Blueberry Automatic - custom growbox

Lontra Der Keimling hat es nach 2 Tagen erfolgreich aus der Erde geschafft und somit zähle ich heute (03.09.) als Tag 1 für die Pflanze. Mögen die Spiele beginnen! Tag 1: Die Growbox wurde noch etwas fit gemacht für den neuen Luftbefeuchter. Hierzu habe ich ein wenig Folie am Boden und angrenzenden Wänden angebracht, damit die Feuchtigkeit nicht direkt in das Holz zieht. Zusätzlich habe ich einen Philips Hue Smart Plug verwendet, um die Luftfeuchtigkeit quasi "automatisiert" beeinflussen (Luftbefeuchter Ein-/Ausschalten) zu können. Es ist noch genug Feuchtigkeit in der Erde, um den Keimling die nächsten 2-3 Tage zu versorgen. Das Licht ist so eingestellt, dass es bei einer Entfernung von ca. 40cm und 18 Stunden Beleuchtung pro Tag einen DLI von ca. 12 aufweist. Tag 2: Optische Kontrolle. Erde ist noch feucht genug. Tag 3: Nachdem sich die Erde etwas gesetzt hat und der Setzling in den ersten Tagen ziemlich empor schoss, habe ich noch etwas Erde aufgefüllt, um den Setzling besser zu stützen. Anschließend wurde die frische Erde mit einer Sprühflasche mit Nährstofflösung befeuchtet. Tag 4: Heute gab es zum ersten Mal 500ml Nährstofflösung um das Pflänzlein drum herum. Anschließend wurde die restliche Erde mit der Sprühflasche noch etwas befeuchtet. Wie die Diagramme zeigen, ist es zwar immer noch etwas zu warm in meiner Box, aber in Sachen Luftfeuchtigkeit/VPD macht sich der neue Luftbefeuchter schon jetzt bezahlt. Tag 5: Keine besonderen Vorkommnisse. Tag 6: Keine besonderen Vorkommnisse. Boden ist noch feucht genug für mind. 1 weiteren Tag. Tag 7: Die Erde ist noch immer feucht genug und die kleine Dame entwickelt sich bisher prächtig. Die Growbox an sich bekam heute noch einen vernünftigen Anschluss für den Luftbefeuchter.

Lontra Tag 8: The soil is still a bit damp. As can be seen in the pictures, it seems to have something to complain about. Due to the faded spots on the leaves and the curling leaf edges, I think the problem is a combination of light stress (?), too high temperatures over the last few days, and maybe a little overwatering during the last watering. Since the weather is finally getting cooler, the temperature problem should resolve itself in the next few days. Additionally, I raised the lamp a bit (about 45cm between the LED and the plant) and then adjusted it to a DLI of about 13. Tag 9: The soil was finally dry, so today I generously distributed about 750ml of nutrient solution over the entire area. Since I discovered a few "rusty spots" in the last run, I also added a small preventive dose of CalMag. Due to carelessness/stupidity, there was a moderate IT disaster for my control system. I took the opportunity to port the system from the Raspi to a small Fujitsu Thin Client that I had lying around. At the same time, some (mainly optical) improvements were made. Tag 10: Today, the system porting was completed and the last updates were implemented. The plant is developing splendidly, even though there were some temporary issues with the exhaust and air humidity. Tag 11: No abnormalities. The soil is still wet. The plant is doing great. The lighting has been set to a DLI of about 16. Tag 13: Since I wasn't home yesterday and the humidifier eventually ran out, it got a bit dry in the box. However, the plant seems to have handled it well and continues to grow great. Tag 14: Today marks the actual experiment of this run, the plant was topped at the start of the day (from the plant's perspective). I hope it handles this shock well and recovers as quickly as possible. The soil is still slightly damp, so no reason to water yet. To provide the little one with some additional nutrients, the soil was lightly misted with a spray bottle. The lighting will remain unchanged for now but will be gradually increased over the next week.

