First SWICK Grow: Rooftop Auto Grow With Supercool Subsoil

[CBDMed]

Hi all. Welcome to my first ever SWICK grow. (I hope I am posting in the right place, and in the right way.)
I would really appreciate any advice, as I have maybe a dozen grows total, and this is my first time in SWICK.

@InTheShed , @Azimuth , @Bill284 , @Timhomegrow , @Gee64 , @013 , @Hashhound , @bluter
And who am I missing???

The GROWER:
For full disclosure, I am a bit autistic. Autism is a problem with communication, and by definition, autistic people are generally not clued-in with regards to social communication. So you might say something (trying to help me), and I might not understand you. I am very sorry about that! It makes life hard. I try to make the best of it that I can. If I do something wrong, please send me a PM message, and let me know (kindly) what I can do better.
Cannabis helps my communication a lot, so by helping me grow my medicine, you are helping an autistic person!


The CLIMATE:
I am in the lovely and humid Colombian Andean uplands temperate rainforest. It is cool here (highs of 68-72F), and humid. I tried to grow an indica auto on the roof before, but it got gray mold. Because of that I retreated back indoors under LED, but the electric bills are too much for us, so I want to try outside again, this time with a sativa, and fans, and myco, and trichoderma.

THE SEEDS:
I will be trying to grow TopTao CBD Haze Auto (bought from a sponsor). He stopped selling it 3 years ago, but I have kept the seeds in mylar in the fridge drawer. I hope they sprout!
The breeder ("Mr. Tao") says they are very resistant to humidity, and he has never seen a problem with humidity on this strain--so I have no idea what it tastes like, but taste is secondary. I am hoping I can get my CBD by growing on the roof, so we can slash these light bills.
Genetics:
Sativa Bohemia X Ruderalis = Ruderalis Haze
Ruderalis Haze X Wild Spontanea = CBD Haze
CBD Haze X Taomatic = CBD HAZE AUTO
Height: 1,5 - 2 m
Genetics: Sativa / Indica / Ruderalis (Spontanea)
Harvest: 4,5 months after germination

(PS EDIT: the reason for going auto is that we have a lot of security lights in the condo, so I cannot do photos.)

The SOIL:
I have been growing indoors in SIPs with Subcool Supersoil. In contrast, now I am going to grow in supercool subsoil. (Supercool subsoil resembles Subcool Supersoil almost exactly, but I have to add myco and trico and extra perlite and some other things, so it is no longer exactly the same recipe.)
(One of these days I hope to get time to research the Mulder chart, but today is not the day...)

QUESTION: I have been using 40-45% Perlite for SIP. Do I still use 40-45% Perlite for SWICK? Or what is the correct percentage for SWICK?
(For full disclosure, I am out of perlite, so I plan to use volcanic rock pumice (which is about the same size), as recommended by @Emilya Green before she left.)

The SWICK:
Since this is my first SWICK grow, I thought I would go with the AC Infinity SWICK kit. I bought the 1 gallon version (and wish I had bought the 2 gallon version.) Probably I will fake it in future grows, but I thought to try the standard on the first flight.
I have lots of spare 5mm wick that I bought off of China Express. (I thought it would be 4mm wick, but it seems more like 5mm wick.)

The PLAN:
I am still not clear on the percentage of perlite / volcanic rock pumice.
Do I just fill these 5G cloth pots with 60% supercool subsoil (including myco and trico) and 40% perlite / rock pumice / aeration, plant seeds, and then let 'er rip? Or what do I do?

Probably I will let them start indoors (just to get good germination) and once they have a few nodes I will try to move them up to the roof.
Any suggestions?
THANK YOU!

 

[Bill284]

Woohoo



Stay safe
Bill284

 

[InTheShed]

once they have a few nodes I will try to move them up to the roof.
Any suggestions?

My suggestion is wet white towels wrapped around the pot and draped into a large plant saucer to keep the res cool.

Like this:

This is the temperature of the bucket in the sun:

And here is it with with the wet towel:

That's a 24º difference!

 

[CBDMed]

My suggestion is wet white towels wrapped around the pot and draped into a large plant saucer to keep the res cool.

Like this:

This is the temperature of the bucket in the sun:

And here is it with with the wet towel:

That's a 24º difference!

