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Hello. Long ago, I was gifted a tent, light, and fans by a very good friend and I've finally decided to put his generosity to use. This is my first successful germination and as you can imagine, I'm excited. Unfortunately, however, I've since lost touch with my friend and his potential advice. So, with some research and (hopefully) reasonable expectations, I'm turning to you, this site/community, and anyone who has the time, for help with advice and motivation. However, though this is my first success at germination, this is my second attempt.
The first attempt was a freebie from North Atlantic Seed Co. (Gorilla Glue Auto) that was soaked in a shot glass (evaporated tap water) placed upon the house water heater (~75F) in darkness for 24 hours. After that day, I noticed a tiny split between the shell's tip and placed it between a well-moistened (not dripping) folded paper towel, secured in a ziplock bag. Checking daily and keeping the towel moist for two weeks or so, it never seemed to grow a taproot. I then attempted to simply plant the seed (1cm deep) directly into the prepared soil, keeping it moist for another 2 weeks without seeing change. Desperate, I excavated and soaked the seed in 1% H2O2 solution for 48 hours. I again observed no changes and declared the seed dead, possibly from mishandling, drowning in too much moisture or lack of O2 in the bag, or maybe it was just a bad seed. Sadness and demotivation ensued, but then a month after starting, the 2nd germination attempt would prove to be more successful.
Disheartened but optimistic, my Amnesia Haze Auto seed (Barney's Farm also from NACO) was soaked, again in a clean shot glass on top of the water heater in darkness, but this time in a 1% H202 solution first. After observing no change to the seed after 18 hours, it was placed in between damp folded paper towels between two plates, rather than a ziplock bag as previously, being very careful about excess moisture. Concerningly though, I returned to a dry towel every 4-6 hours which was misted with 3-5 sprays until damp.
After about 48 hours of warmth and occasional misting without any visible changes to the seed, I was growing very concerned about the repeated dehydration of the paper towel and seed. I decided to once again place the freshly dampened towels into a ziplock bag as was the first seed, hoping to retain moisture in the paper for a longer time. The ziplock was also moved ever so slightly closer to the heat source, maybe raising temps by a degree or two. This seemed to help, thankfully, as within 48 hours, the seed popped during the night, growing a ~1.5cm taproot. And there was much rejoicing.
The seedling was immediately buried in a shallow hole (about 1cm deep) of isolated seed starter mix (a large cup's worth in the center of the 2gal pot) with the taproot facing sideways rather than vertically (due to clumsiness). It was then sprinkled very lightly with a bit more seed starter mix to cover. The soil was, in hindsight, unfortunately dry when planting, so it was 'generously' misted maybe 35-45 times all over. Then, a dome was placed over the burial site where 2 CFLs (24w Day-light, 14w Soft-white) were hung 5-6 inches above without a timer.
Checking occasionally, the soil around the seedling was misted when noticeably dry with ~10-15 sprays, every 8-12 hours or so, resulting in damp/moist topsoil but never soaked. The sprout broke ground within 2 days.
At the end of the 2nd day of above-ground growth, I found a spare 24w soft-white CFL which replaced the 14w, hence the change in the lighting of the photos (from yellow/green to blue/white on day 2). Later, on day 3 or 4, the lighting was connected to a timer to shut off between 12 pm-6 pm (18on/6off).
On the 4-5th day, in an effort to normalize the watering, the dome was removed and watering was increased/rescheduled to ~25-30 sprays at lights-on every 24 hours, mostly directed in a circle a few inches from the seedling.
The temperature has remained between 68-76F with an RH of ~50% since the start.
I guess that's about it for now. Overall, it seems like she's healthy to my very untrained eye. I'll try and be diligent with updates.
If you are reading this and have any concerns/suggestions/comments/questions, please send them as I'm very eager to learn more. Thank you!
-- Concerns --
Planned to use a 3-gallon fabric pot, but was sent 2-gallon by Amazon. I've read about some successes using a 2-gallon, so I'm hoping for the best.
Initially, the seedling had a drooping cotyledon and its spine was crooked. Both straightened after a couple of days, however.
I would've liked to have added perlite to the soil mix. Hoping to learn more about the possibility to add more to the existing mix before doing anything.
I've not done any PH testing and am hoping the soil mix's composition is balanced. Will surely be keeping this in mind as I watch things develop.
I'm quite tempted to water more as the soil is quite dry before every misting and I've never watered to the point of runoff, yet. Sprout seems healthy nonetheless so I'll continue to fight the urge to over-water.
Not quite sure when to use the 100w Spider Farmer lights, and how far they should be from plant. Currently, my guess is to replace the current CFLs with the more powerful LEDs when the plant starts veg (first real leaves), at a distance of about 18-20 inches. Maybe I'll consider returning the CFLs strategically during flowering.
-- Seed --
Barney's Farm Autoflowering Amnesia Haze from North Atlantic Seed Co.
https://northatlanticseed.com/product/new-amnesia-haze-auto/
-- Soil/Medium --
50% Hoffman's Seed Starter (mostly peat/vermiculite)
50% Hoffman's Organic Soil (mostly peat/soil, ~10-15% perlite/sand, some fertilizer)
1 TBS Jobe's Organic Raised Bed Fertilizer (4/4/4), mixed in
About a Solo cup's worth of Seed Starter isolated in the center of the pot to cradle seedling
-- Lighting (18/6 - Off 12pm-6pm) --
Two cheap CFLs (24w, 1 daylight, 1 soft white), hung about 5-6 inches from the seedling
Spider Farmer 100w LED to be used later, perhaps when first full leaves sprout
-- Enclosure/Environment --
Grow Tent - 36"x20"x63"
2-gallon fabric pot
Runoff tray
Pot risers
Humidity dome (Bottom 1/2 of two-liter bottle with a few holes)
Spray Bottle & Water evaporation jug
Heating pad (Pet-Reptile Style)
Temp/Humidity gauge (Maintaining ~68F-76F, ~50%RH)
Digital On/Off Timer, Extension cords
Two fans (6") (Not yet used)
Grow tent fan with carbon filter (Not yet used)
First-timer here with a new diary. If you have the time, please follow or just check out what I have so far. I'm excited to learn more about my plant, how to record/report progress, and growing in general. Any advice/comments/concerns will be very much appreciated. Thank you!