Lontra Tag 15: 🌱: Apparently, the little lady didn't take yesterday's topping too badly. I would even say she has overcome the shock and resumed growth. Also, she has already turned herself in a way that makes good use of the space in the pot/box. 💧: Since the soil around the plant is still a bit moist, I'll water again tomorrow. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged for now (about 45cm distance, DLI ~16) 🤔: The light spots on the fan leaves worry me a bit. Maybe a nitrogen deficiency? Tomorrow, she'll probably get a bit more of the Bio Grow, and then I'll keep an eye on things. Tag 16: 🌱: No special abnormalities. 💧: Today the soil was dry, so I gave 1 liter of nutrient solution. 💡: DLI has been increased to 18. Tag 17: 🌱: No special abnormalities. The shoots are developing well; I think I can start with the LST this weekend. 💧: Soil is still wet. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged for now (about 45cm distance, DLI ~18) 🤔: The light spots seem to be appearing on the new fan leaves as well, despite the extra dose of Bio Grow and AlgaMic... will continue to monitor closely. Tag 18: 🌱: Today, I carefully started with the LST and forced the 2 upper main shoots down a bit. 💧: Soil is still wet. 💡: The lighting has been adjusted a bit higher, to a DLI of about 20 (about 45cm distance). 🤔: I'm starting to worry more and more about the light spots. The extra dose of Bio Grow doesn't seem to have changed anything, and the small dose of AlgaMic doesn't seem to be doing anything either. After some further research, I think it might also be a magnesium deficiency. According to the supplier, the tap water has: Calcium=89.6mg/l | Magnesium=6.2mg/l. I’ll probably head to the hardware store tomorrow and buy Epsom salt... Tag 19: 🌱: Adjusted the LST of the 2 upper main shoots a bit. 💧: Soil is still wet. Still, the little one got a bit of water from the spray bottle (pH 6.4) with some Epsom salt (about 0.25g/l) 💡: The lighting is unchanged. Tag 20: 🌱: Adjusted the LST of the 2 upper main shoots a bit and started with the LST of the lower shoots. 💧: Soil is still wet. Additionally, there were a few spray shots with the Epsom salt water. 💡: The lighting is unchanged. Tag 21: 🌱: Today, the scissors were brought out again. The victims were the lowest, first leaf pairs on the stem (1- or 3-fingered), 1-2 inward-growing leaves that shaded the shoots, as well as the first side shoots of the lower 2 side arms. Additionally, the LST was adjusted. Otherwise, the newer leaves look like they are responding well to the Epsom salt in the water. 💧: Soil is still moist. 💡: The lighting is unchanged.

Lontra Day 22: 🌱: LST was slightly adjusted to minimize shading. Unfortunately, I damaged one of the larger fan leaves on one of the main stems (stem broke) and had to remove it. 💧: The soil was dry, so I watered. According to my water supplier's information and my calculations, I left out the CalMag and only added 0.25g/l of Epsom salt. The Bio Grow was also reduced back to the original 50% of the feeding plan. Overall, there was about 2.5 liters until the first small drain. 💡: The lighting was increased to a DLI of about 40 at about 40cm distance from the plant. Update: Distance adjusted to 35cm and power slightly reduced (still DLI ~40), as otherwise the temperature rises too high. Day 24: 🌱: Today, the scissors were used again (unfortunately a bit late, but it couldn't be helped). The lower and thus innermost and outermost new shoots on the 4 larger "main stems" and their fan leaves were removed. To avoid too much shock, the inward-growing fan leaves can stay for another 2-3 days. Additionally, the LST was adjusted a bit more. 💧: The soil is still wet. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged. Day 26: 🌱: Today, the scissors were used again and the inward-growing fan leaves were removed. Additionally, the LST was adjusted a bit more. 💧: The soil is still wet. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged. Day 27: 🌱: It is the beginning of Day 27. Only minor LST adjustments were made and the foliage was sorted a bit to improve lighting. The little lady seems to be thinking about switching to the flowering phase, as the first delicate pistils are already showing. 💧: The soil is still moist. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged. Day 28: 🌱: The LST was slightly adjusted again for a uniformly high canopy. I'm considering removing some of the lower fan leaves, which are now quite shaded, in the coming days. For now, though, I'll see what the stretch brings in the next few days. A light scent is also starting to become noticeable. 💧: The soil was dry, so I watered. Today, there were a total of 3 liters of the same growth mix as last week. The Epsom salt definitely seems to be helping. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged.

