New grower and thanks for the approval

[BigMak]

Hi all,

First of I want to say thank you for not only approving my access to this forum but also for helping me in my first grow. I've used the website and these forums to educated myself as much as possible around growing my first plants.

Now I'm trying to figure out what can I do to improve my harvest. I've read everything I can about LST, nutrients, lights, soil and on and on but still unsure about all of it and what I can do to improve.

This is my current setup:

• Strain - Critical Purple Feminized Autoflowering
• Vivosun 32x32x63 grow tent
• Vivosun 4" 203 CFM Fan with Carbon Filter
• 2 x Vivosun VS1000 LED grow light about 12" from top of tallest plant
• TaoTronics 6L Humidifier
• 2 Gallon Smart Pots
• FoxFarm Happy Frog Soil
• Dyna-Gro nutrients (Grow, Bloom and Mag-Pro)

I have 4 plants growing. Front right is about 4 weeks old, back 2 are 3 weeks and front left is 1 week. They seem to be growing well after some problems with the first one and me being a noob and overwatering it. After letting it dry out and pruning a few yellow leaves it seems to have survived my stupidity. I attempted to try to do some LST on one of the back two but got scared I was going to bend it too much and break it so I stopped.

So on to the questions:

1. Is my light at the right position? I'm doing 24/7 light and haven't moved it since I started growing.
2. I'm confused on the nutrients and schedule. How much do I use? How often? I've found the guide from Dyna-gro but my research makes me thing that due to the soil I'm using and that they are auto-flowering, I shouldn't be using as much as they say.
3. I'm in a very dry hot area so my temp and humidity hover at 80 degrees and 40%. Is this ok? Again from my research it seems to be fine but you all know more than me.
4. LST seems to go back and forth with Auto-Flowering strains. Some say just let it grow, others say do it. I'm going to guess the biggest plant is too old to start LST but how about the other three? Should I try it on them? Is the small one too small still?

I think that's it for now and thank you again for allowing me to join this awesome forum!

BigMak!

[JeffInCanada]

Hello BigMak
Welcome to the forum. It looks like you are off to a great start. It looks pretty good inside your tent. For your questions, I only have experience with #3 & #4 so I will try and help with them.
3- 80 degrees F and 40% humidity are not too bad. You won't want the temperature to get much hotter than that though. Also, do not assume everyone in here knows more than you
4- For sure LST can help with yields for autoflowers. Since this is your first grow, consider just trying to grow nice healthy plants this first time. To learn and concentrate on that. But if you want to try LST the GWE site has a good page on it. See the link below. There is a section specifically on autoflowers. You can still LST those plant if you choose. It is not too late. I know what you mean about bending over the main stem and getting scared to break it. I just did my first LST grow (see the link in my signature). I was very scared that I was going to break it but it didn't break. They sure can break though, it's nerve wrecking.

Other people will add some comments on the lighting etc. Good people and help in here. I have learned tons already. Cheers!

[UndergroundFarmer]

Welcome! It looks like a good start. I use a lot of Vivosun stuff myself - mostly the tents and clip fans. I have had trouble with one of their fans coming apart while running and wrecking itself so I switched to AC Infinity. I also don't have any experience with their LED panels - I'm only buying Platinum LED because the warranty is terrific and I love the results I've gotten plus USA made. I see your cords all run outside. Make sure your power strip is not on the floor in case of flooding. (I grow in hydro in a basement!) I tend to use cable ties to hold the power strip to a tent post WAY out of harm's way inside the tent. It may end up being more convenient to do it that way for you. And that reminds me - I don't see a fan to move air within the tent. A good oscillating fan that will attach to a tent pole is best. Your plants will need that to keep them swaying just a bit to harden them up so they don't fall over too easily from their own weight before they even have buds growing.

