First Photo Grow, No More Runt Autoflowers!

[Backyardigan]

The nursery light is giving me about 500-600 umols as close as it is.

I found this online, and was curious how your nursery stay growing.

 

[Brudley]

I found this online, and was curious how your nursery stay growing.

I have a similar chart, it’s only the max beneficial light. I doubt my iPhone app is giving me 100% accurate readings, but close enough

 

[Brudley]

So how many total plants did you have under what total wattage friend?

I have about 12 as seen in the picture above under two SF2000 at about 220 watts each. I have more than enough light currently, I just need to get some good genetics rolling. Things are a little slow with all the runt autoflowers.

 

[Brudley]

So happy today to find a local nursery that carries FoxFarm products this afternoon! I picked up 1.5 cubic of Ocean Forest for this grow. I currently have 3 girls up and rolling in solo cups, all started in the Performance Organics which hopefully won’t be an issue at transplant into different soils. They should all be close enough. So these 3 will each be in a different soil. I plan to transplant each into 1 gallon pot of each soil type with no amendments except maybe some worm castings, and then into final homes:

5 gallon RainScience pot with Performance Organics
5 gallon RainScience pot with Ocean Forest
5 gallon RainScience pot with Roots Organic

Im probably going to start each 5 gallon pot with some Dr Earth Flower Girl & Bruts worm castings in the bottom 1/3. Maybe some Bat Guano and/or worm castings in the middle 1/3 and no amendments in top 1/3. I’m also considering starting with no amendments but hard to pass if I can set these babies up for success from the start. I also ordered some Dr Earth bloom booster pump liquid concentrate to potentially use during flower. I’m open to feedback on this startup. I’m at least a couple weeks out on any up potting.

I still can’t get the Barney’s Farm Lemon Haze to germinate, on my 2nd seed, this would be photo plant #4 if I can get a seed to pop..

 

[Brudley]

Todays update:
Acapulco Gold #1 - looking good, solo cups weighed in at 135g, gave a good water and up to 211g after drain off.
Blue Monster #1 - also looking good, solo cups at 113g, up to 210g after water
Blue Cheese #1 - came up today, I helped her off with the seed hull. still weighs 157g and just up will wait to water
Lemon Haze #? - still waiting for a sprout .. :-(

 

[Brudley]

I have some powdered dolomite lime coming to add to the soil, more for cal/mag it provides than to adjust ph. In the past I have actually added some sulfur to push the ph down a bit, plus plant needs sulfur. Any thoughts on this or go to amendments or additions to maximize soil potential?

 

[Krissi Carbone]

So happy today to find a local nursery that carries FoxFarm products this afternoon! I picked up 1.5 cubic of Ocean Forest for this grow. I currently have 3 girls up and rolling in solo cups, all started in the Performance Organics which hopefully won’t be an issue at transplant into different soils. They should all be close enough. So these 3 will each be in a different soil. I plan to transplant each into 1 gallon pot of each soil type with no amendments except maybe some worm castings, and then into final homes:

I love castings guano epsom and cane sugar amendments. Mix it all right up into my FFOF. I top them with the same twice a month minus the cane sugar

 

[Brudley]

I love castings guano epsom and cane sugar amendments. Mix it all right up into my FFOF. I top them with the same twice a month minus the cane sugar

What type of epsom do you use, i have granules which need to be dissolved in water, thinking maybe should be powder?
Do you use any azomite or humic acid?

 

[Krissi Carbone]

What type of epsom do you use, i have granules which need to be dissolved in water, thinking maybe should be powder?
Do you use any azomite or humic acid?

Just plain old epsom Brud...I like that they dissolve slowly and mix into the soil over time as to not shock it. I do put some in a tea I make for them though and I obviously dissolve that

 

[Brudley]

Just plain old epsom Brud...I like that they dissolve slowly and mix into the soil over time as to not shock it. I do put some in a tea I make for them though and I obviously dissolve that

I just recently saw this mix from High Times magazine

8 large bags of a high-quality organic potting soil with coco fiber and mycorrhizae (i.e., your base soil)
25 to 50 lbs of organic worm castings
5 lbs steamed bone meal
5 lbs Bloom bat guano
5 lbs blood meal
3 lbs rock phosphate
¾ cup Epson salts
½ cup sweet lime (dolomite)
½ cup azomite (trace elements)
2 tbsp powdered humic acid

I'm more concerned about the trace elements than anything else. So the Epsom I have is pretty good size crystals, so it will dissolve in the soil over time? Whats your thought on azomite or humic acid above?