"I would've liked to have added perlite to the soil mix. Hoping to learn more about the possibility to add more to the existing mix before doing anything."
Defintely.. perlite or similar should be 50% of volume. With coco, you can drop to 30% because coco holds less water per volume. A little less is no big deal, too. Best for roots and growth but will increase rate of irrigation.
2gallon pot may need more frequent irrigation at end, possibly daily, but doable. Better in a soilless context though.. toward end you may have to treat your soil like a soilless substrate and provide everything each irrigation for best results.
pH in soil is usually easier to handle. it's good to pH balance anything you add, but many don't bother. They are probably lucky with some good tap water or RO system. 6.5-6.8 .. just keep it under 7, but even 7-7.5 won't be the end of the world in most cases. Still, keep it under 7 to be safe.
Watering - change your perspective. this requires a little hindsight but after 1 cycle you can calculate it and mix up what you need with limited waste. Don't give a specific volume you choose. you give what it needs when it needs it, and you use the weight of the pot to determine when to irrigate. Allow top 1" to dry, feel weight of pot and irrigate until you get mnimal runoff to ensure the entire thing is wet. Dry pockets are no good over time. Repeat that process and be familiar with low-weight level... you'll find the volume on next irrigation that you can plan for per pot... then mix appropriate volumes based on that when fertilizing.
You can irrigate more frequently (ie before "1" deep" dries), but always make sure some dryback occurs. if perpetually too wet it invites all sorts of problems. This is where the 50% perlite would pay off. With potentially big plants in small-ish pots, you'll know when you can get away with an early irrigation rather than let it sit overnight or something.
As of day 6 that cfl seems to be doing well-enough. You can tell be internode distance -- length between growth nodes. If it stretches too much, you need more light. If it remains too compact, you need less light. Early on, you'll start low and ramp up as you observe the plant... While it won't be exactly the same for every plant, it'll be in the same ballpark. Take notes until it's memorized or comfortable observing/reacting.
if far enough away and dimmed properly, can use the 100w sf light anytime you want. no matter what, you adjust to whet the plant dictates. This way you can really gas it when they ask for it and avoid damaging any that may take a bit more time to handle it.
Not much to report during this week. Kept area moist, but not wet, misting well every couple of days.
Oct 18 - Day 13 Replaced CFLs w 100wLED (Spider Farmer 1000) hanging about 24" above the canopy. Watered gently until runoff around drip-line for first time.
Employed 3-in-1 soil meter, testing moisture to ensure 'dry' (0-3), before watering to moist wet (6-10) tested in separate spots. PH tests over register (8). Light reads fair at canopy (3-4).
Perlite added Oct 26 by top dressing with a few handfuls and worked in with bamboo skewers to mix the top, gradually getting deeper only toward edge of pot. Lightly watered with about a !/2 liter, runoff seems to have increased which seems good.
Cotyledons noticeably yellowing, which I think is about the right timing. Will likely add 1st round of 1/4 fert next watering.
Hydrometer tipped onto seedling Oct 19 for a split second. Plant immediately bounced right back when the device was lifted. However, there was a noticeable dark mark on leaf that can be seen Oct 20 - Day 15. Additionaly, there seems to be related damage to a leaflet that was growing at the time, most noticeable as a cut/notch on edge of leaf Oct 26 - Day 21.
Oct 27 - Day 22
Getting a bit concerned about how small she is for her age. Hoping for an uptick in growth soon. Other than size, she seems relatively healthy to my untrained eye, so I'm hesitant to make big changes. However, if I'm very particular, leaves seem thin, slightly droopy from stem, and maybe less deep green than I'd like. Noticed darker internode (almost seems bruised) between cotyledons and 1st leaves. In hindsight, can be noticed in previous week as well.
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Oct 29 - Day 24 - Testing, Feeding
Finally able to calibrate and test digital PH and TDS meters. Tap water is clean enough i think (~45ppm), but very alkaline (~9.0+). Treated 1.75 liter of tap with lemon juice (about 4-5 drops) to lower ph to ~6.5-6.75. Top dressed with fertilizer for the first time (~1TBS, significantly less than bag prescribed) and added a few handfuls of soil mix (starter, potting mix, perlite) as soil level had seemed low after watering/settling. Mixed soil with bbq skewer getting deeper towards edges of pot. Fed with about 500-600 ml of ph'd water around drip line making mental note of weight guestimation. Have been doing similar watering schedule (at tap assumed at ~9ph+) for about 2 weeks, every 2 days or so, slowly increasing amount. Slight runoff today as usual which unfortunately tested, after feeding with balanced water, to ~7.75+ ph. This could explain what seems to have been slow growth. Will certainly be keeping an eye on ph. Quite hopeful to see positive change as i continue to feed with ph'd water and as the fertilizer pellets release. 🤞
Nov 2 - Day 27 - Testing, Feeding
Top growth seems healthy, bottom looks quite sad/yellowing. 1st set of leaflets (above cotys) are wilting/yellowing with brownish staining affecting 1 more than the other (see photos). Something must be done.
