If you’re looking for an easy way to increase growth and yield and avoid nutrient buildup in soil, foliar feeding is a great method. It’s pretty easy to do, all you need is to prepare a tea made of plant food, bat guano, or fish emulsion. Use foliar feeding during vegetative growth and early flowering. Late in the flowering season you shouldn’t use foliar feeding, as you’ll be eating the sprayed on nutrients later when you harvest. With foliar feeding, you should feed plants daily or every other day. You should also wash off the leaves with pure water so that the stomata on the leaves don’t get clogged.

There are specific times of day that are best for foliar feeding. Generally around 7-10 am and after 5 pm are ideal times. The stomata of the leaves, which are the parts that absorb nutrients, are open during this time. It’s also best to water when it’s a certain temperature. The ideal temperature is 72 degrees, but anything under 80 should work. If the temperature is over 80, the stomata will probably not be open. You should invest in a decent sprayer, because you want it to break up the water a lot into a fine mist. The solution you use should also have a very good pH level of between 7 and 6.2. Baking soda can be used to raise the pH, and vinegar can be used to lower it. Instead of watering occasionally and soaking the leaves, try to water a bit each day, and just give the leaves a fine mist.

Some growers have discovered a way to directly deliver oxygen to their plants. The method involves using seltzer water and nutrients. Whether you use this method or not, foliar feeding is a great way to deliver nutrients directly to the plant without risking mineral buildup.

Warning: It’s vital that you wash your leaves after harvest, before drying them. Many plant foods are toxic if consumed by humans, so make sure to rinse the leaves thoroughly. Foliar feeding does have some downsides, and most growers agree that it’s not really necessary for hydroponic growing. But if you’ve been having trouble with nutrient buildup, then foliar feeding can definitely help out.

pH Scale

Marijuana pH levels are very important if you want to grow good weed. 6.7-6.2 is ideal, and will ensure that there’s no nutrient build up in the soil. Buy a pH meter. They are only about $10, and will make a huge difference in the quality of your bud. Monitor pH levels closely, and don’t let them get out of hand. If the pH is too acidic, potash or lime can be added to lower it a bit. If it’s too basic, phosphoric acid can be used. If your medium is neutral, small amounts of vinegar can be used to get the pH to 7-6.5 or so. Most fertilizers affect pH as well. Generally, fertilizers will make the pH more acidic.

Marijuana pH; Nutrient Chart

Generally as time goes on, more and more salts will build up in your soil. As the salts build up, the soil will become more acidic, and if it gets out of hand it can stunt the plants growth. A good sign of this is foliage that is browning. If you notice your plants aren’t as green as they should be, flush the soil with pure water. Also, begin leaf feeding your plants once they’re about a month and a half old. It’s pretty easy to leaf feed – just dissolve the food in water and spray it directly on the foliage. You can do all leaf feeding or a mixture of leaf and soil feeding – just be sure to not over fertilize.

Most plant foods have 3 main nutrients that are essential to healthy plant growth. These nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Usually you can find a number listing, such as 20-20-20, on the front of the bag of plant food. This is in the order of n-p-k, or nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium. A 20-20-20 has 20% nitrogen content. There are several secondary nutrients that are necessary too. These are: sulfur, magnesium and calcium. There are also trace quantities of boron, zinc, iron, copper, molybdenum, and manganese.

Each stage of growth requires different nutrients. For instance, high P foods are necessary for germination and rooting, and not too much N or K is needed. When plants develop further and are in vegetative growth, lots of N, or Nitrogen, is required. Strangely enough, human urine is actually a great source of nitrogen. Mix about 8 oz to 1 gallon of water, and use it to water your plants. However, you must use this is combination with plant food to get the best results. Personally I use Miracle Grow Patio Food, but any 20-20-20 will do. It’s hard to get enough calcium, sulfur and magnesium, as most plant foods don’t include any. To fix this deficiency, I use 1 tablespoon of dolomite or hydrated lime in each gallon of water. Epsom salts can also be used to increase sulfur and magnesium levels.

Marijuana cannabis Plant Food

Plant foods with PN (P2N3) such as Miracle Grow are great for vegetative growth, as well as flowering. However, make sure that if you plan on using some plants for cooking, you don’t use too much potassium nitrate. Potassium nitrate has been proven to reduce sexual desire in men, or even cause impotency. I’m sure you don’t want that, so substitute fish emulsion or another organic fertilizer for the plants you plan on cooking with. 150-600 parts per million in dissolved liquids is the typical range for hydroponic growing mediums, but 300-400 ppm is ideal. If you’re not sure what your plants are getting, you can do a test with an electrical conductivity meter.

