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8set Mainline in Auto Pot - Fast Buds Tropicana Cookies FF
Thank you.
Growing cannabis is an art that seems to evolve as you learn it. While it may only take a little knowledge to get started, It seems that this may take a life-time to perfect (doubt I'll ever make that category, but I will certainly try).
So thank-you to the community that Shares, Comments, Follows, and Likes. Your efforts in any of these actions make these journals a worth-while and perfect way for us all to learn. I personally appreciate it.
Also a huge Thanks has to go out to Grow Diaries for making this community even possible. Your efforts to supply the data storage alone is more than enough, but you the fact that you dont stop there and constantly try to improve the experience even more makes this my favorite community to to share on.
And then lastly, but certainly not least, a heartfelt Thank-you to Fast Buds for selecting me as 2nd place in a photo contest and making these seeds available, I'll try my best to honor the gift and opportunity to grow these. Your sponsorship in keeping the community active here is an in-valuable learning tool of its own. And then your branding/research helps give me confidence in knowing that I am working with great genetics before I even start my grow.
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Germination Start 2/13/24 to 2/18/24
2/19 to 2/25 Veg Days 1 to 7
Week 0 to 1
Germination took 6 days from dropping in water to transplanting into 1 gallon pots. 29hours in a glass of 6.3ph room temp RO water. Something I would only attempt if they were both floating. They were,so leaving them that long they were able to crack open. I then placed both in paper towels wet with the glass water and pasted to the sides of the glass for 3 days (1 day too long in retrospect). I placed in rapid rooter pods and closed with toothpick tips. They popped out from the pods 1 day later but I gave them 2 days before transplant.
Video:
Incubator water level is key for rapid rooter pods to wick properly during incubation.
Transplant to 1 gal pots:
I am using a 50/50, 50%perlite/50%soil with a .5lb of dolomite lime and a .5ml of flora micro added to .5 gallon of RO water (Im mixing 2 gallons of soil total so the water to soil ratio is 1/4 of the total medium volume) to achieve a soil tested ph of 6.4. I am using a 50/50 soil/perlite mix because I plan to use these in auto pots. I also used about 1 cup of the same soil mix water to pour around the plant after transplant; you can see how the perlite rises to the top where I did this. I sprayed two domes and covered - I plan to leave covered for the first week.
Feed:
I kept them under the domes and sprayed every day that I didnt feed them, to keep humidity up while I let them find water in the soil. By the end of the week I took the domes off and took pictures.
Feed this week was another 1 cup of 6.3ph water 5 days after transplant.
Feed plan next week will increase the amount to 2 cups of plain-no-nute water with about 4 days between feeds. I want to see the water run through so if I need to use more than 2 cups I will. The idea is to water deep and through, but then make them search for more before the next feed, hopefully spreading the roots out while doing it.
Veg Plan:
I plan on 8 colas for each plant. So that will be 3 topping days and a total of 7 cuts.
I will want to cut the first time on day 21 if I have 5+ nodes. I will transfer to 5 gallon auto pots with-in 1 week of the first topping. Once I have 3 nodes of new growth past the first topping, I will top those two branches to the first node again. (that's 3 cuts total by this point) Then, after 3 new nodes of growth after that, I will do a last topping on the 4 branches. (4 new cuts added to make a total of 7 cuts and 8 colas)
I will train the branches using LST/HST with tie downs as soon as I can after the first topping day to help maintain the branches growing where I want them to. I will also introduce an adjustable tomato ring after they have settled into the 5 gallon forever pots to provide support and mobility
Hopefully all goes well, and I will have 1 to 2 weeks of growth before flip after week 8.
I think it sounds more ambitious than it really is, but if you follow this journal, we will see together.
2/26 to 3/03 Veg Days 8 to 14
Week 2
Not much to talk about here. They took to the soil as expected with no issues.
Feed this week was 2 cups of 6.3ph RO water twice with 4 days between and 4 days after the last feed.
