What type of soil and what are you feeding them?
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Any chance of some pics
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I’ve got a thread while building it and one of the plants I’ve got. I’m not sure how to share a link here though
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Used potting soil in my first attempt with good results.
Since i have multiple plants this time i thought i would experiments with different mediums to see how they respond. I’m trying my luck growing with coco this time as well.
- Pure Potting soil
- Potting soil:Coco:Organic manure 40%40%20%
- Pure coco
I’m planning to grow organic.
In my 1st attempt i used only this during veg & the plant seemed to love it. Will continue to do so. It has the most Amazing Earthy Fresh Smell which none of the other feeds had:
For Flowering:
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It looks like the plants in the first Sept 22nd pic are pretty hungry. Manure is good to add to the soil in small amounts, but may not be a complete food.
Also I’m pretty sure bone meal needs time to break down and become ‘active’, it can be easy to give too much of it as well. You might want to try getting your hands on some liquid fertilizer (miracle gro or a cheap 20-20-20) and giving them a light dose…start with 50% of what the bottle says and see how they like it.
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Hi and welcome, you’ve come to the right place to ask for help.
Don’t be discouraged by a few first failures, we all have them.
Going organic is a great goal, however… building a living medium for indoor growing is in the experts realm, imo.
Without the proper experience, the life in your soil could end up eating your plants instead.
The first thing I think that is hurting your chances is your use of potting soil.
Most organic indoor growers use potting mix as a base, then add amendments to that.
Soil can harbor some nasty beasties.
To start with, most potting mixes are blends of peat, bark, other plant fibers, perlite, maybe some vermiculite and whatever else happens to be lying around.
And they are almost always too heavy(read: retain too much moisture). You can start by choosing a potting mix with an OMRI certification, sterilize it by baking it in an oven at 250 F for an hour or two and cool, then cut it by 50% fresh perlite.
Choose an organic OMRI fertilizer or just use 25% by vol earthworm castings.
That will get you through veg.
For flower, I’d choose a soluble organic fert like https://www.burpee.com/gardening-supplies/organic-gardening-supplies/burpee-organic-all-purpose-water-soluble-plant-food-5-2-4-prod100220.html
Remember this is to take it easy on yourself and gain some experience.
For a truly living “soil”, I suggest you download a copy of True Living Organics by the Rev for a starting guide about living soils. Try to follow his basic recipe exactly the first time. You won’t be sorry.
Here is another great place to start.
Good luck and keep posting!
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This is what i have access to at the moment. The Liquid Fish Fertilizer does’nt state its NPK ratio but i read generally (5-1-1) is the general composition. Seaweed Extract has trace amounts of NPK but is believed to a good additive. I tried using them as per the instructions on the bottle ( both foliar & into the medium) but plants reacted badly - leaf tips burning off. Din’t dare try them again.
I think i should try your advice about giving them a light dosage at first.
So true…!! the potting soil ends up retaining moisture like crazy for a long period of time. From what i have read, Marijuana plants love well drained soil with good aerations with abundant nutrients. I do add perlite to all my mixes but not as high as 50% but 15% based on what some growers recommended. But i guess i should definitely try out your suggestion as well and see how things turn out.
I do have access to this at the moment but again when i tried following the instructions verbatim the plants dint seem to like it. Guess i’m just not using the right way.
Will try to get my hands on it ASAP. Love reading more & more to improve my understanding on how to be a successful grower.
Greg Green’s Grow Bible happened to be the first book i read front to back & back to front during my first grow. Might have to re-read it again.
These are the books that have been keeping my busy for the past few months. Never seem to get bored about learning more.
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This is the thread on ICMAG which motivated me to go micro in my 2nd attempt. Not sure if i’m allowed to post threads from other sites but here it goes:
Compact SOG with CFL’s
Posted By DrBudGreengenes
Micro Grows
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?threadid=69713
Could’nt get my hands on CFL where i am as most vendors stated that technology is now outdated and LEDs are the way of the future.
This is the method i’m trying to currently replicate & to see if i can get similar results.
Do you think its a method a beginner like me should be trying out…?
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Flowering room pic: 2 Plants under one 40W 2700k
Lost my job recently and want to save some cash on electricity so i will just experiment and see how these two plants perform under 1 bulb. No worries, i was re-employed at my previous job almost immediately with a better pay as well but it will be at least before I’m cash rich again.
The plant on the left went straight from seed into 12/12. The plant on the right got about 1 month veg time and then into flower. They are currently into 3rd week of 12/12
The Plant on the right showed pistils few days back so i think its female, tried taking pics of the same but my phone-cam just dint seem to capture it.
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welcome friend. 
my sympathies; the only aspect I’d discourage is the use of CFL-- LED screw-in is far superior.
make the bottles lightproof w/paint or tape.
sadly i find indoor gardening to require 'cashola too 
There are numerous examples of low-budget & low power growing here… @Mr.Sparkle’s icmag CFL stuff is how I got onto OG. 
the only other concern is what are your expectations & “yield requirements”? if you need more weed then you’ll need a bigger garden.
SOME weed is ALWAYS better than NO weed. 
