New Grower First ever grow, Northern Lights auto. Wish me luck!
- Thread starter MoonUnit
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Great set up you have!Congrats! Even more impressive knowing it's your first grow! (Me too!)
The more infos,the better you can react!
Were you using the Rasberry Pi for something else before or it's a first too?
The more infos,the better you can react!
Were you using the Rasberry Pi for something else before or it's a first too?
Thank you @Smoking Frog 
Read everything I could find on the internet for about a month once I decided to have a go at growing and continued for another month while all the stuff started to arrive.
Didn't know a thing before I started so was finding out that there were females, males and hermies, autos and photos etc real easy stuff. That helped me figure what was right for my first grow like tent size, pots, medium, nutes, light and the seeds I'd get. Then I figured out what tools I'd need, EC, PH and Lux meters, measuring and nute mixing stuff, fans, filters and ducting. Once I tested my tap water, it wasn't great so bought a distiller.
Got bored waiting which is when I decided to use the Pi. First time setting it up for this kind of thing.
Thought monitoring would help me try for ideal conditions and a time lapse of the whole grow would be fun.
I tested a webcam at first but it wasn't great. I knew there were camera's for the Pi I had that was sitting in a drawer unused. After a bit of checking, yes there was, plus temp, humidity, soil probes I could use.
Used the time waiting as things arrived to get the Pi setup, prob only a week in all.
Tent was properly running for about 2 weeks before I germed a seed so I could check the environment over time to see how things reacted (lights off or on, fans high or low etc). Decided to run 24/0 after this as the temps were more stable. Got some speed controllers and a dehumidifier too this point to get more control over temp/humidity. More tweaking of the monitoring and testing everything at diff settings. Was careful with the camera time lapse setup. Knew once I started it would be difficult to change, you can't move the camera once you start.
All in all, very happy with how things are turning out and not to jinx it, but I'm hopeful I'll get something to harvest at the end and a nice video to share from her first day to her last.
Secretly hoping for world record haul ...but will be delighted if I get just 30g from her.
Can't thank everyone I've enjoyed reading and learning from over the last few months but huge props have to go to the folks here who have been so welcoming and helpful to this newbie just earning his stripes.
Read everything I could find on the internet for about a month once I decided to have a go at growing and continued for another month while all the stuff started to arrive.
Didn't know a thing before I started so was finding out that there were females, males and hermies, autos and photos etc real easy stuff. That helped me figure what was right for my first grow like tent size, pots, medium, nutes, light and the seeds I'd get. Then I figured out what tools I'd need, EC, PH and Lux meters, measuring and nute mixing stuff, fans, filters and ducting. Once I tested my tap water, it wasn't great so bought a distiller.
Got bored waiting which is when I decided to use the Pi. First time setting it up for this kind of thing.
Thought monitoring would help me try for ideal conditions and a time lapse of the whole grow would be fun.
I tested a webcam at first but it wasn't great. I knew there were camera's for the Pi I had that was sitting in a drawer unused. After a bit of checking, yes there was, plus temp, humidity, soil probes I could use.
Used the time waiting as things arrived to get the Pi setup, prob only a week in all.
Tent was properly running for about 2 weeks before I germed a seed so I could check the environment over time to see how things reacted (lights off or on, fans high or low etc). Decided to run 24/0 after this as the temps were more stable. Got some speed controllers and a dehumidifier too this point to get more control over temp/humidity. More tweaking of the monitoring and testing everything at diff settings. Was careful with the camera time lapse setup. Knew once I started it would be difficult to change, you can't move the camera once you start.
All in all, very happy with how things are turning out and not to jinx it, but I'm hopeful I'll get something to harvest at the end and a nice video to share from her first day to her last.
Secretly hoping for world record haul ...but will be delighted if I get just 30g from her.
Can't thank everyone I've enjoyed reading and learning from over the last few months but huge props have to go to the folks here who have been so welcoming and helpful to this newbie just earning his stripes.