My research points toward Nitrogen Deficiency. Possibly due to nutrient lockout because of previously alkaline water/environment. Possibly simply due to a lack of nutrients in the soil. I'm leaning toward the former. This is an obvious concern. That said, I've mixed 4 TBS coffee, as well as 4 TBS Jobe's 4/4/4 granules, in 1 liter water each, separately. There are conflicting reports about the efficacy of used coffee grounds (which is the most common trail of research due to economics), but the overall consensus seems to point toward fresh liquid coffee being both acidic and a fair source of Nitrogen, which seems to suit the problems as well as obviously being economical/convenient. Hence the fresh cold brew solution being used.
Testing:
soil slurry test 7.5-8
lemon treated water 6.5 - 6.75
coffee solution test 6-6.5
fertilizer solution test 6.5-7
Mixed 500ml coffee solution, 1tbs fertilizer solution, to 1 liter of the previously lemon treated water, resembles weak iced tea. Measured ~6.25ph.
Soil tester read ~2.5-3 (max 10) moisture at 4 spots ~2-3in deep. Pot feels light but certainly not empty.
Slowly watered with 1 liter of solution. Healthy runoff (~10-20%) that was gathered and refed to plant (3-4 time total) until runoff read 7.0-7.1 (3-4 times, about 150ml), a significant but hopefully not too drastic change. Will continue the trend to 6.5 next watering if possible.
Pot's now quite weighty. Moved plant closer to light by ~6 inch, changing light meter readings from 3-3.5 to 4.5-5. 78 degrees, but wrist test feels like comfortable warmth. Fan hooked to box crate aimed mostly at pot. leaves super-gently wrestling.
Noticeable perkiness after just 2-3 hours (see last image). At the very least, this seems to definitely confirm that she was underwatered. Something I'll be working on fixing.
Just a first-timer looking for guidance during week 3-4 as she seems a bit small. If you have the time, please check out my diary. I'm eager to learn, have been taking daily pictures, and have been describing a few concerns there. I'll close this question tomorrow. Thank you!!!
Cannabis plants DO NOT take water "from the air", this is what the roots are for.
Roots grow as soon as the seed sprouts, so if your plant is from a seed and alive, it has roots.
Only clones don't have roots, at first.
Misting clones and/or keeping them in high humidity prevents the leaves from drying out, but again, they DO NOT take water into the leaves from the air!
Transpiration only works one way - water in through the roots, up the stem and OUT through the leaves........it does not work in reverse.
Your lack of growth is probably down to inadequate lighting, - if you are only using 24 watt veg lights, this is barely enough to sustain life.
Low temps and/or incorrect soil conditions will also slow growth.
A pH of 7.8 is definitely a problem, your pH in soil should be between 6.2 and 6.8.
A pH of 7.8 will prevent the availability of nearly all the vital elements in the soil that your plant needs to access for growth.
I am also not a fan of dry amenmants this early in a grow, they need a lot of time (4-6 weeks) to break down and become bio-available to your plant and I much prefer to use liquid nutrients that are instantly accessible by your plant. The pellet type nutrients also need constant moist conditions to break down and become activated and one thing cannabis does not like, is being constantly moist.
The fertilizer you are using might be fine for tomatoes (4/4/4) but you should really invest in some cannabis specific, liquid fertilizers.
Unfortunately, since you are growing autos and they are already approaching 4 weeks of age, flowering won't be far off............so whether to continue or not is up to you...........but don't expect a bumper harvest.
Next time, start with a balanced soil mix in the correct pH range (with less peat), use your LEDs from day one and invest in some proper cannabis nutrients and your grow should be much more successful and rewarding.
I would also suggest growing feminized photoperiod plants next time, they are far more forgiving and YOU can determine when they flower, once YOU are satisfied with their size, health and vigor.
Autos actually require a lot a skill to get the best results from and are not the best choice for new growers........despite what the marketing hype might be suggesting.............unfortunately.
Hope this helps, Organoman.
Nov 3 - Day 29
After yesterday's experiments/feeding (see previous week's comments) she seems to be doing MUCH better! Strong growth, more vibrant color, perkier leaves. 🤞
Yesterday's sad stems/leaves that perked up within a couple of hours of feeding have shown me that she was likely underwatered. Additionally, the more vibrant colors and seemingly more robust growth have led me to believe she may have been undernourished. Whether it was simply balancing the PH last 2 waterings or the N in the coffee/fertilizer solution I fed with resulted in this increased strength, I might never know, but the combination seems to have worked so far, thankfully!
Short slide-show of the recovery:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rp7_EI2MZcdz2A6IaSLg_S8V8wxz6kGr/view
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Nov 4 - Day 30
Growth continues to look better than before.
Temp reached a max of 81F sometime during the last 24 hrs. Likely didn't hold there for very long, but still a bit too hot for comfort. Moved the light back up a bit, ~21 inches from the canopy, and ensured the tent intake/exhaust holes were unobstructed. Temp lowered to 77F. Not wanting to reduce total daily light intake as a result of moving light, the timer was changed to 19.8/4.2 (12 pm off, 4:20 pm on). This is a more convenient time for me to check on her anyway. Also ordered a small humidifier and a couple of other accessories coming in a week or so.
No watering/feeding today as medium looks/feels damp and moisture reads ~4.5 via soil meter in multiple spots @ 2" deep.
Noticed white fuzz growing around bamboo skewer that was stuck in the ground during the last feed, at ground level. Noticed another small patch as well (See question image). I'm obviously worried it could be bad mold. But I suppose there's a chance that it's benign fungus/mycelium in my mix that spurred growth along with the ph and nutes added recently? Will be asking and researching.
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Nov 5 - Day 31
She seems a bit sad and generally droopy. Color and leaf shape/contour seems OK however. Finger test felt dry but bamboo and water meter still registered moist (4ish) around root level. Most importantly, pot still felt a bit weighty. Begrudgingly decided not to water as I want to rectify what I felt was a slight overwatering last time.
