Beginner Gardening: Common Problems & Solutions! (Garden Talk #39)

[@GardenTalkwithMrGrowIt]

Thanks to The Rookie Grower for coming onto the podcast today! The Rookie Grower’s KZbin channel- bit.ly/3qcjSne

[@Triangle0ffence3x]

Another great episode 👍 I’d love to hear your thoughts on the blumat system and any tips/ tricks you’ve found for it

[@mathewperry2071]

Have you tried auto pots and is it better to grow in dirt or perlite

[@cannabliss507]

Soil here

[@timdarmetko4039]

always a great show ! thanks

[@brandonbrown3115]

6

[@Tap_Roots_Growing]

Thank you for having me on the show Chris. It was an absolute blast and honor. ✌👊

[@timdarmetko4039]

great show !! thanks guys . I will follow you also Rookie Grower . I'm a long time grower (since the 90's) and really enjoy both of your humble ways and great knowledge :)

[@Tap_Roots_Growing]

@Tim Darmetko thanks for the follow brother. ✌️👊

[@chapsteronetime2000]

Awesome show loved every detail, I have some same goofs also and a lot I can relate to being a first goer! But good stuff all around

[@howsitgrowin]

@@Tap_Roots_Growing Hey bud.. let me pass on a bit of info down onto you so you won't ever make my mistake. IF you ever do hydro or DWC.. make absolutely SURE you get one of the waterproof UV-C lights to store inside the nutrient reservoir. When I did hydro.. it was the strongest stuff I ever grew. Howeverrr.. the buds had this weird nasty taste to them. It was kinda gross to smoke or vape them. Found out the reason was.. algae. You need at least one of those lights in the reservoir or else you WILL have algae. May not even be able to see it. But.. you will. And make sure you have enough light(s) so that each and every bit of the inside of that reservoir is completely lit up with the light. So.. there ya go! Now if you do anything hydro based.. you won't have to go through making that mistake :)

[@remi-d8161]

I just killed 10 seedlings from spraying too much haha fml

[@colemanneke2791]

You need to get Bill Ward on a garden talk, he is the bob ross of growing

[@GardenTalkwithMrGrowIt]

I asked him. Time for ya'll to tell him to come on.

[@localgrowguy3149]

I agree we will have to tell bill we want him on mr.growit

[@11dizzy1]

❤️ Mr Growit, ❤️ Bill Ward 👍🏻😀 Win/Win 😀👍🏻

[@tomhubner210]

@@GardenTalkwithMrGrowIt oh i will def tell him

[@chadannette4602]

Bill bill bill

[@andrewlindenfeld6222]

I've been growing plants since I was a young child when my mother first got me into gardening, and I still can't understand the concept of overwatering. Either the soil is moist, and the pot heavy... or it's not. If you're having trouble overwatering, it's better to wait until your plants start wilting from under watering, then hit them with water, than to over water… It's way easier to fix under watering than overwatering. It's not ideal to wait until the plants are wilting, but if you are still having trouble figuring out when to water, it's a way better method than overwatering and having your roots rot, or a whole host of other problems. Maybe I've just been lucky my entire life? But I've never had trouble with watering. I must say though, great episode overall! And I love the content… Keep it coming!

[@sheltowee8079]

Patience, patience, patience that's the number one tip for new growers, patience in all aspects nothing good comes fast!!

[@darcypotterpotter6214]

use a toilet paper roll , insert it into the pot fill it in with starter soil and use your regular soil in the main pot plant your seed in the soil inside the roll now when you water the roll holds back the water and with time the roll breaks down the tap root goes straight down

[@joeborovina4769]

tricky rabbit !

[@davidspearman5778]

Interesting great idea 👍 im trying that on the next run, Seems like an auto would like that method?

[@AnnhilateTheNihilist]

Genius

[@brockgangell5759]

Great idea mate

[@godbody9875]

Keep Aloe Vera gel on hand for branch or stem snaps! Trust me it's super clutch. First stabilize branch then apply generously. Exterior skin will heal and seal itself within a day without any effect to nodes or foliage. Structural integrity will return within 10 days then resume training more carefully. Works every time and branches come back stronger and more healthy!

[@AnnhilateTheNihilist]

True?

[@alphaomega8373]

Thanks GB!

