New Grower MIAutomatic’s Mephisto on da roof

[MIAutomatic]

Hi all! I have been growing on and off for almost 20 years now, but am still sort of new to autos. After an extended hiatus I started up about a year ago and went fully automatic. I had a few hiccups with my first few grows getting used to autos and getting back to growing in general, but things are going well now. These will be my 8th auto grow, but first attempt at autos outside, technically second I suppose. First round I started right on my rooftop about two weeks ago and it was too hot and there was too much rain the first couple weeks. The baby plants got water logged and blasted with full sun in 90 degrees of summer heat. One started to grow pollen sacks, and the second just never really grew at all…I am not sure if it was a hermie or a full male, but I am not a breeder so I just killed it and moved on.

Anyway! Already off to a better start with the second two. The weather has cooled down and we have little to no rain for the next week or more, so my roots should be able to get established.

Plants are:
1 Mephisto Pink Panama,
1 Mephisto Strawbba the Hutt

Medium is Promix HPw/myco in 5 gallon Rain Science bags with no additional amendments.

Seeds were soaked till they cracked just to confirm viability then straight into the pots. Each pot was prepared the day before with a gallon of RO mixed to .2 EC with calmag and 15ml Canna Rhizo. I find the Promix a little hot for the baby plants, so I also made a little nest of about a cup of Canna coco in the middle of the pot to place the seeds for sprouting. I misted the pots 1-2 times a day just to keeep the topsoil from drying out. The Pink Panama came up last night and the Strawbba the Hutt came up this morning. To make it easier on my calendar I am calling them both July 15 day 1.

I got them up on the roof this morning for their first day of sun, and now it’s sort of cloudy, but maybe that’s a good thing for their first day on the roof.

I started late because I love the flavors and colors that come out on late season outdoor plants, but I am now two weeks further behind schedule since the first round of roof top plants failed. I picked two faster finishing cultivars, so hopefully they will finish before I run out of sun and we get into wet and cold Michigan fall weather.

I don’t expect to add nutrients for 2-3 weeks but will be using BioCanna line for primary nutrient needs with a little bit of Down to Earth Vegan blend dry amendment to help build the soil.

Pink Panama July 15 day 1

Strawbba the Hutt July 15 day 1

 

[FarmerJake]

Maybe something reflective just above soil surface and extending a few feet around them would reduce the baking effect of a black roof in sun

 

[MIAutomatic]

Maybe something reflective just above soil surface and extending a few feet around them would reduce the baking effect of a black roof in sun

That’s a good idea, I think I have a white painters tarp I could put down and weigh down with a few bricks so it won’t blow up over the pots.

 

[MIAutomatic]

First day of week two and things are going much better this time around! Its been warm, but mostly in the low to mid 80s and very minimal rain, the baby plants are really loving it on the roof. I still plan on putting a white tarp under the plants to help a little with the heat, but I can’t seem to find my box of tarps in the cluttered garage.

I am still just misting the pots to keep the medium damp, usually once in the morning and once early evening. Yesterday I felt like the pots were getting a little dry on the bottom so I bottom watered in about a quart in each pot by just letting the pots soak in a saucer for a couple minutes. For watering I am using RO, my well water is much too hard, about 1.0 EC out of the tap. Using 0.2 EC calmag and adding 10 ml/gallon of Rhizo. I will continue calmag and Rhizo for at least the next week and then go from there.

I am happy with their growth rate, I was afraid the heat would stunt them, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Pink Panama

Strawbba the Hutt

 

[DoobieGrows]

That’s a good idea, I think I have a white painters tarp I could put down and weigh down with a few bricks so it won’t blow up over the pots.

I tried to germinate a few Strawbba the Hut beans and they didn't grow a tap root or open up at all. I soaked ina cup of water for 18 hours then into a moist paper towel but nothing. I am curious as to how it does good luck.

 

[MIAutomatic]

I tried to germinate a few Strawbba the Hut beans and they didn't grow a tap root or open up at all. I soaked ina cup of water for 18 hours then into a moist paper towel but nothing. I am curious as to how it does good luck.

I had a little trouble with the Strawbba the Hutt seeds, but I was able to get 2/3 to germinate eventually. I have noticed over the years that seeds with a thicker shell take longer to germinate, and Strawbba the Hutt has a very thick shell. Larger seeds and seeds with a more textured shell seem to consistently have thicker shells and take a bit longer to germinate. The Pink Panama cracked after about 14-15 hour soak, it took the Strawbba the Hutt 24+ before the seed cracked. The Pink Panama came up about half a day before the StH, but they seem to be on the same track about a week in.

 

[Dankerson]

I had a little trouble with the Strawbba the Hutt seeds, but I was able to get 2/3 to germinate eventually. I have noticed over the years that seeds with a thicker shell take longer to germinate, and Strawbba the Hutt has a very thick shell. Larger seeds and seeds with a more textured shell seem to consistently have thicker shells and take a bit longer to germinate. The Pink Panama cracked after about 14-15 hour soak, it took the Strawbba the Hutt 24+ before the seed cracked. The Pink Panama came up about half a day before the StH, but they seem to be on the same track about a week in.

I've heard giving it a shake in a tube with some sandpaper works. Or you could always get a seed cracker as well. Or just be more patient like you said lol

 

[DoobieGrows]

I had a little trouble with the Strawbba the Hutt seeds, but I was able to get 2/3 to germinate eventually. I have noticed over the years that seeds with a thicker shell take longer to germinate, and Strawbba the Hutt has a very thick shell. Larger seeds and seeds with a more textured shell seem to consistently have thicker shells and take a bit longer to germinate. The Pink Panama cracked after about 14-15 hour soak, it took the Strawbba the Hutt 24+ before the seed cracked. The Pink Panama came up about half a day before the StH, but they seem to be on the same track about a week in.

I have 4 left. So hopefully I get 4 out of 6 to germinate. They did give me 6 when I payed for 5. I soaked it for 18 hours then put it in a paper towel with no luck. I should have let em soak longer, now I know to let em soak longer. They did sink bur never opened up.

 

[MIAutomatic]

I've heard giving it a shake in a tube with some sandpaper works. Or you could always get a seed cracker as well. Or just be more patient like you said lol

I have never done the sandpaper trick, but conceptually it seems like it could help a little.

 

[MIAutomatic]

Things coming along pretty well, but by the end of day 10 I started to feel like they were getting a little heat stunted. I finally got my tarp down on day 11 and I wrapped the pots in some lightweight cotton fabric and also made covers for the topsoil on day 12. If I do this again next year I will get white rain science bags with the solar shield. Last couple days have been sort of cloudy, but they are still starting to grow faster. The fan leaves are picking up steam and lateral branches have started to form.

Gave them their first dose of nutrients today, mixed into 1 gallon RO:

7ml Biocanna Vega
2ml Dyna-gro Silica

I only gave each plant 1 quart. Before I wrapped the pots I was losing a lot of moisture to heat and evaporation, but that seems to be under control now. If they dry out enough by tomorrow morning I’ll give them each a second quart, but my guess is they won’t need any more water for at least 2 days.

Plants are starting to show their heritage with the PP growing slimmer sativa looking leaves and wider indica leaf on the StH.

PP

StH