White fuzz seems to be getting dryer with the soil. Thanks to the Q/A section, I'm not too concerned about it.
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Nov 6 - Day 32
Interestingly, she is no worse for wear after not feeding yesterday. She shows a similar sad/droopy look overall, but new spouts seem vigorous. I'm glad I let her soil dry so that ph flushing is more effective. However, there seems to be some noticeable damage to sprouting leaves growth much like the previously damaged week 2/3 leaf. Sad, but I hope these imperfections are mostly cosmetic.
One leaf has grown beyond the border of the pot. I hope its roots are more centered than the plant diameter suggests, but I don't have any real reason to think that's the case. The obvious fix for this is the 3-gallon pots that I have waiting for next time. As I consider training, I'll do so assuming pulling her in the opposite direction for that reason.
The pot feels lighter but not completely dry. Top-layer is visibly very dry and the finger test is dry as well. Bamboo is damp 1/2 down the pot and the soil meter reads ~3 around the drip line at root depth (inverse plant height). Hesitantly decided not to feed/water yet.
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Nov 7 - Day 33 - Fed
She seems healthy. Medium quite dry. Soil meter reading 2-3, finger and bamboo tests dry. Weight of medium quite light.
2TBS Fert solution and 2TBS coffee solution were added to 1 liter water. Adjusted to ~6.25ph. Fed/watered gently around drip-line with ~ 0.5L as I felt I had overwatered last time. Not enough run-off to test.
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Nov 9 - Day 35
The 0.5L of feed seemed to be good for a 2-day watering schedule for now and she seems to be 'drinking' more. Soil-meter read 2-3 moisture. Finger and bamboo tests were dry. Lightweight but not empty. Perhaps just a little bit heavier than the last feeding. Because it was there, I fed with the remaining 0.5L of mixture that was made during the last feeding. After shaking and gently pouring, I did notice some white film/sediment. Didn't smell too bad, however. Still, perhaps this is something I should avoid. Again, no run-off but she seems healthily fed/moist/heavy.
Noticed the first stamens! More specific nutrients en route along with an extension cord to add additional LEDs coming in a couple of days. I'll be doing some immediate research about some potential light LST and/or defoliation, but I honestly am pretty hesitant to do so on my first grow with such a small plant so-far.
Spotted white fuzz in my soil mix after balancing ph and adding nutes to the medium. Temps 72-81F, 40-45 humidity. Fan has mostly been pointed indirectly at side of pot/plant, rather than above. Should I be acting on this now? If so, what might be the best course of action? Thx!
It looks normal to me. You should be running a wet to dry cycle in soil. You may be watering too soon. If you continue it may lead to root rot. Just let it get dry not overly though.
Nov 10 - Day 36 - Watering
Seems like a healthy start to the week. Dry soil after only a day of 0.5L feeding so she's clearly drinking more. Soil meter read at 2-3, bamboo/finger dry to 1-2 inches. I am receiving grow and bloom nutrients in two days. So, I went ahead and fed her again after such a short time with another 0.5L of simple evaporated water/lemon tested to 6.25-6.35ph. My hope is that she'll be dry when ferts come in and I'll be able to feed her properly in two days with a weak mix of proper ferts.
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Nov 11 - Day 37 - Training
She seems a bit overwatered, which I expected. Hope to dry tomorrow or the next day for feeding.
Though she's still fairly short, she's grown a lot in diameter. Foliage seems to be thickening quite a bit as well, covering much of the interior of the plant. Because she's overwatered, I figured she might also be a bit more flexible in this state. So, I decided to get a feel for training her a bit. I tied the apical meristem, gradually at two points, so that the top was maybe lowered 75 degrees toward the edge of the pot. This was done with coated floral wire shaped into a narrow shepherd's crook to hook the intended internode, which was then pulled by the hook end and fastened to anchor. This seemed to work well. Additionally, after understanding her structure a bit more, i performed a bit of manual bending/leaf-tucking, trying my best to avoid touching the stigmas and allow light to the newer inner-growth.
It should probably go without saying that I was quite nervous about this process, but I think it went relatively smoothly. She seems a bit stressed now, but i think there'll be more light penetration to some of the inner growth in the long run. I hope she'll be making a quick recovery and hopefully this training was done well enough and wasn't too late. That said, tucking her leaves has probably been the most educational/enjoyable process so far, even though having so much direct contact was admittedly a bit nerve-wracking.
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Nov 12 - Day 38
She seems to be recovering from training well. Undergrowth seems stronger. Will likely feed soon.
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Nov 13 - Day 39
Decided to let the soil dry a bit more. Will be feeding tomorrow with collected rainwater and new fertilizer.
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Nov 15 - Day 40
First time I've forgotten to take a pic. Apologies! The house heater is on the fritz so I was busy dealing with that. No worries though, temps should be fine for her w/space heaters n'whatnot. That said, she's clearly sad/thirsty but I'll wait till her 'morning' tomorrow to water/feed with new nutes.
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Nov 15 - Day 40 - Feeding
The rainwater that was collected tested close to 5.0ph. After adding about 1/4 of the recommended dose of Better-Gro (20/14/13), the PH was still hovering around 5. This shows that the fertilizer is acidic, which isn't a surprise. However, 5.0ph was just too low for my comfort. Conveniently though, that dosage brought my tap water to about 5.75ph, which I thought was acceptable. The solution looked like very weak blue kool-aid.
I fed her with about 500-600ml of that for now. Also sprayed her foliage a bit with rainwater. Run-off tested to ~6/6.2, which I think is OK. Clearly, she should have been fed at least a day sooner as she's rather droopy, but I'm pretty confident she'll perk up with ease.
