WEEK BY WEEK GROW GUIDE..
Ok I am assuming you have a couple of clones. If not you have to get some, can't get any then you will have to plant some seeds and take clones. This takes a little time, so for now I will just assume you have them. I will explain my seeding and cloning method later on in my cloning guide.
Your clones should have plenty of white roots, this will ensure a good grow rate.
I recommend using rain water if you can't get rain water then tap water would be fine, look into getting some sort of salt free filter. All readings I refer to are with rain water, tap water will measure different than rain water just test it with your meter and adjust accordingly. If your filtered tap water reads at 100ppm then run your tank 100ppm higher. It's not an exact science any where between 1400 - 1800ppm is fine.
Mix nutrient according to the instructions. Using rain water, mix your nutrients to about 1400 on the TDS meter. Have your ph at around 6.2-6.5. (6.3 is perfect) these levels will fluctuate during the 24 hour cycle so measure them at the same time every day, just before the first feed would be good. And adjust accordingly. If you intend to flush the next day or so just add water or start your flush sequence early. You will find you will only have to add nutrients on a weekly basis. There's no need to over do it.
And you are ready to grow.
Your tank has A and B grow nutrient and is reading at around 1400, it's ready to go, so let's get growing. The ppm levels can be upped to 1800 maximum, we start on 1400 just for the plant to get used to the environment, then up the ppm in 200 part increments with in the first week, watch for nutrient burn. Should be fine at 1800ppm.
First of all let's get some basic knowledge of this plant. Outdoors it's an annually flowering plant. Indoors a basic18hours of light to grow and 12 hours to flower.
Using mostly Nitrogen to grow and Phosphorous and potassium to flower. A main stalk with internodes gradually compacting towards the crown. Pretty straight forward.
This is a rough guide, for different grow rates you may need an extra day or so in between stages. Also any bugs and diseases will slow growth rate. Do not bring bugs in from your outdoor garden. Wash your hands and dust your clothes before coming inside.
Just make this point this guide doesn't go into the ins and outs of how Marijuana grows, it's just a guide to growing Marijuana. Any novice with half brain should be able to work it out. If you find this guide confusing or impossible to follow, then more than likely you are not ready for the indoor experience. I have made it pretty straight forward, any one that has attempted to grow and has an idea of what's going but hasn't had any major success then this guide along with my How to Build a Wardrobe guide should find this method easy and successful
Based on a 8 week flowering plant
If you find you don't have the same growth rate as this, just grow for another week or until you have filled the pot. Usually tipping so many times isn't the go. but it's the easiest way to gain main crowns. I use the kinking down method and only tip the once. try using this method on one pot and the tipping on the other, find what works for you and the strain that you are growing, some strains don't benefit being tipped too many times.
Week 1
Day 1
Let's start with eight clones. We will plant 4 per pot, this cuts our grow time down dramatically. Plant clones in a square just inside the feed ring, spacing evenly apart. Tip clones so that you now have 2 branches. Tipping or topping a plant is where you pluck the center crown out to double up on branches, it's a pretty standard pruning method for most gardens indoors or out. That's it for now. As soon as you have 2 internodes you should tip it. Doubling up every time, should give you 8-16 main crowns and keeping the plant very short. I go for about 12 per plant. This will leave you with roughly 40 crowns per pot after cloning.
If you only choose to use 1 clone per pot then only tip once and then tie the branches down spreading the plant out, increasing the budding sites, just squeeze the stalk and kink over. It will grow back forming a knuckle where you kinked it. You would have done this outdoors, same thing. You will have to grow for a little longer to fill your space, up to 3 weeks.
Your plant is ready to flower when it reaches the sides of the pot. Your plant will be an extra 2/3's the size when it's finished, so don't overgrow it. Just enough to cover the pot.
Day 3
These should have grown enough for tipping again so that you now have 4 branches. You get the picture.
Day 4
Tip again this should give you 8 main crowns
Day 5
They should have grown enough for another tipping. If you already have your 12 nice crowns per plant no need to tip again, just let it grow.
You may need to tip again to get 12 extra crowns for clones. You need to sacrifice 12 crowns so now is the time to get them.
Day 7
By now your 10-12 main crowns should be looking like nice branches with about five or six internodes on each crown. Grow rates vary so you may need to grow for an extra few days to get at least five internodes you may have them at the 6th day. Use your judgment. Keep your plants short, no more than 8 inches from the top of the pot.