I run my lights 18/6 in veg. I've only done photoperiod varieties so someone more experienced with autos can tell you if 24 hours a day light is a good thing. 80F is a bit high for cannabis, but a heat-tolerant variety might grow faster in that environment. 72-78 is a better range. You may need a small A/C unit to help manage that.

Check out this thread for an auto grow that you may want to watch: https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...training/page2

[BigMak]

Awesome advice thank you!

• Watch temperature so it doesn't go much higher. Gonna be a little hard since days here are already at high 90's outside and if I spend anymore money on this grow for an A/C unit I'm sure the wife will divorce me.
• Raise the power bar off floor level. It is currently outside the tent on the floor but not too worried as I don't do hydro, yet
• Clip on fan - ordering from amazon now
• LST I think I'll hold off on for now and concentrate on getting a good grow under my belt first.

[SoOrbudgal]

Hello and welcome to the GWE growing forum. I use to use Dyna Grow both grow and bloom but switched. No issues just ran out bought a different brand. When i use grow ferts on autos i test it on them. First couple of feeds are less than recommended just to be safe, and a tad of tip burn is no big deal but too heavy of use too frequently lead to issues. Just try giving to the ones 3wks and older less than 1/2 of what they recomend. It's how we learn and if they like it don't see any ill effects by 1month old feed them 3/4 of what they recommend. I only use the bloom when i see hairs starting to form a bud sites, then i switch it.

Your oldest one maybe too stiff to try LST and maybe too old to top. These start to flower by 5wks from seed and they stiffen up quick. Just look at the other good growers and their autos and follow you don't need to do it until you feel confident and don't mind maybe messing up on one. Have fun and best of luck....ask away

[BigMak]

Thanks! Appreciate the advice and will give it a try!

[Farmbuck]

Yep from what I see in the last pic, pistils are showing..! Don't chop the top on her.

[dhll999]

Looks good I am into my 2nd grow with autos and for the LST you could look at some Bill Ward videos on youtube he is a great teacher and a licensed grower and helped me out a lot

[BigMak]

Awesome, looking him up now!

[SoOrbudgal]

I really like watching his videos really cool

[PLreef]

Welcome, not gonna beat a dead horse. You've received plenty of great, useful info. READ IT, USE IT, READ IT AGAIN but read it a second time in a different accent.After you can apply the things you've learned. Not sure if that part helps or not but worth a shot right? If not... IF NOT THE FLOGGGING WILL BEGIN.

[BigMak]

If reading it with an accent will help my grow than what the hell, let's do it!!!

[Floopydoop]

I recommend a Pirate accent. I mean, he did mention flogging ffs.

[Catfish22]

BigMak ,hi and welcome
Awesome bunch of people here who are willing to share their experience and knowledge with anyone who asks.
Just try to read the GWE tutorial before asking. You'll be able to ask good questions and understand the answers.
I'm just finishing my first grow and I didn't do any LST. I am glad now that I just concentrated on growing healthy plants. I am 2 weeks into my second grow and I feel much more confident about trying topping and LST.
Good luck and Happy farming!

[BigMak]

Thanks and agree 100% on the reading. That's all I've been doing for the past 5 weeks before joining the forum, reading everything I can about the different processes around growing.

[MehakNich]

Hi all,

First of I want to say thank you for not only approving my access to this forum but also for helping me in my first grow. I've used the website and these forums to educated myself as much as possible around growing my first plants.

Hello BigMak !
I'm a noob here and I'm happy to see someone else has cucceeded so much!

[BigMak]

So I did a thing last night.. After watching a bunch of youtube videos by Bill Ward as suggested by dhll999 I decided to give LST another shot and I think it worked out quite well. Here's the shot last night after I did the LST and this morning. Looks like she liked the extra light on the other nodes

[BigMak]

I think I will do a journal for my next grow but will definitely keep this thread updated with my progress. Everyone here has been great and I hope to be able to give advice one day also.