Lontra Day 29: 🌱: Beginning week 5. Since I think we are now in pre-flowering, I’m marking this as the first week of flowering. There were slight adjustments to the LST, but I’ll probably let the lady grow taller from now on. Additionally, some of the lower fan leaves that were fully shaded have been removed. Also, 1-2 smaller leaves that were growing inward and blocking the flowers from the sun were removed. Unfortunately, one of the larger fan leaves that I wanted to keep also broke off, but I think she’ll manage. 💧: The soil is still moist. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged (DLI ~40, distance to the plant about 35cm) Day 31: 🌱: So far, I’m just letting her grow for now, but I’m thinking about removing the inward-growing fan leaves tomorrow. 💧: The soil is still moist. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged (DLI ~40, distance to the plant about 35cm) Day 32: 🌱: Today, I used the scissors again and removed a few of the inward-growing leaves as well as a couple of smaller shoots inside. The LST was only minimally adjusted to achieve a more uniform height. 💧: The lady is getting a bit thirstier, so today she received about 3 liters of nutrient solution. This has now been slightly expanded and corresponds to about 50% of the Bio Bizz feeding schedule. Additionally, this time there was also CalMag+Epsom salt. 💡: The lamp was raised a few clicks to keep the values roughly constant (DLI ~40, distance to the plant about 35cm) Day 34: 🌱: Today, I just sorted the leaves a bit to give the flowers more light. The tallest shoots have now reached about 20cm (from the ground). 💧: The soil is still moist. 💡: The lamp was raised a bit further to keep the lighting roughly constant (DLI ~40, distance to the plant about 35cm) Day 35: 🌱: A few of the lower, shaded leaves were removed, as well as 2-3 small latecomer shoots from the inside. The LST was adjusted a little. I’m thinking about removing a few more small side shoots (especially from the middle) to better utilize the available space for the larger shoots. I’d appreciate any thoughts/opinions/ideas on that 😉 💧: At the start of the day, she was really drooping her leaves and the soil was quite dry, so today she also received about 3 liters of nutrient solution. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged.

Lontra Day 36: 🌱: A new week begins and the little lady is growing and growing. 💧: The soil is still moist. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged (DLI ~40-45, distance to the plant ~35cm) Day 37: 🌱: Even though it might not be the best time for it, it has gotten quite crowded in the bush. Therefore, I decided to do a more radical pruning today and remove the weakest shoots, especially from the middle. Additionally, some fan leaves were removed that were shading other buds too much. I hope she survives this torture. (Next time I guess I need to select the shoots earlier and more aggressively...) 💧: The soil is still moist. 💡: The lighting was raised to the highest position (with a hanger) to maintain the distance to the plant (~37cm) and the intensity was adjusted (DLI ~40-45). 🤔: I'm a bit puzzled, as I suddenly discovered some quite purple leaf stems today, especially in the upper area. Combined with the first leaf tips turning slightly yellow, she seems to be trying to tell me something. I just don't know exactly what yet... Sunburn? Too warm? Too little phosphorus? I think for the next watering, I'll try giving a bit more of BioGrow and BioBloom as a first solution attempt. Day 39: 🌱: The flower growth seems to be somewhat disturbed (no wonder with the pruning stress in between). Otherwise, she seems to be doing well and gaining a bit more height. Today, I made some minor LST adjustments to get a bit more light/air into the plant and create a more uniform canopy. 💧: The soil was dry. Watered again with about 3 liters of nutrient solution. To prevent any deficiencies (see purple stems), Bio Grow, Bio Bloom, and Top Max were increased to 100% of the feeding schedule. 💡: The lighting intensity was slightly adjusted, but remains at a DLI of about 45. Day 41: 🌱: Today, some leaves from the middle and very bottom were removed. She continues to stretch diligently and is working on her beloved buds. As a little extra, a CO2 bag was added to the box today. 💧: The soil was still moist enough. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged. Day 42: 🌱: Something new every day: today I discovered purple spots on some shoots for the first time, alongside the purple leaf stems 🤔 I just hope this is happening due to the phenotype / temperatures. 💧: The soil was dry. Watered again with about 3 liters of nutrient solution according to about 100% BioBizz Light Mix schedule. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged.