Hydroponic growing requires close monitoring of nutrient levels. However, you should know that most tests, even the expensive ones, generally come out on the low side, meaning the actual results are usually a bit higher than what your test will tell you. It’s possible to get too much nutrient build up, which actually damages plants. If you have a feeling this is happening, just water with pure h2o with no additives. You will notice that the plants will get a little less green, then you can go back to using nutrients.

Some growers want (or need) to make their plants grow faster. Many people use as system called pumping to accomplish this. Pumping is basically just watering more often in order to make plants grow faster. This works, if you do it right. If you do it wrong, you can severely damage your plants or even kill them by overwatering. If you are pumping your plants, reduce the amount of nutrients in the water, and closely watch your plants so you’ll notice signs of overwatering as soon as possible. Especially if you’re growing in soil, you should flush your plants regularly by watering with straight water.

Nutrients For Cannabis

The main problem with over-watering is that roots don’t get enough oxygen. If this happens, you should use light strength Oxygen Plus plant food. When you do use this food, be sure to monitor pH levels, as some growers have experienced rapid pH changes when using solutions with hydrogen peroxide in it. As your plants grow, you only have to water them about every 3-5 days, unless of course you have a great drainage system in place. In this case, plants will actually grow faster with less water, as the roots will get more oxygen. A good rule of thumb is to make sure the growing medium is completely dry before you water again. This makes sure you don’t overwater, and ensures that roots will get enough oxygen.

If you’d rather not use the above method, you can use stronger plant food less often. Generally speaking, you should water with the food every 3 times you water, and all the other ones should be straight water. Soil and Pearlite mediums do a good job of storing nutrients for later use, so using this method will work well for soil mediums.

WARNING: Do not over fertilize your plants. It can kill them or severely weaken them. If you’re new to growing and not sure how much your plants can handle, use half the recommended amount and slowly work your way up. If you do end up using too much nutrients, it’s not the end of the world. Just flush the soil by watering with pure water. Note: you should stop using plant food and nutrients about 2 weeks before crop out. If you continue to use nutrients, your weed will taste like plant food.

As I said before, security is your #1 concern, especially when growing outdoors, or using guerrilla farming tactics. Regardless of how you choose to grow, the safety of you and your plants should always be on your mind. Thankfully enough, grown marijuana plants actually blend in pretty well with other plants that grow naturally around them. Only close observers and experienced smokers will see the plants for what they really are. Especially if plants are grown in gardens with other plants of similar size, they blend in very well, except for the smell factor. If you want your plants to stay out of site, start them late in the season. That way, they won’t get too big and won’t attract attention.

For outdoor growing, you usually have 2 options: grow the plants in a greenhouse, or grow them outside, mixed in with other plants. If you already have a garden, plant your MJ plants around randomly. Don’t put them in any specific pattern, and try to make it look like they’ve been there for a while and are part of the natural landscape. Certain strains blend in better than others, so keep that in mind too if you’re worried about nosy neighbors. Keep in mind that you want your plants to be hidden and out of sight, but not out of the sunlight. If your plants are not as green as the surrounding plants, feed extra nitrogen to them. Some people actually purchase cheap plastic flowers and attach them to the plants, so that it just looks like a flowering bush.

Security is your 1st priority

If you’ve got nosy neighbors, try to visit your plants at night when you’ll be less likely to be seen. Try to have an excuse for being out in your yard – like pruning a tree, mowing the lawn, etc. And keep any supplies you’d need to keep that lie believable. If plants get too tall to be discreet, you can dig a hole and put the potted plants down in the hole, reducing the height of the plant significantly. If you need to, you can top the plants when they reach about 12”, and grow the 2 tops horizontally, using a trellis or fence. This is very inconspicuous, and even if someone looks directly at the plant, it won’t look suspicious at all.

If you’re on the west coast, I recommend using Super Soil brand. It’s the only soil available on the west coast that I know for a fact is good. Most other soil products contain very little nutrients, or they’re too moist. I recommend adding vermiculate or pearlite to the soil, to increase aeration and drainage.

Lots of people use their own organic compost to grow with. This is a good idea, if you already have a composting setup. Dog waste, including hair is very high in nitrogen. However, there have been cases (however ridiculous this may sound), where people have been caught because the hair was DNA tested and linked back to the dog, and therefore the person. Yeah, not likely, but certainly possible.

You should always prepare for the worse. Droughts have been known to wipe out entire crops in a matter of days, especially if the grower is unable to make it to the plants to hand water them. I recommend using P4 water crystals for situations like this. These small crystals absorb water like sponges, and allow for an emergency reserve for the roots. Don’t overuse this stuff though. It tends to sink low, and has been known to choke out new-growth roots, damaging the plant.

