Help Center and FAQs

Ok, it’s exciting... your seeds have arrived! As recommended, you should have a pack of three 60 - 75 day Feminized Auto Flowering seeds. 

At this point, we’re assuming your Armoire is now setup in a cozy room in your home. Refer to the Quick Start Guide and the Owner’s Manual for help with power connections and instrument setup if you haven’t done that yet. The room itself should get no cooler than 65 degrees Fahrenheit and no warmer than 80 degrees maximum. A normal “room temperature” of 70-degrees is perfect. This will insure that the atmosphere inside The Armoire is suitable for your plant. 

 [Side Note: We name our plants, and since they are all “girls” (female), the sky is the limit! Sky... that’s a nice name. LoL.]

Preparing the Pot 

1. Put on your gloves. We recommend powder free / latex free exam grade nitrile gloves. These are thin and provide an excellent biological barrier. Non-sterile gloves are fine. 

2. Fill the included pot with soil. You received your first cloth grow pot with The Armoire kit. Fill the pot with soil to about 1 inch from the rim/top. We have a couple demonstration videos: We have a 4 minute video that demonstrates the entire process, and then there's a short 38 second video demonstrating an optional step that can be taken to include using "Light Warrior" seed starter mix.  

Note: we ship cloth grow pots. These are designed to allow for “self pruning” roots. The roots will eventually poke out of the sides and bottom of the grow pot. This will allow the plant to “drink air” in addition to drinking water. We want the roots to be highly oxygenated as we move through this 60-90 day process. 

Tips: It’s not uncommon to accidentally spill some of the soil when filling the pot, so do this in an area where it’s easy to clean. In other words, don’t fill a pot over your grandmother’s precious oriental rug! Also do try to keep the pot dry and clean on the outside when filling - we don’t want to pick up contaminants or bugs and transfer them into The Armoire stuck to the bottom of the pot (i.e. don’t put it down outside in wet dirt, etc. to fill it - be aware of the environment). 

3. Place the saucer inside The Armoire. Your kit included a 17” plastic saucer. It’s easier to place the saucer in the chamber first, then lift the pot and place it in the saucer, inside The Armoire. Your grow pot should now be in the saucer so that excess water will be contained and will not be an issue inside the chamber. 

4. Add Purified water. Purified water is water that has been filtered via a Reverse Osmosis process. If you can’t find it on the shelf at the supermarket or Pharmacy, use Distilled water (it’s the next best option - some would say it’s the same or equal insofar as the end result). Do NOT use spring water or mineral water - they're not the same thing.  Your water should cost no more than about .99 cents per gallon. For this step, you can pour the water in directly from a gallon container. After planting the seed, however, we suggest 500 mL (16.9 fluid ounce) bottles, which you can buy in bulk for convenience - you are going to go through a lot of them! Or pour from the gallon jugs into a smaller, clean 16oz container. 16.9oz bottles are easier to handle and less forceful when you pour them, which is critical in the early days of the seed/plant’s life. We don’t want to wash her away, expose the root structure, or create problems on day one! Pouring from a gallon jug can forcefully wash away soil - we need to be very gentle with our little baby! 

You want to soak the soil so that it is all damp from top to bottom, and from side to side. If you end up with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of standing water in the saucer you are good to go. It will get used up in no time, don’t worry. Pour the water slowly so you don’t over-pour. Watch the saucer to see water running down and outside. Typically about three (3) 16.9oz bottles of water should do the trick. Pour it slowly in a spiraling motion from the center outwards.

Dropping the Seed

5. Planting the seed. Use one single seed. If they vary in size, use the biggest one. Use your index (pointing) finger and create a small depression (about 1/4” - 1/3” of an inch) in the soil, as close to the center of the pot as possible. When done, drop the seed into the depression. Now, cover the seed with dry soil and sprinkle about a tablespoon of water over it [with your fingers] and around it - in about a one or two inch circle. The idea is to have the soil below the seed wet/very damp, and the soil above the seed just damp. Not soaked. If it gets too wet don’t worry unless you can see the seed. In that case, just repeat from the dry soil instructions above.  There's a short 65 second video here you can watch that demonstrates this process. 

6. Lower the light. Your light should be mounted and ready to go. The 4 winches are easy to use and having four of them allows both precision and room for error. You can actually tilt it and angle it any which way you want, as needed, while your plant grows. Lower the light to about 6” - 8” above the soil. You will see throughout this manual that 6” - 8” is the desired distance throughout the life of the plant (from the top/canopy). This technique is proprietary to our system and is only recommended with our light, which was specifically designed for this usage. This will ensure a shorter, bushy plant and a high yield harvest because the plant doesn’t have to stretch vertically up towards the light. Run your light 20 hours per day (i.e. 7am until 3am). Use the timer provided.

7. Yay! A Sprout! The seed should sprout in about 4 days. We have seen germination times go as long as 9 days, but that is rare. Four days is average. Sprinkle water over the planted area every day (about a tablespoon) until the seed sprouts. Sometimes the “shell” is still attached to the seedling for a day or two - this is normal.

When she sprouts, congratulations! You are now the proud parent of a baby girl!

CRITICAL NOTE

Never crop or prune an Autoflowering plant - and never transplant an “Auto”. Their lives are short. Doing any of the above will most likely erase all of your nurturing and progress, and may even kill the plant. “Topping” (cropping / pruning) is part of the process with “regular” plants (i.e. non-autoflowering) but the process is different for an Autoflower.

