Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible

the place was pretty safe. After a few nights sitting up and discussing their prospects, the lads decided to capitalize on their good fortune, and “go for the grow!!”
    At the back of the shed was a storage area that had been partitioned off from the rest. It spanned the entire width of the building, about 33 feet (10 m) and was approximately 10 feet (3 m) wide. This seemed like an ideal place for the new project, but a few questions arose. Exactly how big were they going to make this thing? How much cash were they willing to invest? What were the consequences of success versus failure, or worse, discovery? Being corporate minded, the lads decided to make an executive decision. Seek advice from a professional.
    Holland is world-renowned for its indoor weed production; consequently, grow shops are abundant. Nigel and Terry found the staff at their nearest “grow-op” to be open, professional, and well equipped to deal with their specific inquiries. After an enlightening chat, the boys decided to play it safe and use only half the area of the storage room 16 feet 6 inches × 10 feet (5 × 3 m). They figured that organic was the way to go, and the simplest growing method (pots and soil) would be best for starters.
    They bought enough timber and other materials to construct two benches 16 feet 6 inches long × 4 feet wide (5 × 1.2 m). They bought 100 1.3-gallon (5 L) plastic pots, ten 13-gallon (50 L) bags of organic potting soil, and enough white, laminated wooden panelling to cover the walls (approximately 36 sq ft [30 sq m]). The idea was to construct the basic room, fill the pots with soil, place them on the benches, and check that the design was solid before progressing further. All went together well, total expense USD $780 (Eur $620).
    This system was relatively easy to set up. The inline fan was installed high up on the rear wall. Its job was to expel hot air from the grow room and create enough draw to pull cool air in through a vent (large gap) between the opposite wall and the grow room floor. When and if smell became a problem, the carbon filter could be connected to the Torin and its fan speed increased to maintain constant odor-free airflow. The two pedestal fans would be incorporated to increase air movement but not until all else was set up. The lamps were arranged to cover an area of approximately 3 feet 3 inches × 3 feet 11 inches (1.0 × 1.2 m) each. The reflectors supplied with the lighting kits were cheap, half-octagon, aluminium horizontal hoods. However, they were lightweight and seemed very bright when the lights were turned on.
    Clones were potted and placed on the benches (ten under each lamp). For the first five or six days, the lights were kept about one meter above the plants, then graduallylowered to about half that height as growth became healthy and vigorous. Watering was done by hand, and because the soil was a premixed organic blend, no extra fertilizer was added for the first week.
    Nigel and Terry hovered over this first crop like proud fathers. They adhered to a daily schedule of watering, monitoring pH, and inspecting leaves for signs of insect attack and nutrient imbalance. As a result, the plants developed quickly and were ready to begin flowering by the end of the second week. To induce flowering, the lights were set back from 18 to 12 hours per day. About this time, they began to add organic nutrient supplements to the daily soak. As the plants developed further, they worked up quite a thirst; all pots were watered until their individual drip trays nearly overflowed.
    The carbon filter was connected around week 6, in an effort to prevent odors escaping the shed. This tactic worked well, but it reduced airflow. As the plants increased in size and density, it became increasingly difficult to keep grow room temperatures below 86°F (30°C). On a couple of occasions, the temperature rose above 91°F (33°C), and bud development definitely suffered. The guys remember one time when every plant stopped growing for three or four days after the room overheated.
    As their crop approached maturity, Nigel and Terry noticed something strange going on. Most plants were finishing off nicely, but some (generally the biggest) didn’t seem to be maturing properly. The buds on the plants growing right under the lamps were big but didn’t seem as solid or as resinous as those on the other plants. This condition became more noticeable as time progressed. By the 8-week mark, the larger plants