Winging It In Winter By The Window: Soil Auto Grow

[Azimuth]

Your leaves have the classic "over watering" look. Puffy and pointing down. And the little seedling had those weird leaves, another sign.

I think you will have better success following @Jon's strategy.

 

[Carmen Ray]

Thanks Azi. I hope so indeed! So I spoke to LeRugged again and he suggests I go with photo fems now and veg June / July, and flower August / September. I have faith in LR's judgement of local conditions. The soil dude also advised it.... hmmm.... @Jon will I be able to follow your watering strategy for the photoperiod plants and will it be simple enough to adapt when your plant goes into flower and mine will be vegging? Have you wet your seed yet?

 

[InTheShed]

We discussed the possibility of doing a photo run now, alongside the autos, vegging them through June / July then flowering them in August / Sept. I also spoke to LeRugged and he is encouraging me. He says as long as they get their veg time they won't be upset by the loadshedding, and I can either put them out in the beginning of August to flower, or flower them indoors.

I'm a bit unclear how you could flower photo plants outside in August in SA since your days start getting longer on June 21st. If you have them vegging at (for example) 20/4 or 18/6, they will start flowering when you put them out, but when they realize the days are getting longer they will begin to reveg.

You would need to do 12 hours of light deprivation (like in a tent, or a shed ) to get them to flower when you're done with veg.

 

[Carmen Ray]

I'm a bit unclear how you could flower photo plants outside in August in SA since your days start getting longer on June 21st. If you have them vegging at (for example) 20/4 or 18/6, they will start flowering when you put them out, but when they realize the days are getting longer they will begin to reveg.

You would need to do 12 hours of light deprivation (like in a tent, or a shed ) to get them to flower when you're done with veg.

I don't know the answer to that question but I trust LR's judgement like I trust yours... and that's because I have followed you both for several years and am familiar with your growing skills and community integrity. He's a bit of a guru in my eyes and he says he is growing full tilt in the Cape Town weather and that I should manage a harvest if I flip for August, all things being equal of course. I have the light and I need the smoke, so I'm willing to try and if it doesn't work at least I've tried. I hear what you're saying and you might well be right. What's at the bottom of this is that I can't afford commercial weed and it's helluva high risk to "deal" so I am trying to provide my own weed any way that I can

 

[InTheShed]

I'm willing to try

And I'm willing to watch!

 

[Azimuth]

All the more reason to think about growing photos that you can clone for future plants, and figure out a way to do a small footprint indoor grow. A couple of small tents, lights, fan/filter combos and you'll never have to risk acquiring seeds or plants again.

Of course you may get bored with the lack of variety, but if you choose a strain or two you really like that can go a long way.

 

[TorturedSoul]

The 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness rule varies. Generally speaking, an indica will flower under a slightly shorter darkness period. But, yes, you're going to have to figure something out if you choose to go that route. You can cover them every night with something that's opaque, then uncover them every morning. Which is not even as fun as it seems like it'll be. Especially if/when the stretch sees the plants outgrowing their covers.

If the weather cooperates, you can have some large plants at harvest time by doing things naturally (in that regard). Which - depending on your local laws and/or population - can end up presenting its own problems. Then again, a person running out every twelve hours, without fail, for two to four months, to cover/uncover plants is not exactly stealthy, lol, so... six of one and half a dozen of the other.

 

[Carmen Ray]

All the more reason to think about growing photos that you can clone for future plants, and figure out a way to do a small footprint indoor grow. A couple of small tents, lights, fan/filter combos and you'll never have to risk acquiring seeds or plants again.

Of course you may get bored with the lack of variety, but if you choose a strain or two you really like that can go a long way.

Azi, my home is tiny. In my dreams I'm doing this

The 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness rule varies. Generally speaking, an indica will flower under a slightly shorter darkness period. But, yes, you're going to have to figure something out if you choose to go that route. You can cover them every night with something that's opaque, then uncover them every morning. Which is not even as fun as it seems like it'll be. Especially if/when the stretch sees the plants outgrowing their covers.

If the weather cooperates, you can have some large plants at harvest time by doing things naturally (in that regard). Which - depending on your local laws and/or population - can end up presenting its own problems. Then again, a person running out every twelve hours, without fail, for two to four months, to cover/uncover plants is not exactly stealthy, lol, so... six of one and half a dozen of the other.

