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Hi Guys and Gals, my name is Shawn, and I am excited to share my first grow with anyone who cares to chime in. After weeks of nagging my fiance, she finally caved in as she couldn't take a grown man crying lol so it worked and I am now a proud owner of a 2x4x5 grow tent. I know it's micro but in all fairness, I figured to start small and if I'm somewhat successful, then down the road I'll definitely expand my setup. I just want to shout out to this forum, it's giving me some useful information, and for the most part, people genuinely tune in and offer any advise in a curteous manner. Besides, even master growers have made their share of mistakes. We all have to experience the trials and tribulations of this miraculous plant that so many of us indulge in, whether medicinal or recreational. So without further ado lets get started. Once again hello and Thanks for any support here as it met with much love and respect. So I presoaked Northern Lights Auto and a freebie Amnesia Haze Auto from Canuk seeds. I chose NLA for its resiliency to newbie growers so wish me luck and we will see how it all goes. Presoaked for roughly 12 hours. Planted directly into Coco Coir medium on 3 gallon air pots. I don't bother with perlite or anything just straight Coco. I prefer to use Gaia Green organic ammendments. A blend of 2-8-4 bloom and 4-4-4 all purpose, with a wee little dash of Roots Excelurator. All doses are manufacturers recommended amounts. I'll keep RH between 70-80 for the first week, RH 50 weeks 2-6, RH 40-45 the rest of the duration of flower. I will implement LST as well as ponytailing. I'm running 300 watt White Spectrum LED that runs 180 true watts which is sufficient for my setup. Very low heat is a must in such a small space so I decided to go this route. 2 4 inch inline fans and 2 hurricane clip fans for circulating air and exhaust. A humidifier for humidity. I filter my water and use an air pump with stones to oxygenate the water. Not sure if I'm leaving something out but for the most part that's my setup. I'll go with a 18/6 light schedule as it's more economical for me. I want to keep my first run as simple as possible to maximize my success. I use success lightly lol So here we go so freaking excited!!
Hi everyone, well this was week 2 and I started to use a technique called ponytailing. Shoots are small so I'll hold off on LST training for now. I don't think I will go the route of topping or fimming because I am a newbie and want to minimize stress and a possible stunted plant if I do it incorrectly. So I didn't mention last time that I am using 180 true watts Electric Sky from Dan, from the Green Sunshine Company. Very informative and a passionate grower from what I see. So I'm excited to see what the Electric Sky can do for me. PH of 6.8 is what I try to maintain. Very little water as this point maybe 1L around the centre of the pot. I don't do the knuckles test to determine dryness as I have a pot just filled with coco which I compare to to help with the wet/dry cycle. I water with added Roots Excelurator per manufactures direction. I'll start to lower my lights from 24in by 2in per day until I reach 15-18 inches slowly integrating more light each day. Well that's about it for this week. Stock Strong and Happy Growing!!
Hey everyone, week 3 not much to say this week I think she is healthy and loving life. I am still ponytailing 8hrs per day then I release. Water 2L enough to dampen but not completely saturated. I am growing organically so I don't runoff. My lights are down to 18in at this point. My home humidity is very low so I am running a humidifier at RH 50%. That's it for this week, stay Stock Strong and Happy Growing.
Hello fellow Growers, week four is going well as there is not much of change in my schedule. Lights 18in. Ph 6.8. 4l water every 3 days with added Roots Excelurator per maufactures recommendations. 8hrs ponytailing each day then release. 18/6 lights schedule. Dabba Dabba that's all folks Stock Strong and Happy Growing.
Hi fellow Growers, week 5 still veg'n and growing strong. Not much of a smell to report at this point but I'm overall happy with the way things are growing. Lights 18/6, PH 6.8, 4l every 3 days with added Roots Excelurator per maufactures recommend dose. Ponytailing 8hrs per day then release. Spray leaves with plain ph'd 6.8 water which is filtered. I try to keep temperature 74-76.I say 1 more week veg and then the real fun begins. I'm so stoked. Stock Strong and Happy Growing.
