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There are not many photos from this week because the seeds were in the dark. I initially tried the paper towel method but, surprisingly, had no germination after a few days, so I switched to the glass of water method. I initially only germinated two seeds, but one was a complete dud, so I popped all five to ensure I had two plants on the same timeline. Only two reached the seedling stage, and one of the two final plants was transplanted from a solo cup to 5 fabric gal pot (other one was in 5 gal to start).
Overall solid start, especially quick recovery from transplant for Fartbutt. Very trace amounts of nutrients used when watering to familiarize the plants to them, soil will give them all the nutrients they need for a while.
Weeks two and three were more of the same, making sure the plants were nice and warm and in a high-humidity environment. This week, I moved the fabric pots onto the AC INFINITY auto-watering pots, which have been a lifesaver! If you want to ensure you don't over or underwater your plants, get these (or make them!); if you want to leave your plants for up to 4 days without worrying if they need water, get these; it is truly impossible to overstate how essential these made this grow, get these!!
Slight canopy readjustments where suboptimal lighting was (LST), nothing major, no tying. Overall, there is an explosion of plant growth that is expected from auto flowers pushing week 4; they are preparing for the stretch! (I adjust the light distance by moving the Ikea shelf with my lights on it up and down.)
The featured time-lapse is from week 0 to week 5. The camera will be fixed; I couldn't hang it up earlier. Some light LST was required for overall light penetration. Final week of vegetative state before the stretch and pre-flower!
Because of the insane growth both plants showcased during the stretch, they actually burned themselves on the light source. I had no plans for these to grow so tall, as the tallest I've seen them grow elsewhere has been a maximum of 75cm (spoiler: final height of 100cm). My jerry-rigged solution to the problem was to open the closet and place my pots on a base on the floor instead of in the cabinet. While this worked well, it certainly made living with them a rough experience (in my bedroom). They adapted pretty quickly to the bends I made upon moving them too, a couple days after these photos they were fully upright again. Nutrients shifted toward tiger bloom in preparation for flowering.
Some high-stress training was required. Fartbutt (the plant on the right) outgrew the container again, so I intentionally snapped the top to prevent further upward growth (I left it attached so it could still form a central cola.
The buds are really starting to develop! Lots of canopy management at this point, but no high-stress training required. Plants have fully stopped vegetative expansion and are focusing on bud development. First week without using any Grow Big nutrients.
First amber trichomes observed this week! Overall, buds are starting to thicken up, but they will need a couple more weeks to achieve their full potential. (Advertised lifespan: 75-80 days)
Overall, they look good. I first considered harvesting this week but gave it the tried-and-true method of waiting an extra week (just in time for 4/20!). I noticed some foxtailing occurring on the right plant, only where the plant was stressed. I started to dial back nutrients, no more big bloom, and less tiger bloom and cal-mag
The final week! 12 weeks since germination, 11 since first sprout. These Apollo F1's vastly outgrew their advertised size and bud density. I will be cutting them down tomorrow and updating with the harvest page and photos soon. Great second grow!
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