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My expectations are actually quite simple currently…
High Quality Potent Sinsemilla Buds grown at home = 0grms
Goal = to change that.
Even if i can only get 1 joint out of it - if it’s an exceptional smoke, i think its still worth the time & effort i have put it.
Eventually i want to setup a perpetual grow where i am harvesting a lil bit of fresh bud every week and i’m ready to do the needful to succeed.
Low Budget & power seem to be what i’m after. Just trying to figure out what works in my situation.
I’m presently in the latter state with nothing to smoke, but honestly i can’t decide if smoking or growing gives me more satisfaction. I think it’s fantastic hobby to have picked up.
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Progress Card: 12th Oct
top view
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Plant on the left: Potting soil with organic manure. It could be healthier, but seems to have grown the better than the others. Also has the best root development.
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Plant in middle: Potting soil-Coco-Organic Manure (40-40-20) Leaves look green but there has hardly been any upward growth.
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Plant on the right: Pure coco. Good root development but no upward growth. Leaves are looking gnarly.
Any Diagnosis…??
I have a cheap 3-in-1 probe that detects Ph-Moisture-Light. Not sure how reliable & accurate they are but better than having nothing. All the mediums usually report a Ph of higher than 7.5 - which from what i have read is not ideal. Nutes locked out perhaps…??
Still a noob so there is a lot i don’t understand.
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It sure is. A real stepping stone in the path of emnlightenment.
Great attitude; I smoke too much & need ridiculous amounts so I had to ask. 
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Good ol’ Dr Bud!
I have to say he and Anti Micro did me a good turn by posting there.
Although I haven’t been to icmag in a while, I seem to recall Dr. Bud leaving there suddenly, don’t know if he returned. Some posters really attacked him there, and it wasn’t pretty. Dr. Bud, of course, responded in kind, dude can fire back! and this may have contributed to his departure.
But imo opinion, Dr Bud genuinely was trying to help folks, even if he was proud of his success.
I’m pretty sure it’s ok to post links to other sites, not speaking for the mods or principals here and I like the hell out of icmag, … but … OG feels more like home to me. And most members will tell you so if you give them half a chance.
I don’t come to this plant with fight club in mind and I know it doesn’t want that either.
People here treat each other respectfully and with good reason, they are all awesome with dope on mj.
So with all due respect to Dr. and Anti – tending so many plants is a lot of work and both of their methods are designed around just that. So that alone made me look for a method better suited to my needs.
What they did do was fire up the will to try my own grows and I thank them for that.
I’m striving for the day when I have only 2 plants going, both magnificent.
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Check the ph of that soil with a chemical soil tester…
Mine hovers around 6.2.
Weed is tough and can sometimes flourish in high ph soils like yours but we’re not seeing this here.
I have never seen organic manure with such high numbers. Amendments like that usually need mixing in your medium, then add, lime, gypsum(more gypsum than lime 2/1 ratio) and keep in a cool dark place with an air permeable cover, like medium duty weed block, for at least 3 weeks before planting.
Mix this every week to monitor moisture and mix in air. Check ph before use as well.
Hot manures or any strong organic ferts need time to assimilate in the medium lest they burn your plant or swing the ph crazy.
You are finding out that pure coco is too dense, holds water so tightly that the lowest levels of your pot are likely oxygen starved. Many nasty things often deadly to plants, any plant, happen in this level.
Without proper soil/medium texture, water tends to “perch” instead of draining, the exact same mechanism that holds water in a sponge.
So not only cut with a high percentage of perlite(small sized, no bigger than 1/4 inch), rinse with:
rain water, *best;
zerowater, *2nd best;
distilled *3rd best.
Every coco that I’ve ever used has been full of debris, sand and mostly SALT.
Make sure to boil it or bake at 250F as discussed, before mixing.
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@okletsgrow
What little I’ve done with coco/coir tells me that quality is usually & variously poor like @spaceman says. it’s not peat or dirt or rockwool.
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i got a 125 Watt cfl from amazon … love them for veg …admit i am old school
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If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.
—Isaac Newton (1642–1727)
You folks at OG are my GIANTS…!!
Thank you. If i have something to smoke, i end up smoking ridiculous amounts myself. The only time I’m forced to take a break is when my procurer goes out of action, like at the moment, but i’m not complaining - its helping me lower the heavy tolerance i have built up from smoking a lot…!!
Just finished my first reading of True Living Organics by Rev and i appreciate you pointing me in the right direction. Reading it over again to soak all of it up. Will try to implement the recommendation as soon as i have more resources handy.
Thank you for the help in diagnosis & the tips shared.
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Sorry for the poor quality pic but this is the best my camera could capture.
It’s a Girl…!!
But not a happy looking one. Leaves are foxtailing…?? (not sure if thats the term)
Could be due heat stress from being extremely close to the bulb. Lower leaves seem unaffected. Moved it slightly away to see if it helps.
or is it root bound…??
I can see roots popping out of the hole in 11’o clock position but not in the others
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I swear to god i din’t have some much trouble during my first grow. Must have been beginner’s luck.
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