Lontra Tag 43: 🌱: Today, at the beginning of the 3rd week of flowering, the LST was further optimized. The highest shoots were tied outwards/downwards with garden string. Some of the other outer shoots were also pulled a bit further out. Additionally, a few leaves and popcorn buds were removed. Overall, there is now a bit more air in the bush, allowing light to reach better everywhere and ventilation should also be improved. It seems to be handling a nighttime failure of the exhaust and a few hours of very high humidity quite well overall. 💧: The soil is still moist. The maximum humidity setting for the humidifier has been reduced to 55% (was 60%). 💡: The lighting remains unchanged (DLI ~45-55, distance to the plant still about 32cm). Tag 44: 🌱: I'm slowly starting to worry that I'm going to have height issues with this plant. To prevent it from growing into the fan, I'll have to pull out the garden string again tomorrow and make a few adjustments to the LST. Compared to the last run, the buds are still a bit smaller at this point, but the plant is also stretching more than the previous one. 😤: Since the fan is now constantly blowing on the buds and can't be raised higher, I've temporarily deactivated the continuous ventilation, adjusted the oscillation interval (every 5 min for about 45 seconds), and set the power to 40%. This way, the intake fans, which are actually not necessary, also turn on briefly from time to time while the axial fan is moving. 💧: The soil is still moist. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged. Tag 45: 🌱: Today, some serious work was done. The plant was nearly lollipopped and shaped with string. Some of the upper leaves that were shading other buds were also removed. Unfortunately, the even height was somewhat lost in the process, but the space in the grow box is now being utilized better. 😤: I stretched a wire mesh in front of the fan to prevent leaves and buds from falling victim to the rotor. 💧: The soil was dry. About 3 liters were watered according to the 100% BioBizz feeding schedule (Light Mix, week 3 of flowering). 💡: The lighting was slightly reduced to maintain the previous values. Tag 47: 🌱: It seems to have handled the stress from the day before yesterday well and continues to grow diligently. However, the space situation is slowly becoming critical. 😤: The fan is now running continuously again, at least at night (about 30%, oscillation every 5 min with 50%), otherwise, the humidity rises too much even with the humidifier turned off. 💧: The soil is still moist. However, the leaf tips seem to be telling me that the last batch of nutrients was a bit too much. 💡: The lighting has remained unchanged so far, but the DLI value is continuously increasing due to the decreasing distance between the lamp and the plant. According to the Photone app, it is currently about 60 at the highest buds. I will monitor this over the next few days and will have to reduce the intensity as soon as I notice any negative effects. Tag 49: 🌱: And it keeps growing and growing.... 😤: The fan has now been lowered back to the lowest position and is ventilating the canopy from below. 💧: The soil was dry. There were again 3 liters of nutrient solution, but this time with only about 75% of the amounts in the feeding schedule. 💡: The lighting was slightly reduced.

Lontra Tag 51: 🌱: And it's growing and growing and growing....too much. Since the distance between the plant and the light was getting smaller, I decided today to move the carbon filter outside to gain a few more cm of height for the lamp. Additionally, after watering, I took the scissors and removed a few of the small lower shoots since they hardly get any light anyway. I also removed a few leaves that were causing too much shade and adjusted the LST from scratch. 😤: The fan remains on the lowest setting. 💧: The soil was dry again. I think the last watering was a bit too late and too little. There were again 3 liters of nutrient solution with about 75% of the amounts in the feeding schedule. 💡: The light was hung as high as possible and the intensity adjusted (DLI between 50 and 60). Tag 54: 🌱: Apparently, she has finished her stretch by now (thankfully) and is now focusing more on the buds. Tomorrow I will take some time to free her from some leaves that are covering the buds. Unfortunately, I don't have the time for that today. 💧: The soil was dry again yesterday. There were again 3 liters of nutrient solution with about 75% of the amounts in the feeding schedule. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged.

