Educational auto grow

[PuravidaC]

I must say that I am glad I tried an all natural auto grow, without topping. I can clearly see the structure of the plant and have a much better understanding of what is said here and on tutorials about training and manifolds. All my other photo grows I just topped and LST'd and had colas and secondary colas everywhere so some of the info on training just didn't make sense. I am a hands on kind of person and Nebula was right, some times you just need to jump in to learn!

[alltatup]

So are you going to change any strategies after this, and what changes?

[PuravidaC]

For sure gonna top next auto grow now that I see how fast they grow have have a better understanding of when to top autos. Don't think I will try to manifold until next photo grow. Current auto grow is only 4 weeks old but can already see where I would get better light coverage from topping. Just LST on main cola so far and waiting to see how secondary colas respond. Really impressed with quick growth of autos so if I get too aggressive with training on next auto grow I will know quickly if I screwed up and have to start over!!

[PuravidaC]

Interesting... 2 plants, same strain, same environment, nothing out of the ordinary. A few days ago I noticed one needed watering, on schedule, but the other didn't and looked a little droopy. I didn't water droopy again until regular water schedule (every two days). Soil ph has been on high side all grow, around 7. Have been trying to bring down soil ph gradually without much success. Watered both with 6 ph water and blackstrap molasses this morning. Stretch has started but droopy continues to lag. The other one is all "let's party"!! I'm just scratching my head...

[D.A.A.S.69]

That Blackstrap will gradually help get it lower, an running low ph water, as long as they are growing real good ,they should be fine.That's what you look out for though is uptake.

[PuravidaC]

Have always used blackstrap but didn't realize it lowered ph until you guys were talking about it the other day. That and micros can't hurt!!

[D.A.A.S.69]

Yeah,it's hard to get ph out of whack in soil, if you got the right ph going in, lots of good stuff going on in soil.
My last grow in KindSoil, I never watered to run-off except 1 time a week before harvest, an I just wanted to see what it was then. After 89 days of running 6.2-6.5, water in, it came out 6.3
And that plant put out alot of fine bud.

[oldjarhead100]

hey Pura welcome to Auto 101 lol I have found on a few strains one Auto will be alot bigger than the other the other thing is they all harvest at different times ,

[PuravidaC]

It's kinda looking that way (size), but different harvest time could be problematic for me. I dry in my grow space so the smell doesn't drive my wife out of the house!!!! 😁

[Sockfilter]

PVC, I also do the initial hang dry in my flower tent, however I stay on the small side and try to not let any height get over 2'. In the past I was setup and ran a perpetual harvest of sorts so have something ready for harvest every few weeks and this is what I am dialing back into after some time off, just much smaller and less girls..

So with that being said, I take big grocery paper bag, small hole in bottom, feed clothes hanger up through hole, so you can hang the bag upside down, put my branches on the clothes hanger, and close up bag a little, put in some ventilation holes in spots where no light can get in, yet still get air flow and it works for me. I am sure this is not the best method by any means, however works for my needs and keeps smells at bay, while allowing my time-staggered girls to keep on keeping on..

[PuravidaC]

Yea Socks, I liked your paper bag suggestion from another post. I have always used an incandescent light in a reflector near the floor to help regulate heat during drying and keep light level low. Everything I've read says no or very little light during drying. I haven't dried any other way so I have no comparison but will differently keep your suggestion in mind!