TS my local grow friend has said that he believes I can flower photo plants in Spring because he does so himself. He's a very skilled cultivator. Maybe I am doing a mad thing. I don't know. I looked at the FAQ on this site and found the below to be an encouraging bit of info:

A strict schedule of covering the plants at 8pm and uncovering them at 8am for 2 weeks will start your plants to flowering. After the first 2 weeks, the schedule can be relaxed a little, but it will still be necessary to continue this routine for the plants to completely flower without reverting back to vegetative growth. Outdoors, Spring and Fall, the nights are sufficiently long to induce flowering at all times. Merely bring the plants from indoors to the outside at these times, and the plants will flower naturally.

I have seeds but I haven't made up my mind yet. These are the constraints as I see them:
1) I don't know if that window space is enough for two photos to veg in and if I can veg the photos and flower the autos under the same light at the same time?. I'd have to ask other growers to help me figure this out.
2) There is a the watering issue too. I am certainly not feeling super confident about the idea. A visual guide will help enormously.
3) I don't want to put plants outside for flower. I'd rather keep them small and inside if that is possible. This goes back to the space issue.
4) You are correct, I can't put them on a dark cycle. As you say, the logistics outweigh the benefits of portable devices of this nature. The plants would be forced to follow the natural spring dark cycle and hopefully don't reveg. LeRugged said to flip at beginning August.
5) It gets colder in June / July so I might need to make a plan for some heat. What kind of devices could I use for raising the temps? Could I have a small blow heater facing them perhaps? Would something like that consume less electricity than this >>> I have one of these but it is too hot and too expensive to run for long periods.

Bottom line: I need bud

 

[Azimuth]

Azi, my home is tiny. In my dreams I'm doing this

My entire grow has a footprint of 5 square feet, or 1 meter wide by half that deep. Doesn't have to be a lot of space.

1) I don't know if that window space is enough for two photos to veg in and if I can veg the photos and flower the autos under the same light at the same time?. I'd have to ask other growers to help me figure this out.

Short answer: yes. The autos don't care about the light cycle and as long as the photos get more than probably 14-15 hours of light a day (most of us do 18 to be safe) they will stay in veg.

 

[Melville Hobbes]

I've done the light dep thing with photo plants, but the opposite way to what you're intending.
I put the plant outside during the day, and into a dark room (more of a glorified closet) for the night. You have to be careful when you flip them or you can have problems getting them through doors.

 

[TorturedSoul]

I keep forgetting you're growing your plants on a windowsill .

Yes, you can set plants outside early in your local Spring or late Winter and, assuming they have developed enough to even physically be able to flower, they will. If it's warm enough there. The problem is that the local night length continues to get shorter each day. If you're growing a 100% (or relatively close to it) indica, if you don't Mint the possibility of leafy bud, and IF the weather cooperates, you will probably be able to manage a harvest. Be sure to set out some large plants, and choose indica strains that have short flowering periods. I doubt you'd be happy with the results of trying that with something like Neville's Haze (unless you were cool with it revegging, taking over the yard, and then flowering for 16 weeks after it started to do so again in the Autumn).

 

[InTheShed]

The problem is that the local night length continues to get shorter each day.

Herein lies the problem with revegging.

 

[Melville Hobbes]

The problem (as I see it) is that she's in South Africa, where the days will be getting longer every day after June 21st.

Umm, he said nights would be getting shorter...

 

[InTheShed]

Umm, he said nights would be getting shorter...

So he did. Edited!

 

[Carmen Ray]

My entire grow has a footprint of 5 square feet, or 1 meter wide by half that deep. Doesn't have to be a lot of space.


Short answer: yes. The autos don't care about the light cycle and as long as the photos get more than probably 14-15 hours of light a day (most of us do 18 to be safe) they will stay in veg.

I'm going to hold onto this Azi. If that space can work, I have confidence in the local growmes who I know grow great weed. They've been doing this a while in Cape Town. Whether I can pull it off or not is a different story but I think it is worth a try.

you can have problems getting them through doors

I hear you Mel. I have a problem carrying all that weight. I have buggered shoulders. I would like to leave them inside at the window and not to have to move them outside at all. I don't want to give the neighbors anything to complain about. As long as the plants are inside my home I am legal. Outside does not belong to me. I have sole right to use the space but it is common property if that makes any sense.