That looks great!! Thanks, Shed!!
Only, I have the opposite problem... it is too COOL here! We expect it to warm up about 5-10 degrees F in another month, but I seriously doubt we will be hitting 106.8 F!!

 

[InTheShed]

That's not the air temp, that's the temp of the bucket with the sun on it. The air temp was probably in the 70s.

 

[CBDMed]

That's not the air temp, that's the temp of the bucket with the sun on it. The air temp was probably in the 70s.

Ok, I will have to monitor the SWICK tray and the bag temperature. Thank you!

Only, if it is a cool place, don't I want the heat?

 

[InTheShed]

Ok, I will have to monitor the SWICK tray and the bag temperature. Thank you!

Only, if it is a cool place, don't I want the heat?

Roots are always better off cool, down to about 65ºF. The sun really bakes the buckets and bags and raises the temps much higher than ambient.

 

[CBDMed]

Roots are always better off cool, down to about 65ºF. The sun really bakes the buckets and bags and raises the temps much higher than ambient.

 

[InTheShed]

Here's another example, my tan (not black) cloth pot was 96.9º in the sun:

and 74.4º in the shade (which was probably close to ambient):

22º drop just from being in the shade.

 

[CBDMed]

Here's another example, my tan (not black) cloth pot was 96.9º in the sun:

and 74.4º in the shade (which was probably close to ambient):

22º drop just from being in the shade.

Wow. Maybe I can take some old t-shirts and make removable bibs?
Thanks for the heads-up!

 

[CBDMed]

Ok, there is an old "myth" about how you can sex the seeds by the shape of the connection.
They say round is female, oblong is male. Is it a myth?? I thought I would test it with my small sample size.

Seed 1 (oblong? = alleged male?)

Seed 2 (oblong = alleged male)

Seed 3 (round = alleged female?)

Seed 4 (round = alleged female?)

We will see if it works! (Maybe not, but we can test.)
I hope they come up!

 

[013]

Hey CDB Med,

Thanks for the tag! Never knew about autism diagnosis but figure each person has their own unique challenges. However if I do say something that seems off- then please by all means don’t hesitate to ask!

Fir my swicks I do about 35% perlite and about 5 to 10% of rice hulls… right or wrong my thinking was the rice hulls are tiny, they may compress easily, they do break down over time but also are source of carbon & silica for the plant.

I don’t do the layer thing either for my swicks, just perlite & rice hulls mixed well into my global soil mix. Also just for clarity, my swicks are fabric smart pots sitting on bed of perlite in a larger tub, the soil itself is the wick….

Hope it helps!

 

[CBDMed]

Hey @013! Thanks for answering! It is very nice to meet you.

Hey CDB Med,

Thanks for the tag! Never knew about autism diagnosis but figure each person has their own unique challenges.

Yes, very true!
Other people have to put up with me!

However if I do say something that seems off- then please by all means don’t hesitate to ask!

Ok, great! and the same. Sometimes I miss whole underscores in social conversation, so I sometimes need "cluing in." (But I try to do my best.)

Fir my swicks I do about 35% perlite and about 5 to 10% of rice hulls… right or wrong my thinking was the rice hulls are tiny, they may compress easily, they do break down over time but also are source of carbon & silica for the plant.

Ok, that sounds good. I like rice hulls. They are sustainable and I think they make sense, so long as you know they retain water (like vermitculite).
I am presently using my first batch of original recipe Subcool Supersoil (SCSS) with only myco and trico added.
But I made some other reconditioned soil woth about 8% rice hulls, for silica and carbon (and as an experiment). They are local, and sustainable, so it makes sense.

I don’t do the layer thing either for my swicks, just perlite & rice hulls mixed well into my global soil mix.

Ok. Sounds good.
I started reading about your garden of Whirrled Peas. Are you still using the same soil mix?
I still have reading to do, but it sounds like you are using a homemade supersoil. Is that correct?

Soil
Peat 2 parts
Perlite 1 part
EWC, rabbit pellets, mycos, lime, oyster shell flour, rock dust, minerals, bone meal, kelp, dog hair, biochar, compost from forest floor.

Haha, what is the NPK on that dog hair?

Going for Water Only Soil but ya gotta throw some fish ferts and eye of newt on occasion.