Lontra Tag 58: 🌱: Unfortunately, I broke my fibula last weekend, which has left me unable to take proper care of the lady in the last few days. As a result, it was way too warm in the box, the humidity was way too low, and the soil was completely dried out. This naturally led to the drooping and yellowing leaves, as the plant is trying to use its remaining resources for the flowers. I’m not exactly sure what’s going to happen with my leg, but I will likely need surgery soon and won’t be really mobile for a while, which also means I can’t take care of the plant as I would like to.... I still hope to keep the plant alive in its last few weeks somehow, even under less than optimal conditions. However, my updates here will probably be a bit less frequent/delayed. 💧: Due to lack of options, there were only 2 liters of nutrient solution with rather low fertilizer concentration, just to avoid complete dehydration. 💡: The lighting remains unchanged.

Lontra Tag 68: 🌱: Even though the grow unfortunately didn't go as planned in the last 2 weeks, the lady survived my 1-week hospital stay thanks to friends who took over the watering in between. Today, I was finally able to give her some care myself again, even though it was a bit tricky doing so on one leg and with crutches. First, I removed the fan leaves that had dried out in the meantime (especially in the lower area). Then, I adjusted the LST a bit more and carefully defoliated, as the smaller buds in the inner area were hardly getting any light anymore. 💧: After focusing on the survival of the plant for the last 2 weeks, I gave her 3 liters of freshly mixed nutrient solution today. Unfortunately, I've run out of BioHeaven in the meantime, but since it's about time to switch to pH-regulated water without additional nutrients, I won't be restocking it for the rest of this run either. 💡: The lighting remained unchanged. Tag 70: 🌱: We're slowly approaching the finish line. Roughly estimated, about 20% of the pistils are brown (more on some buds, less on others). The trichomes are mostly still clear, but I've already spotted some milky ones. Unfortunately, the canopy is still quite dense, which means hardly any light penetrates to the lower areas. However, I'm concerned that I would have to defoliate too much to really change this. It might end up being a staggered harvest. For the next run, this definitely means I need to prune the plant more aggressively and for a longer time regarding the branches, to have fewer branches in the flowering stage overall. 💧: Since I mixed a bit too much water last time, I gave about 0.5 liters again yesterday and today. The soil is still moist. In the last run, I had already stopped using nutrients at a similar development stage. However, I think that was too early and led to some problems towards the end, so I will wait a bit longer this time. 💡: The lighting remained unchanged.

Lontra Tag 72: 🌱: Beginning week 11 (BW 7). With the nutrients she's been getting since I got back from the hospital, it seems to be moving forward again. The buds are slowly swelling nicely and are still growing decently. Even some of the lower branches are making a comeback and stretching up to the height of the main colas. The pistils are increasingly turning brown and more and more trichomes are becoming milky, although most still appear rather transparent. Today, only a few dead leaves were removed, and slight adjustments were made to the LST for better lighting. 💤: I think there are only about 2 to a maximum of 3 weeks left until harvest now (comments and opinions on this are welcome). 💧: The soil was dry, so today there was again a bit more than 3 liters of nutrient solution. By the end of the week, I will take a closer look at the plant and consider when it will be time to stop using the fertilizer. 💡: The lighting remained unchanged. Tag 74: 🌱: Nothing special to report, she seems to be doing well. So, only a few photos of the development were taken for the report. 💧: The soil is still moist. 💡: As we approach the end, I've reduced the intensity of the lighting a little bit in a fall-like manner (DLI still at least = 50) Tag 76: 🌱: Today I accidentally (or rather, by luck) discovered spider mites on my plant. As an immediate measure, I removed the most heavily infested leaves. Additionally, I carefully sprayed the remaining leaves with a solution of isopropanol, vinegar essence, and mostly water. After about 10 minutes, I wiped the leaves with a kitchen towel and dried them off before putting them back in the box under the LED sun. 💧: The soil was dry, so today there was again a bit over 3 liters, probably for the last time including fertilizer. 💡: The light remained unchanged. Tag 78: 🌱: Fortunately, the spider mite infestation is still under control. The ordered predatory mites should be delivered tomorrow. Aside from that, she is happily maturing. 💧: The soil was still moist. 💡: The light remained unchanged.

