1st Grow - Indoor to Outdoor (Zone 10a)

victortripp Day1, Week 1 of Veg Repotted plants on 3/10/2024. Was happy with the results of the rapid rooter. Using Ocean Forest Potting Soil. Planted and watered with filtered water (3 stage filter) until I saw runoff. Placed into tent on top of my tray2grow which I have yet to fully set up. I plan to turn on the system once I see root growth at the bottom of the pots Utilzing photone app to keep PPFD @ ~200. Maintaining a VPD of .70 - .80. Pleased with the automation aspect of the a/c infinity controller. Blueberry Muffin appears to be stunted. This is likely because it sat too long in the rotorooter/paper towel before being repotted. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

victortripp The plants have made it through their first full week since transplant. Other than the initial watering, I only watered once on Day 5. They seem to be holding up well despite temperatures being a bit lower than ideal. I’m keeping PPFD around 250, which seems to be working fine. Lighting remains at 18 hours on, 6 off for consistency. Root development is progressing—smaller plastic pots are starting to show roots, but I’m still waiting for root visibility in the fabric pot before switching on the Autopot Tray2Grow. Starting preventative pest management today with Central Coast Garden Products Green Cleaner to stay ahead of any potential issues. Will monitor root progress and adjust as needed. D

victortripp Week 3 Plant Growth Summary: Lighting: Increased PPFD from 250 to approximately 350 µmol/m²/s midway through Week 2, aligning with recommended levels for the vegetative stage. Watering: Conducted three wet-to-dry cycles. Soil Testing: A slurry test on Day 6 indicated a pH of 6.39 and an EC of 2.9 mS/cm. Nutrient Introduction: Began adding nutrients at 50% of the manufacturer's recommended levels during the third watering on Day 6. The nutrient solution had an EC of 0.53 mS/cm and a pH adjusted to 5.2. Runoff measurements showed a pH of 6.5 and an EC of 1.97 mS/cm. Optimal pH for nutrient uptake in hydroponic systems typically ranges from 5.5 to 6.5. Plant Training: Planning to top all plants near the end of Week 4. Irrigation System: Received all Tray2Grow components. With leaves now reaching the pot edges, plan to activate the system on Day 2 when plants require watering. Overall, plants are progressing well, with environmental parameters maintained within optimal ranges.

victortripp Week 4 Plant Growth Summary: Lighting: Increased PPFD from 350 to approximately 500 µmol/m²/s mid-week.​ Installed carbon filter to mitigate mild smell. Watering: Completed two wet-to-dry cycles.​ Nutrient Adjustments: Elevated nutrient concentration to 75–100% of the manufacturer's recommended levels. The nutrient solution had an EC of 1.26 mS/cm and a pH adjusted between 5.3 and 5.8. Runoff measurements showed a pH of 6.5 and an EC of 2.2 mS/cm.​ Plant Training: Performed topping, followed by defoliation of lower stems 24 hours later on all plants except the Blueberry Muffin strain. Plants are responding well to these high-stress training techniques.​ Irrigation System: Plan to activate the Tray2Grow system on Day 3 of Week 5.​ Overall, the plants are demonstrating resilience and progressing well under the current regimen. ,

victortripp Week 5 Plant Growth Summary (Updated): • Lighting: PPFD held steady at 500 µmol/m²/s. • Irrigation: Tray2Grow system fully operational with reservoir. pH monitored daily. Pump cycles 15 minutes every 2 hours using the AC Infinity controller. • Nutrients: Feeding at 100% of manufacturer’s recommended levels (see spreadsheet). Targeting a consistent pH around 6.2. • Growth & Training: Significant new growth following topping. Plants are responding well. • Plant Count Update: Final week with all six plants. Four will be given to a friend—keeping the blueberry muffin and one Mimosa x Orange Punch. • Transplanting: Transplanted the remaining Mimosa x Orange Punch into a 5-gallon fabric pot. (See photo for root health before repotting.) .