Hello fellow Growers, this week went boom!! Explosive growth and bushy. Seems to be loving life at the moment. I haven't fed since week 1 so I top dressed as per manufactures recommended amount while watering/Roots Excelurator PH 6.8 until I start to see runoff and then I stop and let the plant suck the tiny amount of runoff back up into her roots roughly 2-3 days in between. 18/6 light schedule, 15in light distance, ponytailing 8hrs then release. Well that's about it for this week so Stock Strong and Happy Growing.
Hello fellow Growers, week 7 report is going well. I'm getting nice side branch growth but my air flow seems weak. I only have 2 hurricane clip fans that aren't quite sufficient enough. Seems to be some hot spots so I'll do a light defoliation to improve air flow and some LST. I no it seems late and rightfully so but the side branches are surprisingly flexible. I want more light penetration evenly distributed. I wasn't planning on doing this as I know there is controversy on the subject but I also have seen excellent results. She is growing strong and is vibrant so I'm applying light defoliation. Wish me luck we'll see how it goes. Just plain Ph'd water 6.8 with added Roots Excelurator per maufactures recommend dose. I water every 2-3 days starting from the middle. 1.5-2L slowly to ensure water oxynigates the roots. Roughly 5L of remaining water around outside edge to promote lateral growth for a healthy root system. 18/6 light schedule, this week no ponytail and from here on in. I'll start LST. Well that's about it for this week so Stock Strong and Happy Growing.
Hello fellow Growers, week 8 update is going well. I lightly defoliated and tied down the side branches to expose more light. I was given a tip from Dan, from the Green Sunshine Company which I'll try to implement. Where you dip your lights down. I got as low as 6in from 15in for a couple of hours and then back to it's original position. I'll see how she responds and update. The circulation has much improved from defoliation so the hot spots issue is resolved. For future grows I'll be upgrading to a box fan. This week plain ph'd 6.8 water with added Roots Excelurator per maufactures recommend dose. 18/6 light schedule. Defoliation and side branch tie down. Any lower yellowing growth removed. Well that's about it for this week so Stock Strong and Happy Growing.
Hi there, I'm currently growing Northern Lights Auto, I'm in week 8 and I noticed the stems start to get red line streaks. Any suggestions as to what might be causing these. I'm sorry I didn't think to snap a pic before posting this week. Thanks for all your help.
Hey cola so I feel like no one ever mentions that phosphorus deficiency can cause the reddish stems as well and along with the lower leaves yellowing and discoloring so i just wanted to add that. I see your ph is much lower than last week which is great because if it is nutrient related you probably fixed any possible lock out. I agree also with the calcium/magnesium..well more so magnesium since calcium has a tendency to attack new growth or actively growing leaves, like vegetative growth. I did look at a variety of other sites and sources growing northern lights and i did see that many of them also had reddish stems, so it may be a strain specific trait also. Keep up the good change and watch for progress, if the red stays when you keep your good ph and nutrient line up then it's probably just genetics. Happy growing ✌️
Hello fellow Growers, week nine report is in and it's been crazy to say the least. This plant doesn't want to stop gaining height. I have such a small space to work with, and I am inexperienced grower and should have planned my grow better. This is my first grow and I thought I would make my fair share of mistakes, so I didn't think I would run out of head space, surprise...I did!! I started to notice my ladies developing heat stress so I made a stupid decision. I decided to super crop in flower and who knows what's going to be the outcome. Honestly, it's my first run ever, and my expectations were very low. I'll tell you though, I've had a blast so far and have learned so much in so little time because of GROWDIARIES and the insightful and experienced growers that I have had the privilege of learning from. Anyways, on a very positive note, I did not break one branch which makes me happy. Now I have experienced cropping technique, I just wish I had implemented sooner. We'll see how it goes I have my fingers crossed. So I lowered my PH this week. Please note I dropped it from 6.8 - 6.0 gradually, not in one shot but over the week. These were combined recommendations from Bulbi, and Valhalla which I very much appreciate. So the transformation is dramatic, go easy on me lol I did say I was a NOOBie!! Well looks like 2 different plants now. I tried to tie branches together to ensure the suckers stay down. I don't have time for plant games right now as I know their resilient and pop back up. Not when you're tied up baby, you're not going anywhere lol I water 2.5 days 5-6 litres. Now a PH 6.0. 18/6 Lights schedule. 45 RH / 76°. One thing to note is there wasn't much trichome production before cropping, but now it is noticeable. So this concludes this week. I don't know how she will respond but time will tell. Thanks for chiming in and as always. Happy Growing!!