Feed plan next week will increase the amounts to 2.5 cups of plain-no-nute water with about 4 days between feeds. I still want to see the water run through, so if I need to use more than 2.5 cups I will. The idea is to water deep and through, but then make them search for more before the next feed, hopefuly spreading the roots out while doing it.
3/04 to 3/10 Veg Days 15 to 21
Week 3
Noticed some deformity on a few of the latest leaves. Since I topped on Day 21 and plan to add nutes this week, Im hoping it grows out of it.
Feed this week was 2.5 cups of 6.3ph RO water twice with 4 days between and 4 days after the last feed; next feed is tomorrow. (feed this week is NOT the recipe above, that starts after first topping)
Feed plan next week will keep the same amounts of 2.5 cups of water with about 4 days between feeds. However, this week will introduce my Veg Concentrate Recipe (recipe above). I still want to see the water run through, so if I need to use more than 2.5 cups I will. The idea is to water deep and through, but then make them search for more before the next feed, hopefuly spreading the roots out while doing it.
3/11 to 3/17 Veg Days 22 to 28
Week 3
Transferred to Auto pot base and continue to top feed for another week before setting up and turning it on. Began node strength training by simply pressing down on the branches to encourage water way repairs into the branches since these are the main arms of my mainlines. They more than doubled in size in just 4 days.
Feed this week was 3 cups of 6.3ph RO water once using 100ppm of Veg Mix (recipe Week 2) However, I also added 1ml/gal of CaliMagic (General Hydroponics 1-0-0). Then about 4 days later when I transferred to the auto pot, I added .5gal of plain RO water to top feed over the new soil.
Feed plan next week will be to start using the reservoir and autopot base feed by the end of the week. I expect to use another .5 top feed prior to that tho.
3/18 to 3/24 Veg Days 28 to 34
Week 4
This week is primarily test training and recovery for that. I say test training because in past grows I noticed that some really bad early breaks are fully recoverable by flip.... but how bad is too bad. Thus the test So I plan to break every branch and try to control really bad to not so bad to see what the end results will be. (the worst break picture didnt come out so good, so It's just "after tape" pics.)
Feed this week was 1 top feed of .5 gal at 150 ppm with 6.1ph. 4 days later I turned on the autopots and for the rest of the grow all feeds will be reservoir feeds that I change out weekly. I prepared 3gal of 6.1ph RO water. I used 200ppm of Veg Mix (recipe Week 2) then I added 1ml/gal of CaliMagic (General Hydroponics 1-0-0).
Next week I plan to top cut the branches again and change out the feeds with 300ppm at 6.0ph
Veg Week 5 Day 35 to 41 - 3/25 to 3/31
This week is primarily test training recovery. Seeing each recent topping was at the 3 node point I topped again. Follow up of the cola breaks was nice for all but 1, The worst break (the one with tape over it) actually recovered very well, I see no future issues from that branch other than monitor for weight tears. The next worse break on the other plant wasnt so fortunate. While it started out okay, it also kept ripping under its own weight as it grew topping wasnt only beneficial, it was the only thing that allowed this branch to survive past the day (lesson here is to make sure all breaks are back supported early while they recover at least) I think this branch may need to be supported for the entire grow, and the amount of recovery time is possibly past the point of which I would want to see in a normal grow since it may not produce nearly as well as the other colas. The lighter break on each plant look to have taken advantage of the damage and produces giant knuckles of cured hardwood at the breaks. This is exactly the kind of recovery I want to see since all future water ways will pass these points and the branch will still be strong enough to support future weight of giant flowers.
Feed this week was again an auto pot reservoir feed at 300ppm total before add-ins. I used 300ppm Veg concentrate mix (recipe week 2) and NO Bloom concentrate mix (just showing the recipe in week 5- I am adding it in week 6). However, I also added 1ml/gal of CaliMagic (General Hydroponics 1-0-0) and ph balance this week was for 6.0
Next week I plan to top cut the branches again and change out the feeds with 350ppm at 6.0ph
Veg Week 6 Day 42 to 48 - 4/1 to 4/7
This week is primarily test training recovery and final topping set. I would have typically already cut the third top after 3 new nodes of growth but since I decided to experiment with breaks I allowed more time for recovery and None were cut until I saw I had at least 3 nodes of new growth since the last topping. All limbs are doing better now and I see little to no 'new' hindered to overall growth from this point. I also defoliated some of the oldest leaves that gone damaged in the breaks.
