (a week).... Co2 is for the BIG boys... I am JUST getting there... it is definitely not for beginners or even medium growers....
hey mark i got a question in regards to co2 ... i was just wondering if it is possible to hook up and old co2 tank from a paint ball gun ? .. i have 4 of these tanks (20oz) and if there was a way to run a regulator from these tanks like any other co2 tank ... can this be done ?? just wanted to use up some old stuff i had here instead of buying all new stuff ... thanks and all be well
WEBMASTER: ...it is possible but I would strongly advise against it.... to properly equip a room with Co2 would cost a lot of money... for starters ... weekly tank replenishment worth $35 (per week)..... if you are not willing to spend the money any ghetto setup will simply show NO results.... I do not mean LITTLE results... I mean NO results.....
Mark what is your favorite strains and why?
WEBMASTER: ...I am a member of 5 compassionate clubs and the best way to smoke is to continuously smoke different varieties.... but if I had my way I would be smoking the Summertime Buddha (as my daily high) and the White Widow XXX (as my nightly sleep aid) ....
Good evening Mark. I have read in this and other forums that people use small closets for veging their plants to speed up their production time by a month. (YES this is termed Perpetual Harvest where your bloom light never stops blooming.... like a production line) I want to know if I was to do this with a 400w HPS in a small 2 x 3 closet would I be able to do this with 10 plants in this space? (of course) (the bloom chamber is 16 sq. feet and uses a 1000w light) I know you recommend veging for a month under 1000 Watt light so doing this under the 400 would differ no? (not really ...when you transfer the plants from 400 to 1000 pull the 1000W up to 4 feet for the first 24 hours ... bring it back down after ... this prevents the plants from getting overexposed to too much light initially) would the plants have the same biological value under the 400 compared to 1000 watts?.(it takes 24 hours for them to adjust .. but other then that its how its done...) Also will there be a problem because I want to do this in the same room? (.....as long as the sleeping cycle of the bloom closet is UNINTERRUPTED by ANYTHING its all good) Is there a remedy for blooming and veging in the same room? (separate spaces) Also Is it true that one can keep a big mother plant under something like 80 watts? (yep that's enough) I've read about people doing this in old fridges with really small wattage lights. Why is this possible. Thank you Mark! Much appreciated! peace!
WEBMASTER: ...the mother plant does not require that much power because she is veging... bloom takes a lot of energy... but not veg.... you can also start your vegetating closet under 100W of fluorescent power and transfer the plants into the 1000W closet when they get big enough.... you may not need the 400W at all.... of course more power is better but in a restricted space I would have 80W on a mother 100W on some closes and 1000W for bloom..... if I had a 400W that would be even better.... you can shave off a month between harvest because you are veging plants at the same time as you are blooming them.... it is always better this way...
high mark i know most blueberry strains respond extremely well to topping, is this the case with your blue/skunk....and do u recommend topping all varieties...have a variety on veg {just starting em} northern/ budda,.. heavenly hash/ g13.. g13/ butscth Hawaiian...will they all do well TOPPED..preferr to keep an even canopy, butt do have the option of putting a few on stands if not all can be topped.. pros and cons>>if any please? thanxs 911
WEBMASTER: ...I top all plants all the time.... only once 2 weeks before bloom ..... the more towards the sativa the genes are the more toppings you are required to do... if a pure Indica (80% and more) does not really need to be topped.... anything else should....
I was wondering what was your best crop and worst crop?
WEBMASTER: ...my very worst crop was the first one... all full of seeds, overfed and left in there too long..... my best was when I was getting busted... few years back.... 2 lb per light dry....
Hi. I'm in my fourth week of bloom and My leafs are turning yellow on the tips as well as changing color. only some. I'm not over watering but I think they're under fed. I only used the cheap 7,8,9 miracle grow on them for the first watering in veg, I have had bad experience with over feeding and am paranoid. I'm soon entering fifth week of bloom and haven't fed yet. (is the bulb older then 1 year?....they should be getting very very yellow.. ) I suspect that is the problem. I have a can of Dutch Nutrient formula bloom fortifier 0-50-30. Could I use this in the 5th and 6th week as its coming up? (half of recommended dosage) What will this do for the plants? (bud fortifier fills in the empty spaces left by the lack of seeds... thus making the bud fill in from inside and gain weight) Thanx.