CHEMOTYPE, GENOTYPE & PHENOTYPE

Assuming you have a 60-70 day (roughly 8 - 10 week) strain, weeks 3 and 4 will show explosive growth. The true character of the strain will begin to emerge during this period. Autos all look alike for about 2 weeks, then the magic starts... The leaf patterns, length, serration, ridges, texture, color and edges will transform to reflect its DNA. This genetic code is viewed through three “lenses”- Chemotype, Genotype and Phenotype- remember these terms - it will serve you well.

Chemotype is: A) Whether THC or CBD is dominate; and B) Which terpenes are dominant. You can use the word "chemical" to remember what Chemotype is about.

Genotype: This is the plant’s genetic makeup, which can be thought of as a “blueprint” for growth. This insures chaos in terms of growth structure - especially when you add low stress trading to your nurturing regimen. That said, it is really up to the environment to induce these characteristics.

Phenotype : This is the physical expression of a genotype, which is what the environment “extracts” from the plant’s genetic code. Ultimate shape, color, aroma, even resin and trichrome production will be affected by your environment. In our case, The Armoire has been “tuned” for Autoflower strains to make the environment as predictable as possible. But just like human twins can be different (one tall and athletic, another shorter and less athletic), plants can have the same genetic makeup, but express themselves differently -- that's the phenotype.

WATERING

From here on out, you will notice the Moisture Meter is more often than not, reminding you that the girl needs water! As the plant grows larger - especially in our system and after stress training, she will “drink” a lot of water. We don’t automate anything, but watering is the thing most people ask about. With Autos, they can surprise you daily! We believe the direct nurturing and daily inspection insures that you don’t encounter any bad surprises and in fact, just the opposite will occur. Nurturing daily (2-5 min per day and a couple of 20 minute low stress training sessions) will greatly increase the yield, potency and look and feel of whatever strain you are growing.

In our 5 gallon cloth pot, by week three, your plant may be using 3 to 4 pints (1500 - 2000 ml, or 3 to 4 16oz / 0.5L bottles) of water daily.

LOW-STRESS TRAINING

At three weeks you will be able to identify one main stem and 4 or more secondary stems. The task is to open up the plant so the shaded growth areas below internodes is exposed to as much light as possible. Training can continue through the first 7-10 days of flowering if warranted, so have enough material on hand for up to three sessions (Phase I, II III).

Bamboo “sticks” are provided, for all phases of stress training. These are fine for smaller and average sized plants, but some of the really larger beasts require longer sticks, so we do recommend picking up a few more in the garden section of your nearby Home Depot, Lowe's or garden store, just to make sure you have what you need.  

The water collection saucer provided. You will likely remove the plant from the chamber for low stress training, pre harvest flushing and trimming. Always carry the plant in the saucer when removing is from the chamber. This will not only insure the root system is not disturbed, but also provides a water drip free to the kitchen or designated level surface to work with.

Basic/Phase I: Insert each “stem training bamboo” sticks at a 45 degree angle down deep (80%) into the soil. find the 4 biggest secondary branches/stems and orient them so that you can point the top of each training stick up at the 4 corners of the rectangle LED housing. The trainers should touch the edge of the cloth pot in four “corners” - rotate the pot if necessary.

Prior to flowering - before or after pre-flowering is okay - the stems are very pliable. It’s hemp! It’s fibrous and you can bend it at a 90 degree angle without hurting the plant. In fact, the very act of stress training will cause the plant to release growth hormones - making more stems and leaves, which equals more premium flower at harvest.

Note: Remember to always wear the provided LED eye protection sunglasses when working closely with your light and/or looking directly or indirectly into the LED array.

Beware: After flowering begins in earnest, do not bend (other than in a straight line) the stems as they will harden/stiffen over time, and can easily snap if you bend too far. This kills the top/flowers on that particular branch.

There's a 4-minute video here that demonstrates the process, and what your plant will look like afterwards.  We often do video-call walk-through for stress training with our first-time growers - don't hesitate to use your free Concierge Service! We would rather have you contact us for help and get it done right than ignore it and run into a problem later. Use the Concierge Service - that's what it's here for.  You can schedule an LST session with us through this link:  https://calendly.com/armoire-schedule

TUCKING

From here on out, you will always want to pay attention to “tucking” opportunities on a daily basis. This is a proprietary technique developed by Green Goddess Supply to obtain a result similar to “topping” a regular Indica, Sativa or hybrids of the two, to get increased yields!

Since we can’t prune our plant, we need to do something with large shade leaves (solar collectors) and other large size leaves that are blocking light to new emerging leaf structures. We use a technique we call “Tucking” - just spot the big leaves that are shading or blocking light to other leaf structures or tops, and simply tuck them under. Push them down gingerly but firmly - until they get stuck under branches and other structures/leaves. This provides the same benefit as pruning and topping a regular photoperiod female! Score!

Tucking combined with low stress training and keeping the LED 6-8 inches above the highest top(s) during the entire cycle - seed to harvest - all combine to allow more light and PAR to penetrate deeper down into the canopy, creating new tops and larger growth further down. This is just one piece of our proprietary “secret sauce” to getting outsized results.

4-WINCH APPROACH

How do you keep a light 6” from the tops when one side is significantly taller than the other? Answer: the light doesn’t have to be level!

Our 4 winch design allows for the quirks and chaos with which unique, living things can often surprise us. Using 4 winches allows the light to be tilted at an angle - left-right / right-left, front up & back down, back up & front down, etc. You get the idea.

This can equalize light proximity and otherwise allow your plant to develop naturally after flowering begins as bending branches will no longer be a viable option.