If you are taking clones, now is the time.
Week 2
Day 1
Let's start flushing. Empty the nutrient tank and refill with clean rain water, or filtered tap water. Turn the pump on and let it flush through. Every few hours take 10-20 liters out and replace with clean water. Continue to do this until the reading gets down to about 200-300. This may take 2 days, for quicker results empty the tank completely and replace with clean water, more often. It's important to get it clean before we add the flowering nutrient.
Day 2
Let's flower these babies. Replace nutrient tank with flower nutrient have it at around 1400-1800. I mix it at 1800 then just add water until its time to flush again.
Well that's about it, sit back and wait for those crowns to fatten.
All you need to do now is make sure the nutrients are reading well with enough water in the tank.
You should flush every week. At the very least every 2 weeks if you choose to be lazy and flushing fortnightly you may need to replace the nutrient levels in the tank. For better results I would flush weekly, using the same method as before.
Day 3
You would most certainly have noticed the stretching going on by now. If you want you can kink or tie the branches over, this lets them grow out wards letting light into the lower buds. This method increases yield and the crowns grow back up in a day or 2. You can kink them every 3-4 days right up until week 3. It's your call, some people like to see fat branches. which I got to say, looks better than kinking them down. Yield or looks??
Day 6
Start the flushing sequence
Week 3
Day 3
Check water and nutrient levels don't kink anymore, let them grow. By now the wardrobe should be nearly full.
Day 6
Start the flushing sequence.
Week 4
Day 1
Should be looking like finger size buds now. If you wish to use a bud juice like ROCK JUICE then this is the time. If you use this don't flush for the next 2-3 weeks. You don't want to flush it all away.
Check water and nutrient levels
Day 3
Check water and nutrient levels
Day 6
Start the flushing sequence
If using ROCK JUICE then just check the nutrient levels and replace accordingly, don't flush yet. If plants are looking sick from salts built up then you should flush. If your leaves are all curling around then flush and flush well. It should be fine if you have been flushing from the start.
Week 5
Should be looking impressive
Day 1
Check water and nutrient levels
Day 3
Check water and nutrient levels
Day 6
Start the flushing sequence
If using ROCK JUICE then just check the nutrient levels and replace accordingly, don't flush yet.
Week 6
Day 1
Check water and nutrient levels
Day 3
Check water and nutrient levels
Day 6
Start the flushing sequence
If using ROCK JUICE then flush thoroughly, this may take up to 2 days.
This time we will do it a little differently.
Day 7
Once you have flushed and the water is reading around 100- 200 drain all the water out and unplug the pump for a whole light cycle. We are going to starve these babies. You will need to keep an eye on these over the next 24 hours if they start to wilt you will need to mix some nutrient. They should be fine though. By starving the plants of water for this short period will increase the resin production on the buds. You may choose to go an extra day. Also by turning fans off, increasing the temperatures in the wardrobe will help with resin secretion too. This is an advanced technique, if you have doubts, just leave this out and continue on normally.
Week 7
Day 1
Mix nutrients and give the girls a feed. If going the extra day leave this until tomorrow but keep a close eye incase of wilting. Usually one day is enough, depends on how quickly the perlite dries up.
Day 4
Check water and nutrient levels
Day 6
Start the flushing sequence.
If you feel confident, use the starving method. Using the starving method every time you flush during the flowing cycle will increase resin considerably.
Day 7
Replace nutrients
Week 7
Looking extremely fat now
Day 1
Check water and nutrient levels
Day 3
Check water and nutrient levels
Day 6
Start the flushing sequence. Starve.
Week 8 Should be getting close.
Day1
If you are desperate for a choof you could probably take a small sample by now. The white fibers should now be almost all brown, about %60. They are almost ready. Continue flushing, replacing 10-20 liters of clean water twice a day.
Day 6
Drain all the water out and repeat the starving method.
Week 9
Can't stand it any longer, these buds should be ready to pick. Hopefully all going well you should have about 10-12ounces, possibly more with a good grow. 20 ounces isn't unheard of with this setup.
Harvesting is easy, and should be done about half way through the dark period, insuring all the starches and sugars in the plant have returned to the roots. This gives a better tasting flower. The crowns should be roughly the same length with not too much undergrowth. Pick most of the leaf off with your hands and cut each crown, using coat hangers hang the crowns. Dry in a dark closet with a small fan circulating the air. The crown is dry when the stalk snaps, and should take about 2-3 weeks for a slow cure.
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