victortripp Week 6 Plant Growth Summary Lighting: PPFD remains steady around 700 µmol/m²/s. The light cycle is being gradually shifted from 9:00 PM–3:00 PM toward a final goal of 4:29 AM–8:33 PM by late May. This transition is designed to align with civil twilight and prevent early flowering during the eventual move outdoors. The goal is to maintain 14 hours of light and help plants anticipate daylight at the correct time. Irrigation: The Tray2Grow system is keeping the plants well hydrated. Pump continues to run for 15 minutes every 2 hours via the AC Infinity controller. pH and EC are monitored daily, targeting 6.5 pH and 1.2 EC. Reservoir Maintenance: Initially ran a 4-gallon mix carried over from the previous week, but by Day 5–6 it became pungent. Emptied and cleaned the tank, then started fresh with a 3-gallon batch. Going forward, the plan is to run nutrient solution to near-empty, clean out the reservoir, and start each batch fresh to prevent buildup and odor. Plants: Blueberry Muffin– Showing signs of bouncing back after early stunting. Still smaller than the Mimosa x Orange Punch but making noticeable progress. Mimosa x Orange Punch (Barney’s Farm) – Vigorous and clearly leading in size and structure. Training & Exposure: Practicing consistent low-stress training to expose inner growth to light and encourage even canopies. Both plants are getting brief daily outdoor time, helping acclimate them for the coming transition. No pruning was done this week. Notes: Had a helpful conversation with Humboldt Seed Company, who do not recommend moving plants from indoor to outdoor setups. They explained it can be difficult to match up sunlight hours accurately, and any light reduction can trigger early flowering. Their typical advice is to start plants outdoors in a greenhouse, where light exposure naturally syncs with the environment. That said, we’ll see if my strategy of slowly adjusting indoor light hours to match outdoor conditions will be enough to avoid triggering flower when the plants are moved outside later in the season

victortripp • Lighting: Light cycle reduced from 18 to 17.33 hours this week as part of the gradual transition toward civil twilight alignment by late May (targeting ~15 hours). PPFD remains steady in the 600–700 range. • Irrigation & Nutrients: • Feeding: One feeding this week using 3 gallons of nutrient solution at pH 6.5 / EC 1.2. • Reservoir Observation: Experiencing pH drift between the main 4-gallon reservoir and the AutoPot tray. May begin starting with a slightly lower pH to account for this upward drift as water reaches the capillary mats. • Plant Training: • Continued low-stress training with soft ties to open the canopy and improve light penetration. • Planning to transplant into the final 10-gallon pot in Week 8—this will be the last container before moving outdoors in mid-May. • Plant Health: • The Blueberry Muffin showed signs of a nutrient deficiency or lockout on a lower leaf. Removed the affected leaf and did a light flush with distilled water, followed by reintroducing nutrient solution at normal strength..

victortripp Week 8 Plant Growth Summary Lighting: Light schedule remains under review, currently around 16.67 hours as part of the ongoing reduction plan. The goal is to reach 15 hours of light by the week of May 26, aligning with civil twilight to avoid triggering early flowering during the eventual outdoor transition. Irrigation & Feeding: Began the week with 4 gallons of nutrient solution in the reservoir (standard feeding levels). Midweek, the reservoir was flushed and cleaned, then refilled with 3 gallons of plain water at pH 6.5 to help balance conditions. Training & Maintenance: Performed light pruning of lower leaves showing signs of nutrient burn or receiving insufficient light. Continued low-stress training with soft ties to open up canopies and encourage light penetration to new growth. Blueberry Muffin was topped this week to encourage bushier growth. Overall Plant Health: Both plants are looking healthy and responding well to training. Adjustments are continuing in anticipation of the mid-May transplant outdoors.

victortripp The plants are continuing to grow very well and are responding positively to ongoing low-stress training. I also performed moderate trimming this week, removing any dead or unhealthy leaves. I did accidentally snap a min branch but the tape and support method seemed to have done the trick. Overall, both plants are looking great — healthy, vigorous, and structurally sound. They’ve been spending some time outdoors and are surprisingly tolerant of full sunlight, showing no signs of shock. Feeding has remained consistent with the manufacturer’s guidelines. A large reservoir feeds the tray, with input pH set around 5.5, which results in approximately 6.5 pH at the tray level. pH can still drift significantly as the reservoir depletes, but the plants are resilient and seem unfazed. Lighting remains on a vegetative schedule. There was a brief issue with the AC controller that left the lights on for over 24 hours, but the plants appear unaffected. Still on track to move outdoors full-time at the end of May.

victortripp The plants continue to grow well and are responding positively to the stress training applied this week. I completed some defoliation, removing large water leaves to improve airflow and light penetration. Unfortunately, I lost a small branch on the Blueberry Muffin plant—it couldn’t be recovered. Luckily, it was a secondary branch resulting from topping, so overall loss was minimal. The large reservoir is stable, with pH starting at 5.5 and drifting up to about 6.5 by the time it reaches the AutoPot tray, which is ideal for nutrient uptake. The pH drift is finally under control. I’m continuing to feed according to the manufacturer’s nutrient schedule. Lighting is gradually being reduced to match civil twilight timing by the end of May, aligning the plants with natural outdoor rhythms. I’m now evaluating the best location in the garden to transplant the two plants. I want to ensure they’re not too close to neighboring plants that might dry out and risk spreading powdery mildew or other pathogens…