Hi fellow growers, way to hit the 10,000 milestone, fun to be part of such a welcoming community. Well this is week 10, and once again my lady has gone through another transformation. This is it, no turning back from this one, time will only tell how much stress I put her under. Fun process and one heck of a learning curve, so regardless of results I can say I'll be a grower for life with a great community to grow with. So if you're a Newbie like I am, don't sweat it, someone has your back here. So my girl has taking a beating. I mean I have bent branches, light to heavy defoliation, high PH , I even snapped the top in 2 and throw some lollipoping, and the icing on the cake was schwazzing. All those techniques combined and if you have followed my first grow, you know from week to week she looked like a different plant. So I need to learn a little more patience, plan out my grow a head of time, more of a subtle approach as opposed to the agressive approach that I applied. So PH 6.0, 76°F, humidity 45%, 6L filtered water every 2.5 days. One helluva training schedule which she thinned out dramatically. Almost unrecognizable. Since super cropping I can see swelling where the stem and branch connect. I'm hoping she'll really kick in soon but the stress I put her under I know it's wishful thinking. This week the pistols started to change orange. Mild smell but once you leave room it dicepates quickly. She is opened up, so no worries about light penetration, she'll get a nice tan. So I'm thinking small yield but quality could still be nice. Considering I threw everything but the kitchen sink at her, she's standing, sort of. Well anyways Growers you live and learn and I want to find out the hard way and make my own mistakes, and see it for myself in real time. Thanks for chiming in people. Stalks Strong and Happy Growing!!
Hi everyone, hope all is well with your grows. Week 11 has been all about recovery from the super cropping and schwazzing technique that I applied. You can see knuckles forming from where I bent the branches. She is doing great now and starting to fill out. I figure to have a couple more weeks of flower so I'm hoping she packs some juicy colas.The Trichome production has amped up and the smell is filling the room pleasantly. I find the temperature and humidity to be more consistent without her leaves as the airflow is fantastic as well as light penetration. Definately a resilient plant to say the least. I wanted to try super cropping but what I didn't realize was to do it gradually, instead I did it all at once and she is still standing tall. Trial and error but all in all I'm happy so far but will be really stoked if she flattens up. Not sure she will though but on the bright side quality should be fine even if I didn't reach full potential on yield. I noticed her uptake in water dramatically slowed down from watering every 2.5 days to 4.5 days but now she's almost back to normal which tells me she is back loving life again. PH 6.0, 18/6 light schedule, released some tie downs. So I'm on cruise control now and the next couple of weeks should have the finish line in sight. Just think after all the anticipation, one of the most important steps is to have a flawless cure to reap all your hard work, and that only takes a couple months which ia going to feel like forever lol well growers I wish all of you the best of luck and Happy Growing. Always a pleasure.
G'day Green Nation, week 12 has just begun and I will post pics throughout the week. Not much to say this week, seems to be moving along slowly but I expected that with all the stress I caused. Live and learn. My second run will be much different and I will most definitely stick to simple LST and compare the results as I have 2 more of the same strain. I am not sure what is going on but her water intake has slowed dramatically so if anyone has any suggestions I'm all ears. I have been adding calmag but the redness is still visible. The leaves seem fine but not the stems. I wonder if it needs a few more days to clear up? Still no yellowing in the leaves and the colas aren't developed yet either but I'm not sure that is going to happen lol I had great veg growth but it was the complete opposite in flower...the best part..lol Is it possible that flowering will take longer due to stress? At what point does it start to ripen? Will I eventually get bud swelling? Any insight would be fantastic. Well growers keep em healthy and all the best.