WEBMASTER: ... sounds like under feeding ...... problem is that if they are lacking proper bloom nutrients the bloom fortifier will not really do its job properly .... however if the buds look proper even IF its underfed the 0-50-30 should help.... but I would start with half dosage the first time I feed and only increase the dosage as the plants respond to it.... I am surprised that they have not turned more yellow much sooner... only after couple of weeks without nutrients they should be turning yellow... that is why I asked if the bulb is older then 1 year since that would make the plants not process food properly... if that is not the case you have to feed them something... like a proper nutrient for bloom.. I prefer hydroponics nutrients..... half of recommended dosage for a 400W light and full dosage under a 1000W light ....
i have two plants from the same seed stock (no idea what strain but i had them veging under a 400w MH for 2 months 24/7 they are doing well in my mind but 1 is 5'8" the other is 3'??? now on a bloom cycle of 12 and 12 with 400w HPS for 2 weeks they have sexed female and are starting to become covered with small buds full of bursting white hairs. my question is i am growing in pro mix and think I've got everything going well but is there anything i could do to help me along the way to a successful harvest. fertilizer, bud boosters? thanks
WEBMASTER: .....for the first 4 weeks in bloom use regular bloom nutrients feeding the plants every second time you water them.... on week 5 and 6 you can either add bud boosters or increase the nutrient dosage by up to 25%..... last 2 weeks of bloom DO NOT feed with any nutrients, making sure the smoke is clean..... ALWAYS inspect your plants for mites (leaf damage that looks like tiny white spots spreading on the leafs).... the sooner you spot them the better you will be....
Mark...I have a container of plant prod 10-52-10 plant starter fertilizer....is this also an acceptable bud booster that (could be added to NO), or (substituted for YES), my (15-30-15 that I would normally use for bloom? for the first 4 weeks) for whatever reason I never use it as a (plant starter no need)...I usually wait and go straight to 20-20-20 in diluted concentrations.
WEBMASTER: .....it is a bud booster and it should be used by itself around the 4th to 6th week of bloom.... it is ok to go straight to 20-20-20 by-passing the 10-52-10... I find it unnecessary....
mark how much damage if any will i get if i put the plants i have been budding in a 400watt MH. to my new room with a 1000 watt MH, it will be 2 weeks in the 400watt room, growing juicy fruit thanks again.........what about nutrients.. will this change using powders.......
WEBMASTER: .....it is always good to bring a bigger light... but for the first 24 to 48 hours the plants should be 4 feet away from the 1000W... after that you can bring the light closer (2 feet) .... with nutrients you should increase the frequency but not necessarily the dosage.... rather then feeding them every second time you water (under 400W) you can feed them every time you add water.... under 1000W would give them plain water every 3rd or 4th time I water....
when I'm cloning and the tips of the leaves turn yellow am i putting to little or to much pH down in the water I'm watering them with
WEBMASTER: .....the clones need PH to be neutral at the beginning of their lives, just like tap water is supposed to be (PH 7 is neutral).... on day 4 or 5 after taking the clone, you can bring down PH to 6.8 or 6.6 ..... and you can achieve this by simply adding 10% of recommended nutrient (use veg food) .... if you use rockwool you need to pre-soak it for 24 hours in tap water before you take clones, if you use jiffy peat's there is no need to pre soak...... this is enough and there is no need to PH it at all.....the dome should be ON them for only the first 2 days, afterwards each day you take the dome OFF for longer periods of time.... 3rd day dome OFF for 15 minutes, 4th day for 60 minutes, 5th day dome completely OFF.... the plants should be 2 inches away from fluorescent light or 4 feet from a 400W light.....
How would I use 10-54-10, same ratio as 15-30-15 1 mL per liter??
WEBMASTER: ...I would say that the ratio should be 10% to 25% more then what you fed them with when using 15-30-15.... 1 ml + 10% etc....... the problem is that I would determine this by looking at the plant thus I do not want you to over feed the plants... try it on one plant and repeat on the others if no problems occurs....
I got some plants that are about 2 months.. they look pretty healthy but i notice sometimes they look great and the leafs are up high.. then a few hours later i do a check and i see they just hanging down slanting then the next day their back to normal. Why do they keep doing that?
