New Grower 1st Grow, Multi-strain Madness.

[BigJohnny]

Advice/criricism/comments welcome...

In the beginning:

Like many people I decided growing my own has got to be the way forward. I'm 35 now and buying shit weed from spotty teenagers doesn't sit right with me so I took the plunge, ordered so kit, some seeds and went for it.

The set up:

Secret Jardin DRII90t grow tent
400W HPS dual spec with digital ballast
6" exhaust fan and Rhino carbon filter
Fan speed controller
6.5 ltr square pots
Biobizz all mix soil
PM Old Timer grow and bloom.
PM bio silicon
B'cuzz root stimulant.
Oscillating clip on fan
Temp/humidity reader

The beans:

Cream Caramel auto
Black Jack auto
Russian Rocket Fuel auto
Blue Himalayan Diesel auto
Shot Adrenaline auto
Flash Babylon auto

The story so far:

I germed a selection of the seeds in Jiffy plugs and by April 25th some had popped through and some hadn't, so the ones that HAD popped I stuck straight into their final pots and the ones that hadn't I put into party cups. I had also been digging around a bit in the Jiffy plugs, a newbie mistake...DOH!

So then I hit my first problem. I went to stick them all in my tent and the light didn't work, it was 4 day before I could get to the shop to sort so the plants stayed on the kitchen side which probs isn't the best place for them.

Anyway, blah blah blah, got the lights sorted, stuck them in my tent on April 29th and proceeded to over-water the little ladies, another newbie mistake.

So between then and now, one of the ones in the big pots died so I ripped it out and replace it with a seed, straight in the 6.5 ltr pot and under the lights, that popped after a couple of days. I potted up another couple from the party cups and popped another couple of seeds straight into 6.5 ltr pots, both have sprouted. 2 are still in party cups and will stay there now. (I may get 0.01 gr out of each!!!).

 

[BigJohnny]

The first picture shows the 4 that are now 3 weeks from germination. The second picture shows some ranging from 4 days - 1 1/2 weeks since germination (except the bottom right, that's 3 weeks old) and the last picture is a tent shot.

So please have a read and feel free to make any comments, suggestions or criticisms.

Thanks, BJ.

 

[BigJohnny]

Just to add, my temps are steady, around 75-78 lights on but the humidity is very low. Since I've learned about the over-watering I've been doing the wet/dry cycle. I've not used any nutes yet except the bio silicon and root stim.

 

[robwars]

Looks good Johnny
Classic new grower mistakes, we've all done it so no worries. You'll be surprised but the plants are very resilient and should still produce. I all but killed my first grow several times and once I got everything straightened out I had a decent harvest.
Two things about watering
Water the soil, not the plants
Also, you want to let the pots/soil completely dry out before you water again
I know it's hard not to be in the tent and mess with the plants all the time but be patient. If those plants are good and watered and it looks like they are, close that tent up and let them do their thing. It's better to be to dry then to wet....
Good luck sir
and
Welcome :smokebuds:

 

[BigJohnny]

Just a quickie question, I realise there are many factors to consider, but what sort of height shall I expect these to grow to? Also, when they start flowering, do they continue to grow upwards and outwards?

A couple of pictures, just because...

 

[TheCannabist]

Also, you want to let the pots/soil completely dry out before you water again

Sorry, but this is not good advice. I thought the same thing until yesterday when *stitch* explained things to me. Click my sig to see the conversation I just had with him (last two pages). Sorry I'm really not trying to hijack your thread, I just want you guys to read it from the source.

I can't tell you how big your girls will get because, as you said, there are too many factors to consider. I can tell you however that keeping the light close to the plants, without burning them obviously, will keep them much shorter and stockier. Get a fan blowing over that hps, like down the length of it if you see what I mean and I would strongly recommend a super spreader

With those two things added you'll be able to get your light closer and you'll get a bigger yield with less height variation between plants. Having a fan blow over the bulb is also good because otherwise the light gets fucking hot and I'm pretty sure it's not good for longevity of the light or the bulb.

Autos do continue to grow upwards and outwards once they start flowering, but to what extent depends on a number of factors of course.

Another thing I would recommend is filling your pots right up to the top. this is good for air circulation and allows for a deeper, bigger root base. I always make this mistake, but next time I definitely won't.

What's the silicon for btw?

All in all, things look good! Don't stress, let them do their thing and you do yours and I'm sure you'll be in for a happy harvest. Screw the dealer.



TC

 

[robwars]

Sorry, but this is not good advice. I thought the same thing until yesterday when *stitch* explained things to me. Click my sig to see the conversation I just had with him (last two pages). Sorry I'm really not trying to hijack your thread, I just want you guys to read it from the source.

Look, I hear you but "stich" is a very experienced grower and he knows how to manage his water for his style of growing. For a first time grower over watering is the most common mistake made and if you tell him to keep his soil wet all the time I'm pretty sure bad things will happen. There are many factors to be considered here... The amount of water used and the size of the plants/pots. You can easily kill/stunt your plants with to much watering.
BigJohnny- There are a million ways to skin a cat but it'll be up to you to figure out the best way for you to do it.

 

[Muddy]

Welcome to AFN. Since you are a new grower, I'm going to move your thread over to the New Growers forum. We can better help you over there.

Yes, over watering is a common newbie mistake. They do like the wet/dry cycle. Learn to judge the weight of your pots. Get a feel for them when they are pretty dry and only give them water/nutes when they feel that way.

Once your plants finish their pre flower cycle, around week 6, vertical growth will slow and stop. From that point on the only additional vertical growth you will get is whatever the top cola puts on. Usually that's not more than another inch or so. At that point all the plants energy will go into producing buds. Take a look at this thread, it should give you a better idea of what to expect from your plants. https://www.autoflower.org/f44/life-cycle-auto-flowering-cannabis-5113.html

Ideally you want the spacing between your leaf nodes to be about 1". Raise or lower your light accordingly to maintain that space. Just be careful of the heat from HPS. If you're unsure, place your hand palm down at the canopy top for about 30 seconds. If it feels too warm for the back of your hand it's too warm for the plants.

Also, with growing so many different strains be careful with what you feed. Different strains have different nutrient requirements and growing multiple strains can sometimes be a challenge for new growers.

 

[cres]

Just a quickie question, I realise there are many factors to consider, but what sort of height shall I expect these to grow to? Also, when they start flowering, do they continue to grow upwards and outwards?

A couple of pictures, just because...

Well yes... hold the course...your doing fine... Those plants will grow nicely under that 400w.. expect that tent to be full...very full. Water as per directions and water by feel of the weight of the pot... Those little ones wont need a lot of water...

 

[TheCannabist]

Look, I hear you but "stich" is a very experienced grower and he knows how to manage his water for his style of growing. For a first time grower over watering is the most common mistake made and if you tell him to keep his soil wet all the time I'm pretty sure bad things will happen. There are many factors to be considered here... The amount of water used and the size of the plants/pots. You can easily kill/stunt your plants with to much watering.
BigJohnny- There are a million ways to skin a cat but it'll be up to you to figure out the best way for you to do it.

I don't remember telling anyone to keep their soil wet all the time...