Week 13, redness still present so I'm not sure if I left it too long before treating her with calmag. I haven't received much support here so it is what it is. I'll just wing it and see lol Soon I'll be in school for Cannabis Cultivation and Tissue Culture so I'll know exactly what to do but for now this is my first grow so it is expected to make mistakes. I surely made mine but that's all apart of the learning curve, a process that takes years to master. Fun in any regards and a hobby that I'll endure for life. The smell is pungent and fills the room but not overpowering. I figure to have 3 weeks remaining so I'm hoping my baby puts on weight for me. I like em BBW ( Big Beautiful Weed ) Do they get their biggest during the last few weeks? Anyways I'll post pics throughout the week.
Week 14 is here and I think she has finally recuperated from all the stress I put her through. She seems to finally be putting weight on so I think I'll pull through okay. Fingers are crossed. Ph is 6, Daytime temps are 76°F, nighttime temps are 70°F, 6L water every 3 days. Pretty much sitting back and letting her do her thing. The smell is pungent. So I think I am getting close to harvest but I think I may have 3 weeks to go as there is no yellowing yet. I'll post pics throughout the week. Stalks Strong!!
Week 15, not much to report as she is in cruise control. Starting to fade just a tad so 2-3 weeks to go. She is in cruise control and I feel like these last few weeks are going to feel like an eternity. I'm really stoked, this is my first grow and I just want to finish so I can pop the next seeds. I might actually run the sweet tooth as I hear good things with Canuk Seeds. Ph 6, daytime temps 76°- nighttime temps 70°, 18/6 light schedule. I'll post pics throughout the week. Stalks Strong!!
Week 16 and she is 2 weeks away. I can hardly wait now as the fruits of my labor is just around the corner. I'm excited to wrap up my first grow and see what I was able to produce. Even if the yield is on the small side it was a great experience nonetheless. I'll add pics throughout the week but other than that there really isn't much to report.
Week 17 is here and it's finally the last week before harvest. Feels like forever, just think 2 more months of curing and I'll be sitting back with some rum and this Northern Lights beauty chillin with my better half. She doesn't smoke but she told me she would like to join me, in on my first joint from my very own grow stash. Been trying for 8 years to get her to smoke one and all it took was for me to grow my own lol Crazy girl but nonetheless should be exciting. Next grow I'm going to keep it simple because I know I must have put her back quite a few weeks because supposed to be complete in 49 days. I'm well past this projection so I can only assume that I put her through hell and back with all the stress. Lesson learned. I'm stoked anyways as it was quite the adventure. I learned so much more knowledge from this experience that will carry over to future grows. I'll post pics throughout the week and then yabbadabbadoo harvest time baby. Can't wait. Stalks strong!!
Final week, for real this time lol trichomes are mostly cloudy as I'm just waiting for 10-20% amber and then lights out for 48 hrs. Buds seem to be dense with highlights of purple really starting to show and the smell is nice that fills the tent. Just a couple days away as I'm just about done my first journal and there's been a lot of ups and downs but overall I am pleased to have grown my own herbs as it was a very rewarding experience that I will continue to grow as a marijuana enthusiast. My new hobby for life, great site to grow, learn and track your progress and possibly win some prize packages on the way. Doesn't get better than that especially when you light up your first joint and sit back enjoying every puff of the fruits of your labor. So close I can almost taste it. Well that's about it until harvest, on cruise control with the finish line in sight. Stalks Strong!!
