SpaceF - Auto-Flowers - Northern Light x Big Bud & Jack47 Auto

[angrc10]

Nice set up, and plants ... Like the COB LED light. Been thinking about getting one too.

I've been growing with LED lights for about a year now, and like them better than CFLs, or HIDs lights. Primarily due to energy use and heat dissipation, but plants grow well under them too. I've found that plants will stretch a lot under my LED (admittedly an el cheapo Amazon deal) unless the light is about a foot to a foot and a half above the plant, but since I added the 4W bulbs that dangle lower down on the sides, the plants don't seem to stretch as badly.

 

[spacef]

Experiment going on:
===============

For the next days, I will:
- reduce the light from 16 to 15 to 14 hours during the next 10 days. Then will be somewhere between 14 and 12 for the rest of the grow. The exact time will be told by the Northern Light x Big Bud, as this one seems to want to go to bed earlier than the Jack 47 Auto (the leaves of the plant go down, like if they want to sleep - so, I will respect that and find the best compromise to satisfy Jack And NLxBB at the same time.)

- In a bottle of 1.5 litre of water (Volcania), I am adding the normal grow schedule with 4 pills (powder) of ORGANIC SPIRULINE+CHORELLA (that's 1.2 grams of powder) that I primarily bought for myself but do not use. I found that the Northern Light x Big Bud seems to need more nutrient/grow suplment than the Jack 47 Auto. So I will give the NLxBB a boost in the form of a high dose of spiruline+chorella.
The color of the powder in the water is awesome: some deep green/blue color, seems to disolve very well in water, quite opaque even with a 250 W CFL behind the bottle. A bit of powder in suspension, but i will let it infuse during 24 hours.


The advantage of Spiruline is the very high proteins, iron, calcium, vitamins etc that are quickly available to the human organism. If I risk something, it will be only an excess of nutrient !

QUOTE FROM ANASTORE.COM (Spiruline biologique & Chlorella* organic aquaculture)

Older than 3 billion years, spirulina as chlorella are both rich sources of protein, essential fatty acids, minerals (magnesium, iron, chromium) and vitamins (B2, B12). Their union allows a revitalizing effect on our body.

Spirulina is a micro alga blue-green color, belonging to the family of cyanobacteria, which are found mainly in the warm waters of India, Chile, and Mexico. She has many curative and preventive properties; rich in iron, it is an exceptional source of carotenoids. Thanks to its content in fiber and protein it causes a feeling of satiety and helps to moderate the appetite. Phycocyanin present in spirulina has the effect of boosting the immune system.

Chlorella is a green freshwater algae, microscopic, class of Chlorophyceae. Has always been used in Asia, its virtues are many. Nutrient rich it consists of more than 50% protein. Its exceptional chlorophyll concentration (4 times more than spirulina) favors its antioxidant action. Not only its contents helps to reduce cholesterol but it is also an excellent detoxifier.

Our extracts from organic aquaculture and are therefore subject to very strict controls of pesticides and have a maximum purity.

Could it be bad ??? I doubt it, and I am sure it is used by many nutrient brands.... Wait and see, may be it will do nothing.

 

[420Amard]

I would stay well away from giving anything designed for human consumption in your plant water. If you're worried about vitamins or minerals you can always give the biobizz sea weed extract Alg-a-mic or even top max or bio heaven. But I'd stir clear from giving then anything like that just for the simple reason you don't know how well it'll actually breakdown in the water it might kill/coat the little fibers that the roots use to pick up the nutes as it dries.

If it's meant for plants it be for plants.

 

[spacef]

Hi Spart !
I have all that you say (Biobizz line).
I know that Spiruline is used as a fertilizer too, but brands prefer that you do not know
I am using it just to see.... you know, people use beer, or urine too, (or worm or bat poop , lol)

The thing with spiruline is that the nutrients, vitamins etc are quickly available because they are not protected by cell like in an algae (spiruline is a "cryobacteria"). And that's how science progress ;-)
And they share a good deal of stuff like in BioHeaven or Alga Mic.
I don't remember which brand uses spriuline, but it is a known brand amongst weed grower. They don't hide the info, that's how I found it. I don't remember which one though.

I used tea once, or cofee grind, and it always worked great. Plants love cafeine and similar exciters, which are good sources of N once they decay, so Why not spiruline and chorella.... The plants will use the proteins for growth if they are easily available, that's certain. For the iron, I do not know. we'll see.

