New Grower My Poor Pineapple Punch - Outdoor/Potting shed!

[chunkymonkey]

Hi all

While i have been messing with the grow-cab, I have had a Pineapple Punch (Auto seeds) on the go, to try and at least get some experience until i complete the cab.

Things don't appear to be progressing too well.......

In July I planted the seed directly into a 10 inch pot, containing 2 parts cheap general compost and 1 part perlite, which was pre-moistened.

I put the pot in the window of our conservatory and left it to do its thing, keeping the soil moist with regular but small amounts of water from the water-butt.

4 days later, she broke the surface, still with some of the seed attached....which I sprayed with water to try and loosen. The remaining seed shell fell off shortly after this!

I quickly found that my soil seemed to take an age to loose moisture - to the point that I have struggled to feed more than 4 times, using 800ml of water 3 times at quarter feed strength (Veg) and one at half strength (Flower). Maybe due to the wetting agent in the cheap soil???? or pot-size?? I don't know haha
First feed was quarter strength at 18 days (using AN)

At 3 weeks, as it was becoming obvious what the plant was, I moved it into our potting shed, which receives maybe 9 hours of direct sun in the height of summer! Not enough, but the best I could manage!

So, I've stumbled along! Bless her, she's been a plucky little thing up to now!
I don't think i'll be braking any yield records, and at 6 and a half weeks - I cant see any more height coming.....but i'm happy that (so far) I havent killed her! Everyone starts somewhere right??

Besides, what small amount of flowering there is, is starting to have a really nice inviting smell!! :dance2: which makes me want to do better in the future!
My current reading will be regarding pot sizing, Soil mixes and choices and Feeding schedules, as aside from the light hours, which I can't control at the moment....I think they have been my major noob boo-boos. Oh and perhaps germing the seed in the soil?????

This may not be of any help to anyone, but if I want to show any success, it's only fair to show the flip side....Thanks for reading

Please, be gentle!!


Chunky.

 

[ChuckUFarley]

If I've come to learn one thing by now it's container size. A plant even that seemingly modest has got roots like you wouldn't believe - and I'm willing to bet they are bunched up and bound at the edges of the pot. I had one outdoor just for grins while the other two grew inside under 24/0 lights and normalized humidity, temp and co2 - it got to be about like that, a few flowers and some frost but nothing insane. Chopped it, dried it and gave it a 2 week cure. Honestly not a bad little smoke but underdeveloped in taste.

 

[sativalover]

looks like a fine start according to your limits
like you said you got to start somewhere so be proud it has made it this far
welcome to the forum and after alot of reading you will be a pro giving others help in no time

 

[chunkymonkey]

Thanks Guys!

Quick question, if I may....I have about 30 inches of height in my grow cab from floor to led, so I was figuring on using smaller, say 4-5 litre pots to try and restrict the height of the plant in there.....am i gonna be in danger of getting the same results as Ms Punch by taking this approach?? I just figured that would enable me to reign in a plant that ranges from 50-90 cm on the seedbanks, for example, which is maybe a massive show of noobness!!
would a better approach be to use larger pots and regulate the growth by feed, or simply learn to LST a plant?

Again, sorry for seemingly daft questions, I think I may be getting a little confused!

 

[ChuckUFarley]

if you're only getting 9 hours of sunlight, take the ops inside. autos can crank indoors, even if you can't give them an elaborate lighting or substrate you'll get something decent with a little work and luck.

 

[chunkymonkey]

Well....I have put her out of her misery! upon doing so i have noticed that there was almost no root mass! If it went down 4 inches i'm being generous! Not really sure how/why, but now at least i can concentrate on the cabinet!

Chunky

 

[Muddy]

I take a different approach with outdoor autos compared to indoor ones in that I use a different soil mixture. Indoors I run unamended Pro Mix, which is soil less. Basically peat, perlite, lime and starter nutes. I provide all the plants needs on a regular, consistent basis. Outdoors you are often at the whims of mother nature and it's virtually impossible to keep plants on a regimented feeding schedule. So I use a mix that contains organic matter that can feed the plants, things like worm castings, guano or composted manure. During periods of rainy weather, it's not unusual for the pots to stay wet for several weeks without drying out. The organic matter feeds the plants during those times. My outdoor yields are generally lower than indoors, probably averaging around 40 grams a plant, but I have gotten as much as 75 grams from an Mi5.

 

[Muddy]

A smaller pot will help by restricting the size of the root mass. Don't know if I'd go that small, maybe something around 8 liters. LSTing is the best way to restrict their height and still get a good yield.

Thanks Guys!

Quick question, if I may....I have about 30 inches of height in my grow cab from floor to led, so I was figuring on using smaller, say 4-5 litre pots to try and restrict the height of the plant in there.....am i gonna be in danger of getting the same results as Ms Punch by taking this approach?? I just figured that would enable me to reign in a plant that ranges from 50-90 cm on the seedbanks, for example, which is maybe a massive show of noobness!!
would a better approach be to use larger pots and regulate the growth by feed, or simply learn to LST a plant?

Again, sorry for seemingly daft questions, I think I may be getting a little confused!

 

[chunkymonkey]

I take a different approach with outdoor autos compared to indoor ones in that I use a different soil mixture. Indoors I run unamended Pro Mix, which is soil less. Basically peat, perlite, lime and starter nutes. I provide all the plants needs on a regular, consistent basis. Outdoors you are often at the whims of mother nature and it's virtually impossible to keep plants on a regimented feeding schedule. So I use a mix that contains organic matter that can feed the plants, things like worm castings, guano or composted manure. During periods of rainy weather, it's not unusual for the pots to stay wet for several weeks without drying out. The organic matter feeds the plants during those times. My outdoor yields are generally lower than indoors, probably averaging around 40 grams a plant, but I have gotten as much as 75 grams from an Mi5.

Cheers Muddy, that makes sense to me.....something for me to try next summer!

 

[chunkymonkey]

A smaller pot will help by restricting the size of the root mass. Don't know if I'd go that small, maybe something around 8 liters. LSTing is the best way to restrict their height and still get a good yield.

Unluckily for me, I have already set some going in 3 litre airpots!! Over-cautious it seems!! Again thanks for the advice, i'll try bigger pots next time i think!

Chunky