[@highlyfavored3867]

Good looking out my guy

[@jasegtree4553]

Wow, thankyou. I'll remember that one👍

[@reiskelly1105]

Mix clonex with aloe Vera gell for cuttings 🤫

[@KennyKenKin]

I love this guys demeanor. Super Chill and not all extra serious and stressed out. If everyone feels that way when they grow (it being a trail and error process) it would make their lives easier. Most folk aren't good at something they have never done before so keep practicing and improving.

[@acemcplane]

Don't forget to turn off the DLS (daylight savings) setting on any digital timers for this weekend. If DLS kicks in automatically while you're in flower, you're gonna have a bad time. That's my tip for the week.

[@RicoRodriguezGrows]

12:57 I love this discussion about microbes being more healthy in a slightly wet soil. This is the reason I choose plastic pots instead of cloth pots. Recently I had 2 plants getting root bound and I did choose cloth pots for them but 99% of the time plastic pots for my magic garden! (I heard Tyler Mr Trees talking about it in a video and convinced me) TRANSPLANT from cloth to cloth BLOWS. Plastic pots for the win ! I’m curious if many people think that way about cloth pots. Cheers everyone!! Thanks Chris for another good one!

[@jayhagan8562]

I had great success as a beginner recently starting autos in 5 gallon fabric pots. Seed was put directly in soil to germ/sprout. 5 went in and 5 came up, all grew exceptional well the first 3 weeks or so even with me struggling to figure out where my light needed to be since this was my first time. I wouldn't hesitate to try plastic. As long as the medium is good and the drainage was acceptable 👌 really like to get an auto pot set up and be more hands off eventually

[@wakeUPdummies]

I saw the white plastic cloth ones in the grow shop. I held one up and light passes through easy with bs store lighting. Anyway, in nature the ground will never completely dry. And if it does, everything dies. So yeah, I use 5 gallon buckets with a bunch of holes drilled in the bottom. I also wrap them in foil hvac tape. Roots aint roots if they are getting light.

[@anthonyderoma2531]

Depends where you live in Florida you can't use plastic pots the Sun beats down on those black nursery pots the root zone gets so hot and the soil just stays saturated wet. I had major stunting especially with autoflowers and as soon as I transplanted into 5 gallon fabric pots they were so much happier they tripled in size

[@timpage5021]

I start in grodan tray move to solo cups then to plastic pots for training. For final pot I use RainScience mesh grow bags.

[@growshack9067]

Facts

[@freedom_born]

Bro. You had more insight than he did. Lol that’s why I watch your vids. Cos you’re easier to get with. Straight to the point of particulars

[@ddwmc]

Biggest thing a grower has to learn to do is Read the plant leaves for the story they tell . And stay out of the plants way leave it alone! how often do you water the house plants ? Not every day or even other day Good growers need to exercise patience. Love the videos Chris 🤟

[@chris432t6]

One of the things i like about coco is that over watering is never a problem and bugs are rare if any. Am i the only one besides The Grow Tent guy who has gripes using solo cups for seedlings? Always cool content! Thank you Mr. Grow It.

[@Flip2Flower1]

Those clear solo cups also work well when you flip them upside down over a regular solo cup to make a dome😊

[@T-Dogs]

i use a zip lock baggie upside down over cup, makes a mini greenhouse. i leave sealed till 1st leaves pop from shell. then i clip the top corner of baggie to let humid air out. spray inside of baggy to create humidity for new sprout.

[@dmo848]

I use the small water bottles cut in half then retape to make mini greenhouses

[@heathbrockway9040]

"Don't freak out if things aren't going right". Easier said than done when those plants are your business lol

[@yajmuhs7853]

If your business is financially reliant on your first time, amateur grow skills, than you messed up your first grow before you ever even sprouted leaves lmao you're just like, fuck it I'm gonna quit my job at Kroger, I'm a commercial grower now and it's all riding on this first yield hahahahaha

[@gresnid3453]

Thank you, Chris. After a fantastic first grow 2 years ago, followed by 18 months of disasters, this is the exact content I'm looking for all the time. I had no problems until I started tweaking stuff, thinking I was going to experience better yields. Going back to square one, focusing on the basics, was a hard lesson to learn.

[@jasegtree4553]

You're not alone there mate. I had some very nice grows early and for some reason I went away from the K.I.S.S method and started tweeking things. It's a lesson I won't forget.