So as I said, little to no damage will produce average branches (prone to weight breaks later in flower as discovered in my first grow)
Small to slightly moderate break of green and evenly crushed stem can create heavy knuckles with large waterways through hardwood provides great support and growth
Moderate to heavy rips with no back support will runt in growth and support if not die off. However if back supported immediately, it can recover with a little extra time.
Feed this week was again an auto pot reservoir feed at 400ppm total before add-ins. I used 350ppm Veg concentrate mix (recipe week 2) and introduced 50ppm Bloom concentrate mix). I also added 1ml/gal of CaliMagic (General Hydroponics 1-0-0) and ph balance this week was for 5.9
Video
Post defoliation
Next week I plan to monitor the training of the branches and change out the feeds with 500ppm at 5.9ph. All I am trying to do now is set the growth of the branch to where I want them to flower stretch from.
Veg Week 7 Day 49 to 55 - 4/8 to 4/14
This week is primarily test training recovery and stretch setting for flower.
Follow-up on the breaks confirms the last statement:
So as I said, little to no damage will produce average branches (prone to weight breaks later in flower as discovered in my first grow)
Small to slightly moderate break of green and evenly crushed stem can create heavy knuckles with large waterways through hardwood. This provides great support without hindering growth and actually seems to encourage it.
Moderate to heavy rips with no back support will runt growth and support; if not die off from lack of attention to the issue. However if back supported immediately, it can recover with a little extra time but lost days of growth will be replaced with recovery days instead.
Feed this week was again an auto pot reservoir feed at 500ppm total before add-ins. I used 400ppm Veg concentrate mix (recipe week 2) and introduced 100ppm Bloom concentrate mix (recipe week 5). I also added 1ml/gal of CaliMagic (General Hydroponics 1-0-0) and ph balance this week was for 5.9
Video
HST Branch crushing and bending to train waterways for stretch in flower. The more I do here, the less I have to do later.
Next week I plan to monitor the training of the branches and feed 500ppm at 5.8ph. All I am trying to do now is set the growth of the colas/branches to where I want them to flower and stretch from now that I can see which are going to be more productive in size.
Veg Week 8 Day 56 to 62 - 4/15 to 4/21
Last week of Veg and not much to do other than let them grow. I readjusted the rings and made sure they were going in the direction I wanted the stretch to come from.
Feed this week was an auto pot reservoir feed at 500ppm total before add-ins. I used 400ppm Veg concentrate mix (recipe week 2) and introduced 100ppm Bloom concentrate mix (recipe week 5). I also added 1ml/gal of CaliMagic (General Hydroponics 1-0-0) and ph balance this week was for 5.8
No video this week
Next week I plan to flip and feed 600ppm at 5.8ph. I will also be preforming an extreme defoliation day 1 of flip.
Flower Week 1 Day 0 to 6 - 4/22 to 4/28
Flip week and same day extreme defoliation to encourage top stretch. (flip day was actually 4/24) The defoliation of everything below the bottom two nodes really shows the difference of breakage on these. I'm glad I ran these through to the end as you can see the difference more directly on the same plants rather than 2 separate plants. (although Im sure you can gather the same information that way too)
Feed this week was an auto pot reservoir feed at 600ppm total before add-ins. I used 450ppm Veg concentrate mix (recipe week 2) and increased to 150ppm Bloom concentrate mix (recipe week 5). I also added 1ml/gal of CaliMagic (General Hydroponics 1-0-0) and ph balance this week was for 5.8 as it will be for the rest of the grow
Videos
Defoliation before and after
Next week I plan to train the stretch and lowest branches for Schwazze defoliation on day 21 of flower. Feed next week will increase to 650ppm and it will be the first reduction of Veg Mix.
Insaniac_0
