Foods Autoflower Adventure

Discussion in 'Organic Grow Journals' started by HereForTheFood, Nov 26, 2014.

  1. Hello and welcome to my first journal and grow! 
     
    My name is HereForTheFood, you can call me Food for short, just don't call me late for dinner.
     
    Currently I am doing a smaller personal grow, and plan to expand if this goes well.
     
    Four Northern Lights Autoflower seeds from Nirvana were planted in four separate 5 gallon fabric containers containing Build A Soil (BAS) Living Organic Soil on October 30th. That means these girls are just under a month old. The grow is inside a 2'7" x 2'7" x 6' tent, which is now getting very full.
     
    Fabric pots being 1 Smartpot and 3 Dirt Pots, simply due to what my hydro stores locally had in stock. This does create a small height difference, and I noticed slower growth at first with the Smartpot by comparison, however that plant has now caught up completely.
     
    All four seeds germinated and were started under a 4 bulb T5 with 6500K (2 plants) and a 2 bulb T5 also 6500K (other 2 plants). My reasoning for the separate 4 and 2 bulb T5 fixtures is for supplemental lighting later during growth, so I also have 6 2800K bulbs.
     
    After 2 1/2 to 3 weeks the girls looked healthy and stacked with minimal stem growth, lots of dense growth and branching. I would have loved to bury the stem more, but this strain seems particularly short, watering is very difficult now. At the 2 1/2 to 3 week mark the plants seemed strong enough to put them under the 400 watt HPS air cooled hood. I started off with no ventilation for the hood, and had some higher temperatures for brief periods (85-90F), the hood was 18" from canopy to start and plants suffered very slight burn at the tips of the highest leaves, and have since recovered with better temperatures (75-83F).
     
    A few days ago I installed a 4" Hurricane inline with a 4" x 12" Phresh filter. Originally I had the filter connected to the intake on the light hood, pulling through the hood to the fan, however the ducting distance was too great, or the filter too dense. Now the fan is pushing air from the hood into the filter. I realize this is not the most efficient for the fan or the filter, but it works for now. My only concern with this setup is humidity from the tent entering the hood and causing problems. Maybe I am just paranoid, people use bare bulbs with no negative effects.
     
    As for soil and nutrients, start to finish in BAS Living Organic Soil mix, it is a water only mix that I have not amended. I did layer some EWC into the top portions of all the pots, BAS has a free sample of any product they sell, you just have to pay for shipping so I chose EWC. Both the soil and castings are of very high quality, many on the forums can attest and I'm finding out now.
     
    The setup in its current state has the 400 watt HPS hood about 8-10" from the canopy, a 4 bulb T5 with alternating 6500K and 2800K bulbs hanging on one side, and 3 girls are about a foot wide and tall each, I have one runt who's still 9-10" tall, still at least a foot wide though. Things are getting tight, but temperatures are good so far. 65-70F at night, 72-85F during the day. Preflowers started forming around week 2, and it looks like the start of flowering.
     
    The past day or two my leaves have been looking droopy, and I just watered before typing. It's become hard to maintain a moist top layer of soil because of the wide/low structure of these girls, so the other day I put some clay balls on top of the soil to wick moisture in place of mulch. I've avoided misting my girls because flowering seems to be starting, are my dry leaves the cause of my leaf droopiness?
     
    Pictures to follow when I figure out how to connect my Iphone to my computer without buying a new cord.
     
    Thank you to Jerry for introducing me to organics, the only way I would be successful at all my first time around. And thank you to Pokesmot for inspiring me to grow and start a journal. I explained to him my plan before I bought supplies, he was so encouraging I didn't doubt myself at all.
     
    Thanks for reading and in advance for any advice/comments.

     
  2. Hello and welcome to my first journal and grow! 
     
    My name is HereForTheFood, you can call me Food for short, just don't call me late for dinner.
     
    Currently I am doing a smaller personal grow, and plan to expand if this goes well.
     
    Four Northern Lights Autoflower seeds from Nirvana were planted in four separate 5 gallon fabric containers containing Build A Soil (BAS) Living Organic Soil on October 30th. That means these girls are just under a month old. The grow is inside a 2'7" x 2'7" x 6' tent, which is now getting very full.
     
    Fabric pots being 1 Smartpot and 3 Dirt Pots, simply due to what my hydro stores locally had in stock. This does create a small height difference, and I noticed slower growth at first with the Smartpot by comparison, however that plant has now caught up completely.
     
    All four seeds germinated and were started under a 4 bulb T5 with 6500K (2 plants) and a 2 bulb T5 also 6500K (other 2 plants). My reasoning for the separate 4 and 2 bulb T5 fixtures is for supplemental lighting later during growth, so I also have 6 2800K bulbs.
     