[@T-Dogs]

cheap scrogg net set up and portable. get those one gallon clear paint bucket liners. get 4, 8, 10, 12, of them depends on area. 4 for 5x5 ect.... then get 5' wire fence post (green with built on hooks,used to spear in the ground) tractor supply. cement those posts into bucket centers. this will give your netting options to increase or decrease without mounting to the floor.

[@victorubiles6759]

The clwar solo cup with the reg solo cup game changer love it

[@Dab_Marino]

🤌

[@miker5700]

Chris I always forget to mention a way to help with over watering. I had this issue few years ago. if I was using 10 gallon pots, I'd fill up an extra pot with same soil mixture and set it beside my closet at the time. If I was feeling I wanted to water I'd lift the pots with plant and the one just with soil If they are about same weight I'd water again. If one with plant was alot heavier I'd give it another day or 2 and check again. Hopefully you see this so you can mention to everyone else who watches! I shown this to a few ppl that I've been teaching to grow they were killing plants within a few weeks and this I've got a couple ppl to a harvest that would kill within weeks! Can also put something that weighs like a couple pounds in the pot with just soil to make up for plant weight

[@keithyoung9246]

This guy was great, very easy to understand, when you asked him a question he was direct and to the point he didn't try to impress you with his knowledge like some of your other guess that i have listened to being a fng i learned nothing because they were trying to impress instead of sharing their knowledge.

[@jayhagan8562]

new grower on my first grow. 5 Autoflowers in soil ff of/hf 50/50 mix in 5 gallon fabric pots. 4x4, tsw2000, ac infinity s6 (same as t6 minus controller) home labs 4500sq ft dehumidifier, Temps 1st 4 or 5 weeks 71-82*f, 60-70% rh, now 68-78*f, 50-65%rh (colder weather) week 8 from sprout in a few days and 2 of them are over 3ft tall and like 2ft wide (like 36-39 inches) tall lots of hairs forming on 1 in the past couple weeks, will have to super crop or tie down if they keep on, light is already max height 16 inches from. Tops of two, no real buds yet😳 (did not expect them to be this large). Had to pull one of the smallest a week or so ago (was running out of room) 2 of these seem massive to be autos, impatient 🙃. Believe I've experienced many nutrient deficiencies the past week or two due to ph lock out (wasn't checking tap ph or ppm for quite some time) and doing ok till I opened the bottle.. ff tiger bloom. Back on track hopefully with apera and a couple cheaper meters for redundancy, some cal mag and recharge. ( these things are tough I've topped one at like 2 weeks (4th node maybe) and experimented with super cropping around the 7th week, recovered within 12-24 hours, amazed me) Day 53 northern lights autoflower and girlscout cookies auto by nirvana.2 of each. Dropped some light off the end, 18/6 to try and promote flowering believe they just stalled for a bit with ph lock out. Just unsure. Was tying down the first 2 or 4 weeks. Up to a about 3-5 liters or a gallon of water now every 2 days when pots get light. Ph run off was quite low 2nd to last watering. Watered in 6.9 recently but not till run off. Is indeed a learning process. Even if knowledge is all I harvest this go, I will progress thanks to information like this. Big shout out to ppl like yourself in the industry passing on the knowledge. As a cannabis user for almost 2 decades, I'm looking forward to being self sufficient.

[@danthegrower6033]

I've watched this guys channel some. It's interesting to see someone document the very early stages of growing by someone who is learning as he goes.

[@alphaomega8373]

I like to train a day before waters. That way they harden off a bit before being hydrated.

[@unholyshape]

I had better solo cups after I started bottom watering them. Plants in a tray, fill it up with water, let it soak up for a while and pour out any excess.

[@T-Dogs]

Great info love the show. i nip bottom corner of red cups with a razor blade (3-4 slots)so water can drain. 1st sign of a root coming out they are ready to transplant. works well

[@georgeskinarakais9910]

You’re awesome mister grow it. Thanks for your dedication to the persistence and thorough content

[@timdarmetko4039]

... lol last one ... mosquito bits ( product) for fungal gnats !! works amazing . Happy new year everyone !

[@jamesmichaelcabrera9613]

When I grow in soil I always put rocks at the bottom and then I mix the rocks with the soil. I always get good aeration with that. Just remember always put a rocks with the soil. It works well. Lava rocks

[@LOS4_20]

Another great video with lot's of great info 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍

[@highseekers420]

Great discussion - as a new grower you must understand that this is a learning experience. Like anything else you will get better and better at it grow by grow. I was lucky to have a mom who gardened so I learned the basics at a very young age. If you can grow a tomatoe from seed to harvest you can grow good weed too. Anything that goes wrong is a learning experiance and not a failure. Keep it simple to start and add the goodies as you as a grower progress and your knowledge grows. Mr Grow It has been a go to for information for me since i started growing weed a year and half ago. Thank you Mr Grow it!

