Mix of Auto Flowers - Winter 2022

October 31, 2022 Today begins Week 1 Veg, even for the plants that germed after the first 3 plants. I'll decide this week which plant to pull. I can only grow 5 at a time. See photos of possible light damage. Week 1 - Issues: Starting Week 1 (Veg) and I've hit my first issue. I suspect these pictures show excessive protons - excessive light. This morning, I realized my timer wasn't turning off. It is now, but I think 24 hours of 250 PPFD for 7 straight days was more than the Purple Lemonade can take. I don't think it is an over watering thing, I have been paying attention this grow. My plants are sitting on tiny saucers and I put water in the saucer and when the plant sucks it up, I put a little more in. If that water is not taken up, I pour it out so that it doesn't sit in a small puddle of water. This makes me think my accidental 24-hour lighting was more than the plants could handle. I have corrected this and they are now on an 18/6 light schedule. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11/01/22 Day 9: Data The seedlings are maintaining, while working on the second set of True Leaves. Knows Candy #2 is still locked a stunted phase. I think I have stopped the light damage to both Purple Lemonades. One extra observation, both of the PLs have much skinnier stems than the others. I hope this doesn't mean these tend to be a little more sensitive to adversity. I put my main grow tent Govee environment monitor in the seedling tent to ensure I am keeping the seedling in their ideal enveronment (or close anyway). Daily Avg. Temp: 80.2ºF Daily Avg. RH%: 75.8 Rounded: 80/76 VPD: 0.85 (this calculation is from the Govee app) I plugged these numbers into the Pulse VPD Calculator on Setting #1 (Clone setting - should be similar for Seedlings) ti see if my Govee app is accurate. Thankfully it is, although I am likely to still use Pulse calculator because has 3 settings: Clone, Veg & Flower. The separate settings shift as the growth stage changes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Day 10 (for most): Gave a bit of light nutrients this AM. Any excess liquid was poured into the top soil. We are only talking about drops of excess. This evening, I'll put my seedling mix in the saucers. This is RO water, liquid Orca mycorrhizae, beneficial bacteria (Prime Supreme), Mr. Fulvic, and mono-silicic acid. My average temp was 81ºF over the last 24 hours. I will bring that back into the upper 70s, starting today. I think 77º should be okay. VPD is running just right. However, I think the following combination of temps and RH% may be more appropriate until Monday, when I switch over to Veg numbers. Finish out Clone/Seedling Phase at 80º/80% Veg (estimated) Target VPD 75º / 66%. The runt looks green and problem free, but doesn't grow. I'm keeping it alive, out of curiosity. Plus, if any of the other dampens out, I'd still bring it to the good tent on the SIP bucket, so it would be the least disruptive in the tent. Darkness begins at 1000 am and runs to 1600. Day 10 - Evening Photos I realized I have been flip-flopping my dates on some of the plants that came after the main group. For example, today is Day 10 for the oldest plants: Main Group Germinated: 10/24/22 (Day 10) Knows Candy #1 - 10/25/22 (Day 9) Knows Candy #2 (runt) - 10/27/22 (Day 7) - Slow to No Grow Gorilla Glue - 10/28/22 (Day 6) - Fast Grower Day # changes next Monday: To make matters for labeling, etc., all plants will be called Day 15 this coming Monday (11/07/22). After a few weeks, the few days that separate them will be insignificant. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 11 This morning Purple Lemonade #2 fell over when I moved the pot. I propped it up. I hope it is not dampening off. I think the Runt (KC #2) actuall grew a little overnight. VPD: I'm mostly dialed in. Just a block or so off of "Perfect" New Temp Average: 82ºF ( I want it lower) Turned on 4" exhaust fan to remove some of the hotter air New VPD Goal: 77ºF / 68% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Day 12: 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. 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 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 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. ----------------------------------------------------