# Clueless in Noobieland



## Noobie-Noob-Noob (Jul 28, 2016)

Heya, all! 

I was hoping this learned assembly could give me a hand at sorting out which of my very first plants are sativa or indica strains, please.

Yes, I am **that** clueless - LOL! 

They are all from bag seeds donated by a friendly clueless neighbor who has no idea what she bought and had saved a few seeds in the last 3-4 months. Also, after a 100% germination rate, they were potted 17 days ago (except for the last one which I got later and has been in soil for only 8 days - and it's a _dang_ strange-looking specimen LOL!).

Regards and thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge ; )

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Noobie-Noob-Noob
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## Hushpuppy (Jul 28, 2016)

Hello NNN  welcome to The Passion. First, those all look to be very "Indica" to me. But there is a lot more to it than that. When MJ plants are young they tend to look mostly Indica until they get some size to them. Now there are also very many varieties that are hybrids of Indica and Sativa. These hybrids can vary greatly in what is known as the phenotype layout. That is how the multitude of traits of the plant are expressed. You can have a plant that looks very Indica in structure, color, etc., yet smokes like a Sativa. 

Another thing for you to consider is whenever you find seeds in a bag of bud, it is very likely to have come from a "hermaphrodite" trait in MJ that has caused a female plant to produce male buds and pollen. This will cause most plants growing from those seeds to be "doomed to Herm". Often worse than the parent did. If you grow these to maturity and they are all female, the chances of them "Herming" become very likely. But you won't know for sure as there is a small percentage that don't "herm", or not bad enough to be a problem. But it will take diligence on your part to spot males and Herms and remove them from your grow so that you don't end up with a pile of worthless seeds and poor bud.

If you have never grown Cannabis before, there is a significant learning curve (if you are growing indoors) less of one for growing outside. But these plants are very need specific if you intend to keep them in pots. Do some reading, and don't be afraid to ask.


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## Rosebud (Jul 28, 2016)

That Hushpuppy is good. You are in good hands, I second everything HP said. 

Hermies are bad and can ruin your whole grow if left to pollinate your girls so be very careful, or buy some good seeds that won't hermie.

I agree with hush they look very indica at this time.


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## WeedHopper (Jul 28, 2016)

Also be carefull what plants your growing them around or you will end up with Spider Mites that can destroy your crop.
I have grown bagseed weed,,,and Hush is right. They have a good chance of throwing Nanners. If they do it will lower the potency of your weed due to wasting energy on seeds. I hate seeded weed,,and so should you,,unless you pollinated them on purpose.


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## Noobie-Noob-Noob (Jul 28, 2016)

Jeepers, talk about quick and knowledgeable responses! And thanks for the warm welcome.

So, indica, huh? Kinda happy about that since my main motivation is to provide relief to my old parents (88 and 81) suffering from the aches and pains of old age (arthritis, tremors, memory loss, etc.).

My indoor set-up has enough room to veg-flower 4 to 6 plants each in its final 8-gallon pot and I figure that however unskilled I turn out to be, I could still expect a 350-450 gram yield twice a year which would provide me enough for the edibles I hope to make for my folks (and a daily toke or two for myself and maybe even my folks who are quite excited LOL). BTW, the pics above were taken outside because on really nice days, I bring the plants out into the sun of our short Montreal summer.

That being said, neither of us enjoy a perma-couch lock or the paranoia that some experiments have provided... Maybe because we are super light users (I have always been a 1-toke-I-choke-I'm-buzzed kinda guy ; )

However the hermie potential you brought up has me wondering if I should stick with my budding babies (if only to see how badly I can mess them up ; ) or start from scratch with feminized seeds... I'm a patient man and don't mind the wait, but to be honest, I don't know.

What would you suggest, please?

I'm here to learn, so thanks in advance for any and all input.

Regards,

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Noobie-Noob-Noob


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## Rosebud (Jul 29, 2016)

I would suggest getting a good CBD strain. It is amazing what a high cbd will do for pain. We use Nordle, Freedom baby, Harlequin, etc for that.

I like a sativa, my husband likes indica... so it is a personal thing.  Nordle is a nice plant and has both THC and CBD. And if you and your wife are lightweights it would be good for you too.

Taking plants outside to indoors is risky for bugs.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jul 29, 2016)

Noobie-Noob-Noob said:


> ....I figure that however unskilled I turn out to be, I could still expect a 350-450 gram yield twice a year which would provide me enough for the edibles I hope to make for my folks....



Unfortunately, this is not a good assumption.  Cannabis has very specific needs and wants and a plant that is not taken care of properly can die at any time, leaving you with nothing.  In fact, the first plant and the last plant do look to have some issues that prbly should be addressed.  This is not like growing tomatoes or ornamentals.  I suggest that you sit down and and do some serious studying on just what cannabis needs to thrive.  This is a hobby that is going to take knowledge, experience, and money.  