 

[Brudley]

Surely there is one or two products that would contain all the ingredients needed with mixing like a mad scientist..?

 

[Brudley]

Surely there is one or two products that would contain all the ingredients needed with mixing like a mad scientist..?

I just went ahead and ordered some Bone Meal, Humic Acid, and some of this stuff which looks pretty bad ass, plus another big bag of worm castings. I should have all the ingredients I need to mix up some super soil of my own. I can't wait to start mixing. I have bins of dirt all over my garage, which is getting cold as ice. Once I mix and pour into the pots I'll bring them in and let them come up to temp and cook a week or two. My 1 gallon pots will be here today. I just went and checked and finally got one of the Lemon Haze seeds to pop so I will have 4 girls going together here. Should be a interesting and fun run!!

 

[Brudley]

Girls looking good, Amnesia Lemon sprout planted in solo cup with humidity dome

 

[Brudley]

All three of the babies are looking very strong. The 4th baby is breaking the soil. Rock & Roll!!

Still looking for any feedback on the soil mix for these ladies...? I got the 1 gallon velcro pots which are a little small, I have 2 gallon on the way, which may be the first up pot. Looking forward to having the time to train these plants for maximum yield.!!

 

[Brudley]

Ok, did all the math tonight to figure out my own “supersoil” mix to put in bottom 1/3 of my 5 gallon pots. The pot will be layered similar to how the premixes are used. Here is the mix.

Supersoil concentrate based on 1.5 gallon @ 1/3 of 5 gallon pot

25 cups total - 20 cups soil and 4 cups worm castings, @1 cup nutes

Nutrients added at per gal rates for 1.5 gallons:

Blood Meal 3 tbsp
Bat Guano 1.5 tbsp
Flower Girl 6 tbsp
Kelp Meal 1.5 tbsp
Bone Meal 2 tbsp
Langbeinite 1.5 tbsp
Powdered Lime ?
Humic Acid 3 tsp

2nd layer in pot, 20 cups soil mixed with 4 of worm castings
top 1/3 of pot @ 24 cups straight soil

I plan to use the potting soil only with no amendments for first up pot to 2 gallon pots. I might throw I few worm castings in just to get the party started

Thoughts, advice, criticism, bring it!

 

[Bill284]

Ok, did all the math tonight to figure out my own “supersoil” mix to put in bottom 1/3 of my 5 gallon pots. The pot will be layered similar to how the premixes are used. Here is the mix.

Supersoil concentrate based on 1.5 gallon @ 1/3 of 5 gallon pot

25 cups total - 20 cups soil and 4 cups worm castings, @1 cup nutes

Nutrients added at per gal rates for 1.5 gallons:

Blood Meal 3 tbsp
Bat Guano 1.5 tbsp
Flower Girl 6 tbsp
Kelp Meal 1.5 tbsp
Bone Meal 2 tbsp
Langbeinite 1.5 tbsp
Powdered Lime ?
Humic Acid 3 tsp

2nd layer in pot, 20 cups soil mixed with 4 of worm castings
top 1/3 of pot @ 24 cups straight soil

I plan to use the potting soil only with no amendments for first up pot to 2 gallon pots. I might throw I few worm castings in just to get the party started

Thoughts, advice, criticism, bring it!

Good morning @Brudley hope you are well my friend.
I'm not the greatest with recipes but I always add Bokashi and insect Frass.
Brilliant stuff I don't grow anything without it.

