Are my plants ok? First time grower: Autoflower

[Emilya Green]

Ok so to answer all questions, yes I was doing water then fox farm big bloom only. I only have fox farm big bloom and cal mag. Today was the first day I gave them cal- mag in about 1 week n a half. I was watering every3 days but they are thirster now so now it’s like every other day. I think I may have measured out the big bloom wrong and possibly given them too much?

that is very likely... accuracy counts. I take it you aren't measuring the pH either?
Fox Farms are good nutrients and good soil, but you have to use the entire package as directed in the very detailed feeding instruction chart based on week of the grow. By only giving Big Bloom you are barely giving any nutrients at all... most of what that plant needs right now is in the Tiger Bloom. Purchase the rest of the trio as soon as you can and get a digital pH tester. If you really want to supercharge your grow beyond that, also purchase the Fox Farm 3 pack of solubles... they are worth their weight in gold.

 

[Jenn6981]

Ok makes sense. I will purchase the rest of the trio. I thought I was told on here, don’t worry about the ph because they are in fox farm soil? I take it from what your saying that’s not true?
next feeding I will definitely measure. In between all 4 plants, They are drinking about 2 gallons of water each water or feed. So im thinking I may have put too much bloom in there? In the mean time do I continue to water then feed or just do like two sets of watering. I’m trying to understand if I fed them too much or not enough

 

[Emilya Green]

Ok makes sense. I will purchase the rest of the trio. I thought I was told on here, don’t worry about the ph because they are in fox farm soil? I take it from what your saying that’s not true?
next feeding I will definitely measure. In between all 4 plants, They are drinking about 2 gallons of water each water or feed. So im thinking I may have put too much bloom in there? In the mean time do I continue to water then feed or just do like two sets of watering. I’m trying to understand if I fed them too much or not enough

You probably were told that on here, but you can't believe everything you read and only a small portion of what you find online can be trusted, especially on some sites and on YouTube. Here at 420mag this situation is better than at most sites, but everyone has opinions. Some folks have different experiences than you or I will ever have. There are people online who have theories about this or that, that run counter to the normal recommendations for how to grow this weed or that which the manufacturers of soil or nutrients suggest, and they put it out there for others to try out too. Not all of these ideas work though, and just because it is posted online doesn't mean that the special trick they are doing works in all cases or will work for you.

When I ran FF nutrients and soil, I found it very important to carefully pH my fluids to 6.2-6.3 every time, or I got consistent deficiencies that eventually I was able to explain and prevent. Some people just seem to have magic water, and everything they add into it come out just perfectly, and I envy those people. I find it is best to do what is recommended by the manufacturers before risking a grow to figure out if someone else's shortcut works or doesn't work in my own garden.

The Big Bloomz product is hard to OD on, it is mostly microbes and has very little raw nutrient in it. Get the other nutes asap, because your plant is hungry and the problems are only going to get worse as the plant does what it has to do to rob the nutrients it has stored up from the leaves in order to keep growing those beautiful buds. Continue what you are doing until the rest of the stuff gets there, but get those nutes on the way, now.

 

[013]

Use syringe for measuring accuracy....

 

[Oldhippie59]

Hi, Jenn- I'm growing autos in just about the same space as you (2'x2'x44")- I've had to
supercrop a few of them...


While it may not be recommended, there's not a lot else you can do at this stage... I train mine to be shorter from the beginning- by quadlining them, (here's how) and it usually keeps them around 16-20 inches tall, although sometimes I still have to supercrop a few branches, which they take in stride just fine-they're really only "touchy" when they're little..at least that's been my experience...

This is my current auto (Wedding Cheesecake)- this one didn't need any supercropping- She's only 16.5" tall, but 24" wide...(wall to wall)
And yeah- 4 plants is at least two too many in a 2x2- especially if they do well....and
yours are doing great, so you may be an expert at supercropping before they're done...

Beautiful

 

[Jenn6981]

You probably were told that on here, but you can't believe everything you read and only a small portion of what you find online can be trusted, especially on some sites and on YouTube. Here at 420mag this situation is better than at most sites, but everyone has opinions. Some folks have different experiences than you or I will ever have. There are people online who have theories about this or that, that run counter to the normal recommendations for how to grow this weed or that which the manufacturers of soil or nutrients suggest, and they put it out there for others to try out too. Not all of these ideas work though, and just because it is posted online doesn't mean that the special trick they are doing works in all cases or will work for you.

When I ran FF nutrients and soil, I found it very important to carefully pH my fluids to 6.2-6.3 every time, or I got consistent deficiencies that eventually I was able to explain and prevent. Some people just seem to have magic water, and everything they add into it come out just perfectly, and I envy those people. I find it is best to do what is recommended by the manufacturers before risking a grow to figure out if someone else's shortcut works or doesn't work in my own garden.