[@illmech]

this show's so good (& this episode in particular) that even though I already heard it on my mobile podcast... twice, I hadda watch it on KZbin. thank you Rookie Grower & thank you again as always Mr. Grow It.

[@TheLovedr79]

Awesome video. Well, I have been gardening since I was 4, I'm 42 now. I always grow tomatoes, squash, zucchini, okra, string beans, jalapenos, habaneros, bell peppers, herbs, sun flowers, carrots, collard greens, corn. Due to my luck and divorce, custody battles, I have had to wait to actually grow my own medicine. Back in July the state of Virginia legalized. So this is my first real grow. Back in college in high school I would attempt outdoor grows with usually 0 success as I would have to go with the "grow if you will" technique. Come back to them around end of September. Hit or miss with harvest. Thank you Chris for all the time and effort you put towards educating and sharing your techniques. Also, thank you to your sponsors. My stepdad who has been growing for 50 years is now asking me questions, so he is supposed to subscribe to your channels.

[@reallydee8199]

There is no one better Is at coming up with good ideas to help beginners there is a plethora of different ideas that you have come up with that are spot on for someone who's just beginning or someone who's got a few years under their belt but is struggling Like me when I found your show I was struggling with so many problems I almost wanted to give up because I didn't know how to pinpoint what point what or how many issues I was actually fighting with I just I didn't know where to start

[@natalielambert4378]

This is guy has good honesty.

[@ChadnRanda]

You and John from learn organic gardening are killing it, please keep it up.🙂 so much info, I love it!!

[@justinwayne9811]

I really appreciate all u guys

[@torrencekrepps757]

Heck I truly think that the watering is everyone's problem heck I have some that's got so much water consumed and they are doing awesome and there's some that you dare not to over water like that or they will die

[@jonsimas7972]

Dr.ShimLeaf420Flowers loves your work. Tomato cage is one I use for outdoor and for auto flowers. Thanks for your professional services. The few years I've done this I feel like following you and your crew is what gives me success

[@dw694]

Diatomaceous earth stops working once it gets wet. It's better to put it in something to rest on top of the soil that can be removed to water

[@citygonecountry150]

I will say this about you Mrgrowit. What this gentlemen said towards the end of the video is something I appreciate about you a ton. U are always there for me on patreon to abswer my noob questions and i ask a lot of them(sorry about that. Its just how i always been wired when im excited about something. I hope i dnt drive u nutz) sometimes its just good to confirm I am doing the right thing. U dnt respond instantly and i wouldnt expect you to but u always do in a reasonable amount of time. You are alright in my book and I will continue to do my small part in supporting u and what u do for us all. Thank you

[@katjoy9921]

Great guest and video for growers like myself who want to learn more and grow with less issues and have a better end products. Thanks. And love the 2 solo cup idea.

[@miker5700]

Good episode as always. TRG must grow the happy uplifting laughing strains especially the strains that make you laugh 😃 have a good day guys

[@jesseparbhu6125]

Thanks for the tip about the humidity going into the grow tent and cold basement floors.

[@captainpeckerhead4551]

Yeah Bill has a turn table bed that's super cool..

[@samsorensen5246]

A like and a comment for you, good sir.

[@weezyraider]

For the solo cups just spray soil with spray bottle

[@smc3137]

"air" on the side of caution!

[@blurubyfallss2902]

The new 2000D AC INFINITY is a beast , super light proof

[@Loooooooooooooooool]

I try to keep everything in my tent white for better reflections for my lights.

[@johnnysgreenextractions8144]

Another great show thanks Chris

[@WTFImStreakin]

Going back to white pots, I think they had the intention to keep the soil temp. down being a white color instead of standard black. Idk just my .02

[@jonnyblaze2692]

You would be correct. I work at a large scale LED greenhouse and our owners require that we use white pots because of root zone temps being too high with black

[@OGLOC1574]

Another way to find out when to transplant is you can go by how often you have to water. If shes drying up daily time to transplant.