After about 20 minutes, the soil's moisture reading was only ~4ish in a couple of spots 2in deep. So, I watered a bit more with about 200ml, probably close to 800ml total! The thirsty girl's already responding a bit. Also introduced was a small humidifier, mostly just for kicks.
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Nov 16 - Day 41
Recovering from training / underwatering is continuing OK I think. She's been fairly squat throughout her growth, which may potentially be a result of her being too close to the light, which could also explain some of the drooping that's occurred from time to time, as the leaves may be wanting to avoid direct perpendicular contact with the light. On the other hand, though, those symptoms could also be from any number of the concerns I've logged in the past. For now, anyway, i've moved her about 3-4 inches farther, about 24 inches from the canopy to light. I'm hoping this will encourage at least a bit more stretch during her stage transition, though I realize it might be too late. Also moved the tent into a large closet, as the HVAC service is en route tomorrow and may be poking around the house. I doubt this new location will affect her much, but I'll be keeping an eye on temp/RH in case.
A bit of testing with the small USB humidifier seems to raise RH by about 5-10% when starting at 40%. Not drastic but may become useful as winter sets in.
Also a bit more training/tucking using only a small paintbrush. Both sides are handy. The brush side for pushing branches and nodes downward without worries of pin-point pressure and the slender end for weaving between branches horizontally to pull down. Feels a bit like sculpting. Again, quite enjoyable/educational and easy to lose time doing.
Nov 17 - Day 42 - Feeding
Soil dry determined by weight, meter, finger, and bamboo tests. Time to feed. Same solution as last time (see last week), however, she drank a whole liter today resulting in very slight runoff/bottom dampness. Interesting to watch the increase in her water needs. Otherwise, just rotated and gently touched up a few leaves for light penetration. Also lightly showered her with a bit of rainwater for luck. I think she'll be ready for a stronger fertilizer solution next feed.
Nov 20 - Day 45 - Feeding
Topsoil dry. No real buds for booter fertilizer yet, so I stuck with the veg fertilizer. About 1 tsp Better-Gro to 1/2 gallon evaporated water. Tested a little under 6.0ph. May need to be raising this if it's consistently lower than 6.5ph. Fed with ~750ml. Sprayed with a bit of rainwater. Several bud sites are competing now, but the top 2 may need a bit more training soon to even the canopy. Otherwise, no complaints!
Nov 21 - Day 46 - Feeding again!
Wow. Topsoil dry. Soil meter reads ~3 moisture. Pot felt light and she was drooping again already. Seems chronic underwatering is an issue for me.
Added about 1/4 tsp of Bloom fertilizer to yesterday's solution, totaling about 1-1.25 liters. Slowly fed the entirety in 2 sessions about an hour between. Still only minor runoff. Sprayed with a bit of rain water as well. The container is definitely heavy now but she seems to have perked up quickly. Also performed more and training and tucking but no additional ties. Will be interesting to watch over the next few days. I have a feeling i may want to flush with ph'd rainwater if she's still so thirsty next time.
Nov 22 - Day 47
Topsoil moist. Just rotated her and touched up a few fan leaves. Later, i hand-trained the apical stem toward the opposite direction of growth to keep the canopy even, both in height and eventually in girth, hopefully.
Nov 23 - Day 48
Moisture reader read ~4 in multiple spots. Topsoil slightly damp. Moist finger test/bamboo test. Pot holding a bit of weight. Will wait to water. Tied apical stem using pipe-cleaner. Seems a bit easier/safer than the thin metal floral wire. Rotated.
Nov 24 - Day 49
The pot still had a bit of weight and the finger test felt slightly damp, so she was just rotated. Happy Thanksgiving!
Nov 25 - Day 50
The pot is very light now, soil feels dry. Thankfully, I think I'm catching her before drooping. Mixed 1/4 tsp Better-Gro 1/4 tsp Bloom Booster to 1/2 gallon evaporated water. A bit stronger mix than last time. Fed with about 1.25L and sprayed with rainwater. Must remember to flush with simply ph'd water next time. The bottom of the pot is now damp, but very little runoff. The pot's now weighty but doesn't quite feel entirely full. The apical stem was pulled a bit more and a few fan leaves were touched up. She was rotated about 180 as usual. She's obviously too bushy but otherwise, she seems fairly happy. Lots of bud sites are reaching and she seems relatively strong/green to me.
Nov 26 - Day 51
Seemingly healthy growth. Meristem was pulled another few millimeters. Pleasingly, her canopy getting more and more even. The pot is quite a bit lighter than yesterday already, maybe 1/4 watered at most. Finger test cold, slightly damp. She's drinking so much now! Not sure if I'll later today or tomorrow. Just rotated her for now.
Nov 27 - Day 52
She's dry / thirsty. Watered and sprayed with 1L of equally mixed rain and evaporated tap water. Rotated.
Nov 28 - Day 53
The pot is already light again. Will have to consider increasing volume. Last time it felt as light I waited a day and regretted it. So, I watered and sprayed again with 1L of equally mixed rain and evaporated tap water. Rotated. Will keep an eye on her to perk up in a couple of hours to ensure she's not overwatered given the frequency. Will likely switch to bloom ferts next feeding.
Nov 29 - Day 54
Soil moisture meter reads ~3. However, the finger test read cold/damp, the pot feels 1/4 - 1/3 full, and she's noticeably limp and darkish green. My first assumption is too much water/frequency. Kind-of tilted the pot while rotating in hopes to help the water flow and perhaps even out a bit. Clip fans were cleaned and reoriented a bit to hopefully increase airflow a bit as well.
After checking on her every couple of hours, she seems to be drying out and perking up (see images). I definitely watered too soon last time.