The Big Bloomz product is hard to OD on, it is mostly microbes and has very little raw nutrient in it. Get the other nutes asap, because your plant is hungry and the problems are only going to get worse as the plant does what it has to do to rob the nutrients it has stored up from the leaves in order to keep growing those beautiful buds. Continue what you are doing until the rest of the stuff gets there, but get those nutes on the way, now.

Yes will do. I will actually have tiger bloom in hand tomorrow. So I will start that. My ph reader will take a few days. My first time so I’m learning. Thanks for the knowledge

 

[Jenn6981]

Use syringe for measuring accuracy....

Yes indeed will use that next time for sure

 

[Jenn6981]

Yes will do. I will actually have tiger bloom in hand tomorrow. So I will start that. My ph reader will take a few days. My first time so I’m learning. Thanks for the knowledge

Ok so the tiger bloom will be delivered today. My question is do I remove the leaves that appear to be dead? I counted like 5 or 6 of them; FYI they are at the top of the plant and not at the bottom?

 

[Jenn6981]

You probably were told that on here, but you can't believe everything you read and only a small portion of what you find online can be trusted, especially on some sites and on YouTube. Here at 420mag this situation is better than at most sites, but everyone has opinions. Some folks have different experiences than you or I will ever have. There are people online who have theories about this or that, that run counter to the normal recommendations for how to grow this weed or that which the manufacturers of soil or nutrients suggest, and they put it out there for others to try out too. Not all of these ideas work though, and just because it is posted online doesn't mean that the special trick they are doing works in all cases or will work for you.

When I ran FF nutrients and soil, I found it very important to carefully pH my fluids to 6.2-6.3 every time, or I got consistent deficiencies that eventually I was able to explain and prevent. Some people just seem to have magic water, and everything they add into it come out just perfectly, and I envy those people. I find it is best to do what is recommended by the manufacturers before risking a grow to figure out if someone else's shortcut works or doesn't work in my own garden.

The Big Bloomz product is hard to OD on, it is mostly microbes and has very little raw nutrient in it. Get the other nutes asap, because your plant is hungry and the problems are only going to get worse as the plant does what it has to do to rob the nutrients it has stored up from the leaves in order to keep growing those beautiful buds. Continue what you are doing until the rest of the stuff gets there, but get those nutes on the way, now.

Ok so the tiger bloom will be delivered today. My question is do I remove the leaves that appear to be dead? I counted like 5 or 6 of them; FYI they are at the top of the plant and not at the bottom?

 

[Emilya Green]

Ok so the tiger bloom will be delivered today. My question is do I remove the leaves that appear to be dead? I counted like 5 or 6 of them; FYI they are at the top of the plant and not at the bottom?

no, until they fall off, the plant is still not done extracting nutrients from them. If you remove them, the plant will have no choice but to tag some more leaves to cannibalize in order to feed the buds. Give at least 2 watering cycles with the proper nutes before you assume the plant is getting all it needs.. you are going to play catch up for a while.

 

[Jenn6981]

no, until they fall off, the plant is still not done extracting nutrients from them. If you remove them, the plant will have no choice but to tag some more leaves to cannibalize in order to feed the buds. Give at least 2 watering cycles with the proper nutes before you assume the plant is getting all it needs.. you are going to play catch up for a while.

Got it will do!

 

[Jenn6981]

Update ***
Thanks again for all the good advice
So here’s what I have done.
2 feedings back to back with fox farm nutrients and cal-mag.
These girls have frosted up.
I’m about 45 days in of a 70 day grow( according to the maker of the seeds)
Take a look

 

[013]

Wow, your plants are getting huge - I love the girl in the back right corner. Your tent is packed and it won’t be much longer

 

[Jenn6981]

Wow, your plants are getting huge - I love the girl in the back right corner. Your tent is packed and it won’t be much longer

This may be a dumb question but how do I know when they are done??

 

[013]

Ok first you gotta have eyeballs - either a jewelers loupe, mini microscope, digital microscope or possibly a smartphone app called magnifyer although I’ve never tried it. Helps viewing trichs plus other stuff like mites or eggs on leaf undersides.

Pistil stigmas are an indicator too, in growth they show as fresh fluffy white or yellow pistils, later they change colors they will go dark and shrivel up. Pistils are an external indicator of ripeness but the trichs are the real deal.

