growing indoors

yea im growing a few plants in my room that i plan to move outside when there about a foot. im not too experienced, so if anyone has any neato tips for indoor cultivating, please let me know, it will be greatly appreciated.

 

-18 hours sunlight/6 hours darkness
(temperature must drop 10-15 degrees farenheit at "night)

-Keep the humidity low for the vegitation period (early stages)
(humidty causes fan leaves to grow wider in order to breathe through humid climates. Resulting in a lack of produced resins)

-Lots of fresh moving air /ventillation.

-refrain from using aluminum foil to brighten the amount of light. Only use it if you have no mylar.

-keep the entire soil base moist. Don't water too close to the plant. Evenly soak the soil mixture thoroghly. That's what roots are for

-talk to your plants! Show them affection (be logical). Studies prove that positive human interaction does miracles for a plant's health and well being. (hehe yes plants have those!)

I'm probably missing some vital information - but these are a few tips to keep in mind.

Good luck, GCandPfunk!

 

hi flash...'pfunk...

..?..not sure about that particular point. There are studies that indicate lesser temp flucuation between lights oin and lights off, reduces internodal stretch. (Why grow stem?) Shorter internodes will keep plants shorter, utilizing more of the usefull light efficiently=denser buds "IMHO"

...did you mean leaves grow wider in order to transpire more efficiently in "arid" climate?...It seems that indica dominates(wider leafed) tend to origonate from arid climates, while sativa dom's (narrow leafed) are origonated from more humid equatorial regions.

I couldn't agree more.

right on, "NO foil" or mirrors. Flat white paint runs a close second to mylar in reflective qualities.

..."IMO" mj prefers short drought conditions to 'wet feet'. I would recommend thuroughly saturating the entire medium, then not watering again untill the soil is dry at least 2-3 inches deep, or untill the soil/medium start to shrink away from the sides of the pot.

 

24/0 lighting for veg

 

If you plan on putting them Outdoors after the summer solstice(june 21), 24/0 might be ok for vegging. But normally, plants that are destined for outdoors should be raised under similar hours as Mother nature is/will provide,(18/6 or 16/8) to avoid stress AND to prevent immediate flowering.

 

Right on grouchy old dude, you know yer shit.

 

Plants are not prepared to utilize more than 18 hours of continuous light.

24/0 is a waste of money, and denies the natural rythm of the plants physiology.
The plants night time biochemistry should not be ignored.

 

Actually, Plants are prepared to utilize as much light as you can give them during the vegetative period. They dont just automatically shut off after 18 hours of light. They continue to grow for 6 hours longer every day on a 24/0 schedule than if they were to be on an 18/6 light schedule. So as you can see, plants growing on a 24/0 schedule will have a profoundly larger yeild and shorter grow time than plants growing with only 18 hours of light. And as for the plant's biochemistry, the only chemical change it goes through during the dark period is the production of the a hormone which initiates the flowering cycle. So having a night period during the vegetative stage would prove to be useless. The only time plants require a dark period is to initiate flowering after which, a 12/12 light schedule is required.

 

That is not correct.

The plants don't "shut off".

They have simply reached a bottle neck in the production of useful chemicals.

Further, the biochemistry of the plant requires oxygenation- something that is only accomplished in the dark.

Try the experiment- you will find that the plant with no dark periods will be no more productive - but will have cost considerably more.

 

Marijuana plants continue to photosynthesize as long as there is light and their other needs are met. They do not need a rest period. Turning the light off for 25% of the day decreases growth rate by 25%. This is actually costly because it requires the plants to spend a longer time in the vegetative stage. And for the plant's oxygenation process, try this experiment- get any kind of plant. Submerge it in water and put a plastic bag over the submerged top. Make sure the plant is getting plenty of light. You will see that it continues to produce oxygen even if there is no "dark period." This is because the act of photosynthesis requires light to break down nutrients and expel excess gases like oxygen. So by having a 24/0 light cycle you dramatically improve oxygenation

 

Unless I plan to put plants outside, indoors I have always used a 24/0 light cycle during veg. Except when experimentaing with different light cycles.
Plants grow faster under a 24/0 cycle. I have done side-by-side comparisons (clones from the same donor, same lumens per sq/ft, same nutrients, different growspaces).
The only difference in using a dark cycle during veg is it will take you longer to veg.

I also experimented with using an extended dark period at the end of flowering that I read some growers do and found that doesn't help either.

 

I've run large indoor commerial operations that were all about gram-per-watt yield.
18 hours is peak effeciency.

 

It denies the plant the maximum potential for photosynthesis. 24/0 is the way to go if you are looking for the most productive and cost efficient grow possible.

 

Your knowledge will probably fall on deaf ears as far as gecko is concerned, Magic Mushrooms.

 

Yea your right. I proved my point, no sense in rambling on about the same thing.

 

The 24/0, while once commonly used, has since been discredited.
Unless you can point to recent legit papers on the subject, I'll stick with experince and research- you guys are behind the times.

Photosyn is not the only chemical process involved in plant growth. I suggest a course in plant bio-chemistry.

 

You've been discredited.

 

If you would have had the patience to read my posts, then you would see that Photosynthesis is not the only chemical change I described. Try reading a little before making false accusations. And by simply stating that this method has been "discredited" in your opinion doesn't realy provide any real evidence. So show me some of your "research" on the subject and I might take you seriously.

 

I read every word of every post in threads I address.

And frankly- I have no desire to convince you of anything.
Hell, I'm still waiting to be convinced that you have the basis nessacary to stay with me in such a discussion.

In any case, your slant on flowering and the dark period is only accurate as far as it goes- indoors.
It doesn't apply to weed in a natural state.

Further, plants use the dark to absorb oxygen in order to oxidize waste products for disposal. You'd deny them this facet of thier evolved biochemistry.
Your plants are high in toxins, grower.
-------------
As for my research- a little thing with 150 mph winds last summer destroyed the data on my then current project, (as well as my personal grow facility and a large, widely spread commercial indoor operation that had been a major east coast supplier of commercial "dro" for the last few years).

The paper is half written, but I'm back to square one as far as collecting experimental data goes.
Nevertheless, I shall post it- hypothesis, reasoning, and collateral evidence, sans experimental data- in the near future, just for the two of you- for your amusment, opinions, and education.

In the meantime- search the archives of the old site. Perhaps one or two examples of my work survived the crash.

Now what, besides insistence, do you have to contribute?

 

Gecko's an interesting case study isn't he, MagicMushrooms?
First he insists what we advocate is impossible, then when we tell him we done it for years/decades, he says we grow "toxic" weed.
Some people will never learn. In fact, gecko don't want to know. You can drag him kicking and screaming to the water but still he won't drink.