Mix of Auto Flowers - Winter 2022

11/21/2002: Day 29 - Both Purple Lemonades continue to grow taller, while not adding nodes. I will give them until Day 35 to make an assessment. Added 3 gallons to Rez. This lowered the pH from 5.8 to 5.6. I raised that back to 5.8. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More Day-30 Shenanigans Critical Topping After that last photo session, as I was processing the pics, I realized that Critical Purple was ready to be topped. Well, that's just what happened tonight. I also followed the Bill Ward training technique of taking the highest fan leaves to help slow the growth further along with the topping. Removing those solar panels, joins the topping with a jolt of stress that slows down growth for a few days, which allows some of the smaller lower bud sites a chance to catch up. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 31 - Notes & Photos Overall Notes: CP is the most robust plant in the tent. GG has the most foliage (per size of the plant). Purple Lemonades are just freaky and tall. All plants are taking up the nutrients very well. There is just a little leaf spotting. At lights out, all get a Ca/Mg Foliar & Thorough Micro Nutrient Foliar. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 32 - Notes on Purple Lemonades (#1 & #2) I am still on the fence about topping the PLs. As of now, there are only 3 nodes. And those are mile apart. I normally don't count the lower nodes that have not yet produced five-finger leaves. To me, those are mature nodes. That's just my way of looking at it. I could be wrong. If I remember, I think I am counting those immature nodes to get to three total. I have thought about these two plants a lot. I think I am going to stake them, and let them run. They are under their own light, so I can customize their grow as though they are the only two in the tent. What's funny, these scrawny daddy-long-legs are already in preflower. I think that's why I am ok with letting them run. ** Note: I reserve the right to change my mind at any minute. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 33 - Photos and Other Curosities Things are strumming along. However, I have 3 plants screaming for "More Cow Bell" and one who thinks she Eyore the sad donkey. I think Gorilla Glue is just light fatigued. I noticed the DLI was up to 44 on her. The good news is that this pic was taken about five minutes before lights out. For the Purple Lemonades, #1 is definitely more advanced with pre-flower than PL#2. It's fun to see the three different phenotypes. CP is tall and branched out, whereas GG is short and stocky, with lots of foliage. PL's are a beast unto themselves. Tall and lanky, while refusing to grow laterally. As you will see, I have two healthy seedlings in the wings. Those two were supposed to fight it out for the SIP bucket, but now they may get a fabric bag final home. I say this because last night I scored Gnome Genetics Black Strap Seeds. I've been waiting for these to become available. Plus, they come with some over-the-horizon freebies called Methane. Now enjoy the sight of the Friday Grow Tent Special  Remember, when not trying to diagnose something, I take liberties with reality when processing photos. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 34 - Not Much to Report ... Except Last night, I made an executive decision. I decided to remove two large fan leaves. They were blocking a few future bud sites that I would like to catch up to the freshly topped Gorilla Glue. Tucking was not going to work. This is the last top-of-plant related trimming because flowering is around the corner. I've already removed the two bottom nodes as I wait for the plant to get to a point where lolipopping is appropriate. Keep in mind, I am not worried about affecting yield. I only grow for myself. I'll get enough (and more) to last me through growing periods. My intention is to experiement on AutoFlower plants to either confirm or debunk Bro-Science claims. Some of these so-called wivestales seem to date back to the early-day versions of the less robust AFs. I'm perfectly OK being terribly wrong with my choices. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Day 35 - Last Minute Call From the Governor ... A few days ago, I decided to wait until Day 35 to decide on pulling the gangly low-node Purple Lemonades. Right after making that decision wouldn't you know, Purple Lemonade #1 jumped into flowering. I'll take "fear of death" as a motivator any time. On the other hand, PL#2 is lagging. In all fairness, Critical Purple and Gorilla Glue are not in flower yet either. Although, they are busy making noticable flower making areas. This "live-or-let-die" decision was made easy because I had 2 more seedlings in the wings. Although, I may be back to one seedling if my Cheese XXL doesn't improve (pics to follow). Now Let's get to some Other Grow Notes: Retreat on the Recharge (1) I gave them their first Recharge this past Friday PM. (2) I may have screwed up the Recharge Application by applying with the current nutrient mix. I'll explain. Remember I am growing in AutoPots, so the lower section of my pot is damp with nutrients at all times. Normally, this creates a beautiful homestasis. The top part stays damp too, but a lot less damp. Roots are free to head South for food when needed. The top roots stay in a nice enviroment, never drying out, but never overwatered. Well, this genius decided to turn off the valves to each plant's reservoir (at the pot). Then drain the nutrient-lled water from all 4 AutoPots, then top off with another 2 liters from the master reservoir. This gave me a liter for each plant when I returned the Recharged Nutrients back to the pots. On paper this is a great idea. Yet it wasn't a good idea by giving a litter of fluid to the top of the pot. Oh, it gets worse. You see, I only took out about 500 ML of nutrients from each pot's rez. Yet, I put back in a liter. But wait, there's more. Once the excess passed through the coco, I drained the excess and put it through the coco again, while trying to add to places that looked dry on the surface. I wanted the whole pot to enjoy the lovely Recahrge Spa Tratment. On the other hand, I just created an extremely damp environment in the coco. Now, I have "air" being pumped into the root zone, so I don't fear root rot (yet). Plus my rez always has something in it that attacks the cause of roor rot. Nevertheless, the roots are having to deal with a lot more moisture then they are used to having around the roots. Only one plant (Gorilla Glue) showed over-watering signs, curled and downward pointing leaves. What's the Lesson Learned? : Next time, I'll drain the individual pot reservoirs, then only apply 500 ml to mostly one area. Since using a smaller amount, I'll repeat this once a week moving around the plant each time to a new location. That way, over a month's period the whole circumfrence of the plant will have gotten the Recharge to its "zone." Mainly, I won't keep draining and re-running the liquid over and over trying to make each zone all Recharged up. My thinking is that if only applying Recharge to only 25% to the pot, some of the microbes will go out and explore other areas of the root zone. If not, in a week their root zone neighbors will get their dose of the dark-water goodness. Plus, I won't over saturate the whole pot and it will stay mostly as AutoPots naturally do - more moisture a the bottom than at the top. The extra fluid will be in a finite water column. Finally, if any of the poured Recharge makes it down to the reservoir that's ok too. It won't be enough to mess with the "waterline" each AquaValve allows for. So, after about 20 minutes and checking gravity's work, I'll turn the valves back on and let the reservoirs fill up naturally. If there is some of the Recharge mixed in with the newly-added nutrients ... it's all good. Bottomline: "Too much of a good thing = a possible bad thing." ~~ Wise Old Navy Guy Next Notable Happening: Bottom 1/3rd Day I decided to do a first Bottom 1/3rd Removal Day after I took these iPad pics. You'll have to wait until tomorrow. : ) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------