Nov 30 - Day 55
Just let her rest again today. In the meantime, I crushed and mixed a dozen eggshells with about a cup of 5% white vinegar in hopes of creating Calcium Acetate. Will likely need more vinegar to fully dissolve the shell material. May consider adding the appropriate amount of Epsom salt for magnesium, in theory creating a DIY cal-mag solution. This will be kept on hand as a supplement only to be used if/when deemed necessary.
Dec 1 - Day 56
Pot bone dry, very light. She's just barely droopy. Hope I'm catching her at a good time. Mixed 1/4 tsp better-gro, 1/4 tsp bloom, into 2-liter (~half gallon). Fed with almost the entirety, which she seemed to drink right up. There was considerable runoff, for a change, that was absorbed within an hour. Sprayed with a bit of rainwater and rotated. Also removed the first training wires which thankfully resulted in no movement from the plant, so I guess that bit of training was successful. This gave me better access to her bottom portion, which allowed me to pinch a few yellowing / unproductive leaves for the first time. Seems healthy to me!
Dec 2 - Day 57
Just resting. Rotated.
Dec 3 - Day 58
Pot light but I think I'm going to give her another day to have a full dry-out. Mixed water and nutes for next feeding (1/4tsp Veg, 1/4tsp Bloom, 2L evaporated water) and stored in tent for temp stability. Rotated.
Dec 4 - Day 59
Fed with ~2L solution that was described yesterday. Rotated.
Dec 5 - Day 60
Troublingly, she became quite droopy overnight. Water was PH'd and room temp. I'm not really sure of the cause and unfortunately, I didn't take any pics. I feel like it can't have been too soon for watering. Perhaps it was simply too much volume or ferts are too strong (even though they weren't recently increased).
Placed a towel under the pot and pointed the fan at it, making sure not to cause too much leaf movement from the airflow. About 10-12 hours later, after lights on at 4:20, she seems better so towel was removed. She was rotated and will let her rest.
Dec 6 - Day 61
She seems to be progressing well. I guess this is the flowering stretch I keep hearing about!
Dec 7 - Day 62
Pot feels almost empty/dry. Mixed 2L evap'd water with 1/4 tsp veg and 1/4 tsp bloom ferts and fed with 1L of the solution at lights-on. This is less volume than last time as the amount of water and/or nutes seemed to shock her last time. Hopefully, that's not the case again. Also, I know I've written this before, but I think the next feeding should probably include bloom ferts only, or at least at a majority ratio.
2 hours later, she's drooping after feeding... again. I'm confident she'll bounce back in 12-18 hours like last time, but it's still quite troubling. Going to post a question for ideas.
12 hours later, she is back to 'normal' (see pics). However, I'll definitely be following some of the advice from the kind folks that answered my posted question. The medium seems to have proven itself to be too dense. This is causing her to suffocate when watered. I was aware and warned of this based on the initial composition ratios, a novice mistake, but confirmation helps the lesson be learned i suppose. My 2nd grow currently has about 2x more perlite and mostly consists of coco coir, which she'll hopefully benefit from. Additionally, I'll be flushing and providing less N in the future at this stage in her development.
Thanks again to those who responded and commented. It's sincerely appreciated!
Thx for taking a look! I know the obvious answer is going to be that I'm overwatering. However, it's been 3 days, the topsoil was super-dry and pot felt empty/very light. Sadly, this seems to be a routine when fed, with her perking up again in a day. Diary has details. Thanks!
If its dropping after watering its a sign its getting overwatered, or maybe it got under watered and is taking time to bounce back.
One easy way to tell this is that the pressure in the leaf stems will remain flaccid when under watered and ridged when over watered while keeping the same limp looking leaves for both under and over watered.
It is a bit dark and could use less Nitrogen but if its already in the mix just avoid adding extra or flush it out. a flush would prob not hurt at this point, might save you from other proglems down the line. The [better grow 20-14-13] is quite high in N and that's causing a lot of your toxicity issues. The Bloom booster at 11-35-15 is also not an ideal ratio. but is better then the first. You will want to look into something aorund 4-8-8 or 5-10-11 or 2-7-7 ... something with smaller N and equal or slightly larger K to P ratio. Can always mix and match some feeds to hit your desired target.
Best Of Luck!
Dec 8 - Day 63
Healthy looking start to the week so far. Will take the advice given by others last week and will ease off on N for the remainder of her growth. Just rotated.
Dec 9 - Day 64
Hectic day and missed planned watering/pics, unfortunately.
Dec 10 - Day 65
Watered without nutrients as advised last week with a large volume of simply evap'd water PH'd with rainwater. ~2L. Plenty of run-off. Not quite a full flush as some advised but I think she'll still benefit from a clean drink. Will continue with only bloom ferts next feed.
Dec 11 - Day 66
Rotated. She feels like she's maybe holding 25% moisture. May feed tomorrow if my instincts are right. Turned on the 2 28W LEDs I've had waiting until she was well into flower. I don't know how wise it was to wait to turn them on, but I'm under the impression that this is the stage in which she needs the most light. They were only ~2$ each so I don't have super-high expectations but I figure they can't hurt. I wonder if rotating the 100W 90° might provide more even lighting. 🤔
Dec 12 - Day 67
She feels almost empty. Resumed bloom ferts at about 0.5tsp per 2-liter. Fed with ~1.75L. This morning, I spent a few minutes pruning the bottom of about 3-5 small-medium yellowing leaves from the very bottom and 3-5 tiny-small yellowing leaves from the interior. I assume they're just due to maturity and lack of light availability in those areas.