Best Soil For Growing Weed

When growing in soil, the size of the pot directly reflects the size of the grown plant. So, if you want bigger plants, use a bigger pot! A good figure to use is a ½ gallon per foot of plant. So if you want good-sized 4’ plants, use at least a 2-gallon pot. If you’re growing in a square area, such as a closet or small room, square pots are recommended because they will fit in perfectly. If it’s at all possible, planting directly in the ground is always better than growing in pots. This allows plants to grow as big as they can, and therefore yield as much as they can.

Chicken manure, bat guano, worm castings, etc. can all be used to fertilize naturally. Be warned though, straight manure is very flammable. It should be composted in soil over several weeks before using. Sea weed is used by many growers, because it has a lot of trace minerals, and takes a while to break down, meaning it will be a constant source of food for the plants.

If you’re growing outdoors, look around for natural sources of nitrogen, such as leaves. Break them down and mix them into the soil, along with some dolomite lime or organic fertilizer. If you need to, plant food such as miracle grow can be added to the mix, but if you’re trying to go all organic, avoid this as commercial plant food creates toxic waste. You can use the natural things around you to make mulch. Leaves and bark work well. Break them down and spread them over your growing area. This will keep moisture in and weeds down.

Guerrilla growing is basically growing away from your own house or property, or on a remote area of your property. The idea is to remove yourself from the operation, so that if the boys in blue do come around, you’re name won’t be plastered over every illegal plant. It’s mainly to protect you from legal trouble, but there are some other advantages too.

If you’re growing legally (ie you have a green card), there’s no reason to use guerrilla farming. For MMJ patients, there are more disadvantages and advantages to guerrilla farming. If you are growing illegally, keep your operation as quiet as possible. Don’t tell anyone, even if they’re your friends and you trust them. If you do tell someone, don’t tell them exactly where your plants are located. Try to keep the area as clean as possible as far as your fingerprints, hair, personally belongings, etc. The goal of guerrilla farming is to have absolutely no way to trace the plants back to you. Of course you can’t avoid getting some hair or fingerprints here and there, but that won’t be enough evidence to be convicted. Make sure no one sees you enter or leave the area, or at least not regularly. Also, when you go to care for your plants, bring a fishing pole or something like that. That way, if you do get into trouble, you can say you were out fishing, saw something weird and went to investigate.

Guerilla Cannabis Plantation

Make sure your plants are completely out of sight. Also, don’t make any trails. Take a different route to your plants every time. If there already is a trail, keep it covered up and don’t maintain it. People are naturally curious and will follow a trail if they see it. If a stranger stumbles across plants, they’ll usually do 1 of 2 things: they’ll either steal your plants/weed, or they’ll report it to the authorities. Neither situation is one you want, so avoid making trails and drawing attention to your growing area. If you drive to your growing location, park far away and in an inconspicuous place, preferably not on the main road.

To deter curious people, as well as wild animals, use nature to your advantage. For instance, grow ops in areas with lots of poison oak are perfect. Nobody, even if they suspect there is weed growing close by, is going to trek through a bunch of poison oak. And you, with your knowledge and preparation, can survive the poison oak by washing it off before an allergic reaction occurs. Teknu is a special kind of soap that is proven to stop the spread of poison oak before you have an allergic reaction. With it, you can literally stomp through a bunch of poison oak in shorts, and wash it all off before anything bad happens.

Try to plant near trees. Also, don’t keep all your plants in one spot – spread them around, so if some are discovered, you won’t lose your entire crop. Wild plants will grow, well, wildly, so try to train yours to grow nice and bushy. To do this, tie the tops of the plants down for a while, then release them. This will cause branches to grow up towards the sun, increasing growth and yield. Though planting near trees is good, your plants need to have enough sun. They need at least 5 hours of direct sunlight a day, and another 5 of indirect, preferably much more. So if you do plant under or near trees, make sure the sun will come in at an angle for a long enough time.

Guerilla Growing 2.0

Remember, don’t use ANYTHING that can trace the grow op back to you. Buy a cheap pair of shoes that you can throw away after use. Wear latex gloves so there aren’t too many fingerprints around. Put up a nice fence, so that deer and other critters won’t get to your crop. I use green wire mesh, usually wrapped around nearby trees. This creates a strong fence that will deter animals, but not attract too much attention from humans. Make sure to check your fence every time you visit, making sure it hasn’t broken or been damaged. Repair it regularly.

Certain pests are more persistent in certain areas. For example, gophers are a huge problem in California, especially in the mountains. Gopher Granola, a poisonous grain, is available if gophers and other rodents are a problem for you. Rats can also cause a lot of problems, and will eat the entire plant if left to it. Some people use soap to deter deer. This is a classic mistake. Soap actually attracts rats, and lots of them. The fat in soap is edible to rats, and they will swarm to it. So don’t use soap as a deterrent, and if you wash your hands or use soap near your plants, be sure to rinse the ground with plenty of water. If small rodents are a problem for you, place Gopher Granola or a similar poison into a small feeder. Make sure the feeder is small and that only small critters can get into it. You don’t want to end up killing deer or birds. Also, keep in mind that the poison takes a few days to kick in, so put out the grain early, even before planting if you can.