    After 2 1/2 to 3 weeks the girls looked healthy and stacked with minimal stem growth, lots of dense growth and branching. I would have loved to bury the stem more, but this strain seems particularly short, watering is very difficult now. At the 2 1/2 to 3 week mark the plants seemed strong enough to put them under the 400 watt HPS air cooled hood. I started off with no ventilation for the hood, and had some higher temperatures for brief periods (85-90F), the hood was 18" from canopy to start and plants suffered very slight burn at the tips of the highest leaves, and have since recovered with better temperatures (75-83F).
     
    A few days ago I installed a 4" Hurricane inline with a 4" x 12" Phresh filter. Originally I had the filter connected to the intake on the light hood, pulling through the hood to the fan, however the ducting distance was too great, or the filter too dense. Now the fan is pushing air from the hood into the filter. I realize this is not the most efficient for the fan or the filter, but it works for now. My only concern with this setup is humidity from the tent entering the hood and causing problems. Maybe I am just paranoid, people use bare bulbs with no negative effects.
     
    As for soil and nutrients, start to finish in BAS Living Organic Soil mix, it is a water only mix that I have not amended. I did layer some EWC into the top portions of all the pots, BAS has a free sample of any product they sell, you just have to pay for shipping so I chose EWC. Both the soil and castings are of very high quality, many on the forums can attest and I'm finding out now.
     
    The setup in its current state has the 400 watt HPS hood about 8-10" from the canopy, a 4 bulb T5 with alternating 6500K and 2800K bulbs hanging on one side, and 3 girls are about a foot wide and tall each, I have one runt who's still 9-10" tall, still at least a foot wide though. Things are getting tight, but temperatures are good so far. 65-70F at night, 72-85F during the day. Preflowers started forming around week 2, and it looks like the start of flowering.
     
    The past day or two my leaves have been looking droopy, and I just watered before typing. It's become hard to maintain a moist top layer of soil because of the wide/low structure of these girls, so the other day I put some clay balls on top of the soil to wick moisture in place of mulch. I've avoided misting my girls because flowering seems to be starting, are my dry leaves the cause of my leaf droopiness?
     
    Pictures to follow when I figure out how to connect my Iphone to my computer without buying a new cord.
     
    Thank you to Jerry for introducing me to organics, the only way I would be successful at all my first time around. And thank you to Pokesmot for inspiring me to grow and start a journal. I explained to him my plan before I bought supplies, he was so encouraging I didn't doubt myself at all.
     
    Thanks for reading and in advance for any advice/comments.
     
  3. Subbed up man can't wait to enjoy the showB)
     
  4. Awesome dude! I just got the app and now I can give you pictures! My goal is 1-2oz per plant.


    Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
     
  5. #5 HereForTheFood, Nov 26, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 27, 2014
    ImageUploadedByGrasscity Forum1417042137.461358.jpg
     
    4" Hurricane Inline fan attached to 4" x 12" Phresh filter and speed controller (usually on full speed anyways)
     
    ImageUploadedByGrasscity Forum1417042160.352300.jpg
     
    Inside of tent between hood and roof of tent.
     
    ImageUploadedByGrasscity Forum1417042175.268411.jpg
     
    Full view of hood, plants, and T5 on side.
     
    ImageUploadedByGrasscity Forum1417042191.098352.jpg
     
    My best and most promising plant. Slightly farther along than the rest.
     
    ImageUploadedByGrasscity Forum1417042211.248330.jpg
     
    Top of best plant.
     
    ImageUploadedByGrasscity Forum1417042222.382642.jpg
     
    Different angle of same top, flowering right?
     
    ImageUploadedByGrasscity Forum1417042243.036918.jpg
     
    Didn't notice these wilting curling bottom leaves until now, is this a sign of disease or a root problem, or just a natural part of growth? Only one plant so far, its the smart pot plant. If anything this is my greatest concern.
     
    ImageUploadedByGrasscity Forum1417042254.437833.jpg
     
    Same plant, leaf on opposite side with same condition. Any advice on this issue will be very helpful.
     
    ImageUploadedByGrasscity Forum1417042271.602465.jpg
     
    The top number is from the outdoor sensor probe on my thermometer, I have that hung between the T5 and the closest leaves. This would make sense to be the hottest part of the tent, because the hood is cooling well and the temp between canopy and hood can't be much higher. Any differences of opinion speak up.
     
    ImageUploadedByGrasscity Forum1417042285.896920.jpg
     
    The top of my shortest plant that had the most of the slight light burn due to higher temps. I have it close to the T5 with vegging bulbs (6500K) closest to the bottom. Alternating starting from the top with bloom, veg, bloom, veg.

    Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
     
  6. Be mindful this is an autoflower strain. I thought this would be a faster and easier grow, and I was half right. From seed to finish it should take 60-80 days, I just have a harder time attributing plant changes to flowering starting or a deficiency or disease. My goal is to use only organic nutrients, so I plan on making a sprouted seed enzyme tea when I can get barley seeds, and would love to make a bat guano tea for flowering. Pretty sure I missed the boat on the vegging teas, but maybe some FPE's with alfalfa meal and/or kelp meal. I'm always looking for natural alternatives to bottled nutrients (like Comfrey for potassium and silica, as opposed to Pro-tekt). I'm avoiding ACT because of the cost to make a brewer, I understand there are cheaper alternatives but that is a project for after this grow.
     
