Sanity check on coco/megacrop autopot plans?

[terp182]

Hi all. Super new here. Very excited to have found this forum! I'm planning my first grow and have almost everything set to start in a few weeks. I wanted to run these plans and questions by you here to see if I'm missing anything huge before diving in.

Super high level summary: I'm using the fabric autopots (at least 2 maybe add a 3rd, expand to 4th eventually), 4x4 tent, 6" AC infinity filter w/humidity control, ~300-400w LED lights TBD, planting in buffered coco/perlite and using the megacrop single, cal mag, sea-k kelp, bud explosion, botanicare calmag. Plan is for 20/4 lighting, LST, single topping. The overall goal is learn the process, define a good feed schedule baseline, and learn how to adjust the environment in response to the plants, in order to set up solid future grows. So this is very much a pilot. I did a quarantine grow of DWC shishito peppers and mixed greens in this tent when lockdown started, but other than that I have very little gardening experience. I'm totally comfortable with pH and ppm measurements though. I chose this quasi-hydro setup because it seems like living soil/super soil is more critter prone, requires more of a green thumb, something which I hope to eventually acquire but definitely don't have yet.

Questions I still have, and I hope someone has some good insight on:
1. Since they're fabric pots and I'm using coco/perlite, I'm skipping the O2 dome and bottom 1" layer of perlte. Is that smart? I already have a bubbler so it's not hard to add the domes but from other posts I've read it sounds like they're not necessary with fabric pots. Same with additional drainage.
2. Really trying to figure out supplements and not overcomplicate it - should I add kelp to the nute solution and/or foliar feed? What about candy boost? And should I add myco in the coco/perlite mix? I know megacrop doesn't interfere with micro organisms, but this isn't an organic/living soil system either, so I'm not sure if I should add those supplements.
3. Should I follow the greenleaf/megacrop dosing schedule or a fraction of that for my nute water? And is there a set recipe order for adding megacrop nutes like the sorcery involved with General Hydro nutes?
4. Should I plant the seedlings directly into the fabric autopots or do a solo cup transfer?
5. Strain selection - I'm definitely doing a Night Owl Zamadelica Express. I also have meph 3 Bears OG, CDLC and Double Grape. Is one of those a good match to grow alongside the ZE (I've seen some super squat pics of 3BOG, is why I ask). I'm inclined toward Double Grape.

Thanks so much. Really excited to get going on this, and I'm hours deep on many grow journals here. Can't wait to get this going in the next few weeks!

 

[elcoloan]

Hi all. Super new here. Very excited to have found this forum! I'm planning my first grow and have almost everything set to start in a few weeks. I wanted to run these plans and questions by you here to see if I'm missing anything huge before diving in.

Super high level summary: I'm using the fabric autopots (at least 2 maybe add a 3rd, expand to 4th eventually), 4x4 tent, 6" AC infinity filter w/humidity control, ~300-400w LED lights TBD, planting in buffered coco/perlite and using the megacrop single, cal mag, sea-k kelp, bud explosion, botanicare calmag. Plan is for 20/4 lighting, LST, single topping. The overall goal is learn the process, define a good feed schedule baseline, and learn how to adjust the environment in response to the plants, in order to set up solid future grows. So this is very much a pilot. I did a quarantine grow of DWC shishito peppers and mixed greens in this tent when lockdown started, but other than that I have very little gardening experience. I'm totally comfortable with pH and ppm measurements though. I chose this quasi-hydro setup because it seems like living soil/super soil is more critter prone, requires more of a green thumb, something which I hope to eventually acquire but definitely don't have yet.

Questions I still have, and I hope someone has some good insight on:
1. Since they're fabric pots and I'm using coco/perlite, I'm skipping the O2 dome and bottom 1" layer of perlte. Is that smart? I already have a bubbler so it's not hard to add the domes but from other posts I've read it sounds like they're not necessary with fabric pots. Same with additional drainage.
2. Really trying to figure out supplements and not overcomplicate it - should I add kelp to the nute solution and/or foliar feed? What about candy boost? And should I add myco in the coco/perlite mix? I know megacrop doesn't interfere with micro organisms, but this isn't an organic/living soil system either, so I'm not sure if I should add those supplements.
3. Should I follow the greenleaf/megacrop dosing schedule or a fraction of that for my nute water? And is there a set recipe order for adding megacrop nutes like the sorcery involved with General Hydro nutes?
4. Should I plant the seedlings directly into the fabric autopots or do a solo cup transfer?
5. Strain selection - I'm definitely doing a Night Owl Zamadelica Express. I also have meph 3 Bears OG, CDLC and Double Grape. Is one of those a good match to grow alongside the ZE (I've seen some super squat pics of 3BOG, is why I ask). I'm inclined toward Double Grape.

