Jon's Sneak It In Auto Grow

Jon said:
Thanks @Kanno26, gotta figure out some way to keep it interesting for you guys. Lol.
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That sounds really interesting, how many are you planning? They will be on some sort of stand or hanging. I think it would be great if they were on a telescopic pole so they could grow with the plant. That just occurred to me. I'm just looking forward to your opinion. :Namaste:
 
Kanno26 said:
That sounds really interesting, how many are you planning? They will be on some sort of stand or hanging. I think it would be great if they were on a telescopic pole so they could grow with the plant. That just occurred to me. I'm just looking forward to your opinion. :Namaste:
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Well, I have two so I will go with two. One in each side. I haven’t yet determined how to hang them but I like your idea. Thanks.
 
Platinum Mimosa Cookies
Uppotting Day
Day 11

Six down, two to go. How’s this for everyone at the same level? Took a bit of tweaking. But it was time to establish the final working pattern of who goes where. The blank spot in front and the table with the seedlings out of view are the final two spots.

The reason I uppot so “early” (as some would say) is because they’re autos. I would wait longer always with photos and let that root ball grow out proper. With autos it’s a little different to me. I am of the opinion that while it’s great and definitely desirable to establish a great root ball before uppotting any time, I also feel that when one puts a pot into a pot with the roots the way they look when the root ball is well established they inevitably encounter at least a one day, often two day, lag. Zero growth for that time. I feel that is due to the fact that before the plant can even begin to take advantage of the extra space, it has to have its tight, woven root ball realize what happened, loosen up, and begin to expand.

So with autos in coco I uppot as soon as humanly possible, and that is almost always from a Solo to a final pot and almost always inside of two weeks. The root ball is not nearly as well established as with photos. But it has plenty to hold firmly together. That’s all I need. Because then, the roots have no “unravel” or “lag” time at all. They simply keep growing at the same rate or faster than they were before uppotting.

With autos I believe it potentially saves me a day or two of growth. In Autoland a day or two is much more significant than with photos. I want uninterrupted and constant growth. I believe uppotting early like this helps me achieve that.

In case anyone was wondering. Lol.

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Jon said:
Platinum Mimosa Cookies
Uppotting Day
Day 11

Six down, two to go. How’s this for everyone at the same level? Took a bit of tweaking. But it was time to establish the final working pattern of who goes where. The blank spot in front and the table with the seedlings out of view are the final two spots.

The reason I uppot so “early” (as some would say) is because they’re autos. I would wait longer always with photos and let that root ball grow out proper. With autos it’s a little different to me. I am of the opinion that while it’s great and definitely desirable to establish a great root ball before uppotting any time, I also feel that when one puts a pot into a pot with the roots the way they look when the root ball is well established they inevitably encounter at least a one day, often two day, lag. Zero growth for that time. I feel that is due to the fact that before the plant can even begin to take advantage of the extra space, it has to have its tight, woven root ball realize what happened, loosen up, and begin to expand.

So with autos in coco I uppot as soon as humanly possible, and that is almost always from a Solo to a final pot and almost always inside of two weeks. The root ball is not nearly as well established as with photos. But it has plenty to hold firmly together. That’s all I need. Because then, the roots have no “unravel” or “lag” time at all. They simply keep growing at the same rate or faster than they were before uppotting.

With autos I believe it potentially saves me a day or two of growth. In Autoland a day or two is much more significant than with photos. I want uninterrupted and constant growth. I believe uppotting early like this helps me achieve that.

In case anyone was wondering. Lol.

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I am also starting to see just how on top of this I’ll have to stay to keep it from blowing up the tent. Lol!
 
Hi @Kanno26 - I think I have figured out a way to implement your idea about the side lights. Yes, I do want them to be able to move with the plants if I choose. So they have to be adjustable. I have the two CFL bars, one on each side. I believe I can hang the lights off these, using the same adjustable hook straps one would normally use, and use the straps to raise or lower them, or simply raise or lower the bar. Should work out perfectly. Thanks again for the tip!

You can see the CFL bars here.

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Jon said:
The reason I uppot so “early” (as some would say) is because they’re autos. I would wait longer always with photos and let that root ball grow out proper. With autos it’s a little different to me. I am of the opinion that while it’s great and definitely desirable to establish a great root ball before uppotting any time, I also feel that when one puts a pot into a pot with the roots the way they look when the root ball is well established they inevitably encounter at least a one day, often two day, lag. Zero growth for that time. I feel that is due to the fact that before the plant can even begin to take advantage of the extra space, it has to have its tight, woven root ball realize what happened, loosen up, and begin to expand.

So with autos in coco I uppot as soon as humanly possible, and that is almost always from a Solo to a final pot and almost always inside of two weeks. The root ball is not nearly as well established as with photos. But it has plenty to hold firmly together. That’s all I need. Because then, the roots have no “unravel” or “lag” time at all. They simply keep growing at the same rate or faster than they were before uppotting.

With autos I believe it potentially saves me a day or two of growth. In Autoland a day or two is much more significant than with photos. I want uninterrupted and constant growth. I believe uppotting early like this helps me achieve that.