When growing guerrilla-style, security is your #1 priority, and water is your #2. Trust me, speaking from experience I can tell you that you DON’T want to have to pack in water daily. So, find a location with a water source nearby. If you can’t find a spot near a river, stream, lake, etc. then you’ll have to grow only a few plants, so you’ll be able to pack in enough water to water them. If you plant 20 plants and have to pack water in, you’ll have to make 5+ runs, and your back will be killing you.

Typically people start plants inside, and move them outside when they’re large and strong enough. This part is tricky though. DO NOT be seen carrying starts into your area. Make sure there is nobody around before you even think about transporting plants. Use lookouts if necessary, but make sure you trust them to know the location of your grow op. Also, before you move your plants to the wild, determine which are male and which are female. Weed out the males so that you don’t waste effort and water on them. A good way to transport starts is to use the 3” rockwool cubes. Place around 20 of them in a litter pan, and cover it up well. If anyone asks, say you’re burying a dead pet. No one except the most morbid will actually want to see the corpse.

I recommend steering clear of seeds if at all possible. If you have a hookup on starts, use them. With starts, there are no males, no uncertainty, no germination issues, and you’ll know exactly what type of bud you’ll get. Even if the starts cost you a lot, buy them if they’re from a legit grower and you’ve had the bud before.

For many people, outdoor growing is the best. Bud grown outdoors if often much stronger, as it gets more light and is grown all naturally. There are tons of advantages to outdoor growing. There’s no electricity bill, no dark periods that keep you banned from your grow room, no light leak issues, and no strict schedules to be on. With outdoor growing, the light cycles are naturally and require no work on your end.

Of course there are many drawbacks to outdoor growing too, especially if you don’t have a greenhouse. Deer, small rodents, squirrels, etc. will attempt to eat your crops. Bugs of all kinds will inhabit your plants. And if the weather gets too bad, your bud can be whipped and lashed to shreds by harsh rain and wind. Nothing beats the sun as far as growing for the taste and potency of bud. Some of the best stuff I have ever smoked was grown outdoors, and it tasted devine.

A fence is a vital part of any outdoor grow-op. Put up a sturdy, tall fence and make sure it will stay up. It’s damn near impossible to keep deer out since they can jump so high, but do your best. If you have a greenhouse, that will keep most critters out. It will also allow you to grow hydroponically if you so choose. If you don’t have a greenhouse, hydroponic growing is not recommended, mainly due to the evaporation issues you will face.

If you decide to grow outdoors, you’ll have to find the perfect spot. Of course you’ll be somewhat limited due to the illegality of the plant, but try to find a spot with excellent sun exposure. If you’re growing in your backyard, find a spot that gets constant sun exposure, even during the winter. Obviously privacy will be a factor, but sun exposure should be your main priority. Generally speaking, the southern side of a hill gets the most sun, but it depends where in the world you are located. If you have a choose between a spot that gets morning sun and afternoon sun, choose the morning spot. While I’m not sure of the scientific reason, plants tend to grow better with direct sunlight in the morning.

Growing Weed Outdoors

If you live in a populated area, or even if you don’t, security will be very important if you decide to grow outside. I recommend making your greenhouse look like a shed or garage. You can do this by leaving only 1 side (or roof) with the greenhouse material (plastic), and painting the rest either white or silver, so it looks like metal. You want to make the greenhouse look natural, and not like a recent addition to your yard. Plant some trees or bushes around the greenhouse, and allow them to grow pretty freely. Just make sure enough light can get to the plants that actually matter –the ones inside the greenhouse!

If you grow young plants outside in a garden, you should use PVC plastic, or Filon to cover them. You should buy the clear greenhouse sheets, and opaque them with epoxy resin or white wash. This will allow for plenty of sun to get through (in fact it will allow for more sun to pass than PVC plastic alone), and it will shield the plants from nosy eyes. If you use epoxy resin, it will preserve the plastic, allowing it to last for much longer than normal. It will also allow you to disguise the grow house as a shed or garage. You can use paint, but it won’t allow for as much light to pass through. Whatever material you choose to use, use as little of it as possible, so that as much sun as possible can get through to the plants.