Are you a Mulder Chart guy? Or how do you know how to balance it? (Or does it just work out for you?)

Also just for clarity, my swicks are fabric smart pots sitting on bed of perlite in a larger tub, the soil itself is the wick….

That sounds good.
I still need to read about your setup. Do you have a page where you have a picture of it?
It would be great to know how big your tub is, and how many inches of perlite, and how much water it can hold, etc.
The reason I ask is that I may have to change my plans, and a bucket with perlite in it sounds pretty good right about now!

Details:
I got four of these AC infinity bases, and I thought I would use them to start (just to start with a standard build).

Only, I want to start the seeds in the grow room under LEDs (to get a higher germination rate), and then once they get a few nodes I can move them to the roof on a rainy day.
The problem is that the grow room is pretty full right now already with SIPs, so I will have to fit the SWICKS in the aisles...

So the problem with the four AC Infinity bases is that I would have to make four trips each day per plant – – one to pull the plants, then another to carefully pull the bases without spilling… Then do my maintenance on the SIPs, and then take back first the AC Infinity base, and then the 5 gallon bucket.
That just sounds like a spill, so I was looking for some other option.

Then I realized that I have some 10 gallon plastic buckets, and the 5 gallon fabric pot seems to fit the bottom of the pot fairly well.
I do not know if you can see that, but I poured water over the top yesterday, and there's a little bit sitting in the bottom of three of them (and I just added some more water for the fourth, so it can wick up).

So this works, I thought maybe I could either build a riser (to raise the plant up to the right height), or maybe just fill them with perlite (although that is a lot of perlite!)!
I think I could probably make some kind of riser on the inside. Maybe I could turn a plastic grow pot upside down, and then put some kind of plate on top, to distribute the load more evenly)? (The red plastic pot is almost wide enough. I would just have to put something on top of it to help even the weight on the 5 gallon pot.

If I really need to I can chop the pot. But I think it would be less expensive than buying any more of these AC Infinity bases.
Anyway, now I can put them in the grow room for germination, and can remove them when doing daily plant maintenance.
I also have another flatter tub-style bucket, I do not know if it is better.

EDIT: My 4 Charlotte's Angel Autos are getting hit with budrot, so I will probably chop them soon.
When they are chopped, probably I want to start 4 more rooftop SWICK CBD Haze Autos.
(I could also potentially run 4 SIPS on the roof for comparison between SWICK and SIP, but I would have to shield the pot from the sun (because the bucket is not UV resistant).

Hope it helps!

Thank you, 013. It helps.
It would be great to hear comments and questions.

 

[CBDMed]

PS, that big tan bucket I might use if I grow any larger bags, like 10G or 20G.

Hahaha, I see why people do not try to sex regular seeds! The belly buttons are really hard to distinguish between male and female.

Seed #5 (headed for SIP I think).
Hahaha, is it round (= alleged female)?? Or oblong (= alleged male)?? It seems too hard to tell!

Seed #6 (kinda oblong = alleged male??)

Seed #7: Ok I think it looks a little bit round (and fuzzy photo??)??

Seed #8 (looking kinda oblong = alleged male??)

I guess time will tell.
(But I gotta get some coconut oil on those fingertips!)

 

[Azimuth]

My bet is only #7 is female. But only a very small percentage are pretty clearly round with a volcano shape. Most, from my experience anyway, are undetermined, and a few are obviously not round. The indeterminant ones could be either, and the rounder the better odds at being female, but it's just that, odds.

And I've read that environment can play a big role whhich would suggest that sex isn't actually determined early. The poorer the environment the larger the percentage of males.

I think the 12/12 for first 10 days above ground is clearly the better way to do it, sex early at least. But if you have a bunch of seeds it doesn't hurt to try to increase your odds of a female by selection.

 

[CBDMed]

My bet is only #7 is female.

Wow!
Thank you, Azi!
Ok, I guess we will see!

But only a very small percentage are pretty clearly round with a volcano shape. Most, from my experience anyway, are undetermined, and a few are obviously not round. The indeterminant ones could be either, and the rounder the better odds at being female, but it's just that, odds.

And I've read that environment can play a big role whhich would suggest that sex isn't actually determined early. The poorer the environment the larger the percentage of males.