Dec 13 - Day 68
Just rotated. There was a bit of drooping after yesterday's watering again, but not as severe as last week. As discussed in my previous question, I'm assuming it's due to poor drainage rather than strictly over-watering. Unrelated, with a bit of effort, I was able to remove the plastic diffusers from the new LEDs. I can only assume that'll be helpful, even if insignificant.
Dec 14 - Day 69
She's probably ~85% dry. Mixed bloom ferts to recommended dosage (1/2tsp 2L) and fed with 1L. This is less volume than last time, hoping to not drown her like last week. Rotated... Checking on her later, she seems to have avoided the drooping phase after watering this time. Contrary to everything I've been told, I'm going to try to keep this shallow/more frequent watering up as she genuinely seems to appreciate it.
Overall, she's grown a lot of beautiful pistils this week while losing a small handful of bottom/hidden leaves. Also, I think she's probably reached her max height. Comparing her to others, she's short and a bit unkempt, but I'm proud of her as a first-time effort. That said, I'm of course hoping to see the buds bulk up in the coming weeks. 💪🤞
Oh and I just want to again thank those who stop by, comment, and especially those that have given advice. This community has been great to me so far!
Thanks for stopping by!
Dec 15 - Day 70
A fine start to the week I think. Just resting.
Dec 16 - Day 71
Rest.
Dec 17 - Day 72
Continuing regimen from last week. Fed with the remaining 1L of the previous bloom mixture (100% recommended dosage). This should've probably been done yesterday but I think she'll be fine.
Dec 18 - Day 73
Just pruned 2 bottom leaves that were obscuring small sites and rotated her.
Dec 19 - Day 74
Rest. Rearranged smaller LED lights.
Dec 20 - Day 75
Mixed 1/2 tsp bloom ferts in 2 liters evap'd water (100% recommended). Fed with ~1L. Forgot pics 🤦♂️
Dec 21 - Day 76
Rest.
Dec 22 - Day 77
Fed with the remainder of the previous mixture.
Dec 23 - Day 78
Rest.
Dec 24 - Day 79
Fed with ~1L of 100% bloom (1/2tsp in 2L). Plucked a few more leaves that she's shedding. Seems like nothing more than low light that slowly yellowing them.
Dec 25 - Day 80
Merry Christmas! Quite sick however. Cracking fever. No pics.
Dec 26 - Day 81
Tested positive. Managed to continue the previous regimen. We're all resting. No pics.
Dec 27 - Day 82
Feeling a bit better. Defoliated a couple of leaves she was shedding. She's turning a bit yellow and i feel it might be just a bit early for that naturally. I think I'll give her a stronger dose next feed. Other than that, trichomes are very noticeable now and buds are definitely fattening up! 🙏
Added ~1.5tsp bloom ferts to 2L water, making ~150% recommended concentration. I have a feeling this may be her last batch of feed.
Dec 28 - Day 83
Fed with ~1L of previously mixed solution. Stronger than ever, but likely one of the last feedings and I'm curious to see if there'll be a change in the currently lime-green upper foliage.
I think she's in her last couple of weeks. More trichomes every day. More yellowing every day. Going to keep a close eye on her.
Dec 29 - Day 84
Rest. No pics.
Dec 30 - Day 85
Checked the Ph of a previously mixed solution, which I've been admittedly lazy about. Tested to ~5.5. Raised with baking soda (~3/4 tsp to 1L) which resulted in ~6.5ph. Fed with ~1L. Will flush soon.
Dec 31 - Day 86
Rest.
Jan 1 - Day 87
Happy New Year!
Jan 2 - Day 88
Watered with rainwater/tap mix (~6.25pH). (Im)patiently watching the trichs appear.
Jan 3 - Day 89
Rest.
Jan 4 - Day 90
Based on advice from the QA section, I decided to mix one last batch of feed as I think she needs at least a week or two before harvest. Gave her ~1L of 100% recommended bloom solution.
Accidentally, I asked a question without linking it to this diary regarding harvesting:
https://growdiaries.com/grow-questions/52744-first-harvest-advice-amnesia-haze-auto
She seems happy at the start of this week. Very mature with others suggesting maybe a week or two until harvest time.
Jan 5 - Day 91
Defoliated 5-6 curling/crispy leaves as advised but I left the yellow yet well-formed ones. I figure that they may still be giving their last bit of nutrients and I don't want to deprive them of that chance. She was fed yesterday so just resting otherwise.
Jan 6 - Day 92
Helped her more with her self-defoliation, plucking a few more crispy/curlies. Fed with about 800ml of remaining solution as she doesn't seem as thirsty as she used to be. The medium is also noticeably less voluminous. Rotated for the first time in a long while.
Jan 7 - Day 93
Rest. No pics.
Jan 8 - Day 94
Watered with about 750ml of tap/rainwater mix.
Jan 9 - Day 95
Rest and rotation. Just a couple of crispy curlies plucked.
Jan 10 - Day 96
Watered with ~500ml tap/rainwater mix. Surprisingly, such a small volume still produced some runoff.
Jan 11 - Day 97
Was quite tempted to harvest at least partially as it's my birthday but as they say, "when you think it's ready wait a week".
Was a fairly uneventful week. Buds may have plumped a bit and maybe grew a few trichomes here and there. The trichomes on the sugar leaves have gained more color. Not much longer now.
She's taking quite a bit longer than I expected, but that's probably normal for a first-timer I imagine. That said, her trichomes are slowly but surely inching toward an amber hue. Can't wait!
Jan 12 Day 98
Mixed 100% recommended bloom and fed her with ~1L. Likely for the last time.
Jan 13 Day 99
Rest.
Jan 14 Day 100
Just observing. Roomate was kind enough to provide a few pics from his fancy phone. Seeing those, his wife said that she looks like a deep sea creature. We'll take that as a compliment. 😅
Jan 15 Day 101
More rest for the elderly. Took a pic of the messy interior for those who may be curious about a minimally trained, completely unpruned auto.
