Issue #120 - Sunday, August 3, 2014
Dear Fellow Grower, In today's issue... - Learn about 7 (plus 3 bonus) cool and weird tools that can solve many everyday grower problems!
- Once you've learned how about these grower cheats, get your hands on them!
- Check out an unbelievable first time grow done with T5s and a SCRoG net!
Happy Growing! Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside (founders of GrowWeedEasy.com)
"Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as
you go along." ~ George Herbert One of the toughest parts of becoming good at growing cannabis - or pretty much any other skill for that matter - is learning how to
improvise. At some point in every growers career, they will run into a problem that needs a custom-tailored solution. When there's nothing available that can easily rectify a problem, being able to improvise a solution that makes both you and your plants happy is the next best thing. But the goal of our newsletter this week isn't to teach you improvisation skills, in fact we're going to do
the opposite! Instead, I want to show you some weird/cool tools I've found that can solve some of the unique problems us growers run into. Although being able to improvise is a must-have skill, it's just as important to know when to use the right tools. No one wants to spend lots of time and effort to fix a problem when there is a $1 solution that can do the job more effectively. So let's
get to those tools! Click here to jump straight to the supplies list! Plant yo-yos (also sometimes called "plant supports") are one of those tools that you would never think of until they're suggested. And once you've needed a plant yo-yo and used one, there's no turning
back. Essentially, plant yo-yos give you a way to have the top of your grow tent support the weight of your buds. Some heavily trained cannabis plants (such as with mainlining) can produce long colas that
are so heavy, they fall over from their own weight. When this happens, you can support them from above with string or wire, but it's messy in addition to feeling clumsy. Plant yo-yos have small plastic hook so they support the plant while touching as little of it as possible. They also extend and retract via a spring; so once they're installed at the top of your tent, adjusting them takes only a few
seconds. If you have problems with your buds falling over from weight, this is the best solution I've yet to see.
You've probably seen these before in your house, or maybe in an infomercial. Basically, they're a softer version of a binder clip and they're used to keep potato chip bags closed so your chips
stay fresh. It turns out they're also great for holding together the slack in your ducting! If your exhaust fan stays in one place (it almost always should) and your grow light moves, you will need to leave slack in your ducting to accommodate for the distance as the light and fan move apart. Although managing that slack can
typically be a pain, two chip clips will solve the problem within a few seconds. Additionally, most bag clips/chip clips have rubber when they actually grab on to material. This rubber is better for ducting since it tends to make less tears than metal. A water transfer pump is typically used to empty out aquariums or transfer gas between containers and a vehicle. If you're growing cannabis in a DWC(Deep Water Culture) or similar setup, this
type of tool can change the often arduous task of changing your reservoir water into a quick 5 minute task. This type of water transfer pump pictured here is a "battery operated siphon water transfer pump," and it can be used anywhere. This means that people who grow hydroponically don't have to change where they're going to grow for the sake being able to empty/fill their reservoir more easily. It also means that there is much less lifting to be done overall; a creative grower could empty their reservoir, mix new nutrients and then refill their reservoir without ever having to lift a single cup of water. Twist ties used to be what Americans used to close up trash bags. Now they're used for pretty much everything but closing up trash! When it comes to growing, twist ties are a
welcome guest in our home and they are one of the most efficient tools available for LST (low stress training) and other methods of training. We use twist ties in two varieties: - Regular twist tie is great for training young cannabis plants and it's equally great at training new growth on growing
plants. Bigger stems, however, can break loose from twist ties in a matter of hours depending on how fast they grow. Twist ties can also damage stems that grow too big if they're twisted on. Make sure to not secure twist ties by twisting them; gently wrapping the twist tie is a better method because it will pop off before it ever starts "choking" stems.
Don't twist these on because it can "choke" your plants! Gently wrap twist tie around stems like a hook, and attach the other side to your container. - Soft Wire ties are actually the heavy duty version of twist ties despite their misleading name. They're called 'soft' because the wire they contain is coated in rubber so it won't damage
plants. Although you shouldn't try to bend a rigid stem, soft wire ties are the better wire to use when training plants that give more resistance. Soft ties also hold their shape better than regular twist tie.
Tape (Scotch, Duct, Electrical) Tape?! Sacrilege! Who would put tape on their cannabis?! Any grower trying to fix a broken stem! Cannabis is a very hardy plant and it's capable of bouncing back from lots of stress and damage. However, this can work against growers as a stem that's broken and not set right will heal in the position it's in. In such a case, a grower can lose the top half of the broken stem when it could've been recovered. That's where tape comes in. All that's
needed is enough tape to keep the stem in its natural position until it can heal. Tape is basically a temporary splint you can use to support the stem while it heals. In some cases (especially in hydroponics), broken stems that are given a 'tape-cast' can be healed and back to growing within the span of a week! Think of tape as a temporary cast for your plants! Always remove tape after the injury heals. Much like regular twist tie, making a tight tape-cast on a stem and leaving it indefinitely can limit the growth of the stem above the cast is it's too tight. Make sure that you check broken stems regularly and only leave tape on for as long as it's needed. My first grow lights were a bunch of CFLs that I suspended from my closet with nylon rope. It did the job, but it was insanely clumsy and just as frustrating whenever I needed to adjust the lights.