  7. Welcome, Food!

    Glad you joined us here at GCO. If you manage to pull two ounces from an auto you're doing good. A zip and a half is the best I've managed so far. And you can usually start those under that 400W light, just keep it real high and turned down some in the beginning. Autos take off fast.

    Those are definitely flowering. And just because the breeder says 60-80 days doesn't mean that's a hard number. Let them tell you when they are ready.

    The most expensive part of a tea brewer is the air pump. I got mine on Amazon for about $35. When I get on a PC I'll post a link to where I built and first used mine. I just started it up a little while ago in fact.
     
  8. Also, I just saw your comments about watering problems. Do a little research on SIP's.
     
  9. Hey Chef thanks for joining me! I'm so excited to be doing a journal, I put it off because of paranoia and you are giving me some relief.

    I was originally going to use individual plastic bins filled with either expanded clay or perlite, something to wick moisture through the thin fabric. Water halfway through that medium and refill/clean as needed. The smart pot would be on top of the plastic bin. I have a moisture meter that helps a lot, and the expanded clay on top of my soil helps to keep that top few inches moist.

    All of these elements combined seemed ideal, and then on the supply run my local hydro store had only one 5 gallon smart pot. So I would either have to use a hard container or go a little further to a better hydro store.

    I chose to drive farther to a better hydro store, I needed other supplies as well and the second store has a much more experienced staff of two people. Unfortunately the only fabric pot this store has is the Dirt Pot. The Dirt Pot is a bit thicker than the smart pot, with a more rigid fabric, it almost makes the smart pot feel "loose" in comparison. This fabric is too dense to water from the bottom as I was planning, and having just one pot out of the four elevated with the lower res and perlite would cause an uneven canopy that I can't plan for. Otherwise I will be for sure giving that a go next round, especially if this smart pot turns out ok.

    Again thanks for being here, Chef. Do you have any thoughts on those lower wilting leaves? Is this maybe not enough light reaching them?


    Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
     
  10. I don't have an adjustable ballast, but if I did would it be a better idea to use my 400 watt dimmed to a lower wattage or a T5 fixture closer to the plant? When I say "better" I'm trying to express a balance of energy efficiency and plant growth/health and heat management in the environment. Is 250 watts of HPS light at 24"-36" better than a T5 fluorescent fixture with 4 24 watt bulbs (96 watts) at 1"-6"? Looking back on the squatness of this strain, the stretching from HPS may have made watering easier now had I started with that.

    As for the finishing time, I plan to determine that myself later based on amber levels, and I'm aiming for a heavy ratio of amber. The number of 60-80 days is just a rough estimate from other journals and reports from growers. I wanted a quicker strain so that I can get a grow under my belt before I get serious about investing money into this hobby. And I also found the shortest strain I could, which was because I lived in an apartment when I ordered seeds. But now I have more space. Learn from my mistakes readers. Don't buy seeds first.

    I will be satisfied with any yield from this grow. While 2 oz per plant would be awesome, I don't think it's realistic for me right now. 1 oz per plant would be great.

    Also, when those main colas start to develop on the side of my tent opposite the 4 bulb T5 I was planning to hang the other 2 bulb T5 with two bloom bulbs close to those. Is this excessive or worth the effort?


    Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
     
  11. Also, general questions, since my girls are flowering I need to not spray or mist to prevent mold right? My leaves seem to be drying up and drooping down, so I've been using a tiny mister from the dollar store to spray larger fan leaves with water to keep them moist while avoiding flowering areas. Is this safe or standard or just silly?


    Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
     
  12. #12 RED BEARD, Nov 27, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 27, 2014
    Subbed up,and lookin on!lets grow...
     
  13. Hey brother :wave:
    Thank you for the kind words :)

    Most people in organics like AW and Pak use a top layer of timothy hay to maintain the moisture youre after. But i think the clay balls will suffice. If youre only 2 weeks into flower misting is fine, but i never mist under lights, so it wont burn the leaves. If theyre still wet i place a fan on them moving air and rotating to dry the water off leaves then put them back under lights. I only have one fabric pot and i just guard the bottom portion from wind, but it does dry out quickly, so i water often.

    Lookin forward to pics, sounds like youre doing a great job!
    P.s. subbed and rated!
    ~ poke
     
  14. I'm not sure you can ever have too much light. Just sayin'
     
  15. You guys are the best :D


    Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
     
  16. only if it's accompanied by excessive heat
     
  17. #19 Tree dogg, Nov 27, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 27, 2014
    Great idea!!
     
    Guano I believe is not that useful in a tea because it takes years to become available to the plants, if I remember correctly.  
     
    I would stay away from these.  The BAS soil should be fine to get you through an auto grow or two.  
     
    I wouldn't be concerned for two seconds about those lower leaves.  
     
    Happy gardening!   :smoking:
     
  18. Good info here. Top notch :smoke:
     

Share This Page