Solo Cup secrets [wanted]

I was going to plant this out, but I've changed my mind and decided to grow the plant in it's 5" pot. I am hoping to get something like what I've seen in a good solo cup challenge. This is purely for fun and to make use of my photon spill.

I have obtained a seedling mix with fertiliser already in it and I mixed in some perlite, I used that to surround the little eazyplug, for the bottom of the pot, I mixed in a little extra tomato compost also with added fertiliser, into the seedling mix and put that in the bottom 2". Mixture is loose and damp, but not wet.

My plan is to use the GP3 nutrients I'm using for my hydro, in fact I can just scoop some out of my reservoir but I'm happy to mix up something tailor made. I have not used any hydro solution in it yet, I figure there should be enough already in the soil to last a couple of weeks.

I'm hoping to get some tips from people who have grown a decent plant in a solo cup. This is going to be under indoor lights. At 5 days she is looking similar to a hydro grow so far.

 

[The Iconoclast]

She got pretty dry and so I gave her some water no too much with a bit of nutrient as well because she just wasn't going green. I almost chucked her but she is still growing and so I have to decide what to do now, the soil is very dry probably going to be too dry soon, I am wondering if I should give her a soaking or just small amounts of water? Or any other tips I should try to get this one looking more normal coloured.

Meanwhile the bean in the mini pyramid, is looking good still very dark green, no nutrient yet just the occasional spray with plain water.

 

[St. Tom]

I've grown a load of solo cups but always in coco so I can't help you with a soil feeding routine but my best advice I can give just treat her like a strunk down pot I feed my solo cups with the same food as my big girls

 

[The Iconoclast]

OK well, she is not going well, I've let her almost completely dry out and soaked her again, but not much is changing. I think from memory this might not be a very dark green plant but she still looks stressed I felt like throwing her out a few times especially compared to the ease of my new favourite growing medium, The Pyramid, eazyplug mini, I will continue these two in my normal grow thread. But the eazyplug is made for someone like me I guess who just can't grow in soil. It's like an inside out upside down pot. I was even able to top the eazyplug bean at 17 days today, seemed like the best option for a plant I can't tie down.

 

[The Iconoclast]

I was having difficulty with throwing the amnesia in a pot, away, so I chose to plant her out and let her die a natural death, which she probably will sooner rather than later due to the high clay content.

 

[DCLXVI]

The soil solo might need more frequent but smaller volume waterings to really thrive. LIke 50ml every 6 hours. A real Sisyphean watering task.

 

[The Iconoclast]

OK, another question for solo cup bud masters. How do you prune your plants to get a fat bud, is it a matter of limiting the branches?

 

[DCLXVI]

I've done 3 solos. I can't remember how much I got on the first one but the second was 74g and the one that I just trimmed was 59g. I did not top them and barely trained out a few branches. I didn't prune anything either. Just let them run as the space is so small. The man cola on them all developed very nicely on it's own. They didn't really grow any small sucker branches, just the main and 6 to 8 side branches that had a nice ball on the ends.

That's just what I've had happen so far. I have seen some spindly long broomsticks pop up as well so I'm not sure what I've done differently. I guess it would depend on the shape it starts taking early on whether its going to be a nice short bush or long and gangly armed.

 

[2budz]

I've done 3 solos. I can't remember how much I got on the first one but the second was 74g and the one that I just trimmed was 59g. I did not top them and barely trained out a few branches. I didn't prune anything either. Just let them run as the space is so small. The man cola on them all developed very nicely on it's own. They didn't really grow any small sucker branches, just the main and 6 to 8 side branches that had a nice ball on the ends.

That's just what I've had happen so far. I have seen some spindly long broomsticks pop up as well so I'm not sure what I've done differently. I guess it would depend on the shape it starts taking early on whether its going to be a nice short bush or long and gangly armed.

74 and 59 are both really good out of a dang solo cup. Mind sharing some details of those grows? What genetics, medium and nutes? If I could pull 59grams off a solo cup I might just run 60 of them at a time in my 32x32 lol. Not really but I am interested in how you did it.

 

[The Iconoclast]

@DCLXVI that is a phenomenal return, I've seen plenty of grows in 3 gal bags that didn't get that much! I'll be doing a no topping on the next one. So the the bulk of the return was from the main cola, or 50% from the main cola and the other 50% from all the other branches?

 

[DCLXVI]

Thanks guys! I was really impressed myself.

Mind sharing some details of those grows? What genetics, medium and nutes?

Sure. Main trick? Coco coir and distilled water. Such a small amount of medium, the coco means you can just water through and never overdo it.

The 74g plant was a SeedStockers Wedding Glue Auto. I ran DynaGro nutrients as I had them on hand.
The 59g plant was a SuperSativaSeedClub Sweet Bourbon Kush Auto. Advanced Nutrients Sensi Grow & Bloom A/B base nutes only.

I'm semi-retired so I have lots of time to futz about with plants. The coco requires twice a day and sometimes 3x a day watering. Easy when you've nothing else to do. Careful nutrient strength management and measure volume, pH, and ppm in and then volume, ppm, pH out. Chart and write down everything. Any changes in the outflow ppm count, adjust the inflow. Keep pH to 5.8-6.2 and water to at least 20% runoff every watering. The pH is just to watch for any wild changes, which happens once flowering starts, it will drop precipitously. It's fine, just water at the correct ppm/pH.

The early weeks are tricky as you don't want to over do it. Once every couple days. Up to once a day, then twice a day if the coco starts being dry or the cup is light in the PM. Incrementally increase the volume as needed to maintain 20% runoff and it's ok to have lots of waste water. It's such a small volume. I'm talking 200ml in and getting 120ml out. It will start taking more as it grows and there seemed to be a happy medium where on all three solo cup runs the plants took about 260ml twice a day for a long time. The last one wanted 400ml AM and 300ml PM so be ready to adjust if you see the runoff volume drop.

If runoff ppm increases a lot, say you are watering in at 400ppm and runoff is 900, just flush extra nutrients through until the runoff is back in range. 200-300 over is acceptable.

TL: DR - Fertigate every time. 2x a day. Measure in/out and maintain sufficient runoff. pH 5.8-6.2, coco works great.

@DCLXVI that is a phenomenal return, I've seen plenty of grows in 3 gal bags that didn't get that much! I'll be doing a no topping on the next one. So the the bulk of the return was from the main cola, or 50% from the main cola and the other 50% from all the other branches?

I would say that is correct on the 50/50. The main cola really bulked up a ton. The side branches were all pretty heavy but that main corn cob is pretty fun to watch. I didn't expect to get that much from them at all. A welcome surprise. I also suspect I got very lucky with genetics/pheno expression. It was just constant attention, watering, measuring, adjusting. PITA but I have that kind of time. I'm quite lucky. Get up, fertigate. Dinner? Fertigate. Up late, fertigate. Just keep small bottles of measured volume and pour one through when I think of it. Every 8-12 hours or so. Can't overdo it in coco. Perfect hobby for a bored old man! It did take near 10 minutes for 300ml to filter through towards the end. The cup is so jam packed with root mass.

EDIT: I used empty 16ounce coke bottles. They hold 500ml when full so use a scale and put 250-300 in each. Very easy to leave near the tent and gently pour in when you feel like it!