In case anyone was wondering. Lol.
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I guess you can count me in the early uppotting club. I used to start seeds in Jiffy plugs and go from a couple day old sprout to final container. Now I start them in Solo cups and transplant when the leaves extend our to the edge of the cup, which is about a week old. Not much methodology to it other than I fear the Solo cup will dry out without my daily attention. Putting them in a big pot that stays moist longer leaves me more wiggle room to be a lazy grower.
 
Jon said:
Hi @Kanno26 - I think I have figured out a way to implement your idea about the side lights. Yes, I do want them to be able to move with the plants if I choose. So they have to be adjustable. I have the two CFL bars, one on each side. I believe I can hang the lights off these, using the same adjustable hook straps one would normally use, and use the straps to raise or lower them, or simply raise or lower the bar. Should work out perfectly. Thanks again for the tip!

You can see the CFL bars here.

IMG_0088.jpeg
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Hi @Jon, you're welcome I think it will work great. When they are on the sides and still able to move XS1500 PRO then it will be a ride and I am curious what it will do to your tent. I would be careful not to tear it for you. I'm quite curious about it 👍😁
 
Doin light on the side Jon! Love it! :popcorn:
 
StoneOtter said:
Doin light on the side Jon! Love it! :popcorn:
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Yup. Trying to figure out when to bring them in. I’m going to at least wait until the Pink Rozay and Apple Fritter are uppotted. I may just bring them in at that point. Or I wait til everyone is in flower, but since that’s going to come in stages I’m thinking sooner than later. What do you think @StoneOtter?
 
Sponsor Information
@NorthAtlanticSeedCo.
Dirty Bird Genetics

When I first introduced NASC Beth had told me that NASC itself was working on their own line of genetics, which when unveiled will make them a great genetics only seeds seller who is also a breeder with their own line. Very cool and very ambitious.

This line is coming out very shortly, and it is called Dirty Bird Genetics.
Here’s a link to their website:

About US - Dirty Bird Genetics

dirtybirdgenetics.com

The girls will love this: it’s an all woman company!!! And having interacted at length with Beth, I can tell you these chicks are not messing around.

I have been fortunate enough that NASC is sponsoring one of my tents in the next grow. That tent will feature one Arjan’s Super Silver Haze, compliments of NASC, in a 15 gallon pot and using a 44” hula hoop screen and rotating scrog setup. To celebrate their impending drop and the official startup of DBG (like the way that rolls off the tongue), in another tent I will be growing out The Brunch S1. This is Dirty Bird Genetics’ very first ever offering which I got a pair of as freebies with a NASC order. Genetics are Peanut Butter Breath x Mimosa #8. If you go to their site you’ll find they are currently touting their first two strains, this one and one called Dirty Mimosa. Very professional website, very easy to navigate.

I’m a huge fan of Beth and the folks at NASC. The service is spectacular, the seeds come very quickly, and the ordering process is painfully simple. Lots of freebies and cool stickers, and the occasional surprise out of nowhere! Since they stock almost every breeder I use, I use NASC almost exclusively. Just today I ordered some Chocolopez photo seeds and some Apple and Banana photos (30%!), and got, among other freebies, a couple Emerald Fire OG auto seeds, which I’ve almost bought numerous times, lol.

Wishing Beth and Co. the best of luck and success with Dirty Bird Genetics. Very happy to have you guys here!

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Gorilla Zkittlez
Day 21

Topped her above node four, giving me this gorgeous quad (see picture). Also topped the most dominant side branch (post photograph). So we have four mains coming in from below, one of which is now topped. I’m going to begin to spread the quad in a day or two, and the hope here is that this little mutant will give me enough time in veg for the lowers to catch up to the uppers and give me an actual canopy. I need a week, maybe 10 days. Can’t stand these huge, oily fan leaves, but want to keep everything for now. At least until they begin sweating on one another. For now I tucked the crap out of them as best I can.

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Tucking leaves (and keeping them tucked) is another great use of fishing weights. Well, not the ones you have but, you know.... :rolleyes:
 
Further Training Gorilla Zkittlez

All four main lower branches topped. Quad at the top attended to. Right now we have 12 mains. I may leave her relatively undiluted like that.

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Hi @Emilya Green! I greet you with excitement, although I’ll stop short of saying Eureka!. I am aware of who I’m talking to.

I think I found the sweet spot where microbes and chemical nutes can coexist in harmony and both significantly contribute to what the plant chooses to intake.

It’s gotta be in the starter Solo cups.

In my deal, the seedlings begin in 16oz Solos and live there until they have two nodes with maybe three poking out - usually around two weeks. One might argue that the first two weeks of life are the most important of all, as they set your stage for the rest of what she’ll become. So in that time she should have access to whatever she needs and/or wants.

Imho, if you follow the PB chart to the letter, that entire time the plants get nothing more than a nominal (1ml/gallon) shot of their Core A & B. This, also imho, is depriving the plant. I’m finding it is often the case that upon uppotting they immediately need a N injection, for example. It’s simply doesn’t have all the core elements the plant could use - they don’t come in until you begin to use the system as a whole in (PB says) week 3.