Although I moved past CFLs eventually, I still used nylon rope to suspend my lights for way too long before I found rope ratchets. Rope ratchets are self-locking pulleys that make moving your grow lights about 100X easier. Instead of having to untie rope, move your light, and retie rope all while possibly dropping equipment, you can make minor or major height adjustments with very little effort. Rope ratchets are a
must have for any grow setup and have superior performance/ease of use compared to the ubiquitous metal chain.
When you're mixing nutrients, which is the one that gives you the most trouble? I would guess that it's most likely the
micro-nutrients that give you the most trouble. If you're like me, the reason for this trouble is that the viscosity of many micro-nutrients makes them hard to pour. Instead of it pouring out smoothly, it clings to bottle and drips everywhere it can. Nutrient pumps are a way to get around this problem, effectively making it so you don't have to pour a nutrient if you don't want to. All you do is replace the standard screw on cap with with the nutrient pump, and now you have vastly more control over how the much you get and how fast it comes out. Personally, I only use it for my micro nutrients since the others are easier to pour and a nutrient pump seems unnecessary.
Bonus: 3 Extra Tools That Will Save You Time Zip Ties/Velcro Straps - Keep the cords in your grow tent from becoming a rats nest*. Velcro straps and zip ties are awesome for bundling your cords together, as well as pinning a group of cords out of the way. Zip ties are easier to use, but harder to remove later; Velcro straps are the opposite in that they're harder to put on, but much easier to remove. *a terms for a tangled mess of
wires Pipettes - Pipettes are useful for taking a small sample of water. If you have trouble getting water into the included test
tube when you're testing pH, this is a tool that will completely eradicate that problem. Pipettes are also very cheap so you can stock up on them once and have enough for many grows. Mister - If you're the type of grower that likes to foliar feed, a mister the much better alternative to washing out a spray bottle and using that. In
addition to it being easier to measure in, it creates a much finer mist (that can be changed) which is much better than a regular sprayer can make.
| Who Runs This Newsletter?
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Nebula Haze:As an epilepsy patient, medical cannabis may have saved my life, and I'm dedicated to
showing others how easy it is to grow their own supply of cannabis at home.
It is my mission to educate and build growing resources to help both new and advanced growers get bigger, better yields with less time and money.
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Learn which seed sources are personally recommended by Nebula Haze |
Sirius Fourside:Sirius Fourside is a hobbyist grower who has gained the bulk of his experience growing in water as a
medium(deep water culture, bubbleponics)."Growing cannabis is a relaxing hobby in and of itself, but it also saves you money and keeps you from having to deal with shady
characters. Cannabis is much easier to grow than people give it credit for, and growing in water doesn't increase the difficulty much, if any. But whether you want to grow in water, perlite, or a different medium, we'll show you how easy it can be!"
Get the Tools That Make Growing Easier! |
Now that you know about some of these off-beat tools that can making growing so much easier, get your hands on the ones that will benefit your grow! The best part about these tools is they're cheap, so they'll pay for themselves quickly!
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Trophy Pictures of the Week!
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"I thought I would share some pics of my Nirvana Bubblelicious grow before I take them down on Saturday. These are 5 plants growing in a soilless mix. They are in a 2.5' x 5' tent in a former cold room under my stairs. Because of the inability to vent heat outside, I was restricted to using an array of nine Sunblaster T5 HO Tubes as well as an array of eight Sunblaster CFL Bulbs set above the plants. and in the corners. As for the plants themselves, they were very vigorous once they kicked in and forgiving when dummy me singed them with nutrients. Due to the fact I was using lower powered lights, I decided to SCROG for maximum efficiency. These plants were difficult to SCROG due to their stiff and sturdy nature. I lost one main cola trying bend her to my will. Saturday will be 64 days of flower and they are just finishing. It looks like it might be a decent crop. I would like to thank you guys, as you were the primary source of my research. Your straight forward and no bullshit approach to growing allows first grow newbies such as myself to give it a go at the tender age of 62." We encourage you to forward this email to a friend in need!
Get Your Seeds Safely! |
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GrowWeedEasy.com has put together a hand-picked list of all the available SEED BANKS including what type of payment they accept and where they ship in the world!
View complete
list of trusted seed sources:
http://www.growweedeasy.com/seeds
Why not start your grow with quality genetics from an award-winning strain? Or choose a strain that suits your growing style and personal needs.
Still not sure? We recommend Nirvana. They've been breeding award-winning strains for decades and offer some of the most reliable stealth shipping in the industry.
In our complete seed sources list you'll discover...
- Which Seed Sources are Fast, Safe and Reliable (list is updated regularly)
- Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Check Money Order, Paypal & even
more secure payment options!
- Connoisseur, High-CBD & Medical Grade Strains Available
- Find Out Which Seed Sources Deliver to YOU!
Get Seeds!
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Disclaimer: Grow Weed Easy only recommends products that we've either personally checked out ourselves, or that come from people we know and trust. For doing so, we may receive a commission. Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized Financial, Legal, Medical or any other kind of
Advice. The contributors to this magazine grow legally under their local laws. If you cannot legally grow where you live, we DO NOT recommend that you start growing marijuana, as you can be arrested, put in prison, or worse! Any decision to grow marijuana should only be made after consulting with an experienced lawyer or other
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