So trichs start out as clear, then turn cloudy, last they change to amber. We chop at varying stages but most are looking for a percentage of cloudy to amber. The trichs don’t all change color at once, it’s a gradual ripening. Its not like you have to chop on one day there is a harvest window for a few weeks.... But have no fear - we will guide you along the way!

everyone has trouble holding loupe or scope still, dont look at fan leaves or sugar leaves, snip a small section of calyx and lay it on a table and scope away.

next steps, eyeballs, glass jars & lids, mini hygrometers, paper bags for fridge cure, bovedas or similar humidity packs 62%. While most avoid plastics for storage at times it’s necessary those options are turkey bags and gamma seal lids for 5 gallon buckets but these are more for commercial / large scale. It’s foolish to grow for months but cheap out and attempt cure / dry without hygrometers in jars. there are different types of mini hygrometers some are 2 inch by 1 inch molded plastic using watch batteries, others are dial guage that fit as mason jar lids, search pics here for Senior Moments mini hygrometers. His are nice but whatevs you choose.

read up on curing thread, since I’m new I want to hedge my bets on cure, if one batch goes bad I’ve still got options. i split my harvest 20% for oil or cobs, 40% low & slow fridge cure and 40% traditional dry hang and into jars with burping.

read up on bud washing. Very simple step but id say majority here are pro bud washing. Cleans the dust & any sprays, even if you never spray foliar or critters you would be amazed at what the first bucket looks like after washing. Bud wash and let drip dry for 4 hours keep them out of direct lights or bright sun. Fans moving air nearby but not pointed at your produce, no dehueys running nearby either - pulls moisture down to quick.

aim for slowly bringing the rh down over several days 62 rh is target. never go down to 55 rh the process of removing chlorophyll & converting sugars has stopped if you drop that low.

I skip the lemon juice & baking soda and just do plain lukewarm water 3 buckets 5 gallons each. There is a version using hydrogen peroxide in 1st bucket for nasty insect invasion - not that you need it just putting that out there, bud washing does help your colas to dry more evenly. I don’t manicure my buds, I bud wash and do wet trim, all the fans & sugar leafs are still good, technically fans are marginal but sugar leaves are more frosty. Anywho don’t waste these components after trim is the point, maybe fans are not the best for smoking but both fans & sugars still have frost!

this above is only a rough snapshot... please study up. I’m linking the Harvest Prep and Curing page here, links to Dr Ziggys low & slow, Tangwenas Malawi cobs bud washing and several others all found right here. Most threads are long but 1st page or 2 explains process end of threads often have new tips or updates. Harvest Prep & Curing

lastly - my low & slow fridge cured bud was a treat, real great terps and even though it all came from same plant the low & slow seemed 2X as frosty as the dry hang.

You know the deal Jenn - we are happy to teach you but want you to see the steps so you can learn plus form your own style and opinions

 

[Jenn6981]

Ok first you gotta have eyeballs - either a jewelers loupe, mini microscope, digital microscope or possibly a smartphone app called magnifyer although I’ve never tried it. Helps viewing trichs plus other stuff like mites or eggs on leaf undersides.

Pistil stigmas are an indicator too, in growth they show as fresh fluffy white or yellow pistils, later they change colors they will go dark and shrivel up. Pistils are an external indicator of ripeness but the trichs are the real deal.

So trichs start out as clear, then turn cloudy, last they change to amber. We chop at varying stages but most are looking for a percentage of cloudy to amber. The trichs don’t all change color at once, it’s a gradual ripening. Its not like you have to chop on one day there is a harvest window for a few weeks.... But have no fear - we will guide you along the way!

everyone has trouble holding loupe or scope still, dont look at fan leaves or sugar leaves, snip a small section of calyx and lay it on a table and scope away.

next steps, eyeballs, glass jars & lids, mini hygrometers, paper bags for fridge cure, bovedas or similar humidity packs 62%. While most avoid plastics for storage at times it’s necessary those options are turkey bags and gamma seal lids for 5 gallon buckets but these are more for commercial / large scale. It’s foolish to grow for months but cheap out and attempt cure / dry without hygrometers in jars. there are different types of mini hygrometers some are 2 inch by 1 inch molded plastic using watch batteries, others are dial guage that fit as mason jar lids, search pics here for Senior Moments mini hygrometers. His are nice but whatevs you choose.

read up on curing thread, since I’m new I want to hedge my bets on cure, if one batch goes bad I’ve still got options. i split my harvest 20% for oil or cobs, 40% low & slow fridge cure and 40% traditional dry hang and into jars with burping.

read up on bud washing. Very simple step but id say majority here are pro bud washing. Cleans the dust & any sprays, even if you never spray foliar or critters you would be amazed at what the first bucket looks like after washing. Bud wash and let drip dry for 4 hours keep them out of direct lights or bright sun. Fans moving air nearby but not pointed at your produce, no dehueys running nearby either - pulls moisture down to quick.

aim for slowly bringing the rh down over several days 62 rh is target. never go down to 55 rh the process of removing chlorophyll & converting sugars has stopped if you drop that low.

