Hey guys, kinda new to this so here goes:

First grow,

1. Seeing as its my first grow, would Sativa or Indica be a better choice in terms of toughness of the plant, and easiness of going badly wrong? Main motivation is a succesful first grow to get one under my belt.

2. How many seeds am I looking to plant per pot? im looking to grow 2 big plants under a 400w grolux light with good ventilation (input/output with filter). I have a high ceiling height also, so height isn't a problem in those terms.

3. What strains do you recommend in terms of toughness of the plant - in order to have a succesful first grow?

4. I've heard that the sativa high is preferred by most, but can you get the same yield from a Sativa as you can an indica?

Thanks a lot in advance, any help would be greatly appreciated!

Good day mchammer and welcome to UK420!

It's great to meet new people interested in start to grow our loved plant!

Will try to answer your questions the best possible.

1) Indicas usually grow more compact and with faster flowering time than sativas, but sativas are more vigorous, harder to kill, easier to clone and more resistant to mold attacks than indicas. I believe you can have a succesful harvest with either indicas and sativas. It depends more in what kind of smoke you are looking for.

2) One plant per pot is recommended. You can start them with small pots and re pot to bigger ones during the vegging. With 400 w you can light about m2 aprox. You can grow about 6-8 plants ( 1 meter of height or little more) in 1 m2. Fluorescent are good for vegging but HPS and other metal lamps are better for the flowering.

3) Our best strains for novice indoor growers would be Orient Express and Bangi Haze. Nepalese Jam too.
They are mostly sativa hybrids with powerful highs and great tastes. Each on its way. They are quite easy to grow and have reasonable flowering times and good indoor adaptability.

4) Of course, sativas can produce even more than indicas although flowering times are longer. Our sativa mothers from clone are usually better yielders than the indica mothers.

I hope it helps a little. Let us know if you have more doubts during the start of grow!

Thanks a lot, that really helps!

So what would you recommend me buy....Sativa or Indica for 1st grow, where I would prefer the sativa high. Also the conditions could get pretty cold, so is Sativa the better option?

I don't actually know the difference between cloning and from seed...

Thanks again!

Also, how long should you have to veg for (sativa and indica), as I've read that 10-15 days is enough, but then I read some stuff on the net saying they veg'd for like 6 weeks etc... confusion What difference doe this make to the plant?

Best to start with a mixed indica/sativa hybrid ..... which is basically about 90% of what is available anyway...


Read the descriptions from the breeders or seed banks - better still have a read through some of the grow diaries here - then you can maybe make a better decision on what would be most suitable for you...

Basically longer veg time equals bigger plants and larger harvests.

Plants grown from seed will need - on average - a longer veg time than cuttings,which are genetically the same age as the mother plant they came from.

Sativas or Sativa hybrids generally have a far longer flowering period maybe 10-14 weeks or more... but they have the advantage that clones can be put into flower far more quickly as they tend to increase in height a lot more than indicas during flowering.

Once you have decided on a particular strain (or 2.. ) grow out the females - pick the best mother - and start to take cuttings for future crops... happy daze ....

In short - do some reading and get going ....

good luck


Laz

Good day!

The decision would depend in which kind of highs are you looking for. If you prefer motivating more sensorial highs then choose sativa dominant plants. If you prefer relaxed and anti anxious experiences then choose mostly indica. Live is not black or white and sativa/indica hybrids are usually the best option for novice growers. You can learn from both cannabis spectrums and choose in the future what you prefer more.

Nepalese Jam, Guerrilla and Bangi Haze are our best strains for cold outdoor conditions.

If you take clones from a mother, they will be genetically identical as the mother (same aroma, kind of high, structure ..) , so the results growing always the same clone will be always similar under the same ambient. Remember that results are:

Genetics + Ambient= Expression of traits

That's why experienced growers take clones from their favourite plants and maintain them in vegging photoperiod (18/6 or higher). Then you can maintain during years your favourite mothers and males, from a plant that is annual like cannabis and usually die after flowering.

The difference between clones and seeds is the sexual maturity (age) . Cannabis plants need to reach sexual maturity before flower correctly. Some indicas need a minium of 4-5 weeks to be hormonally ready (matured sexually) to flower abundantly. On the other hand some tropical sativas need mounths of vegging before the flowering.

So if you grow from seed typical sat/ind hybrids, you will need to veg them for at least 4 weeks and then put them to flower cycle (12/12). But if you grow from clones, they are sexual mature ( notice they have the same age than the mother they came from, probably mounths or years ), and dont need long veg periods. You can put the clones to flower after rooting, when they reach the size you want. Some growers like to put dozens of small clones in a reduced area (Sea of green). When Growing with SOG style, clones are usually vegged for a few days and then flowered but the final yield is very high for m2 because the plant density.

I hope it helps!

PD: Great tips lazlo!