s62’s Grow #2 - Auto Mania!

[s62]

Introduction
Welcome to my second grow (and my first grow journal)! This should be a fun ride! Expect to see some mistakes and some experiments along the way. I hope some of you subscribe and follow along. If you do, just leave a comment letting me know, and I’ll tag you on this and future grows.

For this grow, I’m tackling a number of firsts. In some ways it feels just like starting a grow the first time: exciting, nerve-wracking, fun, etc. This grow will be my first attempt at growing autos. I’m really excited about trying them out. It will also be my first attempt at growing multiple strains at once. Additionally, it’s my first time growing from seed. Like a virgin... planting for the very first timeeee. Oh yeah, first time quadlining, too. Hell, first time doing much training at all!

So I’m pretty excited. My goal is to successfully get four plants/strains to produce 12oz of good bud. I pulled 8oz my first grow, and I think I can do better this time. Especially as I plan on quadlining.

In this first post, I’d like to go through grow setup, genetics, and planting seeds.

Grow Setup
Check out my setup here (ref: 08/27):
https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...s-setup-thread

Genetics
For this grow, I’m growing 3 strains from Fast Buds and 1 strain from Dinafem. They are all autos.

- White Widow XXL (Dinafem)

I got this one to help my father-in-law with insomnia. Classic strain that I’ve never tried, too, so I’m past due.

- Girl Scout Cookies (Fast Buds)

Ah, that fresh-baked smell! Hoping for a reasonably classic GSC taste and smell. This will be for general use.

- Crystal Meth (Fast Buds)

Terrible name! Great looking strain! Described by words like “energetic”, “uplifting”, and “social”, this strain sounds exactly like what I need to combat my depression and adhd. Very excited to try it. Also, those colors! Looks like Fall in Vermont.


- Six Shooter (Fast Buds)

I growing Six Shooter primarily because I want to help ensure a high yield, and in part because of its lineage. Should be a great cerebral high.

Germination/Planting Seeds
I've ordered some germbags like Weed Pharma, but they haven't arrived yet. I've decided to take a cue from his KISS experiments, and to never-the-less start my seeds in their final destination: 3-gallon Smart Pots. So in they went tonight! I'm very excited to have them in the soil, and I'm hoping they sprout soon. Before planting the seeds, I watered-in the soil several hours in advance. I didn't water the seed, as I'm sure there's enough water in the soil to do the trick. I will be minimally watering until I see some growth (if at all).
I'm attaching some pictures of my tent with the 4 pots in it, as well as some pics of my heating/cooling/dehumidifying setup because I thought it was fun.

Thanks for tuning in! I will update as soon as germination occurs (or until 7 days in).


Tags
Doubledealing72Weed Pharma alltatup RagWeedDWC Mr.furley Canuck147 Obi-Wan

[Doubledealing72]

Looks like the start of a great grow! I have to ask what the hydroton is for in your runoff saucers. Curious to find out!

[s62]

It’s just acting as a buffer between the pot and the ground, as opposed to gravel (which I used last time). Shop was all out of gravel and this stuff looked nice so I grabbed it.

[Doubledealing72]

I see. I have little wire racks that keep them propped up from the saucer. I also have some white boxes that I use to prop them up as long as they don't get too tall lol.

[s62]

What type of white boxes do you use to stack? I will likely need to boost some of my plants so the canopy is even. Looking for something small, stackable, and cleanable.

[Weed Pharma]

The seeds need to stay moist/wet until it sprouts- the rest of the pot does not.
I would water a circle of about 1"-2" with 2 oz of water and then use a small cup to cover and keep moist- remove immediately once it pops!

[s62]

That’s in addition to the watering-in I did of the soil? I wanted all the soil to get moist, as I wanted to give the KindSoil something to drink. So I watered the soil fairly well and then left the pots to dry out a bit before coming back a few hours later to plant the seeds.
Have I already messed up? Will add some pint glasses later as humidity domes.

[Weed Pharma]

Yes, I adjusted the amount of water for the seeds based upon the pot already watered-
The day it sprouts- water about 1/2-1 teaspoonful (at the stem) and then leave alone for awhile.(days)

When you start watering - water to the drip line only, until the plant is big enough to cover most of the pot or does not last 2-3 days.
You will be fine- just need to be extra careful not to over water, as ytou will not have the wicking advantage with a wet pot.

I will post a pic of a seedling I just watered

[s62]

Awesome, that’s exactly the advice I needed. I’ll give the seeds a couples of ounces today as soon as I can, and then I’ll leave them be until I see growth.

[Weed Pharma]

Mephisto Genetics, Alien Vs Triangle- popped 13 days ago- plain water @ 1 liter - 6 days ago (in germbags only) and became overwatered. I have a fan gently drying it out.
The seedling is still overwatered and had slowed growth for a few days- then started to grow again.