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Your journey has been amazing to follow especially since this whole statement sums my experience up to a tee. Without being quite as extensive with the cam and your digital equipment. Have absolutely loved my grow for the first time ever and am chopping and hanging my girls tomorrow. I’m guessing I will get right around an ounce and half maybe two off from each of my three ladies I hope. I’m updating my grow journal with some pics tonight and when done drying a final weight will be added.
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She looks great! You did a fantastic job training her also! Looks like about a 120 day strain possibly. Probably a massive yield! What breeder is the strain from?
Thanks @FullAuto245 - It's 00 Seeds Northern Lights (via seedsman)
@Hatrick3 thanks, looking forward to seeing how your harvest goes. The grow journal has been a great fun so far and will give me something to refer back to in future grows and I hope it can help others new to growing.
@Hatrick3 thanks, looking forward to seeing how your harvest goes. The grow journal has been a great fun so far and will give me something to refer back to in future grows and I hope it can help others new to growing.
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Moonunit
Great job on a first time grow..you certainly did your research!
Although I havent used Mephisto gear myself..I hear their beens can provide a decent structure.(more sativa stretch)..Ive been running a bunch of fastbuds strains myself..Girl Scout Cookies Auto, Green Crack, and Tangiematic and was happy with the results..The GG4 Auto from Expert Seeds was very good as well...As such, Ive been doing a lot of crosses..
Since you are a tech savy grower..Do a little researchlight meters...Depending on your concern for efficiency, you're going to need a par meter vs lux to accurately read the output of your LED's..different can of worms.
Keep up the good work!
Toad
thanks @MrToad I have mesphisto and fastbud beans (and a few others) to choose for my next grow. Yeah, I bought my light meter before I realized the difference but the QB I have is rated at 250.43umol/S. I have a rough guide to lux ranges for diff stages of grow and so far so good. I've read that QBs just don't seem to get a lot of stretch.
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I've been an auto grower for a few years now..and have a bit of a paradoxical theory, Is it better to start Autoflowers with a more "managed" light schedule and intensity rather than blast them with light?
What I propose... you start autos off like normal....then physically raise the lights up higher than normal (reducing lumens) to "consciously" create that stretch in the plants to open up the canopy..(around the 10 day mark) rather than having to trim so vigorously and hacking off all those little solar panels.). Once you have obtained a reasonable, desired stretch without compromising the overall structure of the plant...lights are again lowered to proper levels...
Autoflower can have very dense vegetation ..this should solve a number of issues.
Just a technique Ive been thinking of. I'll call it Toad's Auto Process
.. or TAP for short
I've been an auto grower for a few years now..and have a bit of a paradoxical theory, Is it better to start Autoflowers with a more "managed" light schedule and intensity rather than blast them with light?
What I propose... you start autos off like normal....then physically raise the lights up higher than normal (reducing lumens) to "consciously" create that stretch in the plants to open up the canopy..(around the 10 day mark) rather than having to trim so vigorously and hacking off all those little solar panels.). Once you have obtained a reasonable, desired stretch without compromising the overall structure of the plant...lights are again lowered to proper levels...
Autoflower can have very dense vegetation ..this should solve a number of issues.
Just a technique Ive been thinking of. I'll call it Toad's Auto Process
.. or TAP for short@MrToad My QB is dimmable so between that and height (which is at a premium in my short tent) I can control the output a bit.
One thing I'd do differently is have less light for longer at the start. If you read through this journal you'll see I had it set low but I also lowered the lights early on out of eagerness. Also went for a genetic strain sold as 'short' as anything over about 2ft will be a struggle in this tent. Let me know who TAP goes though
One thing I'd do differently is have less light for longer at the start. If you read through this journal you'll see I had it set low but I also lowered the lights early on out of eagerness. Also went for a genetic strain sold as 'short' as anything over about 2ft will be a struggle in this tent. Let me know who TAP goes though