I keep forgetting you're growing your plants on a windowsill .

Yes, you can set plants outside early in your local Spring or late Winter and, assuming they have developed enough to even physically be able to flower, they will. If it's warm enough there. The problem is that the local night length continues to get shorter each day. If you're growing a 100% (or relatively close to it) indica, if you don't Mint the possibility of leafy bud, and IF the weather cooperates, you will probably be able to manage a harvest. Be sure to set out some large plants, and choose indica strains that have short flowering periods. I doubt you'd be happy with the results of trying that with something like Neville's Haze (unless you were cool with it revegging, taking over the yard, and then flowering for 16 weeks after it started to do so again in the Autumn).

I don't mind leafy bud if I can smoke it but I don't want another tree at this time, no lol. I have picked a Wedding Cake and a Bruce Banner, once of each. I deliberately didn't pick a landrace because they flower too long and get too big. This was my Transkei landrace plant, Holly, who I grew outside last year.

As always, I am very grateful to those of you who visit my journal and to those who encourage and advise. I hope your weekend is going well everyone

 

[Carmen Ray]

Auto Update Time:
Lavender Best: Day 12 Above Ground
I'll start with Lavender Best, the seedling. I think her condition is improving. What say you? @BooWho2 do you think that she still could grow out of this poor condition?

Caramel King: Day 27 Days Above Ground & 8 Days Into Flower
Next up is CK. I put 2 more carhooks onto two upper branches. She was looking a tad less droopy today I feel. @Carcass , do you think I am doing this correctly or should I leave well enough alone? When would I take off lower fans please?

Thanks again to those of you who take an interest in my grow!

 

[BooWho2]

I think that lavender would grow well in that condition and I would definitely gI’ve her a grow (and bury that stem when you up pot her ).

 

[Jon]

I'm going to hold onto this Azi. If that space can work, I have confidence in the local growmes who I know grow great weed. They've been doing this a while in Cape Town. Whether I can pull it off or not is a different story but I think it is worth a try.

I hear you Mel. I have a problem carrying all that weight. I have buggered shoulders. I would like to leave them inside at the window and not to have to move them outside at all. I don't want to give the neighbors anything to complain about. As long as the plants are inside my home I am legal. Outside does not belong to me. I have sole right to use the space but it is common property if that makes any sense.

I don't mind leafy bud if I can smoke it but I don't want another tree at this time, no lol. I have picked a Wedding Cake and a Bruce Banner, once of each. I deliberately didn't pick a landrace because they flower too long and get too big. This was my Transkei landrace plant, Holly, who I grew outside last year.

As always, I am very grateful to those of you who visit my journal and to those who encourage and advise. I hope your weekend is going well everyone

Jesus Christ!!! Are you fricking kidding me? What is this a photoshopped picture?

You grew this?

So why am I helping you with watering seedlings exactly? Lmao!!!! This is unbelievable @Carmen Ray!

 

[Carmen Ray]

I think that lavender would grow well in that condition and I would definitely gI’ve her a grow (and bury that stem when you up pot her ).

Thank you Boo That makes my heart feel a little lighter. I just must not stuff up the up-pot this time!

Jesus Christ!!! Are you fricking kidding me? What is this a photoshopped picture?

You grew this?

So why am I helping you with watering seedlings exactly? Lmao!!!! This is unbelievable @Carmen Ray!

She was taller than me Thank you, yes I had a lovely grow with that plant. It was literally almost eaten to death by a locust as a seedling, and turned out great in the end. Transkei sativa is my best daytime high ever. I didn't have any qualms with watering in summer because the sun sucks it out of the soil so fast. In winter the water tends to sit more and it's the plants job to use it up. I haven't got experience with indoor conditions much and I've lost my confidence. Help is much needed.

 

[Carmen Ray]

This is unbelievable

Dude, this is what is unbelievable. This is the stick that the locust left behind, and behold Holly's beauty in my earlier post I made bridal tulle tents for all my girls after discovering this.