Fast Buds Stormtrooper Grow #1 - Fast Buds Six Shooter

[Stormtrooper]

Hello and welcome to my first AFN grow. A few friends of mine asked me to sign up and share what is very much a bucket list grow for me. I am a fan of Fast Buds - American Autoflowers and have grown out a few of their strains. However as I mostly grow indica dominant strains, this one has always managed to elude me. Until now...

I would normally be having my final harvest around October, ready to shut down for the winter but an unusually hot August around here, constant mid 30's temps in the tent and me being on holiday left my last crop in poor shape. So I'm in need of a big yield here and there is no better time to bust out Fast Buds heaviest yielding auto!


Fast Buds - Six Shooter
Genetics: Crystal METH x Mexican Airlines
Yield: 500 - 750 gr/m2; 80-350 g/plant
Height: 100 - 140 cm
THC: 21%
CBD: 0.6%

Whilst I'm in search of a big yield, this will be very much an off-season grow for me. Due to the location of my set-up, it gets very cold during the winter. I expect this run to go into late December so I will be dealing with some crappy temperatures. And there is nothing that hurts a yield more than crappy temperatures!

So with that disclaimer out of the way, let's get down to business. I will be growing out four of these in my DS90 tent under a 600w HPS Parabolic. The battle with the temps is the main reason behind me opting to run a 20/4 cycle for this grow. The medium is my own soil mix and nutrients will be a mix of what I find works best for me - Advanced Nutrients, Dutchpro, Plant Magic, Superthrive, etc. The seeds spent 24 hours soaking before going in the soil. They all broke soil on the same day (three days later) and went in under humidity domes for a couple of days.


DAY 0


Six Shooter [HASHTAG]#1[/HASHTAG]


Six Shooter [HASHTAG]#2[/HASHTAG]


Six Shooter [HASHTAG]#3[/HASHTAG]


Six Shooter [HASHTAG]#4[/HASHTAG]

Unfortunately space in my set-up is at a premium at the minute so I had to start these in my DR60 under a 400w MH. The next day they were moved into the DS90 alongside a Fast Buds Pineapple Express and a two week old Heavyweight Seeds Fast and Vast. Both of these will be moving out as soon as the current occupants of their space (a 72 day old Sweets Seeds Sweet Skunk Auto and an 71 day old unknown auto strain - the same current crop that got toasted) get chopped.


DAY ONE

I watered them for the first time today with a few drops of Superthrive added, just enough to soak the top of the pots which had gotten pretty dry. They've also lost their domes now they're in under the para so they should start to take off soon.


DAY TWO

And that's it for now. Any comments, praise or criticism is welcomed

--- Stormtrooper ---


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[A-Train]

Good luck on your grow my man... welcome to AFN

 

[Duggy]

Best of luck with the Six Shooters mate...

 

[Stormtrooper]

Good luck on your grow my man... welcome to AFN

Best of luck with the Six Shooters mate...

Cheers boys!

 

[Bailey]

I know that this thread has just started but I'm enjoying reading ure posts so I'm here for the ride and subbed in very nice to meet you stormtrooper

 

[Stormtrooper]

I know that this thread has just started but I'm enjoying reading ure posts so I'm here for the ride and subbed in very nice to meet you stormtrooper

Nice to meet you too Bailey

 

[Stormtrooper]

Day 7 Update

Things have gotten off to a pretty disappointing start if I'm honest. The cold weather I mentioned in my first post, the same weather I thought was a few weeks away arrived on the same day I made that post. Temps got down as low as 13 degrees during lights off and my attempts to heat the area mostly failed so I made the decision just before the weekend to run things 24/0, at least for now anyway.

But that wasn't the only problem over the last seven days. I noticed on Friday that a few of the seedlings looked a bit pale with droopy leaves. Unfortunately I had family staying at the weekend and despite my best efforts, I could not get near my tent. The family finally fucked off on Sunday evening and when I checked on them, the situation was much the same. The affected seedlings had shown little growth since Friday and the paleness was still there.


SS#1


SS#1 Top


SS#3


SS#3 Top


SS#4


SS#4 Top

After a lot of fucking about inside my tent, an argument with Mrs Stormtrooper about why I was spending the entire evening inside my tent followed by a bowl of some fine West Coast OG and some angry make-up sex, I came to the conclusion that I have no idea what is wrong with them. I haven't had a problem seedling in a while and I've spent all day trying to figure it out.