Usually, the stress training keeps things under control, but living things sometimes have their own ideas and we must adapt to the moment.  In larger grow spaces a Scrog Net or similar solution would help, but it can create other issues in a confined, single-plant chamber. We have grown many strains through many cycles and believe our approach is best for Autoflowering strains grown in small chambers or “grow boxes”.  We both manipulate the plant and simultaneously allow it to be itself.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER STRESS TRAINING

After low-stress training the plant may look like a train wreck! Fear not. Tops will be sideways, upside down, whatever - disheveled even. Don’t panic, the plant will right itself after a few hours under the light. Some Autos, like Northern Lights for example, have giant leaves prior to flowering and that creates a main top that blocks a lot of available light and PAR to the rest of the plant - regardless of any stress training. When that happens, you need to bring the entire main stem down at a 90 ? Degree angle and lock it down with a cable tie. The results (this may take a few days, not hours) will surprise and please you!

ROTATION

If your plant is growing a bit outside the light footprint, it’s a good idea to rotate her a half turn or so every now and then as she progresses through pre-flowering, early, mid and even late stage flowering. This is all about light and light saturation, penetration and overall even distribution across the entire LED array and spectrum. The devil is in the details and close, steady nurturing will mean the difference between a very high yield or average yield from the specific strain you are growing. The experience will be different each and every time - even if you grow the same strain from the same seedbank.

‘TIL Harvest and beyond!

This is an exciting time! You are in the home stretch. But... there’s still important work to be done. You may have a forest going in your chamber, but you’re not out of the woods yet! It’s easier than you think to literally increase or diminish your final yield and quality by the actions, choices and ultimately the decisions you make from here on out.

Flowering has a few stages:

1. Early signs of flowering is referred to as Pre-flowering - these are usually very light green “hairs” and really just signify that the plant is female and ready to flower.

2. When full flowering begins just a few days later you will see the emergence of white or, in very rare cases, pink Pistils.

3. You will notice the plant will literally cease to grow upward as full on flowering will cause the plant to instead bulk out in girth, building beautiful buds and colas as the countdown to harvest moves forward.

DAILY WATERING

Watering is important for flower health and bulk. Continued watering, adding the last round of beneficial microbes, shade/larger leaf “tucking”, rotating the plant and adjusting the light to accommodate for top growth patterns and the last round of low stress training (if needed) are important steps — some literally daily rituals.

1. Watch the Moisture Meter - it can swing a bit to the left (from center) without watering. It’s ok to skip a day or two here and there during this time. But don’t wait for droopy leaves to water. Eye on the prize.

2. When you determine that solid flowering has commenced, add 1/4 teaspoon each of Azos & Mykos (beneficial microbes) to your water. (Not every day - just once when you determine that full-on flowering has commenced. But fear not - there’s a lot of leeway here, so don’t worry about doing it a day early or a day late, etc.)

NOTE: Your plant will need more hydration until we get to the final stage and we start “flushing” (more on that in a bit). But don’t be surprised if one or two 0.5L bottles of water did the trick in the early days and now you’re using 3 or maybe even 4 per day. The larger the plant gets, the more water it needs, and in the flowering phase it consumes yet more.

LOW STRESS TRAINING - ROUND 2

Depending on the strain and individual plant, will most likely need another round - Phase II - of low stress training when into flowering mode. Often, some “one up” is required as well (a mini-round III) - do it sooner, rather than later.

The goal is to get as much light as possible to the buds. In the first round of stress training you pulled branches back and tied them down to stakes or to the sides of the pot. But the plant continued to grow, and will “turn” and reorient itself towards the light. A strong, dominant branch may once again over-crowd lower bud sites and curl back into play. Back when you first tied it down you may have tied it near the top, but three weeks later the ties are now barely a third of the way up the stem! You may need to adjust the ties upwards more to pull the stem back down again.

REMEMBER: Once the stems get rigid, it’s not possible to do any hard core stress training, just some slight bending. In addition to water uptake and hydration that is important for healthy flower growth, proper water saturation is also critical for bract development — the bracts are where the flowering buds develop, and they help protect the flower structures.

ABOUT NUTRIENTS

Hydration is critical to trichrome health and density during flowering. It is at this time that, depending on the specific strain and other factors - sometimes even specific to the plant you are nurturing - that you may notice nutrient and/or mineral deficiencies. And in some cases, excessively so. These issues will manifest in the form of color and/or “blotchiness” of color that doesn’t look natural. This is because along with water uptake, the plant is slowly but surely “using up” the nutrients and minerals present in the soil as well.

The Armoire system is designed in such a way that we’ve “stacked the cards” in our favor, so to speak, so that nutrient issues don’t arise in the first place. We start with a soil that is loaded with the nutrients we need, and appropriately balanced, and we are growing strains that have a life cycle that’s theoretically short enough that it’s concluded before the nutrients are full depleted. There’s a bit more to it than that, but this should make sense. However, plants are living creatures and sometimes two different seeds from the same mother will react different to the exact same environmental conditions. Using organic soil in theory mitigates excess nutrient uptake. The plant hypothetically will only utilize what she actually needs. That being said, sometimes “sh*t happens” and things don’t go according to plan. See FAQs for assistance on these matters.

NOTE: At end of life it is natural for larger leaves to turn yellow. Don’t freak out. More on that in the Harvest section.

Nutrient deficiency can vary from plant to plant and definitely from strain to strain. Oftentimes, Nitrogen is used up first, but it may be Magnesium, or a pH problem (especially if the coloration difference is blotchy). See the included Chart to help diagnose nutrient issues if any arise.