Lontra Tag 79: 🌱: Today the ordered predatory mites arrived. To support the lady a bit in the final stretch and also to preemptively free the grow box from spider mites for the next run (hopefully), I distributed about 2/3 of a bag of predatory mites on the leaves and hung 1/3 relatively centrally under the leaf canopy in the plant. 💧: The soil was dry. To slowly prepare the plant for the upcoming harvest, from now on there will only be pH-regulated water with CalMag and Epsom salt, but no further additives. In total, about 3.5 liters were watered again. 💡: The light was adjusted a bit again. Due to the different heights of the individual buds, it's harder for me to find the right settings this run. I’ve now tried to regulate the DLI value to about 65 at the top of the highest buds and about 50 at the lowest buds in the middle of the leaf canopy. Tag 81: 🌱: So far, the plant is handling the spider mites quite well. The predatory mites are on their way, but they probably still need to grow and multiply a bit first. A few of the upper leaves are curling a bit. I think this is likely a reaction to the strong lighting at this point and the associated temperature and dryness. Otherwise, everything is actually going quite well. 💧: The soil was still moist. 💡: The light was not changed. Tag 83: 🌱: ... and the harvest is getting closer. The plant seems to be doing well overall, aside from the smaller issues already mentioned (spider mites, some light burn). 💧: The soil was dry, so today there was a second round of pH-regulated water (including CalMag + Epsom salt). This time there were about 5 liters to create a bit more drainage. 💡: The light was not changed. Tag 85: 🌱: The buds are maturing nicely. Fall is only slowly setting in, so there seem to be enough nutrients in the soil to hold out until harvest. The soil will probably be dry again the day after tomorrow. Then I will take a close look at the trichomes again, but I think there will still be water then. 💧: The soil is still moist. 💡: The light was not changed.

Lontra Tag 86: 🌱: The buds are continuing to mature nicely. Fall is taking its time to arrive. Since there's still very little amber visible, especially in the lower parts of the buds, they can continue to ripen for a few more days. Maybe it will be time for the harvest this weekend. In the meantime, the smell has intensified, so that despite the carbon filter, a pleasant, non-overpowering aroma wafts through the apartment when I leave the doors open. 💧: The soil was dry again today, and I gave about 5 liters of pH-regulated water (including CalMag + Epsom salt). 💡: The light was reduced a bit more. I tried to adjust the DLI value to about 55 at the top of the highest buds and about 45 at the lowest buds in the middle of the canopy. Tag 90: 🌱: Fall is slowly showing itself. The buds are continuing to mature. At the top, they already look ready for harvest to me. The lower and smaller buds are slowly catching up. I think by the beginning/middle of week 14, a good average should be reached, and it will be time for the harvest. To minimize the risk of mold, the humidifier has now been completely turned off. 💧: The soil was dry again today. For a bit less drainage, I only gave about 4 liters of pH-regulated water this time (including CalMag + Epsom salt). 💡: The light remained unchanged.

Lontra Tag 93: 🌱: Everything is going according to plan so far. Some of the buds have even developed slight dark purple tones in the last few days, although unfortunately, they don't show well in the photos. Overall, I think she has reached a good average maturity. Since there are no options for drying for a staggered harvest, it's time to harvest. Since the soil is dry on the surface today, I'll let her draw out some remaining moisture from the soil under low light until tomorrow, and tomorrow we will harvest. 💧: The soil remains dry. 💡: The light has been dimmed to about 10%.