Organic fertiolizers are made like that, a mixture of fermented stuff from various sources... I mean, olives are used, beetroot, cane, etc etc. lots of various stuff to make the proper mixture. The secret of the brand of fertilizers is exactly this; what are they using ? bio canna for exampel, uses only tropical plants as they say, and another brand will take another approach and use "non tropical stuff". But at the end, they want to get the same thing taking different roads.

May be the Phycocyanin will turn the weed in BLUE color
Or may be the spiruline will suddenly wake up, and be alive, and colonize the containers... we'll see.

 

[420Amard]

If it ain't broke don't fix it. I think

 

[420Amard]

If you got a extra plant or one on a terrace or something maybe try with it first or one that you're not counting on getting a yield from. Just for the simple fact you have no idea of what will happen to it.... It could be a shock to the plant it could make the plant hermi I could leave a residue on the roots cutting off the food supply. there's so many different variable and things that could go wrong personally I'd advice against it plants digest and intake nutrients/vitamins completely differently then we do, why risk it if your plants are healthy and strong. But you do what ever you think IMHO I wouldn't.

 

[spacef]

frankly, the plants are not as tall as it should be at this stage compared to any of my previous growth. Leaves are smaller, branches are smaller, etc etc. They need a mega-boost to help growth that is not happening as expected. Nutrients that we buy are actually what you say "fix it" , because the more advanced growers I know do not use them: they make their own soil from earth they take in forests and they get as snice stuff as with nutrients (they are for us: beginners ;-) )

6 Liters container is also the problem. For SOG, I would go smaller containers and stack 9 of them in a 60*60cm tent for a multiple strain SOG.
The other solution, for tall plants, is to get 4 containers of 11 liters and see what happens.
Bigger is probably better for non-Auto strains (to do a SCROG, ie, you need 1 month that is not easily available with Autos).

I am actually imptient to begin the next session in two weeks or so.... for the containers of 11 liters it should be Fast Buds: Girls Scout Cookie+ West Coast OG + California Snow + Dinafem Amnesia XXL...

And if I still don't get what i aim to get (ie, not dwarfs) , then i will go feminized or regular (no ruderalis genes). or stop growing and get back to buying :-(

 

[420Amard]

If they're already done stretching into the flowering phase sorry to say that they're not going to get much taller but the budding could still surprise you. I got the opposite problem mine just keep stretching and stretching I should tie em down again but the cfl as you know doesn't cover worth a shit.

 

[spacef]

If they're already done stretching into the flowering phase sorry to say that they're not going to get much taller but the budding could still surprise you..

yes it is done, in a week or so it will completely stop growing and will produce big buds
the boost is to have the chance to get taller branches faster (3 or 4 a few days can count a lot on an Auto...)

 

[420Amard]

so can getting some crazy vitamins poured onto them...

 

[420Amard]

any new pics and how's the crazy additives/vitamins working out for ya they turning blue yet

 

[spacef]

Hello,

Pics tomorrow (because it will be day 44 and I can compare with another grow at day 44)


SPIRULINE:
1.2 grams of dried spiruline leaves, in the form of powder, has been added to a nutrient mix.

The effect is apparently between "great" and "no effect" : because it was mixed with grow, I can't tell if it is what made the difference, but generally speaking, the mix I used (1.2 g spiruline powder + 2.5 ml BioBizz grow + 2 ml Biobizz Bloom ) made the hungry-yellow leave become green again in 3 or 4 days instead of 7 / 9 days when using Platinum Nutrient Organic grow.

So Spiruline seems to work fine, and in any case , no adverse effect has been shown by any of the 4 plants. I think it can be tried in a case of under-fed plants (premature yellow leaves) , in order to re-green it slightly faster than with other nutrients if you do not know what else to do... And 3 or 4 days is a lot of time in the AutoFlowering world, probably equivalent to 1 full week of a regular plant.

The "Northern Light x Big Bud" from World of seeds : this type does not like nutrients and water as much as Sweet Seeds strains (any of the one I tried). NLxBB will now be fed with less water and half the nutrients I give to the Jack 47 Auto (those one are very stable, do not care much about water and nutrients, and seem to have *loved* the spiruline powder: they are also the perfect strain for beginners in terms of "easiness" of growth and easy on your mistakes).

The NL*BB did not yet recover from over-watering/over feeding that may have happened last week so they are not in a fantastic shape, but I now see how different strains can react, and that some of them do not like nutrients or excessive humidity at all.