So that said, it seems to me that if one were to prep their Solos a week ahead of dropping in the sprout, and include bokashi, frass, maybe some molasses, and myco, then when the sprout begins life she would have everything from the Core A and B and the microbes would fill in the rest. I would think for two weeks it would be effective.

So? Am I still banging my head against the wall, or does this thought sound like it may have legs?

I’m going to do a test next grow and see if it makes a difference.

Thanks!
 
Jon said:
Hi @Emilya Green! I greet you with excitement, although I’ll stop short of saying Eureka!. I am aware of who I’m talking to.

I think I found the sweet spot where microbes and chemical nutes can coexist in harmony and both significantly contribute to what the plant chooses to intake.

It’s gotta be in the starter Solo cups.

In my deal, the seedlings begin in 16oz Solos and live there until they have two nodes with maybe three poking out - usually around two weeks. One might argue that the first two weeks of life are the most important of all, as they set your stage for the rest of what she’ll become. So in that time she should have access to whatever she needs and/or wants.

Imho, if you follow the PB chart to the letter, that entire time the plants get nothing more than a nominal (1ml/gallon) shot of their Core A & B. This, also imho, is depriving the plant. I’m finding it is often the case that upon uppotting they immediately need a N injection, for example. It’s simply doesn’t have all the core elements the plant could use - they don’t come in until you begin to use the system as a whole in (PB says) week 3.

So that said, it seems to me that if one were to prep their Solos a week ahead of dropping in the sprout, and include bokashi, frass, maybe some molasses, and myco, then when the sprout begins life she would have everything from the Core A and B and the microbes would fill in the rest. I would think for two weeks it would be effective.

So? Am I still banging my head against the wall, or does this thought sound like it may have legs?

I’m going to do a test next grow and see if it makes a difference.

Thanks!
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I love the solo cup environment and use it to great advantage to create a leaping off point to the larger containers with very robust plants with solid rootballs. I say it over and again that I see this as the first, best and last chance to have this much control over what the roots are doing, mainly because you control the water, and by being stingy with it, you have control over how fast the roots are growing.

But during all this, and I stay in the solo cups as long as I reasonably can, sometimes up to node 5 or 6, just depending on how large I want my final to be. If I still have several stages to go in a reasonable 2 month veg, I will hurry the solo stage a little.

You may have found a weak spot in the PB, because nutrition is all important during all of this frenzied growth trying to get out of the solo cup, and as you have seen, to a certain limit, the more you can throw at them the better. I think the microbe route is a good way to go, especially since the recommended PB is falling short. If the microbes are there and the nutrients are there, the plant will do a good job of calling to it the things that it needs, filling in the gaps. As always, if you are directly feeding the macro stuff, the plant will not be calling for those items and those particular microbes that deal with those things will not thrive as well as those who are being worked by the plant.

So I am all for your leggy plan. I think that with each innovation and revelation, you become a better gardener of weeds. It also has a lot to do with learning your system, and with the experience to read the plant to see what it needs.
 
Watermelon Wedding Cake XXL Autos
Day 14

A few words on this strain…

The WWC XXL from Growers Choice is remarkable. The most consistent, biggest, most productive, and highest quality auto I have grown. It’s the only auto I’m on my fourth run with. The WWC holds my personal record for auto yield from one plant at 13.8 ounces trimmed, jarred and cured. The consistency imho is one of her best qualities. Growers Choice tells you there is more than one pheno but I seem to get the same one every time. Sativa like growth, explosive growth rate, immense amount of side branching that is so strong it will compete with the main cola if trained with some LST. Buds form close together in a string of pearls from top to bottom of the branches. She also takes whatever you throw at her. I have found it impossible (almost) to over feed or burn her with nutes. She does need extra cal mag in flower as well as every feed usage (in coco!). She can also be a bit of a N hog once the stretch begins, so I augment with Wholly Mackerel (Fox Farms) or something similar. And stretch she will indeed. She easily doubles and if left to grow without training maybe even triples in size. It’s awesome to watch. But that’s it. Other than that she’s a very easy grow, and even a very easy trim.

The bud itself is amazing. Very high thc, around 28%. Huge, thick red hairs, and some of the longest and most thickly blanketed trichomes I’ve seen anywhere. It tastes and smells like heaven and does the job exceptionally well. The plant also responds well at harvest time in terms of determining its effect outcome. For example, if you want it racy as hell take it with hardly any amber. You’ll run a marathon. You want a deep body buzz? Let it go. You’ll be glued to the couch. Very predictable in that regard.

Let’s not forget to mention the internodal spacing and side branching. Just look at the side shot below. Her side branching is already rip roaring and has significant length (for 14 days), and the internodal spacing couldn’t be sweeter. And in terms of consistency, both of these plants are as identical as it gets. Oh and btw - you get 40, sometimes more, days of veg!!!! 80-90 and she’s done!

Amazing strain. Now a staple of mine. My first one.

Here’s the two girls on day 14, then the aforementioned side shot.

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Dos Si Dos Auto
Day 17

Here’s our gorgeous DSD from Barney’s Farm. She’s healthy as hell and will get topped today. Tight plant. Side branching is sweet.

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