Thanks so much. Really excited to get going on this, and I'm hours deep on many grow journals here. Can't wait to get this going in the next few weeks!

While more experienced and knowledgeable growers chime in... ill say this:

1. Never tried airdomes, but it seems they don't make much difference. And in regards to the bottom layer... I've tried both with the layer and without, and have had root problems with both BUT i have fungus gnats and had overwatering mania, and i use mostly coco, not mixed with perlite. From what i've gathered, though, It appears it really doesn't matter if you have the layer or not, but i still use a layer just in case.

2. For beginners, i'd say it's better to use fewer products. If you use MegaCrop, lots of what you would find in supplements is already there. I'd say go with MegaCrop and keep some CalMag and Epsom Salts just in case. After a grow or two you'll figure if you want PK boosters and other stuff.

3. I'd suggest this schedule: https://www.autoflower.org/threads/...my-next-grow-autopot-coco.78914/#post-2306395 , i follow it with just MegaCrop and CalMag. It's based on: https://www.autoflower.org/threads/bushmasterar15-another-grow.71106/page-2#post-2084006

4. Refer to 3.

hope it helps!

 

[tshort]

Honestly, I’m about 16 months, and about 5 or 6 different grows in. Finally, I’m sticking with autos to learn. I found a product on Amazon that makes my life so easy. I am not a salesperson so I’ll tell you to just search for “autoflower super soil”. This concentrate when added with your soil will reduce your work to “just add water”. I am a follower of Jeff Lowenfels. He has a book out on growing autoflower cannabis. He recommends 24-0 when using LEDs and that’s what I’m doing. I have a Mylar tent. It’s pretty big. I have 1 1000 watt LED light and 2 600 watt lights. They are Hung at different levels. My tent has a shelf and I have 2- 25 Watt leds attached to the shelve for my seedlings.
I am usually growing at least 6 plants at all times. Usually more, in various stages. In Missouri we are allowed a total of 18. 6 at each stage. Since I have committed to staying with 1 general technique, my grow has gotten so much better. With autos you can never fully trust that every seed is 100% auto so you will get some weird things once in a while. And you may never produce the quality or quantity that a regular outdoor grow can get you; but you‘ll have decent personal medicine relatively quick and you can do it rather inexpensively. Good luck!

 

[terp182]

...
2. For beginners, i'd say it's better to use fewer products. If you use MegaCrop, lots of what you would find in supplements is already there. I'd say go with MegaCrop and keep some CalMag and Epsom Salts just in case. After a grow or two you'll figure if you want PK boosters and other stuff.

3. I'd suggest this schedule: https://www.autoflower.org/threads/...my-next-grow-autopot-coco.78914/#post-2306395 , i follow it with just MegaCrop and CalMag. It's based on: https://www.autoflower.org/threads/bushmasterar15-another-grow.71106/page-2#post-2084006

This was super helpful. I'd already chimed in on Brief's thread with my question on myco, but there is a ton of good stuff in both and I'm glad to have them in the same place. I never would have thought to warm up the tent a couple days to get the wet medium to temp, and the transplant method is exactly what I was looking for. Also, I see bush uses myco in his transplant method. Aside from that, I hope to keep it as simple as possible. Getting a non-amendment (or close to it) is a great idea. Thanks!

 

[terp182]

Honestly, I’m about 16 months, and about 5 or 6 different grows in. Finally, I’m sticking with autos to learn. I found a product on Amazon that makes my life so easy. I am not a salesperson so I’ll tell you to just search for “autoflower super soil”. This concentrate when added with your soil will reduce your work to “just add water”. I am a follower of Jeff Lowenfels. He has a book out on growing autoflower cannabis. He recommends 24-0 when using LEDs and that’s what I’m doing. I have a Mylar tent. It’s pretty big. I have 1 1000 watt LED light and 2 600 watt lights. They are Hung at different levels. My tent has a shelf and I have 2- 25 Watt leds attached to the shelve for my seedlings.
I am usually growing at least 6 plants at all times. Usually more, in various stages. In Missouri we are allowed a total of 18. 6 at each stage. Since I have committed to staying with 1 general technique, my grow has gotten so much better. With autos you can never fully trust that every seed is 100% auto so you will get some weird things once in a while. And you may never produce the quality or quantity that a regular outdoor grow can get you; but you‘ll have decent personal medicine relatively quick and you can do it rather inexpensively. Good luck!

I follow Jeff's stuff too, at least as far as having read that book and some great podcast interviews. Haven't read the Teaming books yet but they're on the list. Critters and general cleanliness is an issue for our location, so I'm avoiding soil/living soil/organic for now, but hopefully down the road with more property we can run some outdoor summer autos with his principles and insights, and maybe even some indoor perpetual ones. Autos certainly simplifies that scenario, especially with living/super soil.

Appreciate the reply!