Oct 2022 - Auto Grow - 4 Different Strains - AutoPots - Coco

Day 12 - Issues With Purple Lemonade​

Initially, Purple Lemonade (PL) 1 & 2 received too much light (note yellow tips). Once I noticed the excess light, I corrected it.

Other physical observations:

(1) Skinny Stems: They have always had skinny stems. I have a gentle breeze giving them a light jiggle to toughen stems. This is complicated because I am using supports when I notice that are leaning over from their top weight. I don't suspect damping off at this point.

(2) Downward Pointing Leaves: However, what concerns me now is that the leaves are pointing downward.

I know that overwatering and under-watering can present this way. In this case, it is unlikely that I am overwatering. I say this because I have made a point to gently water from the bottom and we are talking a tablespoon or less in the dish. Once it is sucked up, I add a bit more to see if that goes up quickly. If it doesn't draw up fairly quickly, I pour the excess out.

Taking this all in, I decided to feed from the top. I didn't use a lot of fluid, but enough to darken the coco coir. This was done about an hour ago. They are going all night under lights. So, I'll report more on this over the weekend.

Group Top View Day 12.jpeg
Group Angle View Day 12.jpeg
Day 12 - Purple Lemonade - Turned Down Leaves.jpeg
 
Day 12 - Update

Update: I just went to the tent and and noticed more leaves were pointing downward. I checked the DLI and was near 35 DLI. This tells me that my iPhone and iPad read differently from each other using the Photone App. I use my iPhone most of the time, but earlier I had my iPad with me and turned up the dimmer based on that reading to be near 25 DLI. It is corrected now.

So, between a little more h2o (with light nutes) and now a more tolerable light I might get to see some praying plants soon.
 
Day 13 - I may have gotten it wrong.​

Maybe my small sips from the bottom were too much water and not enough?

Maybe they were not ready for a 1/3 strength nutrient blend?

Maybe these turned down leaves were from moving up the DLI too soon (24 DLI - 18/6)

Maybe it was a combination of things listed above?

How am I going to deal with it?

1) Watering: Remember, yesterday I thought they could be under watered, so I added a mixture of 33% nutes and some root stimulator. Even though the coco is darker, it still fluffs up (at the top inch or so). Even so, I am not going to water until Monday AM (or Sunday PM if evaporation is obvious).

2) Lights: I also turned the lights back down to 17 DLI. If they start praying now, I'll know to give them more light.

In the future, I might consider adding a little solution into the watering that works to kill root rot. That decision will come by the next watering.

Day 13 PL #2 Drooping Leaves.JPG
 
You shouldn't get root rot in a SIP. I've found it's best to let the plant get a bit more established before pushing it too hard. But, even if you do they seem to recover pretty quickly. A week or two at most and then it's Game On!
 
@Azimuth

I hope you're right. I'll lay off of them for a day or two.

I don't want to end up like those munchausen-by-proxy parents. :ganjamon:

Azimuth said:
You shouldn't get root rot in a SIP. I've found it's best to let the plant get a bit more established before pushing it too hard. But, even if you do they seem to recover pretty quickly. A week or two at most and then it's Game On!
Click to expand...
 
Day 13 PM - Having Fun with Pics
  • I'm a little worried about my PL #2. She'll be fine.
  • I just know those leaves are going to lift to the heavens soon (fingers crossed).
  • The Runt (KC #1) looks healthy. It just won't grow.
  • There is some good news: all stems are now strong and no support is needed.
  • The cotyledons are turning yellow on most plants. They are going to depend on me starting soon.
Day 13 PM - Evening Group_Nik_openWith.jpg
 
Day 14 - Executive Decision Time

Let's Be Honest: I only have 2 plants out of 5 that are reasonably thriving. I have to admit it to myself and to anyone who reads this journal

Thoughts on Auto Flower plants: With auto flowers, I want them to come out of the gate ready to run. I understand that isn't always possible, but I have 5 pots to fill, and right now I only have 2 that seem ready to run.

My Solution: Having said all this, I have decided to soak three more.seeds. If the current ones take off, then so be it.

I'll just hold my own Hunger Games here in my Grow Journal.

I have to be realistic. Tomorrow is 15 days since the germination for the ones to enter the competition.

Silver Lining: That's the beauty of situations like this with auto flowers. You can stagger them into the tent at different times.

There is some good news. The Gorilla Glue is showing a root coming out the small hole at the bottom of the pot.
 
Day 15 - Second Chances

I transplanted them all to the 4 x 4 tent. Gorilla Glue and Critical Purple both had nice root growth and were ready.

The two Purple Lemonades had a surprising amount of roots for their size.

Transferring the Knows Candy #2 was a mess. The soil fell apart and I had to give the roots a brand-new home without the pot coco coir that normally transfers over from the seedling pot.

It was like starting from scratch with a seed and tap root.

Once they were replanted, I wet them in with full-strength Jack's 3-2-1. I also included monosilicic acid, Mr. Fulvic and Rhizotonic.