DAILY TUCKING REGIMEN

Keep tucking larger/shade leaves (to provide more light to as many bud sites as possible) and using our 4 winch System to adjust for whatever the plant may throw at you. With autoflowering plants we cannot trim off the shade leaves, but we can use our unique “tucking” process to achieve similar results.

OVERVIEW

Our methods are a combination of conventional wisdom, our own experience, and updated information from reliable and reputable sources.

The harvesting process involves a few steps over the course of the final week, including “Living Trimming” then several iterations of “Flushing” over the last 7 days. "Live Trimming" is unique to our Protocol and with Flushing, we go beyond just water and also use Advanced Nutrients' "Final Finish."

Our approach with both is to streamline the process and produce superior results in terms of taste, look and smoke.

Serious problems can occur during flushing, cutting and curing buds. This can lead to “heartbreak” after weeks and weeks (months) of hard work and nurturing. Our unique and proprietary protocol is tuned to get the very best results — no matter which strain you’re growing!

Flushing requires a LOT of purified water - you will want to buy 8 gallon jugs of purified water for this process.

WHEN TO START

The most important aspect of harvesting is knowing exactly when to start . You don’t want to harvest too early or too late. So…

1. Examine the Pistils (the white “hairs” / flower clusters that cover the buds). In the beginning, they are white (in rare cases, pink), but as flowering comes to an end, they begin to change color— from white to orange and then once again to a dark red or brown. They appear to be drying up and getting thinner and look dehydrated. The changes signify the maturation of the flowers. That being said, these changes can vary significantly on a strain by strain basis.

2. Also examine the Trichomes. These are the resin glands that contain THC and other psychoactive elements. Remember, they are easily ruptured so be careful and try not to touch them. The Trichomes cover the buds and smaller leaves. They “glisten” and look like a bit like white sugar on the leaves. Grab a good magnifying glass and you will see each one has a stalk and a round resin head. They are usually clear or white in color. In fact, they actually start clear, then turn opaque and then amber. Some growers like to see a mix of all three. That said, if they are amber they have begun to decompose, which leads to less potency. Thus, you don’t want to wait until they’ve all turned amber to harvest.

If you can get a magnifier between 50x and 100x, it’s easier to see. When most of the Trichomes are opaque or a milky white color (some clear ones are ok as long as the overall majority are opaque) she is ready to Live Trim, Flush and Harvest.

LIVE TRIMMING (aka WET TRIMMING)

This is done mostly to make the drying process more uniform and your life easier later. 

When you are ready to trim and flush, remove the plant from the BioChamber. Remove it by lifting from the saucer — you want to take the saucer with the pot and all, as a complete unit. Carry it in the saucer, because you don’t want to disturb the soil or roots, and you don’t want water dripping through the fabric pot onto your floor/carpet. Place the whole unit on a table and pre-trim the plant. Don’t manicure it completely yet - just trim off the leaves without trichomes. Some leaves will have trichomes closer to the stem and then fade out with “bald” tips — you can trim off those tips too. Leave several larger full leaves (3/5/7 blades) on each branch so you can monitor the flushing process via color changes in the larger leaves (see Flushing section).

NOTE: When finished with Live Trimming and the first flushing session, put the plant back in the chamber and switch the Bloom lights off via the Bloom Switch. This will leave a mostly Blue spectrum which will help increase Terpene (aroma+) production. Leave the LED on this setting the rest of the way until you’re ready to cut her down for good.

FLUSHING

The last week of flowering should be spent getting rid of built-up nutrients in the soil and in the plant itself. By eliminating nutrient uptake from the soil, the plant begins to use its own stored nutrients. These “reserves” are unwanted sugars, starches and various other elements that, if present in high amounts at harvest, will result in a harsh smoke when inhaled and also the flowers won’t burn evenly.

Flushing should begin about 7 days before harvest by stopping all added nutrients (if any were used). From here on out we will only using purified water or optionally purified water with “Flawless Finish” as noted below (Flawless Finish is not a nutrient, it’s an additive that helps remove nutrients from soil).

Flushing is just what it sounds like — over-irrigating the soil until the nutrients inside are washed out via the bottom of the container. The best way to do this is in two-steps. You can do this in a sink or outdoors.

Day One (Live Trim & Flush day): After Live Trimming (see above) we will do the first flush. Prep two (2) larger gallon jugs of purified water and add 7ml of “Flawless Finish” from Advanced Nutrients to each gallon jug. Using the first gallon jug, flood the soil with a full gallon of water and wait a few minutes —allowing the nutrient buildup/salts—to break down. Then add the second gallon of additional purified water to push out the first flush. This provides time for the water to dissolve the unwanted salts and nutrients.

Day Two: Repeat the flushing process we did yesterday. Add 7ml of “Flawless Finish” to each gallon of purified water, and pour the first gallon in slowly, wait a couple minutes, and then flush it with the second gallon of water.

Note: Two or three days after flushing, you should notice signs of nitrogen deficiency. The leaves will first turn light green, then yellow. Another sign is a red or purple like leaf stems, starting at the center of the leaf where the leaf blades come together.

Day Three: Do nothing. No watering, no flushing. Just let the plant sit in the box. The soil will continue drying up.

Day Four: Do nothing. No water, no flushing. Jet let the plant sit in the box. The soil will continue drying up.

Day Five: Today we will flush with 2 gallons of purified water, with NO additives (i.e. no “Flawless Finish” this time) — just pure water — otherwise following the same procedure.

