Week 1 Summary - Grower Diaries: Auto Blue Dream in Aeroponic PC System
Initial Setup:
Seed: Auto Blue Dream (approximately 2.5 to 3 years old).
Germination Method: The seed was pre-soaked for 24 hours in water with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide to encourage opening. The seed was then transferred to a moist Rockwool cube for further germination.
Grow Box Environment: Set up with LED grow lights for a 20/4 light cycle (20 hours of light, 4 hours of darkness).
Environmental Conditions:
Temperature: Aimed for 22-25°C during light hours, keeping it no lower than 22°C at night.
Humidity: Target was set initially for 70-80% for optimal seedling growth.
Light: 20 hours per day to maximize vegetative growth.
Nutrition and Water:
pH Adjustment: Tap water was adjusted from 7.5 pH to 6 pH using pH Down solution.
Water Volume: 2 liters of water in the container.
Nutrients:
Sensi Grow A: 0.25 ml/l (total of 0.5 ml for 2 liters).
Sensi Grow B: 0.25 ml/l (total of 0.5 ml for 2 liters).
Voodoo Juice: 0.5 ml/l (total of 1 ml for 2 liters) to encourage root development.
Nutrient levels were kept at one-fourth the recommended dose due to the sensitivity of autoflower strains like Auto Blue Dream.
Issues Encountered:
Humidity Drop: One morning, humidity dropped significantly to 43%, likely due to the ventilation system balancing both temperature and humidity. This condition lasted for about 8 hours, leading to concerns over the health of the seedling.
Temperature Fluctuations: Challenges with maintaining a stable temperature range while controlling humidity.
Seed Shell Removal: The seedling initially struggled to shed its shell, prompting gentle manual assistance to avoid stunted growth.
Adjustments Made:
Fine-tuning the ventilation to stabilize both temperature and humidity for future stages.
Regular monitoring to ensure that pH and nutrient concentrations are stable.
Keeping a close eye on the seedling's development to identify any early-stage nutrient deficiencies or environmental stress.
This first week was focused on establishing a stable environment for germination and early growth, while navigating initial challenges typical to a controlled grow setup. The focus remains on keeping conditions optimal for the sensitive seedling stage, where any major fluctuations can impact early development.