Stay safe
Bill

 

[Brudley]

Sunday update. I have been using a scale to monitor the water levels in the cups. I don't water until almost completely dry
Acapulco Gold
She is looking good this morning. Was pretty dry so gave her some water. You can see how well the roots are developing and sticking out the bottom of the cup. I think this girl is probably about ready to transplant into the larger pots. I cut the bottom of the cups using a method I saw to just clip the edge and open it up, but think I'll use poked holes next time to keep the roots more contained.

Amnesia Lemon
Gave her some water

Blue Cheese
Gave her some water

Blue Monster
She was dry, gave her a good water. You can see how the roots came out of the slit the bottom of the cup on this one. Probably going to transplant this "Monster" as soon as my 2-gallon pots arrive tomorrow.

I decided to add one more plant to this grow just for fun. I have an empty pot, sooo

This girls is an Autoflower, I figure when she is done I'll convert all the photos over to flower 12/12. Depends on how things go, I can leave the autoflower in after light change if needed but I think timing will work out.

Think Different Auto
This auto is supposed to be one of the biggest available which supposedly was the strain that started the autoflower craze and made people start to "Think Different" about auto flower plants.
I dropped her into paper towel in tupperware container two days ago. She had a nice healthy tail this morning so transplanted into a small pot with straight Roots Organics soil with a little jiffy mix at the top for the sprout. This has been working for well for me. She is under humidity dome. I used one of my "different" plant label stakes for this gal. lol

Still waiting for any feedback on my soil mixes I'm considering, going to put them into straight soil for first up pot, so will be a little while before I have my 5 gallon pots ready. Thanks for tuning in and any advice that may come.

 

[Bill284]

Sunday update. I have been using a scale to monitor the water levels in the cups. I don't water until almost completely dry
Acapulco Gold
She is looking good this morning. Was pretty dry so gave her some water. You can see how well the roots are developing and sticking out the bottom of the cup. I think this girl is probably about ready to transplant into the larger pots. I cut the bottom of the cups using a method I saw to just clip the edge and open it up, but think I'll use poked holes next time to keep the roots more contained.

Amnesia Lemon
Gave her some water

Blue Cheese
Gave her some water

Blue Monster
She was dry, gave her a good water. You can see how the roots came out of the slit the bottom of the cup on this one. Probably going to transplant this "Monster" as soon as my 2-gallon pots arrive tomorrow.

I decided to add one more plant to this grow just for fun. I have an empty pot, sooo

This girls is an Autoflower, I figure when she is done I'll convert all the photos over to flower 12/12. Depends on how things go, I can leave the autoflower in after light change if needed but I think timing will work out.

Think Different Auto
This auto is supposed to be one of the biggest available which supposedly was the strain that started the autoflower craze and made people start to "Think Different" about auto flower plants.
I dropped her into paper towel in tupperware container two days ago. She had a nice healthy tail this morning so transplanted into a small pot with straight Roots Organics soil with a little jiffy mix at the top for the sprout. This has been working for well for me. She is under humidity dome. I used one of my "different" plant label stakes for this gal. lol

Still waiting for any feedback on my soil mixes I'm considering, going to put them into straight soil for first up pot, so will be a little while before I have my 5 gallon pots ready. Thanks for tuning in and any advice that may come.

Looks good

Stay safe
Bill

 

[Brudley]

1/10
Think Different Auto
Sticking up out of soil this morning but still has her helmet on. I’ll add a picture later this evening once she gets her hair done.

Blue Monster got a new pot last night, I went with the 1 gallon fabric pot with Velcro side for easy transplant , we will see… The transplant was a little precarious as the root ball wasn’t tight enough to keep things together and ripped off one of the long tap roots. I think she’ll be ok.

I’m thinking for future seedlings they will go straight to these little green pots like the one above I started Think Diff in, instead of the solo cups. Definitely need to make drain holes smaller in solo cups to keep roots inside the cup.

 

[Brudley]

Both the Blue Cheese and Acapulco Gold are ready for up pot, roots are all out of the bottom of the cups. Gave them both water and I'm preparing the 1 gallon pots tonight to transplant.

The Amnesia Lemon still needs some more time in the cup.

Here is a picture of the Think Different Auto that came up this morning. Ain' tshe purty?