[@cathymcgillivray4960]

awesome info for new grower

[@JWDicus]

A question about lighting... Why only use overhead lighting? In nature, the sun is low in the morning then high in the afternoon, then low again in the evening. It moves across the sky throughout the day (okay, technically the earth moves around it, but you see what I mean). Would it be better to add sidelights in an indoor grow room in addition to the overhead lights? Since the plants stretch up toward the overhead light, couldn't we make the plants naturally stretch outwards (laterally) toward the side lights and let them naturally reach out instead of training them to? Why not just prune out the very center leaves in the dark middle of a densely vegetated plant and use side lighting on all 4 walls to light up every leaf on the plant? Surely someone has tried this, right?

[@busyb4283]

I look forward to this podcast every week. My grows are starting to turn out tremendous. Chilled x6 600w , orca paper , gaia green, some build a soil products, recharge, and microbe boost terp teas.

[@Trrenik0kb]

Bro your setup is recipe for success.

[@busyb4283]

@@Trrenik0kb thanks man

[@Already100]

The most important thing is PH so no matter if you're in hydroponics or in soil you'd better have a good PH monitor that's what I've learned in my initial grows... thanks for the show !

[@danielmartens156]

Overwatering is a function of frequency not volume of water! 😊

[@alexcharlesworth6558]

Peter stamets also has a video that explains a super insect attractant that he developed, maybe worth checking out see if can help garden's deal with major pest issues as his one of the worlds leading fungal experts, very knowledgeable.

[@raymafnas47]

You should get Matt AKA Mr Canucks on you pod cast.

[@GardenTalkwithMrGrowIt]

I asked him. Now it's time for y'all to tell him to come on

[@raymafnas47]

@@GardenTalkwithMrGrowIt Another good person to get on the podcast is Harley smith from NPK Industries.

[@torrencekrepps757]

I love using pipe cleaners

[@sw309]

I'm using buttercrunch lettuce as a cover crop on my tobacco plants atm, I highly recommend doing this. For one thing the buttercrunch completely covers up the soil and it doesn't really compete with whatever else you're growing. The other thing is that it's tasty and you get really nice lettuce out of the deal.

[@Mikey-rj1lr]

Lot of people are using nature's living soil especially new growers it's fairly cheap and it's easy

[@torrencekrepps757]

I've been using this this way of starting out is using the pods u place in water and they sweal up this here gives your plant roots a solid foundation

[@captainpeckerhead4551]

Just watching again..

[@genegrowsgreen4206]

You guys did great one of the best podcasts yet Chris

[@daleross2771]

I started 2 years ago. I hung up mylar sheets from the ceiling with 4 4ft CFL lights. I used 1 gallon plastic pots. I got about 1 oz. I got on U TUBE I learned from my mistakes. I NOW have 2 4x8 tents I use SF 4000 for flowering. My other tent is for a nurtuary (seedlings and veg state ) THANKS FOR YOUR INFORMATION.

[@AnnhilateTheNihilist]

My story is exactly the same.

[@CRAZYBUILD349]

great show MR Grow it,infomation is key, this will make it better maintaining the girls,smash that like people!!!!

[@myhobbygrow]

Great information. Even though your content isn't around Hydroponics as that's what I grow, I still listen to every episode. Either here or on Google podcast. Thanks for creating and sharing.

[@captainpeckerhead4551]

Gaia Green for me too.. Always enjoy watching thanks Chris have a great weekend..

[@markgaudreau8053]

i love spider farmer shit

[@gwrennels6400]

Ya, spider mites .. I lost mine to them. My old eyes did not detect them early on

[@docholiday6944]

Thank you Rookie Grower and Mr Grow it!! AWESOME content, as always 👌 Be safe ✌

[@stevep8363]

Sprinkle some Mosquito Bits on the soil to get rid of fungus gnats... that releases a little larvicide each watering. It's also safe to consume for humans and doesn't affect the plant.

[@AnnhilateTheNihilist]

Yeah… nah.

[@davidharris5533]

I love the talk and commentary but I really would like to see these setups!!!

[@anthonyromano8565]

I am on my second grow, I know everything now.

[@richardhernandez3088]

Video man keep up the good work 🔥💯🔥💯🔥💯🔥💯🔥💯🔥💯🔥💯🔥💯🔥💯🔥💯

[@Mikey-rj1lr]

First video I seen in a while you've been hanging out with cltv

[@timpage5021]

With organics its optimal is to increase watering in frequency but not as much at each session. Where in 5 gallons it takes about a lil more than 2 gallons of water to get true significant run off with bottle nutrients every 3 days there abouts. Now in organics I water a lil under 1 gallon every 2 days works best for me. Apera instruments for the win. Good stuff as usual Chris. Appreciate the content.