Day Six: The Taste Test & Final Flush. Cut off a leaf and literally taste the juice from the stem. If it’s bitter, there’s still food in the plant’s system and you will need to flush again with just water again one more time. We normally find that we need to flush three days out of the 7 days before harvest, as noted above. But depending upon your particular plant, it may vary slightly. When the liquid is clean it will basically taste like water. You are now ready to dry your plant. The bitter taste is from left over nutrients and compounds that you do not want in your smoke.

Day Seven: Do nothing. The final life of your plant should be spent in relative dryness. Yesterday was the last watering your plant will ever get. This will ensure that the plant will dehydrate slowly before harvest, which helps the plant’s final resin production. The night before you cut down your plant turn the LED Off completely— leaving the plant in darkness for 12 - 24 hours. Keep all fans running.

CUTTING AND DRYING!

By “day eight” so to speak, the plant has been sitting in darkness slowly dehydrating. Now we can carefully remove the LED light from the chamber — just unclip each of the four carabiners. Have someone help you by holding the light while you unclip the ropes, so you don’t drop the light.

Remove the plant from the box at this point, to more easily maneuver around the plant. Using a heavy pair of bush cutting shears, cut and/or remove all the zip ties and/or plant ties and remove the bamboo sticks. You can do a little more manicuring / trimming of the plant at this point. Look for any remaining leaves with little or no resin/Trichomes and trim them off. Many growers only trim off leaf edges protruding from the buds (mostly for aesthetic shape reasons).

Now cut the single, main stem right where it comes out of the soil.

When satisfied with the result, the entire plant upside down in the chamber and hang it from the ropes. One quick and easy method is to simply put a bamboo stake across the two rear carabiners forming a "trapeze" bar, and hang the upside down plant over the stick. 

Important Note: Run all fans in darkness with the box closed for 3 days. Keeping the plant intact like this will slow the drying, but it is the easiest way to completely surround buds with dry air.

There are many sources.  Many dispensaries are starting to sell seeds, and of course there are plenty of seed vendors (aka "Seed Banks") selling online.  We suggest you buy from a trusted supplier within your own country, mainly to bypass customs / import issues and hassles (but local mail rates are also cheaper than shipping internationally).  

In the U.S. we are partial to the following (click the name to open the site in a new window):

The Autoflower Store

Mephisto Genetics

Pacific Seed Bank

Hembra Genetics

Please note that many seed banks will use alternate payment processors like MESH wallets, or have you place an order, and then separately have you send them payment (Zelle, PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, or mail a check) instead of the typical e-commerce check-out process where you just pay online with a credit card during checkout.   Don't be alarmed - this isn't "scammy" -- seeds are a grey area in the U.S. and seed banks will often have their credit card merchant accounts shut down on them without notice.  It's not a reflection on the seed bank, it's the state of the industry in the U.S. and the seed banks are doing everything they can to work around the problems. We try to find seed banks that are reputable, carry enough inventory, are located domestically *and* support traditional credit card processing or MESH payments  for ease of use, but sometimes we add them to the list and then they lose their CC processing - it happens. Write your Senator and tell them to pass the Safe Banking Act! 

For details on recommended breeders/brands, see the "Which Breeders Should I Consider?" section. 

A large part of the joy of indoor gardening is trying new strains and/or seeds from new breeders. The quality of genetics can vary greatly depending upon the skill of the breeder and of course by strain.  The author of this articles prefers to not grow the same strain twice, always trying something new.   

Although we love trying new things, we definitely have settled upon our favorite, tried-and-true breeders:  Mephisto, Fast Buds and Vision Seeds are our 3 favorite large scale / international breeders.  We're starting to test Night Owl seeds now too -- it's someone from Mephisto who has branched off, so we're expecting top quality results from them as well.  

With Mephisto (and Night Owl), FastBuds and Vision Seeds, their genetics are generally exceptional, and their years (decades?) of experience positions each one of them as a leader in the field. Most of the larger seed banks will carry these major breeders, and more.  (see the section "Where Do I Get Seeds?" for specific seed bank recommendations).

We also enjoy working with several trusted "craft" breeders that produce very high quality genetics, such as Mandalorian Genetics and Predicative Breeding.  We will continue to update this list as we vet breeders. 

This is really a personal choice.  The two main sub-species are Sativa and Indica.  While your mileage may vary, most people consider Sativa more of an "upper" or at least a cerebral head-high, while Indica is generally seen as more of a full-body high that leads to a more sedative "couch lock" state.  One of the great joys of indoor gardening at home is the ability to try growing all of these different varieties to determine personal tastes.

That said, there are a couple that really jumped out at us above and beyond the others, either because of the quality of the end product and/or because of the larger yields:   

• Blackstrap from theautoflowerstore.com
• Blueberry Bliss from Vision Seeds
• Pineapple Express from Fast Buds
• Cream Cookies from Fast Buds
• Berry Bomb from Bomb Seeds
• Northern Lights from Vision Seeds
• Green Crack from Fast Buds

But don't over-think this -- it's pretty hard to go wrong with a reputable breeder.  Experiment and have fun!

If you follow our protocol, you ought to, yes.  

We have completed over one hundred (100) grow cycles across a variety of strains and average 3 to 6 ounces per plant.  Obviously the yield can vary by strain - some naturally grow larger than others, and some strains organically grow longer or shorter than others (i.e. 60 day strains, 75 day strains, etc.)  And of course plants are living creatures with DNA -- sometimes you just get "the runt of the litter" and sometimes you get a gigantic beast. 

But all in all, if you follow our protocol and trend towards our recommended breeders/genetics, you should find yourself consistently getting a quarter pound or more. 

