New Grower Outdoor Smokey bear automatic + sweet coffee ryder

[FreeBee]

Hey Guys,
So here's where i'll be starting my first grow report.
Got 1 smokey bear auto and 1 sweet coffee ryder germing between paper towels.
I just bought some soil, fertiliser and i wanted to get perlite but there wasnt any but i have clay pebbles... could those work?
Between sunrise and sunset theres about 11h of light during this time of the year and the garden has got pretty good exposure. I know its not that many hours of light but i'm not looking for much of a yield and the days are only getting longer and longer. I'm gunna get some 7 gallon smart pots soon. Once the seeds start popping i'll get some pictures up. I'll also be growing some other strains later on like mi5, S.A.S, easy ryder and low ryder, but i'm saving those for when i get more hours of sunlight
Anyway tell me what you guys think. any advice is appreciated.
This is my first auto grow by the way.

 

[FreeBee]

So ladies and gents,
The smokey bear germed and has now been potted.
The only thing i could get m hands on for the bottom of the pot was hydroton, i know its not usually used along with soil but fuck it
hen i did this:

1. Cut the bottom off a “party cup” or 7-10cm pot.
2. Place 2″ of damp cocoerlite in the bottom of a 3 gallon pot
3. Fill the larger, 3 gallon pot with coco-perlite (dry)
4. Bury the “party cup” or 7-10cm pot half way down in the 3 gallon pot. Fill this with coco-perlite too.
5. Now plant your germinated seedling into the party cup and water in as usual.
6. When you water your autoflowering seedling (and remember no.3 above!!) make sure you water ONLY in the small pot for the first 10-14 days. This will ensure that the seedling gets the water it requires (and depending on its age, the nutes too).
7. In the meantime the auto’s tap root will hunt downwards with accelerated growth hunting out the damp layer of coco-perlite it just knows exists at the bottom of the 3 gallon pot. The tap root sends out a vast network of smaller fine root hairs also looking for this source of water.
8. i also put down a layer of bark around the cup to try keep all the moisture in. was this a good or bad idea?

Still waiting on the sweet coffee ryder, will probably plant tomorrow.
tell me what you think!
:tiphat:

 

[TaNg]

All the best with the grow man.

 

[kato13]

Welcome to AFN and good luck with ya grow
I've never done an outdoor grow as weather in the UK is pants and unreliable even in summer but I would like to try sometime.
I'm sure you will be OK with the tiered party cup method but for indoor grow I would put some Mylar or tin foil around the cup as this will prevent light drying out the soil too much. But saying that bark could work just fine idk.
Happy growing anyway

 

[FreeBee]

well, checked on the girls this morning and they had both just popped out of the soil. checked again an hour later, and i realized my smokey bear auto was missing and noticed my cat walking out of the room with a big ass tap root hanging out of its mouth. note to self: from now on ALWAYS CLOSE THE DOOR TO YOU GROW ROOM. i guess when i move the other plant outside i'll have to put some netting up around it. Anyway. gunna germ another seed to replace the SB auto. guess i'll go with the easy ryder.
anyway. shit happens, thats how we learn.

 

[FreeBee]

okay, decided that actually im replacing her with the super automatic sativa. Apparently it's won awards at the spannabis outdoor cup, so ima give it a try. just put the seed in a plate clamp with soft tissue and slightly warmed up water. the sweet coffee ryder is looking like its about to pop off the shell. i'll let nature run its course and wont try and pry it off.


oh yeah, does anyone know how to change a thread name?

 

[FreeBee]

the sweet coffee ryder is now about an inch above the soil but still has its fuckin shell on! this has only ever happeed to me once before in one of my photo grows. what should be done?

 

[gbd]

Gently remove the shell with tweezers or your fingers. If you leave it on too long it can stunt the plant. Good luck with the babies!

 

[FreeBee]

thanks GBD!

 

[FreeBee]

ok so the seedling is coming along alrightish. theres a small rip in the larger cotyledon but i think it'll be ok. nothing major. the Super automatic sativa is starting to reveal a little root. I'll plant it tonight i think.
Partially cloudy today so sweet coffee ryder isnt getting the suns full potential. clear skies are forecasted though.