I wanted to feed -first nutes-, so watered to the drip line @1 liter.

The plant is in a 7 gallon fabric pot, still may be delayed, but should catch up-OK

[s62]

Thanks for posting this. I’m wondering how finicky these autos will be early on. Hopefully they’re resilient in case I mess up, but I think I’ve got a good grip on it with your help.

[Weed Pharma]

It is very easy- just do less to nothing and you will be fine, lol

[s62]

Hahaha, that’s actually GREAT advice for me! I have the tendency to tinker.

[alltatup]

Like an auto
grown for the very first time
like an au au au au to
when the colas
start to climb wooah whoah whoa...

s, I've come to the conclusion after growing for 3 years, that whatever strain I grow is gonna be good for depression, stress or anxiety. For a while I believed that it was CBD that was making such a difference in my outlook, but now, around 2 years later, I think that the quality and the whole karma of home-grown, home-harvested and home-cured is so much better, that anything I grow is the best medicinal herb I've ever had. Not sure how much CBD I've been getting, but I do know that I feel totally different now. I'm a THC lover, really, and I believe strongly in synergy--in all the cannabinoids and terpenes working together. Your father in law will love what you grow!!!!! And you tell me in a year or so of using your home grown medicine if your entire mindset hasn't changed.

Oh and by the way, I'm subbed. ;-}

[SoOrbudgal]

Excellent uh o uh o uh o grow on y'all

[s62]

So glad you’re coming on the ride with me, atu! Your grows are an inspiration, and your humor and levity are always welcome!

[alltatup]

s62 I'm really excited to watch this one!!! ;-}

[Mr.furley]

Alright s62 you got to tell me about the AC box thingy, and I'm stub.

[s62]

Looks crazy, but basically it’s just an enclosure for my dehumidifier. I put a huge box over the dehumidifier. I cut a hole for air in, and a 6” circle for air out, ducted the output straight to my tent, and stuck my portable A/C (and heater, not seen here) in front of it, blowing cooled, dried air right into it. Gotta get the RH down from the 70’s and 80’s!
Also, glad you’re following. I know photos are your thing, but you’ve got such great skills.

[SoOrbudgal]

Having not grown indoors during summer months I really never used a dehumidifier but that's excellent idea.

[s62]

Just something I thought up while getting high lol. Well, the box and ducting part, anyway lol

[Canuck147]

I love autoflowers - I follow along.
I too grow in a 3x3x8 - and have learned not to crowd the tent. Plants touching and hanging on to each other leads to problems. So, training is a good idea.
Good luck growing.

[s62]

Thank you! I’m pretty damn excited to try them out. I’m also pleased you’re following; you’ve got a wealth of experience that I’m sure I’ll learn from.

[Obi-Wan]

I’ll take the ride with you too!! I’m sub’d.

[s62]

Awesome! Please chime in if you see anything at all. Experienced growers like you are where I learn the most.

[s62]

Day 5, and the seeds have sprouted! First was the Crystal M.E.T.H. yesterday, then the Six Shooter last night, and now both White Widow XXL and GSC are currently cracking soil! I had given them each 2oz of tap water when planting them, and have since given them ~1tsp each as they have sprouted.





I’ve got my lights on and close by. Not sure still exactly how close I want my T5’s, but I’m guessing within 3-5 inches is ok? I don’t want these little girls to grow up all stretchy, nor do I want to burn them.



Next step for me is the hardest: wait. I’m sure I’ll be training them before I know it, but for now . . . wait.
Does anyone know if I should say they germinated today, or a day ago, or what? I guess I can make today = day 1, or what? I want to present accurate timings on these seeds for germination to harvest.
Finally, what does watering for these babies look like? Weed Pharma I’m looking at you, lol. Im guessing water less heavily but more frequently?

[s62]

I just wanted to be able to say “Seed took x days to germinate” or “Germination to harvest was x days.” That said, I hear you on plants not being able to read, lol. I guess I’m calling this Day 1!
So I wonder if KS should be any different than what’ll you’re proposing. I bet not. I read their site extensively, and the watering advice basically boiled down to: water less often than you think you need, and never to run-off. They even said 4-7 days in between watering. That said, on my last grow, I was watering each plant a gallon every other day once it had gotten big in veg. I’m really not very sure about the watering piece. Throw in other variables, such as “Because it’s living soil, should you water the soil too?” etc. and I’m just lost, lol.
I’ll take your advice on watering a liter at 5-7 days and see how that looks.
Thank you, as always! Very helpful!

[alltatup]

CONGRATS, s62!! It's wonderful when they pop their heads up, all alive and rising!! Don't drown them, that's all. The more time I spend with my plants, the more I see and the more deeply I understand them. You can't look at the roots like I can, but the leaves always tell the story of what's going on below.