I made large circles around the new plant, from a few inches away to the outer pot.

Day 15 Group - First Day in 4x4.JPG
 
Day 16 - Photos

Possible Good News: I think the troubled Purple Lemonade #2 has started to raise its leaves.

Remember, those leaves were tightly down, like a Marine, during a uniform inspection.

Possible Problem: Note the small spots forming.

Can you tell me if this is the beginning of a deficiency?

Not out of the Woods: I am on standby with three new seeds. Those seeds are not soaking -- just yet.

The three smallest have one more week to show happy-plant growth.


Day 16 Purple Lemonade #2 Lifted Leaves_Nik_Nik_openWith.png
Day 16 Purple Lemonade #1_Nik_Nik_openWith.png
Day 16 Critical Purple_Nik_Nik_openWith.png
Day 16 Knows Candy_Nik_Nik_openWith.png

Day 16 Purple Lemonade #2_Nik_Nik_openWith.png

Day 16 Gorilla Glue_Nik_Nik_openWith.png


Day 16 Group Tent_Nik_Nik_openWith.png
 
Btw, droopy leaves ara classic sign of an overwatered plant, which is super easy to do when they are young and especially in a SIP. I've found they find their footing after a couple of weeks so you should be just about there. If these were in normal pots you'd be in danger of starting down the root rot path, but with SIPs at least I've found it takes 2-3 weeks for the roots to adapt to the wetter environment that is typical. After that, they just take off!
 
Setting Up the Big Tent (4'x4')

12-Gallon Auto Pot Reservoir:

I added 3-gallons at a time to make 9-gallons total.

Ingredients per 3-Gallon Reservoir Batches:

(1) 3-Gallon RO Water
(2) 01.5 ml Monosilicic Acid (Front Row Ag SI)
(3) 01.0 ml Mr. Fulvic
(4) 01.5 ml Orco (myco)
(5) 10.0 ml Vitamins & Amino Acids
(6) 07.5 ml SLF-100 Enzymes
(7) 3-Drops of House & Garden Drip Clean- For 9 gallons

Overall Final Concentration for 9-gallons:

(a) 1.844 E.C
(b) 5.83 pH

Note: 9-gallons finished at 6.07 pH - corrected to 5.83


Depth of AutoPot Reservoir: For Those of You Using AutoPots with the 12-gallon reservoir - Depth of Rez per 3 gallon additions:

3-gal: 07 inches
6-gal: 12 inches
9-gal: 17 inches

Open Reservoir to Plants: Mfr. suggests waiting 2 weeks before turning it all on. I'll turn it on next Monday after 1-week. It takes a while for the liquid to permeate the 5 gallons of coco.

AirDomes: However, I will wait the full 2 weeks to turn on the air supply for the AirDomes.
 
Day 18 - A Few Changes

The last "Knows Candy" was pulled last night from the yellow SIP Bucket. The growth was stalled and it just didn't look well.

The "Why" is my fault. When I washed and buffered the coco, I threw that wet medium into the SIP bucket to wait for a week or so for transplant time. The problem with that decision is that the coco stayed wet and so the young transplant was dealing with a heavy moist soil to try and spread through.

So, I disassembled the bucket setup, and now the coco is spread out on a blue tarp to dry. Then I will just start over.

My "start over" is going to be something different. I'm making my 5th plant a Sweet Nurse Auto CBD plant from Sweet Seeds:

Indica: 60%
Sativa: 39.2%
Ruderalis:0.8%
THC: 5-10%
CBD:10-16%
THC:CBD Ratio: (1:1–1:2)
Indoor Yield: 400-600 g/m²
Harvest: 8 weeks from germination
Height: 60-110 cm
Effects:Relaxing, Medicinal, Appetite
Taste: Spices, Skunk, Sweet

Current Grow News:

Both Purple Lemonades have recovered nicely, but are still pretty small.

On the left side of the tent, the Gorilla Glue and Critical Purple are also coming along and growing.

I did turn on the Reservoirs for a few hours to get some of the food at the bottom of the pots for when the roots make their way down. It's now tuned off until the total biomass is a more prominent.

Struggling with getting the environment in the proper VPD. We are in a strange weather pattern where it is unseasonably warm. This weekend it turns cold. Meaning, the heat from the lights can be a feature, instead of a bug.

I ordered a new heater, one that I can hang and keep off the ground. It's a wall-mount design so there is no tip-over safety switch to worry about. The tent is in a mostly climate controlled area so it should get easier to get leveled off soon.

I did add a 6-inch booster fan to the ceiling of the tent to help move some of the heat out.

Here is the heater I desided on: EconoHome Wall Mount Space Heater Panel - with Thermostat and Heat Guard Cover - 400W Convection Heater - for 120 Sq Ft Room - 120V - Overheat Protection

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I normally use one of those oil-filled heaters, but floor space is limited this grow.

I'll work on some quality photos after the lights come on this afternoon.

Below, you can see the VPD is a little cockeyed, but soon to be under control.

Day 18 Stats.png
 
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