Additionally, the more you work with The Armoire system and gain experience, you will continue to learn tricks to pump up the yield. If we yield less than a quarter pound (i.e. 3 ounces, for example) it's because we deviated from the protocol or tested some new genetics that under-performed (which is why we prefer to stick with our tried-and-true breeders for best results). 

If you grow autoflowering hybrids from feminized seeds and home growing is legal in your state, we provide complimentary concierge service for 90 days from when you receive the unit.  

In a word, no.

Of course, once it's in your home you can do whatever you want. But, we recommend strongly against it, especially for beginners.  We will not warranty or provide service/support for the unit if using clones.  Our entire protocol and system is designed around growing from feminized, autoflowering seeds.  

Once you introduce a clone, you are inheriting any potential pathogens, microbes, pests and diseases that  might be lurking within the clone, virtually undetectable and unbeknownst to you! 

Yes, but with a huge caveat.

We call it "The Armoire" because it looks like furniture.  Of course it isn't.  But it's designed to masquerade as furniture.  Its footprint is 25" x 25" and the cabinet is 50" tall.    

Stated another way - it's about 2 foot square and roughly 4 and 1/2 feet tall when the legs are attached.  

The unit only weighs about 40 pounds.

If you’re on top of your game and use fast 60 day strains, it’s about 60-70 days for the total process including 3 days of drying in the cabinet, so you can get 5 grows per year. Of course if you have a gap in between grows (vacations, etc.) or whatnot, then maybe 4.  We keep ours humming non-stop with maybe a day of downtime in between, and get 5 per year.  Theoretically you could squeeze 6 but that’s super super aggressive.  We have been getting 5 full harvests and maybe we're a few weeks into the next one when the calendar flips. 

Setting up the light timer is probably the #1 most-often asked question, so don't feel bad -- it trips up most people.  But once you realize how it works, it's super simple!   The biggest question is usually "should the pins be up or down?"  UP = OFF, DOWN = ON.  So most of your pins will be pushed DOWN, with a small chunk of them UP for the hours that the light is off.  Don't forget to make sure that the red slider at the side of the time is set to timer mode (ie "on").

Here's a video that walks you through the 3 basic features of the light timer:   https://youtu.be/2w3mELhj4y4 

Right in the box!   When you chop it down and are ready to dry, you do NOT need a separate drying process or system - we dry it right in the box with the internal fans!   The process is very simple:

First, remove the light.  Next, place a bamboo stick cross the 2 rear carabiners (the ends of the ropes that clip to the light), forming a bar similar to a trapeze bar.  Now turn the plant upside down and suspend it from the bar by looping one of the branches over it, so that the plant hangs in the box upside down. 

Slow, dry cooling works best, so we like to turn down the external fan to 3 or 4, and unplug one set of the internal fans, and run it for about 4 days.  Just make sure to plug the internal fans back in, and crank up the external fan again when starting your next grow. 

The Armoire comes with a child safety lock.  Once you realize how it works it's super simple.  But if you don't realize how it works, it can be confusing!    

There's a latching mechanism on the inside of the door that latches onto the "other half" of the locking mechanism mounted on the frame.  This 2 halves of the latching mechanism are all mounted inside the cabinet, so they're invisible.  The "key" is a little while fob or "handle" that ships in the Accessories Box.  That is essentially a magnet (we call it the "Magnetic Wand" or "Magnetic Handle") that dis-engages the latch when you move it over the latch.

The parts that confuse most people are:  1) where's located (above the right door handle), and 2) that holding the wand over the lock disengages it -- you need to open the door at that point. Moving the magnetic wand out of the way causes the lock to re-engage.

Here's a quick little 34 second video demonstrating the locking functionality.    Once you realize how it works, it's super simple, and very esthetically pleasing because it's hidden from view (no keyholes, etc.)  

We get a lot of shipping questions!  We will cover all the common questions below, in the form of an explanation of how shipping works.

The Armoire is large and mostly pre-assembled.  It's NOT a put-it-together style kit like Ikea furniture.  To be smell proof, etc. is all sealed and pre-assembled, which means it's fairly large - we're mostly shipping empty air in a box!  

The unit is shipped via special freight carriers that specialize in home delivery and don't just throw items around like most industrial freight companies.  

Because it ships freight (in large private trucks, not via common carrier like UPS or post office), shipping timeframes aren't quite as precise. Any given delivery could be 1 day or 14 days - we don't know until it's booked and into the shipper's system.  

Freight works off "hub and spoke" models like the airlines.  Sometimes to fly from Boston to Charlotte (south, down the coast) you have a stop in Chicago (what?! that's completely out of the way!) and sometimes there's a three-hour layover while you wait for your connecting flight. Freight works the same way. One time we shipped two boxes on the same day from Boston - the California shipment arrived on the 3rd day, while the Detroit shipment took 2 weeks. That didn't seem logical - Detroit is 1/3rd the distance.  But it's because the long haul truck from Boston -> California was leaving that evening and the shipment got onboard, but the truck to Michigan only runs every 10 days and the last one left yesterday...  And so it goes.  The point is, at the moment an order is placed we can't tell you exactly when it will arrive.  We don't know for a few more days, until after the shipper gets it booked into their system, and gets updates. 

That said, there are some great advantages to freight shipping.   They will NOT just leave the box out on your front step in the rain while you're at work, like an Amazon package left by UPS.   

The freight company will call you the day before they're ready to deliver to your home and arrange details with you.  So you can choose the best time, and if you happen to not be available that next day, you can coordinate with them for delivery... "Oh, I am not around Tuesday - can we do Wednesday instead?"  You have flexibility to work out the arrangements with the shipper.  