Haha, what's good Green Nation, well this lady doesn't know when to quit. Does anyone know what the record for longest time to grow an auto is? Bawahaha,19 weeks of flower, I suck!! What a ride baby, a really damn long one. Are we there yet? I keep saying last week, no this is really the last week, I don't even know to be honest. I look at the trichomes and see half clear and she is still putting on weight. Under my LED the leaves look yellow but in real light mostly green. She is starting to fade so I must be close. Well I have a big list of don'ts on my second run, so should be fun to see what I can do if I mostly let her be and do her thing. I will say that even though this took some time, I am very pleased with how she is responding near death Haha!! At least I'm getting something outa her so it could have been worse so I'll take that as a positive. Well Green Nation it's weekend time so spark a joint, vape, dab..etc. whatever your flavor, light it up and enjoy your weekend!! Stalks Strong!!
Northern Lights Auto from Canuk Seeds is a fantastic strain for newbies. Very resilient plant which was very forgiving as I made a ton of mistakes, but still managed to yield 131g dry!! If you look back to week 9, you'll see the dumbest decision to super crop due to height restrictions as I broke every branch including the main cola in 2 different spots lol and yet she could have easily died but responded with a decent yield. She took her sweet old time because of the extreme high stress which I big time misinterpret the training technique. 1 branch every 2-3 days NOT ALL BRANCHES at once Haha!! Live and learn!! Definitely a nighttime smoke, stress and muscles seem to relax due to a strong body high that slowly sinks you deep into the couch!! I tried to watch a movie with my girl, but lasted 45 minutes then lights out for me!! Just what the doctor ordered, body melts and then zzz's!! Mr. Sandman bring me a dream!! I have only tested a couple buds as the rest is curing!! I'll cure for minimum 6-8 weeks and will report back with update. As for now it still wasn't too bad the flavor, kinda reminds me of earthy/piney taste with almost spicy scent to it. Overall I think great plant for newcomers. I am running again, this time no HST, just let her do her thing and I will most likely do LST and selective defoliation, not like the haircut she received from me, poor thing!! Well peeps awesome experience to be able to share with the Grow Diaries community and to track my own progress, Thank-you so much for everyone whom stopped by to check out my first and definitely not my last grow!! Easy Grow Diaries Fam!! Tune into my next 4 strain grow just underway!! 2 Fastbuds strains, Cream Cookies and Zkittlez!! From contest I was fortunate to place second and 2 from Canuk Seeds, Northern Lights and Sweet Tooth which should be a nice variety and a ton of fun!!
Overall easy to grow and very durable as she took a beating but bounced back and finished strong. I was going for a nighttime smoke so I let her go to about 70% cloudy/30% amber trichomes. Great strain for a newbie trying to start out, I made a ton of mistakes but definitely learned from this so expect greater results in the near future. I am pleased considering my first run and want to thank grow diaries for a nice place to come and share experiences with fellow growers. I smoked a joint already but the real report will be in a few weeks. Taste and smell need to cure but the buzz so far was nice and relaxing for me as a nighttime smoke. The smell is spicy almost and taste earthy/piney but will improve with cure. Burn was nice. I will definitely grow again. So I almost forgot to report that it took roughly 6 days to dry. My preference was to use large Costco yard waste brown paper bag.That's all for now but thanks for tuning in much appreciated. I will post dry weight and cure report soon as I can. Stalks Strong!!0000000000
@OhcanaDAbiz,
Tbh, in your case, I don't think it really hurt the plant. That's one of the best looking autos I've seen, and I'm not entirely sure if it would've influenced the flowering time (I can't honestly say).
The comment was more for like future reference or random info, not really aimed at your (rather excellent) results there.
And if you think growing time on that is ridiculous...well, I'm sitting here with plants in week 35, and one of them will probably flower for another month or so before it's finished bulking and stuff...what, that's only like 6 months of flowering so far.
@The_Projexx wrote
“... what this bulbi guy fails to mention cause hes noob is that you should drop PH slowly drop that PH to quickly and you will lock your plant out of various nutrients....”
While your point has merit, your tone is dismissive, disrespectful, and has no place here on Grow Diaries. Manners, Val!
If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing!