Also, you talk as if 350-450 is a small amount of cannabis--it isn't.  If you have 4-6 plants, a harvest of a pound is a good harvest, but  not going to go a long ways when you start making concentrates.  Also yield is directly tied to your lighting.  Other factors in your room also of course play a part, but good light is critical, so first why not start by telling us about your grow space, then your medium, and then what you are feeding your plants.  

I personally would be for you starting over with known quality seeds.  Bless you for doing this for your parents.


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## Noobie-Noob-Noob (Jul 29, 2016)

Hello again!

1- The blotches on one the plants. My dad splashed freshly chlorinated water from the nearby pool while using the skimmer... Which is better than when he obliviously mowed down 4 3-week old plants I'd just put in the soil in the yard, last year... LOL and I love the old guy to death.

2- Bugs. Dang, forgot about the bugs though we really don't have much (common flies, lady bugs, ants; light bugs and moths at night...), but will refrain from taking them out just in case. Thanks, Ms. Rosebud!

3- Reading and research. I've been hitting the books pretty hard over the past 6-7 weeks, at least 4-5 hours every evening. I've learned how to meticulously keep my filtered water at 6.4 ph and do not overwater; to keep everything kitchen-clean; since I'm an old-school kinda guy, I've picked an NPK balanced soil mix recommended by local (Canadian) growers into which  I blend 40% of my own compost. To that mix, I add 25-30% perlite/vermiculite per volume. I went paper towel for germination of my 6 bag seeds, transplanted them into 1 pint pots and when I saw that the roots went all the way down, I put them in their current 2-gallon pots. Their final 8-gallon pots are at the ready and waiting. Everything was washed beforehand with a 5% bleach/95% water solution and thouroughly rinsed. Come to think of it, my wheelbarrow and shovel were not washed before the initial soil mix... Oops.

I honestly forget which made-for-cannabis nutrients I bought, but haven't fed them yet as the nutrients in the soil should sustain them for the upcoming weeks, at least until they go from their current 2-g to the new soil of their 8-gallon pots. Then I'll feed accordingly to each stage though what I've read suggests I shouldn't have to feed much up until flowering (haven't settled on the flowering nutes yet, tbh).

I am somewhat familiar with the basic pruning/trimming/cropping/super cropping/topping/lolipopping/fimming/SOG/SCROG/LST and cloning techniques. But haven't actually performed any of them other than topping and LSTing the current brood. 

4- Grow space setup. I've turned my 6' x 12' (74" ceiling) ex-darkroom into my grow room. It has a 300 cfm vent and charcoal filter, 6 (x2) power outlets on 3 different circuits while the walls and ceiling are a glossy white; the latex paint has cured for well over 5 years (haven't developped a roll of film in *ages* LOL). The floor is ceramic tiles. The room also has electric heating, a not-yet-needed humidifier and a 16-liter/24 hours dehumidifier on standby. 

5- Equipment. I have purchased 2 (but only installed 1 so far) 1000w LED grow lights (https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01DM0LDLO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20). I also have 4 neon cases with 8 "cool white" 48" tubes and 8 "warm white" tubes to add more light in both veg and flower stages if/when the babies require them. Each LED grow light will have a pair of these wrapping down around the plants to get more light into the canopy. I also have 16 individual light sockets each with a 9' electrical cord as well as the 16 "cool white" CFLs and 16 warm white CFLs to get "in there" if need be. Overhead, I have a solid trellis of bars from which to hang all that gear without any worries of anything crashing down on me and my younguns. Being an experienced photographer and movie director, I kinda like to think I know how to work with light and have all kinds of pro-grade instruments to help me achieve acceptable light coverage and balance. ; ) 

6- I am single, only work freelance/part-time now and invited my old parents to move in with me 20 months ago so they would not have to suffer being apart if one of them lost his/her autonomy and had to be sent to a home. Won't happen on my watch : )

7- Long story short, I worked hard, somewhat neglected my health and recently (re)discoverd cannabis and the progress made since I last regularly 'partook' 35 years ago. Finding out about all the new strains, the hard science behind most of them and how the medical establishment has somewhat come around to what most of us knew (hoped to be true?) about the benefits of cannabis led me to start reading up on the matter in the hope of taking better care of myself (I now have "me" time or at least have learned to make some) as well as making my old folks more comfortable with the ailments of old age. Somewhat surprisingly, they are quite enthused by the whole idea!

And, to be honest, I'd like light one up now and then just for the fun of it, too!