Please note that shipping is considered "curbside delivery."  The shipper will coordinate the time and date and bring it to your building, but you should have assistance to get your Armoire in / up to your place, particularly if you're in a multi-floor building / apartment. 

Yes, The Armoire comes mostly pre-assembled.  

The main cabinet itself needs to be air-tight (smell proof), so it is all pre-assembled -- it's NOT like IKEA put-it-together-yourself furniture.  

However, you do have to setup the accessories.  For instance, sliding the exhaust fan into the pre-installed bracket inside the cabinet, screwing on the feet and the door handles, setting up the light timer, etc.  The handles and feet and other items come in an accessory box for shipping, otherwise the unit would get damaged in shipping.  So hanging the light, sliding the fan into the pre-installed bracket, etc. is pretty straight forward.  

It's about 15-30 minutes to unbox and just hook up the accessories. The only tool you need is a Phillips screwdriver for the door handles.  Sort of like getting a new flat screen TV -- it's assembled, but you have to put the batteries in the remote, plug-in the power cords, plug in the HDMI cord, maybe do some basic on-screen configuration of date and time, etc.  Not a big deal.  

Instructions are included, and we have a bunch of helpful tips here in the FAQ/Help Center section of our website, including some video demonstrations. 

The "Third Generation" Armoire-60 now comes with an integrated fan controller / hygrometer.  Previously the hygrometer was a separate unit, and the fan wasn't controllable.  

Note: the controller only controls the main exhaust fan.  The four internal fans are "always on" and not managed by the controller.

Hooking it up:  Thread the white controller cable thru the rectangular slot on the top of the small electrical box, then plug it into the LCD Module. You can program it and then spool up the excess cable and stow in the electrical box—then snap the LCD in place. It will hide the excess cable and make for a clean streamlined look.

The instruction manual for programming the LCD Controller can be downloaded in PDF format here:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0953/7320/files/Quickstart_LCD_controller_v6.pdf?v=1642969040

And we have a 10min video that shows, hands-on, how to setup the controller if you prefer video to reading the PDF:

https://youtu.be/2ftg9nM_JGc

Please note that you do NOT want automated timer or temperature control.  We turn that off and just set it always-on. 

Please note that the firmware changed very slightly after filming and uploading this video, so there are two very slight changes: Celcius / Fahrenheit is mode 3 instead of 6; and just tap the M to toggle Auto mode instead of holding for 5 seconds.

It's not a common thing by any means, but we have noticed that the little plastic bag for the clips can shift around during shipping and end up falling INSIDE the chassis of the grow light (the Unicorn light does have gaps in the chassis that is designed to help dissipate heat).  Gently tilt the light side to side to make sure the clips didn't fall inside.  It's only happened twice, but we found the clips inside the light BOTH times they were reported missing.

We include the four little metal clips for the LED Grow Light that ship in the LED Grow Light box.  Those four little clips connect to the chassis and are the connection point for the carabiners on the ropes/winches.  

If they were NOT included in your new light, we are happy to provide the missing clips.  In a pinch, to get going ASAP, you can use zip ties to fashion a small 1/2" to 1" loop, in lieu of the metal clips. 

If you had them originally but lost them (eg. if you packed up the Armoire to move to a new home, etc.) we have them available as a replacement part on our website.

TheArmoire.Store website is owned by Green Goddess Supply, so no worries - we're all the same people!   "The Armoire Store" is just our stand-alone website specifically for The Armoire home grow system and related items, without all of the other smokeshop accessories that we carry at our main https://www.GreenGoddessSupply.com website.  But whether you buy an Armoire on thearmoire.store or www.GreenGoddessSuppy.com, it's all the same item for the same price and all comes back to the same folks - us! 

The main reason we broke out the Armoire to its own website was so that we could offer financing options (Klarna and ShopPay) for this higher cost item.  They won't process payments for pipes and grinders, but they will process for The Armoire, so we had to break out The Armoire to its own website to offer those payment options.  But other than a different URL, all orders flow back to the same back-end systems, so use whichever website you prefer! 

Yes, we do!  We have two options for financing / payment plans.  Please read all of the details below:

1. "SHOP PAY" provides the option to break the purchase into 4 equal monthly payments.  This does not affect your credit score at all.

2. Klarna is a financing option that allows you to break it up into smaller payments over a longer time (either 12 or 18 monthly payments, as low as around $125 or so), but is dependent upon credit approval by Klarna, and can affect your credit score (positively with good payment history, or negatively if payments are missed).   The shorter term Klarna option should be interest-free, while the 18 month option charges a reasonable interest rate.  Klarna will give you the exact terms upon application. 

In both cases, just like with a credit card, the terms and pay-back are between the buyer (you) and either Shop Pay or Klarna. We (Green Goddess Supply / The Armoire Store) are not involved in the payments at all and have zero influence over approvals or payment structures.   

Please Note:  The payment options are only available at https://thearmoire.store website.  Klarna and Shop Pay won't provide payment plans for pipes and other smoking accessories, so we were required to launch a standalone website (ie. https://thearmoire.store ) with only the Armoire and related items, in order to be able to accept payments.   We fully own both websites, so it doesn't matter which you use to play your order, they all come back to the same place, but if you want to use Shop Pay or Klarna, you must purchase through the https://thearmoire.store website.

If you see white, powdery-looking stuff on the outside of your pot, don't freak out.  It's not the infamous "powdery mildew" you might hear about in grower circles. It's not mold.   It's just efflorescence.   

