New Grower White Widow Auto Flower Grow, Looking for Advice/Tips

[Susitna]

Having a trellis was really nice this time around as it let me create a nice canopy and will certainly get a much bigger, better yield than previous attempts. But I'm thinking of trying to do some LST this time around, possibly try mainling as well.

I see people keep the same journal for a long time so I don't see why not. Just make sure and tag an admin with your final weight if you want the cultivators club tag.

One thing to keep in mind with the elevators...get a smaller size than the saucer its going into. Otherwise it will fit right against the sides and you won't be able to see how much water is in there, also can't get the shop vac hose in there...a bit of gap is nice.

I LST'd mine, just bent it over and spread the branches as they grew with pipe cleaners attached to slits i made in the fabric pot. Once they got big i cleared the leaves from the lower 8inches and tried to keep the branches spread apart for light penetration.

If one starts getting too tall just force it down with another pipe cleaner or flagging ribbon or something, if they sag because you get some hefty buds just pull them up and secure to another stem the same way. May end up needing a stick or 2 in there to tie to if the whole plant iis floppy. Good airflow will help with that though, make the stems stronger.

I have separate lights though, so i can raise or lower areas to suit the canopy. Could just put short plants on a box to even out as well.

You're going to have way more WW than you can smoke lol hope you have help

 

[MonteVerde]

Friday update #2... (One day late)

Took pics on Friday and again on Saturday after tying down the tops and making room for light all around.


Lots of growth this week... mostly. Before and after tied down, the second pic could have been better.
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Plant A before and after tied down...
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Plant B, no tie down.
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Plant C, no tie down.
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Plant D, before and after.
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Plant E, blah blah
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Gonna get crowded in there! I’m along for the ride.

 

[Slate3978]

You're going to have way more WW than you can smoke lol hope you have help

I'm hoping that's the case, previous harvests were not enough to hold over till the next was done. I never want to be without my own supply, which I why I've set up the second tent. Any "extra" will never go to waste!

 

[Slate3978]

Gonna get crowded in there! I’m along for the ride.

They fill the tent very nicely, and the buds are thickening up alot, Fridays pics are gonna look nice!

 

[Slate3978]

Friday again... its been 9 weeks.

Three of the girls are looking farther ahead than the other 2 so planning on doing a 2-part harvest like last time.
The problem with the discolored leaves continues, it's not getting worse exactly, otherwise they are looking good.

Some closer pics...

Most of the flowers are getting darker, shinier and sticky. Some of the leaves are getting some nice frosting on them!

One more week will mark 10 weeks since germination. ILGM states flowering happens after 10-14 weeks. Clearly some of these plants are farther along than others. I've mostly guessed when the best time to harvest is. Obviously, any advice about when to harvest is appreciated. I can try and get more, better pics if anyone wants a better look.

And lets no forget about the next generation waiting to be smoked. 13 days since germination, started in peat pots, 9 days after germ I put the peat pots into OF soil filled solo cups because roots were poking out of the pellet. I don't know if I transplanted too soon or if I over watered when I did, but some of them are getting a little light in color.

Last time I germinated 5 seeds and all 5 were females, the craziest luck ever since they were not feminized. I'm hoping that at least 4 of these are females and eventually put them into the first tent after harvest and continue with the OF soil grow as I currently am. Utilizing some LST and/or mainlining, any other females will stay in the new tent under the new light and I'm going to start using Fox Trio.

 

[Susitna]

Looking tasty! I had one that wouldn't get amber tricomes even after all the others were done. All were cloudy so cut it at 95 days, was the loudest smelling of the bunch

Also, pretty sure those are fems, ILGM didn't sell regular autos last I saw :smoking:

 

[Slate3978]

Looking tasty! I had one that wouldn't get amber tricomes even after all the others were done. All were cloudy so cut it at 95 days, was the loudest smelling of the bunch

Also, pretty sure those are fems, ILGM didn't sell regular autos last I saw :smoking:

Maybe I assumed that the ILGM autos were not feminized because A. they did not say they were B. other seed banks I have found usually seemed to say feminized autoflower specifically C. The other seeds from this same batch, from the previous 2 grows had much, much different results than what I am growing now. Every plant I grew before all produced flowers, not as nice looking as what I have now and not nearly the same amount, but I'm pretty sure each of the plants had seeds, in fact I have dozens of seeds from previous grows, not the best looking or smelling but it was as good of a high as anything I can get otherwise. I assume something in the growing environment fucked up some genetics, the conditions were all over the place most of the time.