Unless you’re sure the topsoil around your greenhouse is great, you should pre-dig holes for your plants. Dig down pretty deep (I’d say 2-3 feet at a minimum), and loosen up the dirt a bit. Do this for each location you will be planting. If you have a tiller, that will work too, but this can easily be done by hand. Good, loose soil can be the difference between a decent 5’ tall plant, and a humongous 10’ monster. Regardless of the conditions of the soil, growing in the ground will almost always beat out growing in pots, as it’s impossible for the plants to become root bound. Plants grown outdoors will almost always grow much larger than indoor plants. If you’re used to indoor growing, you’re going to have to adjust your expectations accordingly, and make sure the plants have enough room to grow. If you must, put your plants in pots, and still grow them outside. This is a precaution that’s not necessary in most cases, but it can be a life saver if disaster strikes (someone visits unexpectedly, there’s a fire, a repairman must come to your house, etc.)

Speaking from experience, I can tell you that having a roof is a very important thing. Plants will often poke out of the top of greenhouses, causing suspicion. This has gotten many people busted before, so if you want to be safe, always put a roof on your greenhouse, and/or train the plants to stay shorter.

If you’re growing away from home or in the wild, water is the thing you should be thinking about most. Find a spot to grow that is close to a source of water. Unless you want to pack water in almost daily, this is very important. Lakes, rivers, etc. are all perfect sources to grow near. Ideally you should find a spot with water at a higher altitude, so that you can route the water down to you. You can build water pressure easily if the source is above you. You can even setup a hose to take water down the hill, and create a drip system. The best way to do this is to take a 5-gallon gas tank, and cut several small holes in it. Next, attach a hose firmly to the main spout. Bury the tank in a river or stream, making sure it’s out of sight. Be sure to also bury the hose so it doesn’t attract attention. Run the hose down to your growing area. This setup can be used year after year, and can save you hundreds of hours of back-breaking work.

I recommend square containers for growing. In general, you can fit more plants in areas if you use square plants. You can use water jugs, plastic milk cartons, etc. Using recycled “pots” instead of actually buying pots will save you a ton of money, and it’s good for the environment.

Personally, I use 2-liter soda bottles. Though they aren’t square, they work perfectly. 13 can be fit into a normal sized cat box (though it’s a little bit of a squeeze). A 2-liter bottle will provide enough space to grow a 3-foot plant fully to maturity, if it’s grown hydroponically. A typical closet can hold at least 4 cat boxes, so that means you can grow up to 52 plants. Of course the plants should be stored like this while in vegetative state, but spread out more once flowering begins.

Recycled Pots

You can use a number of different things to grow in. Growers have had success using old buckets, varied 3-5 gallon containers, plastic garbage cans, and even plastic garbage bags. The only thing I do not recommend using is paper milk cartons, as they can mold, and start to disintegrate after a while. Plastic and other inert materials are best for grow ops.

Especially when using recycled pots, it’s vital to sterilize them. I use a solution of bleach and water. Mix around 2 tablespoons of bleach for every gallon of water used. Leave the solution, as well as the rockwool or other growing medium, to soak for several hours. Then, rinse thoroughly with water, making sure all the bleach gets out.

Almost all growers that have experimented with hydroponics have reported that their plants grew faster than when they used soil. This was with the same strains, genetics, and conditions. Hydroponic growing takes a lot of work, and you have to pay careful attention to the nutrient levels. With this style of growing, plants get more oxygen, allowing them to grow quicker. One specific report said that the hydroponics plants that were started 2 weeks after the soil plants actually matured first!

The faster growth of the plants makes the total growing time go down, which also lowers your electricity bill. With typical soil growing methods, plants are “shocked” several times. For instance, every time a plant is transplanted, it goes into shock for several days, and will not grow much during this time. All these interruptions are minor on their own, but when it’s all added together, it really starts to add a significant amount of time to the total growing time needed to mature. Growing hydroponically completely eliminates these interruptions, and keeps plants from getting root-bound.

There are several hydroponic growing methods to choose from. Some take a lot of time and effort, while others are relatively easy. A popular form is called the wick and reservoir system. This is also known as passive hydroponics, because it doesn’t require a water distribution system. The thinking behind this system is that water will wick to wherever it needs to go if the conditions and medium are correct, without a pump, timers, etc.

The wick system takes more setting up than the reservoirs. The wicks must be cut and placed in the correct locations (in the pots), and small holes have to be cut in all of the pots. Also, some sort of shelf or spacer system must be employed, to keep the plants elevated from the water reservoir below. Marijuana is not like rice – it doesn’t grow well directly in water. You don’t have to over think this. It can be as simple as placing 2 buckets, one inside the other, or by using a kiddie pool with bricks or blocks in it, which the plants can rest on top of.

The initial setup for the wick system is quite a pain, and requires more work than the reservoir system. Plus, the plants have to sit up higher in the room, which uses up essential vertical growing space. Also, since the plants are so high off the ground, their bases are often unstable, and if you knock one over (God forbid!) the plant will have a lot of stress, and it will never be the same.