!!!
What???? Do you perhaps have a link to that study?

I think the 12/12 for first 10 days above ground is clearly the better way to do it, sex early at least.

Does 12/12 do anything with autos? Or do they just grow more slowly? (I do not know.)

But if you have a bunch of seeds it doesn't hurt to try to increase your odds of a female by selection.

Well, if only #7 looks female to you, then I guess I am not sure I know how to do it. I guess we will see how they come up.

 

[Azimuth]

What???? Do you perhaps have a link to that study?

That one's more anecdotal. Growers with a big run of males from seed often have environment issues. I'll see if I can find the stuff I read on it.

Does 12/12 do anything with autos? Or do they just grow more slowly? (I do not know.)

That I don't know. Wonder if @Justin Goody uses that 12/12 for first 10 days above ground technique on the autos he breeds to sex them more quickly. I think he does but let's let him weigh in.

 

[Justin Goody]

That one's more anecdotal. Growers with a big run of males from seed often have environment issues. I'll see if I can find the stuff I read on it.


That I don't know. Wonder if @Justin Goody uses that 12/12 for first 10 days above ground technique on the autos he breeds to sex them more quickly. I think he does but let's let him weigh in.

The autos are feminized due to the breeding technique so no need to sex them, plus 12/12 does nothing to an auto but make it want more light. They decide when to flower, they don’t care about your light schedule (with the exception of erratic light schedules occasionally causing herms). My babies are born into 18/6 @ 20k lux and don’t really get special treatment. No time for nurture, only nature for autos.

 

[CBDMed]

The autos are feminized due to the breeding technique so no need to sex them, plus 12/12 does nothing to an auto but make it want more light. They decide when to flower, they don’t care about your light schedule (with the exception of erratic light schedules occasionally causing herms). My babies are born into 18/6 @ 20k lux and don’t really get special treatment. No time for nurture, only nature for autos.

Thanks Justin.
EDIT: sorry I did not catch this on the first read, but the autos are actually regulars.

About lights,
I am trying to pop beans indoors under LEDs, and then when they get a few notes I will probably take them up to the roof on a rainy day.
Right now i am running Gas Lantern Technique, 12 on, 5-1/2 off, one on, 5-1/2 off. I trust that will not be a problem because everyone is in veg.
I started four buckets of hot soil in SWICK, and four more in SIP. (We still have to figure out how to protect the clear plastic buckets from UV because they do not have any UV protection, but we will figure it out.)

The four SWICK seeds are sitting inside of 10G plastic buckets. It is fine for right now under overhead LEDs, but when they go up to the roof, either I will need to raise the pot to the top level of the rim, or I will need to cut the buckets, or I will need to use the AC Infinity trays, so that the girls can get as much sun as there is. I figured to cross that bridge in a few weeks.
Then I had four other girls who were getting mold so I emptied the four SIP buckets and reloaded. (I hope to remix / recondition the soil later on another thread.)
That should be eight Haze CBD auto regulars, 4 in SWICK and 4 in SIP, so we can get a good idea of any performance differences in between SWICK and SIP.
The plan is to destroy the males as they come up, and then plant more seeds. I will probably isolate the best looking male and apply pollen to one branch each on the best-looking females (just to do it), so I can save regular seeds. And then just maybe I might also use some of that silver thiosulfate formula that @InTheShed recommended, to make feminized seeds (to make it easier in between regular grows).
I will have to put some fans in the greenhouse on the roof.

Regarding the 4SWICK buckets, if I were to add perlite to these buckets here, how much per light should I add, for the perlite to serve as the wick? Or do you just start with so much perlite, and add more or less, depending on how wet you want the bucket?
Are there any good tips out there? Perhaps? (Hopeful...)

It will be great if I can get a sativa CBD crop on my roof, in spite of the night security lights.

 

[InTheShed]

right now i am running Gas Lantern Technique, 12 on, 5-1/2 off, one on, 5-1/2 off. I trust that will not be a problem because everyone is in veg.

The problem is that you will lessen the vegetative growth of the autos which will definitely make for a smaller harvest.

for the perlite to serve as the wick?

From personal experience perlite doesn't wick anywhere near as well as soil. And @NickHardy tried a perlite wick in a SIP and that plant failed as I recall. I'd recommend soil.