Growing questions
The questions growers ask most, with an honest answer and the gear that goes with it. Can’t find yours? Ask below.
- Nutrients How much nutrient should I give per litre? Base nutrients usually land between 1 and 5 ml per litre per part, depending on brand, stage and medium. Never go over the label, and in young plan... Read the answer →
- Nutrients When do I switch to bloom nutrients? Around the time you switch to 12/12 light, or once the first flower sites show, usually 1–2 weeks after the flip. Your brand's chart gives the exac... Read the answer →
- Nutrients Which nutrients do I need for growth and flowering? A two-part grow/bloom base (or one brand's A+B) from one manufacturer is enough for most grows. Add Cal-Mag if you grow in coco or use soft or RO w... Read the answer →
- Nutrients Can I grow plants without adding nutrients? Only for a while, and only in a rich living soil or a strongly pre-fertilised mix. In coco, hydro and standard potting soil, plants need feed from ... Read the answer →
- Medium & pots How do I take cuttings and clone my plants? Cut a 10–15 cm shoot from a healthy mother plant just below a node, dip it in rooting gel, push it into a wet plug and keep it under a humidity dom... Read the answer →
- Medium & pots What is living soil, and is it worth the effort? Living soil is a mix full of compost, microbes and organic matter that feeds the plants over time, so you mostly water with plain water. It's worth... Read the answer →
- Medium & pots Can I reuse my soil after a harvest? Yes, if the last plants were healthy. Break out the roots, mix in fresh compost or amendments, and let it rest before planting again. Throw it out ... Read the answer →
- Medium & pots How often should I water in soil and in coco? Soil: water when the pot feels light and the top 2–3 cm are dry. Coco: water small amounts often, daily or every second day in bigger plants, with ... Read the answer →
- Medium & pots Do I have to flush coco or soil, and how do you do it? In coco, give a bit of run-off at every feed (roughly 15–30%) instead of big flushes. In soil you rarely need to flush, only when salts have built ... Read the answer →
- Medium & pots What's the best soil mix for growing indoors? Go for a light, airy, pre-fertilised mix with roughly 20–30% perlite so water drains and roots get air. Garden soil is a bad idea indoors: it compa... Read the answer →
- Medium & pots Are air pots better than normal pots? Air pots and fabric pots let roots air-prune at the edge, which gives a denser root ball, but you need to water more often. Read the answer →
- Medium & pots What size pot do I need? Autoflowering varieties usually do well in 7 to 15 L. Photoperiod plants are commonly grown in 11 to 20 L, depending on how big you let them get. Read the answer →
- Medium & pots Coco: plastic pots or fabric pots? Both work. Plastic holds moisture longer and is easier to manage. Fabric pots breathe and drain well, but dry out faster. Read the answer →
- Medium & pots Soil, coco or hydro: what should a beginner start with? Soil is the most forgiving. Coco grows faster but needs feeding and pH checks every watering. Hydro is the most demanding. Read the answer →
- Climate Do I need a climate controller, or is a thermo-hygrometer enough? A thermo-hygrometer is enough to start with. A controller is worth it once you want fans, humidifier and heater to react on their own. Read the answer →
- Climate How do I heat a grow tent in winter? Use a small heater with a thermostat, insulate the space, and run the lights during the coldest hours. Read the answer →
- Climate How do I keep a grow tent cool in summer? Run the lights at night, dim them, and use a bigger fan with straight ducting. Read the answer →
- Climate How do I raise the humidity in my grow tent? Run a humidifier, slow the exhaust fan down, and keep the tent sealed except for the intakes. Read the answer →
- Climate How do I lower the humidity in my grow tent? Pull more air through the tent, use a dehumidifier if needed, and don't overwater. Read the answer →
- Climate What is VPD and how do I use it in a grow tent? VPD (vapour pressure deficit) combines temperature and humidity into one number that tells you how strongly the air pulls water out of the plants. Read the answer →
- Climate What is the ideal humidity in a grow tent at each stage? About 65 to 80% for seedlings and cuttings, 50 to 70% in growth, and 40 to 50% in flowering, a bit lower toward the end. Read the answer →
- Climate What is the ideal temperature in a grow tent? About 22 to 28 °C with the lights on, and no more than about 5 °C cooler when they're off. Read the answer →
- Ventilation & odour Should I vent my grow tent outside or into the room? Outside is better for temperature and humidity control. If that's not possible, vent through a carbon filter into the room, if the room can handle ... Read the answer →
- Ventilation & odour Why are my grow tent walls sucked inwards? Your fan is pulling out more air than the intakes let in. A little suction is good for odour, but if the walls are bowing in, the fan is too strong... Read the answer →
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