Jan 16 Day 102
I had been experimenting a bit, letting her dry out the last few days. It seems to have made the buds look bigger, possibly due to minor stress causing her to go through death throes. Perhaps more likely though, they just *seem* bigger as a result of the foliage drying up. In any case, she was so visibly thirsty that I had to give in. Watered with ~500ml of rainwater/tapwater mix.
Jan 17 Day 103
Rest n' Rotation.
Jan 18 Day 104
Took a lot of pics today attempting to show colors and measured her height for the first time. She grew to about 18 inches (~46cm)! Certainly not a monster, but not too bad I think. I'm proud of her, anyway.
I think I'm finally happy with her trichome colors. All are cloudy with a few areas on a few buds turning amber. I'll almost surely be trimming and hanging her to dry tomorrow. 🤞🤞
Of course, I'll post harvest details as they progress. Thank you all so much for your support!!! 🙌
Thank you to all that have helped me along this journey. All of the answers, tips, comments, likes, and other diaries have been so very motivating to me. I originally started this diary only for my own reference but I'm so pleased to have learned that others have found it helpful or interesting, for whatever reason. If you're curious about equipment see the germination page and if you have questions feel free to drop me a line. So, without further ado:
Jan 19 Day 105
Harvest day! 🎉🎉
Not really knowing how to tackle the situation, I started by cutting all of the fan leaves I was able to reach. Then, I cut each branch working from the perimeter inward - which due to the way she grew, was essentially the same as working from the bottom branches of the meristem to the top. Each branch was cut, cleaned, and handled individually before moving on to the next.
Decided to wet-trim most of the branches, leaving 4 fairly untouched (only fan leaves were removed). Will be interested to see the differences, if any.
They're all drying/hanging near the grow tent ~45%RH, 72F (22C). It isn't completely dark though, as some light is escaping the tent into the closet where they are hanging. I'm hoping this isn't terrible but I'll be keeping my eye on them.
The process took the better part of an evening but I was cautiously learning, taking breaks, and generally being fairly slow. I'm sure I'll be faster and more confident next time.
Jan 27 Day 113
Drying is complete, I think.
Branches were hung and dried for 8 days in a consistent 68F (20C) 40% RH. They were determined to be dried after hearing a snap when bending (not breaking) large stems and buds felt dry to touch. Sugar leaves bordering on crispy while buds still had some give / fluffiness. The flowers from previously manicured branches were relatively easily plucked. However, the dry trimming process for the unmanicured branches proved to be a bit of a pain.
They have been placed in a pyrex container to cure. I'm hoping flavors and aromas that are currently lacking will develop in time. 🤞
--- Stats ---
Veg time: ~45 days.
Flowering time: ~60 days.
Height ~18in., ~46cm.
Main Bud Length: ~9in., 23cm.
Harvested 16 Hangable branches and a few extra medium/small buds.
Bud Wet Weight, with stems: 242g, ~8.5oz.
Larf/Popcorn Sugar-leaf Wet Weight (not counted above): 18g, ~0.6oz.
Leaf/Waste Wet Weight: 38g, ~1.3oz.
Drying time: 8 days.
Dried Weight with Stems: 70g, ~2oz.
Trimmed and Dried Total Bud Weight: 50g, ~1.75oz.
--- Thoughts in hindsight ---
Firstly, I can't believe I haven't tried growing sooner. So rewarding in so many ways! My initial hope was to harvest an oz., so I am obviously quite happy we could surpass that mark by a good margin. This is a testament to the plant more than me of course, as I was completely inexperienced and was purposefully as hands-off as I could be comfortable with throughout her growth. I can only imagine things will improve with time.
Paper-towel germination seems to be prone to more stress for myself and arguably the seedling as well. Floating in 1% H2O2 solution seems to be ideal for me.
I made bad soil choices. This mixture seemed to be too dense, leading to some watering/strangulation issues mid-growth. My 2nd grow consisting of mostly coco coir seems healthier and seems easier to maintain proper hydration. Coco might also be reusable while this soil definitely seems spent now.
I didn't respect pH at first and initial testing was eye-opening. That said, after simply testing water and fertilizer readings a few times, I gradually felt more comfortable with guestimating during most feedings, only testing sporadically later in her life cycle. This seemed to be fine and was a bit of a relief after early testing proved tedious every feed.
I've been happy with Better-Gro orchid fertilizer. This is of course contrary to most advice, which I admit is probably for good reason. That said though, I didn't notice any major toxicities or deficiencies during her grow. So, these products seem to have worked for me and are so much more affordable than cannabis-specific fertilizers.
I was quite weary about not having cal-mag, but this never seemed to be an issue in this particular case. However, I'll be keeping a similar eye on my 2nd grow in coco, which I understand may need it.
Training and pruning is important. This plant was quite bushy and wild likely resulting in quite a bit of unnecessary larf/popcorn. Not to mention the additional time needed to trim when harvesting. Also regarding training, pipe cleaners can leave noticeable cuts in the stem they hold. Thickly coated flexible garden wire would likely be ideal.
I need to get a loupe or magnifying attachment for the phone. Digital zoom with shaky hands is not great for checking trichomes and my 3x magnifying glass just doesn't cut it.
I cannot speak toward potency or yield without more experience, but simply for the sake of a greener hue, I think I could've harvested her a week earlier.
Because I left a few branches untended during dry, I was able to experience both the wet and dry trimming processes. Unless keeping leaves for extra humidity during drying, I seem to prefer wet trimming as the still supple leaves were easier to remove with less bud handling.
I'll add more thoughts if/when they come. Thank you again for stopping by! 👋
SirSalami