But if your right, which you probably are, that's awesome cause now I got 8 babies to raise next!

EDIT: after doing some pretty basic research I learned alot about feminized seeds, specifically that they do in fact produce seeds and those seeds are feminized as well. I thought I turned them into hermaphrodites or something.

EDIT 2: after further thought, selling seeds that turn out to be male would be a bad business model. Have I mentioned I smoke alot of weed?

 

[Bandit_Farmer]

Maybe I assumed that the ILGM autos were not feminized because A. they did not say they were B. other seed banks I have found usually seemed to say feminized autoflower specifically C. The other seeds from this same batch, from the previous 2 grows had much, much different results than what I am growing now. Every plant I grew before all produced flowers, not as nice looking as what I have now and not nearly the same amount, but I'm pretty sure each of the plants had seeds, in fact I have dozens of seeds from previous grows, not the best looking or smelling but it was as good of a high as anything I can get otherwise. I assume something in the growing environment fucked up some genetics, the conditions were all over the place most of the time.

But if your right, which you probably are, that's awesome cause now I got 8 babies to raise next!

EDIT: after doing some pretty basic research I learned alot about feminized seeds, specifically that they do in fact produce seeds and those seeds are feminized as well. I thought I turned them into hermaphrodites or something.

EDIT 2: after further thought, selling seeds that turn out to be male would be a bad business model. Have I mentioned I smoke alot of weed?

Under each description on ILGM's website it lists all autos as feminized. It would be nice if it said it on the description before the actual product page, though.

 

[Slate3978]

Week 10 update.

Just chugging along, lots of fat shinny sticky smells buds here. The smell might be starting to overpower the filter lol

I have a lens attachment to view trichomes, viewing that close its hard to see if they are clear or milky because my hand shakes a little too much. no hint of anything resembling amber yet.

The back two and the center plant look very nice and will probably be harvested before the front two as they look farther along than the front two which seem to have noticeably more yellowing of the leaves so far, and the middle plant has no yellow leaves at all from what I could tell.

I'm trying to take better pictures but its hit and miss.

Each pic here is a random shot from each plant.




Its only been 21 days since germination. Not 3' just yet but close, and they are all developing the 4th node.

Six of them look alot like this, not a great pic.

This one is growing notably taller and wider.

This one seems a little deficient.

This next round will have Four plants in Five-gallon fiber pots with risers and saucers. I'm prepared to water more since I'm certain it's been less than optimal. Since I probably won't transplant to those pots until next week, which will be 28 days since germination, the OF should last a month, Then I have to decide to either top of the soil or give it some Fox Farm trio since I've seen how much it really does improve buds as evident by the middle plant in the first tent. I've only given nuts in even small amounts then what's suggested for autos.

Of the remaining plants they will be set up in the tent they are now with the new light. Two of them are going to be Five-gallon bucket DWC, one will be in a Five-gallon fiber pot with risers and saucers like the original tent and treat it just like the other five to see the difference in the lights. I have a feeling I won't really need that Fourth sickly looking seedling as those 3 will probably fill it just fine.

The two set ups are exactly the same 3'x3' tent, same 4" exhaust and carbon filter, the same temperature and humidity monitors, both in the same bedroom. The big difference is the PlatinumLED P4-XML2 in the original tent and a Mars Hydro EC-3000 in the other. The hydro seems pretty hot even with the driver sitting outside of the tent.

Question... what water does everyone use? I've been buying distilled water, and I have never phd the water, even after putting in nuts. I've bought bottled water and never questioned if it was distilled or not, and it's just a noticeable added expense I'd like to remedy. I'm thinking of just using tap water, have it sit out between feedings, and this time around ph it for all the plants going forward. Not sure if I want to buy a reverse osmosis system though, it might be better in the long run but its more money. What do you guys think?

 

[Drownomatic]

I'm using NYC tap water. 6.14-6.2 PH.

I let it sit in bottles, and tap them to release the chlorine.

I won't drink distilled, and I'd worry about giving it straight to plants. Distilled water is actually corrosive because it has an affinity for TDS, and will try to absorb from whatever it contacts.

Distilled is 7 out of the still, but as it absorbs carbon dioxide it can go lower.