I skip the lemon juice & baking soda and just do plain lukewarm water 3 buckets 5 gallons each. There is a version using hydrogen peroxide in 1st bucket for nasty insect invasion - not that you need it just putting that out there, bud washing does help your colas to dry more evenly. I don’t manicure my buds, I bud wash and do wet trim, all the fans & sugar leafs are still good, technically fans are marginal but sugar leaves are more frosty. Anywho don’t waste these components after trim is the point, maybe fans are not the best for smoking but both fans & sugars still have frost!

this above is only a rough snapshot... please study up. I’m linking the Harvest Prep and Curing page here, links to Dr Ziggys low & slow, Tangwenas Malawi cobs bud washing and several others all found right here. Most threads are long but 1st page or 2 explains process end of threads often have new tips or updates. Harvest Prep & Curing

lastly - my low & slow fridge cured bud was a treat, real great terps and even though it all came from same plant the low & slow seemed 2X as frosty as the dry hang.

You know the deal Jenn - we are happy to teach you but want you to see the steps so you can learn plus form your own style and opinions

First, thank you @013 for taking time to type all that, I appreciate the wealth of knowledge from you and others on here. With that being said I clearly need to go study and read some more, because unfortunately a lot of the “terms” and things you mentioned; I have no clue what they mean or are. I obviously have to know what I’m looking for and how to identify it. So I will definitely do some more studying. I’m sure soon these girls will be ready and I want to be ready too

 

[013]

Hey Jenn, Oh sure - we are glad to pass it along. Here’s similar post but has good pics of trichs. FAQ with trich pics. Zoom on these pics, study the shapes and see the colors etc.

The pistil stigmas are the spikey hairs you see all over each budsite but the trichomes are freaking minuscule stalks with glandular heads that are hidden by the hairs. they look like tiny translucent mushrooms under sufficient magnification. These trichs or gland heads are ground zero for THC CBD and all the cannabinoids as best we know, the gland heads themselves will change color as a plant ripens.... hence the clear, cloudy & amber descriptor.

So yes the characteristics of pistil hairs are a visible external indication of the progression of ripening - the trichs which are not readily seen without a scope are what we want to look at to determine the timing of the chop. You are smart and will figure it out & we are here to back you up, highly applaud your willingness to study more. It’s all here you just gotta dig in.

Fan leaves have petioles or stems but sugar leaves are attached right to the sides of each cola without a stem, but the large majority of trichs and pistils reside on the calyxes so we look at the trichs on the buds themselves not the trichs on the fan leaves or sugar leaves...of course fans & sugars should not be wasted, maybe not the best for smoke because the harshness of the fans but still good source material for hash, rso, butter, oil, cobs - etc

 

[Oldhippie59]

Hey Jenn, Oh sure - we are glad to pass it along. Here’s similar post but has good pics of trichs. FAQ with trich pics. Zoom on these pics, study the shapes and see the colors etc.

The pistil stigmas are the spikey hairs you see all over each budsite but the trichomes are freaking minuscule stalks with glandular heads that are hidden by the hairs. they look like tiny translucent mushrooms under sufficient magnification. These trichs or gland heads are ground zero for THC CBD and all the cannabinoids as best we know, the gland heads themselves will change color as a plant ripens.... hence the clear, cloudy & amber descriptor.

So yes the characteristics of pistil hairs are a visible external indication of the progression of ripening - the trichs which are not readily seen without a scope are what we want to look at to determine the timing of the chop. You are smart and will figure it out & we are here to back you up, highly applaud your willingness to study more. It’s all here you just gotta dig in.

Great info!

 

[Jenn6981]

Hey Jenn, Oh sure - we are glad to pass it along. Here’s similar post but has good pics of trichs. FAQ with trich pics. Zoom on these pics, study the shapes and see the colors etc.

The pistil stigmas are the spikey hairs you see all over each budsite but the trichomes are freaking minuscule stalks with glandular heads that are hidden by the hairs. they look like tiny translucent mushrooms under sufficient magnification. These trichs or gland heads are ground zero for THC CBD and all the cannabinoids as best we know, the gland heads themselves will change color as a plant ripens.... hence the clear, cloudy & amber descriptor.

So yes the characteristics of pistil hairs are a visible external indication of the progression of ripening - the trichs which are not readily seen without a scope are what we want to look at to determine the timing of the chop. You are smart and will figure it out & we are here to back you up, highly applaud your willingness to study more. It’s all here you just gotta dig in.

Fan leaves have petioles or stems but sugar leaves are attached right to the sides of each cola without a stem, but the large majority of trichs and pistils reside on the calyxes so we look at the trichs on the buds themselves not the trichs on the fan leaves or sugar leaves...of course fans & sugars should not be wasted, maybe not the best for smoke because the harshness of the fans but still good source material for hash, rso, butter, oil, cobs - etc

Understood! I’m hoping my plants are high on THC. By far indica is the only strand I want. I’m studying what you said and the link you attached. Thank you so much again!

 

[Oldhippie59]

Learning all this cool stuff from helpful people what a great site.