For those reasons, I recommend the reservoir system over the wick system. The reservoir system is pretty easy to setup, and requires only a good medium, and a pan to put the pot in. If you’re using rockwool, a half slab of 12” rockwool will fit almost perfectly into a normal cat box. I always recommend cat boxes to people who ask, because they are cheap, inconspicuous, and allow for the plants to grow well because the roots can spread horizontally. When you grow plants in cat litter boxes, they will be very strong and robust, as the roots spread out and collect a lot of oxygen and other nutrients.

Reservoir hydroponic growing is by far the easiest method, and surprisingly enough, plants grown this way will grow just as fast as any other hydro method. With this method, you really only have to check your plants every few days, when you add nutrients to their water. Of course you should still keep an eye on them, but overall the reservoir system takes much less work than any other hydro growing method.

In most hydroponic growing operations, lava and vermiculite are usually mixed (usually a 4:1 ratio). Dolite Lime is also good to add, roughly one tablespoon per gallon of growing medium. A medium made of these materials will store water very well and will wick, and also has good air storage capacity, and good drainage. However, you cannot reuse a medium made of these materials, as it’s nearly impossible to re-sterilize it once it’s been used.

Hydroponic Marijuana Indoor Lab

The best lava to use is small, about 3/8” pea size. Be sure to thoroughly rinse the dust off of it, rinsing it at least 3-5 times. Vermiculite is dangerous when it’s dry, so be sure to wet it thoroughly, and wear a mask when working with it. Next, mix it all into pots. I recommend square pots as opposed to round ones, as they hold more. When you water your plants, most of the vermiculate will sink to the bottom. To prevent this, water only occasionally, and put more vermiculate near the top of the pots than the bottom. Next, punch medium-sized holes in the bottoms of all the pots, and add a decent amount of water to the pans below. The water will be wicked up by the roots, and the plants will only take as much as they need, allowing for optimal growing conditions. This is the main advantage of hydroponic growing.

When filling your reservoir, you should keep it in the 1-3” range. Allow the water to recede quite a bit between refilling. If you can, water more often and keep nutrient levels low, so the roots can get more oxygen. If you are going away on vacation, fill the reservoirs to the top. This will allow for around 2 weeks of constant maintenance-free watering.

Oasis floral foam is a great medium for growing hydroponically. The best way to use this foam is to put many small holes in it, and put your starts in it. After the plants have grown and are getting bigger, transfer the Oasis foam into larger rockwool cubes. Oasis floral foam is a good medium, but many complain about the high cost of it, compared to rockwool and other options. It’s also hard to reuse, especially since it crumbles easily if handled roughly. It’s easy to find though, and seems to be pretty popular at gardening and home improvement stores.

Rockwool cubes are usually my #1 recommended product for hydroponic growing. There are several reasons for this, but mainly because it’s reusable, and requires minimal setup. Also with rockwool, the plants are usually kept in better conditions, because it is literally impossible to overwater. Plus, there’s no need to transplant when you use rockwool, and any experienced gardener will tell you that transplanting disrupts plants and weakens them. If the rockwool cube you’re using becomes too small for a growing plant, all you have to do is get a larger cube and place it under the existing one. It’s as easy as that!

If you want to save money, or you just prefer to grow in soil, you have a few options. The best bet for hydroponic growing is probably Pearlite, mainly because it’s nice and light. You can use Pearlite in combination with lava, or by itself. Lava tends to be heavier, and requires more maintenance than plain Pearlite, or better yet, rockwool cubes.

However, like I said, I highly recommend rockwool. Besides the obvious benefits, rockwool is extremely stable, and rarely crumbles or breaks. It can also hold around 10x as much water as normal soil. This may seem like a bad thing, but it’s also impossible to overwater when using rockwool, as it allows for a lot of air to get to the plants – more so than normal soil or growing mediums. A lot of people complain about the cost of rockwool. Well, look at it this way: with normal soil, you have to buy new bags each crop. Rockwool can easily be reused 3-4 times, or more. So, you can basically divide the cost of rockwool by 3 or 4 times, and then compare it to the cost of soil. It will cost about the same, or even less than comparable mediums such as vermiculate. Vermiculate is, simply put, a pain in the rear. It’s nearly impossible to sterilize, and therefore hard to reuse. Plus, it’s dangerous when it’s dry. Even if you’re careful, it will be hard to keep vermiculate from getting on the floor or carpet. Since it’s so toxic, I don’t recommend using it indoors.