8- So, this first run was initiated mainly to get things rolling and see if I could pull it off before I even knew enough about strains to be able to choose which one(s) would suit me/us best. Kind of a dress rehearsal to see if I enjoy it enough before I get serious and purchase seeds from abroad. On that subject, I am kind of partial towards what the people at CBD Crew have to offer... But then again, I am such a *total* Noobie-Noob-Noob in that department, too, hence the fully deserved nickname LOL

Also, when I wrote about possible yields, I was talking about "eventually, when I get well beyond this novice level". But thanks for pointing out that in reality 1.5 - 2.0 lbs don't go a long way; in my day, a single pound implied you were a member of a biker gang and/or that Interpol was hot on your trail but that you'd be up to your eyeballs in marijuana *forever* since we stretched out an ounce for well over a month - LOL! So I guess I should already start thinking of aiming a bit higher than I naively thought.

9- So there you have it. Thank you so much for getting this far without passing out from boredom. And yet more thanks for any and all input/advice you may share as you've so generously done so far. Really.

And finally, 10- Regards, you bunch of magnificient folks!

--
Noobie-Noob-Noob


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## WeedHopper (Jul 29, 2016)

:bolt:


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## Schlongo (Jul 29, 2016)

The best way to learn is from other's mistakes. I wish there had been forums such as these when I was bumbling my way along.
Ask all of the questions you want. 

Sent from Cannabis Heaven


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## Noobie-Noob-Noob (Jul 30, 2016)

Reading all your knowledgeable replies, I've learned a bunch. And thanks for it all ; )



> This is a hobby that is going to take knowledge, experience, and money.



I believe/know that now. So I guess it would be best to accrue the first two commodities and endeavor to hold on to the third.



> The best way to learn is from other's mistakes.



And I agree wholeheartedly here again. But there is also precious knowledge and experience to be gained from any adverse situation as a failed experiment can be as useful as a successful one, can't it?

So since the consensus seems to be that my current grow is most probably junk, I've decided to stick with and use it as a test dummy to try out the different LST/HST techniques, cloning and even seed feminization (built myself a coloidal silver generator, yesterday, as I had all the necessary materials at hand). Besides, I'm only using half of my grow rooms potential.

My rationale is that starting over with expensive seeds (more $) while having not a shred more experience of hands-on practice would be counterproductive as I'd be turning my back on a great learning experience.

Which doesn't exclude investing in great genetics in the very near future if I manage not to kill everything over the next few weeks.

So, wish me luck and loads of the greenest karma ; )

Regards,

--
Noobie-Noob-Noob ~ climbing his way out of the pit of ignorance


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## Rosebud (Jul 30, 2016)

I think that is a good idea to get your feet wet with what you already have. Just know you may get a hermie and so you will need to be looking for little yellow nanners on the flowering plant . You may get lucky and they won't hermie..but doubtful. The plants look nice, not junk.  We are a bunch of purists around here lol

NNN, if you want to light up just for fun, that is ok, that is medicine too, for fun.  I am glad you are here and will be watching... greenest of mojo~


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## Hushpuppy (Jul 30, 2016)

Noob it sounds like you are one with a lot of common sense and knowledge of working on things and "rigging up" things. That will give you a considerable head start on this. Reading up on it is very important but be careful to not take what you read as "gospel". There are multiple ways to do this and have a very good result. 

If you like using soil with compost then you are using "organic" methods versus "synthetic" methods. The 2 can be mixed but I don't recommend that people do that unless they are accomplished growers. If you want to stay organic with the compost then you need to be sure you take care of the microbe herd that is necessary for organics to work. Adding synthetically derived nutrients to your organic medium can often kill off the beneficial microbes. You can buy organic nutrients and make up your soil or you can use a basic organic soil and purchase liquid organic nutrients and teas. If you want to stay this route, do some reading on "organics".

I can't stress enough that MJ is a very need specific plant. You have to be ready to give them what they want when they want it (when you are doing a indoor grow versus outdoor). The reason for this is that when you are outdoors, nature controls everything. When you do an indoor grow, you must control everything. AND because WE can't mimic nature very well, it is easier to just give the plants those specific things and carefully monitor them along the way. Our goal is ripe and seedless flowers, and the best way to get there is to keep the plants happy until harvest. Keeping that in mind, as you progress, you will learn to adjust things like temperatures, humidity, light intensity and color, feeding and/or watering regimens, etc. 

Don't be afraid to try different methods but don't be too quick to try multiple changes. Make few changes a little at a time so that you can see how the plants react to it. There are many strains (as Im sure you now know) and that creates a significant amount of variables in what the plants like and dislike. Don't try to take on too much or do too much variety as growing MJ will turn into a full time job very fast. 

The most important thing for successful growing..... *Patience*. Its more than just a virtue, its a necessity.

The only bad thing about growing out what you have is if it does herm and craps up the bud, then you have lost several months when you have to start over. It really depends on how soon you need to have that harvest. This one may work out great or terrible, or somewhere inbetween. Tough call to make. For me, it sucks too bad to care for plants all the way to harvest and end up with crap. Been there, done that.:doh:


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