 

[spacef]

oops: see below

 

[spacef]

DAY 43
======

Pictures !!!

Let's see what we have now:

The most advanced JACK 47 AUTO HEAD: the other Jack 47 AUto does not show resine, but branches are not even formed on that other one. The trichromes appeared shortly after installing the leds, and that Jack 47 Auto receives slightly more than the other Jack 47 Auto.

The Northern Light x Big Bud head. Still building up. I have attached the plant to a wire, to give more light to lower branches that are being made.

This one is a montage of 5 pictures : click this link for a better view : https://www.420magazine.com/gallery/data/500/0043-all-2.jpg

A view from the top: you can see the two NLxBB at the left: the one at the back, is smaller than 1 branch of the one at the front !! Also, you can guess how I bent the bigger NLxBB and how the lower branches are receiving more light from both led and CFL.

Spiruline did not kill them ;-) lol

See you next time !!

 

[420Amard]

Everything looks nice man.
what's the height on that one big bud.

 

[spacef]

The big NLxBB is exactly 35 cm tall (from ground to top)!
Led light is currently 34 cm above that plant.

Another one for the road.
Jack 47 Auto 2: it's the one that looks the healthiest, with the largest leaves and potential for branch explosion !

See you soon !

 

[spacef]

DAY 44 - THE EXPERIMENT !!
======================

Ok so , let's try something on that dwarf NLxBB : transplanting an auto ! :-o .

I opened the 6 liters container (1.75 Gallon) and saw that in fact, roots were healthy and everywhere. No sign of bad health or too much humidity. In fact, I thought that the problem came from a geotextile sheet above the perlite, but in fact, the geotextile is inside the other container (at the back on the pic, biggest plant), which is doing ok !

So the problem is not weak roots or humidity. It is not the goatextile bottom. It is something else. It could be this individual.

I decided to take a week to try to see how it behaves when put in a bigger container. This is something that does not happen often with autos, not even advised, because of the limited time. So as this plant is lost in terms of production, I prefer to have fun with it before planting a new one. I still have a few days to try stuff ;-)

I've put it in a 11 liters container (approx 4 gallon), for a week or two; you never know, a miracle can happen.

In the background, the other northern light. It is doing well eventhough it does not look very dynamic. Leaves toward the floor, etc, looks depressed. But branches and buds are coming nicely so.... I've put it at the back of the box, where it is warmer. It also receives light much better than the other spot. It will be very fine in that spot ! should have done that last week. The individual also shows good potential for bending. I will try to bend the main stem slightly more.... all those new branches look promising.

Bets are open Will it survive ? But I wonder....I should plant a new seed right now as it is possible... any advice ?

 

[spacef]

I think the next step is to find enough soil for a new 11 liter container, and to plant an Amnesia XX L Auto "ASAP" This will be decided next week. There is a bot of time as all these strains are long: they say 50/60 days; i assume it will be around 70 days (10 full weeks). we are at 55 / 60 % of the time only !

I hesitate between Bio Canna and Gold LAbel spacial mix (4 week of NPK).... any feedback ?

I do not know if I will continue the experiment a long time with the little NLx BB, eventhough I am curious to know about auto and transplantation...

 

[spacef]

DAY 45 - DEBRIEFING
================
I wanted to edit my very first post of this journal with the following summary that I will need in the future, but I can't edit it. I will summarize again later, once it is complete.

JOURNAL SUMMARY - Updated on Day 45
===============================
In this journal we have seen in a 60*60*160 box (2'*2'*5'):

- 2 varieties from different banks, with a good insight on 2 different strains.

- Begining on CFL (250 W grow), then added Cob Leds + CFL (384+250 W FLO =634W of PAR efficient stuff .

- The use of a high dose of *Spiruline and Chorella* to boost plants that needed quick medecine, and a change of nutrient brand

- The transplant of an Auto-Flower in a bigger container ! (rare event)

- and more to be continued ;-)

 

[spacef]

DAY 45
======

Preparation of a solution of 0.6 grams of "Spiruline + Chorella" powder for 1.2 liters of water, to be infused in cold water until next watering. This is for an experiment if the NLxBB survives the transplantation; it will be fed with this preparation of pure chlorophyle, minerals and vitamins, to see what happens.

Color of Spiruline. It is a bit "fluo green" and becomes blue-ish under certain angles.
This is a little bit more than half the dose of what I fed the 4 plants a few days ago.