[@KickYouInTheThroat]

I always think "man am i overwatering?" then i look down at my garden sprayer and theres barely 2 cups missing from the entire 2 gallons.

[@robertthrem3382]

I over water and I wasn't going to wait 5 days for to recover I got out the CMH ..put the LED 1,000 away there's a very big difference in your watering technique and those two lights

[@edinelsonramirez5656]

Transplant a few hours after you water .. the soil will stay together much better, before it completely dries out again.

[@visible720]

I had a gnat problem myself. I used mosquito bits. About 1/4 cup soaked in 1/4 gallon for about an hour. I strained it and made a gallon with that. Seemed to do the trick after 3rd application.

[@carsonrutz9659]

My mother taught me a good trick with soil but its common sense. Finger bang that soil in big pots. I only spray lightly on my seedlings a couple times a day. I lifted the pots daily. Had to move all my plants daily into the garage to get them to flower early. Its a fickle woman but she smokes so gooooood.

[@Doejhin]

I'm starting to realize my thermometers and stuff I should get because when I'm dripping that's my thermometer😅😂

[@michaelbessey5037]

Thanks!

[@davist-mq5db]

Thanks

[@817Moon]

I took a low temp dab & then heard Chris say “Aahhhgue” twice 😅🥲

[@GardenTalkwithMrGrowIt]

lmao! That's the word that people call out the most. Boston accent coming in strong on that one lol

[@817Moon]

@@GardenTalkwithMrGrowItembrace your Bostonian culture lol

[@Doejhin]

Thanks for the info

[@anthonyromano8565]

I had the same situation with the blumats. I made sure no perlite touched the sensor only sphagnum which is like sponge. Then I packed the sensor into the sphagnum and deep tp prevent any evaporation so its sealed under soil Then waited 2 days with the sensor in the soil and when the pot was lighter in weight, then set the screw adjustment and turned the screw 3 o r 4 times instead of 2. It seems to work in the 3 gallon fabric pots with 2 drippers each. I just fill the 2 10 gallon reservoirs for 2 tents.

[@gattetta]

23:55 i think you are talking about U-shaped stakes, pegs or staples, i use them and work really well.

[@streetphotographythesearch8772]

I’m trying Bottom feeding the water for a batch of seedlings , and spray bottle for the top soil

[@technecks3293]

I regulate my tent 2 days before my seedlings go into it. It takes 2 days to tweek fan, humidifier, temps, lights to exactly where u want it to be then let it all run including lighting for at least 48 hrs.. usually when I'm germinating my seed is when I go to work on my grow tent. When those seedlings go into it, u don't have to mess around with it all

[@joesmith1544]

For beginners stick with growing leafy vegetables such as spinach, Swiss Chard, Butter crunch, and kale. Avoid beans, peppers, and tomatoes. If you're going to grow those 3, you better have Daconil and lime.

[@ghostgrowz9750]

Great episode! hit a lot of basic things that apply across a broad spectrum of growers. Thanks for the great content!

[@thomashemingway8835]

In organic grow you should almost never have run off only water until run off once veg once flower middle of both stages.

[@mikewslshwalsh5185]

I live in Arizona I use a swamp cooler

[@Doejhin]

I'm laughing my ass off about my fux up . It's got me cracking man

[@Helkamaniac]

Great show. 👍 Chris what is your favourite seed company ? ✌️💚🇨🇦

[@50StichesSteel]

I found a pretty cheap probe at Lowe's in the garden section..I'm sure it's not 100% accurate but it gets the job done..It's a probe with 2 probes that you stick in the soil. The front has a switch that changes from PH of the soil, middle selector gives you soil moisture level, the last switch gives you a light reading..So far it's been a nice help....Just a tip that I'm seeing so far, the soil ph is usually higher then the water you put in it..Example I put my water and nutes in at like 5.9- 6.3..My soil usually sits a 7 according to this meter.

[@timdarmetko4039]

I'm with you ...1 gallon is way better for me too. I ditched the solo cups for the most part .

[@timdarmetko4039]

white grow pots help in the extreme desert when soil temps can kill your potted plants . people also paint their pots white here as well. I wouldn't use one outside of the desert though.