Aloha!
This is my first autoflower grow and I'm so excited to dive into the Mephisto line. I must admit: having spent the past ~20 years working with photoperiod cannabis, I'm in LOVE with not having to do any light management. I haven't even hit flowering yet but the ease of the whole process is just oh so nice.
I had 100% success with germination, soaking in 4oz water + 1T H2O2. I lost one Double Grape due to lag time to transplant (grower error) -- it shot out two embryos! 1 of 2 Wedding Cake stalled out just after popping cotyledon. All 3 Forum Stomper have made it, with one being the runt of the lot.
I sowed them in the basic 5-3-1-1 substrate mix above (no amendments) into Solo cups. Gave them about 2 weeks, then TP'd into the 3 gal pots with amendments, which will be their home for the remainder of their lives.
My program is very simple. Plain water and compost tea 1x/week (more frequent if I have the time to make it). If you haven't made/used compost tea, I highly recommend you try using it for one full growth cycle. It will save you so much headache because your plants will be very healthy and much more resilient. I was an organic soil grower for years tolerating mediocre results in terms of yield and overall vigor. Honestly, I was stubborn because nobody I knew had impressive results with their teas (I learned later they weren't doing it correctly). As soon as I read Jeff Lowenfel's book "Teaming with Microbes" and followed his basic compost tea recipe, I was a total convert. I won't grow without it. Fungus gnats? Not an issue. Heat stress? Meh. Nutrient lockout? Nope. Toss the expensive bottled products aside -- they're wasting your money.
Thus far, I'm stoked about Mephisto's genetics. I stocked up on most of their catalog and will be growing them out as time allows. All I want is fine herb and to share my journey with the hopes of informing and inspiring whoever stumbles upon these diaries.
All my best to you and your gardens! Grow with love and gratitude 😃