@OhCanadabis, if you lower your PH from 6.8 to 6 your going to fuck your plants up , what this bulbi guy fails to mention cause hes noob is that you should drop PH slowly drop that PH to quickly and you will lock your plant out of various nutrients and stunt its growth
Thanks for the kind words my man, you nailed it though, yes I stressed her out too much so she took her sweet old time. Live and learn, should be less time next run. Stalks Strong!!
Hey buddy, well I wouldn't advise you to do this. I made a mistake taking too many leaves and the growth slowed dramatically in flower. I'm not sure what the yield will be because I am a complete newbie but I'll post in a week or so if I'm not busy. Time will tell, thx for the question...your guess is as good as mine lol
Thank-you for taking the time to respond ExperimentGREEN. I will be watching closely the next few days and looking for the deficiencies you have mentioned. I'm so grateful for the GROWDIARIES Team. You people welcome with open arms, are respectful, knowledgeable and just an overall pleasant and engaging environment.
Thank-you for the recommendation to slowly lower the PH. I will do this. I'm a novice so any advise from a reputable grower is very much appreciated. Thx for taking the time to respond. Happy Growing.
Thank-you Gandalf, yes I have done my fair share of research, now I'll try my hand at gardening, and hopefully see the fruits of my labor. I'll check to see if you have any grows on the go and would like join in on your journey. G'luck and all the best.
@The_Projexx, I'm sure he meant well and just an oversight. Always a pleasure to have 2 master growers with so much insightful knowledge. Thanks again. Happy Growing.
@OhCanadabis, The information bulbi provided isnt wrong but he isnt going in to detail . He should take his time to explain various things so that you can understand better . There is a lot to growing cannabis , and the more indepth knowledge you know the easier things become for you . Im not out here saying im better then the rest or w.e cause im not I learn stuff EVERY SINGLE DAY but the knowledge I do have I like to pass on .
Thanks for taking the time to respond .
-Happy Growing!
@The_Projexx, I just want to thank-you for your in depth explaining of Cal-Mag difficiency and how to lower PH gradually and the range that I should be shooting for. All these tips are noted. Thank-you for the words of encouragement and Happy Growing
@CRiSPrGrow, Hey my man, wow 25 weeks of TLC!! She must have been a beauty. I thought typically autos were done 8-9 weeks, so I was losing my mind with anticipation lol but I guess that is what happens when you love a plant, you get a little over zealous. Just let her do her thing and she'll let you know when she is ready. Thx for the response, stay strong my man!!
Haha, well that is a long flowering period so I guess I'm not the only one with extended flowering. Patience my friend and I'll be harvesting soon I hope. I appreciate your knowledge and sharing this information with me. It's nice to have growers from all parts sharing their experiences and paying it forward, we all started as newbies and owe it to the grow diaries family to share, offer help if you can, and show positive support regardless of skill level. Well thx for your response, always welcomed!!
Thanks Puffer_Bill. Yeah that's a great idea about the edibles. I was thinking micro doses for her to start. Canna banana bread sounds deli. I was looking into magic butter appliance to make candy and tinctures down the road. The machine looks interesting especially if you have never made edibles before, it's supposed to take the guesswork out of it. Anyways G'luck buddy with your grows and thanks for chiming in.
Hi Puffer_Bill, yes it's an autoflower from Canuk Seeds. This is my first run but she's taking her sweet ol time. I was told 7 weeks flowering lol if it wasn't for the fact that I'm running 18/6 light schedule I would think she is a photoperiod. I have the same thinking as you do but I have 12 more seeds to go of the autoflowers variety. White Widow, Northern Lights and sweet tooth so I'm going to finish these and see what kind of yield I averaged and then try my hand at the big girls. It was a learning curve but I suppose it should only get better as time goes on. Thanks for the encouragement I really haven't had much here so it is welcomed. I see you grow in hydro which interests me but seems to be more complicated and hands on but overall nice looking plants that look extremely healthy. Down the road I'd like to try DWC. Anyways all the best and thanks for your response. Stalks Strong Buddy!!
WeedTheNorth