Reasoning it out, it can't be over or under watering as I would know if I done either. They had been watered once in the past week and even then it was just enough to wet the top few inches of soil. The only thing they have been fed so far is a little Superthrive which has never been a problem before. The temps were a little off over the weekend as it was especially cold here and I couldn't get near them to make any adjustments but had been fine before (minus the lights off temps). And strangely the problem isn't affecting all of them as SS#2 is doing great.


SS#2


SS#2 Top

She is showing no signs of the stress the others are experiencing which helps me rule out a soil issue as it all came from the same batch. And I can rule out any strain specific problems as the Pineapple Express (which was germed and broke soil at the same time) seems to be suffering most of all.


PE


PE Top

After all that the most logical conclusion is the lights off temps has has a negative effect and the temps and RH being off over the weekend hasn't allowed them to fully recover yet. But we are running 24/0 now and conditions are ideal again so I've decided that the best thing I can do is just ride it out. I'm pretty sure today I saw a bit of new growth from most of them so I can only hope that they will soon grow out of whatever the paleness issue is and start playing catch-up!

And in other news, it looks like I'll be stuck with the Heavyweight V&F that I had started for my mate. He reckons he won't get near it during December so he told me just to pull it. There's no way I could do that so I started training her and she will go into the Stormtrooper Academy (also known as my other tent) once my current crop finishes (Day 78 & 79 of 70 and still not ready).

And that's it for now. Any comments, advice on what else it could be that is wrong, praise or even criticism is welcomed

--- Stormtrooper ---​

 

[Bailey]

I'm not sure as droopy leafs indicate what you already know maybe they need a little rest try running 22/2 if heats a problem

 

[Stormtrooper]

I'm not sure as droopy leafs indicate what you already know maybe they need a little rest try running 22/2 if heats a problem

The issue is a bit of an odd one and to be honest, I'm not totally convinced that temps during lights out is to blame. Haven given it more thought I'm thinking it's probably more likely something with the soil that hasn't just been quite right. I was trying a different ratio in my mix this time round and I didn't get as much time as usual to prepare it so maybe something was off here?

Whatever the reason they look a bit happier today and are starting to get going now

 

[Stormtrooper]

Day 11 Update

The recovery has been slowly taking shape with the emphasis on the slowly part. All of them are back to growing although the paleness is persisting in a couple as is the droopy leaves with SS#3. Having given it some sober thought, I'm almost 100% convinced something isn't right with my soil mix this time round. Everything else in the tent is perfect for them but even SS#2 who seemed unaffected at the weekend has gotten a little pale and isn't growing as quickly as she should be.


SS#1


SS#2


SS#3


SS#4

And a bonus shot of the Pineapple Express....


PE

Given that they are still growing, I have no doubt these will recover (maybe not SS#3 so much) but the problem is I'm on a yield hunt with this grow and have gotten off to the worse possible start! I need to seriously consider how much the final yield be affected by this crap start and if it would be worth starting over?

This leads to my other problem which is my (fucking odd, according to Mrs Stormtrooper) attachment to my plants. Every time I've soaked a seed and dropped it in the soil, I've waited patiently until I see that little head pop up from the soil and at that moment a bond instantly forms. It's me and plant, plant and me. I promise to look after her and take care of her and let her become the best she can be as she grows in to an (approximately) 70 day old and she promises to look after me in return once she is gone.

It is a bond that is unbreakable until that day I arrive at the tent door armed with scissors and shit and go all stormtrooper on her ass!



DAY 11

(Note the three week old Heavyweight Vast and Fast bush in the bottom corner - Training her hard to keep her low as the other tent still isn't ready for her yet!)

Anyway it's for that reason the idea of pulling them and starting over is a non-starter. I've already formed a bond with all of them, even SS#3 who is still being a yellow droopy leaved ball-ache. I don't think we'll call her that though in case she decides to live up to her name.

And my mate reminded me of his last problem seedling which we later dubbed Godzilla after it took over his tent so here's hoping we can also call these a bad ass name befitting of their stature in a few weeks time!

And having just read that back, I think I've smoked way too much to be posting anything so that's it for now. Any comments, advice, praise or indeed criticism for fucking the soil up is welcomed

--- Stormtrooper ---​