The soil is full of salts, minerals and nutrients.  When you water, the water will carry (or "wash away") some of these elements when it runs out of the sides of the cloth pot.  In doing so, the cloth fabric of the pot acts like a filter of sorts and "catches" some of the salts and minerals that get trapped in the fabric and stay behind as the water itself runs off or evaporates.  

There's a short demonstration video available here that explains this phenomenon.  It might appear a little "dirty" or unsightly, but it's normal and perfectly fine. 

We would rather you ask questions early and often and "get it right" than hold your tongue and run into a problem - we want you to achieve great success!   So don't be shy, especially during your first grow. 

The Low Stress Training (LST) in particular is a technique most folks need assistance with the first time, and then they're off and running.  The official main number for our Concierge Service is (617) 765-2334 then press 2 for Concierge Service, or view our schedule of available times online and pick the time that works best for you!  https://calendly.com/armoire-schedule

To set expectations, stress-training sessions usually run about an hour and it’s best to do it as a video call so we can see what you’re doing and guide you. Therefore, a laptop or a phone with a tripod for “hands free” video call operation is best. Most video calls are done via Zoom Video. 

We would LOVE our Armoire growers to join our community online!  

We have a special, private Facebook Group just for owners of The Armoire.  We've got an active, thriving community building there and invite you to join!  Folks are sharing photos of their grows, sharing tips and experiences and more!  Plus, the founders of Green Goddess Supply and the original inventor of The Armoire participate in the group and answer questions and provide feedback on a regular basis.  The Facebook Group is found here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/461335468038138/

Additionally, we have pages and profiles on Facebook and Instagram:

https://www.facebook.com/autoflowerhomegrows/

https://www.instagram.com/ggs_home_grow/

FishShit is an actual product name (sometimes spelled FishSh*t or FishSh!t). It is a soil conditioner, not a nutrient.  It's loaded with beneficial microbes that help improve the plant's immune system, and help break down nutrients in the soil so they're more "bio available" to the plant.  You can't overdose it like you can with actual nutrients.

Using FishShit is optional (not part of the official protocol) but highly recommended - we're seeing great results with it.  You don't use it for the initial soaking of the pot before dropping the seed, just from germination onwards. Since the pot will be soaked, the only watering until the sprout arrives and advances to the seedling stage is a tablespoon of water with two drops of fish shit over and around the immediate planting area (about a 2-3” circle in the center of the pot). This will insure the topsoil doesn’t dry out where the seed is planted and with the addition of the fish shit will help create a more “germination friendly” environment.  After sprout, follow watering directions on the bottle. 

If you're already an expert and have a favorite, you can certainly go that route.  But if you're unsure, we recommend going with a so-called "super soil" that has all the nutrients and perlite already included.  Some of our favorite soil lines are:

* "Recipe 420" by EB Stone (California and West Coast states)

* "Michigan Made Mix" (Midwest and Northeast primarily)

* "Ocean Forest" by Fox Farms (nationwide)

If you live out west and have access to "Recipe 420" by EB Stone, we strongly recommend that as the first choice.  Otherwise, if you are in an area that doesn't stock EB Stone products (i.e. much of the East Coast) then run with "Michigan Made Mix" (aka "M3") or "Ocean Forest" by Fox Farms. 

There's a 4 minute video that demonstrates what the soil looks like, and how we fill the pot and plant the seed.  

We also have a quick little 38 second video the shows an optional technique -- filling the cloth pot with soil and mixing in a little Light Warrior from Fox Farms for good measure. You don't want to over do it, but a little bit of Light Warrior in the middle acts as a nice gentle seed starter, and mixing in a little (4:1 or 5:1) adds a little bit of fiber to the soil for better aeration (so it doesn't cake down into cement over time and allows for better oxygenation).   

To help with unboxing and setup, we have created a simple video tutorial that you can view here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1hY5KtcKNk

If you prefer written instructions, you can download a PDF version of the "Quick Start Guide" here:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0953/7320/files/GG_QuickStart_Armoire_11x17_V6.pdf?v=1600106859

The full Armoire-60 User Manual can be downloaded in PDF format here:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0953/7320/files/Armoire-User-Manual-3x-v14.pdf?v=1635448536

The User Manual covers the grow protocol (which is also documented here online in the various sections of this Help Center), warranty information, and more.

This 12-minute video demonstrates the easiest way to open and unbox your new Armoire grow system:

To download the user manual for the fan's LCD Controller, click here:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0953/7320/files/Quickstart_LCD_controller_v6.pdf?v=1642969040

To view our 10 min video showing how the LCD Controller works and how to configure it for our purposes in The Armoire, click here:

https://youtu.be/2ftg9nM_JGc

Please note that the firmware changed very slightly after filming and uploading this video, so there are two very slight changes: Celsius / Fahrenheit is mode 3 instead of 6; and just tap the M to toggle Auto mode instead of holding for 5 seconds.

Armoire units shipped in 2019 and early 2020 came with a square-ish white WiFi camera - the SriHome SH029.  If you lost the user manual, you can click here to download a PDF.

Armoire units shipped late 2020 and after come with a small black WiFi Camera - the V380 Pro.  If you lost the user manual, you can click here to download a PDF.

Please Note that most WiFi connected devices for the home will want to connect to a 2.4Ghz signal because while slower than 5Ghz, a 2.4Ghz signal has a much farther/wider reach and goes through walls better, which is important for connected devices in the home that may be further away from the router/signal.  Most folks today like to use faster 5Ghz connections, but just about all home devices (WiFi cameras, doorbells, smart lightbulbs, etc.) all want to use a 2.4Ghz connection, so be aware of that during setup.