WEBMASTER: ...in general this would be normal..... plants do this to conform to the daily light cycle.... .. the problem is "How much do they wilt/slant" .. there is two reasons why plants wilt ..... too much water and too little water..... if you water them every day it is probably too much.... the medium has to dry out completely before re-watering .... and then you have to soak it.... let dry... soak it... let dry ...it may take few days between re-watering..... this is absolutely crucial to maintain a healthy cannabis plant .... on the other hand you water every few days but not enough to get the water down to the roots on the bottom of the pot she would wilt as well.....
What size container would be "just big enough" to bloom one plant with a 250hps. Is bigger better in this situation? thanks,
WEBMASTER: ...no smaller than 6 inches in diameter or 1 Gallon pot.......but if you have just 1 plant I would go with the biggest pot i could find.... 12 inch in diameter or so called 5 Gallon pot.... there is no pot big enough that could be too big.... these plants love lots of root space and the more you give them the more yield you will get..... as example when you grow a plant outdoors with potentially unlimited rooting space you can get 1 pound of dry weed... with this same size plant indoors in a 5 Gallon pot you can get them most.... 4, 5 ounces.......
hi mark, got a grow area in my bedroom, just a double wardrobe. now browsing over sites i keep noticing not too set up in YOUR bedroom...,they say it but cannot find a reason why, so i thought I'd ask the man who can.....WHY NOT IN B/ROOM ????????THANKS AGAIN BROTHER..
WEBMASTER: ......I know people who sleep in their grow rooms because the space its too small so of course its ok ..... problem is that when you are a dirty person you tent to attract spider mites which can destroy your yield (not taste, just yield)..... those suckers can lay eggs in your clothes and no matter what you do to get rid of them the mites keep coming back because they live in your clothes...... to prevent this the clothes should all be cleaned every time you clean the grow room...... and you should be immaculately clean over all....
How do you count weeks in the bloom cycle... from the first day you put her into bloom or after the first week. first Also how do I use a bud booster? I am using 15-30-15 plant prod for bloom (for the 1st month of bloom) and I want to use a 10-54-10 bud booster I know I am suppose to use it on the fifth and six week (starting on the forth week or so and ending sometimes in the 6th week) but do I use it together with my other nutrients (in your case NO, use it by itself). I started blooming on Nov. 1 when would be mu fifth week of bloom Nov.29? or Dec.6? Thanx.
WEBMASTER: ......you start counting on the first day you switch the lights to 12 ON and 12 OFF..... it is not too relevant whether its the beginning or the end of a given week ... it should fall anywhere in that week.... since you are supposed to wet the pots and wait for them to dry and then wet and dry...etc... the watering cycle may fall on the second, third or whatever day of the week........ in veg you use 20-20-20, when bloom starts you use 15-30-15 for the 1st month of bloom... for the first 2 weeks in the 2nd month of bloom you use 10-54-10 ONLY..... the last 2 weeks of bloom should be leaching (i.e. water and no nutrients) ......
I tried some BlueBerry Buds a few days ago that had a bad after taste and smell. It looked and tasted great but left the room smelling like burnt hair. The buds where very very dry and crumbled when touched. What did the grower do wrong?????
WEBMASTER: ......the last 2 weeks of bloom are supposed to be devoted to leaching out the nutrients out of the roots.... with promix it means that you do NOT add any nutrients in the last 2 weeks (or so).... the idea being that you remove the nutrients from the bud and the smoke is clear and burns easily..... if you do not leach you get bud that has too much nutrients (usually nitrogen), which will NOT burn..... I guess you can mix it with some tobacco ...... but it smells like shit and burns even worst..... proper leaching is the difference between street bud and medical quality bud....
here i thought this might be useful to those interested in MOM services.. never used this service but i thought it would be helpful..(since mark you sponsor them on the website ) http://www.directmag.com/news/canada-marijuana/ looks like they are under investigation
WEBMASTER: ...I feel bad for the guy but he has been through this bullshit before and he is still ON LINE.... but to be clear. I post the links of people I know and trust... I sponsor no one and I get no payments from anyone for advertisements on my website.....
Hello Again Mark. I have two mother plants in huge pots (like large home depot pails) I'm keeping them just outside my growing space where I'm blooming my crop. There is no sp
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