Awesome start!!! And I agree with Weed Pharma: I don't really know when "veg" begins and "seedlinghood" ends, but I sure as heck count flower days, and I'm usually right in the realm stated by the breeder: between 8-9 weeks.

[s62]

Thanks, atu! I was thrilled to see them pop their little heads up. 100% germination rate, which pleases me too!

[SoOrbudgal]

Yeah s62 looking real good, nice setup!

[s62]

Thanks, budgal!

[s62]

Alright, I’ve come to my first decision point and I’d love help making it. 2 of my sprouts (Crystal Meth and Six Shooter) look healthy, large, and strong.





The White Widow looks like a runt sprout, and I’m unsure if it’s worth keeping.



It’s the GSC that’s really messed up though. It’s so small, I had to use my macro camera lens. No cotyledons, and ultra tiny little leaf tips rather than a proper first set. The question is, do I try to grow it out, or do I yank it? Secondary question: do I grow 3 instead of 4? 4 is starting to look a little tight to my eye, but maybe not?



Thoughts?

[s62]

Ahh, thank you for helping me wrap my head around it, lol. Wasn’t sure what I was seeing.

[alltatup]

s62 It's good to have a flexible head!!! ;-}

[s62]

Hahaha, more truth to that than not!

[s62]

Week 1 Update

Well, a week has gone by since last major update. My 3 seedlings are doing great! I gave them a teaspoon of water each on days 3 and 5, as well as a tablespoon each on day 7. Looking for more feedback as to when to water next.

White Widow XXL:


Crystal M.E.T.H.:


Six-Shooter:


As for the GSC I planted on day 2, it’s finally broken soil. Only problem is it has a tight case of helmet head. So my question is do I remove the helmet, or do I leave it alone. It’s on really tight and I already tried prying it off with no luck. Do I keep trying?

So for now, more watching and waiting for that 6th node to show up. I’d appreciate any comments or feedback you may have!

[D.A.A.S.69]

s62 when they young ,they don't need much water, for sure, I was always told you want to make the roots hunt for water, makes them strongly supposedly.
I've used KindSoil quite alot, when I first started growing indoors, and it's good stuff, but if you ever water by accident to much, there goes all the good stuff, and they start yellowing to soon before harvest, but all you got to do is topdress with 4-5 handfuls of KindSoil. And your fine.
I started using sauciers, and if I did get to much run off, it would suck right back up in your SmartPots, in 10-15minutes.
Phil is a good guy, I don't know if he still does it, but he used to send you free KindSoil if you sent him some pictures of your buds,

[s62]

Wow, daas, you know the folks over at KindSoil? Cool! Thanks for the tip about top dressing.

[D.A.A.S.69]

Yeah, I know Phil, not personally, but I've talked to him on the phone, a bunch of times , an got my fair share of free KindSoil, I had to pay shipping.
He might still be doing the pictures of your buds ,thing, idk.
I don't use it anymore, but if you use it right,, it's pretty hard to beat, imo.
GoodLuck with your plants.
62.

[alltatup]

s62, they are lovely but look like they could use a little more light. You don't want a lanky stem like that which can fall over as more leaves come out. I'd give them some support, maybe add a bit more soil to shorten stem and get them closer to light. https://www.growweedeasy.com/tall-marijuana-seedling

I totally agree w/ Canuck: you don't want to limit the area of moisture around the developing roots or the roots won't grow out seeking more water. It's a balancing act that one gets a sense of with practice--or at least that's how things have gone for me in hydro.

[s62]

Can’t lower my T5s much more. Should I just go ahead and blast them with the LEC? Will try to add some soil to shore things up.
Thank you thank you thank you!

[alltatup]

s62 Make sure you're doing the right thing for your babies: for goodness' sake, don't blast them!! They're spring babies, right? Before all the heat and full sun of summer, so you have to coddle them a little bit before their stems get thick and strong and covered with solar shields (leaves).

https://www.growweedeasy.com/how-far-grow-lights

[s62]

Yeah, I was going to set my lec at 24” initially, and then drop it to 18” around 4-5 nodes. Does that sound right?

[s62]

Shit. Does the Crystal Meth look like it’s got Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) to anyone else? Mottling and that new leaf looks pretty damn crooked. Uh-oh :/

[RagWeedDWC]

Duh.... Did not click, I was going to look it up but, you know. I got high :-)

[s62]

Hahahaha, I hear ya

[alltatup]

s62 I had a leaf like that one one of my plants, and I've seen one or two crop up before on previous grows. I'm pretty sure that it was a little bit of mutation but not TMV because the rest of the leaves were dark green.

I wonder if it has to do with the HUMONGOUS demand for seeds and perhaps breeders aren't being as careful??? I've been wondering about some of the weird stuff I'll see when everyone else in the box is growing perfectly.