[JeffInCanada]

Looking good BigMak Such bravery looks like you have a great handle on what LST is supposed to do and how it works. Don't be shy to cut a fan leaf or two off if they are shadowing bud sites (I see below that you are also learning about that). Great start and Good luck!

[dhll999]

Good job your doing well keep us posted I would like to see how it turns out

[Canuck147]

First off BigMak - great job on your setup - excellent start.

Your Temps will be fine - most cannabis plants like it on the tropical side. Try to keep humidity around 50% or so.

All I grow is autoflowers. Not a big fan of LST myself - if the plants nodes are too close together then i don't attempt LST. But sometimes branches need to pulled away from each other.

I usually top my autoflowers then instead of LST I remove fan leaves that are blocking bud sites that are beneath those big fan leaves. Do it properly and one only has to remove 4 pairs of leaves to develop those branches beneath. This will leave you with 8 colas and probably a couple more from the middle.

Good luck growing.

[Canuck147]

Instead of humidifier one can put objects that are wet in the tent - pot of water/wet towel........

[BigMak]

I'll give it a try if the humidity starts to drop below 40%.. right now it's hovering right around 50% which I think is good and from my research, as the girls grow, they will increase the humidity inside also.

[PLreef]

I do what Canuck147 is talking about during the super dry months in winter. I put a wet towel on a clothes hanger inside the tent. It raises the RH quickly.

[BigMak]

I think the LST worked well on my older lady and all 4 of them seem to be growing well. Any advice on the LST I've done? I'm thinking I'll let it be for the next week or so and see how it goes. How often does everyone else train their plants? Is it a daily thing? Weekly?

[Canuck147]

It's a daily thing sometimes twice a day.

[BigMak]

Wow, didn't think it was that often.. I'll have to check them more often.

[dhll999]

I adjust my plants about twice a week and pin or tie new branches into open spots in the canopy to cover the entire pot to create a round canopy and to keep everything at an even height...Sorry I am a little stoned so i hope this makes sense

[BigMak]

UndergroundFarmer, just installed an oscillating fan as you suggested. Have it just about at the same level as the lights pointing down slightly. Is that a good position? I read that you don't want it blowing directly on the plants so I have it aimed just over them oscillating back and forth.

[Canuck147]

Looks okay - don't your lights have their own fan?
I have the same fan usually blowing over the tops of their heads - 15 minutes on 15 minutes off.

[BigMak]

No fan on the LED's, just the ballast and heatsink but they are actually pretty cool considering. Any reason why you have them 15mins on/off and do you see any issues with just letting the fan go 24/7 with the lights?

[UndergroundFarmer]

That should work as long as you raise it when you raise the lights when the plants grow too close.

[BigMak]

So I've done some LST to my oldest plant and I think it's looking good but how do you know when it's in the flowering stage and I should just let it be? I bought a macro lens for my phone and took some close up pictures. From my reading I need to look for the little white pistils which I think I'm seeing in the macro pic. If right does that mean my first plant is officially flowering? What do I do now? Just water and make sure it's healthy? Sorry for all the question just kinda excited that it's flowering.

[SoOrbudgal]

Your plants are in preflower. Time to start feedling bloom nutes

[george66]

Just a little tip for thew next time your growing autos,keep the light a little further away than usual so the plant stretches for the light and the gap between the nodes will be greater.It makes it alot easier to bend over and spread evenly You dont need to top them unless you realy want to but it wont increase your yield and only stresses the plant more.I grow mostly autos and this is how i always do it now.

[BigMak]

Awesome, thanks for the advice. I had no idea how far to put the light away from the plants as depending on what you read it's different and then you have to take into account the type of light, wattage, lumens, etc that my head was spinning. I stuck with the average of what I was reading and put them at about 12" from the top of the plants. Plan to keep it at 12" and just slowly move them up but for my next grow I'll start at 24" and see how it goes.

[Canuck147]

I've always had my light at the recommended distance by the manufacturer.