Rockwool is not a “wonder medium”, however. It does have a few drawbacks. For one, it is alkaline pH, meaning a nutrient solution will be required to make it acidic. I use vinegar, which seems to work well. Rockwool is also slightly irritating to the skin when it’s dry, but when it’s wet it can be handled without problems. It’s nothing like the toxicity of vermiculate.

If I’ve convinced you to use rockwool, as I hope I have, here’s how you should prepare it. First, presoak it in a solution of fish emulsion (which is smelly, so do this outside), trace mineral solution, and phosphoric acid (used to bring the pH down). Soak the rockwool in this solution for 24 hours, then rinse it clean. This process makes the rockwool fairly pH-neutral, which eliminates many headaches down the road.

Sophisticated Hydroponic Marijuana System

The main difference between hydroponics and normal growing techniques is that hydroponic mediums are designed to hold water very well, but still allow for optimal drainage. The goal of hydroponic growing is to water constantly, allowing for less grow time, and more bud in less time overall. Plants grown hydroponically do not get nutrients from the soil, but instead, from the solution that you add to the water. This is why you must pay careful attention to the nutrients that go into your solution. Hydroponics allow for a lot of air to reach the plants roots, which is always good. It also eliminates worries concerning mineral buildup in soil. Growing hydroponically is difficult at first, but it’s worth it in the long run.

Plants grown hydroponically can use much smaller pots than traditionally grown ones. For instance, a ¾ gallon pot will be fine to grow a plant from seedling to maturity. With soil growing, this would not be possible, as the roots become root bound, and don’t receive enough oxygen if they don’t have sufficient room to grow. With hydroponics, lack of nutrients or oxygen is never a problem, as plants are fed and watered constantly, and enough oxygen is available for the roots at all times.

Another advantage of hydroponic growing is complete control over nutrient levels. Experienced growers know that at each stage of life, the marijuana plant craves different minerals. With hydroponic growing setups, you can supply the plant with exactly what nutrients it needs. Watering can also be made almost completely automated by using a cheap drip system. Growing hydroponically will also hasten the total grow time significantly, which means you can crop out more often. Hydroponics are usually meant for indoor grow ops, but it can be done outdoors if you have a greenhouse.

Hydroponic Cannabis Clones

CAREFULL! When you grow hydroponically, you must monitor your plants carefully. If they are ever allowed to dry out too much, the roots will be very damaged, and your plants can die. If you cannot make time in your schedule to water daily, at least leave enough water in the pans to last until you can check on your plants next. The last thing you want to do is to lose a crop because you forgot to water!

The above explains passive hydroponic growing. There is a whole other set of techniques, known as active hydroponics. To be honest, I don’t see the point in going over them, when you could just make it easy and grow passively. If you’re circulating water with a pump, it’s necessary to change the solution monthly. But if you’re using the reservoir system, you don’t have to worry about any of that. All you really have to do is thoroughly rinse the medium once a month or so, to make sure the salt buildup doesn’t get too bad. You can do this by watering the top of the rockwool cubes with pure water, with no added nutrients. It’s also important to switch up your plant foods regularly, to prevent mineral and nutrient deficiencies in plants. It’s recommended that you change the plant food a total of 4 times, 2 for each growth stage.

You should be constantly monitoring pH when growing hydroponically. If you notice it’s going down too fast (meaning it’s too acidic), you should change the solution more often. Cationic changes cause almost all solutions to become too acidic over time, which weakens plants by not allowing for sufficient nutrients to be absorbed. Ideally you should check the pH level every time you water.

If the area you live in (or the room you grow in) is very humid, algae might grow on your rockwool, causing it to turn darkish green. To prevent algae from growing, cover the rockwool with plastic (the plastic wrapping it came in works perfectly). Obviously you’ll need to cut holes in the plastic so the plants can grow through it. If you’re growing in pots, you can use a thin layer of gravel on the top to prevent algae. Rocks will dry very quickly, so the algae won’t have a chance to grow. Contrary to what a lot of people will tell you, there are no serious negative effects from algae on marijuana plants. To me, it’s simply unsightly and an annoyance.

Flowering can be triggered at almost any time. It starts when the light cycle is changed to 11-13 hours on, and the rest off. This simulates the seasons of the year, in which plants flower naturally. If you’re growing indoors, it’s nice to have 2 separate areas, one for flowering and one for seedlings/vegetative growth. Once flowering has started, there should be no light interruptions, and a steady schedule is important. A single interruption or unplanned blackout can put off flowering by several days, or even weeks.

Generally plants are considered old enough to mature when they have reached 12”. Dark periods are required to produce fruit (or bud, in this case) once the cycle has begun. The schedules should be pretty exact, so I recommend getting a timer and setting your lamps up to go on automatically. If you’re growing outdoors during the summer, you can cover your greenhouse with a blanket during the appropriate times, so that the plants get about 12 hours of light and 12 of dark. The first 2 weeks of the flowering stage are the most essential, and during this period the schedule must be EXACT. After the 2 initial weeks have passed, you can relax the schedule a little bit, but still try to stay on time for the most part.

During the spring and fall, the nights are long enough to trigger flowering naturally, so no covering is necessary. You can just bring the plants in and out of your house at the appropriate time. In late summer you will only have to force flowering for the initial 2 weeks, and after that the longer nights of fall will do the rest naturally.

Marijuana Flowering Stage

Flowering plants need scheduled light and high P plant foods. 12 hours on, 12 hours off is good, but 13/11 can increase the flower size. If speed is a priority for you, use longer dark periods towards the end of the flowering cycle, as this will speed up the maturing process. You should know, however, that if you do this, the overall yield will be less.

If you don’t want to grow outside at all, you can grow indoors with a 2-shelf setup. One shelf should have constant light, and be used for seedlings and vegetative growth, while another shelf has 12-13 hours of light, and is used for flowering. Plants started in the constant light will be ready to move to the on/off light shelf within a few weeks, possible up to a month or two. Since plants in the vegetative growth stage are smaller than flowering plants, you should make your flowering shelf significantly larger than the other one. If there isn’t enough space on your flowering shelf, you can take some of the bigger, stronger plants outdoors.

A light curtain is a good idea, ideally one with a reflective surface on one side that reflects light back at the plants. Black vinyl works fine. The curtain should have some sort of rope or tie on the bottom of it, so it can be rolled up and tied while you work on the garden. You should also fasten the curtain to the ground, either with Velcro or something else, so that light doesn’t escape. These curtains are very incognito, and won’t usually be noticed by visitors unless you point it out to them.

High P level plant foods are good for flowering plants. 5-50-17 is ideal, but 10-20-10 will do the trick. When plants begin flowering, nutrients should be added with each watering, and slowly reduced over time as the plants develop. Many trace elements are necessary for flowering to. If you can, find plant foods that contain the elements already, so you won’t have to buy separate things. Iron is important, and luckily enough most garden/home improvement stores sell fertilizer rich in iron, which is intended to improve the health of lawns. These fertilizers are much cheaper than specialized hydroponic fertilizers, and work just fine. For flowering, use the following solution (per gallon):

1 teaspoon high P plant food (15-30-15 or something better)
½ teaspoon Epsom salts
1 teaspoon Oxygen Plus Plant Food (optional, but highly recommended)
1 teaspoon Trace Element Food (if not contained in plant food)

Remember, the most important part of the flowering phase is to remember that light cycles CANNOT be interrupted. Even small light outbreaks during dark periods halt flower development. This is because the plant releases a hormone that reacts to light. If you need to get in and work on your plants during dark periods, only use a very dim light, and try to be out within 5 minutes. If you need to work for longer than that, you can get a green light. Green lights are sold as nursery safety lights in stores, and they have no negative effect on flowering plants. It’s important to schedule your dark periods when you normally wouldn’t work on your gardens anyways. For instance, a lot of people set their dark times to be around 8pm-8am, so that they can check their plants at night and in the morning before work, but sleep through the majority of the flowering time.

Flowering is the most delicate time for the plants. Don’t spray too often, as plants can mold and rot easily. Also, keep humidity levels down as low as possible during flowering. Flowering begins 1-2 weeks after turning the lights on to 12 hour cycles. When it first starts, look for 2 white hairs coming out of every internode. These hairs are the easiest way to distinguish between male and female plants. Contrary to what a lot of people think, there is no way to tell a female from a male by looking at size of plant, height, or bushiness.

After 3-6 weeks of a steady light cycle, plants will be covered with pistils. Every grow tip on the plant will literally be covered with these small white hairs (pistils). These will be the mature flowers in the future. Once you feel your plants are ready (meaning the plant has enough flowers), you can turn the lights on for 8-10 hours per day. This will speed up the ripening process, and should be ready to harvest after an additional 2-3 weeks. Alternatively, you can simply use a 12/12 cycle throughout the entire flowering process. This will increase overall yield, but take longer. You can also put your plants outside to take advantage of the natural light cycles.

Once the plant has reached its peak of floral growth, it cannot revert back to vegetative growth, so steady light cycles are not necessary. The plant will continue to develop and final flowering will occur regardless of light (as long as there is a decent amount). This is helpful because you can free up some indoor growing space, making room for clones or seedlings.

Watch closely and wait for the hairs to turn orange, red, or brown. Once they have changed colors, or at least about 80% of them have, the flowers are good to harvest. Do not directly touch the buds with your hands, as THC will come off on your fingers. If you must inspect the buds, grab onto the large fan leaves.